Vol. 15 - No. 31
In This Week’s Edition
THE TOMS RIVER
TIMES
FOR BREAKING NEWS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
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Hunger Knows No Season
Petition Launched To Keep After-School Activities
Community News!
By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – In the wake of severe budget cuts, another petition has been started by a resident trying to make sure kids don’t suffer – this time by losing after-school activities. Renee Godino created the petition calling for action on the part of residents to tell state leaders that Toms River students deserve more.
Don’t miss what’s happening in your town.
Pages 10-15.
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 18.
Dear Pharmacist Page 19.
Inside The Law Page 22.
Classifieds Page 23.
Business Directory Page 24-25.
Horoscope Page 31.
Wolfgang Puck Page 31.
| November 30, 2019
—Photo courtesy the Lacey Food Bank (Above) Lacey Food Bank volunteers take a break from stocking shelves and packing bags to pose for a photo during the last collection from the Food Bank’s Dee Road Halloween Cemetery event hosted by Donald Bucci that brought in numerous food donations in October. By Bob Vosseller N EW J ER SEY – Hu nger k nows no season, but often the month of November is a time to focus on the hungry, given the holiday of Thanksgiving and its abundant feast. T h e C o m m u n it y Foodbank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) is holding several large-scale
turkey distributions this month to help local soup kitchens and food pantries provide community members throughout the state w it h T ha n k sg iv i ng me als, said Mega n Annecchiarico, an Account Coordinator for BML Public Relations whose client is the food bank.
“Close to 900,000 people in New Jersey do not know if they have enough food to feed themselves and t hei r fa m ilies each day. CFBNJ, New Jersey’s largest anti-hunger and anti-poverty organization, partners annually with more than 1,000 organizations in New Jersey
Communities to help share the joy of the holiday season with those who might otherwise go without a Thanksgiving meal,” Annecchiarico said. CFBNJ is expected to distribute more than 25,000 t u rkeys and roasters at 10 locations throughout New (Hunger - See Page 4)
Adult Pot Use Could Be On 2020 Ballot
By Chris Lundy NEW JERSEY – After failing to muster the votes in the State Legislature, lawmakers are trying to have the general public vote on marijuana legalization. Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator Nicholas Scutari, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued a joint statement announcing the introduction of legislation that, if passed, would put a referendum on the 2020 ballot to legalize adult use of marijuana in New Jersey. “This initiative will bring cannabis out of the underground so that it can be controlled to ensure a safe product, strictly regulated to limit
use to adults and have sales subjected to the sales tax,” the statement read. “We will have the Legislature vote on the plan during the current legislative session and expect the proposal to be on the ballot in 2020, when voter turnout will be maximized for the national election. We are confident it will be approved by the Senate, the Assembly and the voters.” As of right now, the text on the ballot would read “Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called ‘cannabis?’ Only adults at least 21 years of age could use cannabis. The State commission created to oversee the State’s medical cannabis
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(Ballot - See Page 9)
(Petition - See Page 5)
New Opioid Treatment Center Opens
By Bob Vosseller TOMS RIVER - It was an occasion to launch new hope and help for those afflicted with addiction as public officials and representatives of a new opioid treatment center cut the ribbon to officially open the new facility earlier this month. The new Toms River clinic is located at 751 Route 37 West. It will offer individualized treatment plans, medication, counseling, and toxicology services. It is the first Crossroads opioid treatment program in the state. Patients seeking treatment services can walk-in without an appointment. The facility accepts Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans. Crossroads staff includes doctors, nurses, practitioners, counselors, and other professionals providing treatment options to help combat the growing Opioid Epidemic, and to help those on the road to recovery. “In 20018 we had about 187 overdose fatalities,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. “I’ve said from the beginning you can’t arrest your way out of this problem. All our municipal police departments (Opioid - See Page 8)
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