Ortley Residents Want More EMS Coverage

By Chris Lundy

TOMS RIVER – People living in the Ortley Beach section of town said they want a permanent solution to the lack of EMS coverage on the barrier island. Anthony Colucci, president of the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association Inc., said that in the summer months, “people are waiting over 20 minutes for an ambulance to get here.”

By Bob Vosseller SEASIDE PARK –

Calling themselves

“Ocean Rebels for the COZ” members of Clean Ocean Action (COA), Mayor John Peterson, naturalist Trisha DeVoe and others came out to promote for the aquatic environment during World Ocean Day.

It was noted with some irony that the observance, held at Funtown Beach along Stockton and North Ocean av- enues in the borough, was originally scheduled to take place on June 8 and was postponed for a week due to dangerous air levels caused by smoke from Canadian wildfi res.

Those present noted that after four decades of progress in ocean protection, new and old threats were being fast tracked that could impact the ocean of today.

Mayor Peterson recalled the fights he was involved with to close the Ciba-Geigy pipeline off Third Avenue in Ortley Beach and syringes washing up on the beach decades ago from New York City

“We can work together to increase citizen participation, and to raise public awareness of the vital need to protect the ocean, our many ocean marine species, our fishing industry and tourism and the very way of life of the Jersey Shore,” the mayor added.

Peterson said he hoped to see “officials of all elected levels of government, up and down the Jersey shore” in joining COA

(Ocean Day - See Page 4)