Island Heights News

Shore residents are invited to celebrate the Barnegat Bay as agreat natural resource and learn how they can help restore its health.

'Playing with Fire,' a solo exhibit of the glass art of Yvonne Yaar of Toms River, runs June 7-30 at the Ocean County Artists' Guild, Island Heights.

'Ties That Bind,' an exhibit of works by Harry Bower and Joe Eichinger, both of Island Heights, runs through June 13 at Virginia Perle Art Gallery, 96 E. Water St., Toms River.

As state and municipal officials raise the specter of budget-balancing layoffs, more than 300 law enforcement agencies in New Jersey are seeking $326 million in federal funds to either avoid that drastic step or hire new officers without spending local tax dollars.

The tools of their trades will be put aside for an evening when Ocean County "men of distinction" instead don aprons and wield knives and spoons to cook for a cause June 12.

The following are the results of non-partisan municipal elections held in three towns in Monmouth County and two towns in Ocean County.

John McMenamin was the surprise victor Tuesday night in Stafford's mayoral election, defeating longtime leader Carl W. Block, 3,538 votes to 2,622. In Stafford as well as in Island Heights in Ocean County, nonpartisan elections were held for both mayor as well as for municipal council.

James H. Biggs has been elected to a one-year term as mayor. Biggs, a former mayor, defeated Diane Ault Cullen, 334 to 196 in unofficial tallies from the election today.

The new mayor may seem familiar to people here. In one of two nonpartisan elections held Tuesday night in Ocean County, residents had an opportunity to vote for someone to fill a one-year unexpired term as mayor, as well as to fill two three-year seats on the Borough Council.

Voters in five area towns will go to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in nonpartisan municipal elections.

After the death of longtime Mayor David M. Siddons in October, two borough residents are vying to fill a one-year unexpired term, which is up for grabs along with two unopposed three-year seats on council.

ON THE WEB: Visit www.DataUniverse.com and look under 'What's New' for a searchable database of all New Jersey public employees and a list of multiple-job holders.

Jano Taber is leaving the grand Victorian at 249 Ocean Ave. that she has called home for the past 50 years and is seeking the warmer climate of Florida's West Coast, possibly Naples.

The Township Council voted to oppose a Central Regional School District ballot question that will ask voters next week to change the method used to raise school taxes from one based on tax ratables to one based on the number of students.

THE STAKES: Three three-year terms are open on the seven-member board. Voters will be asked to approve a tax levy of almost $1.59 million, an increase of about 0.6 percent, or $10,000, over last year's levy of almost $1.58 million.

Last spring, Barbara and Barry Harrison of Loveland vacationed in Spain and Portugal with Barbara's sister, Charlotte Alderfer of Island Heights, N.J., and their two nieces and husbands.

A Lavallette man arrested last year and accused of bilking investors out of millions of dollars was named in a 25-count indictment handed up by an Ocean County grand jury today.

THE STAKES: Two three-year Berkeley seats and two candidates and one three-year Island Heights seat and one candidate.

Early-season bassing continues to impress local bankhoppers from Absecon through Ocean City, and now, a few bass are even showing up in the Cape May surf, giving credence to the notion that bass are already on their move into the Delaware Bay.

Art news: ART NEWS by Bobbi Seidel April 3, 2009 "Closing In On Open Spaces," a solo exhibit of mixed-media textile work by Joanie San Chirico of Toms River, runs Sunday to April 29 at the Ocean County Artists' Guild in Island Heights.