Hurricane Sandy

Volunteers Wanted for Saturday Cattus Island Clean Up

Clean up effort will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Toms River park

In an effort to get the trails in Cattus Island cleaned and re-opened following the deposit of debris by Hurricane Sandy last month, a volunteer clean up at the park is scheduled for Saturday.  Organizers are aiming to sign up 100 volunteers to participate in the clean up effort at the 530-acre Toms River park from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. So far, about 65 participants have pledged their support, according to Joanna Marino, the AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador who is organizing the effort. "We'll be picking up trash, fixing trails, and removing debris that was deposited in the park as a result of Hurricane Sandy," Marino said in an email.  Those interested in participating can email Marino to confirm their attendance or simply show up at the …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (2)

Today in Toms River History

October 10, 1980: Cattus Island County Park Opens to the Public

One of Toms River's most popular parks had a rough start

On October 10, 1980, Cattus Island County Park, as well as its Cooper Environmental Center, was opened to the public.  Since then, the park has become a very popular destination, offering visitors hiking, birdwatching, bike riding, and many other outdoor activities.  The park contains several different ecosystems, including maritime forest and both fresh and saltwater marshes.  As such, the flora and fauna of Cattus Island is diverse, and the park’s various plants and critters are on display inside the environmental center; educational exhibits and activities are also to be found here.  An observation deck and butterfly garden are some improvements made to the building over the years.  The park has also been a large advocate of …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (3)

Annual Cattus Island Festival Sunday

Check out the annual fall event in the county park

First Leaves to Turn Fall Colors in Ocean County: Sassafras

Spot many specimens of this deciduous tree at Cattus Island Park

House Fire on Hazelwood Burns Female, Two Escape

Toms River fire under control at 4:51 a.m. Tuesday

Update 3 p.m.: This article was updated from the original with information from the Police Chief. A morning fire left one Toms River resident hospitalized for burns, while two other occupants escaped, from a home burning on Hazelwood Road in East Dover this morning. The two-story home near Cattus Island Boulevard burned from the second story rear corner of the house, where a woman was breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tank, said East Dover firefighter Doug Foley, who lives across the street. "I live right across the street so I came right out...I heard it on dispatch. I ran outside and saw her coming out, screaming. I went in to see where the fire was, gave a report right away," Foley said. "There was heavy smoke...It started from…

•  9 Comments
• Photos (4)

Somethin' To Talk About

Readers' Choice: What's the Best Park in Toms River?

We've got a lot of parks to use, so which is your favorite?

March 9 Update: As the poll closed at 9 a.m., Cattus Island County Park has 91 votes, and Huddy and Winding River parks both have 22 votes. Thanks for voting. When you are tired of being stuck in traffic, or the rows of semi-similar houses are starting to get to you, Toms River also thankfully has hundreds and hundreds of acres of parks to escape into. It's everything from the tremendous playground of Castle Park, to the soccer fields on North Bay Avenue, to the scenic trails of Winding River to the bayfronts of Shelter Cove and Ortley Beach to the downtown waterfront of Huddy Park to the hiking trails of Riverwood Park. And those are just a few of the township's parks (full list here). A major county park is in Toms River: Cattus Island. …

•  18 Comments
• Photos (12)

Debbie-Joleen Gallo-Faber

8:18 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012

I agree with holyhhh on everything but the animal shelter. Those poor animals are in shelters through no fault of their own, and they deserve better than the existing shelter. My girl scouts tore down and rebuilt their outdoor dog pen last July, and that was only 1 major repair that needed to be done. It's nice to have beautiful parks for we humans to visit, but let's remember that civilizations …   more ›

Nature Festival a Top Cattus Island Event

Annual fall festival explores and celebrates nature of Cattus Island county park

Toms River's county park of Cattus Island was explored by boat, van and on foot Sunday with the annual fall nature festival at the park. The hundreds of acres of the county park, which houses both pine barren, bay and marsh ecosystems, are celebrated in the day-long event. Some of the highlights are van and boat tours of the park, led by park staff. Of course, plenty of attendees took to the trails on bike and on foot, or meandered around the park's interpretative center, where many vendors were stationed. Some of the vendor tables were local organizations and environmental groups, while others were local artisans or businesses based on the local environment — decoy makers, basketweavers, and honey farms, for example. Check out our photo …

• Photos (52)

About Town

Signs of Spring Around Town

What's about to bloom and what's chirping?

The first day of spring is an opportunity to point out the literal symbols that spring is here. It's in the buds on trees and shrubs, and in the shoots poking out of the ground. That means the bright yellow of forsythia and the flowering bulbs of daffodils, tulips, daylilies are all emerging. We spotted all these around Toms River, as did many of the other folks walking, hiking, bicycling and dog walking around Cattus Island Park. Check out the attached video for some signs of spring, including our birdwatching of song and shore birds spotted at Cattus Island.

• Videos (1)

BellCrest Plaza Suffers Amid Vacancies

Foodtown and Blockbuster closings leave tenants questioning how long they will stay at Fischer Boulevard plaza

After losing Blockbuster, Foodtown and various other stores at BellCrest Plaza in Toms River, the remaining tenants in the Fischer Boulevard strip mall question their own longevity in the area.  "It's been horrible," said Eddie Testa, owner of Chicken Town, which has been in its BellCrest location for more than 15 years. "We've had no traffic. The Foodtown didn't help me, but it didn't hurt me. When Blockbuster left, it crushed us." Testa said his business thrived on Blockbuster customers walking over to Chicken Town after renting a movie for the night. "We still have business from loyal customers, but we're probably down by 25 percent." The national chain of Blockbuster closed many of its stores amid declining sales, and the Fischer …

•  27 Comments
• Photos (10)

Catherine Galioto

10:20 am on Friday, March 18, 2011

Very interesting! We'll drive by as well! Thanks as always for the updates, everyone.   more ›

How Cattus Island Park Came to Be

The storied past includes widespread vandalism, a beachfront you'd be chased from by a frontloader, and a wealthy owner who used it as a sporting retreat

“Now that we’ve got Cattus Island, what do we do with it?’’ That was the question asked by a Daily Observer editorial writer on Oct. 14, 1980, four days after the park opened on the peninsula jutting out into Barnegat Bay between Applegate’s Cove and Mosquito Cove. The writer reviewed the history of the place since Ocean County bought it for $2.75 million in 1973. It wasn’t pretty. Vandals burned down the mansion, then the barn that was to house nature exhibits. Every improvement was attacked by vandals, who succeeded in scuttling plans for campsites in the uplands along the salt marshes. The freeholders considered turning part of the park into active recreation fields, then scrapped those plans, recognizing that Dover Township had the …

•  14 Comments
• Photos (16)