Construction firm will ask for a hearing on AG notice
BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer
Saying it is "unfortunate that it got to this point," a construction company official said he is confident his firm will be proved to have not been remiss in a school construction project.

Bob Eagleson of Ernest Bock and Sons, Philadelphia, was in charge of the firm's recent project to construct an addition and renovations at the Manalapan Englishtown Middle School (MEMS), Millhurst Road, Manalapan.

He spoke to the News Transcript following the publication of an article in the Oct. 10 edition of the newspaper which reported that a Notice of Adverse Action has been issued by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office against the construction company.

The attorney general looked into the MEMS situation at the behest of state Assemblyman Michael Panter (D-Monmouth and Mercer).

Eagleson said he wanted to make the distinction that the Attorney General has asked that the firm be barred from doing any school construction work in New Jersey until 2009 and not that the company has already been barred from doing that work as was reported in the article.

He said that clarification is important and noted that the company is contesting the Attorney General's request. He said a hearing will be held before any action is taken against Ernest Bock and Sons.

The work at MEMS was authorized by the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education.

According to school district and municipal officials, due to a litany of code and construction violations, the renovations and new construction at MEMS were not completed as scheduled for the opening of the 2006-07 school year.

Administrators kept the entire building closed and for two weeks in September 2006 MEMS pupils were transported to other schools in the district for instruction.

As the construction crews completed their work, Manalapan code enforcement officials worked overtime to finish the inspections necessary to get the school open.

Eagleson said he could not say much about the situation because his firm is in litigation with the school district over issues related to the MEMS project. He said he would speak about the situation once the litigation has run its course and the matter is either resolved in the courts or through a settlement.

He did, however, make the observation that Ernest Bock and Sons has been in business for more than 50 years.

"You don't last that long if you don't know what you are doing," Eagleson said.