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HE’S THE BEE’S KNEES!Meet Point Pleasant’s Dennis Rittenhouse PAGE 23

BAY HEAD � LAVALLETTE � MANTOLOKING � POINT PLEASANT � POINT PLEASANT BEACH

75 CENTSFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015

Going away? Police haveyour back in Bay Head

Subdivision getsBeach board OK

Thulen joins Point Boro Council

BY ANGELA CIROALOTHE OCEAN STAR

BAY HEAD — In the wake of the re-cent freezing temperatures, the BayHead Police Department is remindingresidents of the department’s Requestfor House Watch assistance program.The Bay Head Police Department

created a form that allows residents togo on vacation, or away for the winterseason, and rest assured that theirhome will be safe in their absence.According to Bay Head Police Sec-

retary Kelley Jean Mickle, the formwas created for residents going awayon vacation for a few days, or resi-dents going away for several months,to know that their home will be se-cure in their absence.There are a number of emergencies

that can occur in a residence whilethe homeowner is away, including aflood, pipe bursting, fire, break-in orrobbery.Residents who request the police

watch their home will receive period-ic visits from a police officer whilethey are out of town to ensure that anissue has not occurred.The form allows the residents to

supply the department with theirname, address, the dates that they willbe away from their home, whether ornot they have an alarm system, ifthere will be any cars in the driveway,as well as any additional informationthat the resident wishes to supply.Upon leaving Bay Head, a resident

is able to provide as little or as muchinformation to the police as they feelnecessary, Ms. Mickle said. However, the more information

that is provided, the better, she added.Some residents have friends come

to visit their home and feed an animalor water plants. If this is the case, it isbest for the department to be notifiedof this if the police are keeping watchon the home, Ms. Mickle explained.Otherwise, an officer may think abreak-in is occurring.Additionally, including information

“I know that he is goingto work as hard as the restof us so that the borough

continues to be a safe andreasonable place to live and

raise a family and retire.”

ANTOINETTE DEPAOLA Council President

ANGELA CIROALO THE OCEAN STAR

Michael Thulen Jr. was sworn in to fill the vacant council seat on the Point Pleasant Council Tuesday. Councilman Thulen was swornin by Borough Clerk David Maffei alongside his wife, Jennifer Thulen, and his parents, Michael Thulen Sr. and Noureen Graham.

KAITLYN KANZLER THE OCEAN STAR

Lt. William Hoffman [left] and Sgt. First Class Todd Larue of the Bay Head PoliceDepartment reviewed one of the forms residents fill out as part of the department’sHouse Watch assistance program.

BY ANGELA CIROALOTHE OCEAN STAR

POINT PLEASANT — ThePoint Pleasant govern-ing body welcomedMichael Thulen Jr. asthe newest addition tothe council on Tuesday,Feb. 2.Mayor Bob Sabosik’s

previous seat on thecouncil had been vacantsince he was sworn in asmayor on Jan. 4.In order to fill the

mayor’s unexpired term,the Republican Commit-tee of Point Pleasant ac-cepted resumes and ap-plications for theposition last month and

presented the councilwith three candidates.The candidates — An-

drew Preiser, RobertNikola and now-council-man Thulen — eachgave a presentation tocouncil during the Jan.20 council meeting.As a result of the pres-

entation and after evalu-ating the credentials andaccomplishments ofeach candidate, the

BY PAIGE TAYLORTHE OCEAN STAR

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — Theplanning board, here, ap-proved a subdivision that willcreate six new single-familyhomes off Parkway from threeexisting lots at this Wednes-day’s meeting.The subdivision application,

submitted on behalf of Frankand Anthony Storino by JohnJackson, of King, Kitrick, Jack-son & McWeeney LLC, is forthe property located at theParkway estates, lots 15, 16 and22, block 107.Mr. Jackson told the plan-

ning board this is an appropri-ate development for the area.“We believe these houses

are fitting in the neighbor-hood, and it’s a good use of theproperty that’s there,” he said.The existing lot’s three units

were called “odd shaped” bythe project’s engineer, JeffreyC. Carr, of Lindstrom, Diess-ner & Carr, PC.“[The current lots] 15 and 16

front on Parkway and 22 hasno frontage — it’s kind of a noman’s land in there,” he said.The proposed subdivision

would include six homes onwhat is roughly a 40,000-square-foot lot. Two of theunits will face Parkway; theother four proposed unitswould face each other inwardon the property.The applicant proposed a

common driveway be con-structed in between the units

— with three homes on eachside — that would be a privatelane tended to by the home-owners association. Each unitwould have four parkingspaces with the option for agarage. The four rear unitswould be a maximum of 32feet in height.“The back four units would

have typical garages, but wewould provide the minimumoff-street parking per the RSIS[Residential Site ImprovementStandards],” Mr. Carr said.Each of the proposed units

would comply with the neces-sary square footage, bedroom[four maximum] and height

New resident of the borough swornin to mayor’s former council seat

SEE BORO PAGE 18

Residents’ concernsaddressed through

conditions

SEE BEACH PAGE 9

COURTESY OF STORINO, STORINO & STORINO

A newly approved subdivision will allow for the construction of six newhomes, two of which will have frontage on Parkway.

COURTESY OF STORINO, STORINO & STORINO

On Wednesday, the Point Pleasant Beach Planning Board approved asubdivision that will result in six new homes off Parkway.

Residents can sign up tohave police check on their

homes periodically

SEE POLICE PAGE 2

THE DETAILSPARKWAY SUBDIVISION

The LotSix units at block 1070.9 acres, or 39,795 square feetSF5 residential zoneTwo street facing, four rear units

The UnitsEach property will be a minimumof 5,000 square feet.Two front units do not haveheight restrictions.The four rear units are requiredto be 32 feet high, maximum.Each unit will be eligible for anindividual garage and four park-ing spaces.

Additional DetailsEach of the six units will sharecommon driveway, or “lane,”that leads to the homes.The driveway will be 16-feetwide with gravel on each side.The units will be restricted totwo garbage cans each.Light posts will be installed.

requirements for the SF5 res-idential zone; however, thefour located in the back of theproperty require frontagevariances as they will notface the street.The properties will each be

a minimum of 5,000 squarefeet, which is a requirementof the SF5 zone, but vary insize, according to Mr. Carr.The footprint for thedwellings would be around1,800 square feet.“The smallest lots would

be 5,863 square feet so theydo exceed the minimum re-quirements; and the largestlots would be a little over7,700 feet,” Mr. Carr said.Mr. Carr also said these

lots meet the requirements ofthe neighborhood “verywell,” and discussed the pri-vate lane configuration.He said the road will in-

clude an access easement asthere is no right of way. Thelane will be 16-feet wide witha gravel strip on each side “toeffectively give a larger ac-

cess way but the appearanceof the driveway.”“The reason why we

picked the layout is that itstill tends to mirror how atypical development looks,”Mr. Carr said.Mr. Jackson said part and

parcel of “buying in” wouldinclude the agreement, or“covenant,” by the homeown-er to plow and maintain theroad.The homes would be com-

pliant with Federal Emer-gency Management Agencyflood zone requirements andthe finished floors of theunits would be elevation 11,three feet above grade, whichis relatively “conventional,”according to Mr. Carr.Mr. Carr proposed in-

stalling a stormwater man-agement system known as arain garden at the properties.All of the houses would have“recharge systems” on sitefor roof-water drainage, aswell, as the property is rela-tively flat.There was not a definite

design plan for the homes,however, architect Mary Ort-man presented a concept ren-

dering of the units. The sixunits would be a mix of stylesthat mimic “Cape Cod, crafts-man and seashore colonial”styles, she said. All six unitswould be either one and one-half stories or two stories.Christine Nazzaro Cafone,

a planner with Cafone Con-sulting Group, addressed thepositive and negative criteriaof the project. She reiteratedthat the project is compliantsize-wise, and the applicant isseeking relief because thefour back lots lack frontage.She also said this is not un-usual, and the borough doesnot disallow “alleys.”“As far as this being some

rare unicorn of a planningconcept, it’s really not be-cause your underlying zoningdoes allow this type of use,”she said.She said the project will

not have an “adverse effecton drainage,” and boardmembers have stated ade-quate firefighting apparatuscan access the site and theconfiguration.“This application goes a

long way as far as preservingthe streetscape on parkway,”she said, adding that it alsoallows three parallel parkingspaces to remain on Parkway.Following Ms. Cafone’s

presentation, Mr. Jacksonsaid, “You can tell by the ap-plication, a great deal ofthought from some very goodprofessionals hired by theStorinos has been put intothis.” Many of the residents in

the direct vicinity of the pro-posed location attended themeeting to raise their con-cerns.Among their issues were

turnaround accessibility foremergency vehicles in thelane, traffic congestion in thearea, an abundance of

garbage cans piling up on thestreet, lighting plans, fear ofsummer renters, excessiverain-water collection by sur-rounding homes and the ef-fect on the value of the neigh-borhood overall.The board and its attorney

fleshed out issues presentedby the public and put intoplace multiple conditions,along with the possibility ofadding more.

THE CONDITIONSAll members of the board

recognized the Storino familyfor their impressive workacross town, and thankedthose who presented duringthe meeting.The board voted in favor of

the application with over onedozen conditions compiledby the board attorney, DennisGalvin, with the exception ofDave Cavagnaro, who fearedthe potential intensity andcompetition for on-streetparking with six units on theproperty.

The conditions are as fol-lows.The applicant is to create a

homeowners association thatwill record access and main-tenence of storm water,which may include a rain gar-den, as well as how the lanewill be maintained, plowedand replaced. There shall beno parking along the lane,with signage indicating this.Houses are limited to fourbedrooms. Each home is toprovide foundation plans.The applicant is to obtaingrading and drainage per-mits.Additionally, at no time

should there be more than sixgarbage cans on either side ofthe lane on Parkway. Eachhome is to have a two-cargarage and must provide aminimum of four parkingspaces per lot. The applicantis to request the applicationof title 39 to the lane, so po-lice may issue tickets if peo-ple park there. All homes areto be accessed from the pri-

vate lane. Interior homesshall be limited to 2,800-square-feet of inhabitablearea, exclusive to garages andporches with a height limit of32 feetAlso, the two lots with

Parkway frontage will com-ply with all SF5 setbacks. Theinterior lots shall complywith all setbacks except forfront yard, which shall be aminimum of 25 feet. Each ofthe interior lots are to havelamp post lighting. The appli-cant’s engineer shall providea turning template providingthat the stone piers [locatedon Parkway] will not impactemergency vehicle access.None of the homes’ first-floorelevations are too exceed 14feet in height.The official list is expected

to be memorialized at thenext meeting on March 4.

Paige Taylor covers Point PleasantBeach for The Ocean Star. She can bereached at [email protected] 732-899-7606 Ext 14.

WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015 THE OCEAN STAR PAGE 9POINT PLEASANT BEACH

BY PAIGE TAYLORTHE OCEAN STAR

POINT PLEASANT BEACH —This weekend, residents atThe Joan Valentine House, onBay Avenue, will get freshhairdos with the help of pro-fessional hairstylists from anearby salon.Level Up Style, a hair salon

located in Brick, is set to ar-rive at the Valentine Houseon Sunday, Feb. 8, with their

gear and talent ready for res-idents.According to activities co-

ordinator at the ValentineHouse, Rita Feder, the saloncontacted the assisted livingfacility to offer their servicesfree of charge.In addition to offering their

services for no associated fee,the salon employees will betraveling with their own toolsfor the haircuts, including

blow dryers, curling ironsand, of course, scissors.“We are very excited and

really looking forward tothis,” Ms. Feder said. “They[the salon] said there is nocharge, they just want to dosomething and give back.”Ms. Feder said there are

several residents signed up toreceive a haircut and the ap-pointments will begin at 3p.m. on Sunday.

Beach’s Valentine Houseset to welcome salon pros

Planning board approves subdivision for six homes on ParkwayBEACHFROM PAGE 1

COURTESY OF NANCY CAMERON

TOOTHFAIRY PAYS VISIT TO BEACHDr. John Little, of Sea Girt Dentistry, and the tooth fairy, afriend of Terri Esposito, visited The Learning Center pre-school in Point Pleasant Beach to teach the class, includingMatthew Ravallo and June Ash the importance of brushingtheir teeth.

WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COMPAGE 6 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015 LAVALETTE

POINT PLEASANT BEACH 2015LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATIONDate: Saturday, Feb. 7Time: 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.Location: The G. Harold AntrimElementary SchoolContact: Vincent J. Cicalese [email protected] or 732-492-2313Children who reside in Point PleasantBeach, Point Pleasant Borough, BayHead, Lavallette and Mantoloking,ages four and up are invited to registerfor the Point Pleasant Beach LittleLeague team. Items required to regis-ter; three documents of proof and orig-inal birth certificate for proof of age.Scholarships are available for familiesin need of assistance. Late fees will beapplied after Feb. 7.

COUNCIL MEETINGDate: Monday, Feb. 9Time: 7 p.m.Location: Lavallette First Aid1207 Bay Boulevard

VALENTINES BRUNCHDate: Sunday, Feb. 15Time: 11:30 a.m.Cost: $32Location: Serenity Cafe, 2009Rt. 37E, S&F Plaza, Toms River,The event is sponsored by the Friendsof Lavallette Beautification. Menuincludes eggs Benedict, frittata, carvedham, made to order waffles & omeletsand much more.Mail checks to Friends of Lav.Beautification, 1606 Grand CentralAve., Lavallette, NJ 08735. Attention ofJoanne LaCicero. Include name, phone

number, address, number of peopleattending.

PLANNING BOARD MEETINGDate: Wednesday, Feb. 18Time: 7 p.m.Location: Firehouse parking lot,trailer 2, 125 Washington Ave.

COUNCIL MEETINGDate: Monday, Feb. 23Time: 7 p.m.Location: Lavallette First Aid1207 Bay Boulevard

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGDate: Wednesday, Feb. 25Time: 7 p.m.Location: Lavallette School, 105Brooklyn Ave.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK SALECost: $30Contact: Sophie, 732-793-1821The Catholic Daughters - Court St.Bonaventure are once again selling theEntertainment Book. The 2015 book isavailable now and can be used imme-diately. Free delivery is available alongthe barrier island.

AEROBICSDate: Mondays, Wednesdays &FridaysTime: 4 p.m.Location: Union Church, 25Philadelphia Ave.Cost: $3

TAI-CHIDate: Tuesdays Time: 10 a.m.Location: Lavallette First AidBuilding, 1207 Bay Blvd.Cost: $3

ZUMBADate: Mondays & ThursdaysTime: 6 p.m.Location: Monday at LavalletteSchool, 105 Brooklyn Ave.;

Thursday at Union Church, 25Philadelphia Ave.Cost: $3

YOGADate: Tuesdays & ThursdaysTime: 7:30 p.m.Location: Union Church, 25Philadelphia Ave.Cost: $3

POINT PLEASANT YOUTHBASEBALL, SOFTBALL REGISTRATION OPENContact: Register onlinewww.pointbaseball.comBaseball is open to player from PointPleasant Borough, Point PleasantBeach, Bay Head and Mantoloking.Softball is open to Point PleasantBorough, Point Pleasant Beach, BayHead, Mantoloking, Brielle, Manasquan

and Brick Township. Buddy Ball offeredfor players with special needs ages 5to 21.

TOP SOCCER PROGRAMCost: $10Contact: Point Pleasant SoccerClub, www.pointpleasantsc.orgTOPSoccer is run through the PointPleasant Soccer Club [PPSC]. The pro-gram provides an opportunity for play-

ers with special needs ages fivethrough 25 to experience the game ofsoccer through motor skills, soccerdrills and scrimmages. Registration forthe TOPSoccer program is still open atwww.pointpleasantsoccer.org. Allplayers will need to register either viathe PPSC website or by mailing in aform. Registration for this program willnot close out. The $10 player fee is tocover New Jersey Youth Soccer insur-ance and program expenses.

LAVALLETTE

EVENTSTo submit a calendar listingor Lavallette story, [email protected]

BY PAIGE TAYLORTHE OCEAN STAR

LAVALLETTE — The Laval-lette Board of Education[BOE] raised multiple con-cerns at their last meeting re-lating to the new Partnershipfor Assessment of Readinessfor College and Careers[PARCC] testing that wasimplemented statewide thisschool year.

THE ASSESSMENTSIt is mandated that stu-

dents in grades threethrough 11 take the state test.Once a student reaches a

specialized level of mathe-matics, such as algebra, theywill take a PARCC assess-ment specifically designatedfor that subject. The lan-guage arts exams will be con-sistent by grade levels, notspecific subjects.Unlike other standardized

tests which are taken once ayear, such as the High SchoolProficiency Assessment[HSPA] and the New JerseyAssessment of Skills and

Knowledge [NJASK], PAR-CC will be implementedtwice a year — once in Feb-ruary and again in early May. PARCC also differs from

other state-mandated stan-dardized tests because thePARCC exams are heavilyembedded in technology.Students will take the examson the computer, rather thanthe traditional pencil-and-paper format. Some requiredskills include using electron-ic rulers, protractors, high-lighting text and multitask-ing by scrolling betweendifferent texts.

THE BOARD’S CONCERNSThe Lavallette Board of

Education has been takingthe proper precautions toimplement and prepare stu-dents for the test, which willtake place this month. Superintendent of Laval-

lette School Peter Morrissaid, “I think we’re as readyas anybody else I know.”He said the school regis-

tered for the test on Jan. 16,ensured the technology as-pects were in line, did per-sonal plans for each studentand more with regard to theassessments.He also said he is unsure

as to what the noise level as-

sociated with the test will befor the students and that stu-dents will be bringing theirown headphones and provid-ed with ones as well.Board president Stephen

Shohfi chimed in to Mr. Mor-ris’ uncertainty by statingthat there is a “big unknownfactor” associated with thetest.Mr. Morris stated that

there is a lot on the line forschools, including teacherevaluations, school reportcards and school evaluations.Mr. Shohfi said he “proce-

dural document” from thestate’s department of educa-tion on opting out of the test.However, he could not findinformation as to what theconsequences are for stu-dents who willingly opt outof the assessment.Mr. Shohfi raised the con-

cern and asked if PARCC is agraduation requirement forstudents.He said, “The one thing it

didn’t say — what the end re-sult is, what’s the conse-quence to the kid education-ally, academically, if they optout.”Vice president of the

board, Alison Zylinski, saidthere has been word circulat-ing that if too many students

opt out of the test, “it will af-fect the money that you re-ceive in your school.”Board member Lisa Taylor

raised an additional concernof what happens to teachersin a similar process.She said, “In a little school

like this, suppose you onlyhave 12 kids and your four re-ally bright ones decide to optout, what does that do to theteacher?”Ms. Zylinski also spoke of

children entering specializedhigh school programs. Shequestioned how a school candetermine whether a studentis qualified for a certain pro-gram based on the testing.Despite the questions

raised, the school is movingforward with PARCC andfollowing the appropriateprocedures. At the meetingon Jan. 30, the board ap-proved the 2015 PARCC Se-curity Testing Plan that out-lines procedures in place incase of an emergency duringthe test.

Paige Taylor covers Lavallette for TheOcean Star. She can be reached [email protected] or 732-899-7606 Ext 14.

BOE: District is on track for PARCC testingBoard discusses concerns with PARCC testing

BY PAIGE TAYLORTHE OCEAN STAR

LAVALLETTE — What betterway to celebrate the holidayof love than with delectablegoodies?The Friends of Lavallette

Beautification Committeewill host a Valentine’s DayBrunch next week to allow at-tendees to escape from thecold and socialize with neigh-bors.Many residents, here, may

be familiar with the commit-tee’s Annual Dinner Demohosted at the Serenity Cafe,which is where the brunchwill take place.The inaugural brunch will

be held on Sunday, Feb. 15, at11:30 a.m. at the Serenity Cafe,

2009 Route 37 East, in theS&F Plaza in Toms River.A variety of menu items

will available to satisfy atten-dees’ cravings. Items to beserved include eggs benedict,frittata, French toast, carvedham, waffles, omelets made-to-order, small pastries,breakfast meats and more.Pat Marrone, president of

the Friends of LavalletteBeau-tification Committee, said thebrunch will be the first of thecommittee’s events this year,with more to come in thespring and summer.“We thought it’d be nice to

have people get out in middleof winter and meet friendsand enjoy brunch,” she said.“We decided it’d be nice toget everybody out in the day-light.”Ms. Marrone said it will be

a wonderful, social event anda great way for people to es-cape from the construction,snow and cold weather for a

few hours. She also said Jan-ice Unfried, vice president ofthe Friends of LavalletteBeautification Committee,did a wonderful job arrangingthe event.To attend, patrons may

mail a $32 check to Friends ofLavallette Beautification byFeb. 7. The address is 1606Grand Central Ave., Laval-lette, N.J. 08735, with attentionto Joanne LaCicero.People are asked to include

their name, phone number,address and number of peo-ple attending at $32 each.According to Ms. Marrone,

all proceeds will be put asidefor the committee’s goal ofdonating a check to the bor-ough for landscaping to bedone at the new municipalcomplex site, upon its com-pletion.

LAVALLETTE BEAUTIFICATION The Lavallette Beautifica-

tion Committee is an advisory

committee working in con-junction with the mayor andcouncil to research and devel-op plans for updating andbeautifying the borough,while preserving the charac-ter and quaintness of theseashore town.Council President and liai-

son to the BeautificationCommittee, Anita Zalom, saidit is a wonderful organization.“Everything you see [that

is] beautiful around town,they helped with,” she said.For example, the commit-

tee raised funds and donateda Christmas tree that wasdecorated by the LavalletteSchool. Ms. Zalom also said all of

the proceeds from theirevents are put back into thetown for its beautification.

Paige Taylor covers Lavallette for TheOcean Star. She can be reached atptaylor @theoceanstar.com or 732-899-7606 Ext 14.

Beautification Committee to host brunchMail checks to attendValentines Day Brunch

by Feb. 7

WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015 THE OCEAN STAR PAGE 7LAVALLETTE

New Jersey Devils & boro residents strengthen ties

BY PAIGE TAYLORTHE OCEAN STAR

LAVALLETTE — The New Jer-sey Devils professionalhockey team and Lavalletteresidents forged a relation-ship last fall that was rekin-dled last week.

Two school bus-loads ofpeople ventured to the Pru-dential Center, Newark, tosee the New Jersey Devilsplay on Jan. 31. Among thecrowd of people in atten-dance were children, par-ents and teachers number-ing over 100, who attendedthe home game to cheer onand support the state’s icehockey team.

The game resulted in awin against the Florida Pan-thers, 3-1, and spirits werecertainly high.

The New Jersey Devilshad offered the game ticketsto Lavallette School and thecomunity as a whole, as theteam had previously fos-tered a connection with theseashore community.

Last fall, players and for-mer athletes from the hock-ey team joined forces withresidents, volunteers andstudents to plant grass onthe dunes of Lavallettebeach.

The Devils players, em-ployees and alumni hadbeen participating in a pro-gram in conjunction withthe Prudential Center andthe New Jersey Tree Foun-dation called “Pucks forParks,” which sought to cre-ate more green spaces andbetter the environment inNew Jersey.

According to Jim Leonard,Senior Vice President ofCommunity Investment for

the Prudential Center andNew Jersey Devils, the em-ployees are involved in aprogram that requiresaround 80 hours of paidtime to donate to non-profitgroups.

As an effort to fulfill serv-ice hours and assist theShore community, the hock-ey team contacted LisaSimms, the executive direc-tor of the New Jersey TreeFoundation, saying that theywanted to help make a dunegrass donation and provideassistance in planting thegrass. Denise Wirth, of theLavallette Heritage Commit-tee, subsequently reachedout to Ms. Simms saying theborough was interested inthe team’s help.

Ms. Wirth, with the helpof Council President AnitaZalom and the entire Laval-lette Council and boroughofficials, helped bring theevent to fruition on Nov. 4 atthe borough’s beach atPhiladelphia Avenue.

The hockey team’s effortsamounted in the donation of70,000 plants to Lavallette— plants with the purposeof stabilizing in shiftingsands and helping to pre-vent coastal erosion by forti-fying the dune system — aswell as hundreds of plantersout on the dunes that day.

At the team’s home gamelast week, thousands ofspectators, including resi-dents of Lavallette, got towitness their efforts fromthat day in November for

the second time, this timeon the big screen.

A brief video of the hun-dreds of planters at workstreamed on the Jumbotronof the Prudential Center im-mediately after the hockeyplayers entered the rink, ac-cording to CouncilwomanZalom.

Planting the dune grassnot only nodded to environ-mental sustainability, ithelped to create a safershoreline for borough resi-dents in the case of anotheremergency.

“We were all so proud tomake the Shore safe,” Coun-cilwoman Zalom said.

Mr. Leonard echoed thatsentiment.

“We had a great experi-ence working collectively

with some of the kids fromLavallette School,” he said.“It was part of our initiativeto create close working rela-tionships with the commu-nity in and around our area.

“We want to continue tobuild a relationship and wethought this was an oppor-tunity to do so,” he added.

Mr. Leonard also said theNew Jersey Devils plan torevisit the Borough of Laval-lette to clean and plant moredune grass at the beach inthe future.

“We’d rather do multipleevents and have a long-termrelationship because itworks best for our organiza-tions and the communitieswe’re trying to work collec-tively with,” Mr. Leonardsaid.

He said the team willschedule a visit during atime that is most convenientfor the school and governingbody of the borough.

Additionally, Council-woman Zalom said theLavallette residents wereproud of the ice hockeyteam and their second winof the season that occurredthe evening of Jan. 31.

To watch the video of theteam helping out in Laval-lette, visit the “Devils TV”link on the team’s website,devils.nhl.com.

Paige Taylor covers Lavallette for TheOcean Star. She can be reached [email protected] or 732-899-7606 Ext 14.

COURTESY OF SHARON CARROLL

Peter Morris [center], Superintendent of Lavallette School, enjoyed some downtime at the New JerseyDevils hockey game with Liz and Joe Giampetro recently.

Over 100 locals visitedthe home of the NewJersey Devils on Jan. 31

COURTESY OF SHARON CARROLL

Father and son, Hunter [bottom] and Jared Grosso [top right], ofLavallette, met with New Jersey Devils representative, Jim Leonard,at the game on Jan. 31, when Hunter also won a ride on the zamboni.