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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
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ — If you enjoy the hunt for something novel something collectible or just a plain old bargain join us on Sept.13th.The 25th annual Atlantic Highlands Historical Society Flea Market scheduled for September 13th will be held once again at the Marina from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Over seventy-five vendors will be there selling an array of merchandise. For the collector many antiques and collectibles, books, postcards, toys, jewelry, and furnishings. Craft items and brand new merchandise including clothing, accessories, jewelry, furniture, kitchen items, and tools will also be found. Hunting at the Society's Treasures 'Or table you'll find anything and everything. Visitors at the Society's table can also discover the age of their house and pick up an application for a century plaque, if their house is found to be built at least 100 years. When you need a bite to eat join us at our food table for refreshments and snacks. All proceeds will be used for the continuing renovation and restoration of the 1893 Victorian style Strauss Mansion, the Society’s headquarters. Come join us for a fun filled day! Rain date is Sept. 20th. ../news/2003/0904/ahhs_flea_market.htm PRINT THIS ARTICLE 
MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Fifty-six years ago Yogi Berra began his career with the New York Yankees. At the same time, a 14 year old baseball fan decided to record the history of that season----a year Red Barber wrote the book “1947: When All Hell Broke Loose in Baseball”. It was Jackie Robinson’s rookie year too. Babe Ruth made his farewell address at Yankee Stadium. We even had a subway World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Now these two events have come together at Cooper Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy at its spanking new, state-of-the-art facility at 315 Highway 35N, Middletown, NJ. Brad Cooper, the son of that 14-year-old baseball fan, after providing physical therapy services at the Community YMCA in Red Bank, NJ for 11 years, opened his new center in January of this year. Brad and his dad have been baseball fans for many years and loyal supporters of the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center on the campus of Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ since its inception. At a well-attended reception at Cooper Rehab, Charles Cooper presented Yogi with his scrapbook. Originally 300 plus pages, it is now housed in 4 beautifully bound volumes each page carefully ensconced in see-through protective covers, with descriptive tabs identifying the 26 sections and beautiful engravings describing the contents of each volume on its covers and on the spines of each volume’s container. Additionally, each page was digitally recorded onto CDs and three copies made. The original version will be on loan to Yogi’s museum for display purposes. A full sized, 4-volume copy in vivid color was donated to the museum so that it can be handled for the purposes of teaching young people about the traditions and history of baseball and the mysterious magic of baseball physics and statistics. Yogi’s presence and the scrapbook fit in well with the Cooper Rehab motif as its walls are adorned with sports memorabilia, much of it originated at Yogi’s museum. It also has beautiful sports related paintings by acclaimed artist Suzanne Osterweil Weber. At the reception, food and drinks were provided to all the guests many from the local health care community and, of course, many friends and family. As a local band played music, Yogi posed for pictures to the delight of all. Cooper Rehab staff featuring their new equipment, therapy pool, childcare services, pro-shop facilities and health club services conducted tours of the facility. It was a grand time featuring a grand time in the history of baseball, our nation and an American icon, Yogi Berra. It was “deja vue all over again”.
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MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A simple remembrance ceremony will be held on September 11th, 2003, at 8:46 a.m. to commemorate the second anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. The focus of the ceremony will be to officially dedicate Middletown’s WTC Memorial Gardens to the memory of the 37 township residents lost on September 11, 2001.“While much has changed since the World Trade Center attacks, Middletown’s thoughts and prayers have remained with the friends and families of those who lost a loved one on that tragic day,” said Mayor Rosemarie D. Peters. “We invite the community to pay tribute to their memories by visiting Middletown’s WTC Memorial Gardens, which will officially open to the public on the second anniversary of September 11, 2001.” The gardens were developed by the Middletown WTC Memorial Committee, a non-profit group consisting of family members and interested residents. The group, which is co-chaired by Committeemen Raymond J. O’Grady and Patrick W. Parkinson, came together to develop a lasting tribute to 37 residents who were lost as a result of the World Trade Center attacks. The memorial features a landscaped walking path with individual memorials for each resident lost, where visitors can reflect about the loss Middletown has suffered. In addition to the ceremony, local houses of worship have been asked to join the community in remembering those men and women who died as a result of the terrorist attacks by ringing their bells at designated times. The township has asked that the bells be rung at: 8:46 a.m., in remembrance of those who died when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, and 9:04 a.m., in remembrance of those who died when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The completion of the ceremony will mark the official opening of the Middletown WTC Memorial Gardens to the public. It is located on a wooded site on the corner of Orchard and Church Streets, next to the Middletown Train Station and adjacent to the future Cultural and Arts Center. Construction of the memorial was made possible largely through donations. Preparation of the site was completed by a group of local contractors who provided their services at no cost. Middletown companies who donated their services include: Frontier Fence Co., J.H. Reid, JOMAC, K. Hovnanian, Najarian, Pantaleo Electric, Trap Rock Industries, and Stavola Contracting Co. Stephen Kealy, of Heavy and General Construction Laborers Union No. 472, helped to bring the contractors together. T& M Associates donated design work associated with the project. In addition, volunteer fund-raising efforts brought more than $50,000 in donations to defray project costs. Parking for the ceremony will be available in the metered train station parking lot on Church Street.
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Researchers will collect data to identify sources of
fecal coliform in the Deal Lake, Shark River, and Wreck Pond
watersheds. The project, “Innovative Assessment of Sources of Fecal E. coli in Pathogen Impaired Waterbodies of the Monmouth Coastal Watersheds Region,” uses pioneering assessment techniques such as Bacterial Source Tracking (BST) to determine specific sources of fecal E. coli pollution in the Deal Lake, Shark River, and Wreck Pond subwatersheds. BST techniques present tremendous potential for the definitive identification of sources of fecal E. coli contamination. Application of the microbiological and molecular techniques that are used provide a tangible measure for discriminating point and nonpoint sources of fecal contamination in the subwatersheds using E. coli as an indicator organism. The importance of Deal Lake, Shark River, and Wreck Pond in relation to the aesthetic and recreational welfare of the region has long been acknowledged. Active recreational pursuits in these waterbodies include fishing, swimming, and boating. These watersheds have become impaired by bacterial contamination and the water quality is degraded. Since the 1950s Deal Lake has been impacted by excess sedimentation, excessive acquatic macrophyte and algae growth, and poor sanitary quality due to elevated bacterial levels. Shark River and the Shark River Estuary are included in the New Jersey List of Water Quality Limited Waterbodies (303(d) list) due to pathogen contamination. In the case of the Shark River Estuary, elevated levels of Bacteria have resulted in the closure of the estuary to the direct harvest of shellfish and classification as a Special Restricted shellfish growing water. A major environmental problem associated with pathogen contamination in Wreck Pond is the closing of adjacent ocean bathing beaches in Spring Lake and Sea Girt resulting from elevated fecal coliform levels in water and sediment discharged form the pond to the ocean during storm events. Monmouth University n partnership with the NJDEP is committed to working with local groups and communities to improve the quality of New Jersey’s waters.
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Documentary Films, Donations for Foundation 9/11 Relief Fund and Project E.A.T. Contributions Planned LINCROFT, NJ — Brookdale will host the New Jersey premiere of Brian Hemstreet's Something to Remember Us: The Story of the 9/11 Remembrance Flag with continuous showings on September 11. The free viewings will begin at 10:00 A.M. in the Student Life Center, Navesink II, and continue until 2:00 P.M. Brookdale cable TV, Channel 21, will screen the film on September 11th and 16th at 12:30 P.M. and again at 6:30 P.M. Members of the Brookdale Volunteer Connection will be on hand at Hemstreet's screening to accept donations for the Brookdale Community College Foundation 9/11 Relief Fund. The monies raised assist victims' families with the cost of Brookdale books and fees. The Volunteer Connection's 9/11 Project E.A.T. will be accepting non-perishable food items to help area food pantries. The food collection bins will be available at locations throughout the Lincroft campus for two weeks beginning 9/11. Brothers in Blue, a documentary produced by Jason Liebman, Marlboro, will also be aired on Channel 21. The film presents the role of New Jersey firefighters and their companies in the 9/11 rescue effort. Tuesday, September 8th. Show times are 11:30 A.M. and 5:30 P.M. Hemstreet's latest effort, Something to Remember Us, premiered July 26th at the New York City digital film and television school, DV Dojo. The Howell filmmaker's independent production is the story of Gwen Loiacano, Wilmington, North Carolina, who envisioned the 9-11 flag in a vivid dream. She saw herself at Ground Zero and flying under the American flag was a second flag. When she awoke from the dream, she immediately created the prototype of that flag, now known as the 9-11 Remembrance Flag. Loiacano shared her creation with longtime friend, Karen Codocovi, Freehold. Codocovi was instrumental in bringing the Remembrance Flag to the New York area. The flag has been displayed at Port Authority, N.Y.C., at firehouses throughout the country and in the homes of families who lost loved ones. A copy is currently hanging in the Wilbur Ray Police Station at the Brookdale Lincroft campus. Hemstreet's half-hour documentary traces the 9-11 flag story from the first days after September 11 to its July 12 Washington, D.C. presentation to President George W. Bush's Deputy Assistant, Bradley Blakeman. It takes us into the homes of surviving family members whose testimonials describe how Loiacono's flag has comforted them. It includes stories from survivors of the tragedy, a cross-section of interviews including family members of those lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and from the hijacked airliners. "I felt powerless watching the events of September 11," commented Hemstreet. "In writing, directing, shooting and producing this film, I was able to do something; to share the flag's history," he explained. The production will also be screened in N.Y.C. Tuesday, September 9th at The Loft, 548 Broadway, 3rd floor. A wine and cheese reception will donate 100% of the proceeds to the 9/11 Campaign. Hemstreet is a four-time winner of the International Television Association (ITVA) video competition and is a recipient of The Cindy Award (School of Visual Communications). As Senior Specialist-Production, he is also the producer of Brookdale Televisions's Triumphant Spirit: America's WWII Generation Speaks, a 35 part series featuring the stories of World War II combat veterans. For information about the 9/11 events at Brookdale, please call # 732-224-2500.
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NEW YORK, NY — Pacific Encore Performances will share the healing power of music at the United Nations and International Cultural Exchange Center (ICEC) 9/11 remembrance services. “Understanding Through Culture” is the theme as St. Bart’s and the World presents World Music for World Peace, part of the United Nations’ remembrance service for the World Trade Center disaster. Pacific Encore Performances will participate in two ceremonies scheduled for September 10 and 11 at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Park Avenue and 51st Street in New York City. The Remembrance Concert for 9/11 will take place on Wednesday, September 10 at 7:00 pm at “St. Bart’s,” one of New York City’s great landmark churches. The free two-hour concert will feature Americana, Broadway, opera and folk tunes and will include Bansuri melodies by world -renowned natural reed flautist Pandit Haripasad Chaurasia with Vijay Ghate on tabla. As a sign of remembrance, a Pacific Encore Performances artist will start the vocal section with a solo rendition Ravel's arrangement of the Kaddish. Following a brief moment of silence, the Star Spangled Banner will signal the resurgent spirit of the American people. The concert will end with a mighty "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Admission is free, and reservations are recommended. Jan Kavan, President of the U.N. General Assembly, will headline the dignitaries scheduled to speak at the United Nations Remembrance Service from 8:30 to 10:00 am at St. Bartholomew’s on Thursday, September 11. Pacific Encore Performances’ selections during the service, including “Simple Gifts” by Aaron Copland, "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel, and "Amazing Grace,” will stress the need for unity and peace. The mission of Pacific Encore Performances is to build community through the universal language of music that speaks to the hearts and minds of all people. “Our singers reflect America’s cultural diversity and are pleased to share their hearts, spirits and joyful love of music with their audiences,” said Mary Weir, founder and president of Pacific Encore Performances. “We are proud to take part in this tribute to America’s heroes and our friends who lost loved ones in the World Trade Center Disaster.” The International Cultural Exchange Center (ICEC) was established with the vision of bridging people and nations through cultural understanding. For more information on ICEC, visit http://icec-online.org. Admission to World Music for World Peace is free and reservations are strongly recommended. For reservations and more information, contact St. Bart’s Central at 212-378-0222 or central@stbarts.org.
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MIDDLETOWN, NJ — New Jersey Senate candidates Ellen Karcher and John O. Bennett will make presentations to honor Julian "Bud" Batlan, Manalapan, at the Jewish War Veterans Testimonial Luncheon and Military Ball at 12:30 p.m, Sunday, September 7, 2003, in the ballroom of the Freehold Gardens Hotel, Freehold, New Jersey. There will be a joint presentation by Senator John O. Bennett and Assembly persons Clare Faragher and Dr. Michael Arnone of a joint New Jersey Legislature Resolution that honors Bud Batlan's fifty-seven (57) years of outstanding, patriotic, community and veterans service. The guest speakers are: United States Senator Frank Pallone, Assemblyman Dr. Michael Arnone, Monmouth County Freeholder Theodore Narozanick, Jewish War Veterans National Commander Daniel Weiss, Department of New Jersey Commander Robert Cirkus, and Past Department Commander Ben Roth. Jewish War Veterans Testimonial Honoree requests prayers for the safe return of a family member, the grandson of his first cousin Elihu Langsner, on active duty in Iraq. During the testimonial program, Rabbi Neil Sandler, Congregation Ohev Shalom, Marlboro Jewish Center, has been requested to deliver a prayer for the safe return of all American soldiers in combat overseas, and a special request for the safe return of the honoree's cousin, Captain Ryan Edmonston, 4th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, currently on active duty in Iraq. Rabbi Robert Pilavin, and Cantor Zvi Rosen (an I.D.F. veteran), both from the Congregation Sons of Israel, Manalapan, have been requested to remember and honor, during the benediction service, not only all departed American military comrades, but also, specifically, Bud Batlan's uncle, Corporal Benjamin Batlan, killed by poison gas and wounds in WWI, who enlisted with his Irish boyhood friends in the 165th Infantry (Civil War's Irish Brigade's "Fighting 69th"), as well as his late first cousin, Lieutenant Richard Batlan, a Pathfinder in the 82nd Airborne Division during the D-Day invasion of Normandy in World War II, awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, our nation's second highest military combat decoration, and his Civil War ancestor, Color Sergeant Benjamin B. Levy, C.M.H., Company H, 1st New York Infantry Volunteer Regiment, awarded the CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR, our nation's highest military combat decoration, for his battlefield heroism on June 30, 1862 at the Battle of Charles City Crossroads, Glendale, Virginia. The Jewish War Veterans, our nation's oldest, active, military veterans organization, founded by Civil War veterans, will hold a special testimonial luncheon in the Freehold Gardens Hotel Ballroom at 12:30 p.m., on Sunday, September 7, 2003, to honor Julian "Bud" Batlan, Manalapan, a decorated, and combat wounded veteran of World War Two, who is a third generation member of the Jewish War Veterans, for his patriotic and community service activities in New Jersey during the past fifty seven years *. He was a founder and the Charter Commander of the Manalapan-Marlboro Post 972, and later the Commander of the Monmouth-Ocean County Council, Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America...our nation's oldest, active veterans organization, founded by Civil War veterans.. He currently serves as his post's Executive Director. He is also a member of a brother Civil War organization, that was also founded by the veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic, and serves today as the Flag Holder of the Hightstown Abraham Lincoln Camp 100, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War,. He has held national office in the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America as National Deputy Americanism Officer and National Deputy Military Officer, and serves as the current Department of New Jersey Public Information Officer. In addition, he has served as president of the Eatontown Kiwanis International, and as the organizer and original scoutmaster of Manalapan Troop 350, as well as the Explorer Councilman of the Battleground District, Monmouth Council,. Boy Scouts of America.. A Newark native, he was honored with a proclamation from Mayor Sharpe James declaring May 24, 1998 as JULIAN ‘BUD" BATLAN DAY in the city of Newark, due to his years of activities to better race, ethnic, and religious relations in our state, and "for more than a half century of dynamic leadership, and for being an ideal military and community role model". The testimonial program will also honor all New Jersey survivors of World War Two with Big Band dance music during a pre-luncheon social period, including a closed bar that will start at 12:30 p.m.. Luncheon will be served at 1:15 p.m.. In addition to Jewish War Veterans National Commander Daniel Weiss, and Department of New Jersey Commander Robert Cirkus, the invited guest speakers include: United States Congressman Frank Pallone, New Jersey Assemblyman Dr. Michael Arnone, and Monmouth County Freeholder Theodore Narozanick, and Jewish War Veterans Department of New Jersey Past Department Commander Ben Roth. During the program Batlan will be presented with a joint resolution of congratulations that honor him from the New Jersey Legislature. The post's famous Civil War uniformed color guard will parade the colors to authentic Civil War period fife and drum marches, and there will be special recognition and honors for the veterans of each of the Branches of Service.. As of this date, August 27, 2003, the reservations for this testimonial luncheon is approaching the full capacity of the hotel's ballroom. For information and reservations, please call Luncheon Chairman Robert Schwartz, (732) 431-9067 before September 5, 2003. Mr. Batlan's Civil War ancestor is Union Army Color Sergeant Benjamin B. Levy, C.M.H., Company H, 1st New York Infantry Volunteers. Benjamin Levy is the first of the Jewish faith, and one of the very first Americans to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was awarded our nation's highest military combat decoration for his combat heroism on June 30, 1862 during the Battle of Charles City Crossroads, Glendale, Virginia. ../news/2003/0904/batlan_dinner.htm PRINT THIS ARTICLE
by Jim Robbins .
At the starting line adjacent to the main building, Sister Janet M. Christenson, of the Sisters of Mercy and the founder-director of the Epiphany House of Long Branch and of Asbury Park, one of the event's beneficiaries of women organizations dedicated to "Women Taking Steps to Help Women," welcomed the racers and thanked them for getting involved. She informed that their fees and pledge donations go toward "serving women that have been battered and broken who face outside obstacles of homelessness, unemployment, poverty and domestic violence. They also face obstacles inside such as drug addiction, low self-esteem and hopelessness." Sister added that the women's participation helped with getting places of safety so that hope could be realized and a new way of living could be learned. She further added that, "You bring a lot of concern for others - your very presence here today is a way of reaching out to needy people you haven't even met - and I want to thank you for loving them." Sister's final comment reminded all that no matter what their racing time would be that, "Everybody here today is a winner because you cared enough to participate." After a fine rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner by Emily Whelan, who will be a freshman at Ocean Township High School this year, Phil Hinck, husband of Penny, the race director, gave a loud, "Ready, go!", as the official starter. The racers were then underway on the grueling grind of "one of the toughest cross-country courses in Monmouth County, maybe in all of New Jersey," offered John MacGilivary, N.J. representative of the Road Runners Club of America, on hand today to direct the Kids' Races, a part of the event. The first 1/3 of a mile is an uphill climb that eventually leads to a large recession which is commonly referred to as "the bowl" and then onto the last leg of the course being a winding downhill through woods to the straightaway finish contiguous to the main road. Twelve-year old Briana Jackucewicz, of Farmingdale, repeated last year's victory and was the first to cross the finish line at a racing time of 18:57 (eighteen minutes and 57 seconds) followed by Jackson's Jennifer Clausen at 19:21 and third was Alicia Kelly of Spring Lake Heights at 19:23. "If it were less humid, it would have been perfect," said Briana when asked to comment on the weather. "The first part is a long hill and it's also grassy and that makes it uneven," she offered in describing her immediate thoughts on the course. Briana won the women's division of the Bradley Beach 5K just two weeks ago at a time of 17:39. Briana won this Saturday in the Park event three years ago as a nine-year old and she did it in a very respectful 19:53. The racewalk division was won by Donna Cetrulo at 33:31 followed by Maria Paul 34:45, both of Long Branch and third was Hazlet's Panse Geer at 34:50. "The course is tough, but the cause is good," said Cetrulo, secretary of the Shore Athletic Club (SAC), and teacher in the Long Branch school system when asked her immediate thoughts as she was talking to Geer and Paul who also nodded in agreement. Red Bank's Elizabeth Ireland, past president of the Jersey Shore Running Club, finished at 36:36, good for third place award in her age group 55-59, and said that "it was very humid today," in commenting on the weather. When asked her thoughts on the course she offered that "it is tough and lovely - tough because of the hills and my old age, and lovely because of the spirit of the women on the course, everybody is pulling for each other." If the event had an award for last place finisher it would have gone to Laura Caracappa of Port Reading (that's NJ not PA) who finished at 59:38 which earned her 509th place overall and 66th out of 66 in her age group of 45-49. "I enjoy Holmdel Park - I love the trails here - the event was very well organized, people along the way making sure you were on the right path and cheering you on and plenty of water available if you needed it," said Caracappa who good-humoredly responded to the interview and it reminds us of what Sister Janet said earlier, "Everybody…is a winner." There are three beneficiaries of the event: Epiphany House of Asbury Park and Long Branch which provides traditional housing and services to create and maintain a self-affirming life to homeless women and children who seek to recover from addiction; Providence House of Catholic Charities in Ocean County which offers services to women and children who are affected by domestic violence; Spring House of Eatontown which provides interim housing to single, female parents and their families acting as a springboard to help residents gain self-sufficiency. Since its inception, the Saturday in the Park 5K has raised over $118,000 and has created public awareness of options and services available to women. This year donor pledges earned over $3,000 and JSRC member Marti Rettino of Matawan had the highest amount with $500. Tim McLoone, emcee, and Penny Hinck awarded picture frames with the 10th anniversary logo with a photo of last year's start to the aforementioned winners as well as age-group leaders and other special achievers on the Park's grounds near the finish-line area. Gifts were offered at a random drawing, due to the generosity of the business community. The main gift of a mountain bike, courtesy of DJ's Cycles was won by Darlene Kapitan of Colts Neck. "I'm into bicycling so I'll definitely be using it," said Kapitan when asked about her intentions with her new prize. Saturday in the Park is part of the Women's Distance Festival of the Road Runner's Club of America which is an effort to encourage women's running at all levels. Through Road Runner's sponsorship program, over 200 women-only races are presented annually, with over 40,000 women being involved over the past 22 years. Along with organizing the Kids Races, MacGilivary was here to note this fact and compliment Penny Hinck and all that served. To add to this idea an activity called the JSRC Women's 101 Beginning Running & Walking Program which was initiated by the club last year was continued and eighty women completed the 5k race this day and each received a Certificate of Completion from the JSRC. Nearly 200 volunteers were available for the myriad activities of putting on an event such as this and among them, serving as course marshals, were the cross-country students of Monmouth University and Shore Regional High School supervised by their respective coaches: Joseph Compagni and Mel Ullmeyer. John Kuhi and Hoyle Mozee of SAC were the official timers. John Eddy and Jennifer Thien organized the computer results. Walter MacGowan, president of SAC, was the morning announcer and used the loud-speaker system to direct and organize the racers as they arrived. "I am extremely pleased with this year's turnout and want to thank our sponsors, the race committee and the tremendous efforts of our volunteers. All components of the event merge together to produce a truly enjoyable day for the women runners and walkers, as well as raise awareness for the women's charities which need our support. Special thanks to Holmdel Park rangers for providing the beautiful setting, and to my husband, Phil, whose help with the race is immeasurable,"concluded a deservedly, very proud Penny Hinck, race director. It should be noted that Phil Hinck directed the successful five mile races in Spring Lake and Belmar and also the Red Bank George Sheehan Classic. Other finishers of the grueling grind but worthy cause: Holmdel leaders: Lisa Piscasia 22:43, Tari Chen 26:08, Lynn Brady 26:21, Kristin Uhlemeyer 26:36, Christine Piscacia 26:50, Alysson Mondoro 26:57, Antoinette Piscascia 27:31, Kaitlin Stafford 28:01, Samantha Teijelo 28:10, Kyle Galante 29:20, Becky Steinberg 29:37, Teresa Connelly 30:11, Annette Pento, Caroline Malapero 31:06, Candace WolKovitz 31:20, Francesca Picascia 31:42, Evelyn Chen 32:17, Diana Baccash 32:27, Stephanie Miller 32:30, Devin Mahon 32:34, Jen Bambara 32:35, Elizabeth Strickland 32:38, Amanda Yip 32:41, Sarah Milonas 32:42, Maeghan Joffe 32:45, Stephanie Chen 32:46, Lisa Crisaili 32:47, MaryBeth Manzi 32:49, Janice Migliazza 32:50, Jen DeSousa 33:17, Natasha Arena 33:19, Karen Strickland 33:34, Lynne Lambert 33:50, Lauren Grado 33:51, Carlyle Galante 33:52, Michelle Evaristo 33:55, Mary Rose Little 33:58, Colleen Curry 34:03. Red Bank: Renee Tolan 21:25, Lynn Clark 26:37, Julia Baralta 27:14, Brianne Zimmerman 27:41, Sherry Walsh 27:48, Eileen Murphy 36:32, Karen Thoens 39:48, Claire Lehmann 47:01, Maura Lehmann 47:02, Elizabeth Smith 52:39, Georgia Smith 52:44, Isabel Pipercic 54:11, Stacie Carter 54:12, Katrina Durante 54:13, Doris Beardsley 55:21, Louise Baratta 58:01, Kellyann Kelly 58:02. Middletown : Jill Evarts 19:46, Keira Helem 23:05, Marybeth McDonnell 23:27, Betsy Kowal 27:58, Bunny McDonnell 28:15, Elizabeth Donohue 32:02, Debbie Schain 34:00, Tammy Winz 34:19, Karen Zupancic 42:27, Terri Levy 42:33, Connie Myhrer 46:55, Patricia Geraldi 50:27, Cecilia Mullen 51:24, Barbara Micell 54:05. Others: Sage Stefiuk 19:59, Highlands; Jennifer Murphy 23:18, Oceanport; Mary Conry 23:38, Colts Neck; Kelly Wojciehowski 24:01, Fair Haven; Serena Hunt 24:02, Rumson; Katie Zakreski 24:08, Fair Haven; Dawn Wilcox 24:10, Little Silver; Jenna VanDright 24:49, Atl. Highlands; Arlene Jensen 25:57, Colts Neck; Andrea Plaza 26:09, Little Silver; Darlene Kapitan 26:12, Colts Neck (bike winner); Kelly Lang 27:34, Monmouth Beach; Grace Lang 27:35, Sea Bright; Carol Irwin 27:36, Rumson; Mary Lynn Murphy 27:59, Oceanport; Meredith McWilliams 28:18, Rumson; Janice Rudow 29:45, Little Silver; Josephine Lindgren 31:35, Fair Haven; Joanne Quinn 32:16, Shrewsbury; Loretta Gerz 33:22, Monmouth Beach; Robin Ann Collins 33:28, Colts Neck; Jessica Alinsub 33:29, Dana Earl 34:46 and Robin Stefiuk 35:26, Highlands; Kristin Padovano 35:59, Fair Haven; Louise Habrack 36:30, Colts Neck; Ann Lawes 36:36, Rumson; Sandra Talarico 37:00, Little Silver; Gail Gahre 38:19, Rumson; Lorin Lewin 40:26, Fair Haven; Maureen Hayward 41:11 and Jennifer Pawlak 42:53, Shrewsbury; Deb Johnson 43:27, Atl. Highlands; Ann Unsinn 47:49, Fair Haven; Carmine Carroll 49:04, Little Silver; Liz Moss 49:05, Shrewsbury; Joanne Smith 52:38, Little Silver; Julie Smith 52:39, Shrewsbury. Road racers have the Brielle Day Hill and Dale 10K on September 6th at 9 a.m. info call 732-528-6600 x 25. It's the Henry Hudson Trail Run, an 8 miler, on Sunday, September 7th at 9:30 a.m. in Middletown, info call 732-578-1771. On September 14th is the Colts Neck 10K at 10:30 a.m. info call 732-780-6666.
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HOWELL, NJ — On Saturday, August 23, 2003, a graduation ceremony was held for 21 graduating firefighters at the Monmouth County Fire Academy, in Howell Township. The Firefighter I Program Course is a rigorous 112 hours of instruction over a period of 12 days and contains all basic requirements of the NJ State Standards & Codes, as related to ladders, safety, hoses, incident command system, search & rescue, hazardous materials, thermal imaging camera, fire prevention and basic EMS needs. There are some 140 fire companies in Monmouth County. The Fire Academy is a facility provided by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders to provide state-of-the art training for firefighters. There is no-cost to the fire companies nor the firefighters. Firefighters from adjoining counties are eligible to attend the Academy if their fire companies have a mutual aid agreement with a Monmouth County fire company. 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. 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 were: Paul R. Abelow, Morganville; Arthur W. Blair, Jr., Manasquan; Kristofor L. Bloomquist, Pt. Pleasant Beach; Marvin L. Carter, Neptune Township; Rui M. Granja, Allenhurst; David G. Hunt, Wall Township; Andrew C. Lay, Colts Neck; Peter G. Loftus, Jr., Wall Township; Brian M. Maiorino, Freehold Township; Eric T. Mason, Hazlet; Keith J.Miklas, Bradley Beach; Christopher J. O’Connor, Jr., Aberdeen; Robert Poklemba, East Freehold; Daniel M. Presti, Aberdeen; James H. Proto, Aberdeen; Frankie J. Sangi, Ocean Township; Christopher R. Sarokhan, Wall Township; Christopher C. Terhune, Manasquan; Ryan T. Tomaine, Long Branch; Jonathan W. White, Hazlet; Tom E. Wilkinson, Staten Island, NY. Timothy J. Smith, the County Fire Marshal, supervises the Fire Academy and with William Itlinger serving as Training Officer. For additional information, call 732-938-5323.
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RUMSON, NJ — Diners who frequent the Salt Creek Grille are familiar with managing partner Steve Bidgood's ready smile, big laugh and warm hand shake. However, few are aware of the extent of his good will. Recently the Salt Creek Grille was chosen as a New Jersey finalist for the "2003 Restaurant Neighbor Award." The Salt Creek was also named as a state finalist in 2001. Salt Creek Grille, now in its fifth year of business, has a proud tradition of giving back to the community and offers support to over 30 community organizations. Last year Salt Creek Grille donated $103,000 to local charities. "Steve's a big man with an even bigger heart," said Dick Pollock, CEO for the Community YMCA, Red Bank, an organization that Salt Creek Grille supports. The Salt Creek Grille, Rumson, was the finalist for the $5 million and above and Sabatinis, Atlantic City was the state's finalist for the under $5 million category. Bidgood donates more than just dollars to the community he serves. In addition to managing one of the area's most popular restaurants, Bidgood chairs the Community YMCA's Red Bank Branch's annual "Reach Out To Youth" campaign. Last year, the Red Bank Branch again raised the lion's share of the funds exceeding the Y's overall goal at $450,000. The Salt Creek Grille is a classic American Grille that has a unique mesquite focused menu. The restaurant has a Wine Spectator award winning wine list and was voted Best Steak in Central Jersey last year by NJ Monthly readers. The Restaurant Neighbor Award is a national program established by the National Restaurant Association and American Express to honor and recognize restaurateurs for outstanding community involvement who will contend for national honors. The winners will be announced at the National Restaurant Association's Public Affairs Conference to be held in Washington, D.C. on September 16. "We created the Restaurant Neighbor Award to shine the spotlight on restaurants that go above and beyond in services and giving and to underscore that restaurants are truly the cornerstone of local communities," said Steven C. Anderson, National Restaurant Association president and CEO. Each of the three winners of the national award will receive $5,000 for their community programs. "The Salt Creek Grille and Steve Bidgood exemplify the philanthropy and community spirit that is the foundation of our state's food, beverage and hospitality," said Deborah Dowdell, executive vice president of the NJRA, a non-profit professional trade organization. "I congratulate Salt Creek Grille for the important role it has played in the community." Each year, Salt Creek Grille selects an entrée from its menu and donates $1 to a local charity each time it is ordered. In 2003, the restaurant will donate $1 to the Muscular Dystrophy Association's A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig's Disease) research fund for each Lemon Chile Garlic Half-Chicken entrée sold. Last year, the entrée donation program netted more than $2,000 for the Community YMCA. "I am honored to receive this award for the entire staff at Salt Creek Grille," Bidgood said. "We are proud to be a part of this wonderful community and we know the importance of giving back to the many organizations that make our area a great place to live and work." Bidgood has been an active board member and fundraiser for the Y's Red Bank Branch, and he was recently elected to a seat on the corporate board. The Y, which has several branches, is the second largest in New Jersey. The CYMCA is a full-service Y and offers health and fitness programs, family counseling, childcare and summer camp. The Y serves thousands of members of the community in a variety of ways to help build healthy, strong families, an important endeavor to Bidgood.
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RED BANK, NJ — The
Monmouth County Audubon Society will host a tour of Bayonet
Farm in Holmdel and Thompson Park in Middletown on Saturday,
September 27, at 8 am. The public is welcome, and admission
is free.
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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS , NJ — Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club is sponsoring the third event in its highly popular Speaker Series on Thursday, September 25, 2003 at 7:30 pm at the club. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature William H. White, author and maritime historian. Mr. White will be discussing the Barbary Wars in his illustrated lecture. In his newest book, The Greater the Honor, he tells the exciting story of our country’s attempts to protect our trade against the "Barbary Pirates," the North African corsairs who made their livelihood preying upon merchant vessels sailing in the Mediterranean.William H. White, a member of AHYC, is a former United States Naval officer with combat service. He is also an avid, life-long sailor. As a maritime historian, he specializes in Age of Sail events in which the United States was a key player and lectures frequently on the impact of these events on our history. He is also the author of The War of 1812 Trilogy: A Press of Canvas, A Fine Tops'l Breeze and The Evening Gun. Further information on him may be found at www.seafiction.net.
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EATONTOWN, NJ — The September meeting of the Monmouth County Genealogy Society will be held on Sunday the 14th at the Community Center, 68 Broad Street in Eatontown. Whether you are having trouble keeping up with all the Internet developments for genealogists or not you will want to join us to hear John Konvalinka present his seminar "Newest, Unusual and Exciting Web Sites for Genealogists." In this talk he will review several major areas of genealogy "repository" research, examine how each of these areas is being impacted by modern computer and Internet technology and demonstrate how technical tools can be used to support and improve the results of traditional genealogy research. As is our custom, please feel free to join us for refreshments and genealogy networking at 1:30 PM. We will begin our program at 2:00 PM with a short business meeting followed by our speaker's presentation.John Konvalinka is a professional genealogist, a Trustee of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey and leader of the NGS' British Isles Forum. For more information or directions please call Larry Fermi, MCGS Program Chair at 732-345-7258.
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KEYPORT, NJ — Project Linus NJ, Inc. a local, 501c3 non-profit organization is gearing up for national Make A Difference Day, which falls on October 25, 2003 this year. Make A Difference Day is a national campaign to encourage community volunteerism in America. On October 25, 2003 volunteers will distribute handmade "hugs" and crated toys to fragile children in the south jersey area. The community is encouraged to make a personal contribution prior to October 24, 2003 or come to the event and participate in planned activities. This year's home base is Planet Hollywood, off of the boardwalk promenade, Atlantic City. Agency contacts from American Red Cross, area hospitals and homeless shelters will be in attendance to receive donations for the children in their care. Blanket donations will also be accepted at the door. The public is invited to Planet Hollywood from 11:00am to 1:30pm. Autumn Angels, a local nonprofit out of Abescon, NJ will be coordinating a celebrity silent auction, fashion and jewelry show and the restaurant is offering a lovely brunch buffet. Registration is required and entry is priced at $20.00 per person (with proceeds going to local charities). Since establishing in 1999, Project Linus NJ volunteers have collectively donated more than 19,000 handmade quilts, knitted and crochet "hugs" to children suffering serious illness and trauma throughout New Jersey, across the country and in partnership with international relief organizations. Recipients of the Daily Points of Light award from the Points of Light Foundation in Washington, DC, Project Linus NJ encourages everyone to make a difference in their community. October marks a milestone for Project Linus NJ; celebrating five years as a Monmouth county nonprofit serving fragile children through the dedication and talent of members. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Autumn Angels and reach fragile children in the southern communities" says Director, Hillary Roberts. "We are partners in healing, on a mission of hope." The community is welcome to contact PLNJ Director, Hillary Roberts, at www.blankiedepo.org or by calling 732-335-9033 to register, lodging information and blanket guidelines. Student volunteers of all ages are encouraged to join this year's party at Planet Hollywood.
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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ — Genarro "Gerry" Marletta of Atlantic Highlands is the winner of the first Eric P. Donoghue Scholarship.Marletta, who graduated from Henry Hudson Regional School in June, received the $1,000 award from Eric's father, Peter E. Donoghue, at the senior awards assembly the day before high school graduation. He will be attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The Eric Donoghue Scholarship Foundation was establish following Eric's April 4th death of complications following heart surgery. Eric, age 32, was the organist at St. Agnes Catholic Church and the former organist at the First Presbyterian Church, both in Atlantic Highlands. He was also a keyboardist with the jazz band the Chris Colaneri Quartet and had played with various rock and jazz bands over the years. He was also a piano teacher. Eric was a 1989 graduate of Henry Hudson and attended the Berklee College of Music. Marletta has played bass guitar for several years and the sousaphone for the last three years, earning a place in the All-Shore high school band for the last two years. He has also performed with the Henry Hudson school band, the rock ensemble and as a guest artist with the Hudson 7th and 8th grade jazz band. He also sang with the Hudson a capella choir.
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HOWELL, NJ — On Saturday, September 20th, the Monmouth County Park System will celebrate National Estuaries Day! This is an annual celebration of fascinating places where freshwater from rivers mixes with saltwater from the ocean. Events will take place at either the Bayshore Waterfront Park in Port Monmouth or Fisherman’s Cove Conservation Area in Manasquan. These scenic areas are great places for exploring. Everyone will have an opportunity to grab a net to seine for marine life, search the shore for seashells, and investigate the many plants and animals that live in and near our beautiful estuarine waters. You will have a fun time as you learn about the cultural and historical value of our local estuaries and understand the importance of coastal stewardship. All ages are welcome, under 18 with adult. Programs are two hours in length. The price is $3 per person. To register, please call (732) 842-4000, Ext. 1. Please have one of the below program numbers ready.
Bayshore Waterfront Park in Port Monmouth, NJ
Fisherman’s Cove Conservation Area in Manasquan, NJ
This is a hands-on event during which everyone will be able to observe and handle local marine life. Please wear closed shoes that can get wet, such as sneakers or water-shoes, and dress for the weather, since we will be outdoors. For more information, please call (732) 751-9453.
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HOWELL, NJ — To prepare teachers and educators for fall classes, the Monmouth County Park System will be providing a series of environmental teacher training workshops. Receive CEU credit and learn about the coastal environment in central New Jersey. Below is information on specific workshops. To register, call (732) 842-4000, Ext. 1. Please have the program number ready.
Estuary Explorers for Educators
Freshwater Biodiversity & Ecology
Project WET Workshop The times for each workshop will be 9am to 3pm. Please dress for the weather, wear old clothes and sneakers, insect repellent and sunscreen. Please register early. For more information about a specific workshop, call (732) 751-9453. Monmouth County Park System is a Professional Provider with the New Jersey Department of Education, #4642
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LINCROFT, NJ — The Shrewsbury Chorale, a mixed chorus of approximately 70 voices, provides area singers the opportunity to perform a wide variety of music from both the sacred and secular choral repertoire. The Chorale is actively recruiting new members to join us for our 47th season. Open rehearsals will be held on Tuesday, September 9 and Tuesday, September 16 2003, from 7:45 - 10:00 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, 1475 West Front Street Lincroft NJ. Open rehearsals provide an opportunity for interested persons to experience a typical rehearsal of the Chorale before auditioning for membership. Singers must have choral experience, sight-reading ability, and be available to attend Tuesday evening rehearsals. All voice parts are being recruited and membership is open to all who meet audition requirements, though final acceptance and placement will depend upon available openings in particular voice categories. The concerts and repertoire for our season includes Bach Magnificat and music of the season in December, an evening of Irish entertainment in March and Brahms’ Requiem in May. For further information on our open rehearsals and auditions please call 732-224-1135 or for concert information please call (732) 542-2151. You may also visit our website at http://www.shrewsburychorale.org
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by Brian Unger The Garden State Parkway (GSP) has never figured as prominently in American poetry and rock music as the N.J. Turnpike. Seminal New Jersey poets like William Carlos William and Allen Ginsberg, and rock artists Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen have waxed lyrical about the Turnpike’s oily industrial landscapes. But it’s hard to think of a single notable line of verse about the Garden State Parkway. Maybe it’s because, deep inside, New Jerseyans object to the steep administrative and “social” costs of relying on an inefficient toll system to fund highway operations.
As a lifelong commuter, I’ve experienced toll booth tie-ups up and down the Parkway and the Turnpike. I also commuted for years on New Jersey Transit’s commuter train service. There is a critical need for more investment in comfortable modern train cars, schedule improvements and new track, particularly along the North Jersey Coast Line. Daily standing room only (SRO) on this line at rush hour, five days a week, is extremely poor service for Monmouth County taxpayers going to work in North Jersey and New York City. Specific to the Garden State Parkway, a study published by Professors Jonathan Peters of The City University of New York and Jonathan Kramer of St. Joseph’s University in this summer’s issue of Transportation Quarterly shows that out of a $0.35 toll we taxpayers lose $0.13 cents in associated administrative, pollution and related ‘social’ costs – a whopping 37% of revenue collected. Using 2000 as the study year, $152 million was collected at the tolls, but it cost an astounding $56 million to collect it. It should have cost only about $4.5 million to collect these funds, as it would have in other states that pay for highway operations out of gasoline or income taxes, which cost around 3% of total revenue to collect. If we took out the toll booths N.J. taxpayers would have an extra $57 million for important things like education, or infrastructure re-investment. Plus, we’d be eligible for another $30 million from the federal government’s highway trust fund. With over $80 million a year in extra tax revenues in the bank, we could invest in New Jersey’s future, be it lower state college tuition and more scholarship monies for kids from working families, or more efficient and reliable train and bus service for commuters. Peters and Kramer have demonstrated that E-Z Pass is still an enormously expensive boondoggle. According to media reports, key contracts and consultant jobs for E-Z Pass were steered to well-connected political cronies of the Whitman Administration who weren’t in the transportation or automated fee collection business. It seems they had to learn the business from the ground up. Now it’s a $469 million liability for taxpayers. The annual N.J. bill for E-Z Pass is $47 million, about what the IRS spends to collect federal gasoline taxes in all 50 states. Go figure. This type of insider ‘pay to play’ cronyism in our political system prevents a fair bidding process – not to mention rational decision-making. We taxpayers fund the carefully calibrated paybacks exacted by powerful politicians (nepotism, patronage), which are nothing more than barely legal shakedowns. It’s unconscionable that our sitting senators have not come out and condemned their colleagues. But of course why would they? That’s the system. They created it. The Garden State Parkway has systematically helped increase property values in New Jersey and has proved to be a vital transportation corridor. The Parkway directly benefits the economic well-being of millions of New Jerseyans. But in addition to being a gross waste of money, individual toll collection on the Parkway is unfair. It targets only specific wage earners, forcing them to pay an additional tax after they have already paid highway taxes. New Jerseyans share a large portion of ‘commons’ in our geographically small but intensely populated region. Our commons are not only parklands and town squares, our commons are oceanfronts, beaches, great highways, fast disappearing woods and farmlands. Even our commuter rail systems are part of the New Jersey commons we share. We should all shoulder the burden of upkeep and infrastructure improvement, whether it’s shore protection, ocean recreation, open space preservation, investments in train service, or sharing the burden of funding the Garden State Parkway. These assets make New Jersey a more pleasant and economically viable place to live, for all of us. Brian Unger, Long Branch, is an independent candidate for State Senator in the 11th legislative district, comprising coastal towns from Atlantic Highlands to Sea Girt, plus the inland towns of Rumson, Oceanport, Ocean Twp., Wall Twp. and South Belmar. He is running on the Green Party ticket.
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THEN CAME JESUS! Someone defined preaching as “bringing God’s comfort to those who lack comfort and lots of discomfort to those who are too comfortable within themselves”. In the olden days, when preachers would make regular house calls, the recipient of the visit would start by asking, “Is there a word from the Lord?” “A word from the Lord” often meant shalom – peace, wholeness, prosperity, bright future. At times the word from the Lord meant repentance, changing life’s direction, giving away what one had acquired, leaving everything, getting ready to die. In these weeks when the UN hotel was bombed in Baghdad and a bus exploded in Jerusalem, it is so easy to dichotomize between friends and enemies, between civilized and barbarians. Then came Jesus! And Jesus tells us that he died for all of us and he loves all of us equally. His message to the suicide-bomber, the displaced- Palestinian, the covenant-claiming Jew, and the liberty-loving American is the same – I love you. In these months when evangelicals and liberals have wrangled over issues such as abortion, marriage, same-sex unions, and federal support for church programs, the divisions seem to be getting deeper and the triumphalism of each position more strident. The came Jesus. I have to remember that in my best time I see the truth of God as through a glass darkly, and that Jesus promised that “whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). In these days when philosophers tell us that we no longer can communicate truth because all truth is relative (therefore, there is no absolute truth), when Hutchinson and political company tell us that we are heading for the clash of civilizations, when I read the Eastern European papers and I find that the working people are pining for the communist days because at least then they would receive monthly checks and not see so many millionaires overnight, while their children are starving, I feel overwhelmed thinking about the future. Then came Jesus. He tells us that He is the way, the truth and the life, and God is the same yesterday, today and forever more. Then came Jesus! Emmanuel – God with us.
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STEEP SLOPE DECISION BENEFITS ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS AND NEW JERSEY A very significant decision for Atlantic Highlands and New Jersey history occurred in August. For those that are concerned about over development, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled in Atlantic Highlands favor. In a case that could have widespread implications, the highest court in the state upheld the Atlantic Highlands steep slope ordinance unanimously. Enacted in the late 1980’s, our steep slope ordinance was designed to protect the hill. The challenge to the ordinance came about two years ago from Ferraro Builders regarding property on Ocean Blvd. Prior to the passage of the steep slope ordinance, a three-lot subdivision had been approved but not built. After building two of the homes in the late 1990’s, the developer had used most of the coverage that the steep slope calculation allowed for on the entire lot. The developer challenged the borough over its ordinance, and argued that state land use laws do not allow for such exclusions. In a 7-0 decision, the justices ruled that municipalities can address local needs and that towns can put exclusions in its zoning laws to protect the environment. Atlantic Highlands argued that one definition in the state land use law could not possibly encompass all of the municipalities. Our case focused on the fact that some of our town is built on the side of a mountain, and that is quite different than the rest of the state. The judges decided that a “one size fits all” definition in state law does not address environmentally sensitive areas of the state. This decision could be good for municipalities throughout the state as they contend with urban sprawl. As other municipalities start to review their existing zoning laws, they may point to the Atlantic Highlands case as an example of local government knowing better than state mandates. By defending our ordinance and prevailing in the highest court, the borough struck a victory for sound planning throughout the state.
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BACK TO HOMESCHOOL Why would any woman in her right mind choose to homeschool her children, when she could just as easily let the public school system do it for her? I mean, if someone offered to take your child for six hours a day and told you that they would teach him all the things he needed to know, make him a healthy lunch, give him medical attention if he needs it, let him exercise, provide music and art lessons, educate him about computers, and allow him the opportunity to socialize with other kids his age, would you turn him down? Oh, yeah. And there’s no charge. The way I look at it, that’s like getting free babysitting with a whole lot of perks. You’d have to be crazy to say “no” to an opportunity like that, wouldn’t you? And yet, many parents these days are saying “no” to their neighborhood school systems and opting to homeschool their children instead. Approximately 1.7 million American children are currently schooled at home. That’s 2 percent of all school-age children. If a school system tells you that they can do it, a homeschooling mother says that she can do it better. Who are these women? Where do find the energy? Where do they get the time? And where do they find the patience? Average homeschooling mothers are “more educated than the general public and have slightly higher household incomes,” according to Better Homes and Gardens magazine (August, 2002). I suspect that they also might be masochistic gluttons for punishment. Wasn’t labor and delivery enough? Teething? 2 a.m. feedings? Toilet training? By the time my sons were ready for the “Three R’s,” I was ready for the “Two R’s”: Rest and Relaxation. Believe me; I love my sons as much as any other mother does. But I couldn’t wait for summer vacation to be over. I mean their summer vacation, not mine. I knew that back to school meant that I was back to making everyone get up early, making lunches, making sure they had their homework, making sure they had their books covered, making sure they were ready in time for the Carpool Mother, and making sure that they were in that Carpool Mother’s car and driving away, so that I could have a blissful, heavenly, precious, unadulterated six hours of peace and quiet. And sanity. My hat’s off to those saintly women who would actually choose to keep their kids home with them, day after day, year after year, 24/7, and not only teach them what they needed to know in life, but teach them what they needed to know to get into a good college. And keep the house clean and get three square meals on the table. They’ve got more guts than I do. And they most likely have nerves of titanium. I admit that the first day I waved goodbye to my sons from the schoolyard, I felt a pang of unquenchable sadness that reached down to the very pit of my soul. Three seconds later I realized that I could go grocery shopping without them begging me for candy, cookies, ice cream, cake and Captain Crunch cereal every 2.5 minutes. I could think clearly when I was in the bank, the drug store, and the dry cleaners. I had handed my pharmacist a deposit slip, my bank teller a dry cleaning ticket, and my dry cleaner my birth control prescription for the very last time. I could drive to Kmart and back again without World War III breaking out in the back seat and without my neck breaking out in hives. I could take a nap (a nap!) if I got tired, without Matchbox cars flying over my head or the fear of DYFS accusing me of not properly supervising my children. I could make tuna fish with onion and eat the entire can myself if I wanted to, without someone at the kitchen table saying, “What’s that yucky smell?” I can’t believe that there are women out there who voluntarily give all that up. But there are. Why? Well, according to Better Homes and Gardens, 26% of homeschooled children who applied to Stanford University in 2000 were accepted. That’s nearly double the acceptance rate of kids who go to school. In 1999, a study of 20,000 homeschooled children (grades 1 – 4) performed better than public and private school children in every subject of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. And by eighth grade, the average homeschooled student scored four grade levels higher than the national average. Homeschooled students also scored higher on the SAT college exam. They say that part of the reason for this better performance is that a child who is homeschooled receives “intimate, individualized attention” from an instructor (mother) who knows the child best. That is precisely why I wouldn’t homeschool my children. I did know them better than any teacher did. I knew that they would be accusing me of “favoritism,” if I gave one of them an “A” and the other one a “B+.” I knew that one of them would be crying if I put their finger painting on the refrigerator below his brother’s. I knew that they’d be pinching each other under the table, bribing me for cookies, and asking for “recess” every five minutes. The stress from the “sexual education” portion of the Heath curriculum alone would have put me into a mental hospital. No thanks. I’ll leave the teaching to the professionals. I figure, my sons got all the homeschooling they needed from their father and me. We read to them every night before bed. We let them watch Sesame Street. We provided “recess” for them on every nice day. If it was raining, we ordered them downstairs to the “Rec Room” (or more accurately, the Wreck Room). In either case, “recess” for them basically involved beating the hell out of each other. At least they were getting exercise. One of the advantages our kids got from being schooled the traditional way was that they made a lot of friends in school that they wouldn’t have known otherwise. Wait a minute. Come to think of it, some of those friends introduced them to some pretty foul 4-letter words, alcohol, and hairstyles that would make a hippy look “well-groomed.” They also learned the best places to go if you wanted to get your tongue pierced or your chest tattooed. Nothing’s perfect. So what if that, by sending your kids to school, they might not get into Harvard or Yale? I was willing to take my chances. Besides, my school years gave me some of the happiest times of my life. I wouldn’t have traded them for anything. Not even an Ivy League degree.
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LIFE IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL I was told the above phrase about a week ago by a doctor friend of mine. He was referring to issues in my private life that needed attending to. He basically told me I was working too many hours on too many projects and not enjoying life day by day. This is true; I guess I was filling in the time with work while waiting for the next stage of my life. The stage is set I am waiting for the main character to get here. “What if they take a long time to get here? You are not enjoying each and every day. What if they don't get here? You need to enjoy each and every day. Life is not a dress rehearsal,” he said, “you never know what tomorrow holds.” As a doctor that was blocks from Ground Zero on 9/11. He experienced all of the above first hand. I have for years worked out, ate properly most of the time and nagged my friends to do so. Two things I did not do were lower my stress levels and get frequent exams. It was only through the request from a friend on the American Cancer Society, Larry Roberts that I started going in for regular check ups. I was fine but obviously there were friends that were not reached. One of those men was Drew Horgan. He was a scholar of world governments and communities, a man who had met Kings and Queens around the world while serving his country. He was a man who I sat on committees with to raise money for the Red Bank Fireworks and develop the Red Bank Visitors Center. He was brilliant, an intellect and a gentle man. He left here some months ago on an assignment in Iraq to help build working communities and towns within that war torn country. He was very well received within Iraq almost a father figure at the age of 63. He never had a colonoscopy before and was scheduled for one just before he left but put it off in his rush to help others overseas. He came home on leave a few weeks ago. Server pains put him in the hospital last Thursday for 9 hours. They sent him home. The next night a tumor burst from colon cancer he never knew he had and Drew died of complications that night. A lot of people made mistakes. Drew did, perhaps the hospital did and I did for not passing on Larry Roberts request. I will from now on.
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MUSLIMS SEE ‘LIBERALISM’ AS AMERICA’S DOWNFALL Islamic terrorists hate America because it has been corrupted by “liberalism.” To understand why terrorists call Americans the “infidels,” you have to understand the Islamist philosopher Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian born in 1906. His writings in the 1950s and ‘60s set the stage for today’s showdown between the Muslim fundamentalists and the “liberal societies” of the West. Qutb (pronounced KUH-tahb) lived in America in the late 1940s while earning a Master’s degree at the Colorado State College of Education. He was shocked by America’s “sexual freedoms” and other liberal ideas about women and society. Qutb’s saw the danger of America’s liberty society as the separation of the church and state. He was concerned that people with liberal ideas were mounting a massive campaign against Islam. Qutb’s brother, Muhammad, was a distinguished Saudi professor of Islamic Studies. One of his students was Osama bin Laden, the leader of the terrorists who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Sayyid Qutb’s influential book, “In the Shade of the Qur’an” (from the prophet Mohammad’s Koran), set forth the Koranic principles to turn Islam into a political movement to create a new society – one that would be the opposite of a “liberal society.” Qutb outlined a revolutionary program that was going to relieve the psychological pressure of modern (liberal) life by putting humanity at ease with the natural world and with God. Qutb opposed the United States because it was a liberal society that had lost
its way . Qutb became a martyr after Egyptian authorities hanged him in 1966 for his moral religious beliefs. It doesn’t take a genius to see that American culture has deteriorated over the past 50 years, with drugs, pornography, crime, murder, political and corporate corruption at an all-time high. Today, some three out of four babies are born out of wedlock in Urban America, with the national average reaching one out of three babies being born out of wedlock. And that doesn’t include millions of abortions. Also, America’s divorce rate is now more than 50 percent. What happened to fatherhood and marriage? The nuclear family has been devastated by modern liberal ideas, as has our liberal educational system. Now add to that growing list of failures, the liberal dumbing-down and downsizing of our once laudable standards and values, originally set forth by our freedom-loving founders more than 200 years ago. What a frightening future for anyone with faith and values. America is at a historic, global crossroads. Will liberalism continue to demoralize and ultimately destroy our society? Or will America return to the common sense principles of our Constitutional Republic based on the “rule of law?” For more on the issues presented in this column, read Paul Berman’s book “Terror and Liberalism” (W.W. Norton). (Gordon Bishop, a national award-winning author, historian and syndicated columnist, is New Jersey’s first “Journalist-of-the-Year” – 1986/New Jersey Press) ../bishop/2003/gb030904_muslim_liberalism.htm PRINT THIS ARTICLE
MATH INSENSITIVITY: CONFESSIONS OF A DARK AGES SURVIVOR I recently saw a short item from a writer named Michael Howard, who related his experiences teaching junior high math in Austin, Texas. Mr. Howard taught for one half of a year, but his contract was not renewed because of “irreconcilable differences” he had with the Austin school system. He says student self-esteem was such an obsession in Austin that students who had trouble memorizing the multiplication tables were given a 2”x2” card containing those facts (through 9x9). The card could be carried and referenced at any time, including during tests. Mr. Howard infers that as a result of having this “crutch”, students could not develop the skills to become mathematically functional. By always using the card – a kind of primitive calculator – they had little prospect of gaining the facility with multiplication facts needed for mastering fractions, algebra, and successively higher branches of mathematics. Mr. Howard cites this misguided sensitivity as one of the reasons he has lost confidence in the public school system. As a product of public schools in the “pre-enlightened” era, I can only say that those Austin students can thank their lucky stars that they did not have to endure the self-esteem-destroying horror of my own mathematical education in the Cleveland School, Allentown, PA – circa 1952. Our teacher, Miss Bothwell, was, shall we say, “neo-Hitlerian” in her teaching style. A harridan of uncertain age, fierce temper, and tiger-like stealth, das Fräulein was liable to spring at any moment, with heart-stopping suddenness, upon an unsuspecting student. Without warning she would crash her ruler – carried like a Nazi swagger-stick – down upon the desk of an evil-doer. She splintered at least twenty of them during the term. (Rulers, that is – not desks.) But the cruelest part of her modus operandi fascisti was her twisted use of academic items as punishment. When a student misbehaved in some way, his/her name was entered on a section of the blackboard reserved for the names of miscreants. Having one’s name posted there implied a requirement to write and hand in the multiplication tables (through 12x12) – repeated tenfold. Additional infractions added tics to one’s name – each one requiring a repetition of the multiplication tables assignment. (Some students had dozens of additional tics.) As students handed in their assignments, tics were erased. Truants periodically received fierce tongue-lashings to motivate completion of their assignments. Reams of paper were handed in. (It was rumored that Miss B used the sheets as toilet paper in the outhouse of her summer cottage.) Some kids must have written the tables 100s of times – perhaps even thousands. (Naturally, they could recite the facts in their sleep.) One can only imagine the rage this must have stirred in some of those 13-year-olds sitting in the back of the class, who had repeated the 5th grade three or four times. (Luckily, we now understand that such kids have to be pushed through the system and out the door, without over-concern for whether they know anything.) Today, a teacher like Miss Bothwell would undoubtedly be arrested for student abuse. Armed police would lead her from the classroom in handcuffs as her liberated captives leapt gleefully to erase their names (and tics) from the blackboard. I often think about her methods and reflect on the damage she must have done. True, many of her students (including myself) went on to higher mathematical and scientific careers. We sailed through the high-tech era well “ahead of the curve” – coping easily with complex economic and mathematical matters. We never had to endure being shortchanged or making measurements incorrectly. Multiplication facts sprang instantly to mind when we needed them. Even those “holdbacks” in the rear of Miss B’s class – guys who later ran gas stations or drove beer trucks – turned out to be “very sharp” with numbers. (No doubt, they were still enraged by the punitive number-writing they had to endure.) But there was a Dark Side, too. In years ahead, many of us from Miss Bothwell’s classes would insensitively twit wooly-headed clerks (with high self-esteem) who could not count change if their lives depended on it, when the cash register was not working. Car salesmen could not confuse us, and we had no pity on them. (How they must have hated a customer who could do arithmetic in his head.) Ditto for mortgage brokers, investment counselors, and bankers. Tax returns held no terrors – only boredom. We laughed at lotteries with 1/125,000,000 odds. And we refused to borrow on credit cards, at 18% interest rates. Actually, we undermined the economy by preventing some people from making an easy buck. I am ashamed to realize it today. Do the positives offset the Dark Side? Who can say? But I am still haunted by the tyranny, the abuse, and the uncaring insistence that we memorize those math facts. There was no appeal! No official who would say we didn’t have to! It was terrible. For years I awoke in the night, wondering if my name was on the malefactors’ board. Yet this is not the full measure of the nightmare. My entire life has been cursed with the perverse ability to recognize incorrect calculations, and an irresistible impulse to call for their correction. (I hate myself for this.) The church treasurer groans when he sees me at congregational meetings. Business associates roll their eyes when I critique the numbers in their “final” presentation slides. (No one likes the guy who knows when a calculation is wrong.) I sometimes wonder if I might have turned out better-adjusted, and a better citizen, if someone had stopped Miss Bothwell before she ruined me and so many others by making us mathematically capable. Wouldn’t it have been better to be stupid and fit in? Thank heavens, school systems are now run by people who understand the emotional and social damage that mathematical acuity can produce. Graduates today might not know diddly, but their self-esteem is secure and their sensitivity to other stupid people is a marvel to behold. What a blessing to society. They have no idea how lucky they are…
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BACK TO SCHOOL We again find ourselves watching as the last weeks of summer wind down, and beginning the familiar process of trying to fit in last minute vacations, trips to the shore, and parties. As parents we have more on our minds, however. The close of summer means more than the end of summer camp, going to the boardwalk, and sleepovers. These last few days of August signal that it is almost time to send our children back into the halls of academia. For many of us this is a relief after weeks of summer fun. If you are anything like my wife and I, you begin to see that keeping up with your kids is not as easy as it once was. The back to school season is a time for both parents and children to readjust to the routine of another year. For children this time means binders, backpacks, and the new sneakers they absolutely “need” this year. As parents, however, keeping our children safe is our number one priority. Americans have always believed that schools should be safe havens for our children. Although schools are safer than many other places in our communities, children still suffer injuries related to such things as falls, playground injuries, sports injuries, and from violence. There are many ways that these injuries can be prevented. School Bus Safety Rules School bus related crashes killed 164 persons and injured an estimated 18,000 persons nationwide in 1999, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and General Estimates System (GES). The National Safety Council encourages parents to teach their youngsters these rules for getting on and off the school bus: • Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
Riding in a Car Even if your child does not ride in a motor vehicle, you still have to assure that they are protected. Pedestrian injuries are the second leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 5 to 14. Here are a few basic safety tips to give your children: • Mind all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard -- never cross the
street against a light, even if you don't see any traffic coming. Once they are safely transported to their destination there are still dangers that adults must take into consideration. "Take a few minutes to check your child's school, childcare facility and playground for hidden hazards we don't always think about during this busy time of year," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. Young children are not the only ones who run risks during the school year.
Below is information provided by the Insurance Information Institute regarding
dangers for high school High School Students: Statistics show that teen drivers are four times more
likely to If your son or daughter drives to school: College Students: The number one crime on college campuses is theft. One out
of every 10 college students will be robbed while away at school. Most students'
belongings are covered under their parent's homeowner policies, but expensive
computer equipment and other items may not be. Parents should check their
policies to be sure and also: This time of year is meant to be a new beginning. So, go out and buy those
notebooks,
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LIBRARY GROUNDBREAKING As a crowd of about 60 onlookers watched on Saturday 8/30 at about 12:30 PM members of the Keansburg Borough Council along with Assemblyman Joe Azzolina broke ground for the new Keansburg Public Library. Father Cahill of St. Ann's Church delivered opening invocation. Mike Stark the chairperson of the library committee then led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance he followed that with some opening remarks then introduced the remaining members of the library committee. Dave Hoder of Maser Consulting the borough engineering firm also spoke about the library and recreation complex. Pastor Bruce Koczman of the Jesus Fellowship offered another prayer. Mayor Mike Minervini spoke and introduced the rest of the council members. At that point Mike Stark assisted by Assemblyman Joe Azzolina used a golden shovel to break ground for the library. Reverend Shulteis of the Keansburg Pentecostal Church delivered the closing prayer. The schedule calls for construction to be completed within 4 months from when the contractor actually starts to work on the project providing of course that the weather cooperates. One of the main features of the library will be an outdoor reading deck overlooking a 7.3 acre recreation area (when completed), the Raritan Bay and providing views of the New York Skyline. The interior of the library will of course include books, reference materials and multiple media centers with computer access. The Keansburg Public library will be a part of the Monmouth County Library system. The county library will provide support and other services for our library as it does for other towns. Upcoming Council meetings. The next regularly scheduled meetings of the Keansburg Borough Council for September will be on Thursday 9/11 at 5:30 PM and Thursday 9/25 at 7 PM. Upcoming Borough Events. Keansburg's Antique and Classic Car Show - Every Thursday evening weather permitting from 5 PM to 9 PM on Church Street now through September 25 our town will host an antique and classic car show. This weekly car show is a cooperative effort between Steve Lucisano of Lucisano's Pizza, the Borough of Keansburg and other town business owners. New Point Comfort Annual Dinner and Dance - On Saturday October 18 from 7 PM to Midnight New Point Comfort Fire Company will host their Annual Dinner and Dance. The event will feature music provide by Chailo 6 Piece Band. The event will provide your Dinner, Beer, Soda and Coffee you can also bring your own bottle. Ticket Price is $20.00 and tickets are available from any New Point Comfort Fireman. Prizes will also be awarded: The door prize will be a Big Screen TV; the grand prizes will be $500.00, $200.00, $100.00 and $50.00. In addition, 10 weekly prizes of $50.00 each will be awarded.
ALIEN VEGETABLES? How often has this happened to you: You go food shopping. You’re planning out
the week’s meals in your head. You enter the produce aisle and feel overwhelmed
by the bewildering array of vegetables. You want to try something different.
Something other than the usual potatoes, carrots, broccoli, green beans, etc.
You peruse the selections, pick up something strange looking and say to
yourself, “what the heck do I do with this?” put it back in exasperation and
stick with one of the old stand bys. You are not alone. SWISS CHARD Swiss chard is a large leafy green vegetable with pronounced white or red stalks, (depending on the variety), that is available year round. It is a member of the beet family. If you’re tired of sautéed spinach or escarole, give Swiss chard a try. Rinse it very well and cut the leaves off the stems. The stem narrows as it reaches the top of the leaves. You can leave a few inches of the narrow end of the stem. Sauté it in oil until the leaves start to wilt. Then add chopped garlic and sauté one more minute. Then add some brandy, cognac, and/or a little chicken stock. About four ounces or so. Then cover it and allow the liquid to steam to facilitate the rest of the cooking. Some people use the leaves raw in salads and cook the stems much like you would asparagus. WHITE ASPARAGUS Speaking of asparagus, have you ever had “white” asparagus? It’s the same vegetable as green asparagus only grown underground to restrict it’s exposure to sunlight and thus, prevent the development of chlorophyll. It is available late winter through late spring. The stems of white asparagus are tougher than the green variety and must always be peeled. Cut off about a half inch of the bottom end of the stem as well. Simmer it in water seasoned with salt, lemon and butter until it is fork tender. I use two tablespoons salt, the juice of one to two lemons, and three tablespoons butter. Simmering time can range from five minutes to a half hour depending on the thickness of the asparagus. KOHLRABI A member of the turnip family, (and hence it’s sweet turnip like taste), kohlrabi has pale green bulbs attached to long leafy greens, both of which are edible. Make sure the bulbs are firm and the greens have no yellow spots. It is available spring through fall. Kohlrabi has a number of uses including soups and stews but I like it best in salads, particularly the bulbs. Cut off the bulbs and peel them just as you would a turnip. Slice them thin and toss them in with your salad. They add a crunchy and tasty dimension to the tried and true salad mixes. You can also sauté either slices of the bulb in butter or the leaves in garlic and oil like Swiss chard. PARSNIPS Parsnips are not that exotic of a vegetable and most people have heard of them. But I don’t think they are used as often as they should be. Parsnips, available year round, are a yellowish white root vegetable that taste similar to carrots. Choose ones that are firm with minimal spotting. Parsnips are amenable to most cooking methods. Peel them and then cut them into chunks and roast them just as you would potatoes or carrots. Use them in making stock, (particularly vegetable stock), in place of, or in addition to carrots. Slice and boil them, also like carrots. Or, one of my favorites, make mashed parsnips. Peel and thinly slice a pound of parsnips. Boil for about an hour. Drain, and then mash them in a food processor until very smooth. Return them to the pot and add butter, cream, and salt. (Sugar is an optional ingredient). Stir and heat them until all the ingredients are incorporated. I’ll leave the amount of butter and cream up to your dietary parameters but I use at least three tablespoons of butter and four ounces of cream.
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Series on Back to School 2003 (Part 1) GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR SCHOOLS CAREER SERVICES OFFICE When we think of how school prepares us professionally, we probably think about the courses we took and the value of our degree. Too often, graduates do not think about their school’s Office of Career Services. While schools vary in the career support they provide, here is a sampling of typical services offered: Job postings. Employers often advertise directly through the school. These openings may be posted on a bulletin board or electronically on the school’s intranet. If you are off-campus, inquire about accessing postings via mail or the Internet. Contact database. Many offices have contact information for alumni who have agreed to share career information. These are great sources for networking and informational interviews. Career Library. Here you can find books/ publications on resumes, self-assessment, and other job search topics. In addition, you may find company brochures or other information on industries, companies, and professions. Workshops. Many schools offer workshops on job search basics, such as interviewing and offer negotiation. Some places offer more diverse selections. My alma mater offered courses on surviving your first year out of school, including finding an apartment and managing a budget. Private coaching. These one-on-one sessions are great for mock interviews, resume critiques, or trouble-shooting. To fully take advantage of these, come prepared with specific questions. Alumni resources. Some schools offer different resources to current students versus alumni. Check with your school to see what resources are still available to you once you graduate. Caroline Ceniza-Levine, head of career consultancy CL Search Services, is also an adjunct professor of Professional Development at Columbia University 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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AMERICA VIES WITH FRANCE IN GRIEVOUS NEGLECT Is America vying with the French for first place in whacking its seniors? Not a fair match when you consider that the French had help from the freaky weather. Never mind. America is getting help in callousness. President Bush and lots of his buddies in congress are ready to stick it to the veterans. Tax breaks are in place for the rich friends and buddies who are his big priority, but Good Lord, have not the veterans of America been steadfast "Friends in Deed?" It almost seems too simple to say that they've always been first on line as our "Friends in Need." Shouldn't veterans be President Bush's best buddies? How many times in the past century and in this new century have we entrusted our country to those who were once-upon-a-time eager young faces smiling their brave grins, always ready with a "thumbs up" signal to show us they were geared up to defend us and to protect this country. Now the World War II veterans are past 70, the Korean War veterans are close behind, and Viet Nam veterans are 50 and beyond. In greater and greater numbers they need the VA more now than ever before in history. No American would deliberately cast aside its heroes you say. No one would allow veterans, those to whom we owe our entire being, to be divested of our gratitude. Oh no? Well, let's see. Cuts, cuts, cuts. All sliced right out of the VA budget to make room for the hand-outs to the rich. Health care must be slashed, new enrollments curbed, prescriptions curtailed, veterans to be dropped from their needed programs, understaffing and under servicing rampant. The rationale used by the administration's "word doctors" is that veterans are getting more money than they have before. The truth, however, is that the ranks of veterans have swelled, their need for services has increased tremendously, and there is not nearly enough budgeted to see them through. This is known and inhumanely ignored. Reminds us of the old French seniors left to swelter without any help sent them. Is this the American way? Looks like you are paving it as the American way, President Bush. Can't you tell your greedy friends that you won't sell out American veterans, just to buy their votes? Will your buddies really miss those great big tax breaks which they can use to buy their country club memberships, and our Iraq, Afghanistan, and Liberia veterans can come home and caddy for them? Maybe it won't matter about the rich guy's vote. Maybe Mr. Privileged won't be able to make up for the votes you won't get, Mr. President, from the veterans and from every man, woman or child who has ever been presented with a flag along with the words, "A grateful nation thanks you." More . . . It is with great enthusiasm that I tell you of a TV program I saw several days ago coming from Brookdale Community College's TV station, Channel 21. It's called "Triumph of Spirit," hosted by Paul Zigo. Paul interviewed individual veterans who recounted the most intriguing and suspenseful events in the course of WWII. They were from all branches of the service and included one woman who read the most magnificent letter written by her husband while in service. How much she must miss him now because only a wonderful man could have written such a letter. I teared up every time she did, and with the other stories too. You will have a chance to see it every Thursday at 11:30 A.M., 5:30 P.M., and 11:30 P.M. on Channel 21. Try at various other times too because I caught it again on an unexpected day. (You'll understand now why I got all fired up over the President shortchanging VA funding.) Maybe I'm developing an addiction to Channel 21 but it's a good healthy one because on Monday I caught a program hosted by John Wanat. It featured Arnold Bull who is the oldest certified aerobics instructor in the U.S. He is past 80 and moves like a kid. Arnold did not come to exercise as a young person and I got the impression that when he finally did, he did not come to it willingly either, or at least not enthusiastically at first. But he is now devoted to aerobics, and we saw his class on TV at Long Branch Senior Center. They are a great looking bunch of guys. I give them "A" for effort and another "A" for the good example they set. "Longevity in Action" is their motto, and also the title of Arnold's forthcoming book. Sorry ladies, I believe the class is just for men. Maybe Arnold would take on a women's class as well. He believes in Nutrition, Exercise, and Faith. Sounds good to me. He also mentioned his interest in Psychoneuroimmunology. That's pretty fascinating too, as well as being a very long word. If anyone is interested I would give more info in a column. Let me know. ../senior/2003/ss030904_grievous.htm PRINT THIS ARTICLE
GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT More and more I am receiving phone calls from people who are unable to get medical treatment. What is frustrating is that these are not people who are not insured. Whether injured at work or in a car accident it has become increasingly problematic to get treatment. It has become frustrating for everyone involved. The doctor can’t get paid, the patient can’t get treatment, and most importantly the lawyer often cannot help. This leaves all the players involved without any recourse. For example, what happens when you can’t get through to an adjuster or case manager after repeated attempts. It can be just as frustrating to try and get reimbursed for a doctor’s visit. The problem is the insurance companies have come to understand that they often win by sheer denial. People give up. Doctors take less for services. The atmosphere they have created is, a half a loaf is better than nothing. Our leaders in Trenton needs to pass legislation addressing these problems. The playing field needs to be level so insurance companies can be held liable to their policy holders. It is all about collecting premiums and denying claims without accountability.
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GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS Now that Labor Day has passed us by, it is time to get back to business for many organizations. This includes the Monmouth County Medical Society, which will hold an executive committee meeting on September 4, 2003. The Society faces many challenges in the remaining months of this year. We continue to see insurance reimbursements decrease while practice costs and malpractice insurance premiums increase. We have been notified that another cut in Medicare reimbursement is coming in 2004, causing many physicians to discontinue providing services to our seniors, leaving them scrambling to find a new doctor. We are adapting to increases in "red tape" and excess paper work forced upon us by the new privacy laws enacted in April. We continue to fight with HMOs for approvals for necessary procedures for our patients, even though the insurance companies place barriers and hinder our ability to practice good medicine. And of course, we continue to struggle with the medical liability insurance crisis that plagues our state, causing more and more of our colleagues to retire early or move to another state. The end of the summer also marks the end of the vacation for the New Jersey Legislators. Soon they will be back in session, and soon they will be addressing important issues such as tort reform for medical liability claims. It will be hard for our Governor to avoid this problem forever as the November election will soon be upon us, and this is sure to be an important campaign issue for all New Jersey politicians. Yes, it is time to get back to business. We need to continue to unite doctors throughout the state so that as a group we can continue to pressure our politicians into doing the right thing-- supporting the health care system in our great state. We cannot afford to lose any more of our colleagues to this state wide (and nation wide) crisis. We cannot afford to close hospitals or emergency rooms. We cannot afford to continue to limit access to quality health care. The time to act is now.
Email- Aldozac@netzero.net
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REPORTS OF RIVER, BAY AND OCEAN
FISHING Last week George Sincox on the Sinner
had another successful trip to the canyon. Fishing with
tuna slayer Billy Rhee of Rumson, they loaded the boat
w/ 29 yellowfins up to 50lbs.
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THE CORPS AND UNION BEACH Recently, U.S. Rep Frank Pallone and the Army Corps of Engineers have put forth a plan to protect the Borough of Union Beach from violent storms and hurricanes. The project calls for the construction of a series of levees and floodwalls around Union Beach (between East Creek to Chingarora Creek) to insulate private property from floods and tidal flow that have historically caused serious damage. In addition to levees and floodwalls, the project also calls for replenishing the beach along Front Street every nine years. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $91 million, with Union Beach taxpayers paying $4 million. A combination of federal, state, and county agencies would pay the remainder of the price. While the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council believes that beach erosion and flood damage are serious threats to Union Beach and to other communities along the bay, we also wish for storm damage reduction projects to safeguard and strengthen the Bayshore environment and not add to its problems. The below letter is from the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council and was sent a short while ago. As co-chairperson of the council, I thought it was important to share details of the letter to help enlighten people about their local environment. Dear US Army Corps of Engineers, The purpose of this letter is to provide comments on the Union Beach, NJ Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Study. The Bayshore Regional Watershed Council (BRWC) believes that a number of questions need to be answered about the impact on the local estuarine environment. The following questions should be addressed before the study proceeds further: Question #1 How will the beach nourishment portion of the proposed project affect the local estuarine community (food web) between Flat and Chingarora creeks? The striped bass fishery at this location is one of the best sites in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and helps to generate revenue to the local economy? Questions #2 How will the proposed project affect the juvenile fish nursery population near Flat Creek from the increase in surface water turbidity? Currently, the area provides habitat for juvenile flounder, black fish, striped bass, and other important recreational and commercial fish species. Question #3 The commercial fishing and shellfish harvesting industry in the Bayshore region employees over 100 people who make a living reaping pelagic and benthic resources near the project area. How will their livelihood be affected by this proposed project and will they be financially compensated from possible impacts due to this proposed activity? Question #4 The study mentions that there will be a direct, short-term impact on benthic resources from the beach nourishment project, but that benthic resources are expected to fully recover within a 6-month period. What evidence exists to clearly show that benthic resources in the project area will return to the same diversity and concentration within a six-month period? Has there been or will there be a study to determine the current distribution, variety, and quantity of benthic resources near Flat Creek to act as a benchmark for future measurements, which would indicate positive or negative effects on natural resources? Question #5 The study states that no federally listed threatened or endangered species are present in the study area, except for an occasional transient bald eagle. Will the Army Corps of Engineers, however, take into account how the proposed actions will affect NJ State listed threatened and endangered species in the project area? In 1994, the New Jersey Audubon Society identified the tidal areas of Chingarora and Flat creeks as important natural areas. The creeks contain habitat for the NJ State endangered Black Skimmer and Least tern, and habitat for the New Jersey State threatened Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, and Red Knot. The area also provides good habitat for fiddler crabs, snowy egrets, black ducks, plovers, and the American oystercatcher. Question #6 Has the Army Corps of Engineers considered contacting local property owners along East, Flat, or Chingarora creeks to determine if they would be interested in selling their property at fair market value? The Army Corps could then transfer the property to a self-sustaining wetland. If willing sellers exists, perhaps it might be more cost effective to purchase land as open space than to construct floodwalls, levees, and pump stations that need to be consistently maintained in good condition. The natural environment in the Borough of Union Beach is a vital element in the economy of the Bayshore region. Commercial and recreational fishing, and shellfish harvesting in the area between Chingarora and East creeks contributes a substantial amount of money in taxes and generates hundreds of jobs. The Bayshore Regional Watershed Council would hope that the Army Corps of Engineers would try to preserve and protect our local environment rather than add to our problems. Sincerely,
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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
I took a chance and recommended Open Range without even seeing it. OK, so it’s not the mega-hit I thought it would be. The story is simple, perhaps too simple. But the actors were superb. Then I went to Orlando for a week. Someday, maybe I’ll review that place, but not until I feel less vitriolic. Seaside Heights on steroids! Rides and glitz. Honkeytonk and scams. No one tried to sell me a bridge, but I could have bought a timeshare with a good view of it. Since when did a 90 minute tour last from breakfast until lunch? I thank the Atlantic and Caribbean currents for producing thunderstorms every afternoon. I managed to put a way plenty of good books. This is among the best of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Samaritan by Richard Price Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group June 2003 ISBN: 0375411151 Take a kid from the Bronx. Not one from the trite, over-exposed, slum-stricken streets, but a child from a firm middle-class Jewish family. Give this kid a talent for writing. Send him to Cornell for his Bachelors (1971) and to Columbia for his MFA. In his spare time, let him write a few hard-boiled vignettes about a 60’s type teenage gang. One day, the head of Columbia’s writing department shows these pages to a literary agent. Next thing you know, the kid has a publisher (1974) and before long, Orion picks up the book for a film – The Wanderer’s (1979) This is a quick introduction to Richard Price. If you are the sort of movie buff who watches the credits, you might recognize him from other screenplays, including The Color of Money (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award), Sea of Love, Ransom, and Mad Dog and Glory. Richard Price has an uncanny knack for describing life on the urban street. This was abundantly clear in Clockers – part 1 in the Dempsey series. (Dempsey is an imaginary New Jersey town that overlooks New York Harbor.) Put on the big screen by Spike Lee, Clockers would earn Price another Academy Award nomination for screenwriting. Part 2 in the Dempsey series was Freedomland. The muse for this work was Susan Smith, the mother who killed her own children after initially reporting a fictional carjacking Samaritan is part 3. We are back in Dempsey watching the life of Ray Mitchell. Once a successful screenwriter in California, Ray has chucked it all to come back and work with the kids in the projects. Before long, he is found clinging to life in the hallway of his apartment, the subject of a beating. He chooses not to reveal anything to the cops. On the verge of retirement, Detective Nerese Ammons takes on the investigation. She remembers Ray as a kid. She remembers a kindness he once did for her many years ago. Determined to pay him back, she walks the streets for justice. Alone, the storyline is enough to sustain the reader. In a preface, we are reminded of the warning given in Matthew 6:1-3 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men… otherwise ye have no reward of your Father”. Is that what Ray is doing? Good deeds? The real reward is the writing. No cardboard cut-out characters come out of Price’s pen. Every one is a living and breathing person. To emphasize my point, let’s go into Detective Ammon’s mind for a while to see what she thinks of Ray. When I came across this page, I read it again and again because it was so well composed. Here, Nerese thinks she understands Ray’s driving force. “But Nerese got it, was starting to get it. The guy fell apart because the moment was about gratitude: he had manufactured a situation that was to the heart of him and then personally, physically played it out like it was the real thing. “Video arcades and football instead of libraries and Shakespeare, coming out of the blue to pay for Reggie Powell’s funeral, volunteer teaching in that shithole of a school, playing some kind of mentor-muse-patron of the arts with Salim El-Amin…And taking up with the jailbirds wife. The constant white-black casting made her uncomfortable – no, made her angry: but that anger was tempered by the intuition that this compulsion in him wasn’t really about race; that the element of race, the chronic hard times and neediness of poor blacks and Latinos was primarily a convenience here, the schools and housing projects of Dempsey and other places like a stocked pond in which he could act out his selfish selflessness over and over whenever and wherever the opportunity presented itself, and that he was so driven by this need, so swept away by it, that he would heedlessly, helplessly risk his life to see it played out each and every time until he finally drew the ace of spades, or swords, and got the obituary that would vindicate him, bring tears to his eyes; key word, ‘beloved’, if only he could figure out some way to come back from the dead and read it.” Samaritan is an unpretentious, straight-to-the-point, good book. Like life, it does not have all of the answers. Perhaps there is comfort in knowing that we all have the same questions. Buy it. Rent it. Borrow it. Read the Dempsey trilogy. (The first two chapters of Samaritan , are available at www.randomhouse.com/knopf/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=1400041821&view=excerpt Excerpted from Samaritan by Richard Price (pg 215) Copyright © 2003 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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HELLOS AND GOODBYES The months either crawl by, day by day, moment by moment, as if I'm staring at the clock and willing each second to move faster than a snail…or they fly by in a whirlwind, and I am shocked when I look at the calendar and see where we are, today, and where I was the last time I glanced at the calendar. It's "waiting for Lucinda" time. One year ago is when we decided to adopt, and now twelve months later we're still waiting. It seems so long ago when we filled out our first form…but it feels like yesterday, too, if that makes any sense. Since making the decision to bring Lucinda into our family, the following has transpired:
My maternal grandfather died of heart failure. It was the last item in that list that had us abruptly packing our bags and heading for Massachusetts to attend her funeral. It was a somber, gray, July morning, unusually chilly for summer in New England, and on that day Aunt Vilma, 72, was remembered for her kind heart and loving ways. Family gathered from different corners to come together to say goodbye to one of their beloved. Its days like these when you realize how important family is. In the hustle and bustle of living life, we are stopped in our tracks by death, a reminder that we are not permanent fixtures in this world, that we sincerely belong to those who love us, and those who need reassurance that life is worth living sometimes need us. And just as quickly as we came together, we parted ways to return to the lives we temporarily interrupted, yet this time a little more sober and reflective. Instead of darting back to New Jersey, we spent the next day and evening with my grandparents. Anytime I walk into my grandparents' house in Massachusetts, I'm transported to yesterday, when I was younger and life seemed so magical and lazy. It seemed that my birthday took forever to come around again, and sometimes I just didn't believe that I really would be grown up some day. There was my grandmother, waiting for us, a big smile on her wrinkled face. After hugs and kisses, we headed out to the nursing home, my grandmother's new home away from home, where my grandfather now lives. And after several months of living in the home, I even return to these hallways with a warmth in my heart, knowing that when we go up the elevator and turn the corner, there my grandfather will be, waiting for us. And, like magic, my eyes land on the short, gray-haired man with the smile on his face. His mind may not be as sharp as a tack anymore, but he remembers us. It's as if the clock starts ticking when he sees my grandmother's face in the mornings, since that moment is the reason he eats and breathes every day. It's an added bonus when others he knows and loves accompany her. We spend the day talking, listening to Miranda play the piano, watching the flowers blow in the summer breeze outside on the patio where we enjoy some fresh air. Life is slow and tranquil in the nursing home. After we say goodbye to my Zadie for the evening, we take Nana to a restaurant for dinner. We talk about today, yesterday, and memories of long ago. Before long, it's time to say goodbye to Nana who waves to us from her front door just as she has waved goodbye to me from that door my whole life. One more goodbye… Heading home to New Jersey, the three of us are quiet, each reflecting on the weekend in our own way. Somewhere after hour two of the five-hour journey, we start to settle back into our present and drift away from our past. By hour three, we are fully absorbed in the book on tape that we're listening to in the car. We start to rummage around for the bag of snacks that we have to keep hunger at bay… By hour four and one half, we start to perk up, seeing the familiar sights and sounds of home. And then, after five long hours behind the wheel, Dave pulls the car into its designated spot, and we're home. Miranda heads over to the mailbox to get our mail, and she squeals with delight when she notices an envelope from the adoption agency. "Pictures, Mom!" she says, showing me the envelope that elicits big smiles from Dave and me. Drop the suitcases! Drop the bags! Drop the mail on the floor! The three of us instinctively head to the couch. On my left is Miranda; on my right is Dave; I sit in the middle. Opening the envelope, I reach in and take out a stack of pictures, and we hungrily gaze at each one. There, in front of our eyes, is Lucinda, now nine months old, sitting pretty in a pink lacy dress on a couch beside a lamp in Guatemala. Her face is so serious. She doesn't smile. But it's our baby Lucinda, all right. We see the same features, now more defined, in the face from afar that we adore. She is sitting on her own. Her eyes are big brown saucers. Her hair is curly, thicker than before. And her cheeks are still chubby, flawless, with those soft pink lips in the middle of her face. We outwardly smile. We inwardly ache. We seem to keep saying hello and goodbye and hello and goodbye to those we love. But we hang on for the next time we meet again. It's always worth it, no matter how long the wait.
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SEASTREAK WALL STREET TO JOIN FLEET SERVING BAYSHORE
The SeaStreak Wall Street is the sistership to the SeaStreak New York and the SeaStreak New Jersey. This new boat will be added to the Monmouth County service and at that time the SeaStreak Liberty will rejoin the South Amboy service. New schedules have not yet been finalized, but the new vessel will, of course, increase the frequency of runs. If that isn’t enough good news, please take note that there will be a new barge coming to Highlands. There are among us those hardy souls who remember the dock in Highlands back in the days when there was no cover, no heat lamps and the only protection from the cold winter weather, hail, sleet or rain was when riders would come together and form a sort of geodome of umbrellas. Back in those days there were no lavish furnishings on the dock as there are today. But now, even those lavish furnishings are to be outdone. The new barge will be two stories and include a waiting area, bathrooms, ticket office and newspaper and concession stand. Happily, it will be still be loyally and faithfully served by Charlie. In the face of all this progress, we have perhaps only one regret. Bright, beautiful mornings are such a pleasure when they begin in the fresh air and beautiful view of our bay. So many mornings have been cheered by the sight of a mother duck with her ducklings. The herons are our old friends. Our business worries have often been replaced by a concern for the plight of the horseshoe crabs. We still want to be able to maintain a connection to this magnificent outdoor theatre.
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ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE
The ghost light glows
"I won't grow up, I'll never grow up,"
I play the good woman,
I will need a costume change GILDA KREUTER
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(editors note: Do you have poetry to share? Send your submission to editor@ahherald.com.)
Picture This!
../picture_this/2003/pt_030904.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 before next Thursday 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
From AH Councilman Lou Fligor: The building was built and owned by Leslie Antonides who was my family's landlord and friend for over 30 years. Mr. Antonides was an active volunteer in the A.H. Fire & First Aid Squad's. He was an avid gun collector. who collected guns from all over the world, but most important he was a friend and supporter to our community of Atlantic Highlands. Many people may remember him as the kindly old man who drove the blue and white 1956 Buick to the pharmacy each day... I remember him as a friend. 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 AGGRESSIVE AND DRUNK DRIVING ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS I would like to commend the Bayshore Task Force for all their efforts to reduce drunk driving during this holiday weekend. Unfortunately, dangerous driving habits such as aggressive and drunk driving are a frequent and serious problem here in Monmouth County. As the sponsor of Assembly Bill 3187 that creates a new motor vehicle offense for engaging in patterns of aggressive driving, reckless drivers are a particular concern to me. My bill creates a new offense for speeding over 30 mph, tailgating, and improper or erratic lane changes. If a driver engages in these offenses repeatedly, they would be considered driving aggressively. Often police pull a car over for aggressive driving behaviors and discover that the driver is intoxicated. Both aggressive driving and driving under the influence pose potential threats to innocent motorists. Moreover, drunk drivers are particularly dangerous to the public at large and we must take action to ensure the safety of our citizens. Again, I applaud the proactive efforts taken by these municipalities and I especially thank those police men and women who are involved with the Bayshore Task Force.
Sean T. Kean
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GOVERNOR'S TRANSPORTATION PLAN COULD MEAN $2 BILLION AND 84,000 JOBS The clock is quickly running out on the nation's transportation program, a program which brings in $1.29 billion a year to New Jersey to repair our highways and upgrade our rail and bus systems. The current authorization for the program, called TEA 21, expires September 30, yet Congress and the Bush Administration are now at odds over competing proposals to renew the program. In the absence of some agreement, the current program will simply limp along at its current inadequate level of funding. That's an arrangement New Jersey cannot afford. Governor Jim McGreevey has offered a bold solution that can work for both the states and the federal government. If enacted, this plan would deliver an extra $60 billion in transportation funding over the next six years to the states. It can be achieved without raising taxes, increasing the nation's budget deficit or diminishing Congressional oversight. The plan is called the Transportation Finance Corporation (TFC) and for New Jersey it's worth an extra $2 billion and 84,000 jobs. The Governor's plan would create the TFC as a nonprofit entity empowered to issue $80 billion in tax credit bonds. From the proceeds, $60 billion would be provided to the states and $20 billion would be held in a "sinking fund" to retire the debt over 30 years. No tax increase would be required. The need for more transportation funding has never been more clear. In New Jersey, more than $750 million of worthwhile projects had to be shelved this year because the funding simply was not there. Absent an immediate and substantial increase in federal funding, that gap will balloon to $1.337 billion next year. Over the next three years, New Jersey will need $10.8 billion to maintain our roads and public transit systems. Over the next 5 years, we need to find $2.5 billion to repair a dozen major bridges statewide. The NJDOT and NJ TRANSIT have built an enviable record over the years in responsibly managing the billions of dollars in public funding entrusted to them. But much more needs to be done to address highway and rail traffic congestion, modernize our transportation infrastructure, create jobs and build the economic framework for recovery from the national recession. We will be working closely with our Congressional delegation and other states in the weeks ahead for reauthorization of a federal transportation program that addresses the real needs we all confront and protects public transit. We believe the TFC is the best solution on the table. Yielding to the political temptation to do nothing is the wrong solution, and one that will come at a cost New Jersey can ill afford.
Jack Lettiere ../readers_write/2003/030904_transportation.htm PRINT THIS ARTICLE
IMPOUNDED CAR LEFT ELDERLY WOMAN AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD On August 29th, my wife, her 86-year-old mother who was recuperating from surgery, her sister-in-law and two nieces ages under 11, crossed the drawbridge on the way to Sandy Hook. It was to be a pleasant day at the beach since they had spent the last 15 days caring for her very ill father in the hospital and they needed a break. Little did they know that Sea Bright was in a budget crisis and their pleasant day was about to turn very bitter. The Sea Bright Police had set up a cash-producing checkpoint just across the bridge; they pulled her over because a nine year old was sitting on her mother’s lap in the back seat, though they were wearing a seat belt. My wife like many women, change their purses often, unfortunately she left her vehicle registration and insurance card in her other purse. The police seizing on the moment ordered all these would be felons out of the car and ordered an immediate impound. These women and children were left on the side of the road to fend for themselves while they pleaded with the officer that I would be bringing the documents inside of twenty minutes, which I did. No luck, as my 86-year-old mother-in-law held her stitches so they would not pull apart, the officer announced he didn’t care, they could be terrorists after all. He wrote my wife three tickets. One for a child sitting on her mother’s lap, $48.00; one for not having her registration on her $173.00; and a third for not having her insurance card on her, again $173.00. Upon arriving, I picked the traumatized women up from the side of the road as
the officers gleefully pulled over more and more cars. We proceeded to the
police station to get a vehicle release and to ask the police chief whether his
officers ever exercised the least bit of judgment and discretion. I was
prepared to accept the tickets, yes she should have had her documents, but to
impound the car and leave an 86-year-old woman and two small children on the
side of the road when the officers have the discretion to use their brains. The
police chief was extremely unsympathic so we left him with wishes that his
mother find herself in the company of equal zealots of the law to retrieve my
wife’s potential get-away car. The car was sitting in the corner Gulf Gas
Station, a full 100 feet from the scene of the horrible crime. I than learned I
would have to pay $75.00 cash, no credit card, no check, to get the car back.
Walking to an ATM several blocks away, it occurred to me that cash transactions
like this are So by taking a short cut through at least 50 feet of Sea Bright New Jersey it cost our family $469.00, money better spend on my wife’s father’s medication. Since my family and friends each typically spend at least this amount in Sea Bright over the course of a summer, we have all vowed never to spend one nickel in Sea Bright again, whether for Pizza, beach badges, parking or gas. In short our little blacklisting of the tiny pathetic town of Sea Bright will cost them $5,159 a year for the rest of our lives in lost income. As a footnote as if it is needed, I am currently waiting for the results of the doctor’s examination and letter on the stitches that my mother pulled by being forced to stand on the side of the road. This lawsuit will probably result in my obtaining a part ownership of the wonderful town of Sea Bright New Jersey, don’t worry though, I plan on selling it immediately to a drug rehab center. I wonder if the individuals involved in this travesty than can begin to “Think” for once in their lives, or is that asking too much from the cranial challenged. Thomas Deus
../readers_write/2003/030904_car_impound.htm COLUMNIST SHOULD 'GET SMART' ABOUT FRENCH I've seen some stupid comments from various columnists but Bernice Roberts in Senior Savvy, Snookering the French, shows her ignorance with "That's because the French haven't a clue when it comes to technology. They're kind of like sissies who are afraid of power tools and electricity." Really? Can you imagine where science, art, and literature would be without the work of these people? The contributions of René Descartes to math and philosophy; are the contributions of Blaise Pascal; Voltaire; the ideas of existentialism in the works of Jean Paul Sartre; the contributions of the Brothers Lumiere; the contributions of Pierre & Marie Curie. What about Louis Pasteurs, the man who launched the field of microbiology? How about Louis de Broglie, a physicist who won the Nobel prize in 1929? Next summer, we will get to see the magnificent Cunarder, MV Queen Mary II. Largest cruise ship in the world, and the most advanced in technology and engineering. She is being built by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Normandy. The SS Normandy by the way held Le Cordon Bleu for transatlantic passages before the war. Bernice claims that "French arrogance" cost the lives of so many seniors in the European heat wave.. Could you please give your readers a shred of evidence to support this? I know how foolish it is to say to a Senior, "Grow up", so I'll part with "Get Smart". Ed Toner
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After reading the August 21, 2003 Body Politic column by Councilman Jack Archibald, I think a few points need to be made clear. Residents of Atlantic Highlands should not confuse what is at issue. And that is, whether or not residents of this town feel that ferry service from Atlantic Highlands should be expanded. This is what prompted concern for public meetings and it is exactly what the $2.5M grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is for - ferry expansion and ferry expansion only. The grant money cannot be used for the acquisition of land, recreational elements such as pools, tennis courts or open space. Residents will have a chance to say something about these elements of a waterfront redevelopment plan since our governing body has finally responded to demands for dedicated public meetings. Funding for these elements will presumably be addressed at a later date. A short time after the announcement of the grant was made, Councilman Charlie Niles contacted the NJDOT because details of the grant were unclear. In addition, questions relating to the reliance on a 1996 traffic study; when construction would start (an article in the Asbury Park Press led the reader to believe that construction of this $2.5M parking lot would be under way this month) and when dedicated meetings would be held were never adequately answered at council meetings. Last Thursday representatives from the NJDOT, Joseph Fiordaliso and Richard Gimello met with Councilman Niles, Carl Nolan and myself at the harbor so that the traffic filing out of town could be observed. Also in attendance were Paul Schaffery, Bayshore Economic Development Office and Joseph Hawley, Atlantic Highlands Democratic Chairman. In addition, a few members of the public showed up. The details of the status of the grant as explained by these gentlemen are as follows.
As stated earlier, the grant money can only be used for ferry service expansion.
As it is a federal grant, it has goals and limitations that must be met. The
three components of work that can be done with the grant money are: Finally, we learned that the Borough receiving this grant hinges on three things: a) public support; b) a revised traffic study and c) the Borough has to either be in possession of the private property (Hesse and/or Guiliani) or have a lease agreement. Without these properties, there is no grant. The time limit on meeting these requirements seemed to be within the next few months. To date, none of these requirements have been met. Contrary to the egregious attempts by Mayor Harmon, Councilman Jack Archibald and the editor of the Atlantic Highlands Herald to blame Mr. Nolan for jeopardizing the grant money, it is clear to me that if anything has put the grant money in jeopardy, it is this administrations penchant for secrecy and misinformation.
Stephanie Ladiana
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AHHerald IS A RIGHT WING TABLOID The AH Herald has become such a right wing tabloid that it is embarrassing. If it were not for the fishing report and the calendar of events I would ask you to cancel our on-line subscription. There are many moderate and liberal citizens in this community. More and more are moving in everyday---I would highly recommend that you consider their views and add some moderate and liberal articles to your "paper". Anne True Milling
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