The HOWELL Times
Vol. 22 - No. 30
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Band Of Two Rivers Collects Musicians – And Fans – Of All Kinds
January 4, 2025
New Officers Graduate From Police Academy
BREAKING NEWS @
Photo courtesy Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office A total of 55 law enforcement officers graduated from the Academy.
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 7-9
Inside The Law Page 10
Dr. Izzy Sound News Page 11
Classifieds Page 13
Photo by Liz Ciocher The Band of Two Rivers is an orchestral band consisting of about 30 musicians of all ages, falling anywhere between 15 and 80 years old. By Liz Ciocher HOWELL – In the spirit of the season, Howell’s public library hosted another event completely free and open to the public: a concert performed by the Band of Two Rivers. The Band of Two Rivers is an orches-
tral band consisting of about 30 musicians of all ages, falling anywhere between 15 and 80 years old. The most unique aspect of the band, however, is their ‘open door policy,’ allowing for anyone to join the band with no audition required.
“The mission of the band is to keep people involved in music in their adult life. A lot of people start out playing in bands when they’re in middle school or high school, and then they stop because life gets in the way,” said Don Swinchoski, the band’s
conductor. “It’s a chance for them to get back into it later on in life.” Swinchoski has been the band’s conductor since its very beginning in 1997. According to him, they do various shows during the summer and winter months (Band - See Page 2)
NJ Wants Input On School Funding
By Chris Lundy JERSEY SHORE – The New Jersey Department of Education is asking the public to comment on the way state aid is distributed. There is a link to submit comments at the bottom of this page: nj.gov/educa-
tion/sfra.shtml. All comments must be received by January 17.
School Aid Impact Many local districts have been severely impacted by cuts in school aid. The funding formula changed with a bill called S-2 in 2018. Toms River has lost
millions of dollars and dozens of staff positions during the course of this process. In the last round of funding, aid dropped by $2,798,243 after years of cuts. Jackson lost millions every year as well. The most recent cut was $4,459,769. That district had to sell a school
this year. Lacey is another district facing a crunch. Their most recent cut was $3,205,902. Officials put forward a $92 million referendum this spring for capital projects like roofing and HVAC. Barnegat, Little Egg Harbor, and Pinelands Regional all saw cuts in
excess of $1 million for this year. Long Branch lost $10,401,402 this year, while Neptune Township lost $4,448,559. Part of the problem is that these cuts are cumulative. This year’s cuts reduce (Funding See Page 4)
By Alyssa Riccardi MONMOUTH COUNTY – A total of 55 newly sworn law enforcement officers graduated from the Monmouth County Police Academy. On December 11, 23 recruits of the 107th Basic Course for Police Officers, 12 recruits from the 58th Basic Course for Class II Special Law Enforcement Officers and 20 recruits from the 43rd Basic Course for County Corrections Officers received their Police Training Commission certifications during a ceremony at Brookdale Community College. “There is no higher responsibility than being a member of law enforcement, which exemplifies commitment to service, sacrifice and unity. These fine men and women have demonstrated that, by persevering and successfully completing intense training which has prepared them to serve and protect our communities, with honor and integrity. I’m proud of their accomplishments and commend all for a job well done,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden, whose agency runs the Monmouth County Police Academy. Both classes trained for 22 weeks – more than 800 hours – through the Monmouth County Police Academy. The Basic Course for Class II Special Law Enforcement Officers has full police powers while on duty, Golden said. All recruits train in patrol concepts, defensive driving, professional development, weaponry and unarmed defense, criminal investigation, ethics, emergency medical care and physical training, along with a host of other courses. The corrections class trained for 14 weeks, during which they engaged in physical training and drill and learned how to properly use firearms, batons, (Academy - See Page 4)
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