Vol. 15 - No. 46
In This Week’s Edition
THE TOMS RIVER
TIMES
jerseyshoreonline.com | April 14, 2018
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper For Toms River, Island Heights, Ortley Beach & Lavallette
Community News!
Seaside Bridge To Be Open By Memorial Day
Don’t miss what’s happening in your town.
Pages 10-15.
Government Page 7.
Letters Page 8.
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Why Does Your Hearing Aid Break Down?
Page 16.
Dear Pharmacist Judge Rules Coffee Shops Must Display Cancer Warning
Page 17.
Dear Joel
Wife Speaks For Me
–Photo by Chris Lundy Construction closed the eastbound bridge to the Seaside area. By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – The New Jersey Department of Transportation has stated that the Seaside bridge construction is on schedule and will be complete by Memorial Day, which
is May 28. The Mathis Bridge that spans Barnegat Bay, linking Toms River to Seaside Heights and the rest of the barrier island, was part of a (Bridge - See Page 2)
Page 18.
Inside The Law
Is Your Property Being Properly Assessed
Page 19.
Business Directory Page 20-21.
Classifieds Page 22.
Wolfgang Puck Go Bananas! It’s Always The Right Time Of Year For This Frozen Treat
Page 27.
Horoscope Page 27.
County Adopts $416 Million Budget By Jennifer Peacock OCEAN COUNTY – Ocean County residents will see a half-cent decrease in their county tax bill. Fre eholde r Joh n C. Ba r tlet t Jr. a ck nowledged the decrease was small but is moving in the right direction. He is t he mai n a rch it e ct of t he a n nu al cou nt y budget. The tax rate will de-
crease to 37.4 cents per $10 0 v a l u a t i o n . T h e rate dropped one-tenth of a cent last year. T he tot al budget is $416,092,260, up $8.1 million this year. The county will raise $346.5 million by taxation, up 1.29 percent but st ill below cap by about $6 million. The county has $55.4 million surplus and will (Budget - See Page 2)
Abandoned Properties To Be Registered At A Cost By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – An ordinance passed at the most recent Township Council meeting will charge a property owner who abandoned their property and let it fall into disrepair. Many municipalities have regulations regarding how to deal with derelict properties. Often, the code enforcement department is the first municipal group to issue warnings. The aesthetics of the property is one part. A boarded up home looks terrible, and is sometimes full of weeds and litter. But the safety and security of the neighborhood is also important. According to the ordinance, abandoned structures are “magnets for illegal and nefarious activity; and are a detriment to
the public health, safety, and welfare.” The ordinance covers abandoned commercial property as well as residential. The property must be registered with the town. Registration costs $750. Renewing the registration costs $2,000. It then goes up to $3,000 for the second renewal. It costs $5,000 every renewal after that. The property owner would also be subject to fines from violating township codes relating to maintenance. The idea is to make it prohibitive for people to abandon their property, Councilman Maurice Hill said. It’s been years since Superstorm Sandy, which caused a lot of the abandoned (Properties - See Page 5)
Co-Founder Of Grunin Foundation Passes By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation has announced that one of its co-founders and co-chairs, Linda Kalmanowitz Grunin, passed away suddenly at the age of 75. The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation has been the impetus for a number of philanthropic causes, including, but not limited to: an $8 million pledge for a performing arts high school that will be built on the campus of Ocean County College, the Center for the Arts at OCC, an arts and education building for Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, and the Protectors of Freedom and Welcome to Ocean County statues in Toms River. –Photo courtesy Jay and Her son, Jeremy Grunin, is the president (Grunin - See Page 5) Linda Grunin Foundation
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