“When the community is ready to hear, Father will accommodate them and be forthcoming,” Deborah Appello, business manager for Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St Agnes parish told VeniVidiScripto this week.

Appello was responding to a question brought up following Tuesday night’s meeting of the Atlantic Highlands Borough Council which was prompted by a local resident at the meeting asking the governing body what they knew about the long term lease of the former St. Agnes School (later also known as Mother Teresa School).

The borough also recently posted the first of several notices they will disseminate to the public concerning the June election which had to be changed from the Charles Hesse Building adjacent to the school where all four districts have been voting for the past five years. The parish office had told the borough clerk the state had advised the borough office the elections could not be held there.

At the meeting, after Mayor Lori Hohenleitner read the borough resolution acknowledging April as Autism Acceptance Month, one of three resolutions the governing body approved for April, resident Mark Fisher questioned what the governing body knew about the long term lease of the school for a school for autistic adults. Fisher said “not a whole lot of people know about it” including neighbors in the area of the school. He questioned whether the lease had necessary approvals saying it appears there is “a huge difference” between a K through 8 elementary school and a school for autistic adults.

Mayor Lori Hohenleitner said while she only learned about the lease after an application had been approved by the zoning board; the parish had gone through the process and there had been communications between the parish office and the borough but she did not know anything further.

There have been several reports within the borough that Their Place, a non-profit organization which recently held a Casino Night fund raiser for itself at the Hesse Building, has since signed a long term lease with the parish to lease the school for adults with autism, but parishioners have indicated hey did not know anything about it.

Appello’s remarks to VeniVIdiScripto came in response to questions about which state office gave her the information she had given to the borough clerk and for what reason did that office say voting could not be held at the Hesse Building.

Appello did not identify the state office but confirmed the state said use of the Hesse building would not be conducive with the long term lease. Even should the school be closed for the single day of voting, would not be sufficient she said, since the polling machines arrive several days early and are stored in the school cafeteria until set up in the Hesse building the morning of the election. She reiterated the pastor, the Rev. Jarlath Quinn, would be forthcoming with the lease information when the community is ready to hear it.

Contacted for any comments on the public not being kept informed on the rental agreement, the Mayor said “Atlantic Highlands is an inclusive community and we welcome organizations that support this value.

The Mayor and council was unaware that the parish was considering a long-term rental. As many know, bipartisan councils for years had been interested in partnering with the Monmouth County Park System to acquire this property at a 25 per cent cost to the borough, with 75 per cent from the park system’s Open Space fund and agreement for future partnership with the County for recreation space that doesn’t currently exist for the families of Atlantic Highlands.

Unfortunately, the parish declined to sell the property, We hope the door is open in the future as we would love to bring this dream to realty.”

The Chief Executive officer of the non-profit is Dr. Nicole Appello, the parish business manager’s sister.

According to their website, Their Place, an 11 year old organization empowers “ adults with disabilities to lead fuller, more independent lives. Over the past 11 years, Their Place has grown from a small initiative to a thriving organization, thanks to the dedication of our community, staff, and supporters. Together, we’ve created programs that inspire growth, foster connections, and open doors to endless possibilities. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re filled with gratitude for everyone who has been part of this journey and excitement for what’s to come.”

The site lists several reasons why Their Place should be a provider, including its warm, family environment, its passion for the community and families it serves, its experienced staff and instructors, their multi-disciplinary approach combining recreational and prevocational activities that encourages development of employable skills, social and emotional skills, and life skills. Their Place values inclusivity, integrity and independence, together with compliance, respect, equality and compassion, the site says.

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What started on First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands because of the professional’s love for her hometown, is now expanding national while still providing its base area with the continuation of RX ReLeaf, the specialized, individualized office for support, prevention, management and tools for testing and clinical guidance for health needs.

Maggie Vasto, MSN, PMHNP-BC, owner and founder of Rx ReLeaf, located at 158 First Avenue, one block off Route 36, recently announced the company is growing its reach nationwide through virtual care and broader access to prevention-focused services, including medical weight loss, hormone therapy, peptide-based offerings, and other personalized health programs designed to help patients take a more proactive approach to their well-being.

The expansion reflects the same belief which has been the foundation of the business since start: health care should be accessible, responsive, and centered around the patient. “Rx ReLeaf’s growth is not about moving away from its hometown roots,” she said, “It is about proving that a business built in Atlantic Highlands can lead with innovation, deliver modern care, and expand its impact well beyond New Jersey.”

There is no doubt this firebrand, educated and dedicated woman is the one to do it. A native of Atlantic Highlands, and a life long resident, Maggie, after first becoming a nurse, got a degree as a licensed nurse practitioner (NPs), also known as an ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner). As such she has many responsibilities similar to that of a doctor.

She serves as a primary care or specialty care provider with a focus on the fields of psychiatry and primary care. In addition, she can diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, write prescriptions, give injections, provide education on disease prevention and healthy lifestyles and perform specific procedures. Married to the borough’s fire chief and the mother of four ranging in age from 4 to 20 years, she worked in Bayshore Hospital and Jersey Shore before launching her own “one stop shop” for health care.

Maggie built Rx ReLeaf with a deep commitment to the community . With more than 15 years in medicine and a background in emergency and psychiatric medicine, she created the business to offer a more thoughtful, proactive approach to health care, one that looks beyond symptom management and focuses on prevention, optimization, and the full picture of a patient’s health. Her vision is to make the borough a “home to a new model of care, one that helps people feel better now while investing in their long-term health.”

RX ReLeaf has all the necessary equipment and expertise to make that happen. Par ot its success, perhaps, is the fact it was creed out of Maggie’s own frustration with the way some traditional health care works.

After years in medicine, especially in high-pressure environments including the ER and psychiatry, Maggie saw the same pattern where people were not being supported early enough with their physical complaints. They believed many were waiting until symptoms became severe, burnout became unmanageable, or hormone issues, weight struggles, chronic stress, inflammation, fatigue, or mental health concerns had already taken a serious toll. Care was often fragmented, rushed, and reactive, she believed. And as a nurse practitioner, she felt a strong need to do something about it.

So she designed, built, staffed and created Rx ReLeaf as a place where health care could be more personal, more preventative, and more strategic. Instead of simply addressing a problem once it becomes urgent, Maggie built on her conviction people deserve access to tools, testing, and clinical guidance that help them understand what is happening in their bodies sooner, enabling them to make better decisions before small issues become major ones.

A visit to Rx ReLeaf shows how it all accomplished. The neat and orderly office is a series of rooms filled with specific equipment for diagnostics and relief from pain and problems. There is one room, the Recovery Room, aimed specifically at helping balance with red light technology, sauna pods and a spool for a cold plunge all of which are aids for immunization and highly successful, especially the red light therapy, with aiding people suffering from gout and other types of arthritis.

Another room provides approximately 90 per cent pure oxygen with scents proven excellent for mood adjustment, energy, and even quick cures for hangovers. Another room offers compression therapy for circulatory problems, and another offers medication and oil therapy with headsets that provide relaxing scenes or audios to help in mediation and relaxation. There are other rooms for screenings, massage therapy and so much more, all featuring individual attention and diagnoses or cures for each individual customer.

Maggie has ten employees providing services aimed at her specific goals , and hours and appointments that enable her to meet immediate and long term needs.

For more information, stop in to RX ReLeaf or visit  www.RxReLeaf.net

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Atlantic Highlands voters will be casting ballots in two new locations this year, after being advised the Hesse Building will not be available.

However, Borough Clerk Michelle Clark has said the new sites are posted on the borough’s webpage, on Facebook and in notices hanging in Borough Hall, in addition to being put on the electronic sign board outside Borough Hall. Further, the clerk said, the borough will send out postcards advising all voters on the new addresses before the June primary elections.

Voters will also be assured they know in which district they vote, and to which polling place they can cast ballots, since the borough clerk will also assure the streets for each district will be clearly marked on every voter’s sample ballot.

Instead of all four districts having polling at the Hesse Building, which has been the borough’s system since 2020, districts 1 and 4 will vote this year at the Senior Center at the Municipal Yacht Harbor and districts two and three will vote at the First Aid Building, 10 East Highland Ave. Voters can check in which district they are to vote prior to going to the polls by calling the Monmouth County Board of Elections t 732-431-7000.; however, all the streets will be posted on the sample ballots.

The clerk said it was necessary to change the voting places since the Hesse Building, owned by Our Lady of Perpetual Help St Agnes Church, is not available, according to the church administrator. The school has been rented out for us so both the school and gym, which is in the Hesse Building; according to church administration, the state will not allow voting to be there, according to information the borough office received from the church office.

At the time of publishing this story., no one from the church administration has responded to a request for information on which state office is banning the polling places at the Hesse Center, and for what reason

There are 3903 registered voters in Atlantic Highlands.

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A special Open House Celebration will introduce the new Medicare accredited program for Diabetes self-management at Bayshore Pharmacy Card and Gift Shop, Bayshore Plaza, Atlantic Highlands, on Thursday, May 7.

The program is the newest of several health management programs introduced by Richard Stryker, owner and head pharmacist at Bayshore Pharmacy, an indication of the family-owned pharmacy’s dedication both to newest advances in the health field and preservation of the hometown pharmacy advantages.

The Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Program, known as DSMES, will be introduced at the Open House May 7 between 11:30 and 1 p.m.. The celebration will include education on the personalized approach offered at Bayshore for blood sugar management nutrition and technology, enabling those with diabetes to learn more active, more healthy lives.

A live glucometer demonstration will be at the May 7 celebration, along with light refreshments, and an opportunity to meet and greet with the educational professionals involved in designing and promoting the program. Those in attendance at the Open House will also be given priority for upcoming classes.

To ensure availability at the Open House, interested persons can register by e-mailing JStryker@BayshorePharmacy.com by May 1.

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Wild About Atlantic Highlands is inviting all to visit the Atlantic Highlands Art Council, 54 First Avenue to learn how to deal with mosquitos.

Rich Salls will present a free program on a pesticide-free mosquito control system that is both easy and safe. His presentation will be held Saturday, April 25, at 10.m. at the Arts Council and all are urged to attend to learn safe and harmless ways of getting rid of mosquitoes in the yard without harming pollinators.

The Council will also have five Mosquito Doom Kits to give way at the event.

Visit wildaboutatlantichighlands@gmail.com to make your reservation to attend.

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