Vol. 4 - No. 38
In This Week’s Edition
THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
TIMES
MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper For Lacey, Waretown, Barnegat, Manahawkin, LBI, Tuckerton and Little Egg
Community News!
| March 18, 2017
Stafford Officials Eye Commerce Barnegat Appoints Dugan As Chief
Don’t miss what’s happening in your town. Pages 8-11.
Letters To The Editor Page 6.
From Your Government Officials
–Photo courtesy Barnegat Police Mayor Albert Bille, left, swears in Police Chief Richard Dugan, center, with Lt. Keith Germain.
Page 7.
Doctor Izzy “Women’s Hearing Health: A WholeHealth Issue”
Page 14.
Dear Pharmacist “11 Essential Oils For Your Thyroid”
Page 15.
Inside The Law “Why Do I Need A Power Of Attorney?”
Page 17.
Dear Joel “Riding Along In My Automobile”
Page 23.
Classified Ads Page 19.
Wolfgang Puck "Transition From Winter To Spring With An Easy Recipe Featuring Fava Beans"
Page 23.
–Photos by Chris Lundy (Above) There are some empty storefronts even on busy roads such as Route 72. (Bottom left) Some smaller shops have thrived, such as those in the Manahawkin Mart. (Bottom right) Much of the Route 72 corridor is protected from development for environmental reasons. By Chris Lundy STAFFORD – Despite some empty storefronts, officials here said that the business community is thriving. Driving the major business roads of Route 72, Route 9, and Bay Avenue, there are spots
of empty stores. In the Kmart plaza, there is still the outline of a Radio Shack sign. Two gas stations on 72 are empty. These vacancies are not an indicator of something greater, officials said, but par for the course in this economic climate.
“Doors open and close all the time,” Mayor John Spodofora said. “Fortunately, in Stafford, there’s a list of people who want to come in here. When one closes down, another goes right into it. Sometimes it just takes a little (Officials - See Page 12)
Stafford To Bond $7.6M For Vehicles, Paving, Equipment
By Chris Lundy STAFFORD – The Tow n s h i p C o u n c i l introduced three ordinances that would bond $7,611,250 for a variety of vehicles, road projects, equipment and technology. The three ordinanc-
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e s ca l l i ng t o b ond these projects passed on their fi rst reading. They will have to pass on second reading at a f ut u r e Tow n sh ip Council meeting. “Since 2011, we have t r ied to reduce the capital debt,” Mayor
John Spodofora said. He thanked Business Administrator James Moran and the council for their hard work determining what parts of the township departments’ needs would be funded this year. “They look at every
dollar we spend very carefully,” he said. Moran said that in 2009 there was an excess of $170 million in debt. Currently, it is $124 million. Of that, about $5 million of the debt is being paid off
By Chris Lundy BARNEGAT – The Township Committee appointed Capt. Richard Dugan, a 30-year veteran of the department, as police chief. “I’ve had a heck of a career,” Dugan said. “I feel blessed by the Lord to have a great career and a family that
supports me.” Dugan, 50, joined the department in 1987. He has moved up through the ranks, fulfilling roles as firearms instructor, crisis negotiator, traffic accident investigator, and was a founding member of the township’s SWAT (Chief - See Page 5)
Lacey Schools Intro Tentative Budget
By Chris Lundy LACEY – The Lacey Board of Education adopted a tentative budget for the 2017-2018 school year. Officials warned that it is not finalized and still might change. The total budget would be $73,566,211, of which $48,815,443 would be raised by taxes. Of the total taxes, $3.1 million would go toward paying down debt. It would amount to about $40 a year increase in taxes for the average homeowner, school Business Administrator Patrick DeGeorge said.
(Bond - See Page 4)
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(Budget - See Page 5)
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