The Highlands Department was credited with saving a good portion of Sea Drift Avenue in March 1943, when a fire destroyed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Grover Mount.
Capt. Bill Kohlenbush headed up the volunteer firemen who were called to the scene 9:30 a.m. that morning by the fire already blazing throughout the Mount home. The couple and their three children all managed to escape the building safely and were able to save some of their furniture. However, the building was completely destroyed when fire raced through the roof of the two story structure and firemen were forced to recede and fight the blaze from outside.
The volunteers’ quick action and constant attention prevented the fire from spreading to the houses on either side of the Mount home, not more than four and seven feet from the burning structure.
It is believed the cause of the fire was defective wiring. Ralph Coleman was Fire Chief at the time.
It’s the season of Lent, the 40 days before Easter where many people abstain from eating meat one day a week and turn to fish as a substitute. That has an added benefit…fish is wonderful for eye protection and eye health. Salmon is my favorite.
All fish contain the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA long since proven to improve eye health. Both acids help decrease any eye inflammation.
But it’s cold water fish that have the most protective effects against aging macular degeneration,. These includes salmon, sardines, mackerel and even rainbow trout.
Here is a recipe using roasted salmon with other great eye health fruits and vegetables, mango and red pepper.
Roasted Salmon with Melon Salsa
4 salmon fillets (frozen or fresh) 1 Tbsp olive oil salt and pepper
Melon Salsa:
1 cup cantaloupe, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 red pepper (cut in 1/4-inch cubes)
1 green onion, chopped finely
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
zest of 1 lime plus 1 Tbls. Lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven broiler to 400 degrees
Line a cooking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place fish fillets on the sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on each fillet.
Place in oven for 5-10 minutes, or until brown on the top and cooked throughout.
While the salmon is cooking, prepare the salsa:
Mix together cantaloupe, green onion, red pepper and cilantro. Season with a little salt and pepper if desired.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime zest and lime juice.
Pour dressing over salsa and mix to combine.
When salmon is ready, place one fillet on each plate and spoon one quarter of the salsa on top. Serve with a green salad and brown rice or baked potato.
This recipe is equally good substituting either peaches or papaya for the cantaloupe.
An internationally recognized human rights defender, Smith has chaired hundreds of congressional hearings over the years exposing human rights violations across the globe and has authored landmark legislation to promote respect for fundamental human rights and religious freedom while holding abusers accountable for their atrocities.
Unconcerned about any possible ramifications to either herself or her family, an Atlantic Highlands resident has written the three boards of education. The crux of her letter? Stop focusing on regionalization and get their minds on the current academics in the Henry Hudson tri-district. Her concerns were many.
It did not do her any good expressing her concerns to the elected officials who pay the $180,000+ salary of the superintendent about whom she is complaining. At least one board representative wrote back acknowledging receipt of the letter. However, instead of giving her any assistance, the letter told her to bring the matter to the superintendent.
The letter was asking for help, not only for students, which should be one the board’s concerns, but for teachers in the district as well.
The letter writer was speaking as a parent, she explained, voicing concerns “about the changes that have been made while Dr. Beams has been superintendent and the implication of these changes on the students and my own children.”
If you were a board member, wouldn’t that get your attention?
The parent has lived in Atlantic Highlands for ten years, has four children in the school, two at Henry Hudson, two at the Atlantic Highlands Elementary. She’s been active in school activities throughout the years she said, and has always been pleased with the education, describing the school as “the best place for my children.”
Not so much now. As she voiced concerns about curriculum and schedule changes. Changes that affect students both now and in the future. She can compare things from the past and the present because of personal experience, she explained…the difference in the local school., for instance, between the time her oldest attended and now when her younger children are there. The present fares poorly.
The Challenge Program is one example, the concerned parent went on. That was a program that encouraged and challenged children to work at an accelerated pace. But now that program is gone for some reason. It’s been replaced by Excelerate, one far less satisfactory to the parent of a child who thrived in the Challenge program.
Wouldn’t you think that would get a Board of Education’s attention? At least raise curiosity?
The parent acknowledged the vision for education does fall on the superintendent. But replacing Challenge with something less challenging doesn’t adequately prepare some students for middle school.
For board members who perhaps do not know about the Challenge program or its benefits, the parent went into a deeper explanation and gave her own family as an example.
“In the past, she wrote, 4th – 6th graders were taken out of their class for ELA and Math. They had an accelerated curriculum. This enabled the main homeroom teacher to teach those subjects to a much smaller group of students.” That was great she said. She “felt confident that my child who fell in the middle would now be in a smaller class that focused the curriculum at an appropriate level and pace.”
Sounds reasonable, she said, explaining that while she is neither an administrator nor in the education field, “I think it’s very obvious to see the effects of this change. Having 20 students of varying levels learning math together vs the alternative of the curriculum being able to be assessed based on level and much smaller groups of students is clearly not a positive change.”
Wouldn’t you think that would get a board member’s attention? She challenged the members. “How does this support the teachers to also succeed?” It shows “a failure in leadership to the teachers and students, “ she said.
That, also, didn’t pique an interest.
Aside from that, another concern of this parent is the focus on test scores in the older grades, even though drastic changes were made to what the teachers were asked to teach.
So she asked another question. “How does the decision of the superintendent to not have the teachers teach in the area in which they are highly qualified benefit anyone?”
As background, she focused on her own experience again. When her older children attended elementary school, there were five teachers in 5th and 6th grades. Each able to focus on the subject they were he or she was best suited to teach. A dedicated science teacher in the science lab, and math, social studies, language and writing teachers in their specialized fields.
Now, that isn’t the case anymore. The writer says one teacher is being asked to teach all of these subjects. Many of those teacher have never taught some of the subjects before.
Another question that she posed to the board members: Why are the strengths of the teachers not being utilized? It leaves students ill prepared to handle middle school and the changing of classes throughout the day.
The Boards are aware that 30 staff members have left the district since Dr. Beams became administrator two years ago. Wouldn’t you think the Boards would wonder whether having fewer teachers could be the result of that? Isn’t that at least worth looking into?
There were more questions, more complaints, more suggestions and more examples in the letter. All of which will be addressed in another column.
For now, it appears the parent is on to something. Why is there a focus on regionalization? A subject which the boards of education have said little but on which the superintendent is front and center? Why does a series of concerns like this fail to raise an eyebrow among elected board members? A series of question from a parent with four children in the schools? Wouldn’t it be prudent to raise concerns about the Superintendent, to someone other than the Superintendent? A bit un-realistic for Board members to expect she should take her complaints about the Superintendent, to the Superintendent. Shouldn’t she raise the issue to the ones who pay her salary?
Carrying on its tradition of an annual Memorial Mass for deceased members of the Council, the Knights of Columbus had a mass offered at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Saturday. The Mass was held in memory of the late Peter Viscomi and Frank Rahm as well as all deceased members of the Rev. Joseph Donnelly Council 11660.
Mr. Rahm, a longtime member of the Knights, died last month. Mr. Viscomi, a charter member of the Council, died last week. His funeral is at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Mr. Viscomi was one of the first members of the Council when it was formed at OLPH at the suggestion of the former pastor, John Dombroski. Through the years, both he and Mr. Rahm volunteered for the numerous events, fund raisers and activities of the Council. The Council which has expanded and grown through the years and encompasses men from several Bayshore towns.
Mike Napolitano, Grand Knight of the Council, said that the Memorial Mass was attended by many members of the Knights and their wives. This annual Memorial Mass enables the Council to meet in prayer as well as thanksgiving for all the Knights in the Council throughout the years since it was first formed. The Rev. Jarlath Quinn, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help St Agnes Parish, celebrated the Mass.
Invitation
Napolitano also issued another invitation to any Catholic men in the area who would like to be members of the Council. The Council meets the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Meetings a held in the Knights room at the former Our Lady of Perpetual Help School on Highland ave, in Highlands. The Knights also host a weekly Rosary on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. at St. Agnes Church, Atlantic Highlands. That Rosary is continued from May through September at the outdoor grotto at St. Agnes.
For further information on the Knights of Columbus, contact Napolitano at 862-368-0801.
The Shore Casino is doing Saint Patrick’s again, so get your reservations in early!
Remember that St. Patrick’s Day event last year? Remember the Irish Dancers, the music, those Irish Step Dancers and bagpipers? To say nothing of great food and of course wonderful drinks and location?
Well, it’s happening again, a Saint Patrick’s celebration at the Shore Casino.
This Saint Patrick’s event is set for Saturday night, March 18, and tickets are $60 a person with a cash bar for your favorite libations. Both Jay Strebb and his Wonderful-to-be-Irish mother Kathleen Sweeney will on hand to meet and greet all the guests, with Kathleen perhaps spinning a tale or two about growing up on the old sod!
There will be live music by Irish Kevin and Round the House Band with a special performance by Authentic Irish Step Dancers, plus AOH & CBA Bagpipers.
Reservations are a must to ensure there’s room, and doors will open at 6 p.m… Call 732-291-4300 and let Jay and the crew know you’ll be there.
Former Atlantic Highlands Mayor Mike Harmon, a 33-year member of the Monmouth County Parks Commission, and a friend and associate of the late Jim Truncer, offered his own thoughts and words at the passing of the Monmouth County Parks Executive Director.
In referring to an outstanding interview conducted by Flora Higgins 20 years ago with Mr. Truncer, Harmon pointed out “For me the following section of that interview is something I think is a good lesson in leadership and grace. It shows vision and ability to look over the horizon while graciously giving credit to the County Commissioners and park staff. Jim reinforces these traits in the context of parks and they apply to any team with a worthwhile endeavor.
Question
In response to Ms. Higgins question to Truncer “ If you had any advice that you would like to leave to people who will be hearing or reading this interview in fifty, seventy-five, or one hundred years, what kind of advice would you like to give?
The visionary director explained “I guess I’d say that what happens today was thought about and was based on what somebody did twenty years ago, good and bad, and I think you have to think of that horizon of twenty plus years. If we don’t, opportunities are lost, and it’s a very difficult thing to do. People are accustomed to thinking in terms of their immediate needs and what’s happening now, and not thinking in terms of what we need to do today to prepare for what may inevitably happen twenty years from now.”
Follow Up
Ms. Higgins followed up with her belief that “certainly our park system has had the benefit of your foresight, commitment, and expertise.
Over his 58 years as the Monmouth County Parks Director, Mr. Truncer had increasingly heard this type of glowing compliment. After all under Jim’s guidance, the Park System expanded from 350 acres on three parks to more than 18,000 acres of park land, which includes 37 parks, six golf courses and 148 miles of trails. The Monmouth County Park System had 8.7 million visitors in 2022.
Credit
Mr. Truncer was always gracious and made the point of assigning credit to those who deserved to be recognized and thanked and he responded, “You’re very kind to say that, and I appreciate that, and I would again say that we have been very fortunate to have had support from our Monmouth County Commissioners (then called Freeholders) who have really been interested in seeing these things happen. Without that support they just won’t happen, and we all realize that. The other is our ability to attract and retain highly qualified professional people who certainly don’t work here because of the salary, they work here because they want to do a good professional job, and that’s been very beneficial to all of us.”
And that, Harmon pointed out, exemplifies the leadership and thinking of Jim Truncer who truly has led the way in making Monmouth County Parks the best in the state of New Jersey. “Mr. Truncer taught us well and for the Monmouth County residents of today, tomorrow and fifty years from now, we will carry on together. ”
Monmouth County Commissioner Lillian G. Burry was a close friend of the late James Truncer, head of the County Parks, who passed away two days ago. She received the news early in the morning Monday, President’s Day, and shared her thoughts about the natural beauty of the day and the wealth of sites Monmouth County residents can visit to recreate or relax because of Jim Truncer’s dedication and love for the County and its people. The following is her tribute to the late James Truncer.
It’s President’s Day. It’s warm and sunny and a perfect holiday for getting outside and taking the family for a walk in the park. And we have so many parks to choose from. From the beach at Seven President’s to the historic mill at Walnford there are parks within reach of everyone in Monmouth County. And I find myself thinking of our parks today because this is the day I learned Jim Truncer died.
In the history of Monmouth County many people have made important contributions but I can safely say that no one has left a greater public legacy than my dear friend Jim Truncer. Under his leadership the Monmouth County Park System attained national recognition as an agency embodying the highest standards of professionalism and public service. In these qualities it represented the virtues of the man who built this system into what it is today.
Jim was a quiet man, always polite and always professional but also unwaveringly firm in his determination to achieve and maintain the highest standards possible when it came to the public interest that he serves so proudly. I had the privilege of working closely with him for most of my years of county service and always considered it a pleasure to have him as one of the strongest leaders of our county professional family. From now on, every February, America will celebrate President’s Day. For me it will always be a day to take a walk in a county park and remember the man who made them great. To remember my friend Jim Truncer.
Medal of Honor Recipient Lance Corporal Jedh Barker USMC
Lance Corporal Jedh Colby Barker
When you hear the whole story, it is no surprise that Jedh Colby Barker is a recipient of the Medal of Honor as a United States Marine.
After all, his father was an award winning Marine during World War II. JEDH….designed by his parents for a very special reason. It is comprised of the first initials of his father’s best Marine buddies during that war… John, Ezekiel, Don and Herbert, the four men who fought alongside his father and were so close he and his wife wanted their names are memorialized in the name of his son. Jedh’s brother was also a Marine, a Major, who also served in Vietnam And Jedh himself rejected the Corps’ offer to be excused, since his brother was already there.
Early Years
But in reading Jedh’s growing up years, anyone would know from the very beginning he was Marine worthy, Marine dedicated, and Marine all the way in his ardor for the nation and his dedication to go where called.
Born in Franklin, New Hampshire, Jedh was six when the family moved to Park Ridge, New Jersey. During his high school years, he was known as an outstanding athlete, a teenager who stood for value, discipline, and doing the best he could. His high school yearbook showed he was a typical teenager in spite of all that. He was a teenager who loved having fun. The yearbook described him as their most athletic senior…he was co-captain of the football team he had served on all his high school years.
He was also handsome, “a ladies man,” the yearbook said, and a kid who loved having a good time. He also excelled on the baseball field, but football was his first love. Jedh Barker graduated from Park Ridge in 1964, went on to two years of college and while enrolled there, joined the Marine Reserves. That was June 1966; in October he left the Reserves to join the active Corps.
United States Marine Corps
After boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, Jedh also served with the Marine Air Base Squadron 21 in San Francisco, then was transferred as a machine gunner with Company F and went to Vietnam.
His brother was a Major in Vietnam at the time, and his commanding officer made it possible for the brothers to meet…three months later, Lance Corporal Jedh Barker was killed near Con Thein, Vietnam.
At the time of his death, the people in Park Ridge remembered him from his growing up and high school years and spoke not only of their grief at hearing of his death, but also that they were not surprised he was a leader and a hero. They knew him as a man who took leadership in his stride, who knew the right thing and would always do it…they remembered him on the gridiron, in the town, wherever. He was Jedh Colby Barker, a born leader.
Lance Cpl. Barker was serving with Company F,2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division (REIN) FM, on Sept. 21, 1967. When his gallantry earned him the Medal and cost his life. That was Sept. 21, 1967.
The citation on his Medal of Honor reads:
CITATION
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner with Company F. During a reconnaissance operation L/Cpl. Barker’s squad was suddenly hit by enemy sniper fire. The squad immediately deployed to a combat formation and advanced to a strongly fortified enemy position, when it was again struck by small-arms and automatic-weapons fire, sustaining numerous casualties.
Although wounded by the initial burst of fire, L/Cpl. Barker boldly remained in the open, delivering a devastating volume of accurate fire on the numerically superior force. The enemy was intent upon annihilating the small marine force and, realizing that LCpl. Barker was a threat to their position, directed the preponderance of their fire on his position. He was again wounded, this time in the right hand, which prevented him from operating his vitally needed machine gun. Suddenly and without warning, an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the few surviving marines. Unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his personal safety, L/Cpl. Barker threw himself upon the deadly grenade, absorbing with his body the full and tremendous force of the explosion. In a final act of bravery, he crawled to the side of a wounded comrade and administered first aid before succumbing to his grievous wounds.
His bold initiative, intrepid fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death undoubtedly saved his comrades from further injury or possible death and reflect great credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Presentation
The Medal of Honor was presented at the White House to his family, parents, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews in attendance, on Oct. 31, 1969, by Vice President Spiro T. Agnew.
It was President Richard Nixon who was scheduled to present the Medal of Honor to the family. But he was called to other official duty at the same time. So President Nixon sent an apology and invitation to the family. And the next week, they came back from their New Jersey home to have lunch at the White House with the President of the United States.
Today., Lance CPL. Carter is remembered in the state of his birth, Franklin, NH., where the Massachusetts Chapter of the Third Marine Division Association placed a plaque in the Franklin Borough Hall along with the VFW Post 1698 and its Auxiliary to honor his birth place. Park Ridge, New Jersey American Legion Post 153 changed its name to the Jedh Barker Post 153. His name is engraved in the Vietnam Wall in Washington, DC, and in 1976, the US Marine Corps named Barker Hall at Quantico, Virginia in his honor.
Lance LCpl Carter is buried at George Washington Memorial Cemetery in Paramus, NJ.
The Girls Cafe – Just the idea the countdown until The Girls Cafe opens again makes me happy. Cathy, Vera, Charlie and the rest of that wonderful crew will be back with doors open at The Girls Café on Wednesday, March 1 and we’ve already made our reservation to ensure we get in for our regular Sunday Start-the-day- Right Breakfast! Happy also that Augie has been able to survive this long, is not seeing a psychiatrist, and can hold out for another eight days for his Girls Café Fix!
Also like the store windows at the Mayor’s Pet Shop on Bay Avenue in Highlands. It’s crammed full of lots of local news and events. In addition to the calendar on borough meetings and activities, there are flyers there for a Cornhole Tourney Feb. 25 at the Port Monmouth VFW, the Blessing and Beyond event on March 10, the Backyard Farmer event on April 1 sponsored by the 4-H group, and of course lots of information on the town’s wonderful Police Explorer group. We in both Highlands and Atlantic Highlands don’t realize how much these teens in both towns do for others and learn for themselves with the outstanding leaders both posts have in their respective police departments. They’re both standouts and are always open for new membership among teens.
Then at the Little Laundry on Bay and Huddy, you always meet the nicest people, both the employees and the customers. Everyone seems so much cheerier than you’d expect from folks doing this weekly chore, but they all make it seem fun and enjoyable. And it’s clean and inviting as well.
Won’t be long before construction on yet another group of apartments will be getting underway, this on the former Twin Lights Tavern property across from the liquor store and The Girls Café on Bay Avenue. Think it’s going to be retail on the first floor, and apartments above, but haven’t researched it yet.. Right now, it’s a very attractive looking little park. Just hope we’re not concreting over so much ground that floodwaters won’t be able to dissipate naturally and quickly!
