The MANCHESTER Times Vol. 30 - No. 40
In This Week’s Edition
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Mayor: Goodbye And Thank You
By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER – Robert Arace gave his last statements as mayor, as he will be joining the Board of Commissioners, the five-member body that oversees Ocean County government. “It has been an absolute
honor and privilege to serve as the mayor of Manchester,” Arace said during his farewell and a report “on all the great work that I feel we have done with the township administration and the council. “I think we have done re-
ally tremendous work in the past two years so I’d like to thank the council members and residents for coming here and participating and providing their ideas and coming to my office. You guys really keep the town running and it wouldn’t be
possible without all of you.” The mayor served two of his four years as mayor. His replacement, a member of council, is expected to be named officially at the reorganization meeting in the beginning of the year. (Mayor - See Page 4)
Police Give Special Present To School Children BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 10-14
Dr. Izzy Sound News Page 16
Inside The Law Page 19
Classifieds Page 21
January 4, 2025
Photo courtesy Manchester Schools Manchester Township police officers present a generous $1,500 donation check to Regional Day School Regional Day School Principal Lisa Michallis during a recent holiday program at the school.
By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – A holiday party at the Regional Day School featured visits from special guests, including police officers who brought a special gift for the students. The Manchester Police came by to not only spend time with our students and staff but also to present Principal Lisa Michallis with a $1,500 donation check for the students. The Regional Day School is in Jackson but it is run by the Manchester Township School District. The donation was made by the Manchester P.B.A. 245 and all the funds will be used to provide winter coats, jackets, and other outerwear needs for Regional Day School students. Principal Michallis and Superintendent Diane Pedroza thanked the Manchester Police officers for their continued support of the schools of the township and the students who attend them. The holiday gathering also featured a performance by Tim McCloone’s Holiday Express whose mission is to deliver music, food, gifts, fi nancial support, and friendship to those (Police - See Page 9)
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/education/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.
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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. (Funding - See Page 4)
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Photo by Bob Vosseller Mayor Robert Arace speaks to residents during a Township Council meeting.
Leadership Changing In 2025
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Outgoing Commissioner Director Barbara “Bobbi” Jo Crea receives accolades for her term in county government. From right: Commissioner Virginia Haines, Senator Carmen Amato, Crea, and Assemblyman Brian Rumpf. By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER - The Ocean County Board of Commissioners concluded their fi nal meeting of 2024 honoring three officials whose contributions will not continue into the new year. The meeting celebrated their work while also setting the stage for political shifts and changes in county leadership in 2025. Clerk Retires Early Although his third term in office wasn’t set to expire until 2025, Ocean County Clerk Scott Colabella surprised a number of people with his decision to retire at the end of this year. A longtime resident of Barnegat Light, Colabella said he is ready to move to warmer weather. “I firmly believe that you don’t have these offices for life,” Colabella said. “It’s not like me to leave before my term is fully over, but it just worked out with my house in Florida.” Colabella began his career in the Clerk’s office (Leadership - See Page 5)
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