LAVALLETTE - For weeks now, students in TomsRiver High School South’s National Honor Society havebeen selling candy and candles, in hopes that a dollarhere and a dollar there would make a real differencesomehow.

It did. The $1,800 they raised was enough to provide37 needy families with a complete Thanksgiving din-ner. A group of 11 students from the honor society spentthe better part of Tuesday delivering the packagedmeals, which were prepared by a local restaurant here,Ohana Grill.

“It’s great to be able to participate in this,” said sen-ior Samantha Allen of Beachwood. “Whether it’s for onefamily or 30 families, every bit helps.”

More than 40 students, all seniors, were involved in

Is Black Friday really necessary?The scenes of wild-eyed shoppers crawling over

one another long before the sun comes up might not begone entirely, but some experts and analysts said thatdeals are starting earlier and lasting throughout theholiday shopping season. And of course many storesnow open just an hour or two after you bite on your lastpiece of Thanksgiving turkey.

“The holiday shopping season starts in October;there’s no such thing as Black Friday. … Black Fridayis nice but you’ve got your Small Business Saturday,and Cyber Monday,” said Joel Naroff, president of Na-roff Economic Advisors. “Black Friday sales are allthrough November and December.”

There is a noticeable shift from just shopping onBlack Friday during the holidays, said Matthew Shay,the National Retail Federation’s CEO and president.One of the reasons for the shift is that deals are no long-er exclusive to the day after Thanksgiving.

“Retailers began providing holiday discounts muchearlier, both in stores and online, so consumers didn’thave to wait until Black Friday for really good deals ongifts and items they wanted,” Shay said in the feder-ation’s holiday survey.

BLACK FRIDAYOUT OF STYLE?

The line before opening ofthe Ugg Company Store atthe Jersey Shore PremiumOutlets at the start of arecent Black Friday.

ASBURY PARK PRESS FILE PHOTO

Experts and analysts say that special deals are startingearlier and lasting throughout the holiday shopping season

BEST DISCOUNTSWallet Hub listed the bestretailers for Black Friday withthe average percent discountby the retailer.

JCPenney ..................68 percent

Kohl’s.........................67 percent

Macy’s .......................56 percent

Kmart ........................50 percent

Office Depot............43 percent

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The pressure to shut down Monmouth County’s con-troversial new tax assessment program continues togrow.

At a public meeting Tuesday, the Monmouth CountyBoard of Freeholders reiterated its call for the pro-gram to be suspended.

The five members on the all-Republican board saidthey have asked the county Tax Board to suspend theprogram — they issued a similar statement in October— but the Tax Board has declined to do so. At least ninetowns have approved resolutions asking for the pro-gram to be suspended.

“They don’t have to listen to us, and they are not lis-tening to us,” said Freeholder Serena DiMaso, of Holm-del, who said her taxes increased 21 percent under thepilot program.

Meanwhile, two newly elected Assembly members

Pressure ontax programexpandingSUSANNE CERVENKA @SCERVENKA

See TAX, Page 7A

Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane badly damagesFrance’s drive to build an alliance against ISIS. STORY, 1B

DEVIN LORING @DEVINLORING

65%Percentageof holidayshopperswho bravedthe masseson BlackFriday in2014.

32%Of thoseholidayshoppers in 2014, 32percentshopped on Thanks-giving.

See SHOPPING, Page 5A

BOB BIELK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Students in the National Honor Society at Toms River HighSchool South pick up dinners at Ohana Grill in Lavallette.

Toms River studentsbring Thanksgivingto needy familiesSHANNON MULLEN @MULLENAPP

See MEALS, Page 5A

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