Residents Chat With Committeeman Sharkey at New Forum

Discussion was generated on topics from school board elections to the drug problem in Lacey at

“I’m glad some new people came out,” Sharkey said. “I got to hear some different questions. I was never questioned about Agenda 21 before.”

The event, which Sharkey hopes to hold semi-monthly, turned out to be a conversation about issues affecting Lacey Township among 12 residents.

Liz McGrath, a resident of Lacey for 15 years, came to the meeting along with M’Linda Kula as concerned mothers.

“I’ve never been to a town forum before,” McGrath said. “It was more intimate, small scale and we were able to talk on a more personal basis.”

McGrath came with the intentions of seeing what issues are currently being discussed in town, she said.

“The town has grown and the issues have changed,” she said. “It’s important as a member of the community to be aware of what’s going on.”

The hot topic of the night was the growing drug problem in Lacey Township.

“We’re mothers concerned about the drug problem,” McGrath said of herself and Kula. “We want something to be done.”

And they’re not alone. Several other residents at the forum voiced their concerns.

“My concern is the children…Children are dying left and right,” said Kula, a Lacey resident for 24 years. Over the years, Kula has taken it upon herself to actively seek the assistance of law enforcement agencies to combat the drug problem in Lacey.

“There are a lot of problems,” Sharkey said. “In my opinion, the town buried their heads in the sand for a very long time. Growing up, it was there. We saw it every day. It is happening in our town and this is a problem that affects everyone.”

Kula questioned what Sharkey is doing to fight the problem and said she has been tracking several alleged meth labs that she believes are operating in Lacey.

“I risk my life, I risk my children, I risk my car being blown up, I risk my house being blown up,” she said. “Ninety-six complaints have been made in reference to one meth lab…You have a lot of angry people in this community who want these places taken down.”

Sharkey said he could not comment on anything that may or may not be under investigation. “I can’t say enough, it’s here. It’s very much here,” he said.

Sharkey and residents discussed the steps that need to be taken to put an end to the escalating drug problem. The possibility of a township drug detection dog is in the very beginning stages, Sharkey said. But there are costs associated with having a K-9 unit.

Shared services with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, which has a K-9 Unit, was mentioned.

"When we send our kids to school, we want them to be in a safe environment," McGrath said, pointing out that some even refer to as "heroin high."

But it’s not that simple when it comes to using a drug detection dog in the schools, Sharkey said. “We do have access to dogs right now if we need them but it requires a very drawn out coordinated effort between the school system and the law enforcement agency.”

Residents threw out ideas that could potentially help in Lacey’s fight against drugs—a township curfew, taking some funds from the Recreation Department for seniors and putting it towards activities for children and using the update of the township master plan as an opportunity to provide more for kids such as a pool hall or a movie theater.

“What we need are stuff for kids to do,” resident Tim O’Connor said. “The master plan addresses things like how are we going to keep our kids from being bored. That’s how all encompassing the master plan is.”

Sharkey plans to listen to the residents concerns and suggestions and take them to his position as committeeman, he said.

Continue to follow Lacey Patch to find out when Sharkey’s next forum will be.

Residents will also have the opportunity to chat with Mayor Mark Dykoff on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lacey Library for his monthly “Meet the Mayor.”