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Notice from LBT10, Bob Irvine
At the regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting on February 22nd from 6-7 p.m., community members are invited to participate in an open committee to discuss implementation of the School Consolidation Plan.
Click on link below to see the LAN Report:
http://lbisd.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=215878&sessionid=3089d39f6083fe74ac1e4d455259c234
Study recommends closing LBI Grade School, merging it with Ethel A. Jacobsen School
THE PRESS of ATLANTIC CITY ~ DONNA WEAVER ~ Jan 25, 2011
The public turned out Tuesday night for a meeting to discuss the future of two elementary schools in the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District.
A recently completed feasibility study recommends closing the district’s Long Beach Island Grade School in Ship Bottom.
If the district plans to consolidate, the report suggests selling the school and merging its student population with the district’s second facility, the Ethel A. Jacobsen School in Surf City.
Closing the Long Beach Island Grade School and making improvements to the Ethel A. Jacobsen School would cost about $700,000, whereas closing the Ethel A. Jacobsen School and improving the Long Beach Island Grade School would cost $1.34 million, according to the study conducted by New York-based LAN Associates.
Interim Superintendent Roger A. Caruba said if everything goes “swimmingly well,” the consolidated school would be open by 2013.
“This is a big decision for our community, and we don’t want it to be done faster — we want it to be done correct,” he said.
Between the two schools, located about a mile apart, there are 232 students, but the number drops each year, despite a slow but continuous uptick in population across the island, U.S. Census Bureau data show.
Caruba said a group of parents that joined together in 1951 decided a school was needed on Long Beach Island, and the Long Beach Island Grade School was built. In 1968, Ethel A. Jacobsen School was formed and enrollment was very high, he said.
Students from five of the island’s municipalities attend the schools. They include Surf City, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township, Harvey Cedars and Barnegat Light.
The cost to educate each student is $21,866, state Department of Education’s website and Comparative Spending Guide data show.
There has been discussion of closing both schools and busing students from Long Beach Island to Stafford Township, but Caruba rejected those plans Tuesday.
“A 5-year-old child coming from Barnegat Light or Holgate will not get on a bus and ride across the bridge to the mainland to attend school,” Caruba told the crowd of parents and community leaders.
Not everyone in the crowd, however, welcomed the idea of consolidation.
“Going into one building would mean mostly staff cuts. We thought about this and it’s been very hard. It’s horrible,” Board of Education President Allyn Kain said. “I’m very fearful of what we could cut next. We are down to the bone and I know that people don’t believe but LBI doesn’t have any more money.”
A few residents in the audience said the community is being bullied into merging the schools.
“After the failure of the budget last year, everyone knows we were pressured into doing this by the mayors and taxpayer groups of the island,” said Rick McDonough of Ship Bottom.
Representatives from Long Beach Island’s taxpayer associations were present at Tuesday’s meeting, but no island mayors were in attendance.
A decision about which school to close will not be made until after next month’s regular Board of Education meeting, which will include another public forum. That meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Ethel A. Jacobsen School.
Members of the public called for more participation in the consolidation decision now that the details of the report have been released.
Several residents suggested that a separate committee comprised of local residents be formed to assist in the process.
“We’re only being given a month or two meetings. That doesn’t really give us a lot of time,” Surf City resident Richard Jeffries said.
“What is the big rush now? This has been going on for years. We should think this out, take more than two months.”
Contact Donna Weaver: DWeaver@pressofac.com
Copper pipe thefts in Long Beach Twp.
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February 14, 2011
To our Long Beach Township Community Organizations:
The Long Beach Township Police Department (LBTPD) is investigating four (4) recent reports of copper piping being cut and stolen from exterior showers from unoccupied homes. The locations are in the Haven Beach section of the Township on Beach Avenue.
The time frame for these are currently unknown, but based on a recent theft that occurred in Harvey Cedars, it is believed these are recent thefts. (Harvey Cedars occurred over this past weekend). There have been additional thefts that have been reported in other jurisdictions on the Island also.
We are asking members of our community to keep an eye out for ANY suspicious people or vehicles. If anyone sees anything or anyone suspicious they are asked to call their local police department immediately.
The Long Beach Township Police Department phone number is: 494-3322.
In the event there is an emergency call 9-1-1.
Respectfully,
Dsg. Steven Melega
Long Beach Township Police Department
Information sent from Bob Irvine, LBT 10
Long Beach Township, Beach Haven may honor each other's beach badges By DONNA WEAVER Staff Writer pressofAtlanticCity.com | Feb.19,2011
LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP — Mayor Joseph Mancini said the township and neighboring Beach Haven are discussing whether to honor one another’s seasonal beach tags.
“This is the first step to getting everybody to understand that we’re one island,” Mancini said Thursday.
Mancini added that the contract would be a “gentleman’s agreement” that badges will be honored in each town. He said officials want to make vacationing on Long Beach Island less confusing by offering a more user-friendly beach so people can visit each other, since each of the island’s six municipalities have their own beach tags.
“If you have friends staying in Beach Haven and you want to go up there for the day, that’s what this will be for,” he said.
Long Beach Township and Beach Haven’s beaches meet on the southern end of Long Beach Island — posing a problem for vacationers who meander off their tag-designated beaches. Beach Haven Mayor Chuck Maschal said beach patrol supervisors from both municipalities will meet next month to iron out the details of the agreement.
“We think it’s a great idea, and it’s the way we begin to work together as communities all across the island,” Maschal said. “We’re starting this process with the seasonal beach badges. There’s no reason if someone wants to walk down the island from Long Beach Township to the Seashell in Beach Haven to get a cocktail, why they can’t go out onto the beach and catch some sun and waves. They shouldn’t be hassled. We’re trying to make this a friendlier use, friendly island.”
Both towns will also charge $35 per seasonal beach tag.
Ventnor and Margate, two neighboring towns on Absecon Island in Atlantic County, have honored each other’s beach tags since the 1970s, when beach fees were implemented. The two shore towns have saved money through the design and manufacture of one beach tag. Each year, the municipalities alternate in choosing the beach tag design — and both town’s beach tags are the same price.
Contact Donna Weaver:
Written by
NICHOLAS HUBA, Asbury Park Press,Wed., Feb.2,2011
LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP — Township officials say they are moving forward with a plan to move their local elections from May to November in order to save about $15,000.
An ordinance on the move will be introduced during the Board of Commissioners meeting at 4 p.m. Friday at the municipal building, 6805 Long Beach Blvd. A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for Feb. 18.
"There seems to be a move all over the island (Long Beach Island) to get on the same schedule," Mayor Joseph Mancini said Tuesday morning during the commissioners' caucus meeting.
Late last year, neighboring Harvey Cedars approved a measure that moved its elections from May to November. The move saved the borough approximately $6,000, officials said.
During the November elections, county and state races are held. Municipalities must pay the cost of elections held in May because there are no state and county races.
Under the ordinance, current elected terms would be extended to the end of 2011, with the election in November. If the election remained in May, the terms of the board members would expire in July.
Mancini said Beach Haven is considering a similar change.
Earlier last year, the Legislature approved a bill that allows municipalities with nonpartisan elections to move their elections from May to November.
Matthew Weng, an attorney for the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, said more towns are looking at switching from May elections to November elections.
"I know that this is already very popular just by the number of requests for information I've gotten," he said. "We supported this bill for the same reason that towns are moving toward doing it: It saves money and increases participation."
Bill Kunz, a Long Beach Township resident, said having all of the municipalities on Long Beach Island on the same election schedule would allow for islandwide questions.
"By doing it, you could get everyone's opinion on an issue," Kunz said. "The questions could be very specific and gauge what people think of issues like consolidation."
Mancini said every municipality on Long Beach Island would have to approve the question before it could happen.
"That sounds like a great idea," Mancini said, of the idea of islandwide questions.
Nicholas Huba:
732-557-5617;
nhuba@app.com;
Township Notices
E-Waste Disposal Ban in effect January 1, 2011
The State of New Jersey has enacted “The Electronic Waste Management Act” which bans the disposal of “covered electronic devices”. Covered electronic devices include televisions, computers, monitors and portable/laptop computers. The disposal ban becomes effective on January 1, 2011.
Computers, televisions and other electronic devices will now have to be recycled. Residents must bring computers, stereos, fax machines, televisions and other electronics to the recycling center.
Bring all electronics the Township Recycling drop-off center at 7910 Long beach Blvd in Beach Haven Crest.
Items can also be collected curbside by calling to schedule pick-up at 609-361-6676.
The Township has implemented this program because of the electronics disposal ban required by “The Electronic Waste Management Act”.
Pinto Brothers Disposal is the Trash/Recycling contractor for Long Beach Township.
If someone has a trash pick up problem, please call Pinto Brothers Customer Service @ 1-877-561-8231. For general questions about trash/recycling, please call the Long Beach Township hotline @ 609-361-6676. Thank you.
CALL OUR HOTLINE 361-6676 WITH ANY QUESTIONS
Trash/recycling/brush will be on the summer schedule. Please check your calendars for pick up days.
WATCH THE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC MEETINGS LIVE ON COMCAST CHANNEL 22
*Re-broadcasts will be the 2nd Saturday following the live meeting at 7 P.M.
(8 days following the live meeting)
Long Beach Township
6805 Long Beach Boulevard
Brant Beach, NJ 08008
Ph:(609)361-1000
Fax:(609)494-5421
Hours: 9AM to 4PM
Monday - Friday
CONTACT: Email Address: Tel. Ext
Mayor Joseph H. Mancini (mancini@longbeachtownship.com) 6671
Comm. William Knarre (knarre@longbeachtownship.com) 6630
Comm. Ralph H. Bayard (rbayard@longbeachtownship.com) 6668
Municipal Clerk (tsgro@longbeachtownship.com) 6635
Registrar (sbongiovani@longbeachownship.com) 6631
Finance Office (ljones@longbeachtownship.com) 6640
Tax Assessor (hafner@longbeachtownship.com) 6660
Tax Collector( hample@longbeachtownship.com) 6647
Asst. Dir. DPW (barana@longbeachtownship.com) 6672
Public Works Admin (rhirsekorn@longbeachtownship.com) 6667
Construction Office (building@longbeachtownship.com) 6679
Zoning Dept. (tallon@longbeachtownship.com) 6651
Water & Sewer (appell@longbeachtownship.com) 6638
Water/Sewer Supt. (ward@longbeachtownship.com) 6670
Land Use Board (krueger@longbeachtownship.com) 6636
LBI Health Dept. (lbihd@lbihealth.com) 492-1212