Happy Birthday HQ!

(The next Hometown View will appear Monday, August 22)

This Tuesday will mark the 36th Anniversary of the police headquarters on Oak Avenue that is home to the Toms River Police Department.

Of course on August 16, 1975 it was the Dover Township Police Department and it was a smaller department and smaller town than it is now. The number 36 is not usually anything special to celebrate or commemorate but then again this will not be your typical building anniversary. On that day in 1975 the Police Chief was Richard Clement, who had joined the department in 1946 the day after he was discharged from the US Army Air Corp. Clement watched and listened as Chairman and Master of Ceremonies Tom Kelaher helped dedicate the new police headquarters, a building Rick would work out of until his retirement in 1979 after a 33-year career.

He was a highly-respected law enforcement leader, not only locally but across the globe. During Clement’s tenure he served as president of the Ocean County Chiefs of Police Association, was an executive board member of the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Association and was elected to the prestigious position of President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

I mention all of this because next Tuesday at 4pm now Mayor Tom Kelaher will stand on the same Oak Avenue site as Chairman of the Committee to dedicate the township’s police headquarters as The Chief Richard C. Clement Law Enforcement Center. It’s a fitting tribute to a man who was born and raised in Toms River and no matter where his travels took him always referred to TR as his home.

Couple of random notes and thoughts:

“Dayton’s Dream Team” is hosting a benefit luncheon and gift auction at the Forked River House on Sunday, August 28th from noon-4pm. Proceeds will benefit Autism Speaks and the $25 ticket includes a buffet lunch, live entertainment and gift auction tickets. Dayton is the son of Jerry Frulio, a teacher and former baseball coach at Central Regional High School who coached at St. Rose the past four seasons.

The St. Joseph’s Endowment Fund for Catholic Education will honor Timothy E. Ryan at their 14th annual Fall Dinner on Saturday, September 24th at Crystal Point Yacht Club in Point Pleasant. Ryan is the founder and owner of several funeral homes in the area and has been honored on numerous occasions for his charitable endeavors.