Wawa On Busy Circle Expected To Open In JulY

from 2023-03-25 - The Manchester Times

Omarr’s Astrological Forecast

District Hears From Public About School Goals

By Bob Vosseller

LAKEHURST – One of the most anticipated events for the borough is the opening of a new convenience store in the form of a Wawa this summer.

During a recent Borough Council meeting, it was noted that the Wawa, was expected to open in July, possibly as early as Fourth of July weekend. It is currently being built near the circle where Route 70 and Union Avenue connect by the former La Bove Grande, across the street from the Police Department.

Locals Won’t Sett le For Ciba Sett lement

By Stephanie Faughnan

TOMS RIVER – Lo- cals once again publicly voiced strong objections to a proposed settlement agreement that would allow development of property once owned by Ciba-Geigy and deemed a superfund site forty years ago.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) conducted the five hour hearings after community members banded together in a public outcry against the proposal last month in a public forum hosted by Save Barnegat Bay.

According to DEP officials, BASF initiated the settlement process for the land it now owns as a result of corporate acquisitions. Ciba-Geigy’s operations on the site resulted in both land and groundwater contamination.

“The goal of natural resource restoration is

(Ciba - See Page 4)

Drivers have noticed the ongoing construction of the Wawa and are also curious how entrance and exit ways will be routed.

Police Chief Matthew Kline told The Manchester Times “I feel the engineers and state DOT (Department of Transportation) did the best they could with the traffic plan.”

(Wawa - See Page 7)

By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER – The gymnasium bleachers

at the township high school were nearly filled but the crowd wasn’t there to cheer on the Hawks but to provide input toward the school district’s future. School officials want to know what parents and the public see in that future and they are designing a Strategic Plan that will guide the Board of Education to develop goals and strategies to achieve educational success for the school district. The Strategic Planning Event was one part of that.

The district partnered with Dr. Tracey Severns of Teach4Results to facilitate the school district’s Strategic Planning process. Dr. Severns provided an interactive,

(Goals - See Page 5)

Communication Snafu Prevents ROTC From A ending Competition

By Bob Vosseller

MANCHESTER – The acronym for military slang term “snafu” can’t be spelled out here but it was an apt description for a recent incident involving the school district’s ROTC program.

Manchester Township High School ROTC students had a competition to attend on March 18 and when they arrived at the school to pick up equipment and supplies that morning for that event, they discovered the school doors were locked.

That problem led to a fi restorm of social media posts by parents of the high school students and residents that were critical of what had taken place as the students were prevented from making the competition.

There are approximately 20 students that take part in the school district’s ROTC program.

School Superintendent John Berenato held a

(ROTC - See Page 7)

“We

Ciba:

Continued

From Page 1 to ultimately provide equivalent compensation for injuries to natural resources like groundwater, surface water and habitat,” DEP Deputy Commissioner Sean Moriarty said. “It considers the need, the extent, and duration of injury.”

Moriarty expressed how what happened on the site literally hit home for him. His family lived in a small rented house on the border of Route 37 near Ciba-Geigy from 1988-1994. Moriarty recalled hopping Ciba’s eight foot chain linked fence to play football on the property and wasn’t quite sure why it upset his parents so much.

“My father, an entrepreneur and small business owner, worked out of a downtown office next to the River Lady,” said the Deputy Commissioner. “Until he passed from kidney cancer fifteen years ago.”

Moriarty said that he could not advocate for the proposed settlement if he did not personally believe in it. The current plan calls for the permanent preservation of 1,000 acres of developable land at the site of a groundwater injury with nine integrated restoration projects.

BASF would also be permitted to develop 250 acres of the property, a fact that proved alarming to families with loved ones who had suffered illnesses and death that they attributed to the pollution.

A team of DEP officials stressed that the focus was on the restorative value of the property. Authorities believe that the development value of the property is in excess of $200 million and the cost of implementing the restoration projects is approximately $30 million.

Despite Moriarty’s connection to the community and the fact that he ranked second in the DEP, Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill noted DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette’s absence from the hearings.

“He wouldn’t just send his troops,” said Hill. “He’d be here with you.”

Hill expressed his disappointment that the municipality was never involved in the natural resource damage assessment, particularly as it applied to the money damages. BASF took the township to tax court regarding its “worthless value” and will now rake in $20 million over the license lease of a solar farm on a portion of the property.

“BASF, just like Ciba-Geigy, is playing us with this settlement,” Hill said. “At the very least, the ‘great deal’ should be amended to deed 250 acres to Toms River as open space for compensation for the environmental and economic damages.”

Community members subsequently backed up Hill’s request, and the Deputy Commissioner agreed to determine if BASF would comply with donating the land as part of the settlement agreement.

Hill and others also suggested that an environmental center proposed for the property should be a learning center to ensure the public understood what led it to become a superfund site.

The Executive Director of Barnegat Bay, Britta Forsberg, pointed out that the settlement agreement calls for three separate plans as far as restoration projects. She also shared her concerns that the public has no calculation or estimation of the natural resource damages.

Forsberg called the energy restoration projects as unrealistic from a legal or scientific perspective. By way of example, she pointed out that calling a preexisting 200 acre solar field a protected conversation zone did not comply with administrative law.

“There is no evidence to support the claim that these solar panels will promote local species,” said Forsberg. “Claiming the northern pine snake will benefit from grass around solar panels, does not work because these snakes live in a forest.”

A number of local residents have used their knowledge and expertise to evaluate the damages caused by the contamination since the issues first began. They expressed their outrage that community members were not invited to participate earlier. Most remained unconvinced that the property should be accessible for any use.

Quite a number of people appeared surprised that BASF itself submitted soil samplings, albeit taken by licensed experts. No one seemed to believe assertions that the results were accurate.

“We’re relying on BASF as the fox in the henhouse,” said William Skowronski of Ocean County Citizens for Clean Water. “To do the sampling, report the test results, and based upon that analysis, determine that the area around the EPA site is clean enough to remedy or become an equivalent for the injured life.”

Several individuals pointed out their personal losses, remembering black sludge, and family members who suffered through cancer. A childhood cancer cluster shook the community.

DEP authorities said the settlement agreement will not impact personal injury claims, including wrongful death claims related to the site’s contamination.

Litigation does not bring back life – nor does the monetary damages claimed in the past. Many fear development on the property could result in more illness and even death.

The DEP looks upon the proposed settlement with BASF as less costly than going to court as far as the ultimate outcome of the property. While participants in the hearing pressed for more information regarding the settlement, officials said some details are retained in case the matter proceeds to litigation.

Materials presented at the DEP’s presentation, as well as the proposed settlement agreement can be found here: nj.gov/dep/nrr/settlements/index.html

The DEP has extended its comments deadline until April 5, 2022 by emailing them to onrr@dep.nj.gov and referencing the Ciba-Geigy settlement agreement.

Goals:

Continued From Page 1 transparent approach in which inviting all stakeholders of the school community to contribute.

Severns is “a nationally renowned educator who has dedicated her career to students, teachers, administrators and school communities.” She has served as a teacher, principal, superintendent, Chief Academic Officer for the New Jersey Department of Education, the Leadership and Learning Strategist for Rutgers School of Education’s Center for Effective School Practices, and host of DisruptED TV.

Superintendent John Berenato explained that Dr. Severns’ Strategic Improvement Plans use research-based strategies to achieve data-driven goals. “The strategic planning process is an opportunity for school and community stakeholders to look forward by identifying the district’s strengths, weaknesses, target issues and then develop and prioritize annual goals that achieve district success.

“The Strategic Planning events are an opportunity for all students, staff, parents and residents to provide the school district with their feedback. We provide students with services and they too will have the opportunity during their own strategic planning sessions to elevate their voices in the same way the staff, families and community will,” Berenato added. “By working together in this way, strategic planning will help the district to forecast and prioritize our district’s specific needs and then develop strategies that support these needs. We hope to have a large turnout and participation from all.”

The data that was collected by Dr. Severns from the recent Strategic Planning event will be analyzed and those results will be presented to members of the Board of Education at their June public meeting. The Board will then come together with the school administration to lay out the goals and how to achieve those goals.

Among those present to take part in the hour-long interactive survey activity were Mayor Robert Arace and Council members Roxy Conniff, James Vaccaro and Michele Zolezi. Teachers and staff already completed the survey, according to Berenato.

“After the activity is completed we will poll the entire community just to get some additional thoughts from other people. Dr. Severns will then analyze the data from all the stakeholders which includes the staff, students and everyone who is here tonight. This information will be shared at a Board of Education meeting at a public session. We are hoping to do that at our June meeting,” the superintendent added.

Berenato said, “I want to assure you that we value your input and we do not expect any major changes for this coming September. The information we get tonight will help us in developing changes for the subsequent school year.”

The crowd moved from the bleachers to chairs positioned for attendees to sit across from each other to converse. Dr. Severns addressed them: “Tonight we will be engaging in a practice that looks a lot like speed dating. It won’t be like that all actually but we are going to involve everyone in a conversation to hear your ideas, your input and insight to help guide decisions to bring Manchester forward.”

“I have been to all of the (Manchester) schools and have met with representative groups of students grades 3 to 12 and I asked them to give us ideas and input on a few things. Ways to bring a stronger sense of community to schools. I have a list of ideas and there are other ideas they shared about how they like to learn, what they like to learn and the way the school experience has served them,” Severns added.

“I had about 30 students in each of the schools and I brought all of that information with me. I will compile that to see what the kids are saying. With the faculty and all of the staff we had an activity using these same questions in exactly the same manner,” she said.

There were five questions listed on each chair for the attendees that night at the high school. They were the same five questions and “that was done by design because we want everyone to be able to answer each question,” Severns said.

The questions included what the person saw as the strengths of the district, what the district was proud of, opportunities to improve, “and the space between what is and what we possibly could be. The third question is about opportunities and multiple resources. This community has many resources that have to be tapped to help support the school system.”

The fourth question Severns said was about internal threats - things inherent in the school district such as facilities as an issue, morale as an issue, if attracting and retaining staff is an issue.

The fifth question “is about external threats. These are things that are in the political landscape, state funding, state mandates, changes in the community that you cannot necessarily control. Things that happen outside the school walls but that can impact what happens in the school walls,” Severns added.

She stressed that the process would have full transparency and all that is learned would be shared “for everyone to see and hear.”

Along the subject of feedback, Berenato noted his next monthly “Java with John” gathering where he gains input from the public will be held on March 27 at 6 p.m. at The Barn in Whiting.

Wawa:

Continued From Page 1

“There are three exits and entrances for the new Lakehurst Wawa. There is an exit and entrance on Route 70 East that will share an exit and entrance for the Express Inn motel. This can only be accessed off Route 70 East since there is a curbed median along Route 70 prohibiting entering off Route 70 West,” the chief explained.

He added, “to enter off Route 70 West, you must travel around the Eisenhower Circle (or turn off Route 70 prior to Lilac Street and use back streets). There will be an exit and entrance on Lilac Street directly behind the Wawa where you will be able to access Union Avenue and Route 70 East from that exit.”

“The other exit and entrance will be on Union Avenue (in front of Police Headquarters). That entrance can only be accessed from Union Avenue travelling west and vehicles can only exit west on Union Avenue. However, once you exit from there, you can get anywhere using the Eisenhower Circle,” Chief Kline added. Eisenhower Circle is the local name for this area.

The chief said, “I have been working with State DOT for more signage and have shared my concerns I have with motorists crossing over the curbed median. I have been advised they will look at the pattern once again and determine if any changes need to be made.”

“I am still waiting to hear back from them. I would have liked to see a bigger median dividing Route 70 east and west in front of the Wawa or some type of poles on the curbed median for better visibility. We have had motorists drive over the curbed median on several occasions,” Chief Kline added.

“Although I anticipate some minor traffic issues when the store opens due to it being a new traffic pattern for most, I feel they will work themselves out once it is up and running for a couple weeks,” the chief said.

The borough lost a 7-Eleven store that had existed in the community for many years, in 2022. It closed with little notice. That chain also lost several locations in Toms River on Route 37 and Fischer Boulevard in recent years.

A Toms River based Wawa located on the border of Manchester is a popular spot for those needing a gas and a hot cup of coffee. Manchester’s own Whiting based Wawa location further down Route 70 is another popular stop.

This facility, located between both of those stores will also feature a gas station as most Wawa facilities in the state do at this point. Wawa opened another location in Brick Township last year. It has multiple locations in Lacey, Toms River, Berkeley, Plumsted and Jackson townships. Some of these don’t have gas pumps.

The convenience store chain jumped ahead of 7-Eleven, Cumberland Farms and Quick Chek several decades ago. Quick Chek has adopted many of the same models of service as Wawa featuring a deli and specialty café area along with self-check kiosks, ATM machines and gas service. Many Quick Chek stores also offer interior seating for customers - something that Wawa is only beginning to offer in some locations.

ROTC: Continued From Page 1

special meeting with staff of Manchester Township High School (MTHS) concerning the incident at the high school that had unfortunately impacted the ROTC participants.

Berenato spoke to the building administrators at MTHS the Monday after the incident. They expressed to him that this was sincerely an unfortunate breakdown in communication between the high school building staff regarding who and how the high school would be opened at 5 a.m. on Saturday so that students could access competition equipment.

The superintendent said this had never happened before and is truly unconventional. The staff held a meeting with the parents and students on Tuesday to provide a full explanation.

Berenato told The Manchester Times that MTHS is looking to revamp procedures to ensure this does not happen again.

Al-Anon Meetings Available Locally