TIMES
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC.
THE TOMS RIVER
Vol. 12 - No. 17
By Lois Rogers OCEAN COUNTY – It’s not unusual for the décor of church foyers to serve as a testament to the ministries offered within and those who serve them. In Morning Star Presbyterian Church, a wall festooned with row upon row of painters hats filled that role and then some. Those hats, once plain, have been transformed (Volunteers - See Page 24)
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Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper | Serving All of Toms River Township
August 20, 2016
Huddy Park Reconstruction Continues
Ro�te 9 Plans Sho� Ne� Si�nals, T�rn Lanes
–Photos by Catherine Galioto Work continues on Huddy Park’s $1 million renovation, with crews this week removing old bulkhead and installing a modern one.
Congregation Bids Farewell To Morning Star Village
Inside This Week’s Edition
Business Directory........................24-25 Classifieds ........................................ 23 Community News ....................... 10-15 Dear Joel .......................................... 22 Dear Pharmacist .............................. 19 Dr. Izzy’s Sound News .................... 18 Government ...................................... 9 Inside The Law ................................. 20 Letters to the Editor ............................ 8
By Catherine Galioto TOMS RIVER – Months of scheduled work on Huddy Park continues behind chain link fence, as crews install new bulkhead along the river this month. Additional renovations will include new benches, landscaping and added historical touches around the park at its replica Block House. A popular spot for wedding photography, a walk or picnic, or a large downtown festival, Huddy Park closed shortly after the ground breaking on the project, and will reopen as part of the 250th anniversary of the township next year. The most significant portion of the $1 million project is new bulkheads. This week, work continued on that portion, removing the old wooden bulkhead and installing a modern one. The area saw damage from Superstorm Sandy’s surge, but also due to years of wear and tear. Construction equipment such as cranes, front loaders and bulldozers were on site in the park, as items such as a rusty old bike and glass bottles were pulled from the waterline as part of the bulkhead removal and installation. The closure of the park for the project meant some annual events had to find a new home for this summer season, such as the Wooden Boat Festival coming to a private marina. Another example is the annual “Art In The Park Festival” which moves to a new location after a successful run last year in Huddy Park. The Fourth Annual “Art in the Park” Festival is on August 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The location of this year’s fest is the Ocean County Parking Garage Lawn, 26 Hadley Ave. The event will feature a wide array of art forms including: visual art, music, poetry and dance. Artists also will offer unique, creative (Huddy Park - See Page 4)
State Won’t Investigate Jackson Blockbusting Report
By Jennifer Peacock NEW JERSEY – The State has said it won’t investigate alleged blockbusting in Jackson due to technical issues, Council President Robert Nixon updated a packed house at the August 9 Jackson Township Council meeting. “For the time being, the State has deferred an investigation on technical grounds based on their interpretation of the State discrimination law. Our lawyers have been in touch with the federal authorities and their discussions will be continuing,” Nixon said. The State’s Office of the Attorney General outlines the intent of the antidiscrimination
law: “makes it unlawful to subject people to differential treatment based on race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age, sex (including pregnancy), familial status, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, liability for military service, and mental or physical disability, perceived disability, and AIDS and HIV status. The LAD prohibits unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, places of public accommodation, credit and (Blockbusting - See Page 5)
By Catherine Galioto TOMS RIVER – Residents can get a peek on how several agencies hope to improve the Route 9 corridor, and plan for the continued explosion of development around Pleasant Plains and North Dover through Lakewood. The next public meeting in a year-long examination into the corridor will come to Toms River Library August 23, with several open-house style sessions where the public can view the proposals, interact with staff and provide feedback. The latest plans would create turning lanes along Route 9, add sidewalks, define striping on the roads that intersect to Route 9, add traffic signals and move several bus stops away from corners. Among the recommendations: Create a turn lane from Route 9 northbound to West Whitty Road eastbound. Separate the right turn and left turn lanes on West Whitty Road. Create a left turn lane from Route 9 southbound to Church Road eastbound. Add a two-way left turn lane along Route 9 for traffic to enter businesses. Currently, with one lane in each direction, traffic waiting to turn left into a business is slowing the traffic behind it or vehicles are passing on the shoulder. Create a right turn lane from Route 9 northbound to Church Road eastbound. Add a traffic light at Stevens Road and Route 9. Combining the Route 9 northbound bus stops at Stevens and Church into one bus stop, placed midway between the two. Near the border with Lakewood, the creation of a left turn lane from Route 9 northbound to Locust Street westbound. Add two-way left turn lane starting at Locust Street. Add right turn lanes on Locust Street to Route 9, for both directions. Add bus stops on both sides of Route 9 near Conifer Street. (Route 9 - See Page 24)
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