November 23, 2021

Hello Everyone,

     It’s hard to believe we are two days away from the celebration we call Thanksgiving. Time moves quickly.  I have just a few items to mention to you.

     Every year our police department takes an active role in the St. Gregory’s Pantry (Point Pleasant Beach) and Seeds of Service (Catholic Charities on Mantoloking Road) drives to help those in need.  New unwrapped toys as well as gift cards are welcomed. The gift cards can be from local businesses, Big Box Stores, drug stores, Bank cards, and fast food cards in smaller denominations so more people can receive these donations. Please bring whatever you choose to give to the police department one flight up in Borough Hall where you will see a box in which to place your items by December 17th. This is one of our most important ways to help people during the course of the year so please think generously. Thank you.

     We will have our tree lighting service on December 12th at 5:15 at the Mantoloking Firehouse. This will be followed by singing carols, light refreshments and a visit from Santa. This is always a great time and we typically have a large number of people take part in this event. I very much hope to see you there.

     On December 3rd our engineer Frank Bruton from Mott MacDonald and Scott Hulse from the town’s Department of Public Works will walk the entire beach in Mantoloking examining our dunes for structural integrity and checking decks and walkways. Please don’t be concerned if you see them on Friday and perhaps the following Monday.

     That’s it for now. I want to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving as you join friends and family on Thursday.

     Please stay safe and take care.

     Best,

     Lance White

Lance White

Mayor of Mantoloking

202 Downer Avenue

PO Box 247

Mantoloking, NJ

08738

Office: 732-475-6983 Ext. 302

Cell: 732-606-6988

[email protected]”

November 2, 2021

“ Hello Everyone,

     As you all know we had weather issues last weekend involving wind and rain. I have a couple of comments about this.

     First and foremost, I want to thank both the the police and DPW departments for their hard work over the weekend. Residents were transported to and from their homes when the flooding made access in regular vehicles impossible. Barricades to warn of flooded streets were set up and there were other measures taken to help improve a difficult situation. These people answered the call to help and their efforts are very much appreciated.

     We also had to deal with the fact that 335 residences on the north part of town lost power last Friday evening. It was restored at around 10:30 PM. I spoke with John Meehan, our JCP&L representative, during the outage and he asked me to pass along a few thoughts. Even if others have reported power loss you should also if you have no power.  This is very important as it gives the company a more accurate picture of the scope of the outage.  This can be accomplished in several ways- call 888-LIGHTS (888-544-4877); report via text message REG to 544487; view/report to http://outages.firstenergycorp.com/nj.html (to make this easier copy and paste this link to your cell phone). Please keep in mind that there are strict guidelines regarding when the JCP&L employees can and cannot work. As an example, winds over 35 mph will stop work. Their job is, by nature, a dangerous one so these guidelines must be followed at all times.

     The utility company has just issued a guide to Emergency Management which discusses the matters of communication and safety during an outage.  It is 16 pages long and is full of extremely helpful information. If you would like a copy we have them at Borough Hall upstairs. Please stop by between 8:30 and 4:30 Monday through Friday to pick it up.

     That’s it for now. Stay safe and take care.

     Best,

     Lance White

Lance White

Mayor of Mantoloking

202 Downer Avenue

PO Box 247

Mantoloking, NJ

08738

Office: 732-475-6983 Ext. 302

Cell: 732-606-6988

[email protected]

October 26, 2021

Hello Everyone,

         As many of you may know, there was an incident in Mantoloking in the early hours last Sunday that I think should be mentioned here.

     Here is a review of the facts.  At 3:04 Sunday morning a man drove his car at high speed into a utility pole which was destroyed as was the car. Officer LaRue responded  and when he inquired as to the man's safety the officer saw, using his flashlight that he had a rifle in the back seat. He drew his weapon and commanded the driver to get out of the car which he did. At this point the Bay Head Police Department arrived and the man was taken into custody. The weapon was an AK-15 Russian assault rifle with 80 rounds of hollow point bullets. Hollow point bullets are known to cause massive injuries to the human body due to it's expansion upon impact. In addition, he had a 9 millimeter handgun in the center console with an additional 59 rounds of hollow points. There are several government agencies involved in this including this including the FBI which I believe is running this investigation.

     I believe this incident is significant and one from which we can learn several quite a bit. It is true that Mantoloking itself is a peaceful town where the residents get along and show each other mutual respect on a daily basis. However, we need to keep in mind that every day there are hundreds or thousands of people passing through our borders. We have had several instances over the last few years that tell us that not all of these people are law abiding people who respect the rights of others. Far from it. Sometimes, when we are all asleep,  there could be issues going on unbeknownst to us. The job that our officers, and all officers, have is a dangerous one and we should respect that. Thank goodness they are all well trained and that all were safe at the end of the day.

     I hope that if you have any questions or thoughts on this you will let me know.

     Thank you and take care.

     Lance

Lance White

Mayor of Mantoloking

202 Downer Avenue, 08738

[email protected]

732-475-6983 Ext 302

Cell- 732-606-6988

October 22, 2021

Hello Everyone,

     I have to say I can’t remember a more beautiful September and October than the ones we have just experienced. Some say that this is the best time of the year to enjoy the weather and they might be right. Just a few things to mention.

     Our construction official, Todd Morgano, has accepted a full time position in Howell to run their department. This was disappointing news at first but we have worked out a compromise. Todd will be here after hours (5:00 PM-7:00 Pm) Monday-Thursday keeping all the responsibilities he has had in the past. This includes Construction Official, Building Sub Code Official and Mechanical and Plumbing Subcode Official. He and Kaitlyn Ippolito, our Technical Assistant Construction Official, will be available to the public one night a week  as well as by appointment. This not an ideal arrangement but it does enable us to continue to get permits out the door and allow our construction projects to continue. We will be looking for a more permanent solution over the next several months.

     I have said this before but please lock your cars and bring fobs into your home. Several days ago two cars were stolen in South Mantoloking from the same residence. The thieves started with a Bentley SUV and then on the way out of the property they opened the door of the garage which contained a new Corvette so they took that, as well.  There were two carjacking attempts in Lacey but these, fortunately, were unsuccessful. Stealing cars is big business and we need to keep these people out of our town.

     As some of you return to other homes please take advantage of our property checking service which is done by our police officers. You can sign up by going to our website Mantoloking.org and going to the Police section. You will see the appropriate form there to fill out.

     We have good news. Our police boat has finally arrived after waiting months for the engine to be installed.. You will see it in the water over the next few weeks (weather permitting) for required training exercises. This boat will allow us to quickly respond to an emergency on the bay as well as slow down people going through the “No Wake” zone, among other things.

     That’s it for now. Enjoy this beautiful weather. As always, please feel free to contact me with any  questions or concerns you might have.

     Take care,

     Lance

Lance White

Mayor of Mantoloking

202 Downer Avenue

PO Box 247

Mantoloking, NJ

08738

Office: 732-475-6983 Ext. 302

Cell: 732-606-6988

[email protected]”

September 7, 2021

Hello Everyone,

     I very much hope that you and your families had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. I have 2 items to mention.

     For those of you who don’t know, I contracted the COVID-19 virus several weeks ago. I did receive both doses of the vaccine approximately 6 months ago. Fortunately, I am feeling good  having suffered congestion in my chest typical of a chest cold.  I did speak with the New Jersey  and Ocean County Boards of Health about this and was told to quarantine for 10 days following my first positive test result which I did. After that period of time I was no longer a potential carrier.

     I mention this for one reason in particular. With the advent of the Delta strain of the virus the rules appear to have changed a bit. Those who have had the full vaccine may now be vulnerable to this disease with the advantage of perhaps not becoming as ill as someone who has not had the vaccine.  I have no medical experience but I just wanted to be as forthright as possible about what I experienced. To be honest I was very surprised when my result came back positive. The message is twofold- we need to continue to be vigilant about following the rules of safety and we also should stay in touch with our doctors, etc. as possible changes take place.    

     You may notice that there will be a high police presence this week on North Lagoon. The officers are using a house that is to be demolished to conduct some different training exercises using paint ball gear among other things. Our police department rarely has this sort of opportunity and wanted to take full advantage of the experience our officers will gain from it during the week.

     That’s it for now.  Take care.

     Best,

August 26, 2021

Hello Everyone,

      We are fast approaching Labor Day Weekend but don't be discouraged. There are plenty of beautiful summer days ahead and the ocean beckons with it's perfect temperatures. I only have two brief thoughts for you today.

      We will be making some changes as we visit Borough Hall in the next few weeks. The number of COVID cases has grown a bit and the new Delta strain of the virus requires some increased caution, effective immediately, as we conduct our business there. You will see that the temperature kiosk has returned to the first floor by the front door.

Please follow the instructions to allow your temperature to be registered. You will see PPE equipment consisting of masks, gloves and hand sanitizer.  Masks are required everywhere marked as public and common areas. The inside of the building and police vehicles will be cleaned on a regular basis adhering to COVID guidelines. Finally, please use the social distancing techniques with which we have, unfortunately, become very familiar. The battle to defeat this pandemic is not over and now is the time for us to be resolute and determined moving forward.

      You should have received an email mentioning that there is a new platform being launched for our Mantoloking Ready program. It will be a bit more comprehensive in the amount of information available to our residents. I would strongly encourage you to look through it to verify your contact information is correct and that you are receiving what is appropriate for your needs. This is a state of the art program and will serve our town well for many years to come.

      That's it for now. As always, please feel free to contact me (phone or email) with any thoughts or questions.

      Take care,

      Lance White

      Mayor

August 3, 2021

Hello Everyone,

     It’s hard to believe we are in August already. Hopefully we have a wonderful month of great weather. Just a couple of points to mention.

     The Department of Environmental Protection will be in our town tomorrow morning, Wednesday, flying a drone on the beach from 7:00-9:00 AM. The Army Corps of Engineers has requested an inspection of the dune grass to verify that this grass is healthy and growing as it should be.  This procedure is taking place in all the Barrier Island towns during the week.

     The shed on Lyman is now selling beach badges Friday – Sunday 10:00 – 5:30. This is a change which now eliminates Thursday sales. On August 16th the Lyman shed will be closed down for the summer which will provide only Downer as a location to buy badges. Finally, half season badges will go on sale this Saturday, August 7th for $50.00.

     I have mentioned this before but there appears to be confusion as to what number to call for non-emergency incidents such as excessive noise and other similar situations. The number is 732-295-1465. This is Sheriff Dispatch and this is how our officers are notified and then they will respond accordingly. This process is typically quick and quite efficient. One last thought about this, if you feel there is a problem that needs a solution of some kind then call this number. All calls are anonymous and people will only begin to follow the rules if they realize there are consequences if they don’t.

     That’s all for now. Take care.

     Best,

     Lance White

     Mayor

July 14, 2021

Hello Everyone,

     I have just two or three items that I would like to bring to your attention.

     As you know , this summer has been one in which we have lost power an inordinate number of times. Last weekend alone the power went down 2 times and another instance occurred just a few days previous. To address this unusual problem, I have asked John Meehan, the Ocean County representative for Jersey Central Power and Light, to join us at the next Council meeting which will be held next Tuesday, July 20th, at 5:30 in Borough Hall. I have worked with John for several years now and he, along with his colleagues, were most helpful during the construction of our municipal building. There are a multitude of developments that will cause a loss of power and I think it will be helpful for John to discuss these and also what the utility does to minimize to amount of time it takes to restore power. Please feel free to ask questions and make comments during this session.

     Regarding safety, please know it is the law that children 16 and older must wear a helmet and that helmet needs to be buckled. I understand that there may well be resistance to this (I know there was in my family) but it only takes a second for things to go south in a very bad way. Helmets save lives every day.

     We have added pedestrian walkways to all access points on East Avenue. Please utilize these with caution.

    That’s it for now. Take care. As always, please feel free to contact me with any thoughts or questions.

     Best,

     Lance White

     Mayor

July 8, 2021

 Hello Everyone,

     I have just a couple of items to mention to you.

     First and foremost, we lost our very dear friend Bill Heckman this week. He served on the Mantoloking Fire Company for 37 years and during that time he held many positions including that of Chief. He also served as Superintendent of our Department of Public Works for 28 years. Whether it was a fire company or DPW issue there was absolutely nothing that Bill couldn’t fix. In fact, Bill built the current DPW building, which now bears his name,  almost single-handedly. He was a unique and wonderful man and he will be sorely missed. There will be two viewings on Saturday, 7/10,  from 2:00-4:00 PM and 6:00-8:00 PM and 10:00-10:30 PM on Sunday at the Weatherhead Young Funeral Home at 885 Mantoloking Road in Brick. There will then be a funeral home service at 10:30 followed by a Celebration of Life Gathering at the Mantoloking Fire Department at 200 Downer Avenue.

     Many of you will have noticed that we now have 3 speed bumps on Barnegat Lane. They are significant bumps so you will need to slow down as you go over them. As I have mentioned, Barnegat is such a busy street that we are trying to have people become more aware of each other whether it be walkers, cyclist and drivers. This is a function of safety, nothing more.

     We did have another car stolen in town yesterday. It was left unlocked with the key fob in a purse inside. I have mentioned this issue plenty of times but will continue to do so until the thefts stop. We do not want people in this town who have nothing but ill intentions. Along those lines, here is the number for Dispatch-732-295-1465. This is the number to use for all but emergencies which is 911. You will typically find the response to be rapid.

     That’s it for now,

     Take care,

     Best, 

Lance White, Mayor