The Free Summer Concert Line-Up Announced Mayor Thanks Town, As He Eyes Senate Seat

By Chris Lundy

BERKELEY – Although Mayor Carmen Amato had already announced his candidacy for Senate, he made a personal statement recently thanking the community for letting him serve them for so many years.

Amato had spent 12 years on school boards, a few years on the Township Council and will finish out his 12th year as mayor on December 31, 2023. He was the only Republican who sought the State Senate seat of retiring Christopher Connors (R-9th). He received the official endorsement from the county Republicans.

“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve as mayor of Berkeley Township,” he said at a recent Township Council meeting. He spoke then because the deadline for running for re-election was near and he wanted to explain why he wasn’t running again.

“I’m very grateful to the residents of Berkeley Township for that honor. It’s been

(Mayor - See Page 6)

By Chris Lundy

2023 concert

“As usual, our outdoor concerts and the Sax Man will perform at Berkeley Community Pride Day again. are free to the public and we are once again partnering with radio station WJRZ, who will provide one of their DJs to emcee at each concert,” Mayor Carmen Amato said.

Opening night will be Wednesday, June 28. At 6 p.m., Rock N’ Rhythm will take the stage at Veterans Park. They are described as “a vocal group with a tight (Concert - See Page 6)

Why Was There So Little Snow At The Shore?

By Andrey Nalbantov

JERSEY SHORE - Do any of you remember the massive snowman contest more than two weeks ago at the beach? No, of course you don’t. It’s because we’ve barely had any snow this winter – not enough to even build a single snowman. And with the winter months now passed, an important question

Liability Insurance Registry Created For Rentals

By Chris Lundy

BERKELEY – With many homes throughout Ocean County turning into rentals, the Berkeley Township Council instituted a Liability Insurance Registry to make sure that the property owners were insured. Any landlord will have to present a certification to the clerk with a $25 fee.

is being raised again. Why was there so little snow at the shore?

Luckily enough, there is an answer to that question, and it doesn’t exactly involve climate change, a term many believe taboo.

While our neighbors from Northern Jersey got more than five inches of snow on a couple

(Snow - See Page 4)

Township Attorney Christopher Dasti said that it’s a nominal fee. The maximum penalty for not applying is $5,000. It’s a home-grown ordinance because if the township doesn’t have it in place, the state would get penalty fees.

Because the town is creating the ordinance, they can enforce it locally, Dasti further explained. Otherwise, it would be enforced by the State Department of Community Affairs. If the landlord gets caught, the

(Rentals - See Page 5)

“We

Snow: Continued From Page 1

of occasions this winter, here by the Shore we got the occasional flurries, around an inch of snow, and a whole lot of rain that used to be snow.

According to the New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University, Dr. Dave Robinson, the reason for the lack of snowfall by the Shore can be attributed to the atmospheric pattern that has been prevalent for the past two to three months.

This pattern has favored a storm track that follows the demarcation between polar air to the north and west, and subtropical (warmer) air to the south and the east. That demarcation line is also referred to as the jet stream. Storms tend to follow the path of the jet stream.

“When those storms track along the jet stream, the wind blows counter-clockwise around them,” said Robinson. “And if it’s to the west it brings warm air as the storm comes through.”

According to him, our area often fell on the warm side of the storms making it not cold enough to snow, thus creating a pattern.

In order for the shore to be blessed by a snowstorm, the storm has to travel to the east to cause the counter-clockwise rotation to bring northern cold winds into the area. Those northern winds meet with the moisture of the nearby storm and create a snowstorm.

“That’s what you need along the coast in particular,” he said. “Because it keeps the wind’s direction from blowing off the water. Once that wind turns off to the water, coastal New Jersey tends to almost always go over to rain.”

While the atmospheric pattern can be pinned as the main reason for the lack of snowfall this winter, the pattern of climate change also has an effect.

According to Robinson, the overall global warming pattern is amplified in the shore and coastal areas. This pattern is likely tied to the ocean’s warming in the mid-Atlantic and the northeast.

“We can be so influenced by conditions offshore,” he said. “We think that some of it is just a shift of wide-spread long-term patterns of circulation in the atmosphere but amplified of the fact the ocean waters at our coast are getting warmer.”

As for the possibility of snow becoming extinct in New Jersey, and especially by the shore, Robinson urges people to not give up on snow.

“We are a long way from seeing snow disappear in New Jersey,” he said.

See Page 27 state would receive the fee. Now, the town will get the fee.

Any change in law brings about the question of how would it be enforced. If property owners don’t comply, code enforcement would be called. This change would require this paperwork to be done before a certificate of occupancy is given. If code enforcement goes out for a noise complaint, for example, they can then learn if the business is up to date on its permits.

Business Administrator John Camera said that all businesses and landlords have to provide certain insurance. That is standard and that hasn’t changed.

Township Clerk Beverly Carle said it’s already following through on what the township already does. The $25 fee is new.

Whales And Wind Turbines

In other news, the Berkeley Council joined the list of other governing bodies calling for a halt to the development of offshore wind turbines until the cause for whale deaths is found.

Environmental groups have been divided on