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A Company, A Cure, A Friend. Pray for Israel

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Ice Cure
A Cure

There is no telling why things happen or why you meet and find a new friend.

A little over  seven years ago, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was asked if, rather than surgery, I would like to participate in a trial of cyroablation. That is the means by which a frozen needle is inserted directly into the tumor, causing it to shrivel up, die and slough out of your body in routine fashion.

Dr. Kenneth Tomkovich was the gutsy Freehold radiologist who dared to try something new and convinced me easily enough I should be the first in the state to try out this painless, easy, 28 minute procedure I could even watch while it was underway.

Since it was new, a representative from the company was also present to observe the procedure; because the doctor infused me with so much confidence and the procedure requires no anesthesia, we chatted easily in the room during the procedure.  I jokingly warned Dr. Tomkovich he better know what he was doing, because I was leaving for Israel with a group from my church in two weeks.

That night, the company representative called me on the phone and asked if I was really going to Israel.

It was then I learned that IceCure, a company in Caesarea, Israel, had created the breast cryoablation needle and procedure, and since it was still undergoing trial in the US, had never met anyone who had it done. Would I be interested in meeting them when I was in Israel?

To be able to meet the company that cured me of breast cancer without pain, surgery, chemo, radiation or even a day in the hospital? You bet I would!

Once in Jerusalem, I connected with the company who had been awaiting my arrival and made arrangements for them to pick me up at the hotel and take me to their firm. We had to alter the original plans where we were going to meet, since the hotel where we were staying was in the Palestinian section and my new Jewish friends could not enter there.

So it was a 90 minute drive by one of the Ice Cure employees who came to pick me up and take me to Caesarea. While enjoying the magnificent area and history we were traveling through, we became friends,  and I got another glimpse into how friendly and nice the Israeli people are.

Once in Ceasaria at the Ice Cure office, I met the entire staff…most of them women in the 30s and 40s, all friendly, all anxious to meet an American, all so happy to hear how their invention had cured me.

I met the entire staff, toured their facility and watched a simulation of the procedure I had just two weeks before. We laughed, we chatted, we marveled at modern-day medicine, and the very wonderful Tlalit, one of the officers of the small but very intelligent firm, and others, then took me for dinner in a wonderful outdoor restaurant directly on the Mediterranean. After more talk, more opportunity to get to know each other, and more thanks from me, we took photos and a driver brought me back to my hotel .

Since then, several of the Ice Cure employees and myself have kept in touch via e-mail and Facebook, all happy we had made new friendships. And they cheered louder than anyone else every year when my annual checkups showed Ice Cure had done its job, I am free of cancer.

Tlalit and I continued our e-mails since that trip to Israel. I saw how her company grew, how trials in other countries of this wonderful cancer cure were advancing and being accepted.

I ventured into the stock market simply because I had the chance to own a little piece of this company that cured me of cancer so easily. It’s still a struggling company, but it’s an Israeli company. That means it’s loaded with intelligent medical men and scientists, it’s dedicated to Improving life, and it’s a company that even weighs heavily on a female staff to accomplish all it has done.

I’ve followed Tlalit as she has gone from country to country, the professional, yet warm and friendly woman who works so hard to share the magic Ice Cure offers.

While all of America is grieving over the brutal and savage attack on a the people of nation whose primary resource is the intelligence of its people, not the rich oil fields of its surrounding neighbors, my thoughts are with the few individuals I have met there, the warm, loving and hard working intelligent people who not only cured me of cancer but delighted in showing me how they do it.

I cannot fathom how these warm-hearted and life-loving people can comprehend mindless people who are not only bombing homes and hotels, but also kidnapping soldiers, grandmothers and babies.

Then I saw on Facebook the sorrowing pleas of another Israeli woman. She had a photo of her son on Facebook, and a tearful and emotional plea to help her find her son; he was among the missing. A handsome Israeli, somewhere perhaps in his 20s or early 30s, all of a sudden missing.

His mother is a friend of my friend Tlalit .  I could feel her grief.

So I wrote my friend Tlalit an e-mail to express my thoughts and prayers. She wrote back within hours. I was shocked. With all that her nation,  her city, her family is undergoing, this gracious lady took the time to respond. And with that stalwart Israeli brave spirit, she did not elaborate on the grief she was feeling; she did not mention what her friend was going through. She did not show her own pain.

She simply wrote

Dear Muriel,

thank you for your kind words of concern and encouragement.  Situation is terrible.

We are safe .

Praying for better days soon 🙏🏻

 

Best,

Tlalit

Please pray for my friends in Israel

Smith Stands With Israel

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Smith Stands for Israel
Israel Under Attack

“I stand in absolute solidarity with Israel—with the family and friends of innocent people mercilessly slaughtered and with the entire nation under threat,” said Congressman Chris Smith this morning in response to the Hamas attack on Israel in which hundreds of civilians were reported killed or injured.

“I call on President Biden to unequivocally condemn not only Hamas but its sponsor Iran—with actions as well as words,” Smith continued.

Smith said this means the President needs to make major changes in personnel and policy. It was just last month when the Administration unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds, and just last week we learned that the Administration is staffed by agents of an Iranian spy ring. Iran is praising Hamas’s monstrous crime,” Smith said in reiterating his support for the Israeli nation.

Smith said it was last week when he asked Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to revoke State Department grants to an organization in Gaza that openly supports terror.  Today, he added, “I have not received any answer.”

Leonardo High School Alumni Reunion

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Leonardo High School
Leonardo High School Alumni Reunion

It may be the 92nd anniversary of the Leonardo High School Alumni Reunion, but there were more than 120 high spirited, youthful acting, enthusiastic and fun-loving graduates throughout those years who gathered at the Shore Casino recently for their annual celebration. The oldest graduate present, a Middletown native, Mary Lepick Silow, graduated in 1945 and has only lived in three different homes in her life, never leaving her native town.

Mary Silow Class of ’45

Dick Winters, class of 1946, is the genial and well-organized chair of the Leonardo Alumni Annual event. He has been heading the committee for the last 17 annual luncheons, the last seven of which have been at the Shore Casino.

The reunions were started in 1930 by Alida Chanbelar, a lady who graduated from Leonardo in 1920. Ten years later, she decided to gather together a few of her high school friends for a lunch at her home and about 15 came. She continued to have the event every year and within ten years there were more 100 graduates gathering. The event had long since been moved to the Lincroft Inn, It was held at that historic restaurant for some 40 years with some 200 graduates attending as the word spread.

When Ms. Chanbelar stepped down as chair, her friend Jean Freibott Renrose took over and led the committee for another decade. Then she handed it over to her friend, Dick Lufburrow, a former Army officer graduate who served in World War II.  Lufburrow then had the event held at Gibbs Hall at Fort Monmouth and headed the committee until he was in his 90s. That’s when he passed the leadership on to his friend, Dick Winters.

That was 17 years ago. Dick, who is now 94, still heads the committee and has already made the initial preparations for next year’s event, to be held Sept. 27, 2024, the last Friday of September as always.   At this year’s event, Dick already secured promises from half a dozen attendees that they would serve on the annual committee.

Dick is a fascinating story in himself. Now widowed, he still lives in the same home he and his wife built on several acres in Lincroft 73 years ago. Now retired from a construction company where he worked his way up from driving a bulldozer to becoming the firm’s executive vice-president, the affable gentleman looks forward to each year’s luncheon event.

The stories, memories, reconnections and friendships at this year’s event at the Shore Casino were all an indication of how important the gathering is to each of those present. Winters said for him, it’s just a great time to see and enjoy old friends, and candidly noted “after all, at our ages, you never know if this is going to be the last one you attend. So why not just go and have a great time and enjoy great friendship?”

Many of the names gathered at the Shore Casino are well-known and highly respected Middletowners, folks who were born and raised there, many only ever living in one or two different houses in their lifetime, and always calling Middletown their home.

Former Chief Bob Letts and retired Lt. George Freibott at Leonardo High School alumni luncheon

Many are second, third and fourth generations of their families, or have generations after them settling here as well. Retired Police Chief Robert Letts is a regular at the gathering, as is retired Police Lt. George Freibott. Freibott’ s sister, Ruth Freibott MacDonald is also an annual attendee and could tell great stories this year of her years working at The Courier in Middletown, the weekly newspaper eagerly sought by many Middletown residents every Thursday.

Ruth also bragged about her six children and nine grandchildren and one great grandchild, all but one still living in Middletown, almost living close to her. “We’re all on the same street,” the genial lady graduate laughed, “it’s like a commune of MacDonalds.”

Ruth MacDonald and her daughter

Ms. Silow, who is a widow and has three children, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren, worked at Lily Tulipe for 20 years, then at Lucent Technology for 20 years and has always worked from her high school days on. “I did all the cleaning,” she laughed, “which isn’t very impressive, but it was necessary.” She conceded that the firms certainly appreciate her work and she knew she was playing a role in the business world.

Mrs. MacDonald and Winter were both from the class of 1946, the only two from their graduating class who attended this year’s event. There were graduates between 19465 and 1965, with the Class of 1950 having the most graduates present, with 15 alumni from the class of 1958.

Funding for the luncheon is always through ticket purchases, but that cost also includes the announcement mailings to all on the Alumni list, This year, the cost let the committee break even on the event, but it maintains a small bank account to cover additional casts.

There’s no doubt there’s scrupulous with the funds and generous as well. If  luncheon tickets were paid for, and for some reason the guest did not show up,  Winter simply asked the Shore Casino kitchen staff package the dinners so he and his committee could deliver them to Lunch Break.  “They’re very appreciative,” he said.

Winter is always seeking other Leonardo High School graduates who would be interested in serving on the committee or being included on the mailing list. He welcomes calls for further information to him at 732-747-0067.

Atlantic Highlands: Being Neighbors

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Neighbors
It’s all about being Neighbors

The Atlantic Highlands Planning Board is comprised of an awful lot of very smart, very involved, very dedicated members and neighbors who obviously do all their homework before attending a meeting and acting on applications. Whether it’s the right thing to do to put a homeowner through so much time, expense and inconvenience before he can add a garage or a second story to his house can be debated. But on the other hand, it’s refreshing to see members do have a heart as well.

Take this week for instance. Forget about the dozens of variances being requested by Kalian for 160 First Avenue, the second big mixed use tall structure for that part of the main entry into town. The owner’s experts are busy making changes and more changes, hopefully for the better, so the hearing on that building will not continue until the next meeting of the planners, set for 7 p.m. on November 2.

Hopefully, because Kalian still has more experts that have to testify, questions to be answered, and citizens to be heard, there isn’t anything else on the agenda except Kalian that night. Hopefully, also, the planners will tell the applicant that his experts have to rise to meet the same standards of the borough’s requirements for their own experts.

To say it’s OK to compare a study of three hours of traffic in February to the 16 hours at all times the law requires for borough experts is really kind of silly.  Let’s hope more will happen here.

But for the apparently well-beloved family seeking to put a second story on their house  so they have enough bedrooms and baths to give their growing kids some privacy and freedom to entertain their friends at home, there is a happy ending.

The applicant had his experts there to testify about the irregular-shaped piece of land high on the hill, the reason why he’d rather build out rather than spread out over more land. He said he also wanted a swimming pool, not uncommon in the neighborhood, and would convert the single downstairs bedroom to an office so the house will still have three bedrooms, albeit larger, better designed and on the top floor.

Then came the question of topography, upsetting the soil, the type of soil it is, the amount of land the pool would cover. The list went on.  Forget about the fact that there’s a huge high rise in the next town right smack at the top of the hill where this house is and it’s been fine for the more than half century it’s sat there.

Forget about the fact the planners have already approved one, and might be on the verge of approving a second, great big apartment and business complex that covers lots of good healthy soil with concrete. Forget about the fact all that digging going on in healthy sand at the other side of town is causing oil slicks in the soil and river.  Forget about the fact houses will be built on that soiled soil. But this family, for a family-size swimming pool, now has to get test borings and maybe more, to be sure everything’s OK.

So the neighbors came out or sat on zoom to give their views. They weren’t formal, they didn’t have maps and papers and degrees in anything. They just knew that “Kerry and Paul” were their neighbors, their friends, their kids were great. They wanted to tell the planners they were all for Kerry and Paul, they liked the idea, and a bigger house and a swimming pool wouldn’t bother them at all. Inf fact, at least one of them said, their plans will make the area even better.

That’s when Planning Board member Joe Caccamo spoke up. Always attentive, but generally quiet unless he’s got a strong opinion about something, Caccamo listened to everybody, the experts, the applicants, the neighbors. He had obviously read all the plans. Finally he said what everybody was thinking. “They’re land-locked! They’re not looking for a beach, or a swim club.” They’re raising a family in a town they like. Let them raise their family. Let them enjoy Atlantic Highlands.” Concerning all the questions about the slope in the area, the commissioner pointed out “half the town is built on a slope,” shaking his head as if to say it was all much ado about nothing.

In the end, the majority of planning board members voted to approve the application once those soil borings show there’s no great disturbance, something the family’s architect and attorney were certain would happen.

The resolution will most likely be finalized at the November 2 meeting. So the Commissioners adjourned, gathered their papers and prepared to go home.

“Kerry and Paul” stood and smiled happily. Their neighbors and professionals gathered around them, congratulating them and themselves for being the kind of neighbors that everyone should have. They talked of gathering together right away to celebrate what was probably a fairly traumatic evening for folks not used to attending planning board meetings.

So that’s it!  It was an experience to watch. But it’s true.

It’s the people of Atlantic Highlands, the neighbors, the friends, and yes, even those hard working volunteers sincerely working  for what they think is best for the whole town, that keeps Atlantic Highlands the great place it is to live.

Buttonwood at Shrewsbury

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Buttonwood at Shrewsbury
The photo of Buttonwood was a gift to Tim and Betsy Shaheen who graciously opened their Buttonwood home and grounds to the Shrewsbury Historical Society for its 50th Autumn Harvest party It was taken by Shrewsbury Historical Society trustee emeritus Penny Ticehurst.
Buttonwood at Shrewsbury

It’s true that Shrewsbury is a community steeped in history. But it’s also a community that in its history has been way ahead of its time… Like Buttonwood at Shrewsbury

The first housing development built here in 1926

Buttonwood at Shrewsbury, located off Sycamore Avenue, was designed with all building lots developed around a single oval street. Each site is either 75 or 90 feet with frontage on the road, except for a few irregular lots with a rear width of 200 feet. Some property owners bought two lots, giving them a total frontage of 150 feet.

A local newspaper reported in 1926 that one 75 X 155-foot lot sold for $3,000. Mr. C. Baquet, Jr. purchased it for a Dutch colonial design home he built for an estimated cost of between $13,000 and $15,000.

G.H Nevins was the operator of the development, according to an advertisement for sale of the lots. He sold them with a number of restrictions that were also enticements for purchasers. The ad read “No through traffic, protection for your children and quiet for yourself.  Private parks and playgrounds are nearly three acres in extent.  Gas, water, electricity, curbs and sidewalks, a shallow brook, gentle grades, beautiful view, masses of flowering shrubs and the “feeling” that develops by living in a place of historic associations.”

Nevins also pointed out that “your home will not be upon a road bearing through traffic, with its rumbling trucks and constant danger to your little ones.”

“Buttonwood at Shrewsbury” is developed to meet the desire for moderate sized building sites, at the same time to preserve all the history, all the charm and dignity and all the historic significance that surrounds “old Shrewsbury”, Mr. Nevins continued”

The first view of the development is from Sycamore Avenue where the two brick gateposts were intended to give the appearance that Buttonwood was a single estate.

But there was also a dark side to this early development in a time when values were different, the nation had come out of a world war, Trudy Ederle had just completed her successful swim from France to England, A.A. Milne published Winnie the Pooh and Probation was creating speakeasies, high speed boats, Coast Guard chases and suddenly wealthy clammers and lobstermen.

In Shrewsbury, the idea of living in an elegant housing development that offered peace and privacy also brought the need to sign a document by owners to promise to obey restrictions. The signed papers included a restriction that no owner, user or occupier of the premises could be of the“Negro race” unless they were servants  employed by owners of property.

It was not a restriction that lasted long, and it wasn’t too many years later that Buttonwood could claim to be the residence of Ace Godwin, a Tuskegee Airman. He and his family became an integral part of the Buttonwood community.

Frank A. Quackenbush designed and built most of the Tudor Revival architecture, particularly known for its stucco cladding, decorative half-timbering, steep pitched, long sloping, steep- roof lines and small, square windowpanes.

Once Buttonwood at Shrewsbury was established, there were other tracks that followed suit, including the Grover H. Lufborow farm, the Kodama estate, the Broderson estate and eventually Curleyville, Paddington Farms, Heritage Greens, Thornbooke and more.

But Buttonwood will always stand out as the first to create a planned community, an area that promised peace, quiet, security, and an aura of happiness.

A century later, with the gracious trees still flourishing in natural beauty and providing shade from a hot burning sun, enhanced quality to lush green lands and luxurious homes perfectly maintained and retaining their 20th century beauty, Buttonwood at Shrewsbury is part of Shrewsbury history, an area like none other, and filled with gracious, friendly families of all ages eager to preserve the history and culture of an earlier century while enhancing the beauty of the 21st century.

Buttonwood at Shrewsbury
The photo of Buttonwood was a gift to Tim and Betsy Shaheen who graciously opened their Buttonwood home and grounds to the Shrewsbury Historical Society for its 50th Autumn Harvest party It was taken by Shrewsbury Historical Society trustee emeritus Penny Ticehurst.

Another story on Shrewsbury HERE

Highlands Flooding Issues

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Speak Up
Addressing Highlands Flooding Issues

Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon and Borough Administrator Michael Muscillo  filed reports to keep the public informed of the significant progress in its mission to address longstanding Highlands flooding issues through the Highlands & Monmouth Hills Flood Mitigation and Green Infrastructure Project.

“This represents a pivotal step forward in enhancing resilience and safety for residents and businesses and has recently been awarded with multi-million-dollar grant funding,” Broullon said in a press release issued by the borough of Highlands.

“Learning from the past, painstakingly accruing documentation, cooperating with a neighboring community, and maintaining a fierce determination to solve a 127-year-old problem has finally led to success. Since 1896, when the first home was built in Monmouth Hills, the Borough of Highlands has been negatively affected by stormwater runoff issues,” Broullon continued.

The Highlands & Monmouth Hills Flood Mitigation and Green Infrastructure Project is a strategic initiative aimed at tackling recurring flooding problems that impact NJ Route 36, an emergency evacuation route, and the Borough’s downtown Bay Ave area serving the local community.

The project focuses on implementing innovative stormwater management solutions and green infrastructure to bolster the community’s ability to withstand and recover from extreme weather events. By strengthening evacuation routes and mitigating flooding challenges, Highlands aims to safeguard not only its own population but also neighboring towns, explained Muscillo..

Numerous Grant applications have been submitted to various State and Federal programs to support this endeavor. In a letter received by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) last month, FEMA notified the state office that the Highlands & Monmouth Hills Flood Mitigation and Green Infrastructure Project has been identified for further review under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Fiscal Year 2022 Grant Program. That is an indication that the $12,193,960 grant requested is probable following potential requests for information by FEMA, Muscillo said..

“Over the past three years, Highlands and Monmouth Hills have worked collaboratively with the team at Colliers Engineering & Design to successfully be awarded the FEMA BRIC grant combining flood mitigation and green infrastructure,” added Broullon, expressing her gratitude. “This grant, which totals over $12 million dollars, is the largest award Highlands has ever been given.”

“We are very grateful to NJOEM and FEMA for their award contribution helping to protect the residents and communities of Highlands and Monmouth Hills,” said Ted Wilkinson, PE, CME, the project’s manager from Colliers Engineering & Design. “We look forward to working alongside our partners in creating a safer, flood-resistant environment with sustainable, green designs.”

The Borough  remains committed to addressing the Highlands Flooding challenges head-on and will continue to work tirelessly to secure the necessary funding to make the Highlands & Monmouth Hills Flood Mitigation and Green Infrastructure Project a reality.

1 Short on Rent Leveling Board

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Kalian
Rent Leveling Board

The Rent Leveling Board of Atlantic Highlands will make a strong recommendation that rent control be reinstated in the borough after a three hour long, search and study intensive session at Borough Hall yesterday afternoon.

Action was taken by the four member Board although it still falls short of being an official board, lacking a reorganization meeting, or an appointed or elected secretary to take minutes of the meeting.

Through no fault of their own, the four members, all present for the mind and idea-sharing session, are on a Rent Control Board whose establishing ordinance, adopted in 2016, mandates “the board SHALL consist of five members…” Apparently, a fifth member has never been named by the current governing body, a recommendation the four members are making to council immediately.

Since Wednesday’s meeting was the first meeting of the four named persons, they considered it an organization meeting and James Krauss conducted the meeting and took the notes to compile minutes, all with the support and recommendation of the three members present with him, Brenda Hotchkiss, Laura Hesse and Tara Shah.

The board met in special session to review the current Rent Leveling Board ordinance and recommended changes to the governing body.

Chief among the changes, all agreed on unanimously, is a return of a rent control code for all residential property leasers with three or more units in a mixed use property or five or more units for rent in a non-mixed use property. Currently, there is no rent control for buildings opened for rentals after June 30, 2016.

Hesse, who is a landlord filling the ordinance requirement that one board member must be a landlord of a multiple dwelling unit and live in the borough, was strongly in favor of rent control for property owners like herself, saying simply “My family has been in this borough for generations, I want what is best for the residents of the borough. I work hard to be a fair landlord and do not believe in gouging any tenant or overcharging anyone.”

Both Hotchkiss and Shah are tenants, both in residences within multiple units, and Krauss is a property owner in the borough.

Once all the information gathered at the meeting for this and other recommendations of the board is compiled, the board will hold another meeting November  2 at 4p.m. to review the compilation and make the recommendation to the governing body.

Conceivably, the current governing body would not have sufficient time to review and act on the recommendations before their term expires December 31. In all likelihood, the new council would review the recommendations of the board and refer their approved version to either the borough or a special attorney to write an ordinance.

That proposed ordinance would then be introduced at a Council meeting in early 2024, and a public hearing would be held before it becomes final. Krauss estimated the matter would most likely not be introduced until February or March of next year under the new Mayor and Council.

Taking the current ordinance apart line by line, the hard working members of the Rent Leveling Board traced its history and amendments to prior ordinances it supersedes dating to 1996. Members also introduced themselves to residents present at the afternoon meeting and gave brief resumes of their backgrounds that qualify them for membership on the board.

 

Among recommendations the  Rent Leveling Board is making to the present code, are the inclusion of the rule that all board members be borough residents,  that the next member appointed to complete the five member mandate shall be a property owner not a tenant or landlord,  and that the current rent control code affect owners with five or more apartments in a residential building and three or more apartments in a mixed use building, regardless of the number of businesses in the commercial portion of the property.

The Rent Leveling Board agreed to delve deeper and provide more research before making any recommendations on a three per cent ceiling on rent increases and agreed to continue the law that prohibits any rent increase while violations are reported and not corrected.   Members also agreed with the current regulations on two-year leases and the landlord’s right to increase the rent the second year of the lease.

Autumn Harvest Party: Historical Society

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Buttonwood at Shrewsbury
The photo of Buttonwood was a gift to Tim and Betsy Shaheen who graciously opened their Buttonwood home and grounds to the Shrewsbury Historical Society for its 50th Autumn Harvest party It was taken by Shrewsbury Historical Society trustee emeritus Penny Ticehurst.
  Autumn Harvest Party

More than 110 members and friends of the Shrewsbury Historical Society were present for a gala Autumn Harvest Party at the home of Betsy Schmalz Shaheen and Tim Shaheen this week, learning more about the unique history of the Buttonwood Estate  as well as raising funds for maintenance and operating costs for the Society and its museum in the municipal complex on Sycamore Avenue.

Society President Donald Burden and his wife Mary Lea welcomed all to the event, and thanks the Shaheens for their gracious hosting of one of the most popular annual events in the borough. The hosts greeted guests on their spacious lawns and gardens surrounding their home as well as in their gracious dining and living areas within.

The Autumn Harvest Party was started in 1973 and held every year since then with the exception of one year during the Covid epidemic and a second year in deference to the death of the founder of the Historical Society, J. Louise Jost.

Since its inception half a century ago, Burden, who has been involved with the Society and all its events since 1984, said every year the Autumn Harvest Party becomes more popular and attracts a larger more diverse group of residents and friends.

“There are many new young couples moving into the borough,” the president said, “and they are interested in being introduced to the significant history of historic Shrewsbury. It is wonderful to see the interest being shown by all generations and the enthusiasm for not only learning more about the borough’s history but their desire to pass it on to their children as well.”

The Autumn Harvest Party event is the largest fund-raising event the Society holds each year and is important since it does not receive any funding from the borough, operating as a separate and independent entity that relies solely on membership dues and events.

The Society is known throughout Monmouth County and beyond for the number of outstanding events and displays it offers at the museum. Because of the excellence and unique characteristics of the displays, many are often displayed in an abbreviated fashion at the Monmouth County Eastern Branch library located in the borough.

Currently, society members are working on the next presentation, an antique sewing machine exhibit. Its most recent displays, both the exhibit of antique chairs for all ages, uses, and needs, from rocking horses and highchairs to formal living room seating, and the wedding gown fashion center which featured styles and gowns from two centuries, many of which were donated by society members and friends, both met with great acclaim.

The museum has undergone extensive renovations in recent months, including new display areas and the installation of new carpeting and flooring throughout the several rooms in the two-story facility. The Society has also expanded ADA bathroom facilities and upgraded lighting offering increased access to a wider audience.

“The long-standing cooperative union with the Shrewsbury Borough School and the historic sites of Shrewsbury’s Historical Four Corners, makes for a unique combination to highlight the historic significance of Shrewsbury,” Borden said.  “Many small groups are now using the facility for meetings and programs.”

The president also noted that as Shrewsbury heads into its 100th anniversary as a borough, which will be celebrated in 2026 along with the 250 anniversary of our nation’s founding, the Shrewsbury Historical Society is targeted to be a welcoming venue to share in joint celebrations

For the winter season, the museum is open by appointment only and society members are eager to make presentations. Appointments and further information are both available by calling 732-530-7974 or e-mailing Shrewswburyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com

Shrewsbury Historical Society Past EVENT

USS New Jersey Coin Design Contest

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Design Contest
USS New Jersey SSN 796 Design Contest

The NEW JERSEY Commissioning Committee is organizing a Challenge Coin Design Contest for high school and middle school students in New Jersey.

Each County will select one first place and one second place winner of the design contest and the Commission will select an overall winner of the design to be used on the back side of the souvenir coin which will be available for sale at the commissioning ceremony

The state’s third ship named in its honor, a Submarine, will be commissioned at NWS Earle on April 6. 2024.

The Challenge Coin Design Contest deadline is October 31, 2023. Winners will be selected In November and the first-place design selected and announced December 15. The top prize is a $1000 scholarship and a ticket to the commissioning ceremony at NEW Earle’s waterfront in Leonardo.

Entries will be judged on clarity, creativity, relationship to New Jersey’s military role in history and quality. Design must be able to fit within a two-inch diameter coin and entries are limited to one per person or group of up to three.

A full explanation of the contest and what is required for submission is included in the video which can be accessed at. –

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFoiQXejik/Gq_EOet6OlI57IXkPNmSrQ/view?utm_content=DAFoiQXejik&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=recording_view

Burry’s Honor

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Burry’s Honor

Monmouth County Commissioner Lillian G. Burry was honored by the DAR Middletown Chapter at the annual Veterans Appreciation luncheon held Monday at the Holmdel Senior/Community Center on Crawfords Corner Rd.

Regent Michele Donnelly made the presentation of the Women in American History Award honoring Burry after Event Chair Terre Higgins-Daniele read pages of accomplishments the Commissioner has made since her first public service in Matawan more than half a century ago. The list included Burry’s time on both the Matawan and Colts Neck governing bodies as well as the County Commissioner post she holds now.

The Commissioner recently suffered an injury at home and was hospitalized and unable to attend. She requested a friend, Muriel J. Smith, a local author and journalist, and Commander Tracie Smith-Yeoman, US Navy (Retired), Senior Naval Science Instructor of the NJROTC program at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology, to accept the award on her behalf.

In accepting the award, Smith reiterated Burry’s thanks for the honor, noting the Commissioner had said she was accepting it on behalf of every veteran who has given so much for the continued security and freedom of the United States.  She expressed the Commissioner’s thanks for the honor and her apology for not being able to be present to accept the honor.

Commander Smith-Yeoman, who has been a friend of the Commissioner since childhood, praised the Commissioner’s enthusiastic support of the Monmouth County Vocational Schools, noting how MAST is regarded among the top schools not only in New Jersey, but throughout the nation. The officer also cited the number of NJROTC scholarships and federal service academy appointments MAST students have received throughout the years.

She praised Commissioner Burry’s work with both the Fort Hancock Committee at the National Park at Sandy Hook and Monmouth County in having one of the historic Fort Hancock buildings restored to safely house the more than one million dollars in uniforms and equipment for NJROTC cadets at MAST.

Commander Smith-Yeoman also cited Burry’s ongoing activity to have work proceed on a former barracks to provide classrooms, bathrooms with showers and a facility for cadets to conduct indoor drills in addition to their outdoor location at Pershing Field adjacent to the MAST buildings. Bids for completion of construction of that building have been delayed due to COVID and other reasons.

Throughout the afternoon, DAR members and speakers thanked and praised all veterans for their service to the nation, and presented special awards to Vietnam veterans, noting they as a group have never been respected and honored as they deserve. There were standing ovations not only for the veterans themselves, but for their widows or widowers who received special lapel pins for their spouse’s service.

In a special Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home ceremony, Vice-Regent Serena Schreiber, who was also chair of the Commemoration committee, noted honors are due each of the seven million veterans who served between 1965 and May 15, 1975, and explained the significance of the lapel pin presented to each veteran present as well as surviving spouses. The lapel pin also recalls the five Allies who served in the war with the United States.

The MAST Color Guard presented our nation’s flag during the opening ceremony, with Aditi Rao of Holmdel High School singing the National Anthem and Mayor D.J. Lucarelli of Holmdel welcoming the crowd and expressing his own thanks for the veterans of all wars.

Principal Speaker for the program was Mike Ferraro who started and runs Bridging the Gap, Inc., an organization started eight years ago to aid veterans in every way possible. Some of his programs have included financing companion dogs for veterans in need, operating a retail store and program to enable veterans to dress and present themselves in their best light for job interviews and programs, and scholarships for veterans who attend the Police Academy. Ferraro also serves as a liaison between Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden and veterans and conducts proper disposal programs for American flags at the Monmouth County Fire Academy.

A complete story on Ferraro’s work to assist veterans and how veterans can seek help will appear in VeniVidiScripto next week.

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