The BERKELEY Times Vol. 29 - No. 42
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
How Will April 16 Vote Affect Kids, Taxes?
Central Regional Basketball Celebrates Two Big Wins
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 7
Community News Pages 8-13
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 16
By Stephanie Faughnan LAKEHURST - For many who live near the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, occasional tremors and thunderous reverberations that shake their homes are a familiar occurrence. The base even publishes a
Photos courtesy Central Regional High School boys basketball team The Central Regional Golden Eagles and their admirers celebrate how much the fundraiser made. By Chris Christopher BERKELEY - The Central Regional High School boys basketball team wrote more than one success story. The Golden Eagles captured Shore Conference Class B South (11-0 in division and Crossover) en route to a 22-5 overall record, tying their single-season program record for wins (22-6) set in 2016-17.
And they helped raise tens of thousands of dollars, hosting the eighth annual Jimmy V Showcase, an anti-cancer event. Central coach Mike Clemente, now in his sixth year of remission, was diagnosed in July of 2018 at the age of 33. “The wins were great,” Clemente said, “but what made this season special was the way we came together as a team and how
Jaycen Santucci dunks for Central Regional.
much each player truly cared about each other. There was zero animosity toward another player’s success. The boys wholeheartedly cheered for and celebrated each other. We were able to put things together on both ends of the floor. We utilized an aggressive, up tempo style on both ends of the floor. We tried to keep opponents uncomfortable.”
Residents Sound Off On Military Base’s Loud Noise monthly calendar to help residents anticipate the resounding noises related to military training exercises. However, the sounds seemed to travel much further last month than usual, triggering speculation and unease. Even longtime residents, who have grown accustomed
to the base’s activities, noted that this was an unusual occurrence, marking the first time they had noticed such widespread disturbance. “My house was shaking, and we have lived here for more than 20 years,” said Maria Hamilton of Columbus. “Definitely the strongest
percussion since we have lived here.” Social media became a platform for residents to share their experiences, with reports emerging from as far northwest as Hillsborough and as far northeast as Hazlet. In Medford, southwest of the base, residents reported windows rat-
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The top scorers were junior guard Jaycen Santucci and senior forward Miles Chevalier. Santucci averaged 21.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He buried 15 treys and 127 of 167 free throws. Chevalier averaged 13.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.0 steals per (Central Sports See Page 4)
tling late into the night, adding to the sense of unease. The loud rumbles also crossed state lines into Levittown and Lower Makefield, Pennsylvania. Theories ranged from the alarming – earthquakes or even war on
(Military - See Page 5)
April 6, 2024
By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – Officials said taxpayers in Toms River, Pine Beach, Beachwood, South Toms River and even Seaside Heights would see reduced taxes if the Toms River Regional School District takes in all Seaside Heights students. This was shared by Superintendent Michael Citta during information sessions before the April 16 referendum. A referendum is a special election. Residents in all of the above towns will be voting. If the “yes” votes win, the changes will come about in September with the 2024-2025 school year. However, if Seaside Heights votes “no” to regionalization, it doesn’t matter if Toms River votes “yes.” Speaking to residents and staff at Intermediate South’s cafetorium during one of three information sessions, Citta outlined the financial position that caused this to happen. Before S-2 and before current financial shortfalls, there was Superstorm Sandy. Sandy and the boardwalk fire gave a 1-2 punch in 2012 and 2013. The state provided special aid to the Seaside Heights school district. As a condition of this aid, Seaside had to do studies to see if they could save money by joining another district. This situation flowed out of that study.
Where Will Seaside Kids Go? There has been a lot of disinformation online about this very important topic. Part of this is because there are people intentionally misleading voters. Part of this is because the plan for Seaside kids changed a month ago. The Seaside kids currently go to the Hugh J. Boyd Jr. School for kindergarten through 6th, and then go to Central Regional for middle and high school. A February 27 letter from Toms River Schools’ attorney to the State Department of Education said that Boyd could stay open for the 2024-2025 school year and four years after. Staff and students would remain unchanged. Originally, Seaside Heights officials were going to close down the Boyd school. The plan approved by Acting Commissioner of Education Kevin Dehmer in March would keep Boyd open. The school would be run by a local principal but under the umbrella of Toms River Regional administration. This is the same situation as Beachwood, Pine Beach, and South Toms River elementaries. “Their staff would become part of our family,” Citta said. The kids might eventually go to East Dover (Vote - See Page 4)
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