TheTOMS RIVER Times Vol. 20 - No. 12
In This Week’s Edition
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Can County Handle Influx After Animal Shelter’s Closing?
Silverton EMS Taken Off Duty By Town
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 8
Community News Pages 10-16
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 18
Inside The Law Page 21
By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – The Jackson Animal Shelter has been receiving more animals from Toms River following the closure of that facility, county officials confirmed during a recent tour. The Toms River Animal Shelter was closed on June 6. All employees were put on administrative leave except the one who does animal control –
Photos by Bob Vosseller (Above) Dogs are barking to be adopted at the Jackson Animal Shelter which is also taking on some of the sheltering that took place at the recently closed Toms River Animal Shelter. (Left) This little feline is checking out his temporary home at the Jackson Animal Shelter awaiting a more permanent place to live. responding to calls from residents about stray or hurt animals. Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick promised for months that he wouldn’t close his community’s shelter and pushed for the Ocean County Board of Health to take it over. After the closure, he said “The fact is the facility does not meet the Board of
vent homelessness and assist the unhoused. Part One provided a general overview of the awards and painted a broad picture of homelessness in Ocean C o u n t y. P a r t Two delved into the $5 million awarded to Bright
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Harbor Healthcare for establishing a Young Adult Bridge Housing program. So, what about the remaining $7.5 million? The Ocean County Commissioners earmarked those funds to award a competitive
By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – Silverton EMS will no longer be sent on calls after a resident dials 911. This administrative change was made on July 22. “We’ve been advised by legal counsel that financial irregularities associated with Silverton EMS are potentially criminal, and the matter is being referred to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office,” Mayor Daniel Rodrick said. “Given what we have learned, I had no choice but to take swift action. We have hired 17 more EMTs and put several additional ambulances on the road. Police Chief Mitch Little and EMS Supervisor Kevin Monaghan have assured me the recent increase in staff and ambulances will prevent any interruption in Emergency Medical Services. We will update the community as the investigation unfolds.” A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said that per policy they cannot comment on anything brought to them – or even if there is an investigation. Silverton EMS President Kevin Geoghegan said he was willing to walk into the prosecutor’s office himself with all of the paperwork to show that everything is being done above board. “This has nothing to do with patient care,” Geoghegan said. “This is strictly part of Dan Rodrick’s revenge tour.” (EMS - See Page 7)
(Housing - See Page 4)
$7.5M Awarded For Homeless Housing Programs By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS R I V ER – This is the third installment in our series on Ocean County’s appropriation of $12.5 m ill ion i n A me r ican Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pre-
July 27, 2024
contract to HABcore, Inc. in collaboration with Family Promise of the Jersey Shore and Br ight Harbor Healthcare. Each organization will leverage their expertise for the “Acquisition for
(Housing - See Page 5)
This Month In History: By J. Mark Mutter TOMS RIVER – History has a way of repeating itself as the recent citizens’-initiated petitions in Toms River regarding the Police Department and animal shelter show us. The petitions of today are those in a long line of such efforts in our town’s history. It’s all about ordinary citizens petitioning their government about important issues of the day - and we’ve
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A Town Created By Petition
been doing it here in Toms River for a long time. In fact, we’ve been doing it since our very beginning! Here’s the story. Before We Were Toms River The first citizens’ petition in our history goes back to 1767 when New Jersey was still a royal colony. (Petition - See Page 17)
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