Highlands residents this week received the 2023 Borough calendar in the mail, the production of which was a joint effort among Mayor Carolyn Broullon, office staff and the Highlands Historical Society. The cooperative effort was first initiated and launched by the Communications Committee in 2017 and all the groups and departments within the borough are invited to give their input into creating the calendar.
The cost of the colorful and newsy Highlands calendar, including both local history and events and information for throughout 2023 and January of next year, was covered in part through a Clean Communities Grant since it contains all the necessary information for trash, recycling, and how to properly dispose of items of all kinds.
Each of the photographs, depicting an earlier Highlands included in the calendar are in Borough Hall.
Informational pages in the calendar also include contacts and information for the Highlands Fire Department and First Aid Squad as well as contract numbers and e-mail and street addresses for all borough departments. The calendar also includes contacts for the Mayor and Council and the dates of scheduled meetings.
Dates on each monthly page include borough office hours, legal and special holidays, and meeting dates for various community organizations in the borough.
Each page, in addition to the historic photo of a scene in Highlands, also include a paragraph on a historic fact about the borough, with information ranging from when Highlands was the center for the illegal smuggling of liquor from offshore ships by rumrunners during Prohibition to how English Channel swimmer Gertrude Ederle learned to swim in the fast current of the Shrewsbury River.
Residents wishing calendars can pick one up at the borough office.
Pure Imagination will be performing at the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council gallery space at 54 First Ave. Saturday February 4 at 7:30pm.
Pure Imagination is a song-filled, story-filled celebration of Academy Award, Grammy Award and Tony Award-winning songwriter Leslie Bricusse and his collaborations with Anthony Newley, Henry Mancini and John Williams.
Performers
Featuring Broadway performers Jeanne Montano, James Patterson and Linda Moshier. Robert Cioffi, the creator and musical director, will be on the piano.
Patterson’s most recent credits include Don Quixote/Cervantes in Man of La Mancha at Stages St. Louis, Georges in La Cage Aux Folles at the Riverside Theatre Company and Pioneer Theatre Company, and Lumiere in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Theatre Under The Stars.
James has appeared in the Broadway and National Touring productions of Gigi (Dufresne), Mary Poppins (Park Keeper), The Drowsy Chaperone, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Beast, Gaston, and Lumiere understudy), Cats (Munkustrap), and State Fair.
Joining Patterson, Mosher’s career icludes theater, cabaret, and concerts worldwide. Her first feature film Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time was Hungary’s entry for an Academy Award. She just returned from the Wilson Center in Wilmington, NC where she sang Sinatra favorites in My Way. She debuted her show Simply Starstruck, featuring the music of Barbra Streisand at Lincoln Center and at the Cutting Room recently
Montano has performed both on Broadway and in the National Tour of Cats in the roles of Jellylorum , Jennyanydots and Grizzabella. She has also been performing Forbidden Broadway in New York for the past 10 years, parodying everyone from Idina Menzel to Kristen Chenoweth to Carrie Underwood, Liza, Chita and more. Originally a Jersey Shore girl, she now resides both in NYC and Asbury Park.
Tickets
The evening is the perfect pre-Valentine’s Day treat with favorite songs from Stop the World I Want to Get Off,Doctor Dolittle, Willy Wonka, Victor-Victoria, Goldfinger, Superman and more.
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the gallery or through the website aharts.org. Seating is limited, so purchasing tickets in advance is recommended.
The Atlantic Highlands Arts Council is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen community through the arts.
Corn has been a popular vegetable for thousands of years because of its versatility in menus ranging from soups and chowders to on the cob fresh off the barbecue or grill.
Unfortunately, corn really does not get the credit it should for its health benefits, given its sweetness and so often smothered with butter. Full of fiber, corn makes you feel full longer between meals. It has been suggested that corn helps protect against colon cancer, given the fact it feeds healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. Even popcorn they say, has its benefits besides being a delightful choice for movies. It has been known to lower the risk of diverticulitis.
But for the eyes, corn is rich in vitamin C, that antioxidant that protects body cells from damage and wards off heart disease. Yellow corn is loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin both of which help present any damage to the lens that leads to cataracts. It’s the color that matters in corn and so many other fruits and vegetables because it’s really the color that has the chemical that carry the antioxidants. Corn also has vitamins B, E and K, and those great mineral, magnesium and potassium.
Chef Rob is a chef who often appears on ZOOM programs from libraries and other organizations and is worth watching. His Turkey Corn Chowder provides plenty of carrots, corn, and scallions that are so good because of the protein it produces essential for the retina enabling it to absorb more light and prevent night blindness and other disorders.
When the Atlantic Highlands Evening Book Club meets Thursday night at 7 p.m., it will not only be discussing Amor Towles book, The Lincoln Highway; it will be celebrating the beginning of the tenth years since it was first organized and sponsored by the Friends of the Atlantic Highlands Library.
While the library is a branch of the Monmouth County Library, it indeed is a very special alcove for not only Atlantic Highlands residents but other residents of Highlands and other Bayshore areas who are drawn to the resources there, the friendship of others, and in the case of the Book Club, fascinating and provocative discussions of a different book each month.
Two Book Clubs
The library has two book clubs, the other meeting in the morning. The morning club was the first. Former librarian Marilyn Scherfern recognized the value and popularity of that first club and when Lori Montana moved to town and Marilyn learned she had run a book club in her former hometown, she urged her to start one here evenings. Lori said, “it took a few good friends to talk me into it and one friend, Elita Taylor, said she would run it with me if I said yes.” Now the host of the evening club, Montana said “I am so grateful to everyone who gave me the confidence to host it.”.
The clubs operate with no officers, but a lot of cooperation and organization. Members choose the books they will read each month and once the group decides on the choices, the person who suggested the chosen book is generally the facilitator for the discussion. Another option the club uses is a round table discussion rather than a facilitator. While books have already been suggested and chosen for the entire year, if there is ever an open month, Lori takes suggestions and the members vote.
Philip Roth Festival
Book club members also share information about other events of interest to readers. For instance, this month’s tip lets Philip Roth fans know there is a festival celebrating the author and his work from March 17 through March 19th, with a contact to make to learn more. There’s a contact to see Studebaker cars from the 1950s and another for early photos of Howard Johnson restaurants.
As facilitator, Lori believes the club really runs itself because of the interest of its members. She said her duties are generally limited to sending out e-mail reminders and being certain there are copies of the books for the members to read.
”We have a smart, kind, and welcoming group., “ Lori says proudly. “ Each year we have an eclectic mix of books that generate thought provoking discussions. At the end of the year, we have a holiday party where we vote on our favorite and least favorite books. We have a book exchange, and I always a toast from me thanking our members for making this the best book club ever.”
Membership
There is no official membership, no dues no registration, Montas explained. The book club is there for anyone who simply wants to show up or attend the meeting via ZOOM. There is a check with the library to be certain there are copies of each chosen book available, and people can pick up copies simply by asking at the circulation desk for the book the Evening Book Club is reading. If there are not enough copies of the book available, club members share or try to find it online, making purchasing a copy of the book unnecessary.
Persons wanting further information on the club, its books, or some knowledge about the current book is invited to e-mail Monta at adlebc@gmail.com or leave a name and contact number with the librarian for a call back.
Other Books
The books for the rest of the year after January are February: The Daries ofAdam and Eve by Mark Twain (Printed copies are in the library and Montana will send a link for those who would rather read it online.). The March selection is Cryin’ in the H Mart by Michelle Zainer; April is : Persuasion by Jane Austen, May, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell ,June, The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler, July 1984 by George Orwell, August: Cloud Cukooland by Anthony Doerrs, September, The Regency Years by Robert Morrison, October: The Master and the Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakow, and December 8, the final meeting of the year, Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. There is no selection or meeting in November.
A collection of historic, fanciful and unique dolls is on display at the Eastern Branch of the Monmouth County Library through the month of February, comprised of no fewer than two dozen dolls from the collections of the Shrewsbury Historical Society and its officers.
In another of its outstanding collections of items and artifacts from other ages, the Historical Society has arranged for the display of outstanding dolls of all types and sizes at the library’s showcase in its main hallway.
Society President Donald Burden, who also arranged the recent bridal gown exhibit at both the library and the society’s museum adjacent to the Shrewsbury municipal offices, said the collection is part of the society’s mission to preserve Shrewsbury history, promote participation from the community at large, highlight Shrewsbury’s historical significance and share the valuable resources of the Society through educational programs.
“It is amazing how many different kinds of collections people have,” said Burden, “and we can all learn something from every one.” He said people have also been generous in donating collections or memorabilia to the Shrewsbury Society, knowing they will be given the respect and care required to keep them as role players in the importance of preserving history. In addition to his wife’s doll collection the president has his own collection of oil cans, another item that is rapidly becoming a sought after collector’s item.
The dolls are one more example of the benefits of all manner of education.
Storybook Dolls
One of the highlights in the library display are the Storybook dolls of MaryLea Burden, an attractive arrangement of dolls depicting the fairy tales and children’s stories of the mid and late 20th century. Ms. Burden’s collection represents gifts at holidays during her childhood from various relatives and includes the miniature creations of Nancy Ann Abbott. Measuring no higher than seven inches, some as small as 3 1/2 inches in height, the dolls were first produced in painted bisque and sold from 1936 through 1947. After the war and during the early 1960s, they were created in plastic but always feature lavish costumes and fabrics and trims.
Bridal Dress Dolls
Among the several bridal dress dolls in the display are the donations of Marylynne Stout of Petersburg, Pa. Mrs. Stout wished to entrust her collection to a museum in the Red Bank area when she decided to downsize. She had lived in Red Bank as a child and several of the dollars were originally purchased in the area. Some of the dolls in the Library display are those made at the time of the bride’s gown and were used on the front of the cars in the bridal processions, along with dolls dressed in the bridesmaids’ colors and designs as well.
One doll, donated by Beth Sweeny of Union Beach, has a string on her back, when pulled it plays a rendition of “Here Comes the Bride.”
African American Doll
Another of the unique dolls on display is the African American doll in a Girl Scout uniform dating from the 1950s through the 1970s, the only minority doll in the collection. The single boy doll on display is of a Swiss Tyrolian.
Madame Alexander Dolls
Also included in this unique memorabilia of childhood are several collectible Madame Alexander dolls, known for their splendor. The Alexander Doll Company, created in 1923 by Madame Beatrice Alexander Behrman, came from the founder’s childhood when she spent time in her stepfather’s doll hospital on Manhattan’s lower East Side. She believed dolls should be played with and loved without breaking like the porcelain dolls of her time, but with no decrease in detail or quality. She perceived dolls as a means of teaching children kindness and compassion through play, sand their popularity has made her creations a part of American life and history. Madame Alexander herself is also recognized as a pioneer in a male-dominated business world especially following the Depression.
For the library branch’s times and days , as well as other information about the Eastern Branch and all branches of the Monmouth County library, visit www.monmouthcountylib.org.
For more information on the Shrewsbury Historical Society and its museum, call 732-530-7974 or 732-747-3635, At this time of year, the Museum is open by appointment only by a staff member generous with time and accommodation of an interested public.
With the announcement last week that the Rev. Thomas Barry of Our Lady of Perpetual Help – St. Agnes parish, is leaving this week to begin training as a chaplain in the US Navy, many have questioned what the training and duties of a chaplain are and to whom chaplains of all faiths report.
Rear Admiral Gregory N. Todd
Rear Admiral Gregory N. Todd is the 28th Chief of Chaplains of the US Navy and as such is the commander for the chaplains of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
Early Life
A native of Seattle, Washington, Admiral Todd earned his degree in theology and education at Concordia College in Portland, Oregon, and a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis Missouri. He was ordained a Lutheran minister in the Missouri Synod in 1988 then earned a degree as Doctor of Ministry in Christian Leadership in Charlotte, NC in 2009.
Navy & Marine Corps Reserve
Joining the chaplaincy corps of the Navy Reserves in 1986, as an ensign he provided ministry to the Marine Corps Reserve while continuing his service as pastor of civilian churches in Illinois. In 1994, he transferred to active duty and was Protestant chaplain at the Naval amphibious Base Coronado, Calif, later serving aboard the USS Chancellorsville.
Coast Guard & September 11th
Next named a Coast Guard chaplain, he served at Coast Guard Activities New York and was the first Navy chaplain to arrive at the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 attacks, hosting a Coast Guard Chaplain Emergency Response team of 30 Navy chaplains working with the Coast Guard and ministering to civilians and emergency crew members. Connected with Ground Zero and One Police Plaza. He was also part of the response team at the crashes of Egypt Air Flight 990 and American Airlines Flight 587.
Operation Iraqi Freedom & Afghanistan
In 2002, the chaplain reported to the Second Force Service Support Group at Camp Lejeune, NC with the Marine Corps and was deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Two years later, he deployed to Afghanistan with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit setting up a ministry in Oruzgan Province.
USS Kearsarge
In 2005 he became the officer in charge of Marine Corps Chaplains for three years before attending Senior Supervisory Chaplain Course and becoming command chaplain on the USS Kearsarge, a ship frequently docked at NWS Earle in Leonardo.
Reporting back to the Marine Corps again in 2010, Adm. Todd led transition and support ministries for sailors and Marines deploying as well and leading a chaplain program in Ramstein, Germany.
Rear Admiral
In 2014, he was assigned for the second time to the Coast Guard as Chaplain, and in 2022 was nominated to two-star rear admiral and appointed the Chief of Chaplains for the Navy.
In a televised interview this week for the Navy Memorial in Washington DC. Admiral Todd said one of his greatest challenges is meeting the need for more chaplains, with approximately 870 chaplains currently serving the 570,000 Coast Guard, Marine and Navy military members in active duty service.
He pointed out the chaplain’s duty in the military is to provide the spiritual readiness to compliment the physical and mental readiness required of all military members. That can be accomplished, he said, by providing education on a person’s purpose, value and sacrifice for the public good. He pointed out that a spiritual background makes a person “bigger than yourself” and said that transcendence has been active among warriors for centuries.
Goals
Admiral Todd said his goal is to secure another 30 chaplains to bring the number up to 900 to better serve the services.
He pointed out that Navy Chaplains are the voice of encouragement, reason and hopes for Sailors and Marines, giving support and uplifting the men and women who serve as well as providing spiritual assistance for their families.
Navy chaplains represent more than 100 different faith groups from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and more. All are commissioned as officers after successfully completing Officer Development School at Newport, R,I. and a seven-week course at the Naval Chaplaincy School and Center, also in Newport. Promotion opportunities are competitive and based on performance. The Navy provides a series of education opportunities throughout a chaplain’s career including credentials and other opportunities in related field including behavioral therapy and family counseling as civilians.
Chaplains have been a part of the United States armed forces ever since Army chaplains put their lives on the line during the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Their mission has always been to give spiritual aid as well as prayers and comfort for the military and bring spiritual peace to their flocks. But there have been many times they have led troops into battle, assisted the wounded, carried men from the battlefield, and lay beside them in trenches with enemy fire overhead.
Since the Civil War, when the first Medal s of Honor were awarded, there have only been nine chaplains who have received this highest honor paid to military. Seven of these were Army, one was Naval Reserve and one was Navy. Of the nine, two came from New York, six came from Massachusetts, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana and California.
One came from New Jersey.
Major Charles J. Watters
Meet Major Charles J. Watters, a Catholic priest from Jersey City, a graduate of Seton Hall University, and a major with the 173d Airborne Brigade of the US Army during the Vietnam War. He was born Jan. 17, 1927.
Fr. Watters was not the ordinary parish priest. He also held a commercial pilots’ license.
After graduating from Seton Hall, Father Watters went on to Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, and was ordained a priest in 1953. Over the next few years, he served in parishes in Jersey City Rutherford, Cranford and Paramus in the Archdiocese of Newark., At the same time, intrigued by flying he studied and became certified as a commercial pilot. In 1962, he joined the New Jersey Air National Guard, and two years later, he signed on with the Army at Fort Dix, serving as a chaplain there.
Viet Nam
In 1966, the chaplain was assigned to the Republic of Vietnam serving with Company A, 173rd Support Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade. But Major Watters didn’t always stay with the support group. He frequently went with the brigade’s line units into the battlefield. Then, at the end of his 12 month tour, he requested and was granted an extension to stay with his men for another six months.
It was November 1967. The chaplain was with the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, and the men were involved in fighting for Hill 875 near Dak To. An intense fire fight broke out on Nov. 19. And men were dying on the battlefield. So Chaplain Watters did what heroic chaplains do. He rushed onto the battlefield and began picking up the wounded and bringing them back to safety. Then he brought back those who had been killed. He administered the Last Rites of the Catholic Church to the dying and continued his mission of helping his soldiers on the front line.
The fighting and killing went on for hours, yet Chaplain Watters maintained his own composure, inspired his soldiers and continued his mission to help bring the fallen to safety. He assisted medics with emergency care, he continued administering the last rites, he spurned every effort to stay behind the battle zone to protect himself. It was then he himself was wounded and died that day on Hill 875.
His heroism was not forgotten. Chaplain Charles Watters was the first Army chaplain to receive the Medal of Honor since the Civil War. The U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School renamed its building Watters Hall. Public School 24 in Jersey City was renamed Chaplain Charles J. Watters School.
The inscription of the Medal of Honor for Chaplain Major Charles Watters reads:
Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Chaplain Watters distinguished himself during an assault in the vicinity of Dak To. Chaplain Watters was moving with one of the companies when it engaged a heavily armed enemy battalion. As the battle raged and the casualties mounted, Chaplain Watters, with complete disregard for his safety, rushed forward to the line of contact. Unarmed and completely exposed, he moved among, as well as in front of the advancing troops, giving aid to the wounded, assisting in their evacuation, giving words of encouragement, and administering the last rites to the dying. When a wounded paratrooper was standing in shock in front of the assaulting forces, Chaplain Watters ran forward, picked the man up on his shoulders and carried him to safety. As the troopers battled to the first enemy entrenchment, Chaplain Watters ran through the intense enemy fire to the front of the entrenchment to aid a fallen comrade. A short time later, the paratroopers pulled back in preparation for a second assault. Chaplain Watters exposed himself to both friendly and enemy fire between the two forces in order to recover two wounded soldiers. Later, when the battalion was forced to pull back into a perimeter, Chaplain Watters noticed that several wounded soldiers were lying outside the newly formed perimeter. Without hesitation and ignoring attempts to restrain him, Chaplain Watters left the perimeter three times in the face of small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire to carry and to assist the injured troopers to safety. Satisfied that all of the wounded were inside the perimeter, he began aiding the medics … applying field bandages to open wounds, obtaining and serving food and water, giving spiritual and mental strength and comfort. During his ministering, he moved out to the perimeter from position to position redistributing food and water, and tending to the needs of his men. Chaplain Watters was giving aid to the wounded when he himself was mortally wounded. Chaplain Watters’ unyielding perseverance and selfless devotion to his comrades was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
Presentation
The Medal of Honor was presented to the fallen chaplain’s family posthumously by Vice President Spiro Agnew on Nov. 19, 1967.
Major Watters is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The ever popular January Half Price Sale offered by the AAUW (American Association of University Women) Northern Monmouth County Branch will be held Saturday, Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The sale is held at the AAUW Book Store at the lower level of Old First Church, 69 Kings Highway.
Everything in the store will be half price throughout those hours, including hardcover and paperback books, CD’s, DVD’s, games, puzzles and a large assortment of children’s books. Recent releases are excluded from the special sale..
Proceeds from the sale support scholarships for women at Brookdale Community College and Monmouth University.
The Book Sale is open Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon for sales as well as book donations. Regular hours for sales and donations continue on Saturdays from 9:00 to 1:00 p.m. except holiday weekends.
For more information about AAUW, membership, Book Sale, and guidelines for tax deductible donations, visit the web site at aauw-nj-nmcb.org or call 732-275-2237.
This is one very heartfelt message from the Hazlet Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Scott Ridley, Ed.D, addressed to the Hazlet Strong community and urging prayers for the family devastated by the recent house fire in Hazlet…
Good day Hazlet community. I would like to acknowledge the tremendous outpouring of support and good wishes for the Middle Road School family that suffered a tragic house fire last week.
There are no words, no playbook, no reaction that can lessen the horror of this catastrophe though if we remain Hazlet-strong and continue to support and embrace all those affected by this devastating event, especially the Montanaro family, we will be in a better place moving forward.
As such, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers during the days and weeks ahead. This is not an easy journey, but if we make it together, and we allow our hearts to guide us, the family will absolutely understand that they are NOT ALONE.
More than a dozen members of the newly formed Police Explorer Post turned out for their monthly business meeting and heard initial instructions on what is required of an explorer, together with plans for activities within the next couple of months.
The Post meeting was held at the Shore Casino at the invitation of Casino owners with gratitude for the Police Department’s service to the community.
Ptl. Davi Cunha, the Police Explorer post advisor, welcomed the group and their parents and outlined the uniforms the Explorers will purchase to be worn for all functions. Cunha also presented Explorer Post caps to each of the members, a gift from the post through a $500 donation from Sodon Electric Company.
Cunha introduced each of the officers of the post, including its two captains, Shannon Kenny and Shane O’Connor and outlined their responsibilities.
Personal Responsibility
Assisted by Detective Travis Morgan, the officers impressed on the teenagers the importance of acting every day in a manner that brings honor to themselves, their parents, and the uniform itself. He reminded them that because of their membership they also represent the police department itself and their actions are a reflect ion on the department. He pointed out that the onlooker, seeing the badge on the post members shirt will often assume they are actual working police officers. For that reason, he explained, each shirt has EXPLORER written in large letters on the back of the shirt.
Cunha also pointed out uniforms are only to be worn for Explorer activities and not displayed for any reason at any other time.
Activities
Out lining upcoming activities, Cunya noted there will be a shooting competition among explorers from posts in Highlands, Middletown and the Coast Guard in April. Four members will be selected to represent this post, based on their skills at practices all will be participating in on the shooting range.
With bike trips planned for the spring, Cunya also directed members to submit their bicycle serial numbers to him for inspections and to ensure each member’s bike meets all the regulations for safety.
Middletown
The Explorers will meet with Middletown Explorers for their February meeting to continue the rapport among the local posts. A majority of members of the local post attend Henry Hudson Regional School, though it is not a requirement to live in the borough to become a member of the posts.
Kevin Aravich of Leonardo, who is one of the two lieutenants in the local post, lives in Leonardo and said while he had previously been a member of the Middletown post, he joined this post for its proximity to his home and the ease of attending activities and meetings. Aravich, a senior at Middletown North High School, also said he has friends and relatives in the Atlantic Highland post and was motivated by their enthusiasm for the programs planned here.
O’Connor said he recognizes the added responsibilities he has as captain of the post and feels confident he can handle it. He joined the post because he admires the department and wants to be able to learn more about things he can do to help save lives and help others.
Kenny, who joined in October, said she thinks it’s “cool” to be a Police Explorer, but joined more because of the friendships it helps her form and the opportunity to meet more people. She is excited, she said, about the scheduled practices on the shooting range.
Lt. Phil Kozic said he was motivated to join by O’Connor and is looking forward to what he will learn and the activities that are being offered.
Meetings
The Post meets twice a month, with the first meeting a business meeting and the second for training. The training meetings will take place at a variety of locations, including the shooting range, other post’s meeting rooms, and other sport and athletic center locations.
Teens interested in joining the post can contact Ptl. Cunha at police headquarters.
Persons interested in donating to the newly formed post can send checks made out to the Borough of Atlantic Highlands with a notation Explorers.. Checks can be mailed to the borou9gh or dropped off to Chief Reinert at headquarters..
