School Election Results

All four funding proposals on the ballot were soundly defeated in the special school election held in Brick on 9/29/09. The vote count is given as follows at this time:

Proposal No. 1
Yes votes = 3,228
No votes = 6,550

Proposal No. 2
Yes votes = 3,327
No votes = 6,396

Proposal No. 3
Yes votes = 2,809
No votes = 6,554

Proposal No. 4
Yes votes = 3,589
No votes = 6,182

It was a landslide defeat for the funding proposals.

Election Held on 9/29/09 in Brick

There is an election in Brick tomorrow featuring several proposals pertaining to school expenditures. Should voters approve authorizations for funding? Polls are open between 11 AM and 9 PM. The total for the bond referendum amounts to more than 172,000,000 dollars. The money would be alloted to purchase equipment as well as for additions and improvements to various schools in town.

I've received an election notice in the mail and think the interpretive statement falls far short of being a useful explanatory device. There are monetary figures correlating to state grants and bonds. The number figues are many and the explanation too complex for one trying to decipher how much the proposals would add to property taxes.

The August 8th edition of The Brick Times may be more helpful. A front page article from that edition titled Public Does Not Give Warm Welcome To School Referendum Presentation was authored by Eric San Juan. In it was the claim that an approval of all four proposals would add $147.31 annually to property taxes for homes assessed at a value of $100,000. The average assessment in Brick is said to be $134,700.

I do not know if the property assessment figures provided in The Brick Times article are accurate but this is the type of information sought after by voters. Education is very important and probably most voters either have or had children of their own who attended schools in Brick. Still, these are not good economic times and the addition of about $200 to an average home's taxes is not welcome news. The election outcome will be eagerly anticipated by many.

Health Care

A recent letter in the September 19th edition of The Brick Times makes some cogent points about an issue on the minds of Americans these days- health insurance. The letter is authored by John J. O'Rourke of Brick. The subject matter is rich and I'll therefore devote multiple entries to it. Quoting from the third paragraph:

Since about 80 percent of Americans are satisfied with their health benefits, Congress could consider individually other areas that will improve the medical industry such as:

When 80% of the population is satisfied with anything, instituting changes which upsets that vast majority in order to make reforms affecting the remaining 20% is ill-advised on many levels and ultimately politically dangerous for those pushing the idea. For about four-fifths of the population the system works satisfactorily. Not perfectly, but most Americans receive better health care than citizens of other nations.

So what about the remaining 20%? There are clearly options that could make health insurance more affordable. Let's look at the next part of the letter:

Allowing the interstate purchase of health insurance which would create competition, more choices and lower cost; Permitting patients to shop around (which) would effectively eliminate expensive state mandates; Allowing insurance companies to sell catastrophic health insurance, especially to 18-to 35-year-olds;

Competition brings customers better service, more attractive options and lowers costs. So why do we shoot ourselves in the foot by artificially restricting competition? At the root of this problem lies a misplaced and somewhat blind faith in the power of government to effect beneficial changes through regulation. It would be wiser to let the market work for consumers. More from John J. O'Rourke:

Using the state of Texas as a model for instituting tort reform so that doctors will not have to practice defensive medicine. This would lower the cost of malpractice insurance for physicians and would enable them to make reductions in their fee schedules;

Meaningful tort reform would go far to lower the high cost of medical care. It's not simply the costliness of added tests and procedures as undesireable as they are. Some procedures, like imaging for example, expose patients to unneeded radiation. When doctors feel they are constantly second guessed and that justice is less important than the deep pockets of hospitals and insurance companies, medical treatment is distorted and doctor/patient relationships suffer. Most legislative bodies are dominated by attorneys. Tort reform is a problem in need of resolution.

Other points raised in the letter will be analyzed in a subsequent entry.

A Benefit for Dr. Eric Hudson

Friends of Dr. Eric Hudson of the Cedars Veterinary Hospital have arranged a benefit on his behalf at Windward Beach in Brick. It begins at 12 Noon and runs until 7PM. Dr. Hudson was recently diagnosed as having a malignant, inoperable brain tumor. There will be live entertainment, a horseshoe tournament, a pig roast and more. Call 732-477-8711 for more information.

Human Remains Discovered off Herbertsville Road

The September 17th edition of the newspaper Community Reporter ran a front page story titled Body found in woods a mystery. The article told of the finding of the remains of a woman believed to have died about a year ago according to a police source. It is believed the woman was between 60 and 80 years of age. It is estimated that she was between 4' 8" and 5' 1" tall and that she weighed between 90 and 130 pounds. The remains were found off Herbertsville Road in Brick.

The deceased woman had a key ring bearing a cartoon picture.. The word "Scrooge" was printed on it. The cause of death is still to be determined.

Kitefest 2009

Kitefest 2009 will take place on Saturday, September 19th at Brick Beach 3 off Rt. 35N. in Brick. It begins at 2 PM. For a free kite kit preregister. Call: 732-262-1088. The rain date is September 20th.

Reclamming Barnegat Bay

The September 12, 2009 edition of the Brick Times features a front page headline titled Traders Cove Part Of Efforts To "ReClam The Bay." The related article tells of a brand new clam nursery located at the Traders Cove Marina and Park. The nursery is dubbed FLUPSY which is short for floating upweller system. The Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Program (BBSRP) and ReClam the Bay are credited with having put the system in place. Ocean County employees also helped construct and position FLUPSY.

There are two primary objectives to FLUPSY. One is to facilitate the flow of nutrients by increasing the bay water flow rate past clams and oysters. The second is protection from predators such as sea stars and crabs. The intent is to grow more than 2.5 million clams and about three quarters of a million oysters.

Traders Cove Marina and Park borders Barnegat Bay where Mantoloking Road comes to an end. The Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Program asks for volunteers to help out with FLUPSY.

Monday Night Bible Study at St. Paul's

St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 714 Herbertsville Road, Brick, NJ 08724, (732) 458-2080, features a Monday Night Bible Study starting September 14, 2009. It begins at 7:30 PM and meets at the church sanctuary. The study is focused on I Timothy. Those interested are welcome to join the group. It runs about nine weeks and utilizes a study guide which costs $15.

Accurate Weather Information for Brick Township

The August 22nd edition of The Brick Times had an article on page 12 describing a barrier island weather station operated by the California based WeatherFlow Inc. which provides the weather monitoring service. The idea is to convey accurate weather information to Brick Township and the Office of Emergency Management of the Brick Township Police Department. Also very good news is the fact that it did not cost Brick Township anything to construct the weather station or receive its services. The station is located in a municipally owned parking area next to Brick Beach III.

MMA Fighter Nick Catone

Mixed martial arts fighter Nick Catone, of Brick New Jersey, recently agreed to a four fight contract with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the flagship organization of mixed martial arts. Nick is a middle-weight with a record of 7-2. He recently lost a close fight by split decision to Mark Munoz at UFC 102. Nick is 28 years old and is considered to be a well rounded fighter.

New Business Developments in Brick

The September 5th edition of the Brick Times indicated that the grand opening for a new Home Depot store took place on August 20th. The new store is located at: 1722 Route 88, Brick NJ. Also on the front page of that same edition was an article reporting that the old Foodtown building on Route 70 would be brought down by the year's end. Mayor Stephen Acropolis was cited as the source. There are plans to construct a hotel, grocery store, restaurant and more at that location according to the article.

Gearing Up for Another Hockey Season

On Saturday September 12th the Brick Hockey Club will host an opening extravaganza on Saturday, September 12th outside The Ocean Ice Palace. There will be continuous hockey inside from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM the outside activities will be held. Activities include a Chinese Auction and a barbeque. There will be food, fun and a call for volunteers to help out.