Crime rate
is lowest
in Ocean
PLUMSTED — For the second time in as many years, Plumsted has the lowest crime rate in Ocean County, data from the latest New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Report shows.
In fact, the township’s crime rate of 5.2 reported incidents for each 1,000 people ranks Plumsted among the safest towns in the state, according to Mayor Ronald Dancer.
Dancer credited the "outstanding professional job performance of our Plumsted police officers for their role in making Plumsted Township one of the safest communities in the state."
He noted that Plumsted has had a full-time police department for two years. Before that, the state police provided police patrols in the community.
"Coupled with the most modern school facilities and high academic student achievement levels, Plumsted now has the lowest crime rate, the lowest municipal tax rate and the highest number of acres preserved from future development in all of Ocean County," Dancer said.
Also, Dancer announced the winners of two awards presented by the New Jersey Education Association Frederick L. Hipp Foundation for Excellence in Education. Both awards went to teachers at the township’s New Egypt Elementary School.
The two grants awarded to staff members at the school total almost $20,000.
One initiative that has been honored is PIE: Puppets in Education, a project that uses puppets, drama and communication with students in a Mexican school to broaden students’ view of the world, encourage their use of imagination and creativity, and provide them with a positive outlet for self-expression.
The project is led by coordinator Scott Jacobs, with Bonnie Vella, Lisa Rajeski, Karen Brown, Jennifer Chiariello, Marney Hatch, Jennifer Gerber and Rita Williams.
Through PIE, 150 students and their families, more than 400 in total, will increase their reading, writing and vocabulary skills in English and Spanish as they read, summarize, and retell folk tales in both languages. Through e-mails to Mexican students, they will learn about Mexican culture, the country and its literature.
The second program to be awarded a grant was created by teachers Donna Buxton, Joe Romana and Kathy LoPresti. It is called REALIFE — Realistic Education and Learning in a Fun Environment — to help special needs students to discover and enhance their strengths in a fun educational environment.
"The Township Committee extends its congratulations to our educators, the professional staff and the Board of Education members for their role in being named Excellence in Education grant recipients," Dancer said.