Back to School With MATES

Marine Science Academy Turns 25

As regularly as the tides or the phases of the moon, it happens every year. Across Ocean County, teachers and administrators are busy preparing their classrooms and buildings for the beginning of the school year. Things aren’t that different in a small building tucked up on a hill behind Southern Regional High School in Stafford Township. There, on a small […]

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ Offers Online Field Guide

Learn About State's Endangered and Threatened Species

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is the only statewide nonprofit organization focused solely on threatened, endangered and imperiled species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. The nonprofit’s website, conservewildlifenj.org, now features a field guide offering in-depth information on species of special concern. The New Jersey Endangered and Threatened Species Field Guide includes more than 200 rare species in […]

Pizza 4 Paws and Downward Dogs: Vesuvio’s Not Your Average Pizza Shop


Every morning, Salvatore DeSimone can be found spinning dough behind the counter of Vesuvio Pizzeria in Forked River, preparing pies for the day’s slices. A contemplative man, he listens to music as he crafts his pies in a sort of meditation. “The energy comes through me and into the pizza,” he smiled. Behind him are various chalk-written messages on the […]

Board Meetings to Start Earlier at Pinelands and LEH School Districts


The board of education meetings at both the Little Egg Harbor School District and the Pinelands Regional School District will start earlier come September. The LEH BOE will move up the start of its public session from 6 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. as of Monday, Sept. 16. The Pinelands BOE will meet in executive session at 5:30 p.m. and the […]

Toms River Library Branch Welcomes 9/11 Survivor


Buried, crushed and bleeding beneath the rubble of the South Tower, Joe Torrillo wondered what life could be if given just one more day. Miraculously found alive,he was buried again under the debris of the second collapse minutes after being rescued. The retired lieutenant from the New York City Fire Departmentwill share his inspiring story and his lessons on how […]

Proposed Wind Farm Off Atlantic City May Use Oyster Creek Substation to Access Electric Grid

Project Would Have 85 to 100 Turbines

Ørsted, the Danish company that with Public Service Enterprise Group intends to generate 1,100 megawatts of wind power, enough to supply half a million homes with “green” renewable electricity, held its second informational meeting, in Waretown, Wednesday night. The venue seemed odd since the wind farm is planned for a leased area of the continental shelf, 15 miles off Atlantic […]

Barnegat Board Salutes New Enshrinee Ribaudo


Last spring,the Barnegat Education Association established a new hall of fameto recognize faculty membersfor their “vital role in shaping the future of individuals and society.” The inaugural six are Rosalind Ribaudo, Louise Muth, Cynthia Corle, Holly Carson, Frank Constantine and Joseph Papernik.Ribaudo was unable to attend the dedication, so the board of education invited her to attend a recent meeting […]

Garden Club of LBI Reaps Honors


The Garden Club of Long Beach Island recently received national and stateawards forits work in renovating and maintaining local gardens, wildflower preservation, and environmental and youth projects.The awards were presented at the club’s annual luncheon, recently held at Sea Oaks Country Club, along with the installation of the new president for 2019-20, Diane Barbieri of Surf City. On the national […]

‘Something Has to Change’ – 70 Years of Mass Shootings

Commentary

On Friday, Sept. 6, Camden, N.J., will note an anniversary that will not be celebrated by its citizenry – no parades, no flowery speeches by local officials, no fireworks. Seventy years ago to the day, Howard Unruh killed 13 people during a 12-minute walk through his Camden neighborhood. One source called these murders the first “mass shooting” in American history. […]

Big Rematch, Birthday Cake a Fine Way to Conclude Summer Series

Can You Beat Biggy?

Back on July 31, after defeating Eric Lukenda and Dean Collier on the “Pirates Bay” course at Mr. Tee’s in Beach Haven, I opted to give the 13-year-old friends a rematch on the course they play for the weekly tournaments at Karen Rosania’s downtown venue. As I drovedown Long Beach Boulevard that day, I could almost hear the voice of […]