Apple The Atlantic Highlands Harbor Commission has issued a second request for proposals for use of the former Shore Casino after the single bid it received late last year was rejected by the Mayor and Council.

The original bid, submitted jointly by the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club and Sea Streak, was rejected by the Commission in December, citing insufficient rental proposals and several other reasons for not granting the proposal for a restaurant and catering facility.

That bid had to be formally rejected by the governing body before a second proposal could be offered.

Requested January 13, the proposal is calling for all bids to be submitted to the Harbor Commission secretary, Jessica McLane, no later than noon on February 17.

The proposal also invited prospective tenants to submit plans and information not only for a restaurant and or catering facility but other uses as well for the 20,500 square foot space on the first floor of the largest building in the Yacht Harbor.

The municipal harbor, owned by the borough, is a prominent marina in Sandy Hook Bay, recognized as the largest municipal harbor on the East Coast. The marina’s location offers scenic views of Sandy Hook Bay and the New York City skyline, with on-site restaurants, gazebos, tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground, skate-park, and a fishing pier.

The Henry Hudson Trail and nearby historic downtown with shops and restaurants are within walking distance, while Sea Streak Ferry, which offers service from here and Highlands, provides high-speed service to Manhattan.

According to the RFP, the property is designed for high-volume event hosting and includes one full commercial kitchen and three distinct rooms, each equipped with a full bar. The lease term will be a minimum of five years, with the potential for renewal options based on mutual agreement.

This proposal invites prospective tenants to submit detailed proposals outlining their qualifications, operational plans, and financial capabilities to operate a successful banquet, catering, restaurant and/or event business in this premier facility, and adds that other proposed uses will also be taken into consideration. It further states there is parking for vehicles, AV systems, restrooms, a place for garbage, and a covered entryway and the property is zoned for catering/event/Restaurant use

The proposal noted the Yacht Club occupies the second floor of the building and shares an access point to the facility. It is requesting rent proposals for annual rent amounts with consideration of concessions available for capital improvements made. Tenants would be required to underwrite all operating expenses including but not limited to maintenance, utilities, insurance, and waste removal.

While the proposal invites ideas for other uses in addition to a restaurant, it also notes any use must be in compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations, and subject to proper zoning and permitted use approvals.

The complete request for proposal is included on the borough website under Government/ Resolutions, request for Proposals 2026.

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Patricia Stryker, known to everyone as Pat, the soft spoken, lovable, ever patient and understanding wife, mother, grandmother, great -grandmother and friend to all, passed away Sunday, January 11, at home. She was 95 years old and married for former Atlantic Highlands Mayor Richard Stryker for 73 years.

Born in Queens, New York September 5, 1931, Pat was the daughter of the late Katherine and Raymond McDonald and spent many of her growing up years living in Keansburg. She is a graduate of Red Bank Catholic High School and worked in New York as a medical secretary.

It was while she was communing to her position in New York, traveling along the Central Railroad every day from Keansburg, that Pat first met her future husband. Dick was commuting every day on the same train from his home in Atlantic Highlands to St. John’s University where he earned his pharmaceutical degree . The couple shared the train ride daily, dated, and married several years later.

While her husband was engaged in politics for more than a quarter of a century in Atlantic Highlands, where the couple lived most of their married life and raised their family, Pat stayed out of the political picture, ignored the impacts it had on their lives and continued to provide the kind of home Dick always wanted to return to.

Her husband tells the story of her one involvement in politics. It was a time when Pat stood up at a council meeting where he was presiding and wanted to ask a question. He declined to recognize her and would not allow the question. He candidly admitted many years later “I certainly did answer it when I got home, though.”

An avid gardener as well as outstanding culinary artist and baker, Pat enveloped her four children with love, sharing an abundance of that love with the next two generations when her grandchildren married, enlarging this very loving family as great grandchildren were born.

She always looked forward to summers when the three generations came from Texas and Florida, from California and North Carolina to join with the New Jersey contingent to hear Pat’s stories, taste those pastries and home cooking and be surrounded by her love, smiles and wisdom. Winters, the senior Strykers enjoyed time with friends on Caribbean island sand other warm states in the union.

When her husband retired from Bayshore Pharmacy in Atlantic Highlands which he had founded, the couple moved to Ocean Pines, Md. where Pat once again got involved in the community and was an avid bowler, as well as Garden Club member, Book Club member, and volunteer with “Believe in Tomorrow ” an organization working with children and families dealing with cancer. After 17 years Pat and Dick returned to Atlantic Highlands to be near their family, and lived here several years before moving to Conifer Village in Middletown..

Visitation will be at the Posten McGinley Funeral Home, Lincoln Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, Thursday, Jan. 15 from 3 to 7 p.m.. A mass will be offered Friday morning, Jan 16 at St. Agnes Church, Center Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, at 11 a.m. Internment will be private following the mass.

Pat is survived by four children and their spouses, Kathy and Mark Ackerson of Leonardo, Jim and Maryann Stryker of Yreka California, Sue and Terry Fletcher of Sunset, Tx, and Richard and Jill Stryker of Middletown. She is survived, by nine grandchildren and their spouses, Melissa and Eric Zihlman, Ryan and Lauren Rodriguez,  Jesse Stryker,  Gerald Stryker,  Elizabeth and Harrison Coates, Chris and Jack Stryker,  Billyjoe and Jordan Fletcher and Nicholas and Jessica Rodriguez. She is also survived by nine great grandchildren, Ethan, Teague, Grace Katherine, Gray Zihlman, Grace Stryker, Ryley, Kolby, Adley Rodriguez and Jedidiah Fletcher.  Pat is also survived by sisters-in-law Barbara Golden and Rose McDonald. 

The family is suggesting in lieu of flowers, friends of Pat show their appreciation of her love and concern for others and consider a donation to St Jude’s Research hospital,  501 St. Judes Place,  Memphis TN 38105 in Pat’s name. 

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Atlantic Highlands residents are mourning once again for the loss of another beloved long time resident. Patricia Stryker, wife of former Mayor Richad Stryker, died Sunday, January 11, peacefully at home. The Strykers lived at Conifer Village, Route 36, Middletown, after moving from Atlantic Highlands several years ago.

The family will meet friends at the Posten McGinley Funeral Home, East Lincoln Avenue, Atlantic Highlands Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

A funeral mass will be offered Friday, January 16 at 11 a.m. at St. Agnes Church, Center Avenue. Internment will be private.

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John McGoldrick was unanimously re-elected chairman of the Atlantic Highlands Planning Board at its reorganization last week, with little changes in all appointments over the previous year.

Corry Herrala was sworn in as a new mayor’s appointment to the board. Anis Ardolino, the second mayor’s appointment to the board this year, was unable to attend this meeting

In addition to McGoldrick, Thomas Josko was reappointed vice chairman of the board, and all Mayor’s appointments to the board are reappointments: Martiin Hawley as a Class II appointed, Councilman Brian Dougherty, Class III, Josko and Lynette DePasca, Class IV, and Michele Walter, Michel Bearmore, Herrala and Ardolino alternates to the board.

Michael Steib was a reappointed board attorney and Douglas Rohmeyer board engineer. Rene Frotton is continued as Board secretary and meeting nights will continue to be the first Thursday of every month until the January 7 reorganization in 2027.

During the regular meeting, which immediately followed the reorganization, the planning board unanimously approved the resolution to dismiss the use and bulk variance requested and submitted by the Winnerling and Moody family for 99 Center Avenue The addition of a second story deck on the garage on the property has been the subject of discussion at several meetings until the applicant requested the current application be dismissed.

The planners adopted resolutions approving the variances at 124 Wesley Avenue and 56 South Avenue, after both had been approved after hearings at earlier meetings.

Planners agreed to carry the bulk variance and subdivision application for property at 22 Prospect Circle until the February 5 meeting. Steib noted the application is being carried until February rather than the March or April date requested by the applicant, and no further notice will be given for the February 5 continuance.

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Santa Ryan was four years old; his brother Trevor was 3 and twins Caitlin and Carter were one year old infants when their dad Jay was transferred from Michigan to NWS Earle in Colts Neck where he was OIC at the Naval base medical center.

With the help of their mom, Tracy, the kids all wrote letters and drew photos for Santa Claus, then excitedly placed them in the special mail box at the MWR Building at Earle. Surely, Santa Claus would answer their letters, they thought excitedly.

And just as excitedly, Santa answered each letter, as he did for the hundreds of other youngsters at Earle.

And the next year it was the same. Mom helped with more letters and drawings, mailed them in Santa’ s Mail Box on base , and Santa answered. The same thing happened their third year at Earle. Their dad was promoted to Lieutenant Commander, the kids grew and Tracy remained the loving and hard-working mom she always was.

But that was the year Lieutenant Commander Jay Woelkers received word he was being transferred to Corpus Christi, Texas . Will Santa know they were moving, the kids asked their mom? Would he still write us letters and see our letters to him?

Of course he will, Tracy assured her kids, then 7, 6 and four. Santa will never stop writing.

And he never did. Just to be certain of that, Tracy continued to send her children’s letters to Santa each year, only now by e-mail from wherever the family was stationed with the Navy. And just as regularly, The Woelkers always received letters back from Santa by e-mail, with Tracy printing them out and continuing the Christmas Eve letter reading tradition.

Until this year, 22 years later, This was the year Tracy Woelkers decided to let her grown children know where those 22 years of letters had been coming from.

It wasn’t an easy decision. After all, writing the letters, getting the answers, were only the first parts of what had grown into a Woelkers family tradition. The proud mama had saved every one of the Santa letters, had even cajoled the folks at MWR each year to give her back the letters her children wrote during their years there. And every year, since 2002, in the Woelkers’ home, reading all the letters, seeing all the art work and enjoying all the excitement of Christmas became a Woelkers Family Christmas Eve event.

So Tracy, to assure herself she was not breaking, simply modifying a two-decade old family tradition, turned to the letter writer once again for help. Should we tell them, she asked? And how should we do it?

The letter writer agreed. After all, she had heard all the stories of Christmas Eve excitement, as well as the stories during the kids’ teen age years when they may have grumbled a bit about hearing ALL the letters before turning to other family traditions. She knew their dad had been promoted from Lieutenant Commander to Commander to Captain and was now retired from the Walter Reed Medical Center. She knew two of the kids had also served in the military and Tracy herself had come through some very difficult surgery and recuperation. Certainly, kids who were awed at 4,3 and 1 year old could handle the news of who actually wrote all the Santa letters to them. now that they are now 26, 25 and 24.

So in addition to this year’s letters, the Earle Santa wrote a poem and gave the young adults a final option on whether to get the news. She wrote

So now perhaps is the time to let you in on the know.

If you don’t want to hear the whole story, then don’t read below.

The poem continued for those who continued to read. The author wrote

But you are all adults now, and deserve to know the whole truth for good cause.

Here it is. In actuality, Woelkers family, there is no Santa Claus.

It’s just love in your heart, warmth in the love that you share

There’s happiness in tradition, and memories quite rare.

The news was out! Tracey practiced reading the letter herself, so moved was she by the joint decision to modify a family tradition.

The kids took it in stride Christmas Eve, 2025. They laughed, they joked, they asked, “what are we going to do next year?” and they easily put away some happy memories of more than 22 years.

But that wasn’t enough for Tracy. She had to visit that letter and poem writer and tell her once again, and in person, how much she appreciated the past 22 years of letters.

That is how Tracy Woelkers and I got together this week and spent hours looking over letters, drawings, sharing stories, and catching up on two decades of happy and sad events in both our lives since those early days at Earle.

Tracy drove up from their family’s home in Maryland this week to share the end of a tradition with the journalist of VeniVidiScripto and to let me know once again how important this tradition had been to the Woelkers family.

We shared the entire afternoon and early evening reliving all the joys, the family, the good times at Earle in the early 2000s. We remembered and appreciated LeAnn and Steve Steurer, he who had been the XO at the base during that time; we loved swapping stories about the Hansen Marines and that family’s mom Teresa who had her own way of handling the same tradition. Her children also wrote letters throughout all the last two decades; they wrote the letters themselves, adding their spouses, children and special friends as the family grew each year. And Santa answered every one of the letters every year. Now Teresa, who lives on Long Island, Tracy and I are planning for a reunion within a couple of months. When Steve Steuer heard about the rendezvous, he wanted to add his own voice to the wonderful stories of NWS Earle and the families who lived there in 2003. His Leann died a couple of years ago, but the love and happiness she shared at Earle are remembered just as fondly today.

As for the traditions: Of course they will continue, both with the Hansens and the Woelkers. Because that poem that identified the letter writer also directed

So now here’s the choice. Let me know if you want to keep up the tradition

I’m happy to do so, though I’ll add one condition

Remember the love and devotion both of your parents have for each of you

And think of traditions you can carry on to keep them happy, too.

May this Christmas be the best you have ever had to this date

And may next year’s be even happier, and just a little more great

Know you’ve brought me so much joy in keeping up with your goings on each year

Merry Christmas to each of you, with lots of love and good cheer.

As for the letter writing Santa? There is no describing the amount of joy I have gotten from being able to make so many people who do so much for our country so happy. There is nothing that can characterize how special it is that I am a part of a NWS Earle Naval family that 22 years ago included so many very special, wonderful and young couples and families dedicated to serving a nation. To have been part of that family’s tradition … I could never forget and will always hold dear.

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