Pasta A limited number of tickets are currently available for Saturday night’s Italian Night and Gift Auction at Our Lady of Perpetual Help gym in Highlands.
Tickets are $30 which includes an Italian dinner and a tickets package with opportunities to win a variety of gifts made possible through the generosity of local businesses and residents.
Tickets for dinner only, without the ticket package, are available for $25.
The event is sponsored by the Rev. Joseph Donnelly Council of the Knights of Columbus and encourages families to attend, with the added incentive of a $15 cost for children and no cost for infants.
The dinner includes buffet style spaghetti, meatballs and sausage, eggplant rollatini, Caesar salad, cheese garlic bread, soft beverages and dessert, and guests are permitted to bring their own beverages of choice as well.
Tickets are available by calling 607-725-3010.
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The AAUW (American Association of University Women) Northern Monmouth County Branch will hold its annual Half Price Book sale Saturday, Januar. 31 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m..
The exert popular event is held at the Book Sale shop in Old First Church, 69 Kings Highway East on the lower level.
The Sale is one of the many cultural, entertaining and fund-raising events the Monmouth County Branch AAUW holds throughout the year. A number of helpful, reliable volunteers are at the Book Sale Shop on the lower level of the church every Saturday from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. as well as every Thursday from 10.am. to noon., except holiday weekends.
The supply of books, types, periodicals and other materials available for purchase at truly unbelievable prices includes every kind of reading material from children’s books and activities to history, biography, novels, best sellers and studies of all types as well as business books and astrology and cookbooks.
The January 31 sale event is an added opportunity to peruse the shelves, seek out old favorites and find unique gift ideas or new reading materials.
For more information on the Sale or AAUW activities, visit www.-nj-nmcb.org, or visit AAUW-NMCBon Facebook.
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Heard Honor Society Activity, Poetry Winners, Kindness and Community Service were all highlighted in this month’s report by Cole Harbison to the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education at its regular meeting last week..
Harbison, a senior at Henry Hudson, includes his monthly report at every meeting, immediately following the administrator’s and business reports to the board. He compiles activities throughout the month at each of the three schools in the district, under the direction of student council advisors Dawn DeSanto and Miranda Saryian.
Harbison reported the Highlands Elementary School Student Council assembled 124 gift bags filled with toys and activities through a toy drive they organized for the benefit of ill youngsters at Jersey Shore Children’s Hospital. The Holiday Toy Drive is part of the students’ annual holiday season activities.
Another initiative at the Highlands School, Cozy Up to Kindness included the students partnering with the PTO in collecting hot cocoa, tee and coffee in support of Lunch Break a local organization that provides food, clothing housing support and essential life-skills training to individuals and families in need throughout Monmouth County and beyond. With that work completed, the students are looking forward to starting their next activity, a pop tab collection to benefit the Ronald McDonald House and will start working on that initiative in February.
Harbison also reported the district’s Preschool Program has been working on building relationships and making new friends. The pre-schools in both the Highlands and Atlantic Highlands schools and their families got together for a morning of science fun. Meeting at the Reaction Lab in Atlantic Highlands the group made slime, snow and worms, 22 families participating. The reporter said both kids and parents were very grateful and enjoyed it so much that they requested more events in the future, naming the first community outing bringing the schools together a great success.
At the scholastic level, the National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society, in collaboration with their advisors Mrs. Kondas, Mrs. Fahmie, and Ms. DeSanto, sponsored the 6th Annual Holiday Door Decorating Contest. Classrooms throughout the school were decorated in the holiday spirit, and honor society officers selected Mrs. Larsen’s classroom as the best-decorated door of the season. Proceeds totaling $170 were donated to Lunch Break in Red Bank, a community organization chosen by the members of both Honor Societies to support this year.
Teachers Mrs. Fahmie and Ms. DeSanto commended their honor society members for their continued commitment to service and community involvement: – During the holiday season, members spread holiday cheer by donating $400 in gift cards to families within the HHRS community.
On January 9, NHS members also volunteered at the Fulfill Food Pantry in Neptune. Using their after-school time, students purchased $300 of non-perishable food and toiletry items to donate. During their visit, members worked diligently, mopping and sweeping the warehouse, as well as sorting and packing donations for individuals and families across Ocean and Monmouth Counties. The Volunteer Coordinator at Fulfill specifically recognized HHRS National Honor Society members, noting that they were the hardest-working group, students or adults, that the organization had hosted all year.
Also in January, Mrs. Merrigan and the AP Literature class presented the school community with the annual Poetry Out Loud Competition. Students and staff were welcomed to compete, perform, and judge. -This year’s contestants were Nick D’Antonio, Juliana Rangel, Derby Savas, Lily Hensel, Danny Neno, and Evelyn Knox. -Judges included: Mr. Gates, Mr. Manigrassio, Dr. Beams, Ms. Lebel and Mrs. Pharo. The program also included poetic performances by Mr. Stabile, Mr. Lynch, and Mr. Bodnar; and live music by Indifference featuring HHRS students Kai Newman, Nico Kurdes and Lucca Tapia.
An original slam poem, written by students in Mrs. Merrigan’s Creative Writing class was also showcased, featuring Angela Staples, Marishka Evelich and Mrs. Merrigan. – The audience included the entire HHRS community, allowing students and faculty to unite and celebrate the arts together. –
The three top finalists in the poetry competition were Lily Hensel who placed third, Danny Neno, second, and Evelynn Knox, first. Evelynn will now compete in the Regional Competition February 11 at Ocean County College.
On the musical level, the groups at the Highlands school, the Osprey Band, Beginner Band, and HES Chorus delivered a seasonal performance that brought acclaim and applause from the student body, with Ms. Furda and her students credited with a “fantastic concert” and enthusiasm for the upcoming spring performance!
The HHRS Admiral Players announced their upcoming production of Disney’s The Descendants this March! Made popular on the Disney channel, The Descendants tells the story of the next generation of Disney characters, including Maleficent’s daughter, Mal, and Belle’s son, Ben. Will the children repeat the mistakes of their parents? Or can they unite and find strength in their togetherness? Harbison asked before announcing performances are March 13 at 7 pm and March 14 at 3 pm and 7 pm, with all tickets available at the door at the time of the performances.
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The Most Reverend Pedro Bismarck Chau, DD Vicar of Hudson County will offer the noon mass and be the homilist at the annual memorial Mass, Sunday February 1, honoring the late Rev. John R. Washington, a former parishioner of St. Stephen’s, and one of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives to save others during World War II. The local council of the Knights of Columbus, adult choir, and relatives of Father Washington join the community in remembering the sacrifices of the four chaplains.
Rev. John R. Washington
Father Washington was born in Newark July 18, 1908. As a child, he had a newspaper route to help his family financially, enjoyed singing in the church choir and by high school had his mind set on the priesthood.
He attended Seton Hall High School and graduated in 1931 from Seton Hall University with an A.B. degree. He entered Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington and was ordained a priest in 1935. In 1938, he was assigned to St. Stephen‘s Church in Arlington (now known as Kearny).
After Pearl Harbor, Father was named a chaplain in the Army and was assigned to the U.S.A.T. Dorchester at Boston Harbor in January 1943. It was one month later when the Dorchester was torpedoed by a German U-boat and Fr. Washington was one of the four chaplains who gave their lives for others in the icy waters of the North Atlantic near Greenland
A monument on the church grounds honors the Four Chaplains and was designed by master sculptor Timothy Schmalz. The front of the monument depicts the chaplains standing on the deck of the Dorchester, its bow rising up behind them as it slips into the frigid water of the North Atlantic. Each of the chaplains is shown in a different posture of prayer. Eyewitness accounts of the sinking of the ship relate that the last glimpse anyone had of the Four Chaplains had them standing on the deck, arms linked, praying and singing hymns.
On the back of the monument, the sculptor has an angel holding four life jackets signifying each of the clergyman had given his own life jacket to others. The position of the angel is designed to memorialize a ship’s figurehead, which is often a carved figure on the prow of the ship.
The sculpture is cast in bronze and weighs almost two thousand pounds; with its granite base, it stands at approximately 16 feet and was dedicated by Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop of the Military Services, USA, on February 3, 2013 – the 70th anniversary of the sinking of the Dorchester.
In November of 2016, the Archdiocese of Newark declared St. Stephen‘s the Sanctuary of the Four Chaplains and the dormer baptistry was dedicated as the Sanctuary at the annual Father Washington Mass. Throughout the year, special prayers are offered in the sanctuary on various American holidays to give thanks for those in the military who serve and protect the nation.
There is also a Book of Prayerful Remembrance for family members of parishioners who are serving in the United States Military or other Civil Service Departments. The sanctuary is open for prayer during the week from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and weekends after masses
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Unity They were Catholic, Methodist, Jewish and Dutch Reformed and each worshiped God in a different way. But when it came to selfless service and putting the safety and future of others first, they stood together, practicing their faith, believing in God and choose to give their lives to help others.
Tuesday, February 3 is Four Chaplains Day, commemorating the date in 1943 when four chaplains aboard the USAT Dorchester stood together, took off their life jackets and gave them to four young servicemen to save their lives when the ship was struck by a German U-boat torpedo.
Sunday, February 1, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2179 invites all to participate in their annual ceremony honoring the four chaplains and their selflessness and valor.
A ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. at the Post Home on Veterans Lane, Port Monmouth, just off Route 36. The program is sponsored by the VFW in recognition of the Unity without Uniformity exemplified by the chaplains and memorialized by the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation.
Each of the four clergymen was a lieutenant in the US Army and was aboard the Dorchester, a luxury liner converted to a troopship during the war and serving in the North Atlantic.
Two years earlier, at the start of the war, the United States and Denmark signed an agreement pledging the U.S. to defend Greenland from invasion. The pact allowed the U.S. to build military bases in Greenland, following President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s pleas such an agreement was critical to defending the Western Hemisphere from Germany.
The bases built by the USA were called “BLUIE” bases, with runways in Greenland, the first of which was at Narsarsuaq and became the major U.S. Army, Navy and Coast Guard base in Greenland. It soon became a major stopping point for U.S. Forces flying to Great Britain during the War.
Because of the harsh weather conditions in Greenland, personnel were rotated out on a routine basis. It was when the US Army Transport Ship Dorchester was carrying servicemen, merchant seamen and civilian worker as replacements in Greenland, that it was struck k by a torpedo from German submarine U-223. The USAT Dorchester begin to sink quickly and during the rush to abandon ship, many men left their life jackets behind.
As the ship sank in the icy North Atlantic, the chaplains were distributing life jackets while at the same time offering calm to the frightened men, tending to the wounded and guiding disoriented men towards lifeboats. When the supply of life jackets ran out, the four clergymen took off their own and gave them to four young soldiers.
There are those already in life boats who later recalled seeing the chaplains standing together arm-in-arm on the deck of the sinking ship, praying and singing hymns as the ship went down.
Of the 902 men aboard, only 230 survived in this, one of the worst disasters of World War II.
The chaplains were Lieutenant George L. Fox, a Methodist minister. From Lewistown, Pa., Lieutenant Alexander D. Goode, a Jewish rabbi from Brooklyn, Lieutenant Clark V. Poling, a Dutch Reformed minister from Columbus, Ohio and Lieutenant John P. Washington, a Roman Catholic priest from Newark. Their sacrifice became an enduring symbol of interfaith cooperation and selfless service, expressed in the motto “Unity without Uniformity”.
Each of the chaplains was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart one year later. Congress later authorized a special, one-time Four Chaplains’ Medal for extraordinary heroism, which was presented to their next of kin in January 1961.
A stained-glass window in the Pentagon, a monument at Sgt. Stephen’s Church in Kearney, and the Chapel of the Four Chaplains in Philadelphia, which was dedicated by President Harry Truman in 1951, are some of the memorials to the chaplains who were also honored with a specially designed postage stamp.
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An immigration activist holds up a sign calling for the abolishment of ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during rally to protest the Trump Administration's immigration policy outside the Department of Justice in Washington, U.S., June 30, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC115555BB50
Ice Haven’t seen it, not out and about much these days after my accident … but judging from the n umber of calls I’ve received, there’s a flag flying on the porch of a house at the corner of 8th and East Mount Avenues in Atlantic Highlands that some people are finding rather incendiary. On the surface, it seems to me its only purpose is to cause disagreement and unpleasantness among neighbors.
The flag apparently urges readers to “Abolish ICE”. Really? Where did that come from? And why?
This is Atlantic Highlands! It’s a great community. Great people. Wonderful things happening.
But it’s got a First Aid Squad and a fire department who are both pleading for more members. It’s got a planning board that has approved just about every variance application that’s come before it, without any concern as to the impact on water, or sewer, or electrical power. It’s got a police department that is terrific but still has to fight crime, arrest drug users, protect people in their homes and on the streets.
Why not flags calling for help on these local issues?
Atlantic Highlands is charming, no doubt about it. But residents complain because they can’t find parking places at the Yacht Harbor. Restaurateurs and other shops lose customers because some folks who would eat or shop locally go other places because they can’t find parking on the street.
Why not flags calling for help on these local issues?
The Board of Education is looking to fill a vacancy on the board of education, some parents don’t like what’s taught in the schools or how it’s taught. Regionalization with Sea Bright has been talked about for years, but nothing has been done in Atlantic Highlands, not even so much as a public vote just to get opinions on the record.
Why not flags calling for help on these local issues?
The people of this borough and the area came together to assist a foreign born relative of a resident, a man who worked here but did not even live in the borough. Generous people raised $100,000 or so to help in the fight. Why wasn’t the Abolish Ice flag flown then?
In short, what has happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota that makes it so important to fly a flag in a quiet, suburban little community on the east coast of the United States that still has a few problems of its own to resolve, a few improvements that could be made, and some action at all levels that could really do something to improve life in this little, safe, quiet piece of the world?
As a journalist all my life, this writer certainly believes, espouses and defends freedom of speech and everyone being able to express their own opinions….that’s what the United States is all about and what my friend Thomas Jefferson felt is so important..
But why start something that isn’t going to help change something one or two people might not like? Or is this an issue that is going to start in little Atlantic Highlands and be heard around the nation? Is that what the people of Atlantic Highlands really want?
Why put out a message that might be liked by some, hated by others, but certainly isn’t going to change the way life goes on in the United States … instead of taking action or doing some little thing that could make a difference right here in our own backyard?
Why take on the nation when we still have matters that need full attention in our own backyard?
Is hanging a flag on a porch in a terrific residential neighborhood worth it just to create a sense of irritation in a town that is so full of kindness, great people, but has problems of its own it hasn’t been able to conquer?
Better to put out a God Bless America flag, or simply the Stars and Stripes neither of which should offend anyone living in this country.
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Visitation for the late Patricia ‘Patsy’ Federici till be at S.t Rose of Lima Church, Freehold, tomorrow from 3 to 7 p.m. with the funeral mass at 10:30 Saturday, Jan. 24, live-streamed for all who cannot attend the mass in person.
Mrs. Federici passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 21 surrounded by the love of her devoted family.
Born December 30, 1934, at Fitkin Hospital in Neptune Township Patsy grew up in Farmingdale and in 1956, married the love of her life, Frank “Spat” Federici. Together they made their home in Freehold where Patsy lived for the rest of her life, building a legacy that will endure for generations.
The heart of her family and the soul of her community, Patsy was a lifelong and deeply devoted parishioner of St. Rose of Lima Church giving her time as a cheer leading coach, bereavement minister, and in countless quiet acts of kindness that reflected her compassionate spirit. She had a gift for making people feel seen and welcomed, whether at church, around town, or famously while greeting guests at Federici’s Restaurant on East Main Street—where her warmth, laughter, and genuine love for people left a lasting impression on all who walked through the door.
Above all else, Patsy cherished her family and friends. She found her greatest joy in being surrounded by those she loved, whether sharing everyday moments or making lifelong memories during summers in Manasquan and treasured trips to her timeshare on the Caribbean island of Aruba. As a mother, Patsy led with unconditional love, quiet strength, and unwavering devotion, always putting her children first and teaching by example what it meant to care deeply, give generously, and love without limits.
Patsy was predeceased by her beloved parents, Rue and Margaret Cook; her brothers, Donald Cook (Eloise) and James Cook; and her cherished husband of 53 years, Frank “Spat” Federici, whose love remained with her always.
She leaves behind the beautiful family she was so proud to lead as matriarch. Patsy is survived by her seven children and their spouses: Frank and Mary Lynn Federici of Clarksburg; David and Lauren Federici of Freehold Township; Margee and Patrick Hansen of Freehold Township; Lisa and Cookie of Freehold Township; Michael and Nicole Federici of Manasquan; John and Donna Federici of Marlboro; and Tricia and Gio Webb of Freehold Borough. She was a loving and devoted grandmother to Scott (Taylor) Hansen, Michael (Jessica) Hansen, Daniel (Victoria) Hansen, Brendon (Dr. Dilini Peiris) Rashley, Kyle (Diana Nguyen) Rashley, Shanna (Adam) Eckhoff, Matthew Federici, Katie Webb, Patrick Federici, and Dante Webb, and a treasured great-grandmother to Harper, Samantha, Frankie, Shayden, Benjamin, Noah, Belle, and Beckham. She is also survived by her dear sister, Diane Ashworth of Manchester, and her brother, Peter Cook of Bayville.
After the visitation at St. Rose of Lima Church tomorrow, the funeral liturgy celebrating Patsy’s life and faith will be held at the same Church Saturday at 10:30 AM, followed by interment at St. Rose of Lima Cemetery.
The Funeral Mass will be live-streamed on the St. Rose of Lima Church – Freehold, NJ Facebook page and at www.stroseoflima.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Patsy’s memory to the St. Rose of Lima School, where all of her seven children attended, or the Society of St. Vincent de Paul – St. Rose of Lima Parish, a cause that reflects her lifelong commitment to compassion, faith, and service to others.
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Olivia Schmocker of Colts Neck, a junior at MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Sandy Hook, has been selected into the Private Pilot Scholarship Flight Academy Program sponsored by the U. S. Navy’s Commander, Naval Air Forces.Student
In this eight-week program that begins in June, Cadet Schmocker will attend both college courses and flight school at the University of Delaware, with the goal of earning her Private Pilot’s License. She is one of only 14 NJROTC cadets from around the country who were selected to attend this highly competitive program, with all expenses fully covered by the Navy.
Cadet Schmocker is an active member in her NJROTC unit where she currently serves as the Headquarters Platoon 1 Guide, is a member of the competitive drill team, and a former member of the Color Guard. Upon completion of MAST Cadet Schmocker hopes to attend the United States Naval Academy and commission as a Naval Officer.
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Today, January 21, is National Squirrel Appreciation Day, so if you see one of those little critters scampering across the road or stealing bird seed from your feeders on top of tall poles, take another look at him, chuckle and admire some of the great things about squirrels.
First of all, there are more than 200 species of squirrels….if you count in chipmunks, prairies dogs, marmots and flying squirrels, all of whom are cousins to the common ground squirrel prevalent in parks, back yards and tree tops. They’re on every continent in the world except for Australia and Antarctica. Ground squirrels lime natural forests, especially those with lots of oak or hickory trees, and are really only in parks and public grounds in Australia.
A White Squirrel in Eureka Springs Arkansas
They are great scavengers, and eat most anything, which is both good and bad. It’s good because they would rarely starve, inasmuch as they eat nuts, fruits, beans, vegetables, sees, and even carcasses if they are hungry enough. But they have an inability of upchucking any bad food, so tummy aches are a distinct possibility for short times.
Squirrels have teeth that never stop growing. They are born with four incisors that are kept sharp with all the acorn and nut chewing squirrels do. But they grow about five inches every year of a squirrel’s life, so it’s necessary for them to gnaw down on those hard wood, including trees, just to keep them trimmed and sharp. An average ground squirrel’s life is five to six years.
Squirrels are jumpers … they can leap ten times their length which explains how they can get from one tree to another…or how they can get up on telephone poles and chew through some wires to cause irritating phone or electrical shortages. There is such a thing as flying squirrels. They are a night creature, don’t really fly, but can soar for some 300 feet because of strong muscles and a unique ability. They also have sharper eyesight for all that night flying.
Red Squirrel
Squirrels are scavengers, always hunting…and finding…new food sources. But they are also savers with incredible memories; they will take nuts,, peanuts, seeds and other edibles to hiding places all over their territory. Surprisingly, they remember most of them and return to retrieve another meal. But they also skip over or forget some of their hiding places, and that contributes to the environment with little buried seeds growing into thriving plants or trees.
Once their little ones are grown, squirrels like them out of the nest. Adult squirrels prefer to live solitary lives within their nest,…except when it’s cold. That’s when they will invite another squirrel to share the nest for greater warmth.
It’s difficult to keep squirrels from food sources they readily remember and like, those bird feeders for instance. Try a dome baffle, or cages around the feeders. Tube feeders and suet cages make it more difficult, but the average, busy, ingenious, hungry squirrel can find ways to combat the inconveniences.
In the end…better just to appreciate the beauty and active loving antics of a visiting squirrel and put out a few peanuts in the hopes of keeping him from the feeders.
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The board will formally accept the resignation of board member Cory Wingerter at tonight’s regular meeting of the board, at 7 p.m. at Henry Hudson school gym. Mr. Wingerter announced his retirement last month because of a move from the district.
The board will name a replacement for the Atlantic Highlands representative for a term to expire in December; an elected representative will be selected at the November election.
Persons from Atlantic Highlands applying for the position must be a citizen of the United States of America, at least 18 years of age ,able to read and write, and an Atlantic Highlands resident at least year preceding the date of appointment. Applicants cannot have, directly or indirectly any contract with a claim against the Board , must be registered to vote in the district and not disqualified as a voter pursuant to NJSA 19:4-1
Persons interested in serving this school district should submit a letter of interest to: Janet Sherlock School Business Administrator/Board Secretary One Grand Tour Highlands, NJ 07732 Email: jsherlock@henryhudsonreg.k12.nj.us.
Letters of application will be accepted through February 17, 2026, until 4:00 p.m. The Board of Education will review all qualified applicants.
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