Take This Job And Shove It? – Hometown View

Raise your hand if you have not purchased a Mega Millions ticket? Lottery sales have been off the charts as the jackpot grows to a world-record $540 million and players in 42 states, including New Jersey anxiously away tonight’s drawing. It seems like every office has some kind of lottery pool…all hoping and praying that they will win and in some cases tell their boss “to take this job and shove it.”

By the way if there is a winner or winners tonight they can chose to take the cash option and receive about $389 million. As for the odds of winning…about 1 in 176 million.

WOBM AM 1160 and 1310 will continue to be the radio home of the Lakewood BlueClaws after the minor league team and Townsquare Media reached agreement on a contract extension through the 2015 season. The 2012 season begins next Thursday when the BlueClaws open in Greenville with the home opener a week later (April 12). Greg Giombarrese returns for his fourth season as the “voice of the BlueClaws” and he’ll be joined this season by Adam Giardino, who will host the pre and post-game shows as well as play-by-play during home games.

Brick UNICO will hold their annual Texas Hold’Em Tournament tonight at the VFW Post on Adamstom Road with doors opening at 6pm and card playing to start at 7. The event is a fundraiser to support the great work done by the Italian-American service organization. There is a $100 advance buy-in for tonight’s tournament and that includes sandwiches and refreshments. For last minute information you can call Phil Terranova at (732) 534-7446.

The men and women who wear black and white stripes and referee basketball games in the shore area held their annual banquet last night at the Spring Lake Manor and among those honored were my good friend Joe Arminio. The Toms River Regional Schools District Athletic Director received the Jim Sullivan Award which is given to a person who had made a significant contribution to basketball.

Arminio, a former boys and girls coach at Toms River East, is the Assistant Director of the WOBM Christmas Classic. Presented with the Gerry White Sportsmanship Awards were the CBA and Barnegat boy’s teams as well as the Jackson Memorial and St. Rose girls programs. The Shore Board also recognized one of their own in presenting the Joe Callano Award to official Thomas Keyes.