The BERKELEY Times Vol. 31 - No. 2
In This Week’s Edition
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
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Volunteers Nourish Minds And Souls Through Service
July 5, 2025
Open Space Donation Stops Building
4th
of
July
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Photo by Jacquelyn Bernath Residents protested the idea of apartments on Merion Avenue.
Government Page 7
Community News Pages 9-10
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 12
Inside The Law Page 24
Photo by Chris Melvin Volunteers harvested from the Sadie Vickers CommUnity Garden. By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – It was nearly 100 degrees out, but that didn’t stop a group of people harvesting vegetables for those in need. Volunteers included members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. (Iota Chi Sigma Chapter) and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. (Alpha Alpha Chi Zeta Chapter) both of the Jersey Shore and serving Monmouth and Ocean Counties; and members of Holy Temple Church Of God In Christ including Pastor David Graham and Reverend Thomas Jacobs Sr. The joint community service event was organized by Jacobs, Graham (both 2025 Phi Beta Sigma
Fraternity Inc- Iota Chi Sigma Chapter Father Of The Year Honorees), and fraternity member/Unity Pride founder Robert Taylor. “This was truly a great experience for our fraternity and our sisters (Zetas). We thrive on supporting and uplifting communities any chance we get, so to come out to take part in harvesting along with Sadie Vickers and Holy Temple Church Of God In Christ, it was definitely an honor and blessing for us all,” said Chris Melvin Sr., the chapter’s Sigma-Zeta Liaison. “It was definitely hot out there ... but NO ONE complained. We were on a mission, and we (Volunteers - See Page 4)
New Commander Installed At Joint Base
US Air Force Photos By Jewaun McElroy U.S. Air Force Col. Michael Stefanovic addresses the crowd after taking command of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and the 87th Air Base Wing.
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By Chris Lundy PINE BEACH – Merion Avenue stripes across the small borough before becoming a driveway leading into the parking lot of Pine Beach Elementary School. It’s been a quiet area, where kids could walk to school, but neighbors grew concerned that an apartment complex could be built there. At the center of the issue is affordable housing. For decades, the state has been requiring towns to provide opportunities for people with low income to live in towns. This has taken different form over the years. The current iteration is the fourth round of Fair Share Housing. This counts how many affordable units (Open Space - See Page 6)
Sunken Dangers Lurk In Barnegat Bay
By Bob Vosseller LAKEHURST – The Joint Base now has a new leader following a recent Change of Command ceremony. U.S. Air Force Col. Michael D. Stefanovic assumed command of both Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and the 87th Air Base Wing, succeeding Col. Anthony L. Smith. The ceremony brought together service members, civilian employees, local officials and community partners to recognize Smith’s service and mark the formal transfer of leadership. In his two roles, Smith oversaw support for more than 80 mission partners at the Defense Department’s
By Stephanie Faughnan BARNEGAT BAY - It was a sunny Saturday afternoon when an eagle-eyed observer noticed something wasn’t quite right near the Governor’s Mansion at Tices Shoal in Barnegat Bay. A boat had sunk, quietly slipped beneath the shallow water’s surface. There was no dramatic crash, no emergency call over the radio. Just a half-buried hazard waiting for someone to find it the hard way. “Someone I know spotted it and called me,” said Capt. Walt Bohn, General Manager of Sea Tow Central Jersey. “I told them to report it to the State Police and Coast Guard.” “The next morning, both agencies located the boat,” Bohn continued. “But
(New Commander - See Page 4)
(Sunken Dangers - See Page 5)
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