Vol. 13 - No. 27
In This Week’s Edition 5
Y e ar s
SUPERSTORM
SANDY la r te
Community News! Don’t miss what’s happening in your town. Pages 14-17.
Letters Page 8.
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Elbow Up
Page 18.
Dear Pharmacist 4 Powerful Medicinal Herbs For Breast Cancer
Page 19.
Dear Joel Hypochondriac Husband
Page 20.
Business Directory Page 25.
Classifieds Page 24.
Fun Page Page 26.
Wolfgang Puck Pure Elegance: Think Dinner Party Cooking Can’t Be Quick And Easy? Think Again
Page 31.
Horoscope Page 31.
The TOMS RIVER
Times
jerseyshoreonline.com
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper For Toms River, Island Heights, Ortley Beach & Lavallette
| October 28, 2017
Barnegat Bay Still Feels Effects Of Sandy
By Judy Smestad-Nunn OCEAN COUNTY – Five years after the surge from Superstorm Sandy caused ocean waves to wash over the barrier island and flush out Barnegat Bay, the primary challenges facing the 42-mile long estuary remain the same, said executive director of Save Barnegat Bay Britta Wenzel. While water sampling taken immediately after the storm might have shown decreased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus because of the flush ing, non-point source pollution from developed land continues to run into the bay, causing algae blooms and killing off –Photo courtesy Congressman Chris Smith what was once a thriving shellfish industry, she said. Sandy brought about widespread devastation of “Sandy did nothing to change the leading causes the shore area. of pollution,” Wenzel said in a phone interview in the week leading up to the anniversary. “And it’s –Photo by Judy Smestad-Nunn probably in worse condition because we haven’t addressed the problems.” The ocean met the bay here, near the Mantoloking Bridge, Baseline sampling to test the bay’s water quality were taken in the summer of 2012, or five years ago. (Bay - See Page 4)
Development Top Issue In Council Race By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – Candidates in the Nov. 7 election all said the town needed more commercial development and less residential development. They also sounded off on the opioid addiction epidemic, recreation, and taxes. The four ward candidates are up for grabs this year. The township is split up into four wards, and each
one has a representative on the Township Council. A questionnaire was prepared, so that each candidate had the same questions. The responses were then edited for narrative f low and to remove direct attacks. Candidates will be presented in alphabetical order. Ward 1 Incumbent Republican (Council - See Page 11
Sandy’s Psychological Scars Run Deep
–Photo courtesy Priscilla Robinson with NJOP Tricia McAvoy is still trying to get back into her home in Brick.
By Chris Lundy The Seaside boardwalk is back. The bridges, too. But you don’t have to look too hard to find remnants of Superstorm Sandy’s devastation along the Jersey shore. A line of waterfront homes is marred by a deserted house. A vacant property with the footprint still visible. A house being rebuilt on the water. These are the physical scars that Sandy had been there. The emotional scars are usually harder to see. Many people are still struggling with the psychological effects of Sandy. The time it takes to get back in one’s home is longer than the length of some of the programs to help people. Tricia McAvoy has not been able to move back (Sandy - See Page 5)
School District Funding Restored
By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – A last minute increase in state aid will restore the Toms River School District to the aid levels before a cut of approximately $3.3 million. Initially, Toms River was
slated to lose $3.3 million in aid. In response, the district held a press conference, and planned to rally in Trenton but they were denied a permit to park buses there. Instead, district officials and lawmakers met with
other officials in Trenton. After much lobbying, the $3.3 million cut was brought down to a $1.4 million cut. The district made plans to take the money out of its fund balance, instead of affecting any staff or
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programs. According to officials, this would have brought the balance below 2 percent of its overall budget. This makes it difficult to handle any emergencies and works against future budgets.
“It’s difficult for me to overstate just how much time, effort, dedication, and resolve went into the process of restoring this funding for our taxpayers and, most important of all, (School - See Page 9)
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