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Inside This Week’s Edition
THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
Vol. 4 - No. 5
Business Directory...................23 Classifieds................................21 Community News.................8-13 Dear Joel..................................19 Dr. Izzy’s Sound News...............16 Government...............................7 Inside The Law .........................19 Letters to the Editor.....................6 Wolfgang.................................27 WWW.MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM
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Lacey Pic�s Ne� Police Chie�
By Daniel Nee LACEY – Michael DiBella has been appointed the new chief of the Lacey Township Police Department, succeeding David A. Paprota, who recently retired. “We’re very honored, and very proud of you,” said Committeeman Gary Quinn, who helped guide the township committee through the selection process. DiBella joined the department in 1994 as a special police officer and became a regular, full-time officer in 1998. He became a detective in 2002 and, ever since, has been moving up the ranks. “I don’t even know where to begin, there are so many people here who have supported me throughout my entire career,” said DiBella, addressing a packed house at the July 14 committee meeting where he was appointed. DiBella’s appointment yielded multiple standing ovations, tears of joy from family members, and a heaping dose of community spirit from a building full of well-wishers. “In these uncertain times around the world, where police sometimes aren’t appreciated, it’s not the case in Lacey,” said Committeeman Peter Curatolo. Quinn said DiBella will have “big shoes to fill,” referencing Paprota, who ushered in an era of modern policing, social media savvy and a proactive approach to policing
–Photos by Daniel Nee Michael DiBella is surrounded by family as he is sworn in as Lacey Police Chief.
By Chris Christopher BARNEGAT – Left-hander Jason Groome, the former Barnegat High School standout, has agreed to a $3.65 million signing bonus with the Boston Red Sox pending a physical he took July 14 in Boston, a baseball source told BostonHerald.com. Groome, a recent graduate who starred for the Bengals during the spring, and all 2016 draft picks faced a signing deadline
as Lacey battled a heroin epidemic that has affected all of Ocean County. As chief, Paprota began intensely tackling property crime, reducing burglaries by nearly two-thirds, and frequently published the department’s accomplishment on its website and social media pages. Community policing – especially to the extent
(Red Sox - See Page 18)
(Chief - See Page 15)
would produce. Recently, the answer came in the form of some “mutual aid,” according to officials.
–Surf City fire siren is courtesy of the SC Fire Company
$3.65M Bonus As Barnegat Teen Signs With Red Sox
–Photo by Barnegat High School athletic director John Germano Barnegat High School senior Jason Groome was selected 12th on the first round of the Major League Baseball FirstYear Player Draft by the Boston Red Sox.
Cape May Town Gifts Siren To Surf City By Daniel Nee SURF CITY – Members of Surf City’s volunteer fire department were devastated when the company’s siren unexpected quit this spring. In the beach community, officials said, the old-fashioned method of summoning firefighters is more important elsewhere since members could be on the beach, out on the bay or working outdoors when duty calls. The department hasn’t missed a beat, with members relying on modern paging equipment to notify them of calls, but for the past month, planning has been taking place behind the scenes to figure out how to pay the $15,000 bill a replacement siren
July 23, 2016
The fire department has announced that the fire company in Marmora, a community within Upper Township, Cape May County, heard about Surf City’s plight and decided to donate their siren, which is no longer used, to the company. “Several of our firefighters traveled to their firehouse recently to pick up the used siren, and we are now currently in the process of grinding off a little bit of rust, repainting, and checking its electrical components,” said Chief Michael Wolfschmidt. Before the department acquired the siren from Marmora, it had set up a fund where generous citizens could donate to (Siren - See Page 18)
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Boats Save 1.3M Gallons Of Sewage Around Bay
By Judy Smestad-Nunn OCEAN COUNTY – In the more than 10 years since the fleet began its rounds, government-sponsored pumpout boats have offloaded 1.3 million gallons of raw sewage from 64,868 boats in Barnegat Bay. Going into the 2016 season, the county has seven pumpout boats with the addition of “The Pollution Solution” boat. The other six pumpout boats that operate on Barnegat Bay: Brick Township maintains the “Bay Defender” and the “Bay Saver,” that serve northern Barnegat Bay; Seaside (Sewage - See Page 15)