LAKEWOOD–Looking for something to do this weekend for dad on Father’s Day? The Ocean Signal has some exciting ideas including breakfast, dinner and a cruise along the historic Toms River waterfront.

“Someone working on the system caused it go to off,” Erwin said, “But since it went off unscheduled, we had no other option than to bring the kids out. They very quickly ascertained that it wasn’t a real alarm and got the kids back in as soon as they could.”

“We would never hold a drill in that kind of weather. If we had one schedule, we would have re-scheduled it,” she added.

JACKSON-Jackson police say three individuals sustained injuries Tuesday morning in a crash involving three vehicles at the intersection of Cedar Swamp Road and Bennetts Mills Road here.

At approximately 10:48 am, a Jackson Township Department of Public Works Ford F-250 truck was traveling westbound on Bennetts Mills Road when, according to police, it failed to stop at a red traffic signal and entered the intersection, striking a Mack truck which was traveling southbound on Cedar Swamp Road.

After striking the Mack truck, the DPW vehicle spun around, striking a car driven by a 43 year old woman as the vehicle was stopped at the red light, heading eastbound on West Veterans Highway.

The occupants of the DPW vehicle were a 56 year old male driver and 39 year old female passenger.

Jackson Police say three of the four involved in the crash suffered injuries. The driver of DPW vehicle was issued a summons by the investigating officer for failure to stop or yield the right of way. No names were released by the Jackson Police Department.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. and include seven of the top marching music ensembles in the world, including the 10-time World Champion Cadets from Allentown, Pa.; Phantom Regiment from Rockford, Illinois; the Bluecoats from Canton, Ohio; the Boston Crusaders from Boston, MA; Jersey Surf from Camden County; and the Raiders from Burlington.

Drum Corps: An American Tradition begins at 7:30 pm. Ticket prices range from $18 for Value

Reserved seats, up to $50 for exclusive VIP seating. A limited number of $15 General Admission tickets will be available the day of the event at the gate or in advance from members of the Jackson Liberty High School Marching Band. Ticket prices will increase $5 at the box office on the day of the show.

JACKSON-After a series of gunshots rang out from a location just several hundred feet from the Lucy N. Holman Elementary School in Jackson while fourth graders were engaged in field day activities, the school was able to put its years of lockdown drills to the test in a real life scenario.

Just one block away, police later learned that 56 year old Anthony Blaszka was firing his 12 guage shotgun out his bedroom window, striking a neighbor’s home with two young male occupants.

As police descended upon the scene, the school was put into lockdown with a shooter on the loose.  At the time, police did not know where the shots came from and they searched surrounding blocks for the shooter.

They quickly discovered a home on nearby Laurelton Avenue with at least four rounds in the structure.  Bullet holes were found in the home’s roof and pillars.  Holes the size of a golf ball riddled the home.

Until Blaszka was found, nobody, not even the Jackson Police Department was sure of his motive,  intentions or wherabouts.    The Lucy N. Holman Elementary School and nearby Jackson Memorial High School and McAuliffe Middle School were all placed on lockdown.

Initially Jackson Police surrounded a home across the street from the bullet riddled home on Laurelton Avenue, not knowing the damage came from behind the home from Georgian Boulevard.

Police eventually located Blaszka with two 12 guage shotguns and a stockpile of ammunition.

The school lockdowns ended and all of the children returned home safely.  Police later determined that no students were in any imminent danger, but because of routine training and drills, the staff at Lucy N. Holman Elementary School got a rare chance to test its lockdown procedures.

Not the First Real Lockdown at Holman Elementary

This is not the first time the staff at Holman Elementary has performed a real lock down.  In June of 2004, the school went on lock down after a black bear wandered around the surrounding neighborhood.  The bear traveled from nearby Jackson Mills Road and the school remained on lock down until police could confirm the bear was no longer in the area.

by Frank Cipriani

I was enjoying a little online chat with my editor when he informed me that he had to go mow his lawn. He left the chat before I could warn him of the consequences of this antiquated and barbaric practice.

Turns out, that lawns were invented in France, the nation that brought us smelly cheese and creeping socialism, and so many other un-American practices, like atheism and dudes in tights. Lawns were invented so that, from a distance, castle keepers could see that enemies were approaching. In the mid-nineteenth century, Americans wanted to imitate the Frenchified landscaping which had, by then, taken hold in Scotland and England. The wet climate and more northerly latitudes made lawns a more organic choice in Europe than they were in the United States.

I’ve been reading the dire news from Europe about how the world economies are going south and how, because we are no longer independent of the global vicissitudes of the marketplace, we may experience a renewed economic crash, just like we did at the end of the Bush presidency. If we do, it will be thanks to our dependence on the Europeans, the same people who brought lawns (and smallpox) to North America.

And this time, there will be no bailout.

In other bad news, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an above-active hurricane season. Not to say the sky is falling, but if it’s going to fall, it turns out the worst thing you could do is mow your lawn.

What does this mean for us here along the river? Will it mean empty grocery shelves, or more long lines for gas? Will it mean that we won’t be able to send our children to college or enjoy our retirement? Will I have to drive four hours north (again) to watch “Breaking Amish?”

I don’t think it will be quite as bad as all that, especially for those of us who practice “liberty gardening.”

Therefore, I humbly suggest that each and every one of you tear out your lawns.

Think about it – grass is useless. Lawn maintenance costs money and gives nothing in return but a boring monoculture of endless steppe and greenery which demands mowing, fertilizing and watering, reducing us all to meaningless serfdom when we could be inside inventing a new form of math, or some alternate form of energy, or even publishing a newspaper. Heartier plants seed themselves in this chemical-rich environment, and the homeowner is forced to counter with even stronger chemicals. More than 60 percent of all these chemicals never reach the roots of the grass, and instead are washed into Barnegat Bay, where they contribute to the rise of jellyfish populations and algae blooms and force a die-off of fish and shellfish in the bay and ocean.

Grass, it turns out, has two different processes by which to propagate. It can be seeded, or it can reproduce by runner. Most homeowners are restricted by law from propagating their grass by seed, although this is the best method by which to maintain a thick, drought-resistant lawn. This is why most lawns propagate through underground runners. In some areas, where the soil is clay and has poor drainage, allowing grasses to go to seed is a bad idea, but in our area, which is mostly sand, local varieties of turfgrass (not hybrids) can be bred to survive our specific conditions of blistering summers, periods of drought, and wet springs and autumns. The truth is, most of the turfgrass and perennial lawn grasses we grow here in Ocean County could not survive without continued care and mowing, an absurd waste of water, and accompanied by environmentally unfriendly blasts of chemicals.

So even if you insist on growing a lawn, you really shouldn’t mow it until after it has gone to seed. This way, at least, you’re reseeding with turfgrass which is best adapted to survive you very particular little biome. If you do decide to let your grass go to seed, you can do it in patches, allowing the part of your lawn with the worst conditions for growth to complete its life cycle. This assures that any grass that does manage to survive is the heartiest grass for your particular lawn. Then, cut it gradually, collect the seeds and scatter them throughout the rest of your lawn. The best times to do this are in the spring and fall.

Personally, I hate lawns, and have grown useful edible plants instead, much to the chagrin of my neighbors. This includes wild edibles like Evening Primrose, which I harvest in the spring and freeze. Milkweed, another wild edible, attracts butterflies, and can be eaten as a potherb. Its unopened flower buds can be cooked in two changes of water and served like broccoli, and the pods it produces can be pickled. I also allow mullein to grow in my yard. The tea helps relieve my asthma. This summer, I will be writing a series of articles dealing with these wonderful “volunteers” which demand so little and give back so much – these are the plants that can feed your family in economically challenging times.

So by the time the next disaster comes, be it environmental or economic, you’ll be able to stroll out into your yard and gather some useful plants that come to you, free of charge, and pretty much maintenance free as well. While those McMansion high-falutin’ neighbors of yours struggle to fill the pantry, you’ll be sitting pretty. See, grass isn’t good eating, so unless your neighbor happens to be a cow, when the next disaster that hits, you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood.

The next time you’re summoned to mow the lawn, just show this article to your well-meaning loved one or neighbor. Just say “no” to lawn mowing.  You’re not being lazy. You’re an American, baby, a Jersey Shore American, doing your patriotic duty by letting those so-called “weeds” help you declare your independence. you’re saying “no” to Euro-culture, and socialism, and smelly cheese.

And if your sissified neighbors complain? Just tell them it isn’t an overgrown lawn, it’s a strategic alternative food reserve system, and they can come over and graze when disaster hits. Their eyes will tear with gratitude. And if they don’t? Well, the town usually gives you ten days to mow before they levy fines.

Mayor Acropolis questioned the council about receiving the email, “Did you get an email earlier today about this issue? And if you did, maybe we should have come in a bit earlier to work on it as opposed to just saying we’re not going to do anything for two or three weeks,” the Mayor said. He criticized the council’s decision to postpone the bid.

Attorney Jean Cipriani explained to the council that they have different options to remedy the situation but recommended any course of action be taken in executive session.

Councilman John Ducey rebutted, saying he wasn’t going to just approve $3.3 million dollars and that his busy schedule prohibited him from arriving to town hall earlier.

“I understand you’re a very busy attorney, I understand that, but the people out here pay your salary and there’s thousands of people affected by Sandy that want us to move forward on this,” the Mayor lashed out at Councilman Ducey. “I’m sorry that you were too busy that you spent twelve minutes doing it.”

Councilwoman Lydecker deferred to counsel to ask why the council cannot just rebid the project and Mrs. Cipriani once again recommended the discussion to take place in executive session for the township’s best interest because of anticipated litigation.

The council learned from the NJ DEP that a bid submitted by T. Fiore Construction was not valid because the company did not possess the necessary certifications by the state. By going to the next highest bid, the project would exceed the engineer’s initial estimates by $1.3 million.

The council then held a vote to re-bid the debris removal project, rescinding the previous bid request.

The following was compiled using archived information from Save Barnegat Bay and a recent release provided by Brick Township; photos courtesy Brick Township

BRICK – Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis was joined by a crowd of citizens, elected officials, environmental activists and government agency officials here as he cut the ribbon officially opening the Traders Cove Marina and Park at a special ceremony on Thursday, May 23rd.

Traders Cove, an 11.5-acre property located on the northern side of Mantoloking Road just west of the Mantoloking Bridge, was formerly a private marina that was purchased by the township in 2005 to halt the development of high-density condominiums. It is adjacent to Ocean County’s Mantoloking Bridge County Park and multiuse pier.

“Today is truly an historic day in the history of Brick Township. Today, we celebrate a community effort to create one of the best public parks at the Jersey Shore,” he said. “Trader’s Cove will provide citizens with a place to enjoy access to the Barnegat Bay for generations to come.”

A plan to develop condominiums on the Trader’s Cove property was announced in 2003. Mayor Acropolis immediately voiced his opposition and a grass-roots effort to stop the development began, resulting in the governing body unanimously overturning an approval by the township zoning board that would have allowed 52 condominiums on the site in May 2004. That same month, local environmental advocacy and education organization Save Barnegat Bay unveiled a vision of the cove to be transformed into a public park including such amenities as public boardwalks, gazebos, a canoe and kayak launch, a facility for marine science education/nautical museum/or a community sailing center and more. The following year, Mayor Acropolis led the successful negotiations that allowed Brick Township to acquire the property.

“It seems hard to believe but there were officials who supported the development of high-density condominiums on the site. Thankfully, thousands of citizens raised their voices,” said the mayor during the recent ribbon-cutting event. “Their voices were heard. Without their vocal opposition and their advocacy for preservation, we may not be standing here today.”

Mayor Acropolis thanked Councilmen Joseph Sangiovanni and Domenick Brando for their consistent support of the project and thanked former governing body members who provided crucial support of the park.

In 2008, after winning his bid for re-election, the mayor began the redevelopment of the site. One of the administration’s top priorities was seeking grant funding to offset the costs of the project for local taxpayers. Brick Township has received nearly $9,000,000 in grants to help fund the acquisition and development of Trader’s Cove.

Today, Trader’s Cove has new bulkheads, a public boat ramp, a travel lift, a walking path, picnic benches, parking facilities, landscaping and a new ADA-compliant playground.

“Trader’s Cove is a perfect place to go to launch your boat, personal watercraft or even kayaks. It is a great place to bring the children to enjoy the new playground. Or, if you prefer, it can be a place to sit on a bench and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Barnegat Bay,” said Mayor Acropolis.

Future development will include floating docks, transient boat slips, and a resource building.

“We had hoped to have all of our floating docks and boat slips ready for the start of this season. Unfortunately, Sandy changed those plans,” continued the mayor. “The crews did an outstanding job after the storm getting Trader’s Cove to where it is today when they basically had to start over. I thank them for their hard work.”

Trader’s Cove was included in the United States Department of the Interior’s America’s Great Outdoors Fifty State Report. The report highlighted conservation projects throughout the United States that “aim to reconnect Americans to the natural world through parks, trails, and rivers and to conserve and restore working lands and wildlife habitat” and that the projects included will “create jobs through travel, tourism, and outdoor activities.” You can learn more about the report at www.americasgreatoutdoors.gov.

Trader’s Cove also provides easy access to the recently reopened F and T Coves that are under the management of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Mayor Acropolis and Mr. Sangiovanni were vocal advocates for the reopening of the coves.

“The coves are extremely popular among boaters. We are glad that they have been reopened and we urge all citizens to treat the coves and the waters of the Barnegat Bay with nothing but the utmost respect,” said Mayor Acropolis. “Trader’s Cove is a short distance away and is available for boaters’ needs.”

For information about boat slips and ramp fees, please call Trader’s Cove at (732) 920-7373

Lake Riviera Drainage Improvements to go out to Bid
The township council agreed to advertise bids to remedy drainage issues on Spruce Drive, Montana Drive, Arizona Drive, Huxley Drive, Tennessee Drive, Hudson Drive, and Lakeshore Drive, including the intersection of Pine Tree drive and reconstruction of Virginia Drive drainage culvert.

Councilwoman Susan Lydecker said she was “really glad we’re taking care of this for the residents in this neighborhood.”

Mayor Steven Acropolis reminded the councilwoman that it was not the current council who should take credit for this project, but the previous council.
“These roads were approved in 2011 as part of a capital plan, so I think a thank you goes to the council of 2011 for putting these on the agenda and making sure these got built, it just takes a while to get through the process,” he said.

Concrete Roads for Cedarwood Park?

During discussion of the Cedarwood Park roadway improvement project, Council President Robert Moore questioned the mayor and Business Administrator Scott Pezarras over the use of asphalt road services over concrete road surfaces.

“Is there a reason why we don’t use cement for roadways?” he asked. He said Florida and Nevada both use concrete and asked the mayor to look into the prospect. “If we gotta keep going back time and time again and patch roadways every winter, I think if we just throw down six inches of cement in one shot, done.”

Mr. Pezarras agreed to investigate and pose the question to the township engineering department.

Brick Beach I Boardwalk and Shower Rebuild

After being destroyed during Hurricane Sandy, the council discussed the project to rebuild the Brick Beach I boardwalk and shower platform. The project was awarded to Birch Construction of Bayville and will cost $52,297.

“This project is supposed to be [completed in] two weeks; it was a little late in getting done, but it will still give us a lot of summer,” Mayor Acropolis said.

The project will be partially or fully reimbursed by FEMA depending on the various negotiations ongoing at the state and federal levels, and is part of bond to repair post-Sandy infrastructure.

Blood Drive

The township is having a Blood Drive  on Monday, June 17. Any citizen can donate. The drive will be held from 3pm – 7pm in the Municipal Building . Please help by donating blood and giving someone a second chance. To schedule an appointment please call (732) 262-4796.

Smoking Prohibited at Brick Family Events

The township council voted to ban smoking at Windward Beach events this summer including Relay for Life, SummerFest, concert events, and Kid’s Night Out, as it has in past years.

100 Percent FEMA Reimbursement

The governing body followed suit of other towns in requesting FEMA pay 100 percent of recovery of debris and demolition related costs.

Joe’s Crab Shack Seeks to Bypass Noise Ordinance

With summer fast approaching, Joe’s Crab Shack seeks to suspend the municipal noise ordinance to allow the contractor to perform construction activities every Sunday through July 23^rd.