TIMES
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC.
THE MANCHESTER
Vol. 22 - No. 35
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper | Serving Lakehurst, Whiting and all of Manchester
Hawks Win Regionals
–Photo courtesy Manchester Township School District MANCHESTER – The Manchester Hawks cheerleading squad was named Regional Champions on December 5.
A Day That Will Live In Infamy
By Judy Smestad-Nunn OCEAN COUNTY – A local WWII veteran was honored, and was also a guest speaker during a ceremony held on the 75th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Lakewood resident, Jim DiPiazza, 91, who served in the Pacific theater during the war, was presented with a proclamation by Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari that called the December 7, 1941 attack “a defi ning moment in the history of the United States.” During a two-wave, twohour attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese warplanes, which began at 7:55 a.m. on a Sunday,
over 2,400 people were killed, another 1,000 were wounded, 21 American ships were sunk or damaged, and 300 airplanes were damaged or destroyed, most of which were still on the ground. Nearly half of the casualties were on the naval battleship USS Arizona, which was hit four times by Japanese bombers and eventually sank. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan. Before introducing DiPiazza, Head Reference Librarian Elizabeth Cronin said that “commemoration requires remembrance,” and that many who
were there during the attack are “fading from living memory.” A group called Pearl Harbor Survivors Society officially disbanded in December 2011 since there too few survivors left to keep the organization running, Cronin said. The Society transferred their assets to the nonprofit Pacific Historic Parks to fund educational programs focused on the attack and the lasting effects it had on the United States’ growth, development and military, she said. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs (Infamy - See Page 5)
–Photos by Judy Smestad-Nunn Lakewood re sident , Ji m DiPiazza, 91, in the Pacific theater of WWII, and spoke of his service during a Pearl Harbor ceremony.
Inside This Week’s Edition
Business Directory ........................... 24 Classifieds ........................................ 25 Community News ....................... 10-16 Dear Joel ..........................................27 Dear Pharmacist .............................. 19 Dr. Izzy’s Sound News .................... 18 Fun Page ......................................... 26 Inside The Law ................................. 21 Letters to the Editor ............................ 8 Wolfgang ......................................... 31 WWW.MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM
December 17, 2016
To�nship Settles La�s�it From Reinstated O��icer
By Jennifer Peacock MANCHESTER – The township has decided to settle two lawsuits brought against it by one of its police officers. Manchester Police Ptl. Ryan Saul will receive $190,000 from the township, a cost “substantially less than the total gross compensation that was withheld” for three years, a council resolution approving the settlement stated. From February 2011 to March 2014, Saul was removed from duty without pay. He was later reinstated, and then sued for back pay. “The town did hold retainage for the back pay, meaning they held money in the budget for that liability, that outstanding liability,” municipal attorney Angela Koutsouris told residents at the November 28 council meeting, where the resolution was unanimously adopted. “There was special counsel assigned throughout the case, because they were familiar with the case, and the town was given the recommendation to settle. Settling was less than the total amount of the back pay. There was the decision to settle.” Resolution No. 16-410 outlines dates but does not provide details as to why Saul was terminated, other than to say he had a disciplinary hearing which led to his firing. However, the NJ Superior Court docket available online details the incidents that led to his termination. “The Township filed 20 charges against plaintiff on February 10, 2011, for the first, second, and third events (the disciplinary charges). The disciplinary charges included allegations of inaccurate reports, dishonesty, failure to report an injury, making misrepresentations and untruthful statements, and incapacity to perform duties and responsibilities of a police officer,” the docket filing stated. After disciplinary hearings, Saul received his notice of termination in July 2012. Saul (Township - See Page 5)
Free Transportation • In-Home & Outpatient PT Physical Therapy Center “I am so excited to be back in Whiting where it all started.” -Michael Yorke, Founder
1-(855)-3ALLCARE • www.AllCarePTC.com
Jackson • Barnegat • Brick • Toms River Whiting • Manchester • Forked River
Proud Member Of The Whiting Business Association