DOVER BEACHES NORTH– Toms River Police responded to a Silver Beach Road home here at 2 pm on Tuesday after receiving an alarm regarding a 24 foot boat that was fully engulfed in fire.

Ocean Beach, Seaside Heights and Lavallette fire departments responded and quickly extinguished the fire.

The boat located in the front yard was totally destroyed and the fire damaged the vinyl siding on the front of the two story home.    A 68 year old man Normandy Beach man was taken to Brick Hospital for burns to his hand and foot.  The man stated he was working on the boat and it caught fire when he turned the engine on.

The team, consisting of  Emily Golembiski of Little Egg Harbor, Jillian Hubbard of Toms River, Gillian Schriever of West Creek, Michael Signorelli of Toms River and Megan Tumpey of  Brick, will represent New Jersey in the 2013 North American Envirothon at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana in August.

The Ocean County students competed against 33 other teams on knowledge of natural resources-related topics, including soils, forestry, aquatics, wildlife ecology and a current environmental issue. This year’s theme was “Sustainable Rangeland Management: Achieving a Balance Between Traditional Agricultural Uses with Non-Agricultural Uses on Montana Rangelands.”

“For 20 years, New Jersey high school students have had the opportunity to participate in this valuable competition and learn more about the environment, natural resources and science,” said Secretary Fisher. “We hope they take advantage of the skills they learned and consider careers in agriculture and natural resources-related fields.”

Each of the MATES team members received $1,000 scholarships from the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts, $2,000 scholarships from Richard Stockton State College and $1,000 scholarships from Applied and Health Sciences at Kean University.

Two 5-member teams of MATES students competed in last year’s Envirothon with all but one of those students graduating. The two MATES teams placed first and second in 2012. An almost entirely new set of 10 students made up this year’s two teams.

“I am very proud of the hard work and dedication put forth by our members,” said MATES Advisor Adam Sprague.  “It was quite an accomplishment considering it was the first year competing for nine out of the 10 team members. We now turn our attention to Montana which offers an exciting variety of challenges in terms of preparation for our students.”

The second-place team in this year’s Envirothon was West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and third place was taken by High Tech High School, North Bergen.

The Envirothon is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, State Soil Conservation Committee; New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts; the 15 Soil Conservation Districts; United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; and Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

The 15 Soil Conservation Districts in New Jersey follow county boundaries and implement the New Jersey Soil and Sediment Control Act, which governs certain aspects of new development.  These semi-autonomous bodies are locally governed and play a strong role in the protection of New Jersey’s natural resources.

This edition of the watershed-wide trash and debris cleanup has taken on special meaning as it is the first blitz to be held since Superstorm Sandy pounded the Barnegat Bay region at the end of October. Some events will entail removal of Sandy-related debris and dune restoration in addition to typical litter and debris cleanups

Volunteers are coming from all over the state and the 37 municipalities in the 660-square-mile watershed, which encompasses 33 municipalities in Ocean County and four in Monmouth County. The bay is suffering from degraded water quality caused by many factors, including excessive algae growth caused by nutrients from fertilizers and other sources.

The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to around dusk. It will be held rain or shine.

The following is Commissioner Martin’s itinerary:

*     8:30 a.m. Opening remarks, Surf City Municipal Boat Ramp, on Barnegat Bay at the end of Division Avenue. Attending will be students from the MATES Academy at Ocean County College, the Southern Regional Middle School and Ethel Jacobson Elementary School, local residents.

*     9:30 a.m. Cleanup of marshland impacted by Sandy debris adjacent to the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, 120 Long Beach Boulevard, Loveladies.

*     10:45 a.m. Planting grass and shrubs on dunes impacted by Sandy, 36th Street and the oceanfront, Brant Beach.

More than 11,300 volunteers have participated since the first Barnegat Blitz in May 2011, collecting thousands of bags of trash and filling dozens of dumpsters and dump trucks with a wide assortment of trash and debris.

The DEP is the core organizer of the Barnegat Bay Blitz, providing staff captains who work with the local community to identify cleanup locations and coordinate local volunteers. Captains are also in charge of event-day logistics.

Reporters are welcome to contact staff captains to coordinate local cleanup stories. Team captain contact numbers and other information about the Barnegat Bay Blitz can be found at:

http://www.nj.gov/dep/barnegatbay/bbblitz.htm

For additional help, contact the DEP’s press office. For assistance the day of the event, contact the Press Office or the Press Officers at the numbers listed on this advisory.

For information on the Governor’s Barnegat Bay Comprehensive Restoration Plan, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/barnegatbay/

SEASIDE PARK – About 60 residents here came together yesterday to enjoy Derby Day at the Windjammer Motor Inn through the annual spring fundraiser fundraiser hosted by the Seaside Park Beautification Committee.
The fun started in the late afternoon with food and games, including raffle prizes and a hat contest featuring the outlandish designs put together in true Kentucky Derby tradition.
As the race got underway, almost all present crowded around televisions to cheer on their picks as Orb, ridden by Joel Rosario, won on a muddy track with a time of 2 minutes and 2.89 seconds.
Proceeds from the event were to go toward replacing the tree that stood outside borough offices and the police department but was lost during Hurricane Sandy. The tree was the focus of numerous borough events, including the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and activities for Summer in the Park, the borough’s business association.
For more information on the Seaside Park Beautification Committee, please visit www.sspbeautification.com. Summer in the Park can be found at www.seasideparktourism.com.

BERKELEY – Central Regional TV Productions students won county and state contests and film festival awards for their video productions surrounding the events of Hurricane Sandy.

Senior Austin Steinbrick recently took the award for Best Documentary in the Ocean County Library Film Festival held at the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library.  Over 140 entries were received from around the world and only 43 were chosen for submission.  Austin’s video told the story of Hurricane Sandy using footage recorded by students and staff from the Central Regional High School which included eye witness accounts of the devastating events on the day of the storm.

In addition, Austin received an Honorable Mention along with senior Nicholas Castrovilly for the New Jersey State Attorney General’s PSA Contest Proms and Alcohol Don’t Mix Contest.

High school junior, Marc Wittig, won a Certificate of Excellence at the Ocean County Teen Arts Festival for his Hurricane Sandy video.  The Ocean County Teen Arts Festival is a showcase and competition held at Ocean County College.  Student works are judged and critiqued where the best in show receive a Certificate of Excellence.  The Central Regional High School TV Program has received an Award of Excellence eight times over the last twelve years.

Student works are available for viewing at the school district website at www.centralreg.k12.nj.us by linking to the “video on demand” tab.  All of our students’ Hurricane Sandy videos can be watched on Channel 21.

Volunteers took a break from creating piles of debris to be cleaned up as part of Clean Ocean Action’s Beach Sweep while others planted dunegrass for Seaside Park’s day of service.

by Erik Weber

SEASIDE PARK – The beachfront and bayside here bustled with activity this morning with beaches opening to the public at 7 am and volunteers from the borough and beyond participating in both Clean Ocean Action’s Beach Sweep and an official municipal day of service.
Beginning at 9 am, the statewide environmental volunteer organization facilitated the collection and compilation of various debris remaining across the beaches from last October’s hurricane and subsequent storms. At 10 am, borough officials kicked off their day of service, with dunegrass planting on the oceanfront and the painting of benches and lifeguard supply boxes corralled at the marina for the work.
Metered parking enforcement is suspended for the duration of today, Saturday, April 27th.
Though beaches are now open to the public, swimming is prohibited and patrons are expected to follow the normal rules and regulations posted at beach entrances.

Read more about the cause: http://thinkingofyouthursdays.blogspot.com/

Here are the dates for the Jeans Days:
Middle School – Friday, April 19.
High School – Friday, April 26.

Central staff members will also wear green ribbons on their respective “Jeans Day” since it is one of Sandy Hook Elementary’s school colors.

On April 15, 2013 Officer’s from the Seaside Park Police Department along with Detective’s from the Prosecutor’s Special Operations Group conducted a cooperative investigation into the illicit drug distribution activities of a Newark NJ man identified as Ibnballah Pitman. During the course of the investigation Detectives conducted a motor vehicle stop of Mr. Pittman who was an occupant of a 2001 White Honda Accord. The motor vehicle stop took place in the area of O Street and Central Avenue in Seaside Park NJ. The Officers obtained and executed a search warrant for the 2001 White Honda Accord. As a result of the search warrant police seized approximately 1000 bags of heroin from Mr. Pitman. The seized heroin has an approximate street value of $5,000.

The following individual was arrested and charged:

Ibnballah Pitman age 34 of 511 South 16^th Street, Apartment #3 Newark NJ. Mr. Pitman was charged with Possession of heroin and Possession of Heroin over one half ounce with intent to distribute. The Honorable Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski JSC set bail for Mr. Pitman at $175,000 no ten percent. Mr. Pitman was subsequently housed in the Ocean County Jail in lieu of the listed bail.

Detective Christopher Bonner and Patrolman Thomas King of the Seaside Park Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Prosecutor’s Special Operations Group and the Ocean County Sheriffs Department K-9 Unit.

The media and public are reminded that criminal charges are merely accusations and that these defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP -The Central Regional High School Guidance Department has incorporated the robust, interactive college search engine offered by College Board called “BigFuture” as a link on our high school guidance webpage to assist students and families with their college decision-making process.
College Board is a not-for-profit membership organization committed to excellence and equity in education whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity.
The goal of the program is to assist Central Regional students in finding the right college in order to succeed in today’s world. In support of the College Board goal of having 55 percent of Americans with a college degree by 2025, they have launched BigFuture, the new, free, comprehensive website that improves the college planning process for students, families, and educators.
Once you link to Big Future from our high school guidance webpage, the program will guide the student through the college planning process, making it easier and less overwhelming. The step-by-step approach demystifies college planning, particularly for those students who are the first generation in their families to attend college.
Students using BigFuture answer questions and make choices about their own needs and preferences. Easy-to-use search tools and informative videos guide them through the process. The large collection of videos contains real-world advice from college students and expert educators.
“We know the best source of insight into the college planning process is from those who have experienced it,” said Roy Ben-Yoseph, the College Board’s executive director of digital products. “That’s why we asked students to collaborate with us on the site design and interactive tools that guide students as they find, afford and enroll in a college that is right for them.”
BigFuture has a robust college search tool that helps students find the schools that are best for their needs and compare their advantages. Because great education occurs in thousands of colleges and universities, BigFuture can find college options for any high school graduate.
The resource also has a scholarship search tool and extensive information about ways students can pay for college. “College is more accessible than many people think,” Ben-Yoseph said. “Families using the resource learn ways others have paid for college: securing scholarships, enrolling at a community college, saving for college and finding grants and loans. They also will see that most families do not pay the full sticker price for college.”
Students using BigFuture develop a customizable action plan that tells them exactly what to do and when.
The high school guidance supervisor, Darryl Heale, adds, “Since our counselors and teachers have a great influence on the students’ college planning, we have incorporated the best tool available that can be also used by our staff as a resource for information.”
During a time when college planning and application has grown increasingly complex, BigFuture’s step-by-step approach makes college planning easier to navigate. Visit our website today at www.centralreg.k12.nj.us and start to make inroads into college planning.