The BERKELEY Times Vol. 31 - No. 34
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
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Government Page 7
Community News Pages 9
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 10
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Central’s Reeder Signs With Penn State University The Nittany Lions are in the FBS ( Football Bowl Subdivision), the highest level of NCAA Division I college football in the nation. It features 130-plus schools with 85 scholarships each. It is characterized by high revenue programs, massive stadium capacities and a 12-team televised playoff to determine the national champion. Following Reeder’s promotion into the Rivals300, he became a fourstar recruit, according to ESPN. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder is the Nittany Lions’ top -ran ked recr uit by R ivals300 and the Industry Rankings. Reeder signed in the Golden Eagles’ main gymnasium joined by his parents, Mitch and Karolyn, and sister Kira as well as his football, basketball and track and field teammates and coaches with athletics director John Scran. “I chose Penn State because of coach Photo courtesy John Scran (Matt) Campbell, its tradition, the Central Regional’s Elijah Reeder catches a pass for the guys and the atmosphere,” Reeder Golden Eagles. said. “Coach Campbell was always very transparent with the recruiting By Chris Christopher process. A lot of them (coaches) are like salesBERKELEY - It’s official. men. Mom and dad loved his transparency. Elijah Reeder will compete in major college He is a good guy. He runs a strict program. I football. picked the right guy. Everyone on the coaching The Central Regional High School senior staff is very phenomenal. This is a nice fit. has signed a National Letter of Intent to play “I am blessed and thankful to announce my defensive end and edge rusher at Penn State commitment to play football at Penn State to University on a full football scholarship. (Reeder Signs - See Page 4)
Woman Fostered Over 100 Puppies While Battling Rare Disease
Photo courtesy Sandy Cicora Danielle Cicora at her happiest, caring for others. VETERAN & FIRST RESPONDER
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By Stephanie Faughnan BERKELEY - Danielle E. Cicora never wanted her illness to define her. For more than half her life, the Toms River resident lived with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, a rare and debilitating nervous system disorder that left her on crutches at times, in a wheelchair at others, and occasionally unable to tolerate even the touch of fabric on her skin. But if you asked Danielle who she was, she wouldn’t have started with the diagnosis. She would have started with the puppies. Born November 10, 1989, Danielle passed away January 20, 2026, at age 36. She is survived by her mother, Sandy Cicora, her father, Mike, her brother, Michael, her significant other, Sean Tomesco and five devoted “furbabies” - Serenity, Minty, Stewie, Emmett and Akela. (Rare Disease - See Page 5)
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Flooding, Dredging Discussed By Council By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – With all the snow still on the ground, it’s tough to imagine that in only a few months, it will be spring. Berkeley Shores residents want to make sure the lagoons and beach are ready for warmer weather. The co-president of the Berkeley Shores Civic Association spoke about dredging and beach replenishment at Amherst Beach. A lot of sand blew into the inlet, he said at a recent Township Council meeting. This is a common problem in lagoon properties, as the sand is pushed around by tides and storms. The lagoons were manmade, and require frequent maintenance. The annual Blessing of the Fleet is coming up on Memorial Day, he noted, hoping that the waterways are shipshape long before then. Also relating to shore homeowners, officials (Flooding, Dredging - See Page 8)
Seniors Taught To Recognize AI And Disinformation By Sara Rafferty BRICK – Seniors learned how to spot artificial intelligence and disinformation at a talk hosted by the local library. Sarah Spellman, a volunteer for AARP, said she introduces elderly communities to the world of technology and how to protect themselves from scams. The most important part of Spellman’s presentation was her advice on detecting AI and avoiding scams. For deepfakes (fake images), look out for things that look too airbrushed. For example, a person’s undereye often looks much brighter, their hair appears blurred, etc. Pay close attention to a person’s body - AI often struggles to create the correct number of fingers and toes. Their muscle lines may not look entirely connected. If it’s an image of nature, pay attention to the lines on trees, the flower petals, or if the grass appears airbrushed. For voice cloning, fake voices are often much smoother than normal. A person’s natural accent (Disinformation - See Page 8)
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