Vol. 13 - No. 37
I N T HIS W EEK ’ S E DITION
THE HOWELL
TIMES
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper For Howell, Farmingdale, Ramtown and Freehold
Community News! Don’t miss what’s happening in your town. Pages 7-11.
Fun Page Page 17.
Wolfgang Puck The Ultimate Chocolate Pudding Page 19.
Dear Pharmacist Pharmacists Are Never Sure If We Should Say It Out Loud. Page 12.
Inside The Law Seeking Customers Who’ve Bought From These Websites Page 14.
Letters To The Editor Medicare Must Be Protected Page 5.
From Your Government Officials Singer To Withdraw Legislation Opposed By NJAC Page 6.
Classified Ads Page 16.
Township Hopes To Save Pierce Farm Property From Development
By Sara Grillo HOWELL – A special hearing on whether the township should buy a 123-acre former farm site was met with favorable comments. The hearing was part of the Green Acres process, a state agency which oversees grants used for land preservation. Town Council held a special hearing on February 7 to discuss interest in purchasing Pierce Farm, a 123-acre property located along Maxim Road. While there is no set plan on how the land would be used, the consensus from citizens and councilmembers is to save the land from future development. Maser Consulting, a local engineering firm, is working with the township to submit a grant application through the state’s Green Acres Program to acquire Pierce Farm. Since Howell already has an Open Space Recreation Plan and an Open Space Tax Program in place, it is eligible for a 50 percent matching grant and a 50 percent (Farm - See Page 4)
–Photos by Sara Grillo and courtesy Christie’s Realty Officials set up materials for a public hearing on whether Howell should buy the Pierce Farm property. The 123-acre site is located along Maxim Road.
Program Helps Addicts Come Forward Despite Fear Of Arrest
By Judy Smestad-Nunn Brick Mayor John G. Ducey described the first BRICK – A new program in place in Brick and weeks of the program, in a discussion at the FebManchester that allows drug abusers to go to po- ruary 8 council meeting. lice headquarters to seek help for their addiction In Brick, anyone who is addicted to heroin can without the fear of being arrested has go to the police station at Town Hall Heroin Addiction had 30 addicts come through Brick on Thursdays to say that they want Response Program in the first two weeks. •Aims to put addicts in to help, Ducey said. Brick and Manchester are the only Addicts can go to the Manchester rehab instead of jail. two townships in New Jersey that are •Can go to Brick Police HD Police Department on Wednesdays. on Thursdays, participating in the Heroin Addiction The program is available to anyManchester PD on Response Program (HARP), where one, not just those from Brick or Wednesdays. addicts are urged to turn their drugs •Open to anyone seeking Manchester. treatment over to the police and complete a “So that’s hopefully 30 lives that •Partners with Preferred rehabilitation program. we saved. We saved them this far Behavioral Health & Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph and hopefully they’ll get themIntegrity House. D. Coronato, Brick Police Chief selves better and healthy and get James Riccio and Manchester Police Chief Lisa back to being productive citizens,” Ducey said. Parker announced the program in January, which “We want to get the word out there that it is availis the latest initiative to offer recovery options able and will be available.” for those who suffer from addiction and who are The mayor called the HARP rehabilitative proseeking help. gram the “third prong” in the fight against opioid The two police departments are partnering with abuse. The other two prongs are education and Preferred Behavioral Health in Lakewood and In- enforcement. (Program - See Page 4) tegrity House in Toms River for the pilot program.
MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM | February 18, 2017
Police Seek New Vehicles, Radios & Personnel
By Sara Grillo sponse t r uck t hat HOWELL – The would be an asset township police de- in responding to late par t ment recently night car accidents saw retirements and and crime scene ina reduction in over- vestigations. time, and could use T he cu r rent re a n upg r a de t o it s sponse truck needs f leet of vehicles. to f i rst be d r iven As Howell Town- to a facility to be sh ip cont i nue s t o stocked before it can iron out the coming respond to a call, municipal budget, which can take up Police Chief Andrew to an hour. Kudrick shared his The proposed Ford d e p a r t m e n t ’s r e - F-550 would already quest to pu rchase be loaded with these 10 new police vehi- tools and be a true cles. Kudrick said “first response” vethe department has hicle, manned by ofu ndergone f icers who a massive have alHOWELL reduction in POLICE DEPT. ready been police overtrained to BUDGET REQUESTS: t i m e si n c e use it, he • 10 police he became said. Toms vehicles chief in July River is al• 3 new hires 2015. ready using to replace 6 The pothese trucks retirees l i c e c h i e f • $30K radio on its force. upgrade explained Six, these retop-level q u e s t s , c u r r e n t police off icers recosts and more in a tired last year, and budget presentation C h ief Ku d r ick i s February 6. Though ask i ng for a n adKudrick said Howell ditional three new has a very low crime hires this year. r a t e , t h e le a d i n g A proposal is being causes of township discussed with the fatalities are road Howell Board of Edaccidents and drug ucation that would overdoses. allow some of these He said the vehicle retired off icers to a dd it ion s i nclude provide security at a mu lt i-f u nc t ion - public schools, in al, fully loaded re- (Police - See Page 15)