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Schools

Beloved Teacher Honored Posthumously in Toms River Hall of Fame

Joseph Monti among the Hall of Fame Class of 2011. Induction ceremony is May 1.

Six graduates of its schools and a beloved educator will be inducted into the Toms River Regional Schools Hall of Fame on May 1 at the Ramada Inn at Routes 9 and 70.

Joseph Monti, who taught social studies from 1988 until 2004 and founded the "Meet the People’’ program that brought students opportunities to meet veterans, celebrities and people in the news, will be recognized as the Hall’s Distinguished Honoree posthumously. That recognition goes to someone who did not attend school in Toms River, but made outstanding contributions to the system. The lecture hall at Toms River East was named for Monti in 2009, shortly before his death.

The graduates being inducted include:

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Roseanne L. Citta, Toms River High School 1966, chair of the Toms River Board of Adjustment and owner of her own real estate brokerage. She joins her father, the late Toms River attorney Joseph A. Citta in the Hall. The elementary school on Route 166 was named in his honor as well.

Louis Ureneck, Toms River High School 1968, is the former editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer and editor-in-chief of the Portland Press Herald. He is chairman of the journalism department at Boston University.

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Debrah Morante, Toms River High School South 1971, a coach and trainer at South whose abilities have brought her recognition from the National Athletic Trainer’s Association and the Athletic Trainer’s Society of New Jersey.

Mark Perlman, Toms River High School South 1972, an official with the National Football League who worked in Super Bowls 40 and 43. He began officiating high school football games in Las Vegas.

Deborah Ralph, Toms River High School North 1972, will be recognized posthumously for her years of teaching Spanish at North, where she was "teacher of the year’’ in 2004. She served for many years as a trustee, secretary, presenter and North’s representative on the Hall’s Board of Trustees.

James Crane, Toms River High School North 1976, earned a degree in electrical engineering at the University of West Virginia. He pursued a career in spacecraft and aircraft systems, some of it at Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation.

Tickets to the induction banquet are $40. For tickets or information call (732-505-2600 or (732) 505-5677.

Charlotte Ford Spillane, assistant principal at High School South, convinced the Board of Education to create the Hall of Fame in 1987. The first inductions took place the following year. The Distinguished Honorary Medallion was first awarded in 1991.

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