by Erik Weber

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP – It may have been several decades since they put down their social studies notebooks and picked up their badges, but for five of the seven current police chiefs serving in Ocean County, coming back to the halls of Central Regional High School here to reminisce about their early years in front of  the cameras of contemporary television students was a bit like coming home again.

The five – Toms River Chief Michael G. Mastronardy, Class of 1971; Tuckerton Chief Michael Caputo, Class of 1976; Ocean Gate Chief Reece J. Fisher, Class of 1985; Pine Beach Chief John M. Sgro, Class of 1987; and Berkeley Chief Karin T. DiMichele, nee Kane, Class of 1989 – arrived one by one to the parking lot of the school, once just a grass field when they all had attended, and entered a main entrance facing Forest Hills Parkway that was built years after they graduated. After photo opportunities and initial video interviews conducted by student Avery Jackson in another newer hallway honoring successful alumni, the five walked through an older part of the school – trading old stories as they passed the rows of lockers – and entered the current location of the student television studio, which once held Industrial Arts classes.

The two other Central Regional graduates currently serving as police chiefs – Seaside Heights Chief Thomas Boyd and Seaside Park Chief Francis Larkin – were unable to attend. Lt. Kevin C. Arnold, head of the Island Heights Police Department but not yet formally promoted to chief, is also an alumni.

Settling into a row of chairs before bright lights and a group of digital videocameras, the five opened up to student and host Angela Roberts for the station’s Community Spotlight program about their reaction to the changes around the school, how they learned they had all graduated from the same school, what they remembered most about their time here, and what they could offer as advice for contemporary students.

“So, pulling up into the parking lot and walking through those same hallways again, what felt different?” asked Ms. Roberts. “What has changed since how you remember it?”

Read More of this Story: http://issuu.com/oceansignal/docs/20130524_ocean_signal/7

The team, consisting of  Emily Golembiski of Little Egg Harbor, Jillian Hubbard of Toms River, Gillian Schriever of West Creek, Michael Signorelli of Toms River and Megan Tumpey of  Brick, will represent New Jersey in the 2013 North American Envirothon at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana in August.

The Ocean County students competed against 33 other teams on knowledge of natural resources-related topics, including soils, forestry, aquatics, wildlife ecology and a current environmental issue. This year’s theme was “Sustainable Rangeland Management: Achieving a Balance Between Traditional Agricultural Uses with Non-Agricultural Uses on Montana Rangelands.”

“For 20 years, New Jersey high school students have had the opportunity to participate in this valuable competition and learn more about the environment, natural resources and science,” said Secretary Fisher. “We hope they take advantage of the skills they learned and consider careers in agriculture and natural resources-related fields.”

Each of the MATES team members received $1,000 scholarships from the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts, $2,000 scholarships from Richard Stockton State College and $1,000 scholarships from Applied and Health Sciences at Kean University.

Two 5-member teams of MATES students competed in last year’s Envirothon with all but one of those students graduating. The two MATES teams placed first and second in 2012. An almost entirely new set of 10 students made up this year’s two teams.

“I am very proud of the hard work and dedication put forth by our members,” said MATES Advisor Adam Sprague.  “It was quite an accomplishment considering it was the first year competing for nine out of the 10 team members. We now turn our attention to Montana which offers an exciting variety of challenges in terms of preparation for our students.”

The second-place team in this year’s Envirothon was West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and third place was taken by High Tech High School, North Bergen.

The Envirothon is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, State Soil Conservation Committee; New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts; the 15 Soil Conservation Districts; United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; and Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

The 15 Soil Conservation Districts in New Jersey follow county boundaries and implement the New Jersey Soil and Sediment Control Act, which governs certain aspects of new development.  These semi-autonomous bodies are locally governed and play a strong role in the protection of New Jersey’s natural resources.

“As part of our annual overlay program, we will be starting work shortly on safety improvements including stormwater drainage work, new paving and reconstruction on several roads throughout Ocean County,” said Ocean County Freeholder Director John P. Kelly, Director of Law and Public Safety. “All totaled we will be repairing more than 13 miles of roadway starting in the next few weeks.”

The Board of Freeholders is scheduled to award a contract to Earle Asphalt Company, Farmingdale, in the amount of $2 million to reconstruct portions of seven roadways.

“This work will get under way in the next few weeks and while there may be some inconvenience to motorists during the work surely the completed repairs will make for better and safer traveling around OceanCounty,” said Freeholder Deputy Director James F. Lacey, who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Road Department.

The roadways to be improved under the contract are 1.05 miles of Herbertsville Road in Brick Township from the Monmouth County line to Lanes Mills Road; 1.24 miles of Farraday Avenue in Lakewood; one mile of Long Beach Boulevard from 31^st to 59^th street in Long Beach Township; almost one mile of James Street, from Main Street to Hooper Avenue in Toms River; 6/10ths of a mile of Massachusetts Avenue, from Cox Cro Road to Route 70 in Toms River; 1.12 miles of Vermont Avenue, in Toms River, from Cox Cro Road to the Lakewood border and Buckwald Drive at Ocean County College in Toms River.

In addition, the Board is scheduled to go out to bid to provide safety improvements to four additional roads with work expected to begin in July.

Those roads include 2.16 miles of Church Road in Toms River, from Hooper Avenue to North Bay Avenue; 1.39 miles of Lanes Mills Road in Lakewood and Brick Townships, from Route 88 to limits of Garden State Parkway Interchange 91; 1.11 miles of Lighthouse Drive in Ocean Township from Route 9 east to Barnegat Bay and 2.34 miles of West Bay Avenue in Barnegat Township from Pine Street to Route 72.

“We maintain more than 620 county road miles so it is imperative we have a program in place to maintain our infrastructure,” said Kelly, who serves as liaison for the Ocean County Engineering Department. “Each year we perform improvements to a number of roadways. Well maintained roads certainly are safer for our motorists and pedestrians.”

The investigation, which spanned two months, began as a referral from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to New Jersey’s Crimes Against Children Task Force.  The High Tech Crime Unit of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office accepted the case and quickly gained the cooperation of the Lakehurst Police Department.  This morning, just after sunrise, the investigating agencies, with assistance from the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, executed a search warrant at Allen’s 511 Maple Street residence in Lakehurst.  The search for evidence pertaining to Distribution of Child Pornography on the internet resulted in the recovery of 26 items of digital evidence, Allen’s computer, and multiple electronic storage devices.

A forensic preview of the computer evidence at the residence by the Ocean County High Tech Crime Unit found Allen to be actively trading images of Child Pornography with other persons utilizing various means on the internet.  The on scene preview located approximately 1900 images on the computer belonging to Allen.  He was immediately taken into custody and charged with 2 counts of second degree Distribution of Child Pornography and 1 count of fourth degree Possession of Child Pornography.

Charges were signed by Det. Dan Roske of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and approved by Assistant Prosecutor Hillary Bryce.  Bail was set at $100,000 no 10% by Judge Damian Murray.  Mr. Allen is being lodged in Ocean County Jail.

The media and the public are reminded that criminal charges are merely accusations and that these defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

In particular, the new School Performance Reports seek to:

• Focus attention on metrics that are indicative of college and career readiness.
• Benchmark a school’s performance against other peer schools that are educating similar students, against statewide outcomes, and against state targets to illuminate and build upon a school’s strengths and identify areas for improvement.
• Improve educational outcomes for students by providing both longitudinal and growth data so that progress can be measured as part of an individual school’s efforts to engage in continuous improvement.

TOMS RIVER REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

BEACHWOOD ELEM
CEDAR GROVE ELEM
EAST DOVER ELEM
HOOPER AVE ELEM
JOSEPH A CITTA ELEM
NORTH DOVER ELEM
PINE BEACH ELEM
SILVER BAY ELEMENTARY
SOUTH TOMS RIVER ELEM
TOMS RIVER HIGH EAST
TOMS RIVER HIGH NORTH
TOMS RIVER HIGH SOUTH
TOMS RIVER INTERMEDIATE E
TOMS RIVER INTERMEDIATE N
TOMS RIVER INTERMEDIATE S
WALNUT STREET ELEM
WASHINGTON ST ELEM
WEST DOVER ELEM

JACKSON TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT

CARL W GOETZ MIDDLE SCH
CHRISTA MCAULIFFE MID SCH
CRAWFORD RODRIGUEZ ELEM
ELMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HOWARD C JOHNSON ELEM
JACKSON LIBERTY HIGH
JACKSON MEMORIAL HIGH
LUCY N HOLMAN ELEM
SWITLIK ELEM
SYLVIA ROSENAUER ELEM

BRICK TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT

BRICK COMM PRIM LEARN CTR
BRICK TWP HIGH
BRICK TWP MEMORIAL HIGH
DRUM POINT ROAD ELEM
EMMA HAVENS YOUNG ELEM
HERBERTSVILLE ELEM
LAKE RIVIERA MIDDLE
LANES MILL ELEM
MIDSTREAMS ELEM
OSBORNVILLE ELEM
VETERANS MEM ELEM
VETERANS MEM MIDDLE SCH

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT

BAYVILLE ELEM
BERKELEY TOWNSHIP ES
CLARA B WORTH ELEM
H & M POTTER ELEM

CENTRAL REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

CENTRAL REGIONAL HIGH
CENTRAL REGIONAL MIDDLE

LAKEWOOD–The Lakewood Piners defeated Manasquan 62-49 to win the Central Jersey Group II title.

Photo by www.thelakewoodscoop.com

113: #9 Chris Crane (Southern) md. #8 Connor Maliff (Brick Mem)  11-0
113: #5 Ben Mrozinski (Lacey) d. #12 Zack Baker (Jackson Mem)  4-0
113: #3 Nick DePierro (Freehold Twp) md. #14 Tommy Flannigan (Long Branch)  12-0
113: #7 Nasiyr Brown (Neptune) d. #10 Costa Poniros (Ocean Twp)  9-2

120: #8 Joseph Santamarco (Manalapan) d. #9 Connor Garrity (Lacey)  8-3
120: #4 Matt Russo (Jackson Liberty) d. Andy Hernandez (Long Branch)  3-1
120: #7 Dylan Seidenberg (Raritan) d. #10 Josh Glantzman (Wall)  2-1 2OT
120: #2 Dan Nobbs (Pt Boro) p. #15 Yospeh Boral (TR East)  2:57

126: #5 Anthony Scarcella (Raritan) md. #12 Khalil Haskins (Matawan)  13-1
126: #4 Marcus Iwama (Rumson) p. #13 Isaiah Haymon (Neptune)  4:21
126: #7 Andrew Tonneson (Southern) p. #10 Pete Powell (Marlboro)  5:50
126: #2 Jared Staub (Brick Mem) d. #15 Thomas Poklikuha (Pinelands)  5-2

132: #9 Dan Saraiva (Marlboro) d. #8 William Rodriguez (Matawan)  7-2
132: #4 Zach Hertling (Ocean Twp) d. #13 Joe Mandara (Barnegat)  6-0
132: #6 Ryan Harter (Pt Boro) d. #11 Nick Menkin (Long Branch)  5-4
132: #2 Kyle Wojtaszek (Brick Twp) d. #15 Ryan Davis (TR North)  9-2

138: #9 Christian Casselli (CBA) d. #8 Tim Leo (Matawan)  7-6
138: #5 Jake Camapana (Southern) p. #12 Carlos Fontanez (Keansburg)  1:29
138: #4 Steve Cimmino (Brick Twp) p. #13 Andrew Garrity (Lacey)  1:25
138: #10 Dan Kinsella (Wall) d. #7 Jack Rada (Howell)

145: #9 Nick Racanelli (Southern) d. #8 Sam Koenig (Shore)  3-0
145: #12 Matt Best (Middletown South) p. #5 Orion Rovegno (Ocean Twp)  5:45
145: #3 Spencer Young (Jackson Mem) p. #14 Steve Knapp (Lacey)  2:22
145: #10 Terrence Davis (St John Vianney) d. #7 Nick Pollara (Brick Twp)  7-5

152: #8 Dylan DaSilva (TR North) d. #9 Garrett Applegate (TR South)  6-4
152: #5 Jake George (Long Branch) tf. #12 Evan Brown (Red Bank)  15-0
152: #7 William Scott (Brick Twp) d. #10 Jake Kaminsky (Manalapan)  5-4
152: #2 Cliff Ruggiero (Brick Mem) p. #15 Jeff Goldrosen (Marlboro)  5:20

160: #8 Joe Beverly (Brick Mem) d. #9 Sean Rembach (Manchester)  8-4
160: #5 Antres Clagon (TR South) tf. #12 Steven Chandler (Manalapan)  16-1
160: #3 Anthony Ferraro (St John Vianney) d. #14 Jason Lawhon (Ocean Twp)  5-2
160: #7 Connor Sheehan (Raritan) d. #10 Jose Caraballo (Neptune)  7-4

170: #1 Tyler Richardson (Brick Mem) p. #16 Chris Cruz (Jackson Liberty)  2:45
170: #9 Ryan Kirk (Barnegat) d. #8 Anthony Benedetti (Manalapan)  7-3
170: #6 Kyle Lynch (Raritan) d. #11 Dan Baillie (Shore)  5-0
170: #7 Tyler Wilton (Middletown North) d. #10 Tyler MacLaine (TR North)

182: #8 Tommy Lyster (Ocean Twp) md. Quentin DeCarlo (TR South)  10-2
182: #6 Drew Donner (Wall) p. #11 Spencer Govel (Manasquan)  3:05
182: #7 Anthony Fabiano (Middletown North) p. #10 Muhab Elgamal (Manalapan)  1:42
182: #2 Glenn Cross (Matawan) tf. #15 Greg Schmalz (Barnegat)  18-3

195: #5 Chad Freshnock (Middletown North) d. #12 Tyler Romanelli (Wall)  2-1
195: #4 Shawn McCord (RBC) md. #13 Nick Dzuna (Pt Boro)  11-3
195: #6 Dan Hwang (Marlboro) p. #11 Josh Foca (Central)  1:49
195: #7 Ben Aquilina (Manalapan) d. #10 Armando Leonor (TR East)  6-3

220: #5 Jesse Bauta (Southern) p. #12 Mike McKenzie (Jackson Liberty)  2:30
220: #3 John Seidle (Neptune) p. #14 Tyler Tomanek (Middletown South)  3:42
220: #6 Matt Frigon (Barnegat) d. #11 Luke Becker (Manalapan)  5-3
220: #7 Joey Guidetti (Long Branch) d. #10 Anthony Dzugan (Brick Twp)  8-4 2OT

Hwt: #8 Ezra Figueroa (Brick Mem) d. #9 Thomas D’Amore (Pt Beach)  3-2
Hwt: #5 Hunter Gellman (Freehold Twp) d. #12 Dan Arias (Ocean Twp)  5-1
Hwt: #3 Anthony Fernicola (Holmdel) d. #14 Zach Andrews (Barnegat)  1-0
Hwt: #15 Atanacio Carrillo (Central) d. #2 Pat Toal (Raritan)  5-2

(From left) Sara Brilliant and Amanda Kacperowski teamed up and raised over $10,000 for the New Jersey Amusement Association First Responders Relief Fund and the Toms River Regional Schools Hurricane Relief Fund with a Sandy benefit concert called Pier Pressure. Erik Weber / Ocean Signal Media Group

By Christa Riddle,
the Ocean Signal

TOMS RIVER–Known as “Generation M²” due to their heavy exposure to and use of media and technology, today’s kids ages 8 to 18 live a good portion of their young lives connected to iPods, computers, video games, tablets, and televisions. Many of these tweens and teens rely upon social media to keep them connected, informed, and entertained, while many adults shake their heads in opposition, wondering aloud if this is a healthy and constructive way for young minds to pass the hours. After all, what good can come out of all of this time spent idly socializing online?

For 14-year-old Sara Brilliant and 16-year-old Amanda Kacperowski, two Ocean County teens, social media and technology proved to be major driving forces behind their brain child “Pier Pressure,” a hurricane relief concert the teen girls successfully planned, coordinated, and promoted in less than three weeks. Pier Pressure realized sales of 200 tickets and raised over $10,000 for the New Jersey Amusement Association First Responders Relief Fund and the Toms River Regional Schools Hurricane Relief Fund. Again, many adults were left to wonder how two teens could accomplish so much in such a short time that helped so many people throughout the community. Of course, the girls’ parents felt nothing short of utter pride and amazement at their daughters’ motivation and achievement.

Prior to Hurricane Sandy, Sara and Amanda forged a friendship online, using tumblr, a micro-blogging and social media platform, to share their love of music and local bands. The girls never met in-person prior to planning for Pier Pressure, even though they live only five miles apart. Immediately after the hurricane left its indelible markings of damage along the Jersey Shore, the teens both witnessed personal stories of the storm’s devastation shared on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and tumblr. Discussing what they saw and how many from the community were hurting, they paired their creative minds to find a way to help those in need, and so began the speedy evolution of Pier Pressure.

Sara and Amanda turned to technology to make their benefit concert a viable reality, using social media and email to contact and book local bands willing to help, as well as to spread the word and sell tickets for the December 1^st event at Toms River Intermediate East. The old-fashioned way, Sara and Amanda also pounded the pavement, hanging fliers in restaurants, stores, and entertainment spots all over the Brick and Toms River areas. Their event even received promotion on local radio stations.

The excitement and enthusiasm expressed by the fundraiser’s young founders spread with the same magnitude as the hurricane’s crashing waves as people from the area bought tickets to help their community while getting to see local bands perform. Some of the bands who donated their talents included Honor Society, the main act, as well as Kicking Daisies, Reverse Order, The Dedication, and Over the Edge. “In addition to bringing us closer together as friends, the storm brought our community closer. It showed how you can help others and make a difference in their lives,” shared Sara, a student in Toms River North High School’s class of 2016 who wants to be an archaeologist, FBI agent, or film director after high school.

Amanda, who plans to pursue a career in graphic design after she graduates from Monsignor Donovan High School in 2014, also commented, “The community and others around us were hurting, and we felt like we needed to put our time in to help. You should consider yourself lucky if the storm didn’t affect you.” Surprised by the success of their first fundraiser, the dynamic duo of Generation M² plans more benefits in the future. Sara and Amanda’s efforts and dedication show how the upcoming generation’s ingenuity and creative power can positively impact our world, as well as how technology and social media can bring people together during a time of need.

written by Christa Riddle, All About Writing, www.allaboutwritingconsulting.com for the Ocean Signal.

NEWARK – Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs have filed suit against the operators of a purported Superstorm Sandy charity, alleging the defendants unlawfully misled the public by diverting donated funds into their personal accounts, misleading donors with false claims about the ways donations would be used, falsely claiming that donations are tax-deductible, and otherwise deceiving the public in violation of New Jersey’s charity registration and consumer protection laws.

“New Jersey’s law keeps charities honest, by requiring them to register with the State and provide clear, truthful information when soliciting donations from the public,” Attorney General Chiesa said.  “This organization told the State it does not pay its executives, but our investigators found a paper trail reflecting thousands of dollars being transferred into the individual defendants’ personal bank accounts.  Meanwhile, less than one percent of the money they raised, has allegedly been paid out to help victims of Sandy. New Jersey and the Attorney General’s Office have fought hard against alleged scammers in the wake of Sandy, and we will not permit profiteers to deceive the public with deceptive appeals for charitable donations.”

Since Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of New Jersey, the Hurricane Sandy Relief Foundation (HSRF) and its operators, John Sandberg and Christina Terraccino, have solicited donations through a website in which HSRF falsely claims to be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and represents that “(a)ll of our donations go towards food, clothing, supplies, aid in rescue and cleanup efforts, and the future rebuilding of communities and lives destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.”  As of last month, the organization had raised more than $631,000 in monetary donations from at least 1,999 persons – but has disbursed less than one percent of that amount to Sandy-related causes, according to records obtained by the State.

The State’s lawsuit, filed in Bergen County Superior Court by the Division of Law, accuses the defendants of multiple violations of New Jersey’s Charitable Registration and Investigation (CRI) Act, Charities Regulations, Consumer Fraud Act, and Nonprofit Corporation Act.  The State asks the Court to order the defendants to stop soliciting donations, shut down their website, disgorge and repay all funds and property acquired by violating the law, and pay full civil penalties for every violation, among other relief.  Under the CRI Act and Consumer Fraud Act, a first violation is subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000, and subsequent violations are subject to penalties of up to $20,000.  Every solicitation of donations made while HSRF is not registered, and/or made through false or misleading statements, is considered a separate violation.

“The Division of Consumer Affairs identified certain red flags about this purported charity in late December, and immediately commenced an investigative inquiry.  Shortly thereafter, we reached out to this group, told them to provide extensive documentation about their fundraising and activities, and met with HSRF’s operators at our headquarters in Newark to address the myriad concerns we had about their activities,” Acting Director Kanefsky said.  “After a thorough investigation revealed multiple and ongoing violations of state law, we are now taking action to ensure that all of the money donated is used properly, in a manner consistent with the representations made to the public.”

The State’s lawsuit alleges:

Questionable Money Transfers
 
Financial records indicate the defendants have transferred more than $13,000 in public donations, from HSRF’s bank and PayPal accounts, into Sandberg’s and Terracino’s own personal accounts.  Records show that the transfer of HSRF funds into Terracino’s personal bank account made it possible to pay for personal expenses including nearly $8,000 in payments to a credit card company.

Records also revealed that, between November and January, the defendants paid a total of more than $4,500 from HSRF’s bank account to merchants such as the Apple Online Store, the Vivo Tapas Lounge in Newark and other restaurants, two supermarkets, Christmas Tree Shops, and a home heating oil delivery service in the Sparta area where Sandberg and Terraccino reside.  The defendants also transferred more than $3,000 from HSRF’s PayPal account to “Jezel Yepez,” an alias for Anthony Yepez, despite the defendants’ representations to the Division that he was a “volunteer” for the organization.

Despite these payments, the defendants in February applied for State registration as a charity – and claimed in their application that HSRF does not provide any compensation to its officers, directors, trustees, or executive staff.  Their application also allegedly under-reported the amount HSRF had raised, by approximately $39,000.

Deceptive Claims to Donors

The State’s Verified Complaint also notes that, though HSRF claims all donations provide “immediate” relief to Sandy victims, the group has only given out $1,650 in gift cards during the three and a half months of its existence – an amount representing less than one percent of the $631,000 HSRF has raised in donations.

Furthermore, the State notes that HSRF has not obtained 501(c)(3) status from the IRS, despite indicating on HSRF’s website, Facebook, and/or Twitter pages that the organization has 501(c)(3) status, thus misleading the public by stating donations to HSRF are tax-deductible.

Using Another Charity’s Name to Solicit Funds

The “Donations” portion of the HSRF website includes a page titled “Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund,” which states that “Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund donations go towards cleanup efforts, and the future rebuilding of communities and lives destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.”

In reality, however, the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, Inc. is the name of a separate charitable organization that is entirely unaffiliated with HSRF.  Unlike HSRF, the actual Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund is duly registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs to solicit charitable donations in New Jersey, and is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

The portion of the HSRF website that references the “Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund” includes a link to a January 14 Star-Ledger article about an event in which that organization donated winter clothing to hundreds of Sandy victims.  The State’s lawsuit notes that HSRF was not involved in that event, and the article’s inclusion on HSRF’s website creates the mistaken impression that the two groups are related.

That same “Donations” page on the HSRF website includes a PayPal link that encourages donors to make monetary contributions online.  However, all contributions made via the PayPal link go to HSRF, not the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

Deceptive Reference to Corporate “Sponsors”

The HSRF website identifies “sponsors” including Hanes Brands and CSX Corporation.  The Division of Consumer Affairs contacted both businesses, and learned that neither Hanes nor CSX has an actual relationship with HSRF or had authorized HSRF to use the corporation’s names and logos.

A Hanes representative stated the company attempted to contact HSRF and ask why the organization’s website uses the Hanes logo.  A CSX representative noted that CSX had explicitly instructed HSRF to remove the corporation’s logo from its website, and that its continued use of the CSX logo would constitute willful trademark infringement.

Failure to Register as a Charity

Under New Jersey’s CRI Act, all organizations that solicit charitable donations in the State must register with the Division of the Consumer Affairs, and re-register annually.  Registered charities must provide detailed information about their operations and fundraising activities. They must detail the charity’s annual income and expenses, including the amount spent each year on actual charitable programs, as opposed to the amount spent on fundraising or management costs.

Certain religious and educational organizations, and charities that raise less than $10,000 in public donations during a fiscal year, are exempt from the registration requirement.  The State’s complaint notes that HSRF is not an exempt organization, although by January 15, 2013 it had collected at least $631,000 in donations.

The Division of Consumer Affairs encouraged the defendants to register as a charity with the Division’s Charities Registration Section.  After operating for more than two months without even attempting to register, the defendants submitted an incorrect and incomplete registration form on January 4. A Division representative then contacted the defendants again, and directed them to the Division’s website for the correct form as well as instructions and additional information on how to apply for registration.  The defendants on February 8 submitted a registration statement that was incomplete and contained inaccurate information, including the alleged under-reporting of the charity’s income by nearly $39,000.

The Division notified HSRF of the deficiencies in its latest application form, but the organization to date has failed to respond.

The State’s lawsuit notes that HSRF’s solicitation of funds, while it is not registered, constitutes an ongoing violation of the CRI Act and Charities Regulations, and prevents potential donors from being able to obtain clear and accurate information about the organization’s activities.

Chief Investigator Laurie Goodman, of the Division of Consumer Affairs’ Office of Consumer Protection, conducted this investigation.  Deputy Attorney General Lorraine Rak, Chief of the Consumer Fraud Prosecution Section, and Deputy Attorney General Kourtney J. A. Knop represent the State in this action.

Consumers: “Investigate Before You Donate”

The Division of Consumer Affairs, through its “Investigate Before You Donate” campaign, encourages New Jersey consumers to learn as much as possible about any charity before deciding to make a donation. Consumers should:

• Find out whether the charity is registered in New Jersey, or is exempt from having to register. (Certain religious and educational organizations, and charities whose annual income includes less than $10,000 in public contributions and fundraising, are exempt from having to register with the State.)

• Find out how much the charity spent during recent fiscal years on program costs, management costs, and fundraising.

• Learn about the charity’s stated mission.

Consumers may obtain information about a charity in several ways. They can ask the charity itself (reputable charities encourage you to do so), or visit the charity’s website.

Consumers can also obtain this information from the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. Visit the Division’s Charities Registration page; call the Division’s Charities Hotline at 973-504-6215 during regular business hours; or use the Division’s free “New Jersey Charity Search” smartphone app.

Consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file a complaint with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.

Follow the Division of Consumer Affairs on Facebook, and check our online calendar of upcoming Consumer Outreach events.

NEPTUNE – The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties launched a free income tax assistance program aimed at helping low and moderate income workers maximize their tax benefits.

The VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) will be offered at six sites, three in Monmouth County and three in Ocean County, throughout the tax season. IRS-certified tax professionals will help filers complete their state and federal returns.

“The FoodBank’s mission is to build food secure communities in Monmouth and Ocean Counties,” says Carlos M. Rodriguez, executive director of the organization. “As The FoodBank works toward more comprehensive solutions to hunger in our communities, connecting  low-income families with tax credits, SNAP and other benefits  will provide an opportunity to save and strengthen their families financial health. Ultimately, The FoodBank wants people to shop in our local stores for the food they need and make the purchasing decisions that are right for their families.”

To qualify for free tax assistance, households with dependents must earn $51,000 or less, and households with no dependents must earn $30,000 or less.

FoodBank representatives and volunteers will ensure that filers who are eligible will receive important tax credits that they are entitled to, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). In addition, The FoodBank team will connect people with other critical benefits such as SNAP (food stamps), legal assistance, Hurricane Sandy-related aid and emergency food, if needed.

“The EITC is one of the largest and most successful anti-poverty programs in history,” says Mr. Rodriguez. “EITC has a proven track record of lifting families out of poverty, putting as much as $5,000 back into the pockets of working families who are living on the edges of poverty. This will not only help families, it will put money back into the local economy at a time when businesses are struggling to recover after Hurricane Sandy.”

The FoodBank’s VITA program is run in partnership with the IRS, Cowan, Gunteski & Co, PA, and the host sites, and is supported by the Robin Hood Foundation and Singlestop USA.

VITA is available at the following sites beginning in late January through April 15:

Ocean County:

• Ocean County Library, 101 Washington St., Toms River (Monday & Wednesday 4 – 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.)
• Berkeley Head Start, 264 First St., South Toms River (Tuesday 4 – 8 p.m.)
• Lakewood Library, 301 Lexington Ave., Lakewood (Tuesday & Thursday 4 – 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

Monmouth County:

• SCAN Adult Education Center, Monmouth Mall, Eatontown (Monday & Thursday 4 – 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Lunch Break, 103 Drs. James Parker Blvd., Red Bank (Tuesday & Thursday 1- 4 p.m.)
• Hispanic Affairs, 913 Sewall Ave., Asbury Park (Monday & Wednesday 4 – 8 p.m.)

Filers should bring all required documents including a valid photo ID; copies of previous returns; all income statements including W-2, Social Security and unemployment income; 1099 forms, birth dates and Social Security numbers for all dependents and a check showing a Bank Routing Number for direct deposit, if applicable.

For more information, call The FoodBank, 732-918-2600 or visit www.foodbankmoc.org.

About The Food Bank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties
The FoodBank’s mission is to alleviate hunger and build food security in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties distributes approximately 7 million pounds annually through a network of 260 feeding programs, such as soup kitchens, food pantries, and shelters. One out of every ten people living in Monmouth and Ocean Counties receives food from the FoodBank. Since Super Storm Sandy struck the Jersey Shore on October 29, 2012 The FoodBank has been actively involved in the work to bring relief and comfort to the communities it serves. Working with relief agencies, government programs and others involved in the recovery effort The FoodBank distributed food for approximately 1 million meals in the first month following the storm. For more information, visit www.foodbankmoc.org.