DowntownBarnegat.com proudly presents our "Barnegat Award of Character".
We would like to honor people who show the strength of character by having the courage to stand up for what it right. Through their words or actions, they receive this recognition.

Jamie Griffin is a citizen who truly cares about Barnegat and its people. She stood up to the Twp. as they try to place a cell tower on what is clearly an unsuitable piece of land on Lower Shore Road. Her point is simple..."We understand that there needs to be a tower in the area. We are just asking Cingular and our town government to consider a more appropriate site." Jamie Griffin has spent a considerable amount of her time and her money to make Barnegat better for all of us. Win-lose-or-draw, she is deserving of our support and our gratitude. As a citizen pointed out at a recent Twp. meeting, something doesn't smell right about this whole cell tower issue. Barnegat is lucky to have people like Jamie Griffin who stands up for us all. It is ironic that with groups like the Jr. Bengals most negatively effected by this tower, that it is not a big tough football player's dad who stands up for what is right, but a petite lady who has the courage and grace to do the right thing. Her intelligence, eloquence and dignity -- through what looks like a three ring circus to those citizens who attend meetings -- is truly inspirational. Hopefully Jaime will win in the end and in so doing, we will ALL win. Having a tower in an appropriate location and having an historic area preserved is a win-win for us all. UPDATE: Jamie won...the Zoning Board denied the cell tower application. We are all grateful for her efforts and the Zoning Board's wisdom.

Dorothy Ryan receives this award for voting against J.J. Novak as Barnegat's Public Defender. Committeewoman Ryan did the right moral thing by opposing Novak who -- by his own words and actions -- disqualified himself for this position. His bigoted stance to not follow State Law that applies to all residents equally of Barnegat regarding Civil Unions clearly shows that he is unqualified to serve ALL residents equally as Public Defender. A Public Defender -- like a Committeeperson -- takes a sworn oath to uphold the law. Ryan did not go along with the majority of the Committeemen who have brought a dark cloud of intolerance and hate over Town Hall. Congratulations to Committeewoman Ryan for making the first public stance from an elected official to say NO to bigotry and hate. She has shown the people of Barnegat that we have at least one person on the Committee with the courage to represent ALL of the people of Barnegat equally under the law.

Frederic Rubenstein has served the people of Barnegat for many years. Most recently on the Zoning Board and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee. Mr. Rubenstein courageously spoke out against the current bigotry endorsed by the majority of Barnegat's Twp. Committeemen. What makes Mr. Rubenstein's actions even more courageous is that he is from the same political party, and was appointed by these same elected officials. In retaliation for Mr. Rubenstein speaking out for Civil Rights protections for EVERYONE equally under the law, Committeemen Melchiondo, Cirulli & Hartman did not re-appoint him. A good, highly-qualified moral and courageous man was stopped from being able to serve our community because he spoke out against hate and intolerance. Mr. Rubenstein told us at DowntownBarnegat.com (and we hope he doesn't mind us sharing his elegant words), "Bigotry in any form is abhorrent. It is a universal enemy that imperils the liberties of all. It is something decent people cannot turn a deaf ear or blind eye to. I know I never will." These are beautiful words that come with a price. The price is retaliation from elected officials. Mr. Rubenstein has the character that makes us proud to say we live in Barnegat.