Vol. 15 - No. 14
In This Week’s Edition
THE TOMS RIVER
TIMES
FOR BREAKING NEWS
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Downtown Toms River Redefining Itself Community News! Don’t miss what’s happening in your town.
Pages 6-14.
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 18.
Dear Pharmacist Page 19.
Inside The Law Page 21.
Classifieds Page 23.
Business Directory Page 24-25.
Fun Page Page 26.
Horoscope Page 31.
Wolfgang Puck Page 31.
—photos by Chris Lundy (Top Left and Bottom) The Clubhouse collects creative things made by locals for sale. (Top Right) The Toms River Artist Community has a free gallery downtown. By Chris Lundy T OM S R I V E R – W hat would dow ntow n Tom s R iver’s identity be? Is it municipal buildings? Is it small shops? Is it historical? There are other walkable downtowns i n New Jersey t hat have their own identities, but Toms River is aiming to be different, said Alizar Zorojew, executive director of Downtown Toms River, the business improvement district. In order to forge its own
character, it shouldn’t copy other towns, but become unique. The changes to the dow ntow n a rea a re both macro and mic r o. O n t he l a r ge r scale, the Red Carpet Inn is being cleared away. A few apar tment complexes with parking garages and f loor-level retail are pla n ne d. Tow n sh ip of f i c i a l s w a n t t h e Post Off ice moved, a transportation hub, reconfigured traffic patterns, and the river highlighted with open
views and a park. a business incubator. But t hose a re all Here, entrepreneurs wide-lens photos of can start their small the downtown area. businesses in a low Those changes would risk setting without take years to happen, taking on costly rents. if at all. What about T he spaces come the smaller steps be- with a year lease. Zoing taken every day? rojew said the ideal For that, you have to candidates will outwalk around and stop grow these spots, and in at the Downtown move into larger propSho p s at 53 M a i n . er t y. Cur rently, the Formerly the site of spots are rented out Tommy’s Restaurant, by places like the NJ the business improve- CBD shop and Van ment district has of- Go Pottery Painting. f ices on the second The shops are open f loor. The first f loor from Monday through has been turned into (Downtown - See Page 4)
| August 3, 2019
Board Member Won’t Seek Reelection After “Hateful” Facebook Posts
By Chris Lundy BEACHWOOD – The Board of Education member recently accused of bigotry by fellow officials and members of the community will not be seeking reelection. On Monday, July 29, Daniel P. Leonard made the announcement that he will not seek reelection for his seat representing Beachwood on the Toms River Board of Education. When asked about this decision, Leonard simply said: “It’s not about me,” and he does not wish to “compromise” the goals and focus of the district. However, Leonard added that he also has no plans to resign before his term is up on December 31, 2019. ‘I also don’t want to compromise myself,” he said. Melissa Morrison and Alex Mizenko will be running for Leonard’s Beachwood seat. This development comes a week after Leonard was targeted for sharing anti-Muslim posts on his personal Facebook page. There were three reposts from April that were flagged. One was a repost from a conservative podcaster disparaging Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota. When reposting, Leonard commented “Terrorist…100%” (Board - See Page 4)
Where To Go When The Heat Hits Hard
By Kimberly Bosco It is a law in New Jersey that when the weather drops to unbearably frigid temperatures, local authorities must make arrangements for members of the community in need. This law is known as “Code Blue.” As NJ 2-1-1 defi nes it: “When temperatures (Cooling - See Page 24)
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