By RICK MELLERUP

As of Tuesday evening, it appeared Hurricane Earl posed no major threat to Southern Ocean County. A direct hit was unlikely, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly and the appropriately named Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz of NBC in Philadelphia, and Accuweather.com.
Of course conditions could rapidly change – and we all know what happens when somebody assumes something. Residents and visitors would be wise to monitor the situation carefully and, as the Jersey Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross advises, gather an emergency preparedness kit and formulate a family evacuation plan.

That kit, enclosed in a sturdy but easy-to-carry, water-resistant cooler, should include three days’ supplies, including a gallon of water for each family member per day, and canned and non-perishable, easy-to-prepare foods such as tuna, peanut butter, crackers and canned fruit (be sure to include a manual can opener). It should also contain a battery-powered radio, flashlights, extra batteries, a first aid kit, medicines, cash, copies of important documents and a sleeping bag or blanket for each person. And don’t forget pet supplies. Click here to read more.

Ocean County College is once again the place for space. Members of the campus community, patrons and the media assembled last week for a ribbon-cutting to mark the revitalization of OCC’s Robert J. Novins Planetarium, which recently underwent a $3.5 million, state-of-the-art renovation.

The Ocean County Board of Freeholders contributed approximately $2 million toward the cost of the improvements, while a college fundraising drive – the Reach for the Stars campaign – covered the remainder of the costs.

The facility, named in honor of late OCC Foundation chairman and trustee Robert J. Novins, first opened in the mid-1970s. In a 1975 edition of Jersey Shore News, county Freeholder Ernest A. Buhr was quoted as saying, “The planetarium is certainly one of the great educational, practical functions in all of Ocean County.” Click here to read more.