Oct. 27 Debate Moved to Brackman School

The venue for the Township Committee candidates' debate scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 27 has been changed from Barnegat's municipal courtroom to the auditorium of Russel O. Brackman Middle School, officials said today.

The debate, organized by the Ocean County League of Women Voters, will still be held at 6:30 p.m. All five candidates running for two open seats on the Committee – Repulicans Martin Lisella and Maxine Blumenthal, Democrats Leonard Morano and Michael Howard and Independent Howard Effron – have said they will attend.

A neutral party from outside the township will moderate the forum.

Carol Woolley, a local representative for the League, said the forum had generated so much interest that she and the other event organizers felt a bigger venue made the most sense. But securing the 600-plus-seat space took a little time, she said, because a requested waive of the district's site use fee had to go before the Barnegat Board of Education. The Board waived the fees and approved the use at its meeting Tuesday.

"The school district has been very supportive," Woolley said. "Everyone cooperated to produce an excellent result."

Barnegat Board of Education president Lisa Becker said the school has played host for municipal election debates in the past, and that such events offer a good learning experience for kids. Students will be encouraged to attend, and some teachers may incorporate the debate and hot topics into their civics curriculum.

"The League of Women Voters does a very good job when they organize these types of informative debates," Becker said. "It's a great service that they provide."