Vol. 17 - No. 14
In This Week’s Edition
THE HOWELL
TIMES
FOR BREAKING NEWS
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Activists Ask: “Is Civility Dead?” Community News! Don’t miss what’s happening in your town.
Pages 8-13.
Inside The Law Page 17.
Dear Pharmacist Some Genetics Not Up to Snuff
Page 15.
Business Directory Page 18.
Fun Page Page 20.
Classifieds Page 21.
Wolfgang Puck Page 23.
Horoscope Page 23.
-Photos by Bob Vosseller (Above) A mock funeral conducted by Brick resident Dave Williams noted the death of “civility” during a skit held on the afternoon of Aug. 24 on Washington Street in Toms River. (Right) Dancing with umbrellas to “When the Saints Come Marching In” participants note the death of civility in a skit. By Bob Vosseller TOMS RIVER - A pai r of song w r iters t ur ned activists posed t he quest ion “is civility dead?” in a rather unique way. T hey broug ht t hei r brand of street theatrics on Aug. 24 to the courtyard of the Ocean County Library i n dow ntow n Toms River. Dressed in black suits and hats and taking the theme of a New Orleans-style jazz funeral as their inspiration, the duo joined 11 others for the 30-minute skit that involved a prop coffin, umbrellas and music. Brick resident Dave Williams, the c o -f o u n d e r of t h e
group Forward March said the idea was not exactly to mourn the loss of civility but to give it a very strong sendoff. Co-Founder Jim Tobias of Matawan said civility “should be a t wo -way st reet but I don’t think we are seeing that lately in politics. We should be able to have a debate or argument in politics about public policy but too often it gets heated.” Tobias said that he’d like to see those who disagree on political issues “keep to the norms of mutual respect” and he pointed to Republicans and those of the extreme r ig ht as the mai n
cause. Tobias added that Democrats were being too polite in some of thei r discou rse. “It isn’t even a case of bringing a knife to a gun fight. They bring a covered dish to a gun fight. We’re not trying to be nasty but we do wa nt to be v isible, clear and assertive.” The two men have for some time enjoyed writing song parodies and examining various ways to promote their progressive ideology. Williams said “I have only been an activist
since early 2017 when I joined Indivisible NJ 3rd District at its first meeting. I’m now the g roup’s leader. I’m also involved with other grassroots groups and I am an elected member of the Ocean Count y Democratic Committee.” Tobias has been an activist for a longer time and has been involved with the Working Families Alliance, according to Williams. “Civility is dead. It is coming from the top down,” Joanie Parks of Waretown said. Parks (Civility - See Page 4)
| August 31, 2019
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Approved By Kimberly Bosco HOWELL – At a recent meeting, the Township Planning Board approved the addition of eight electric vehicle charging stations to be installed at the Wawa on Route 33. The board members present unanimously voted to approve the request from Tesla, Inc. to install eight Tesla chargers at the Wawa, alongside some additional site improvements “consisting of associated electric transformer, meter and cabinets, underground electric conduit from an existing utility pole along the Route 33 site frontage, and extension of electric service to said utility pole from across Route 33 on premises known as Block 175, Lot 40.02, 909 Route 33.” At the meeting, a representative from Tesla, Inc. stated: “We are not proposing any true improvements at this site; we are using existing parking spaces and simply installing the electric chargers.” Tesla, Inc. is an American auto company specializing in electric vehicles. According to the US Depar tment of Energy, all-energy vehicles, such as the Tesla, boast various advantages over regular gas-fueled vehicles including: energy ef f iciency, env i ron ment ally f r iend ly, performance benefits, and reduced energy dependence.
State: Bias Crimes Up Among Youth By Chris Lundy TRENTON – Social media. Political rhetoric. People not interacting with others who are different. All of these factors are creating a rise in bias crimes throughout the state, officials said, and half of the offenders were children. “We need to do a better job of confronting hate in young people,” Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. The number of bias incidents last (Bias - See Page 4)
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