“The event is intended to get people to celebrate living along Deal Lake and have other people really enjoy it as well,” said Mark Fleming, special events planner for the Friends of Deal Lake.

Residents, particularly in the Wanamassa, Interlaken and Asbury Park areas, are urged to host backyard parties and place lights along the lake with a suggested $20 donation to attend.

Robert Fernicola, who lives in Loch Arbour, said he submitted the petition Wednesday. Village Clerk Lorraine Carafa will now review the signatures on the petition and, if all are in order, then a special election on the issue will be held in about three weeks.

“The commission form of government will be the same that presently exists in Allenhurst and Deal,” Fernicola said.

Loch Arbour is the only community in the state that uses the village-form of government. It is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees.

A 350-signature petition, circulated by the Friends of Deal Lake, requesting sewer pipes running under Deal Lake be tested for leaks was presented to the Ocean Township Council recently and a subsequent meeting was held with the Township of Ocean Sewer Authority on the matter.

FODL member Brian Mullins said the petition seeks to have an inexpensive dye test conducted by TOSA in the sewer lines to see if untreated sewage is leaking into the lake.

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“Capt. Carasia has worked very hard on the job and advanced through the ranks during his 20 years on the force. I am proud and honored to swear him in as the new chief,” said Mayor Harry I. Franco.

Carasia replaces outgoing Chief Michael J. Sylvester, who has worked in the borough for about 32 years.

Franco said Carasia has done an outstanding job as a police officer but that he has also achieved an impressive educational record.

“He has exhibited and demonstrated leadership qualities on all levels and I attribute much of that to his training and education. He is extremely knowledgeable of all facets of law enforcement and I think he will do a great job. He has a strong commitment to the police department,” Franco said.

Carasia will become the eighth police chief in the history of Deal since the department was established in 1898.

He graduated from DeVry Technical Institute in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He joined the Deal police department in July, 1988 as a dispatcher and was appointed as a patrolman in March, 1989.

Carasia, who has received numerous commendations and awards, was promoted to sergeant in June, 1996 and received Officer of the Year Award for 1992/1993. He also earned a Meritorious Award in 1993 for a weapons arrest and was awarded two Commendation Awards for DWI arrests and life-saving in 1994 and 1995 respectively.

He also assisted in the arrest of 41 subjects for underage drinking in 2006- the largest single department arrest for that year.

Carasia was promoted to captain in 2008 and graduated from the NJ State Chiefs West Point Command and Leadership program as well as from other law enforcement programs.

He earned his Masters Degree in Administrative Science from Farleigh Dickinson University in 2009.

Carasia is a member of both the Deal Fire Company #2 and the Deal First Aid Squad. He was chief of the fire department in 1996 and captain of the first aid squad in 1992.

He lives in Ocean Township with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children, Morgan, 8, and Christopher, 5.

The commission said Asbury Park is in arrears of payment for 2007 and 2008, totaling about $16,500.

Organized in 1974 at the behest of Asbury Park, the commission is a municipal corporation comprised of volunteer representatives from the seven municipalities that border the 150-acre lake, including Asbury Park, Ocean Township, Loch Arbour, Allenhurst, Interlaken, Deal and Neptune. Their mission is to provide leadership, guidance and resources to preserve and restore Deal Lake and its tributaries as a healthy and stable ecosystem.

Each town is assessed based on their lake frontage, with Asbury Park having the most. All six other municipalities have paid their assessments.

Asbury Park officials told representatives of the commission that they do not approve of some of the ways they spend funds, including having a lawyer and engineering consultant present at every meeting, and the breakdown between overhead and lake maintenance.

“We have some serious issues with how they spend money, and have for some time,” said Asbury Park City Manager Terry Reidy. “And when they doubled the dues assessment, and our’s went from $5,500 to $11,000, we were like, ‘That’s it.’ ”

The commission asked the municipalities to double their assessments two years ago. It said it needs experts present at meetings to function as an effective commission, and says it has done its best to preserve as much money for lake maintenance as possible.

“It has to be remembered that we are volunteers who run the Commission,” said Commission Chairman John Everson, who lives in Ocean Township.

“We’re not knowledgeable in all areas, and these are sophisticated and technical operations we are involved in. We need the input of those professionals,” he said.

“The complexity of the problems and the sheer magnitude of Deal Lake requires the advice of our consultant and engineer to make informed decisions,” Everson wrote in a letter to Reidy dated Aug. 18, in which he outlined several ways the commission would address specific concerns of the city.

“The levels of technical depth discussed at our meetings require our professionals to be present. Without them, we can not serve the public or move key projects forward,” the letter read.

In fact, Everson said, if the professionals can’t make the meetings, “we cancel them because, for one, it saves money on overhead, and all we would do is spin our wheels anyway.”

Everson, who has been on the commission for four years and chairman for two, said he has had productive meetings with Asbury Park officials in the past, where they have questioned spending. He says the commission has addressed most of those concerns, including cutting overhead costs

“You get to a point where you get frustrated and you throw your hands up, but we don’t want to do that,” said Everson.

Asked if the commission could survive without Asbury Park’s involvement Everson hesitated.

“The answer is yes, but we’d be a limping dog. With a unified front we can go after state money, federal grants, and private money. If Asbury Park pulls out, we won’t be able to perform nearly as much lake maintenance, and there might be domino effect of other towns pulling out as well.”

“It’s time that Asbury Park’s council step up and make a decision,” Everson said.

At their most recent public meeting, Asbury Park Councilman Ed Johnson informed the council that he had met with representatives from the commission and he recommended that talks proceed.

“We should continue to work this out and try to find a resolution,” Johnson said.

Reidy, for one, thinks a resolution could be close at hand.

“We still have a lot of concerns over spending and other issues, some of which we feel strongly about,” Reidy said. For instance, the city feels the commission should reimburse Asbury Park for some costs incurred in maintaining the lake, such as raising and lowering the water level. Costs Reidy described as “not significant, but still costs.”

“But we want to resolve this, it’s gone on long enough. We’re going to sit down with the Deal Lake Commission, address these issues and move on,” Reidy said. He said he was hopeful such a meeting could take place within the next month.

Coaster Photo: Elementary school students at the Hope Academy Charter School in Asbury Park built this boat.

Students at the Hope Academy Charter School in Asbury Park will be launching a sailboat they made by hand in Deal Lake Mon., Jun 9.

The boat, The Hope 2008, was a year long project made possible through a grant from the Horner Family Trust and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

Beatons Boatyard in Point Pleasant built the mast and sails used on the boat. Everything else was made by students all no older than 14.

The boat was unveiled at a ceremony in the schools gymnasium after Wednesdays launch was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

The eight students who worked on the boat answered questions from parents, residents and sponsors of the project.

Lyell Gressitt, of Emory Avenue homeschools her child and attended the ceremony to learn about the project.

She asked students if they were nervous to try out their boat.

I am, said one student.

But LaTreece Watson said, I have confidence in my boat.

Most of her fellow classmates agreed.

Terrell Curtis mother was very proud of her son.

Its very good, she said. He did an excellent job.

Terrell, who is in the eighth grade, will be attending Christian Brothers Academy next year.

Coaster Photo: Elementary school students at the Hope Academy Charter School in Asbury Park built this boat.

Asked what he learned from the project Terrell said, The different parts of a boat and we learned about water displacement.

Science teacher Sara Blackburn, who has taught at the school for three years, said all of the students contributed in all areas including cutting, sanding, epoxying and painting.

Red Banks Project U.S.E. (Urban and Suburban Education) assisted the school in acquiring grant money for the project.

The boat was made by sixth, seventh and eighth grade students in the upper school.

The boat is made of marine grade plywood, which students cut, epoxied and painted together.

The Hope 2008 is a full-sized boat with seating for three.

When the boat is launched Monday students will take turns with a sailing instructor who will instruct them in steering the boat.

Wood for the project was donated by the Red Bank Youth Project and the blueprint for the boat was provided by a company in Maine.

Coaster Photo: Dorothy ODonnell signs a municipal document after being sworn in for another term on the Deal Board of Commissioners. Harry Franco (center) also was sworn in along with Morris Ades (right) as Judge Mark Apostolou looks on

Political stability in Deal continued this week after longtime Board of Commission members Harry I. Franco and Dorothy ODonnell were sworn into office.

Commissioner Morris Ades was also sworn into office for his first full term. All three commissioners were re-elected to four-year terms last month.

Franco was appointed to fill an unexpired term in 1979 and won his first full term in 1980. He has served as mayor for the past 13 years and was again appointed mayor for the next four years.

ODonnell has served on the board for 12 years and begins her fourth full term.

Thirteen years ago when I was sworn in as mayor I promised to maintain the high standards that Deal residents have become accustomed to. Today I renew that pledge and as mayor I will dedicate myself in upholding the orderly, quiet, and respectable environment of a well-run town that made Deal a safe and great place to live, Franco said after being sworn in.

Franco, who will also head the public affairs and safety departments, said his administration will strive to improve municipal services, upgrade the infrastructure, and obtain grants whenever possible.

We will maintain and improve the quality of life that we now enjoy at the lowest possible tax rate, he said.

ODonnell, who will head the public works and public property departments, said it has been a pleasure to work with Mayor Franco and other borough officials and employees over the years.

I want to thank voters for putting me back (in office) and we will continue doing what we have been doing, she said.

Ades, who will head the departments of revenue and finance, joked that this is the second time he has been sworn into borough office in the last four months. He was appointed earlier in the year to fill an unexpired term left vacant after Dennis Dayan retired.

As a team I think we will work fabulously together, he said.

Many people praised both the borough and the board after the swearing in ceremony.

The most pleasure in my business is working with Deal officials. It is absolutely the jewel of the Jersey shore and one of the best communities in the state of New Jersey, said Peter Avakian, the borough engineer.

Visiting Wegmans These fourth grade students from the Deal Elementary School recently visited Wegmans supermarket in Ocean Township as part of their Eat Well – Live Well Program.

Award Winner Freeholder Barbara McMorrow presented Tom Pivinski, president of the Asbury Park Environmental and Shade Tree Commission, with a Certificate of Recognition commemorating the work he has done for the environment.

Young Painter Coaster Photo Karla Smith, Loch Arbour, paints the top of a colorful car owned by local artist, Pinky. Karla paid $10 to participate in a garage sale/fund-raising event in Asbury Park recently. Money raised from the event is used for caring for local cats and kittens.

Volunteered Honored Coaster Photo Neptune City resident Bill Ryan is pictured with wife Betty and sons Joe and Shawn. He received a plaque from the Neptune City-Bradley Beach Little League for his 19 years of service. Ryan is retiring as league president.

Drummers and Chanters Coaster Photo Members of the Asbury Tower Drummers and Chanters performed for the Earth and Arbor Day presentation of An Inconvenient Truth at the Paramount Theatre last week. The drummers and chanters are a group of seniors who meet twice a month at Asbury Tower to discover the uplifting power of drumming and chanting.

Members from the Deal, Allenhurst and Ocean township police departments recently completed a supervision course sponsored by the Deal Police Department.

A special Proactive Police Supervision Course was recently sponsored by the Deal police department in which officers from various towns improved their legal, management and leadership skills.

The training course is designed primarily for police supervisors or officers showing promise to become supervisors. Its the kind of training we think is essential to bring our force up to the highest standards, said Borough Administrator James Rogers.

The course, given by the Law Enforcement Training Associates, consists of five, eight-hour classes which began February 27 and ended April 17.

The courses were held in the Deal Borough Hall and funded by the borough. Nine officers from Deal, three from Allenhurst, two from Ocean Township, and three from Rumson took the course.

Rogers said the course allows officers to go beyond the police educational levels established by the states attorney generals office.

Having officers from other towns attend also develops a mutual friendship with other departments, he said.

Mayor Harry Franco called the course a dynamic seminar.

I was awed and flabbergasted by the knowledge of both instructors and I hope the course will bring us up to a first-rate police department, he said.

Deal Police Captain Stephen Carasia also described the course as incredible and said his police department appreciated taking it.

It was outstanding for us with the knowledge and experience they brought and it is good for our organization, he said.

Carasia said the classes focused on many issues, including case law, principles of leadership, communication, stress management, domestic violence, cultural diversity and police ethics.

It certainly improved the general knowledge of the police department. This knowledge and experience will help our supervisory skills and allow for better interaction with the public, he said.

Carasia said the course also allows the police department to remain at the forefront in this type of training.

Hopefully we will have other courses in the future, perhaps in the fall, he said.

The course was given by two former police officers, Denis Connell and Domenick Varricchio.

Connell is a 34-year veteran in the police profession and is police chief in Clark. He serves on the instructional staff of seven regional training academies in New Jersey and is an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University.

Varricchio is a retired lieutenant with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey with more than 30 years of experience in the law enforcement profession. He, too, is an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University.

Eight bond ordinances approving $900,000 in capital improvement expenditures for various projects and equipment purchases were introduced at Tuesdays Deal Borough Council meeting.

The money will be used for many annual maintenance-type improvements in the borough, said Borough Administrator James Rogers.

Public hearings on the bond ordinances will be held April 22.

Repairs to storm drains and streets, restoration work on an old fire engine, improvements to the Deal Casino and Conover Pavilions on Ocean Avenue, and the purchase of new equipment for the police and public works departments will be financed through $600,000 in bonding.

Another $300,000 will be dedicated to the sewer utility and fund improvements to sanitary sewer lines, repairs at the Roosevelt Avenue pump station, and purchase of a new vehicle for the public works department.

Life of the bonds is from 10 to 30 years, Rogers said.

In other business, the council approved renewing one-year contracts for Marc Eustace and Igor Bogusevich, who serve as dispatchers and special officers in the police department.