The BERKELEY Times Vol. 31 - No. 49
In This Week’s Edition
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
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Remote Control Plane Group Hits New Heights
Locals Want Traffic Light For Dangerous Road
BREAKING NEWS @
Photos by Chris Lundy Model planes are set out, awaiting their turn to fly like passenger planes taxiing on a tarmac at an airport.
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By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – Tucked away between the roar of Route 9 and the pristine quiet of the woods is a small airstrip home to the Pine Barren Modelers RC Group, and on one recent day, they invited the public into their home. There’s 70’x30’ of pavement here by Johnson’s pit, with some trailers set up for equipment. The group had six instructors ready to teach anyone how to fly. They share a “buddy box,” with the same controls. Think of it like a driver’s ed car, where the instructor is driving shotgun and has their own pedals. In this case, the instructor can take over and right the plane if something goes wrong. Dennis Spatcher, president of group, said they had a pretty good turnout that day. Flying went well, despite the crosswind making things a bit more difficult. “We’re trying to get the public, especially kids, to gain
an interest in flying,” he said. Sharing a hobby is the best way to keep it going, so club members will set up tables at locations like the Central Regional Middle School carnival with a flight simulator. Most of the planes were electric, but a few were gas-powered, while others run on a mix of methanol and nitromethane. There could be as many as four pilots at a time. Those not taking a turn sat off to the side, watching the flights, doing maintenance on their own vehicles, and socializing. New Jersey Institute of Technology students were also on site to field test a design they came up with for competitions. There are rules on how long the plane has to be from tip to tail, and how long the wingspan can be. (New Heights - See Page 4)
May 30, 2026
By Michela F DiLorenzo BERKELEY – Citizens called for a traffic light at the Jamaica Boulevard and Nostrand Drive intersection at the most recent Township Council meeting, addressing continuous reported accidents and safety concerns. The Jamaica and Nostrand intersection in the Holiday City area of Berkeley has a history of accidents. Both streets wind through the senior development, and smaller streets empty onto them. Additionally, Nostrand turns into Bimini Drive, which leads to Route 37. Both roads are important arteries carrying a lot of traffic every day. While there is a blinking stop sign, residents claim this is not enough to prevent (Dangerous Road - See Page 4)
Photo by Michela F DiLorenzo Residents are concerned about the dangerous intersection of Jamaica Boulevard and Nostrand Drive.
Memorial Day Weekend Washed Out By Bob Vosseller OCEAN COUNTY – It serves as a summer kick off and often includes barbeques, family gatherings and boardwalk visits but this past weekend’s Memorial Day festivities were a bit of a washout. The first big event for the summer was to be the first Seaside Heights versus Seaside Park Tug of War, with all proceeds going directly to the two borough fire departments and Tri-Boro First Aid Squad. The new date for the event hasn’t been announced yet. For more specifics visit exit82.com/events/seaPhoto by Bob Vosseller side-heights-vs-seaside-park-tug-of-war. A group of teens had enough room on the virtually empty board- Seaside Heights Police officers present on the boardwalk that day were confident that their borough would walk for an impromptu round of hacky sack.
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be the champions and were disappointed when they learned the event had been postponed. The windy chilly day may have been a bit unseasonable but it marked the first day that beach badges were required. “This is my second season. I am a badge checker and greeter and public relations. I love it. I get to be at the beach and talk to people all day,” said Gianna Patricco, 20, of Toms River. While the weather didn’t bring too many people toward the beach entry point that she was manning, she did get the chance to speak to some people inquiring about the event that got postponed and alerted people (Washed Out - See Page 5)
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