The BRICK Times Vol. 25 - No. 1
In This Week’s Edition
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Government Page 7
Community News Page 8-12
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 13
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Survivor Turns Cancer Battle Into Advocacy By Stephanie Faughnan BRICK - Sixteen years ago, Melani Vincelli walked into a doctor’s office wondering if she had an ulcer. Today, she’s approaching her 65th birthday as a cancer survivor -with a mission to give others hope especially those battling the same disease that nearly claimed her life. At 49, Melani was working in sales juggling a hectic lifestyle and constant stress. She began noticing symptoms: feeling full quickly, eating less, and rapid weight loss - 30 pounds in no time. “I was kind of happy about that,” she joked. “I even told my doctor I’d thought about waiting until I lost 50 pounds before coming in.” But her symptoms couldn’t be brushed aside for long. Melani’s primary care physician ordered a blood test, which revealed she was anemic. While anemia is relatively common in women, it can also signal more serious issues. Her doctor sent her for an endoscopy. That’s when Melani noticed something was off. After her procedure, she watched as her gastroenterologist met with every other patient - except her. The silence was deafening. “Finally, he comes to the foot of my bed and said, ‘We found a mass,’” she recalled. “And I’m thinking, that’s a weird way to tell me I have an ulcer. Then it hit me. Cancer. And he said, ‘Yeah. And it’s fairly large.’” Not only was it stomach cancer, it had spread to her liver and possibly her lungs. The diagnosis: stage 4, with a five-year survival rate of just four percent. Melani was stunned but determined. She sought multiple opinions and ended up at a prominent New York hospital, where she was told she had six to nine
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Brick resident Melani Vincelli is a stomach cancer survivor helping others fight the potentially deadly disease. months to live. No clinical trials were available. A nurse silently handed her a tissue, shaking her head. But Melani wasn’t ready to give up. “Oh no, sweetheart,” she thought. “Don’t count me out.” She eventually found her way to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rutgers. A sign above the doorway read: “Everybody’s curable.” Melani turned to her husband and said, “I’m home.” At Robert Wood Johnson, she met a surgical oncologist who believed in her chances. “He told me, ‘If I ask you to go into a clinical study, don’t worry. The clinical trials of the early 2000s are the treatments of today.’” Her tumor was at the gastroesophageal junction - where the stomach meets the esophagus - and (Cancer Survivor - See Page 4)
Second Arrest Made In Jones Road Wildfire
By Chris Lundy OCEAN COUNTY – A 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the wildfire that started on April 22 which caused thousands of evacuations and burned more than 15,000 acres. The juvenile, whose identity is not being released, was charged with Aggravated Arson, Arson, and Hindering Apprehension, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. This is the second arrest in relation to this incident. Joseph Kling, 19, of Waretown, was previously charged with Aggravated Arson and Arson. Kling now faces an additional charge of Hindering Apprehension.
Investigators had said that Kling was the individual responsible for setting wooden pallets on fire and then leaving the area without the fire being fully extinguished. The new charge of hindering comes from allegedly providing false information as to how the fire started. Officers said they learned the origin of the fire by using a Global Positioning System. The investigation led to a second individual, the 17-year-old, who assisted in setting the wooden pallets on fire and then left the area before the fire was extinguished. (Arrest - See Page 4)
May 10, 2025
Affordable Housing Numbers Under Scrutiny
Photo by Judy Smestad-Nunn The Chambers Bridge Residence on Chambers Bridge Road, managed by National Church Residences, provides 184 units of affordable housing for low-income seniors and individuals with special needs. By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK - In March 2024, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a new framework for determining and enforcing townships’ affordable housing obligations under the NJ Supreme Court’s Mount Laurel Doctrine and the State’s Fair Housing Act that establishes affordable housing plans. Every town in the state is required to provide a certain number of affordable housing units based on complex calculations. This stemmed from a lawsuit when the town of Mount Laurel was accused of zoning poor people out. The new law requires that the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) perform calculations for what is now the fourth round, and produce non-binding estimates of fair share obligations by October 2024. The DCA determined that Brick Township’s obligation was to rehabilitate 149 units and said there is a prospective need for new construction of 360 units. But since the recommendation is non-binding, Brick is allowed to prove that they have no way to provide that number. The township achieved a settlement agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center regarding the township’s fourth round prospective need obligations for affordable housing units through mediation with the Fair Housing Center, said Council Vice President Vince Minichino during a recent council meeting. Through a resolution, the parties agree that the township’s prospective need obligation is 322 (Housing - See Page 5)
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