The JACKSON Times Vol. 22 - No. 52
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Pages 6
Community News Pages 8-11
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 13
Classifieds Page 15
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Suit Filed After Police Traffic Stop
By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – A civil rights lawsuit was filed by married couple Michele and Edward Norberto against the Township Police Department over a policy that requires innocent vehicle owners to pay high towing and storage fees to retrieve their vehicles after they were im-
pounded even though they produce no criminal evidence or charges. The Norbertos’ 2005 Chrysler Town & Country minivan was stopped back in January when Michele Norberto was pulled over on West Veterans Highway. According to the lawsuit, (Suit Filed - See Page 5)
Local Author Debuts Pulp Hero In New Book By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – Township resident Leonard Apa is a school teacher, a new dad and a relatively new author whose new work introduces a film noir/ pulp style hero called “The Scarlet Scrapper” and the journey to get him from concept to the printed page has made for an interesting adventure all its own. His book is set in the 1940s the era of pulps and film noir “about a little boy who is into the radio show The Scarlet Scrapper. He thinks it is a real hero running around New York saving people and they are just broadcasting his adventures. The boy ends up witnessing a murder and goes in search of the hero but finds the actor (who voices the character) and they save the day. It is very much influenced by the old pulps and noir and old radio shows. In many ways it emulates that format.” Apa has been enjoying the book signing circuit and made a recent appearance at the Toms River Book Show. He said he is finishing up a sequel and plans to make the saga a trilogy. (Local Author - See Page 4)
Photo by Bob Vosseller Jackson Township author/Howell school teacher Leonard Apa holds up his new book “The Scarlet Scrapper” during a recent book signing appearance. The book was inspired by the film noir era, pulp books and old radio serials.
Jersey Shore Roller Derby Rolls On By Stephanie Faughnan OCEAN COUNTY - Mention roller derby to someone of a certain generation and chances are they’ll smile. They remember the nicknames. The speed. The spills. The skaters flying around the track on Saturday morning television while parents drank coffee and kids watched wide-eyed from the living room floor. Others discovered the sport decades later through the film “Whip It.” Either way, roller derby has a way of staying with people. What many
people may not realize is that it never really disappeared. It simply evolved. At Winding River Skating Center in Toms River, there are still colorful nicknames, hard hits and plenty of excitement. What you’ll also find is something the old television broadcasts rarely showed: a community built on friendship, confidence and the belief that it’s never too late to try something new. Names like Bettie Rage, Chesty McBruiser, Mighty Mouse, Care Bear (Roller Derby - See Page 7)
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Jersey Shore Roller Derby skaters communicate and reposition as the pack moves around the track during a recent bout at Winding River Skating Center.
June 27, 2026
Town Hall Jobs Become Political Topic
By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – Questions pertaining to administrative staff were among the discussions heard during recent Township Council meetings, although some elected officials feel that the public comment portion of the meeting has become a time for candidates to give political speeches. Mayoral candidate Elliott Shem-Tov said he had a list of questions he asked at previous meetings that had gone unanswered. “The responses were silence. So, we filled out OPRA (Open Public Record Act) requests, the clerk’s office said they needed a two-week extension. They are too overburdened is what we were told. The clerk’s office has four staff members. All of them collect stipends for additional clerk duties,” the resident added. Shem-Tov noted, “this township recently hired a remote OPRA clerk (Leah Zulkovitz) specifically to handle public record requests. That is five people with extra pay whose job is records. Five people, extra pay for people who cannot produce the records. That’s not a backlog; that’s a stall and conveniently the extensions land after tonight’s meeting. How convenient.” “While we are talking about the clerk’s office let’s talk about who’s not in it. Council President (Mordechai) Burnstein has a $50,000 assistant who works from home. The last council president did not need one. The clerk’s office handled it. The same clerk’s office that is now too overwhelmed to answer a records request. So tonight, I’d like a real answer - not a deflection, not a procedural dodge – What does she do that four clerks and a township clerk cannot? What’s her job description?” Shem-Tov asked. Shem-Tov said the assistant to the council president is a full-time position with benefits and accrued time off. He asked if any taxpayer services were being cut so that the holder of the position could be paid. He noted that the council had a few weeks to prepare a response to his questions from two weeks ago. He asked why the mayor who approves such staff did so noting that when she served as council president, such a position was unnecessary. (Town Hall Jobs - See Page 4)
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