Brick, NJ – As the costs to dispose of non-compactable waste at the Ocean County Landfill increases, Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis and Township officials are investigating ways to save taxpayer dollars through alternate drop-off locations.

“Every year, the price to use the County landfill goes up.  Yet, we keep going there because that is what we have always done,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “We cannot afford to keep doing what we have been doing.  Not when we can be saving taxpayers dollars.”

Mayor Acropolis estimates that based on last year’s tonnage numbers, the Township could realize savings upwards of $200,000 a year by utilizing private recycling yards to dispose of collected non-compactable waste.  Non-compactable waste includes items such as concrete, metal, building materials, furniture and various bulk items.  The Township collects non-compactable waste at the Ridge Road Recycling Center.

In 2000, the Township dumped 4,482 tons of non-compactable material at the County landfill at $63.32 a ton.  Those numbers jumped to 10,614 tons at $101.14 a ton in 2007.  That equates to an increase of nearly $800,000 in the amount of money the Township spent in 2007 compared to 2000.

“We are confident that we can lower how much we pay per ton by using an alternate vendor or recycling yard,” said Mayor Acropolis. 

“This is a continuation of our ongoing efforts to think outside the box and change the way government does business in Brick Township,” added Mayor Acropolis.

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The Brick Township Recreation Department is now accepting applications for summer employment for lifeguards, camp counselors and beach badge checkers.

Traditional summer camp begins on July 7 and runs Monday through Friday from 9 am until 2 pm at Windward Beach and the Drum Point Sports Complex through August 8.  Counselors must be 15 years of age or older and reside in Brick Township.  Through a grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, the Township also offers a 5 week day camp for children ages 5 – 12 with mild to moderate developmental disabilities.  Counselors for Challenger Camp must by at least 17 years old and have an interest in pursuing a career working with children with special needs.

Applications are also being accepted for lifeguards and badge checkers at Brick Township’s three ocean beaches.  Badge checkers must be 16 years of age or older.  Lifeguards must be 16 or older and certified in CPR, First Aid, AED and oxygen. They must also pass health physical and be able to complete a 500 meter swim in under 10 minutes and a one mile run in required time (7 minutes 30 seconds for males, 8 minutes 30 seconds for females). 

All Recreation department summer staff 18 years of age or older must also be fingerprinted and pass a criminal history background check.  In all cases, Brick Township residents are preferred.

Applications are available in the Recreation office in Civic Plaza, 270 Chambers Bridge Road or at the Brick Township Municipal Building, 401 Chambers Bridge Road.  Interested applicants should submit a completed application, including a copy of their social security card, drivers’ license (if applicable), current report card and working papers (under 18 only).  For more information, please call Cindy in the Brick Recreation office at 732-262-1073.

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Brick, NJ – Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis, the Brick Township Council and the Brick Recreation Department have announced that the 2008 Cultural Arts Series will feature musical entertainment, drama and visual arts programs to be held at various locations throughout the town, including the Cultural Arts Center on Herberstville Road, Civic Plaza on Chambers Bridge Road, Bayside Park on Route 35 and the new amphitheatre at Drum Point Park, Drum Point Road. 

The season will kick off with an open poetry reading featuring local authors on Tuesday, March 18 at the Cultural Arts Center.  All are welcome to attend and pre-registration is not needed.  The remainder of the shows at this location are: Saturday, April 19, Guild Theatreworks presents An Evening of Classic Comedy; Thursday, May 22, The Everald Williams Jazz Trio; Wednesday, June 18, Mark Muller in Al Jolson: A One Man Show;  Wednesday, July 23, River City Strings; Wednesday, August 13, Guild Theatreworks presents the Shakespearean comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Wednesday, September 17, Jennifer Mylod’s Celtic Band with special guest Robert Koerner (concert starts at 6:30 pm); Wednesday, October 15, folk guitarist Larry Fix;  Wednesday, November 12, Local Commotion Theatre Company presents Shaping a Life:  Eleanor Roosevelt, the Early Years; Wednesday, December 3, Guild Theatreworks presents Beau Geste;  and Wednesday, December 10, Guild Theatreworks presents A Holiday Showcase.  All shows begin at 7 pm unless otherwise indicated.  Advanced reservations are required as seating is limited in this location.

The Bayside Park summer events begin on Tuesday, June 17 with Poetry in the Park, an evening of open poetry reading by local authors at 5:30 pm.  All are welcome.  On Wednesday, July 30 there will be a concert by the River City String Quartet and on Wednesday, August 6, Jennifer Mylod’s Celtic Band will perform.  Both concerts begin at 7 pm and reservations are not required.  Attendees should bring their own lawn chairs. 

For the first time the Township will be offering cultural programs at the new amphitheatre at Drum Point Park, Drum Point Road (adjacent to the school).  Wednesday, June 25, will feature a concert by the Everald Williams Jazz Trio and on Wednesday, July 9, renown country artists Jim Murphy and the Pine Barons will perform.  Both concerts begin at 7 pm.  On Tuesday, July 18 at 5:30 pm there will be Poetry in the Park, an open reading with local authors.  All are welcome to attend.  Reservations are not required.

To date, two events are scheduled for Civic Plaza, Chambers Bridge Road with more to come.  On Wednesday, May 14, Jim Murphy and the Pine Barons will entertain with a unique blend of traditional and country music.  On Thursday September 18, Guild Theatreworks will present the classic Shakespearean comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Both shows begin at 7 pm.  Advanced reservations are required.

Poets, actors and writers are invited to participate in on-going activities at the Cultural Arts Center, Herbertsville Road.  The Writer’s Block meets the first and third Mondays of each month and acting and playwriting workshops will be held on the 4^th Friday of the month.  The Brick Garden Club also meets at the Cultural Arts Center on the 2^nd Monday of the month. 

Two special events are also scheduled for the Arts Center.  The Laurelton Art Society will host their annual Spring Exhibit every Saturday and Sunday from 11 am until 3 pm, with special guest artists and enrichment programs.  Saturday, April 26 the Garden Club and the Brick Historical Society join in to provide a Spring Festival Country Fair from 10 am – 4 pm (rain date Sunday, April 27).  On Tuesday, July 18, the Brick Township Garden Club will hold their annual Garden Tour.  Visit a delightful assortment of gardens in Brick, then enjoy tea at the Cultural Arts Center along with an art show and a plant sale.  Donation $15 to the Garden Club is requested.  For tickets and information call The Brick Historical Society at 732-785-2500. 

The Brick Township 2008 Cultural Arts Series is made possible, in part, by a grant administered by the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, in conjunction with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.  All events are free unless otherwise indicated.  For reservations or additional information, please call the Brick Township Cultural Events Hotline at 732-262-1006. 

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Brick, NJ – Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis showed his support of the Brick Township Public School District by attending a rally at the New Jersey Statehouse to protest New Jersey’s school funding formula yesterday.  Before the rally, Mayor Acropolis attended a briefing on cuts in municipal state aid that featured Governor Jon Corzine.

“I went to Trenton to support our schools and help them tell our legislators that something needs to change.  The state’s formula for distributing school funding is unfair to communities like Brick Township,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “Our schools’ operating costs are increasing every year, yet our State aid is going up only 2 percent.  We are already on the verge of closing schools.  What is next?”

Mayor Acropolis notes that the increase in State Aid for the schools for 2008 is $780,838.  That is approximately only 6/10 of 1% of last year’s school budget.

Mayor Acropolis attended the event with Business Administrator Scott Pezarras and Administration Deputy Department Head Juan Bellu.

“I was pleased to see young people getting involved today,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “There voices need to be heard as they are the ones who are bearing the brunt of the State’s decisions.  It’s their education that is being impacted.”

Before the rally, Mayor Acropolis attended a seminar on state aid cuts for municipalities.  Brick Township stands to see a reduction of nearly $700,000 in State Aid from last year’s level.

“Municipalities throughout the State are facing similar budget problems,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “We are facing increasing non-discretionary costs and cuts in State aid.  Many of these increasing costs are because of obligations created by State agencies.  Combine these issues with spending and tax levy caps, and towns are having a difficult time making the numbers work.”

Mayor Acropolis cites storm water management regulations imposed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as an example of increasing mandated costs.  “State agencies come up with programs and tell towns they have to comply, but do not help us pay for them,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “In fact, they give us less money and make us pass the burden on to our taxpayers.”

“This is about obligations.  We are working hard to run our Township in a fiscally responsible way and the Board of Education is doing the same,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “That is made harder when the State chooses not to fulfill its obligations.  Unfortunately, the people who are going to pay are the taxpayers of Brick.”

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Brick, NJ – Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis is proud to announce that the Township of Brick will be awarding a contract to Earle Asphalt Company for the reconfiguration of the Route 70 / Chambers Bridge Road intersection.  The project calls for the extension of the left turn lane from westbound Route 70 to Chambers Bridge Road.  The lane will be extended from 350 feet to 650 feet.  The extension will permit an additional 20 or more cars to stack in the left turn lane.

“The Council and I have been working to develop real solutions to the traffic problem on Route 70,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “This project is a result of our efforts.  I am confident that when it is complete, traffic will be flowing better on Route 70.”

The contract is in the amount of $137,113 and is being covered entirely through a grant from the State of New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund.

“This project is a win-win for the people of Brick Township,” said Council President Ruthanne Scaturro.  “One of the most notorious traffic hot spots in our town will be receiving some much needed renovations and there will be no cost to the taxpayers.”

The project is expected to begin within 30 days of the awarding of the bid on March 25.  The construction will be done during the night to avoid creating traffic delays.

Mayor Acropolis pledges to continue to find solutions to the traffic congestion on Route 70 and other areas in the Township.  “In the past, people have said that we had no say in what happens on Route 70 since it was a state road,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “The days of excuses are over.  This project is proof that we can make our voices heard and that we have the ability to make change happen.  We will continue to do so since that is what we were elected to do.”

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Brick, NJ – The Brick Township Council passed a resolution supporting New Jersey State Senate Bill S89 and New Jersey Assembly Bill A308 which will prohibit any company that employs illegal aliens from receiving public contracts, grants, loans or tax incentives for seven years.  Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis agrees with the legislation urged the Council to pass the resolution of support.

“Companies that circumvent the law should not be rewarded with public contracts, it is that simple,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “By awarding public contracts to employers who hire illegal immigrants, we are condoning illegal behavior, rewarding the perpetrators and actually encouraging immigration laws to be broken.”

The bills specify that if an investigation determines that a company has violated the bill’s provisions, that company will be placed on a list that will be made available to every applicable public body identifying the company as ineligible for certain contracts and benefits.  Companies that violate any provision of the bill may be liable for fines of $10,000 for every illegal alien that they hired.

“Employers who hire illegal immigrants are magnifying our country’s ongoing problems with illegal immigration,” said Council President Ruthanne Scaturro.  “They are putting their own self interests ahead of the good of the country.”

The sponsors of the bills are Senator Christopher J. Connors (R-9^th District) and Assemblymen Brian E. Rumpf (R-9^th District), Daniel M. Van Pelt (R-9^th District) and Scott Rudder (R-8^th District).

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Brick, NJ – In the wake of accidents involving pedestrians on Chambers Bridge Road, the Township of Brick sought improvements in the form of increased lighting and the installation of a fence improve safety for pedestrians and motorists alike.  The projects were recently completed by Ocean County.

“It is our duty to do everything we can to make sure residents are safe,” said Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis.  “It had become evident that there was a safety issue on Chambers Bridge Road that had to be addressed.  It became our top priority.”

Mayor Acropolis met with County officials on Chambers Bridge Road to discuss the Township’s concerns about pedestrians crossing the street and not using crosswalks.  The fence was constructed in the median of Chambers Bridge Road and prohibits pedestrians from crossing the road except at the crosswalks.

“The County was a tremendous partner on this project,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “They listened to our concerns and suggestions and worked quickly to get this done.  I especially want to thank Freeholder Jim Lacey for his help on this project.”

In addition to the fence, an additional 13 lights were installed on Chambers Bridge Road by JCP&L.   The lights were requested by the Township.

“The additional lights will improve visibility for motorists and pedestrians,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “The lights, along with the fence, have made Chambers Bridge Road safer.”

Chambers Bridge Road is one of the most heavily used roads in the Township.  Residents from the Forge Pond Apartment Complex, who are primarily senior-citizens, frequently cross the road to access shopping and the United States Post Office.

Last year, two pedestrians were struck be vehicles and killed while crossing Chambers Bridge Road. 

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Brick, NJ – Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis and Township officials met Thursday with members of beach associations to discuss the possibility of the Township providing certified lifeguards to their beaches.  The associations would reimburse the costs to the Township.

“The State has established staffing requirements for any bathing area.  Meeting these requirements can pose difficulties for some of our beach associations,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “We have worked hard to come up with a solution that will help them come into compliance with State law.  We presented the plan to residents and the reaction was positive.”

The New Jersey Bathing Code (N. J. S. A, 8:26) requires that all open water beaches (public and private) have lifeguard training programs approved by the United States Lifesaving Association.  They also must comply with USLA standards.  Among these standards are having certain types of equipment including torps and lines, AED’s,  and oxygen tanks as well as staff minimums, break times and others.

Under the administration’s plan, the Township would provide the certified lifeguards to beach associations to meet State requirements.  The Township would train the lifeguards and provide all equipment.  The Township would be reimbursed for the costs by the association.

“This plan makes sense for the Township and the beach associations,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “The associations would have access to our lifeguard staff, which is second to none and it will not have an impact on our taxes.  And most importantly, it will make it more safe for residents who use these beaches.”

The associations have until March 15, 2008 to inform the Township about their intentions.

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Brick, NJ – Brick Township hosted a New Jersey Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Leadership Training workshop yesterday.  The workshop was held to train leaders from municipalities that were awarded SRTS grants or who have existing SRTS programs in their Municipalities. The program was co-sponsored by the NJ Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, Safe Routes to School, Rutgers University, Allan Voorhees Transportation Center and the RBA Group, a Transportation Planning Consulting firm.

“This is a great grant program.  Walking to school has so many benefits for the students and the community and this grant helps making walking or riding a bike to school safer and easier,” said Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis.  “We are thrilled we received this grant and thrilled that our Township had the opportunity to host yesterday’s workshop.”

In 2007, Brick Township was awarded a Safe Routes to School grant in the amount of $190,000 to build sidewalks and begin a Safe Routes to School program for the walking students of Midstreams Elementary School.  Township Planning, Engineering and Traffic Safety staff attended the workshop along with other attendees from communities across the State of New Jersey.

Safe Routes to School is a federal, state and local effort to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school and to make walking and bicycling to school safe and appealing.

The workshop provided a number of tools and strategies towards implementing Safe Route to School programs including programmatic options such as special events and curriculum and engineering options such as the construction of new sidewalks. The training also provided leaders with tools to evaluate the success of their programs and ideas towards addressing the unique needs of each community.

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Brick, NJ – Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis and the Township Council will honor three (3) Brick Pop Warner Dragons teams that competed at the National Competition in Walt Disney World this past December.  The Dragons Pee Wee Cheer team captured the National Championship while the Junior Midget Cheer Team took second place and the Junior Midget Dance Team placed third.

“We are so proud of these teams,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “They went down to Florida and represented our entire community and did so in tremendous fashion.”

Pop Warner is the largest youth football program in the world and is the only youth sports organization that has an academic requirement.  “In addition to being champions on the field, these athletes are champions in the classroom,” said Mayor Acropolis.  “The emphasis on educations is one of the best aspects of the Pop Warner program.”

Mayor Acropolis honored each team by proclaiming a day for each team and presented each team member with a certificate of commendation.

The Township Council issued resolutions congratulating the teams.

Mayor Acropolis also has words of congratulations for the entire organization.  “These young people were able to succeed because of the dedication and support of so many people including coaches, volunteers and parents.  I would like to congratulate all of those people for their efforts.”

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