The BERKELEY Times Vol. 32 - No. 9
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
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Government Page 7
Community News Pages 8-9
Inside The Law Page 16
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 15
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Crowd Comes Out For Family Day By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – It was another year of sports, games and togetherness as the Manitou Park Family Day came alive. DJ Will Jacobs blasted tunes and ran games, like a version of musical chairs played on one of the basketball cou r ts. T he courts saw a lot of action, as they hosted var ious challenges throughout t he d ay a s wel l as free play. The playground and inPhoto by Chris Lundy flatables were also DJ Will Jacobs led kids in some games. welcoming kids. Occasionally, a child would walk by who ob- him for comment, he instead directed attention viously just saw the face painter. Meanwhile, to the many people who were offering services food was being grilled and served on one end during the day. For example, Melissa Loutas was providing of the park on Third Avenue. A lot of the activities had an older youth lead- free haircuts for hours. Kids might not be looking younger children, which is a mainstay of ing forward to school starting in September, but Family Day and Unity Pride, the organization at least they’ll be looking their best. Zeta Amicae of Monmouth and Ocean counties that runs it, which celebrates mentors and good has a mandate to serve the community. Jasmine role models. Rob Taylor has been overseeing this event for Marshall-Butler said they were providing supplies many years. When The Berkeley Times asked (Family Day - See Page 10)
DOT’s Route 35 Idea Is DOA
By Bob Vosseller TOMS RIVER - To the relief of many drivers, the controversial idea to convert a stretch of Route 35 from two, one-way streets to two, two-way streets is officially “off the table.” The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) had suggested this idea to apply to a 3.1-mile section of the road in Lavallette and the Ortley Beach section of Toms River. They Photo by Bob Vosseller were also considering requiring cars This stretch of Route 35 South will remain a one-way to back in to parking spaces on that street now that a New Jersey Department of Transpor- busy road. tation idea is off the table. (Route 35 - See Page 4)
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Lawsuits: School Ignored Sex Abuse Allegations Since 2005 By Stephanie Faughnan OCEAN COUNTY - They were both 17-yearold students hoping for careers in the performing arts when, they allege, a teacher used his authority to sexually abuse them. The two Ocean County Vocational Technical School Performing Arts Academy graduates have also accused the school of serving as a “breeding ground for predatory ‘teachers’ to prey on innocent, unsuspecting, vulnerable and impressionable minor children.” The academy operated at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst until January 2020, when it moved to Ocean County College and became known as the Grunin Performing Arts Academy. The women, identified in court documents only as A.S. and R.T., filed separate lawsuits against convicted former acting teacher Douglas J. Bollinger, the Ocean County Vocational Technical School Board of Education, its Performing Arts Academy and former Superintendent Karen Homiek. One alleges a principal entered Bollinger’s classroom during a sexual encounter but returned her to class without asking what happened. The other claims Bollinger repeatedly raped her during a school-approved internship while administrators focused on keeping the relationship from becoming widely discussed. The lawsuits accuse the district of normalizing (Lawsuits - See Page 4)
More Than 150 Swimmers Compete In Ocean Race By Bob Vosseller LAVALLETTE – The Lavallette Beach Patrol kept a particularly close eye on the shoreline for the 41st Annual Mid-Summer Ocean Swim. The Beach Patrol hosted the early morning event that had more than 150 swimmers line up at Philadelphia Avenue and the borough boardwalk at 7 a.m. Swimmers started at President Avenue and went south to Elizabeth and Princeton Avenues.
Although it had been cancelled due to weather the previous two years, it is the longest-running open water swim in New Jersey. The top three male and female finishers took home Visa Gift Cards. Medals were presented to the top finishers in categories from 14 plus to 70 plus. This year’s race served to benefit the Lavallette Beach Patrol and the NJ Swim Safety Alliance’s (Ocean Race - See Page 6)
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