2019-12-28 - The Toms River Times

Page 1

Vol. 15 - No. 35

In This Week’s Edition

THE TOMS RIVER

TIMES

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Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper For Toms River, Island Heights, Ortley Beach & Lavallette

Spending Holidays With Big Brothers and Sisters

The Biggest Stories Of 2019

By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – Although there were some entries in the win column, there were some things that happened in 2019 that most people would rather forget.

Letters Page 9.

Community News! Don’t miss what’s happening in your town.

Pages 10-11.

Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 18.

Dear Pharmacist Page 19.

Inside The Law Page 20.

Classifieds Page 26.

Business Directory Page 24-25.

Wolfgang Puck Page 31.

| December 28, 2019

—Photo by Bob Vosseller Nevaeh Wilson, 2 ½, Lacey, left, joins her mom Jackie Wilson who has served as the big sister to Samantha Brady, Toms River for 10 years as part of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Ocean County program. By Bob Vosseller TOMS R I V ER – Lacey resident Jackie Wilson and Samantha Brady, 15, of Toms River have a very special bond. They celebrated a decade of friendship and love as part of the Big Brother/Big Sisters of Ocean County program during a recent

holiday gathering. Jackie (the big sister) and Samantha (the little sister) came together with more than a hundred others during the 19th annual Holiday Party of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ocean County held at the Toms River Ramada Inn.

“It was right before my 5th birthday that we were paired up in the program. My parents felt that since I have older brothers it would be nice for me to have an older sister and it didn’t take long for us to be matched up and within a few weeks, we got very close,” Saman-

tha said. “It worked out so well and we have done a lot of things together. She learns from me and I learn from her. Now I have a 2 1/2-yearold daughter, Nevaeh, which her mother pointed out is heaven spelled backwards,” (Holiday - See Page 4)

Protesters: Trump Is Not Above The Law

By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – A group of residents gathered in Huddy Park supporting the impeachment of President Trump. This was part of a nationwide protest called “No One Is Above The Law,” mobilized by Moveon.org. Large cities had hundreds turn out. Locally, protests were near two members of the House. Andy Kim (D-3rd) voted for impeachment. Signs in Huddy Park near his Toms River office congratulated him on “doing the right thing.” Protestors

also went to the office of Chris Smith (R-4th), calling on him to “do his job” and vote for impeachment. “The President should be held to the standards and rules set forth in the Constitution,” said Christine Luland, an organizer for the Toms River protest. Ocean County is known as being a red county, despite the fact that Democrats have made gains in Toms River and especially Brick. The Toms River group had another reason: to show that the Democrat party in the county can unify and be visible.

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(Trump - See Page 4)

School Funding The top story of 2019 is not a happy one. This will likely be the defining issue for the foreseeable future. It might even have a lasting impact on the town for a generation. The school district continued to be hurt by a cut in state aid. The aid is scheduled to be reduced every year for the next several years. According to district info, the aid for the 202425 school year would be $21 million, or one third, less than it currently is. If all of the cuts were added together, it would be a total loss of more than $90 million. This has already caused dozens of jobs to be lost, and threatens higher class sizes and the loss of all sports and clubs. (Toms River - See Page 6)

Parents Demand Action On Funding

By Patricia A. Miller TOMS RIVER - Don’t stop fighting. That was the message a number of parents had for local residents upset about the state’s plan to reduce school funding for the Toms River School District. They spoke in a hallway at Toms River North, before the Board of Education met for its monthly meeting on a cold Wednesday night. The funding cuts will compromise the district’s extracurricular activities to the point where drug addiction problems could even increase and district students may find it harder to get in college, some speakers said. “Toms River needs the arts now more than ever,” said parent Melissa Morrison, a candidate in this year’s election. “How can any Toms River student compete with other students?” (Funding - See Page 27)

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