The HOWELL Times
Vol. 24 - No. 4
In This Week’s Edition
250 BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Letters To The Editor Page 5
Community News Pages 7-9
Inside The Law Page 13
Classifieds Page 15
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Radio Club’s Field Day Highlights Fun, Family And Emergency Preparedness
By Justin Sauer HOWELL – For 24 Hours, Echo Lake Park became more than just a local recreation spot. It became a hub for radio signals, emergency preparedness and family-friendly learning as the Ocean-Monmouth Amateur Radio Club hosted its annual Field Day event. The event gave visitors a chance to see amateur radio in action. The free event was open to the public, rain or shine, with activities held indoors and families invited to stop by throughout the day. For club members, Field Day is both a national tradition and a practical exercise. Amateur radio operators across the country take part by setting up temporary stations in parks, fields, parking lots and other public spaces. The goal is to practice operating under conditions that may resemble an emergency, including using alternate power sources such as generators, batteries and solar energy. At the Howell event, club members operated radios using emergency power while speaking with other operators from across the country. Vis-
Photo by Justin Sauer A radio operator attempts to make contact during Ocean-Monmouth Amateur Radio Club Field Day at Echo Lake Park. itors were able to watch the process, ask questions and learn how radio communication can continue working even when cell phones, internet service or electricity are unavailable. “We run this event every year to set up and make sure our equipment is working,” said event organizer and Morse code operator Denis O’Brien. “We hope visitors become more aware of what we can do in an emergency situation. We can provide
emergency communication when other forms of communication are not available. We have a lot of equipment, a lot of capabilities, a lot of expertise, and we know what to do when an emergency happens.” While emergency communication is a major part of the event, organizers also emphasized the fun and educational side of ham radio. Families had the chance to take part in hands-on (Radio Club - See Page 2)
Bipartisan Bill Could Make Housing Affordable
By Stephanie Faughnan JERSEY SHORE - An interview scheduled with United States Senator Andy Kim about the passage of a major bipartisan housing package took on added significance after President Donald Trump canceled plans to sign the legislation just hours before the ceremony was expected to take place. Trump had been expected to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on June 24, but
canceled the ceremony, later saying he would not sign the measure until Congress passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The legislation passed the Senate on June 22 by an overwhelming 85-5 vote and cleared the House the following day by a 358-32 margin. Both New Jersey senators, Democrats Kim and Cory Booker, supported the measure, as did the Republican congressmen who represent this
area, Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew. Kim, who serves on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, helped shape portions of the package through his committee work. In discussing the legislation, he highlighted several provisions he said could have particular significance for Ocean County, where residents continue to grapple with escalating housing costs, limited housing inven-
tory, rising rents and an aging population increasingly concerned about affordability. Under the Constitution, legislation generally becomes law ten days after being presented to the president, excluding Sundays, if Congress remains in session and the president takes no action. The legislation passed by margins well above the two-thirds threshold required for Congress to potentially override a veto. (Bill - See Page 4)
July 4, 2026
Zoning Issues Brought To Council By J.R. Warnet HOWELL – Although they are two separate boards, residents brought zoning board issues up at the Township Council meeting. The Zoning Board of Adjustment hears developers when they want to build something that’s not allowed in the zone a target land is in. The Township Council creates the zoning. Resident Paula Samarel said she was concerned about a change of use from a warehouse to a manufacturing facility for plastic bottles and containers. She had issues with how one of the community members was treated by a speaker at the previous night’s zoning board meeting. Samarel also spoke about “different environmental issues” regarding the “federally endangered northern longeared bat.” She was concerned about the air and water issues that the possible manufacturing could impact the residents of Howell. The meeting for the bottle facility application will be covered in a future article. Joe Bizonos of Colts Neck Road wanted to follow up on items from the last meeting. He dropped off documents regarding the successful banning of data centers by other townships. He wanted to know if the township had any plans to introduce an ordinance at an upcoming meeting. “I think it would he really valuable for the town to get ahead of that,” he said, referring to data centers. He was also very interested in forming a local ethics board. Bizonos then went on to speak about the zoning board meeting from the night before. “One of the cases involved a gentleman by the name of ‘Bernie’,” he said. “I got to speak with him today; he’s a long-time resident, business owner and active member of the community.” He spoke about how “two of the township professionals acted in a manner that I deemed completely unprofessional. One of them, more than the other, from my perspective, she spoke down to Bernie and the team he brought to defend him.” (Zoning - See Page 11)
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