Belmar Rec Dept makes sure extra event tickets get to residents who will enjoy them.

From time to time, Belmar Recreation Director Mike Campbell is contacted by local residents and businesses who have extra tickets to events like Yankees, Mets, Trenton Thunder or Blue Claws games. He then distributes those tickets to senior citizens or local families who might not otherwise be able to afford these tickets. Many of us also buy tickets to local events and fundraisers and find we’re not able to use them. Often times these events would provide a nice opportunity for some of our seniors and other residents to get out of the house, and meet their fellow residents.

Mike has asked that if you ever find yourself with event tickets you can’t use, to please consider donating them to the Belmar Recreation Department. Similarly, any Belmar resident who would like to be added to the Recreation Department’s recipient list for these tickets, should contact him as well. You can reach Mike Campbell by emailing him at recreation@belmar.com or by phone at 732-681-3700, press 9 then 211#.

If you’d rather offer your tickets to your fellow Belmar residents directly, we’ve added a Ticket Exchange category to the Belmar Classifieds feature.

UPDATED: Mayor & Council will hold Special Meeting at 5:30 PM on May 13, to discuss defeated School Board Budget

The Mayor & Council will meet at the Belmar Municpal Building Councilroom, at 601 Main Street, at 5:30 p.m., prior to their regularly scheduled Agenda Session to discuss the defeated school budget and ask questions of School representatives. Members of the public will have an opportunity to comment on school budget during this meeting. The Mayor & Council must adopt a resolution tonight at their regular meeting on May 13, setting forth any budget cuts they to decide make. By law, the Board of Education has the latitude to make cuts in line items other than those designated by the Mayor & Council.

The School budget is before the Mayor & Council because on Tuesday, April 21, Belmar voters soundly defeated the Belmar School District’s proposed budget. The budget had proposed a tax levy of $7,214,788, which represents an increase of $275,909, or 3.35% over last year’s levy. Of the total $275,909 amount, $24,655 was for debt service the Board is obligated to pay. The measure was defeated by a vote of 364 to 258, a nearly 3-2 margin.

Three seats on the Board of Education were up, but none were contested. Incumbents Richard Brand, Michael Schappert and Joanne Gray all ran unopposed. Interestingly, the Richard Brand, the high vote-getter received 403 votes, which was far less than the 622 votes cast on the budget. The means that a large number of voters came out for the sole purpose of voting on — and apparently against — the budget.

Under State law, the School District’s budget is now in the Mayor & Council’s court. Loretta Hill, the School Board Secretary, has already been in contact with Borough Administrator Robbin Kirk to provide the required budget documents, including the School Board’s proposed line-item budget, most recent annual audit, employee salary schedules, staffing and enrollment information and projections, and other information prescribed by N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-9.7. This information will be reviewed by Mayor Pringle, Borough Administrator Kirk and by Councilmembers Matthew Doherty and Richard J. Wright, who comprise the Borough Council Finance Committee. Once Borough representatives have had an opportunity to review and analyze this information, one or more working meetings will be scheduled between representatives of the Borough of Belmar and the Board of Education to discuss the school’s finances, get answers to questions that are raised by the materials provided, and attempt to identify areas where prudent cuts can be made.

The Borough Council will have already begun exploring what cost-cutting measures were already anticipated in the defeated budget. These include a reduced pay rates for substitute teachers, which are anticipated to save $11,000. A Shared Service Agreement with Avon to provide Child Study Team services next school year, which would generate $32,000 in additional revenue. Consolidating Preschool Handicap, which will eliminate one-half of a pre-K teacher and one-half of pre-K aide, saving $30,000. The school also plans to consolidate the 3rd grade into into two sections due to reduced class size, and moving that teacher to Kindergarten, where a fourth section is required due to State regulations limiting kindergarten class-sizes to 21 students. Any cuts proposed by the Mayor & Council will have to be in addition to these cost-cutting measures, which are already anticipated in the School Board’s budget calculations.

By law, the Mayor & Council are not permitted to reduce the levy below $6,980,770, which is the “required local share” pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-5. This means that $234,018 is the maximum amount the Mayor & Council could conceivably cut from the defeated budget’s proposed $7,214,788 levy.

Belmar Children Observe Arbor Day

Brian Magovern and the members of the Belmar Shade Tree Commission presented an Arbor Day Program for fourth grade students at Belmar Elementary School and St. Rose Grammar School. Each student was provided with a seedling of their own to take home to plant. In addition, the students from each school got to plant their class tree. The program included a history of Arbor Day, and an informative presentation for the students on how to plant and care for their tree. Also participating with Mr. Magovern in providing the presentation to the students were Shade Tree Commission members, Dean Marzocca, who is a Certified Arborist, and Anthony Torsiello, a landscaper. At the end of the program, the students and their teachers each took a turn shoveling dirt until the tree was planted. At a later date, a time capsule containing memories of each of the classes, will be planted at the base of the tree. Also attending the Arbor Day ceremony was Shade Tree Committee member Gladys Meccia, Borough Council President Merry Brennan, Councilwoman Claire Deicke and Mayor Ken Pringle.

Imagine being rewarded for recycling!

That could happen if Belmar enters into an agreement with RecycleBank, a Philadelphia company that offers an innovative rewards program that encourages people to recycle more of their trash at curbside.
Here’s how RecycleBank works: Residents would receive a recycling container with a barcode attached to it. All recyclables would be put together into the container (i.e., it would no longer be necessary to separate newspapers, glass, plastic, etc.) Belmar’s Department of Public Works would continue to handle the pick-up of recyclables at curbside in the Borough, but RecycleBank would equip Belmar’s recycling truck with a device that simultaneously weighs the container and scans the bar code, automatically recording the amount of recyclables to each customer’s account. The weight of the recyclables is converted into a value, and customers can earn up to 35 RecycleBank Dollars each month. These “dollars” can be redeemed through coupons for participating retailers, ranging from local stores and restaurants to national chains like CVS Pharmacy and Target, as well as manufacturers coupons, such as for Kraft Foods, to name just a few. The more you recycle, the more rewards you get up to the $35 RecycleBank Dollar limit per month. Best of all, the more you recycle, the less waste gets dumped in the landfill, saving Borough taxpayers money that normally goes to tipping fees. Plus, the Borough would continue to earn revenue from its recyclables.

Belmar outsourced regular trash pick-up to a private hauler more than two years ago. The Borough is exploring the privatization of recycling pick-up and the possibility of entering into a shared services arrangement with area municipalities when it does so. If these occur, we would still continue the RecycleBank program.

Council President Merry Brennan is leading the effort on the Council to explore the benefits of incorporating RecycleBank’s rewards program into the Borough’s curbside recycling effort. She is in the process of collecting recycling tonnage and route information to provide to the RecyclingBank representative for this area. A representative of RecycleBank also recently gave a presentation on Monday, February 23, to the shared services study group meeting of the mayors and administrators of Belmar, Bradley Beach, Lake Como, Neptune and Neptune City. All of the representatives in attendance were very positive about the idea of adding RecycleBank to their recycling operations, although those with private hauling contracts, will likely have to await the renewal of their recyclables hauling contract. So stay tuned.

Play Ball! The 2009 Little League Season Kicks Off

Little leaguers and their families gathered in Pyanoe Plaza on Saturday, April 25 just before the start of the annual Opening Day Little League Parade march to the field on 22nd Avenue in Lake Como. View the video of the parade below.

“Awakenings”

Belmar Elementry School Auditorium, 1101 Main Street, Belmar

Event Date(s) and Time(s):

April 26, 2009 3:00 pm

“Meet the Authors” presentation a hit at the Belmar Historical Society Spring Tea

At the Belmar Historical Council’s annual Spring Tea on May 7, 2009, members and the public were treated to an interesting and informative presentation at the Taylor Pavilion by Karen Schnitzpahn and Sandra G. Epstein, Authors of Belmar and Belmar Volume II of the Images of America collection. The audience was treated not only to interesting stories about how the authors gathered the information and photos contained in their books, but also some new facts that didn’t make those editions. For example, did you know that Belmar was once home to a Titanic survivor? Yes, Elizabeth Nye, the mother of well-known Belmar lifeguard Ray Darby, Sr., was a survivor of the 1912 Titanic sinking. Copies of the Schnitzpahn and Epstein books are required reading for anyone who loves Belmar. They are available for $25 each through the Belmar Historical Council. A portion of the proceeds goes to help the Historical Council continue its good works in preserving Belmar’s history.

Shark River Inlet dredged again by Army Corps of Engineers

The US Army Corps of Engineers dredge Carrituck returned to the Shark River Inlet on Saturday, April 25, 2009 to remove sand that had shoaled the mouth of the inlet. The timing of the dredging couldn’t be better, as the 2009 summer boating season is just getting underway.

The recurring shoaling problem in the mouth of the inlet has been attributed to the build-up of sand on Belmar’s northern beaches, and particularly the northernmost Shell Beach, which is located just south of the Shark River Inlet. This accumulation of sand is the result of the beach nourishment program of the late 1990’s. The littoral current causes the sand to drift in a northerly direction. Also, during the beach nourishment project all of the stone groins on the beaches between the Manasquan and the Shark River Inlets were “notched” close to the beach to enable sand to move between the groin “cells.”

The Army Corps of Engineers is continuing to study possible long term solutions to the shoaling problem. In the meantime, Congressman Frank Pallone has vowed to keep the Army Corps of Engineers coming back to the inlet to dredge as often as necessary to keep the inlet safe for boaters.

Belmar, Lake Como Little League Parade

Main Street Belmar- Lake Como,

Event Date(s) and Time(s):

April 25, 2009 10:00 am

Belmar Forms “Green Team”

The Mayor and Council adopted a resolution at its March 25, 2009 meeting creating a Green Team Advisory Committee with representatives of the Belmar Shade Tree Commission (BSTC), Environmental Commission (BEC), Beautification Committee (BBC), Community Garden (BCG), Americans with Disabilities Act Committee (ADA) and Arts Council (BAC).
By bringing together talented volunteers who are already committed to Belmar’s environmental and aesthetic improvement, the Borough will benefit from having a variety of “green” experience and knowledge all in one group.
For example, at the Team’s first meeting, ideas were discussed to enhance specific areas on Main Street. The shade tree and master gardening experts were able to recommend appropriate plantings, while arts representatives lent architectural and design expertise on outdoor structures and murals, and beautification volunteers offered to help with the labor of planting. Residents should soon see the results of that cross-pollination when a gazebo surrounded by flowers is put at the new 8th Ave. & Main St.
The Green Team, appointed through 2010, will meet and make recommendations to the Mayor and Council on other specific projects that improve municipal operations through “green” initiatives.
Members of the Green Team are: Council President Merry Brennan, liaison to the BEC/BAC; Carol Davies, BEC/BCG; Councilwoman Claire Deicke, liaison to the BBC; Borough Administrator Robbin Kirk; Brian Magovern, BSTC; DPW Director Andy Muerle; Pat Hutchinson, BAC; John Hutchinson, BAC; Dorsey Latza, BCG; Tom Latza, Rutgers Environmental Stewardship Program intern; Tim McCorry, BAC; Neil Scheck, ADA and Pat Tecza, BBC.

Next Page »

Recent Posts on Belmar.com

• Celtic Chase – March 6, 2010
• Jersey Shore Juried Art Show
• Happy early St. Patrick’s Day
• Belmar’s mayor to step down
• Belmar Elementary School continues centennial celebration