How to Get Nonpublic School Security Funding – Assemblyman Kean Holds Information Session
The checks are cut and the money is waiting for nonpublic school administrators to complete the process to obtain security funding.
Assemblyman Sean T. Kean (District 30) along with Senator Robert W. Singer (District 30), Assemblyman Dave Rible (District 30), and officials from the New Jersey State Department of Education held a public information session at the District 30 Legislative Office, Lakewood, for local private school administrators and staff to help them get a better understanding about how to obtain funding for security services, equipment, and technology, with the goal to ensure a safe and secure school environment for nonpublic school children, elementary through grade 12.
Assemblyman Kean said, “In light of some of the terrible events we’ve read about in the national media and some of the tragedies at several schools, it’s imperative that we take measures to protect all of our school children by furthering their security.”
Senator Singer said, “Keeping our children safe is always our number one priority. What’s good about this funding is you can decide what makes the best sense for your school. Security is something we all deeply care about.”
Assemblyman Rible said, “As a former police officer, I have seen firsthand the importance of implementing effective security measures. Unfortunately, tragic incidents have illustrated that we can’t take the safety of our schools for granted, and I am pleased this funding is available to help protect the children and staff at our nonpublic schools.”
Assemblyman Kean introduced several officials from the state of New Jersey to answer questions about the required steps needed to get the funding so each school can design its own program. The officials in attendance were Jessani Gordon, director of the Office of Interdistrict Choice and Nonpublic School Services; and Ben Castillo, director of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning of the N.J. Department of Education.
Gordon said the checks have been cut and allocated to the public school districts; however, there is a specific process to secure the funding. For instance, the public school district is responsible for consulting with the nonpublic schools to determine what their individual security are, and both parties needs have to agree on the security measures to be funded.
Examples of such services, equipment, and technology may include alarm services, video surveillance systems, ID cards, installation of bullet resistant glazing, and access control systems for remote locking and unlocking, among others.
Such security services, equipment, and technology may be provided directly by the board of education, by contracts with an educational service commission or an independent contractor. All security services, equipment and technology provided under this program must be used for secular, non-religious and non-ideological purposes.
The following important documents are available on the New Jersey Department of Education website http://www.nj.gov/education/nonpublic/state/security.htm. 1) General guidelines for administering the N.J. nonpublic school security aid program 2) Timeline of requirements 3) A consultation form. Consultation between public and private school administrators must take place no later than the end of October. The public school district then has to go to its board, get approval by the end of November, and then submit purchase orders for implementation.
Public and private school administrators, business administrators, and county special services agencies are urged to attend one in-depth technical assistance session throughout the state on either October 14, 15 and 26 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. so public and private schools fully understand their responsibilities.
The website about the technical assistance sessions is http://education.state.nj.us/broadcasts/2015/SEP/29/14107/NonPublic%20Aid%20Training.pdf.
Assemblyman Kean said, “We are hoping this project grows and provides more resources for nonpublic schools.”
For questions or more information about this program, contact Kate Gamberg, chief of staff, office of Assemblyman Sean Kean, at 732-974-0400.
About Nonpublic School Security Funding: State aid for this purpose has been made available from the State of New Jersey, Department of Education, through the Nonpublic Security Aid Program FY2016. The New Jersey Nonpublic Security Aid Program is appropriating State aid to public school districts to allocate to nonpublic schools $25.00 per pupil times the number of nonpublic school students within the school district. Consultation with the nonpublic schools is required to discuss and agree on the security services, equipment and technology to be purchased. Consultations must be completed by the end of October.
The board of education in each N.J. public school district with nonpublic schools within its boundaries is responsible for providing security services, equipment, and technology to the nonpublic schools within the limits of the funds provided by this program.
About Assemblyman Sean T. Kean: Assemblyman Kean is serving his second tenure in the New Jersey General Assembly. He served from October 2002 when he was chosen to fill a vacancy to January 2008 when he started a four-year term in the State Senate. Following redistricting in 2011, he returned to the General Assembly on January 10, 2012. Assemblyman Kean served on the Monmouth County Environmental Council from 1999-2001. He previously served on the Wall Township Planning Board and is a member of the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh of the Jersey Shore.
Legislation: Assemblyman Kean has sponsored legislation to mandate that carbon monoxide sensors be installed in all residences. He also sponsored legislation requiring zero emission vehicle technology be made available in the state, and a bill to increase penalties for persons convicted of kidnapping a child under the age of 16. He also authored the law creating the Gold Star license plates for family members of fallen soldiers. In addition, he sponsored legislation that revised alimony laws by providing grounds for modification and termination when the alimony payer retires, loses a job, or when the alimony recipient cohabitates with another person.
Assemblyman Kean, born May 21, 1963, grew up in Deal, N.J. He is a graduate of Red Bank Catholic High School. He graduated from Seton Hall University in 1988, received a master’s degree from Columbia University, and earned a law degree from Seton Hall University Law School. He has a private law practice. He resides in Wall Township with his wife Bridget, and three children.
Halloween Fun Festival in Lakewood on October 31
The Lakewood Township Committee in conjunction with the Lakewood Police Department, the Lakewood Fire Department, the Lakewood EMTs, and the Lakewood Recreation Department are inviting residents to enjoy Halloween with them on Saturday, October 31, 2015, at the Lakewood Town Square, Clifton Avenue and Third Street, Lakewood, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Members of the Lakewood High School PALS program (Pupil Assisted Learning Services) will be on hand to help with face and pumpkin painting. The Fun Festival also includes a costume parade for children ages one to 12 years and music by Jimmy Givens (JimmyGivens.com).
The costume parade for children will take place on the stage. Parents and friends will have an opportunity to take pictures; and all children will receive a Trick or Treat bag with candy donated by members of the Lakewood Police Department, the Lakewood Fire Department, and the Lakewood EMS.
Ryan Shapiro, Lakewood Recreation program director, says, “Everybody is a winner in Lakewood.”
According to Jeff Shapiro, supervisor of recreation for Lakewood Township, the rain site is the Lakewood Municipal Building, 231 Third Street, Lakewood, N.J.
For more information, call Lakewood Recreation at 732-905-3405.
Brick Kiwanis Night of Comedy at the Strand Theater Raises Funds for Charities
The Brick Kiwanis is hosting a Night of Comedy, November 13, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. at the Strand Theater, 400 Clifton Avenue, Lakewood. All proceeds will benefit Kiwanis youth charities and local children’s charities.
Comedians include “Hilarious Doug Karpf,” who has performed across the country at clubs, casinos, and the U.S. Armed Forces; Andy Hayward, a New York City comic, who performed at the Friars Club; and Brick native Mollie Sperduto, a finalist at the comedy competition at the Tropicana Casino.
General admission tickets are $30.00, including all fees. Purchase tickets at Strand.org or at the door. For more information contact Jeffrey Gerstenblatt at 732-987-7038.
Kiwanis, established in 1915, is a service organization, serving communities in more than 80 countries! Brick Kiwanis Club, chartered in 1958, has been serving Brick and surrounding communities for more than half a century. The objectives of Kiwanis are to form enduring friendships, provide altruistic services, and to build better communities. The Brick Kiwanis meets the first and third Thursdays of month at Tuscany Bar and Restaurant, Brick, N.J. New members are always welcome.
If You Can’t Eat It All – Donate Your Halloween Candy and Get a Little Cash for It
If you can part with some of that Halloween candy, Toms River dentist Dr. Ron Rotem will pay for it and then send the candy to our troops serving overseas. As part of Dr. Rotem’s annual Halloween Candy Buy-back Contest, bring your Halloween candy to his office at 355 Lakehurst Road, Toms River, on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
He will give you a $1.00 a pound up to 10 lbs. per family for candy collected from Halloween trick-or-treating, and then donate the candy to our troops overseas. In addition, the child who brings in the most candy, by weight, will win a $50.00 gift card.
Individual classrooms, not schools, are also eligible to win a cash prize. One teacher from either a public or private school who collects the most Halloween candy, by weight, from students in his or her classroom and brings it to Dr. Rotem’s office will be eligible to win $400.00 to spend for his or her class.
This is the 11th year Dr. Rotem has sponsored his Halloween Buy-back Candy contest. Dr. Rotem said, “I have three children so I know how much that Halloween candy means. Obviously, the less candy kids eat, the better it is for them. I started the candy buy-back program as an incentive for kids to donate some of their candy and at the same time make Halloween special for our overseas troops.”
Last year, Dr. Rotem collected hundreds of pounds of candy, which was shipped to our overseas troops through the American Recreational Military Service (ARMS). http://www.supportarms.org/
OHI to Participate in Garden State Latino Cultural Festival
The public is invited to visit the tent of OHI (Ocean Health Initiatives), a federally qualified health center, during the second annual Garden State Latino Cultural Festival, hosted by the National Association for the Advancement of Latino People (NAALP), Saturday, October 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Lake Terrace, 1690 Oak Street, Lakewood, N.J.
OHI, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), will be offering free blood pressure screenings; and health education and information about OHI’s medical services for insured, uninsured and underinsured families in Ocean County.
OHI has locations at 101 Second Street, Lakewood; 301 Lakehurst Road, Toms River; 333 Haywood Road, Manahawkin; Lakehurst Circle Center II, 686 Route 70 Lakehurst; a health center within the Clifton Avenue Elementary School, 625 Clifton Avenue, Lakewood; and a Mobile Medical Unit. The Lakewood and Manchester sites have pharmacies.
OHI provides comprehensive primary and preventative health care. Services include pediatrics, maternal and child health, prenatal, WIC, universal immunizations, behavioral health, dental, family medicine, internal medicine, OB/GYN, podiatry and social services. OHI has a bilingual staff available to assist patients and callers. A sliding-fee scale is available, based on an individual’s or family’s ability to pay.
Garden State Latino Cultural Festival is a free event designed to support the Spanish community of Ocean County. The cultural festival includes, music, vendors, ethnic goods, folkloric dance performances, a raffle, and games and face painting for children, and more. About 3,000 people attended last year’s festival.
To become a patient of OHI, call 732-363-6655. For information about OHI, call 732-363-6655 or visit www.ohinj.org. For more information, contact Kimberly Tozzi, community relations liaison for OHI, at 732-719-9016.
The House That “Rock” Will Build for Reyes Family
Greater Media radio station 95.9 The WRAT and Monmouth County Habitat for Humanity, Freehold, are working together to build a three-bedroom house on Center Street, Freehold, for the Reyes family in a special project, “The House That Rock Built.”
The family – the mom Elizabeth Reyes, age 46, a supervisor for MOCEANS, CIL, an agency that cares for physically and mentally disabled individuals; her son, age 18, who is a deaf mute with cerebral palsy and Tourette’s syndrome; and her daughter, age 15, who is a high school sophomore—need a home because the one they are living in is being sold. Currently, Mrs. Reyes and her daughter share a bedroom and the son sleeps on the couch in a living room that does not have a door.
Doug Sjonvall, marketing director for the WRAT, says, “Everyone counts here on the Jersey Shore and the difference that Habitat for Humanity makes is gigantic. The family who receives this incredible gift will earn it. They’ll be banging nails right alongside us and they’re specially picked because of their work ethic and dedication to the project. This isn’t a handout… but a way for a family to get a leg up on a better, more stable life on the Jersey Shore.”
The project will begin with an opening ceremony on Thursday, October 8 at 9:00 a.m. in the Monmouth Mall parking lot, Eatontown, near Joe’s Crab Shack.
The public is invited to help build a home for the Reyes family by becoming a volunteer for $50.00. The money for volunteering helps provide the materials, such as drywall, nails, and other supplies. Although experienced people and professionals are needed to help with the construction, no experience is required! Visit WRAT.com. to sign up to be a volunteer.
Volunteers can join several WRAT radio personalities to help build a home for the Reyes family. Sign up to volunteer to build with your favorite personality, beginning Thursday, October 8 through Saturday, October 10. On Thursday, October 8, work with Jim Steal and Carl Craft 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; and Steve Hook from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. On Friday, October 9 work with Carl Craft, from 9:00 a.m. to noon and Gotts from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. On Saturday, October 10 join Dave McDonald on from 9:00 a.m. to noon; and Carl Craft from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. WRAT’s Rockyn Robyn Lane will be broadcasting live all three days from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., reporting on the progress of “The House That Rock Built.”
If you are unable to help with construction, you can sponsor a volunteer or donate the money to help cover the cost of supplies. Go to WRAT.com to make a donation.
To become a corporate sponsor of the event and advertise the name of your business, call Kristine Novakowski at 732-681-9591, Ext. 223. Some of the current sponsors are Kearny Bank, Mini of Monmouth, First Atlantic, Wells Fargo, Home Point Financial, Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating, Seaview Orthopaedic, Kitchens Baths and Floors by KRFC, DCH Freehold Nissan, Surf Taco, ABCO HVACR Supply and Solutions, All Star Fence, Preferred Party Rental. Architect is Lawrence F. Slawson, AIA, 122 Robertsville Road, Freehold, N.J., donated the plans for the Reyes house.
For more information contact Doug Sjonvall, marketing director Greater Media New Jersey, WRAT/WJRZ, 732-681-3800 Ext. 306 or visit promorat@greatermedianj.com.
WRAT-FM is a radio station of Greater Media, Inc. Greater Media, Inc. is the parent company of twenty-one AM and FM radio stations in the Boston, Detroit, Charlotte, New Jersey, and Philadelphia markets. Greater Media also owns a group of weekly newspapers in central New Jersey and several telecommunications towers, located throughout the United States.
Bay magazine Partners with Creative Click Media to Create a Digital Menu for Local Business
Bay magazine, Surf City, N.J. announced that it is now working with Creative Click Media, a full-service digital marketing firm, to develop websites, content, graphic design, and other related marketing services to the bay magazine advertising partners.
Creative Click Media, Manahawkin, N.J., develops websites, digital media and print media with clients, such as David Ash Landscaping and Mancini Real Estate, among others. Its other services include video SEO, animation, social media marketing, and email marketing.
Gary Henderson, chairman of bay magazine, said, “Our partnering with Creative Click Media will allow bay magazine to bring to our clients digital solutions to their businesses and help provide the building of the digital infrastructure for our partners.”
Adam Binder, founder of Creative Click Media, said, “We are thrilled to be working with bay magazine to provide a full range of digital and marketing solutions for Long Beach Island and surrounding areas.”
Binder holds an A.A. in liberal arts from Ocean County College, Toms River, and a B.A. in history and secondary education from Georgian Court University, Lakewood.
He is on the board of directors and serves as the chairman of the marketing committee for the Toms River Chamber of Commerce. Binder is also the chairman of the marketing committee for the Stafford Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Southern Ocean Chamber of Commerce, the MODC (Monmouth Ocean Development Council) and the Jersey Shore Business Network (JSBN).
Binder is active in helping many nonprofits, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Lauren’s Heroes Inc., A Second Chance for Life, and Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, among others. JSPRAA (Jersey Shore Public Relations & Advertising Association) named Binder one of New Jersey’s “top 40 under 40,” an award given to distinguished marketing professionals. Ocean Happening also named Creative Click Media, Best Web Designer in 2014 and 2015.
For more information, email info@creativeclickmedia.com or call 732-861-1302.
About Creative Click Media:
Creative Click Media, founded by Adam Binder, is a digital marketing firm in Manahawkin N.J. The company provides website design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, animated video production, and consulting, among other digital services. Since its inception five years ago, Creative Click Media has helped clients achieve success on the web. The Creative Click team is centered on the belief that passion for innovation is key for creating successful digital strategies and meaningful results.
About bay magazine: Bay magazine, founded by the father and daughter team Gary Henderson and Farrell Henderson, is a leisure and lifestyle magazine that focuses on the uniqueness, values and interests of Long Beach Island, New Jersey and offers customized, lifestyle and leisure content to islanders and vacationers.
Henderson, who has visited Long Beach Island for over 60 years, owns a home in Surf City on Long Beach Island, N.J. Henderson worked at Gannett and News Corporation. Farrell is the writer and graphic designer. Together they produced bay magazine, the first of its kind for Long Beach Island.
Bay magazine will distribute 8500 copies in the Summer Issue on July 1, 2016, and September 1, 2016, for a combined circulation of 17,000 copies. Online readers can access bay magazine at bay-magazine.com. Also find bay magazine through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For questions, contact Gary Henderson, 203-240-4269 or gary @baymag.com.
How Will the State-wide Election This November Affect You and Your Business? Editor of Politifax to Speak at October Ocean ELC Meeting
Nicholas Acocella, the editor and publisher of Politifax, a weekly journal about politics in New Jersey, will be the featured speaker at the monthly meeting and breakfast of Ocean County ELC (Employees Legislative Committee), Friday, October 16, 2015, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, 815 Route 37 West, Toms River, N.J.
ELC meetings, open to the public, are designed to inform the business community about important legislation, provide face-to-face opportunities with key government officials, and encourage dialogue between business and government.
The registration fee, including a buffet breakfast, is $20.00. R.S.V.P. to Elizabeth Cahill at ecahill@firstenergycorp.com or call 609-656-2600 by October 13, 2015. Pay at the door or mail checks, payable to Ocean ELC, to Julie Holman, Chairwoman of Ocean ELC, 150 West State Street, Trenton, N.J. 08608.
About ELC: Employer Legislative Committees
The ELCs, established by NJBIA in 1959, are independent, local organizations representing all 21 counties. At each meeting, legislators, cabinet members or local officials will discuss important issues pertinent to business. Attendees also receive a briefing from one of NJBIA’s government affairs experts on legislative and regulatory issues affecting employers.
About NJBIA: The New Jersey Business & Industry Association, Trenton, N.J., provides information, services and advocacy to its member companies in order to build a more prosperous New Jersey. NJBIA is the nation’s largest statewide employer association. Its members, as a group, employ more than one million people and represents every industry in the state, including contractors, manufacturers, retail and wholesale businesses, and service providers of every kind. Visit www.njbia.org for more information.
The Amazing Kreskin to Perform Séance at the Strand Theater
The world’s most famous mentalist, “The Amazing Kreskin,” who freaked out Jimmy Fallon recently, will be appearing at the historic Strand Theater, 400 Clifton Avenue, Lakewood, N.J. Friday November 6, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. His show will end with 20-24 people on stage in a “live” séance!
Kreskin is not a magician, but the “world’s” greatest mentalist for 60 years. He tells people their social security number, license plate, street address from 20 years ago and their dog’s name! He picks it up from what the audience is thinking. He tells people things about themselves that only they could possibly know! He lets the audience hide his paycheck; and if he can’t find it, he forfeits his fee. He offers $1,000,000.00 to anyone who can prove he uses secret assistants or electronic devices to perform his mentalist effects!
With a showman’s flair, a comedian’s wit, and the capacities of a bona fide Mentalist or thought reader, The Amazing Kreskin has dramatized the unique facets of the human mind – his own! His very name has become an integral part of pop culture throughout the world, invoked in comedy clubs, comic strips, print stories, and TV shows. When Johnny Carson played the character “Carnac the Magnificent” on the “Tonight Show,” he was spoofing the Amazing Kreskin. Kreskin a favorite guest on Johnny’s show and Merv Griffin’s show has also been a regular on Howard Stern, David Letterman, Fox & Friends, Jimmy Fallon and many others.
According to Chris Mac Neill, Kreskin’s associate, the history of people conducting and or being part of a “séance” dates back to 300 A.D. Often a séance was connected to occult practices, bringing fear to those who attended or heard about them. For many people, the concepts of spirits on the other side, wishing to communicate seemed impossible; however, part of our human conditioning tells us that we are part of something more than three dimensions.
Tickets are $20.00 plus a $5.00 service fee per ticket. No children under 10 years of age will be admitted. Purchase tickets online at http://www.strand.org/ For more information call 732-367-7789. For Interviews Contact: Chris Mac Neill 702-228-9600 / macneillchris@aol.com
Continue to Take Precautions and Stay Safe as the Storm Threat Passes
Lakewood Chief of Police Robert Lawson and the Office of Emergency Management are reminding residents that even though Joaquin is no longer a major threat, dangerous situations still exist from wind gusts up to 50 MPH, flooding from heavy rain, and downed trees and wires.
Because heavy winds can blow garbage cans into streets causing hazard situations for cars and pedestrians, please bring in your garbage cans right after pickup. Special note: In Lakewood, trash and recycling will be picked up on Wednesday, October 7 instead of Tuesday, October 6.
Chief Lawson also cautions residents to drive slowly, very slowly through puddles. Excessive speed through water can cause cars to stall and even burn out motors.
For questions and concerns, call the Lakewood Department of Public Works at 732-905-3405 or the Lakewood Police Department at 732-363-0200.