SOUTHERN OCEAN Times
The
Vol. 11 - No. 8
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 8-13
Dr. Izzy Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 16
Classifieds Page 18
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Celebrities Come To Town And The Crowds Go Wild
By Stephanie Faughnan SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY - The serene shores of the local area became the epicenter of celebrity buzz and reality TV drama from Lacey to Long Beach Island last weekend. Everyone knows the cardinal rule of weddings is to avoid stealing the spotlight from the bride. And while not intentional, memories of actress Margaret Qualley’s recent nuptials with musician Jack Antonoff on Long Beach Island will undoubtedly include some inadvertent upstaging. Retired Linden fi refighter Chris Lukenda and his family were enjoying a meal at Beach Haven’s Black Whale Bar & Fish House last Friday when they suddenly became aware of a commotion outside. Surprisingly, no one inside the restaurant had given them a heads-up about the imminent arrival of some rather
Photo courtesy Ted Lai Taylor Swift arrives for her friend’s wedding in LBI. well-known guests. “It’s Taylor Swift!” shrieked a female voice at the table. Someone else in the p a r t y not ic e d t h a t Channing Tatum was next i n l i ne. L ong Beach Island was about to find itself in the national spotlight as the sightings of celebrity A-list wedding guests continued to grow. Photo courtesy Katie Lepine Davis Various media sources At the Waterfront in Lacey, the “Real Househave covered the fact wives of NJ” attended a party with the film crew (Crowds - See Page 5) capturing the festivities.
Relay For Life Shows That There’s Strength In Numbers
Photo by Chris Lundy The Relay For Life brings survivors, caretakers, and loved ones together to make sure no one fights cancer alone.
By Chris Lundy BERKELEY ˗ It will touch everyone’s life eventually. You might not be a cancer patient, but someone you love is likely to get cancer. According to the World Health Organization, cancer accounted for one in six deaths
globally in 2020. Robyn Griffith, who coordinated the Berkeley-Lacey Relay for Life, said that fundraisers like this helps the American Cancer Society give patients rides to appointments, lodging, and a hotline. It’s the best way to help
those struggling with the disease and fight it with researching cures. “Together we can make the biggest impact to save lives,” she told the group at the opening ceremony at Veterans Park. The event starts during
August 26, 2023
Another Town Will Allow Recreational Cannabis
By Stephanie Faughnan WARETOWN ˗ Though not an immediate change, local authorities have enacted an ordinance permitting an existing medical marijuana dispensary to incorporate adult-use recreational cannabis sales into its operations. The ordinance gained approval with a 2-1 majority, with Mayor Ken Baulderstone opting to refrain from participating in the vote. Before this, Baulderstone had articulated his desire to defer the decision until the BLOC dispensary marked its three-month milestone. The dispensary officially commenced operations in early July and recently celebrated its opening. BLOC is the first medical marijuana dispensary in Ocean County and is poised to pioneer recreational cannabis sales in southern Ocean County. The Social Leaf in South Toms River made its debut last month as the county’s inaugural recreational cannabis dispensary. Lakehurst is the only other town that is allowing recreational cannabis, but a facility there hasn’t opened yet. The potential financial windfall from expanded cannabis sales played a significant role in the decision. Adding recreational cannabis to BLOC’s offerings is anticipated to increase the municipality’s tax revenue. The Township is set to receive two percent of all net sales from recreational cannabis and will continue to recover no share of tax revenue on medical marijuana. “The South Toms River dispensary, which is a third the size of ours, did a million dollars of sales in six days,” shared Committeeman Dr. Ben LoParo. “This is amazing – they just cut a check to the town for $30,000 for the first three weeks they were in business.” LoParo also noted that conversations with the South Toms River Chief of Police and the proprietors of South Toms River have not revealed any worrisome incidents. This remains consistent with the experiences of the local community since BLOC initially (Cannabis - See Page 4)
(Strength - See Page 4)
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