ASBURY PARK PRESS

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ARMED MAN CAUGHT AT CAPITOL

PAGE 3B

TUESDAY 03.29.16

Rising demand, summers approach

may spell end of ultra-cheap driving

GAS
PRICES
GOING
UP, UP, UP?

Lawmakers
want $3M
for school
lead tests
$20M more would be
set aside to fund filters
BOB JORDAN @BOBJORDANAPP

A year in N.J. average gas prices

Start date

End date

Unleaded price

01/01/2015

01/31/2015

2.0538

02/01/2015

02/28/2015

2.0612

03/01/2015

03/31/2015

2.2199

04/01/2015

04/30/2015

2.2589

MICHAEL L. DIAMOND
IN THE MONEY

05/01/2015

05/31/2015

2.5183

06/01/2015

06/30/2015

2.5932

It was hard to miss.

Kevin Gersick, a contractor from
Old Bridge, drives his van 100 miles a
day and couldnt help but see that gasoline prices had jumped 26 cents a gallon
in the past month.
It makes a big difference, he said,
loading up supplies in the parking lot of
The Home Depot in Neptune on Monday. I expect it
to go a lot higher, too.
Gasoline prices are heading higher faster than
they fell analysts say, as part of a springtime ritual
that has motorists fondly remembering the good old
days of, say, March 1, when they could fill up for $18.
The sudden increase could leave consumers who
already arent spending a lot looking for ways to
save money. But prices arent expected to climb so
high as to convince consumers to take the obvious
step: Drive less.
If you havent filled up in a while, you might be in
for a surprise. The average price of gasoline in New

07/01/2015

07/31/2015

2.5621

08/01/2015

08/31/2015

2.3472

09/01/2015

09/30/2015

2.0709

10/01/2015

10/31/2015

1.9623

11/01/2015

11/30/2015

1.9731

12/01/2015

12/31/2015

1.9046

01/01/2016

01/31/2016

1.7712

02/01/2016

02/29/2016

1.6173

03/01/2016

1.6814

See GAS, Page 4A

The thing we all didnt see coming is

the surge in driving. Were going to
break all the records for gasoline
consumption.
TOM KLOZA,

TRENTON - State lawmakers want to find out

which New Jersey public schools have unsafe levels
of lead in their drinking water and spend millions to
correct the problems.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney and two other
Democrats on Monday outlined legislation that would
allocate $3 million for water testing twice a year at all
public schools and make $20 million available to install water system filters where required.
Thirty Newark schools had their water supplies
shut off earlier this month because of elevated lead
levels, amid questions about how long the problems
have persisted. The findings have invited inquiry
about water purity statewide, especially where buildings, piping and fixtures are old.
The proposal could escalate a budget fight lawmakers are having with Republican Gov. Chris Christie,
already reluctant to support a $10 million appropriation for a program removing lead paint from older
homes.
Christie and previous Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, both declined to make full investments in the
fund.
Interest in the topic precedes the Newark schools
grim findings. Elevated lead has been in New Jersey
headlines since an Asbury Park Press investigation
found that over several years, more than $50 million
for the states lead-paint protection fund was diverted
to pay routine state bills and salaries.
One of the persons who brought it to my attention
was Todd Bates (formerly) of the Asbury Park Press,
who stayed on top of it and did a great job, Sen. RonSee LEAD, Page 4A

OIL PRICE INFORMATION SERVICE

Robert Berlin of Manalapan was indicted on

charges including unlawful taking, theft by
deception and by failure to make required
dispensation of property, passing bad
checks and fraudulent credit card use.

Asbury Music in Film Fest has 25

submitted works in stacked lineup
Hall of Fame, said the festivals Matt
Hockenjos
Its eye-opening and informational, Hockenjos said. There are a lot of
untold stories that you havent seen in
the more well-known documentaries.
Let Me Down Hard, by Matawans
William DeVizia and showing 1:45 p.m.
Saturday, April 9, at the Parlor Gallery,
looks at the burgeoning hard rock and
metal scene in Asbury Park.
Asbury Parks Sun Lab Studio,
which records with solar energy, has
two videos in the fest: Lets All Go
Down to the River by Stringbean and
the Stalkers and Apeology by the
Homeless Apians. Both will be shown

CHRIS JORDAN @CHRISFHJORDAN

Its a weekend of P-Funk, Asbury Park

hard rock and solar-powered music
among the submitted features, shorts
and music videos that will be shown at
the Asbury Park Music in Film Festival,
April 8 to 10 at several venues in Asbury
Park.
Twenty-five features, shorts and
videos have just been announced; they
will be shown at the citys Parlor Gallery,
the Saint nightclub and the Wonder Bar.
The documentary Parliament Funkadelic, by former boxer Bobby J.
Brown and showing 12:15 p.m. Saturday,
April 9, at the Saint, will provide insight
into the legendary Plainfield funk group
who are members of the Rock and Roll

ADVICE
CLASSIFIED
COMICS
HEALTHY LIVING
LOCAL

7D
8D
6D
1D
3A

OBITUARIES
OPINION
SPORTS
TECH TUESDAY
WEATHER

See FILM, Page 4A

8A
11A
1C
6A
8C

VOLUME 137
NUMBER 76
SINCE 1879

AG: Ex-insurance
salesman stole
seniors savings
MICHAEL L. DIAMOND @MDIAMONDAPP

A Manalapan man was charged with stealing more

than $300,000 in life savings from a 90-year-old family
friend, leaving the woman on public assistance, the
New Jersey Attorney Generals Office said Monday.
Robert Berlin, 46, liquidated the Toms River womans $195,000 in annuity funds and sold nearly $111,000
worth of stocks, pocking the money for himself, according to an indictment.
If these allegations are true, Robert Berlin mercilessly victimized an elderly woman who trusted him
with her life savings, acting Attorney General Robert Lougy said in a statement.
Berlin was charged with two counts of unlawful
taking, two counts of theft by deception, theft by failure to make required dispensation of property received, passing bad checks and fraudulent use of
credit cards.
A representative for Berlin couldnt immediately
be reached for comment.
Berlin is a former insurance salesman whose license was revoked in 2008 for defrauding clients. AfSee STOLEN, Page 4A