Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 7

LEARNING TO COMPOST Solid Waste office to hold free classes LAKEWOOD: The county is offering free composting classes, April 16 and May 14, rain or shine, at the county's northern recycling center, New Hampshire Avenue. Participants should be at the center by 10 a.m. Class will start promptly at 10:30 a.m. The program is sponsored by the Ocean County freeholders and the county Department of Solid Waste Management. Each class is limited to 35 people.

To register, contact Kathleen Avery, assistant district recycling coordinator, at (732) 506-5047. Joseph Picard AVOID DOING LAUNDRY Pine Beach to flush hydrants next week PINE BEACH: The Pine Beach Water Department will be flushing fire hydrants beginning at 5:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Alternate dates of April 18 and 19 have also been scheduled. During this time, residents should avoid washing clothes or using their dishwashers as there could be sediment stirred up by the flushing.

Margaret F. Bonafide ON AMERICAN HISTORY Barnegat 7th grader wins essay contest DOVER TOWNSHIP: John Berroa, a seventh-grader at the Russell O. Brackman School in Barnegat, has won first prize in the Daughters of the American Revolution's American History Essay Contest. Berroa will receive his award Friday at the Sheraton Edison Hotel, Edison, where he will read his essay before the DAR's state officers. RUDDHIST TEACHER Festival to show film by Canadian director WEST LONG BRANCH: The Two River Film Festival will present "Words of My Perfect Teacher" by Halifax, Nova Scotia-based documentarian Lesley Ann Patten at 4:30 p.m.

Monday in Anacoh Hall at Monmouth University's student center. Patten directed the award-winning film, "Loyalties." This film features appearances by director Bernardo Bertolucci and actor Steven Seagal. In the film, Patten follows the Buddhist teacher Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche as he travels from Bhutan to London in a quest to bring knowledge and awareness to his followers. Carol Gorga Williams Alexis Gerst, a fifth-grader at Cecil S. Collins School, Barnegat, finished third in the state competition.

1 mm Joe Zedalis ASBURY PARK PRESS I SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2005 i tr I fil Sr I I fax II WW TO SUGGEST A STORY, CONTACT: TOMS RIVER BUREAU: Ron Panarotti (732) 557-5730, rpanarottiapp.com; MANAHA WKIN BUREAU: Joseph Cacchioli (609) 978 4583.jcacchioliapp.com Democrats to run Oth District The 30th District encompasses municipalities in Ocean, Monmouth, Burlington and Mercer counties and voters there have long been loyal to the Republican party. Malone, the ranking Republican on the Assembly Budget Committee, has been in office since 1993. Dancer was first elected in 2002, replacing longtime Assemblyman Melvin Cot-trell, a Republican who died while still in office. "Neither one of us are running as a sacrificial lamb," Wil- ExpecttOWill GOP stronghold Jeffrey Williamson, 53, of Lakewood, and Marvin Kra-kower, 57, of Jackson filed petitions this week to challenge Republican Assemblymen Joseph R. Malone III, R-Burlington, and Ronald S.

Dancer, R-Ocean. Malone, 56, said he and Dancer would file to run for re-election by Monday's deadline. Comfy delivers flagship POLICE RRIEFS Woman accused of drug theft BARNEGAT: A woman who was suspected of stealing a dog from a Tiller Drive woman was later charged with stealing prescription painkillers from the same woman, police said. The victim, whose identity was not released, called police about 7 p.m. March 31, saying her pit bull-mix was stolen by a woman and a boy.

The caller told police that the woman who took the dog, Angela Morgan, 37, of Predmore Avenue in Lacey, had given her the dog, and she had the papers to prove it. Stafford police stopped Morgan on Route 72, and she agreed to return the dog. At the Tiller Drive home, the dog owner told police some prescription pain killers were missing. They were found in Morgan's possession, police said. Morgan was charged with possession of a drug without a prescription and was released from the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, on $1,500 bail.

Patrolmen Rich Nowak and Wayne Eslinger investigated. Gregory J. Volpe Appellate judge: Pay student loans TOMS RIVER: An appellate panel on Friday upheld a ruling by a Superior Court judge in Ocean County saying that student loans cannot be erased in a bankruptcy proceeding without the debtor proving in an adversarial process that he would suffer an undue hardship if he had to repay the loan. The Appellate Division of Superior Court upheld a decision issued on May 14 by Judge Thomas E. O'Brien leaving stand a balance of $10,320 owed to the New Jersey Higher Education Assistance Authority by debtor Patrick PennelL Pennell had sought to have the debt discharged, claiming the approval of his Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan was enough to summarily prove that repayment of the student loan would be a hardship.

The appellate panel upheld O'Brien's decision, noting that federal laws exempt guaranteed student loans from being erased in bankruptcy proceedings unless the debtor proves a hardship. The creditor also must be allowed to contest the claim. Kathleen Hopkins Reward offered for missing dog TINTON FALLS: A reward is being offered for the return of Jackson, a 130-lb. yellow Labrador retriever dog missing since he and his brother escaped Thursday from their Ocean Township home. The two 1-year-old animals escaped without their collars between 2:30 and 3 p.m.

Thursday, said their owner, Dale Feindt The other dog was returned home, but Jackson was still missing on Friday, Feindt said. Feindt can be reached at (732) 742-4378. Staff report Jffl-a'i: -iJPyttAj said they believe property tax reform is the most important issue facing state voters. Malone, director of Somerset County Technical Institute, said he also wants to revamp the state's tax structure to provide equitable funding for school districts and preserve Homestead Rebates. Dancer, an interviewer with the Ocean County Adjuster's Office, could not be reached for comment.

Richard Quinn: (732) 557-5739 or rquinnapp.com while the older wing The old meeting room, in the former Presbyterian Church of Toms River, will be converted into a gift shop and cafe. The church building dates to 1853. The general contractor for the expansion and renovation is Parlamas Inc. of Allen-hurst. The construction manager is Hanifin Associates Inc.

of Toms River, and the architect is The Hillier Group of Princeton. The interior design is by Globus Design Associates of Red Bank. The county supplied $8 million of the overall cost; $3.3 million came from state funds and $1.6 million from private contributions. Joseph Picard: (732) 557-5738 or jpicardapp.com 23. The dates are subject to change, as roller coaster operation is weather sensitive, according to Six Flags.

More information on Kingda Ka is available at www.sixflags.com greatadventurt the park's Web site. CHALLENGERS: incumbents: In By RICHARD QUINN TOMS RIVER BUREAU A Lakewood housing inspector and a Jackson Board of Education member have filed to run as Democrats for the two Assembly seats in the 30th District, a Republican stronghold that includes part of Ocean County. Ocean Library system's main branch opens after renovation By JOSEPH PICARD TOMS RIVER BUREAU TOMS RIVER The new. wing of the main branch of the Ocean County Library opened its doors to the public for the first time Friday, while the old wing remained closed for renovation. "The space is incredible," said Elizabeth Carpenter of Toms River, one of the first patrons in the new wing, which opened at 9 a.m.

"The rooms are very light and bright. Everything is extremely well organized. Everything is easy to get to. The design is user-friendly. I'm very impressed." "We're thrilled," said Mark Titus, chief librarian at the branch, located at 101 Washing-ton Street.

"We're on schedule and under budget, and it's a great new building. We envision it as both a library and a community center." "One of the main reasons I moved to Toms River 31 2 years ago was the excellent Authorized by the Ocean Pnnntu froa. library holders in 2002 cvctom" with a $129 SJiiem. million bond- Anita ing ordinance, Sicroff, ground was library broken in Octo-patron ber of that year on the expansion, which nearly doubles the size of the library constructed in 1981. The new wing fronts on Washington Street to Allen Street and features a glass tower that resembles a lighthouse.

The expansion includes a 250-seat multipurpose room for eBay auction By MATT PORK) TOMS RIVER BUREAU JACKSON The winners of an open bid on eBay, Internet auction site, will become the first 18 people to ride Six Flags Great Adventure's new record-breaking roKer coaster, Kingda "Neither one of us are running as a sacrificial lamb." Jeffrey Williamson, Democratic Assembly candidate from Lakewood liamson said Friday, a day after he and Krakower filed their petitions to run. "I think I can win." Both Krakower, who works as director of the Freehold Jewish Center, and Williamson County Library will serve patrons "It's been a long time and lot of hard work, but I am very pleased that we are finally at this point," said Elaine H. McConnell, director of the Ocean County Library System. "Of course, we won't get the full effect until the old section is renovated and the whole library is in operation." The renovation of the original building, also part of the $12.9 million project, is ongoing. Most of the library's books and other materials have been moved into the new wing while the older section is readied.

Officials said the whole building will close for about three weeks in September to again rearrange materials and prepare for a grand reopening in October. Winners must provide their own transportation to the park. Kingda Ka is part of The Golden Kingdom, the theme park's largest ever expansion, featuring a tiger exhibit, a jungle land and a play area for children. The Golden Kingdom will open to the public on April her The newly opened wing of the Toms River Branch of the Ocean is renovated, (staff photo: steve scholfieldi ministrative complex. "One of the main reasons I moved to Toms River 3'A years ago was the excellent library system," said Anita Sicroff, 80, a retired foreign language teacher.

"The old library was good, and the new one is even better. There's not only space to read, but also meeting rooms for groups." While Sicroff moved to Toms River because of the library, Don Tieri, 68, of Toms River, doesn't move away for the same reason. "The excellent library is one of the main reasons my wife and I stay in the area," Tieri said. "I'm a devoted patron. I'm just now taking in the new wing.

It's all very special." concerts, author visits and special events; a 20-station technology training laboratory; a youth area with a 40-seat story and craft room; expanded reading areas, including a silent study tower; conference and group study rooms; additional space for videotapes, audio books and DVDs; and an art gallery and exhibit room. The Toms River site serves as headquarters for the county's 20-branch library system. The wing also includes new administrative offices, expanded delivery bays to facilitate library-to-library transactions and larger, better-placed sorting and collections rooms. The tower offers superb views of the Toms River and the surrounding courthouse and ad to dole out Ka. The first ride on the coaster which reaches a record speed of 128 mph and a height of 456 feet is tentatively scheduled for a special media day on April 21.

The 18 winners of the bidding on www.efjay.com will be seating for new Six Flags roller coaster placed on the coaster from front to back in the order of the bids from highest to lowest, and get to ride days before the coaster opens to the public. Bids start at $456 the height of the coaster. Proceeds will benefit Children's Miracle Network?.