The BRICK Times Vol. 23 - No. 44
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
March 9, 2024
Repairs Needed To Students Compete In Court For The Mayors Cup Address Flooding
BREAKING NEWS @
Photo by Judy Smestad-Nunn This private beach on Rochester Drive is in disrepair and is impacting the nearby roadway, residents said.
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 7
Photo by Alyssa Riccardi
Community News Page 8-15
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 16
Inside The Law Page 18
Lawyer Benjamin Neller questions witness Devon Morris. By Alyssa Riccardi BRICK – Inside the Brick Township Mun icipal cou r t room , students from the two h ig h schools faced off during their annual Mayor’s Cup mock trial. T he event is a long-standing tradition in the town, and coincides with the Ocean
Cou nt y Mock Tr ial Competition. Brick Memorial High School’s Prosecution t o ok o n t h e Br ick Township High School Defense in this year’s criminal case: United States of America v. Ellis Kerwin. Former Dean of Admissions at Metropolitan University, Ellis Kerwin,
has been arrested and charged as part of a yearlong investigation conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the State of Metropolitan. According to the case, Kerwin is alleged to have engaged in the theft of honest services, including accepting over $100,000 in im-
permissible benefits from representatives of “We Get You In,” which is a local college placement program run by Devon Morris. Morris is a key witness for the State and has pleaded guilty to a related crime. Kerwin denies the allegations and (Mock Trial See Page 4)
Who Picks Your Politicians?
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore landed a slew of political feats at the organization’s recent convention.
By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER – Voters choose who they want to lead them, but how did the politicians even get on the ballot to begin with? That starts with the leaders of the two main parties. Ocean County’s political landscape will undoubtedly undergo
significant shifts as a result of the recent GOP county convention. With Democrats proving to be negligible competition, particularly in county-level races, the Republican elite’s choice of candidates has some wondering if a select group of people actually pick the winners even before voters go to the
polls. George Gilmore’s comeback as the head of the Ocean County Republican Organization despite his conviction – and later pardon – for tax evasion reveals his stature as a powerful kingmaker in local politics. Notably, Gilmore is responsible for hand(GOP - See Page 5)
By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK - A number of residents from the Seawood Harbor neighborhood, located off Drum Point Road, attended a recent Township Council meeting to ask for help with the repeated flooding of their roads. Seawood Harbor Property Owners Association President Gary Penzell said they wanted to let the gover ning body know about the “severe conditions and severe flooding we’re having in Seawood Harbor.” Two back-to-back storms in January resulted in 14” of water on Knoll Crest Road, the major road going into the community of 150 homes that has wetlands on both sides. “No vehicles could get through for five or six hours,” Penzell said. “School buses couldn’t ge t t h e r e , p a r e nt s couldn’t take their kids to school. I know the township doesn’t have a lot of options with it
and I know we need to get funding to raise the road.” The residents are appreciative that raising Knoll Crest Road was increased from 12th place to 7th place in the priority list, Penzell said. In addition to the planned road elevation, Penzell asked if the township could repair a large hole that developed in December in a 200-foot bulkhead on Bayshore Drive. The township had the bulkhead erected three years ago. When the bay rises, water goes through the hole, f looding Knoll Crest Road and adding to the problem. Caps that were on top of the bulkhead are all gone, he said. Penzell asked if the township could replace that one section of bulkhead. A private beach on Rochester Drive that was previously stabilized by a Belgian block border (Flood - See Page 4)
TO ADVERTISE, CALL 732-657-7344 EXT. 206