DUI Lawyers in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

With Memorial Day weekend in sight, seven Jersey Shore beach spots have been tested for bacteria and declared to be safe for swimming, according to state environmental officials.

Throughout the summer, health officials will test more than 300 sites around New Jersey weekly, looking for high bacteria levels that could cause illness. Testing is performed each Monday and results are typically available by Tuesday afternoon.

Beaches that fail for having high bacteria levels are retested daily during the week, until their microbe counts fall to level considered safe for swimming.

Leaky sewer systems, animal waste and stormwater runoff are all contributors to high levels of bacteria at lakes and beaches. In large enough concentrations, these microbes can cause illnesses like vomiting, diarrhea and ear infections in swimmers. People with weak immune systems, young children and elderly adults are particularly at risk.

The seven beaches that have tested safe for swimming as of May 20, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, are:

Despite low bacteria levels, swimming can still be dangerous at these locations. Local officials regularly warn swimmers not to enter the water unless lifeguards are present.

Additionally, midweek rain could flush animal waste, pesticides, oil and other pollutants into streams and rivers and increase bacteria counts in some waterways temporarily, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Swimmers should avoid water that is cloudier than usual, discolored or has a bad smell, according to the Centers for Disease Control. To prevent illness, avoid swimming with any cuts or wounds, and keep sand out of children's mouths, according to the agency. If soap and water is not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before eating on the beach, according to the CDC.

Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 17 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.

POINT PLEASANT, NJ – MAY 27: Kathyn S. jumps as she plays with friends at Point Pleasant Beach on the first weekend of New Jersey beaches re-opening to the public on May 27, 2013 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. The region continues to recover and rebuild after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the coastline.

(Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)

Officials in Point Pleasant Beach introduced plans to buy a prime spot on Channel Drive. The 0.29-acre lot, sitting by the Manasquan River, comes with a $2.86 million price tag.

"The total cost of the property is $2.9 million," said Mayor Doug Vitale to NewsBreak. "There is some remediation that needs to be done to the tune of about $40,000, so we were able to negotiate with the property owner to come in at $2.86 (million)."

A Cape Cod house stands on the land with a small garage. Once bought, workers will tear down both structures. The land comes from Eugene Sniezek's estate.

To offset costs, officials sought $1.5 million from New Jersey's Green Acres program. This state initiative backs outdoor spaces and nature protection efforts through the Department of Environmental Protection.

Ideas for the space include spots for kayaks, community activities, and open grounds. The final blueprint remains up in the air.

Tests showed the ground had a few trouble spots. "The environmental reports came back with isolated hotspots, but no major issues," Vitale said to Starnewsgroup.com.

The vote split the council. Four backed the first measure while Byrnes and Cortes opposed it. When voting on $2.91 million in funds, five said yes, leaving Cortes as the lone dissenter.

The town must still give final approval. Local voices can weigh in at the upcoming May 6 meeting.

POINT PLEASANT BEACH - Piecing it together pitching-wise

That's what the coaching staff of the Point Pleasant Beach High School baseball team has been confronted with since the program's move to Shore Conference Class B South this season with the conference's realignment of its baseball divisions.

"I use the term 'radically creative,''' Point Beach head coach Angelo Fiore said Thursday after the Garnet Gulls used three pitchers in their 5-4 divisional win over Central Regional. "We've got to manage ourselves very smartly on the mound, really keep track of where we are in the pitch counts. We're trying to do those bouncebacks.''

By bouncebacks, Fiore is referring to using his pitchers several times a week An example is junior right-hander Bennett Moberg, who threw three innings and 48 pitches Tuesday night in the Garnet Gulls' 14-4 defeat at Toms River South and picked up the win by throwing two innings and 49 pitches Thursday in relief.

How Point Beach pitchers were utliized in past seasons

Point Beach (7-1, 5-0), ranked No. 5 in the Asbury Park Press Top 20, did not have these issues in recent seasons because it was in the Group 1-dominated Shore Conference Class B Central division, where it was significantly better than most of the teams.

In most of those games, Fiore and assistant head coach Joe Mazza could spot their pitchers, having them throw two or three innings and they could save their best pitchers for big nondivisional or nonconference games.

"We've really got to manage more,'' Fiore said. "Every single game we're in this division, we're really working to get those wins. I think that's a testament to the kids.

Thursday, junior left-hander Tommy Conroy threw the first four innings followed by Moberg and then junior right-hander Antonio Acevedo, who came in from shortstop, to pitch the seventh and earn his third save of the season.

The three pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts and to strand 12 Central runners on base. That included the first inning, when the Golden Eagles (7-2, 3-2) loaded the bases and nobody out and Conroy got out of it with a 5-2 force out at home, a strikeout and a pop-up to short.

Moberg, who picked up his third win of the season, got a strikeout to end the sixth with the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second.

Do the Garnet Gulls have a dominant pitcher?

Point Beach, which is the three-time defending NJSIAA Central Group 1 champion and was in the Group 1 championship game last season for the first time, may not have a pitcher who one can say is going to be lights out every time he takes the mound.

"It's a staff,'' Mazza said. "Everybody brings something a little different to the table.''

Fiore said Moberg is the perfect example of the type of pitcher the Garnet Gulls have.

"He's just been in the right place at the right time,'' Fiore said.

Acevedo has settled into the closer's role.

Acevedo's role as the closer is the one role that seems to be clearly defined on the Point Beach pitching staff.

Thursday, Acevedo worked around a two-out error by his replacement at short to retire the side on a ground out, a line out to third and a fly out to left while throwing just 10 pitches.

In 3 2/3 innings in his new role, Aceveco has not allowed a run or a hit and has struck out four and walked two while facing just 14 batters.

"I knew I could do this (be a closer),'' Acevedo said. "This is something I wanted to do. In the offseason, I thought I could be used as a pitcher and I trained for it all offseason. My work paid off. I knew they had the confidence in me.

"It's just go, go, go. I love the adrenaline rush I get with that (the new role). Once, I'm in that zone, it's great.''

Fiore said Acevedo has the characteristics coaches love to see in a closer

"He's that guy. He can come in in the seventh inning and just fire fastballs,'' Fiore said.

Storch is getting on his coaches good side

Senior center fielder Daniel Storch, who admits he can try the patience of the Garnet Gulls' coaching staff at times, had a big day. He went 3-for-3 with RBI singles in the first and third innings and a double in the fifth, when Point Beach broke a 3-3 tie by scoring two runs on a two-out error.

Storch's first hit came on the final pitch of a seven-pitch at-bat in which he ran the count to 3-2.

That at-bat was part of a 42-pitch inning Point Beach hitters forced Central starter Chase Macri to throw.

POINT PLEASANT - Point Pleasant Beach High School was probably the toughest Shore Conference baseball program to get a read on the last several seasons.

There was no doubt the Garnet Gulls were a good team, but nobody was sure how good they were because the Group 1 school was placed in the Group 1-dominated Class B Central Division.

They simply were too good for most of the overmatched teams in that division in recent seasons, except when Ranney was in that division in the early part of this decade and when St. Rose was placed back in that division two seasons ago.

Nobody will have to guess how good Point Pleasant Beach is now.

Under the Shore Conference's realignment for this season, the three-time defending Central Group 1 champion Garnet Gulls are in Class B South with Group 4 Toms River North and Central; Group 2 Manasquan, Jackson Liberty and crosstown rival Point Pleasant Borough and Non-Public B school St. Rose.

So far, Point Pleasant Beach, after its 7-3 win over Point Borough on a cold, windy and blustery Wednesday afternoon at Point Borough, has been more than up to the challenge.

It is 5-0 with two convincing divisional wins over Jackson Liberty, its first win over Point Borough since 2009 and nondivisional wins over Donovan Catholic and Group 3 Brick Township. The Garnet Gulls are ranked No. 6 in the Asbury Park Press Shore Conference Top 20.

"Our record (at the end of the season) will reflect who we are,'' Point Beach head coach Angelo Fiore said. "Corey Hamann (Donovan Catholic's head coach) said, 'All I want to do is play competitive baseball'. That's where we are right now. We want to play really good teams.''

Evaluating Point Beach players for post-season honors was always hard.

Another area where moving to a new division should help Point Beach's players, besides the ability to show off their talents against tougher competition, is when it comes to post-season all-star teams, like the Asbury Park Press All-Shore teams.

Fiore and Garnet Gulls' assistant head coach Joe Mazza would always have to break down how their players stats against non-Class B Central opponents in order for them to get full consideration.

"I want to be able to walk into an All-Shore meeting (Fiore was the Class B Central represenative for the Asbury Park Press All-Shore meeting in recent seasons) and when I say this guy is my best player, you guys can say you're absolutely right,'' Fiore said.

The same was true when it came to the Shore Conference Tournament seeding committee trying to figure out where to place Point Beach because it was so much better than most of its divisional opponents.

"You couldn't get a read on us,'' Fiore said. "I had to be a bit of a salesman. ''

The new division will present challenges

Point Beach will know it is in a competitive game most days in Class B South.

Manasquan is off to a 4-1 start and has solid pitching.

Central, with a rich baseball tradition, is off to a 5-0 start and has already surpassed its win total from last season.

Toms River North is another program with a rich history.

Jackson Liberty, which is in its final season by itself before it merges with Jackson Memorial to become one Jackson High School, has been a solid program more often than not since it began play in 2008.

Point Borough always puts out a competitive team, and had the streak of wins over the Garnet Gulls that ended Wednesday.

St. Rose and Point Beach have had a very competitive rivalry through the years.

There does not figure to be many games where Point Beach knows going into the game, it is going to win big.

"We were always a good program, but there was always that asterisk next to it,'' Fiore said. "Now, we're here in a division where we want to prove we're a legitimate program. You have to take it one game at a time, but at the end of the day, I think we're built good enough to play with anybody in the conference right now.''

The Garnet Gulls return most of the team that advanced to the Group 1 championship game last season. That was Point Beach's first appearance in the Group 1 final.

Several of those players contributed Wednesday.

Junior left-hander Tommy Conroy, who Fiore said was only supposed to serve as an opener on the mound, pitched six effective innings and got out of a base-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the first unscathed.

Junior catcher Daniel Lubach had a two-run single in a four-run third inning and junior first baseman Noah Banick had a run-scoring single in the fourth.

"We have a great academic program here at Point Beach, but we're also a tuition school,'' Fiore said. "With the winning comes the attractions from outside the district.

"We have had a couple of impact players come into the program who have really been instrumental like Danny Lubach, Tommy Conroy, Antonio Acevedo (a junior shortstop, who struck out the side around a walk and a single in the seventh in relief Wednesday) are all tuition kids who have come into the program.''

The pitching aspect will also be different for the Garnet Gulls. In past seasons, when it faced teams outside Class B Central, it, at times, would be able to line up its best pitchers to face those teams while facing pitchers who were not at the top of the rotation from those teams.

Point Beach was able to conserve its pitching in the Class B Central. Now, in Class B South, it will have to stretch its pitchers out in games.

"We have to be radically creative with what we have in our pitching staff,'' Fiore said. "We're going to have to work.''

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