MANCHESTER – A rental property that has consistently gone beyond nuisance level for residents on Midway Avenue was once again the topic of discussion during a recent council meeting.
Vanessa Cisneros lives in a development called Richard Estates and has made complaints to police along with other neighbors on Midway Avenue. She was pointed at and overheard them saying, “that is the lady who is calling the police.”
She provided photos of the activities and played an audio recording of some of the loud laughing heard at 10:30 p.m. during a recent evening. She was joined by a neighbor who shared her frustrations of the ongoing problems.
“These are the situations we’ve been reporting this past year and we wanted you to see and hear what we experience on a regular basis,” she told the mayor and council. “It is a group of men who just continue drinking and drinking. It isn’t water it is beer. They drink for long periods of time and then they leave after drinking for many of those hours.”
“There is garbage all over the place and children’s services were called when we saw a child, about two years old, was laying in the street without supervision. We didn’t report it but someone did because someone came and asked questions. Somebody else is also reporting these things,” the resident added.
Police Chief Antonio Ellis and Mayor Robert Arace urged the resident to continue making complaints and to encourage others in the neighborhood to reach out to both the code enforcement department and township police if they see something wrong going on.
Noise complaints and overheard conversations outside the rental property regarding drug deal arrangements were mentioned during the public comment period of the last Township Council meeting. This was not the first time the resident has come before the governing body to voice her family’s concerns about excessive noise and public intoxication on the property next to her home.
Council Reports
Councilman Joseph Hankins noted the well-attended Memorial Day ceremony held in the Pinelands section of the community and coordinated through the township’s Recreation Department. That sentiment was echoed by Councilman Craig Wallis, Councilwoman Michele Zolezi and Council President Roxy Conniff.
Council Vice President James Vaccaro went so far as to say the recent Memorial Day ceremony in which the mayor was a keynote speaker, “was the best I have ever attended.”
Hankins recently reported that he visited Trenton and heard fire safety standards had been updated and that legislation requires the inspections of external fire escapes and stairways. “I spoke in support of both of those through the Firemen’s Association and both our fire marshal and building inspector were both in support of them before I spoke in support of those bills.”
He noted that on June 24 the Manchester PBA has a golf outing. “The funds they make for it goes to Buddies Over Bullies program, empowering buddies instead of bullies.”
Vaccaro thanked Chief Financial Officer Diane Lapp and her staff along with “the auditors for all their hard work preparing this year’s very difficult and comprehensive municipal budget.”
During recent Township Council meetings, Vaccaro has provided some Manchester pride using his slogan, “Manchester Township, the Gemstone of the Jersey Shore” noting the community was “the best place to reside in Ocean County.” He did so again at the latest meeting.
The official also noted a senior socialization program funded by Ocean County had been canceled in the eastern section of the township “due to a lack of participation.”
Vaccaro recommended this “vital socialization program restarted in the eastern section of the township and to develop new strategies to bring awareness and ensure participation.”
Mayor Arace mentioned a luncheon he attended concerning senior services that “was fairly well attended and we plan on continuing those and it is good to hear from our residents.”
The mayor said that more from the west side comes out for this program than those on the east side and that the township is looking for better ways to advertise it which gets promoted in home owner association/senior development newsletters and releases that run regularly in The Manchester Times.
The mayor also reminded residents about the Senior Outreach office at the EMS Building in Whiting that has staff there from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The County Veterans Affairs Office has a satellite office there as well.
Police Chief Antonio Ellis also thanked those who provided him well wishes on his recent appointment that began on May 1 as the township’s new police chief.
