The BERKELEY Times Vol. 27 - No. 48
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Educators Roundtable Gives Teachers Environmental Lesson Plans
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 10-13
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 16
Inside The Law Page 18
Classifieds Page 22
─Photo by Bob Vosseller A miniature display of a beach profile was a “sands-on” science table brought by NJ Department of Environmental Protection Lead Educator Marc Rogoff during the 25th Annual Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable held recently at Jakes Branch County Park in Beachwood. By Bob Vosseller BE AC H WO OD – Educators, naturalists a nd a ct iv ist s ca me together to lear n, share ideas, swap stories and brainstor m during the 25th Annual Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable.
The six-hour professional development event was held this year at Jakes Branch County Park. It featured with the theme of “Ou r Roots Ru n Deep. Celebrating 25 Years of Local Connections, Culture and Conservation.”
Wor k sho p t o pic s covered the i mportance of soil to the health of the area watershed and was open to teachers, educators, homeschool parents and nat ure enthusiasts. A n ex hibitors area showcased the m a ny e nv i ron me n -
tal groups in Ocean County and beyond. Becky Laboy, Education Outreach Specialist for the Ocean County Soil Conservation District, said that after two years of providi ng vi r t ual rou ndt able s, t he (Plans - See Page 4)
Event Helps Raise $45,000 For Ukrainians
By Bob Vosseller L AVA L L E T T E A community effort packed Saint Pio Roman Catholic Church during a recent Satu rd ay eve n i ng a nd raised around $45,000 for a good cause. Event coordinator Jack Sauer, a borough resident, was more t ha n pleased w it h t he capacit y crowd turnout of 250 people
for the benefit aimed at helping those uprooted from military at tacks f rom Russia. The nu mber of Ukrainian refugees is currently estimated at around 25% of the nation’s entire population of about 800,000 people. Sauer and his wife, Apr il, spea rhea ded t he f u nd r aiser t hat had a ticket price of
$50 per person and filled the parish hall. The event was actually sold out a week prior to when it took place. Jack Sauer described it as a “zero cost /10 0% benef it ” fundraising dinner to assist with this mass i ve h u m a n i t a r i a n challenge. He added, the comm it tee t hat ra n t he larger f undraiser
worked with “Saint St e phe n U k r a i n ia n Catholic Chu rch i n Toms River to deliver the funds raised via the church in Ukraine quickly and with no erosion of f unds to corporate overhead.” He credited the e ve n t ’s s u c c e s s t o t he ma ny generou s donor s ma de up of individuals, organizations and local
businesses. Because of t he m , t he f u ndraiser came at zero cost for “all food, materials and services. Every dollar will go to aid those who need it most. This was a grass roots, community driven effort and it wasn’t just the Lavallet te com munit y that was involved but our broader community (Ukraine - See Page 6)
May 14, 2022
Central Adopts $45M Budget
By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – The Central Regional Board of Education adopted a budget that will bring either an increase or a decrease in taxes depending on where you live. The total budget will be $45,174,583, an increase of over the current year’s $44,487,977. Of this, $36,550,272 will be raised in taxes. This is an increase of $716,672 from the current year’s revised levy of $35,833,600. Central has students from five different towns. The tax impact is different for each. For Berkeley residents, their tax rate will be 47.65 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. For a home based on the average assessment of $205,620, the annual tax bill will be $980.81, which is a decrease of $2.06. For Island Heights residents, their tax rate will be 39.07 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. For a home based on the average assessment of $412,320, the annual tax bill (Budget - See Page 5)
Ocean Gate Mayor Receives Additional Charges For Theft By Alyssa Riccardi OCEAN GATE – Ocean Gate Mayor Paul Kennedy has now been charged with three counts of Official Misconduct along with three counts of Theft after allegedly stealing government funds. The additional charges were the result of an ongoing investigation revealing that Kennedy, 66, failed to give money he made through borough assets, using it for personal benefit. According to officials, Kennedy collected cash from selling scrap metal originating from the Borough Recycling Center and did not turn over the proceeds to the Borough. In addition, he is accused of converting funds donated by contributors to “Friends of Ocean Gate” for his re-election campaign, (Mayor - See Page 5)
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