The JACKSON Times Vol. 21 - No. 9
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
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Residents, Businesses Can Sponsor Parks
In This Week’s Edition
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Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 16
─Photo by Bob Vosseller The jungle gym at Harfield Park near the Jackson Justice Complex park is one of the township’s many recreation facilities. By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – A recently adopted township ordinance established a sponsorship program for parks, playgrounds and sports recreation facilities in the community. In a unanimous vote, the council approved an ordinance that in-
Dear Pharmacist Page 17
Inside The Law Page 21
cluded a fee structure for a commemorative bench and sponsorship program allowing for residents to sponsor one or more of Jackson’s many parks. Councilman Andrew Kern, who serves as the council’s liaison to the township’s parks, said he has been look-
ing at what recreation facilities need to be improved or upgraded. “I started this endeavor last year when we created the account to hold designated funds aside from general funds. With this ordinance, residents and businesses will be able to sponsor playgrounds, fields
and courts and to have a plaque with their name on it at the entrance,” Kern said. Kern added, “most importantly this program will help raise funds for parks and playgrounds without taxpayer funds.” Monies collected from (Park - See Page 11)
Report Examines Beaches Most Impacted By Pollution
By Bob Vosseller N EW J ER SEY – Eve n i n a s u m me r feat u r ing pandemic r e s t r ic t io n s w h ic h have li m ited beach attendance at certain beaches, bacteria pollution at ocean and Barnegat Bay beaches remains a health con-
cern, local environmentalists said. Environment New Je r sey Re se a rch & Pol icy Ce nt e r re leased a report identifying local beaches that have exceeded t he Env i r on me nt a l Protection Agency’s bacteria contamina-
tion threshold for safe swimming, using data from 2019. The solution to the bacter ia problem is increased water infrastr ucture to prevent this pollution, they said. They were joined by Clean Ocean Action, Save Barnegat
Bay, t he Su r f r id e r Foundation and the Sierra Club. Last year, bacteria levels at New Jersey beaches indicated that water was potentially unsafe for swimming there on at least one day 73 times, according to the new report
“Safe for Swimming?” by Environment New Je r sey Re se a rch & Policy Center. Environment New Je r sey Re se a rch & Policy Center Director Doug O’Malley said, “one day of a beach closing is too many.
August 1, 2020
Public Wants Spanish Back At Elementary Schools
By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – Members of the Board of Education listened to a flurry of residents, many of them former and current students, about a language program change. The issue focused on the school district removing its Spanish language program on the elementary school level to save money in the wake of the state’s S-2 state aid funding formula change. S-2 reduced funding to a lot of local districts, leaving them with holes in the budget. This was during the Board’s last virtual meeting and involved a call-in and e-mail submission option for residents of the township. A call came in from a former Jackson Memorial High School graduate from the Class of 2019 who said, “I now attend Yale University, I recently learned of the cuts to the Spanish program in our elementary school and would like to ask what the motivation was behind this decision?” She added, “I wanted to specifically address my concerns to the Board President Michael Walsh whose biography on the district website says and I quote ‘protect non tested areas of the curriculum such as foreign language.’ I would like to know how eliminating Spanish on the elementary level is a good decision. I understand we have lost district funding but I urge the Board to find cost cutting measures elsewhere and keeping the foreign language curriculum intact starting with the elementary school level.” “I am deeply upset with your decision and I kindly urge you to reconsider,” the former student said. Walsh responded saying, “duly noted but the Spanish program at the elementary school at this time, there is more important needs and other aspects of the district.” Retiring Superintendent Stephen Genco said any district cuts are difficult. “No one likes to make any cuts but our district was forced to make a $3.5 million cut which equated out to 41 staff members which is not a small amount.” “Our class size at the elementary schools have ballooned to 26 to 28 on an average. We’ve lost academy pieces at the high school. Our class size has ballooned at the middle school and it came down to that program at the elementary as opposed to interventionist and basic skills - none of which
(Beach - See Page 10)
(Spanish - See Page 8)
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