Rent Control Discussion Draws Crowd

By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER –

with younger students and their guidance impacted 26 classrooms and 438 students at Ridgeway School during JA Day

Members of the Junior Achievement (JA) Heroes Program recently worked

This year’s JA Day was the fi rst full-district student teaching event since the (Heroes - See Page 8)

BlueClaws To Go Cashless As ey Announce Season

By

Chris Christopher

LAKEWOOD – Fans who attend Jersey Shore BlueClaws home games at the ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood can leave their money home. The facility, like other major event venues, will be a cashless and fully digital venue beginning this season. This includes transactions involving tickets, food and beverage, merchandise, parking, boardwalk games and all others as part of either a Jersey Shore game or event.

“From the outset of the pandemic (it cost Jersey Shore its 2020 season), this is something that we have been thinking about, but we fi rst wanted to make sure the best plans and protocols were in place to make this a smooth transition for our fans,” said president-general manager Joe (BlueClaws - See Page 4)

By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER

– A large turnout came out recently for a Friday night gathering of township residents at the Whiting Firehouse but it wasn’t Bingo that drew them there, it was the subject of rent control and recent rent increases.

The forum featured residents of Pine Ridge at Crestwood and Pine Ridge South who came out to hear and ask questions to Mayor Robert Arace, who was also joined by his staff and Township Attorney Lauren Staiger. Also present was Maria LaFace, the director of the Ocean County Office of Senior Services. Earlier this year, the Mayor and Council approved an ordinance that limited increases to 2% unless there’s (Rent - See Page 5)

Officials Concerned About ATVs In Pinelands

By Bob Vosseller OCEAN COUNTY

– County and state officials are seeking solutions to issues of ATV/quad users damaging environmentally sensitive woodlands.

Judy Noonan, a resident of the Whiting section of Manchester noted the problems of improper use of ATVs, quads and trucks damaging such areas within her community during a recent meeting of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners.

“They are destroying our Pinelands. I was on a livestream meeting listening to the people who drive these quads and ATVs and some of them really don’t care. Some of these people don’t live here,” Noonan said. “I listened to the Assistant Commissioner from the State Parks and people really are destroying our Pinelands and the police are not able to stop them. There needs to be another place for (ATVs - See Page 8)

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Ricciutti. “We have spoken with numerous peers in the industry and all of our vendors and partners expect this to be a seamless process that makes things even easier for fans as they come to our games.”

The decision to go cashless follows 29 of the 30 major league baseball teams and stadiums, including that of the Philadelphia Phillies, the BlueClaws’ parent club.

“Two-thirds of our food and beverage transactions are already made with credit and debit cards,” Ricciutti said. “Moving to a cashless system will make transactions times faster and fans will be able to get back to doing what they came to the ballpark to do - enjoy a baseball game and take advantage of the boardwalk games, mini golf and everything else we offer.”

Fans can access their tickets at any time on their mobile device by logging into their TicketReturn account, which existing customers already have and new customers create as part of the purchase flow. From there, they can have their tickets scanned at the gates or transfer tickets to either a family member, friend or colleague.

“TicketReturn is one of the premier ticket vendors in the industry and its mobile platform makes accessing and transferring tickets a very simple process for fans,” Ricciutti said.

Inside the ballpark, credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay will be the only form of payment for food and beverage transactions, Claws Cove transactions and at The Boardwalk and the Manasquan Bank Mini Golf Course. Fans will have access to a Reverse ATM inside the ballpark through which they can convert cash into a debit card. The debit card can be used inside and outside the ballpark.

Parking will also be cashless and fans can pay using either a credit card or a debit card as they arrive.

Numerous fan promotions are at bat throughout the regular season.

April 11 was billed as Opening Night at the Jersey Shore. The team is scheduled to play 132 regular-season games, including 66 at ShoreTown, which again figures to be a fun house for of all ages. The calendar includes 11 fi reworks nights, beginning April 11 and every Friday beginning June 2 and July 4.

“These nights represent the best fan experiences from across the BlueClaws’ season,” Ricciutti said. “We know these games are going to sell out. We don’t want anyone to miss out.”

Among the new beverage options for fans is the Heavy Reel Brewing Taphouse behind Section 109. The area will include Heavy Reel brewing selections that will rotate throughout the season. The promotion is built off the success of Reel Claw, a BlueClaws-branded IPA launched last year.

Two of Jersey Shore’s 14 sellouts were Marvel Super Hero Nights and this year the team will host three - May 19 with Black Panther, June 24 with Spider-Man and Aug. 5 with Captain Marvel. As part of Minor League Baseball’s partnership with Marvel, Jersey Shore will wear a special Marvel-designed cap with special merchan- dise also available. The BlueClaws will host Summer Concert Series games June 10 (The Snakes), July 8 (Asbury Fever) and Aug. 19 (Splintered Sunlight).

A large Jumbo Adirondack Chair will be in right field. Everyone is encouraged to take pictures and share, using the hashtag #blueclaws to be entered to win special prizes from Focus Camera, the promotion’s presenter. It’s the second season of the Blue Wave Bar, a second-level full service restaurant open to fans at each game. The menu includes some items, including seafood, that aren’t available anywhere else in the ballpark. Kids will continue to run the bases after every game.

Daily promotions include Thirsty Thursday with $2 Coors Light cans and Sunday FunDays with Kids Eat Free where members of the BlueClaws Kids Club eat free.

The BlueClaws’ latest Player Development Contract with the Phillies began in 2021 and runs through 2030.

Jersey Shore’s fi rst-year manager is Greg Brodzinski, the club’s 16th manager in history. Brodzinski, 31, spent last year as the bench coach with Triple A Lehigh Valley, the Phillies’ farm club which competes in the International League. He was the Phillies’ bullpen catcher and catching coach in 2020 and 2021.

Jersey Shore began play in 2001 as the Lakewood BlueClaws. Since its inception, a total of 8,118,695 fans have purchased tickets to the club’s home regular-season games. A total of 256,141 fans plunked down their money last season.

“We’re very proud to reach 14 sellouts last year, fi nish third among all South Atlantic League teams in attendance and fi nish 14th among all 120 minor league baseball teams in group sales,” Ricciutti said. “We feel we have something to offer every family, every business, youth sports team, non-profit organization and other groups and we look forward to welcoming them back to ShoreTown.”

Jersey Shore’s pitching coach is Phil Cundari, who spent the previous three years in the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor-league system. The club’s batting coach is former BlueClaws player Brock Stassi, who was with the team for 59 games in 2021 when he hit three home runs and drove in 30 runs. He made his big-league debut with the Phillies on April 3, 2017.

The team’s bench coach is Chris Adamson, who was scheduled to manage the club in 2020. He managed the team in 2021.

The team’s pitching development coach is Brady Lail, who pitched for the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners. The team’s athletic trainer is Meaghan Flaherty, who has been with the Phillies since 2020 and spent last season as the assistant athletic trainer with Lehigh Valley. The team’s strength and conditioning coach is Mark Jesse, Jr., who joined the Phillies’ system last season.

Two Jersey Shore players, No. 5 Hao Yu Lee and No. 28 Tommy McCollum, are ranked among MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Phillies prospects.

A total of 119 former BlueClaws, including former Phillies stars Cole Hamels and

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Continued From Page 1 just cause. However, owners of Pine Ridge at Crestwood Equity Life Style Properties sent out an increase to their residents before the new ordinance could take effect on March 22.

Residents wanted to know what their options were to fight that increase. Pine Ridge at Crestwood Residents Association President Mary Norris, and Pine Ridge South Residents Association President Richard Rosin both introduced Mayor Arace to the audience.

“The reason we are all here is because of the rent levelling ordinance. I want to talk about the details of it. I also want to take the opportunity to listen to you guys. Over the course of the mayoral campaigns, several years, out of the manufactured home communities I’ve heard things that have been deeply concerning,” the mayor said.

He noted he learned of six and seven percent increases “and the answer was if you don’t like it pick up your house and move” from the owners of the properties that lease the land to the homeowners of the manufactured residences. “That is quite an absurd answer.”

“Whiting especially but Manchester as a whole 65% of our residents are 55 and over and are retirees. I’ve been telling this story at every HOA (Home Owners Association) because even if they are not impacted by this ordinance directly, it is set to come and our council and administration is unwilling to let anyone push seniors around,” Arace said.

The mayor explained a number of components to the ordinance that was approved.

“If your landlord is not paying utilities and the residents are responsible for heating and utilities, it is fi xed at two percent or the consumer price index (CPI) - which is an average of the cost of goods (that is a measurement they take of the economy) or whatever is lower.”

“In a poor economic period of time and with the CPI through the roof at eight percent it would be fi xed at two percent. In communities where landlords are providing utilities it is fi xed at three percent but the same rule applies if the CPI is lower. What it also does is create a rent leveling board,” the mayor added.

He explained that board is primarily made up of “residents, peers and by the rules a person has to be from a manufactured home and there are other three at-large appointments that can be made by the mayor and one person has to be a representative from the landlords. It is at the mayor’s discretion as to who is on the board and the lens I am looking through is the people we are looking after - our residents.”

With an increase over 2 percent, for example, the landlord would have to come before the rent leveling board and justify the increase. They would have to prove that it is costing more for the landlord to manage that property, he said. The board would then vote whether to approve it.

“It is quite a task to do that and they have to have an actual itemized list of why instead of ‘just because we could.’ There is no more

‘just because we could’ (in an increase beyond two percent). That is how it works and I think it is a good step forward in protecting our residents,” the mayor added.

Staiger urged attendees with specific legal questions to seek advice from their own legal counsel as the township could not offer any. If someone had a concern about recent increases they received that might be ambiguous as to whether it was done before or after the implementation of the ordinance,

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Ryan Howard, have earned berths on major league rosters.

Ten former BlueClaws - Detroit’s Nick Maton and Matt Vierling, the Chicago White Sox’s Jake Diekman, Houston’s Hector Neris, Oakland’s Trevor May, Seattle’s J.P. Crawford, the Los Angeles Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe, Atlanta’s Travis d’Arnaud, the New York Mets’ Carlos Carrasco, Milwaukee’s Hoby Milner and the Chicago Cubs’ she referred them to contact LaFace.

La Face said “the mayor and council can’t give out legal advice and neither can I but if you contact my office there is a non-profit that we fund, (it) may be able to answer some of the questions about those notices.”

She urged those in attendance to reach out to her office at 732-929-2091 or to e-mail her at mlaface@co.ocean.nj.us regarding this or other problems they may be facing related to senior issues.

Mark Leiter Jr. - were on major league regular-season rosters at the start of the 2023 campaign. The latter pitched for Toms River High School North and the Phillies.

“We want our fans to say after visiting the ballpark, ‘That was fun. Let’s do it again,’ “ Ricciutti said. “They entrust us with three to four hours of their most precious commodity, which is time. If we do that (the team employs 300 persons when it plays home games), we did our jobs and that makes us incredibly proud.”

Blueclaws.com contributed to this report

Manchester Recreation Farmers’ Market

MANCHESTER – Manchester Recreation will be hosting a Farmers’ Market and they are looking for farmers and vendors with food products that are homegrown or homemade. The market will be held at Manchester

Town Hall, 1 Colonial Drive, Thursdays May 11 to July 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If interested, contact Manchester Recreation ay 732-657-8121 ext. 5102 or email recreation@manchestertwp.com.

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COVID-19 pandemic.

The JA High School Heroes, led by Heather Staples, aids students to build social-emotional learning competencies and promotes a positive school culture and climate. This initiative empowers high school students to make a difference in their communities while serving as role models to children in their school districts.

The High School Hero student volunteers turnkeyed age-appropriate financial literacy and entrepreneurship lessons to students in grades K-5. The lessons were led by at least two high school volunteers and included interactive activities, games, demonstrations, and collaboration.

MTHS has been participating in Junior Achievement since 2008 and Celeste Hardwick of Junior Achievement explained that JA High School Heroes is an all-encompass-

ATVs:

Continued From Page 1 them and it needs to be addressed.” ing solution, designed to support NJ schools and educators while helping students build their leadership and career skills.

Noonan, a former Berkeley Township Councilwoman, said that there had been complaints of ATV users making fires out in the Pinelands area. She noted Berkeley has a similar problem in the woods behind senior communities. In Manchester, one location is along Country Walk where they go through fences.

“Some of us have private roads. They are destroying the Pinelands and the (State Department of Environmental Protection) is doing the best they can. I know you have some say with the Pinelands. I know the (Ocean County) Sheriff got a new vehicle that can go into that area which is really fantastic because the police’s hands are tied with what they can do,” Noonan added.

“The exercise teaches them responsible decision-making and also reinforces a productive school environment. This could be easily seen as Ridgeway School buzzed with excitement and learning throughout the day,” she said.

Program Heroes gain many opportunities to be invited to serve as Student Ambassadors for JA special events, such as the NJ Business Hall of Fame, and are eligible for the annual High School Hero Scholar Award.

Staples, the JA Club Advisor said, “we have been working with Junior Achievement in Manchester for about 14 years. Most of their projects deal with financial literacy and business entrepreneurship. The curriculum centers around through grades K thru 5.”

JA Heroes Club senior Olivia Wilson and

“They just don’t give a hoot about the Pinelands,” Noonan added regarding the remarks she heard from some of the ATV riders. “Most people want more enforcement. I don’t know what the county can do but the Pinelands Commission can. They are also coming into our home properties. They are very arrogant and they have children on the back of their quads and over the years people have been hurt in the woods.”

“I don’t have the answer but something has to be done. I would like someone to address it a little more and push it a little harder to some of these people. Some feel it can be moved to another place. We (in Manchester Township) have Heritage Minerals and perhaps we can create a place for them over there because it is contaminated,” Noonan proposed.

She noted pictures showing the harm to wildlife and “the roads they put in there, junior Emanuel “Manny” Swain found JA Day enjoyable and rewarding.

“I’ve always taught kids and I have younger siblings so I’ve had some classroom experience before,” Olivia said.

“I’ve enjoyed this. I like helping a lot,” Emanuel said.

“The kids are really great to work with,” Olivia added.

“Essentially, we get a lesson plan and books and lessons to teach them and we adapt them to the classroom we are in. Sometimes we get some non-readers and we have to adjust to that. We make the activities oriented to the students. We adapt the lesson plans to the environment of the classroom,” Olivia added.

As to whether this program may serve to inspire students to examine teaching as a profession, Oliva said it was helpful. Emanuel enjoys the activities but has other plans for his future vocation.

“For me it is something I enjoy doing. I the fire hazards. I’d appreciate some input.”

Joseph H. Vicari, the director of the Board of Commissioners noted that this was an ongoing problem. “We worked with the Pinelands and we also worked with seven different police departments and what we felt the biggest problem was behind the WOBM building. They would come on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there was drinking and there were drugs. It was an absolute disgrace.”

“We couldn’t even get an ambulance to the back there. We’ll reach out to the police departments and we’ll get a recommendation out from our professional staff. It is hard to find out where they are coming from. Some of it is on private property; some of it is public property,” he said.

Board of Commissioners Deputy Director Commissioner Gary Quinn noted he was a commissioner on the Pinelands Commission for 11 years. “The problem haven’t thought about becoming a teacher,” Emanuel said.

Oliva however said, “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and I really enjoy the experience of it.” with the Pinelands is that they have no enforcement authority whatsoever under the guidelines of the State of New Jersey.”

Staples said the JA Club has several activities coming up, including taking over Manchester Township Elementary School. She added that Junior Achievement also offers a women’s future leadership program where they can go to a conference and meet with different entrepreneurs and leaders in their field.

“This will help them make connections outside of Manchester. We had a huge turnout this time around with 70 students in total. This is all volunteer students. It is nothing that is part of a course. It is them volunteering their time to help them learn their lessons and prepare outside of class and the school. That tends to be a big commitment for most of them,” Staples said.

“We were having problems a couple of years straight in the state forests and different areas. They were bringing in trucks and just destroying areas and something we were fighting constantly and the Commission was trying to get the state involved so they would put more enforcement in there,” Quinn said. “We relied on the Forest Fire Rangers to do it and I think at the time I was on the Board back then. We had three rangers covering the entire Pinelands. There was no possibility of catching these people and slowing this thing down.”

“The Sheriff’s Department has gotten involved with a lot of the towns around the county. The Sheriff’s Department is not only buying the vehicle you were talking about but other equipment,” Quinn told Noonan.