The JACKSON Times Vol. 20 - No. 46
In This Week’s Edition
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Moose Lodge Celebrates Grand Opening
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Photo by Bob Vosseller
Government Pages 7
Community News Pages 9-11
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 12
Classifieds Page 21
Members of the Jackson Moose Lodge 1459 enjoy their recent grand opening celebration event outside their headquarters based at 560 Monmouth Road. By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – They’ve actually been operating for many years but Jackson Moose Lodge 1459 recently held a grand opening at their headquarters at Millstone, 560 Monmouth Road. The event ran all afternoon and featured a free buffet and much
more. To say the turnout was good would be an understatement. Hundreds of people flocked that day to the lodge for a good time, good food and to see people t hey ha d n’t seen in a while. There were balloons, food, live music and a lot of camaraderie. Entertainment included a
performance by Full Tilt, and there were also giveaways at the event that was open to the public. The grand opening also provided an opportunity for residents of Jackson and Millstone to fi nd out what the Moose Lodge was all about: community, charity, family, frater-
nity, and much more. Before this, Moose members assembled in preparation for the big celebration for a property clean-up project. Members spent nearly two hours clearing any debris and sprucing up the building. There was an election of officers held on April 19. Moose members are looking to revive some of their past traditions and were busy recently seeking volunteers to cook for a Mother’s Day breakfast event. The lodge offers up e nt e r t a i n me nt l i ke singer Alex Chernick and special events like NASCAR races, Hawaiian Night, Karaoke Night, Gametime Moose specials and dinner specials. The Moose motto can be summed up as “A burden heavy to one is borne lightly by many.” (Moose - See Page 4)
Jackson In Top 10 List Of By Bob Vosseller south of those in the Safest Communities JACKSON – T he top 20. Stafford comes
township made it to the top 10 list of the safest com munities in the state based on a recently released FBI criminal statistics study. Out of 564 towns and cities in New Jersey, Jackson was ranked tenth. SafeWise, a security product review platform, lists in their
report the safest cities as being Vernon, Bernards, Jefferson, New Milford, Hillsborough, West Milford, Dumont, Denville, Sparta, and Jackson. The study reviews crime rates for the safest cities. The Garden State consistently boasts some of the
lowest crime rates in the nation. Residents in the state express the eighteenth-highest level of concern about their safety, the study revealed. Despite years of low crime rates, just 46% of residents say they feel safe in New Jersey. This report explores
the contradiction in New Jersey’s perception of safety versus how safe the state really is. Two other Ocean Count y com munit ie s also m a de t he list. According to the data, Barnegat is the 16th-safest town in the state and the furthest
in at number 24. Jackson has more than 60,000 residents and is the 18th largest municipality in New Jersey by population and third largest by size, consisting of over 100 square miles. The 2024 Safewise (Safe Communities See Page 4)
May 11, 2024
Bill Would Restore State Aid To Schools By Bob Vosseller TRENTON – Noting the devasting effects of the S-2 state a id for mu la , lawmakers hope their new bill would help restore some of the funding cut from local school districts. Assemblymen Alex Sauick ie and Paul Kanitra stated that a bill they introduced would appropr iate $210.1 m i l l io n t o schools that previously received supple me nt al st abil ization aid for their 2023-24 budgets. Supplemental stabilization aid was one - t i me f u nd i ng given to schools that were hit hard by S-2 and needed help to continue operating. Since 2018, hundreds of the state’s school districts have faced cuts under S-2, the name of a bill that redirected aid away from some schools toward others. Certain schools were considered “overfunded.” Jackson schools, pa r t of Sau ick ie’s 12th Legislative District and just one of 16 school districts he represents, have lost $22.4 million in aid, leadi ng to cuts of 214 positions, sports teams, A P classes and electives. The dist rict was
forced to take a $10 m illion loan f rom the st ate, and pay a state monitor, to close budget gaps. The dist rict needs $30 million to close its budget gap for the 2024-25 school year, but wa s i n for med April 10 that no districts will be allowed to seek loans. “Students in my district have faced overcrowded classrooms and cuts to academic and extracurricular activities year after year,” Sauickie said. “It’s past time to adm it t he failu re of this school funding formula and restore what’s been lost to ensure our students have the finest education New Jersey has been known for.” “It’s not too late to reverse the damage done, but that day is coming,” Sauickie added. The 10 th Legislative District which Kanitra represents has also experienced a severe impact. Six districts - including Brick and Toms River, which have each lost almost 60% of their state aid - sued the state for details of the funding formula and won their case. Despite the legal victory, the state
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(School Funding See Page 4)