Dick Stryker, in addition to being the former Mayor of Atlantic Highlands and first generation owner of the 60-year-old Bayshore Pharmacy in the Foodtown Shopping Plaza, is also a local historian who loves sharing stories from earlier ages, how things began, and other snippets of fun stories that make for entertaining reading.
Dick Stryker
Dick shared the story about how pharmacists not only invented Coca Cola and Pepsi, but also Dr. Pepper as well. And if that isn’t enough, it was pharmacists who first introduced the soda fountain!
Born in 1859, the soda fountain came about since it was the custom of people with any variety of physical ailments to seek out their pharmacist for a drunk to cure whatever they had. A quarter of a century later, in 1886, one of those concoctions made by John Stith Pemberton, a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia, became the drink known as Coca Cola.
Patients with headaches and other mild but uncomfortable illnesses liked the concoction of flavored drugs like caffeine and cocaine, the popular cure at the time for headaches. People liked the formulas as each pharmacist concocted himself and came back again and again. So pharmacists started putting in ice cream sodas and milkshakes made with carbonated water, a raw egg, and sweetened flavored milk on their list of things to make.
In the meantime, two years earlier, over in Waco, Texas, yet another pharmacist, Charles Alderton, who worked in a pharmacy owned by Wade Morrison, created what is regarded as the oldest major soft drink in the United States, Dr. Pepper.
Charles Alderton
But in 1914, Harrison Narcotics Act banned the use of cocaine and opiates in over the counter products, so business fell off at the drug stores. Then Prohibition began in 1919, putting a closure to bars and pubs, so folks began to socialize at ice cream parlors instead of soda fountains and taverns, and business declined even more at drug stores.
It was a pharmacist who began manufacturing carbon dioxide in tanks that ice cream parlors could use for their soda fountains and the Soda Jerk was born.
The soda jerk could add fruit juices and syrups, along with flavorings, and make a Cherry Smash or an Orange Crush, Peach Fizz or similar carbonated drink which prompted syrup companies to give pharmacists free dispensers in exchange for advertising. Those dispensers also enabled pharmacists to mix their own therapeutic concoctions simply by mixing medicinal syrup with carbonated water for the sure to cure drink.
Not long after that, bottling soda companies came into people and soda fountains became less popular. But those Dr Pepper, Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola names had been made famous in drug stores, so once bottled, they became popular purchases at markets.
Photo Courtesy of Navesink Maritime Heritage Association
The recent very well attended Jersey Speed Skiff races in Highlands gathered the enthusiasm of a crowd few of whom remember or were around for the actual first Jersey Speed Skiffs, the ones much larger and made of wood and popular along the Bayshore beginning in the 1920s.
One of those was the Lasting Impression built of mahogany and white oak back in 1967.
Photo Courtesy of Navesink Maritime Heritage Association
As reported in the Asbury Park Press in July, 1990, the skiff was so named because that’s what speed boat races did for its owner, Nat Garratano, who loved the history of the original skiff that was used during Prohibition powered by World War I airplane engines, plenty fast enough to outrun federal authorities as men who clammed or fished but other nights went out to the three mile limit and brought in illegal alcohol for others who trucked it up to willing buyers north of the shore.
In 1990, Garratano sat near the Navesink River watching his son Rob, the world record holder in the straight-away at over 82 mph and the five mile-four lap record at over 70 mph at the National Sweepstakes Regatta in Red Bank. Rob, a veteran of 15 seasons on skiff racing, finished fifth in the race heat and had to sit out the finals. But he didn’t stop him from talking about the rush of driving a Jersey Speed Skiff.
“It’s just a rush. It’s like people driving race cars or parachutists. It’s just that rush and thrill of going that fast and having boats around you going that fast. Once you drive you never want to go back to being a mechanic,” this mechanic said.
But he admits “I was obsessed to go out and race and be the best there was. It became a job and as much as I love it, I had to get away from it,” explaining his semi-retirement from racing.
The Lasting Impression was built by Rob Garratano’ s mentor, his father-in-law, George Wolcott. It took first place in the special class of classic boats in Lake Hopocatong Boat Show as well as best in show in the 1990 competition.
Photo Courtesy of Navesink Maritime Heritage Association
How Can They Run a School District … When They Can’t Even Do The 2 Step?
Cheers and praise to Highlands Council President Jo-Anne Olszewskifor taking such giant steps to ensure the public has the right to vote.
Highlands Council President Jo-Anne OlszewskiRug
Once the Superior Court Judge told her she needs to provide more information in order to get an injunction, she immediately decided that is exactly what she is going to do.
Obviously, this is a lady who isn’t about to take a back seat to anyone.
As it should be, but it’s hard to find elected officials who are that dedicated,and have that much integrity. Ms. Olszewski said she did it because she believes everyone has the right to voice their opinion, the right to hear everything that impacts them at all levels of government, and the right to vote with full knowledge and intelligence.
All that being said, there is a necessary burden that must be placed on the shoulders of the electorate. You’ve got a fighter willing to do her job; but it’s the residents’ job to pay attention.
The entire injunction question is over whether the people of three bayshore towns can vote to see whether Sea Bright wants to come into the new Henry Hudson Regional School District (Pre-K through 12) and whether Highlands and Atlantic Highlands want them to.
Those who advocate told voters that bringing in Sea Bright means lower taxes for the two towns already in the district, simply because Sea Bright would be bringing in a couple of million dollars with them but not enough kids to mean building extra classrooms or anything costly. So having three towns pay for the same things two towns have been paying for….YOU do the math….
Those who did not want the public to vote for Sea Bright last September kept saying FIRST STEP. then the SECOND STEP.
They wanted the appeal of a lawsuit brought by Oceanport and Shore Regional settled before they wanted Sea Bright in.
So the original question that a lot of people thought was going to be on the ballot, simply, Can Sea Bright Join? Which would required a simple yes or no answer, switched to a question about whether the three schools already in the districts should come under one board, or whether they shouldn’t. The Second Step, those folks said, would let Sea Bright in … Soon after.
So first step is over and done with. The people voted, two school boards are out, and Henry Hudson is now a Pre-K through 12 district. The First Step is over.
But here’s the glitch.
A couple of weeks before leaving forever, the three boards that no longer exist, as their parting shot, took more action in the back room and without telling the voters, or heck, even the people who attended the public meeting, that what they agreed to was a deal with Oceanport and Shore Regional. The deal they all agreed to make would make it next to impossible for Sea Bright to ever join Henry Hudson.
There was not one single vote against it by any of the board members out of office June 30.
In essence, the Second Step that had been promised and touted so proudly before the vote a few months ago is now wiped out by the very same people who made the promise… and they did it just before their boards were ended forever.
Olszewski said “I have heard from so many people they only voted for regionalization between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands schools (“STEP 1”) because they were promised the next step (“STEP 2“) would be Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Sea Bright with a second referendum vote on Sea Bright’s inclusion. It is a promise that was made to the people, but it has been made impossible to keep by the secret action the four boards took this month, and I plan on continuing my fight so the American right to vote is protected here in Highlands, Sea Bright and Atlantic Highlands.’”
Indeed, there’s more. It should be noted that the defendant’s attorney, Jonathan Busch and the Busch Law Group were part of the Kean University state-funded Feasibility Study Commissioned by the Boards of Education.
In his presentation before the Tri-District Regionalization Town Hall to present the Study’s findings, Mr. Busch’s advice to residents and Board members present was to bring Sea Bright’s students into the Henry Hudson District “as soon as possible”. That could only happen once the Henry Hudson District was PK-12, which is right now.
But in that Superior Court hearing this week that same Mr Busch was the defendant’s attorney, the four Tri-District Boards of Education named in Olszewski’s action who were instrumental in negotiating the secret “settlement agreement” Olszewski Exhibits that nobody got to see. He’s the attorney who advised the four Tri-District Boards of Education that approved the secret vote and the agreement signed by the presidents of all six Boards of Education involved in the Shore Regional/Oceanport appeal litigation. So much for that SECOND STEP.
Superintendent Tara Beams
Did I mention the Superintendent of the Henry Hudson PK-12 Regional Board of Education resides in Oceanport?( That Story Can Be Read HERE)
Or that these same boards just approved a brand new contract for her for five years? (That Story Can Be Read HERE)
Even though it was only last year when they approved a contract that could have stood in place even with the regionalization? (That Story Can Be Read HERE)
Only in this brandy new contract they upped her salary even though she has touted how the regionalization would save her time and work. Now her time and work for her 260 day year will cost the taxpayers $191,000+ for the first year PLUS benefits for her and her family. And guaranteed increases for the next four years after that.
The settlement agreement these boards made in secret, only made public because of Olszewski’s demand in court, makes it impossible for the voters of Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Sea Bright to EVER get to vote on a STEP 2 referendum to bring Sea Bright into the new district. You wouldn’t know that if the feisty councilwoman had not demanded information in court.
Mr. Busch is a great attorney, apparently a great mayor of Metuchen, and well recognized for his legal work on education issues across the state, kind of his firm’s specialty.
But here, he flip-flopped from Sea Bright coming into the new district “as soon as possible” to ‘never!’
Your neighbors, the ones you elected over the years to the Boards of Education approved it, unanimously. A parting shot in secret as one of their last actions.
It’s my guess Councilwoman Olszewskiand her attorney, Vito Gagliardi, are going to come up with enough additional evidence to get the injunction she is seeking to protect the rights of residents.
So you the people need to keep informed, register to vote, and be at the polls in November to elect board members who will vote for the people, not for what they’re told by employees.
Your Kids, Your Tax Dollars, Your Right, YOUR Vote
Superior Court Judge Gregory Acquaviva did not grant an injunction (Verified Complaint)sought in today’s hearing in Superior Court. However, the lawsuit designed to expose and challenge the secret deal to keep voters from having their promised say on adding Sea Bright to the Henry Hudson Regional Pre-K-12 School district will continue.
“The appearance before Judge Acquaviva enabled Mrs. Olszewski to expose to the public what has been going on,” attorney Vito Gagliardi told VeniVidiScripto after Superior Court action in Freehold Monday afternoon. “We will now pursue even more discovery to further expose what we all know was designed to intentionally keep the voters from what they were promised. “
Gagliardi, one of the two attorneys representing Highlands Council President Jo-anne Olszewskiboth for the Highlands Borough Council as council president and as a private resident of Highlands, made his arguments before Judge Gregory Acquaviva charging the Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional boards, all of whom will no longer exist next week, and the Henry Hudson transitional board, which will not exist after December 30, violated the Open Public Meetings Act by taking action in executive session without informing residents of the action taken.
Nor would the public still have any knowledge of the action, which essentially prevents Sea Bright from ever becoming part of this regional school district, were it not for information only learned because of Olszewski’s action.
Judge Acquaviva listened to arguments both from Gagliardi and attorneys for the school districts, Jonathon Busch and his partner Adam Weiss, questioning both for further information on the points they brought to his attention.
In response to the Judge’s questioning on whether a single student is impacted at the beginning of the coming school year, Gagliardi argued the ramifications are considerably more far reaching than a single school year, pointing out the boards who made the decision will no longer be in existence, yet are holding Sea Bright hostage for its future, an action that impacts Olszewski.
Aquaviva indicated the actions taken at the May 28 meeting of the joint boards were moot by their actions at June meetings, since the agreement they apparently made with Oceanport and Shore Regional to settle their litigation against Sea Bright negated the May action with new action they took at the June meeting. He failed to accept Gagliardi’s argument that even that argument can only be presumed, since the public was never made aware of the action, nor have minutes ever been approved and released. Gagliardi also pointed out that the public never had the opportunity to either hear or speak on the resolution adopted in the executive session.
While Judge Acquaviva also said that while the complainant did not present sufficient proof the Open Public Meetings Act was violated intentionally, Gagliardi said that just as this proceeding enabled the public to know more about what is happening, Olszewski plans to continue to fight for the public’s right to know and will continue to pursue further discover that not only will convince the court actions by the boards were intentional and voters are not being given their opportunity to vote on including Sea Bright.
“I can only hope the citizens look forward to getting all their children in the best educational situation and with the best financial situation possible,” the attorney said, “there is no doubt they have been misled, and there is no doubt the voters have been denied a right that they were promised.”
Olszewski said she has every intention of continuing to present as much evidence as the Judge wants to be sure residents maintain their right to vote on whether to accept Sea Bright into the regional school. “This has become a very complicated issue because of so many of the boards’ actions over the past years since they were promised last year’s vote was a first step,” the councilwoman said, “I have heard from so many people they only voted for regionalization between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands schools because they were promised the next step would be to have a vote on Sea Bright’s inclusion. It is a promise that was made to the people, It has been made impossible to keep by the secret action the boards took this month, and I plan on continuing my fight so the American right to vote is protected here in Highlands, Sea Bright and Atlantic Highlands.’”
As Marion Bartholomew and all the other women in the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Clubprepare for the 20th annual MS Race this August 17. this particular Shrewsbury resident can look back on what sail racing has meant to her as well as how this particular race has contributed so much to 180 Turning Lives Around, the non-profit organization that assists abused women. Breeze
Marion was in that first race 20 years ago, another half dozen since, and now continues to be part of the committee that makes the event not only a great resource for 180 Turning Lives Around, but also a popular attraction at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor and a major summer event for seamen and spectators alike.
Sailboat racing itself is, according to Bartholomew, “something that happens in a magical place. It is a physical activity and probably mostly a mental activity.” That is because, she explains, “even just a small tweak on a sail could make you the race winner.”
Still, she cautions, “You have to know how to spot where to make that tweak, and when to make it. That’s the magic, the subtle move that is hardly noticed but just might get you across the line first.”
Nor is winning everything. As Captain of My Time in that first race in 2004, her team placed second. She hasn’t placed since. Racing has always been important to both Marion and her late husband, Jeffrey Goldfarb. since they first joined the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club. He was a veteran racer, having participated in the crews for many Long island races.
“I was a cruising sailor,” she said, “We were invited to be part of the crew of My Time, a 35 ft. Beneteau, and I got hooked. From then on, for me our cruising vacations became a chance to tweak those sails if I saw another sailboat that might be passing us. My husband wanted me to sit and relax and enjoy the ride, but making our boat go faster was something I couldn’t resist.”
The following is the story Bartholomew wrote after that first race in 2004, as it appeared in Sail Magazine, a leading national wide magazine that chronicles the lifestyle, safety and seamanship of the sailing community.
A Little Extra Breeze
By Marion Bartholomew
There were enough of us females regularly crewing in the Wednesday night races at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, to inspire the club to hold an all female sailing race in August 2005. We called it our “Ms. Race.” A fairly seasoned sailor, I was invited to captain the boat that, usually, I crew aboard. It’s a 36-foot Beneteau called My Time.
The winds in August in Sandy Hook Bay tend to be light, and the weather is usually good, and therein hangs my tale. The crew came together easily, though it was a fairly inexperienced group. We happily practiced for the race in early August, in the light wind conditions that are typical of Sandy Hook Bay at that time of the year.
Even crew members new to sailing seemed comfortable as we went through the maneuvers of tacking and gybing. We practiced reefing, though heaven forbid we should need to.
Saturday, August 27, 2005, dawned sunny, clear, and breezy. Quite breezy. We had a solid 15 knots, which in our case approached the upper limit for uneventful racing. We were all a bit intimidated as we dropped My Time’s mooring, but I wanted my crew to feel confident, and I did my best to look confident, myself.
Then came the start and gusts into the twenties. Where was all this wind coming from? On the first leg, with gusts now to 25 knots, the boat was overpowered and we reefed. (In all my past seasons as a crew, I cannot remember a single time when we needed to reef My Time’s main).
At this point winning the race was not important to me anymore, and while not one of my five crew expressed concern in words for their physical welfare, I saw anxiety creep onboard and tried to take charge. I had to stop worrying about losing control of the boat and stay focused on finding the marks, giving directions, inspiring my crew. I didn’t feel we were in any imminent danger, but the wind was challenging our confidence, and I had to be the one to bring everybody home. It was just a race, not a test of survival, right?
The story in brief: Did we finish? Yes, second. Did we make mistakes? Oh my, so awfully many. Then, as we crossed the finish line, the committee on the RC boat applauded and called out wonderful words like “Great job!” and “Congratulations” and it felt so very, very heartening to hear those cheers. I saw my crew’s faces utterly glowing with pride for just having done it, for having suffered no damages to body or boat. We were all stronger now, and our two hours of rough sailing became a precious and unexpected gift of increased self-confidence on the water and in ourselves.
Registration has begun for the Andy Rooney Ocean Mile or Two Mile Swim scheduled for Saturday, July 13 at 7:30 a.m. in Sea Bright.
The races are an annual event named to honor two Sea Bright Mayors, Andrew Manning who was Mayor at the time of his death in 1988 and Charlies Rooney, Jr., who was mayor for ten years from 1989 to 1999.
All registrations will be online and T-shirts are guaranteed for the first 125 registered. The swim is limited to 200 participants.
This year, the swim will be point to point, starting and ending at the Sea Bright Public Beach. The Race will be in a typical triangle format and all swimmers need to register that morning 30 minutes prior to their swim.
Several awards will be given to various categories in the meet, with the Amy Lynn Gill Award to be presented to the first place female in the One Mile Swim. That award will be presented by Ms. Gill’s daughter, Hayden Gill.
The Mike Hudson award will be presented to the first place male in the one mile swim.
Wetsuit swimmers will be in a separate division with prizes for the top three overall male and female finishers. Awards will be given in age group categories for non wetsuit wearers only.
Both swims will start at the south end of the Public Beach, in front of Donovan’s, with the two miles swim slated to start at 7:30 a.m. and the one mile swim 45 minutes later at 8:15 a.m.
The results will be posted live at SplitSecondRacing.net/results. Interested swimmers should keep their cell phones close, since the sponsors email each finisher as they have included their e-mail address clearly on the race day form.
Swimmers who chance waiting until the day of the race to register must do it online, since no paper copy registrations will be accepted. Credit card are necessary. It is recommended to register online before leaving for the race if registering that day. An instant e-mail will give the registrant a chip number to pick up when upon arrival.
All athletes are responsible for returning their timing chip at the end of the finish chute. Straps should be separated and folded properly before being placed in the separate bin.
Sea Bright lifeguards will be stationed along the route in the water. Anyone needing assistance is alerted to raise their hands and wave to attract their attention.
Not only local residents but residents all over New Jersey are watching the results of the court decision on the school regionalization issue for Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional schools. Eyes
The following is an article written by award winning journalist Rob Jennings for the NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.
Jennings, who holds degrees in political science and communications and has appeared on both NJ. Com and Star Ledger pages, concentrates a large part of his reportorial excellence on education in New Jersey as well as politics and government. He has received first place awards from the NJ Press Association, the NJ Society of Professional Journalists and contributed to a series on the state’s pension crisis which was a finalist for the Investigative Reporters & Editors Medal
NJ Advance NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. In 2012, it was recognized as the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. Six years later, it was reported to have an average of 12.1 million unique monthly visitors consuming a total of 70 million page views per month.
Highlands Council President Joann Olszewski’s suit she filed earlier this month as both a member of the governing body and a private citizen is being held Monday, June 23, in Freehold before Superior Court Judge Gregory L. Aquaviva.
Jersey Shore town is being blocked from joining newly-merged school district, lawsuit says
Voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, which both have K-6 schools, approved a referendum in September to disband and join the Henry Hudson Regional School District next month. Both Highlands and Atlantic Highlands were already sending their students in grades 7 to 12 to Henry Hudson Regional High School.ng riots sent to mainland France for detention
However, the initial merger plan also included sending students from nearby Sea Bright into the newly-merged Henry Hudson Regional School District. Sea Bright disbanded its school district years ago and currently sends its students to Oceanport and Shore Regional school districts.
The plan to include Sea Bright students in the newly-merged school district didn’t happen because Oceanport and Shore Regional challenged the plan, according to the lawsuit filed by a Highlands official June 10 in Monmouth County Superior Court.
Though the 2023 referendum did not include Sea Bright, the borough could have voted in the future to join Henry Hudson Regional, the lawsuit states.
However, the Henry Hudson Regional school board held a joint special meeting May 28 with the school boards for Highlands and Atlantic Highlands in May to adopt a legal settlement that created multiple hurdles for Sea Bright to join their newly-merged district.
Sea Bright, among other conditions, would first need to reactivate its dormant school district, though there is no process for doing so under state law.
“It is clear that the conditions of the purported settlement agreement are designed to exclude Sea Bright from the new all-purpose Henry Hudson Regional School District and to prevent the voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands from ever considering adding Sea Bright as a constituent of Henry Hudson Regional,” wrote Vito A. Gagliardi, attorney for the plaintiff, Highlands Borough Council President Jo-Anne Olszewski.
Olszewski alleges the settlement agreement violated the Open Public Meetings Act because it was not specified in the meeting agenda and the terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Sea Bright is not a plaintiff in Olszewski’s lawsuit. The lawsuit names the school boards for the Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional as defendants.
Officials at the three school boards did not respond to requests to comment. Sea Bright’s business administrator also did not respond to a request to comment.
A Superior Court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for Monday in Freehold.
In the summer of 2022, several local boards — including the borough councils in Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright and the school boards involved in the proposed merger — adopted resolutions in support of expanding Henry Hudson Regional and including Sea Bright.
In response, the school boards for Oceanport and Shore Regional asked the state education commissioner to block Sea Bright’s bid to withdraw. Plans for the referendum proceeded in the three school districts, but without Sea Bright.
On Sept. 22, 2023, four days before voters approved the referendum, Angelica Allen-McMillan — then the state’s acting education commissioner — ruled Sea Bright was entitled under state law to withdraw from Oceanport and Shore Regional and seek to join Henry Hudson Regional.
Weeks later, Oceanport and Shore Regional filed an appeal with the state appellate court that named the school boards in Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional as defendants, in addition to the Borough of Sea Bright, Borough of Highlands and Borough of Atlantic Highlands. The appeal is still pending.
“It has become known that Oceanport and Shore Regional would agree to dismiss Defendants from the appeal in exchange for a series of conditions which would make it nearly impossible for Sea Bright ever to join the new Henry Hudson Regional School District, or, perhaps more importantly, for the voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands to vote on a referendum to consider this important issue,” Olszewski’s lawsuit says.
New Jersey, which is home to about 600 school districts, has few regionalized districts compared to many other states. Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that gave districts financial incentives to study consolidation, including combining into county-wide or regional school districts.
Seeing so many wonderful and true things being said about the Guenthers and their 100 years of calling Highlands home in the summer brings up thoughts of Bennies.
In Highlands, and many other waterfront towns that were filled to overflowing with visitors in the summer, it was a pejorative term to describe all those folks who came to town, be it for a day, weekend, or a couple of months. They were stereotyped as rude, loud, and rarely intermingled with the ‘locals, the ‘clammers,’ the folks who worked in the restaurants or shops and did their bidding.
Depends on your age and where you came from as to the origin of Bennies. To kids in Highlands in the last half of the 20th century, Bennies were the summer visitors who came down by train from Bergen, Essex (counties) Newark and New York, ergo, BENNIES.
But there were those from Rumson, Spring Lake and other more posh towns who said it originated from the early part of the century when wealthy New Yorkers came to the salubrious air of the Jersey Shore for treatment of anemia, hemophilia and other diseases and illnesses, since the shore air was “beneficial” to the. Hence, the summertime visitors got benefits from the shore, and were therefore BENNIES.
There are a few stories that credit the $100 bill the tourists had to spend locally. Just before the 1920s, the Eagle on the hundred-dollar bill was replaced with that wise philosopher, Benjamin Franklin, lovingly known as Ben. And so it was said the visitors used their Bennies to purchase their ice cream, beer and everything else.
The least known but sometimes referenced origin of Bennies came during the 1970s, long after locals called visitors Bennies. That one said the term came from the off-shore boat racing during the 1970s sponsored by the Benihana restaurant chain. Not likely.
There were some other terms often heard for visitors that were both loved, hated, revered and reviled by locals.
Shoobie was more common further south along the shore from Long Beach Island to Atlantic City. That’s what they called the day-trippers who took the train to the shore and took advantage of the pre-packed lunches that the railroad offered for sale enroute. They were packed in shoe boxes, hence the Shoobies.
There are those who say you could always tell a Bennie without even talking to him; he’d be the guy or girl wearing sneakers, sandals or shoes on the beach…the locals were barefoot.
While the Bennies and the Locals played together and spent time on the beach together, the summer folks’ families rarely interacted with the local folks, perhaps because the locals were always working, the Bennies were on vacation. There were exceptions to that as well.
Conners Hotel was more than a hotel in its heyday and long before the swimming pool and outdoor snack stand now since replaced by the Sea Streak ferry and parking lot. There were bungalows along a dirt road there that the same families came down and rented every year. There was the hotel where Herman Black, later his sons, Bill, Duke, Jack and Bobby, worked and so they knew all the Bennies. Locals went to Conners for their huge steaks and lobsters, and hence, the Bennies and Locals did meet, greet and enjoy each other all the time. Today, many of those Bennies are the full-time residents of highlands and the Bayshore area.
The Guenther’s, with their 100 years of being summer residents, indeed made themselves a part of the town, becoming involved, improving their properties, and even visiting in off-season. Hardly the Bennies of the derogatory title.
Today, in the Bayshore, you can’t tell a Benny from a Local. Nor does it make any difference. The Bennies, for all intents and purposes, are really the Locals of the 21st century.
With the celebrations of their 60 years at Bayshore Pharmacy in the Foodtown Shopping Mall now a happy memory, staff at the popular pharmacy and gift shop is hard back at work continuing their tradition of excellence, friendliness and providing all the services of a hometown pharmacy.
Nearly 100 friends, neighbors and customers stopped in the pharmacy earlier this month to help two generations of the family along with relatives and pharmacy employees recognize the accomplishments of the first owner, Richard Stryker, Scott Eagleton, who was a partner in the business for many years, and Stryker’s son, Rich, who is the current owner.
The Stryker family Photo credit: Tommy Pantaleo
Visitors came from all over the Bayshore as well as South Carolina and West Virginia to be part of the party, accept numerous gifts and enjoy a celebratory cake. Gifts included salt water taffy, sanitizers, a health safety packet, cosmetics bag and the opportunities for blood pressure checks by IMA Urgent Care and a Yoga Class. The class was taught by Laura Vuksanovich, the Monday night yoga instructor at the Port Monmouth Fire House community class.
Tom Stone of Stone Emergency Training, SET , who soon will begin a series of first aid, babysitting emergency and CPR training in partnership with the pharmacy, also presented gifs and information about his program.
Neighboring Foodtown, the supermarket started by Capt. Joeseph Azzolina USN (ret) and a neibhror of the pharmacy since it opened, also had pieces of their popular crumb cake for all the visitors..
Mayor Lori Hohenleitner started the ceremonies at noon with a ribbon cutting in front of the store, which has enlarged twice since it first opened in the shopping center on the opposite side of Foodtown.
It was a party that not only celebrated 100 years of loving Highlands, but also renewing family ties and events, sharing time and history with neighbors and friends and meeting new friends and family members.
The occasion was the festive celebration held at the Guenther home on Marine Place, a home first settled by the family in the 20th century, replacing other homes owned by the Guenther family since the first of five generations first summered here in 1924.
Walt and his siblings own the Marine Place residence and annually have a family get together to relive old times and establish new memories and traditions.
With this year being the centennial of the first Guenther summer in Highlands, 105 family members and friends turned out for the celebration, with the oldest 103 years of age and the youngest two 14 and 16 months of age. In-between were a host of teenagers and early 20s from Tennessee, some planning on starting their own families shortly, others in the 30s 40s, and beyond, and all happy to see the Summer home that has been in their family for generations.
Family members came from 12 states in addition to New Jersey, arriving from New York, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, New Mexico, Mississippi, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. Some came by plane including one couple that piloted their own plane. Many more drove, and still others came by Seastreak ferry while there were others who walked. Nearly all had been to the family bungalow before but about a dozen were making their first visit to the historic family home.
Guests enjoyed sharing their memories and hearing stories about Highlands and especially their visits to the family bungalow. There were many stories about swimming over the bulkhead using ladders the family put up on the old wooden bulkheads.
Fishing trips in their own boats moored in the Shrewsbury River or snapper fishing with bamboo poles from in front of the house were highlights of several conversations.
Visits to the Twin Lights, now a state museum, ocean swimming at Sandy Hook, now Gateway National Recreation Area, and bike rides along wooden walkways, now Henry Hudson Trail were also included in numerous stories as were barbecues in the backyard and making beach plum jam, clam chowder and family recipe potato salad in the kitchen. Beach plums were readily available at Sandy Hook, and numerous family members remember gathering them for the traditional family jam making sessions.
Sitting in the rockers on the front porch enjoying the view of the river, boats and New York City was popular all day long.
Mayor Carolyn Broullon joined the family celebration for the afternoon presenting the family with the Highlands Borough Proclamation she had recorded in municipal minutes which recognizes the Guenther family’s 100 Years of Summers in Highlands.
Walt and Linda Guenther had poster size copies made of many of the 1924 and beyond black and white photographs and lined the first-floor level porch with the posters, more photos, along with a scrapbook, the borough’s proclamation, and other memorabilia from the past century.
Guests enjoyed the photos taken over the years; the Guenther family on a South Bay Avenue beach in 1924 with King Boat Works craftsmen working in the background was a favorite.
Grandma, Dad, Aunt Gert South Bay Ave Beach Next to King Boat Works Highlands NJ 1924 Highlands NJ 1923
The family was also honored at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church where they have been summer parishioners for 100 years and congratulated in the church bulletin as well as honored at a special mass on Sunday morning.
“It was a wonderful day,” said Walter Guenther, one of the generations who spearheads and makes all the arrangements for the annual event. “Even God gave us His own gift with the spectacular sunshine and beautiful day we had. We could see how times have changed, even in the photographs. Where we have cherished the small black and white photos from Kodak cameras, this year’s family photo was made possible through a drone. We could all gather on the top deck overlooking the Shrewsbury while the drone took the photo from out over the water.”
Walt Guenther is as avid about all Highlands history as he is about preservation of his family ties with the borough. An active member of the Highlands Historical Society and publisher of the Society’s newsletter with his wife, Linda, he has conducted walking tours of the borough telling some of the history of its business area and has participated in the historic presentation of Joshua Huddy. The story of the Revolutionary War hero who was hanged in Highlands a couple of blocks away from the current Guenther home, in retaliation for the death of a British soldier., was researched and written by Council president Joann Olszewski and reenacted by the Society in several presentations earlier this year.
100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years
