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Silver Bay Elementary Students Name Pump-Out Boat
TOMS RIVER - When Ocean County launches its fourth pump-out boat this summer, it will bear the name Water Warrior, thanks to a fourth grade class at Silver Bay Elementary School.
Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari recognized Jacqueline LeRiche's class in a recent presentation, congratulating them on creating the name for the newest pump-out boat that will be used to serve the Barnegat Bay.
"We are so proud of these boys and girls, and we appreciate their efforts in coming up with the perfect name for our new boat," said Vicari, who serves as liaison to tourism and the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program. "We want to thank all of the students and teachers who participated in this contest. They all did a great job."
Vicari congratulated LeRiche's fourthgrade class, including Teressa Blair, Ryan Boyle, Blake Camphausen, Phillip Discenza, Emma Eisner, Ryan Garcia, Samantha Glatz, Dylan Handelman, Jospeh Jovinelly, Megan Kotran, Tylor Leuck, Jason Maceira, Jason Michaels, Christian Milano, Trevor Opperman, Kimberly Osborn, Danielle Pensabene, Giuseppe Russo, Kristina Taintor and Olivia Webber.
A pump-out boat is a specially-equipped vessel, which is capable of emptying the on-board toilets and tanks of other boats, thus keeping waste from entering the bay. The Water Warrior will cover the Silver Bay area of Barnegat Bay.
The first pump-out boat in New Jersey, the Circle of Life, began operating by Seaside Park in May 1998. Since then, two more pump-out boats began service: the Waste Watcher, in May 2001, operated by Tuckerton Seaport and the Bay Saver, in May 2003, operated by Brick Township.
The new 21-foot vessel will be operated by Seaside Park. This successful program has been run through the collaboration of the Ocean County Board of Freeholders, Tuckerton Seaport, Seaside Park, Brick Township and the Ocean County Utilities Authority.
"As a team, we have made significant strides in preserving and protecting the Barnegat Bay," Vicari said. "Keeping Ocean County waterways clean is so important to us, and we are eager for the Water Warrior to begin operation."
The county expects to receive the new boat later this summer. The pump-out boats are usually active from Memorial Day until October, servicing areas that are not readily accessible to marina-based pump-out units. They operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Monday. They can be accessed through VHF Radio Channel 9 or through the host agencies.
The name Water Warrior was chosen out of 14 entries submitted into Ocean County Clean Surf Program's Name the Pump-out Boat Contest. The winner was chosen by a panel of judges made up of Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari, Pump-out Boat Captain Jerry Golembeski, Ocean County Planning Director David McKeon, Public Affairs Department Director Barbara Steele, Principal Planner Victoria Pecchioli of the Department of Planning and Ocean County's Public Information Director Donna Flynn. All of the fourth-grade classes at Silver Bay Elementary participated.
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