TheTOMS RIVER Times Vol. 19 - No. 38
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Shelter Changes Make Residents EMS Expanded, Worry For Animals’ Safety Police Positions Cut
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 7
Community News Pages 8-13
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 23
January 27, 2024
Photos by Chris Lundy Penny is the unofficial boss of the shelter. However, she tends to swat people. By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – Some changes at the Toms River Animal Shelter have pet lovers concerned that the shelter is closing and that the animals will be euthanized, which the mayor denies. The facility is located at 235 Oak Avenue,
near the police station. Grayson Clark posted on the Facebook group Lost Pets in Ocean County, NJ about the shelter, although it is generally assumed that this is not the true name of the poster. They said: “This is a PSA for residents of Toms River. This past weekend
(Jan 13-14) new Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick decreed that the Toms River Animal Shelter is no longer accepting animals for impound. Instead, any animals surrendered, as well as any animals picked up at large by Animal Control, are to be brought immedi-
ately to the Northern Ocean County Animal Shelter in Jackson. This includes all dogs and all cats. “With the Toms River Animal Shelter’s population dwindling without any new intake, you can make your own deductions about what will happen to the facility. “Additionally, the shelter employees were forbidden from informing the public about any of these changes. If you disagree with this new policy, make sure to have your voice heard by the township: drodrick@tomsrivertownship.com or 732341-1000, ext. 8255” Brian Lippai, public information officer for the Ocean County Health Department which oversees the shelters, said that three cats were impounded (Pets - See Page 4)
By Chris Lundy TOMS R I V E R – The township police EMS will expand, but some residents were concer ned that t wo police administration positions will not be filled to make up for the cost. Like many towns, Toms River has a paid EMS due to volunteerism going down over the past couple decades. They are under the police department. Last year, residents on a strip of Toms River land over the bridge said that it could take 20 minutes to get an ambulance. This wait could potentially be longer if the bridge is up. One of Mayor Dan Rodrick’s campaign promises was to have an ambulance there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Recently, he put the pieces into place to guarantee these pro-
tections for the shore residents. “This is a life or de at h m at t e r,” he said. However, some residents spoke in opposition to how this is being funded. There are two police captains who are retiring. Rodrick’s plan is not to refill those positions, and u se t he money t o fund the staff for the round-the-clock ambulance with eight new EMS staff. He s a id fo r m e r Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill, who said it wasn’t financially feasible to have another ambulance on the island, left him with a $3.5 million shortfall. Residents spoke out against the cutting of these positions, and the firing of the civilian police information (Police - See Page 5)
This Month In $78M Courtroom Annex History: The Garden Project Awarded
Rendering courtesy Ocean County An artist rendering shows the northeast corner of the new justice complex annex on Hooper Avenue in Toms River Township.
VETERAN &
FIRST RESPONDER
DISCOUNTS OFFERED
By Bob Vosseller OCEA N COU NT Y – Members of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners took another step toward building a new annex to the Ocean County Justice Complex on Hooper Avenue in Toms River. During the Board’s last meeting the panel awarded a contract to the lowest qual-
ified bidder, Ernest Bock & Sons in the amount of $78 million. Work on the project could begin in the spring and completion is estimated for 2026. Five bids were received by Ocean County for the project with the highest bidder totaling $97,857,000. Ocean County Commissioner John P. Kelly said, (Court - See Page 4)
Carmona ~ Bolen Home for Funerals, LLC Michael J. Defonzo Jr., Manager • NJ Lic #4075
State Parkway Comes To Town
By J. Mark Mutter It was 25 cents - just a quar ter - that changed Toms River, Ocean County, and all of New Jersey forever, and it was tossed 70 years ago this month. It was the first coin paid
to travel the new Garden State Parkway. Here’s the story. It All Began After World War Two After World War Two, with (History - See Page 4)
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