By Chris Lundy

The dinosaur, that has been a landmark on Route 9 in Bayville for decades, is close to being extinct. Originally installed to draw attention to a taxidermy shop, it has since fallen on hard times.

The head came off, and the base is structurally unsound.   Township officials, volunteers, and the historical society gathered for a “Restore the Roar” movement to save this star of local legend and Weird NJ articles.
They have raised funds and hired artist Shannon McDonald, a Berkeley native who has done work worldwide. Her most famous work is probably a set of paintings installed in the Beatles’ themed hotel “A Hard Day’s Night” in England.

For more information on how to help, visit http://www.gofundme.com/ez23vngs
The Township Council also waived any construction permit fees for repairing the dinosaur.

The Township Council also honored Denise Conroy for her work matching rescue dogs with veterans. Her group, Canine Stars and Stripes, has just begun but has already been a lifesaver - both for the dogs and for the veterans who rely on them, local officials praised.
 

Discussed at Town Hall Meeting...

New Contracts
In other news, the Township Council awarded a contract for roof work on the municipal building in the amount of $218,000 to George Cortez Painting and Construction. They were the lowest responsible bidder, according to township chief financial officer Fred Ebenau. The next highest was Arista with $329,000.

The township advertised to receive bids for a new animal control facility trailer. The funds will come from the animal control trust fund, Amato said.

Township Attorney Lauren Staiger said the town terminated services with Aramark for uniforms to make an arrangement with another company that was less expensive. There were minor damages for early termination of the agreement since it went through without the usual processes.