The
SOUTHERN OCEAN Times Vol. 12 - No. 30
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Barnegat Opens New Town Hall After Years Of Delays
In This Week’s Edition
January 25, 2025
End Of An Era: Popcorn Park Animal Refuge’s Executive Director Retires
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News
Photo courtesy Popcorn Park John Bergmann was a fixture at Popcorn Park Zoo and is an untiring advocate for animals.
Pages 8-13
Dr. Izzy Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 17
Classifieds Page 18
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan A view from the outside of Barnegat’s new municipal complex located behind the old town hall. By Stephanie Faughnan BARNEGAT – After years of anticipation and setbacks, Barnegat Township opened its new municipal complex to the public on January 22, 2025. A row of sleek black benches now sits attached to a concrete structure in front of the building, which
prominently displays the words “Township of Barnegat.” Township officials have confirmed that the move to the new facility has been planned in phases. The police department will remain in its old headquarters for a short time to accommodate a smoother
Each Stitch Counts: Knitting Together A Community Of Caring By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER – When Debbie Trainor picks up her knitting needles, it’s more than a hobby - it’s a mission. As the founder and president of the non-profit Each Stitch Counts, Trainor has woven her passion for knitting into a helping hand for families ex-
periencing hygiene insecurity. The organization distributes handmade cotton dishcloths attached to bottles of dish soap to food pantries across Ocean and Monmouth Counties. A Toms River resident and retired public school business administrator, Trainor dedicated 35 years of her career
transition. Local in-court sessions and Township Committee meetings will be conducted in the new building. The old town hall is set to be demolished once state approvals are secured. The front of the site will be repurposed into a paved (Town Hall - See Page 4)
to ensuring students and staff had the resources they needed. Knitting has been a steady thread in Trainor’s life, and she especially enjoys creating Photo courtesy usable end products. RetireEvery Stitch Counts ment allowed her to spend more Debbie Trainor stands outside time knitting and volunteering the Lacey Food Bank with with The Hope Center, a local donations of cleaning supplies (Stitch - See Page 5) and homemade dishcloths.
By Alyssa Riccardi LACEY – John Bergmann, Executive Director of Popcorn Park Animal Refuge, has spent nearly 50 years dedicating his time and passion for animal welfare. Today, Bergmann has announced his retirement. (Director - See Page 7)
Input Wanted On Transportation Issues
By Chris Lundy OCEAN COUNTY – Eve r yone k nows that traffic is getting worse, but what is the solution? T he Nor t h Je rsey Transportation Planning Authority is crafting a 25-year strategy on improving var ious for ms of t r a n spor t at ion. It might be hard to imagine what 2050
will look like, but assuming we don’t have flying cars yet, they want to know how to improve roads, bus service, and more. The long-range plan is called Connecting Com munities. The survey can be found at njtpa.org/connecting. It only takes a few minutes and you can enter into a raffle for (Issues - See Page 4)
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