The BRICK Times Vol. 24 - No. 26
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 7
Community News Page 9-13
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 17
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How The Jersey Shore Prepares For Hurricane Season
By Alyssa Riccardi N EW J ERSEY – Twelve years ago, on October 29, 2012, Superstor m Sandy ravaged through New Jersey. It was the worst in the state’s history to make direct landfall to the shoreline. Fast forward to the year 2024. Hu r r ic a ne s h ave w r e a ke d havoc throughout the southern parts of the country. As New Jersey marks Hurricane Preparedness Month and the peak of hurricane season, it’s important to be prepared as the risks from these storms have increased as a result of climate change, officials said. So, what have we learned from Superstorm Sandy? And is our community prepared to take on another massive storm? Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, who is also the County’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Coordinator, reflected on the devastating time. “I was Chief of Police in Toms River when Superstorm Sandy hit, and we certainly learned a lot of lessons from that,” Mastronardy said. “We didn’t
Photo courtesy TR Police Cpl Chris Raia Bay areas got hit hard, as shown in this photo near the Mantolok ing Bridge in 2012 expect it to hit the mainland the way it did – that wasn’t in the game plan. I don’t think we were prepared for that as far as evacuations, etc.” Si nce Super stor m Sa ndy, Ocean County has made contingency plans. A major initiative has been the ongoing efforts to replenish our beaches, which has helped on the oceanside of the county. However, it does not help the bayside if water begins to rise. “While we took precautions on the oceanside to prevent some of the flooding coming through, the back bays were coming up. Unfortunately, you can’t build a barrier along every inch of lagoon that we have on the
bayside,” Mastronardy said. Mastronardy explained how elevating homes in certain parts of the county will have less of an impact on any future storms than it did during Sandy. “If you look over at the bayside of the barrier island, the majority of the homes all have been either torn down, elevated, etc., so that at different flood levels you won’t get the sustainable damage, which also means you won’t get the trash that we had to get rid of. That’s a good thing,” Mastronardy said. “So, mitigating the elevation has changed the dynamics of the impact of a (Hurricane - See Page 4)
County Plans Warming Centers For Homeless
By Stephanie Faughnan OCEAN COUNTY - Even before the first frost blanketed Ocean County days ago, officials had already taken steps to ensure the well-being of the county’s unhoused population during frigid temperatures. The Ocean County Board of Commissioners recently passed a comprehensive Code Blue plan for the 2024-2025 season, which includes approval of multiple warming centers
throughout the county. A significant addition to this year’s plan is the inclusion of a county-owned facility at 1959 Route 9 in Toms River, commonly known as the “Pic Building” at the Ocean County Career Center. This facility will provide a number of beds for adults experiencing homelessness when temperatures drop below freezing between November 1 and March 31. “Our focus of all the discussions involved
in creating the Code Blue Plan was assuring that we will have enough beds to take care of Ocean County’s homeless during this winter’s Code Blue season,” said Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Barbara “Bobbi” Jo Crea. “As part of this approved plan, there are five sites included that will host a total of 165 beds.” (Warming Centers - See Page 5)
November 2, 2024
Local Civic Group Lauded
By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK - The Friends of the Brick Library were honored during a recent Township Council meeting when Mayor Lisa Crate presented five of their members with a Proclamation declaring October 20-26 as National Friends of Libraries Week in the Township of Brick. The group is made up of volunteers that support the library as a vital community resource through advocacy, fundraising, programs, donations and volunteerism, with a mission statement “Connecting People, Building Community, Transforming Lives.” Some of their past fundraising activities include book sales, bus trips, bake sales and more. “The Friends of the Brick branch of the Ocean County Library enables our library to move from good to great by providing resources for additional programming, equipment, support for children’s summer reading and special events throughout the year,” said the mayor, who is a former librarian. The work of the Friends of the Library highlights the fact that the Brick Library is the cornerstone or hub of the communi-
ty, providing opportunities for the joy of lifelong learning, and connecting with thoughts and ideas of others of all ages, she said. The Friends of the Library understand the critical importance of well-funded libraries and advocate to ensure that our library gets the resources it needs to provide a wide variety of services to all ages, including access to print and electronic materials along with expert assistance in research, reader’s advisory, and children’s services, the mayor said. “The Friends’ gift of their time and commitment to the library sets an example for all in how volunteerism leads to positive civic engagement and the betterment of our community,” Mayor Crate said before presenting the group with the proclamation. Friends President Elaine Salto thanked the mayor for the Proclamation. She also thanked the other volunteers and all the patrons who come to the library for their success. Councilwoman Marianna Pontoriero said the community does not take enough advantage of the library’s (Civic Group See Page 4)
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