Center of Town: We were shut down by the NJ Attorney General, OCPO [UPDATE 8:10 AM: Being Reopened]

See the announcement below.

UPDATE 8:10 AM: The store will be reopened today.

This comes after an outcry by local community leaders, who proved to authorities this was considered an essential store, permitted under the executive order.

The store will be open from 10-6:30 PM.

All are requested to continue to practice social distancing, both inside and outside the store.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-qhWKTlsI-/?igshid=uz5auauj3j14

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-rrVqgliXQ/?igshid=1fcb3xhora3hi

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40 COMMENTS

  1. I just called the ocean county prosecutors office to demand an explanation. They said to call back between 8-4. I sure will! Center of town has been following all guidelines with only 10 customers in the store. They are under the essential stores category. Disgraceful.

  2. This is absolutely outrageous nothing can be more essential then center of town right now

    I saw the line and it was going all the way outside and people were really careful all the rules were followed

    What in Heaven’s is going on over here

  3. This is hardware store and was singled out just because the owners are Jewish . My husband had an online order he needed to pick up from Home Depot the other day .he went in masked and gloved but none of the Home Depot employees were protected nor were they practicing social distancing.

  4. This is blatant bullying by the OCPO and we all know it. The solution is simple:
    The same person(s) who told Governor Murphy how compliant we are should call him back and tell him to get these miserable bullies of Center of Town’s back. They are absolutely essential. And they are NOT breaking any social distancing laws.
    The Nerve !!
    And where are our local elected officials ?
    The Freeholders, and all the other stuff we vote for like Shepsalech every 3-4 years.
    I cant. I just cant.

  5. After chatzos on Wed. it won’t be essential. They should wait until then. The supermarkets are packed with people. Are they being policed?

  6. As per executive orders 107,108 home improvement stores are essential. Now I need to schlep out to get the parts that I need to fix my shower, chutzpah! And dollar tree with half an aisle of groceries stays open…

  7. If search the naics code and sic codes for center of town it’s listed as a variety store and undefined. Not like home Depot and Lowe’s which is classified as a hardware store.
    Why? Who knows? Probably done without thinking. But either way this likely has something to do with the way they are coded.
    However you want to say, a glass dish for your Seder is not essential. If you were going for nuts and bolts and a lightbulb it’d be different.
    Before everyone jumps to conclusions and creates a chillul hashem by calling the ag and the prosecutor think what good will come from it?

  8. Does anyone know the phone number to the AG office and the OCPO phone number. I think the more people call, the more attention they get from us the more likely they are to reopen Center of Town.

    • the number is on the bottom of center of town’s notice they posted… do u see it? and yes i agree, everyone should try to make an effort to call.

  9. Where are our askanim? The one s that tell us to vote for these ocean county officials over and over again. These same officials that will close COT but that Fire marshal is still working

  10. I think I have an idea who might have a great connection with Governor Phil Murphy at this crucial time.

    Sam Stein. The one that made a TREMENDOUS KIDISH HASHEM AND DONATED 15 RESPIRATORS LAST WEEK TO A HOSPITAL IN NEW JERSEY.

    The Governor thanked him publicly.

    Sam, I know you and your family, you are a great BAL CHESED, PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR AND ASK HIM TO OPEN THE STORE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

    It might just be an oversight, and if you will explain him what they sell, he will agree right away.

    LAKEWOOD NEEDS THIS STORE.

    We have young couples that are making PESACH for the first time, and every time they turn around they realize that they need something else.

    Sam thanks a million for everything that you do for Lakewood and especially for giving your 15 respirators to the state.

    Sam, I wish you and your family and your GREAT MOTHER a frelichen YOM TOV.

  11. GM

    I’ve sent this to Govener Murphy via Instagram and to President Trump’s office via Instagram and his Assistant Avi Berkowitz.

    You can call Govener Murphy office,u can call Prosecutor office,we can all go to the Press and let them know about, without making lots of noise ,this won’t get attention.

    Whomever has the power to protest this travesty got to take a stand.

    I was there yesterday,they were holding the letter of the Law to the fullest extent.

    Thanks.

  12. I’ve sent this to the Govener Murphy office via Instagram,to the President Trump’s office via Instagram and his assistant Avi Berkowitz via Instagram.

    We got to make this noise loud,call and go to the Press, otherwise they won’t pay attention.

    This is a Travesty.

    I was there yesterday,they were following the law to the books.

    Anyone that has the power to do something do it.

  13. I know this will be hard for many people but think twice before you start screeching. Just maybe they have good intentions? Maybe they didn’t think this goes into home essentials category? Calm down, take 2 deep breaths. We are in the midst of a worldwide epidemic and law enforcement is doing an unreal job at keeping us safe. You can respectfully call if you would like to discuss a matter but please realize there is a world going on around your bubble. As a fellow yid I feel the pain of the store-owner but let’s calm down. Everyone is hurting now.

    If you do call plse remember to first thank the person you speak with for all they are doing to keeping us safe.

    Have a chag kasher samaich!!

    • It’s not about the store owner, many businesses are suffering. It is about the fact that the store is essential for many people making Pesach

  14. Unbelievable! Same thing happened to amazing savings. The 2 most essential non-food/clothing stores stores in town. What does dollar tree have that’s more essential than any other store in town? Like the Governor said, there’s a special place somewhere…

  15. Perhaps Hashem is telling us the store is non essential. Just maybe we are being shown how excessive we have become. Do you think everyone in Europe spent all this money on everything new for Pesach. We have lost our sense of reasonableness and cause much suffering to our brothers and sisters whom we say we love and care for. Do we really?

    You can all view this from your own perspectives, however I feel this is the message from HKBH

    Let’s go into YT B’simcha without all the political nonsense and claims of anti semitisim.

    Let’s teach our children the true story of Pesach. How we were ripped from slavery in one day with no time to prepare (no center of town).

    Cmon Lakewood, let’s get back to our roots and celebrate the coming YT B”simcha

    • WE’RE NOT IN EUROPE!! why do we have to pretend we are? i dont get those ppl… in the shtetl… we could and definitely should care for our brothers just the same even if we have 5 new pots for pesach that they didnt have in europe. mb go buy another yid who cant really afford pesach some pots and the like in COT if ur so concerned… in europe they washed their laundry by hand- do u have a washing machine?? in europe they did a lot of things we dont do and theres nothing with us using the new conveniences now avail to us

  16. Thank you all who called the OCPO to speak up. We are living in dangerous times and the authorities are at times over-reacting. This is less out of malice and more from ignorance. As citizens keep up your high level of awareness and speak up respectfully in our interests. They heard our voices and realized they made a mistake – we thank them for that.

    Over Chol Hamoed we are going to have huge numbers of children home – and the Roberts carnival is canceled, Six Flags and Jenkinsons and local attractions like miniature golf will be closed as will be most parks. Let us be extra sensitive and not overwhelm the few locales that are open – staying home is our Mesiras Nefesh as Jews and citizens – not easy with a houseful of children, but necessary. We expect numerous potential incidents over Chol Hamoed impacting our families and suggest extreme caution when out and about.

    Last night a young Lakewood family drove to Spring Lake. The Boardwalk was officially closed. Hundreds of Spring Lake locals slipped under the police tape and were strolling the boardwalk, with no enforcement. The frum family sensed that if they did the same they would get singled out for enforcement. They turned around and came home. They followed the law, painful as it is and chose to avoid an incident.

    Sometimes it feels like we carry a special burden that others are not expected to.

    We do. Proudly.

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