The BERKELEY Times Vol. 30 - No. 46
In This Week’s Edition
Happy Mother’s Day BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 6
Community News Pages 8-13
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 15
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
May 10, 2025
Shore Homeowners Fire Cadets To Take On Learn To Fight JellYfish More Responsibility By Chris Lundy OCEAN GATE – A group of beach lovers learned how to prevent the proliferation of jellyfish in the Toms River. Scientists and members of the Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue met at the Wildwood Avenue pier to demonstrate how they’ve been cleaning docks and other objects in the water. The polyps of the bay nettle jellyfish attach to these solid objects throughout the colder months. Cleaning the polyps off disrupts the life cycle and leads to fewer jellies in the river and lagoons the next season. The Ocean Gate Social Club hosted the event, offering donuts and coffee. Members watched from the pier as Lauren Bunn and Dogan Mazur took to the cold water with brushes and demonstrated cleaning the pier. Photos by Chris Lundy Carl Mattocks, captain of the BTUSR dive team, then Carl Mattocks (front), Dogan Mazur and showed a few people near land how to do sweep the Lauren Bunn of the Berkeley Township Undock with long-handled brushes. The group has been derwater Search and Rescue begin scrubbing cleaning docks in Berkeley for a few years now, and the Wildwood Avenue pier. have seen it making a difference. The dive team asks for permission and then goes property to property, cleaning the docks. However, if you allow your dock to be scrubbed, but your neighbors don’t, it doesn’t have as much of an impact on the nettle population. That’s why education at events like this are so critical, Mattocks said. They have statistics proving that the effort is working. They just need a larger buy-in from the community to make a bigger impact. Teaching dock owners what they can do is another step in the right direction. Brushing is a simple way to lower the numbers of bay nettles. Paul Bologna, biology professor of Montclair Dogan Mazur cleans the underside of Ocean Gate’s
FIRST RESPONDER
DISCOUNTS OFFERED
Second Arrest Made In Jones Road Wildfire
By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – Cancer has touched practically everyone’s life, so it should be no problem to fill a park for a fundraiser. The Berkeley/Lacey Relay For Life will be at Veterans Park, 9 Tilton Boulevard, Bayville on May 31 overnight into June 1. The rain date is July 12. “It’s not too late to join a team or form a team,” event lead Robyn Griffith said. “We are here with open arms.” There are activities and entertainment planned for this weekend event. Griffith said that there are still spots available for food trucks and vendors. The survivors’ luncheon is from 12-2 p.m., followed by a kick-off ceremony (Relay For Life - See Page 4)
(Arrest - See Page 5)
Wildwood Avenue pier.
Relay For Life Looking For Walkers, Supporters
VETERAN &
(Fire Cadets - See Page 4)
By Chris Lundy OCEAN COUNTY – A 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the wildfi re that started on April 22 which caused thousands of evacuations and burned more than 15,000 acres. The juvenile, whose identity is not being released, was charged with Aggravated Arson, Arson, and Hindering Apprehension, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. This is the second arrest in relation to this incident. Joseph Kling, 19, of Waretown, was previously charged with Aggravated Arson and Arson. Kling now faces an additional charge of Hindering Apprehension. Investigators had said that Kling was the individual responsible for setting wooden pallets on fi re and then leaving the area without the fi re being fully extinguished. The new charge of hindering comes from allegedly providing false information as to
(Fight Jellyfish - See Page 4)
Photo by Chris Lundy The first lap around Veterans Park last year was by cancer survivors.
By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – The cadets who are learning to become firefighters will soon be taking the next step in their training, able to ride firetrucks to calls after being trained to do so. Bayville Fire Chief John McKay said there have always been kids helping out around the firehouse, eager to learn. Several of the company’s ranking officers even started out as cadets. Usually, the cadets – or Junior Firefighters - watch and learn, or do tasks like washing the trucks or racking the hoses. With new state legislature, they will be able to ride the trucks after receiving the proper training. McKay said that currently there are five members who are interested in going further in their firefighting careers. “They are very excited to do it,” he said. They are too young to qualify for the fire academy. They must be 18 for that. This next step in training will give them even more tools before they reach the academy.
Carmona ~ Bolen Home for Funerals, LLC Michael J. Defonzo Jr., Manager • NJ Lic #4075
Affordable Cremation Packages: Starting at $1900
Includes: Removal from Hospital or Facility within 25 miles of funeral home, all funeral home service fees, required cremation container MCDDT-01. Excludes: Crematory Fees, death certificates and residential removal fee. Call us for your Custom Memorial Service with Urn Package Pricing.
TOMS RIVER • 732-349-1922 Traditional Funerals • Cremations • Memorials • Pre-Planning | www.carmonabolenfh.com WHITING • 732-350-0003