TheTOMS RIVER Times Vol. 19 - No. 50
In This Week’s Edition
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Government
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan
Page 7
Gianna Vazquez met a mermaid at the Autism Resources Fair.
Community News Pages 8-13
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 17
By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER - Forget the stereotype of hushed whispers and dusty shelves – the Ocean County Library is proving libraries are more than just books. Most r e ce nt ly, t he Toms River Branch held its seventh Autism Resources Fair - empowering families by
offering them a wealth of resources and a supportive community. Imagine the overwhelming flood of information that washes over parents after receiving an autism diagnosis. While potentially vast, the internet can feel like an unnavigable ocean of conflicting advice and questionable sources.
Wendi Smolowitz, a librarian who works for the Ocean County Library system, knows the struggle intimately. When her son, Joshua, was diagnosed with autism when he was 3, she experienced fi rsthand the tremendous sense of confusion and uncertainty that many parents face. However, armed with her back-
ground in research, Wendi possessed a vital skill – the ability to navigate the labyrinth of information. “Joshua is fifteen now, and I’ll always remember June 21, 2012, as the date we were given the diagnosis,” shared Smolowitz. “We were not given a path to follow, no roadmap, no places to go for therapies.” As Smolowitz reflected on her own “mom experience” as a parent of a child diagnosed with autism, she recognized a glaring disconnect between support systems and families looking for them. She contends that parents still aren’t given the tools to work with, and the life-changing diagnosis can alter the course of parenthood in unexpected ways. “If you’re a parent who’s not a librarian (Autism See Page 4)
Seaside Votes Against Joining Toms River
Photo by Chris Lundy The district let voters know about the special election on signs like this one in front of Toms River High School South.
VETERAN &
FIRST RESPONDER
DISCOUNTS OFFERED
By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – Voters in Seaside Heights declined to join the Toms River Regional School District during a special election. Seaside voters shot it down 231 to 167. If it had passed in all towns, Seaside still would have had its
own school, the Hugh J. Boyd elementar y school, but it would have had the Toms River Regional administration and curriculum. This is a financial blow to the regional district which has been saddled with millions of dollars in state funding cuts over the course of sev-
eral years. If Seaside had joined, it would have created a funding stream in property taxes coming from that town. It also would have made the district able to apply for an additional funding source available only to certain districts that (Election - See Page 4)
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April 20, 2024
Police Chief Temporarily Suspended By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – In a town where there has been a power struggle between the mayor and the police department, the chief has been suspended for two days. “We don’t comment on employee matters,” Mayor Daniel Rodrick told the Patch for their story the morning of April 16. The mayor confirmed his comment to The Toms River Times. Police Chief Mitch Little, reached via social media, said “It’s a personnel matter and I am not at liberty to discuss it.”
This comes after a tumultuous year between the mayor and chief. The most public issue has been when the mayor chose not to refill two captains positions. Two captains were retiring this year. By not promoting to fill those spots, Rodrick said the savings were about $700,000. This money could then be used to staff an ambulance on the barrier island 24-7, 365 days a year. The chief has never commented about the captains to this newspaper. At one time, he (Police Chief See Page 4)
Animal Shelter Lease Pending By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – The Township Council meeting on April 24 is expected to have the final vote to turn the building over to the county. The Council previously introduced an ordinance to forge an agreement with the county. At the next meeting, there will be a public hearing on the ordinance before the Council votes to adopt it. The animal control officers who work for the town will continue
to do so, since a move to privatize their jobs was tabled. Mayor Daniel Rodrick said that the shelter is back to taking in animals after a decision he made to send them to the county shelters. This created an ongoing dialogue for the last few months between protestors and the town’s administration about what is best for the animals. Protestors said that the (Animal Shelter See Page 5)
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