All are invited to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Sunday, January, 12 for the Blessing of the Bells which will take place immediately following the 9:30 mass, or approximately 10:30.
The long time bells that had rung for many years at the church on Navesink Avenue but have been quiet in recent years because of disrepair have been repaired and are functioning.
Repairs, renovations and improvements to the tones that ring daily at 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. were completed through the generosity of a parishioner of OLPH St Agnes parish who requested the work be completed in memory and in honor of her parents.
All are also invited to attend the monthly breakfast sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, Reverend Joseph Donnelly Council, being held in the parish school gym immediately following the ceremony.
New Jersey Assembly members Gerry Scharfenberger and Vicky Flynn announce their campaign for re-election to the State Assembly in New Jersey’s 13th Legislative District. With a proven record of fighting for Monmouth County’s values, Flynn and Scharfenberger remain steadfast in their commitment to public safety, fiscal responsibility, and effective representation in Trenton, they said in their press release announcing the start of their campaign for the June primary and November elections.
Flynn and Scharfenberger were the first to take decisive action addressing the rise in crime, championing legislation to combat car thefts and home invasions and demanding law enforcement be provided the tools to fight this uptick in crime. Their leadership has set the standard for keeping Monmouth County families safe.
Assemblywoman Victoria A. Flynn (R)
“In these challenging times, Monmouth County residents deserve leaders who won’t back down when it comes to protecting our communities,” said Flynn. “We’ve been the voice in Trenton fighting for fair educational funding to ensure our schools and taxpayers aren’t left scrambling due to state aid cuts. We have stood strong against reckless overdevelopment that burdens our communities and threatens the quality-of-life Monmouth County families deserve. Seeking re-election as one of the strongest legislative teams in Trenton will allow us to continue delivering real results for Monmouth County.”
Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R)
The pair have also been tireless advocates for affordability, standing firmly against tax increases, fare hikes for commuters, and government overreach. They have been vocal opponents of unfunded housing mandates, raising the alarm about how these reckless policies will strain local resources and disrupt responsible growth. Flynn and Scharfenberger remain committed to preserving Monmouth County’s character and ensuring that personal freedoms are protected from intrusive government policies.
Flynn and Scharfenberger have been staunch supporters of law enforcement, ensuring police officers have the resources and support they need to do their jobs effectively and safely. They have consistently opposed policies out of Trenton that place unnecessary restrictions or burdens on law enforcement, standing firmly with those who put their lives on the line every day.
“As Republicans, we understand the values and priorities of Monmouth County,” said Scharfenberger. “We’ve fought against reckless spending, dangerous overdevelopment, and policies that hurt hardworking families. We’ll continue fighting to preserve the quality of life that makes our county a great place to live. Supporting law enforcement, advocating for fair educational funding, and defending personal freedoms are key to keeping our communities safe and strong.”
The Assembly duo feel they have earned the trust of Monmouth County residents by also focusing on what matters in The Assembly what matters for safer neighborhoods, smarter governance, and defending the interests of communities in Trenton. With endorsements from trusted local leaders and organizations throughout District 13, their campaign has built a coalition dedicated to safeguarding the interests of our communities.
Legislative DistrictLegislative District Legislative District New Jersey’s 13th Legislative District New Jersey’s 13th Legislative District New Jersey’s 13th Legislative District
WASHINGTON—With the strong support and vote of Congressman Chris Smith the House of Representatives passed the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its rampant antisemitism and abuse of power, especially since the brutal attack by Hamas terrorists on innocent Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023.
“The Senate should immediately pass this critical legislation,” said Smith in urging quick passage of the bill in the upper house. “The ICC is a rogue actor on the world stage, and the United States must have a more effective long-term approach for how to respond to it.”
The House vote came less than two months after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant—which Smith called “a grotesquely bad decision by a court that is corrupted by blatant antisemitism.”
“The ICC’s actions support Hamas’ explicitly antisemitic and genocidal campaign of terror against Israel, and Congress must respond in the most forceful way possible,” he said.
Similar legislation to sanction the ICCpassed the House last June but was never taken up by the Democrat-controlled Senate. With a new Republican-controlled Senate, Smith said he hopes this time will be different. “It is long past time the United States held international organizations accountable for their antisemitism and their corruption.”
Brian Gillen, Red Coach Lane, Locust, was sworn in as the new Commodore of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club at its formal Change of Watch ceremonies on New Year’s Day at the Yacht Club in the Municipal Yacht Harbor. Gillen assumed the watch from Commodore Joseph Patsco of Little Silver.
In assuming the office, Gillen thanked the Yacht Club members for their dedication and their confidence in him to take the lead of the active yacht club for the next year.
In a ceremony that began with a welcome from Commodore Patsco, and a pledge of allegiance to the flag led by past commodores, members also remembered past members who died during this year. During the prayers led by Peter and Carol Andrews, members offered a moment of silence for Bob Casper, Madeline Muise and Launch Driver Joel Cunningham.
In standing relieved after swearing in Gillen, Patsco also expressed thanks to all who had contributed towards the many successes the Club realized during 2024.
Commodore Gillen then sworn in officers and members of the Board of Governors for 2025, including Steven Brownlie assuming the office of Vice Commodore, Claudia Lucey, Rear Commodore, Elaine Hayden, secretary, Barbara Flatley, corresponding secretary, Stephen Mackay, treasure, and board of Governors Jennifer Barrett, Jeremy Herman, Robert Kneller, Helen Parker, as well as continuing board members Michael Fortier and Bradley Petersen. Board members leaving the board after one or two years of service, Bruce Cohn and George Harrington, were also recognized and thanked for their service.
Gillen also named his standing committees and the club members who take the lead in the variety of committees that keep the club running efficiently and smoothly while providing service and activities both for the club and the community.
Carl Sohl, a senior member of the Club from Eatontown, was honored as the recipient of the Tom Duane Award. Patsco represented the word which is presented by the Board of Governors recognizing a member who has gone above and beyond service to the club during the past year. Gillen also presented Patsco with a gift and appreciation of his leadership and work throughout his term as Commodore.
Mayor Lori Hohenleitner and council members also attended the Change of Watch ceremony following their own swearing in at the Municipal reorganization meeting held hours before the Change of Watch ceremony., The Commodore also introduce and expresses thanks to Chairman Tom Wall and all the members of the Atlantic Highlands Harbor Commission, as well as Harbor Master Lou Fligor.
Sue Mikaitis of Atlantic Highlands, who with her husband Hans has been a member of the Club for more than 20 years, opened the ceremony and introduced the outgoing Commodore, welcoming the members and guests to the annual celebration.
“Interest in our club has never been stronger,” Mikaitis told the crowd. “We continue to grow our membership, and we applaud those who have joined the Yacht Club family.” The spirit of the club is “alive and well,” she continued, “thanks to the leadership of our officers, board members and committee chairs.”
Many of the 25 living past commodores were present for this year’s event, with four former members, Leonard Sitar, Edward Newins, Jeff McDaniel and Lou Melillo each serving more than one term as Commodore and all presented for the swearing in of Commodore Gillen.
Rich Colangelo who has long since proven he can take on tough jobs what with being re-elected earlier in the month as his borough’s code enforcement officer, and Highlands Sue Thomas, who knows what school board business….and schoolwork as a nurse is all about…. should make a powerful team leading a board driven to keep Henry Hudson great at all the things it’s great at, and better in the things that still need to be improved for all the kids in both towns.
Let’s hope they put the question of letting Sea Bright come in and share some of the cost of all this education up to a vote soon so the people can make it loud and clear what they want.
Sea Bright and Highlands already showed in opinion polls they want it, but now it’s up to the school district to make the move and make whatever the people end up deciding to happen. It seems that over the past three years the superintendent has put an overwhelming amount of her time and energy into regionalization issues and questions, it would be terrific to put all that energy into the everyday educational issues that face the students in all three schools.
Oceanport Resident and Henry Hudson School District Superintendent Tara Beams
It’s also time for residents in both towns to pay more attention to the monthly business meetings of the board; people who complain about their taxes seem to forget the larger share of their tax dollar goes towards education, not the municipal stuff, so you would think there would be more interest in how it’s all spent. But then, a room where everyone could hear everything and even those with vision problems could see what’s going on would be helpful but that didn’t happen in the past. Well, since Covid anyway, when meetings were virtual.
It would also be nice if the board had the American flag behind the board table or up on the stage, not in the back of the room, so the audience would not have to keep its back to America’s banner throughout a meeting, and turn around in order to salute it at the beginning of the meeting. Just a thought.
Not sure who was so anxious to get to the meeting that he or she had to break the law and possibly jeopardize all the folks who were in the meeting…more than the usual handful who stay, as well as the many more, judging from the bus and the full parking lot, who were there for an athletic event. But there shouldn’t be any circumstances when people coming to a planned meeting have to park in a fire emergency, and well-marked lane close to the entry door.
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Richard Coangelo, an Atlantic Highlands resident, one of the nine newly elected board members on the Henry Hudson Regional PK-12 Board of Education, was elected president and Highlands resident Sue Thomas was elected vice-president at the board’s organization meeting Monday night.
Both votes were by a 5-4 vote of the PK-12 Board of Education.
Cory Wingerter, who was elected by the interim board which had been named to serve until the November election determined the first elected board, was defeated after being nominated for president, and Diane Knox was defeated for the vice presidency, after she was nominated for that post. Both had served on the interim board, Wingerter from Atlantic Highlands and Knox from Highlands.
The elections took place after all nine members were sworn into terms of one to three years by business administrator Janet Sherlock, who explained the election had indicated different term lengths to ensure elections of members each year rather than as happens for the new board.
Elected to three year terms last November election were Atlantic Highlands residents Kozic, Wingerter, and Suzanne Thomas, to two year terms, Justin Thomas of Atlantic Highlands, and Diane Knox and Rebecca Wells of Highlands, and to one year terms, Coalangelo, and Allison Burel and Regina Melnyk of Highlands.
Melnyk raised the question during the public portion of why Knox, Wells and Wingerter were listed as serving on the board in 2024, and the other six members serving since 2025 this is the first meeting when all nine members were elected for the first time to the PK-12 Board. She noted the three only served on the transitional board, not elected. Board attorney Jonathon Busch explained that since they were serving on the transitional board it would be the same as serving on the elected board.
Although the board had no other business on its agenda, including setting regular meeting nights, times, or location, retaining professionals, or naming the newspapers in which they would place the legal advertising for this and future meetings, meetings, in response to a question from an Atlantic Highlands resident Coangelo said the next meeting will be January 22 at 7 p.m. at Henry Hudson Regional School and it would be advertised, but declined to say in which newspaper. The resident also expressed the hope the board would act to put the question of regionalization with Sea Bright on the ballot so the voters in the district can make a decision on the matter.
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It was a proud niece, Barbara Kornek of Florida, who displayed the plaque in the newly renovated dining room at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club recently when the club was dedicated to the late Helen M Marchetti, a former Atlantic Highlands Mayor and long time member of the club who died in 2023. Kornek came from her home in Florida to honor her aunt and recall the times she spent at the Yacht Club with her aunt.
As one of his last honors as the 2024 Commodore of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club Commodore Joseph Patsco led the ceremony dedicating the club’s dining room in honor of the late Helen Marchetti, former active club member and former Mayor who died September 19, 2023.
The ceremony took place in the Yacht Club’s club rooms on the second floor of the Shore Casino building at the Municipal Yacht Harbor, with borough officials, friends, club members, and past commodores all participating in the ceremony.
Patsco presented Marchetti’s niece, Barbara Kornek, who came from her home in Florida for the ceremony, with the resolution Congressman Frank Pallone had introduced in Congress honoring the former Mayor.
It was a proud niece, Barbara Kornek of Florida, who displayed the plaque in the newly renovated dining room at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club recently when the club was dedicated to the late Helen M Marchetti, a former Atlantic Highlands Mayor and long time member of the club who died in 2023. Kornek came from her home in Florida to honor her aunt and recall the times she spent at the Yacht Club with her aunt.
The club had notified Pallone of the honor being bestowed on the first lady mayor of the borough, who was friends with the Congressman and served as mayor during some of his years as Congressman.
Mayor Lori Hohenleitner read the resolution during the ceremony in the absence of Pallone who had sent his regrets for missing the event. The mayor also relayed Pallone’s congratulations to the Club for honoring his late friend. The club’s Change of Command ceremony and Dining Room dedication took place on New Year’s Day, and the Congressman was committed to several municipalities in Monmouth and Middlesex counties for their municipal reorganizations and thus was unable to be present at the Yacht Club.
In opening the ceremony, Patsco noted the honor for the former club member was first recommended shortly after Marchetti’s death when Frank Allsman was Commodore and led the long list of members and past commodores who heartily endorsed the idea. All agreed wait until renovations and improvements were completed on the popular dining area of the Club, and past Commodore Jack Flannery took the lead in arranging the festivities.
Many past and the current commodore and members of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club were present at the Atlantic Highlands Borough reorganization meeting of the Mayor and Council and met with Congressman Frank Pallone., thanking the Congressman for introducing a resolution in the House of Representatives honoring the service of the late Helen Marchetti, a long time member of the Yacht Club. The resolution was presented at the Yacht Club meeting later in the day when the renovated and improved dining room as named in honor of Marchetti.
Kornek, in expressing her thanks for the honors for her aunt, also recalled the many times during her frequents visits to her aunt that Marchetti would insist on going to dinner or cocktails at “the Club” and was a popular diner on Friday nights in the dining room. Kornek expressed her thanks for the love and admiration shown her aunt.
Patsco shared his own memories of Marchetti, noting her many contributions to the club and the activities it has sponsored during the years, and noted her contributions spanned more than 60 decades since she first became a club member in 1962.
Council President Brian Dougherty was sworn in to his second three year term on the Atlantic Highlands Council at its reorganization meeting Thursday, and minutes later was then unanimously once again elected Council President.
Sharing in the honors of the day were Councilman Dougherty’s parents, George and Kay Dougherty who came from Pottsville, Pennsylvania. for the event, shared with Mayor Lori Hohenleitner and Congressman Frank Pallone who swore in the official. Councilman Dougherty’s two daughters and son also participated in the festivities and shared their grandparents’ pride in their father.
Following the ceremony, Councilman Dougherty said he joined the Mayor, who had said in her address at the reorganization that “one of our goals for the coming year is to continue to find ways to improve communication with our residents. This Council will also be looking very closely at the idea of bringing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to Atlantic Highlands as a way for aging residents to stay in the community and more affordable options for young people to move in (or return). “
Mayor Hohenleitner is serving the second year of her four year term as mayor.
It was all smiles for family, friends and local leaders and residents as Jose Pujols was sworn in by Congressman Frank Pallone to his first elected three year term as a member of the Atlantic Highlands Borough Council. Joining the councilman at his swearing in were his son, Nathanial, his good friend, Carmen Marino, and his wife Nancy, who proudly held the Bible for her husband during the ceremony with the Congressman and Mayor Lori Hohenleitner.
There’s something seriously wrong with the system. All over. But let’s use Atlantic Highlands for an example. Get Out of Jail Card
The Atlantic Highlands Planning Board, presumably like all planning boards, is hard working, intense, knows what it has to do and takes pains to do it correctly.
Under the current chairman, John Goldrick, who was unanimously re-elected at Monday’s reorganization meeting as chair, it is a dedicated, determined, organized, and very investigative and inquisitive board.
Members listen carefully to every word an applicant or his professionals says, review every file that is presented, obviously do their homework in advance of the meeting, and ask questions that bring out even more information and help them make decisions.
When an application is continued at subsequent meeting, it is obvious these planners bring their notes with them and continue to ask questions that may not have been answered before.
The fact so many who have served eagerly agree to subsequent terms when offered is more indication they are dogged, tenacious, and resolved, to say nothing of generous with their volunteer time.
One of the purposes of a planning board is to hear evidence and make decisions on granting variances, deviations from the borough’s laws that determine the health and welfare of all residents, the esthetics of the surroundings and the preservation of everything from history to the life of a tree.
Ye it does not appear to be anything in planning board rules that requires an applicant to know, research or report on any history of anything he wants to change.
Nor is there anything that stops a person from buying up a piece of land with the express purpose of making money, then coming to the borough and ask for change so he can alter the appearance of a property or a neighborhood or a business district, all for the primary purpose of filling his own pocket.
All of which makes it rather ironic when you realize: the purpose of a variance is to give person the legal right to break the law.
In many cases, there are reasonable arguments and rationale for breaking the law.
A house may have been built in the right way on the right size piece of land, obeying all the rules at the time it was built. But then the borough changed some laws and all of a sudden, that particular property is not in conformance with the new laws. Should that owner want to do anything say enlarge his house, or put in a driveway, he then needs to appear before the planning board, meet all their requirements, fill out all the papers, pay all the costs,and request the right to break the law that went into effect after he bought or built his house.
But when a resident or businessman wants to stretch the matter, when he wants more than a few little things, he begins to change the nature, the character, the historic significance of a particular section, or perhaps the entire town.
Then, with planning board approval, all of a sudden his particular domain becomes a part of the sometimes rapidly, sometimes slowly, changing environment. And the community begins to look different, all of which makes it easier for the next guy to point to the changes the planning board allowed and use it as his excuse and reason for his doing the same thing yet someplace else.
And so, piece by piece, little by little, section by section, the little community that was organized in the 19th century on lands they themselves had already changed, becomes something else.
All these changes lead to other changes that create other problems, other reasons to have other people ask for other reasons to break the law. Allow a daily commuter boat to come in and out of the harbor like they did in the 19th century when ferries brought New Yorkers to the beaches and you learn that in the 21st century, that also means fewer beaches, bigger boats, changes to the environment, lots more cars, need for more parking area, and the latest, electric chargers to keep the newest battery driver cars mobile.
Convert what used to be living quarters for small shop owners into highly sought apartments over a busy shop avenue and all of a sudden there are huge parking problems.
Pave the roads, build more houses, bring in new industries all impact the level of the land, where the water goes, and so much more. Change a corner of the main street into a brewery with no esthetic exterior value and you begin to blur the beauty of the old home town.
The borough rightfully prides itself on being a Tree City, a sign it recognizes the need for nature to be included in every ambitious development.
But is permitting the destruction of 33 fully grown mature trees and their underground, rambling root systems with the same number of young new trees really protecting the environment?
How does the uprooting and attributes of the old trees affect the surrounding soil, the surrounding surfaces that absorbed water?
Does tearing down old buildings to make way for new, really improve a town?
Is permitting improved and more energy-requiring apartments that increase the value of the borough financial assets worth the change they create?
Does attracting more residents who require more parking, other improvements they miss from their old neighborhoods then push to have those things introduced into their new home space mean the new folks the very things they came here to avoid should now be introduced here?
The list goes on.
Where it gets more dangerous and means quicker changes, even for the newer folks who don’t even know or care what was here before they were, is when the planners are swayed by arguments for variances like “you did it for them, why not for me?”
The latest example of that was at this week’s planning board meeting when the applicant, who has already made major changes on First Avenue appearance, argued, that indeed, all those trees should come down, sure we’ll replace them. But four houses should really be built on the property even though the law only allows three. After all, you just did it not long ago on the west side of town. Remember, the professional told the planners, you allowed the same thing to happen simply because a bigger piece of property would require a bigger more expensive home in order for the property owner to make a profit. And after all, most of the homes in that neighborhood are small, so it would look “funny,” “out of place’ and not in keeping with the neighborhood. You said it was okay for him, so it should be okay for me as well.
More irony.
Forget about the fact you specifically bought the property in order to build and make money on it. Are we really all supposed to believe you did it to preserve the old neighborhood?
Sometimes there may be good reason to break the law. Sometimes there should not be a new law in the first place. The planners one case this week made it better than it would have been had that not been involved at all.
And maybe that’s the real purpose of a planning board anyway. …approve stuff, make it better than originally planned and keep both the applicant and the public each a little bit happy.
But a board designated to decide when and how that should happen really owes it to the entire town, not just those who want to make money in it, to give a long hard look at every aspect before giving their stamp of approval to changing that little corner of the world.
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