A-maize-ing, 41 Super bowl, 91 Sports roundup, 21 THURSDAY, OCT. 31,2013 mm Sentinel gmnews.com North Brunswick • South Brunswick North Brunswick schools implement safety measures By KATHY CHANG Staff Writer he North Brunswick School District is becoming a model for school security Tthroughout Middlesex County. School officials said they have been in talks with Freeholder H. James Polos about security, and have other school districts fol- lowing in their footsteps. Director of School Security Mike Mis- urell and Patrick Doyle, who serves as a se- curity consultant for the district, presented a school security presentation at the Oct. 16 Board of Education meeting. A heightened look at safety in the schools began the Sunday after the Newtown, Conn., shootings last December. The tragedy left 20 children and six staff members dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School when a lone gunman forced his way into the building. Assistant Superintendent of Schools John Petela said the district formed a safety committee made up of members of the ad- ministration, including Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski; Misurell, who is a retired North Brunswick police captain; and Doyle, a former New Jersey State Po- lice officer with Homeland Security experi- ence who was hired to become an "extra set of eyes and ears" for the district. Other committee members include princi- pals, teachers, parents, the Office of Emer- gency Management, members of the Police SCOTT FRIEDMAN Department and the municipal government. In observance of Navratri, attendees perform a traditional Indian dance at the Navratri celebration at the New Jersey Convention & The committee discussed safety initia- Exposition Center In Edison on Oct. 26. The nine-day Hindu holiday comes before Diwail, the Festival of Lights. tives and looked over existing procedures and protocols in the district. Misurell said the district's internal security plans would have sufficed if there were a school shoot- Indian-Americans ring in festive season ing incident. "Safety procedures are totally different today," he said, adding that the district is em- By JESSICA D'AMICO Brunswick resident who serves as president The five-day holiday falls in October or bracing technology with current safety prac- Staff Writer of the Indo-American Cultural Foundation November each year, with the primary cel- tices. t's that time of year. Stores are bustling of Central New Jersey (IACFNJ). "This is ebrations taking place on the third day, Doyle conducted an external audit of the with shoppers, and feasts are being like Christmas and New Year in the United which this year is Nov. 3. schools, and the committee came together to Iplanned. States." "A lot of different groups celebrate in a develop a cohesive plan of action. Soon the festivities will begin for the Diwali is not just for Hindus — it is also lot of different ways," said Pinesh Patel, a Misurell said one of the first things was thousands of central New Jersey residents celebrated by those of the Sikh, Jain and Short Hills resident and the manager of In- looking at the front bell; once someone rang who celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Buddhist faiths. The meanings and tradi- dian Grocery Outlet on Talmadge Road in the bell, he or she was automatically buzzed Lights. tions associated with the holiday vary Edison. in. "This is the biggest holiday for Hindus slightly among the religious groups, but the in the world," said Dr. Tushar Patel. a South festivities abound just the same. 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October 31, 2013 GREATER MEDIA NEWSPAPERS • www.gmnews.com NS SENTINEL 3 New mobile kitchens expand disaster response By NICOLE ANTONUCCI Staff Writer he day after superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on the Shore, one of Tthe challenges faced by the Salvation Army was providing meals to residents liv- ing without power and, in many cases, with- out a roof over their heads. Despite the magnitude of the challenge, the corps still managed to serve 600 meals in hard-hit Union Beach three days after the storm. That effort will be greatly expanded in the event of future major disasters, thanks to the addition of three new mobile kitchens provided to the Salvation Army by the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS). The mobile kitchens can each serve up to 10,000 people within four hours of arriv- PHOTOS BY NICOLE ANTONUCCI/STAFF ing at a disaster site. This mobile kitchen unit is capable of providing meals for up to 10,000 people at disaster sites. The custom-made units, which were un- veiled on Oct. 23 in Keansburg, were pur- chased with $870,000 in federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of The interior of the mobile kitchen where Homeland Security. food can be prepared to supply field units. "Food is an essential part of the imme- diate response after a disaster, and the abil- ity to prepare meals is critical," DHS the Sept. 11 attacks, Hurricane Irene and su- Commissioner Jennifer Velez said. perstorm Sandy — forced the nonprofit to "After Sandy, [volunteer organizations] change the way it responds. provided nearly 5 million meals and snacks "No longer could the Salvation Army be to individuals. These three unique vehicles content with providing a cup of coffee and will enhance the state's response." a sandwich at the local fire or flood The mobile kitchens are the result of a [scene]," George said. "Our disaster re- three-year initiative to provide necessary re- sponse has become a continuum of service, sources for shelter and food post-disaster. which extends beyond the first few days of DHS worked closely with the Salvation an event." Army and state agencies — the Office of The mobile kitchen units, he said, help Homeland Security and Preparedness to fulfill that mission. (OHSP), Office of Emergency Management Previously, the Salvation Army relied on (OEM) and Department of Treasury — to 11 smaller feeding trucks, known as can- obtain the federal grant and finalize a mem- teens, which can be used to prepare 1,500 orandum of understanding to provide and meals a day. operate the vehicles. Jesse Rivera, Middlesex County coordi- "We have been reminded over the last nator for the Salvation Army, said he was among the group that first responded to three years — by Irene, Sandy, snowstorms Jennifer Velez, commissioner of the state Department of Human Services, said at an and blizzards — that this is sorely needed," Union Beach after Sandy. He said the can- Oct. 23 press conference in Keansburg that the three mobile kitchens funded through a teens were limited, requiring a larger field OHSP Director Edward Dickson said. "Not federal grant would enhance the response to emergencies. just for the family and residents who are im- kitchen for supplies, as well as special elec- pacted, but also for the first responders in trical and sanitary connections. the immediate and short term after the In the aftermath of the storm, improvised event." field kitchens sprung up in many towns, The kitchens, which are 40 feet long and with volunteers manning grills to feed storm 13 feet tall, can be driven to shelters or any victims and emergency responders. large-scale emergency locations, and Rivera explained that the new vehicles quickly begin serving meals to first respon- would allow the Salvation Army to replace ders and disaster survivors.