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Community News
Brick Municipal Alliance Committee Hosts Golf Tournament
LAKEWOOD-The Brick Municipal Alliance Committee hosted its annual BMAC Golf Tournament on Saturday at the Eagle Ridge Golf Club in Lakewood. Sponsored by Pine Belt, CME Associates and other local businesses, the event helps to raise money for substance abuse programs in the town.
“Thanks to all the golfers who came out to Eagle Ridge Golf Course today for our Brick Municipal Alliance Committee golf outing! What a great turnout,” Mayor Ducey’s office said in a Facebook post. “Beautiful weather, lots of fun, and all for a good cause!”
About the BMAC (From the Brick Township Official Website):
The Brick Municipal Alliance Committee (BMAC) is a municipally supported, grant funded organization whose mission is to provide substance abuse prevention programs and services for the community. It is a grass-roots effort led by a group of volunteers representing organizations and key stakeholders empowered to initiate community level change.
With funding provided by the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse along with sponsorships and donations, BMAC’s efforts will be focused on reducing prescription medication misuse, particularly opiates, which is fueling the heroin crisis in our area.
Chief Bergquist of the Brick Township Police Department summarized it best at the first BMAC meeting when he said “The Police Department is really good at arresting these people. What we’re not so good at is turning off the flow of new users coming in and I think that should be our focus.”
BMAC meetings are held monthly on Mondays at 7 pm in Town Hall. All are welcome. Please check the calendar on this website for meeting dates.
Jackson Liberty Marching Band Marches in Miss America Pageant Parade
ATLANTIC CITY-The Jackson Liberty Lions marching band marched down the Atlantic City Boardwalk on Saturday.
PHOTOS: Berkeley Pride Day 2015
One of the highlights from today was Mayor Carmen Amato and Police Chief Karin DiMichele taking the ice bucket challenge in front of the crowd gathered at Veterans Park for Berkeley Pride Day.
“Berkeley Community Pride day is our annual founders day a day were our community comes together to celebrate community pride,” said Berkeley Mayor Carmen Amato. “All of our community groups will be there selling food as a fundraiser for their organization.”
Photos from Berkeley Pride Day 2015 by Maria Amato-Rosen.
Rain? No Problem at Seaside Heights Wine Festival's First Full Day
SEASIDE HEIGHTS-Over 2,500 braved the rain on Saturday to enjoy the Seaside Heights Wine Festival. “Glass in your hand…toes in the sand,” is how Michael Graichen, Director of Special Events for the borough described the event which continues on Sunday.
A Lucy impersonator, from the “I Love Lucy Show” put smiles on the faces of hundreds of people as they posed for pictures and stomped grapes together on the boardwalk.
On Sunday, the event will run from 12-5pm with a much better predicted forecast than Saturday.
Dolphin Arena at Great Adventure Demolished
JACKSON-Six Flags Great Adventure began demolishing the Fort Independence arena, the former home of the theme park’s Dolphin Discovery program, last week to make way for a new attraction at the park.
Built in 1974, it was one of the largest original structures at the theme park. It was originally named “Aqua Spectacle” and seated nearly 2,000 guests. It featured a 16 foot deep pool for dolphins, seals and sea lions. It was once the centerpiece attraction for the park.
Once the home of dare-devil aquatic high divers, it was the centerpiece attraction for decades. During its heydey there were six dolphin shows and six high-diving shows each day.
“The original shows at the Aqua Spectacle were really unique. While most parks that had dolphin shows at the time had two or three performing animals, Great Adventure featured ten performing at one time,” according to GreatAdventureHistory.Com, “The diving shows featured an array of dives from platforms of varying heights, with multiple divers performing stunt dives. The show was capped with the dive from the 100 foot high platform high above the pool.”
The diving shows ended back 2001. In 2002, the more recent Dolphin Discovery programs were established. The dolphin shows came to an end after the 2011 season when Cody, one of dolphins starring in the shows died.
Avalon, the last living performing dolphin at the time was sent back to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California according to Kristin Siebeneicher, spokeswoman for the park.
The arena will make way for a new rollercoaster named Total Mayhem.
“We are thrilled to unveil one of the newest concepts in roller coaster engineering with Total Mayhem,” said Park President John Fitzgerald. “Six Flags Great Adventure’s world-renowned coaster collection will expand into the realm of insanity – or spinsanity – with this new, vertical coaster that delivers gravity-defying somersaults with utter unpredictability. It is the perfect addition to our dynamic line-up of award-winning roller coasters because this ride delivers next generation, cutting-edge thrills.”
Total Mayhem features a twisting and floating experience onboard 4-D wing vehicles that seat up to 8 passengers per car. Face-off seats will allow riders to face each other as they tumble head over heels. A 120-foot-tall, 90-degree hill that is ascended by an elevator-style, chain link lift is accompanied by two beyond 90-degree “raven” drops giving the sensation of free-falling.
Total Mayhem is expected to open in the spring of 2016.
“We are thrilled to unveil one of the newest concepts in roller coaster engineering with Total Mayhem,” said Park President John Fitzgerald. “Six Flags Great Adventure’s world-renowned coaster collection will expand into the realm of insanity – or spinsanity – with this new, vertical coaster that delivers gravity-defying somersaults with utter unpredictability. It is the perfect addition to our dynamic line-up of award-winning roller coasters because this ride delivers next generation, cutting-edge thrills.”
For more information on the history of the arena and Six Flags Great Adventure, GreatAdventureHistory.Com.
Photos by http://www.greatadventurehistory.com/.
Beachwood Police, Firefighters Rescue Cat from Roof of Two-Story Home
BEACHWOOD-A Beachwood cat owner was reunited with his feline after it was rescued from the roof of their two-story home in this Toms River area community. Beachwood Police and firefighters from Station 16, Beachwood Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call on Labor Day.
“All lives matter, in this case it’s a cat that was stuck on the roof of a two-story home,” the Beachwood Police Department said. “With the help of the Beachwood Volunteer Fire Company the cat was safely returned to its owner. Great work by our Fire Chief Roger Hull who brought the cat to its owner.”
Manatee Sightings Prompt Warning to Barnegat Bay Boaters
BRICK-Tuesday’s manatee sighting at Beaton’s Boatyard in Brick Township means boaters in the Barnegat Bay should use caution this weekend and to be on the lookout. Collisions with watercraft in Florida, manatee’s native home account for a large majority of their deaths in those waters each year. Approximately 70 manatees were killed in Florida in boating or jet ski crashes between January and September of this year.
Beaton’s posted pictures of their sighting on their Facebook page. The boatyard is located at the northern end of the Barnegat Bay, just south of the Mantoloking Bridge.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center which monitors and cares for distressed seals and other marine wildlife urges boaters to slow down.
“Watch out for our slow tropical friends, give them lots of space and slow down,” MMSC said.
If you see a manatee or seal in distress in the Barnegat Bay, you should call the MMSC.
“The best way to inform us of stranded animals is to call us,” the said. “Please call 609-266-0538 to report stranded marine mammals and sea turtles.”
Manatees in New Jersey are not a new phenomenon. In 2009, MMSC successfully rescued a manatee named Ilya who was going into hypothermia in the cold Jersey water.
“After a few days of stabilization at our facility we found him a ride to Florida via the US Coast Guard Atlantic City, who was heading that way on a training mission,” the said. “Ilya spent a few months in rehab and was successfully released back into Florida’s waters.”
The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration also advises New Jersey residents that it is illegal to feed or harass marine mammals.
“Feeding, attempting to feed, or otherwise harassing marine mammals in the wild was made illegal because it is harmful to the animals,” the NOAA said. “It causes marine mammals to lose their natural wariness of humans or boats and become conditioned to receiving handouts and associate people with food, It changes their natural behaviors, including feeding and migration activities, and decreases their willingness to forage for food on their own. They may also begin to take bait/catch from fishing gear.”
These changed behaviors may be passed on to their young and other members of their social groups and increases their risk of injury from boats, entanglement in fishing gear, and intentional harm by people frustrated with the behavioral changes, according to the NOAA.
“Some of the items that are fed to marine mammals may be contaminated (old or spoiled) or not food at all. Feeding marine mammals inappropriate food, non-food items, or contaminated food jeopardizes their health,” an online notice read.
Viewing of marine mammals should be done at a safe distance to allow the animal to be uninterrupted in their activities. You should never attempt to swim with or touch dolphins, manatees, seals or other marine mammals you might encounter in the water.
Those caught and accused of violating the Marine Protection Act can be subjected to fines of up to $11,000, up to one year in prison and forfeiture of their vessel.
Photos by Beaton’s Boatyard.
MS Dhoni Visit Highlights Diverse Community Outreach by Ocean County Sheriff's Department
TOMS RIVER-When international cricket superstar MS Dhoni made a visit to a Toms River temple last week, it highlighted Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy’s neverending community outreach effort with the county’s diverse cultural sub-communities. Since his days as chief of the Toms River Police Department, Mastronardy was always on the front lines with his officers, leading from the front.
It was no different when Dhoni came to town and the Siddhi Vinayak temple asked for added security for the V.I.P.
“We have very good relationships with all of Ocean County’s diverse communities,” Mastronardy said. “They asked us to come and we were there.”
Mastronardy joined Dhoni on stage and welcomed him to Toms River, one of his first and only U.S. appearances.
Dhoni is an internationally recognized sports superstar and one of the top paid professional athletes in the world. Mastronardy said he knew Dhoni was a V.I.P., but didn’t realize how popular he is worldwide.
Dhoni has more Facebook followers than Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Tom Brady and Donald Trump…combined.
“Really?” Mastronardy said. “I had no idea.”
Over the past few decades, Ocean County has transformed into an extremely diverse community with many different cultures. Toms River has Muslim mosques, hindu temples and a large population of Orthodox Jews.
Mastronardy said it’s important for he and his officers to familiarize themselves with rules and traditions of each culture in order for his officers to do their job properly and effectively when engaging with members of each community.
Photo by Gunjesh Desai, masaljunction.com, used with permission.
For more photos of the event, check out Masal Junction’s photo gallery.