Fall classes offered in the areas of HISTORY, ART, POLITICAL SCIENCE, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY, LANGUAGES, ECONOMICS, PHILOSOPHY
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Rutgers University (OLLI-RU) is designed for people over 50 years old who want to continue their learning experience and share knowledge with others.
OLLI - RU offers noncompetitive noncredit education that is stimulating, friendly and informal. There are no tests, and no grades.
For more information email; http://olliru@dceo.rutgers.edu or phone 732-932-7233 xtn: 4200 to speak with a Director or Coordinator of programs.
You must act now since the classes begin the 1st week of June ond the 2nd week of June. The classes are held in Freehold and Highland Park 10:30 am - noon and 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm.
we HAVE A FEW COPIES OF THE BROCHURE BOOKLET PLEASE STOP BY TO PICK UP A COPY.
Mayor Stephen Acropolis was in attendance for Governor Chris Christie’s press conference about his proposed reforms for New Jersey government and applauds the Governor’s plans.
“New Jersey’s taxpayers can no longer afford the way government currently works in our state,” said Mayor Acropolis.“These reforms that Governor Christie has proposed are much need and quite frankly long over-due.”
Governor Christie unveiled a package of 33 bills that are aimed at making New Jersey a more affordable place through systemic reforms.These reforms include a 2.5% cap on tax levies, raising the retirement age, capping payouts for unused sick and vacation times and adjustment of civil service rules.
“Over the past two years, we have been working to reform the way Brick Township does business,” said Mayor Acropolis.“We have implemented reforms such as health care contributions, eliminating ‘Cadillac’ health plans, capping buyouts and reducing the size of government.It is good to see the same changes taking place in Trenton.”
One of the most significant components of Governor Christie’s plan is Cap 2.5 which would eliminate the ability of towns, schools and counties to increase tax levies by more than 2.5%.There would be no exemptions to the cap except for debt service.The only way for the 2.5% cap to be exceeded would through a ballot question. Towns currently operate under a 4% tax levy cap that has numerous exemptions.
“When a government has to adhere to a hard cap, it is forced to trim fat from the budget and cut spending,” said Mayor Acropolis.“It makes us focus on what the core missions of government are.”
Another proposal is the reformation of the civil service system.Towns would have the ability to opt out of the civil service system by ordinance or by petition by a percentage of voters.
“The civil service system is inherently flawed,” said Mayor Acropolis.“It is an archaic system that seems to exist first and foremost to protect mediocre employees.When we reduced staff in 2008, it was in accordance with civil service rules as opposed to performance.It is not fair to our employees or our taxpayers to operate this way.”
Mayor Acropolis also supports the Governor’s proposal to cap buybacks of unused sick and vacation time.“We have all heard about public employees retiring with a check for $100,000, $150,000 or even more when they retire,” said Mayor Acropolis.“This is unacceptable and unfair to taxpayers.These payouts should be capped for all public employees.”
“The people of this state have had enough.That was clear in April when the majority of school budgets across the state were defeated at the polls,” said Mayor Acropolis.“Governor Christie knows this and has developed a plan that will turn our state around.It is my hope that the New Jersey Legislature follows the will of the people and enacts the Governor’s reforms."
The Township of Brick and the US Environmental Protection Agency have reached an agreement regarding the remediation of the landfill located on Sally Ike Road. In accordance with the agreement, the Township will install a landfill cap over areas containing waste and continue monitoring the groundwater to protect human health. Upon installation of the landfill cap, the Township will install a solar panel field to generate approximately 7.5MW of renewable electricity for the benefit of the Township and its citizens.
During the next few months, the Township’s engineering consultant will conduct site investigations at the site in preparation for the cap installation. The EPA will oversee the work to assure continued protection of the environment and residents. Construction of the landfill cap will start soon after EPA has reviewed and approved the plans for the redevelopment of the landfill.
The Township’s Planning Board has declared the site to be in need for redevelopment, and the Redevelopment Plan will be brought for a second reading before the Council on May 4 at 8:00pm. The EPA Case Manager and the engineering Project Manager will be at the meeting, available to answer questions from the Council and interested public.
To commemorate Arbor Day this year, the Brick Township Shade Tree Commission is donating two copies of the 40th Edition of The Giving Tree to the Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library.
“We are proud to provide copies of this classic book to the library,” said Dottie LaPosa, Chairperson of the Shade Tree Commission.“Hopefully many young people will read this book over the years and gain a greater appreciation of all that nature and trees give us.”
The Giving Tree was written in 1964 by Shel Silverstein.It has been translated into over 30 languages.
Arbor Day began in 1872 and is celebrated throughout the nation on the last Friday of each April. Mayor Stephen Acropolis has issued an official Mayoral Proclamation designating April 30 as Arbor Day in Brick Township and is encouraging residents to observe the holiday by planting a tree.
Mayor Acropolis has words of thanks for the Brick Township Shade Tree Commission.“Our Shade Tree Commissioners are extremely enthusiastic and dedicated.They volunteer their time to make our community a greener place and teach people about the importance of trees and I commend them for their efforts,” said the Mayor.
Brick Township has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the past six years.This designation is awarded to municipalities for their commitment to community forestry.
Brick Township Council President Anthony Matthews has announced the formation of a Council Committee to review the defeated school tax levy.The committee will be chaired by Councilwoman Ruthanne Scaturro and will include Council Vice President Dan Toth and Councilman Brian DeLuca.The committee will be responsible for meeting with school officials to discuss the levy and make recommendations to the Council.
“The people spoke loud and clear on the school tax levy.Now it is up to this Council to look at the budget and determine what should be cut,” said Council President Matthews.“The Council members who are going to be on this special committee are going to make sure there is an appropriate balance between the will of the people and the need to provide our young people with an excellent education.”
The school tax levy was defeated 7,227 – 4,794 on Tuesday evening.As per New Jersey law, the levy will be reviewed by the Township Council who has the authority to enact cuts and adopt the final levy.
“We are going to go over the school budget as thoroughly as we can in the time we have it,” said Councilwoman Scaturro.“We have a short window to look over a $135 million budget.It is going to be a tough job, but we are going to get it done.”
The committee is going to meet with officials from the school administration and members of the Board of Education during the review process.“We had the school in to discuss their budget prior to this week’s vote.It seemed that they presented a very lean budget to the people,” said Council Vice-President Toth.“Nonetheless, the people voted against the budget and we have an obligation to heed their will.We are going to work with the schools to make sure that any reductions we make do not affect education.”
“Many people have expressed their concerns over block scheduling and the proposal to eliminate programs such as middle school athletics and may have based their votes on these issues,” said Council President Matthews.“People must know that the Council does not have the authority to dictate policy or programs for the schools; all we can do is give them a number.We can’t tell them to provide middle school sports.Those decisions are up to the Board and administration and them alone.”
By law, the Council has until May 19 to review the school budget, make changes and adopt it.
Brick Township is seeking people interested in helping control the community’s feral cat population by volunteering to serve on their Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) Committee.The Committee will work with local veterinarians, shelters and residents to manage the feral cat colonies, as well as vaccination and neutering of feral cats.
“Feral cats are a unique challenge for a community,” said Mayor Stephen Acropolis.“On one hand, we have to make sure that they do not pose a health danger for our residents.On the other, we want to use the most humane methods to manage the colonies and the population.The members of the TNR Committee will work to accomplish both of these goals.”
TNR stands for Trap-Neuter-Release.TNR is the method of humanely trapping feral cats, having them spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies and then returning them to their colony to live out their lives. Volunteers are being sought to assist with colony caretaking, fostering cats, planning and coordination for trapping, transportation to and from veterinarians, adoption, fundraising and more.
The TNR Committee meets in the Brick Township Municipal Building on the first Monday of every month at 10 a.m.Anyone interested in volunteering can attend a meeting.For more information please call 732-262-1053 or email brickfelinetnr@aol.com.
Age-related macular degeneration is a major cause of visual impairment in the U.S. For Caucasians over age 65 it is the leading cause of legal blindness.
Facts on Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older. It is also the leading cause of legal blindness among white Americans age 40 and over, accounting for 54% of all such blindness.
Age-related macular degeneration is a common eye disease that causes deterioration of the macula, the central area of the retina. The retina is a paper-thin tissue at the back of the eye where light sensitive cells send visual signals to the brain. Sharp, clear, straight-ahead vision, color and fine detail are processed by the macula, and damage to this area results in blind spots and blurred or distorted vision. When the macula is damaged, many daily activities such as driving and reading become increasingly difficult.
Approximately 1.75 million Americans 40 years and older have advanced age-related macular degeneration, and another 7.3 million people with intermediate age-related macular degeneration are at substantial risk for vision loss.
It is estimated that by 2020 there will be 2.95 million people with advanced age-related macular degeneration.
Currently, it is estimated that as many as 11 million people in the United States have some form of age-related macular degeneration. By 2050, this figure will double to nearly 22 million.
Age is a prominent risk factor for age-related macular degeneration. 3.8 percent of Americans between the ages of 50-59 have either intermediate or advanced age-related macular degeneration; by ages 70-79, this increases to 14.4 percent.
A large study found that people in middle-age have about a 2% risk of getting AMD, but this risk increased to nearly 30% in those over age 75.
Direct medical costs of AMD are substantially higher among the population aged 65 years and older than in the population aged 40 to 64 years.
Other risk factors include: smoking, family history of macular degeneration, gender, obesity, race, prolonged sun exposure, a high fat diet and/or one that is low in nutrients and antioxidants, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
There are two forms of macular degeneration: dry and wet.
The dry form of macular degeneration, in which the light sensitive cells of the macula slowly break down, is the most common type, accounting for 90 percent of diagnosed cases.
Wet macular degeneration accounts for approximately 10 percent of cases, but results in 90 percent of legal blindness. It is considered advanced macular degeneration (there is no early or intermediate stage of wet macular degeneration). Wet macular degeneration is always preceded by the dry form of the disease.
It is possible for dry macular degeneration to advance and cause loss of vision without turning into the wet form of the disease; however, it is also possible for early-stage dry age-related macular degeneration to suddenly change into the wet form.
Medicare beneficiaries who had AMD increased from 5% to 27.1% from 1991 to 1999.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 indicating the greatest impact on daily life, 71% of adults say that loss of eyesight ranks a 10. However, only 52% of adults 18 and older report that they have heard of macular degeneration.
To help diagnose macular degeneration, an eye care professional will perform a dilated eye exam, fundoscopy, a visual acuity test and fundus photography. If wet age-related macular degeneration is suspected, a fluorescein angiography, in which dye is used to detect leaking blood vessels, may also be performed. The patient may also be asked to look at an Amsler grid.
Currently, there is no treatment or cure for advanced dry macular degeneration that will prevent vision loss. However, a specific high dose formula of antioxidant vitamins and zinc may delay or prevent intermediate macular degeneration from progressing to the advanced stage.
Lucentis® (ranibizumab injection), Macugen® (pegaptanib sodium injection), laser photocoagulation and photodynamic therapy are some common treatments that can help control the abnormal blood vessel growth and bleeding in the macula for those with wet macular degeneration. Physicians have also used Avastin™ (bevacizumab injection), a cancer therapy manufactured by the company that makes Lucentis, as an “off-label” treatment for wet macular degeneration.
The injectable medications, such as Lucentis (ranibizumab) are effectively reducing damage from wet AMD; vision stabilizes in over 90% of patients and actually improves in more than 30%.
Vision rehabilitation and low vision aids can help improve the quality of life for those who are visually impaired.
A healthy lifestyle may help reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration. The following are recommended:
Don’t smoke
Exercise regularly
Keep blood pressure in a normal range and control other medical conditions
Maintain a healthy weight
Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables and fish
Protect eyes from overexposure to sunlight with sunglasses and hats
Ongoing research is exploring environmental, genetic and dietary factors that may contribute to macular degeneration. New treatment strategies are also being investigated, including retinal cell transplants, drugs to prevent or slow disease progress, radiation therapy, gene therapies, a computer chip implanted in the retina that may help simulate vision, and agents that will prevent new blood vessel growth under the macula.
If you have been diagnosed with macular degeneration, don't be afraid to use your eyes for reading, watching TV, and other daily activities. Normal use of your eyes will not increase damage to your vision.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this section is a public service of the American Health Assistance Foundation, and should not in any way substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional and is not intended to constitute medical advice. Although we take efforts to keep the medical information on our website updated, we cannot guarantee that the information on our website reflects the most up-to-date research. Please consult your physician for personalized medical advice; all medications and supplements should only be taken under medical supervision. The American Health Assistance Foundation does not endorse any medical product or therapy.
Source: Some of the information in this fact sheet was obtained from the National Eye Institute.
Brain Aerobics class is held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. The class is held at the Municipal Complex also known as Town Hall, located at 401 ChambersBridge Road, Brick Twp.
The Brain Aerobics class helps to keep
our minds sharp and active, and it is
fun. Please call the Senior Center to register for the class 732-920-8686. Participants should bring a pen and a sheet of paper to class.
“I had the opportunity to attend Governor Chris Christie’s first budget address on March 16.In his speech, Governor Christie spoke clearly and decisively about the budget crisis that New Jersey is facing and the sacrifices that we must all make to get the State and our communities back on track.
I wholeheartedly support the reforms Governor Christie outlined in his speech.In fact, we have already implemented a number of those reforms in Brick Township such as having every employee contribute to their health care costs, reducing the size of government and labor contracts that are more considerate of taxpayers.These reforms have saved Brick’s taxpayers millions of dollars.
Governor Christie made it clear why we are in the mess we are in.He presented a clear plan to begin to dig us out of that mess and start us on the road to fiscal responsibility.That plan is going to require sacrifices from each and every one of us.This shared sacrifice is a far cry from the days of taking from one group to give to another that has marked New Jersey governance for decades.It is this type of plan that reminds us of why we elected Governor Christie this past November.
I applaud Governor Christie for the conviction and leadership he displayed during his address.It is comforting to know that we have a Governor willing to stand up to special interests and political groups on both sides of the aisle and do what is right by the taxpayers of this State.
It is my hope that the New Jersey State legislature approves the reforms Governor Christie has proposed.”
The Ocean County Utilities Authority is rehabilitating sewer pipes in the Midstreams area. The major portion of the work is expected to be complete on or about April 9, 2010.
The portion of pipe to be rehabilitated begins at Rainbow Drive near Blue Fin Drive and continues east on Rainbow Road onto Tremont Place and continues northeast onto the Esplanade to Midstreams Road. The last section to be rehabilitated is under Midstreams Road from the Esplanade to the intersection of Midstreams and Jordan Roads. Spiniello Companies, Inc. will perform the rehabilitation work.
Should you need to report a sewer work related emergency, please dial the 24-hour emergency call number established for you to contact Spiniello Companies personnel to report any contract work related problems. This sewer work related emergency number is 973-651-1806.
The OCUA has established a 24-hour emergency call number which is 732-920-1301 ext. 3347 to report construction related complaints or problems to Authority personnel. Between the hours of 8am and 4:30pm please call 732-269-4500 ext 829 to report construction related complaints, questions or problems to OCUA personnel.
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