Highlands representative Diane Knox was elected president of the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education at its reorganization meeting Monday night, defeating incumbent president Richard Coangelo. Atlantic Highlands representative Claire Kozic was elected vice-president, over Sue Thomas.
Colangelo, who served as the first president of the newly formed Board of Education for the K-12 school district, abstained from voting for the position for which he was nominated.
Board administrator Janet Sherlock also announced that board member Cory Wingerter of Atlantic highlands has resigned his seat since he has moved out of town.
Newly elected board member Alison Burel, high vote getter in the Highlands election for a three year term, was unable to attend the meeting because of a family commitment.
Ms. Knox said she has no plans for changing anything as board president and is hopeful of continuing to uphold the standards and business as it has been conducted in the past. She and all board members thanked Colangelo for his service as board president. He continues as a board member through the end of his term, which expires in 2029.
The board now invites all interested Atlantic Highlands residents interested in filling Wingerter’s board seat to submit letters of interest to the board administrator. Should there be more than one applicant, the board will interview all candidates for the Atlantic Highlands seat at a public board meeting. The board will then select one candidate to fill a term until the November election. At that time, the voters from Atlantic Highlands will then vote on a candidate for the one year which would be remaining on Wingerter’s term.
The Board also observed a moment of silence honoring two former teachers at Henry Hudson who died within the past month, Vincent Whitehead and Peter Lardieri. Both were beloved coaches for a variety of teams at Henry Hudson as well as educators during their many years on the school staff.
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Tickets are available now for the Italian Night and Gift Auction sponsored by the Rev. Joseph J. Donnelly Council 11660 of the Knights of Columbus for Saturday, January 31 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Gym.
The event, a popular annual even sponsored by the Knights, is only $30 per person, including dinner and a package of tickets for the gift auction or $5 less without the tickets package.
The evening includes a full Italian dinner including spaghetti, meatballs, sausage, eggplant rollatini, cheesy garlic bread, biscotti and cannoli, tiramisu, Caesar Salad and soft beverages. Guests are invited to bring their own other libations. All attendees also receive a prize ticket for a gala door prize.
The event begins at 5:30 with dinner served beginning at 6 p.m..
Parents are invited to bring children 12 years and younger for $15 and infants under 3 are always free.
Sponsorships beginning at $50 are also offered for businesses who want to support the Knights and all their activities in the Bayshore.
For further information, call 607-725-3010, or email stevebagnetto81@yahoo.com. Checks for reservations can be mailed to the Knights at 127 Elmwood Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716.
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John McGoldrick was unanimously re-elected chairman of the Atlantic Highlands Planning Board at its reorganization last week, with little changes in all appointments over the previous year.
Corry Herrala was sworn in as a new mayor’s appointment to the board. Anis Ardolino, the second mayor’s appointment to the board this year, was unable to attend this meeting
In addition to McGoldrick, Thomas Josko was reappointed vice chairman of the board, and all Mayor’s appointments to the board are reappointments: Martiin Hawley as a Class II appointed, Councilman Brian Dougherty, Class III, Josko and Lynette DePasca, Class IV, and Michele Walter, Michel Bearmore, Herrala and Ardolino alternates to the board.
Michael Steib was a reappointed board attorney and Douglas Rohmeyer board engineer. Rene Frotton is continued as Board secretary and meeting nights will continue to be the first Thursday of every month until the January 7 reorganization in 2027.
During the regular meeting, which immediately followed the reorganization, the planning board unanimously approved the resolution to dismiss the use and bulk variance requested and submitted by the Winnerling and Moody family for 99 Center Avenue The addition of a second story deck on the garage on the property has been the subject of discussion at several meetings until the applicant requested the current application be dismissed.
The planners adopted resolutions approving the variances at 124 Wesley Avenue and 56 South Avenue, after both had been approved after hearings at earlier meetings.
Planners agreed to carry the bulk variance and subdivision application for property at 22 Prospect Circle until the February 5 meeting. Steib noted the application is being carried until February rather than the March or April date requested by the applicant, and no further notice will be given for the February 5 continuance.
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Santa Ryan was four years old; his brother Trevor was 3 and twins Caitlin and Carter were one year old infants when their dad Jay was transferred from Michigan to NWS Earle in Colts Neck where he was OIC at the Naval base medical center.
With the help of their mom, Tracy, the kids all wrote letters and drew photos for Santa Claus, then excitedly placed them in the special mail box at the MWR Building at Earle. Surely, Santa Claus would answer their letters, they thought excitedly.
And just as excitedly, Santa answered each letter, as he did for the hundreds of other youngsters at Earle.
And the next year it was the same. Mom helped with more letters and drawings, mailed them in Santa’ s Mail Box on base , and Santa answered. The same thing happened their third year at Earle. Their dad was promoted to Lieutenant Commander, the kids grew and Tracy remained the loving and hard-working mom she always was.
But that was the year Lieutenant Commander Jay Woelkers received word he was being transferred to Corpus Christi, Texas . Will Santa know they were moving, the kids asked their mom? Would he still write us letters and see our letters to him?
Of course he will, Tracy assured her kids, then 7, 6 and four. Santa will never stop writing.
And he never did. Just to be certain of that, Tracy continued to send her children’s letters to Santa each year, only now by e-mail from wherever the family was stationed with the Navy. And just as regularly, The Woelkers always received letters back from Santa by e-mail, with Tracy printing them out and continuing the Christmas Eve letter reading tradition.
Until this year, 22 years later, This was the year Tracy Woelkers decided to let her grown children know where those 22 years of letters had been coming from.
It wasn’t an easy decision. After all, writing the letters, getting the answers, were only the first parts of what had grown into a Woelkers family tradition. The proud mama had saved every one of the Santa letters, had even cajoled the folks at MWR each year to give her back the letters her children wrote during their years there. And every year, since 2002, in the Woelkers’ home, reading all the letters, seeing all the art work and enjoying all the excitement of Christmas became a Woelkers Family Christmas Eve event.
So Tracy, to assure herself she was not breaking, simply modifying a two-decade old family tradition, turned to the letter writer once again for help. Should we tell them, she asked? And how should we do it?
The letter writer agreed. After all, she had heard all the stories of Christmas Eve excitement, as well as the stories during the kids’ teen age years when they may have grumbled a bit about hearing ALL the letters before turning to other family traditions. She knew their dad had been promoted from Lieutenant Commander to Commander to Captain and was now retired from the Walter Reed Medical Center. She knew two of the kids had also served in the military and Tracy herself had come through some very difficult surgery and recuperation. Certainly, kids who were awed at 4,3 and 1 year old could handle the news of who actually wrote all the Santa letters to them. now that they are now 26, 25 and 24.
So in addition to this year’s letters, the Earle Santa wrote a poem and gave the young adults a final option on whether to get the news. She wrote
So now perhaps is the time to let you in on the know.
If you don’t want to hear the whole story, then don’t read below.
The poem continued for those who continued to read. The author wrote
But you are all adults now, and deserve to know the whole truth for good cause.
Here it is. In actuality, Woelkers family, there is no Santa Claus.
It’s just love in your heart, warmth in the love that you share
There’s happiness in tradition, and memories quite rare.
The news was out! Tracey practiced reading the letter herself, so moved was she by the joint decision to modify a family tradition.
The kids took it in stride Christmas Eve, 2025. They laughed, they joked, they asked, “what are we going to do next year?” and they easily put away some happy memories of more than 22 years.
But that wasn’t enough for Tracy. She had to visit that letter and poem writer and tell her once again, and in person, how much she appreciated the past 22 years of letters.
That is how Tracy Woelkers and I got together this week and spent hours looking over letters, drawings, sharing stories, and catching up on two decades of happy and sad events in both our lives since those early days at Earle.
Tracy drove up from their family’s home in Maryland this week to share the end of a tradition with the journalist of VeniVidiScripto and to let me know once again how important this tradition had been to the Woelkers family.
We shared the entire afternoon and early evening reliving all the joys, the family, the good times at Earle in the early 2000s. We remembered and appreciated LeAnn and Steve Steurer, he who had been the XO at the base during that time; we loved swapping stories about the Hansen Marines and that family’s mom Teresa who had her own way of handling the same tradition. Her children also wrote letters throughout all the last two decades; they wrote the letters themselves, adding their spouses, children and special friends as the family grew each year. And Santa answered every one of the letters every year. Now Teresa, who lives on Long Island, Tracy and I are planning for a reunion within a couple of months. When Steve Steuer heard about the rendezvous, he wanted to add his own voice to the wonderful stories of NWS Earle and the families who lived there in 2003. His Leann died a couple of years ago, but the love and happiness she shared at Earle are remembered just as fondly today.
As for the traditions: Of course they will continue, both with the Hansens and the Woelkers. Because that poem that identified the letter writer also directed
So now here’s the choice. Let me know if you want to keep up the tradition
I’m happy to do so, though I’ll add one condition
Remember the love and devotion both of your parents have for each of you
And think of traditions you can carry on to keep them happy, too.
May this Christmas be the best you have ever had to this date
And may next year’s be even happier, and just a little more great
Know you’ve brought me so much joy in keeping up with your goings on each year
Merry Christmas to each of you, with lots of love and good cheer.
As for the letter writing Santa? There is no describing the amount of joy I have gotten from being able to make so many people who do so much for our country so happy. There is nothing that can characterize how special it is that I am a part of a NWS Earle Naval family that 22 years ago included so many very special, wonderful and young couples and families dedicated to serving a nation. To have been part of that family’s tradition … I could never forget and will always hold dear.
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Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon took her oath of office to a third five-year term as Monmouth County Clerk at the County Organization Day ceremony this week.
Nest week, the Monmouth County Clerk will also be sworn in as the chair of the New Jersey Republican Party with a goal of strengthening the GOP party in the Garden State.
“I am honored and humbled to be afforded the opportunity to continue to serve the residents of Monmouth County,” said Hanlon at her swearing in as Monmouth County Clerk. “I look forward to continuing to deliver top-tier services and expanding programs that help make our great County the best place to live, work and play.”
The clerk was sworn in by Monmouth Vicinage Assignment Judge Marc C. Lemieux and also participated in another ceremony officially certifying the elections of Sheriff Shaun Golden, Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone and Commissioner Dominick “Nick” DiRocco, who also took their oaths of office.
Hanlon has gained a reputation for her ambitious leadership in office, working to modernize the Clerk’s Office, implementing new initiatives, and expanding the services of the office. Some of her recent achievements and accomplishments for the office include the “Honoring Our Heroes” discount program for veterans and Gold Star Family members, the Mobile County Connection, which brings government services directly to communities, and the free Property Fraud Alert program for Monmouth County homeowners.
She also created the Monmouth County Votes website and free mobile app to ensure County residents have access to the most up-to-date and important election information; she also spearheaded the implementation of the state’s only enhanced ballot-tracking system for vote-by-mail voters.
Clerk Hanlon holds a Juris Doctorate from Fordham University and is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University. Prior to being elected as County Clerk, she served as Commissioner on the Board of Elections and practiced law for more than 20 years, focusing most recently on government affairs and municipal law.
In her office as county clerk, Hanlon oversees five divisions handling property recordings, elections, archives, passports and records management. The Office also provides resident, veteran and Gold Star Family identification cards to eligible county residents, administers oaths to notaries and public officials and performs wedding ceremonies.
Taking on the responsibility of the state Republican Party for the first time, Hanlon’s aims include reviving a party that lost the gubernatorial election in November as well as several Assembly seats, granting Democrats their largest majority in decades in the state.
Hanlon secured the state party chairmanship over three other candidates for the office, Rosemary Becchi, former Bogota Mayor and conservative activist Steve Lonegan, and activist Michael Currie. She received 26 votes while Becchi who received 15, placed second.
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A funeral mass will be held Monday, January 12 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Highlands, for Frank Teeple, former teacher at Henry Hudson Regional School and long-time beloved member of the Highlands community. He was 85.
Born in Carbondale, PA, Frank became a history teacher at Henry Hudson Regional High School in 1962 where he met his wife, Judy, the former Judy Lamunyon.
After teaching at Henry Hudson for many years Frank then became a guidance counselor at Red Bank Regional High School where he worked until his retirement in 2002.
Involved not only in the school and education, Frank was also involved in his church and community. He was a member and former Grand Knight of the Rev. Joseph Donnelly Council 1660 of the Knights of Columbus, a former member of the Henry Hudson Regional School Board of Education, and a Eucharistic minister at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. He and his wife Judy raised their family and lived in Highlands since 1966. He was also a member of the 4th Degree, Knights of Columbus Bishop McFaul Assembly and the Past Grand Knight Council 3187 in Red Bank.
Frank was preceded in death by his wife, Judy, who died in 2017, his parents Michael and Thresia Teeple and brothers and sisters: Joseph, Margaret, Mary, John, Michael and James Teeple and Elizabeth McAndrew. He is survived by his children: Terry Weaver and son-in-law Kevin, Susan Helm and son-in-law Timothy, Andrew Teeple and daughter-in-law Angela, and Amy Teeple and daughter-in-law Anna, as well as nine loving grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends are invited to call at the Posten-McGinley Funeral Home, 59 E Lincoln Avenue Atlantic Highlands, Sunday, January 11, from 2pm to 5pm. Following the mass at OLPH on Monday, internment will be in Bay View Cemetery, Leonardo.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of Frank to the Rev. Joseph Donnelly Council Knights of Columbus at103 Center Avenue, Atlantic Highlands. NJ 07716.
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Thomas Wall was unanimously elected Chairman of the Atlantic Highlands Harbor Commission for another year, with Michael Curry also being unanimously re-elected vice chairman at the reorganization meeting of the Commission this week.
Councilman Brian Gorsegner also was welcomed as the new council representative to the Harbor Commission, joining Councilwoman Alyson Forbes who had been sworn in for her third term at the borough’s reorganization meeting. Gorsegner replaces Councilman Vito Colasurdo whose term expired this month.
Richard Janow was continued as the chief financial officer and William McGuinne as commission attorney. Colliers was continued as engineer along with a pool of four other engineering firms and five banks were named as official depositories. Jessican McLain continues as the commission’s treasurer, secretary and client services representative.
Gorsegner said he is happy to be a council representative to the harbor and has visited both the harbor and familiarized himself with its activities, leases, and essentials in keeping the harbor running successfully.
The commission will continue to meet on the first Tuesday of every month at borough hall at 7 p.m.
In their reports, Commissioner Jim Krauss reported the here will be a second RFP posted for lease of the former Shore Casino at the Harbor, since the Commission rejected the lone bid submitted last month. He noted prospective leases do not have to limit their expertise, experience or plans for the former Casino into a catering facility and noted the Commission is open to new ideas and innovations in its commitment to its fiduciary obligations for taxpayers. The new RFP is anticipated to be announced following next week’s meeting of the Mayor and Council.
While Curry announced income is down by 5 percent because of fuel income being down as well as leases rentals, which are down 18 per cent, expenses are also down by 9 per cent he said, leaving the harbor in a good position. The new budget is currently being prepared, he said, and should be ready for approval by mid-April.
Krause also noted the lease with the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club expired in December; however, it is continued on a month to month basis until the new lease can be agreed upon a signed by both parties.
McQuinn reported he is hopeful the Kappa litigation will be settled before the next court date February 17 and noted Kappa is paying for all the repairs necessary through a third party.
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Congratulations to the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education on its reorganization this week and its enthusiasm for continuing to represent taxpayers in both municipalities in providing education for the pre-K through 12 student population.
Board member Rebecca Wells said it right when she noted that while the board president elected for the upcoming year is from Highlands, it’s a sign of members from both towns working well together with the election of Atlantic Highlands resident Kim Kozic being elected vice-president. With regionalization with Sea Bright still a question to be decided by voters, it’s great to see this body working together to get things done. Congrats also to Rich Colangelo for his term; it couldn’t have been easy to be the first president of a brand new board and to set direction for its future.
Congrats also to the board administrator for anticipating questions and finding right responses. It seems when a board member nominates someone for an office, it isn’t necessary to have a second to the motion; at the meeting, candidates were nominated for both offices but with and without a second, and the administrator said her research showed either way was proper.
And Atlantic Highlands resident Mark Fisher was at it again, this time protecting safety for property and personnel as the dedicated firefighter he is. He got assurance when asking whether regulations prohibiting parking in fire zones would be enforced this year. It was attendees at a meeting last year that noted that a vehicle which apparently belonged to a paid contractor was parked in a fire zone; at this meeting, Fisher noted there were several vehicles that were parked illegally and given the few persons in attendance at the meeting, it appeared the violations were either by employees, contractors, or at least folks arriving very early for the meeting.
But on the good news side, I Join that with the mayors of Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright getting together over lunch or whatever, and seemingly working well together to come up with the pay schedule each town will pay to continue the education in the district. It’s hard to see how Highlands and Atlantic Highlands taxpayers can continue to pay the millions of dollars for education of such a relatively small group of students without the help of another borough. Sea Bright’s millions coming in could well help keep the school district very similar to what it is now; looking at Middletown’s problems and soaring taxes for education in their schools and the need to either tear down or pay millions to renovate old schools, especially one so close to both the bay shore towns in Navesink, and looking at how new state law is calling for larger regional districts, it’s looking more and more like this charming regional district could well be swallowed up as Middletown East if this board and towns don’t take action and let the people decide.
Not so pleasant, and certainly apparently not aware of the Bill of Rights of the United States, was the stand-in at the Henry Hudson organization meeting for its regular attorney, Metuchen Mayor Jonathan Busch.
After the meeting was ended, when a journalist went up to the newly elected board president, and after congratulating her, asked what she is thinking about regionalization, the representative, presuming she is an attorney, quickly jumped in and told the journalist she can’t ask a question after a meeting. It was only after the questioner reminded the woman that Highlands where the meeting was held is a part of the United States and 250 years ago a lot of fine men fought to give us all the right to free speech, that she changed her story and said the board member doesn’t have to answer. Good she knew that right is also guaranteed by being in a free country. But the taxpayers still pay for her appearance and her opinions at a public meeting.
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Loss It has been a tough month for Atlantic Highlands as well as the entire Henry Hudson Regional School community wot the deaths of three well loved and devoted men who carved special places in the hearts of the community.
Former Atlantic Highlands Mayor Robert Schoeffling
Former Atlantic Highlands Mayor Robert Schoeffling , and Henry Hudson regional school retired teachers Vincent Whitehead and Peter Lardieri all died within weeks and whose funeral services are all within days of each other.
Visitation for Mayor Bob will be on Friday, January 9 at the Posten McGinley Funeral Home from 3 to 7 P.M. A funeral service will take place Saturday at 9 a.m. at the United Methodist Church followed by interment at 11 a.m. at Cedarwood Cemetery in Hazlet. The family has invited all to attend visitation and services as signs of remembrance and love for the former mayor.
“Coach” Arthur Vincent “Vinnie” Whitehead
“Coach” Arthur Vincent “Vinnie” Whitehead, beloved family man, coach, and youth pastor died Jan 3 at age 73 following a swift battle with esophageal cancer.
Described as a devoted husband and father, as well as family man, the Coach was also a passionate mentor to countless students and youth.
Born Dec 3, 1952, in Anchorage, Alaska, Coach Whithead earned his degree in Health and Physical Education from Brookdale and Furman University where he was part of their baseball programs, He spent his career teaching and coaching at Henry Hudson Regional School for 44 passionate years.
Coach impacted multiple generations of students with his unwavering integrity, and commitment to making everyone the best they could be- on and off the field and classroom. He coached cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, and field hockey at Hudson, Brookdale’s basketball program, and countless AAU and travel teams, camps, and recreation programs, creating lasting bonds with his students and players that have turned into family.
Vinnie was a faithful servant to his Lord and savior, Jesus Christ with a faith that was a cornerstone of his life, and a driving passion for local and international missions work. He spent many years helping communities in need through his church and organizations including Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, which allowed him to share his faith and sports knowledge around the globe. He has enjoyed decades of service as an Elder and Youth Pastor at Calvary Chapel Crossfields in Jamesburg.
The coach also loved to read, was an avid fan of college basketball (especially March Madness) and the New York Yankees. He loved spending time with his family, always cracking a joke or up to a prank, rarely seeing him without a smile and taking the prize for always being the silliest in any situation. There was no one more loyal, trustworthy, and devoted as a husband, father, mentor, or friend.
Vinnie is survived by his dedicated wife Maria of 45 years, his daughter Ashley, his brother Cliff and his wife Marybeth with their sons Jonathan, Gabriel, Joshua, and Caleb, his sister Carolyn and her children Michael and Emily., brother- in-law Vinny and his wife Barbara and their children Chrissy and Jimmy, bother-in-law Joey and wife Tina and their children Joey, Michael, David, and Maria as well as many great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Arthur and Anna Whitehead.
A celebration of Coach’s life will be held at Posten McGinley Funeral Home on Tuesday Jan. 6 from 4 to 7pm and Wednesday, Jan 7 for a Chapel Service at 10am. Graveside commitment at Monmouth Memorial Park to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory to The Fellowship of Christian Athletes New Jersey. https://www.fcanj.org/donate
Peter J. Lardieri
Retired teacher Peter J. Lardieri, 80, of Bradenton, Fla died December 21. Born and raised in Newark, Mr. Lardieri graduated from St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in 1962 and from Colby College in 1966. While at Colby, he was a Dean’s List student and was selected as an All-Conference baseball player. He earned his master’s degree from Boston University in 1968, graduating with high honors and was selected as one of three Gillette Teaching Fellows.
A highly respected educator, he taught mathematics for 36 years at Henry Hudson Regional School, retiring in 2004. For much of his tenure, he served as mathematics supervisor as well as coaching 49 various seasons in baseball, softball, field hockey and chess. He was twice selected as the school’s “Teacher of the Year.” He was always willing to help students, colleagues and friends when they asked for advice.
Mr. Lardieri played semi-pro baseball for Ye Cottage Inn in the Jersey Shore League and, in its 1970 championship season, was elected the team’s “Most Valuable Player.” He played many years of softball in various leagues around the Shore and served four years as a volunteer coach for the Bayshore Youth Athletic Association, two years for the Middletown Youth Athletic Association, and eight years as Fall League coach for Christian Brothers Academy. His teams won six championships and ten tournaments, and he was most proud of his 1987 BYAA NJ state champion team.
In 2006 he retired to Bradenton, FL, where he developed an avid interest in golf. He played as often as possible and, by his own account, was “an enthusiastic, but mediocre player.”
He was predeceased by his parents Angelo and Mary Grande Lardieri, his sisters Dolores Saxe, Assunta Flannery Ege, and Josephine Lardieri, and three brothers-in-law, John P. Flannery, Robert Saxe, and Karl Ege. He is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Diane, their two children and their spouses, three adored grandchildren, and eleven nieces and nephews.
There was a life celebration on Dec. 30 at the Raritan Valley Country Club, in Bridgewater. NJ.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Henry Hudson Regional Education Association Scholarship Fund, 1 Grand Tour, Highlands, NJ 07732; or to the charity of your choice.
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Robert Schoeffling, “Mayor Bob,” (seated, center) of Atlantic Highlands, was surprised with an 80th birthday party 10 years ago that was thrown by his children and held at Christine’s in Atlantic Highlands. His sons, Rob (back row, left), of Everett, WA and Andrew, of Tinton Falls, as well as daughters, Karen Harlan (bottom row, left), of Waterford, CA and Laura Fortner, of Dallas, TX, all came together to pull off the surprise.
Mourns Atlantic Highlands Mayor Lori Hohenleitner announced the death of former Mayor Robert Schoeffling yesterday, sending heartfelt wishes to his family and to all borough residents who remembered, loved and respected the former Mayor.
Robert Schoeffling, “Mayor Bob,” (seated, center) of Atlantic Highlands, was surprised with an 80th birthday party 10 years ago that was thrown by his children and held at Christine’s in Atlantic Highlands. His sons, Rob (back row, left), of Everett, WA and Andrew, of Tinton Falls, as well as daughters, Karen Harlan (bottom row, left), of Waterford, CA and Laura Fortner, of Dallas, TX, all came together to pull off the surprise.
Schoeffling, who was born in 1935, was featured in To Preserve and Protect, a book of profiles of Monmouth County writers who recorded the history and heritage of Monmouth County. The book was published by the Office of the County Clerk and written by County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon and Rick Gefffken. The book was written six years ago.
The Chapter on Mayor Bob follows:
Bob Schoeffling is a man fiercely devoted to his Atlantic Highlands hometown. This unique contributor to Monmouth County history has been a councilman, mayor, borough historian, rare and out-of-print bookstore owner and collector of anything and everything connected to this small but important Bayshore community.
The dining and living rooms of his house feature floor-to-ceiling bookshelves of the many published works he has bought at flea markets, estate sales, other bookshops, and from private collectors. His library consists of over 1,700 hardcover books, the vast majority about New Jersey history.
More than a few of these are one-of-a-kind, long out-of- print works relating to Atlantic Highlands and the vicinity. Remarkably, when you engage in a conversation about a historical topic with Bob, he will jump up and find an exact reference to what you are discussing among his hundreds of books. Some of which he has not opened in years. One of these, is, astoundingly, Poems on Several Occasions, written and autographed in 1795 by Philip Freneau, the American Revolutionary War poet of considerable fame from Matawan. It might be the only one.
Bob grew up in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown, went to Leonardo schools and took some courses at Monmouth College before starting his working life at Jersey Central Power & Light Company. He met his late wife, Ruth, when he was the business manager at the utility’s Long Branch office. Bob and Ruth moved to Atlantic Highlands in the 1960s.
Bob was elected the Republican mayor of Atlantic Highlands for consecutive terms, serving from 1988 to 1999. He is justly proud of his accomplishments as a public servant. “I brought ferry service to town- Sea Streak. I worked seven years getting the Portland Pointe Senior Citizen building” because he says, “the building was vital since the town had the third-highest number of seniors in Monmouth County without senior housing back then.”
He was able to secure a $4.5 million grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “one of only two towns east of the Mississippi to get money,” he says, adding, “God used me as a tool to make that happen.” His fellow board members recognized him with a “Facility Trustee of the Year” award in 2010. Schoeffling Way in Atlantic Highlands is yet another “thank you” to this indefatigable popular and selfless citizen.
Twenty years since his mayoralty role, Bob still answers to his honorific title of Mayor Bob. Never content to rest when it comes to volunteering, he has held positions as Board president of both the First Avenue Playhouse and Atlantic Highlands library.
Schoeffling says “I always had an interest in history probably generated by one of the teachers I had. She was known as Ma Pennington in Leonardo High School” Continually inquisitive about local heritage, the adult Bob Schoeffling began to collect books and other memorabilia relative to the area. He is enthusiastic when he says, “Atlantic Highlands is a hidden treasure.”
Among Bob’s personal treasures are handwritten slave certificate of sale, commemorative plates from steamship lines, town directories that preceded modern phone books, old advertising pamphlets and posters, newspapers and gazettes, ancient deeds and framed classic photographic science, and Bayshore-related bric-a-brac once sold as cheap souvenirs but now important relics of our history Although no longer an active buyer, Bob has a loyal following of other collectors who still call him when they come across something significant.
Bob Schoeffling was the first President of the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society, whose headquarters is at the 1893 Strauss House on Prospect Circle. Bob says, “I remember hanging sheet rock in there before we got any funding.”
In 2002, Schoeffling wrote the Atlantic Highlands chapter for County Clerk M Clare French’s “Town by Town” book.
Bob Schoeffling’s view of our county’s history is comprehensive when he addresses our richness. .”Some people call it (New Jersey) the Cockpit of the Revolution.” Lots of significant things occurred right here, like after the Battle of Monmouth when the British came right by here on their way to Sandy Hook.” Bob himself is surely one of Monmouth County’s treasures.
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