Instead Of Jail, Some To Get Mental Health Treatment

By Chris Christopher BRICK - Give a shout-out to Lenny Zdanowicz, the head football

coach at Brick Township High School.

Give a shout-out to Ja’Sir Taylor, the ex-Brick standout now in his second year as a defensive back with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Because of both, the first 300 youth football players in their team’s jerseys attending the 2023 Vinny Curry Rush2 Victory Foundation Shore Football Coaches Associa- tion All-Shore Football Classic on Sunday, July 9, at 3 p.m. at Monmouth University are receiving free tickets. The tickets cost $10 per person for non-players. their future.”

Ex-Brick Township High School and Wake Forest University star Ja’Sir Taylor hoists the game ball after starring on special teams against the Denver Broncos last season.

By Judy Smestad-Nunn

BRICK –

The township

“My high school coach, coach Z, came up with this wonderful idea and I loved it so we moved forward with it,” Taylor said. “It’ll be a great way to get the younger kids in the game to envision

By Bob Vosseller SEASIDE HEIGHTS –

It will be a big weekend at the West Long Branch institution. Curry, a former Neptune and Marshall University standout and a National Football League free agent after starting at defensive was one of six New Jersey communities selected to participate in a pilot program called LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program) that allows law enforcement officers to redirect people with mental illness, drug involvement, chronic homelessness and poverty to community-based services instead of jail and prosecution. said Council Vice President Andrea Zapcic during the most recent Township Council Meeting. The total award is $6 million for the multi-year grant.

The Attorney General selected the six municipalities based on objective data such as a high rate of primary treatment admissions for heroin, opioids, and stimulants, as well as a high rate of overdose deaths, a lack of accessibility to treatment providers, facilities and to emergency medical

(NFL - See Page 4) (Council - See Page 5)

“This is a program through the New Jersey State Office of the Attorney General,”

O cials Make Sure Boardwalk Games Are Fair

Making sure rubber frogs have all their limbs and arcade game claws are actually able to grab stuffed animals keeps games of chance fair and honest.

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd, Division of Consumer Affairs Acting Director Cari

Fais and numerous members of her department came out to the borough boardwalk to promote a safe summer, honest shopping and a fair chance of winning a prize. Their visit at Blaine Avenue was part of the Division’s annual enforcement initiative designed to promote a family-friendly environment at the Jersey Shore.

The “Safe Summer” program includes summer-long inspections of boardwalk games for fairness of play, and to ensure they have not been modified to the disadvantage of players.

Bruce Hurlbunt, an investigator for the Legalized Games of Chance Commission, was among those looking over the games that day and one of their first stops was the flying rubber frog attraction. “We’re making sure they are all level.” He noted that the attraction which involves customers slamming a small hammer that causes the rubber frogs to fly on metal lilly pads needs to have a proper balance.

The group spent about an hour touring various spots on the boardwalk to run some tests, check (Games- See Page 5)

NFL:

Continued From Page 1 end on the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team, and his Foundation will offer a free youth football camp on Saturday, July 8, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The camp is for athletes ages 4-16 as of Saturday, July 8. Registration closes Friday, July 7. To register, go to vinnycurry99.com

Taylor, a teacher at last year’s camp run by Curry at Neptune, will lead defensive back drills.

“I can’t wait for the camp this year!” Taylor said. “I really enjoy getting back home and helping in any way I can, especially in ways that benefit the youth. When I was younger, I didn’t have a camp like this in my area so it means a lot now that I am able to help host one in my area.”

Taylor said he believes in setting a good example for others. This defensive back is giving back to kids.

“Yes, I see myself as a role model,” he said. “My story and my journey to where I am now is amazing and inspiring. I also take pride in carrying myself the right way on and off the field to be a great role model to those who look up to me.”

Taylor was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Chargers out of Wake Forest University where he starred at defensive back and on special teams. He appeared in each of the Chargers’ 17 regular-season games and made 13 solo tackles and nine assists and defended one pass. He made three solo tackles in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the American Football Conference wild-card playoffs.

Taylor helped the Chargers to a 10-7 record and a second-place finish to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.

“My first NFL season was great,” said Taylor, selected 214th overall out of 262 players in the league’s 87th annual grab bag on its third and final day. “I learned a lot, played significant time, played pivotal roles in the success of our season and most importantly made it out healthy.”

Taylor played outside cornerback and slot corner and started on all four core special teams for the Chargers.

“My favorite position to play is slot corner,” he said. “I get to match up against the best of the best and prove myself each time I’m out there. I also feel equipped for the position as I have the football I.Q., speed and tackling ability needed to play that position. I approached last year with the mindset of proving myself each and every day. I wanted to make the most of each opportunity I had in order to gain the trust of my teammates and coaches and to help my team win.

Taylor played youth sports in Neptune and Asbury Park before moving to Brick.

“It feels great to be an NFL player,” he said. “I’ve always prepared myself and worked toward this goal since I’ve picked up a ball. The opportunity to play the sport I love for a living while also having the platform to impact and influence people in a positive way is unmatched. It was always a dream to be an NFL player since I was playing Pop Warner (in Asbury Park).”

Taylor, 24, is durable. He set Wake Forest’s career record for most games played with 62 in his five-year career. He never missed a game in five seasons. He missed one game during his senior year at Brick.

“I could have played in it,” he said, “but it was smart to rest before the playoffs. The key to durability is injury prevention, making sure I keep my body healthy throughout the season by getting treatment and rehab on it before I feel aches and pains.”

At Brick, Taylor was rated the 146th best athlete in the nation by 247Sports, a collegiate recruiting service. During his senior season, he rushed for 544 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. He displayed 10.74 speed in the 100 meters in boys track and also competed in basketball for the Green Dragons.

Taylor was promoted to the varsity team from the freshman team halfway through the season by then-varsity coach Rob Dahl. He played slot receiver and running back on the varsity team’s famed Jet Sweep.

He started under Dahl as a sophomore at slot receiver and cornerback. The Green Dragons won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III title with a win over Colts Neck at The College of New Jersey during Taylor’s freshman season in 2013.

Taylor helped Zdanowicz’s Green Dragons to Shore Conference Class A South championships as a sophomore and junior. He played slot receiver and cornerback as a junior and senior. He’s the second ex-Brick player in school history to land a berth on an NFL roster. The first player was Art Thoms, who played for the Oakland Raiders.

Taylor received an undergraduate degree in communications from Wake Forest in the spring of 2021.

“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve something in life,” he said. “In life, if you work hard enough you can do anything you want. Nothing is impossible.”

The 46th Classic will pit the Ocean County All-Stars against the Monmouth County All-Stars on the artificial surface in the first Classic game in history at Monmouth. It has been a seniors-only event since its inception. Taylor, an Ocean County All-Star, received a jersey. However, he did not play in the game. Monmouth has won the Classic a record four straight seasons. The Classic is the oldest high school football all-star game in New Jersey. si.com contributed to this report.

Track And Field Clinic

BRICK – Calling all young athletes. The Recreation Track and Field Camp will introduce you to the exciting world of track and field.

Our experienced coaches will provide instruction on running mechanics, dynamic stretching, sprints, relays, throwing, jumping, pole vaulting and more. Whether you want to be a future track and field star or want to learn skills that will improve your performance in other sports, this clinic is for you. Open to Brick boys and girls in grades 3 to 9. Fee is $60 per child.

Session 1 - grades 3 to 5: July 10 to 13 from 8 to 11 a.m. at Brick Memorial HS Track Session 2 - grades 6 to 9: July 18 to 21 from 8 to 11 a.m. at Brick Memorial HS Track

Council:

Continued From Page 1 services.

The township will work in cooperation with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s office, Bright Harbor Health Care (a mental health agency), Hope Sheds Light, the Ocean County Health Department, the Ocean County Department of Human Services, Preferred Behavioral Health Group, RWJ Barnabas Health and Hackensack Meridian Hospital. The health providers work collaboratively to assist people rather than put them in the criminal justice system, Zapcic said.

“This is a diversion program, so when an arrest is made - or rather than making an arrest and putting a person in the criminal

Games:

Continued From Page 1 retail prices, check the scales at a candy shop and to even throw a few basketballs. Even though no one was able to score, the game was deemed to be fair. Platkin was a bit luckier at Sonny and Ricky’s Arcade, checking out a game machine that netted him a T-shirt prize.

“It is a beautiful day here on the boardwalk. I want to thank everyone that are here with me. The boardwalk is iconic in New Jersey for everyone who lives here and comes here and the boardwalks throughout the state,” he said. “When you come to pay the games justice system - they will work with these providers,” she said.

During public comment, resident Mark Vasquez asked if the LEAD program is defi nitely going to be implemented, and when.

Councilwoman Zapcic said yes to the former, but she was not yet sure of the timeline.

“But it’s a pilot program, so it will be for the duration of the grant,” she added.

“Is this something you’ve done some homework on?” Vasquez asked.

Council President Heather deJong said it was discussed among the Council’s Public Safety Committee, and it was recommended by Brick Police Chief David Forrester.

Vasquez said the LEAD program began in Seattle, Washington in 2011.

(According to the NJ Attorney General’s at the boardwalk, we want you to know that you have a fair shot. When you are buying stuff at the stores you know the prices are fair, you know what they are and if you need to return something, you know how to do it.”

“That is what this is about - making sure people know what their rights are and that we take it seriously,” Platkin said. He said the inspectors examine “basketballs to see if they are too inflated, frogs at the frogger game have limbs. If so we’ll make sure those things get fi xed.”

“We want people to know that if you are good at those games, you are going to win,” he added.

It was noted that a Safe Summer Task Force website, this is true. The LEAD program started in Seattle and has been replicated in 20 other states across the country).

“This program, that reduces crime overall, is not really a great program, in my opinion, and I just want you to be aware that if you go to Seattle today…you’re gonna fi nd that crime is down, but you’re gonna fi nd drug addicts using drugs on the buses, fecal matter everywhere in your town, people are not treated even though they’re going through the LEAD program,” he said.

He asked who would pay for the LEAD program after the pilot program ends.

“It’s expensive to keep social programs like this open and going, but does it really fix the problem?” Vasquez asked. “It creates a bigger issue where you have homeless people [everywhere], dealing, selling and was made up of investigators and community outreach members from the Division of Consumer Affairs Office of Consumer Protection (OCP). They make periodic visits to the state’s shore boardwalks to conduct compliance inspections and also hold public education events.

The inspections and events are held in conjunction with inspections by the Division’s Legalized Games of Chance Commission (LGCCC) and with help from the county consumer affairs offices and other county and local enforcement agencies. The inspections are held all summer long.

According to a breakdown of boardwalk enforcement activity in 2022, the OCP using drugs after they’ve left programs.”

Zapcic said she wanted to make it clear that Brick did not apply for the LEAD grant, but rather the township was selected, based on criteria, by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

“They are very hands-on with this grant program,” she said. “It’s a pilot program, and we are under no obligation to continue it beyond the duration of the pilot program, and if it’s not successful in helping residents in town, then we certainly won’t continue it.

“We are very fortunate to have these resources,” she continued. “When people need help, they can get help; putting them in the criminal justice system doesn’t help them.” inspected 42 stores during Safe Summer events in the borough, Atlantic City and Point Pleasant and $6,500 in penalties were assessed from 14 violations cited in 12 stores. The infractions involved the pricing at 10 stores and pricing and refund policies at two stores. Last year 20 stores were inspected in Seaside Heights and only three were cited with violations for their pricing and refund policy.

The next council meeting will be on Tuesday, July 11 at 7 p.m.

Chief Boyd remarked, “We’re happy the Attorney General and the Prosecutor are here today making sure everything is safe and everything is legit. People come to Seaside to enjoy themselves and we also want them to win.”