TOMS RIVER, NJ – Ocean County Freeholder Virginia Haines’ plan to get herself in the newspapers by spacing out park openings to get the best media bang for the buck, which is about $1,000,000 annually in the county press department, is working.  Today, Haines, 85, trickled out a few more park openings for her denizens.  “Today, I am announcing the reopening of Cattus Island County Park, Toms River Township, Cloverdale County Park, Barnegat Township and Tip Seaman County Park, Tuckerton, starting Thursday, May 7,” Ocean County Parks and Recreation Czar Haines said in a press release prepared by one of her six-figure content writers.  “I want to stress these parks are being reopened for passive recreation – walking, jogging, hiking, running and similar activities. Visitors must maintain social distancing and adhere to the other requirements set in place for the safety of the public and our County staff.”

Ocean County Parks and Recreation Czar Ginny Haines.

Haines still has not reopened the Brick Township Mantoloking Bay Park which she closed after learning Orthodox Jews from Lakewood Township were using the park.

The three additional parks have been added to the seven other parks reopened by the County on May 2 along with its two golf courses, the Barnegat Branch Trail, and its natural land sites.

In addition, singles tennis/pickleball will be allowed at Ocean County Park, Lakewood, Jakes Branch County Park, Beachwood and Tip Seaman County Park, Tuckerton, at this time based on Gov. Murphy’s recommendations. There will be restrictions placed on play.

“I believe it’s important to again emphasize that reop,” Haines said. “And while we want to provide safe and la ur residents to spend time outside, especially with warm weather coming, we also want to urge everyone that they need ntinue to take precautions at this time.”

Parks maintained by Ocean County that reopened on May 2 were Wells Mills County Park, Waretown, John C. Bartlett Jr. County Park at Berkeley Island, Jakes Branch County Park, Beachwood, Ocean County Park and Lake Shenandoah County Park, both in Lakewood, Patriots County Park, Jackson Township, and Freedom Fields, Little Egg Harbor Township. The Ocean County Golf Course at Atlantis, in Little Egg Harbor Township and Forge Pond County Golf Course in Brick Township also reopened for play. And, the Barnegat Branch Trail which starts at Burr Street in Barnegat Township and travels north toward Toms River reopened to the public.

In addition parking will continue to be capped at 50 percent and wearing face coverings is strongly suggested. The parks that have been reopened are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Haines noted that residents can use the county golf courses by prepaid reservation only with restrictions including no groups larger than two players. Golf course hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ocean County closed its parks and natural lands to the public on March 31 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and based on the mandates from President Trump and Gov. Murphy for social distancing and stay at home orders…and because Haines was told Jews were using her parks.

“We are following Gov. Murphy’s requirements that he outlined for reopening the state parks,” said Ocean County Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. “It’s important that we do this right. We want to see the numbers continue to trend downward of people getting COVID 19. We need to stay the course but we also realize people need opportunities for passive recreation for their overall health.

“It’s important that we continue to follow social distancing rules. We all need to remember that our actions don’t affect just us, they affect our family, they affect our health care workers, they affect our emergency responders, they affect the workers at our grocery stores,” Vicari said. “We need to all continue to do our part to stop the spread of this virus.”

LAKEWOOD, NJ – Rabbi Yisrael A. Knopfler and Reverend Kevin Robinson have filed a lawsuit in federal court against Governor Phil Murphy and New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan.  The suit claims Murphy’s executive orders to enforce “emergency powers” was an unconstitutional attack on the religious freedoms of New Jersey residents.   The lawsuit also claims that Murphy’s detailed list of nine allowed activities was a violation against state residents’ civil rights.   The suit also states, Murphy’s Law is “not a neutral and generally applicable restriction of constitutional rights on the grounds of a public health emergency, but rather a self-defeating hodgepodge of prohibitions and exceptions for regulating normal social, political, religious and economic activity, the likes of which has never been seen in the history of this State.”

The lawsuit continues:

This Amended Complaint, by a Catholic priest, now joined by an Orthodox Rabbi, expands the original challenge to Defendant’s plainly unconstitutional regime to include an administrative order, AO 2020-4, issued by the Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police in his capacity as State Director of Emergency Management on the same date as Order 107.

AO 2020-4 merely advises law enforcement officials, not the general public, as follows: “Pursuant to paragraph 5 of Executive Order No. 107 (2020), it is hereby clarified that gatherings of 10 persons or fewer are presumed to be in compliance with the terms and intentions of the Executive Order, unless clear evidence exists to the contrary.”

AO 2020-4 is on its face an unconstitutionally vague standard for law enforcement that fails to give adequate notice to the public, or even definite guidance to law enforcement, of which “gatherings” of ten-or-less violate the “presumption” of lawfulness because of “clear evidence… to the contrary.

As pleaded below, AO 2020-4 is at variance with the defendant Murphy’s repeated advice to the public that all gatherings of any size are prohibited, including religious services of any kind, and that all “gatherings of people” may be reported to him, via a government-maintained informant website, as violations of Order 107.

Order 107, even as purportedly modified by AO 2020-4, is not a neutral and generally applicable restriction of constitutional rights on the grounds of a public health emergency but rather a self-defeating hodgepodge of prohibitions and exceptions for regulating normal social, political, religious and economic activity, the likes of which has never been seen in the history of this State. Therefore, it cannot withstand the required strict scrutiny and narrow tailoring of its scheme for selective suspension of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Plaintiff Father Kevin Robinson is a Catholic priest, ordained in 1991, who engages in priestly ministry in a church located in this District.

Rabbi Yisrael A. Knopfler, ordained 20 years ago in Israel, is a rabbi of the Orthodox Jewish tradition who presides over a synagogue and congregation located in this District. He is a resident of the State of New Jersey.

Defendant Philip D. Murphy is Governor of the State of New Jersey and is sued in his official capacity. At all times pertinent to this action Murphy and his subordinates have acted under color of State law.

Defendant Colonel Patrick J. Callahan is Superintendent of State Police and StateDirector of Emergency Management. As such, Callahan is the final decision-maker Case 2:20-cv-05420-CCC-ESK Document 7 Filed 05/04/20 Page 3 of 48 PageID: 78 4 respecting AO 2020-4, and is sued in his official capacity. At all times pertinent to this action, Callahan and his subordinates have acted under color of State law.

Plaintiff Knopfler is a rabbi of the Orthodox Jewish tradition. Ordained over 20 years ago in Israel, he presides over a synagogue located in Lakewood, NJ, Congregation Premishlan.

Plaintiff Rev. Kevin Robinson is a duly ordained Catholic priest, ordained in 1991, who offers Mass and provides the other Sacraments of the Catholic Church to his congregation at Saint Anthony of Padua Church in North Caldwell, NJ.