The BRICK Times Vol. 26 - No. 1
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Senior Prom Bridges $126.2M Town Gap Between Generations Budget Approved
Mother’s Day BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 7
Community News Page 6, 9-14
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 16
Inside The Law Page 24
May 9, 2026
Photo by Andrew Rice Senior citizens hit the dance floor at the prom, along with some of the students. By Andrew Rice BRICK – Members of the town’s 65+ senior community gathered at Civic Plaza for a free night of dining, dancing, and other sorts of entertainment for the Senior Prom. The event was put on by Brandi White, the coordinator for the mayor’s student advisory committee, and the high school students who take part in it. Due to the fact that Brick has two high schools in it, students from both Brick Township and Brick Memorial High School who are on the committee took part in helping to run the event. The dance itself was given a 1920s theme, with several women dressed in flapper-style dresses
while the men wore era-appropriate attire. The event also included a DJ and a photobooth for attendees to have their picture taken. On top of all of that, in traditional prom fashion, the students who played a part in running the event chose a prom king and queen among the senior couples that attended. According to White, the Student Advisory Committee partners heavily with the senior service department, who provide the senior shuttle, providing an alternative for elderly residents who cannot drive or are uncomfortable driving at night. They also rely on the senior service department to (Senior Prom - See Page 4)
5K Fundraiser Has A Lot Of Heart By Chris Lundy OCEAN COUNTY - It takes a lot of muscle, endurance and determination to complete a 5K. It takes a lot of heart just to show up. About 400 runners did show up to the 5K River to the Bay held by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Toms River. It was a cool, hazy morning. Before the shotgun start, runners could be seen jumping in place or Photo by Chris Lundy stretching out - perhaps they were It’s easy to smile at the start of a 5K race! Here, the runners take off getting ready, perhaps they were from the starting line for the course in Island Heights. (5k Fundraiser - See Page 5)
By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK - The governing body approved a $126.2 million municipal budget during a recent Township Council meeting following a public hearing for the spending plan, when only a handful of residents asked questions or made comments. However, the vote was split between party lines with the four Democrats voting in favor of the spending plan while the three Republicans voted against it. The municipal budget shows an increase of 2.8 percent over last year’s $122.7 million budget. The increase is the result of rising costs across the board, with the most significant increases being fuel and health care costs, said Mayor Lisa Crate. The municipal tax rate will rise from 81.2 cents to 84.5 cents per $100 of assessed property value. For the average home in Brick, the increase is about $98 a year. Republicans Lisa Reina and Gregory Cohen were critical of some $16 million in surplus being used for the spending plan, leaving a balance of $2.9 million in the account. Reina said it was the highest amount of surplus used in 15 years, leaving 2.34 percent of the budget for emergencies. In New Jersey, municipal surplus functions as a financial cushion to fund emergencies and as a reserve for unexpected and unbudgeted financial shortfalls. A healthy surplus (Budget Approved - See Page 4)
Rally Gathers To “Save Our Schools” By Chris Lundy JERSEY SHORE – As schools in Ocean County close due to state funding cuts, residents gathered at Veterans Park in Bayville to speak out in defense of their communities. “I’ve seen our seniors be stressed over the tax increases that cut into their fixed incomes. I watch the infighting within our community ramp up every year,” said teacher Rhiannon Mindas, who led the rally. She noted that some politicians in Trenton have no idea that local (Rally - See Page 5)
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