The MANCHESTER Times Vol. 28 - No. 36
In This Week’s Edition
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Community News Pages 10-13
Dr. Izzy Sound News Page 18
Inside The Law Page 21
Classifieds Page 25
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40th Kevin’s Kids Program Receives Overwhelming Response
By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER – It wouldn’t be the holiday season without the school district’s Kevin’s Kids program and that long standing tradition returned recently bringing with it a lot of happy faces. This year marked four decades for the secret Santa initiative and it proved to be the program’s largest response in helping hundreds of families in need by fulfilling specific gift lists one family at a time. What makes Kevin’s Kids so unique is the goal of bringing the community together to fundraise and shop from specific gift wish lists that are submitted by every single family that the program is made aware of who are in need during the holiday season. The program began when a f i r st-g r a de teacher at Whiting Elementary School shared with Kevin Burger, the school’s principal at
Annual Tree Lighting Brightens The Season
–Photos courtesy Manchester Schools (Above) Volunteers and founders of the Kev i n’s K ids pro gram in Manchester Township gather for a group shot as all the donated items are organized and wrapped for the holidays. the time, that a student who informed him that Santa did not come to his house that year. Kevin and the teacher learned of the child’s holiday wish list and, together with their col-
–Photo By Bob Vosseller Manchester Township’s Christmas tree lit up with 3,400 bulbs during the recently held tree lighting ceremony on the grounds of Town Hall.
leagues, made Christmas happen for that student. From that point on, Kevin’s Kids was
for med and has expanded tremendously over the years. (Kids - See Page 7)
Drug Settlement, Roadwork Planned
By Bob Vosseller OCEAN COUNTY – T he Ocea n Cou nt y Com m issioners accepted the settlement of a lawsuit against dr ug manufacturers that were accused of partially creating the opioid epidemic. The Board accepted two parts of the National Opioid litiga-
tion settlement, in the amount of $182,454.84 and $437,843.89. The settlement came from a lawsuit against several of the largest opioid manufact u rers. These companies knowingly lied to doctors which made them prescribe painkillers more frequently, and for ailments that the
d r ugs were not designed for. This, in t u r n, has been one cause of the opioid epidemic that’s gripping the country as people get off the prescriptions and turn to heroin and fentanyl. Many towns joined in a lawsuit against these drug companies, and the payout could only
December 17, 2022
be used for drug prevention measures.
Upcoming Roadwork A number of road projects and new traffic lights were on the Commissioners’ agenda. JC Contracting Inc. was approved to build a proposed traffic light on Route 639 on 14th Street at North Hope Chapel
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Road in Lakewood. The final estimate is $41,160.96. The firm was also approved for construction of a traffic signal at West County Line Road and Teaberry Court in Lakewood Township with the partial estimate coming to $120,075.95. A resolution was (Planned - See Page 5)
By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER – Town Hall got a whole lot brighter as public officials, residents, Cub Scouts, students and jolly Saint Nick all came together to kick off the holiday season. The Township’s annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony was held on a slightly chilly Friday evening and it had a large turnout with greeters Maya Kurpiewski and Cadence Noeding of Manchester High School handing out programs for the night’s festivities. They were dressed in matching Santa style outfits. The program book not only featured the night’s itinerary but also some history about the Christmas tree, song lyrics, the history of Hannukkah and information about the township’s holiday home decorating contest. The Christmas tree featured 3,400 bulbs strung on it before its illumination. Mayor Robert Hudak got the full briefing on how to operate the remote from Don Thomas, the general foreman for buildings and grounds who put up the lights on the tree. “It will work almost out to the parking lot,” he told the mayor. “We even have a backup plan if for some reason it doesn’t light. “I was the general manager for Lowes in (Lighting - See Page 4)
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