OCC Course Opens The Door To Alternate Route To Teaching

TOMS RIVER – Ocean County College has partnered with Brookdale Community College to provide aspiring teachers with a pathway to K-12 teacher certification, offered through OCC’s Workforce and Professional Education department. Classes begin on July 14 and registration is open now. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree or higher can take advantage of New Jersey’s Alternate Route to Teaching program to become a licensed teacher without having to complete traditional teacher training. OCC’s “Introduction to Teaching” course is the first step. The course is designed to provide candidates with the skills and strategies needed to become effective teachers, and delivers an overview of all aspects of teaching, including lesson planning, classroom management, child development, school law and ethics, assessments and more. The program is regulated and approved by the New Jersey Department of Education.

The course is composed of 30 hours of classroom instruction and 20 hours of clinical work, which includes classroom observations, substitute teaching, tutoring, and working in an after-school program. Upon completion, candidates receive a Verification of Program Completion and become eligible to move on to the next stage of the licensing process. The upcoming session will meet as follows:

July 14: 5 to 8 p.m.

July 15: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

July 16: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

July 21: 5 to 8 p.m.

July 22: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

July 23: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information and to register for the course, visit go.ocean.edu/teach or contact OCC’s Workforce & Professional Development office at 732-255-0409.

Silverton Volunteer Fire Company - Red, White And Blue

TOMS RIVER – Come and join the Silverton Volunteer Fire Company for their Annual Red White and Blue event on July 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first ever give back event for our community. It will be a beautiful family fun filled day. Come and enjoy the games outside with the kids. Get your car washed by local girl scouts! Police car will be there so the kids can tour it from 1 to 3 p.m. Live music and all!

Local businesses have generously donated beautiful baskets for the raffle giveaway. You do not have to be present there to participate. Raffles will be two tickets for $5, arm’s length for $20 and 10 tickets for $25. They will be doing the raffles live on here from the event.

Inside the hall will be vendors and local businesses that you can support and do some holiday shopping. So many options from boutiques, candles, teas, wooden affirmation pieces, scrubs, permanent jewelry, supplements, decor, reiki, handmade purses, press on nails and the list goes on and on.

This fundraiser and all proceeds are to benefit the first responders and veterans. They do so much for us and we are so happy to give back to them. Get your friends and family and come to the event of the summer! They look forward to meeting new faces and spending time with old friends.

Jersey Devil: Continued From Page 1

do with the Galloway area. His feelings are the story’s roots come from religious-political clashes in colonial Burlington County. These disputes involved early New Jersey politicians, including Benjamin Franklin and Daniel Leeds, a prominent figure of the time who was ostracized by the Quaker community for publishing almanacs containing astrological symbols and writings.

Regal pointed out the picture in the opening pages of his second phase almanac displayed a dragon-like figure that may have led to the beginning of the Jersey Devil’s legendary creation.

Not only did the Quakers order the removal of Leeds’ almanac, but they also demanded that copies of his subsequent work, “The Temple of Wisdom,” be destroyed. Only one copy of the book exists in the United States and is a part of the Pennsylvania Historical Society’s collection.

“Leeds is on the receiving end of the first major political censorship campaign in America,” said Regal. “This just devastates him because he joined the Society of Friends because he felt these people loved him and embraced him and felt the same way he did.”

The disputes between Leeds and the Quaker community intensified. Leeds decided to write anti-Quaker pamphlets, leading to his dismissal and public condemnation by the local South Jersey Quaker community. In retaliation, a Quaker named Caleb Pusey published a book called “Satan’s Harbinger Encountered,” suggesting Leeds penned his works on behalf of the devil.

Leeds’ son Titan ultimately inherited the almanac business, and Ben Franklin went up against Titan when he published his own almanac, calling it Poor Richard’s. According to Regal’s research, Franklin decided to fight his competition by saying Poor Richard had consulted the stars and predicted Titan’s death.

Titan Leeds allegedly became very insulted and accused Franklin of being a fool and a liar. Franklin’s response may have also contributed to the origin of the Leeds Devil and, subsequently that of the Jersey Devil. The two may have been related but not necessarily the same.

In reply to the accusations, Franklin called Titan his friend, and said that he would never say horrible things about him. Regal called the ruse essentially a “smear campaign.”

“This must be the ghost of Titan Leeds,” Franklin reportedly said. “If you see Titan Leeds, that must mean that the ghost of Titan Leeds has come back to life as a sorcerer.”

In the winter of around 1905, Regal said peculiar footprints appeared in the snow scattered across the Pine Barrens, with an intriguing connection made by the locals. These mysterious markings prompted memories of the notorious Leeds Devil and marked the inception of what would become the compelling tale of the Jersey Devil.

Regal explained that the proprietors of a Philadelphia “dime museum” recognized the public’s intrigue surrounding the elusive creature and sought to capitalize on it. Their ingenious plan involved painting a kangaroo green, affixing wings to it, and promoting it as a part of their freak show. In a bid to enhance the exhibit’s allure, they cleverly chose the name “Jersey Devil,” believing it would generate more interest than the moniker “Leeds Devil.”

Jersey Devil Sightings

Despite historical theories that challenge the existence of a supernatural being like the Jersey Devil, adamant believers persist in their claims of firsthand encounters. The legend of the Jersey Devil has become integral to New Jersey’s identity, with countless sightings and eerie encounters etching themselves into the fabric of local folklore. Many maintain that the elusive creature continues to wander through the vast expanse of the Pine Barrens.

Two years ago, Susan Wolf, a senior citizen from Whiting, firmly believed she came face-to-face with the Jersey Devil. The incident occurred as Wolf returned home after visiting her boyfriend at Deborah Hospital.

“It was ten o’clock in the evening, and I was on Lakehurst Road,” Wolf said. “There was a lot of mist in the air as I neared Whiting’s bogs.”

According to Wolf, she was traveling in the righthand lane when the Jersey Devil came out from some trees on the left. He came within 20 feet of her windshield.

“He looked me in the eye like he knew what eye contact was,” shared Wolf. “He was about 4 or 5 feet tall and was flying with long bat wings that fluctuated very slowly. His nose looked like a moose nose.”

Wolf emphasized that she’s not the type of person to believe in conspiracy theories

(Jersey Devil - See Page 23)

What

is a “Mom & Pop” Business?

A small, independent, family owned, controlled and operated business. It has a small amount of business volume. It is not franchised.

“ Open for business in a single location.”

So if your “Mom or Pop” need the services of rehabilitation and nursing services, it just makes sense to go to a “Mom & Pop.”

Here is a picture of a true “Mom & Pop” business: