Therapy Program Brings Music To The Ears Of Students And Educators

By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER –

It is often said that music can bring back emotional memories, change a person’s mood and can bring joy to listeners. Because of this it is very useful for therapy.

The Township School District offers a special Music Therapy program at the Regional Day School. Each week, Hannah Zacharias of Mosaic Music Therapy visits students for fun, engaging and beneficial music therapy sessions.

“Music Therapy has had a positively profound effect on our students,” Regional Day School Principal Lisa Michallis said. “Although our

Town Leaders Argue Over Costly Appointments

By Bob Vosseller

MANCHESTER – A councilwoman questioned why important jobs in town were being rushed into place without proper vetting.

Councilwoman Michele Zolezi asked why several resolutions on the list for the Town Council meeting were not included on her agenda. These resolutions were to appoint important – and costly - jobs like township attorney, affordable housing attorney, Open Public Records Act attorney, public defender, two alternate public defenders, and engineering services for water and sewer and engineering services.

“All these other agenda items under ‘appointments,’ those are not on the agenda. When were they put on the agenda?” the councilwoman asked.

teachers are always exposing students to rhythms, basic handheld instruments and various genres of music, the addition of Ms. Hannah’s techniques

(Music - See Page 4)

Classifieds Page 26

For Local Residents, Ciba’s Scars Run Deep

By Stephanie Faughnan

TOMS RIVER – Matthew Kelly made a quick stop in the pouring rain before he headed into Toms River North High School to attend a community meeting on a proposed settlement regarding the Ciba-Geigy superfund site.

Born and raised in Toms River, Kelly was on familiar turf as both a graduate and former teacher at the high school. Unfortunately, with some memories still haunting him, Kelly decided to momentar- ily pause by the flagpole at the school’s entranceway.

“There’s a list of students that have passed away while they were students here,” shared Kelly. “I stopped and read my cousin’s name. My uncle’s daughter died when she was 16 and a student here. My dad died of pancreatic cancer.”

Kelly said both his father and uncle worked at Ciba-Geigy back when it was Toms River Chemical. When Kelly heard about the plan for the (Residents - See Page 5)

It was not determined who put the items on the agenda.

Township Clerk Sabina Martin confi rmed those agenda items were only added that day, hours before the meeting.

“That’s a problem. It’s ridiculous. There are hundreds of pages here and although we did this the last time (January 3 reorganization meeting) and it was like a growing pain, typically the Council gets these and they review them,” Zolezi explained. She added, “typically we get these agendas with all these items attached which you may or may not see on the (Township) website. I have the original agenda. It is completely disrespectful and unacceptable.

“We typically have an entire weekend to review this. We all work full time and although we are extremely dedicated, we all have a responsibility to the taxpayers of this town and a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of this town for everyone to have access to review all these documents,” Councilwoman Zolezi said. “For this to come in at the last minute is unacceptable and I will make a motion that we table this to the original agenda that we were given.”

With the late notice, she couldn’t see how any of the members of council notified

(Leaders - See Page 8)

Music:

Continued From Page 1 brings the students joy and confidence in a different way.”

The Music Therapy program began in 2021 and has been proven to increase social, cognitive, communication, fi ne and gross motor skills as well as improve the mental and physical help of individuals with special needs. It is fun, engaging, stimulates the brain and brings people together.

The students at Regional Day School love their Music Therapy according to Michallis. She noted that the school is proud to bring this experience to their students.

She added that Music Therapy is not only promoting music and movement, but it also promotes language and exposes students to different cultures and customs. Some classes are even able to write music and perform for the staff and their families.

Zacharias visits the school every week. There are 61 students in the program. Each student participates twice a month. The school has a rotating schedule and about 30 participate each week. The program also continues during the extended school year program that runs during July and August.

“I attend the school on Tuesdays, and from what I have heard so far, students and staff seem to greatly enjoy the program. I work for the private practice that is Mosaic Music Therapy where we specialize in neuro-rehabilitation and developmental services,” she told The Manchester Times.

Zacharias said, “we are based in Sea Girt, though we outsource to other areas/clientele in the community such as assisted living facilities, pediatric hospitals, and individual clients who are unable to attend our facility in person.”

The Regional Day School is a division of the Manchester Township School District. It is a public school for students ages three to twenty-one with moderate to significant disabilities. Students from Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties attend the school.

Special education teacher Kimberly Peel said, “music therapy gives all students an outlet to express themselves. My students always enjoy when Miss Hannah comes into our class. It gives them 45 minutes to give their brains a break and to have fun while having the chance to sing and play with all different types of instruments. RDS is very lucky to have this part of our schedule.”

Allison McCann, a preschool disabilities teacher remarked, “Ms. Hannah brings a calm yet engaging energy to our students and connects with them on an individual basis. Music therapy helps them to feel connected to music, singing and exposes them to different instruments. She encourages them to touch her guitar while playing to feel the vibrations and move their bodies freely based on their developmental abilities. We are thankful for music therapy at Regional Day School.”

Special Education teacher Michelle DeSantis noted that the program “has had a positive impact on my class. Students are always left with a smile on their face after having the opportunity to explore instruments and listen to live music.”

“Students in the Intellectual Disabilities program have been able to gain many new skills through Music Therapy sessions. Students enjoy being introduced to new instruments, learning skills like following rhythm and patterns in music, and collaborating with their peers while singing and playing along to their favorite songs,” special education teacher Angela Koletis added.

Zacharias said that when she was offered a position at Mosaic Music Therapy, she was told that a school had inquired about receiving services from the practice. Mosaic was looking for not only another therapist to take on new clients for the practice, but an individual who would be interested in facilitating services at the Regional Day School.

“I enjoy working with music therapy in groups because it is a great way of using music to strengthen social interactions/ communication and promote growth, which is why I was eager to accept the responsibility of bringing music to these amazing students,” Zacharias said.

Zacharias began coordinating with the school’s principal, Lisa Michalis, to formulate a music therapy schedule back in September 2021. “The school was kind enough to provide some musical instruments and equipment they had previously stored and through multiple adjustments regarding session length, settings, participants, and staff assistance, the program was eventually transformed into what it is now.”

She said, in terms of training, “music therapists are required to obtain their bachelor’s degree from an accredited music therapy program approved by the American Music Therapy Association. Program curriculums include various classes on music therapy such as improvisation, functional music therapy, multicultural music therapy, music therapy orientations, as well as general music classes including music theory, piano, voice, and guitar techniques.

“Throughout their education, music therapy students are assigned to practicum sites to begin applying and practicing the skills they had learned in their other classes. They then complete a six-month internship where they gain experience in the field operating under a supervisor who provides them with feedback and guidance during this time,” Zacharias added.

She noted that some individuals choose to pursue a master’s degree to gain more education and to open up more job opportunities, though it is not a requirement at this time.

“Following our internship, we then must pass a national certification exam to become a Board-Certified Music Therapist (MTBC). This gives us the certification to begin practicing professionally in our field. Many states are also now implementing music therapy licensure to allow for better access to music therapy in healthcare facilities, educational facilities, etc.,” she said. The therapist said, “it also helps to establish a state-based protection program to ensure that music therapy is provided by individuals who have met the educational and training qualifications. Many parents and teachers have expressed their gratitude (Music - See Page 17)

Residents:

Continued

From Page 1 superfund site, his fi rst thought was he’d stay far away from it. Kelly then decided to join in the public discussion opposing the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)’s proposed settlement. He wasn’t alone.

Save Barnegat Bay sponsored the public forum in response to the NJDEP’s announcement of a proposed settlement with the site’s current landowner, BASF. The state agency generally allots 30 days for comments on what are known as National Resource Damages (NRD) matters. That date was extended to sixty days after pressure from local community leaders.

Britta Forsberg, Executive Director of Save Barnegat Bay, opened the presentation with some disturbing facts. The EPA reports that sixty percent of the contaminated groundwater plume remains, with some underneath the communities of Cardinal Drive and Oak Ridge Parkway neighborhoods. “We are concerned about potential threats to future development and contamination there,” said Forsberg. “The risk of having passive recreation on a listed EPA Superfund site is real.”

BASF plans to preserve approximately 1,000 acres of the site and implement ecological or restoration projects. The public would have access to the site for educational opportunities and passive recreation.

The current proposal does not include plans to tell the story of how a renowned pharmaceutical company earned its ill-fated designation as a superfund site.

A Brief History Lesson

J. Mark Mutter serves as the Toms River historian and is also a past mayor and township clerk. He said that when the Toms River Chemical Company came to town in 1952, Dover Township’s population was just 7,000 as compared to 100,000 people who now live in Toms River.

Many surmise the Switzerland-based company’s move from its Cincinnati operations to a rural and wooded area in the Jersey pines came with a purpose. How better than to hide what actually went on behind the dense forest.

When Mutter was the township clerk, he found a file on Toms River Chemical that contained a single sheet of paper from 1964.

“That fragile one sheet was a Dover Township resolution and agreement, granting the company a right of way to construct and maintain an outfall discharge pipeline,” Mutter said. “Extending from the plant’s headquarters at the western end of the township, through the township, under the township, under the Bay, under Ortley Beach, and out into the ocean at the eastern end of our town.”

A collective gasp went through the audience of approximately 100 people.

Mutter said he spoke with L. Manuel Hirshblond, who signed on as the Toms River clerk in 1967. After all, it certainly seemed odd that the file with the resolution had no memos or reports with it.

“He told me back then that Toms River Chemical ran Toms River,” recalled Mutter.

“That’s one of the reasons why I think we’re here. I guess my friend Manny was correct.”

Not only was Toms River Chemical the largest employer, its employees were also involved in civic affairs and politics. The company did good things – like supporting the construction of what was then Community Hospital.

The legacy that passed from Toms River Chemical and onto to Ciba-Geigy overshadows the idea that either company acted in a spirit of benevolence.

A teenager in the 1970s, Mutter remembered days of swimming at the beach with friends and family. The water was often a murky gray color, and it was impossible to see your feet below on the ocean floor at low tide. The pipeline was visible several hundred feet out into the ocean.

The turning point was in 1984 when the pipeline burst under Bay Avenue and the rupture exposed the company’s operations to a wide audience worldwide.

“Years of controversy led to investigation, litigation and the end of production in 1996,” Mutter said. “In 2000, when I was the mayor, I publicly spoke about Ciba Geigy’s corporate and social responsibility to Toms River.”

Although operations at the plant had ceased, decades of illegal dumping remained. Mutter implored Ciba to donate the cleaned up property to the township for open space preservation and continue its clean up of the contaminated soil and the aquifer below.

Several members of volunteer organizations with impressive backgrounds weighed in with their knowledge, including Peter Hibbard, the president of Ocean County Citizens for Clean Water.

Hibbard said there was no environmental oversight when Toms River Chemical fi rst came to the town. The disposal of toxic chemicals went directly into recreational waters for several years.

“We learned they were disposing of solid waste near the Manchester town line,” said Hibbard. “But nobody knew what was going in the ground.”

Previous employees of the company said the barrels of waste dumped at that location may still be there.

“Originally, the company’s liquid waste was discharged directly into the Toms River,” Hibbard continued. “Because the color of the wastewater matched the color of the sea of water in the river.”

Some suggest the whole set of circumstances amounts to big business literally getting away with murder.

BASF Enters The Picture

BASF ultimately became owners of the land and promptly filed a tax appeal, saying the property was damaged. They were awarded a $17.3 million abatement that fell on Toms River taxpayers – many who were already scarred by the disregard for clean water and soil from the company back in the woods.

By 2019, BASF decided the same “worthless” piece of property was good enough to construct the largest solar farm in New Jersey.

(Residents - See Page 17)

Leaders:

Continued From Page 1 would have been able to properly review these appointments. “I specifically asked the clerk to please not allow what happened last time to happen because it is not fair to our professionals and it is not fair to our support staff. I don’t think this is an unfair request, I really don’t.”

“I’m not saying these aren’t good professionals, all I’m saying is that we take the proper time to look at it,” Zolezi added. Martin apologized saying “we were scrambling trying to get all these items as quickly as we possibly could.”

“This will give us time to review it. That’s all,” Zolezi said.

Mayor Robert Arace said that “in the condensed timeline and in consideration of all the necessary professionals we need to run the town it seemed more responsible to put them into permanent placement now than to have those in temporary status as there are various projects throughout the town that require the professionals in the town by moving in the fastest way to provide those professionals.”

The mayor added that the council president and other members of council did discuss the appointments listed on the amended agenda.

Zolezi asked, “are you telling me that only certain council people were privy to this information? Because that is a problem. With all due respect we are all council people here. We are all elected officials and while I absolutely respect your position all I am simply asking for is for us all to have the proper time to review this.”

“We should all be notified,” Zolezi added and when Martin said that “this was not intentional and sometimes this is the way things go” the councilwoman responded, “this isn’t the way things go in Manchester.” ney Jean Cipriani of Rothstein, Mandell, Strohm, Halm & Cipriani as affordable housing attorney, another for Cipriani’s appointment as OPRA attorney, attorney Mathew Sage as public defender and Justin Lamb and Brian Rumpf as alternate public defenders in addition to Lauren R. Staiger as townsip attorney, Remington & Vernick Engineers for Engineering Services for sewer and water and the fi rm of Morgan Engineering as township engineer.

“I’m not trying to give you a hard time but please realize we represent the town and when our residents ask if we had the chance to look at it, we need to be able to agree that these are our professionals,” she added.

Zolezi made a motion for these appointments to be put off so everyone could have the time to make an educated decision. In the meantime, the people currently doing those jobs would have their contracts temporarily extended. No one agreed and the appointments stayed on the agenda. Zolezi abstained from the vote.

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There were only three members of council present. Council Vice President James Vaccaro ran the meeting since Council President Roxanne Conniff was absent due to illness. There’s one spot vacant due to retirement. The third was new Councilman Joseph Hankins. Hankins and Conniff ran alongside Arace, winning a majority of the government during November’s election. Vaccaro endorsed Arace last year.

Arace’s team was endorsed by county GOP leader George Gilmore, while Zolezi and the previous mayor were not part of that team. Staiger and Cipriani used to be a members of Gilmore’s fi rm before he was charged with tax evasion. He had stepped away from his practice, and leading the Republicans, and also his membership of the Ocean County Board of Elections until President Trump gave him clemency. He is now back on the Board of Elections, along with Sage, who is a Democrat who ran for office in the past in Toms River. Lamb is a Toms River Councilman and Rumpf is an Assemblyman and former mayor of Little Egg Harbor.

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“I will be abstaining based on principal. I have not had the opportunity to look over each and every one of these so with that being said there are some professionals that in my opinion, are willfully deficient in what they provide compared to other ones that are available. If I had, had the opportunity, I would have spoken about that,” Zolezi added.

The resolutions that were added to the agenda included appointments of attor-

There were also appointments that were not challenged by Zolezi. These included: Chris Kimbiz, Taylor Schandall, and Michael Sullivan to fi ll vacant positions of full time police officers, Joel Baldwin and Mark Rossman to fill the position of Special Law Enforcement Class 3 Officer in the township police department, Teri Giercyk, who took over as township clerk on Feb. 1, as registrar of Vital Statistics, Councilman Vaccaro as a Class III member of the Township Planning Board, Joseph J. Faccone of Samuel Klien and Company as township auditor and Brian Rudisky to the position of deputy emergency management coordinator.