Lakewood Info

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2008-01-05T20:29:00.000-05:00

Bais Yaakov Elementary Melave Malka
Bais Yisroel Dinner
Mesivta Ohr Chodosh Alumni Melave Malka
Tashbar Melave Malka

Raintree Shul Hanochas Even Hapina THIS Sunday

2008-01-04T20:27:00.000-05:00

(click image to enlarge)

Mystery odor baffles officials in two counties

2008-01-04T20:26:00.000-05:00

Gloucester County Emergency Management officials said they are at a loss to explain the chemical odor that has blanketed their area and apparently drifted across to Ocean County this morning.
"We definitely know there is an odor," said Len Clark, a Gloucester Emergency Management official. "What's causing it, we can't say."Clark said the odor was first detected at around 7 a.m. and hazardous material crews with chemical sniffers were sent out into the field at around 8:45 a.m. They were unable to identify the source of the odor or its chemical components, he said.Initial reports said it was a discharge from the Valero Refinery in Paulsboro, but a refinery spokeswoman denied they were the cause of the odor.Meanwhile, emergency management officials in Ocean County have also been trying to identify the source of the odor, without success, police agencies said.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Police seek help in identifying credit card suspect

2008-01-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

Bordentown police are asking for the public's help in their search for a woman who they say used stolen credit cards to make about $10,000 worth of purchases at several stores, including one in Manalapan.

Police said the woman also gave a fake Lakewood address to the clerk at the Manalapan Circuit City while he was processing her order, so they believe she could be from the Monmouth or Ocean County area.The credit cards belonged to two Lebanon, Pa. residents who stayed at a hotel in Bordentown on Dec. 1 and 2 because their teen-aged daughters were playing in a soccer tournament at the high school in Pemberton, police said.When the parents returned to their homes, they were contacted by representatives of the credit card companies who inquired about numerous, suspicious transactions, police said.That's when the victims realized several of their cards and small amounts of cash were missing from their wallets.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Township man airlifted from Lakewood accident

2008-01-03T20:23:00.001-05:00

A 67-year-old township man had to be extricated from his vehicle and flown to the hospital after a two-car collision on Pine Street early this morning.Esteban Vega was taken via helicopter to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment of lower back and leg injuries suffered in the crash at 7:12 a.m., said Patrolman Ray Przewoznik.Vega was eastbound on Pine Street, about 900 feet west of Albert Avenue, in his 1988 Lincoln Mark VII when another vehicle headed in the opposite direction crossed over a double-yellow line and caused a near head-on collision, Przewoznik said.Vega remained conscious and alert as members of the Lakewood First Aid squad removed the roof of his car, Przewoznik said."It took them well over an hour to get him out. The whole driver's compartment area was encapsulated around his body,'' Przewoznik said.The driver of the other car complained of leg pain as a result of the crash but declined treatment, police said. He was issued a summons for careless driving.Pine Street was shut down until almost 10 a.m. between Albert Avenue and the Avenue of the States while emergency crews and investigators worked the scene. Traffic flow has returned to normal, police said.Przewoznik was assisted at the scene by Sgt. Frank Work and the Criminalistics Investigations Unit of the Ocean County Sheriffs Department. Members of the Lakewood Fire Department and MONOC paramedics also responded.

APP

Lakewood school board to vote on layoffs

2008-01-03T20:23:00.000-05:00

District administrators have recommended that the Board of Education lay off 32 school employees, including six full-time teachers, Assistant Superintendent of Schools William Andersen confirmed today.
The firings represent the latest, and most significant, set of cuts since the district realized in November it has a budget shortfall of more than $1 million.
The positions recommended to be eliminated include a dozen secretaries, six elementary teachers, a social worker and psychologist from the child study team, and a number of guidance counselors.
Despite the cuts, school officials predict there will be little to no impact on pupils.
The board could vote on the layoffs as soon as tomorrow during an emergency meeting at 1 p.m.
APP

Find a cheaper way

2008-01-03T20:22:00.000-05:00

The Lakewood Board of Education has solicited bids for about 20 security changes to the district's schools — at a total cost of about $500,000 — in response to a November melee at the high school. As important as school security is to the educational process, that's a price the debt-ridden district cannot afford to pay.School officials say they may not implement all the changes recommended by an outside security expert last month. Contractors have until Jan. 15 to submit bids for the work. "We'll determine at that point whether we want a super Cadillac or a 1992 Ford," board president Chet Galdo said.
They should opt for the Ford, if they must install expensive security devices at all. This is a district that has a $1 million deficit. It already has laid off 36 employees to start erasing the debt. It shouldn't throw money at a problem without seriously considering the financial consequences.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

SUV runs out of gas, is struck, catches fire

2008-01-03T20:21:00.000-05:00

A car collided with a disabled vehicle yesterday, resulting in the carcatching fire, police said.
A Chevrolet Equinox that had run out of gas was pointing west on Route 70 near Buckingham Drive with its hazard lights on at 6:42 a.m., police said. The driver was Aurea Baum, 44, of Lakewood.
Corinne Rojas, 21, of South Toms River did not stop driving up behind it, and her Toyota Camry collided with the sport-utility vehicle.The Camry left the roadway and caught fire, police said.
Baum and her passenger, Kacey Baum, 20, also of Lakewood, were both transported to Kimball Medical Center in Lakewood, and have since been released.
Rojas was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she was listed in fair condition.
Officer Rob Shimonovich, the Lakewood First Aid Squad and the Lakewood Fire Company responded to the crash.
APP

Singer begins 10th term on committee

2008-01-02T20:19:00.000-05:00

Committeeman Robert Singer started his 10th term in local office yesterday by setting goals for the township.
Singer, a Republican who is also a state senator, defended his seat against Miriam Medina, a Democrat, in November.
First and foremost, Singer said he will work toward preventing any municipal tax increase in 2008.
Another issue that must be addressed is housing inspections, he said.
There are some landlords who are very honest and fair, but there are others who don't provide good living conditions for residents, he said. The township needs to identify the ones who have problems and hold them accountable, he added."The streets and schools need to be safer," he said.
Residents might be called on to help report situations, he said. Additionally, security cameras might be a solution.
The township might have to work with the county and state to make some roads safer, he said. Particularly, the corner of New Hampshire Avenue and Route 70 has been the site of many crashes.
The number of homeless people must be addressed, he said.
During yesterday's reorganization meeting, Raymond Coles was appointed mayor for the second year in a row. Singer said this might be a record for the township, since there is usually a rotating mayor.
APP

Toms River will meet affordable housing quota

2008-01-02T20:18:00.000-05:00

The Dec. 20 editorial "An uninhabitable trade" criticized the proposed regional contribution agreement between Toms River and Lakewood. While I recognize that some people disagree with the basic concept of RCAs, they nevertheless are a permitted component of municipal affordable housing plans. The editorial said, "Toms River is trying to shirk its affordable housing responsibilities by transferring 144 units under a regional contribution agreement with Lakewood."
I would like to offer comments and perspectives on Toms River's affordable housing efforts.
Of all 566 municipalities in New Jersey, Toms River has the highest affordable housing obligation at 1,832 units under the first two rounds assigned by the Council on Affordable Housing. This obligation is about 40 percent higher than Jackson, which has the second-highest municipal obligation.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Man who robbed Lakewood bank still at large

2008-01-01T20:17:00.000-05:00

The Commerce Bank branch on Route 9 between Kennedy Boulevard and County Line Road was robbed about 5:40 p.m. Monday.

Detective Steven Wexler said authorities are looking for a white male in his mid-20s with with a red goatee. The man, who passed a note to the female teller demanding money, was about 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 and weighing about 230 to 240 pounds. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with dark horizontal stripes and blue jeans, Wexler said.The man being sought did not show a weapon or imply that he had one, Wexler said.After the teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash to the man, he ran out of the bank and ran on foot toward Kennedy Boulevard.The Commerce Bank is located at 1601 Madison Ave. (Route 9) and is on the site of the former Crystal Diner.No one was injured during the robbery, Wexler said.Ocean County Sheriff's Detective Erin Krause of the Criminalistics Investigative Unit and K-9 investigator Patrick Macintyre tracked the scent of the robber toward Kennedy Boulevard, Wexler said.Patrol officers Daniel Tworkoski and Sherry Jones and Michael Anderson responded to the robbery.Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Lakewood police at (732) 363-0200.

APP

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2008-01-01T20:15:00.000-05:00

Keren Hashiviis Asifa

Bank robbed in Lakewood

2007-12-31T22:59:00.002-05:00

Police are looking for a man who robbed the Commerce Bank at Route 9 and Kennedy Boulevard this evening, escaping with an undetermined amount of cash.

No weapon was shown during the robbery, the police said.

The bandit handed a note to one of the tellers demanding cash at about 5:45 p.m. He escaped on foot carrying a bag containing the money, the police said.

Officers were still at the scene talking to witnesses at 6:30 p.m., according to the police dispatch center.
APP

Lakewood school board holding special meeting Friday

2007-12-31T22:59:00.001-05:00

The Board of Education is holding a special meeting Friday to deal with contracts and legal and personnel issues. There will be no public input and formal action may be taken.
The meeting will be at 1 p.m. at the administration building at 655 Princeton Ave. For further information, call the board office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at (732) 905-3565.
APP

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-30T23:12:00.001-05:00

Bais Rochel Dinner

Cops: Extension cord caused fire in Lakewood

2007-12-30T23:11:00.000-05:00

An extension cord caused a fire to break out in a township home Saturday, police reported.
A structure fire at 1228 Carmel Court was reported at 9:52 p.m. Saturday, Lakewood Police Sgt. Glenn Clayton said.
When Officer Steve Kowaleski responded to the scene, he found two people outside. He was told another person was still inside, Clayton said.Kowaleski found Carmello Ramirez, 22, in the house. Ramirez was using a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, Clayton said.
The Lakewood Fire Department responded to ventilate the home, Clayton said. Ocean County Deputy Fire Marshal John Paolo also responded.
The house was deemed unsafe until the wiring could be checked, Clayton said. The structure suffered damage to a bedroom wall, and there was heavy smoke inside, Clayton said.
APP

Hispanic group to receive $35K

2007-12-30T23:10:00.000-05:00

The Puerto Rican Congress in Lakewood stands to receive $35,000 from the state Department of Human Services under its new funding allocation plan.
For Lakewood, that's the good news.
But it's bad news for nine other Hispanic community groups throughout the state, contends the Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey, that stand to lose their own funding under the DHS's revamped plan.
The DHS's new plan calls for re-allocating an estimated $425,000 in state funding to the Newark-based Latino Institute instead of the Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey.
As a result, nine community groups across the state that make up the HDANJ say that they will be forced to cease their outreach programs that they say identify and help children with learning disabilities.
The HDANJ is also considering legal action to overturn the DHS decision.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Officers rewarded for keeping the roads safe

2007-12-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

The Ocean County Police Traffic Safety Officers Association celebrated the holidays with an annual luncheon with the Monmouth County Police Traffic Officers Association.
The luncheon also doubled as an award presentation for the Kimberly Smith Ames D.W.I. Prevention Award, given to two officers who demonstrated leadership and initiative in the prevention of DWIs, in honor of Kimberly Smith Ames, 23, who, along with her unborn child, was killed Oct. 7, 1998, by a drunken driver in Beachwood.
Patrolman Chris Dudzik of the Toms River Police Department and Patrolman Frank Maisano of the Aberdeen Police Department were honored during the event, held Dec. 13 at Martell's Seabreeze on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-29T18:30:00.000-05:00

LCS Annual Chinese Auction - Bais Faiga Hall - 8:30 PM
Yeshiva Orchos Chaim Dinner - Orchos Chaim Hall - 8:00 PM
Yeshivas Toras Emes Dinner - Bais Yaakov - 8:30 PM

Hatzolah

2007-12-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

DROP - Simply drive by one of our 2 locations

& hand us the contents of your pushka

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RECEIVE* - A $5 gift certificate to a local pizza shop

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ENJOY! - A FREE lunch courtesy of Hatzolah

Sunday, December 30 · 11 AM - 6 PM

parking lot of Shloimy's Kosher World or Westgate Shopping Plaza
*with a $10 minimum pushka donation

sponsored in part by: JII - Pizza Plus - The Pizza Place

Riviera Executive Center

2007-12-28T09:30:00.000-05:00

Executive Suites
Fully Equipped Furnished Offices
Proffessional Secreterial Staff
High Speed Internet Access
Next Generation Phone System

Offices Starting at $225/Includes Everything

Riviera Executive Center · 216 River Ave · 732.987.3900

Lakewood's GingerBread House

2007-12-28T09:20:00.000-05:00

Muffins
Diet Muffins
Cupcakes
Fresh Daily

Helium Balloons Available

Winter Friday Schedule

Order Deadline: 12:00

Closing Time: 2 hours before Shabbos

732.370.SWEET

Elmwood Plaza · 1094 River Avenue · We Deliver

Full bakery line of Shloimy's Heimeshe Bakery of Boro Park

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-28T09:10:00.000-05:00

Motzei Shabbos - December 26

LCS Annual Chinese Auction - Bais Faiga Hall - 8:30 PM
Yeshiva Orchos Chaim Dinner - Orchos Chaim Hall - 8:00 PM
Yeshivas Toras Emes Dinner - Bais Yaakov - 8:30 PM

Motorists alerted to county road projects

2007-12-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Ocean County Engineer Frank S. Scarantino has announced the following road work-related traffic delays and detours:
County Line Road between Bennetts Mills and Harmony Roads in Jackson will have alternating traffic; Lacey Road from Manchester Avenue to Route 9 in Lacey will have lane shifts; East County Line Road from Route 9 to Squankum Road in Lakewood will have a detour; and Massachusetts Avenue from Route 70 to Cross Street in Toms River and Lakewood will have lane shifts.
For more information, call (732) 929-2000.
APP

SUV Overturn

2007-12-27T00:52:00.000-05:00

At around 5:45 PM an SUV traveling on Kent Rd in Howell overturned. Howell Police, Fire, and First Aid responded. Extrication was needed to get the driver out of the vehicle. Kent Rd was blocked off from County Line by Fire Police. The vehicle brought down wires causing Kent Rd residents to lose power. JCP&L was on the the scene working to restore power.

School-funding plan: questions, answers offered

2007-12-27T00:50:00.000-05:00

Two legislative committees were scheduled to hold a joint hearing today to consider Gov. Corzine's proposed new formula for how the state would give money to local schools.
The topic could be hot for the next few weeks. Democratic lawmakers, who hold the majority in both houses in Trenton, want the law passed by Jan. 8.
Here are some questions and answers about what the new formula means for students, schools and taxpayers.
Question:
What is different about the proposed formula?
Answer:
There would be one formula for allocating money — simplified compared to the current one, but still complex — that would apply to each of the state's 618 school districts. Currently, 31 districts in poor areas — known as the "Abbott districts" — get a lot of extra help.
Other districts, especially in recent years, haven't seen much increase in their state aid. Under the new formula, the number of low-income students in a district would be a major factor.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

DOT replacing faded street signs around Shore region

2007-12-26T23:10:00.000-05:00

Slowly, those faded signs hanging from traffic lights and identifying cross streets are being replaced by bright, readable green ones.

The good news is the state Department of Transportation crews have replaced about 1,200 of the worn, almost unreadable signs, said Erin Phalon, DOT spokeswoman. But there are about 10,000 signs left statewide to be replaced, she said.

The bad news is at least one of the new signs has a spelling error, said Lloyd Stone of Manalapan, who lobbied to have a faded sign at Taylors Mills Road and Route 9 replaced.

It was replaced, but the new sign reads "Taylor Mills Road.''

Other drivers, such as Richard Romano of Lakewood, said many of the signs on Route 88 in Brick and Lakewood are faded to the point of being unreadable.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Parlor Meeting TONIGHT!!

2007-12-25T00:43:00.000-05:00

Please join us tonight for the 20th annual parlor meeting benefiting
Vaad L'hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel

Esther Gerber hall Madison and Sixth street Lakewood

Program 8:15 p.m.
Maariv 8:40 p.m.

followed by Divrei Bracha by Harav Mattisyahu Solomon Shlita

Guest Speaker- Harav Yitzchok Sorotzkin Telsher Rosh Yeshiva.

Hot Buffet and Video Presention

Please be there to show your support.

Lakewood man charged with burglary

2007-12-25T00:42:00.000-05:00

A Lakewood man was arrested after he tried to escape through a window after burglarizing a business on X-mas, police said.Willie Taylor, 43, was charged with burglary and resisting arrest by attempting to elude the officers, police said.Taylor was taken to Ocean County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail, with no 10 percent option.Officers Leonard Nieves Jr. and Dennis Dowden responded at 12:40 a.m. Tuesday to the Beaton Brothers Flooring building on Seventh Street, where a burglary was in progress, said Sgt. Glenn Clayton of the Lakewood Police Department.The officers saw a man inside the building trying to get out through a window, Clayton said. Ignoring the officers' directions to get down, the suspect tried to run away. After a chase through a wooded area and over at least two fences, Nieves tackled the suspect, police said.Other officers then arrived and took the suspect into custody.Nieves was treated at Kimball Medical Center for an eye injury and released. Assisting at the scene were Officer Nate Montgomery, Detective Steven Wexler, and members of the Ocean County Criminal Investigation Unit.
APP

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-24T22:18:00.001-05:00

Tuesday December 25 - Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel Parlor Meeting

Towns meet to organize for 2008

2007-12-24T22:17:00.000-05:00

The following is a partial list of dates and times when municipal governing bodies will meet to organize for the year, to swear in newly elected officials to borough councils or township committees, appoint new members to boards, and award professional contracts.
January 1 - Lakewood - Noon, Town Hall, 231 Third St.
APP [Click HERE for full list]

Two people seriously injured in Parkway accident

2007-12-23T22:07:00.001-05:00

LAKEWOOD — The Garden State Parkway remains closed at milepost 87.5 southbound at the scene of a 4:30 p.m. accident involving three cars and a charter bus with 50 passengers onboard.Two persons, who were traveling in one of the vehicles, were seriously injured and were transported to the trauma center at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune by the state police South Star helicopter, according to Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which operates the parkway.Orlando said that no bus passengers on the bus heading to Atlantic city were reorted injured."Traffic delays are extraordinary at this point and overhead signs on the parkway are advising motorists to use Exit 98 to access Interstate 195 and then Route 9 southbound,'' he said at 6:50 p.m.The state police Fatal Accident Investigation Unit is on the scene, he said. The unit responds to all serious, as well as fatal, accidents, he said.
APP

Theives Busted!

2007-12-22T23:45:00.001-05:00

On Friday night the Lakewood Police caught 4 thieves. They were busted breaking into cars on Chicanos Dr(off 14th st.) and on Cedar Row. Thank You very much Lakewood Police for doing a great job.

Vaad L'hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel Parlor Meeting

2007-12-22T23:44:00.001-05:00

Vaad L'hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel Parlor Meeting
(to benefit Russian Jewry founded by R' Naftoli Cukier)

Tuesday Evening December 25th
at the Esther Gerber Hall - Madison and 6th

Program to begin at 8:00 PM
Guest Speaker - Rav Yitzchok Sorotzkin
Hot Buffet and Video Presentation

Lakewood sees lower demand than expected for affordable housing

2007-12-22T23:43:00.000-05:00

Despite a major advertising push, housing advocates received back less than a sixth of the applications they sent out for bids to live in the 72 units of the affordable housing going up, officials said."We thought there would be higher demand for affordable housing, than the return we got,'' Ervin Oross Jr., Lakewood's director of community development, said. "Maybe people don't want to report their income and submit the paperwork. Perhaps they have poor credit and can't obtain a mortgage. There's a whole range of reasons, actually.''The deadline for applications was Nov. 30. For two years prior, township leaders said, they spread the word heavily through Spanish-language, Ocean and Monmouth county newspapers, the state housing-mortgage Web site and local churches. Yet, of the 6,500 applications that went out, only 1,100 were returned, Oross said.Still, Michael McNeil, chairman of STEPS -- one of three nonprofit groups trying to get about 400 units of affordable housing off the ground -- sees the effort to spread the word as having been worthwhile."Overall, we're happy with all the folks and all the churches that did what they had to do,'' he said. "I'm proud of the whole community.''
APP

$79M granted to fix roads

2007-12-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

The state Department of Transportation opened its sack of grants and awarded $78.75 million for road-improvement projects in 438 municipalities, including 41 grants to towns in Monmouth County and 33 in Ocean County.
The cash is from the DOT's annual municipal aid grants, which town officials apply for to finance projects from street reconstruction to paving to installing new traffic signals.
The state grants, announced Thursday, spare local taxpayers from the cost of financing the work, said Kris Kolluri, transportation commissioner.
Municipal officials apply for the grants for specific projects, or in the case of Rumson, several street projects, for which it received $130,000.
For 2007, the DOT received 835 grant requests, which total $237 million.
It funded a total of 440 of those applications.
Ocean County Observer

Kehilla Direct

2007-12-20T01:52:00.000-05:00

(click on image for link)

Safety precautions urged at Lakewood schools

2007-12-20T01:51:00.000-05:00

A security expert has recommended several major changes to better protect and monitor schools and students, including adding turnstiles, metal detectors, barrier gates and door alarms.
The proposed overhaul, while well received for its thoroughness, also prompted concerns from parents and educators that it was a possible overreaction by officials, especially because the costly endeavor comes when the school district is crippled with debt. The security analysis follows a melee involving 150 students and others at the high school Nov. 14.
"We're overmedicating the baby, per say," Rose Carlo, whose daughter is a high school senior, said at a Board of Education meeting Wednesday night. "We need to slow down and take a better look. We're sending a message that the kids might be of a criminal background."
This is money we don't need to be spending right now."
Following the presentation by Raymond McGill, a senior consultant with Care Security Systems, Glenn Bradford, PTA president at the Clark school, asked why the measures weren't being applied to the elementary schools.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Parole nears for armed robber

2007-12-19T00:02:00.000-05:00

The Lakewood man serving a 22-and-a-half-year prison term for sticking up a man in a motel room while armed with a 9 mm pistol will be considered for parole in February.
Todd Greene, 33, of Downing Street, got the long stretch in prison because of convictions for:
Armed robbery in Middlesex County in 1991 that earned him a seven year prison term.
Aggravated assault in Burlington County in 1993 for which he was sentenced to four years in prison.
Greene admitted going to Rivers' room at the Scottish Inn at Route 9 and North Lake Drive on Nov. 29, 1995, hitting the victim on the head with his pistol and robbing him. He was there with his cousin, Irwin F. Greene of Route 9, Lakewood, who got an eight-year prison term for his part in the robbery.
Ocean County Observer [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-18T22:28:00.001-05:00

Chinuch Atmoi Emergency Campain

NEW SYSTEM SIMPLIFIES RECYCLING

2007-12-18T22:27:00.000-05:00

That weekly recycling ritual of bundling newspapers and baling cardboard will be history for Ocean County residents in early 2008, with a new "all in one bin" collection system that will pick up all kinds of paper mixed together.
"Everything but your phone book, essentially, will be able to go in a single container," county Freeholder James F. Lacey said Monday in announcing a rollout of the new system. Private trash carters will begin picking up comingled paper in January, and the municipal public works departments in the county can start Feb. 4, Lacey said in a press conference at the county's northern recycling center.
Glass bottles, cans and plastic containers have been collected together for years, and "statistics show that if you put it in one container, make it easy, people will do more of it," Lacey said.
A study of the county's waste stream completed last August concluded that the average Ocean County household throws 20 percent of its waste paper in the garbage, said county solid waste coordinator John Haas. For every additional ton of paper that towns collect with this new system, they will save local taxpayers about $87 — by avoiding the $69.70-per-ton fee at the Ocean County Landfill in Manchester, and gaining the $17.28 per ton in revenue sharing from the county's sale of recycled materials, Haas said.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-17T23:27:00.001-05:00

Bikur Cholim Lecture

Fallen Trees - Wires Down - Blackouts

2007-12-17T23:25:00.000-05:00

Last night there was a black out in BMG & the Forest Ave. neighborhood. The blackouts have been caused by trees falling on wires. The Hatzolah antenna which is located on top of BMG was down due to the blackout. JCP&L was on scene of the wires that were knocked down, in order to restore power. Thank You very much JCP&L for working through the powerful winds to restore power.
Lakewood Info

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-16T23:24:00.000-05:00

Cong. Zichron Binyamin Hachnasas Sefer Torah
Zichron Shlome Refuah Fund Woman's Dinner

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-15T21:03:00.001-05:00

Vaad Harabonim Asifas Chizuk
Yeshiva Bais Hatorah Womans Melave Malka
Yeshiva Dvar Torah Jerusalem Parlor Meeting

Lakewood school funding could double

2007-12-15T21:02:00.001-05:00

Will Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposed new public school funding formula be the fiscal white knight to rescue Lakewood public schools?
Under Corzine's new funding formula, Lakewood public schools stand to double their state funding allocation. Such a financial boost in the arm could not come at a more critical time for the school district.
A school district audit for last year reveals numerous budgetary mistakes and omissions, including unauthorized spending and lost receipts that have produced a $1 million deficit, employee pink slip cuts and closer scrutiny by state education officials.
Completed last month, Lakewood's school audit details a range of oversights in the district's handling of its $112 million budget for 2006-07, including pension, payroll and purchasing discrepancies, untimely reports and unapproved budget increases.
Ocean County Observer [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Toms River, Lakewood in $6M accord

2007-12-15T21:01:00.000-05:00

The township soon could receive nearly $6 million from Toms River for affordable housing, pending a court decision, officials from both towns said. If approved, the municipalities will have navigated successfully through a crack in the barrier that has surrounded Regional Contribution Agreements for nearly a year.
Since an appellate court ruling in January put a hold on the state Council on Affordable Housing program, many towns have had to shelve their RCA plans, which allow them to swap parts of their affordable housing obligations with other municipalities.
Lakewood has been waiting on $36 million in RCAs from various towns in Monmouth and Ocean counties in order to build about 400 units of affordable housing. Meanwhile, Toms River has been trying to siphon off some of its obligation to avoid building more housing of its own.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Hospital expert advises about wintertime fire safety

2007-12-15T21:00:00.000-05:00

Three hundred lives are lost annually due to residential fires started by space heaters and fireplaces, according to Neil Bryant.
The regional safety expert for Community Medical Center here and Kimball Medical Center in Lakewood said more than 10,000 residential fires are started from portable or fixed space heaters annually and another 15,000 fires are associated with fireplaces and chimneys."
Because this is the season when deaths and injuries occur from heaters and fireplaces, every home must have working smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms," said Bryant. "Heaters that are placed too close to flammable materials such as curtains, furniture or bedding can cause fires. Fireplaces with cracked, blocked or dirty chimneys are also a fire hazard, as are embers that escape and reach flammable materials."
Bryant said in addition to portable space heaters and fireplaces, residents should be careful when using ovens, ranges and water heaters, which can also produce fires and emit carbon monoxide.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Motzei Shabbos December 15

Vaad Harabonim Asifas Chizuk

Yeshiva Dvar Torah Jerusalem Parlor Meeting

Corzine explains his school aid plan

2007-12-14T00:53:00.000-05:00

Gov. Jon S. Corzine's new school aid plan will include roughly one-third of the spending increase needed to meet its own funding standards and prevent schools from losing money, the governor said in an interview Tuesday.
Corzine said it would take a roughly $1.5 billion spending hike to fully fund schools the way the new formula envisions and prevent any districts from losing money, as he has promised. Limited by the state's tight finances, however, Corzine is expected to propose a $400 million to $500 million aid increase in a plan to help schools that have seen their state support stagnate over the past six years."
I want to make headway in getting this into fairness for all of those people that are behind," Corzine said.
He pointed especially to middle-class districts that have needy students but are not among the 31 poor, urban "Abbott" districts that receive enhanced state aid. Schools outside the Abbott districts are home to 49 percent of the students who receive free or reduced-price lunches, which is used as a measure of poverty, Corzine said.
Ocean County Observer [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

2007-12-14T00:52:00.002-05:00

Township Meeting - Voting on Inspection Ordinance

Lakewood renews emphasis on school security

2007-12-14T00:52:00.001-05:00

In the aftermath of a Nov. 12 melee at Lakewood High School that resulted in the arrest of 11 high school students and one adult, school administrators, parents, police and security personnel gathered on Dec. 4 in the high school library to discuss security in the township's schools.
The individuals who were arrested at the high school last month were charged with one or more of the following: aggravated assault on police officers, aggravated assault on school officials, riot, failure to disperse, terrorist threats and being a disorderly person.
Community members were invited by the Board of Education to take part in last week's meeting with representatives of Care Security Systems, which was hired by the board to conduct security assessments in conjunction with the Lakewood Police Department at Lakewood High School, Lakewood Middle School and the Lakewood Alternate Schools.
Representatives of the security firm visited the schools and evaluated them prior to the community meeting.
Tri Town News [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Vote set on rental unit inspections

2007-12-14T00:51:00.001-05:00

A proposal to require annual inspections of the township's 10,000 rental units has stirred up a mix of praise, opposition and confusion as officials prepare for a vote on the issue Thursday.
The ordinance is designed to curb lease flip-flopping and improve living conditions, according to township officials. The inspections department, when investigating several hundred overcrowded units this past year, found that an overwhelming majority had no certificates of occupancy, according to inspections department director Ed Mack. That along with chronically poor upkeep has put rentals at the root of "almost every problem in town," from crime to property value depreciation to hurting Lakewood's overall reputation, Mack said."
It's very rare to find an owner-occupied house in such bad shape," he said.
But opponents see the ordinance as unfairly broad. Some of the heaviest objections came from Orthodox Jewish leaders, who lobbied the Township Committee to table the decision until more public input is presented. Many of the town's landlords are Orthodox.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Lakewood renews emphasis on school security

2007-12-13T01:14:00.001-05:00

Vote set on rental unit inspections

2007-12-13T01:12:00.000-05:00

Mega Millions Jackpot Reaches $115 Million - DRAWING IS TONIGHT

2007-12-12T01:13:00.000-05:00

The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery drawing grew to $115 million Tuesday. That's because none of the tickets sold for Friday night's $96 million drawing matched all five lotto numbers and the Mega Ball.The next Mega Millions drawing will be held Tuesday night. (AP)

Community Calendar

2007-12-11T01:24:00.000-05:00

Extravaganza 4th & 5th Grade

Yeshiva Zichron Meilech Parlor Meeting

Funeral of Former Deputy Police Cheif Wayne LeCompte

2007-12-10T01:29:00.000-05:00

PHOTO CREDITS:
Menashe Miller

Hotel and restaurant complex growing on Route 70

2007-12-09T23:49:00.000-05:00

A Hilton Courtyard hotel, two restaurants — LongHorn Steakhouse and Ruby Tuesday — and a Starbucks will be opening on Route 70 west just off the Parkway next year, company officials said.The new Hilton complex is on a 12-acre tract along Route 70 directly across from the Home Depot Shopping Center.The site is being converted into a hotel complex owned by Parkway Lodging, a subsidiary of East Windsor-based Hotels Unlimited.The LongHorn Steakhouse is tentatively scheduled to open early next year, quickly followed by Ruby Tuesday and Starbucks in the spring, and then the Hilton Courtyard around August, according to Carey Tajfel, vice president and director of business development for Hotels Unlimited. The company bought the property near the Brick boundary and east of the Garden State Parkway previously owned by the township for $2.25 million.
Ocean County Observer [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Budget deficit a recurring problem

2007-12-09T23:46:00.000-05:00

The Lakewood School District is swimming in a sea of red ink — again.Officials hoped the tide was turning on district finances. They thought there was a surplus of $250,000 for 2006-07. An audit report told a different story. It revealed a deficit of more than $1 million.This fiscal fiasco is just the latest one for the district. In 2001, a budget-busting $4 million deficit resulted in a state-township bailout, with the state forking over $3 million to the district on the condition that the Township Committee provide $1 million. Two years later, another school district deficit surfaced, accompanied by another bailout by the committee.Lakewood taxpayers are smart enough to know that the money is coming out their pockets. School officials, however, apparently have not figured that out.Deficits, trouble with pension and Social Security payments to the state and frivolous purchases of office furniture are just a few of the controversies that have plagued the district.
OC Observer [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

As Orthodox Population Grows, So Do Tensions

2007-12-09T01:31:00.000-05:00

A fault line runs through Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in Lakewood, dividing the black families that have lived here for years, many in run-down apartment complexes at one end of the street, from their new neighbors, the Orthodox Jewish families who mostly occupy a row of two-story houses on the other side. The black families are slowly leaving this street, and the Orthodox Jewish families are moving in. Their lives barely intersect, though it is barely half a mile from one end of the drive to the other.Motti Schwartz, a 26-year-old student at a large yeshiva here, rents an apartment on King Drive.“

You come into a neighborhood that’s not really yours,” he said. “I think there’s probably a lot of animosity.”

Ronald Daye, who is black, lived in one of the apartment complexes but recently moved to another town. “There’s jealousy because they stick together,” he said, referring to the Orthodox Jews. “We all want our own schools. This town has too many people, and there will be problems.”

The problems, many people say, are already here. Black residents charge that new housing is being built only for Orthodox Jews, who, they say, are pushing black residents out and taking over the town. Members of the Jewish community say such accusations sometimes cloak anti-Semitic sentiments.

The tension has played out in a series of violent episodes over the last two years that have laid bare the strains in this town of 73,000 near the Jersey Shore.

NY Times [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Elderly Lakewood man killed crossing street

2007-12-07T23:49:00.000-05:00

A prominent area bowler was fatally injured when he was struck by a car Thursday evening while he walked across Lanes Mill Road at Route 88 to go bowling with his son, police said. Joseph A. Goertz Jr., 78, of Lakewood, an Ocean County Bowling Hall of Fame member who has a local league named after him, was struck by a 2006 Audi A4 operated by Abraham Feliciano, 26, of Matawan Avenue, Aberdeen, shortly after 6 p.m., police said.Feliciano, a salesman for a car dealership on Route 88, was charged with driving on a suspended license and operating a motor vehicle causing a death while driving, which is a criminal offense because his license was suspended, said Sgt. Frank Work. He was released on his own recognizance.Goertz's son, also Joseph, who is a Lakewood police sergeant, was at the Ocean Lanes bowling alley where his father was headed when the accident happened, said Lt. Michael Mooney.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest og the story]

Funeral of Former Deputy Police Cheif Wayne LeCompte

2007-12-07T01:34:00.000-05:00

There will be a nonreligious service at Belkoffs Funeral Home on Second Street today at 1:30 pm and a procession on Forest Ave from Third Street to Fourteenth Street at 2:00 pm. Wayne LeCompte was 68 years old. "He was from the Chasidei Umos Haolam and it would be a mitzvah to be on Forest Ave when the procession goes by", said R' Yisroel Schenkolewski.

Man admits to Lakewood burglaries

2007-12-06T23:50:00.000-05:00

BREAK-INS HAPPENED ON SABBATH NIGHTS
A burglar who authorities said targeted Lakewood's Orthodox Jewish community on the Sabbath and stole about $50,000 worth of property is facing three years in state prison after admitting in court to the string of 13 break-ins. James Mastrangelo, 44, of Carasaljo Drive, Lakewood, pleaded guilty Monday before state Superior Court Judge James Den Uyl to 13 counts of burglary in a plea bargain that will require him to pay back his victims for the property he stole.Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Hillary Bryce said the amount of restitution Mastrangelo must make is about $50,000.The plea bargain also calls for 13 additional counts of theft to be dismissed.Mastrangelo could have faced 65 years in prison for the 13 burglaries, but the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office will recommend at sentencing that he receive a three-year prison term, according to court documents.
APP [Click HERE to read the rest of the story]

Community Calendar

2007-12-06T01:34:00.000-05:00

Extravaganza 6th Grade & up
Mikvah Ohel Blima Chinese Auction

ותן טל ומטר

2007-12-05T23:50:00.000-05:00

Tonight we start saying ותן טל ומטר. You should say it 90 or 101 so in case you are not sure if you said it you don't have to say שמונה עשרה over.

Police step up DWI enforcement

2007-12-04T23:52:00.001-05:00

Starting Friday, police will be increasing the lookout for intoxicated drivers until after the New Year holiday, as part of New Jersey's Over the Limit Under Arrest 2007 Year End Crackdown. The crackdown will be conducted from Friday through Jan. 2, said Detective Lt. Joseph Isnardi.Authorities said that the added visibility of police and enforcement during the holiday season raises awareness about the dangers of driving while intoxicated.Motorists caught driving while under the influence will be arrested, police said.
APP

Lakewood police seek information in hit-and-run

2007-12-04T23:52:00.000-05:00

Police will be conducting a "traffic slowdown'' at dawn Wednesday in the township to hand out fliers to motorists and pedestrians in an effort to collect more information about a hit-and-run collision that critically injured a township man last Thursday. Police are making a renewed effort to find the red minivan believed involved in the hit-and-run which injured Viscius Alfredas, 54, of East Kennedy Boulevard in Lakewood about 6:30 a.m. last Thursday. For several days Alfredas was unidentified because he lacked official identification documents of any kind. Alfredas remained in the surgical intensive care unit today at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where he was taken after he was struck.Patrolman Robert R. Redington said there will be multiple officers assigned to specifically distribute information about the red minivan in an attempt to get help in finding the vehicle. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Redington in the traffic safety bureau at (732) 363-0200, ext. 5385.
APP

Car Fire

2007-12-04T23:51:00.001-05:00

At 9:40 tonight a car went on fire in front of Grebow Shopping Center. Howell Fire and Police responded. The FD knocked down the fire and then the car went back up in flames and then they knocked down the fire completely.

Lakewood police stop more than 800 vehicles in hit and run driver search

2007-12-04T23:51:00.000-05:00

More than 800 vehicles were stopped by police along Route 9 early this morning as officers continue their hunt for information about a hit-and-run driver from a Nov. 29 crash.The operation saw police officers slow down motorists heading in both directions along one of the township's busiest arteries near the Shop-Rite supermarket between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., said Patrolman Robert R. Redington."We distributed information flyers and a quick conversation took place between motorists and officers,'' Redington said.Officers are hoping to learn more about the incident that happened in the area six days ago during which 54-year-old Viscius Alfredas, 54, of East Kennedy Boulevard, was struck by a passing vehicle at about 6:30 a.m. Alfredas remains in the intensive care unit at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.Redington said two passing drivers stopped this morning were aware of the crash, but both had already been in contact with traffic safety investigators."One of them had passed by the scene after police were already on scene and the other was someone who had called 911,'' Redington said. "They just reiterated what they had already told us.The only description police have that the hit and run driver was driving a red minivan.Anyone with information about the hit-and-run is asked to call the police department's traffic safety bureau at (732) 363-5380.APP