BEACHWOOD
| the Ocean Signal | Friday March 15, 2013
Det. Oldham Retires After 29 Years
Beachwood Police Chief William Cairns (right) congratulates retiring Detective William “Bill” Oldham and presents him with his retirement badge at the February 6th meeting of the mayor and council. ERIK WEBER / OCEAN SIGNAL
by Erik Weber BEACHWOOD - Borough residents and youths here lost a well-known and liked veteran of its police force with the retirement of Detective William "Bill" Oldham earlier this winter following a career that began in 1983 and was marked by regular assignments interacting with schoolchildren. Honoring the detective at the February 6th council meeting, Beachwood Police Chief William Cairns recalled starting in the department at almost the same time, nine months apart, when the agency was "at a very, very down time." "The agency had been through a terrible layoff, our department was reduced to half of its numbers, our dispatch was eliminated and we were driving around in handme-down troop cars where
the bumpers were falling off and there were holes in the floorboards," he said. "As you can see, thanks to everybody involved and the mayor and council, we've come a long way and Bill has come a long way." The chief stated that Det. Oldham was the borough's third of currently four D.A.R.E., or Drug Abuse Resistance Education, officers, being trained into the role in 1992. D.A.R.E. is a school based program founded on the west coast in 1983 and was later adopted by the borough police department and many other surrounding agencies. The detective later went on to become a certified instructor of the D.A.R.E. Parents Program. Besides his D.A.R.E. officer credentials, Det. Oldham was also "instrumental" in establishing the Junior Police Academy, a six-week
program that initially taught sixth graders in Beachwood Elementary School about the department, reported Lt. Robert L.Tapp. The program was so successful that it was later expanded to include the volunteer fire company and first aid squad, and is now presented to fifth graders in the elementary school as the Junior Emergency Services Academy. The detective was later the first school resource officer assigned to Toms River Intermediate South, which was opened in September 2005 and saw the district-wide addition of sixth grade to the regional middle schools from their original placement in the elementary schools. "He played a very big role as detective in the school resource officer [position] and did a great job," Chief Cairns said. "He dedicated a great deal of his career to the youth within our community as seen in many of his assignments," said Lt. Tapp. "The professionalism and dedication he showed during his career was always a compliment to the department." Besides his D.A.R.E., school resource officer and youth assignments, Det. Oldham was also a certified firearms instructor and training officer for the department. "There were a lot of people who were sad to see you go, myself included," added the chief. Det. Oldham was then presented with his retirement badge by the chief, who added, "may you carry it for
many, many years." "I'd like to say thank you to my family, they're so important to me," said the detective, before joking, "Chief you're the only one I couldn't get retired before I did." He then thanked his fellow officers, the PBA, everybody present and added, "retirement's pretty good." Mayor Ron Roma also read into record a proclamation thanking Det. Oldham for his "29 years of outstanding and meritorious service to the residents of the Borough of Beachwood," adding that in his career here he "became the familiar and friendly face of our Beachwood Police Department [who] served as an example to his peers and the residents of this community and this state both in his personal achievements and employment achievements with fairness and dedication." The mayor added that when he first moved to the borough in around 1993, Det. Oldham was the first officer he met when he made a call for service at the time. "What was the issue?" called well-known area contractor and borough resident David Lipton, from the back of the room. "I was complaining about a local builder," quipped Mayor Roma, eliciting hard and loud laughter from many present. Continuing on, the mayor added, "So the first impression I had of the police department in Beachwood was Bill Oldham, and it was a very good impression to say the least."
Beachwood Council Seeks Change in Public Notice Laws Governing Body Criticizes Lack of Coverage by Asbury Park Press; Mandate by State to Pay for Public Notices by Erik Weber BEACHWOOD - As has been a regular drumbeat here for years, governing body members took the opportunity of their January reorganization meeting to again knock the regional beleaguered daily newspaper, the Asbury Park Press, for failing to produce regular coverage of local and borough stories while at the same time holding its hand out for legal notice monies under state law. In recent years, the Asbury Park Press has attempted many initiatives to curb
their sharp loss of advertising revenue while often cutting whole sections from the publication, laying off reporting and editing staff and offering more purported "watchdog" and broad opinion-based content while attending municipal meetings and covering individual communities less. Many officials along the Toms River and Barnegat Bay have reported again and again to have gone years and whole terms without having seen or spoken with a single reporter or representative of that daily paper. Councilman Gerald W. "Jerry" LaCrosse, a regular detractor of the Gannett Company, Inc.-owned entity who has written letters to the state requesting the law be changed to allow public notices be published online for free on individual municipal or a single statewide website and carried by other interested publications providing
real community coverage, lit into their practices after casting a "no" vote to name the Asbury Park Press as official 2013 newspaper for the notices. "I do not like the idea of the taxpayers of Beachwood having to put money into the pockets of the Asbury Park Press for these announcements," he said, noting their costs ran into the many thousands of dollars annually. Mr. LaCrosse first voiced his dissent with the Monmouth County based publication shortly after being returned to the governing body in January 2011 following an absence that began with a 2006 election year defeat. He previously served seven terms as councilman. At the time, Borough Attorney William T. Hiering, Jr. stated that until the legislature changed state law, there was no other local publication meeting the criteria of
publishing at least 48 times per year and being available within the municipality to allow the borough to deny the Asbury Park Press its position as official paper, despite several other local print and online publications actively covering borough news. This year, Borough Clerk Elizabeth "Bette" Mastropasqua reported that there were several stalled bills awaiting movement on the state level to allow municipalities to self-publish online for the general public's direct access, but thus far none were making progress. Mr. LaCrosse and several other governing body members restated their disdain with supporting a publication that demanded money while having provided no real coverage for many years, and added that they would continue to urge their representatives to change the law.
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno was present for the 2013 Beachwood mayor and council reorganization meeting on January 2nd. From left: Chief William Cairns, Councilman Gregory Feeney, Councilman Ed Zakar, Councilman Steve Komsa, Lt. Gov. Guadagno, Mayor Ron Roma, Councilman Tom Miserindino, Councilwoman Beverly Clayton, Clerk Bette Mastropasqua.
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Beachwood Community Calendar Council Meeting The mayor and council will hold their next meeting on Wednesday, March 20th at 7 pm in borough hall on Pinewald Road. There, the recreation commission will present winners of the annual Snowman Contest with awards. Meetings are always open to the public to share their ideas, opinions and questions regarding borough business. Borough Sees 96th Year The Borough of Beachwood marks its 96th year since incorporating as an independent municipality out of Berkeley Township in 1917 on March 22nd. Originally a resort town laid out and sold through a subscription promotion by the New York Tribune in 1914-15, it formally opened for property owners on Decoration Day (Memorial Day) 1915. Easter Bunny Breakfast The Beachwood Volunteer Fire Company will hold its annual all-you-can-eat Breakfast with the Easter Bunny on Sunday, March 24th from 8 am to noon at the firehouse on Beachwood Boulevard. Breakfast includes pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, coffee and orange juice with tickets costing $6 per person 8 years of age and up and $3 per child under 8 years. All are invited to bring their camera for pictures with the Easter Bunny. Mayo Park Egg Hunt The Beachwood Recreation Department will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt in Mayo Park, between Clubhouse Road and Beacon Avenue, at 1 pm. Beachwood residents welcome. A rain date has been scheduled for the following Saturday, March 30th at the same time and location. Land Use Board The next meeting of the borough land use board will be on Monday, March 25th
at 7 pm in borough hall on Pinewald Road. 2013 July 4th Fireworks Donations It's not too early to get in your donations for this year's fireworks display on the Toms River. Send checks to: Beachwood Fireworks on the Toms River, c/o Borough of Beachwood, 1600 Pinewald Ro ad , B e achwo o d , N. J. 08722. Each year's display (this is the 73rd, at least since it was officially recorded) is 100 percent funded through personal and business donations, and not through taxes.
Beachwood Library Programs & Events Knit Wits On Friday, March 15th at 10 am stop in the library to refresh your knitting skills, try some new techniques or learn from scratch. No registration is necessary Bedtime with Sparks Children, ages two to four, wear your pajamas and join Sparks, the library mascot, for some bedtime stories. This program is scheduled for Monday, March 18th at 6:30 pm. Registration is required. Rover’s Readers On Wednesday, March 20th at 3:45 pm, read to Taffy and Rusty, the library dogs. This program is for children ages 5 to 12. Registration is required Please call (732) 244-4573 to register or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org. The Beachwood Library is located in the heart of the downtown on Beachwood Boulevard. Does your group or organization want to see its events listed here? All events that are free and open to the public or non-profit/charity fundraisers are eligible for free placement. Write events@ ocsignal today!
Pack 114 Blue & Gold
Beachwood-Pine Beach based Cub Scout Pack 114 held its annual Blue and Gold Banquet at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church here on Sunday, February 24th. The event included dinner, a cake decorating contest, skits (as can be seen here, with Scout leader Ben Zee aiding a group of boys prepare for theirs, above) and award ceremonies for achievements and projects. ERIK WEBER
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