Brick Township Bulletin

Police probe events that led to BTHS teen's death

BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer — 11/26/2008

So far there is no evidence that a 16- year-old Brick Township High School student died as a result of playing the "Choking Game" found on the Internet, the chief of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office homicide division said.

A living faith leads to food bank and soup kitchen

BY PATRICK A. MILLER Staff Writer — 11/26/2008

Isabel Kronicz's dream of starting a soup kitchen was born on a bitterly cold January day years ago. She was sitting in her car, waiting for her husband, Frank, to finish shopping at a store near their Rahway home. Then she saw the man she still cannot forget. A black man, huddled up against a concrete wall in the sun, trying to stay warm in the frigid air.

Photo

11/26/2008

ERIC SUCAR staff The Piscataway Indian Nation Singers and Dancers perform an ancient tribal dance in front of a packed house at Ocean County College on Nov. 19. The group presented a living history program to celebrate Native American heritage month.

Matthews calls offer to work for free 'ridiculous'

BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer — 11/26/2008

Brick Township Council members have mixed reactions to Councilwoman Kathy Russell's suggestion that they work for free and give back their health benefits. "I think Kathy is just really grandstanding a little bit," council President Ruthanne Scaturro said. "She's up for re-election next year. She's been taking benefits for 11 years.

Library joins military cell phone effort

11/26/2008

The Ocean County Library will participate in the national "Cell Phone for Soldiers" program by distributing postage-paid envelopes for shipping cell phones at 17 of its branches, according to Senior Librarian Meagan Toohey. "Cell Phones for Soldiers" is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. It sells the collected cell phones to ReCellular, Inc., which recycles the units.

December programs at the Brick library

11/26/2008

The Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library, 301 Chambers Bridge Road, has announced its schedule of free events and programs for the month of December. Registration is required unless otherwise noted. Call the library at 732- 477-4513 or visit www.theoceancountylibrary. org for registration and details.

Free dinner, movie for Brick seniors Dec. 12

11/26/2008

The Brick Youth Club will host a free dinner and movie Dec. 12 at the Brick Township Civic Plaza, 270 Chambers Bridge Road. The evening will begin with a spaghetti dinner and will be followed by the 1947 movie "Miracle on 34th Street" starring Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood. Doors open at 4 p.m.

First aid squad to host Santa breakfast

11/26/2008

The Brick Township First Aid Squad will host a breakfast with Santa 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 13 at 500 Aurora Place, Brick. The cost for breakfast and a picture with Santa is $8 for adults and $5 for children under 10. For more information, call 732- 272-4147.

Eye Openers seeks volunteer drivers

11/26/2008

The Eye Openers of Point Pleasant/Brick, a support group for the blind and visually impaired, is seeking volunteers to drive members to and from semimonthly meetings in Point Pleasant Beach. To volunteer, call George Brown at 732-892-5117 or Anne Moran at 732-785-5527.

NJ STARS information session offered at OCC

11/26/2008

An NJ Stars information session will be held 6 p.m. on Dec. 16. The statewide program provides students in the top 20 percent of their graduating class the opportunity to attend a New Jersey community college for the first two years for free.

Shopping event, free breakfast to be held

11/26/2008

Laurelton Village Care Center, 475 Jack Martin Blvd., Brick, is holding a complimentary continental breakfast with Santa and shopping event 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 7. Vendors from Tastefully Simple, Mary Kay, Lia Sophia, Arbonne and more will be featured. Vendor tables are still available at a cost of $10. Proceeds will benefit the local food bank.

Delayed opening at libraries on Dec. 12

11/26/2008

All branches of the Ocean County Library will have a delayed opening on Dec. 12 so employees can participate in the annual staff recognition program. Barnegat, Berkeley, Brick, Jackson, Lacey, Lakewood, Little Egg Harbor, Long Beach Island, Manchester, Plumsted, Point Pleasant Borough, Stafford and the Toms River branches will open at noon.

BCCT to present What We Noel'

11/26/2008

Brick Children's Community Theatre (BCCT) will present "What We Noel," a holiday story for the whole family, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 and 13 and 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at Veterans Elementary School, 103 HendricksonAve., Brick. Tickets are $10 and all seats are reserved. Call 732-920-9041 or visit www.bcct.org.

Old Guard to host dance Nov. 30

11/26/2008

The Old Guard of Point Pleasant, Brick area, is hosting a dance 1-4 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Old Guard Building, 170 Duchess Lane, Brick. Price of $7 includes refreshments and three hours of music by Wes Peters and the Old Guard 15-piece orchestra. Call 72-840-1870. Tickets are also available at the door.

Holiday arts and crafts show to be held

11/26/2008

A holiday arts and crafts show, to benefit the Tom Giannattasio Jr. Memorial Fund, will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 29 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Pioneer Hose Fire Company No. 1, 312 Drum Point Road, Brick.

Brick Dragons Football to hold raffle

11/26/2008

The Brick Dragons Football Parents Club is sponsoring a Thanksgiving Day raffle. The raffle is limited to 200 tickets, which are $100 each, and the grand prize is $10,000 based on the sale of all the tickets. (Or 50 percent of all tickets sold.

Ocean County Library needs 'Books for Kids'

11/26/2008

The Ocean County Library will make the holidays a special time for children in the community through its "Books For Kids" program. All 21 locations of the Ocean County Library are accepting new book donations from the community through Dec. 1. All books collected are distributed to disadvantaged children in Ocean County.

Employees should pay toward health benefits

11/26/2008

Ifind it hard to believe that Christopher Mickkelson, president of Transport Workers Local 225, only makes $13,000 a year, all without benefits. He must be on welfare or other handouts. My advice, if he will listen to it, would be to seek another position that pays better.

State should protect health in the workplace

11/26/2008

During this season of thanksgiving, I am grateful I live and work in a state that protects my health in the workplace. But surprisingly, this is not the case for all New Jersey workers. Atlantic City's City Council recently revoked their decision to restrict smoking in casinos, forcing casino workers to continue to risk their health every day while earning a living.

Second look needed at new hires in town, reader says

11/26/2008

Since Acropolis and his council are now looking for outside contractors to do the township work. I think they should hire an outside auditor to go over the township books, penny by penny. Maybe they can find where all the money is going and where we can save. Maybe they will be able to find a way out of the $4 million hole we're in and save the layoffs.

Teens must tell their friends to end bad driving behavior

11/26/2008

Amid rising concerns about dangerous teen driving behaviors sits a common threat rarely considered outside of popular depictions in such movies as "Rebel Without a Cause," "Grease" and "The Fast and the Furious" — street racing.

Ocean County sheriff asks for assistance with toy drive

11/26/2008

This year, as the holidays are quickly approaching, we are again seeking your help with our 2008 Sheriff's Department annual food and toy drive. I feel that as a sign of the times we are living in, our help will be needed even more this year. We already have well over 510 children on our list.

Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser

Red State/ Blue State • DAVE SIMPSON & GREG BEAN — 11/26/2008

Dear Greg: As you know, I'm working hard to be a good loser, telling anyone who will listen that Barack Obama will soon be our president, and we must support him. I'm trying to be a lot nicer than your side was to George W. Bush.

It's anybody's ball

11/26/2008

Brick Memorial and Lenape girls battle over a loose ball during the first half of a State Group semifinal in Neptune, which was won by Lenape, 2-1.

Brick Twp. hockey looking to build upon last year's success

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer — 11/26/2008

Brick Township's hockey team, coming off a 14-8-2 season and its first NJSIAA tournament appearance in three years, began practice last week as it prepares for next Saturday's opener against Morris Knolls. "Everybody's enthusiastic. We have hard work ahead and we'll see how the boys push themselves," said Bob Auriemma, who has coached the team for more than 40 years.

Sports Shorts

11/26/2008

Catcher Pete DeRosa of Brick and teammates on the Cash 4 College softball team of New Egypt, which recently won their division in a Senior Softball USA arc pitch national championship tournament in Phoenix, have travelled to Fort Myers, Fla., to compete in the winter nationals tournament.

Memorial, Twp. gearing up for Turkey Day game

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer — 11/26/2008

Along with the longstanding rivalry that enters its 27th reunion, this year's Thanksgiving Day football game in which Brick Memorial plays at Brick Township has important goals for both teams regarding their final records. Brick Township leads the series, 18-7-1.

Memorial girls tennis enjoys banner season

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer — 11/26/2008

Brick Memorial High School's girls tennis team achieved many goals this season and one for the future: a winning tradition. "It was a very successful season for the program," said coach Jason Bloom, whose team finished 17-5 and 12-2 in Shore Conference A South, where it lost its final match of the season to Toms River South, 3-2, for the division championship.

Players aren't the only ones hustling

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer — 11/26/2008

It's the busiest month of the entire year at the athletic departments of Brick Memorial and Brick Township for their postseason tournament qualifiers and football teams, which are still playing this week, and for preparing for the winter season where practices have begun for hockey, bowling and swimming.