By Rebecca Forandnj.com/south

While most people in South Jersey have spent the past 10 days avoiding the

oppress ive heat, one part of the population – the part that gives

the state its nickname – has been busy making sure the high temperatures don’t affect their crops.

Summer in the Garden State is known for blue-berries, corn, tomatoes, peaches and an abundance

of other fresh produce. But the weather is always a con-cern.

“I’ve been here 29 years, and I’ve never seen two sea-sons the same yet,” said Al Murray, the state’s assistant secretary of agriculture.

The fourth heat wave of this season is expected to expected to finish today with temperatures in the lower 90s. With the heat, though, often comes dry air.

Meaning, local crops aren’t getting enough water.

For area fruit farm-ers, this means making sure that irrigation is

(See HEAT, Page A-7S)

By Lauren T. Taniguchinj.com/south

Increased attention to the dangers of athlete head inju-ries has led the Pop Warner youth football league to make

changes to the organization’s rules for the 2012 season in favor of player safety.

Though not affiliated with Pop Warner and not yet officially required to change their ways, youth athletes in some Cumber-land County leagues also are play-ing the game with more protec-tions and safety precautions these days than in seasons past.

“Nowadays you can’t take the

chance, not with all the stuff going on – you just don’t know what all the risks are,” said Doug Buirch, president of the Bridgeton Midget Football League (BMFL). “Many

of us are old-time coaches, but we have to start changing our ways, and we’re changing a lot already with a progression toward even

(See CONCUSSIONS, Page A-5S)

By Phillip Tomlinsonnj.com/south

The possibility of ris-ing sea levels is a sobering concern for billions of peo-ple who inhabit the plan-et’s oceanic coasts. As the waters rise, what was once dry land may be subsumed by the world’s oceans.

Everything from houses, to industry, to the infra-structure that billions of people depend on may be threatened by the encroach-ing oceans.

The effects of rising sea levels are easy enough to imagine. What’s hard is finding solutions that peo-ple are willing to buy into, solutions that could cost millions of dollars and are designed to benefit inhab-itants of the future rather than the present.

But the future could be sooner than we think.

Findings recently pub-

lished in the journal Nature Climate Change identify an accelerated sea level rise along a 600-mile stretch of the Atlantic Coast that runs roughly from Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod.

This ‘hot spot’ encompass-es some of the most heav-ily developed and populated regions of the country.

In many coastal areas, especially South Jersey, millions of people not only live within a few feet of the ocean, but also depend on it for their livelihood. With sea levels projected by some scientists to rise by three feet within the next century, coastal populations must begin preparing as soon as possible.

But the debate on what to do, if anything, often becomes political.

Rising sea levels are often linked directly to global warming caused by human activity, an idea that many Americans dispute. A recent Gallup poll found that 52 percent of Americans think that the effects of global warming have already

For Jersey’s coast, rising seas a danger

(See SEA, Page A-6S)

BREAKING NEWS: nj.com/south Stormy, High 93, Low 71

Complete Forecast, Page A-2

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To farmers, the heat can be friend or foe

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■ Experts say the region is in an area that is seeing changes at an accelerated rate

Staff Photo by Cathy Cramer

High tide in Fortescue may get higher in the coming years due to a number of factors that are causing waters to rise, especially along the Atlantic Coast.

Lori A. Reaves, DOGeriatrician, Elder Care Specialist

Over a Decade Serving the Home Care Needs of South Jersey’s Medicare and Medicaid Recipients

GLOUCESTER • SALEM • CUMBERLAND • CAMDEN BURLINGTON • ATLANTIC • CAPE MAY • OCEAN COUNTIES

866.DOC.LORI www.vpasj.com3 6 2 . 5 6 7 4

Staff Photo by Britney Lillya

Salem County Improvement Authority Executive Director Deborah Turner-Fox (left) and Landfill Operations and Maintenance Manager Lynn Schmidt talk about the liner being laid down for the expansion of the landfill.

With increasing awareness of concussions, Pop Warner and other local youth sports leagues are taking more proactive steps

Staff Photo by Jesse Bair

Twelve-year-old Cejai Parrish poses with his helmet as Upper Deerfield Cumberland Midget Football League president and coach, Dan Grusemeyer, looks on. Grusemeyer anticipates that the Tri-County Midget Football League, which counts the Cumberland League among its participating organizations, will soon discuss new regulations and precautionary measures for its players.

COMING HEADTO A

SALEM COUNTY

“

“

I really think we’re in an infancy with concussions, in terms of education of our society, in diagnostic testing and culturally, putting too much pressure on kids when they ought to be resting.

–­ Dr. Seth Silver, South Jersey Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

By Michael Williams

nj.com/south

ALLOWAY TWP. — The first phase of a plan to extend the life of the Salem County Landfill by 20 years is progressing as expected, and should be completed by the end of August, officials said.

According to Executive Director of the Salem County Improvement Authority Deborah Turner Fox, a new 2.2-acre cell of the landfill is nearing completion, which will add another two years of life to the nearly filled landfill.

“Current space at the landfill can go up another 25 feet, and we expect to reach that by fall at our current rates of trash flow,” said Fox.

Work to offer layers of life to landfill

(See LANDFILL, Page A-9S)

■ Half of country baking. Page A-8.

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