10th Annual Penguin Plunge Hits The Lake Safety Discussed After Fatal Fire

By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER –

After a fire claimed the life of a resident, township officials offered their prayers and talked about just how dangerous certain conditions can be.

During a recent Township Council meeting, Councilman Joseph Hankins described the situation when police and fi refighters responded to burning home.

while holding up a blackened fi refighter helmet. “This is what one of the fi refighters was wearing when he went in. Nothing speaks louder than the visual.”

Page 18

By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER

–

There was a shark spotted at Harry Wright Lake recently. Also spotted was a penguin, a mayor, council president, school superintendent, police officers and more than 100 other plungers.

The occasion marked the 10th annual Regional Day School Penguin Plunge to help raise money for two big spring events.

Regional Day School is a school for students ages 3-21 with special needs. While the school is part of the Manches- ter Township School District, it is located at 890 Toms River Road in Jackson Township.

All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Regional Day School students for their upcoming prom and graduation. The school’s principal, Lisa Michallis, said, “this event started with an idea from a former school secretary and (Plunge - See Page 4)

County Hospitals To Join Medicaid Reimbursement Program

By Bob Vosseller

OCEAN COUNTY – Members of the Board of Ocean County Commissioners introduced an ordinance during their last meeting, that would establish the New Jersey County Option Hospital Fee program to aid low-income residents. This will help increase funding for hospitals in the County. Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Joseph H. Vicari said prior to the meeting that he was excited about the effort to aid low-income residents in consistently receiving proper medical care and services at Ocean County hospitals.

“It will be very beneficial,” Vicari said.

“The greatest benefit of this program will be to the critically vulnerable population. This will provide the funds for essential health programs and services to mothers and children, the elderly and all those who are low income and worry about getting important medical care.”

It makes hospitals eligible for matching federal funds. Through a series of steps with the state and federal governments, the program returns almost double the funds to the hospitals to help assure Medicaid patients reliably receive treatment and other health care services.

While not present during that Board meeting, Ocean County Commissioner

(County- See Page 9)

“There was a fatal fi re and you have to commend the police officers that made the fi rst attempt and rescue and if there was any question about just how hot it was…,” Hankins said

“They did what they could but unfortunately sometimes it doesn’t work out. One of the things I did discuss at that meeting was the windows. A lot of our senior communities have those larger bedroom windows or living room windows that should be your second emergency exit. When you only have one door that window has to be kept clear.

(Fire - See Page 9)

Three Resign From Lakehurst Police

By Bob Vosseller

LAKEHURST – Police Chief Matthew Kline, Mayor Harry Robbins and the members of Council reluctantly accepted the resignation of three police officers during a recent Borough Council meeting.

Officers William Bowers, Jacob Scholling and Anthony D’Angelo recently resigned seeking employment elsewhere.

“I am reluctant to approve the resignations of the three officers,” Council President Steven Oglesby said.

Chief Kline told The Manchester Times that they were full time officers and that this temporarily would leave the department with eight full time officers.

(Police - See Page 5)

Plunge:

Continued From Page 1 then Manchester resident, Linda McCarthy. She was our school’s prom coordinator and wanted to enhance the experience for our students, ages 14 and older, that attend the prom held during school hours.”

The principal said, “Linda talked to her husband, John, about the idea for a plunge and the two of them got the community involved. John was a Manchester Police Officer and solicited the support from the Manchester Alliance, Police Department and the PAL. Maryann Borthwick worked for the school district and then township. She has since retired.”

She said Officers John Henry, Dennis McCann and his wife Ellen, and community member John McGuire “were instrumental in coordinating the event and the longevity of the event. The ‘Penguins with a Purpose’ was born. The penguin is our school mascot.”

John and Linda were once again in attendance for this year’s event. Refreshments were provided by the McCarthys and McGuire. Plunging this year for the first time were Mayor Robert Arace and Council President Roxanne Conniff along with a number of township police officers.

Michallis said, “all participants received a certificate. Most of our volunteers are Regional Day School employees (principal, secretaries, teachers and support staff ).”

“It is similar to a Polar Bear Plunge. Students, staff, our Superintendent of Schools, police officers, and local community members are there to support this endeavor and jump in the Harry Wright Lake,” Michallis said.

She noted that “over the years we have been out there in the fog, rain and snow. There were even a few years when the water temperature was warmer than the air temperature. We raise approximately $8,000 through this event.”

This year’s plunge marked the first event since the COVID-19 pandemic. Michallis said, “in past years we would average 100 in attendance and approximately 40 people would plunge. Nothing stops us. A big thank you to the Manchester Township Lions and PBA # 246.”

The plunge also involved the Manchester Township Alliance and featured raffles, hot chocolate, coffee, hot dogs, coffee cake and snacks. The plungers prepared for the cold dip huddling under the lake’s food concession area as the rain came down.

The downpour ceased only a few minutes prior to the 1 p.m. plunge. Then it was time for the penguin plungers to make their way over to the lake to enter the water. That included one plunger costumed as a shark who had to carefully waddle her way to the beach.

Wearing flip flops on his feet was another first timer, School Superintendent John Berenato. “I am ready to go,” he said. This

Ms. New Jersey Senior America Pageant 2023

ATLANTIC CITY – Ladies who are 60 and over, this is your chance to show that you are talented, well-informed, and willing to be of service to your community. Ms. New Jersey Senior America, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization, was established to send this message of the value of all senior Americans to the whole community. Our mission is to produce pageants to showcase talented, productive and active senior women, and to provide services to the entire community. In addition, we take pride in supporting children in the performing arts and those with special needs.

The Ms. New Jersey Senior America Pageant 2023 is seeking senior ladies to participate in the annual event, which will be held at Harrah’s Resort Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, on June 1 at 1 p.m. in the Concert Venue Theater. There are four Judging Categories:

Philosophy of Life, Evening Gown, Talent Presentation, and Private Judges’ Interview. Contestants must also be US citizens. The winner will receive cash prizes, a bouquet of roses, and an all-expenses paid trip to participate in the National Pageant for the title of Ms. Senior America 2023.

Every participant in the Ms. New Jersey Senior America Pageant 2023 becomes a member of the New Jersey Cameo Club, marked his first time ever in doing a plunge. After the plunge Mayor Arace remarked, “it was great. It was cold.”

Conniff was shivering on the beach prior to entering the water but she said later that it was a good experience. “It actually wasn’t too bad, It was much better than I thought it was going to be. It was a lot of fun. I’m glad I finally did it.”

“We had 142 plungers this year,” Michallis said. “It was fun and I’m glad the rain stopped and held off but we have been out here in rain, sleet and snow over the years. It was a great, great well attended event today. It is always a great day. We’ll be out again next year.”

“This year’s prom is scheduled for May 25th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We have a DJ, catered lunch, dessert bar, photo booth, and crown our prom king and queen. Each spring we transform our school’s multi-purpose room into a beautiful venue for students,” the principal added.

FOR $4999 a subsidiary of the Pageant. The Club travels throughout the Garden State along with their reigning Queen, and performs in various venues. They share their vitality and love of life with all they meet, and ignite others to a greater desire for life.

If interested, contact Mrs. Terry Meade, Director of Pageants, for an application packet at 908-216-8534; or email her: tbm5201@aol.com.

Police: Continued From Page 1

During the evening the governing body passed a resolution appointing Vance Anthony Pelino as a police officer. Chief Kline said that the department normally stands at a dozen officers.

Meanwhile, the council discussed the ordinances that the police enforce.

Councilwoman Patricia Hodges, speaking in her role as a member of the Ordinance Committee, said the committee was focusing on code enforcement and police. “We have some of the changes made that the code enforcement officer was looking for and Chief Kline is going through all the police regulations.”

The councilwoman noted that ordinances weren’t set in stone. “They are a living document and each are used to basically run the borough and if changes need to be made we need to know about them and the people who are enforcing those ordinances on a daily basis should let us know if there is something that needs to be revised.”

“They can always be changed,” Mayor Robbins said.

“We don’t want anyone to say I can’t do my job because of an ordinance,” Councilwoman Hodges remarked.

In other news, the mayor and council approved resolutions for a professional services contract for engineering for a stormwater management plan and stormwater control ordinance and a professional services contract for engineering services for a stormwater pollution plan.

An agreement with Manchester Township was also approved to provide municipal court services during the meeting.

Ordinances concerning housing and property maintenance and revising general ordinances of the borough entitled traffic were also approved.

An ordinance amending and supplementing the code of the borough regarding towing fees was also passed. Another ordinance revising general ordinances of Lakehurst concerning parks, lakes and recreation areas was also approved.

Smoking At The Lake

A resident questioned the specifics of an ordinance that called for a prohibition of smoking on all publicly owned property and if they could smoke their cigar inside their own vehicle if parked in the public parking lot of Horicon Lake.

Mayor Robbins responded that few people who would smoke in their car would roll their windows up. “You can smoke just not on Lakehurst owned public property and not at the lake, even in a car. The majority of people wouldn’t keep their windows down.”

“I should have the right to smoke in my own car. It is your own enclosed area. It isn’t like you are sitting at a bench or around the park,” resident Bruce Morrison said.

“That is a no-smoking zone. It is a park. You might sit in your car with the windows all up smoking and taking in all that smoke but the majority of people are going to have their windows down and the smoke is going to leave the vehicle and there you are,” the mayor replied.

“You can’t sit there at the lake at this time of year if you want to smoke a cigarette and you can’t do that at the park,” the resident added.

Mayor Robbins said, “I enjoy a good cigar to but we all have to live by what is passed.”

Officials briefly discussed the indentation at 6 Union Avenue, the site across the street from Borough Hall, where a building was torn down due to its deterioration. The hole, or indentation, has since been filled in.

Councilman Brian DiMeo noted that the annual Youth and Recreation Egg Hunt would be held at 11 a.m. on April 1 at Horicon Lake. It was also noted recently that the borough was seeking lifeguards for the lake in anticipation of the summer season.

Councilman James Davis noted that the Borough Board of Education would be holding an open house of the Lakehurst Elementary School on May 25. He also noted that this year’s car show was in progress that would be held on the grounds at the school.

He said due to an incident that occurred last year, when a tent stake accidentally punctured an irrigation line, he’d be getting out the word that no stakes were to be put into the ground this year.

The borough is looking to revamp its faded signage at the lake in the near future and this year’s borough budget is set to be introduced in April.