The BRICK Times Vol. 25 - No. 42
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Dune Grass Planted For Shore Protection
In This Week’s Edition
Council Opposes Gas Tax Increase
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 6
Community News Page 8-11
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 12
Inside The Law Page 17
Photo courtesy Surfrider Foundation Jersey Shore Volunteers braved cold temperatures to plant dune grass on the beaches. By Chris Lundy BRICK – Most people aren’t thinking of the beach in the winter, but a group of volunteers spent the afternoon planting dune grass to help the beaches thrive – and to protect residents. Dune grass is a simple way to use the shore’s own ecosystem to bolster itself. The grasses provide a root system strengthening the dunes against wind and waves. Even after huge storms, like Superstorm Sandy, it was clear that areas with dunes were better protected than those without. The planting is a natural way to fight two problems: erosion and flooding, said Jill Nilson, the chair of the Chair of the Surfrider Foundation’s Jersey Shore Chapter, which encompasses Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Most shore towns get plugs of grass to plant every year, she explained. Some towns have employees plant them, while others partner with volunteers. Some towns rely heavily on shore homeowners to plant them. Although the warmer months might be associated with planting, dune grass survives better if planted during the winter, she said. Dune grass planting is just one of the Surfrider’s many initiatives, which also include reducing plastic waste and advocating for beach access. “We try to hold an event at least once a month,” she said. The organization is made up of volunteers who love the ocean and want to help protect it. For more information on dune grass plantings, beach clean-ups and other initiatives, visit jerseyshore.surfrider.org/
Former Teacher Sentenced To 10 Years In Student Sex Assault Case
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Julie Rizzitello is escorted from the courtroom by officers after being sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
By Stephanie Faughnan WALL - A Monmouth County judge sentenced Julie Rizzitello, a Brick Township resident and former Wall Township High School teacher, to a decade in state prison after finding she used her position of trust to groom and sexually assault two students. Rizzitello, 37, listened to Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O’Malley as the court detailed what it called a years-long pattern of manipulation
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and abuse involving two former students at Wall Township High School. Rizzitello pleaded guilty in August to two counts of second-degree sexual assault. One count involved a student between the ages of 16 and 17 over whom she had supervisory authority. The second involved a student between 18 and 22 while she was still serving as his teacher. Each charge carried a maximum sentence of 10 years. The court
By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK - There aren’t many alternatives to commuting by car in Brick since there are limited public transportation options as compared to areas in northern New Jersey. This is why the Township Council passed a resolution opposing a new state gas tax of 4.2 cents per gallon to support the State’s Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) program, resulting from a 2024 law which gradually raises the state’s highway fuel cap from 2025 through 2029. “This places a disproportionate financial burden on the hardworking residents of Brick who have no practical alternatives to driving,” said Council President Steve Feinman during a recent Council meeting. According to township attorney Kevin Starkey, the legislation for the fuel tax increase would fund roads, bridges and other transportation. “Of course, I think everybody supports infrastructure improvement…that’s not the issue,” the attorney said. “The issue is, who bears the burden of that?” The burden is disproportionate for local residents to fund transportation projects around the state, and it should be done in a manner that is fairer to Brick residents and other state residents, Starkey said. “We’re a driving town,” added Council Vice President Derrick Ambrosino. “Heck, we’re a boating town - fuel costs are going to raise the cost of boating. The cost of fueling a boat is pretty high already, so we will either boat less, drive less or pay more,” he said. “We think there’s other ways that the state can do what they need to do than put an unfair burden on a community that doesn’t have state-funded transportation options like other parts of the state,” Ambrosino said. During the portion of the meeting set aside for public comment, resident Michael Calderise accused the township of “selectively salting” roads and only plowing roads for the first two or three days after the recent snowstorm. Mayor Lisa Crate said the Department of Public Works (DPW) salted every mile of the township’s roads. She said township employees, independent contractors and the (Gas Tax - See Page 4)
(Former Teacher - See Page 4)
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