RED BANK - The future is looking large for theCount Basie Theatre.

In news exclusively broken by the Asbury ParkPress on Sunday and announced at a Monday morningnews conference, the theater is looking to convert itsarea of Monmouth Street into a full-city-block arts andeducation complex. The expanded Basie will include anoutdoor arts plaza to the east of the theater, as well as atwo-story glass lobby and brick pavilion facade with anelevator, new bathrooms, a bar, classrooms and dis-plays celebrating artists from the region.

The current theater will receive stage and lightingupgrades, as well as a new dressing room, an artists’lounge and an expansion of the load-in area as part ofthe three-year, $20 million expansion project.

At the former Wawa lot to the west, the Basie willbecome home to offices, classrooms and a new multi-use performance space with a capacity of between 500and 600 standing or around 350 seated audience mem-

Count BasieTheatre unveilsexpansion plansALEX BIESE @ABIESEAPP

“That’s a place where anything could happen. Youcould have anything from up-and-coming artists toan Elvis Costello wanting to debut a new album,maybe come down here.”

STEVEN VAN ZANDT, E STREET BAND GUITARIST

See BASIE, Page 12A

An investigation finds the number of police killed in high-speed car chases is 15 times what the FBI reports. Page 1B

Feds undercountdeaths in chases

ROYALS METSWORLD SERIES

A WORLD (SERIES) APART

RUSS ZIMMER Press reporter, Royals fan since 1982 Press reporter, Mets fan since 1989 MIKE DAVIS

JAMES CONNOLLY/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

APP’s reform petition tops 12,000 signers. 4AFIGHTING N.J.’S PROPERTY TAX CRISIS

ASBURY PARK PRESS APP.COM $1.00

TUESDAY 10.27.15

VOLUME 136

NUMBER 257

SINCE 1879

ADVICE 6DCLASSIFIED 7DCOMICS 5DHEALTHY LIVING 1DLOCAL 3A

OBITUARIES 8AOPINION 11ASPORTS 1CTECH TUESDAY 6AWEATHER 8C

A Middletown attorney who was serving as munici-pal judge in nine Monmouth County municipalities hasbeen suspended without pay from his judgeships pend-ing an investigation by New Jersey’s Advisory Commit-tee on Judicial Conduct.

Richard B. Thompson, one of the area’s more hand-somely paid public officials, was temporarily suspend-ed without pay Friday from serving as municipal courtjudge in Bradley Beach, Colts Neck, Eatontown, Mid-dletown, Neptune City, Oceanport, Rumson, TintonFalls and Union Beach. He earned $217,500 in 2014,when he sat as judge in six municipalities.

Superior Court Judge Lisa P. Thornton, assignmentjudge for Monmouth County, signed the suspension or-der after it was brought to her attention that Thompson“may have violated the Code of Judicial Conduct byfailing to follow the statutes, policies, and proceduresfor sentencing penalties and fines, in violation of Can-ons 1 and 2 of the Code of Judicial Conduct,’’ Thorntonwrote in her order.

A message left on an answering machine at Thomp-son’s office on Monday was not returned.

Thornton did not elaborate on the possible violationsin her order, and a call to her chambers referred ques-tions to Winnie Comfort, a spokeswoman for the

Judge is

suspended

from 9 town

court jobsRichard Thompson to beinvestigated by N.J. panel

KATHLEEN HOPKINS @KHOPKINSAPP

See JUDGE, Page 12A

It’s been a lonely existence for Kansas CityRoyals refugees like me, having left my birth-place more than half a lifetime ago. I find I’m theonly one in the stadium wearing Royals powderblue when I have an opportunity to see themclose to my home.

But that’s all in the past now and, oh boy, whata time it is to be a citizen of Royals Nation.

I know fans of the New York Mets are feelingit too, as they also have emerged from the pro-verbial desert to the doorstep of glory.

Led by Daniel “Barry Bonds” Murphy, theMets are bringing the World Series back toQueens for the first time since Game 1 starterMatt Harvey was a Yankees fan.

All that stands between Terry Collins’ youngsquad and the organization’s third Commission-er’s Trophy is the American League championRoyals.

Let me, your local Royals fan, try to makesense of one half of this upside-down worldwhere the Royals are playing the Mets to

Sorry, Mets fans — the citizens

of beleaguered Royals Nation

are ready to (finally) rejoice

RUSS ZIMMER @RUSSZIMMER

See ROYALS, Page 7A

An Amazin’ timeEdelson on Mets fans’

storybook ride. Page 1CWhat to watch for when theSeries begins. Page 3C

When you’re in love with a loser, you cry a lot.And I’m in love with the New York Mets.

I cried when some dude from Berkeleynamed Al Leiter pitched them to the playoffs in1999 (I was 10). I cried when Johan Santanapitched the team’s first no-hitter (I was 23).

And the last time the Mets were in the WorldSeries (I was 11), I wept with an impressiveamount of vigor. Nothing makes a kid lose hiswonder and innocence like watching his favor-ite team lose to the Yankees.

But here we are 15 years later, and my loser ison the verge of becoming a winner. The NewYork Mets are in the World Series, and I can’treconcile it.

The Mets losing are all I know.It’s always been hard for me to understand

how some teams’ fans accepted nothing lessthan a world title every year. But now that theMets are four wins away from it, I finally get it.

They are four wins away from forgivenessfor Aaron Heilman (2006 goat) and Armando

Those who gave their loyalty

to perennial losers are hoping

for the big payoff this season

MIKE DAVIS @BYMIKEDAVIS

See METS, Page 7A

Teams’ true believers face off

TOM SPADER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The board of trustees and donors on the Count Basie Theatrestage to announce the plans for its $20 million expansion.