The BERKELEY Times Vol. 31 - No. 36
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Coach Graichen Remembered By Hundreds
plenty of smiles, laughs and embraces. The event was more of a Celebration of Life than a solemn Visitation. “Love it, love it,” a son, Todd, said while greeting family and friends a few feet from his dad’s open casket. “A celebration. Great guy. What is so comforting is that so many people thought great things about him.” “I don’t know where to start,” another son, Chad, said while standing alongside his brother. “I am overwhelmed. Dad touched the hearts of so many people. He touched people’s lives. He is a legend and will forever be a legend. I will forever miss him.” In Graichen’s casket was a maroon and white sign in South’s colors that said, “Mr. (Coach Graichen - See Page 4)
(Central Regional - See Page 5)
Photos courtesy Jeffrey Potter Central Regional assistant coach Ed Graichen (right) celebrates a championship with Al Kunzman, the Golden Eagles’ head coach.
Government Page 7
Ed Graichen enjoyed his retirement.
Community News Pages 8-10
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 20
By Chris Christopher BERKELEY - Ed Graichen meant a lot to a lot of people. As a husband, father, grandfather, allaround family man, athletics coach and educator, the 1965 Toms River High School graduate left an indelible stamp on thousands. Graichen, lost to natural causes at the age of 79, was honored by hundreds of admirers with a four-hour Visitation at the Anderson & Campbell Funeral Home in Toms River and a Funeral Mass at the St. Barnabas Catholic Church in Berkeley. There were few tears. Instead, there were
Should Central Regional Get Even More Regional? By Chris Lundy BERKELEY - Results were presented from a study about what would happen if the towns that send their kids to Central Regional Middle School and High School formed one district. Currently, Central has kids from Berkeley, Ocean Gate, Island Heights, Seaside Park and Seaside Heights. A regionalization study was made to determine what would happen if Central also took on the elementary schools. Much has been made in the past about changing the school structure, since the Seasides have to drive past Toms River schools to get to Central. Toms River even tried to take Seaside Heights under their wing last year but that fell through. There was also a political football being passed around during some board of education elections ages ago with candidates promising to unite Central and the Berkeley Township School District, but nothing ever came of this. Regionalization has become a buzzword again under former Governor Phil Murphy, especially in light of how many local districts lost state aid because of Trenton lawmakers. The theory is that regionalization would save money. The study was done to test that theory. This was possibly the first serious look into what would happen if Central took on all of the students of all five towns. The presentation was given by the Rowan School Regionalization Institute, a group of educational experts who were retained to determine if it would, in fact, save money. They were also tasked to look at some other important topics that can’t be measured the same way money can, such as educational opportunities for children. The Regionalization Institute members said this is the fifth such study they’ve done. They presented their findings to the public
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
February 28, 2026
Consumer Affairs Makes A Difference
By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER - A grieving widow waited months for her husband’s headstone. A senior feared he would soon be living in his van. A shopper bought meat stamped “fresh” that investigators later said was not. Those cases may seem unrelated, but they all landed on the desk of the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs. During a recent Ocean County Board of Commissioners meeting, Director Ronald Heinzman offered a detailed look at the work his department performs when residents feel they have run out of options.
Underwear Run Draws Attention To Good Cause
Price Gouging Explained Following the late January ice and snowstorm that preceded February’s blizzard, Consumer
By Chris Lundy JERSEY SHORE – As a reporter, I’m asked to cover a number of special events throughout the year: fundraisers, street festivals, etc. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to take part in the event and write the article about my experiences. Fortunately for you, this is not that article. There were, however, a few dozen other people who braved the cold weather and ran in their underwear to raise money for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. They assembled at the Beachcomber Bar and Grill in Seaside Heights, spending a few hours on registration, drinks and dancing before the run kicked off. According to the Children’s Tumor Foundation, NF occurs in approximately 1 in every 2,000 births. NF refers to a group of genetic conditions that cause tumors to grow on nerves.
(Consumer Affairs - See Page 16)
(Underwear Run - See Page 19)
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