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Yes or No? 1 Mayor Says NO

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Vote No says Broullon
Broullon “I am definitely voting NO”

“I have never told anybody how to vote, nor will I.” said Mayor Carolyn Broullon when asked about the special election on September 26 called by the boards of education.

“But I will tell them how I vote!” she added.  “And in that special election, I am definitely voting no. It simply doesn’t make sense for either Highlands or Atlantic Highlands to approve regionalization without Sea Bright.”

Absentee voters have already received their ballots for the September 26 election, which will decide whether, quite simply, the boards of education of Highlands and Atlantic Highlands should be discontinued, and in their stead the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education would then be the sole board of education for the K-12 schools in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.

A Yes vote then eliminates Sea Bright from the regionalization at this time, and Highlands and Atlantic Highlands taxpayers would be voting to forfeit the several million dollars their inclusion would bring to offset taxes in both towns.

Atlantic Highlands resident Mark Fisher has been following the regionalization issue since it first began several years ago.  In a recent explanation on his e-mail page, which he invites everyone to join, Fisher recently listed the results of either a Yes or a No vote as follows:

IF YOU VOTE “YES”

Voting YES is endorsing a regionalization plan that has NOT been the 3-town plan discussed for the last four years;

Voting YES would mean approving only 2-town school regionalization WITHOUT Sea Bright students being included;

Voting YES would go against expert advice by NOT bringing a portion of $2 million+ revenue from Sea Bright “as soon as possible” into Atlantic Highlands coffers for expanded educational programs and tax rate stabilization, as advised by experts on this subject;

Voting YES forms a PK-12 district that could accept students from other school districts in the future;

It is unknown whether Oceanport and Shore Regional Boards of Education would withdraw their lawsuit if regionalizing without Sea Bright is approved by Atlantic Highlands and Highlands voters.

IF YOU VOTE “NO”

Voting NO will send a message to the Monmouth County and New Jersey Commissioners of Education that Atlantic Highlands residents do not want to move forward with school regionalization unless Sea Bright, and their funding, is included;

Voting NO will send a  message to the individual “Tri-District” Boards of Education to re-focus and bring Sea Bright’s students into the Tri-District “as soon as possible”;

Voting NO will send a  message to the Tri-District BoE’s to now move toward 3-town school regionalization with Atlantic Highlands to receive a good portion of the $2 million+ in additional funding from Sea Bright;

Voting NO keeps everything as it exists today: two-towns, three Boards of Education.

It is unknown if Oceanport and Shore Regional Boards of Education would withdraw their lawsuit if regionalizing without Sea Bright is voted-down by Atlantic Highlands and Highlands voters.

 

Fisher, whose personal motto is “Trust, but verify” agrees with Boullon’s  habit of not telling anyone how to vote, but feels it is important for people to understand the ramifications of Yes or No votes.  He invites anyone to join his group for information simply by e-mailing a request to  ahnewsbymarkfisher@gmail.com

Broullon also urged voters to be sure they either vote absentee or go to the polls on September 26 between noon and 8 p.m. to cast their ballots. Failing to vote means not expressing an opinion and failing to take action which impacts taxpayers and parents in both towns.

How Will You Vote?

2 out of 3 Ain’t Bad for Being Happy

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Happy ... Sort of
Mostly Happy …

It’s always hard to narrow down the things that make me happy on any given day, but between the celebrations of Barbara White’s and her brother-in-law Richie’s lives the other day with a family who truly loves them, to the Girls Café this morning, everybody just has to be happier.

It was truly old Highlands at the VFW Post home last Saturday as family members came from Florida and further to recall so many memories of the Whites and their days in Highlands. Memories from the adults who still talk about how happy their childhood was, from jumping off the bridge to sneaking out at night for some extra time on the beach.

Great memories, great people, and all with fond and happy memories of the Highlands that was so much fun in the 1960s, 70s and more.

Then, with Cathy and Vera winding down their careers slowly after making The Girls Café the IN place to be any day, it’s so nice the gals that are keeping up their traditions right along with them are as great as they are.

Whether you call her Gracie, or Gaile, or Hey, You, she’s a charmer….no matter what, you can’t take away that smile on her face as she is adding to her resume with her new talent as a waitress.

Of course, Kitty right alongside her and working just as hard has that quiet kind of charm that just lets you know how efficient and eager to please both of them are.

But there’s nobody like Charlie, who doesn’t say a heck of a lot, but she sure knows how to make those cheese omelets, those huge pancakes, and even the best grilled bagels anyplace. Cathy and Vera ARE The Girls Café, but there are other Girls who have picked up their charm and expertise and are filled with joy as well.  It is certainly a place that makes you happy.

Also happy to see so many people are finally getting to know there really is a special election coming up that’s so important, the school boards think, it couldn’t wait another six weeks for the regular election which would be so much cheaper and in which so many more people would vote.

The Sept. 26 election …costly as it has been so far, is to decide whether Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson should be one district instead of the three districts they are now and which they’ve been for 50 years or so.

So what’s the big rush?

Is it so the superintendent is sure of keeping her job?

Is it to be sure Sea Bright, who really wants to join Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, can’t bring its million dollars or so to help offset taxes?

Is it so the superintendent only has to answer to nine people instead of 26?

Sea Bright, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands kids have played together, laughed together, had fun together for decades, why not just let them all learn together as well?

Spending so much money just to get things done in a hurry is nothing short of irresponsible and a waste of taxpayers’ dollars.

The only thing that makes me unhappy about the whole thing is why not one of those three boards is even asking if the superintendent might have a possible conflict leading the charge to get this election done in such a rush.

If Sea Bright becomes part of the district, that means Oceanport, where those kids go to school now, will lose all the money Sea Bright gives them, raising taxes in Oceanport.

Oh yeah, that’s where the superintendent lives and pays taxes, Oceanport… Not so Happy

AAUW Northern Monmouth County Book Sale

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book Sale
Book Sale

The 56th year of the AAUW Northern Monmouth County Branch Used Book Sale will reopen Saturday, Sept. 9 at its location in Old First Church, 69 Kings Highway, Middletown.

The new hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

Special features of the unique Book Store include antiquarian books as well as fiction and non-fiction new releases from the past two years, available in both hard cover and paperback. The Book Store has the reputation for searchers to find the research texts they need for school, work, or club projects, as well as up-to-date novels and books on every subject from meditation to sports.

The AAUW Sale also offers DVDs, CDs,  books on tape as well as records from all vintages, games and puzzles.

A special section also features children’s preschool and  board and  books  through Young Adult.

Book donations can be made on Thursdays from 10 to 11:30 am and on Saturdays from 10 am to 1:30 pm.   Guidelines for making tax deductible donations can be found on the group’s website aauw-nj-nmcb.org or by calling 732-275-2237.  Currently , with an abundance of DVD’s in stock, the AAUW is not seeking donations in this category.

All net proceeds provide scholarships for women at Brookdale Community College and Monmouth University.

 

The Northern Monmouth County Branch of AAUW has been making a difference in the community for over 90 years and welcomes new members to join them in advancing equity for women and girls.  Membership in AAUW is open to any graduate holding an associate or equivalent, baccalaureate, or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

 

Other stories on AAUW HERE

Middletown Helps its Own at Care One

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Middletown Helps its Own at Care One
Middletown Helps its Own at Care One

It was farm animals and grandchildren for the residents … and canned goods for Middletown Helps Its Own.

There was lots of music, laughter and camaraderie at the Care One at Middletown residence as the Center hosted its annual day with the animals in front of the Route 36 facility.

There were games and face painting for visiting grandchildren, and pets and hugs with horses, donkeys, ducks and goats for the senior residents . The annual event is one of the most popular of all the activities offered at the Care Center.

This year, staff and residences also accepted canned goods for their local project which enables residents to feel a part of the community. They adopted Middletown Helps Its Own and serves as a drop off site. The non profit organization distributes the items in local families in need.

For Families … Words are Cheap

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Families
Families Want Answers … They Deserve Answers

“Words are cheap in Washington,” Congressman Chris Smith told families of the 13 service members killed during the US evacuation from Afghanistan.

At a discussion at the House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting last week, families of those slain military shared their personal accounts of the pain they have endured in the two years since their family members were killed. They have been trying to find answers from the Biden Administration on how the withdrawal was so flawed.

“There needs to be a truly independent, comprehensive investigation into all of the very valid questions you have asked,” added Smith. “We need to have honesty here, and we need high-level, outside people who know how to ask hard-hitting questions—perhaps even a blue-ribbon commission—to investigate this.”

The Congressman called on President Biden, Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin and General Milley to meet with the Gold Star families in a similar roundtable discussion where they can convey the horror they have faced and the horror that their loved ones endured because of the exit which cost their lives.

“You have touched all of our hearts in the most profound way,” said Smith, who is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  “Words are inadequate to express our condolences.”

In addition to sharing heart-wrenching stories, the grieving parents also made clear their demands for answers—and accountability—from the Biden Administration for the tragic events that led to the loss of their sons and daughters.

 

“We want answers, we need answers, and we expect those answers,” said Darin Hoover, the father of Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover. “I want to know why this current Administration isn’t able to take responsibility for their actions in the days, the weeks, and the months leading up to this fateful day.”

 

“We need answers,” Smith said. “We need it now, so the Biden charade and spin ends. It has to be the truth, and nothing but the truth.”

 

More Stories Related to the Military HERE

 

Denholtz, DEP, and the Undeniable Smell of Diesel

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Denholtz
The Denholtz Property

“Since the construction has begun on that private property located off of Avenue D there have been a few residents who have expressed environmental concerns ranging from dust, noxious odors, contamination, to reports of oil sheen on the water,” wrote Atlantic Highlands Borough administrator in response to an Asbury Park Press article on the situation on the Denholtz property on Avenue D.

The Press article, written by award winning reporter Jerry Carino,  cited quotes from local residents who have complained about the situation at the Brant Point development site along the Sandy Hook bay front where Developer Steven Denholtz is building 16 multimillion-dollar homes

The lot  was once home to large tanks built by Standard Oil. Denholtz has maintained he is complying with the state and cleaning up questionable soil as it is found.

After the article was published indicating there had been no response to questions from Carino to the borough’s administrator or Mayor Loretta Gluckstein, Ferragina wrote a lengthy response that traced the history of the situation.

“The NJDEP has informed us that several complaints were filed with it, each of which has been investigated,” Ferragina wrote. “The NJDEP has visited the (Denholtz) site several times and has not taken any action to revise the plan or halt construction.”

“No Hazmat activity is taking place on the site. Likewise, the Monmouth County Health Department (MCDOH), is dispatched each time an official complaint is made and has been on site at least eight times.”

Neither NJDEP nor the MCDOH have identified any need for action from their respective departments, and the construction site has been kept active.

The Borough Code Enforcement Officer has been on site multiple times per day and has not identified any municipal code violations. The Borough Fire Marshall and Water/Sewer Licensed Superintendent have also been on site   on several occasions with no concerns or violations to-date.

Ferragina’s letter continued: “Preliminarily, the Borough, its engineer and other professionals have been in regular contact with NJDEP and the County Board of Health (MCDOH) regarding the Denholtz construction site. The public was advised of the Borough’s interaction with the contractor and the State and County regulators at the last council meeting. The site is the subject of a remediation plan and has been issued a ground water remedial action permit. Under that plan, a Licensed site remediation professional (LSRP) is on site. “

It continued that  “”The Borough OEM Coordinator has been advised of the complaints to the NJDEP and also does not have any concerns at this time.

My office has had conversations with the Atlantic Highlands Police Chief and the DPW Director regarding road closures and any needs or concerns their respective departments may have relative to their respective roles.

At the Borough code enforcement officer’s request, the contractor has a water truck on site to minimize dusting. The Borough Department of Public Works is assisting with refilling the water truck. The Borough has also confirmed that all appropriate permits regarding the construction site have been filed, to date.

My office has advised the Borough attorney and engineer of the complaints filed with the NJDEP and as a result the borough attorney has sent a formal communication to the NJDEP regarding the concerns raised by some residents.

The Borough Engineer and I recently met with the site LSRP and Denholtz representatives. We advised that the Avenue D entrance should continue to be the primary entrance for the construction site. The LSRP from the Borough’s engineering firm has been in communication with the site LSRP. The Borough has also had direct contact and conversations with the NJDEP Environmental Specialist who has confirmed the site is in compliance, the MCDOH – Assistant Environmental Health Coordinator who has been at the site approximately eight times, to date, regarding various complaints, and the MCDOH – Public Health Coordinator.

“Residents who have environmental concerns may contact the DEP directly. Those residents who have contacted the Borough have been provided the contact information for the NJDEP and those concerns have been shared with the property Site Manager, the Borough Code Enforcement Officer and the Borough Engineer.”

“At the last council meeting both the Borough Engineer and the Borough Administrator provided thorough updates for the public and welcomed questions. They will update the public with any new developments at the September meeting.”

The Press article included quotes from several local residents, including Mark Fisher, a frequent questioner at borough council meetings on numerous subjects he has researched. Fisher is also known for following up on responses from Council to ensure they do what they tell the public at previous meetings they will do they did.

One of the photos with the Press article Fisher took when  he took dug into  the  blackened sand from the high-tide zone near the site. He dug holes up to a foot deep in the sand near the construction and displayed it in jars he has labeled with time, date and location.

“The stench was so bad,” Fisher told the Press,” I would call it a chemical, hydrocarbon smell. I worked in the oil industry for 40 years (in operations), so this stuff is not unfamiliar to me.”

Fisher said the lot was developed by Standard Oil (later Exxon) in 1929 and used for decades with oil tanks dotting the tract, before it passed on to McConnell Realty Co. ““When I swam in Sandy Hook Bay as a kid, when you looked down the coastline you were looking at three or four very large tanks at the McConnell property. You didn’t think twice about it then, but as an adult you think, ‘Man, that was really close to the water, all those chemical and oil products.’ In hindsight that’s probably 80, 90 years’ worth of sins that went into the ground there,.” Said Fisher, who grew up in the area.

This is not the first time Fisher has brought the matter (Denholtz property) to the attention of the borough. In 2019, when the matter was before the planning board, he warned officials that the tract’s environmental challenges were immense, displaying photos of brown plumes in the bay just beyond the construction site, plumes, he said,  caused by silt runoff from the site.  The Planning Board approved the multi-million dollar planned residential housing.

Another local resident, Vinnie  Whitehead, a retired teacher and coach at Henry Hudson School and a candidate for borough council in November,  was drawn to the waterfront next to the construction site to investigate. “We started smelling the oil fumes,” he said in the Press article.. “We came down here and did some digging and found some oil sheen. So we’re just concerned.”

According to the Press, Steven Denholtz told reporter Carino by phone Wednesday that before he purchased the seven acre tract from McConnell in 1918, the state DEP had “signed off saying there was nothing wrong with the soil. Of course, if it shows up later, you’ve got to clean it up. The last thing we want to do is have people exposed to anything dangerous. You can’t survive running a business without being responsible.”

Thursday afternoon, the NJDEP issued a field Notice of Violation (NOV) to Brant Point Development for violation of N.J.A.C 7:14A-24(a)1, failure of the permittee to process and/or operate in compliance with a certified soil erosion and sediment control plan.    The directive gives Brant Point Development  30 days in which to comply with the Soil Erosion Sediment Control Plan approved by the Freehold Soil Conservation District or submit a revised plan to the district. 

Denholtz has said the Brant Point site is fully compliant with all New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) remediation regulations and has letters from the NJDEP certifying remediation work has been completed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.  He told the Press “We continue to work closely with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Monmouth County, the Borough of Atlantic Highlands, the Freehold Soil Conservation District and the United States Coast Guard to ensure adherence to all applicable national, state and local soil, groundwater and air standards. The site is continually monitored by a state-approved third-party Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) who will immediately address any additional remediation issues that may arise.”

Fisher remains unimpressed and concerned about the future of the borough.  “My opinion is elected officials should be the loudest voices on what’s going on with this project (Denholtz) on behalf of the 4,300 residents of the town. “This is a bayside community; that bay is what draws people to this town. And yet when I stuck a jar full of tainted sand under the nose of  a borough official, he told me, ‘Our hands are tied; it’s under DEP control.’”

The White Family – A Highlands Institution

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White
The White Family – A Highlands Institution

 

“They made us cherish what Highlands was all about,” said Tommy White, one of the three children of the late Barbara White whose life was celebrated and honored along with her brother-in-law, Richie White at a cremains release ceremony and family and friends get together Friday.

Barbara, the widow of the late former Mayor James T. White, died Feb.. 10, two weeks after her brother-in-law, Richie, who had died Jan. 26.

The family agreed their memorials should be celebrated together when the family could get together in their beloved Highlands.

In a formal and grieving ceremony in the late morning, family members who had come from Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington joined close friends and gathered on the dock off Shrewsbury Avenue  near where the Whites lived, to say some final prayers and join together in placing the cremains of Barbara and Richie in the Shrewsbury River, where the tide brought them back close to Highlands. They prayed, they said farewells, they took photos, and they smiled, knowing they were doing just what their mother and uncle wanted.

Later in the day, the White family hosted a festive afternoon and dinner at the VFW Post home to give the dozens who gathered there the opportunity to share some of their fondest memories of two people who had both given so much to the Highlands they loved.

The memories were of a Highlands where the kids jumped off the bridge, Andy’s Shore Bar was a favorite stopping place for a cup of coffee for Richie, and where Barbara White volunteered so much for the Democrat party they finally gave her a paying job!

Richie’s sister, Jacki, recalled how her brother was part of Beacon at Fort Monmouth, and where “he knew everyone and everyone loved him.” So much so, she explained,, there was a special bus trip after his death to  Monmouth Park to relive some of the memories he had created.

Barbara’s sons-in-law told stories about how they loved their mother-in-law “because she always smiled,” but added they agreed “she always had the last word.” Tom’s wife Wendy said how it was comforting to always know “you never had to question how much you were loved.”

Maggie, one of Barbara’s grandchildren, spoke of the closeness she felt to her MomMom and how much they both loved each other.

Each of Barbara’s three children, Cathy Murphy, Tom and Billy, who still works at the James T. White Clam plant in Highlands named for his father who was primarily responsible for its existence, gave details of special mostly joyful moments of their lives centering on their mother;  all spoke on the goodness of Uncle Richie, better known by his middle name than his official Michael Richard White.

“She always made sure we knew who we were,” Cathy said with memories and smiles. “She taught us that everybody counted, that feelings don’t count, it’s people who count.” Cathy said she is grateful for everything she learned from her mom and what she has been able to pass on to her own children. They all laughed, however, that it was always Barabara who got in the last word,, always Barbara who got what she wanted, simply because she always knew what was the right thing to do.

In addition to all those sharing memories in the VFW room, Barbara’s twin brother William T. Jones, better known as Bill,  was able to join them from his home via ZOOM and wanted to talk about “the fine lady who was my sister.” His memories were of  sadness at her death sprinkled with laughter and happy memories of their lives together and his personal knowledge of her as the devoted sister, wife, mother and grandmother she was.  Yes, she was a fine lady, he said, “but there was another side to her that was sharp, sarcastic and “always with off the wall humor.”

In a moment of laughter that shook the room as the crowd listened to Barbara’s brother, who was 20 minutes older than his sister at birth, explained “she always had to have the last word.” Then pausing, chuckling a bit, and reminding the crowd he was speaking at his sister’s memorial service, the brother with the same kind of sense of humor as his sister said, referring to her always having the last word, “Well, Barbara, Guess what?”

The family remembering their mother and uncle included Barbara and Carlos, and Barbara’s children and their spouses all in Florida, Shaylagh and Wayne, Maggie and Kate and Brent with Kate and Brent’s first child expected in January;   Tom and Wendy and their sons Hudson and Lincoln who live in Freehold, and Maggie also from Florida; Bill’s children Bill from New York, Andy from Washington, and Susie and Stephen from Pennsylvania with their children Ben and Lauren, as well as Richie’s sister, Jackie White, whom the family refers to as “the matriarch of the family.”

Both at the cremains ceremony on the Shrewsbury River, and at the reception at the VFW afterwards, a poem  was read by Cathy and Bill via ZOOM. Bill explained he had found the poem,  named “Barb” and written by an unknown author.  But all agreed it was an apt description of the Barbara White they all knew and loved:

I am strong because I know my weakness.

I am compassionate because I too have suffered.

I am alive because I am a fighter.

I am wise because I’ve been foolish.

I can laugh because I have known sadness.

I can love because I’ve known loss.

I  am a strong woman who has weathered the storm,

But still loves to dance in the rain.l

 

Bahrs – Oldest Business in Highlands and Still # 1

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Bahrs Restaurant
Photo's Courtesy of Bahrs Restaurant and the Cosgrove Family
Bahrs … Nothing Else Need to be Said

Bahrs Restaurant is the oldest still operating business in the borough of Highlands and has a fascinating history that highlights how determination, hard work, and  creativity played vital roles in the establishment of a restaurant known throughout the state and beyond.

The fourth generation of the Bahrs family still owns and operates the restaurant which actually  started out as a beached houseboat on the site where it is still located.

Becky Cosgrove, wife of  Jay, the fourth generation owners, is a terrific historian of the restaurant’s story and shares information on how boathouses along the Shrewsbury River were not as appreciated or desired as the one John and Florence Bahrs salvaged, repaired, and restored to a fascinating hotel and restaurant that has been the site for a Super Bowl ad as well as featured in one of the seasons of a tv series.  Daily, its setting, view and outstanding menu continue to be draws  for people seeking great seafood and other dishes along with history.

According to Becky, who also backs up all her research with photos and postcards,  in the very early years of the 20th century,  all around the country, whether at the tip of 14th Street in New York or in Sausalito California, people were living on houseboats.

Word had gotten out how inexpensive a vacation could be to camp in this manner. In 1904, the Shrewsbury River was reported to be popular and possessed proportionally more houseboats than any other section of water fascinated by New Yorkers in the summertime. In fact so many people were enjoying their houseboats that the board of Health was urged to investigate the situation.

First two generations of Bahrs Restaurant
Photo Courtesy of Bahrs Restaurant and the Cosgrove Family

Apparently, houseboaters were neither neat with their garbage or sewage refuse.  Sometimes houseboats were removed from their anchorage forcibly for other reasons as well. In July of 1903, the Commandant at Sandy Hook ordered the removal of houseboats from the reservation on Plum Island and beach opposite Parkertown. The campers were accused of sneaking over to Parkertown clamming boats at midnight and stealing their clams and other articles of value.  One of these early houseboats was beached over in Parkertown, which was an early name for Highlands because of the numerous members of the Parker family who lived there.

John and Florence Bahrs came from Newark where they had a business but were lured by the charm of Highlands. So they moved to town, and opened a boat rental business on Cedar St where they cooked clam chowder for those who rented the boats. When they saw this beached boathouse not far away, they investigated and decided to take one more leap of ambition. They  purchased it in 1917 and the beach under it, bringing along their rental boats to operate from their new location.

With the size of the houseboat, they could also open a hotel and the hard working Bahrs added to their clam chowder cooking to offer more meals to the boarders. They charged $2.50 a night for room and board  at the two story building, now a far cry from the shabby, unkempt houseboats in the river.

The couple’s four children, John, Al, Ken and Ruth, all worked in the family business and saw the restaurant grow from its abandoned beached start to the iconic restaurant it is today, still serving that clam chowder and every other seafood favorite and more. Over the years the business expanded, tables and chairs under umbrellas along with a bar were added outside along the water for summer enjoyment, and the business flourishes.

But the beached houseboat is still very much a part of Bahrs restaurant. It’s part of both the main dining room and the entry to the restaurant.

 

Rare Super Blue Moon

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Super Blue Moon
Super Blue Moon

To be absolutely accurate, it’s not only a full moon, it’s not only a blue moon, it is also a super moon.

So the moon you see in the sky tomorrow night is really a Super Blue Moon!

Blue Moons, which means the moon that appears twice in the same month, something that happens every couple of years are not really blue. It’s simply a term that has been around since the 1940s talking about the second full moon in the same month.

But tomorrow night, Aug. 30, the full moon that occurred after the Sturgeon Moon on Aug. 1, is not only a Blue Moon, it’s a Super Moon. That means it is occurring during the moon’s perigee, the time it is closest to the earth. That also happened for the Sturgeon, so this year we have experienced two full super moons in the same month.

When the moon is closest to the earth, it is about 1 per cent closer than it is when it is at its apogee, the furthest from the earth. It is still the same size, it’s just that it appears brighter and larger since it is closer.

The best time to view the Super Blue Moon is right after sunset, when the moon is rising over the horizon. At that time, it will appear to be a deep orange in color.

Saturn will also be visible near the moon. That will be the bright planet to the upper right of the moon. Looking at it closely over time, it will appear to be moving clockwise around the moon.

The Super Blue Moon of August is actually closest to earth at noon when it is 221,942 miles from earth.  It turns full at precisely 9:36 p.m. nine hours later.

Here in the Bayshore, it’s the Sept. 29 full moon that is drawing a lot of attention. That will be the moon when the Twin Lights Historical Society is hosting visitors to the state museum, the Twin Lights, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to climb the towers of the historic lighthouse and view the rising moon from a new height. Tickets at $5 will be available at the Museum that night for walks up to the top of the lighthouses for a view of the September full moon.

The program will be repeated on Oct. 28, the full moon of October.  Visit the Twin Lights Historical Museum for further information on the moon climbs and other activities at the state museum in Highlands.

 

3 rd Annual Oktoberfest at OLPH-St. Agnes

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Knights of Columbus Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest

Because of the popular demand, tickets are on sale now for the third Annual Oktoberfest and Comedy Night featuring Uncle Floyd and Broccoli Rob on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help School Hall, Miller St. Highlands.

Featuring an Oktoberfest Buffet Dinner including everything from Bavarian style pretzels to Knockwurst and sauerkraut among other specialties, Uncle Floyd will be back on stage with all the comedy that has made him a legend in New Jersey.

Uncle Floyd

Master of Ceremonies will be Robert Anthony, better known as Broccoli Rob in numerous theaters and cafes.

The event, which is sponsored by the Rev. Joseph J. Donnelly Council 11660 of the Knights of Columbus, is supported by Bahrs Landing, Black Forest Bratwurst Company and Belford Brewing Company for your dining pleasure at the full table buffet from pretzels to full course meats and vegetables and a variety of desserts and beverages.

Tickets are $40 each and include a craft beer tasting together with dinner, entertainment, a free ticket for a flat screen tv drawing, and more.

Tickets are available now by sending a check payable to the KOC#11660 and mailed to 180 Navesink Avenue, Highlands, NJ,. 07732.

Knights Council Grand Knight Michael Napolitano, who traditionally hosts and is chair of this event, noted that the return engagement of both Uncle Floyd and Broccoli Rob is by popular demand.

“We were happy they accepted our invitation to come back another year,” the Grand Knight said, “this has traditionally been a sell-out crowd and is a great event for families. As usual, we are expecting a large crowd so I would urge responding early for ticket requests.”

All proceeds from the event go towards the numerous charitable organizations and activities sponsored locally by the Knights Council.