Regionalization – It’s a Circus

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February 9, 2023

Look for the news story on tonight’s Atlantic Highlands Council meeting which will be on VeniVidiScripto tomorrow once I get the resolution that was unanimously adopted tonight. But suffice it to say actions at the meeting certainly raised a lot of things that make me wonder.. like Ghosts, Labor Attorneys, Mediation, Sea Bright (in or out), and who’s running this … circus show

Mediation

In essence, the Mayor and Council agreed to do the mediation with Highlands, maybe Sea Bright, they said they were going to do a couple of months ago and for which they long since retained a mediator about regionalization of the schools. They said it again at this meeting in a formally adopted resolution that was not available for the public to read, though it was read to them. Under terms of the resolution, the borough will enter into mediation with Highlands, maybe Sea Bright it seemed to me, and first of all approve regionalization of the three schools in the town towns already under one superintendent. Then, if Sea Bright doesn’t have any legal problems with Oakhurst, they’ll also include regionalization with them.

Last week, the three boards of education voted to put the question of making the present 7-12 district into a pre-K-12 district for the two towns first, and if everything works out ok, then let Sea Bright come in at some unknown time in the future. They want to put the question on the ballot in a special election two months before the regular November election.

Last night, the Atlantic Highlands Council said they’d like to get the question on the ballot in the November election if all is settled.

Does that mean two elections in two months by two different groups on the same subject? Nobody could answer that last night.

So now it’s all clear. You shoulda been there!

Giacobbe the Ghost

The council had announced an executive session at the very beginning of the meeting to get advice from their special attorney, the missing Matthew Giacobbe. Purpose of that executive session was to get an update from Mr. Giacobbe.

If he were there at all…how would the public know, it was executive session and to their credit, Council moved to a different room rather than make the public stand out in the hall like Henry Hudson does…..but they apparently heard advice from him. A zoom meeting? Maybe? A telephone call? Perhaps. In person? A possibility, but if that was the case, he scooted in and out of the building sight unseen by the people paying his fee.

Giacobbe the Labor Attorney

All that was made clear is that this LABOR attorney, who is being paid by the taxpayers of Atlantic Highlands, had something more important than these taxpayers and the decision they have been trying to make for several years now.

So once again, the paid attorney did not have the time or apparent interest to talk with the taxpayers or listen to their questions. Everything he had to say was said in secret to the officials who hired them … with the money from the people he did not have the time to talk to or listen to.

Doesn’t this council even care Mr. Giacobbe can’t face the people of their town? It makes me wonder whether he made the plans which were more important than Atlantic Highlands after being advised there was a meeting when they needed his advice? Or did he have his plans first and Council still decided to have the meeting, the public be damned? Couldn’t they have set a more convenient time so he really could be here?

Mr. Giacobbe said in the past he’s a labor attorney, and that was the first thing that made me wonder when he was hired by the governing body to work out the financial aspect. Even this year, when they hired a new finance attorney, they kept the labor attorney on the regionalization financial issue…even though he is so busy he even had to rush away from a previous ZOOM meeting…he didn’t have the time to be there in person for that one either……

The problem now seems to be whether Sea Bright has any encumbrances and might have to spend money to defend themselves that has to be resolved.

Dueling Attorneys

Highlands and Atlantic Highlands boroughs and the three school boards in the two towns keep saying yes, yes, yes, we want Sea Bright. But we don’t want them if they’re going to have problems that Oceanport has raised. So one attorney says this is litigation brought by Oceanport, another attorney says it isn’t that at all. So the savings to the taxpayers not only get put off once again, but these same taxpayers are paying the bill for attorneys to resolve the difference of opinion.

Sea Bright in the House

Councilman Erwin Bieber from Sea Bright made it clear tonight….the Commissioner of Education has not yet made a decision on what everybody agreed to last year, namely, yes, we want to let the people in the three towns decide whether they want to regionalize. She hasn’t made the decision because she’s waiting for the formula on how the two towns are going to split the money they’re going to be getting from Sea Bright. But the towns haven’t settled on that yet…that’s what this mediator was supposed to be doing. She can’t make any decision on whatever it is Oceanport is bringing against Sea Bright since the tri-town request to her is not yet complete. So why not simply complete that, he said, and let the Commissioner make a decision?

What was really scary was when Councilman Bieber talked about the money issue…the real issue in this whole thing. Quite simply, are Highlands and Atlantic Highlands going to be satisfied with a $440,000 savings? OR do they think it will benefit the taxpayers in both towns more, to say nothing of the educational system, if Sea Bright came in and poured in another $2.5 million?

Is that such a difficult question to answer?

Greedy Oceanport

On the Oceanport issue, let’s remember a couple of things. Of course Oceanport doesn’t want Sea Bright to leave…they’re getting bundles of money from that town that certainly offsets their taxes for education. So it’s kind of understandable why an Oceanport resident paying taxes there would want to do everything possible to put off Sea Bright leaving. That’s the situation the Hudson district superintendent Tara Beams is in. She lives in Oceanport, she’s the primary…make that only…spokesperson for the three boards of education gathering and reporting most of the information and answering the questions on regionalization even when posed to board of education members.

Oceanport Resident Tara Beams

Is Beams in Conflict??

But tonight, when the Atlantic Highlands Council was asked if they ever even questioned whether this cozy arrangement between Tara Beams, Oceanport, and the Hudson district represents a conflict, the first response was it’s a question that should be asked of the school boards. When pressed, with a reminder it was a question to this council on whether any of them has even questioned it, the response was…yep, secrecy…it was a matter of executive session so of course couldn’t be shared.

What ever happened to the public’s right to know?

Liberace at the Garden State Arts Center

By

Muriel J. Smith

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February 9, 2023

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Liberace at the Garden State Arts Center

When the Garden State Arts Center first opened in 1968, artists and entertainers frequently booked for a week’s evenings of entertainments before moving on.

Included in that week was always a luncheon with reporters on the first day to ensure tickets would be sold throughout the week. As a writer for The Courier, one of my assignments was to always attend the lunch, write that story, then attend the performance and write another review of the show.

Liberace was always a favorite when he came each year, always in good humor, always with plenty of time to spend with reporters, always laughing at himself and telling stories about his expansive wardrobe. He always posed for photos and always brought new talent with him, so we reporters were also sure of getting albums or gifts of some kind at the luncheon.

Here’s a story I wrote in 1979 after Liberace’s performance. He was great.

Liberace is fantastic. It makes no difference that he has been at the Garden State Arts Center every year for the past ten years. It makes no difference his show varies little from year to year, except in the splendor of his costumes. What matters is that Liberace loves to perform, loves to play the piano and loves to sop up the adulation of the audience. It all makes for a most enjoyable evening.

At the Arts Center every night now through Saturday, Liberace comes on stage at the very beginning of the show, resplendent in a Norwegian blue fox cape with a 16 foot long train that coordinates with his silver and white sparkly studded tuxedo. He doffs the cape almost immediately and makes six other changes through the course of the evening, each of them more spectacular and more sparkling than the one before. His candelabra is alive and well and still ensconced on his Steinway’ his jokes are the same as previous years and his repertoire of tunes is basically a repeat.

But that’s the stuff the Liberace fans love. He’s found himself a tidy little niche and he’s not about to rock the boat. You know the joke about how he laughs all the way to the bank? Well, this week he said he’s bought the bank. And, he joked, he’s looking into the Art Center because he likes that, too.

For the serious music lover, Liberace is a talented enthusiastic musician. You could tell without his mentioning it that Chopin is his favorite composer; his rendition of a Polonaise is unforgettable. And he really doesn’t need the colorful and electronic-inspired Dancing Waters to enhance his renditions of the Waltz King, Straus. But it is an attractive addition. His Gershwin is flawless.

Yet even with his bent for the classical, and his obvious enjoyment of it, Liberace can swing into Eddy Duchin or modern day tunes with aplomb and talent. And that’s where his show differs; as talented and polished as he is at the piano he really does seem to improve every year. His show is a study in musical excellence with a variety that’s unbeatable and matchless.

As always, Liberace brings new talent with him, and he’s excelled in that this year, too. Young Marco Valenti is an Italian tenor with a personality to match his talent. He’s sensational .And it doesn’t make any difference whether you like opera or not. When you hear his arias from Rigoletto and Pagliacci, you might become a devotee. Light and moving, no heavy opera, but definitely outstanding. He’s exciting, dynamic and the possessor of a gorgeous resonant voice.

The real excitement however comes in the form of the Chinese acrobats of Taiwan, a talented bunch of youngsters and not-so youngsters who put on a mini-circus right before your eyes, complete with a lady magician who makes a gorgeous young lady disappear under silk scarves. The young man who climbs atop four empty bottles on top of a little stand takes top prize for putting electricity into the air and exudes a personality even more charming than his graceful balancing talent. There’s a beautiful colorful dance with scarves and a glittering dragon, some highly talented unicycle rides and an awful lot of enthusiasm in the Taiwanese performances.

There’s no doubt about it’ Liberace knows the audience comes to the Art Center to see a show; he guarantees they get it.

William Brant – Medal of Honor

By

Muriel J. Smith

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February 8, 2023

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Medal of Honor recipient, Lt. William Brant, a native of Elizabeth, enlisted in the Army in in Trenton at the onset of the Civil War, serving at first as a corporal in Company I of the 1^St. New Jersey Volunteer Infantry., He was promoted to sergeant eight months later and to lieutenant in September, 1862.

When the enlistment times of the company expired in 1864, Brant and the other surviving members of the Company re-listed and were mustered into the NJ Veterans Battalion; he was then promoted to 1^St lieutenant of Company B.

Medal of Honor

It was as such on April 3, 1865, that Lt. Brant participated in the final assaults on Confederate positions at Petersburg, Va., and he successfully captured the battle flag of the 46^th North Carolina Infantry, the incident that was cited in his receipt of the Medal of Honor on May 10, 1865. The citation merely describes the reason as “Capture of battle flag of 46th North Carolina (CSA).

Lt. Brant was promoted to Brevet Captain and mustered out of service at the end of the Civil War, having served the entire length of the war. He had served in the second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor, amongst others.

The officer’s life remained active after his discharge. Returning to his native Elizabeth in Union County, he joined the Elizabeth Police Department, rising to the rank of police captain there in 1888.

The Elizabeth Police Department has a detailed history of the department from its start earlier in the century, including a story about Capt. Branch’s actions while a captain.

According to the department’s records, “Police Chief Austin and Brant, both Civil War Vets immediately introduced features of the military model policing. Rigid discipline along with an authoritarian and hierarchical organization became the benchmark of the Elizabeth Police Department.”

The history continues that “ One of Captain Brant’s first duties was on March 19, 1888, when Captain McLain of the schooner “Harvester” reported a “Turk by the name of Nick” stabbed the first mate in a mutiny. Captain Brant “revolver in hand” and officers Jones and O’Shea rowed out to the boat and arrested the man.”

Capt. Brant died in Elizabeth on March 2, 1898 and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Hillside.

The location of his Congressional Medal of Honor is unknown.

Other New Jersey Recipients

Thorne

Watters

Highlands Land Use Board

By

Muriel J. Smith

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February 7, 2023

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Lots of big important things happening at Thursday night’s meeting of the Highlands Land Use Board, and Highlands residents better attend ask questions and know what’s going on.

Reorganization

The meeting begins at 7 at the Community Center, and is the board’s reorganization meeting. Which means the first order of business will be the election of its chairperson, vice chair, secretary, meeting dates and professionals for the upcoming year. It’s a hard working board, and an even harder working secretary, and hopefully there will be no changes or surprises here.

But it’s after the new board is settled, that so much is on the agenda and so many questions need to be asked.

The Honorable Plant

First of all there’s the memorialization of the conditional use granted to The Honorable Plant at the December meeting. That’s the application for a cannabis retail shop at 123 Bay Avenue, the former Food Basket adjacent to the former Episcopal, now active Church of another denomination. That hearing was at the last meeting and also requires a variance/

Beth Stavola is the applicant with Dr. Bernadette Dunphy the manager and they certainly presented loads of evidence and information at their last meeting. Kudos to Ms. Stavola for her extensive background and success in the business. Perhaps it was already covered, but I have not seen where it’s ok to have a cannabis shop right next to a church regardless of whether the Sunday School classes are held via ZOOM during Covid restrictions. So perhaps that question could be answered before the approval is memorialized.

Sea Grass

Then there’s a hearing on the second cannabis retail business that wants conditional approval. That one is for Sea Grass located at 272 Bay Avenue, and that one certainly raises a lot of questions.

Council-Member Cervantes

That property is owned by Lionel Cervantes, which appears to be the same Lionel Cervantes who is a Borough Councilman. If that is so, how and why did Mr. Cervantes vote to allow cannabis shops in town in the first place? It appears that he either makes major decisions very quickly or he had the intention to sell his property to a company that wanted to apply for a cannabis license once his vote helped to get them approved?

Conflict of Interest?

Isn’t there a bit of a conflict there? It was back on October that Mr. Cervantes voted to support and approve the siting of an adult use cannabis dispensary within the Central Business District zone of the Borough of Sea Grass NJ LLC to the extent consistent with statutes, rules…etc.….

Only Councilman Donald Melnyk opposed that resolution last year.

Where do you live my friend?

Another question that should be answered are Lionel Cervantes and the Councilman one and the same? Is it is really the councilman? Where Lionel Cervantes is listed as the owner of the premises where the business would be located, most of his home address is redacted. The only part that is not redacted that it says he lives in Asbury Park. If that is so, how can he be on the borough council in Highlands? For that matter, why is the street address redacted in the first place? The public doesn’t have the right to know???? It is the only address that is redacted in the approximate 139 pages of documents for this one meeting. Must be a reason.

As the owner of the property Leonel Cervantes gave his personal permission, and, if he is a councilman, his public entity permission, giving the right to all members of all boards and the Police Department, as well as other agencies, to enter the property for whatever purposes are necessary for the contract purchasers’ James Whelan of Red Bank and Nicholas Frangipane III of Rumson, the two gentlemen who are also the principals of Sea Grass.

Bridge City Collective

The third license which has been acted on is for Bridge City Collective Highlands LLC and that’s for property at 132 Bay Ave owned by one of the Bayshore Recycling companies owned Valerie Montecalvo of Portland rd. Frank Montecalvo is a member of the Land Use Board.

While each of the proposed businesses is seeking conditional approval which is necessary to secure, only one of them can be permitted in the borough, according to the state. It will be up to the governing body, sans Mr. Cervantes, I would presume, to select which one would be able to open the business in Highlands. All are located within the borough’s central business area along Bay ave.

Highlands in the Re-Development Business

As if reorganization and cannabis licenses aren’t enough, there’s yet another important item on Thursday’s agenda. In spite of considerable objections in the past, it appears the Mayor and Council continues to plan to subdivided that huge piece of waterfront land in the Waterwitch section at Locust St. near Matthews St., selling some property to adjacent property owners if they want it and saving the biggest chunk themselves to probably sell at some future date for some other purpose we don’t know about.

The Land Use Board notes in its messages that no new hearings will be started after 10:15 p.m. unless the Chairman rules otherwise. And all meetings shall adjourn not later than 11 p.m. unless a majority of the quorum present at that time votes to continue it later.

Looks like that could happen Thursday night. Better bring a snack. Meetings are not offered via ZOOM.

Atlantic Highlands & Highlands …

By

Muriel J. Smith

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February 7, 2023

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Highlands

Why more Atlantic Highlands residents don’t wonder themselves about everything that’s going on in their town. I wonder even more about Highlands residents and why they don’t ask about everything going on in their town, what with three cannabis licenses getting conditional approval, including one on property that is owned by a Councilman! But that’s another I Wonder so look for that on this page as well. A lot happening in the Bayshore on Thursday night alone!

Atlantic Highlands

In Atlantic Highlands, the regular meeting is starting half an hour early, at 6:30pm so the Mayor and Council can go into executive session almost immediately and hear from their regionalization attorney, Matt Giacobbe.

Regionalization

One wonders first of all whether that closed session will really be no longer than 30 minutes as predicted. You remember last week when the Henry Hudson closed session was two hours long, even though each of the members of the three boards who were present had the printed resolution they were talking in secret about for two hours.

You remember also, that when they came out, none of the board members could answer Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon when she asked if anybody knew the assessed value of Highlands. They did not of course, then the Mayor told them it was a whopping more than a BILLION dollars, for the first time ever. All that private talk about splitting money on regionalization and they didn’t know, nor did they apparently ask, the value of Highlands?

Labor Attorney

The executive session also raises a lot of wonder. Why is that necessary at all?

Why can’t the public know what plans Mr. Giacobbe is suggesting or the council is asking about?

How come the public can’t sit in on discussions which were discussed in private at the school last week?

What is so secret about talking about how the towns will share costs, or why the public should be allowed to vote on something?

Mother Theresa Property

Residents here can remember only too well that in spite of being pretty much united that the Mother Theresa property would be best used as senior housing, they learned, after so many private executive sessions, that Council wasn’t going to suggest that at all. Being open about it cold have saved a lot of time and perhaps moved things faster.

One is hopeful Mr. Giacobbe, the attorney who keeps reminding folks he is a labor attorney but has been retained by Atlantic Highlands to talk about the money issues, can be present at Thursday’s meeting and can also stay long enough to answer questions from the public. The public was insulted enough at the Hudson meeting, let’s hope they don’t receive more disrespect at Thursday’s Council meeting. Mr. Giacobbe has had to rush out in the past, or not been able to appear in person. And we all know ZOOM has not been perfected yet.

Then Monday evening, there’s that special get together at the local theater to hear about the Mother Theresa School property issue. One wonders why that meeting could not be held at Mother Theresa School where the gym is certainly large enough to accommodate everyone. It’s ironic it isn’t, inasmuch as at Thursday’s meeting, the governing body is adopting its usual resolution to use the facility, as they have in the past, not only for recreational activities but for elections as well.

Whether you live in Highlands or Atlantic Highlands, skip your regular tv shows Thursday night and come out to a meeting in your home town, ask questions, get answers, and hear first hand what’s going on.

Happy at Atlantic Highlands Library

By

Muriel J. Smith

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February 7, 2023

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Just walking into the Atlantic Highlands Library can make anybody happy. Whether it’s a group of happy people in a book club discussing their latest novel, or a group; of young caregivers cuddling their youngsters during a story telling hour, or an energetic Lauren dancing and clapping with the youngsters at another story telling hour, there’s always something cheery and happy going on.

The latest was seeing the exuberant welcome Phyllis gave to a woman who came in to become a library member. Phyllis not only took the time to explain everything membership includes, but answered all her questions, showed her around the library, wished her best wishes and was so cheery and warm-hearted the woman couldn’t stop smiling. That alone is an open invitation to everyone to stop in this very busy library and see for yourself how very welcoming it is. To say nothing of how much this very popular spot offers in the way of resources, education, research, fun and entertainment.

Town Hall Meeting – Hard to Find

By

Muriel J. Smith

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February 7, 2023

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It isn’t easy to find, but the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Atlantic Highlands will have a Town Hall Meeting, at Smodcastle Cinemas, Cinema 4, 82 First Avenue, at 7:00 pm on Monday February 13. The purpose of this meeting is a presentation from the Redevelopment Planner regarding the Mother Teresa School property. No formal action will be taken.

The notice is not listed on AHNJ.com, the borough’s official website, under meetings, agenda, events, or Alerts.

“Iron Man” Mayor Charlie Rooney

By

Muriel J. Smith

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February 7, 2023

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It was 24 years ago, Feb. 5, 1999, that former Mayor Charlie “Iron Man” Rooney of Sea Bright died. He was serving as Mayor at the time, after a long distinguished term as councilman as well.

On Father’s Day of that same year, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. issued a statement in the House of Representatives lauding the many attributes of Rooney and announcing the dedication of the Spring Bridge Park in his honor.

His son, Charles Rooney, who later also became a councilman in Sea Bright, said that the timing was appropriate that the dedication of Charles Rooney Swing Bridge Park took place on Father’s Day, because Mayor Rooney was the father of so many wonderful environmental improvement projects that enhanced the quality of life in Sea Bright for its residents and others to enjoy.

He was also a tremendous role model, the younger Rooney continued, not only for his son and daughter, but for all of us in public service who could learn so much from the warm and wonderful way he served the people of Sea Bright.

This is Congressman Pallone’s statement in Congress on the occasion of the park’s dedication.

In my home state of New Jersey, at this very moment, children and their parents are starting to pack for their weekend at the Jersey Shore. And they are imagining the beautiful beaches and ocean waters that await them and all the fun and good memories that the coming weekend holds.

Most of these weekend visitors take the Jersey Shore for granted, not realizing that there are people who devoted their lives to protecting and maintaining the shoreline for all to enjoy. Foremost among these coastal champions was Charles Rooney, the mayor of Sea Bright, N.J., from 1988 until his death this year.

This Sunday, June 20, the people of Sea Bright will rededicate Swing Bridge Park in Sea Bright, N.J., in his honor.

The Sea Bright residents who will attend know well how hard Mayor Rooney worked over a 20-year period–first as a Councilman and then as Mayor–to get the state and federal funds to protect Sea Bright from the many “Nor’easters” that threatened the lives and property of residents.

Over the years, these seasonal storms, with their ferocious winds and pounding surf, robbed Sea Bright of its protective seawall and buffer beaches to the point that the town might not have survived another storm season.

My colleagues, you know more about Mayor Rooney and Sea Bright than you realize, because it was to Sea Bright that the New York and national television stations would go for some fearsome footage whenever a hurricane came up the East Coast. Each time, I would talk to a very concerned Mayor Rooney on the phone and later meet him on a tour of the damage and we would agree to press harder and speed up the schedule to repair the seawall and reconstruct the beaches.

And, colleagues, it was your vote, year-after-year that helped us finally make the repairs that resulted in the completion of the multi-million dollar Army Corps of Engineers Shore Protection Project along much of the coastline of my district.

Charles Rooney was a man who served his community like no other I know. His eight years as union representative in the Steel Workers Union helped prepare him for the leadership and coalition building skills he would later utilize as Councilman and Mayor.

He served as president of the local chamber of commerce and established the senior citizens club, the borough recreation center and the youth program. In November, he was inducted into the League Municipalities “Mayors’ Hall of Fame” and in January into the “Elected Officials Hall of Fame” for having served more than 20 years in local government.

There was an amazing personal side to Charles Rooney. He had tremendous character and was himself a character. He used to say that when he took office, the town of Sea Bright was famous for having twenty-one liquor licenses and to reverse the common attitude of “let’s party in Sea Bright,” somebody had to be tough.

It was that toughness that turned Sea Bright back into a beautiful family resort as it was during the glory days at the turn of the century.

It was also his political toughness, combined with his middle-aged entry into long distance running that gave him the nickname of “Iron Man Rooney.” Starting at the age of 48, he ran in 17 career marathons, inspired by another shore legend, Dr. George Sheehan, “The Running Doc” of Rumson.

Mayor Rooney ran the entire length of the New Jersey Atlantic Coastline, from Sandy Hook to Cape May in just over four days.

As the sponsor of local marathons, “he always cheered the loudest for the people coming in last.

At the end of Pallone’s dedication, the mayor’s son also pointed out “he’d be there for the lady running 13-minute miles, when no one else was there. He’d put the biggest smile on her face, making her feel like she’d just won the race.,”

Broullon on Regionalization

By

Muriel J. Smith

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February 6, 2023

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HIGHLANDS –

Last Tuesday night’s four hour long meeting on school regionalization of the three boards of education in this borough and Atlantic Highlands raised a lot of questions and criticism of how the public was treated by Mayor Carolyn Broullon who was present throughout the meeting and spoke during the public portion.

The mayor said that while the public was aware the boards would go into executive session at the very start of the meeting, “we did not expect to be in the hallway for almost two hours.”

No Answers

“ A meeting that started at 6:30pm ended at 10:34pm, “ she said, adding “ A decision was made with sparse public engagement, yielding a completely different method than was previously discussed just six months ago. The taxpayers of Highlands and Atlantic Highlands need to get some answers before we consider voting on this ballot measure.”

The boards unanimously voted to pass a resolution calling for a special election in September on whether Highlands and Atlantic Highlands three schools should regionalize in a K-12 school. At the same time, the board took no action on a second regionalization on the agenda and now have two regionalization requests before the Commissioner of Education: one to include Sea Bright in the regionalization, as they boards unanimously agreed last August, and the second which does not include Sea Bright.

Just Spend those Dollars

Calling for the election in September rather than the regular November election means added costs, Broullon pointed out. Yet the boards refused to listen to the many residents who asked for a delay in the decision for a special election in order to get more information. Waiting another month or two in an effort to involve more public and municipal engagement would not have changed a September election date, she pointed out, but added “But one also has to ask, what is the cost and who is going to pay for a special election two months before the general election? Us, the taxpayers are. “ Noting that statistics show fewer people turn out for special elections than regular elections, she queried “why would the Boards want fewer people voting on this ballot measure in September then would vote in the November general election?”

Simple Math isn’t so simple

Concerning the regionalization question itself, and whether there is sufficient knowledge among board members in all it entails, the mayor noted that during the meeting “ When I asked the members of the boards if any of them knew what the towns valuations were, I was met with no answers, just blank stares. When I told them that Highlands assessed value was over $1 billion dollars this year, an increase of an amazing $145 million over last year, again, they just stared at me. I feel it is incredibly dangerous to the future of our taxes that they voted on a funding formula based on an allocation of 0% enrollment and 100% Equalized Value, when they had no clue what the assessed value actually was.”

Broullon urged more residents to start attending board meetings and hold board members accountable for their actions. “Highlands residents need to understand that for the 22-23 school year, the elementary school and the borough’s share of Henry Hudson school costs to educate fewer than 300 students cost as much as “running a town of 5,000 people.

Accountability

“The Highlands Council is fine with being accountable for its actions and answers all question in a respectful manner,” the mayor added, referring to the manner affairs were handled at the Tuesday meeting “The board members need to be ready to answer to the people who elected them. The people elected and want to hear from their board members, not a paid attorney nor a superintendent.”

Rude, Degrading, Condescending

Aside from the long term impact regionalization will have on taxes and education and the need to have all the facts before any decisions can be made, the mayor added that her first takeaway from the meeting was “ how rude, degrading and condescending the boards’ attorney was to the taxpayers that he gladly receives payments from. The manner in which he addressed residents was beyond deplorable. And the fact that the board members did nothing to stop this repeated disrespect was disgusting to watch.”

That disrespect was added to the fact the taxpayers were removed from the room and made to wait in the overheated hallway without a chair or cool air to breathe when the board went into executive session. “The board attorney came out after over an hour later saying they needed at least another 45 minutes and asked if anyone needed a chair. The two Highlands Police Officers on site for the meeting handed out chairs to all who needed them. It will be Highlands miracle if the 100+ AH-H-SB residents do not get Covid-19 after being jammed in the hallway for nearly 2 hours.

Kitty at King James

By

Muriel J. Smith

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February 1, 2023

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You might see her wearing a wig with a huge smile on her face. Or she might be down on her knees singing to a resident in a wheelchair! Or on the dance floor with a nonagenarian having the time of his life… truth of the matter is, you might not ever be able to predict where you might see Kitty Wheeler while she’s on duty at the Care One at King James Care Center on Route 36 in Middletown.

Union Beach Native

Kitty, proud to be able to announce she is a native of Union Beach and still a resident there, is the assistant director of activities at King James, As such, she helps plan activities, coordinates events, spends time with lonely residents, plays games, sings and dances. She also shops for residents, puts name labels in their clothes, and just about any other social services a resident needs.

Loves Her Job

She obviously loves her job. That’s because she loves the residents. And they love her.

“That’s the very best thing about this job,” the vivacious and energetic Kitty explains. “”We’re all family here, and these people I see every day are just the best.”

Kitty hasn’t always been a recreation director. She was a secretary for JC Penney Department Stores in New York at one time. Then she was in real estate. Then for 15 years she was a bartender at the Colony Inn in Union Beach. She was also an employee at Toys R Us for seven years. Even today, she holds down two jobs, the aide position at Care One and a waitress at Oveida on Maple Place in Keyport. That’s another job she loves and is loved.

When a friend told her King James was looking for someone to work in activities more than 15 years ago, Kitty decided to apply. She liked the place, she liked the people, it was close to home, and she got the job.

Meow

“The very first day, when I was introduced to someone as Kitty, I meowed at her,” Kitty recalls, laughing. “The next day when I went back, the resident meowed back at me. I was so excited. She remembered me and was happy to see me again.”

It is just that instant amusing or entertaining action, word, face, or quirky idea that sets Kitty above others as an aide. Residents don’t exactly know what to expect of her, but they know it will be fun, and is bound to make them laugh.

Kitty is great at singalongs. Both in a group or with a sole individual. It isn’t unusual to see her face to face with a resident with speech or verbal communication problems. Kitty begins singing, gyrating, enunciating loud and clearly, and clapping; almost instantly even the uncommunicative begin to clap hands, mouth words, and carry a tune. They remember it until the next day or next week when Kitty is once again in the day room or their own room with them and starts the same song again. They both end up in balls of laughter.

Cross Trained

After being certified in her own field, Kitty also took extra classes so she could work other positions at the care center on her days off or when needed. She is cross trained in the kitchen, laundry and reception desk,. She’s been honored for her excellence at her job and was named the state Outstanding Professional of the Year in 2016.

Married to her husband Charlie for 43 years, Kitty has a daughter, Bridget, who is in graduate school at Kean College studying to be a psychologist. That bartending job in Keyport she loves is three days a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, starting at 5 p.m. after her daytime job at Care One. “You have to come see me there, too,” she boasts, I’ve got the greatest boss in the world there as well.”

Blowing Bubbles

Care Center Administrator Jimmie King said he learned first hand how Kitty’s exuberance and enthusiasm for life are not just centered at King James. He recalls the day he was behind a car at a traffic light and watched the driver blowing bubbles out the window bringing laughs and thumbs up from other motorists. “It wasn’t until I passed her that I saw it was our Kitty,” King said. “She just wants to do things all the time to make other people happy. She does it with great skill at Care One and our residents love her.”

“My mom was here as a resident until she died,” Kitty explains, with a bit of sadness, “and my dad was also a resident here. But they could feel the amazing bond among the residents, the staff, and the administrator. It really is kind of a special kind of place. Yes, we really are family at King James,” the happy aide said with a broad smile.

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