Times
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC.
THE TOMS RIVER
Vol. 12 - No. 7
Inside This Week’s Edition
Business Directory....................... 21-22 Classifieds......................................... 19 Community News.......................... 9-13 Dear Joel........................................... 23 Dear Pharmacist ............................... 17 Dr. Izzy’s Sound News ..................... 16 Fun Page .......................................... 22 Inside The Law.................................. 24 Letters to the Editor............................. 7 WWW.MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM
June 11, 2016
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper | Serving All of Toms River Township
New Sculptures In Place Through Downtown
‑‑Photos by Catherine Galioto The diverse subjects of the statues newly installed in downtown Toms River public spots are all by local Brian Hanlon, whose sculptures are in place worldwide. The exhibit runs through the summer. By Catherine Galioto Arts Project, downtown improvement dis- figures are so different, but they have a lot TOMS RIVER – Accomplished sculptor trict and Toms River Artists Community of common with their pursuit of excellence and Toms River native Brian Hanlon en- would join Hanlon in cutting the ribbon on – athletic excellence, civic excellence, busijoyed the Seward Johnson statue exhibit in such an exhibit. ness excellence.” place around public spaces in downtown Whether Yogi Berra, Earl Lloyd, a fireAbout 20 of his bronze statues are promiToms River last summer, and wondered nently installed downtown where they will fighter memorial or the Binghamton mascot if his own pieces could make up a public remain for the public to enjoy all summer. bearcat, the large-scale, bronze sculptures display of their own. “It’s official, all the plaques are up, people span a variety of subjects both well and One year later, the township, Community can wander and learn,” Hanlon said. “The (Sculpture - See Page 6)
OCC SOFTBALL FINISHES SIXTH IN NATION
By Chris Christopher t was a memorable season for the Ocean County College women’s softball team. The Vikings went 26-13 overall. They won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region XIX Tournament. And they finished sixth at the NJCAA Division III Tournament. The program was born in 1977. It was the first time the Vikings won the Region XIX title and the initial time they qualified for the nationals. “Our team was very even keeled,” said Bob Mazanec, OCC’s seventh-year coach. “It never got too high. It never got too low. We
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rallied to win games a half dozen times. The girls never gave up. They were battlers.” Seven players won postseason honors. Sophomore outfielder Kara Molnar, a Jackson Memorial High School graduate, and sophomore pitcher Ashley Hussey (Toms River North) captured first-team all-region and first-team All-Garden State Athletic Conference honors. Sophomore first baseman April Szymczyk (Jackson Liber t y), f reshman second baseman Kurstin Binshedler (Pinelands Regional) and sophomore shor tstop Adelle Hickman (Jackson Liberty) won second-team all-region and second-team
all-conference honors. Named third-team all-region and third-team all-conference were freshman pitcher-outfielder Marissa Stadtmauer and freshman catcher Stephanie Healy (Pinelands). Through the Region XIX Tournament, Molnar hit .548 (63-for-115). She set the school career record for home runs (seven), including six this season. She drove in 44 runs and scored 56. She added 10 doubles and nine triples and sped to eight steals in eight attempts. The former Jaguar is headed to William Paterson University. “She has a lot of our records,” Mazanec
Charit y, Again, Lef t Homeless After Fire
–Photo courtesy Hometown Heroes “Hope,” by Mike Ciccotello, a painting that survived the first fire but was destroyed in the second, two years later. By Catherine Galioto TOMS RIVER – Michael Schwartz, founder and president of the nonprofit Hometown Heroes, woke up to a phone full of notifications. “I thought it was that Facebook feature that reminds you of anniversaries, people responding, things like that,” said Schwartz, as two years ago to the month marked the anniversary of a damaging fire to the downtown building that housed several offices, including Hometown Heroes. The charity would be left homeless. And now, the organization finds itself in an identical situation, but from a second fire. The 4 a.m., May 31 fire destroyed the historic Birdsall building at 236 Washington Street, in a blaze that started on the first floor and quickly destroyed the
(Softball - See Page 5)
PHYSICAL THERAPY ▪ CHIROPRACTIC CARE ▪ MOVE BETTER, FEEL BETTER, LIVE BETTER
BE PAIN FREE THIS SPRING!
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(Fire - See Page 20)
RESULTS AFTER 4-6 VISITS!