Boys Track & Field Athlete Hits Personal Record

MANAHAWKIN – Congratulations to Southern Regional Boys Track & Field thrower Fabian Gonzalez who, at the Woodbury Relays on April 22, came out on top in the shot put with a personal record and the nation’s No. 2 distance of 65 feet, 9 inches. The senior also won the discus with a 181-2. His efforts earned him the Most Valuable Field Performer Award.

Free Rabies Clinic

LACEY – A free rabies clinic will be held on June 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the parking lot behind the Municipal Building, 818 Lacey Road, Forked River. Rain or shine. No appointments. Dogs must be on a leach. Cats must be in a carrying case. Licenses will not be sold during the clinic. Dog licenses will be for sale at Community Development, 124 South Main Street, Forked River, now through August 15. Proof or rabies required. Rabies must be good through April 1, 2024, unless provides exemption letter from veterinarian. Questions, email lacey.boh@laceytownship.org.

Summer Kick-Off Beach Campfi re

LONG BEACH ISLAND – What a better way to kick off the summer season than on the beach in front of a campfi re? Summer Kick-Off Beach Campfi re will be on June 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, Long Beach Island

Enjoy the fi re, live music and marshmallows roasting as you watch the sun go down and listen to the waves lap the shoreline – all with Ol’ Barney as the backdrop. Bring a beach chair or blanket and some marshmallows and a stick.

The lighthouse will be open if you are up for a climb! These programs are in cooperation with Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. Limited beach wheelchair access is available with advance 48-hour notice. Rain or shine. No registration is required.

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Continued From Page 1 gift in 2019, transactions are now complete, officials said. With the land came a maintenance endowment of more than $112,000 from the Conservancy.

“Ocean County has a great parks program, and we are certain they will be excellent stewards of this land for people and wildlife. The site is easy to fi nd and provides access to the Pine Barrens for people who previously may have been hesitant to visit this ecological treasure in our state,” said Eric Olsen, director conservation programs for TNC’s New Jersey chapter.

The land had been given to the Nature Conservancy by Stephan Leone, a Toms River lawyer and businessman, more than a decade ago, the Conservancy said. It is adjacent to an 8,000-acre parcel of open space already owned by the county, purchased in 2019 for $15 million. Together, they create an 11,100-acre preserve.

County Commissioners said that the land will remain in a natural state, open to the public for such passive recreation as hiking or birdwatching.

“This donation is not only adjacent to the largest tract we have acquired under the county’s open space program but it is also one of the most environmentally sensitive tracts we have purchased under our Natural Lands Trust Program,” said Ocean County Commissioner Virginia E. Haines. “This type of land preservation is what the open space program is all about.”

“On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, I extend our deepest appreciation for this donation from The Nature Conservancy and Stephan Leone,” she added. “This parcel mirrors the environmental qualities of the Forked River Mountain tract and is a perfect fit for our open space program since it is surrounded by land already preserved by Ocean County and the state. Our residents and visitors will always be able to enjoy this environmental gem.”

Needlecraft Club

BARNEGAT – Knitting, crochet, crossstitch, hand sewing, etc. First Monday of every month, 7 to 9 p.m. at Barnegat Friends Meeting, 614 East Bay Avenue, Barnegat. More information at barnegatquakers.org