Thus far the Syrian Jewish community has been residing on the majestic New Jersey shore for over seven decades in various townships. The majority of residents, however, only dwell there during the summer months as the preferred destination spot for this vibrant and expansive community. While residing on the Jersey Shore, those who call this lovely area home, be it on a permanent or temporary basis, gladly pay their full share of taxes to the townships, state and the school district. For summer vacationers, however, the only disappointment is that they only enjoy a small portion of their contribution since they don’t utilize the public system or any other services the townships provide except for garbage pickup during the two months a year that they are there.
In the quaint village of Ocean Township there lives a leading member of the Syrian Jewish community named Charlie Saka. Both Charlie and his family decided to get more involved in community affairs and work towards the improvement in the quality of life for summer time and all year-round residents of the Jersey Shore. On Sunday, March 31st Charlie and his wife Brenda hosted for a fundraising breakfast for over 30 community members from New York and New Jersey. Present at the gathering were the Mayor of Ocean Township Chris Siciliano as well as township Councilman John Napolitani and Dr. David Fisher; a local chiropractor with a practice in nearby Oakhurst. Also present at the gathering was Margie Donlon, MD, a physician at Meridian Rehab Center and Councilwoman Donna Schepiga, who has served on the Ocean Clean Communities Committee & Shade Tree Commission.
As a dedicated public servant, Siciliano has served as mayor of Ocean Township since 2015 and prior to that he served as a councilman for 15 years. Siciliano is the recipient of the NJ Senate Service Award and the NJ Assembly Leadership Award. The mayor is also a youth leader, serving as a little league baseball and wrestling coach.
Councilman Napolitani is a teacher with 20 years experience in the middle and elementary schools and is the President of the Asbury Park Education Association.
During the sumptuous breakfast Mayor Siciliano graciously responded to multiple issues in detail that are concerns for the residents. Many of the issues raised could not be classified as “major” ones however the mayor pledged to work diligently to address them to the satisfaction of his constituents.
Some of the issues discussed were:
1) Twice a week regular garbage pick up from Memorial Day to Labor Day. With summer temperatures hovering around 90 plus degrees, leaving refuse in the streets can be a safety hazard as well as leaving a noxious odor.
2) Plan for new LED streetlights to be installed on main roads. For safety purposes, community members thought it best to replace the 100-year old street lights for much brighter ones. They cited such concerns as those walking to synagogue on Friday night who need illumination to ensure a safe journey.
3) Street paving. Community members took note of the fact that the streets in their township have quite a number of potholes and have not been paved for years.
4) Crossing lights around the synagogues. For purposes of safety of all individuals, crossing lights around the synagogue need vast improvements and the community discussed this matter with the mayor as well.
5) Mayor Siciliano advised the attendees that Ocean Township offers a free social work counseling and services network, should any residents need to avail themselves of such services.
6) A plan for deer management. According to recent information, there are at least 800-1000 deer on the Jersey Shore and they roam free; especially in people’s yards. As a result, the deer eat foliage and cause damage to property. A program of neutering the deer was discussed as shooting them is illegal.
7) Working with the police department on safety and crime prevention. Members of the community voiced their concerns about the great majority of homes that are left vacant for 10 months throughout the year. These homes are vulnerable to robberies and break ins. As a result, the community asked the mayor whether the local police could step up the frequency of their patrols of the area.
It goes without saying that in order to effectively maintain a respected voice in our neighborhoods we must participate in the election process. Public officials help those who help them get elected.
In the last election, only 182 out of approximately 4000 members participated. Our votes count. Your voice will be heard. The next election is Tuesday, May 14th. If you are registered, please vote and you can do it by mail.
To register to vote go to: OCEANTWP.ORG
Click on the Mommouth voter registration form 062212.pdf
