TIMES
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC.
THE TOMS RIVER
Vol. 12 - No. 23
Inside This Week’s Edition
Business Directory........................26-27 Classifieds ........................................ 28 Community News ....................... 10-14 Dear Joel .......................................... 33 Dear Pharmacist .............................. 21 Dr. Izzy’s Sound News .................... 20 Fun Page .......................................... 27 Government ...................................... 9 Letters to the Editor ............................ 8 WWW.MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM
October 1, 2016
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper | Serving All of Toms River Township
Casino Pier Begins Expansion Northward
–Photos by Catherine Galioto Pilings mark the outline of the northern expansion of Casino Pier, to allow for thrill rides and more space lost after the eastern portion of the pier’s destruction from Superstorm Sandy. Seaside Heights swapped 1.36 acres of beach for a parking lot farther north.
By Catherine Galioto SEASIDE HEIGHTS – New pilings stand erect on the beachfront, marking the next step in expanding Casino Pier northward. The amusement pier will grow more than an acre to make way for additional rides,
the result of a controversial land swap that pitted environmentalist and public access advocates against those in support of the expansion, who said it would increase tourism and sustain the economy of Seaside Heights. Now, the project is underway, with the
temporary dunes recognizable in the off season pushed aside at Sherman Avenue to mark off where the new footprint of the pier would go. Nearby in the Casino Pier’s maintenance (Pier - See Page 5)
O��icials Clamor To Decide Veterans Parade
By Catherine Galioto TOMS RIVER – The annual Veterans Day parade down Main and Washington streets November 11 may be at risk, with no school bands available to participate, officials said. A rescheduled New Jersey Education Association convention for November 10 and 11 is creating a situation that could leave the parade with no marching bands, leaving those involved to figure out how to preserve the event as a parade without bands, move it to another day, or only hold a Veterans Day ceremony at town hall. The ceremony is the annual conclusion of the parade, which features marching bands, civic groups, emergency equipment, but also walking groups and flat bed floats of veterans and veterans groups such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and more. There’s also the motorcycles of the American Legion Riders, and many other participants. But speaking at the Toms River council meeting September 27, Mayor Thomas Kelaher said the issues stemming from the NJEA convention schedule need to be worked out. Toms River Regional schools are closed from the convention as well as (Parade - See Page 5)
A Focus On Nesting Birds, Turtles In Ocean County
By Daniel Nee There’s both good news and reason for concern when it comes to wildlife in southern Ocean County. It has been an “excellent” breeding year for beach nesting birds, but increased traffic have put terrapins at risk on a local roadway. The birds and terrapins are both the subjects of projects for the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, which has had success with preservation programs statewide, and is adding more local partners in
Ocean County. Its nesting bird program, which often focuses on Long Beach Island beaches, has seen a banner year, according to Todd Pover, Beach Nesting Bird Project Manager for the organization. “The trends are clear,” he said, pointing to figures that are up from a year ago. For the 2016 nesting season, which peaked in August, there were 115 pairs of piping plovers statewide, up from 108 last year – the second consecutive increase after a
record low 92 pairs were tracked in 2014. “The really good news is our productivity this year – close to a statewide record at 1.37 chicks fledged per pairs – puts us in the position to continue our population increase,” said Pover. The increased numbers mean the plover population could produce new breeding pairs in the next few years, Pover said. The population of Least terns and black skimmers were good this year in Holgate, one of the largest colonies of the species in
the state, and made up for a downturn in population in Monmouth County. Though the numbers are difficult to track due to their tendency to nest deep in marshlands, signs indicate the American oystercatcher population is also doing well, Pover said. While the nesting bird population is increasing, the foundation is also working on protecting the northern diamondback terrapin population along Great Bay Boulevard – also known as Seven Bridges Road (Turtles - See Page 26)
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