The following is an official press release from Ocean County and was not written by the Riverside Signal.

OCEAN COUNTY – The Ocean County Office of Emergency Management and a host of county agencies are closely working with residents and emergency responders to prepare citizens for Hurricane Irene and move residents and visitors out of its path.

Hurricane Irene is expected to begin to affect Ocean County early Saturday afternoon as tropical winds begin to move up from Cape May County.

“There are voluntary and mandatory evacuations under way and people need to move now to avoid the impact of this storm,” said Ocean County Undersheriff Wayne Rupert. “This is a serious weather event and should be taken seriously.”

Mandatory evacuations on Long Beach Island began at 8 a.m. today along with non-residents in Point Pleasant Beach. In addition, mandatory evacuations are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. today for Toms River’s barrier island communities.

“Anyone in low lying and flood prone areas and especially the barrier islands, who can leave, we strongly recommend that you do leave voluntarily until the area is cleared from the storm,” Rupert said.

Evacuation shelters opened at 8 a.m., Friday, Aug. 26 at Southern Regional High School, Manahawkin and Toms River High School North, Toms River. Both shelters are pet friendly. Shelters also have opened at the Brackman School in Barnegat Township and Pinelands Regional High School in Little Egg Harbor Township.

Governor Chris Christie this morning announced additional measures being taken to prepare for Hurricane Irene and aid New Jerseyans in shore evacuations. Beginning at 6 p.m. this evening, contraflow will be in effect on Route 72, running for 28 miles to Route 70, closing all lanes to eastbound travel and utilizing all lanes of traffic for use in moving traffic westward. The measure is expected to aid residents in evacuating Long Beach Island in Ocean County.

“All of these actions are being put into place for the safety of our visitors and residents,” said Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. “And while leaving your home may not be a popular thing to do it is so very important to stay out of harms’ way.”

Residents staying on the mainland are encouraged to have a plan in place now.

“It is recommended you have a plan in place for this event including stocking up on water, batteries for a flashlight and battery operated radio, top off your gas tank, have nonperishable food items available, and if you need to leave take medication and prescriptions with you,” Vicari said. “Also, leave contact information with friends and family so they know you are safe.”

Residents should be aware of the warnings and advice provided to them by their local police departments and municipal offices of emergency management – many of which may be advising residents of visitors of what actions that need to be take to prepare for the storm.

“We urge you to heed their recommendations,” Vicari said. “And, while we enjoy visitors to the shore, we strongly recommend they do not come to the shore this weekend.”

Meanwhile, all of the Ocean County Nutrition Sites operated through Community Services, Inc. are open today except for the Long Beach Island site and Home Delivered Meals is in operation. All clients have been contacted for a food security check in the event service is disrupted on Monday. There are 950 active Home Delivered Meals clients and 100 of these receive meals on the weekend. Additionally, Lakewood Community Services, Inc. is delivering Kosher Home Delivered Meals today, Friday, August 26th. Weekend Meals for both Saturday and Sunday will be delivered tomorrow Saturday, August 27th and a three day supply of shelf meals will also be delivered at that time in the event service is disrupted on Monday. Outreach workers and caregiver volunteers have a telephone reassurance system in place to keep in touch with clients to assure their well being. Providing ongoing information regarding emergency procedures is a key component to all senior services programming.

In addition, the Ocean County Health Department has activated the Medical Reserve Corps for shelters and any other emergency response where they may be needed. There is also an expanded on-call staff to cover all geographic areas of Ocean County. In addition, health department Home Health Nursing visits will take place today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) and on Sunday for emergencies. Nurses will be able to stay in touch with their individual patients. The health department will have nurses available to assist at the county shelters. The department also will continue to coordinate messages and information with the County and State Offices of Emergency Management which will also be available on the OCHD website at www.ochd.org

Questions about moving livestock can be directed to Lt. James Manley of the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management at 732-341-3451.

“We can provide the appropriate information to anyone owning livestock and needing to move it,” Manley said.

“There are numerous county agencies closely working with the Office of Emergency Management and will do so throughout this storm,” said Freeholder John P. Kelly, Director of Law and Public Safety. “The safety of our residents and visitors is our priority and will continue as we get through this storm and afterwards.”
Residents and visitors should contact their municipal office of emergency management or the county’s OEM at 732-341-3451 if they have questions or concerns. More information regarding preparing for the storm is available on the “Be Prepared” link on the Ocean County government website at www.co.ocean.nj.us.

“Buy in Ocean County” campaign created to protect local consumers and benefit local businesses as holidays approach

An Official Press Release from the Ocean County Public Information Office

OCEAN COUNTY – Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari is again asking residents to “buy local” and support Ocean County’s businesses this holiday season.

“This is the time of year when mailboxes fill up with colorful and tempting catalogs filled with holiday cheer,” Mr. Vicari said. “Unfortunately, there are also serious downsides to ordering through catalogs or online.”

Each year the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs receives complaints about unfulfilled orders or other concerns residents have when dealing with out-of-state mail order companies.

“We see the same problems year after year,” the freeholder stated, who is liaison to the Consumer Affairs Department. “Merchandise not received in time for the holidays, problems with back orders and received items that barely resemble their catalog photos and descriptions.”

It is also often difficult to pursue a consumer affairs case against an out-of-state company that does not fall under the jurisdiction of New Jersey’s consumer fraud laws.

“When you buy local, you are protected against fraud,” Mr. Vicari continued. “Both our county and state agencies have much more power when dealing with a local business complaint.”

Buying local can also save money.

“Many times catalog and online offers can seem cheaper, but don’t forget to add in the shipping costs,” the freeholder stated. “If you have to return an item, it’s much easier to drive down the street and visit the store rather than pack and ship a package across country.”

Frequenting local businesses also helps protect Ocean County jobs.

“When you buy local you are supporting your neighbors,” Mr. Vicari added. “Our business community is a vital part of Ocean County.”

Local businesses also support local charitable organizations and give back to their communities, something that cannot be said about most catalog and online firms.

“The holiday season is a make-or-break situation for many of our small business people,” he continued. “I hope all of our residents will consider the advantages of buying local and supporting our ‘Mom and Pop’ businesses.”

Purchasing from local merchants also helps guarantee that the products you receive are the real thing and not an imitation.

“Consumers across the nation spent millions of dollars on designer handbags, perfumes and apparel that in fact turn out to be knockoffs,” the freeholder noted. “Many of these fraudulent items are sold online. By making your holiday purchases locally, you can ensure friends and loved ones receive the actual item you’ve paid for.”

The following is an opinion column submitted by Ocean County Freeholder Gerry P. Little. The comments and opinions contained are entirely those of Mr. Little, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Riverside Signal.

The day of fiscal reckoning is coming for Washington’s out-of-control spending.

On Friday, July 24th, the White House released new fiscal estimates projecting that this year’s federal budget deficit will reach a record-shattering $1.5 trillion. That means this year our federal government in Washington will spend $1.5 trillion more than it takes in. That means Washington will borrow 41 cents from China for every dollar Congress spends.

This year’s fiscal red ink is just the tip of the iceberg.

The same White House predicted about $1.4 trillion in red ink for next year’s federal budget, when Washington would borrow about 37 cents for every dollar Congress spends.

Before your eyes glaze over, please take a moment to log on to your computer to www.usdebtclock.org.

This real-time web site is the most comprehensive and up-to-date information about our country’s fiscal crisis. Today, the United States’ total national debt is more than $13.2 trillion. This is not just President Obama’s problem, or just former President Bush’s problem for that matter. It’s America’s problem. Collectively, all Americans are responsible for our federal government’s reckless spending.

Real world economics don’t work that way. Such fiscal irresponsibility, can’t work in Washington any more than it can work in our state capitals, local governments or in our own personal finances. Just as each of us can’t continue to borrow mindlessly on credit card after credit card or refinance our homes until there is no remaining equity, common sense tells us that borrowing and spending beyond our means can’t work for Washington’s bloated federal budget. Common sense tells us our federal government can’t continue to borrow and spend, and borrow and spend.

For those of us old enough to remember, the former communist Union of Soviet Socialists Republics (USSR) was supposedly the mightiest superpower on earth, with the largest armed forces, the most ballistic missiles, and the most powerful atomic warheads. An inflation-riddled, worthless ruble brought the mighty USSR down. The communist nation, once feared around the world, suffered national bankruptcy and split apart into several sovereign nations.

Greece, Spain, Germany and other European Union nations are now facing similar financial consequences because of their national debt. Their governments promised social entitlement programs they could not afford. Those governments spent far more in their budgets than they took in from revenues. Policymakers in those countries are now making many painful choices about which programs must be cut if their nations are to remain fiscally solvent.

Sound familiar?

Here at home the blame is bipartisan. Both political parties are responsible for federal spending that has far exceeded Washington’s revenues. Collectively, we Americans have elected members of Congress and presidents who have borrowed and spent our nation into $13.2 trillion in debt.

In November, Americans will go to the polls and elect a new Congress. Incumbent members of Congress and their challengers all across America are presently campaigning and debating various approaches to get our nation’s financial house in order. Wringing our hands about the current federal budget deficit and the larger national debt is easy, however, fixing the problem is harder. One thing is clear, government deficits are caused by governments that spend too much, not because governments are taxing too little. Keep it simple, Mr. President and Congress. Cut spending.

Elected county and municipal officials within the Signal coverage area interested in submitting opinion columns may send them to riversidesignal@gmail.com.

by Jim Blackburn

OCEAN COUNTY – For the first time in nearly 70 years, the Blue Comet is again riding up and down the Jersey shore, except this time as part of a documentary making stops at shore venues to take passengers back in time.

Filmmaker and Rutgers University-Camden professor, Robert A. Emmons Jr., recently screened his new documentary, De Luxe: The Tale of the Blue Comet, to a crowd full of train enthusiasts at Mancini Hall in the Toms River Library. Mr. Emmons teaches new media and film, practicing what he preaches; he has made over 30 films of various style and length. His latest historical work features the train that was the pride of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, or CNJ, from 1929 to 1941.

In his introduction to the movie, Mr. Emmons explained his passion for historical documentaries and his home state: “I make documentary films about New Jersey, New Jersey history, New Jersey culture, and I guess it’s my goal to tell stories that haven’t been told enough. So what I do is I look for these sort of obscure stories.”

The Blue Comet recently had a resurgence in popularity and interest when it was featured on an episode of HBO’s original series, the Soprano’s, titled “The Blue Comet.”  It first aired in the summer of 2007 and caught the attention of train enthusiasts and the unfamiliar alike; Mr. Emmons himself said he was inspired by the episode to learn more about the legendary train. The result of his curiosity is his 90-minute film explaining what the Blue Comet was, and where it can still be found today.

The train, he said, represented the end of an era, having begun operating just three months before the onset of the Great Depression. It would struggle in its short history with an ailing economy and sharp competition from other rail companies, but it was the automobile and new highway systems built in New Jersey during the 1930s and 40s that would ultimately end the line.

But motion pictures, unlike the Blue Comet and most other man-made things, can last an extremely long amount of time, carrying contemporary viewers back to eras long seemingly lost in all but namesake alone.

Atlantic City in the 1920s was a summer draw for people trying to escape those pre-air conditioned summers, and the Blue Comet offered a luxury line at coach prices. Passengers from New York would have to take a ferry across the Hudson to Jersey City, where the train boarded for its three hour ride down to the shore, making stops at Elizabeth Port, Red Bank, Lakewood, Hammonton, and then finally Atlantic City.

What was truly unique were the train’s colors: a bright blue, cream, and gold, when most train cars of the day were either dark green or red. Said by onlookers to look like a comet speeding down the line with its special whistle, sounding similar to a fog horn. The interior of the Blue Comet was also brightly and luxuriously decorated, while the design of the train offers a glimpse into a world or era where quality in a skill or trade work took precedence over quantity.

The Blue Comet could be even more obscure today, if not for a passenger who took the line down to Atlantic City in 1929. That passenger was renown toy train maker Joshua Lionel Cowen, and his subsequent Blue Comet model was a best seller at even $70 a set, a month’s wages at the time. Lionel made the model for eight years, and today the train set found in mint condition could sell for over $10,000 in the robust toy and model train collector’s market.

Just five years into its lifespan, the toll of the Great Depression was visible  when the CNJ cut back on the luxury train’s passenger service, ordering the engine pull more freight, and over time the train lost its uniformity in color as cars were sold, replaced, and repainted. The fate of the Blue Comet was sealed when it derailed in heavy rain near Pine Crest, on August 19th, 1939. No one lost their life in the accident, and the line was shut down just over two years later, on September 27th, 1941.

Following the film, Mr. Emmons conducted a question and answer session where he hypothesized that if the Blue Comet was still active during World War II, the line could possibly have flourished by moving freight and American soldiers during the war.

After the completion of the library event, Mr. Emmons sat down with the Riverside Signal for an interview.

Riverside Signal: How does it feel to watch an audience watch your work?

Robert A. Emmons Jr.: It feels good because one thing I’m interested in as a documentary filmmaker is with what audiences come away with. With something like De Luxe – The Tale of the Blue Comet, it’s about coming away with a piece of history, and with another sort of film it could be an awareness or a new perspective on something that you didn’t have before. That’s the best part of documentaries.

RS: Before the movie were you a train enthusiast?

RE: I liked trains like every boy did, but I didn’t own a lot of toy trains. I wasn’t a train watcher or anything like that. I had an interest in them just because they are a great part of American history, but my involvement in the movie has made me a bigger train fan. More than anything I am a fan of local history, folk history.

RS: The train in the very beginning of the movie [the film shows a contemporary look at an aging Blue Comet passenger car] – where was that located?

RE: That is at Winslow Junction [located in Collings Lakes, Atlantic County]. If you drive out there you can still see two of the passenger cars from the Blue Comet.

RS: Where did you find the classic footage of Atlantic City from the 1920s and 30s?

RE: That came from a few different places. Some I got from the Getty Archives, and there are a couple websites for archival filmmakers. One is called www.criticalpast.com, the other is called www.archive.org. Also, I worked with a really great guy who was the film archivist for the United Railroad Historical Society. His name is Mitch Dakelman. We were able to purchase a lot of the films from him.

RS: How did you come across the railroad historians in the film?

RE: Preproduction and research is big on a documentary film. I spent quite a few months researching the film, trying to gather every piece of historical evidence that other people have compiled and other primary historical stuff I could find. So a great thing to do as a historian is you get a book that might be great about something, but then you look in the bibliography and find out what all of their sources were. The thing about train society is that all these guys really know each other, so I would meet with one guy and he would say, you know you really have to talk to this other guy, and the research would spiderweb in that sense.

RS: Is there a place people can go to learn more about the Blue Comet?

RE: The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum has the only surviving locomotive that pulled the Blue Comet, but it’s not one of the original Pacific engines; it’s a Camelback engine. The observation cars are nice to see, one is down in Cape May [at the South Jersey Railroad Museum]. Another is at the Clinton Station Diner [in Hunterdon County]. The diner is great; you get to eat inside the car.

RS: Did you go eat at the Clinton diner?

RE: Yes I did; it was good. I requested if I could eat in the car and they just take you right back, it was kind of like being transported to a different time.

RS: Where can someone get a copy of De Luxe: The Tale of the Blue Comet?

RE: You can get it right on my site, which is http://robertemmons.com.

RS: The Blue Comet model in the film, where did you shoot that at?

RE: I shot that at The National Toy Train Museum, which is out in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. They pulled the model down out of the glass case and set it up on the track so I could film it.

RS: Do you have any projects you are working on now, or planning to in the future?

RE: The project I’ve been working on for the past four months is I’ve been making two short documentary films a week at http://robertemmons.blogspot.com. The last one was about Sandy Hook, how gangsters used to dump guns there. They are two to four minute films and they premiere every Wednesday and Sunday. My project after that, I haven’t really solidified it up yet, I might be doing another film about a comic book creator, which I did a film early on about comic book artists and comic book culture.

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OCEAN COUNTY – Earlier this summer, we went down to the county college to take a look at their large-scale campus expansion and new building project. A full press release regarding the expansion can be found after the photos.

Photos and video depicts part of the cleared site and broken sections of running trails once used by numerous cross country teams over the years within the remaining section of wooded area.

Enjoy!

Infrastructure Upgrades at College to Get Under Way

Building the Pathway to Kean Partnership

An Official Ocean County Press Release

OCEAN COUNTY – The county is advancing plans to improve and expand the access to Ocean County College, located off Hooper Avenue in Toms River, in order to accommodate the planned gateway building that will serve as the centerpiece to the Ocean County College and Kean University partnership.

Phase I of the project, which includes the construction of 1.1 miles of new roadway at the college to complete a loop road around the college, is expected to get started by August 1st and will be completed in the early summer of 2011.

“We are very excited about continuing this work and moving this project forward,” said Freeholder Deputy Director John P. Kelly, who is liaison to the Ocean County Department of Engineering. “This infrastructure work will provide the necessary access and some amenities to a great educational opportunity for Ocean County residents.”

Mr. Kelly was referring to the partnership of the two-year community college with Kean University allowing Ocean County College students to get their four-year degree from Kean but at the Toms River campus.

“This is an educational opportunity that will be provided to our residents,” he continued. “It provides an educational option that didn’t exist in Ocean County before.”

The Ocean County Road Department has been getting the land at the college ready for the first phase of the college loop road project.

“Our road department workers have been clearing about 42 acres of college property located to the west of the existing campus in an effort to get ready for the college loop road,” said Freeholder Director James F. Lacey, who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Road Department. “By doing the clearing work with in-house workers we are saving about $1 million.

“In this current economy that is a substantial amount of money,” he added.

The Board of Freeholders will now seek bids on the first phase of the construction project.

According to Mr. Kelly, the construction of the 1.1 miles of roadway will connect to 6/10ths of a mile of roadway already at the college site to make a complete loop around the campus and the expansion area that will house the Kean University gateway building.

The work will also include construction of four detention basins designed to accommodate rainwater runoff for all future improvements and parking lots for 700 vehicles.

Students returning to classes in the fall will notice some immediate changes to the access to the college with a new traffic signal controlled intersection on College Drive as they enter the campus from Hooper Avenue. The temporary traffic signal is part of the first phase of construction.

In it’s ongoing efforts to be a good neighbor, Ocean County will construct a 12-foot high board on board fence on the college property that is adjacent to Squire Village in order to eliminate any potential traffic intrusions that could occur.

Also, in designing the loop road, an effort was made to berm the road so that cars are not visible beyond the college campus.

“We wanted to make sure we addressed the concerns raised by residents during the master planning process,” said Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr., who serves as liaison to Ocean County College. “Because this is such an important project, we want to make certain it is embraced by our neighbors as well as the educational community.”

“In designing the loop road, its location has been kept as far as possible from any homes near the college. The proposed road goes through the existing parking lot so as not to disturb the natural buffer that already exists,” Mr. Kelly said.

He added that the design of the loop road allows Kean and OCC to maintain all facilities in one place and students never have to cross a road to get to a classroom.

“This is an important safety feature we are putting in place,” stated Mr. Lacey. “This loop road creates a self-contained campus. All buildings and facilities will be central within the loop.”

The project is estimated to cost about $5 million.

The second phase of the project will include widening the existing college roadway, additional parking and a new driveway out to North Bay Avenue.

All the work is being done on about 42 acres of the college’s 700-acre campus.

“The land that is being used is all uplands,” stated Mr. Kelly. “We are making every effort to stay away from any sensitive areas.”

by Jim Blackburn

OCEAN COUNTY – The Ocean County College Fine Arts Center may be closed for renovations until early 2011, but that hasn’t stopped the jazz music from playing in their temporary home – Mancini Hall at the Toms River Library.

Last month, their MidWeek Jazz series, a summer staple of the college’s cultural programming, hosted two legends of jazz accompanied by one of the genre’s rising stars.

Billed as “Bucky’s Back!,” the show featured Bucky Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein and Jerry Bruno, who placed the first letter of their names in the spotlight to be known as JAB.

Bucky Pizzarelli is a Paterson-born New Jersey jazz guitarist who traces his roots back to his first band at the end of World War II. Known as a legend in his genre, Mr. Pizzarelli has played with Les Paul and Benny Goodman, but is best known for his stint as guitar player for the Doc Severinsen Band on Johnny Carson-helmed Tonight Show, where he had the honor of tuning Tiny Tim’s ukulele on the December 17, 1969 show that saw the quirky pop singer famously marry Miss Vicki.

In addition, Mr. Pizzarelli plays a custom seven string Benedetto guitar, has released ten albums, played for presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, and in 2005 was inducted into the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Jazz Wall of Fame.

Acoustic bass player Jerry Bruno, also widely considered a jazz legend, joined Mr. Pizzarelli for the performance. In his career, he has backed Tommy Dorsey, Paul Anka, Liza Minnelli, and Frank Sinatra.

The youngest of the trio, Aaron Weinstein, is a jazz violinist who, at 24, has already appeared on seven albums, including the 2008 Arbors Records release “Blue Too” with John Pizzarelli.

The June concert lasted over ninety minutes and was routinely broken by applause as the performers showcased their skills and humor.

“The whole secret of playing an instrument today is you have to play live for people,” said Mr. Pizarelli. “When you do it live, you gotta do it right.”

His interplay with the audience visibly kept them entertained, showcasing a talent many musicians learn the hard way. Throughout the concert a smile and nod to the crowd from the seasoned guitarist kept the audience engaged and uplifted.

Having sold out well before the concert date, many interested patrons who tried to buy tickets at the door were turned away. To reserve and purchase your tickets in advance, call the Ocean County College box office at (732) 255-0500 or visit their window in the student center building on campus at College Drive in Toms River.

For a list of all upcoming concerts please visit http://www.ocean.edu/campus/fine_arts_center/schedule.htm or send an e-mail to jazzevents@aol.com for jazz news updates.

OCEAN COUNTY – How long can a turtle live?

Why is it not advisable to move a turtle away from its home territory?

Naturalists and youth volunteers will be able to answer these and many other questions. Join them at the Cooper Environmental Center this Saturday and Sunday from 1:30-2:00 pm, as they feed and otherwise care for some of our native turtles.

OCEAN COUNTY – Curious to see what’s new and exciting at Cattus?

Need a break or a breath of fresh air?

Our two o’clock Nature Walks continue the 30-year tradition that has made Cattus Island the premiere natural education center of Ocean County. Treat yourself to a fun, educational and interactive look at the wilds of Cattus Island Park, featuring a specific topic each weekend.

Be sure to bring insect spray!

Join a Naturalist from Cattus Island County Park for a Twilight Tuesday Boat Tour

An Official Ocean County Parks Department Press Release

OCEAN COUNTY – Ocean County Freeholder John C. Bartlett, Jr. is pleased to announce the following boat tours leaving from the Ocean County Parks Administration Office Boat Dock, in Toms River. Twilight Tuesday Boat Tours will take place on Tuesday July 6, 13 and 27th. The boat tours will be held from 7:00pm – 8:30pm.

The public is invited to enjoy a relaxed cruise along the shores of Cattus Island County Park. As day surrenders to night, darkness allows for a new perspective on the shoreline and sky, and no place allows you to bear witness to the sight better than a seat on the Ocean County Park’s Bay Cruiser. A naturalist will be on board to answer questions and interpret the sights and sounds of twilight. Don’t miss this opportunity to share an incredible experience of life on the bay.

This program is open to individuals 4 years and older and the fee is $10.00 per person.

Reasonable assistance and accommodations are available with prior notice. Pre-registration is mandatory. Call Cattus Island County Park at 732-270-6960 for further information.

An Official Ocean County Health Department Press Release

OCEAN COUNTY – The Ocean County Health Department (OCHD) received a positive report for West Nile Virus (WNV) from a crow collected in Toms River on July 6th.

“This is New Jersey’s first positive bird reported during the 2010 season,” said Freeholder Gerry P. Little, who is liaison to the Ocean County Board of Health. “The health department receives updated surveillance reports from the New Jersey Public Health and Environmental Laboratory on both birds and mosquitoes tested for West Nile Virus.”

“So far this season, a total of 32 birds have been submitted from throughout New Jersey with 13 of the birds coming from Ocean County,” said Leslie Terjesen, OCHD’s public information officer. “As summertime is a great time to enjoy the outdoor weather which exposes people to mosquitoes, the Ocean County Health Department is diligent in its surveillance of WNV.”

“The Health Department responds to every call regarding dead crows or blue jays,” she continued. “If either tests positive, that is an indication that the virus is present in Ocean County. WNV is spread by infected mosquitoes which then feed on the birds, causing them to become infected and possibly die from the disease.”

“This is usually the time of the year that the first cases of WNV begin to be confirmed around the state,” said Mr. Little. “County residents can help the health department control West Nile Virus by reporting dead crows or blue jays that they find on their property to the department at 732-341-9700, extension 7502 or toll free at 1-800-342-9738, extension 7502.”

Daniel Regenye, Ocean County Health Department’s assistant public health coordinator, said that “due to the condition of some dead birds, not all birds can be tested to see if they were infected with West Nile Virus. But locations of all dead crows or blue jays are monitored by the Ocean County Mosquito Commission.”

“Most human West Nile Virus infections produce no symptoms or mild to moderate symptoms that include fever, headache and body aches and may be accompanied by a skin rash and swollen lymph glands,” he continued. “More dangerous conditions among the young or elderly and persons with chronic diseases or compromised immune systems have been reported.”

According to Ms. Terjesen, 90 mosquito pools have been tested so far this season in Ocean County for the presence of mosquitoes containing the virus, but none have tested positive.

“Homeowners can help curb the mosquito population by keeping their lawns and bushes trimmed, change water frequently in bird baths and kiddie wading pools, remove old tires and other yard debris that can store standing water and keep roof gutters clean of leaves and other matter,” she said. “West Nile Virus is mainly transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito; therefore, on-going elimination of mosquito breeding is the key to prevention of West Nile Virus transmission.”

“Residents’ participation in the elimination of standing water around the home is critically important,” the public information officer added. “Uncollected birds are not considered to be a health hazard and can be disposed of as regular trash. Residents handling any dead animal or bird should wear gloves.”

In addition to eliminating standing water around the home, residents should take the following precautions:

- Limit outdoor activities at dawn and dusk, when possible.

- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever outdoors, weather permitting.

- Make sure screen doors and windows are in good condition.

- When going outside, use an insect repellent containing DEET on skin or clothing, or a repellent containing permethrin on clothing. DO NOT use repellents on children less than 3 years old, and always use repellents according to the directions on the label.