Lifesaving Manchester Officers To Be Honored: Monday Manual

MANCHESTER, NJ — Welcome to the March 28 edition of Monday Manual, where we highlight important events coming up during the week in Manchester.

Four Manchester Township police officers who saved the life of a tow truck driver recently are set to be honored Monday night at the Manchester Township Council meeting.

The council meeting is set for 6 p.m. at Manchester Town Hall, 1 Colonial Drive.

Patrolmen Michael Steffen, Kyle Rickvalsky, Brendan Brush, and Julian Meaney rescued tow truck driver John Macchiaof Bayville on March 10. Macchia stopped by police headquarters a week later to thank the officers.

Advocates For Homeless Plan Walk For Awareness

On Saturday morning, community members who want to see Ocean County address its homelessness situation will be walking in Toms River to shine a spotlight on the issue and urge the Ocean County Board of Commissioners to act.

The walk, titled "Restoring HOPE for Humanity," will start at 9 a.m. at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church on Hooper Avenue, and will travel from the church to the Ocean County Administration building at 101 Hooper Ave.

"This walk is meant to peacefully signal to the Ocean County Commissioners that the time is now to establish a year-round transitional housing facility for Ocean County’s homeless," said Terrance Turnbach, the former Toms River councilman, who has been working to raise the visibility of the issue and to push for solutions.

The walk comes as the Code Blue program, which provides temporary shelter for the homeless when temperatures are 35 degrees or colder at night, ends for the 2021-22 winter season.

Ocean County is the only county in New Jersey without a year-round transitional housing facility to help the homeless.

"The County Commissioners have the power to bring a year round transitional housing facility to Ocean County," Turnbach said in announcing the walk.

Turnbach said Rev. Scott Shaffer of St. Joseph's Church, Rev. Robbie Ytterberg of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River and Jeanette Gunnell-Schlapfer, one of the organizers and lead volunteeers of the Pop the Trunk food distribution, have assisted in organizing the event. The Toms River South marching band is anticipated to be participating, he said.

St. Patrick's Day Parade — At Last

The pandemic disrupted it and heavy rain delayed it, but the Ocean County St. Patrick's Day Parade is anticipated to step off at last for 2022 at noon on Saturday. The parade is scheduled to cover the route from I Street to Hiering Avenue on Broadway.

There will be a parade Mass at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 100 Grant Ave. before the parade, and the Massed Band will gather at the Hershey Motel at the end of the parade.

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