The BRICK Times Vol. 24 - No. 37
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 7
Community News Page 8-13
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
January 18, 2025
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Explore History At Brick’s Oldest Graveyard for a public cemetery. The secondary name “Gravelly Graveyard” can be attributed to a local legend. “An unidentified male body washed ashore on the Metedeconk River, the only identification found in his pocket was gravelly (gravel),” Donatiello said. “The local people buried him there and somehow it became a nick name for the cemetery.” Some of the TownPhoto by Alyssa Riccardi ship’s earliest resiThe grounds of the Old Woolley Cemetery are well kept by the township’s dents have found their final resting place at Historic Preservation Commission. Old Woolley Cemeknown as “Gravelly Graveyard,” tery. The earliest grave is By Alyssa Riccardi BRICK – Nestled along a is located on Fairview Avenue of Rachel Wardell, born in small residential street near the and holds less than one hundred 1782 and died in 1812, before north bank of the Metedeconk graves, dating back to the early even the creation of Brick Township which didn’t occur River lies one of Brick Town- 1800s. According to Brick Township until February 15, 1850. The ship’s oldest piece of history. A plot of land measuring about Historian Gene Donatiello, Enoch last burial is of Joseph Truex, 100 ft. x 100 ft. and lined with Jones had purchased about eight who was born in 1819 and a white picket fence holds the acres of land from the estate of died in 1901. oldest burial ground within Adam Woolley. Enoch later deed- Many war veterans are burpresent day Brick Township. ed the land to Jessie Jones, with ied in the small graveyard, Old Woolley Cemetery, also less than one-half acre set aside (Graveyard - See Page 4)
Township Council Gets New Leader By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK - Derrick T. Ambrosino was named as the new Council President after a unanimous vote from fellow council members. During the Reorganization Meeting held on January 7, Ambrosino was nominated by outgoing Council President Vincent Minischino, who highlighted some of the reasons he believes Ambrosino has all the qualities needed to lead the governing body. “He always has something intelligent to say. He does a very good job. He’s very passionate about what he does. He’s committed to keeping Brick a better place for the people, for the mayor, for the council - we all work together, but the common goal is for the people of Brick Town,” Minischino said. Ambrosino has deep roots in Brick, Minischino continued, and noted that his parents, wife and three children were all in attendance. The new council president attended Brick Township schools, as do his children. “He’s also on a host of committees - Business and Finance, Land Use, Public Safety,” Minischino said. “He’s also a liaison to the MUA, Tenants and Landlord, Traders Cove Marina and Parks - he’s very committed to this town.” As his first order of business, Council President Ambrosino recognized and thanked the outgoing president, “on behalf of the Town Council, the administration, and hopefully the people of Brick Township as well,” for
Page 20
(Council - See Page 4)
EMS Delay: “When Are They Coming To Help Me?”
Photo courtesy John Ponticello Philip Ponticello died almost ten years ago – his brother blames a delay in emergency response time.
By Stephanie Faughnan OCEAN COUNTY - Philip Ponticello’s final moments haunt his brother John to this day. On August 15, 2015, Philip clutched his chest, gray-faced, gasping for air. “His dying words were, ‘When are they coming to help me?’” John recalls the memory of his brother’s anguish still vivid nearly a decade later. Philip, 64, had never been seriously ill in his entire life, making his sudden distress
all the more alarming. On that fateful morning, he stumbled into the living room of their Pine Ridge at Crestwood home in Whiting, clutching his chest like a man fighting for every breath. John acted quickly, administering nitroglycerin tablets of his own and calling 911. But the system failed them. The first 911 call was dropped. As he placed the second call, John barely got out a plea for help when the phone went dead
again. It wasn’t until the third call that the voice on the other end promised to send someone. By the time the ambulance arrived - 38 excruciating minutes later - family members had already arrived from as far as Bayville, and Philip lay unresponsive. “I’ll never understand why they didn’t try to revive him,” John said. “They told me he would’ve died on the way to the hospital, but at least someone could’ve tried.” (EMS Delay - See Page 4)
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