The MANCHESTER Times Vol. 26 - No. 50
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
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Community News Page 11-12
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 18
Dear Pharm Page 19
Inside The Law Page 21
Classifieds Page 25
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Manchester’s Hidden History Might Get Cleaned Up
Police: New Law Prevents Investigating Child Marijuana Use
By Bob Vosseller POINT PLEASANT BEACH – Even before the passage of November ballot question regarding legalization of marijuana, residents, municipal leaders and law enforcement agencies pondered how it would be administrated. When new state laws were an nou nced in Trenton, it didn’t take long for them to receive criticism by many Ocean County municipal leaders. Police said the new laws were “handcuff ing” their ability to do their jobs. Point Pleasant Beach Police Chief Joseph A. Michigan, who serves as president of the Ocean County Chiefs of Police Association, joined 30th District Sen. Robert W. Singer, 10th District Assemblyman John Catalano, Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Gary Quinn, Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, local elected officials and police chiefs to discuss their
−Photos by Bob Vosseller (Above) Director of the Board of Commissioners Gar y Quinn speaks during a rally organized by the Ocean County Chiefs of Police Association in Point Pleasant Beach. ( R ight) “Don’t let Trenton handcuff your police” is the message this vehicle of the Ocean County Chiefs of Police Association was promoting during the rally. concerns over the new state marijuana laws. During the recent press conference held at a police substation on the borough’s boardwalk,
those assembled spoke about why the new laws were detrimental and would severely impact shore communities and families.
Police: Forest Fire Intentionally Set
By Chris Lundy LAKEWOOD – The forest fire that destroyed 167 acres, evacuated residents, and hospitalized a firefighter was intentionally set, investigators said. Early in the investigation, fire personnel had determined where the fire started but did not say how it was started. Now, the investigation has determined the worst case scenario. “We have located the origin of the fire and have concluded that the fire was intentionally set,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The blaze started out as a brush fire at 5 Airport
Road in Lakewood on the afternoon of March 14. It was first spotted by a New Jersey Forest Fire Service Observation Tower in Lakewood. It quickly spread to buildings and multiple units responded. Ultimately, two commercial buildings were destroyed. There were 29 homes with damage to siding, sheds, and other such accessory structures. It leaped across the Garden State Parkway, closing that road and several others. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported that it claimed 167 acres. Firefighters battled it overnight. The fire spread (Fire - See Page 10)
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Chief Michigan said, “The law inexplicably bans police officers from notifying parents the first time their children (Law - See Page 9)
By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER – Members of the Manchester Environmental Commission have made it one of their goals to help clean up the township, and are considering two local areas that are part of history but hidden from view. Commission member Gabrielle Fox made a presentation to the Commission about potential clean-up sites during a recent virtual meeting. “I reached out to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance and the Barnegat Bay Partnership. The Pinelands Preservation Alliance has given me a couple of options to work with them. The Barnegat Bay Partnership suggested I reach out to the Watershed Ambassador (Emily McGuckin). She is obviously a really good resource for Ocean County.” “Either of those work. They gave us two sites for potential locations in Manchester. One is the Brooks Brey Brick Factory and the other one is the Crossley Preserve. I have been to the brick factory and I know it is a bit of a disaster. Both of those would be really good potential cleanup sites,” Fox added. A section of the township that Fox said was frequented by people on ATVs owned by Heritage Minerals was privately owned and would not be suitable. Fox presented a six slide PowerPoint presentation during the meeting. The brick factory is within the Brenden Byrne State Forest which has an entrance off Route 70 heading west. (History - See Page 4)
Manchester Plans Energy Future
By Bob Vosseller MANCHESTER – For months now Councilman James Vaccaro has called for the development of an energy master plan which would involve alternate forms of energy including wind, solar and electric
car charging stations. That subject came up again during a recent Manchester Council meeting where Vaccaro repeated the need for such a plan and where Environmental Commission Chairman Rory Wells announced a pro-
posal that is in line with the councilman’s ideas. Councilman Vaccaro spoke about the need to establish a 10-year energy master plan applicable to the township that encompasses the use of “alternative (Energy - See Page 7)
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