Community News

$126,853 Grant Allows Berkeley Township to Help Fund Local Charities

Submitted by Berkeley Township Mayor Carmen Amato

Mayor Amato Seeks Berkeley Groups to participate.

BERKELEY – Mayor Carmen F. Amato, Jr., is pleased to announce the Township has received a Clean Communities Grant from the State totaling $126,853.

“I would like to once again thank the State for their commitment in funding this vital grant program,” Mayor Amato said.

“The $126,853 Department of Environmental Protection Clean Communities Grant award is good news for Berkeley taxpayers and local non-profit, civic and community groups. The Township will use a portion of this grant to offset salaries of employees that clean and maintain our parks and beaches along with the funding of mini-grants to local non-profit civic and community groups that take advantage of our “Adopt a Spot” or “Adopt a Road” program.” Mayor Amato said.

“Any non-profit civic or community group in the township that signs up to participate in our “Adopt a Spot” or “Adopt a Road” project can receive $500 for their organization.” Mayor Amato said.

“These clean-ups provide a valuable service in keeping our township clean. The funding also provides for equipment related to the clean-ups, education and enforcement of litter laws. We plan on using some of these groups to help tidy up our streets and areas along the maritime areas where remnants of Super Storm Sandy remain.” Mayor Amato said.

Any nonprofit organizations in Berkeley that want to participate in the program, should call Township Clean Communities Coordinator, Mark Vanella at 732-341-1022.

“It’s a Win-Win situation for our Township. Nonprofit community groups take advantage of the funding and the township benefits that we are able to get areas of our town cleaned up.” Mayor Amato said.

Barnegat Bay Blitz Helps to Beautify Berkeley Township

Submitted by Mayor Carmen Amato, Berkeley Township

The annual Barnegat Bay Blitz was held this week, with two clean-up sites in Berkeley Township.

A very special “Thank you” to you Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin who joined Mayor Carmen Amato and Councilwoman Sophia Attanasio Papa Gingrich at our Holiday City location to help pick up debris and help beautify the area.

Over in the Good Luck Point section of town, corporate volunteers from Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC volunteered their time today to help clean up the lots that were still littered with debris, mainly left over from Superstorm Sandy.

According to Rachel Host, a Program Specialist with the NJDEP, the Barnegat Bay Blitz, “is a DEP initiative to get people out into the community. There is still garbage in the wetlands that needs to be picked up.”

Barnegat bay blitz helps to beautify berkeley townshipBerkeley Township Sanitation Director, Mark Vannella stated, “These ongoing clean-up projects are important. In some areas of Good Luck Point, the weeds were overgrown, there are swampy areas, and you just couldn’t see the garbage that floated down the streets due to flooding from Sandy. The Township already pulled out a lot of garbage since Sandy, but the residents really helped out over the last three years and hopefully we’re seeing the last of the garbage.”

The volunteers from Bridgestone even managed to pull out an old Jet ski that sat idle.

The initial clean-up from residents was inspired by Caroline Essington, a friend of one of the Good Luck Point residents. The area and homes were badly damaged from the hurricane and it became an eyesore. The residents were motivated to start pitching in and help one another move wood, garbage and debris from neighbors’ homes.

For the Blitz, Berkeley Township donated garbage bags, gloves, grippers, a garbage truck and lots of man-power to help the Barnegat Bay Blitz volunteers.

 

Great White Shark Surfaces Near Seaside Park

SEASIDE PARK-A 3,456 pound great white shark was spotted off the coast of Seaside Park on Sunday as it traveled south along the Ocean County barrier peninsula this weekend.

Mary Lee, as she was named by Ocearch, a global shark tracking organization has been tracked since she was tagged with a monitoring device off Cape Cod in September of 2012.

The great white shark was spotted Sunday morning two miles off the coast of Seaside Heights and made an inland approach towards Seaside Park.

She was last spotted at 10:32 am on Sunday, but hasn’t surfaced since, so she could be anywhere in the area.

This marks her third visit to the Jersey Shore in two years.   She passed by the shoreline in May of 2015 and October of 2016.

Update: As of 6:52 AM, Monday, Mary Lee traveled south and was spotted approximately 5 miles off the coast of Long Beach Island.

Great white shark surfaces near seaside park

Walmart Asks Employees to Deliver Packages on Way Home from Work

Walmart is offering its employees homework in its ongoing battle with online retailers like Amazon. The nation’s largest retailer announced it will begin asking employees to deliver packages on their way home after work. The company is testing the employee deliveries at two stores in New Jersey and one in Arkansas. “The best part is this…

Weather Looking Good for This Weekend

New Jersey residents on Friday should be able to end their week with some pretty nice weather that should carry into Saturday. Friday should be mostly sunny with highs near 77. After 2 p.m., however, there is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Forecasters say highs will reach 79 in Vineland, Trenton and Newark. There…

Weekend Beach Outlook: 5 Shore Beaches Given Swim Advisories

A swimming advisory was issued for five ocean beaches in Monmouth County on Wednesday afternoon due to high levels of bacteria. The five beaches include: Broadway and Spray Avenue, in Neptune Township; Public Beach in Sea Bright Borough; and Brown Avenue and York Avenue in Spring Lake Borough. The statewide agency will check the beaches every…

Lakewood Population Breaks 100,000 Mark

LAKEWOOD — The township has exceeded 100,000 residents, making it the eighth largest in New Jersey, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent data. The Ocean County town now has approximately 100,758 residents, according to the bureau’s data from 2016. That’s a 1.5 percent increase compared to the previous year. Very few local municipalities are…

Lacey Speedball Competition A Success for the Community

by Michael DiBella
Chief, Lacey PD

LACEY–May 12, 2017, was a night of intense and competitive games of speedball at the Lacey Township Middle School. Over one-hundred 7th and 8th grade Middle School students participated in a double-elimination speedball tournament, ultimately resulting in one team being announced as the 2017 Lacey Middle School Speedball Tournament Champions.  The tournament, which was coordinated by the Lacey Township Recreation Department, the Lacey Township Police Department and the Lacey Municipal Police Foundation, included free food and giveaways, provided by Lacey Township Recreation and the Municipal Alliance. Additionally, free team t-shirts (in various team colors) were provided to each Middle School student who participated, by the Lacey Municipal Police Foundation.  Last evening’s tournament involved 10 teams of middle school students and several Lacey Township Police Officers who served as coaches and assistants.

The below picture depicts Officer Anthony Sarno looking on during one of the impressive games at last night’s Middle School Speedball Tournament.

Lacey speedball competition a success for the community

The competition was very competitive with approximately 15 matches being completed before the final championship game. The championship game was between the “Flourescent Yellow Team” and “Golden-Rod Team,” with the Flourescent Yellow taking the victory after a very spirited hard-faught match.

Ten officers from the Lacey Township Police Department participated in the event, including:  Chief Michael C. DiBella, Captain Patrick Ganley,  Detective Dimitri Tsarnas, Officer Michael Hein, Officer George Resetar, Officer Anthony Sarno, Officer Scott Keefe, Officer Christopher Meyler, Officer Jason Lee and Officer Noah Schaffer. The members of the Lacey Township Police Department had an amazing evening serving as coaches and most of all interacting with the middle school students.

The below picture depicts an intense game between two teams (Maroon and Blue Teams) at last evening’s Lacey Middle School Tournament.  

 Lacey speedball competition a success for the community

I want to truly thank everyone who participated in last evening’s event, including the students and staff of the Lacey Middle School, the families who attended and supported the event, the members of the Lacey Township Recreation Department and the members of the Lacey Township Municipal Alliance. In addition, I would like to thank all of my officers who participated. Building a positive relationship with the Officers of the Lacey Township Police Department and the students of our community remains a top priority for our agency. Moving forward the Lacey Township Police Department in coordination with the Lacey Township Recreation Department, will continue to foster these types of events for our kids. An additional Lacey Middle School Speedball Tournament might be forthcoming before the end of the year.

Lacey speedball competition a success for the community

I would like to note that the next Gille Park Skate Park Evening Event will be held next Friday, May 19th, 2017, beginning at 6pm. There will be a live DJ playing music, along with a new Gaming Trailer made possible by the Lacey Municipal Police Foundation and the Lacey Municipal Alliance. Additionally, the Lacey Township Junior Policy Academy is scheduled to take place between July 10th and July 14th, 2017.  Twenty Middle School students will be participating in the academy. Furthermore, the Lacey Township Police Department is presently coordinating National Night Out for Lacey Township at Gille Park on Tuesday Evening, August 1, 2017.