Clean Ocean Action Is Holding A Rally For Ocean Independence Today

Its at 4:30 on the Asbury Park boardwalk.

Meg Gardner with Clean Ocean Action says she hopes people who attend the event become inspired to think more about the ocean and how they can protect it.

The beach rally will be followed by a paddle out and then a screening of the movie the 11th hour.

By: Janet Fried

There May Still Be Rental Signs Posted Along The Jersey Shore But One Expert Says Things Are Not As Bad As Expected This Summer

The season started out slow but then picked up says Chris Clemans with the New Jersey Association of Realtors.

She says she thinks that they will be at least even with last year in terms of the number of units rented but hopefully up in dollars.

Clemans says there is a higher inventory this year because the economy forced some people to rent out their beach houses for extra income.

By: Janet Fried

SEARCH LAUNCHED FOR ELDERLY FEMALE WITH ALZHEIMER'S

By: Rosetta Key

Berkeley Township police and numerous law enforcement agencies are searching for a missing Clifton woman in South Seaside Park and Island Beach State Park.

Relatives say 72-year-old Julia Madsen, who's staying at 9, 22nd Avenue in Berkeley Township, two blocks from Island Beach State Park, was reported missing after she failed to return from a walk to the beach after 7 o'clock Thursday night.

She's described as a white female, 5"6, 160 lbs, blue eyes, with sandy brown or reddish brown hair. Police say she was wearing a pink shirt, white peddle pushers, brown leather shoes, a silver watch on one hand and a silver and gold bracelet on the other.

State Police helicopters, County Sheriff's K-9 unit, local fire and scuba teams are involved in the search. Anyone with information is being urged to contact the Berkeley Police at 732-341-6600.

BARNEGAT POLICE SEEK THE PUBLIC'S HELP IN TRACKING DOWN A GROPER

By: Rosetta Key

Barnegat Police are trying to track down a man who allegedly groped a woman near a township park late last month. Police Lieutenant Pat Shaffery says the incident occurred on first street when the unknown white male with a heavy Middle-Eastern or Indian accent, pulled up along side a female who was walking and asked her for directions. Police say after the directions where given, the male gave the female a huge during which time he squeezed her buttocks. The male then fled the area as another resident was approaching. The suspect is described as 5"6, medium build, salt and pepper hair, medium complexion with dark circles under his eyes. He was wearing an olive green jacket and blue pants at the time. The witness also said he was operating a tan or gold Nissan sedan. You can view a composite sketch at our news blog at wobm.com. Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to contact Detective Maryann Cirulli at 609-698-5000 x223. To remain anonymous, contact the TIPS line at 609-660-TIPS (8477).

Shore Non-Profits Get Homeland Security Grants

By Kevin Belbey

Monmouth University, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Monmouth County and Beth Govoha of America in Lakewood will each receive grants ranging up to $75,000 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The funding goes out annually to non-profit groups for security improvements. Twenty-Six New Jersey organizations are dividing $1.6 million, which nearly doubles the amount of funding awarded to NJ last year.

Several criteria were necessary for these select groups wishing to gain the federal aid. Organizations that are recognized historical institutions, in areas that would have response roles in terrorist attacks, or would be vulnerable to attacks, are eligible.

The grant money awarded must be used for things such as the purchase of security equipment or for security training. These grants also mandate a 25% cash match from the organization to spend on security-related affairs.

Please address comments/questions to wobmnews@wobm.com.

A Monmouth State Lawmaker Is Calling For More Funding For 9/11 First Responders

11th District Republican Assemblyman Dave Rible says at least one New Jersey hospital is struggling to provide medical care for almost two thousand sick Nine Eleven responders who rely on world trade center health care programs.

“It is vital that these 9/11 heroes continue to receive the necessary treatment for their ailments,” says Rible.

Rible plans to introduce an assembly resolution urging federal lawmakers to pass HR-847 which guarantees long-term funding for existing world trade center health care programs.


By: Janet Fried

SOME JERSEY DOCTOR'S ARE PRESCRIBING PARENT CHILD READING TIME

Reach Out and Read is a national non-profit early literacy program that provides books to children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years living at or near poverty through participating clinics, hospitals and doctor's offices.

Doctors participating in the program distribute developmentally and culturally appropriate books to patients and talk about the importance of reading with their parents.

Last year New Jersey doctors gave almost 50,000 kids books at 48 Reach Out and Read sites throughout the state.

A Reach Out and Read site in Long Branch received a donation of 1,000 books Monday to give to its young patients.


By: Janet Fried

Fugitive Assault Suspect Indicted

By Tom Mongelli

A fugitive who once called Hazlet home remains on the loose, but he's been indicted by a grand jury in Freehold, accused of orchestrating an assault against a 67-year-old Holmdel man and his family.

Fifty-five-year-old Salvatore Viscusi was charged last September by Holmdel police. If tried and convicted, he could get up to 10 years in state prison.

Viscusi is accused of recruiting a 44-year-old Keyport man to carry out an attack on a third individual. After two attempts failed, police say, Viscusi enlisted the same accomplice to torch the intended victim's house.

Police haven't been able to find Viscusi since the complaint was lodged. They say he has ties throughout New Jersey, and also in Staten Island; Quakertown, Pennsylvania; Elizabeth City, North Carolina; Knoxville, Tennessee; Fort Worth and Seagoville, Texas; Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Riverside, California.

Authorities urge anyone spotting Vescusi not to approach him directly, but to place a 911 call instead. He's described as white, with brown hair and brown eyes, about 5'11" and 170 to 180 pounds, with shoe size nine-and-a-half.

Please send questions or comments to wobmnews@wobm.com.

Late Stafford Mayor's Wife Settles Debt, Moves On

By Tom Mongelli

The baggage that the late Wesley Bell left after his untimely death in 2008 is gone. Now, says Ann Bell, his legacy in Stafford Township can be of value to future community leaders.

Bell, a Philadelphia native, was three when his family moved to Ship Bottom in 194. He became a Stafford elected official in 1969. He was mayor in 1983 when a young Carl Block led a recall effort and assumed the seat for the next 25 years. But the defeat didn't prevent him from remaining an influence in the township. In the ensuing years, he campaigned to represent the area as a state Senator, U.S. Senator and governor, while maintaining his outdoor advertising business.

The billboards in Ocean, Atlantic and Burlington Counties led to run-ins with the New Jersey Departments of Transportation, Environmental Protection and Taxation, leading to about $1.2 million in judgments and liens. Bell died in 2008 at age 71, a victim of injuries from a fall off one of the billboards his company owned.

Ann Bell says her settlement discussions with state officials over the past several months were cordial and amicable. She was struck, she says, by the impact her husband left in Trenton's corridors of power.

"Even though he was a thorn in their side many times," Ann says, "they had nothing but nice things to say about Wesley's intelligence, his dedication, and his belief in the legal system."

Proceeds from the sale of the company have satisfied the assessments, something

Ann calls a "tremendous relief."

"Now," she says, "I can distribute Wesley's ashes where they need to go, appropriately."

Where will that be. At this point, Ann hasn't decided. But she says that Wesley Bell was a lifelong advocate of the ocean and an avid sailor.

Bell is also credited as an inventor of salvage equipment for waterborne vessels beyond the depth of divers.

But Ann says that Bell's commitment to open government - itself the object of an 1988 New Jersey Supreme Court decision - is the lesson he leaves for municipal leaders yet to be elected. She says she took no comfort in the May defeat of Block - the man who unseated her husband - by new mayor John McMenamin. She considers that their approaches may differ, but they all have Stafford's best interests at heart.

"They need to be applauded for stepping up to the plate," Ann says. "How many of these complainers ever, ever get up off their fat butts and do something for the community?"

Oyster Creek Informational Night

by Jason Allentoff

It will most likely be a neighbor to all Ocean County residents for at least another 20 years. So why not learn all you can about it? Exelon will host a special information night about the Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant in Lacey Township on Thursday, June 18th.

The unique one-on-one forum is designed to educate, inform and update the plant's neighbors about what's going on at the facility. Spokesman Dave Benson says some of the topics include plant operations, used fuel storage and safety. In addition to the educational portion, the public will then have the floor to ask any questions they may have.

The Oyster Creek Education Center on Intake View Lane just off of Route 9 is the location. In runs 4 - 8 p.m.

Oyster Creek produces 636 net megawatts of electricity at full power, enough electricity to supply 600,000 typical homes, the equivalent to all homes in Monmouth and Ocean counties combined. In addition, plant workers, through their payrolls, are responsible for more $96 million injected directly into New Jersey's economy.

Dolphins Have Appeared Once Again In The Shrewsbury River

Six dolphins have been spotted in the Shrewsbury River and wildlife officials are trying to determine if they are part of a group of dolphins that showed up last summer in the same river.

Last June 16 dolphins appeared in the river and stayed for months, six eventually died and the rest are unaccounted for.

Photos were taken of the dolphins that appeared in the river Sunday and are being compared to pictures of last year’s group of dolphins.

“There is that possibility that they survived and came back again, but we won’t know that until we see the dorsal identification”, says Bob Schoelkopf, Director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine.

By: Janet Fried

Carpenter Bees And How To Stop Them From Destroying Your Home

by Jason Allentoff
As the summer season rapidly approaches, many pest control companies throughout the Garden State are seeing a rise in complaints regarding a flying nuisance that can cause damage to your home....and it ain't a gypsy moth or termite.

When you think of bees you think of honey...right? Some think of a painful sting. However, have you ever thought a bee could cause harm to property? Carpenter Bees can and while they don't sting, they feed on the wood on your house. People often mistake them for bumblebees. They often burrow into the exposed dry wood of buildings, fence posts and telephone poles.

Michael Russell with Action Termite and Pest Control in Toms River says people can take care of the problem themselves. Russell says they don't cause as much damage as termites. He explains one remedy would be to seal off the hole made by the bee with caulk. The other option would be to call an exterminator. They recommend a chemical treatment insecticide when nesting activity is apparent.

One Of The Largest Ground-Mounted Solar Power Arrays On The East Coast Is Now in Monmouth County

The 4,100 solar panels sit on three acres and power Marlboro Township’s water treatment and distribution operations.

They will generate over 1.3 million kilowatt hours of clean electric power each year, meeting nearly 40 percent of the power needs of the the township municipal utilities authority.

“We’re thrilled to be deploying a significant solar array to power our water treatment and distribution operations; and pleased that it’ll be cash-flow positive from day one,” says Peter Wersinger, Executive Director of the Marlboro Township Municipal Utilities Authority.

Wersinger says projects such as this one are helping New Jersey achieve its long term goal of energy independence.

By: Janet Fried

The Parent Company For Orkin Pest Control Is Investigating An Incident In Monmouth

Martha Craft, Spokeswoman for Rollins says miscommunication lead to a mother and baby squirrel being left in a trap for days in Shrewsbury without food or water.

She says their policy is to immediately respond to calls but she says in the Shrewsbury incident the servicing branch did not receive the call.

“We are investigating exactly what happened, and once we have concluded our internal investigation, we will take appropriate actions to be sure this does not happen in the future”, says Craft.

Craft says they've offered to pay the vet bills for the squirrels.

By: Janet Fried

LIVE NATION HAS IMPLEMENTED POLICIES TO TRY AND PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING AT THE P-N-C BANK ARTS CENTER

Underage drinking has been a huge problem in recent years sending several people to the hospital and leading to hundreds of arrests.

Live Nation Spokesman Jim Steen says they have not changed their programming at the venue but they have changed some of their policies to help combat underage drinking.

He says they are only allowing people in the parking lots two hours prior to show time, there will be a greater police presence, there are camera inside and outside of the venue and tailgating will not be allowed at some shows that draw younger crowds.

In May 2007 15 people were taken to the hospital for alcohol-related illnesses during a Gwen Stefani concert at the arts center, 13 of them were minors.



By: Janet Fried

An Expert Has Some Advice For Parents And Educators On How To Get Kids To Stay Focused at The End Of The School Year

Maurice Elias, Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, says teachers can structure the classroom experience in a way that keeps kids focused.

“More student participation and less teacher lecturing will actually lead to more learning and better attention on the part of the kids,” says Elias.

Elias says eating well and getting enough sleep and exercise will also help kids stay focused in school but he says these are habits that should be maintained throughout the entire school year.

Elias say this is also an important time to celebrate the hard work the students have done over the course of the school year.

By: Janet Fried

Cigarette Tax?

by Jason Allentoff

In the proposed fiscal budget for 2010, Governor Jon Corzine plans to increase the cigarette tax because he believes it will generate a sizable chunk to fill in some gaps. The Center For Policy Research says otherwise.

Governor Corzine insists his plan to raise the tax by 12.5 cents would generate 26-million-dollars but the Center claims the hike would do the opposite. CPR President Gregg Edwards says the tax will end up costing the state millions and hurt small business owners. He cites an increase in the tax back in 2006 when the state lost 22-million-dollars.

In addition, Edwards feels any hike will end up increasing the black market sales of tobacco in neighboring states.

Despite News Of Bankruptcy, Jersey's G-M Dealerships say They're Here to Stay

News of General Motors impending bankruptcy isn't intimidating its strongest performing New Jersey dealerships. In fact, facilities like the Toms River-based Lester Glenn Automotive Group says G-M's going to be around a long time to come and so are they.

Lester Glenn General Manager Adam Krashaurer says the economic downturn forced them to do some belt-tightenting by reducing about 20-percent of its staff but he says customers will still find a great selection of Buick, Pontiac and G-M-C vehicles as well as some of the most finely trained technicians on site to work on them.

Krashaurer says, "the product itself is not the problem. They have some really nice cars, beautiful cars, well made cars. The issue has been some of the costs associated with building those cars and some of the legacy costs." He says, "in going forward, we will continue to represent and sell vehicles that are cutting edge in terms of design and quality and we will see a greater focus on fuel economy and emissions standards."

The recent announcement of G-M's bankruptcy actually brings some relief to Tim Dunn, owner of T&T coast Buick/Pontiac/G-M-C in Seagirt. Who says despite the economic crises, they continue to be the top selling G-M Dealer in Monmouth and Ocean County's for three years. He says, now the media can move away from months of searing bad financial news and focus on the automotive giants stronger future.

Dunn says his customer's have had no problems in getting parts and service for the Oldsmobile line and that was discontinued in 2000. He adds, Pontiac's will also continue to be manufactured until 2010 and he says all warranty's and extended warranty's will be honored by the company. He says, "what I tell people is to check out the car. I've been with G-M for twenty five years. What we offer, the quality of what you get, is the best I've seen in the twenty five years."

While Dunn agrees the company will be focusing more toward manufacturing more fuel efficient cars and trucks, he says "I do still think that you gotta build cars that people want, attractive cars, maybe in my case, with a family and everything else, I'll want my room and will sacrifice some gas for the room because to move six or seven people around you'll need two fuel efficient cars."

By: Rosetta Key

The Navy Is Standing By It Decision To Open 300 Housing Units On Naval Weapons Station Earle To Civilians

The Navy recently signed the record of decision to allow an unimpeded access road between Laurelwood Housing and the adjacent state road as required by a contract between the Navy and the housing developer.

In 2010 the homes will be open civilians. The Navy had a scoping period where it took public input before drafting an Environmental Impact Statement.

Neighbors Opposed to Privatization at Earle is against the plan and says it’s a huge security risk.

“They’re sticking civilians in the middle of the largest ammo base in the Northeast, that doesn’t make sense,” says Diana Piotrowski, Spokeswoman for Neighbors Opposed to Privatization at Earle.

The Navy says the decision was made after a thorough analysis was done that looked at how the access could be provided while minimizing impact to the community.

“Security of our installation for our people and the base itself is paramount and we are committed to maintaining the highest degree of base security regardless of who occupies Laurelwood Housing,” says Navy Spokeswoman Lieutenant Junior Grade Laura Stegherr.


By: Janet Fried