BRICK – The most newsworthy story in Brick this year might have been the re-election of Mayor Lisa Crate, who ran a tight race against Board of Education President Madeline Iannarone.
The race was so close that the final results were not certified by the Ocean County Board of Elections until nearly two weeks after the November 4 election.
Democrat Crate received 17,071 votes while Republican candidate Iannarone received 16,649.
The Republican council candidates, including incumbent Perry Albanese, won reelection for the four-year term, while two Republican newcomers, Lisa Reina and Greg Cohen, defeated Democratic incumbent Councilwomen Heather deJong and Democratic newcomers Rocco Lepore and Dan Ward.
The council still has a Democratic majority, holding four of the seven seats.
The Board of Education also saw the re-election of incumbent Fran DiBenedictis and newcomer Michael A. Mastroserio, who will serve three-year terms. Superintendent Dr. Thomas Farrell, who was hired in 2020, has a contract that runs through until June 2028.
The township celebrated a milestone birthday in February, 2025 when Brick turned 175. On February 15, 1850, Brick Township was officially established and was home to 1,558 residents. Today the township has an estimated 76,000 residents.
Also in 2025, the Brick Children’s Community Theater (BCCT) now has a permanent home since The Mantoloking Road Playhouse had their official opening in March.
The Zarrilli family, owners of Mantoloking Road Alehouse, found an old building for sale on Mantoloking Road and created the new 120-seat playhouse in just five months.
Township youth also benefitted by the re-opening of the Brick Township Teen Center in April after being closed for five years.
Located in the Civic Plaza, operations were forced to cease during the COVID pandemic until Mayor Crate, a former teacher, spearheaded a revitalization of the space, which is open to Brick residents in grades 6 through 12 during the school year.
In May, plans were announced for a multi-year, multi-million dollar renovation of the Department of Public Works when the governing body voted to budget $2.2 million for phase 1 of the department’s Master Site Plan.
The Master Site Plan includes infrastructure improvements, such as the construction of new storage facilities, two new above ground fuel tanks and fuel station, a new salt dome, a vehicle wash facility, storm drainage improvements, more office space and more.
The entire renovation will be funded over four budget cycles with a “guesstimate” cost of $9 million, said Township Business Administrator Joanne Bergin.
Also, groundbreaking on the new sports complex at the former Foodtown site on Route 70 took place in June where the developer, LCP Sports II Urban Renewal, is building a 135,000 square foot facility.
What started out as plans for a dome changed into a single, full-metal building due to fire code compliance. The privately-owned sports facility is expected to open sometime in early 2026.
In August, the popular 1.6 walking path surrounding the Brick Reservoir was temporarily closed to the public when structural modifications started on the 90-acre body of water.
The project extends the depth of the reservoir by stabilizing the interior sides with a concrete-filled fabric “blanket” that will allow it to hold significantly more water, bolster the water supply and prevent erosion.
The project is expected to last about 10 months, at which time the walking path is expected to reopen as it previously appeared.
And finally, the last Farmer’s Market of the year concluded in October, which marked the 11th season for the popular event, which featured some 50 vendors at Windward Beach Park.
The Farmer’s Market runs from the beginning of May and offers everything from produce to crafts, baked goods, prepared foods and much more. New vendors are added every year, so the 2026 season won’t disappoint.
