The BERKELEY Times Vol. 26 - No. 34
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Page 10-11
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 16
Inside The Law Page 19
Dear Joel Page 27
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Signs Support Police, First Responders
By Chris Lundy BEACH WOOD – If you’ve seen signs sprouting up on lawns around town supporting the police, you might be interested to know that the support is financial as well. Ray DiBernardo came up with the idea because the world needs a little positivity right now. “I’ve been with the Beachwood Alliance for 14 years,” he said. “The fire department, police and first aid are at all the functions. They’re just such great people.” Of course, you don’t always hear the stories about how great they are. Usually, you hear
−Photos by Chris Lundy These signs have been going up around the borough showing support for Beachwood’s blue. stories in the vein of olent protests against be yelling “defund the a horrible story about the police. police,” DiBernardo is police brutality. Or viWhile some might funding the police. An oversized check in the amount of $3,200 was presented to Chief Glen DeMarco recently from the sale of signs. DiBernardo was also able to show a large picture made up of a collection of comments and messages of thanks for the police department. The initial order when he first started doing Ray DiBernardo, left, presents a check for $3,200 to Chief Glen De- this in October was Marco, right. Mayor Ronald Roma and Councilman Steven Komsa for 20 signs, but now are behind them. (Signs - See Page 9)
Demand Outpaces Supply For Vaccine
By Chris Lundy OCEAN COUNTY – As a significant portion of the population is allowed access to the coronavirus vaccines, the system is buckling under the demand and the supply of vaccine has not caught up. Healthcare workers, long-term care facility residents, first responders, seniors, and those with serious medical conditions are able to get the vaccine in New Jersey. But if there’s no
vaccine to be had, does this matter? Ocean County was receiving 5,000 doses of the vaccine a week, The Asbury Park Press reported. That dropped to 3,000 one week, and then went up to 3,500 the next. According to the 2018 census, seniors in Ocean County numbered at around 130,000. Even at 5,000 a week, that would take at least seven months to vaccinate them all. It would likely (Vaccine - See Page 6)
February 6, 2021
Court Diversion Program Starts In Berkeley
By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – A new process, the Ocean County Helping Hand Trident Program, will help those suffering from substance abuse disorders from being stuck in the criminal justice system. “The goal of Trident is to divert individuals living with, or at risk for, substance use disorder from municipal court into treatment,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. “The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office has been working in conjunction with several agencies to assist those individuals with the navigation of the treatment process in Toms River and now we are excited to be able to reach out to those struggling with addiction in Berkeley.” The way it works is that municipal court staff are available to identify defendants who are in need of services. This
staff includes a licensed clinician, a case manager and a certified peer recovery specialist provided by Ocean Mental Health Services located in Berkeley Township. Law enforcement has been looking at different methods to handle the opioid epidemic. While still enforcing the law and investigating dealers, they have been working to help those struggling with addiction. In this case, preventative measures could keep an individual from having more serious issues in the future. “Trident is a collaborative program. By working together we can identify, engage and connect members of our community suffering with substance use disorders with the services they need in order to live happy, healthy, and productive lives. This three-prong approach is effective in (Court - See Page 9)
Advocates Sleep In Tents To Draw Attention To Homeless
By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – It was expected to be 17 degrees that night, with a wind chill bringing it down to 2 degrees. That’s fatal temperatures for people who don’t have a roof over
their head. To bring attention to that fact, Councilman Terrance Tur nbach slept in a tent that night. He had a makeshift camp on the lawn between the Toms River Town Hall, library, historic Bish-
op building, and the huge evergreen that the town decorates for the holidays. Turnbach had been advocating for the homeless for years. With his help, the (Tents - See Page 4)
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