The calendar says winter officially arrives next Monday but I think we all know it will be making its debut later today.

What we get and how much will largely depend on where you live but by tomorrow memories of that near 60 degree day last Sunday will be just that: memories.  If you have not it’s time to get the snow shovels out of the attic and at least see if that snow blower that you didn’t even use last winter will start.

Most of us are more likely to get rain but you never know.

It seems like many schools have moved pretty much into full-time remote learning and the best guess is that will at least continue until mid-January as officials try and gauge the impact of the Christmas holiday on the COVID-19 crisis.  It does not take Nostradamus to figure out with families gathering (against advice) then there is likely to be a significant increase in the number of positive test results.

By the way “Nastro” would have been 517 years old this past Monday if he were still alive.

On the subject of schools the Toms River Board of Education is expected to choose a familiar face to serve as interim Superintendent of Schools with the January 1st retirement of Dave Healey.  Tom Gialanella will be named at tonight’s board meeting to fill the spot while the search continues for someone to lead the district which will once again face significant budget issues for the next school year.

Gialanella has been working at Ocean County College where he was approved for a leave of absence to take over the interim position in Toms River, one he held previously before Healey was hired.  Gialanella who spent most of his career in the Brick Township school district was the Jackson Schools superintendent before retiring from public education in 2013.

It seems likely the school board will continue their search for a new superintendent following the holiday break.  After tonight their next scheduled meeting is January 6th at which time two new board members will become part of the 9-member group.

On an unrelated note congratulations to Paul Covine who was named the new head football coach at Barnegat High School at last night’s Board of Education meeting. Covine, a Barnegat native, has been an assistant for the last 12 years with the Bengals and replaces Rob Davis who was the only coach in school history before stepping down last month.

Nice to see the school move quickly and hire an inside candidate who knows the program and players.

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