Times
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC.
THE TOMS RIVER
Vol. 11 - No. 36
Inside This Week’s Edition
Business Directory............................ 21 Classifieds......................................... 22 Community News.......................... 9-13 Dear Pharmacist ............................... 17 Dr. Izzy’s Sound News ..................... 16 Fun Page .......................................... 23 Inside The Law.................................. 25 Letters to the Editor............................. 7 Wolfgang.......................................... 27 WWW.MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper | Serving All of Toms River Township
Rabbi’s Church Road Chabad Application To Continue Through January
–Photos by Catherine Galioto Residents pack Toms River High School North to hear the Toms River Chabad application before the zoning board. The application will continue with a use variance hearing, scheduled after January 7. By Catherine Galioto Currently operating out of a sinThe attorney and applicant exTOMS RIVER – A packed au- gle-family home, the Chabad, the plained why it thought so, citing ditorium of more than a thousand zoning board decided, would need the small nature of Chabad opresidents, many loudly shouting to pursue a use variance with the erations, such as weekly prayer in disapproval, turned out for a board to continue its operations meetings and Jewish observances special meeting of the Toms River there. The purpose of the meeting with guests fewer than 25 people. Zoning Board to hear an applica- was to hear Chabad plead its case Events where 30 or more were tion for the Toms River Chabad on that it was actually a permitted use planned, such as high holy days, Church Road. for a residential zone. (Chabad - See Page 6)
Now 43, Former NY Giant Helps Others In Important Transition
By Chris Christopher Keith Elias has found his place. That place is as a counselor in the National Football League in which he prepares former players for Life After Football. “I am where I should be,” the former Lacey High School and Princeton University standout and
ex-New York Giant, ex-Indianapolis Colt said. Elias also previously served as a coach in Toms River Regional. As a running back, Elias generated plenty of cheers at Lacey and Princeton. He powered the Lions to NJSIAA South Jersey Group III titles in
1988 and 1989. He capped his career with 2,178 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground. Fans continued to roar their approval when Elias wore the Tigers’ uniform. All he did was set 21 school records, including rushing yards (4,208), rushing touchdowns (Elias - See Page 4)
Number Of Seniors In Need Of Food Assistance Grows
By Daniel Nee OCEAN COUNTY – Officials with the county’s Office of Senior Services say they have expanded access to meal assistance for seniors as the need has grown in recent years, but caution that costs of the program are steadily rising. “It is growing continuously,” said Freeholder Joseph Vicari. “There is no waiting list, which is extremely important to us. If we did not do it, no one else would do it.” The county provides the bulk of its meals to seniors as part of the Meals on Wheels program,
though it also operates eight congregate meal sites around the county. The county is currently predicting a record year ahead in 2016, with a forecast for 281,000 meals to be provided. About 200 seniors attend the nutrition congregate sites for a meal each day. “We do a needs assessment that is pretty intense, and we’re hearing people say, ‘we can’t feed ourselves,’” said Vicari. “Most of these people are moderate- to high-risk seniors, and they can’t fully take care of themselves.” Ocean County will spend $2.6 (Food - See Page 19)
Ocean County To Buy $2M In Land For Preservation, Watershed Protection
By Daniel Nee OCEAN COUNTY – The next acquisitions by the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust will be in Jackson and Little Egg Harbor townships, officials said. The Ocean County Freeholders said they had reached a deal with owners of the two plots, which make up a combined 183 acres, to purchase the land so it can be preserved. The Jackson parcel consists of 127 acres that are located adjacent to the Metedeconk National Golf Club, Freeholder Director John Bartlett said. The property abuts land that is already preserved as part of Turkey Swamp Park in the Monmouth County park system. Ocean County already owns several swaths of land to the west. The plot lies in the vicinity of Cedar Swamp Road, and will be
PHYSICAL THERAPY ▪ CHIROPRACTIC CARE ▪ MOVE BETTER, FEEL BETTER, LIVE BETTER
STOP:
January 2, 2016
NECK PAIN – BACK PAIN – LOW BACK PAIN SHOULDER PAIN – KNEE PAIN
**CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION!**
Naturally Caring for your Health ▪ 89 Riverwood Drive ▪ Toms River, NJ 08755 ▪ 732-818-1999
purchased for $1,010,500. “These are the headwaters of the Metedeconk [River],” said Bartlett, adding that the site had already been approved for residential development. “This has been a high priority since we began our Natural Lands Program, since it does serve the water for the Brick MUA.” In recent years, officials at both the state and county levels have been seeking to preserve and protect inland water sources since they ultimately run to Barnegat Bay. The fact that several Ocean County municipalities served by the Brick MUA source their water from the Metedeconk makes the latest planned purchase even more important, officials said. “Hundreds of thousands of people are getting their water from (Watershed - See Page 4)