The Reverend Jarlath Quinn, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help -St. Agnesparish, announced at all the masses in both churches this week that the Reverend Eugene Vavrick has been named a parochial vicar for the parish. This means the parish will have two priests serving the growing community for the first time in many years.
In expressing thanks to Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., J.C.D, D.D. for assigning a parochial vicar to assist the pastor in administering to the two churches in the parish and the residents attending both, Father Quinn said Father Vavrick will begin his assignment here July 1st.
A native of New Jersey, Father Vavrick attended St. Ann’s School in Keansburg and Holmdel High School before earning an undergraduate degree in political science and government from Kings College. Since then, he also studied at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall College and earned a masters degree in Divinity and another maser’s degree in theology, both from Notre Dame University.
Since he was ordained to the priesthood in 1995, Father Vavrick has served at St. Mary’s, New Monmouth, as pastor at St. Anselm’s in Wayside, as religious instructor and Director of Christian Service chaplain at Saint John Vianney High School and several other parishes, coming to OLPH-St. Agnes from Villa Vianney in Lawrenceville.
Following Sunday’s announcement by Father Jarlath, parishoners expressed thanks and appreciation to the Bishop for assigning a second priest to accommodate the parish, and asked parishioners to join in in both prayers and welcome for Father “Gene.”
What started with a wonderful Amtrak ride to Petersburg, Virginia, dinner at an English Pub with new friends, an elegant couple of nights in a beautiful and historic B&B, combined with participation in a flank march during the Civil War reenactment continued the final day of my three day stay with a personal three hour tour of some of the historic sites in a city identified through two wars, many firsts, elegant churches and so much history dating back hundreds of years. It is impossible to capture it all in a single visit.
But my personal guide, Randolph Watkins…Randy to all who know him, did his best to fill me with as much history as I could cram in about the Civil War as it was fought and won in Petersburg, Virginia.
My visit reiterated what I have long believed: it was a terrible war, did not need to be fought, and would not have been fought had the leaders of the later part of the 19th century paid more attention and respect to the leaders of the beginning of the century. Thomas Jefferson fought for states retaining their own rights in addition to a central government, and wanted states to be able to declare, own, and rule by their own rights on matters that specifically concerned them.
The North could have ended slavery in a far less killing way simply by stopping their own inhabitants from building those ships and providing those crews to sail with rum to Africa as part of the triangular trade that made them wealthy.
It was New England slave traders who purchased enslaved Africans, brought them to the West Indies and then sold them to sugarcane plantations to harvest the sugar for molasses. Those who even today portray every slave as beaten, abused, starved, and overworked show their ignorance to human nature…..a slave owner would no more damage a slave, his property he paid for, then he would a horse, cow or anything else he paid money to own. There is no doubt slavery is wrong and evil, but for thousands of slaves, it also led to a better life. That part of the story never seems to be told.
But it took a war that pitted brother against brother and took the lives of more men than any other war in which this nation has ever been involved, to end a terrible system that was always planned on the South.
The men I met on the reenactment do not advocate slavery or abuse at all. They would rather put their minds and research to learning more about their ancestors who lived and died through the Civil War; they would rather honor and respect the sacrifices they made, both at home and on the battlefield, when their homes were burned, their families starved, their lands ruined by all the battles fought on their soil.
They believe, and act with the firm belief, that remembering the most awful period of American history just may prevent us from ever facing such evil again.
Former Atlantic Highlands resident Harold Cassidy, cited as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in North America ans well as one of the Top 100 National Trial Lawyers, and Harvard Law School Professor Robert P. George will make a joint Pro-Life presentation Sunday, May 21, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Agnes Church.
The two internationally recognized leaders of law and philosophy will discuss “The Dobbs Decision and the Past, Present and Future of the Pro-Life Cause” in a stimulating conversation at the church hall, co-sponsored by the Our Lady of Perpetual Help -St. Agnes Parish and Catholic Vote, a Wisconsin-based conservative, non-profit political advocacy group.
The Dobbs Decision was the recent decision by the US Supreme Court which overruled Roe v Wade of 1973, as well as Planned Parenthood vs. Casey. The decision returned to the states the power to regulate any aspect of abortion not protected by federal law.
A reception will follow the presentation.
Cassidy, now a resident of Ocean Township, was a parishioner at St. Agnes when living in the borough and has been practicing law for 47 years, successfully litigating numerous precedent-setting cases not only in criminal and commercial law, but also in the rights of pregnant mothers and their children.
Among his precedent setting successes are the establishment of the right of the accused to have independent legal counsel, the state Supreme Court decision which struck down state fees imposed on Federal agencies in violation of federal law, and the only ruling in the nation that has held an abortion kills a human being.
Cassidy was a member of the legal team which gained freedom for Rubin “Hurricane’ Carter when the professional boxer had been wrongfully convicted of triple murder. That litigation took 19 years until Cassidy was successful in having Carter freed.
The attorney is probably best known locally for the 2009 Baby M decision which influenced the development of new law throughout the world. He successfully litigated a gestational surrogacy case and secured a decision that determined a woman carrying a child was the legal mother, in the case that dispute the birth mother’s rights against a surrogate parenting contract. Cassidy’s success led to the court finding such a contract is illegal and unenforceable as well as exploitive of women.
His litigation has added a new dynamic in the national debate on abortion and the rights of pregnant mothers which are destroyed by abortion. His work has even gained the respect of Mother Jones, the radical liberal magazine, which pointed out that he is “in the forefront of the pro-life movement’s biggest rebranding…”
Cassidy was named a member of the New Jersey Bioethics Commission and was named Person of the Week for his law achievements by ABC World News. He currently devotes a large part of his practice to protecting the rights of pregnant mothers against abortion providers who have violated their rights or subjected them to procedures without proper informed voluntary consent.
As highly recognized and respected in law as Cassidy is, Professor George is highly acclaimed in jurisprudence as Director of the James Madison Program at Princeton University, as well as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. He has also served as Chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, on the President’s Council on Bioethics, appointed by the President to the US Commission onf Civil Rights and is a member of UNESCO’s World Commission on the Ethics of Science and Technology. He received the Justice Tom C. Clark award as a former Judicial Fellow at the US Supreme Court.
A prolific writer, Professor George is the author of several books published by Oxford University Press and Princeton and Cambridge University Press, as well as numerous articles and essays which have appeared in leading newspapers and law review journals. He holds 22 honorary degrees, with doctorates in law, letters, ethics, science, divinity humane laws, civil law and moral values, as well as a the humanities and juridical science. His awards include the US Presidential Citizens Medal, the Honorific Medal for the Defense of Human Rights of the Republic of Poland, the Philip Merrill Award, the Paul Bator Ward of the Federalist Society, the Sidney Hook, Silver Gavel Award, and numerous other citations. He is considered one of the leading natural law theorists in the world.
Photo of the cabin where General Grant made his headquarters. The cabin was built during the fall of 1864.
Randy Watkins is a former soldier, sailor, police officer, and a few other job titles. He’s a historian with boundless knowledge of times, dates, places and people involved with his beloved Virginia during the Civil War. When I saw his credentials on the webpage for the Ragland Mansion, the B&B where I planned on staying in Petersburg, I contacted him to see about one of his very inexpensive tours. When I asked for an appointment on Saturday, he explained he could not accommodate that, he was part of a Flank March reenactment.
I responded that also sounded interesting; is there any place I could watch a part of it. Not necessary, Randy said, since if you want, you can be part of it.
A seven-mile hike with a dozen or so men all uniformed for the era they were enacting sounded educational and fun, but too tiresome for this octogenarian. Not to worry, Randy said, you can ride in the service vehicle that accompanies it. Then we can do your personal tour on Sunday.
That’s why I enjoyed the best of all worlds for three days in Petersburg, Virginia.
Picking me up at the B&B early Sunday morning, Randy briefly described the city and what we would see; in Civil War time, it was the second largest city in the state, the 7th largest in the Confederacy.
It was important strategically with its location on the south bank of the Appomattox River, at the confluence of the James River, which made it an important site for the North as well in their attempt to take Richmond. It also had five railroads that connected it to Richmond and beyond, making it even more important. Especially to General US Grant in June of 1864 when he was attempting to keep General Robert E. Lee’s troops from Richmond.
So we visited Grant’s headquarters, a gorgeous fertile land right on the river where you can see the James flowing into it. Walking through the grounds filled with buttercups and manicured lawns, now maintained by the National Park Service, you can see the site where Grant’s troops set up their tents, see the cabin he had, the field hospital of the 1860s as well as the magnificent archway of crepe myrtle trees and well-marked signs and spacious acreage. Randy gave a running commentary, also explaining the Petersburg Campaign by the northern General lasted 292 days, ending April 2, 1865, just six days before Lee’s surrender at Appomattox a short distance away.
The house itself, which had been in the Eppes family from the early part of the 18th century, is an example of 18th century Georgian design; it features a three-bay, two-and-a-half story central block design with hipped roof, dormers and flanking one story wings. Well preserved, and open for tours and visitation, we skipped an interior tour in search of other historic sites around the Petersburg area.
Cemeteries always have great stories to tell and sights to see, and we visited one of several in the Petersburg area, all the while Randy pointing out the historical significance of a particular grave or monument.
I learned more about Union General Ambrose Burnside, the son of a former slave owner, a graduate of West Point, and the General in charge for the disastrous Crater, the northern fiasco that took hundreds of lives and led to the General resigning his position shortly after Lee surrendered.
So of course we visited The Crater.
After Union forces descended on Petersburg and Southern forces were defending their city, neither side wanted to face battle. Some of Burnside’s men were Pennsylvania miners and came up with the idea of tunneling underground from behind their own lines to a place underneath where the Confederates were encamped.
The idea was to dig a trench 130 feet long, 60 feet wide and 30 feet deep, then load it with explosives. When they were ignited, the whole thing would blow up, giving the North an underground march to surprise the South. The explosion rocked the area, Northern solders ran into the fume filled crater, Lees’ forces recovered quickly and were prepared to halt the North in its tracks. With volleys from both Southern flanks.
Burnside was relieved of command and was never recalled during the rest of the war. He resigned his position shortly after Lee’s surrender but when on to become Governor of Rhode Island, elected several times.
We visited Pocahontas Island, one of the oldest black communities in the nation, and a city located on the Appomattox River, where 18th century slaves worked in tobacco warehouses.
Pocohantas Island
Today, the area is sparsely inhabited, though it is declared a Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic places. There is a Black History Museum then that was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.
A few more stops, a lot more stories, and three hours flew by until Randy stopped at the Amtrak station and reminded me, I had a train to catch in ten minutes!
It was homeward bound on Amtrak, and detraining at Metropark, where the jovial Maureen Richardson was waiting to hear my weekend adventures and bring me back to Atlantic Highlands filled with memories of a great weekend in Virginia.
Road Work – You can put some of the blame on Covid, some on Monmouth County, some on lack of maintenance over the past hundred years. Maybe place some of the blame on the higher water table, or on the pace it takes to get permits and approvals for digging up a road and replacing sewer lines.
Whatever it is, Highlands residents and visitors can eliminate a lot of the stress about it by following all the updated messages online, all the road detour signs and on the Highlands borough official page to get through the next few months of sewer repairs.
The worst part of it is probably going to start within a couple of weeks and last through the summer. That’s when work will be taking place on Linden Avenue when that main artery coming into town by motorists traveling east will be closed during the day, weekdays only. For east bound motorists the only access to the lower Highlands will be at On the Hook turn, under the bridge and past Bahrs Restaurant.
The good news is it appears the mayor, council, administrator and certainly the police department are all on top of the action going on with the road work on a daily basis and working hard to keep the public informed.
For background, the borough is replacing sewer mains and laterals on Bay, Gravelly Point, Ocean, Central, Beach, Waterwitch, Linden, William Ralph and North streets, and the work is being done by low bidder Roman E&G. The $8.3 million cost of all this work is being funded in part through an American Rescue Fund grant together with a low-interest loan from the NJ Infrastructure Bank.
All the preparations, studies, application for funds and other paperwork were started in 2019. But is has all been slowed down for any number of reasons. Covid happened, creating problems in securing necessary workers and equipment, Roman itself faced a few issues in the supply chain, and then there was the County dictum, since Bay and Linden Avenues are county roads.
It appears whichever county officials oversee when roads can be repaired, doesn’t look at the inconvenience it costs local businesses or residents or even visitors. It appears that way since the County has a moratorium on working on county roads from December through March.
So even though Highlands, Roman and the necessary equipment was all set to go months ago, so most of the work could be completed before the summer season that brings in so many more people and so much more activity for local businesses, the work could not be started because of the County rule on tearing up its roads.
That means the work that could have been completed before the summer season that is so important to Highlands businesses really begins, will now be ongoing during the borough’s busiest time of year.
While Linden and Waterwitch avenues will certainly be impacted for motorists, there will be no problems through the end of the school year for those youngsters who walk to school. The crossing guards are as well informed and kept up to date on all the necessary precautions as always, and parents can be assured their children will continue to be safe walking to school.
While motorists and the business community should pay attention to the latest news on what’s happening, the current schedule for the next week calls for the mainline work continuing on Beach Blvd, once that’s done, the work crew will move on over to Waterwitch Avenue and start from the bottom, heading up the hill. At the same time, a lateral crew will start to install laterals on Central Avenue, and right now a mainline crew is installing an 18-inch pipe on North St. While all that is going on, deep wells are still being installed along Bay Avenue.
Borough Administrator Michael Muscillo continues to advise residents and visitors to pay attention to the latest updates, both online and on posted signage. since weather can impact the two-week schedules Roman puts out regularly to keep the public informed of which areas are impacted and how.
At the same time, the administrator is working with the contractor on revising schedules, with the plan for crews to be working longer hours Monday through Thursday, working towards limited disruptions Fridays through Sundays throughout the summer.
“Both our Administrator and Chief of Police are working on a daily basis with the contractor to ensure the least amount of disruption for everyone,” Mayor Carolyn Broullon said. “This is work that is essential to be completed and is really the first time any of these sewer lines have been replaced since they were first installed a century ago. The timing is making it particularly difficult for our businesses but that is out of our control,” she said.
Both the Mayor and Council Members commended residents for their patience in seeing the road work being completed, and urged their support of local businesses who may be adversely impacted by the road work and detours.
Volunteer Fireman and Public Works Director James Phillips laid out a thorough and comprehensive in-depth presentation on the borough volunteer department’s present fire fighting apparatus, its age, life expectancy and needs to the Mayor and Council and the public at the council meeting Thursday night.
The presentation is near the beginning of the recording of the May11 council meeting on the borough’s official webpage, available under recordings at ahnj.com.
In a presentation that Phillips made in his dress firemen’s uniform, both on the wide screen he had earlier set up behind the council table on the dais, and in person, the firefighter first noted the number of volunteers, fire chief and former chiefs who were in the audience in support of the showing of their reasons why they are requesting action to consider a new fire truck. Phillips noted the department has been working on the specifications for many months, cited the number of fires calls the volunteers make in a year, together with all the other times they are called to assist with flooding, other hazards, traffic control and other areas where their assistance is requested. He noted the borough has always maintained a 4 rating, which is good he said for a small municipality, and identified each of the pieces of equipment that is used and for what emergencies.
Phillips also gave the age for each piece of equipment, and noted they range from 29 to 37 years; some were purchased used from other departments, and the borough’s ladder truck is the newest of all the equipment. However, he also pointed out that between ordering new equipment and having it delivered takes two to three years of building time, giving that as his reason for council to act soon on the request. The average age of the current department apparatus is 31 years.
The new equipment would be purchased by the borough rather than the fire department, he said, a change from the present ownership of the other equipment.
A new vehicle, properly maintained, could be in service for 30 years, he said as well as outlining all the study that has gone into the borough’s topography, new construction, water system, and other areas that impact the type of equipment that is best suited for the borough.
Acquisition of a municipally owned fire vehicle would also reduce insurance costs and would enhance the safety issues for firefighters, always an uppermost consideration.
The department has received quotes from 14 different manufacturers, he said, and has considered electric powered vehicles as well. However, the cost of electric vehicles the firemen deemed too expensive for the borough to purchase.
Phillips also used the opportunity to address the governing body and the public to express the need for more volunteer firemen and noted “it’s a lot of work” considering the numbers of drills, amount of training and volunteer workload, but urged all interested persons to contact him directly, or stop at the fire house, or contact any member.
The study done by the department also includes a variety of funding options he suggested to the governing body and said that if approved within a short time, delivery of a new vehicle would probably not happen until 2026.
The governing body congratulated and thanked Phillips for the comprehensive presentation and indicated it would consider the possibility of a purchase and have something to report on it at the next council meeting May 25.
With all this crazy, insane stuff and waste of time and money that is going on with the whole regionalization thing, let’s not forget some of the great things that are happening in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands these days. From Prayers on the Porch, the Police, events at the senior center and the library … these are just some of the things that make me happy
The Prayers on the Porch that was started by Mayor Loretta Gluckstein, not as an elected official, just as a caring friend and neighbor, and a few other prayerful people two years ago celebrated its second anniversary Tuesday night once again at that beautiful grass front on Ocean blvd. with many folks both new to the informal program as well as those who have attended from the beginning joining in prayer for continued success and so many other things. These people of all religions are showing how important prayer is, no matter what religion, and it is inspiring to see all draw together to shower praise on neighbors, thanksgiving for leadership and hope for the future of the borough, the state, and the nation, as well as the world. The group was especially mindful of mothers this Mothers Day weekend, be they young, afraid, scared, worried, older, ignored or loved, moms of deceased loved children, or every other woman who wishes to become a mom. I was particularly grateful for prayers for grandmas as well, and two generations of women who have offspring in the military. The next prayers on the porch will be June 6, another time we are sorely in need of prayer…..But all are invited.. prayers never heard anyone. This makes me happy
Also to be congratulated are all the great folks who put together the program at the Seniors Center Tuesday. Combine the talents of great men like Roy Dellosso, Gene Hennefy and Tommy Stone, couple them with the organization and support of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s office and the county office for the elderly and military, who put together the program, issued the evacuation care bags and brought employees to help explain and fill out the necessary paperwork, and you get the feeling the folks of Atlantic Highlands will be secure and protected should any emergency arrive. The bags with all the necessities for an emergent move or evacuation for everyone who attended the initial session at the Seniors Center are great. The staff and volunteers made sure information would be available for those seniors who are too infirm nor incapable of attending to be sure they would also be registered for special care in the event of an emergency. Great to see Councilwoman Eileen Cusick right in there asking all the necessary questions to be sure her seniors are taken care of. This makes me happy.
Also great to know the local Police will be keeping tabs on Ocean Boulevard. Arriving at the Prayers on the Porch on Ocean Boulevard just at the same time one of Sea Streaks boats was letting off its dozens of passengers, it was a shock to realize just how busy Ocean Boulevard to Grand Ave has become, and how so many of those commuter motorists are simply tearing up Ocean to hit Grand and move on to other destinations with no care for this borough’s residents . Feel certain the AH Police are keeping tabs on speeds, and careful driving, but surprised at the increase of traffic along the road. I can remember only a few months ago when folks complained about expanding parking for a few cars on the boulevard because it is a Scenic Drive, but are now experiencing city-like traffic at commuter hours tearing through their streets. Heck, parking along Ocean Boulevard would have been so much nicer, easier, quieter, and a salvation for some serious parking problems in town.
Love the programs offered for youngsters of all ages at the Atlantic Highlands library where such a variety is offered on a regular basis. Love using local talent to present them as well. Next Thursday’s visit (May 18) by the owner of Feed and Seed in Highlands, who also happens to the Highlands Mayor, Carolyn Broullon, will give kids some great ideas on their responsibilities as pet owners,. The mayor will give some tips on how to care for pets, regardless of whether they’re fish, hamsters, birds of dogs, and remind the kids there are specific responsibilities involved with pet ownership, something every parent will love having his youngster learn. That is the 3:15 program on May 18, and the following week at the same time, May 25, it will be veteran Bill Pointon talking about what it’s like to the in the US Coast Guard. This makes me happy
Also love that 34th annual PBA Ball coming up at the Shore Casino May 26. Understand tickets are going fast, and the women putting together all those great auction ideas are outdoing themselves this year, thanks to their ingenuity and the generosity of local businesses and families. It’s not too late to donate your own auction item either. Call Judy Grasso at 732-539-2613 for information or drop gift donations off at her home on E. Highlands Avenue. Heck, they’d even have someone pick it up if you’d prefer.
Wonderful to see proceeds from the Ball will benefit the Police Explorers Post, which has come a long way since it was first started and is a terrific program for teens. This makes me happy
And in spite of all the road closing going on and planning to be continuing in Highlands, it’s worth the trip just to see how gorgeous The Girls Café looks for its summer season. Mikey has outdone himself this year in creating the outdoor dining space, and the Girls tell me there’s extra help coming in this week to be sure of quick service when all those tables are filled with happy diners. Looks like even the plants and flowers love the Girls Café.
Award winning editor and writer Steven Schwankert will open the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society’s Speaker Series Wednesday, May 17, at the Strauss Mansion Museum, Prospect Circle.
Schwankert will highlight the history of Simon Lake, a mechanical engineer and naval architect who was at the forefront in creating the first submarine, as well as many other models afterwards.
The first sub, Argonaut 1, is replicated at the Municipal Harbor and dates to the 1800s. Lake obtained more than 200 patents for his engineering inventions during his lifetime.
The lecture will begin at 7:30 and is open to all at no cost, though donations for preservation of the Strauss Mansion Museum and continuation of Society programs are always gratefully accepted.
Music at the Mansion also begins its seasonal program on Friday, May 19, when Nancy Scharff will present a variety of music ranging from Broadway show tunes, to both classical and popular songs. The soloist will also honor Armed Forces Day with a variety of patriotic tunes, encouraging audience participation.
This event also begins at 7:30 p.m. and is held outdoors on the Strauss Mansion Museum grounds. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased now on the website at www.ahhistory.org/gift-shop or at the Museum the evening of the event. Attendees are invited to bring their own lawn chairs and liquid refreshments to celebrate the start of a new season of outdoor entertainment.
Though a local artist of renown, Scharff is also a soloist who has appeared at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and has a talent that includes presentation of music in a variety of genres.
Guests to all events or visits to the Museum are always invited to bring a non-perishable item or baby product for donation to the Atlantic Highlands Food Pantry.
In addition to the Speaker Series and Music at the Mansion, , the June program of events for the Historical Society also includes Paranormal at the Mansion on June 24, with a limited number of tickets available for this unique event with paranormal investigators.
If you ask Noel the smiling personable operations manager and historian for the Twin Lights Historical Society, she doesn’t have to think for a nanosecond before bursting out with one of those friendly smiles, “I’ve just had the best of all worlds. I’ve done things I’ve only dreamed I would do.”
That outgoing and vivacious operations manager at the historic state site is Noel Dempsey, one of the Dempsey clan of Highlands that is synonymous with the Twin Lights and has been for generations before Noel. She has just taken it a few steps further and learned more about her family, her town, and the Twin Lights that wasn’t far from her own backyard when she was growing up in Highlands.
A graduate of Henry Hudson Regional school, Noel always felt a draw towards history. When she graduated from Rutgers University it was with a degree in history and English. She went to graduate School at New York University and earned her degree in Experimental humanities, which means she studied journalism, history, and English among other subjects, and she wrote her thesis on analyzing fiction!
The daughter of Peter and Holly Dempsey, Peter being one of the ten children of Mary and Earl who lived just below the Twin Lights on Highland avenue, Holly from not very far away in Leonardo, Noel learned about a possible state internship at the Twin Lights from her dad, who had spoken with a ranger who knew the Twin Lights had an opening for an intern. She applied, was accepted, and for more than a year has been fortunate enough to intern under Park Ranger and historian Nick Woods. From there she was offered and accepted the position with the Twin Light’s nonprofit historical society, the perfect opportunity for a young woman who yearns for a career that includes teaching others the unique and important history of the Garden State.
Noel looks back on her internship days under Wood as the best experience she could possibly have in learning history. “He is intense,” she smiled, recalling his dedication to perfection and ensuring all facts are well supported before approval for any project. “He knows so much history and is so willing to share it,” she said, “and can explain it in a way that you realize how important it is.” Now working for the Society with Wood as the historian for the state historic site, , she can capitalize on all he taught her during her internship, and she can use that knowledge to show and tell others the importance of the Twin Lights in the history of not only the borough, but the state and nation as well.
And talking to the thousands who come to the Twin Lights is what Noel likes best! “I love it when people ask me things, and want to learn more, “she said, “and I love it when they tell me their own stories about why they visit the Twin Lights and why it is important or fascinating in their own lives.”
During her internship, Noel also worked on several projects under Wood’s guidance, including creating the display for Schenk’s Tavern, a popular meeting place in Highlands in generations past. She also did considerable research and signage for the oil house, one of the other buildings at the state museum site, as well as research and signage work for Gallery 1, the portion of the museum which includes a lot of Highlands’ history.
‘’Nick also had me make a table,” she giggles, remembering the struggle she had in hammering, putting together, painting, and finishing the table. “I think that was my first and only table I’ll ever make,” she laughs.
Noel said surprisingly, she also learned many things about her own family she had not known. For instance, a relative from a couple of generations ahead of her, Clara Dempsey, was the president of the Twin Lights Historical Society during the 20th century. Another relative even brought one of Clara’s photo albums with photos and stories that will now be part of the museum’s archives. Her siblings, cousins and other family members have also filled her in on family stories that include the Twin Lights and what it meant growing up beneath it as she herself did in the 21st century..
Archive work was also another challenge for Noel, though one she particularly loved. Prior to the Twin Lights internship, she had also interned with the New Brunswick archives where she got her first understanding of how that phase of historic preservation operates. A stickler for detail l herself, she is especially appreciative of Wood’s talent and dedication to perfection at this site.
Meeting, greeting and sharing stories with others is probably the best part of her job, Noel thinks, though she can’t find any part of it she doesn’t thoroughly enjoy. Volunteers impress her the most.
“I just so appreciate all the talent that each of these volunteers brings to the Twin Lights,” she said, “to think there are so many people who volunteer their time and talents out of love for the museum itself and history in general is so wonderful and so helpful to others. I’ve learned a lot about how difficult it is for non-profit groups to operate at the high standards they set for themselves, and it simply would not be possible without volunteers.”
On the other hand, volunteers appreciate the opportunity to use their talents, she agreed. As an example, the Twin Lights currently has close to 20 volunteers who rotate throughout the summer season or for some, year-round. Last month, when the Society held a Volunteers Day to honor them, the Society also invited anyone interested in volunteering to stop in and talk with volunteers and see what it’s like. “Apparently many were impressed by our great workers,” Noel beamed, “we met another eight people who want to volunteer here after undergoing training. And each one of them is going to be great, too!”
In meeting visitors, Noel likes to know what brought them to the lighthouse and has learned they have come from every continent…” well, I’m not sure of Antarctica,” she laughed, “and from every state in the Union. There are those visitors who come because they have a love for visiting lighthouses across the country; others come because they know some of the history or were here on a school trip as a youngster. Some come because they’ve seen the various logos and photos of the Twin Lights at businesses throughout downtown Highlands and are drawn to it. Still more see the “castle on the hill” when they visit Sandy Hook and seek it out themselves. Some come simply for the spectacular view from the front of the lighthouse, or for the opportunity to climb one or both towers. Some come simply because it’s a very pretty, peaceful and restful place. Some come because they are descendants or have heard stories about lighthouse keepers here and want to see it for themselves, or because they want to know the history of the Coast Guard and the lifesaving service that preceded it.
And yes, others come to plan their wedding ceremonies in the lighthouse or on the grounds overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
What is the hardest part of her job? Noel only takes a second to narrow that down as well. “There’s nothing hard about what I do, because it’s all fascinating and I love having something new to learn,” she said, “but the biggest challenge is not having enough hours in the day to do everything I want and learn everything I need to learn. I love having to always be learning something.”
In her future, Noel sees herself continuing to work at historic sites in New Jersey, learning more about herself and being in a position to share New Jersey history with others. She is an avid reader, though for relaxation, it isn’t history or biographies she reads. It’s fiction for relaxation. And she does this with her dog, Olive, a lab mix with a lot of energy that keeps her on her toes. “But I’m learning to knit, too!” she exclaims.
Now with grad school behind her, Noel admits she is looking for other hobbies that will let her relax but still learn.
She certainly gets exercise. Since she grew up below the lights and visited there often as a child, she can’t count the number of times she has climbed one or both towers. But these days, she’s up at least one of them every day. She loves the South Tower on a stormy night, or the North tower when the moon is full because as a photographer, “these are beautiful sights.”
And as for her experience at the Twin Lights, both as a state intern and later as a manager for a non-profit society: “It has changed my life., I never believed I can be in a field I only hoped that I could ever get in.”
While some might say it is a strange way of spending a celebratory weekend, for me it was an amazing firsthand glimpse into Civil War history through the eyes of the reenactors.
Even more than that, it was an opportunity to be present for a reenactment of one of the most successful Confederate victories, though also one of the bloodiest battles of the war that changed the nation.
Because of the thoughtfulness of one historian, and the generosity and willingness to share the love and pride in their Virginia ancestors of a dozen other men, the reencators, all incredibly knowledgeable and determined, I literally got to experience seven of the 12 miles of General Stonewall Jackson’s Flank March of 1863.
Even better, while these men in their Civil War uniforms marched the seven miles through the Wilderness, their Southern gentility enabled me to cover the route with them in one of the two safety equipment trucks that always escorts them in reenactments such as this.
It was the Third unit of the Army of the Potomac under General Fighting Joe Hooker who had crossed the Rappahannock River, and headed into this battle, a battle which also marked the only time Hooker had been commander. General Robert E. Lee, a brilliant statistician and West Point graduate second in his class and later Superintendent, had General Stonewall Jackson and his troops attack the North in the Wilderness in Jackson’s Flank March wonderfully followed and mapped by the National Park Service.
The reenactors who so generously permitted me to ride along for their march over dirt roads, through lush forests and open fields, got together at the Chancellorsville Visitor Center on federal trust lands to begin the seven-mile march organized by Daniel Myers, a railroad conductor by profession and a reenactor for seven years, coming from Carolina County for this particular Flank March.
He does it, he explains calmly and sincerely, because “15 of my ancestors wore grey,” one of them was wounded and two more died. “Every citizen has to sacrifice,” he explained, then thought deeply for a moment before adding, “and those who start wars have to fight them.”
Sgt. Myers 12th Virginia Company B was on the Flank March along with Company C. One of the reasons it was held on this particular date was to also honor the memory of General Micah Jenkins, the officer who was at Gen.Jackson’s side when both were hit by gunshot, in the darkness of night; Jackson lost his arm that night, and died from his wounds days later, but Jenkins, a graduate of the South Carolina Military Academy, now the Citadel in Charleston, SC, and first in his class, was killed May 6, 1863.
The 12th Virginia Regiment was comprised of men primarily from the Petersburg area, though some came from other areas of southeastern Virginia. They fought with the Army of Northern Virginia after being organized shortly after the 1861 start of the War and participated in numerous conflicts including the Wilderness; they were involved in the months long Siege of Petersburg and the conclusion of the Appomattox Campaign, the final days of the war before General Lee surrendered to Grant at the Appomattox Court House in April 1865.
The reenactment also included men from Company H of the 44th and Company I of the 47th Virginia Regiment .Like each of the men on the reenactment march, there is no anger over the war, more a remembrance of what their ancestors….and so many of these men know so much about their Civil War ancestry…. believed, fought for, and accepted. Several explained to me that the war was not necessarily fought over slavery; for some of the soldiers and their families fought to preserve the Union, others because their homes were burned or their families were in danger; some fought because their brothers, their fathers, their sons or their cousins were in it and they felt an obligation to be beside them as well.
If there is any one lesson, I learned from each of these very intense, dedicated, and Civil War schooled reenactors, it is their pride in their ancestry, the importance they each place on protecting the history of those who plowed the fields, hunted the lands or built the homes where they live and enjoy life today. They have a distinct purpose in reenacting those battles, skirmishes, marches, and other phases of the Civil war….it is to learn more, know more, and therefore appreciate more about what the 19th century men and their families went through. They have learned how they fought, how they marched, the equipment they used, the skills they had and the importance they placed on protecting their homeland and continuing their pride in their ancestry.
Stack Arms
Last week’s march, more than half of the Flank March’s 12 miles, included two rest stops, both done in military style, with the men properly stacking their rifles and resting while Sgt Myers continued with more statistics and information on what was going on in May of 1863. The march took approximately two and a half hours, including two rest stops., and a final discussion of the day’s events before most got together for a late lunch. Many also headed to another location to see another group of Civil War reenactors celebrating another phase of Civil War history complete with the women in 18th century dress, the men in uniforms of varying companies. At that event, tents were lined up orderly for the overnight stay and other tents were set up out on the outskirts selling a variety of uniforms, hats and campaign memorabilia in a festive and social afternoon of American history.
Some soles didn’t make it. Private Holt’s brogan (shoe)
That the Civil War long before their own time has impacted these men of the 21st century is not only understandable but admirable in their dedication to remembering a war that tore apart a country family by family. Their ancestors were indeed an intricate part of it…there were 108 different battles fought in Petersburg alone over a period of nine months; these men want to remember all the sacrifices of the war and want to pass on that history to their children and grandchildren so all will always remember how the nation founded just short of 100 years before survived disagreements and hostilities and moved forward.
As one of the younger participants in the 2023 Flank March explained when asked why he took a day to join with the others for the march said he was with the reenactors for a lecture on Petersburg some time ago and found it interesting. “So now I’m back,”: he said, “because I get to walk through history.”
For me, it was all of that and more. It was time to learn more from some of the reenactors on the march I accompanied, including Capt. Bill Russell, Shawn Johnson, Rick Miller and Jackson Canady from the 47th regiment, Scott Ratliff from the 44th, and Sgt. Myers and his men from the 12th Regiment, Chris Dobrilovic-Holt, Joseph Williams, Levi Dunnington, Ben Barrett, Jimmy Fowler, Sam Watkins, Jody Maury, and the man that made it possible for me to be along for all the event, Randy Watkins, a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the Civil War.
Daniel Myers Sgt Co B 12th Virginia Infantry
But that’s another story about the next day when he escorted and taught me through more 18th century history in Virginia.
