On Tuesday, the Jet Star Roller Coaster, the iconic image of Hurricane Sandy in Ocean County, was removed from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.   The entire process took nearly 24 hours, but you can now watch it in just over one minute.

See more pictures from the demolition and Prince Harry’s visit from Ocean County’s ONLY Authentically Local news source, The Ocean Signal & Ocean County Police Blotter:  https://www.facebook.com/OCPoliceBlotter?fref=ts

Schools received a rain barrel and it was up to students to design and paint the barrel. Once the rain barrels were painted, they were transported to the OCVTS Jackson Center where Collision Repair students applied a clear-coat weather-proof protective finish. The rain barrels can be viewed on the Barnegat Bay Blitz website. The barrels will be distributed throughout the Barnegat Bay watershed area to promote awareness about storm water, water pollution and water conservation.

A panel discussion and Q&A session will follow the video.

The panel will consists of adults living with ADHA, the spouse of an adult with ADHA, and a professional who works with people who have ADD/ADHD.

Refreshments will be served.

This program is free and open to the public.  Registration is required.  For more information or to register go to the Web site www.theoceancountylibrary.org or call (732) 657-7600.

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Goddard School, Jackson

JACKSON– On Sunday, Feb. 24, the PTO president and seven faculty members from The Goddard School located in Jackson cooked up a storm at the Ronald McDonald House in Long Branch. The volunteers made a variety of items including salad, baked mac & cheese, chili, roast turkey with gravy, potatoes, vegetables, chicken, cupcakes and cookies for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House.  The meal preparation was part of an ongoing partnership between The Goddard School located in Jackson and Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).

In January, to celebrate 25 years of service as the leader in early childhood education, The Goddard School located in Jackson kicked off the national organization’s 25th anniversary festivities with a special fundraising campaign to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). Children, families and friends of the school participated in a “Hop-A-Thon” to raise nearly $900 for their local RMHC chapter.

In addition to monetary donations, students at The Goddard School created birthday cards to be distributed throughout the year by RMHC directors to pediatric patients or family members celebrating birthdays during their, or a loved one’s, hospital stay. On Sunday, the volunteers delivered more than 175 hand-made cards. The school also donated fresh fruit and dry goods such as cereal, peanut butter, jelly and granola bars to the families.  The school has also started a Pop Tab collection that they pledge to maintain throughout the year.

For more information about The Goddard School located in Jackson, visit http://www.goddardschool.com/nj-ny/jackson-veterans-highway-nj or call 732-833-8881.

Sea Bright– In a combined effort between The Foundation to Save the Jersey Shore (STJS) and the New Jersey Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA), ground will be broken at 6:30am on Friday, March 1st on the site of the first playground being rebuilt following Super Storm Sandy, in memoriam of the victims of the December school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Founded by New Jersey businessman Warren Diamond, former NFL Superbowl Champion Phil Villapiano, and Financial Service Executive Kevin Leahy, STJS is working alongside firefighters, police officers, teachers, and volunteers in an initiative called “The Sandy Ground Project: Where Angels Play,” connecting two tragedies that share the same name. “Our foundation came together because of the devastation that Sandy brought to our communities; but at the core of our mission, we can’t discriminate against human tragedy in whatever form it takes,” explained Phil Villiapiano. “This is why we felt ‘Where Angels Play’ was a fitting cause for the help we have to offer.”

Twenty-six playgrounds will be built throughout New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, each memorializing a life lost in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Brian Boms, chairman of STJS’s Construction Committee, initially brought the project to the attention of the Foundation. “The FMBA had worked alongside STJS gutting over a thousand homes for Sandy victims. When I learned of their playground project, I saw it as a perfect opportunity to bring two organizations together to restore the ravaged Jersey Shore while remembering the victims from Sandy Hook Elementary at the same time,” explained Boms. “This initiative is a sign of rebuilding and revival.”

The playgrounds built in the shore area will provide an outlet for children and families who have endured hardship as a result of Sandy. Sea Bright was chosen for the first playground location because of the level of devastation brought by Sandy and the amount of time spent there by FMBA members cleaning up the aftermath.  “This playground, and the others to follow, will stand as a reminder that violence against children is deplorable,” said Kevin Leahy. “It will serve as a symbol of hope and resilience for the community.” The handicap-accessible playground will be built near the old boardwalk’s location in memory of Sandy Hook Elementary special education teacher, Anne Marie Murphy. STJS volunteers and Mayor Dina Long of Sea Bright enlisted the help of children from the community to design the playground.

The Foundation to Save the Jersey Shore channels its grassroots efforts and resources into building a support function for Sandy-affected communities such as Sea Bright. “Our goal as an organization isn’t only to give help to the individual families that need it most, but it’s also to jump start the hearts of the communities affected, funding projects that will bring people back together and back to normal,” stated co-founder Warren Diamond. “This playground project is just one of the ways we are going to achieve that and bring the Jersey Shore back to life.”

For more information on The Foundation to Save the Jersey Shore, or to make a donation to help rebuild and renew the communities affected by Sandy, please visit www.SaveTheJerseyShore.org.

The Foundation to Save the Jersey Shore is a community based volunteer organization dedicated to raising funds to assist homeowners and businesses within communities adversely affected by Hurricane Sandy. Our volunteer efforts and use of these funds will enable these homeowners and businesses the ability to rebuild, recover and renew their lives and businesses. By doing this, our goal is to help the Jersey Shore maintain its position as a major economic force in the State of New Jersey. Furthermore, the Foundation is committed to seeing that every dollar raised will be used directly or indirectly to achieve this goal.

LAVALLETTE–This week Governor Chris Christie announced that the state will be reconstructing Route 35 and showed up at the Lavallette Firehouse to break the news to the media.

See the story here:  Route 35 Reconstruction.

Photo: Governor Chris Christie and DOT Commissioner Jim Simpson make Route 35 reconstruction announcement in Lavallette. (NJ Office of Information Technology)

By Madeline Kinloch,
Monsignor Donovan High School

TOMS RIVER–Bradley Henson Jr of Surf City. a senior offensive guard from Monsignor Donovan High School signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the University of North Carolina Tarheels.

Henson originally slated to attend the University of Virginia made up his mind mid-December to head south to UNC.  ”Once I went down to North Carolina, saw the campus and talked to UNC coach Larry Fedora, I knew it was the place for me,” Henson said.

Bradley has been a four year starter for Donovan football playing all positions on the offensive line. During his freshman and sophomore years Brad participated with Habitat for Humanity and was a member of Student Council. Presently he helps out with the Head Start program and is an anchor for the school television station MDTV.

Brad has been named the No. 13 guard in the nation by CBS Sports.com, and was listed the No. 25 guard in the country by Scout.com. He was rated the No. 11 player in New Jersey and the No. 26 offensive guard in the country by Rivals.com, and named first-team all-state. He was ranked among the top 25 offensive guards in the nation by ESPN.com

TOMS RIVER–High up in the balcony of Gepp Gymnasium hung papers with numbers marking the countdown for Junior, Dana Carbone of Toms River, to score her 1000 career point and become the 2^nd  Lady Griffin Basketball Player to do so this year and the 8^th player in school history.

Dana joins teammate Kelly Milana who scored her 1000 point at the beginning of this season and Michele Carnevale’73, Maria Alonso ‘74, Gail Scardillo’ 81, Kris Witfill ‘89, Audrey Bowersox ‘92 and Meredith Loffredo ‘98.

The game held February 12^th against Toms River North High School had Dana needing 36 points. No one anticipated that she would score all 36 points during this one game. However, fans were prepared all the same, ripping off the numbers with each basket and free throw she made. Late in the fourth quarter with only two points remaining in the official countdown, Dana went to the free throw line for two shots. As Dana made the second free throw Gepp Gym erupted in applause and the Lady Griffins stormed the court to engulf Dana in hugs.

The Lady Griffins take to the hardwood next week for the NJSIAA State Basketball Tournament.

Monsignor Donovan is Ocean County’s only Catholic High School and is located at 711 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ