TheTOMS RIVER Times Vol. 20 - No. 31
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Community Has Vested Interest In Police Fundraiser
Homeless Camp Dismantled With Housing Given
By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER - A homeless encampment near Winding River Park, which had served as a refuge for over 100 individuals since October 2022, has been closed. All residents have been placed in temporary housing, with the remaining 26 unhoused individuals receiving guaranteed indoor housing for six months through a municipal initiative. The closure represents a significant step in addressing homelessness in Toms River, achieved through a coordinated effort involving local officials, nonprofit organizations, and legal advocates. “I am proud to announce that this compassionate and cooperative solution addresses the concerns of residents and secures housing for those in the camp at no cost to the taxpayer,” said Mayor Daniel Rodrick. “The camp has been in existence for over two years prior to me taking office, and within a few months of working
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Government Page 8
Community News Pages 9-15
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 18
Inside The Law Page 21
Photo by Chris Lundy The officer in the dunk tank wasn’t ready for Jax Aquino of Toms River. By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – Instead of serving a summons, police officers were serving food at the annual Vest-ACop fundraiser. Fa m i l ie s c a m e from all around to the downtown area
where they ate outside. Officers took orders back to the local restaurants and served as wait staff. It’s a way for people to interact with the police in a fun, relaxing way as well as raise money to buy protective vests.
Besides food, there were a number of family-centered activities like face painting and a dunk tank. Washington Street was closed down and vendor tables lined both sides. This used to be hosted by the Pizza Hut
(Homeless - See Page 4)
on Route 37 but it moved down here three years ago, said Officer Kyle Lamar, who organized the event. Now in its 34th year, he said that approximately 70 volunteers from the
District Checking Wear And Tear On Schools
(Vested - See Page 5)
Students Prepare Thousands Of Meals For Those In Need
Photos courtesy OCVTS Thousands of meals were prepared by culinary students.
By Alyssa Riccardi BRICK – The Ocean County Vocational Technical School’s Brick Center was buzzing with activity during the week before Thanksgiving, where students worked tirelessly to provide a holiday meal for those in need. There were 182 culinary students who prepared over
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3,500 Thanksgiving dinners for “Feed the Need,” an initiative that began more than 25 years ago. “Feed the Need started with us just providing 25 meals to a local church,” Culinary 1 instructor Chef Gary Lesniak said. “Every year it seemed to build. The program back then (Meals - See Page 7)
By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – As the school buildings have been showi ng their age, officials have been determining what they should prioritize in terms of repair. Mark Wagner, who serves as the district’s capital projects manager, said at a recent Board of Education committee meeting that there are a lot of high end items that are in need of repair or replacement. “We still have a number of schools with boilers over 30 years
old,” he told the Board and administration. A number of windows need to be replaced, and most of the roofs are beyond their expected lifespan. He recommended the district perform a facility condition assessment. This would be an appraisal of all such items to see what needs to be done with all of them. Some of the assessment can be done inhouse, he said. However, if a neutral third party said something (Schools - See Page 5)
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