The Lacey Township High School Drama Club presents It’s a Wonderful Life- A Live Radio Play, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 21st, 22nd and 23rd at 7pm and Sunday, November 24th at 3pm in the high school auditorium. Click lthsdrama.booktix.com or call 609-971-2020 for tickets and more information.
HAZLET…Or maybe Holmdel-Monmouth County Republicans screwed up their most recent mailer to promote their Holmdel town committee candidates confusing the towns of Holmdel and Hazlet with each other. It’s an honest mistake, to people not from the area, as their campaign strategist in charge of postcards…they both look kinda the same to the rest of us.
Hazlet is a small town in Monmouth County that borders Holmdel which lies to the south.
In the mailer sent out by the Monmouth County GOP supporting…HOLMDEL committee candidates Eric Hinds and Chung-Yin Liu, the mailer identifies the candidates are running for office in Hazlet.
“Chiung-Yin Cheng Liu has a long record of serving her community,” the mailer boasts. “Now she’s trying to make history as the first Asian-American to serve on the township committee.”
Well, maybe if Liu was running for office in Hazlet, but not so true for her actual hometown of Holmdel.
In Holmdel, David Chai, a resident of Chinese descent with a 30-year career with Bell Labs served on the Holmdel town council in the 1990s and became mayor of Holmdel in 1999.
Their opponents, Cathy Weber and Prakash Santhana who are also running for council noticed the incorrect mailers when they were sent to their homes this week.
The following report is based on a political endorsement made by the Asbury Park Press, a Gannett newspaper published here at the Jersey Shore.
TOMS RIVER-The Asbury Park Press today declared that Toms River mayoral candidate Jonathan Petro was playing the “anti-Semitism card” because of the Toms River mayoral candidate’s stance against overdevelopment and for his support to maintain the township’s 10-acre-zoning for houses of worship despite a council resolution to lower that minimum to two acres.
The Asbury Park Press went on to endorse Maurice “Mo Hill” instead.
“We think it is critical that the next mayor show strong leadership in trying to tamp down the anti-Orthodox sentiment that has poisoned much of the discourse in Toms River and beyond,” the newspaper said.
The newspaper also championed Hill’s plan to build high-density apartment buildings in Downtown Toms River, one such project is already in the planning stages.
“Hill favors the current plan, which calls for 500 residential units — apartments, condos and townhouses,” the newspaper said. “Petro favors redevelopment that begins with businesses, bars, restaurants and the arts, which he believes should come first to make the downtown more attractive to new residents.”
The paper said Petro’s plan to uphold 10 acre zoning for houses of worship in Toms River is, “utter foolishness”.
“It’s both discriminatory and bad policy,” the paper said. It went on to say Petro’s campaign played the “anti-Semitism card” for opposing a reduction in acreage for houses of worship.
The newspaper also slammed Petro for a political mailer attacking Mo Hill for accepting $2,500 from Scott Gartner, an Orthodox resident who threatened to sue the township if the town did not lower the minimum acreage on houses of worship.
The political endorsement of Hill ended stating, “We hope he can do what too many other local politicians in Ocean County have failed to do — work to counter the ignorance of those fanning the flames of anti-Semitism.”
Earlier this year, the Asbury Park Press declared Councilman Daniel Rodrick as a Bigot for his stances against overdevelopment and Hill’s relationship with the Orthodox Jewish Community.
The Toms River Jewish Community Council (VAAD) has also signaled their support for Mo Hill, but as of yet, no official endorsement has been published.
Click here to read the full story.
TOMS RIVER-Toms River Councilman Maurice “Mo Hill” is already looking at paint swatches for his new office at town hall, days before a very tight election between himself and community leader Jonathan Petro.
In a Facebook live session this week, Hill announced Gregory P. McGuckin will head his transition team after his victory on Tuesday night.
“After the election, we’re going to set up a transition team headed by Assemblyman Greg McGuckin,” Hill said. “We want to ensure a smooth transition from the Kelaher administration to our new administration.”
Hill also announced a full list of job openings he intends to fill on various township boards that are currently vacant.
“In January, we’re going to start making appointments to the boards,” Hill said.
Mo Hill is running for Mayor of Toms River.
NEW YORK CITY-Donald Trump has declared himself a Florida resident, saying goodbye to the “Big Apple” where he and his family have lived operated his business for decades.
Trump cited New York’s high tax rate and hostile conditions in the city as his reason for leaving…same as the millions of others who have made the great exodus to the Sunshine State.
“1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House, is the place I have come to love and will stay for, hopefully, another 5 years as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, but my family and I will be making Palm Beach, Florida, our permanent residence,” he said. “I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned. As President, I will always be there to help New York and the great people of New York. It will always have a special place in my heart!”
WASHINGTON, D.C.-It was a great moment in baseball history. The wild card Washington Nationals defied the odds and clawed their way to their first franchise World Series win. Inside the stadium, fans chanted “F*** Donald Trump”.
Outside the stadium, Trump was also the main focus of the unruly fans representing the nation’s capital…and the Baltimore suburbs.
Nationals fans around the country instantly became the Nancy Pelosi’s of the baseball world. On the bright side, no buildings or cars were burned during the ‘celebration’.
Awful. pic.twitter.com/jXvMYfmWMy
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) October 31, 2019
BRICK-Ice bumper cars are back at Ocean Ice Palace this fall and winter in Brick Township.
The ice bumper cars are easy to operate with two joysticks controlling the motion. Be in the action on the ice with the skates! Ice Bumper Cars slide around and bump into one another while everyone has a great time!
https://www.facebook.com/OceanIcePalace/videos/2323041707910293/
Zoom around & take a spin on New Jersey’s First Ice Bumper Cars! Come Experience a thrill that nobody else around has on ice. Great Year Round Fun for almost everyone! Bump your friends and family and send them twirling hysterically around the ice.
A massive blaze engulfed Shuri Castle in the early hours of Thursday (Oct 31) on Japan’s Okinawa island, almost completely destroying the UNESCO World Heritage site. (Video: APTN)
Shuri Castle is nearly 600 years old: https://cna.asia/2q6eLYZ The castle had been scheduled to be included as a stop on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic torch relay route: https://cna.asia/2WrDKlD Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub
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HUSBAND OF RUTGERS HEAD COACH KRISTEN BUTLER TOLD BUS FULL OF WOMEN THEY SMELLED LIKE “PERIOD BLOOD”
Several players from the Rutgers University softball team are claiming new head coach Kristen Butler, a former Florida State University standout and professional softball player has taken team punishment too far on many occasions according to a report this week.
NJ.com reported that the husband and wife coaching team of Butler and her husband Marcus Smith were both brought on by the university to try to turn around its struggling women’s softball program last year.
According to the report, here are just a few of the complaints made by current and former players:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.
Sgt. Nathaneil G. Irish, 23, of Billings, Montana, died Oct. 27, 2019, of a non-combat related incident at Camp Taji, Iraq. The incident is under investigation.
Irish was assigned to 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
For more information regarding Sgt. Nathaneil G. Irish, media may contact Mr. John Pennell, U.S. Army Alaska Public Affairs Office, at 907-384-2072 or [email protected]l.
NASA-The annual ozone hole reached its peak extent of 6.3 million square miles (16. 4 million square kilometers) on Sept. 8, and then shrank to less than 3.9 million square miles (10 million square kilometers) for the remainder of September and October, according to NASA and NOAA satellite measurements. During years with normal weather conditions, the ozone hole typically grows to a maximum area of about 8 million square miles in late September or early October.
“It’s great news for ozone in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Paul Newman, chief scientist for Earth Sciences at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “But it’s important to recognize that what we’re seeing this year is due to warmer stratospheric temperatures. It’s not a sign that atmospheric ozone is suddenly on a fast track to recovery.”
Ozone is a highly reactive molecule comprised of three oxygen atoms that occurs naturally in small amounts. Roughly seven to 25 miles above Earth’s surface, in a layer of the atmosphere called the stratosphere, the ozone layer is a sunscreen, shielding the planet from potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation that can cause skin cancer and cataracts, suppress immune systems and also damage plants.
The Antarctic ozone hole forms during the Southern Hemisphere’s late winter as the returning Sun’s rays start ozone-depleting reactions. These reactions involve chemically active forms of chlorine and bromine derived from man-made compounds. The chemistry that leads to their formation involves chemical reactions that occur on the surfaces of cloud particles that form in cold stratospheric layers, leading ultimately to runaway reactions that destroy ozone molecules. In warmer temperatures fewer polar stratospheric clouds form and they don’t persist as long, limiting the ozone-depletion process.
NASA and NOAA monitor the ozone hole via complementary instrumental methods.
Satellites, including NASA’s Aura satellite, the NASA-NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite and NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System NOAA-20 satellite, measure ozone from space. The Aura satellite’s Microwave Limb Sounder also estimates levels of ozone-destroying chlorine in the stratosphere.
At the South Pole, NOAA staff launch weather balloons carrying ozone-measuring “sondes” which directly sample ozone levels vertically through the atmosphere. Most years, at least some levels of the stratosphere, the region of the upper atmosphere where the largest amounts of ozone are normally found, are found to be completely devoid of ozone.
“This year, ozonesonde measurements at the South Pole did not show any portions of the atmosphere where ozone was completely depleted,” said atmospheric scientist Bryan Johnson at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado.
Uncommon but not unprecedented
This is the third time in the last 40 years that weather systems have caused warm temperatures that limit ozone depletion, said Susan Strahan, an atmospheric scientist with Universities Space Research Association, who works at NASA Goddard. Similar weather patterns in the Antarctic stratosphere in September 1988 and 2002 also produced atypically small ozone holes, she said.
“It’s a rare event that we’re still trying to understand,” said Strahan. “If the warming hadn’t happened, we’d likely be looking at a much more typical ozone hole.”
There is no identified connection between the occurrence of these unique patterns and changes in climate.
The weather systems that disrupted the 2019 ozone hole are typically modest in September, but this year they were unusually strong, dramatically warming the Antarctic’s stratosphere during the pivotal time for ozone destruction. At an altitude of about 12 miles (20 kilometers), temperatures during September were 29 degrees F (16˚C) warmer than average, the warmest in the 40-year historical record for September by a wide margin. In addition, these weather systems also weakened the Antarctic polar vortex, knocking it off its normal center over the South Pole and reducing the strong September jet stream around Antarctica from a mean speed of 161 miles per hour to a speed of 67 miles per hour. This slowing vortex rotation allowed air to sink in the lower stratosphere where ozone depletion occurs, where it had two impacts.
First, the sinking warmed the Antarctic lower stratosphere, minimizing the formation and persistence of the polar stratospheric clouds that are a main ingredient in the ozone-destroying process. Second, the strong weather systems brought ozone-rich air from higher latitudes elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere to the area above the Antarctic ozone hole. These two effects led to much higher than normal ozone levels over Antarctica compared to ozone hole conditions usually present since the mid 1980s.
As of October 16, the ozone hole above Antarctica remained small but stable and is expected to gradually dissipate in the coming weeks.
Antarctic ozone slowly decreased in the 1970s, with large seasonal ozone deficits appearing in the early 1980s. Researchers at the British Antarctic Survey discovered the ozone hole in 1985, and NASA’s satellite estimates of total column ozone from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer confirmed the 1985 event, revealing the ozone hole’s continental scale.
Thirty-two years ago, the international community signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This agreement regulated the consumption and production of ozone-depleting compounds. Atmospheric levels of man-made ozone depleting substances increased up to the year 2000. Since then, they have slowly declined but remain high enough to produce significant ozone loss. The ozone hole over Antarctica is expected to gradually become less severe as chlorofluorocarbons— banned chlorine-containing synthetic compounds that were once frequently used as coolants—continue to decline. Scientists expect the Antarctic ozone to recover back to the 1980 level around 2070.
California’s devastating Kincade Fire located in Sonoma County has grown to over 66,000 acres and NASA’s Terra satellite captured this dramatic image of the smoke plume cascading down the coast. The fire is located northeast of Geyserville and is classified as a “vegetation fire” and its origins are still under investigation. CAL Fire released an update on this destructive fire today, October 28 at 7 a.m. PDT. The major impediment in fighting this fire seems to be the weather. CAL Fire reports that: “A Red Flag warning will continue through Monday morning with 40-50 mph wind gusts still a possibility throughout the evening while narrow roads and steep terrain are making access to the fire areas very difficult. These Northeast winds coupled with low humidity create critical fire weather conditions. Firefighters will continue to mitigate structure threats and find opportunities construct control lines.” So weather coupled with the steep, narrow terrain makes controlling and containing the fire especially challenging. Well over 100,000 residents in the area have been evacuated and according to CAL fire 79,675 structures are threatened and 96 structures have already been destroyed. Over 70,000 of the structures threatened are homes.
NASA’s satellite instruments are often the first to detect wildfires burning in remote regions, and the locations of new fires are sent directly to land managers worldwide within hours of the satellite overpass. Together, NASA instruments detect actively burning fires, track the transport of smoke from fires, provide information for fire management, and map the extent of changes to ecosystems, based on the extent and severity of burn scars. NASA has a fleet of Earth-observing instruments, many of which contribute to our understanding of fire in the Earth system. Satellites in orbit around the poles provide observations of the entire planet several times per day, whereas satellites in a geostationary orbit provide coarse-resolution imagery of fires, smoke and clouds every five to 15 minutes. For more information: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/fires/main/missions/index.html
NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Worldview application provides the capability to interactively browse over 700 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and then download the underlying data. Many of the available imagery layers are updated within three hours of observation, essentially showing the entire Earth as it looks “right now.” This satellite image was collected on Oct. 27, 2019 by the Terra satellite using the MODIS (Moderation Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). Actively burning fires, detected by thermal bands, are shown as red points. Image Courtesy: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Caption: Lynn Jenner with information from CAL fire.
JACKSON–The Jackson Township Council on Tuesday introduced an ordinance that would legislate the religious sacrifice of animals within its borders. Under the new law, which will be voted on at the November council meeting, practitioners of religious faiths may sacrifice animals during their rituals provided it is done on their own private property or on religious land.
The ordinance comes just two weeks after the Jewish religious ritual of Kapparot made headlines in local newspapers after hundreds of birds were found discarded in trash bags and dumpsters.
Shore News Network reached out to Jackson Township officials on October 16th regarding the practice being conducted in Jackson but received no replies from township officials.
Under the law, Councilman Alex Sauickie said that federal law allows the ritual, but the new law would allow the township to regulate the practice. Sauickie said that if the practice is not done according to religious standards, violators of the law could be charged with animal cruelty charges.
Residents at the meeting noted that the township codebook does not define a “House of Worship” and speculated, “What’s a religious building? A religious supermarket?”
Jackson and Toms River both face growing Orthodox Jewish communities and as the population grows, cultural differences between the community have usually ended up being discussed inside the town hall or in a courtroom.
At time, during the public comment session, acting Council President Barry Calogero defended the township’s decision by yelling at residents who were voicing opposition to the proposals. At one point, Calogero closed public comment to quell dissent against the plans presented by him and his colleagues.
Jackson that night introduced two measures that sought to accommodate the growing Orthodox Jewish population. The other ordinance was the proposal of a township-wide eruv.
TOMS RIVER-Toms River Halloween Parade organizers today said the show must go on. Light rain is in the forecast this evening, but the parade will happen, officials said.
Registration location is at the Toms River fire company number one firehouse located at 26 Robbins St. Members are on hand to help you fill out your paperwork and get everything you need to have a fun filled evening at the parade tonight.
Local street start closing around 4:45 PM and the parade I’ll be starting at 7 PM promptly.
https://www.facebook.com/TomsRiverFireco1/videos/2380551002204043/
TOMS RIVER-Architectural renderings provided to the Township of Toms River by the Capodagli Property Company, which was hired by the township to construct a massive 7 story, 1,000 unit apartment complex between Water Street and Herflicker Boulevard have been acquired by Shore News Network.
These plans have not yet been released to the public, but represent an increase of 500 units at the proposed Capodagli Meridia Toms River. Capodagli was the sole bidder on a project that would build apartment buildings on township-owned land.
The project, which was originally described as a 500 unit complex with first floor retail shops has undergone a transformation in Capodagli’s latest plan. Now the building will include two floors of parking garages and 5 stories of apartments encompassing nearly the entire available plot. The latest rendering removes the township boat slip access to the Toms River and also depicts a retail structure at the site of the former Red Roof Inn, which was said to be turned into a waterfront park space.
The project has been a source of debate between Toms River mayoral candidates Jonathan Petro and Mo Hill, surfacing once again in last week’s election debate.
Hill said in the debate that Capodagli was the only developer that showed interest in the township’s plan. Hill said no other developer would develop such a project in southern Ocean County.
“There were four packets picked up. Three of those people told us quite frankly they wouldn’t come south of Bricktown,” Hill said.
Petro said that he doesn’t oppose the plan to redevelop the downtown project, but said he’s not sure whether starting with large apartment projects will be the answer.
October 29, 2019 ― Point Pleasant, NJ ― Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, conducted its first Take Vape Away symposium, partnering with the Point Pleasant Borough School District to alert adolescents and adults about the dangers of vaping, which have led to more than 1,600 lung-related illnesses and 34 deaths in the U.S., including a New Jersey woman, according to the CDC.
A panel of medical experts, school district leaders, and educators discussed the dangers of vaping and Hackensack Meridian Health officials presented the School District a grant for $7,000, the first distribution to combat vaping in middle school and high school.
“As a father and health care executive, I am alarmed at the vaping epidemic especially when it comes to young people and I am pleased that Hackensack Meridian Health is taking the lead against youth vaping,” said Robert C. Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health.
More than 1,600 patients have been treated for lung injuries associated with vaping across the U.S. and 34 have died, including a New Jersey woman and two others in the Tri-State area, according to the CDC. More than one-third of the patients treated for vaping-related illness are 20 and younger.
“The number of adolescents has grown exponentially and today more than 1 in 4 high school students report using e-cigarettes, which is a dramatic increase in just one year,” said Regina M. Foley, Ph.D., MBA, RN, chief hospital executive of Hackensack Meridian Health Southern Ocean Medical Center, who moderated the panel.
“We are grateful for the support from Hackensack Meridian Health to help prevent students of the Point Pleasant Borough from starting to vape and assist those already using e-cigarettes to overcome their nicotine addiction,” said Vincent Smith, superintendent of Point Pleasant Borough School District. “This grant comes at the perfect time to build upon our local efforts already in place to address the health effects that come along with e-cigarette use.”
Experts are still uncertain what is causing the serious lung injuries, but regulators and lawmakers are proposing banning some products. The FDA will develop guidelines to remove from the market all e-cigarette flavors except tobacco.
For more info: http://takevapeaway.com
Photo Caption:
Point Pleasant Borough Superintendent William Smith receives a ceremonial grant for $7,000 for the district’s efforts to combat youth vaping from Regina Foley, Ph.D., MBA, RN, chief hospital executive at Southern Ocean Medical Center, who presented the award on behalf of Hackensack Meridian Health.
October 29, 2019 ― Point Pleasant, NJ ― Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, conducted its first Take Vape Away symposium, partnering with the Point Pleasant Borough School District to alert adolescents and adults about the dangers of vaping, which have led to more than 1,600 lung-related illnesses and 34 deaths in the U.S., including a New Jersey woman, according to the CDC.
A panel of medical experts, school district leaders, and educators discussed the dangers of vaping and Hackensack Meridian Health officials presented the School District a grant for $7,000, the first distribution to combat vaping in middle school and high school.
“As a father and health care executive, I am alarmed at the vaping epidemic especially when it comes to young people and I am pleased that Hackensack Meridian Health is taking the lead against youth vaping,” said Robert C. Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health.
More than 1,600 patients have been treated for lung injuries associated with vaping across the U.S. and 34 have died, including a New Jersey woman and two others in the Tri-State area, according to the CDC. More than one-third of the patients treated for vaping-related illness are 20 and younger.
“The number of adolescents has grown exponentially and today more than 1 in 4 high school students report using e-cigarettes, which is a dramatic increase in just one year,” said Regina M. Foley, Ph.D., MBA, RN, chief hospital executive of Hackensack Meridian Health Southern Ocean Medical Center, who moderated the panel.
“We are grateful for the support from Hackensack Meridian Health to help prevent students of the Point Pleasant Borough from starting to vape and assist those already using e-cigarettes to overcome their nicotine addiction,” said Vincent Smith, superintendent of Point Pleasant Borough School District. “This grant comes at the perfect time to build upon our local efforts already in place to address the health effects that come along with e-cigarette use.”
Experts are still uncertain what is causing the serious lung injuries, but regulators and lawmakers are proposing banning some products. The FDA will develop guidelines to remove from the market all e-cigarette flavors except tobacco.
For more info: http://takevapeaway.com
Photo Caption
Point Pleasant Borough Superintendent William Smith receives a ceremonial grant for $7,000 for the district’s efforts to combat youth vaping from Regina Foley, Ph.D., MBA, RN, chief hospital executive at Southern Ocean Medical Center, who presented the award on behalf of Hackensack Meridian Health.
JACKSON-If passed, it would have allowed for the construction of North America’s largest, eruv, encompassing 100 square miles of Jackson Township. It would have dwarfed Manhattan’s 18-mile eruv, but after several hours of contentious debate, Council President Barry Calogero eventually decided to pull his plan to appease his former foes in the Orthodox Jewish community.
It wasn’t just the gentiles of Jackson who opposed Calogero’s, Orthodox Jews in Jackson were just as confused with the proposal as the general community.
Many residents spoke at the meeting, but the recurring question of the night was, “Why are we here?” The township provided multiple conflicting reasons, citing mostly the lawsuits filed against the township regarding religious discrimination by the council against the Orthodox Jewish community.
At the end of the debate, Calogero decided to table the ordinance.
You would think a plan to build North America’s largest eruv would have been heralded by the Orthodox Jewish community, but that was not the case, according to a report published prior to the meeting in the Lakewood Scoop.
“While on its face it might seem like a big positive step forward, it appears to be, yet again, more political posturing for the sake of protecting Jackson from more Federal and State investigations and lawsuits, while in no way accommodating Jackson’s Jews and their religious freedom and liberties,” TLS reported. “While on its face it might seem like a big positive step forward, it appears to be, yet again, more political posturing for the sake of protecting Jackson from more Federal and State investigations and lawsuits, while in no way accommodating Jackson’s Jews and their religious freedom and liberties.”
The meeting represented perhaps the first time, that many opposing groups united together against a measure. Jackson Strong, the Lakewood Scoop, the Jackson Eruv Association, the Jackson Conservative Republican Club and Rise Up Ocean County all opposed the measure.
During the meeting, Calogero and his colleagues were questioned about their relationship behind closed doors and out of the purview of the public with Mordechai Burnstein, of the Jackson Eruv Association. Calogero denied that his communications with members of the eruv association, dating back to October of 2018 weighed in on his decision to present the measure.
The measure was supported politically only by the Jackson Regular Republican Club for which Calogero is a member.
Mayor Michael Reina and Councilman Robert Nixon were both absent from last night’s meeting.
In Lakewood, publicly funded busing to over 130 private schools has nearly bankrupted the school district – requiring tens of millions in state bailouts, year after year.
I’m Kevin Kidney and I believe the School Board’s recent decision to bus students to Lakewood private schools has opened a Pandora’s box that will have devastating consequences on property taxes and the quality of education in our public schools. The school board traditionally just offered a small stipend that was required by law. This new busing plan must be stopped, which is one of the reasons why I have decided to run for school board.
Recent State Aid cuts resulted in the elimination of 77 positions, but this School Board still found the money to give the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendents pay raises. I believe we need people on the School Board that will put students and their education ahead of salary increases for administration.
Taxes continue to spiral out of control. In the last five years, school taxes increased by over 21 Million dollars. While part of that can be attributed to state aid cuts, spending is up by over 11 Million in that same period. If elected to the School Board, I’ll put a stop to the wasteful spending that is increasing our taxes, and I’ll fight to make sure we’re getting our fair share from Trenton.
Hopefully I can count on you to support me, Kevin Kidney for School Board. If elected, I’ll represent the taxpayers and students of Pine Beach, not the special interests and political insiders.
If you have any questions or issues you’d like to discuss, please contact me at (732) 854-4907.
Sincerely,
Kevin Kidney
“Those kids came out crying,” – Mayor John Ducey of the students locked down after student shot.
BRICK TOWNSHIP-Two shootings of teenagers just days apart shocked the residents of Brick Township, once declared the safest town in America. After those shootings, Brick Township Mayor John Ducey declared that those responsible would pay for their crimes against the community.
“Today was a sad scary day, my worst day of mayor so far,” Ducey said shortly after a drive-by shooting sent one Brick Memorial High School student on his way home from school to the hospital. The event occurred just days after another drive-by shooting occurred in a nearby housing project.
Ducey said he received a call, stating there was a shooter at Brick Memorial High School.
“As I drove to that scene, I thought, my God, the kids, my God the police, my God the teachers,” Ducey said. “I knew there was a school resource officer there. I know the men and women of our department go through severe training for these types of events, I know the kids have to do these drills but to hear the shooter was not in the school, gave a little bit of relief, but today there was one boy injured.”
Ducey complimented the police department, recalling that on his way to the school, he knew his police department was well equipped, well-staffed and well trained to handle this very situation.
“He ran back to school because that’s where he felt safe,” he said. “It’s totally unacceptable for a shooting to occur in our community, especially in broad daylight in front of kids just getting out of school or practicing football on the field.”
Ducey then declared that his office and his police department would act swiftly against those who pulled the triggers.
“You’re going to be found,” he said. “Our police will not rest until you are off the streets of our great town…you are scum.”
“It is totally unacceptable for a shooting to occur in our great community, especially in broad daylight, in front of kids just getting out of school or practicing football on the field,” the mayor said. “Rest assured, the great men and women of this police department and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office are working tirelessly to make sure that whoever that person is, pays for the terror that he gave every person in Brick, every parent in Brick, and most of all, every kid in Brick.”
Within 24 hours of his declaration, the first of two shooters were apprehended.
A 17-year-old male juvenile had been taken into custody in connection with the shooting and charged with the attempted murder of the high school student a day earlier.
The juvenile who pulled the trigger was arrested during a police raid of a home in Asbury Park. Two days later, a second juvenile was arrested for the weekend drive-by shooting. He was also arrested for attempted murder. This time the shooter turned himself in after video surveillance of the suspect was discovered by the OCPO high tech crimes unit.
On Tuesday, police announced they had arrested 19 people within a three-day operation based on intel gathered from the arrests of the two shooting suspects. Drug enforcement officers and the OCPO Narcotics Strike Team launched a joint operation to disrupt the drug trade that police eluded was the motivation behind the two shootings. Police reported that those arrested were caught with a wide array of illegal drugs including heroin, crack cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana.
Ducey thanked the Toms River Police Department, Ocean County Sherrif’s Department and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office for providing coverage to the community while the entire Brick Police Department responded to the school.
https://www.facebook.com/BrickTwpNJGovernment/videos/540566913412816/
High School South has welcomed 21 students and two teachers from Pfullingen, Germany, who are currently in town for a two-week stay. The students, who arrived Oct. 18, are part of an exchange program run by Mr. DeMarco and Mrs. Walsh. Students spend their time living with host families in the area and attending school at HSS. Various cultural excursions are also part of the program, including trips to Double Trouble State Park, the boardwalk, Island Beach State Park, and even Argo’s farm to go pumpkin picking. Of course, attending football games and the Halloween parade are also on the itinerary, as well as participating in the many school spirit-related activities HSS has to offer.
The 21 participants from HSS will then travel to Germany in July for the second half of the exchange, where they will spend two weeks living with families, attending school, and going on cultural excursions to nearby attractions. The goal of the German Exchange Program, now in its third year, is to provide students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience another culture as no tourist can, and to foster cultural understanding and improve language skills.
Thank you to Clean Ocean Action for holding the 34th Annual Fall Beach Sweeps. The Brick Township Environmental Commission served as Captain at the Brick Beach site. Over 100 volunteers fanned out and picked up hundreds of pounds of trash and debris. For more information on volunteer opportunities and ways you can help eliminate litter and plastic pollution from our environment email [email protected]
Mayor Ducey visited St. Dominic School last week and served as a mystery reader where he read Dr. Seuss’ classic ‘Yertle the Turtle’ to the school children. Mayor Ducey thanks St. Dominic School for inviting him and for their hospitality.