Local Boy’s Journey With Rare Epilepsy Offers Hope to Others

By Stephanie Faughnan

TOMS RIVER - Silverton residents Kristy and Jeremy Salkewicz were on top of the world when they brought their firstborn home from the hospital eight years ago. The couple instantly fell in love with James and were overjoyed and relieved to see he appeared to be a big healthy baby.

Despite their growing adoration for their son, Kristy and Jeremy acknowledge that their feeling of ease was brief. Within three weeks of bringing James home, the firsttime parents began to worry that something just wasn’t right.

“Everything was perfect,” recalled Kristy. “And I suddenly noticed that James’ lips were a slight greyish color. I almost felt it was something only a new mother would

(Epilepsy - See Page 20)

More Land Near School Property Could Be Open Space

By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER –

On the heels of the township buying 16.6 acres near Silver Bay Elementary, a private school’s land was also offered to the town to buy as open space.

Mayor Maurice Hill said that St. Joseph’s reached out to the township asking if they would want to buy approximately

21 acres next to Donovan Catholic’s athletic fields on West Whitty Road. The church gave the town first right of refusal before it went out to potential developers.

Hill said that the land could support a neighborhood of 17 homes.

At a recent Township Council meeting, the council approved the first reading of two ordinances. One authorized the land’s acquisition, the other borrowed the money to buy it. Ordinances have to be given a second reading before they are made law. That usually comes at the next council meeting, which in this case would be May 24 at 6 p.m. at town hall downtown.

The town put $3.8 million toward the purchase and the soft costs such as legal and engineering. They will pay the down payment and soft costs now, and then the remaining $3,610,000 loan will be paid off over a number of years with the township’s open space fund. This is supported by a 1.5 cent tax on all property.

The land is located at Block 393.03, lot 3.

Bayshore Drive

Crackdown

In other news, police have been responding to Bayshore Drive to prevent people from being nuisances at the areas overlooking (Land - See Page 5)

Local WWII Hero Honored In Biography

By Mark Bator

TOMS RIVER - The extraordinary life and times of an under-appreciated World War II hero was the subject of a question-and-answer session with author Steven M. Gillon at the George P. Vanderveer American Legion Post 129. Gillon, a history professor at the University of Oklahoma, entertained those in attendance and provided insight regarding his latest book, “Len Lomell: D-Day Hero.”

In addition to Lomell’s wife, Renee, many of those in attendance had known Lomell personally. So, in addition to the information imparted by the author, numerous friends and acquaintances of the local hero took the

(Hero - See Page 4)

RESIDENTS: KEEP OPEN SPACE PURCHASE AS WOODS

By Chris Lundy

TOMS RIVER – Residents wanted to make sure that the 16.6 wooded acres neighboring Silver Bay Elementary School being bought by the town’s open space program will remain untouched woods and not be turned into a park or sports field.

At an earlier Township Council meeting, the council voted to put the purchase forward for first reading. It takes a second reading, with a public comment period, for an ordinance to become finalized. It was during this comment period that several residents voiced concerns.

Former mayor Mark Mutter, who lives in Silverton, explained he

(Woods - See Page 6)

Hero: Continued From Page 1

opportunity to share their recollections at the well-attended event. Lomell had been a member of American Legion Post 129 and had run his law practice in Toms River, as well.

Lomell was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942, and had become an Army Ranger. As part of his involvement in WWII, Lomell’s squad was tasked with taking the German stronghold at Point du Hoc as part of the D-Day invasion. He is credited with being the one soldier who made D-Day a victory. Lomell’s exploits, many of which had not previously been known to the author, are contained in the book.

As Gillon explained to the audience, he had met Lomell while doing a television show on the History Channel.

“I was just mesmerized by his story and incredibly impressed by him,” Gillon said of Lomell. “I know that most of his friends and people who knew him called him ‘Bud.’ To me, he was Mister Lomell. I was also struck by how modest he was, how down to Earth he was. He was just like a regular guy. He never wanted to be the center of attention.”

The idea for the book was hatched during the COVID-19 pandemic, and during the question-and-answer session, the author revealed how the book truly came to fruition.

Just as he had done with the previous

11 books he has written, Gillon did hours of fact-checking and interviews in preparation for the task.

“What happened is,” Gillon explained to his audience, “in the very beginning, I did a lot of background research before I even reached out to the family. I wanted to make sure the story held together.”

Gillon explained that historical materials about Lomell were often hard to come by, including at the Library of Congress.

“In this case there were very few of those types of documents,” Gillon said. “And what you do as an author, is you gather up as much information as you can.”

But the most noteworthy assistance came from the Lomell family themselves when the late war hero’s wife had a small gathering, which included Gillon, at her home.

“And I think it was that time, after that meeting,” Gillon related, “Renee asked me to stay behind. She went into the back room where she stored lots of [Lomell’s] memorabilia. She brought out a big black folder, and she explained to me what it was.”

Inside the folder was a 186-page letter that Lomell had written to his grandchildren in 1980 that documented his life.

“As a historian, it doesn’t get any better,” explained Gillon. “He essentially did a lot of the work for me.”

The biography recounts the heroic actions of Lomell, whose exploits, while impressive, have not been woven into

(Hero - See Page 5)

Hero:

Continued From Page 4 the fabric of the American zeitgeist in the same fashion as such iconic figures as General George S. Patton, or Audie Murphy. From his inauspicious beginnings as a World War II draftee, the selfless bravery and resourcefulness of Lomell are accurately recounted by Gillon, who vividly painted the scene for those in attendance at the lecture.

“I just think it’s great that we have someone who’s written a nationally published book,” said Toms River Mayor Maurice B. Hill, who was also in attendance at the event. “And it’s available now to people, to read about his history, and how important [Lomell] was in changing the outcome of World War Two.”

Many audience members had known Lomell, either through his membership at the American Legion Hall, through his

Land:

Continued From Page 1 the water. Residents have complained recently about people parking for long periods of time, playing music loudly or possibly engaging in illegal activity. One resident even mentioned a car playing “Africa” by Toto on repeat for several hours.

Police have since blocked the area law practice, or simply as an involved community member, and took turns sharing their stories with the author. While he did not do so publicly during the event, Hill also knew Lomell personally, as well.

“I actually met him downtown,” Hill explained, “at a number of events, Memorial Day events. He was our Grand Marshall, and he was always a very humble guy. I used to see him at the Ocean County Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day celebrations they had.

The mayor and the town council of Toms River are even working to have a new VA outpatient clinic being built off Hooper Avenue named in Lomell’s honor, with resolutions already in place.

“[Lomell was] one of the pillars of the town,” said Hill. “He’s done a lot for the community.” with a chain at night. A new ordinance will outlaw overnight parking.

Preliminary indications are that the measure will pass and that Lomell’s name will be adopted for the clinic.

New Senior Committee

The Township Council also passed, on first reading, the creation of a Mayor’s Advisory Committee On The Toms River Senior Center.

This would be a group of unpaid volunteers who would keep the governing body informed of what’s happening at the senior center on Garfield Avenue.

Woods: Continued From Page 1

was mayor when the open space program was established. The language in the ordinance includes that land can be preserved for recreation. This was done to get the many athletic teams to support a vote to create the open space tax.

Since that language still exists, he asked the Township Council to create different language for this purchase, removing the recreation option. That way, it would never be anything but woods.

Officials said there were no plans for recreation in that spot, and there was no need for an expansion of nearby Silverton Park.

“Put those words in the deed,” Mutter said. “It’s the largest remaining virgin woodlands in Silverton.”

Township Attorney Gregory McGuckin said that unless the ordinance making the purchase is amended, it has to stay as it is.

Paul Jeffrey, an Ortley Beach resident, was also concerned about the land’s future. He said he used to be on an open space planning committee in another town. They acquired land and then 10 years later the town turned it into a baseball field. He wanted to know what guarantees were in place. The current governing body wants to see it as wooded land, but what about future members?

McGuckin said to elect people who want to see it preserved.

Stella Labatch, a resident of Lillie Road, didn’t want the purchase to move forward without protections.

“I don’t trust anything that this town does,” she said. She didn’t want verbal promises, she wanted something in writing.

Geri Ambrosio, who is running for mayor, asked if the county or state partnered with the town to help with the cost of the property.

McGuckin and Council President Matthew Lotano said that time was of the essence in helping the school district during their budget season. Bringing in another level of government could have added a year to the purchase time.

The school district sold the land for $4.4 million. The reason is that the state changed the way it doles out aid to schools. Every year since 2018, Toms River has received less and less. The district faced a budget hole for the 2023-2024 school year and selling this land was the solution.

If pressed, the district might have had to sell the land to the highest bidder which means it could have been a developer who could have built as many as 49 homes.

The land is located at 100 Silver Bay Road. On the tax map, it is Block 233.24, Lot 36, and a portion of Block 233.24, Lot 38.

As they usually do when purchasing open space, the township will be paying the down payment and soft costs using funds generated from an open space tax of 1.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. They will borrow for the remainder, and pay off principal and interest with the fund.

Business Administrator Louis Amoruso said that there is currently a balance of $2-3 million in the open space fund.

Councilman Justin Lamb abstained from these ordinances because his wife Ashley Lamb is on the Board of Education. The rest of the Township Council voted for it both times.