It All Started On Windsor Avenue

Christopher TOMS RIVER - Hundreds of fans displayed their love of baseball at the Toms River East Little League Complex on a recent Saturday morning when the organization staged its Opening Day ceremonies.

The Toms River East American Little League all-star team, which won the 1998 Little League World Series in South Williamsport,

Pa., led the honorees. Also cited were the league’s 12-and-under New Jersey 2022 state champions, its 13-and-under Eastern Regional winner in 2022 and its 12-and-under 2022 Majors Mason Invitational Tournament winner.

The day’s highlight was an appearance by Todd Frazier, one of the 1998 team’s top players. league All-Star also

Parkway Changes Planned

By Chris Lundy OCEAN

COUNTY -

Significant changes will happen on the Garden State Parkway between miles 80 and 83 as exits are renumbered and lanes and offramps are altered.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which

Officials: Mortgage Fraud On The Rise

By Bob Vosseller OCEAN COUNTY

– Property mortgage fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country and officials are urging residents to sign up for the Property Alert Service offered by the Ocean County Clerk’s Office. The free program, first introduced in 2016, offers an added layer of security when it comes to property protection, according to Ocean County Clerk Scott M. Colabella. It provides property owners with email alerts anytime a document affecting a specific property is recorded by the Ocean County Clerk’s Office. Colabella told the

Ocean County Board of Commissioners, “this helps our property owners to guard against fraud. This type of fraud is a nationwide problem.”

“Scammers record fraudulent documents like fake deeds or record fake liens against property owners. In (Fraud - See Page 9) also oversees the Parkway, put out the plan, asking for feedback from drivers.

One of the biggest changes is that there will be a “Collector-Distributor roadway.” This is a few lanes in each direction, separated from the rest of the Parkway by a median. Drivers getting onto the Parkway will fi rst be on this Collector-Distributor until either they get off at another Toms River stop or go on to the rest of the Parkway.

Between 81 and 82, there will be new roadways added, separated from the main Parkway by a concrete median. If you’re heading north, there will be a through lane and an auxiliary lane (for getting on and off ). If you’re heading south, there will be two through lanes and (Parkway - See Page 8)

How Does News Of School Shootings Affect Students’ Mental Health?

By Andrey Nalbantov

OCEAN COUNTYNashville, TN. Denver, CO. East Lansing, MI. Chicago, IL. St. Louis, MI. Uvalde, Texas. What do all of those places have in common?

There has been a school shooting in each.

From the start of the year, 19 school shoot- ing-related incidents have occurred . The tragic reality is not just that school shootings happen, but it also impacts the mental health of every student, teacher, and staff member – even if they are indirectly affected.

While thankfully none of the schools here in Ocean County have yet found themselves on that list , students attending our schools also can feel as if they were directly in the crossfire

“We are seeing that our students in New Jersey are having reactions as if they are experiencing the shootings,” said Maureen Brogan, Traumatic Loss Coalition Program Manager at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. Brogan used the tragically life-changing event of the attacks on September 11, 2001 as an example of how a person does not have to be immediately involved in order to have a mental reaction. But what negative effects are directly derived from (School - See Page 4) those mental reactions?

Terri Dawe, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Assistant Clinical Director at Calm and Sense Therapy, considers the most disturbing effects of school shootings are feelings of ongoing danger that spread through schools. She states that the climate and sense of community in schools have been profoundly damaged.

“Where children once found schools to be a safe haven, they are now ‘unsafe’ often leading to hypervigilance, anxiety, depression, and vicarious trauma responses,” she said.

The power of media also plays an important role here as well. The constant exposure to media and detailed coverage of the shootings can be a trigger to the mental health-harming symptoms mentioned by Dawe.

For students like Brianna, a senior from Toms River High School South, while unsurprising to her, the news of another school shooting leave her angry and overwhelmed.

That media exposure, according to Brogan, is also adding a sense of hopelessness to the anxiety of students that further contributes to them losing their sense of control.

In order to combat that, Dawe shares the idea of parents and teachers encouraging “news breaks” to their kids and students.

“It is important to limit the time spent watching TV or staying connected online because constant exposure may heighten their anxiety and fears,” she said.

In addition to the constant media exposure, here in Ocean County, multiple schools have been subject to a number of fake active shooter treats. High School South was one of them. Those threats have led to lockdowns, evacuations, and missing school days, all negatively impacting Brianna and her fellow classmates.

“I always feel an overwhelming sense of dread and anxiety,” said Brianna, commenting on the recent active shooter threats on social media.

Brianna, who had grown angry and exhausted over the topic of school shootings, found that educating others on the severity of the topic of active shooters has helped her cope, even though she finds it hard to stay strong when there is not much done about the number of school shootings.

When it is too late, and the exposure has done damage to the mental health of the student, it is time to start asking the question: What should that person do in order to receive help?

According to Brogan, once a student reaches that point they should start asking themselves who are the people that they can go to and ask for some support? For her, asking for help when a person is in need is a sign of bravery.

“Asking for help is actually a strength and not a weakness,” said Brogan. “By sending the message that even the strongest people, the smartest people also need help at some point of their lives… we want to send this message of help-seeking behavior.”

She also states that adults should also be reaching out and willing to offer support to children and adolescents that need help.

Often their parents are the closest adults in their lives, but unfortunately , some parents don’t find the value in mental health. In that case, Dawe suggests that students should turn to their school counselors to ask for help, or even a trusted coach or mentor for support.

Parents should be mindful when addressing concerns about their children’s safety, she said. Parents should not downplay the fears of their kids because that might lead to a shutdown of communication.

“It is not appropriate to tell the child that they will never experience a school shooting because we do not know that,” she said. “At the same time, we want to help them to feel safe enough so that they do not become fearful of going to school.”

Schools can and should be able to offer support for students, she said.

“Schools need to provide psychoeducation on the vicarious impact school shootings have on the mental health of its student body,” said Dawe. “De-stigmatize mental health by validating (that) having fear/anxiety are natural responses to traumatic events even if (they are) not directly involved.”

For Brianna, ready access to mental health resources in schools for students and their families and the financial support needed to obtain those resources would be the best course of action that schools can take.

Constant exposure to school shootings can potentially lead to dangerous tendencies. According to Brogan, instead of developing depression and anxiety, some students will just become numb.

She said that with some of the school shooters, the theme of disconnectedness is present. Whenever people might not have a sense of belonging and they feel like they have been marginalized, that’s when they might have a desire for revenge or notoriety.

They might think: “If no one is paying attention to me then I will make sure that everyone is paying attention to me,” Brogan said.

League: Continued From Page 1 sparkled at Toms River High School South and Rutgers University, had a robust Major League career, and was a silver medalist at the Olympics in Tokyo.

“The outpouring and support of the people here in Toms River for baseball is like nothing has ever changed since 1998,” Frazier said. “Now, it is time for the younger generation to do what we did - hopefully.” The ceremonies took place at the artificial turf Gaynor Field, named for Mike Gaynor, who managed the 1998 team. Frazier and Gaynor received hearty cheers as they were introduced by league president Tommy Noone.

Frazier posed with his teammates, Gaynor and dignitaries at home plate. Frazier served as the catcher for Toms River Township Mayor Maurice Hill, who tossed the ceremonial fi rst pitch.

Brielle MacDonald, 11, a Cedar Grove Elementary School student, sang the National Anthem. Doves flew over the field. There was a flyover by the New Jersey State Police.

Gaynor, whose club was 5-0 in the 52nd LLWS, introduced 1998 team members Frazier, Chris Cardone, Joey Franceschini and Tommy Gannon before telling fans, “It is a beautiful day. There is nothing better than Opening Day...Opening Day was right up there with Christmas morning. Our 1995 and 1999 teams are overlooked as we did not win it all. Thoughts of going to Williamsport are in the minds of kids from California, Texas and Florida.

“The kids from Toms River kicked the door down. If not for our 1995 team, we probably would not be here today. I give a shoutout to my coaches who made it happen. It’s never a one-man show. Coach Franceschini (Joe) has died. May God rest his soul. He was a Teddy Bear kind of a guy. His presence meant so much to our team. Ken Kondek, who lived near this field, loved kids and loved Little League. The kids affectionately called him grandpa. He’s retired and living in Arizona where he’s loving life.

“Parents, all I can say is I miss those days. We had a great time back then. Enjoy this time of life with your kids - the barbecues, the pizza parties, Mrs. Walker’s. It’s not about strikeouts, home runs and hits. Relationships are more important than wins and losses. Good luck. Have a good season.”

Cardone slugged two home runs, drove in three runs and scored two runs in the World Championship Game on ABC television. His team was the fi rst American club to win the LLWS since 1993.

“I was pretty homesick,” he said. “When we were playing in Connecticut and Williamsport, it was my fi rst time away from home. Knowing it was our last game provided me with a sense of relief. We were already the national champions and we didn’t have much time to let that sink in before we played in the World Championship Game. A lot of it had to do with my being relaxed for the fi rst time in a while. There was a sense of relaxation and we all played the way we knew we could play.

“It feels even longer than 25 years since we won it. I remember the highlights like everyone else. At the beginning of the summer, we never even talked about going to Williamsport. We were a tight knit group of guys. We all knew each other.”

Cardone’s daughter, Chloe, 6, plays baseball with the boys on the league’s River Bandits team.

One of the league’s facilities, the Frazier Field House, is named for the family. Todd Frazier and his brothers, Jeff, a former South and Rutgers standout and a retired major league player, and Charles, an exSouth star and a former minor leaguer, donated two scoreboards to the league. Todd Frazier, who played for several major league teams, including the New York Yankees, is in his fi rst season as a pre and postgame studio analyst with the YES Network, the club’s regional television station.

The former third baseman is scheduled to work 17 regular-season games. He also appears on Foul Territory, a Podcast. And, he will serve as a commentator during the Little League Baseball World Series on ESPN.

A devoted family man, Frazier, 37, coaches his sons, Blake and Grant, in the TRELL.

“I miss playing in the major leagues to an extent,” he said, “but my kids make it easy for me not to miss it. I don’t miss it as much as I felt I would if you want the truth. There is no way I can pick up a bat and play 160 games.”

League: Continued From Page 5

Frazer spoke fondly of his Little League days, stating, “I remember hitting home runs off the Nibble Nook and being a young kid. Those are memories that will last a lifetime. I want kids to enjoy the process. Our coaches put no pressure on us to win (in 1998). We were goofy, but when it was time to play the games we got after it. Little

League kick started my career and it all started on Windsor Avenue.”

Wearing a Rutgers Scarlet Knights shirt, Frazier chatted with Hill, signed autographs and exchanged hugs, handshakes and kisses with admirers, including Buster, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws’ mascot, and the Scarlet Knights’ mascot. Other 1998 team members were Scott Fisher, Chris Crawford, Brad Frank, Casey Gaynor (a son of Mike Gaynor), Eric Campesi, Gabe Gardner, Mike

Belostock and R.J.Johansen.

At the TRELL ceremonies was Paul Mika, who managed a team to the 13-and-under title. His coaches were Paddy Matera, Bobby Arnesen and Charlie Frazier. Team members were Steven Malato, Carson Frazier (Charlie’s son and Todd’s nephew), Jason Verderrosa, Cole Garrison, Jayden Luongo, Max Mika (manager Mika’s son), Cailen Cimorelli, Adrian Bilotti, Jalen McLean, Joey Dimeo and Tyler Arnesen. Mika managed

TRELL teams that competed in the 2021 Little League Baseball World Series and the 2022 Intermediate World Series.

“This is incredible,” he said. “It is amazing, a dream. We now have lights. We have a new public address system. The dugouts are freshly painted. At one time, the public address system barely worked. I am so happy that our plans came to fruition. I am elated.”

The manager of the 12-and-under state championship game was Mike Mendes. His coaches were George Gallagher, Ed Todaro and Josh Alster. Team members were Michael Mendes, Tyler Todaro, Bryce Tomitz, Gavin Senger, Christian Mascaro, Jake Gallagher, Brady Gillen, Kevin O’Donnell, Jack Gillen, Jayce Cappello, Ryan McHugh, Phil LaGrossa, Logan Macchia and Deklin Sloan.

“Teams wanted to knock us off,” said manager Mendes, whose team advanced to the Metro Region Tournament semifinals. “We saw every team’s best pitcher. People knew who Toms River East was. The support we received from our league motivated our kids to play for our town and our league. We could not have done it without our coaches.”

Noone managed the Majors team. The club was 7-0. The event was hosted by the Manchester Township Little League. The team’s coaches were Nate Morton, Joe Ciaravino and Jeff Frazier. Team members were Aiden Ciaravino, Austin Bartlow, Gavin Vukan, Gino Simonetti, J.R. Moltz, James Noone, Johnny Verderrosa, Matthew Maresca, Stanley Citkowicz, Tristen Hanley, Tyler Connolly and Tyler Morton.

“Our boys played their hearts out,” manager Noone said. “It was a tournament for the boys who were on the cusp of playing in the all-star tournament. It was an amazing tournament, an amazing opportunity for boys and girls to play baseball during the summer.”

A parade which began at the East Dover First Aid Squad building on Garfield Avenue and ended at the field preceded the ceremonies. Hundreds of past and present players marched, led by a bagpiper.

Among the onlookers were Mark and Corey Coleman. Their nine-year-old son, Zachary, was a marcher as a member of the Dash team sponsored by the Roy Rogers Restaurant chain. The Dash is a Triple-A team.

“This is a big deal,” Mark Coleman said. “I remember them winning it. This is a big day for my son. I am super excited.”

“I am super excited for the kids,” Corey Coleman said. “The fields look amazing with the artificial turf and the new mounds. I saw the ‘98 team on the news. It was a big deal.”

The league dedicated Field Three as Spziech Field in honor of Jim Spziech, who died last year. The dedication took place at home plate.

“Myself and our board of directors decided to dedicate a field in Jim’s honor for all of his years as a dedicated coach and mentor to the kids in our league,” Noone said. “We thank the Spziech family for giving us its husband, father and grandfather for so many years. The Toms River East Little League was lucky to have him.”