The BERKELEY Times Vol. 29 - No. 4
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Wunder Nurse Thanked For Helping Crash Victim Five Years Ago
July 8, 2023
Hundreds Give Final Salute To Fallen Firefighter
BREAKING NEWS @
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Firefighters prepare to leave the funeral of their fallen brother, Brian Joseph Letrent.
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 7
Community News Pages 8-11
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 16
Inside The Law Page 21
Photo by Chris Lundy Gerry LaCrosse hugs Patricia Kunkle as her daughter Olivia and Gerry’s wife Beverly look on. By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – Gerald LaCrosse and Patricia Kunkle met once before, five years ago, under much worse circumstances. They met again just after the anniversary of the crash that almost took his life. And he’s sure her intervention is what saved him. Gerry was working inside his hot dog cart der
Wunder Wiener on June 11, 2018. It was before 8 a.m. He wasn’t open, just doing some routine work when an SUV left the roadway and plowed into the stand. The events of that day were fuzzy, and so much of it had to be told to him later. One thing that he was informed was that there was a nurse who had pulled
over to help him. He had a head injury, and was on blood thinners. He’s sure that she saved his life and he never knew who she was. Af ter telling The Berkeley Times that he’d love to meet her and thank her personally, the article went online. Her proud husband tagged her in the story. Their reunion was
sweet, and they couldn’t say enough nice things about each other. First, they walked along Route 9, by the original umbrella that has been waiting there for five years. Then, they made their way back to the trailer. Patricia was happy to move back; she got nervous with him close to the road. Everyone (Nurse - See Page 4)
By Stephanie Faughnan BERKELEY – A somber atmosphere engulfed Central Regional High School as family, friends, and fellow firefighters gathered to honor and remember Brian Joseph Letrent, who dedicated his life to serving others. According to the US Fire Administration, Letrent, a 34-year-old Bayville firefighter, died of a heart attack on June 21, 2023. A 2007 Central Regional High School graduate, it’s unlikely that Letrent ever anticipated his photograph displayed on the school’s outdoor marquee – or snippets of his life flashed on the big screen in his high school auditorium. During the wake and funeral, an unwavering honor guard maintained a solemn vigil over Letrent’s casket. Bayville Volunteer Fire Department members (Firefighter - See Page 4)
Theft Of Jersey Devil Statue Leads Down A Road Through History
Photos by Stephanie Faughnan Popular folklore points to the end of this road through the Pine Barrens in Leeds Point.
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By Stephanie Faughnan PINE BARRENS – The recent theft of a prized Jersey Devil statue from an Ocean County restaurant has reignited a wave of interest in the history of the legendary creature. Accounts of sightings
of the “real” Jersey Devil have persisted for well over two centuries. The allure of capturing the elusive creature has even led to rewards being offered, and at one point, claims that it was caught and on public display. According to popular folklore regarding the
Jersey Devil, the story begins with Mother Leeds, a woman who lived in a part of Galloway outside Smithville. She became quite upset after she learned she was pregnant for the thirteenth time. On a stormy night in 1735, Mother Leeds was sur-
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rounded by her concerned friends as she entered labor. During a 2014 presentation given to the Colonel Richard Somers Chapter, New Jersey Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Kean University professor Dr. (Devil - See Page 5)
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