The MANCHESTER Times Vol. 25 - No. 40
In This Week’s Edition
Community News! Pages 11-17
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 22
Dear Pharmacist Page 23
Wolfgang Puck Page 39
BREAKING NEWS @
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Lakehurst Police Chief Retires
By Kimberly Bosco LAKEHURST – Mere hou rs before saying goodbye to 2019, m e m b e r s of the Lakehurst Police Department gave a sendoff to one –Photo courtesy Lakehurst of their own. Police Department O n De c. 31, 2019, the department bid farewell to Chief Eric Higgins as he retired after 26 years of service to the Borough. Chief Higgins signed off for the last time at 2 p.m. on New Year’s Eve at the Lakehurst Police Station. According to the department, Chief Higgins began his law enforcement career in 1994 after serving in the United Stated Marine Corps. During his service, Chief Higgins served as a DARE officer and on the Ocean County SWAT and the Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force teams. He also heroically, and voluntarily, responded to the September 11, 2001 attacks at Ground Zero in New York City. Chief Higgins holds a Master’s Degree in administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is also a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy Leadership Program. Lakehurst Police wished Chief Higgins the (Chief - See Page 4)
Board Says Goodbye To Outgoing Members
By Kimberly Bosco MANCHESTER – At the reorganization meeting, the Manchester Board of Education swore in its two newest members Gayle Mount and Daniel Staples. Mount and Staples will be joining the Board, replacing outgoing members Pat Barry and Jackie Bermudez. At the December 18 Board
meeting, Superintendent David Trethaway thanked Barry and Bermudez for their service to the district. Barry chose not to run for another term and Bermudez lost her seat in the November 2019 election. Trethaway praised Barry for his involvement and commitment to the district during his (Board - See Page 4)
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
January 18, 2020
Curtain Opens For Performing Arts Academy
–Photos by Bob Vosseller (Above) The brand new Ocean Count y Vo c a t i o n a l Technical School Performing Arts Academy w ithin Ocean County College, Toms River opened its doors. (Right) Some of the 279 students who attend the new OCVTS Performing Arts Academy enter the doors of the new facility. By Bob Vosseller TOMS RIVER – They arrived by bus and car and entered with excitement for their fi rst day of class in the brand new Ocean County Vocational Technical School Performing Arts Academy building. It wasn’t just the students that were excited about the state-of-the-ar t facility but administrators, staff, OCVTS Board of Education members and elected officials. The building is on the campus of Ocean County College in Toms River. It provides a showcase for those seeking careers in several areas of the performing arts. It also provides college credits and a modern, safe environment that Freeholder Director Joseph Vicari proudly
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said equals anything available in the northern part of the state. “I’ve been in education as a teacher, principal and superintendent for 40 years and this is remarkable. It is state of the art and students will feel inspired to be attending class here,” Vicari said. Vicari couldn’t wait for the students to arrive or staff and administrators to provide a tour. He decided to explore the hallways, classrooms, bathrooms, elevator and even furnace room to get a first look at the new building. The facility’s creation was sparked by the need to relocate from Hanger 1 at Joint Base Lakehurst, which due to security reasons made the civilian school facility difficult to access. The project has a 20-year bond
for $27 million. Vicari said that 40% of the cost of the new facility was provided by the state while the county’s portion was $8 million. Another $8 million was provided by the Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation. “It was a wonderful partnership between Ocean County College as we had the land here, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders and many more partnerships,” Vicari said. “Everything from the dressing rooms, the chemistry labs to the white boards used in the classrooms are all modern. The acoustics of the recording studios are unbelievable,” Vicari said. He noted that the design also ensured security and fi re safety standards. (Curtain - See Page 9)
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