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T E L L T H E M Y O U S A W I T I N T H E H E R A L D
by ALLAN DEAN LITTLE SILVER, NJ — A new brochure and website, created by boy scouts, provides a glimpse into the rich history of Little Silver.Kent Munson, an Eagle Scout candidate, is a 16 year old sophomore at High Tech High School, Lincroft, and a member of Boy Scout Troop #126, Little Silver. Munson worked with other scouts to develop the site and brouchure.
The brochure is intended to guide someone on a historical walk through Little Silver, and tell them about some of the historic sites past and present in the town. The website has more in-depth information about the sites themselves. The historic sites include: Parker-Sickles Homestead, Edie's, Embury Methodist Church, The Little Silver Grammar School, Little Silver Post Office, Quackenbush's Grocery, The Little Silver Nature Trail, St. John's Episcopal Church, The Train Station, and Lovett's Nursery.
Munson said, "The eagle project was not all my idea; it was largely the brainchild of a past scoutmaster in the troop." Using as primary sources The Sketchbook of Little Silver, by June Kennedy; Images of America: Little Silver, by Karen L. Schnitzpahn; The History of Little Silver as told by Miss Julia Parker, videotape, 1989; Munson and the other scouts and leaders compiled photos and other information into a website created by Thomas Siegwarth. Original photos were by Alena Buhler. The Dorn family and Keith Wells also provided archival photos. You can visit the website here: Website The accompanying brochure can be downloaded here: Brochure (adobe acrobat reader req.)
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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ — The Eighth Annual Atlantic Highlands Fireman's Fair will be held beginning Wednesday, July 2 and running through Saturday, July 5, 2003 in the Municipal Harbor. The fair begins each night at 6pm and runs until 11pm. All proceeds benefit the Atlantic Highlands Fire Department that is an all Volunteer organization. This year, McCafferty Enterprises will have over fourteen rides for all ages to enjoy and Palatin Amusements will have twelve games of chances to try your luck. Thursday, Friday and Saturday night are "Pay One Price" for the rides. Pay one price each night and enjoy riding all the amusements all night. The County Store will also make a return this year will bigger and better prizes then before. The Atlantic Highlands First Aid Squad will have the dunk tank in operation. The Grand Prize will be a $1,000.00 gift certificate to the Monmouth Mall. Second prize will be a $500.00 gift certificate to the Monmouth Mall and the third prize will be a $250.00 gift certificate to the Super Foodtown of Atlantic Highlands. Tickets come in $5.00 books or can be purchased separately for $1.00 each. They can be purchased from any fireman or at the Fair grounds during the fair. The Grand Raffle winning tickets will be drawn on Saturday night at 11:00 p.m. This year we invite you to enjoy our new Food Court area. The Atlantic Highlands Fire Department, the Memphis Pig Out, Cast-a-ways Inn and others will prepare a menu that all will enjoy. Don’t cook at home…. Come to the Fair and enjoy home cooked Hamburgers, Hot dogs, Barbecued Chicken, Philly Cheese Steaks, Pizza, Freedom Fries, Chicken Nuggets, Mozzarella Sticks and beverages that will be available. Hot Pretzels will be sold by the Atlantic Highlands Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. On Wednesday evening at 9:30 p.m. the Borough of Atlantic Highlands in conjunction with the Harbor Commission, will hold the annual Fireworks display. This year the fire works will be discharged from a barge that will be located in the water. The rain date is Thursday. If you would like to volunteer some of your time to assist the Fire Department or if you have any questions, please call 732-291-2002 and leave a message.
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by ALLAN DEAN ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ — The Grim Reaper was in court Monday to answer charges of possession of stolen property, criminal mischief and harassment of Keansburg Mayor Michael Minervini. The case stems from an incident November 1 last year when Ron Napp, dressed as the Reaper, was protesting in front of Keansburg Borough Hall. Mr. Napp was using a sign created from portions of real estate signs owned by Mayor Minervini, a prominent realtor in the community. Napp, 53, Keansburg, said he found the broken signs on his front lawn in the morning following mischief night and was using them to protest the building of condos in town, saying the school system and the town's infrastructure could not handle the additional load. An ardent United for Change critic, Napp also said he was opposed to the Mayor and Council's policy of allowing only 5 minutes per person for public comment during Council meetings. The trial began in April before Municipal Judge Peter Locasio in Atlantic Highlands where the case was moved and was continue last Monday. In a plea agreement, Napp agreed to plead guilty to a municipal disorderly persons offense and was fined $150 plus $30 court costs. He was also order to reimburse Mayor Minervini $153 for the metal real estate signs. Mr. Napp had filed countercharges of harassment, and interference with a peaceful protest against the Mayor but dropped those charges in the plea deal. ../news/2003/0612/grim_reaper.htm PRINT THIS ARTICLE 
New Jersey’s 21 Sheriff’s Offices to Participate FREEHOLD, NJ — Sheriff’s Association of New Jersey (SANJ) President Joseph W. Oxley is proud to announce the first bi-annual Non-Support Sweep for the new fiscal year. Beginning at 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 11, 2003, the three-day, intensive, statewide crackdown on deadbeat parents culminates on the afternoon of Friday, June 13, 2003. The Non-Support Sweep, which includes the participation of all 21 New Jersey Sheriff’s Offices, is hosted in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development. The goal of the bi-annual Non Support Sweep is to apprehend non-custodial parents who have failed to pay their court-ordered child support. Additional targets include parents who have failed to appear at court hearings to establish a child support order or order for medical support. “The Sheriff’s Association of New Jersey is collaborating across county lines and concentrating efforts to hold delinquent parents accountable,” Sheriff’s Association of New Jersey President Joseph W. Oxley said. “The Non Support Sweep serves as a reminder to deadbeat parents that they are in violation of the law and will be brought to justice.” Over 350 Sheriff’s Officers statewide are scheduled to participate in the Non-Support Sweep. The 21 county law enforcement agencies will canvas the state and attempt 2,341 warrants on delinquent parents. The 2002 statewide Non-Support Sweep was responsible for apprehending 605 delinquent parent arrests across New Jersey and collecting $262,445. “The Sheriff’s Association of New Jersey is extremely proud of the law enforcement officers participating in the Non Support Sweep,” Sheriff Oxley said. “The commitment of sheriff’s officers statewide and the cooperation of local law enforcement agencies will lead to another successful sweep.” For more information, call the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office at (732) 294-5901 or log onto www.sheriffoxley.com
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by ALLAN DEAN RAF CROUGHTON, UK — Ryan C. Gowers, Atlantic Highlands, who is serving overseas in the U.S. Air Force at RAF Croughton in the United Kingdom, was recently promoted to Senior Airman. Gowers, a life long resident of Atlantic Highlands is a 2000 graduate of Henry Hudson Regional School, Highlands. He has been in the military for 2 and a half years, most of that time in the UK. Senior Airman Gowers is due for a permanent change of station (PCS) in January of 2004, according to an email received by the AHHerald from him. He is uncertain where he will be sent but is likely to end up stateside. There is speculation, though, that with things heating up in Korea he may end up there, or in the Iraqi theater according to his mother, Denise Gowers. He will be eligible to test for a promotion to Staff Sergeant sometime next year and become a Non-Commissioned Officer.
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LONG BRANCH, NJ — The Fourth Annual Beach Run for Clean Water was held this past Friday, June 6th at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, Long Branch. A beautiful summer evening and a perfect night for a run on the beach. It was a tough 3 miler along the sand on the beach in Long Branch on Friday Night. But the participants survived and were greeted to a great post race party and awards ceremony.
The event is a benefit for Clean Ocean Action, and included a 3-mile beach/promenade run, a two-mile fitness walk, and children's beach races. The top finishers were repeat winners in both male and female divisions: Bob Horn, 27, Brick finished in a time of 18:24, followed by twin bother Tim in a time of 18:38. Lauren Rhatigan, 39 Brant Beach, won the women's crown in a time of 21:19. Finishing out the top 3 positions were Alex Fowlie, 23, Middletown, 18:49 for the men, and Lisa Wilhelm, 40, Little Egg Harbor, 22:16, and Joy Jaworowski, 41, Jersey City, 22:21 for the women. In addition to the top finishers awards were presented to the first three in each age group division. Amenities also included exciting prizes coordinated by Kelley Marron-Halstead of Rumson, race refreshments, and custom designed T -shirts for all registrants. "The run was a great opportunity for participants to see the new development along the Long Branch coast and enjoy a unique running event that encompasses the beach and boardwalk area," said Race Director, Phil Hinck. This year's race saw an increase in numbers since it has been added to the Jersey Shore Grand Prix, continued Hinck. Sponsors of the event included: Drazin and Warshaw, Monmouth Cardiology Associates, Sallee Tee's Grille, Promenade Beach Club and Fitness Center, Rooney's Ocean Crab House, Applied Development Company, Matzel & Mumford, Super Foodtown of West End and Christopher J. Rooney, D.M.D. The Beach Run is integral to the success of Clean Ocean Action's continuous efforts to improve the degraded quality of the marine waters off our coast. The protection of the ocean is not only key to our quality of life, but also to our economic well being. "This event is not only good for the ocean, but it's good for the participants as well. The run supports Clean Ocean Action's efforts to keep the ocean healthy. We greatly appreciate the Jersey Shore Running Club's initiative and hard work to coordinate this fun event," said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director of Clean Ocean Action.
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Three-Month Program Involved Upwards of 2,000 Scouts, Collecting Hundreds of Items Packed into Hospital Overnight Bags for Parents of Seriously Ill Newborns MATAWAN, NJ – The Monmouth Council of Boy Scouts packed and delivered over 150 hospital stay bags to five area hospitals to assist a local charity called the Michael Gerard Puharic Memorial Fund, Inc. (Michael’s Feat). For the past three months, upwards of 2,000 cub scouts, boy scouts and venturers collected needed items for Michael’s Feat overnight bags that are given to parents of seriously ill newborns.
The bags include “creature comforts” such as razors, shampoo, toothbrushes, disposable cameras, prepaid phone cards and other hygiene products, to provide support for parents and ease their burden as they care for their sick infants. In just over one year since the project’s inception, over 165 overnight bags have been distributed. “When you learn that your newborn infant is seriously ill, the last thing on your mind is packing a razor or a toothbrush, and that is why this overnight bag project was created," Dana Puharic, Founder/Chairman of the Michael Gerard Puharic Memorial Fund said. “The Monmouth Council of Boy Scouts have truly lived up to the meaning of doing a good turn for a neighbor – especially for the neighbors that Michael’s Feat work with.” The Michael Gerard Puharic Memorial Fund Inc. has been established to support, give comfort and ease the burden for parents caring for seriously ill newborns. Michael’s Feat was created in loving memory of a local couple’s newborn son Michael, who died after an 83-hour battle with a serious chromosome disorder. To date, the fund provided over $26,000 of support through the donation of needed items enabling parents to care for their ill children. Michael’s Feat also raises awareness to serious medical conditions that affect newborns. In addition to the overnight bag project, the Michael’s Feat 3rd annual “Country Jamboree” family BBQ is scheduled for Saturday, July 26th, 1 to 5 pm. This year’s event will offer live music, fine food, pony rides for the kids, crafts table, sno-cone machine, potato sack races, a clown, and much more. There will also be a 50/50 raffle and gift basket auction. Adult price is $15 and children are $6. “Michael’s Feat, his accomplishment is that in just four short days, he was able to impact and make the difference for more people than most of us are able to achieve in a much longer life span,” Dana Puharic said. “If we can help a parent spend more time with their seriously ill newborn - providing the love that child needs without worrying about the distractions of every-day necessities – then we know we can help continue Michael’s message and his mission.” To attend the Michael Gerard Puharic Memorial Fund, Annual Barbecue on July 26, please contact Dana Puharic at (732) 239-7887 or log onto www.michaelsfeat.org.
../news/2003/0612/scouts_michaels_feat.htm HOWELL, NJ — The Monmouth County Fire Academy held a "Graduation Weekend" recently with 101 firefighters from 40 towns graduating in two separate ceremonies. Most students came from Monmouth County, but some 23 students came from as far away as Manchester and Whiting, in central Ocean County, and Monroe, Piscataway and Carteret, in Middlesex County. Firefighters from neighboring counties are trained at the Monmouth Fire Academy if their fire companies have a mutual aid pact with a Monmouth County fire company. Among the graduates were 5 women who successfully completed the 12-week course. Fifty students graduated on Saturday, with 51 graduating on Sunday. There are some 140 fire companies in Monmouth County. The Fire Academy is a facility provided by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders at no cost to the fire companies. . The firefighter training program offered through the Monmouth County Fire Academy, located on Route 33, in Howell Township, was developed to provide a means of training students in the arts of firefighting and emergency medical procedures, such as CPR. The purpose of this program is to help meet the needs of the increasing the ranks of the volunteer fire companies. When the students complete the training they will have qualified for state certification as a firefighter. Freeholder Theodore J. Narozanick was the principal speaker at the graduation ceremonies on Saturday. He urged the new firefighters to follow in the footsteps of the past and current cadre of firefighters "who have distinguished themselves by their service to their community." "You alone stand between your neighbors and disaster," he said, as he pointed out that firefighters are often called upon to save lives and property under very stressful conditions. The students graduating on Saturday were: Frank Alfano, of Union Beach; Scott G. Arnold, of Manalapan; Christopher A. Basciano, of Hazlet; Andrew D. Bennett, of Long Branch; Sean J. Bittner, of Cliffwood; Philip Bond, Jr., of Jackson; Richard H. Bowker, Jr., of Whiting; Sean Brown, of Morganville; Sean P. Brown, of Hightstown; Joseph T. Chiusano, of Freehold Township; Rob Cullen, of Hazlet; Michael S. D’Addario, of Whiting; Mark A. Dembinski, of Hazlet; Jeffrey L. Emmons, of Whiting; Christopher A. Fox, of Jackson; John Frankowski, Jr., of Brick; Ronald A. Givens, Jr., of Union Beach; Bryan P. Gleason, of West Long Branch; Laszlo Gyimesi, of Freehold Township; Michele Hadden, of Old Bridge; Kyle E. Johnson, of Howell; Keith Keiling, of Middletown; Robert L. Kely, of Long Branch; Kathy L. Licata, of Union Beach; Brian T. Lowndes, of Manalapan; Chris C. Lowther, of Union Beach; Daniel M. McNichol, of Manalapan; Alyson Mordes, of Tinton Falls; Brian J. Munson, of Long Branch; Steven J. Perjatel, of Manalapan; Nicholas D. Polo, of Freehold Township; Ted C. Runyon, of Howell; Daniel S. Ryan, of Howell; David Santini, of Cream Ridge; Christopher J. Scanlon, of Hazlet; Robert J. Shahinian, of Jackson; Chris M. Smith, of Cliffwood Beach; Robert C. Steiner, of Hazlet; Jack S. Tracy, of Shrewsbury; Orlando Vasquez, of Manalapan; Eric J. Wahl, of Long Branch; Greg D. Walters, of Keyport; Melissa K. Williams, of Manchester; Christine M. Wilson, of Union Beach; James R. Wolcott, of Manchester; Patrick T. Wood, of Hazlet. Graduating on Sunday were: Baruch G. Abisror, of Elberon; Brice J. Alemany, of Lakewood; Steven W. Arey, of Wall Township; Scott Bedle, of Morganville; Theodore F. Belasco, of Neptune City; Rob E. Brewer, of Wall Township; Dennis G. Buchanan, of Keansburg; David C. Byrne, of Monroe Township; Kevin M. Byrne, of Monroe; James Caulfield, of Morganville; Willie G. Chavez, of Cliffwood Beach; Angelo Costagliola, of Freehold Township; Dustin T. Cotta, of Neptune; Roman V. Dolgykh, of Keyport; Richard Esposito, of Morganville; Ryan K. Fitzpatrick, of Wall Township; James J. Freeman, of Manasquan; Vincent J. Geiger, of Wall Township; Kieran T. Gormely, of Keyport; Dillon J. Gourley, of Asbury Park; Sean Hunt, of East Windsor; Ronald E. Jennings, of Allenwood; Frank R. Johatgen, of Long Branch; Todd D. Jones, of Monmouth Beach; Richard A. Liskowitz, of Howell; Pablo Martinez, of Manchester; Daniel L. McCabe, of Oakhurst; William Mersereau, of Freehold Township; Joseph Moscatiello, of Keyport; William G. Newberry, of Wall Township; Beniamino A. Paolucci, of Freehold Township; Richard M. Pasko, Jr., of Long Branch; Stephen D. Rohn, of Wall Township; Ricky V. Romano, of Howell; Joseph J. Ryan, of Neptune City; John A. Sahatjian, of Wall Township; Thomas Schick, of Lakewood; Joe D. Sgroi, of Colts Neck; Dan J. Shaw, of Farmingdale; Christopher M. Smith, of Barnegat; Bob C. Spalitta, of Howell; Shawn P. Thomas, of Morganville; Darrell W. Valance, of Holmdel; Rob L. Walker-Branchaud, of West Keansburg; Robert M. Waters, of Jackson; Michael A. Wojcik, of Jackson. Timothy J. Smith, the County Fire Marshal, supervises the Fire Academy and with William Itlinger serving as Training Officer.
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JACKSON, NJ — New Jersey’s Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH) will host its 19th Annual Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Day at Six Flags Great Adventure, in Jackson, NJ, on Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. “Besides being a wonderful social event for our non-hearing community, DDHH uses its annual awareness events to educate the public about various communication tools available. We will have tools such as interpreters, assistive listening device (ALDS) and captioning for those who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late Deafened and Deaf-Blind, available in the Showcase Theater during the performance,” said Brian C. Shomo, Director of DDHH. The internationally acclaimed Russian ensemble, Theater TOYS, whose members are all deaf themselves, will be the day’s main attraction, performing at 2 p.m. in the Showcase Theater. Their unique style incorporates various theater genres -- pantomime, dance and clowning -- so that anyone, regardless of language, race, age and belief will understand and enjoy the show, explained Shomo. Special features available will include FM Assistive Listening Devices at show facilities, Guest Accessibility Guidebooks and TTY phones at special Guest Relations, Security and First Aid stations in the Main Park and in Safari Park, plus wheelchairs and strollers for rent. Other special stations will include an Awareness Day Ticket Booth, Photo Greeters, and a Photo Booth for photo pick-up. Other shows will include the Bugs Bunny Kids Show, Dolphin Show, and Water Ski Show. DDHH works with the New Jersey Association of the Deaf (NJAD) and other Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing organizations on the fund raising and ticket sales and schedules all performers for the Awareness Day program, which is funded by AT&T NJ Relay Services. For more information, call the NJ Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Hotline: 1-800-792-8339 V/TTY.
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The Guild of Creative Arts Features Three Artists in July SHREWSBURY, NJ — Just in time for the summer season, "Signs of Summer", an exhibit of oil paintings by Judy Stach and of oil paintings and pastels by Lea Colie Wight, will open at the Guild of Creative Art on June 28, and run through July 23, 2003. An opening reception will be held on Sunday, July 6 from 3 to 5 pm. Judy, a resident of Little Silver, utilizes an impressionistic approach to her work. Her focus is on the waterways and outdoor natural settings that she experienced throughout her life, carrying out the initial stages of painting "en plain air". Known throughout the East Coast, she has been exhibiting at numerous galleries since 1996 and twice at the Cork Gallery in Lincoln Center. Judy, is listed in The Biographical Encyclopedia of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers. Lea Wight, a resident of Manasquan, is a realist painter whose work involves figurative, still life, and landscapes. She is an associate member of The Pastel Society of America and is currently studying under Nelson Shanks at the Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia. She shows primarily at Main Street Gallery in Manasquan which she opened in 1980. The mini-gallery will show artistic designs and water colors by Beverly Golembeski. Her exhibit is entitled "Under the Sea". Now an art instructor, Ms. Golembeski has won numerous awards for her watercolors, and exhibits throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The youngest students of Leslie Backlund-Berg, a Guild instructor, will hang in the studio during July. The Guild of Creative Art is at 620 Broad St., Shrewsbury, opposite the Grove. More Information about the Guild and its offerings, which include classes as well as exhibits, may be obtained by calling (732) 741-1441. You may also visit the Guild’s Web Site http://www.guildofcreativeart.com.
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by Kim Ruane
Mugsie had been a beloved companion and active participant in his family's life, the center of their universe. But when triplets arrived, there was little time for Mugsie. For the next two years, he spent most of his life in a crate, separated from those he loved. Boredom and loneliness took hold and Mugsie reacted much as any dog would-he began licking his paws. By the time he arrived at the Monmouth County SPCA, his incessant licking had taken its toll. Open, infected wounds had developed on two of his paws, one so deep that the bone was exposed. Vets predicted the wounds would never heal and that Mugie's condition, called lick granuloma, was so advanced that it was believed irreversible. The prognosis was grim: amputation or euthanasia. Enter Dr. Harvey and Wendy Cohen, owners of Dr. Harvey's/Health Foods for Pets and People, Atlantic Highlands. The Cohens also own manufacturing company named Dr. Harvey's that is dedicated to making all natural and organic products for cats, dogs, birds and horses. After hearing of Mugsie's plight from one of our volunteers, they agreed to foster him in the hope that their holistic approach to healing might help save Mugsie's leg and his life.
Today, only two months later, the wounds that nearly cost Mugsie's life are eighty percent healed. A full recovery is expected. And his heart has been healed, as well. Mugsie has become a permanent member of the Cohens' family of five other dogs and eight birds. Now, instead of languishing alone in a crate all day, Mugsie spends his days at Dr. Harvey's store, socializing with his cherished new family and greeting customers. His new life is a far cry from the one he left behind.
It took a long time and great sorrow for him to get there but Mugsie has finally found his rightful place in life. To the staff and volunteers of the Monmouth County SPCA, Mugsie's story affirms our belief in Karma. The Monmouth County SPCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the people and saving the pets of the community. The shelter is located at 260 Wall Street, Eatontown, New Jersey. Visit our website at www.monmouthcountyspca.org. Dr. Harvey's/Health Food for Pets and People is located on 81 First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands. Their philosophy is to provide the finest all-natural products for animals available anywhere. Visit their website at www.drharveys.com. ../news/2003/0612/mc_spca_mugsie.htm PRINT THIS ARTICLE
Rekha Datta of Marboro Selected for her Dedication and Passion for Teaching WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Monmouth University today announced that it has awarded Rekha Datta of Marboro, New Jersey, its coveted “Distinguished Teacher Award” for 2003. “Rekha Datta is one of Monmouth University’s finest teacher-scholars who brings her expertise in to the classroom and beyond,” said Dr. Thomas Pearson, Monmouth University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. “She is hailed for her ability to engage students in debate, her rapport with students, and her respect and sensitivity to student comments. She has inspired and empowered many students and members of the community through her leadership, dedication and passion for teaching.” Dr. Rekha Datta is Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science at Monmouth University. From 1995-2000, she was Director of Global Perspectives at Monmouth University, which oversees and implements global education in the curriculum. She has contributed to raising the standards and the quality of instruction at the university and has used innovative pedagogical techniques using technology and interactive teaching and learning strategies. She is deeply committed to student involvement and leadership on and off campus and advises several student organizations. In 2001, with partial funding from the Judith Stanley Travel Fellowship, she helped create a voluntary group of students, faculty, and staff at Monmouth University called the Global Understanding Project. The mission of this project is to foster better understanding of local and global issues and cultures through community outreach, curriculum development, and collaborative, interdisciplinary programs and conferences. Dr. Datta is the author of Why Alliances Endure: The United States-Pakistan Alliance, 1954-1971. She has also co-edited, with Judith Kornberg, a volume titled: Changing Roles of Women: An International Perspective. Her research interests focus on issues of development and women, security, and international relations and organization. Her current research include projects on women in India, technology transfer and third world countries, and a project on surveying economists who return to their home countries after completing studies in the USA and human security in India and Pakistan. She is also co-editing a volume titled: Changing Roles of Women: An International Perspective. She received a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Connecticut in 1990. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Presidency College, Calcutta, and a master’s degree from Calcutta University.
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TINTON FALLS, NJ — Bar Anticipation recently held a rally at their Belmar establishment to thank our troops and support the military through the American Red Cross. The day was filled with music, raffles, food, fun and a patriotic ceremony honoring America, our troops and veterans. Bar Anticipation generously donated a BBQ for attendees and provided t-shirts for the first 250 people who entered. Entertainment was also donated by Monmouth County Pipes and Drums, The Patriotic Voice of America- Petty Officer Jim Cava, MC Mike Ardi, DJ Mike Nice, Paul Cilinski, Mike Dalton Band, Rory Daniels and Ron & Jeff. The $3,000 collected from donations at the entrance of the event was donated to the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services. This money is helping the Red Cross provide U.S. troops and their families with emergency communications services, access to financial assistance, verification of information required for emergency leave, counseling, family support and veterans assistance. As the only organization mandated by Congress to provide emergency communications for the U.S. Armed Forces, the Red Cross communication link operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. For American service members and their families, the Red Cross is a lifeline, assisting more than 1,100 families daily with urgent messages regarding a serious illness, death of a loved one or the birth of a child.
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Projects Planned to Upgrade Training Facility MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A trip to the Middletown Fire Academy make its clear that the township’s all-volunteer has great cause to celebrate during their 75th anniversary this year.
Middletown Fire Academy Director Jerry Long and Jersey City Fire Captain Mike Conlon, who both serve on the academy’s board of directors, were instrumental in bringing career firefighters to the township’s fire academy. Twelve academy instructors, who also serve as volunteer firefighters, and two Jersey City battalion chiefs are providing the training to 39 trainees from Jersey City, one from Bayonne and one from the North Hudson Regional Fire Department. The trainees will spend 40 hours a week in Middletown for six weeks culminating in a graduation ceremony on June 27, 2003 at Liberty State Park. Plans are underway to hold another training class in July for paid firefighters from Jersey City and Elizabeth’s career departments. Meanwhile the academy has received a new training device this spring, the flashover chamber. The chamber is used to teach firefighters how to recognize and handle a “flashover”, which is what happens when the contests of a room reach a temperature that will allow the entire room to burst into flame. The academy will be one of two training facilities in the state that can offer this flashover training. The Fire Department is also working with township’s other emergency service departments and officials to consider the feasibility of expanding the academy to provide an emergency operations center and training facilities for the police departments, Gilmartin said. The Fire academy, which was founded in 1974 is certified by the NJ Division of Fire Safety. Initial and continuing training is provided to about 400 Middletown firefighters annually and 350 firefighters from 55 other municipalities annually.
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LINCROFT, NJ — Bob Killian, singer-composer and founder of the Annual Clearwater Festival and Monmouth County Friends of Clearwater, will perform in concert on Friday, June 27 at 8pm at The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County, 1475 West Front St., Lincroft, NJ. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Monmouth County Clearwater.
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TINTON FALLS, NJ – Today, Senate President, John O. Bennett, addressed Seabrook’s residents at a press conference regarding his opposition to Governor McGreevey’s proposed tax increase on New Jersey’s nursing home residents. He explained that in 20 days, per the Constitution, the Governor must enact a balanced budget for 2004. “If Governor McGreevy gets his way, he would impose eight new tax increases on New Jerseyans including a substantial tax on nursing home residents,” said Senator Bennett. The “Nursing Home Quality of Care Assurance Fund Act” would tax nursing home residents -- who pay their own bills – at an additional $1.00 per day. Senator Bennett explained that if passed, this Act would tax the 82 Renaissance Gardens at Seabrook residents, who are of the middle income population segment, a total of over $28,000. “And that’s just for one facility – there are over 2,000 nursing home residents throughout New Jersey who would fall into this same category,” said Senator Bennett. He also stated that “The members of the Republican Senate do not believe it is necessary to tax the most vulnerable segment of our population in order to help Governor McGreevey dig himself out of a budget deficit.”
Mr. Unkle’s feelings were echoed by Jack Cunningham, President, Resident Council, Seabrook, who encouraged Seabrook’s residents to continue opposing this tax. Senator Bennett said that he is meeting with the budget committee tomorrow and will be issuing suggestions to McGreevey by the end of the week for cutting back on government spending to balance the budget, rather than hurting defenseless nursing home residents.
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by Carol MacAllister June 14th is America's official Flag Day. A renewed interest in displaying the American Flag revived shortly after the 9-11 atrocity. "Old Glory" lined our streets, flew from our homes and hung in work places. What a grand and inspiring display of patriotism. Grade school history teaches us how Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia upholsterer and friend of George Washington showed her ability to cut a five-pointed star in a single snip as she nimbly hand-stitched our first American Flag. On June 14, 1777, The Continental Congress resolved that the US flag be thirteen stripes alternating in red and white and the union be thirteen stars in a blue field representing a new constellation. In 1814, during the attack on Baltimore's Fort McHenry, our flag's lofty flutter inspired Francis Scott Key to write the grand song, "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Correct display of the flag is confusing because there are many rules set by the government. Generally, if the flag flies at night, it should be lighted. If the American Flag is among a display of other flags, it should be at the highest point and most prominent, except when it is part of a display of two or more nations' flags. In an auditorium, the flag should be at the speaker's right as he faces the audience. If the flag is suspended vertically, the union should be to the viewer's left. In parades, the American Flag should be carried on a staff and fly freely instead of being tacked down. Flag manufactures can suggest the ratio of flag size to pole heights for proper proportion and recommend fabrics for particular applications. Rules for specific flag usage can be found in the US Code, Title 4, Chapter 1 - The Flag. Our government has issued a long list of official days when our flag should fly at full mast and half-mast: a flag at half-mast indicates mourning, a flag displayed up-side down is a distress signal. A special opportunity is provided by our government: One can purchase an American flag that has been hoisted over our nation's capital. Take pride in our American symbol. Fly the flag proudly, correctly and in good condition.
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OMINOUS WARNING FOR PREACHERS AND JOURNALISTS The recent resignations at The New York Times over the falsified articles written by Jason Blair and Rick Bragg, reminded me of the words found at the conclusion of Revelation: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” Rev. 22:18-19. The word for prophet in the Jewish language meant mouthpiece. Most of the prophets acknowledged that they were God’s mouthpieces. God chose them to speak for Him and not for themselves or about themselves. Their introduction lines were: Thus saith the Lord. When prophet Amos prophesied, many people did not like what he said and they asked him to stop prophesying and return to his hometown. Here is his reply: “I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of the sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go prophesy to my people Israel.” Now then, hear the word of the Lord.” (Amos 7:14-15) Preachers and journalists today are called to present the truth. It does not mean that they should not have opinions, but their opinions have to be stated as such. When I am drawn into a discussion I like to state that this position is based on the Scripture or that this is speculative theology or strictly personal opinion. Journalists are called to do the same – they can write articles in which the truth of the story is dominant or they can write editorials which is heavy on personal conclusions. One of my college professors used to say that he would like for everyone to be in heaven. He reflected some more and then added that probably he would exclude people such as Stalin, Hitler and Idi Amin. Preachers are called, especially when there are sudden deaths in families to give assurance for places in heaven for the dearly departed. Yet as a Christian minister the only thing that he could say was “If your beloved relative believed, here is what the Lord Jesus Christ promised. If he did not believe, there is no promise I can give you.” Preachers and journalists are in the business of persuasion. No preacher stands in the pulpit on Sunday morning solely for an oratorical exercise. He wants to convince the people of what he says. Likewise, no journalist writes an article simply for the fact that the paper needs a filler. He writes to persuade the people and make them believe of the truthfulness of what he writes. Apostle James knowing the power of the spoken and printed word writes these words: “Those of us who teach can expect a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1) This verse and the one from Revelation are frightening words, but if we present the truth in our preaching and writing, we can live without fear.
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JUDICIAL NOMINEES ARE POLITICAL APPOINTEES With the summer recess looming, legislators in Trenton have been busy with some unfinished business. Included on that agenda are the nomination hearings for Attorney General designee Peter Harvey and State Supreme Court Chief Justice Deborah Poritz. Both have been controversial appointments for the McGreevey administration and it spotlighted New Jersey’s judicial process. For Harvey, his mistake was to subpoena a State Senator shortly after his original Committee hearing. By targeting a Republican senator, his opponents charged that Harvey would not be above using the Attorney General’s office as a political tool and questioned his fitness for office. By all accounts, Harvey is well qualified for the position and this was a rookie mistake that may ultimately cost him the position. For Poritz, another term is assured, but she irked her Republican supporters by allowing the court to approve the Lautenberg for Torricelli swap in last year’s Senate race. New Jersey is one of the few states that does not elect an Attorney General or provide for direct voting on judges. Defenders of this system say that it frees the judicial branch from political influence and allows for an independent judiciary. The reality is that these nominations are political and the appointments generally run along party lines. Granted, there is a long vetting process for judges but most of the judges have a history of political activity – in one party or the other. Would judges be more accountable if they were directly elected? Probably, but their opinions might shift with the political winds and may compromise their core beliefs. For the voters, the election process would force judges to lie out their positions on the issues, and the court system might reflect the prevailing social beliefs. It won’t happen anytime soon in New Jersey, and until then, we have to accept some judicial nominees that come with baggage. Contact Jack Archibald
http://www.ah-nj.com/
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WOMEN AND WINDOW BOXES (AND THE MEN WHO HATE THEM) “Imagine a cool breeze wafting across a window box stuffed with fragrant
plants and herbs. Or to please the palate, a little mint, lemon verbena and
scented geraniums could be planted at the level of a kitchen-sink window.” My Window Box Dream has materialized. It took 25 years, but this past week my husband made the window boxes that he has been promising to make for me since we bought our house in 1978. What took him so long? You tell me. At first I thought that he didn’t have the time. With all the things there are to do around the house, I can understand if, for him, window boxes aren’t necessarily a priority. Mowing the lawn, raking leaves, cleaning gutters, and shoveling the sidewalks keep him busy enough. I understand that. Over the years, I told myself that I should be grateful that I had a husband who took house maintenance so seriously. He could, after all, have spent every weekend afternoon lounging on a recliner with a beer taped to his hand. I counted my blessings. But, oh! I couldn’t stop thinking about those window boxes. Someone once told me that the gauge you should use to determine if you’re asking too much of someone, is to wait and see if you get it. Apparently, I was asking too much. But I couldn’t stop dreaming. For me, my infatuation with window boxes began when my husband and I lived in our first apartment in Ridgefield Park, NJ. It was a garden apartment and we lived in one of the “ground level” units. Actually, it was more of a “basement level” unit. That meant that all of the windows in the place afforded a lovely view of people’s feet. There was a little window over our kitchen sink. I used to imagine a window box full of red geraniums or pink petunias or purple impatiens hanging outside of that window. (Okay, not hanging, but resting on the ground.) It would have been nice to see flowers instead of feet. Also, it would have made the chore of washing the dishes a little more pleasant. I figured that I’d just wait until we could afford our own house. I waited. My love of window boxes grew more passionate when I started noticing them on various apartment buildings in New York City. It was like the tenants of those apartments were saying, “I can’t grow a real garden in this place, but I can still have flowers right outside of my window. So there!” I loved those tenants, even though I’d never met them. They had determination. They refused to give up what they loved. And they gave a lot of other people something to love, too, just by giving us the opportunity to behold those window gardens. I often almost got hit by cars, because I was too busy looking up at a window box, instead of paying attention to where I was walking. I’ve stopped dead in my tracks to admire a window box, often losing my friends up ahead of me. The summers came and went. I planted flowers in the ground. They were beautiful, but something magical happens to flowers when they’re elevated. I can’t tell you what it is. I’ve never been able to put my finger on it. Maybe I saw a picture of the window boxes in Germany when we were studying the country in Geography back in elementary school. Maybe the image of window boxes was stuck down in my subconscious somewhere and it came to the surface from time to time. Like when we were in Disney World. Or Venice. Venice! Now those people know how to do window boxes. In fact, the very first memory I have of Venice is of being ferried through a canal, looking up, and seeing an Italian woman in a black dress leaning out of a window over a window box full of gorgeous cascading flowers. There were window boxes everywhere in that city. And it was the middle of November! The years passed by. “I’ll build you those window boxes next spring,” my husband would promise. They never got built. “Why don’t we wait until we paint the house next year,” he’d say. The house got painted but the window boxes never appeared. “I’m going to build a new deck this summer,” he’d announce. No window boxes that year, either. (I hung window boxes from the new deck.) “Why don’t we wait until we get the new windows in?” he said one year. Of course we should wait. How could I argue with that? Two years later, still no window boxes. I began to think that maybe window boxes were more complicated to build than I thought. But, my husband is an electrical engineer. He understands things like quantum physics and Vector Analysis. How complicated could it be? So, I downloaded instructions from Better Homes and Gardens to see for myself. Not only were the instructions easy enough for a 3rd grader to follow, but I could have made every window box they featured, if the instructions had been written in Swahili. What was the big deal? Why was my husband acting as if I were asking him to build me an exact replica of The Taj Mahal, when all I was asking him to do was slap together a few rectangular pieces of wood? Then a peculiar thing happened. When I commiserated with my girlfriends about my unfulfilled Window Box Fantasy, they told me that they’d been asking their husbands for window boxes for years, too! And they were still waiting. One friend asked her husband to build her window boxes for a Mother’s Day present one year. That was ten years ago. Another stopped asking after her second grandchild was born. I began to suspect that men, in general, have some sort of aversion to window boxes. Could that be? And, if so, why is that? Is it that they think window boxes are too “frilly?” Is it that they think that a man who lives in a house with window boxes is akin to a man walking a white Toy Poodle (wearing a pink collar with rhinestones on it) down a street in Texas? Is it simply the issue of putting (what my husband refers to as) “unnecessary” holes in the house? Are they thinking that window boxes are “one more thing” they’ll have to paint? Do they think that they’re going to build those window boxes only to watch the flowers in them wilt and rot? Trust me, gentlemen. If you build a window box for a woman, she’ll water and feed those flowers as if they were your own offspring. (Plus, you’ll score points.) All I know is, whenever I’d start talking about those window boxes with my girlfriends, all the guys would leave the room. And the unfortunate husband on the block who builds window boxes for his wife immediately becomes “The Enemy” of every other guy on the block. Until, that is, those guys build window boxes for their wives. I don’t know what made my husband finally give in and give me those window boxes this year. Maybe it’s that he’s finally run out of excuses. Maybe it’s because I told him that the value of our house would go up. Who knows? Who cares? I’ve got them and they’re all mine. If he gave me a trip to Venice, I wouldn’t be as excited. The amazing thing is that it took him only a half hour to build each window box (seven total). A half hour! That’s less time than I spend making homemade lasagna for him. I spent six times longer than that in labor giving him his sons. Mind you, the window boxes haven’t been “primed” yet. They’re also going to need two coats of paint. But they’re actually attached to the house and that’s a lot closer than I’ve gotten in a quarter of a century. I just hope that the pink geraniums and vinca that I’ve already planted in the liners don’t wilt and rot before I have a chance to put them in those window boxes. You can’t have everything.
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COUNTY REPUBLICANS IMPLODE IN SCANDAL There’s been a lot of rain falling in the last few months but you wouldn’t know it from the political fires that have been burning in the county. The “Middletown Mafia” is a way that some Republicans refer to the Middletown-dominated County Republican leadership. I didn’t make that up folks, that’s what Republicans in the Bayshore call it. I’m just annoyed that I didn’t think of it first. Well, there’s an all-out fight going on right now, between Senator John Bennett, County Leader Bill Dowd and National Committeewoman and Middletown Planning Board Chairman Judith Stanley-Coleman. After the recent GOP Primary, Mr. Dowd and Mrs. Stanley-Coleman both came out against Bennett (a Republican candidate!) concerning the over-billing scandal that’s going on in Marlboro involving Bennett. I think that’s really surprising, considering the fact that Dowd is a convicted drunk driver, who was found guilty of committing that offense in a school zone. Mr. Dowd also failed to show up for some of his court hearings and did time in the county jail over all of it. By the way, I reported on that when it happened, for those who are keeping count. Anyway, Mrs. Stanley-Coleman, who is a powerful force in the Middletown Republican Club, is one of a few people who have kept Mr. Dowd in office as the County Leader over the years. Now, I don’t dispute the fact that Bennett should step down. But, I’m a Democrat and, to put it frankly, I’m supposed to want to see him lose. But, the worst enemies that Bennett has come from his own party, for gosh sakes. Talk about negative campaigning….Mrs. Stanley-Coleman, one of the GOP big shots in Middletown, is campaigning dirty against her own Republican candidates! I wonder what her and this club has in mind for the Democrats when they get through beating up Bennett? Listen, I’ve said it from day one: These Republicans in Middletown are drunk with power and they’re a destructive force to the community. If they can’t even keep peace in their own party, how the heck are they going to do it in the township? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Middletown GOP big shots are in politics for the money, they’re in it for the control, and could care less about the residents. I predicted that this party would eat itself alive, and now it’s happening right on time. So much for “rumor” and “speculation”. Right now, there’s a political lynch mob out after Dowd, who is a big Middletown GOP backer, over him going after Bennett. And, if Dowd’s little friends in Middletown are going to keep him safe, then they have to go to war with basically every other Republican club in the county. Thrown into this mix is Middletown GOP Boss Peter Carton, a big-time developer who sees his county leader flunky heading for a fall, who is trying to get his brother installed as the Republican county Leader. Do you get the idea here yet, Middletown? Government is a business for these Republicans, not a civic duty. These people are ripping themselves apart over who makes what money and who doesn’t make what money. You can’t go wrong by voting for a Democrat this November because truth be told is that Alex DeSevo is the only candidate who isn’t for sale to Big Boss Peter Carton and his treasury. How do you “Republican Line” voters feel today? It can’t be good. I suggest taking a look at candidates from now on and not party lines. Mayor Rosemarie Peters is part of the Dowd Machine and is supported by Big Shots like Stanley-Coleman. She’s as much a part of the machine as the rubber stamp that this Middletown Committee gives to these millionaire GOP party leaders. Well, I’ve said my piece. If you don’t believe me, try reading the Press. By the way, for those with scorecards, Committeeman Pat Parkinson is still being sued for sexual harassment by the Township Clerk, in case you forgot. And yes, he’s a member in good standing of the Middletown GOP Fraternity that runs Monmouth County like an ATM for the Gold Old Boys and Girls.
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‘HARRY’: FAMILY MAN, COACH, EXEMPLARY CITIZEN ! Harry Argast was a good American. He grew up in Irvington, raised a family and worked most of his life for “Ma Bell” – the world’s greatest communications system. Harry died late Friday evening, June 6, at 65, the age most workers retire and seek the good life of leisure and pleasure, whether traveling, playing golf, or just enjoying any number of hobbies.
Harry fought the battle gallantly, always optimistically, always cheerfully,
regardless of the pain or fear. Yet, he marched toward his “Maker” knowing he would say goodbye to this world in his own home with his family in his bedroom. Harry possessed a deep and abiding faith. And he was a true Patriot. He respected the American flag – and loved John Wayne, America’s conservative icon. When Harry knew it was time to go, he faced it, with no regrets. He had a fulfilling life, even though it was not a long one. Right to the end, Harry was ready to live this life he loved so much. He even typed his own obituary, which ran in the Sunday Asbury Park Press, with a face of Harry and his constant bright smile. That’s the way Harry wanted to be remembered – looking and feeling great! When he died, he weighed 80 pounds. Harry was a chief accountant at AT&T, starting out at Western Electric in Kearny, where he met his wife, Joan Zingaro of Jersey City in 1962. Two years later, they were married – and remained together to the bitter end. Harry will always be remembered in town as the “coach” at Memorial Middle School, the same school where “Shaq” O’Neill, the superstar basketball player and movie star, played “center” for the junior high school team some 20 years ago (a tough trivia question for Shaq fans). Harry created a women’s program for both soccer and softball at Memorial School. He was the always reliable “coach” for the Eatontown traveling soccer team and numerous other traveling teams. All those whose lives he touched will miss Harry Richard Argast, a quiet, exemplary citizen all his life. God Bless You, Harry – and spend the rest of eternity kicking your soccer ball across the endless heavens. (Gordon Bishop, a national award winning author, historian and syndicated columnist, is New Jersey’s first “Journalist-of-the-Year” – 1986/New Jersey Press Association.) ../bishop/2003/gb030612_argast.htm PRINT THIS ARTICLE
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY SCIENCE FAIR LOOKS AT SEA LIFE by Guest Columnist: Mr. Timothy Haase, Assistant Principal at Atlantic Highlands Elementary School, Atlantic Highlands, NJ “We demonstrated how a penguin’s waterproof coat works using wax paper, construction paper and water. We described where penguins live and their personalities.” “For my project I demonstrated a few ways to clean up oil spills. I used two tanks, water, oil, and other materials. I think all of the projects were super.” “Our project was about endangered sea animals. We featured the humpback and sperm whale, sea otter, sea lion, manatee, queen conchs, sea turtles, bottlenose dolphin, and the leatherback sea turtle. We explained that most of the causes for their endangerment are human fishing nets.” “I researched the Gulf Stream. I used a map, glass bottle, drawings of a map, and transparencies to show currents. The Gulf Stream is a current in the Atlantic Ocean. It flows up to five miles per hour. The Science Fair was fun.” “Using a model submarine that I made, I showed how a sub sinks and resurfaces. Children learned that water takes the place of air to make it sink.” “My partner and I researched under water volcanoes. We had a poster with a volcano. We painted the lithosphere, the volcano, and the explosion. I had a great time that day.” “I researched what a marine biologist is and what they do. I found out that marine biology isn’t only about the ocean, it is all the living and non-living things in the ocean. I showed seaweed and driftwood under microscopes for the audience to see.” “I researched El Nino. El Nino is when the trade winds weaken and blow the opposite way pushing the warm water from the west to the east. I showed a poster that I made and a demonstration of the winds and how they arch. The Science Fair was fun.” “I made and labeled models of a starfish. I showed how they move and talked about how they eat.” “I researched the ocean floor. I got a poster board and typed facts about the ocean. I made a diarama of the ocean floor and labeled the parts. I put sand on the parts of the ocean floor. We covered the model with blue cellophane to look like water. I really enjoyed teaching the kids about the ocean floor.” “Our demonstration showed how an underwater volcano erupts. We made a model out of plexiglass and used a caulk tube to represent the lava. It looked like a real volcano because on the plexiglass we painted a volcano.” “I demonstrated how tide pools form and what kinds of animals live in them. I brought in crabs that live in tide pools.” “I used a three-dimensional timeline to show the history of man’s exploration under the sea.”
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THE LAST GREAT FESTIVAL About ten years ago I would do about 8 festivals a year. There was of course Riverfest which a number of us started some 22 years ago. This was the granddaddy of them all. Rated by Life magazine as one of the top 100 events in the United States it was a winner. It was a great food festival and a great music festival or if you prefer a great music festival combined with great food festival. The Colts Neck Fair drew thousands of people and was a class act. It was spotless and great for families. The Monmouth County Fair was another converted festival to be in. It drew thousands of people and offered a good variety of foods from area restaurants and vendors. The Cruzin' with the Oldies had a shelf life of about 10 years. The Belmar Seafood Festival was the amazing one for food. People came to eat and eat they did in almost any weather. Over the years these very popular events started to fade for the likes of myself and other restaurants venders that would work our hearts out over the weekend to earn extra money and promote our restaurants. Promoters of the events would raise the price for each vender every year therefore causing us the food venders to have to charge more for the foods we served. The organizations either refused to change their formats as in the Colts Neck Fair and although still a well run organization did not draw additional crowds outside of local families and resulted in lower incomes to the restaurants, many of us left. The Monmouth County Fair was the largest offender to the local restaurants and food venders. There was a lottery system started to come into the festival and allowed gypsy food venders from other states to be in the festival. This lowered the standard of what was a food festival and fair to a noisy fair with loud music from the less then attractive rides and attractions. The number of families coming to the fair to eat dropped off and by then most of the better food venders had left. Riverfest had a great following of families that came year after year to hear great music and dine at the restaurant venders that sold food there. Riverfest came to an end two years ago when the Jazz and Blues organization took over the festival. Their strength was in the music and like many people taking over a family business concentrated on their strengths and failed to realize the importance of promoting both aspects of this great festival. The price for a space in the festival was almost doubled and having grossed only half of what we use to the year before with perfect weather many of the old favorites dropped out. So now the Jazz and Blues Festival is regarded as a concert with fast food venders. If you are a Jazz and Blues fan this is a perfect venue for you. The last one standing is the Belmar Food Festival. Run by the same people year after year Mike Damato has kept the same great food venders coming back year after year. She has held down the price for space in the festival allowing the venders to charge a fair price to the thousands of people coming back year after year to eat at their favorite places. It has evolved each year with better and better foods and thousands of people coming back over and over again. We serve more food in two eight hour days then we had been doing at the other 3 day events that lasted up to 24 hours. The bottom line is that we have lost something as these fairs and festivals slowly fade from our lives. They were institutions that we returned to year after year. They played a part of our growing up, a place to take our children and see friends we had not seen since the year before. Some will eventually change and grow stronger others will eventually fade out completely. Hopefully it will not be all of them and from what I have seen over 24 years the Belmar Seafood Festival is going to be here for a long time to come.
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SUMMER FUN IN KEANSBURG Planned events for the summer Sometime this summer, we as a town will be having a homecoming celebration for the brave troops from our town that served during the recent war in Iraq. The mayor and council are currently working on this homecoming event. It will probably take the form of a motorcade and possibly a welcome home celebration down by the bay walk. As of now, all of this is in the very early planning stages. All of the details have yet to be worked out because it all depends on when those people will be returning home. Some of the families will be meeting with military officials next week to see if they can firm up the dates for the return of the troops. Once this date is firmed up of course, we will have more information. Right now we are seeking help from volunteers who can be reactive or are willing to work on this event on very short notice. If you are willing to help work on this event please call 732-787-0215 x205 and leave your name and phone number. The Keansburg Amusement Park at the boardwalk is celebrating its 100 years of operation. They will be having what they are billing as a "Keansburg Baby Parade" on Saturday, June 28 judging will start at 11:00 AM. This parade is for all children five and under first, second and third place prizes will be awarded. There will be five categories as follows: most patriotic, funniest, youngest, twins/multiple family members and Floats/carriages/wagons. I think this will be a great event for all the younger children of our borough to attend. In addition to the “Baby Parade”, the Keansburg Amusement Park as planned a day full of events to mark their 100 year anniversary. Beginning at 8 AM you will be able to spend 100 minutes in the water park for 100 pennies. At 11 AM of course will be the above mentioned “Baby Parade”. At noon, they will have clowns, face painters and music. At 12:30, the G106.3 van will be on site, at 1 PM you will have 100 minutes for 100 pennies in the amusement park. At 3 PM, there will be a concert by the “Party Dolls”. Lastly at 5 PM there will be a contest to name the mascot with the winner receiving a free season pass, entry forms are now available at the amusement park for this contest. For more information, please check out their web site at www.keansburgamusementpark.com. I do not want to forget to mention the summer “Concerts by the Bay” series. The dates for the series will be the last three Wednesdays in the month of August from 7 to 9 PM in the big lot on the corner of Raritan and Beachway. The band schedule is as follows: Wednesday 8/13 the concert series commences with “The Greaseband” followed on Wednesday 8/20 by “New Power Soul” and the series concludes on the last Wednesday of the month 8/27 with “Saturday Night Fever”. Upcoming Council meetings. There will be two regularly scheduled borough council meetings in June. The first council meeting will be on Thursday June 12 at 5:30 PM and the second council meeting will be on Thursday June 26 at 7 PM. Summer Fun in Keansburg
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BUTTER'EM UP The other day I was in line at a supermarket’s seafood department endeavoring to buy shrimp, when the guy after me cut in line and ordered king crab legs. As the clerk was bagging the legs the guy asked him “How do I make the butter for these?” I’m sure he was referring to the classic drawn butter commonly served with shellfish. The clerk retorted: “Just melt the butter.” And with that tidbit of erroneous information he was on his way and I proceeded to purchase my shrimp. Had his adherence to proper line etiquette been more commendable, I would have intervened and informed him of the proper method of preparing the butter for his Alaskan delicacy. Drawn butter is clarified butter. But before we can define clarified butter, we must first understand regular butter. Butter is the semisolid material that results from churning cream. In the US it must be at least 80% milk fat. The remaining 20% is water and milk solids, (proteins and salts). It may be salted or unsalted. The salt, which acts as a preservative, allows for salted butter to last up to a month in your fridge as opposed to two weeks for unsalted butter. Clarified butter is unsalted butter that has been heated to the point that its water evaporates and the milk solids separate out. The resulting golden fluid is the clarified butter, i.e., pure butter fat. One pound of butter will yield about 12 ounces of clarified butter. To clarify your butter, heat it on low. Some of the proteins will coagulate and produce a foam on the surface which must be skimmed off. Continue to cook until the butter becomes clear and the remaining milk solids congregate on the bottom. Then either ladle or pour out the butter being careful not to include the milk solids. If you “just melt the butter” and fail to remove the milk solids, you will have just that: melted butter, not drawn or clarified butter. Clarified butter is often preferred to regular butter for sautéing because it has a higher smoke point. This means it can be heated to a higher temperature than regular butter before burning. Those pesky milk solids are miniature kamikaze pilots, diving right to the bottom of your pan and burning themselves up. Without them, clarified butter will store longer as well. But they are not totally evil. They also provide flavor and thus, clarified butter is not as tasty as regular butter. But this is only one chapter in the butter story. Butter can do so much more than lubricate your crustaceans. Butter is often used to make roux, a cooked mixture of equal parts butter and flour. Roux is used to thicken sauces and soups. No cook worth his salt, (pardon the pun), could make gumbo without roux. (Ok yes, you can use okra but classic gumbo always contains roux). In classic French cuisine, roux was the thickener of choice for a multitude of sauces. Modern sauces are congealed via evaporation from extended heating or by adding in a starch-based thickener such as arrowroot or cornstarch. But if you wish to laugh in the face of fat, favor a more hearty sauce, or simply wish to honor tradition, roux is the way to go. A delicious preparation employing butter is compound butter. This is simply butter that has been combined with herbs, garlic, shallots, or other flavorings. Simply take a stick or two of butter and allow it to soften to room temperature. Chop up whatever combination of herbs suits your taste, such as rosemary, thyme, and parsley for example. Then mix them into the butter. Take a sheet of plastic wrap and spoon out the butter into a rough shaped log. Then roll the plastic around it. Finally, hold each end of the plastic and twist in opposite directions until the plastic tightens around the butter and forces it into a neat cylindrical shape. Refrigerate it and then slice it to top off your finished steak, pork, lamb, fowl, or fish. You’ll never get that garnish with your dinner on the cardiac ward of your local hospital. And where would fettuccine Alfredo be without butter? An Alfredo sauce is basically a combination of butter, cream and Parmesan cheese. How much of each? I was afraid you’d ask. I did a search on the Internet and got tired of counting all the permutations. I’d go with four oz., (one stick) of butter, two cups heavy cream, and two cups of Parmesan cheese. Melt the butter in the cream and bring to a simmer. Incorporate the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Cook your pasta until it is just a minute or two from being done and then finish it in the sauce.
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Series on the New Retirement (Part 2) RETIREMENT AS A JOB LOSS Retirement may be voluntary or involuntary. Retirement may be good (the opportunity to do new things) or bad (the end of a career). A retiree may be more or less prepared. In these ways, retirement is like any job loss situation. The extent that it works for someone depends on how well that person has planned. Here are some tips for planning for retirement (and job loss in general): Accumulate a nest egg. Calculate your expenses. Calculate the amount you need to cover your expenses. A retiree needs this portfolio to last his/her expected lifetime. The unemployed need to cover the estimated gap between jobs. Use financial websites or a financial planner to assist with making these calculations. Factor in lifestyle changes. Expenses and activities change with retirement and job loss. Retirees may have fewer clothing and transportation expenditures. However, healthcare expenditures tend to rise. The unemployed may cut back on luxuries, but may need to bear the cost of counseling or job search supplies. Factor in your needs and costs specific to retirement or being unemployed. Find new “colleagues”. If you’ve retired (or lost a job) but your friends haven’t, you’ll now have different schedules, opportunities and experiences. Of course, keep your old friends, but consider networking with people in like situations. An experienced retiree may have tips on activities, benefits or other areas of interest specific to retirees. A current jobseeker offers a different perspective, encouragement and support. Give yourself a structure. It can be daunting going from a well-defined schedule and slate of activities to a blank slate to fill entirely by your choosing. For retirees, a part-time job or a planned calendar of activities can make a smoother transition into retirement. For jobseekers, a temporary job and/or planned activities give a structure and momentum to the job search. Caroline Ceniza-Levine, a resident of Little Silver, is an adjunct professor of Professional Development at Columbia University, a recruiter for a Fortune 500 publishing firm, and a career/life coach. Caroline can be reached at 212-502-8593 or at her website at www.thinkasinc.com.
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REPORTS OF RIVER, BAY AND OCEAN FISHING Big bass are still hitting the docks. The breal big ones are being trolled on spoons and chandalier rigs. Clams are productive for 10-20lb stripers. The West Wall and the swash channel have been the lateset productive spots. Fluke are still in the river. Captain Fletcher Chayes had a few real fat ones this morning drifting killie squid combo. 2-4 lb blues are providing good action further up the rivers. Capt. Ken Dubman of K-Kat at Bahrs Landing had a great evening striper bite last Saturday for Christian Gross of Vernon, but Monday morning was very slow for Andrew Schmidt of Jefferson with a northwester against the flood tide. That fishing turned around completely in the afternoon for Frank Nardi 's party from Little Falls who not only limited with bass but had a great slack tide blackfish bite on a bay wreck where they released lots of egg-laden females while keeping their one-tautog limit in males plus two large sea bass. Dick Skinder of West Orange had a limit bass catch and released 14 more Tuesday morning, but five drops on the ebb that afternoon didn't produce a bite for the Greg Czaki party from Wyckoff before trolling on the slack resulted in one bass and three big blues. Four bass were added on bait during the flood.
http://www.bahrs.com/weekfisrep.html
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SCURRILOUS RODENTS The news is so interesting these days that I can‘t help talking about it. When Dr. Timothy Johnson appeared Monday on "The View," Barbara Walter’s Channel 7 TV show, he talked about erectile dysfunction. Johnson, to his credit, didn’t really promote Viagra. In fact he intimated that E.D. might be caused by a number of different conditions, any one of which leads to decreased blood flow and the characteristic symptom. The Poster Boy for E.D., Bob Dole, was single-handedly responsible for Viagra’s spectacular growth in popularity. Although it’s hard to believe, millions of men wanted to be as virile as Bob. I guess I could have just accepted it all as presented, if it hadn’t been for Bob’s wife, Elizabeth Dole, becoming chairwoman of The American Red Cross just then. A critical blood shortage was in progress, and no one can match Lizzie as a real go-getter. I couldn’t help getting a picture of easy-going Bob waking up every fourth morning or so with another donor button pinned to his pajamas. Did Bob even have a clue that he was THE top donor? So what really caused his E.D.? You gotta admit he was looking a little tired in those commercials. On the other hand Lizzie was getting congrats all around and a big bonus to boot. Now think about this. If Bill Clinton had lost the election, he and Hillary might have changed places with the Doles, and Bill might have gone to TV commercials too. With Hillary heading the American Red Cross, Bill would have garnered donor buttons up the kazoo. Knowing that Bill would outpace a runaway horse if given Viagra, Hillary would have made him Poster Boy for "Iron Deficiency Anemia" instead. That means Monica would never have happened. more . . . The dorkiness of prairie dog pet owners beats all. Don’t they know that these animals just hate them? Do prairie dogs want to leave their habitat to live inside? No way! A prairie dog would rather be out there with his friends, running, playing, singing, and finding a fuzzy girl dog on the prairie. He’s probably hell-bent on whacking that Gambian rat that made him sick with monkey pox in the first place. So leave him alone! "Exotic pets" pose an unfair risk to the sane members of society. Go away, you crazies! more . . . Why Yoga? . . .Why Not? I had no idea that yoga could be for older people, that you could learn yoga at sixty, seventy, eighty. That sounded pretty good to me. In fact, I found out that there is a complete yoga practice, believe it or not, from a chair. Seemed like a good place for me to start since I like doing most everything from a chair. I went looking for a book and came up with "The New Yoga for People Over Fifty," by Suza Francina. Just looking at the pictures gave me confidence that yoga can be for me. I’m stiff as a board but yoga promises to get me more limber. Remember, I only said "more" limber. Thank God the book didn’t feature those yoga poses that always intimidated me. It always looked so hard. Now I find there’s the easy way. Yoga may help correct abnormal spinal curvature (hyperkyphosis). It sounds like a serious thing, but it is common in women. It’s a curve in the thoracic region which is from the base of the neck to the top of the low back just about the waist. It may not be painful but it can restrict reaching and bending over. When due to poor posture (guilty) and muscle weakness (guilty), specific yoga poses help straighten the spine and restore physical function. One might even gain a bit of height. Yesss! One exercise I tried is stretching against a door jamb. I really felt the pull when I extended my arms to the ceiling. Going slowly is a must, but I see a lot of potential benefit here. more . . . What ever happened to "Boyish bob," "Cuban heels," "Pork pie hat," "Dirndl skirt," "Knickers," "Dolman sleeves."????
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VERBAL/LAWSUIT THRESHOLD AND YOUR CAR INSURANCE Every car insurance policy in the State of New Jersey requires the policy holder to choose whether they will keep their right to sue or waive that right. Needless to say, a policy where the insured waives their right to sue is going to be cheaper than a policy where the right to sue is retained. The question becomes how much are you willing to pay to retain your right to sue. What I have learned is that many people are unaware of the recent Court decisions that have interpreted the lawsuit/verbal threshold cases. Originally, the Courts required that a party suing under their verbal/lawsuit policy prove that they had a permanent injury documented by medical objective evidence. More recently, the Courts have gone further to require that not only must the suing party prove that the injuries have substantially affected their daily lives. The affect on one’s daily life id very difficult to prove and unless a person has lost their job it is becoming increasingly more difficult to satisfy the criteria to collect damages for a person who has opted for the lawsuit/verbal threshold. Everyone should reconsider their car policies in light of the recent decisions that have further limited your rights.
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A "ROLLING JOB ACTION" FOR PHYSICIANS The physicians of New Jersey in conjunction with the Medical Society of New Jersey will be planning a state wide "rolling Job action" beginning June 17, 2003. This will kick off with quality improvement programs held at various hospitals, and will be followed by a state wide press conference in Trenton attended by representatives from each county, traveling to Trenton via ambulance. The next day starts a daily rotation where all of the counties will become involved in political action as well as a job action on their assigned day. Monmouth County physicians will be taking June 19 as their job action day. Physicians will be shutting their offices, not scheduling elective surgery, and will be involving themselves in various political action. Some physicians will travel to Trenton to show a presence in front of the State House. Free medical screenings will be provided and literature will be passed out to the public, educating everyone on the seriousness of the situation in New Jersey. The "rolling job action" will conclude on June 30, 2003, which is the last voting day for the Assembly. The hope is that with a presence every day from June 17 to June 30, the Assembly will be pressured to hear and pass the Senate version of A-50 (the bill that we fought to get passed in the State Senate a few months ago). There is strong concern that the Assembly will try to pass a bill with subsidies and not caps on pain and suffering. Subsidies will merely help to pay for a small portion of a minority of doctor's malpractice insurance premiums. This will do nothing to influence the continued escalating costs of medical liability insurance unless reasonable caps on pain and suffering are also passed. Patients and concerned citizens are urged to continue to call your Assembly representatives at 1-877-KEEP MD's and tell them that they must pass the Senate version of bill A-50 to keep doctors in New Jersey and to maintain quality health care delivery in our great state.
Alan Zaccaria, MD, FACS
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OYSTER CELEBRATION IN KEYPORT If you like to have a good time, then mark your calendars for Saturday, June 14th. From 4-7pm, the Borough of Keyport will host the Third Annual Oyster Planting Celebration. The event will take place at the Steamboat Museum, located at the end of Broad Street and beside Raritan Bay. Enjoy a summer evening and seafood from our Estuary! The NY/NJ Baykeeper will lead the celebration and everyone is invited to join the festivities to help celebrate the history, ecology, and the future of our beautiful bay waters. The Baykeeper will provide a barbecue dinner, starting at 4:00pm. To help fund the barbecue, a donation is requested of $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 10. The barbecue will be followed by a lively discussion by Bonnie McCay, author of Oyster Wars and the Public Trust, recounting some amazing stories of the oyster fishery in Raritan Bay. Oysters have played an important role in the history and ecology of the Bayshore region. For thousands of years, they were a valuable food in the diet of many coastal Native Americans along the Jersey shore. Evidence of this can be found in local archaeological records that tell us there was once numerous prehistoric shell heaps located all along the Jersey Shore and that they contained an innumerable amount of oyster remains. When Henry Hudson arrived in the Bayshore region in September 1609, oyster reefs covered approximately 35 square miles of the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. It seems remarkable today, but there was once healthy oyster reefs in Sandy Hook Bay, Raritan Bay, the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, and the Arthur Kill and Newark Bay. By the early twentieth century, however, the Industrial Revolution and sprawl combined to pollute our waterways and poured into the bay such deadly contaminants as raw sewerage, dioxin, and PCB’s that destroyed the oyster population in our bay waters. Once rich waters roughly turned into underwater deserts due to poor-planning and greed. Today, there is now a concentrated effort to restore, protect, and conserve our bay waters. While it is still harmful to your health to eat the oysters growing in the water, the Baykeeper has been successful in establishing a new oyster reef near Keyport and another reef in the Navesink River. The future goal is for anyone to be able to harvest and eat oysters (or any edible estuarine species) right out of the bay just like Native Americans did hundreds of years ago. This is good not only for humans, but for wildlife as well. Similar to coral reefs, oyster reefs provide habitat for many different species of fish, such as striped bass, summer flounder and black fish, as well as numerous other marine organisms that contribute to a healthy food web. Moreover, as oysters feed they function as a natural water filter, which helps to naturally improve water clarity and the health of our bay waters. It is estimated that an adult oyster can filter between 25 to 50 gallons of water a day. For more information on oyster reefs and how you can get involved, please check out this website: http://www.nynjbaykeeper.org/oyster_garden.htm
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The Volunteer Center of Monmouth County, (732) 728-1927, offers hundreds of unique volunteer opportunities. The Center is now located at 1900 Highway 35, Oakhurst, NJ, and is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See Volunteer
Opportunities
Each week we'll browse through two or three books and provide you with a brief assessment. These books can all be found in local bookstores. ___________________________ Last week, this column ran a synopsis of the adventures of Jake Grafton. Like the characters in the Gasoline Alley comic strip, author Stephen Coonts lets his creations age, advance in career and meet new people. This keeps the story lines from getting repetitive and stale. Maybe this is what Peter Falk saw when he stepped away from television’s Columbo character. Another character-driven series is written by Jonathan Kellerman His creation, Dr. Alex Delaware is a Los Angeles child psychologist. Kellerman is a former psychologist himself, and is married to mystery writer Faye Kellerman. Delaware often gets actively involved in his client's problems. As a part-time consultant to the LAPD, he often relies on his pal, Det. Milo Sturgis. It must be mentioned here that Milo is gay. However, Kellerman weaves this thread unobtrusively. Milo might remind you of a gentler version of NYPD Blue’s Sipowicz, an older guy, out of shape. Kellerman does not relay on Sturgis'sexual orientation for anything more than rounding out the character - no comedy, no pathos, just a person. His friendship with the straight Alex is handled very well, and adds a little warmth to the often nasty business going on in these books. Another constant thread running through this series concerns Delaware’s on again/off again relationship with the guitar crafting Robin. She is not so sure she wants to give her heart to a guy who faces the business end of a gun so often. Kellerman chooses to get her out of town so often, it is becoming an expected event. Each of the Delaware novels is a finished, stand-alone product. They do not have to be read in order. In the world of literature, they are best described as being good, dependable reading. Kellerman weaves his plots carefully. I can’t recall any stories that required him to pull a rabbit out of a hat to pull all of the clues together. He does not paint himself into any corners In chronological order, the Delaware novels are When the Bough Breaks (1985) Blood Test (1986) ___________________________ Flesh and Blood The life of beautiful Lauren Teague intersects with Dr. Alex Delaware three times. In the first, she is a rebellious 15-year-old patient who is driving her parents to their wits end. Delaware only had a few therapy sessions with her before she retracted her cooperation and melted back into her adolescent world. The second intersection, six years later, was brief and unexpected. Delaware was attending a bachelor party in the presidential suite of the Beverly Monarch hotel. Despite the upscale appearance of the attendees, the gourmet food and the expensive drink, the host made sure that there would be a couple of live-action girls to remind everyone that it was a bachelor party. When Delaware recognized Lauren, he quickly made his excuses and left the party. The third and most eventful intersection was four years after the party. Lauren would renter his life, although life would never re-enter Lauren. At the urging of her mother, Delaware prevails upon Det. Milo Sturgis to take a better look at a missing person report. That’s the set-up for Flesh and Blood. The rest can be described as rounding up the usual suspects. It’s a good beach read. ___________________________ The Murder Book. In Flesh and Blood, a seed of incompetence from Delaware’s past blossoms into the fruit of regret. He is driven to understand what went wrong. By uncovering the mystery of a young woman’s death, perhaps he can ameliorate the guilt he feels for mishandling things so many years ago. In The Murder Book, a seed of regret from Det. Milo Sturgis’ past blossoms into the fruit of regret. He is driven to understand what went wrong. By uncovering the mystery of a young woman’s death, perhaps he can ameliorate the guilt he feels for mishandling things so many years ago. I found this coincidence(?) to be enticing. The Murder Book is every bit as good as Flesh and Blood. In fact, it is probably better. I can not recall a previous Kellerman that focused so much on Sturgis. He has always been a supporting character. In this mystery, he shares the spotlight. Some chapters are devoted solely to his activities. This is his case, not Delaware’s, and Kellerman gives him the pages he is due. Both of these books are available in paperback. Get both of them. You’ll enjoy the contrasts.
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TIME It’s amazing how you can start an average, typical day in the morning, and by the day’s end, through a twist of fate, your life will never be the same again. At 9:30 a.m. on a cold January morning in Massachusetts, my grandfather drove my grandmother to a doctor’s office for a routine check-up. After dropping her off in front so she didn’t have a long walk to make, he maneuvered the car into the parking lot and walked to the office entrance. He had done this hundreds of times. But by 10 a.m., his life as he knew it had already changed. That is when my grandmother, worried that her husband didn’t come into the doctor’s office in a timely fashion, went outside to find him lying on the ground. He couldn’t get up. She summoned help, an ambulance came, and both of my elderly grandparents were whisked away to the nearest hospital. By day’s end, after a battery of tests, there was a one-word explanation: stroke. My 88 year-old grandfather’s right side was impaired. He couldn’t walk. My 84 year-old grandmother went home by herself that night, something that hasn’t occurred in over 60 years of marriage. She started her day going to her doctor’s office, and my grandfather ended his day in the hospital. Indeed, a twist of fate. And while this was happening in Massachusetts, in New Jersey my husband Dave, 10 year-old-daughter Miranda, and I were celebrating the news that our adoption case that very morning entered Family Court in Guatemala. While we were praying to God that Time would be kind to us and move mountains in its path toward quickly finalizing the adoption of a baby girl we plan to name Lucinda, my grandparents were praying that God would alter His plans just a bit and have Time slow down in order to let them have more time together. Our prayers were fluttering up to God at the same time on the very same day. When I heard the news of my grandfather’s stroke, my heart, which moments before was full of joy and excitement, was broken. Time stood still. It didn’t fly nor did it linger. It just paused to let me take a breath and think about the fragility and wonder of life. I wanted Time to just get on its knees and crawl for my grandfather. I wanted my Zadie to get better, to get strength back in his right arm and leg, and to be able to resume his life again. I wanted my grandparents to be back together safely in their house to continue to grow old together. I wanted my Nana to not worry. But I also wanted Time to soar so we would be able to bring into our family Lucinda with whom we fell in love the very first time her face was downloaded onto our computer screen when the adoption agency sent us her referral photo. A little baby is alive and well, living in another country, not even knowing yet that her forever family is in America and longing for her to join them as soon as possible. She is loved and so very much wanted. My grandfather is 88 and has been on this earth all the days of my 37 years of life. Every day I have lived and breathed on this earth, he has been here, too. I can’t imagine life without him. Lucinda is 3 months old and will hopefully be with me on this earth for the rest of the days of my life. She doesn’t yet know the tenderness of my voice, the gentleness of my husband, the enormous amounts of love and affection her big sister is ready to shower upon her, and the joy she will bring to her extended family who cannot wait to meet her. I can’t imagine life without her either. In the tapestry of life, I stand in the middle, the thread that overlaps these two vibrant colors. In my mind I see my grandfather the last time that I saw him. He has soft skin with permanent smile marks embedded in his wrinkled cheeks, thick white hair that used to be dark brown like mine, a soft body that enjoys jogging suits and Velcro shoes as its uniform of choice, and sparkling, loving eyes that have witnessed a lifetime of family, friends, and moments to cherish and remember. I gaze at the recent photo of Lucinda. She has soft velvet skin with two of the chubbiest cheeks imaginable, soft wisps of dark brown hair on her delicate head, a soft body that enjoys jogging suits and Velcro slippers as its uniform of choice, and sparkling, loving eyes that hunger to feel the love of family and friends and moments to cherish and remember. My grandfather and my daughter-to-be are so alike. Another twist of fate… I can’t help but embrace Time and let go of the restrictions I tried to place on it. There will be time to love and to live. There will be time to grow and to strengthen, to nap and to rest. There will be sufficient time for them both. And, with God’s help, Time in the not-so-distant future will allow me to hold my newly-adopted daughter in my arms and introduce her to one of the most important people in my life, who, with gentle affection and tenderness that I’ve come to expect and love, will welcome her into the family of which he is patriarch. Their sparkling eyes will gaze at one another, marveling at the miracle of life. And I will thank God for Time.
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MEDFORD First words written from son to mother, Not all that funny, my fate’s loudest joke, So the months pressed on, smoothly and gently, Medford, I’ll forever curse it completely,
(editors note: Do you have poetry to share? Send your submission to editor@ahherald.com.)
Picture This!
../picture_this/2003/pt_030612.htm or click here Picture This! We'll show you a photo each week and you tell us where in Monmouth County that photo was taken. If you have not won in the last 30 days and you know the answer, send your response to editor@ahherald.com along with your name and the town where you live. Be the first person to respond with the correct answer and we will publish your name and the town where you live. In addition, we'll send you a gift certificate for $25 from Bahr's Landing Marina and Restaurant in Highlands, NJ. Only those responses received on, or after, the date above will be accepted. Last Week's Picture This! Answer
The AH Herald provides this space for community commentary on issues of local importance. The extended format of our Readers Write page will remind many of the Op-Ed pages in print newspapers. We hope you find the information compelling and informative. If you have something to say about a LOCAL issue, send your comments, along with your name, street address and daytime phone number to: editor@ahherald.com
../readers_write/index.html "SUPPORT THE TROOPS" RALLY ORGANIZERS ARE THANKFUL To the Editor, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Bernie Frotton and the members of American Legion Post 141 for the great honor they bestowed upon myself, Barbara Gonzalez and Chris Slater at the Atlantic Highlands Memorial Day service. We were truly overwhelmed (and actually a bit embarrassed) to be recognized for organizing a rally in support of our troops. While it is very nice to be acknowledged, it is easier to give than receive. We wanted to show our military that we are behind them. It was really a great feeling to see how many people felt the same way. Political feelings aside, no matter how anyone feels about this war or any other, we, as Americans, need to show our soldiers that we are thinking of them and thankful for everything they have done and are still doing to preserve our freedoms. While the active combat portion of this war may be over, our military men and women are still in harm's way protecting and keeping the peace. Please keep them in your thoughts and pray for their safe return. Thank you to all our veterans from past wars as well. While you may not have gotten a parade on your return, you have earned the respect and appreciation of your fellow Americans. Mary Lynn Hughes
LEONARDO BEACH OWNER HAS WORKED TO MAINTAIN BEAUTY As a property owner on Beach Avenue in Leonardo I was offended by Mr. Reynolds comments about the "No Trespassing Signs." I do own the property on the Beach and with my "riparian grant" the land under the water. The township of Middletown taxes me on the property and I have the liability of this property. If your "Public Trust Doctrine", is correct why did I pay for this property and receive a deed to it? I find the signs less obnoxious then all people who have abused the Beach, leaving behind their trash, lighting fires, driving vehicles, etc... When I purchased this property sixteen years ago the Beach was not such a nice place as he describes but closer to a "public dump." Myself and my neighbors (who also own parts of the Beach) spent many hours picking up all the broken glass bottles, cans and assorted debris. After the storm of 1992 when the dune was seriously damaged I had sea grass purchased from Cape Cod planted. It took many years to get the Beach and dune to the condition it is in now, of which the public was not involved. There is a "Public Beach" in Leonardo at the end of Beach Avenue by the state marina, and it is maintained by the township. George Goss
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WHO IS JAMES OTIS? There are those rare instances in the realm of public discourse when one's respective political affiliations and philosophy must take a back seat for the sake of the truth and for common decency. Such is the case concerning the recent attack upon Atlantic Highlands Borough Council President Fred Rast by a person calling himself James Otis that appeared in your "readers write" section. As the chair of our local Democratic Party, I am not in the habit of defending public officials of the opposite political party. However, the attack upon Republican Councilman Rast by Mr. Otis must be responded to by everyone in public life who are advocates for truth and fairness. I would like to make it clear that I disagree with much of Mr. Rast's political philosophy and with many of his positions on the issues in our local government, especially when it comes to the preservation of open space. I, as did our two candidates in the 2000 General Election, Joanne Dellosso and Linda Macon, competed fiercely with Mr. Rast in one of the closest elections in the history of our community. Putting all of that aside, the attack by Mr. Otis on Councilman Rast was completely out of bounds. In his letter Mr. Otis, who started off stating that he was a local "voter" and "taxpayer", accused Mr. Rast of being a "disgrace" to our community. Otis bases this assertion on events which took place at the May 14, 2003 meeting of the Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council. During this meeting Councilman Rast questioned why the borough spent $115,000.00 to, as Mayor Harmon put it, to "monitor our boarders". Mr. Rast asked why the governing body had no objection to shell out $115.000.00 to pay this attorney. then go and propose substantial cuts in the budgets for our fire department and for the Atlantic Highlands School District? Also, at this meeting Mr. Rast requested that a cap be placed immediately on any additional funds paid to this attorney until the borough could properly explain the $115,000.00 expenditure. His request was reasonable and within the proper manner in which good government should work. His request was denied. Sad as it is, Mr. Otis labeled Mr. Rast a "disgrace" just because he called for fiscal responsibility from the Mayor and Council. Otis also questioned Councilman Rast's commitment to our community and demanded to know what he has done to improve the quality of life here in Atlantic Highlands. From his questioning and demands in his letter it is clear that Otis has not been a part of our Atlantic Highlands family for all that long. Or, perhaps. could it be that Mr. Otis does not even exist at all? For a moment , let us take an honest look at the facts concerning Councilman Rast. 1. Councilman Rast chaired a committee consisting of both Democrats and Republicans whose mission it was to reconstruct and repave the municipal parking facility on Railroad Avenue. Unlike other borough construction projects this work was completed in record time with no cost overruns and to the appreciation and satisfaction of our local merchants. 2. Surely no one could argue that Councilman Rast made a substantial contribution to our business district upon the completion of the Edwards-Rast Building located at 84 First Avenue four years ago. This building, which is the largest tax contributing structure on First Avenue, houses two new movie theatres, two floors of office space, a quality community bank and an artist gallery. Perhaps Mr. Otis could stop by one day and pay Mr. Rast a visit at is office in the building? I am sure that both Mr. Rast and Mr. Edwards would be happy to give him a tour. Then on the way out of the facility I would suggest that he stop by Atlantic Artisans and purchase some art from Nancy Ciasca, the gallery's owner. He could complete his visit by stopping in the Two Rivers Community Bank and open up a new account with the bank's top top notch and ever pleasant manager, Rose Watson! 3. Mr. Rast also owns and maintains a renovated building located at 42 First Avenue which houses the upscale restaurant, the Copper Canyon. 4. The once popular police bicycle patrols along First Avenue will once again become a reality because of the financial support of Mr. Rast, and his business partner, Leonard Edwards. I believe strongly in the preservation of open space and in the protection of our boarders from the ravages of over development by greedy land barons. I also believe that everyone has the right in our great democracy to their respective opinions in the course of public debate and citizens and public officials should not be attacked and called a "disgrace" by misinformed persons just because of a difference of opinion. The sad reality is that no one can confirm the identity of a Mr. James Otis, anywhere. There is no published, nor non-published listing for him in the telephone directory. During the past eight years I have regularly attended meetings of the Mayor and Council and I have never met a person named as such. Otis claims to be a "taxpayer and a voter" here in Atlantic Highlands. Officials at the tax office at borough hall have no listing for a Mr. James Otis anywhere on the tax rolls. As of May 23, 2003, no certificate of occupancy was issued for anyone under that name. If Mr. James Otis does , indeed exist, then he, or his landlord is in violation of local ordinance for not properly securing a certificate of occupancy. Also, as of May 23, 2003, there is no James Otis registered to vote in any of the four election districts in Atlantic Highlands. This information was obtained from Mr. Frank Goldstein, of the Monmouth County Commissioner of Registration/Superintendent of Elections office, in Freehold. Mr. Goldstein also stated that there is no one by the name of James Otis registered to vote anywhere in Monmouth County. What is going on here?? If there truly is a Mr. James Otis, then why didn't he question Councilman Rast at the May 14, 2003 Mayor and Council meeting about his position concerning the $115,000.00 payment for the attorney in question? Perhaps this name was fabricated by some person, or persons seeking to deflect attention away from the fact that borough officials allowed $115,000.00 to be paid to an attorney with no accountability to local taxpayers. [editor's note: The AHHerald requires the name, address and contact phone number of all who send letters to the editor. We do not verify the identity of every writer and, unfortunately, we no longer have the contact information that Mr. Otis provided.]
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS WILL CHALLENGE AND MONITOR APPLICATION FOR GATE COTTAGE DEVELOPMENT
Dear Friends of Open Space: Many consider urban sprawl as the greatest threat to our quality of life in New Jersey. While battles over development versus open space rage at every level of state, county and community government, we are faced with another massive project in our backyard along Route 36. This project, known as Gate Cottage at Navesink, is proposed on the sand pits in Middletown that border our nature preserve, Lenape Woods. The borough of Atlantic Highlands and many neighborhood associations, including the Friends of Navesink, and the Lenape Woods Coalition, have banded together to oppose this project in its current form. We are opposed to this development because it violates Middletown’s ordinances and skirts the 50% open space requirement. The developer, Barry Rosengarten, portrays Gate Cottage as “an empty nester project’ and claims that he doesn’t need useable recreation or open space. However, his planner admitted under oath that all of the units are 3 or 4 bedrooms and that over 100 children would live in this development. The forces for sensible development have been busy. In the past year, The Friends of Navesink have obtained reasonably priced options on land surrounding the Gate Cottage proposal and are proposing a green way which could link Lenape Woods to Hartshorne Woods, while accommodating some development on the Sand Pits. Additionally, Middletown Mayor Rosemary Peters has been a visionary mayor who has been at the forefront of open space protection for 20 years. In fact, during my first seminar on open space many years ago, Mayor Peters gave an inspirational speech that offered many practical ideas on smart growth and preservation of our open space. She has not wavered from her pro-open space stance, and while most Middletown officials appear receptive to a joint open space plan, your support could be the extra push that can make the greenway a reality. While we have faith in the Middletown Planning Board to reign in uncontrolled development, we also recognize the intense pressure the township faces from the state to satisfy its Mt Laurel housing requirements. In its efforts to satisfy unreasonable quotas, planners sometimes make decisions that we all come to regret. With that in mind, we have chosen to monitor and challenge the application that is before the board. Challenging such a complex application requires legal representation. To date, the borough has spent over $100,000 in legal fees from our open space fund to fight the project. Included in those fees are legal bills, soil and geological studies, and planning analysis. While we are challenging the soundness of the proposed plan, Council Members Jack Archibald and Lou Fligor have been meeting with Middletown planning officials and their elected officials to find a more suitable plan for all the parties- including the developer. The Gate Cottage issue has been a topic at nearly every council meeting this year. We discuss open space initiatives and take our responsibility to spend our open space money very seriously. Like most governing bodies, we have some disagreement regarding the direction of the fight, but to date, a majority of the council opposes this massive development on our border. Left unchallenged, the application could have disastrous precedent setting consequences for the undeveloped area along the Route 36 corridor. In its present form, the plan calls bringing sewers into the area and for a 300-foot long and nine feet high wall through the Lenape Woods. Additionally, over 1000 of the 1200 trees on site would be removed to make room for the homes. “Sardine City” may be may be appropriate for Woodbridge, but it is environmentally bankrupt for Monmouth County. The intent of our legal battle is to bring some sense to the development, and to protect our investment that is the Lenape Woods. Over the past twenty years, the Friends of Navesink have worked to protect the character and charm of Atlantic Highlands and the Bayshore. The Friends stopped other ridiculous projects, such as East Point II (now Mt Mitchell Park), the “6 Snyder High-rises” on the water (Popomora County Park) and a waterfront street (now the preserved Henry Hudson Trail). This group has worked side by side with officials from both towns to turn “Sudden City” into a sensible 4-acre development that will add over 17 acres of open space and ball fields to our community. Support for the fight against Gate Cottage was summed up by former Councilwoman Valerie Freitas , “…As a former council member, I worked diligently to preserve open space. The overwhelming support for an open space tax indicated that preserving open space and protecting our borders was an important issue to the citizens of Atlantic Highlands. With Gate Cottage, Middletown Townships approach to development on our borders once again resembles a cancer that is unchecked. If left unchecked, it will eat away at, and take over and destroy everything in its path as it spreads out of control. If sewers are brought in, more and bigger projects will follow. Once developed, open space is gone FOREVER. Nate Edelstein (borough counsel) is our BEST chance at beating this disease….” I think positive comments and letters to your town officials about the greenway would be helpful. A better plan would include scaling back the number of units from the steep slopes adjacent to Lenape Woods and relocating them elsewhere on the site. Let your representatives know that a green way from Lenape Woods to Hartshorne Woods is better for both towns than a runaway development. We are working towards a solution while challenging the application before the planning board. The cost of our legal battle is a wise down payment for the protection of our future and that of the region. I urge all residents, friends, and neighbors to continue their tremendous support for open space and to contact your elected officials in Atlantic Highlands and Middletown. We can work together to make Gate Cottage a better project and build a greenway that will preserve open space forever. Preserve the best and improve the rest! Michael G. Harmon, Mayor
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