The town is going to the dogs.  In a good way! Because it’s going to the hamsters and fish and birds as well!

Not having a dog nor any household pets, I’ve never been in Feed & Seed, the corner store at Miller and Bay avenues in Highlands; I remember the store from more than half a century ago when it was a thriving and very neatly kept A&P store.

Through the years it had been many other things as well, until it fell into a time of disuse, had no use as a commercial business, was home for a local resident, and fell into even more disrepair, and in general an eyesore and useless bit of construction in the heart of the Highlands business district.

But about a five years ago, when Donica and Carolyn took over that corner they wanted renovations  made and a piece of history kept. So armed with a postcard they produced it for their building contractor showing the building in its more popular days. Carolyn, who was also a councilwoman at the time and is now Mayor,  told him she wanted the building to look like it did in the 1940s.

When she learned the art classes at Henry Hudson Regional had painted the huge sign identifying the site as The Great Atlantic & Pacific Company, she asked the school if she could have it. They agreed, figuring it would be seen more often and more prominently in the shop than if it were kept in the art classroom at Hudson. So that sign now holds a dominate location at the back of the store, visible from all over and recognizing the talent of those Hudson artistic students. And for any who ask, it’s a starting point for Carolyn to tell the whole story of why it’s there.

But it’s a pet store, so what could be the drawing card?  Dog biscuits and canned cat food? Bird seed and fish food? You bet! And that’s just the top of the barrel.

Having time to spare, and wondering what exactly was inside that building, I took a few minutes, well, it turned out to be much longer, to see what kind of pet supplies are in the store.

Even without a pet, it’s a great place to spend a half hour or so.

Surprisingly, walking down the main aisle of the store, there are shelves filled with all kinds of things on both sides. But look again. There is so much stuff there that the shelves are not parallel with the center aisle. No indeed, there are numerous shelved cabinets, so many that they have mini aisles on their own perpendicular to the center aisle!  And they’re all filled.

That’s what this pet supply store in all about.

Feed & Seed is, indeed, feed and seed for all kinds of pets from cats and dogs to gerbils, fish, hamsters, mice and more.  But it’s even more than just feed and seed for all kinds of critters. It’s got a little, or a lot, of everything every  pet owner may want, need, or think about  either for their own pet or for a gift to a new pet owner.

   There are all varieties of food, including a rather gourmet selection of canned goods for dogs and cats. The Fromm company, a family owned business that started in Wisconsin and is now home based in Illinois,  retained a chemist in the 1940s to research and develop a process to create the first complete and balanced dry dog food with high scale scientific feeding treats for four legged friends. The store has shelves and shelves of pates including all kinds of vegetables, sweet potatoes blended pates and more. Amazing how many dogs like vegetables which are so good for them nutritiously.

    There are separate sections for all the accoutrements for all kinds of animals, including all the tools and equipment needed to keep the animals clean, as well as the areas in which they live. There are all kinds of plushy and cushioned beds, carriers for vehicular travel, gadgets that help in grooming and games and toys galore. And it’s all organized! So  if you’re searching for a new food for your pet gerbil you don’t have to sift through all the bird seed, or fish food…the merchandise on all those cabinets is separated by animal.

    There are a couple of things that strike you at the front counter, among them a sign with prices and the message, “Smiles are free.” But my favorite is what for many is a religious observation of  the season before Christmas, but is also a very popular method of introducing youngsters to the wonders of the season, the Advent Calendar. Feed & Seed offers a special Advent  Calendar for Pets! This is a box of 24 little treats, designed to be given one each  day beginning Dec. 1 to a well-behaved dog. The treats range from cheese or bacon candies to carrot cake and peanut butter. It’s up to the pet owner to decide what the canine has to do to earn his daily treat! A great pre-Christmas gift for your family’s pet or the dog next door.!.

   The shop is open six days a week, closed on Mondays. Tuesdays through Friday, it’s open from 11 a.m. to 5 p. m and Saturdays and Sundays, you can stop in between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

  And notice The Groom Room right next door on Bay Avenue….it’s a pet grooming business   where the entire staff is trained in all different services specific  with many different breeds. They have plenty of experience and are up to any grooming challenge to even pets with special needs are accommodated.

Frustrated by not being able to attend, see on ZOOM and not being able to clear everything a day or two later on the recording of the meeting of the Mayor and Council, I’m grateful for a copy of the Mayor’s monthly report which is always read at the meeting and explained in detail to anyone who is able to attend a Council meeting and asks for more information.

But every month the list seems almost endless with everything that’s going on in town and how well the Mayor stays connected and  up with it all.  September’s statement, read at the October 6 meeting is as comprehensive and full as every other one.

For instance, the Mayor reminded everyone that while a lot of construction is going on, and proceeding timely, nonetheless, she told resident:. All constructions dates are weather and supply-chain permitting, just a reminded of how so many projects and plans have been thwarted in every business because of not always being able to get the supplies needed to proceed.

How much new construction is going on and how is it proceeding?  Well, for a starter, at the North St pump , a new breaker panel is completed but they’re waiting for First Energy to connect new electric.  At the new municipal building, steel installation is continuing, and it’s fascinating to see it rise and even more fascinating to see those workers walk across those beams. At South Bay and Hillside Ave, the storm and sanitary work is completed, next it’s concrete and paving.  By the bank there is a large sanitary sewer project for Waterwitch Area in Phase 1 and they’re waiting on materials.

At Snug Harbor Park,  Work was scheduled to start Sept. 12 on the playground area, basketball and tennis courts. The Mayor probably updated whether it did start Sept. 12, but couldn’t hear that on the meeting recording.

Work is supposed to start this month on the  Twin Lights Terrace Gabion and it’s also supposed to start at Ederle Park since the Pre-construction meeting which was held in August.

The  Marine Place Elevated Walkway West  at Snug Harbor  started this month and they were actively working on it the week of the meeting.

With the electrical work at the Waterwitch Pump Station done in September, the prefab structure is due to start this month as well

Concerning the Skate Park , the mayor said the application review has been submitted to CARFA, and the borough is waiting for their ok to proceed, expected by Oct. 17.

Monmouth County will do the easterly portion of Jones Creek  once again after the borough gets its CAFRA permit from DEP.

The borough was going out for bid this month for an EV Charging Station at 171 Bay Avenue, the parking lot where the borough hall used to be, a bit of irony in itself since it certainly wouldn’t work if the parking lot is under water,  the reason Borough Hall isn’t there now.

And the borough is waiting on the County to repair the guard rail along Portland Road

With all these projects in various stages of completion, there are still more projects planned. Including an upgrade to Frank Hall Park which will be a joint venture with the Open Space/Lions Club/Green Team looking for grants.

Plans for the Veterans Park improvements are with Engineering along with a Local Recreation grant from DCA $75,000 for funding it.

There’s another plan to create an Overlook Park on the empty lot on the highway  and more plans for an elevated walkway East  at Sea Drift Ave, a Monmouth County Open Space grant, ,another grant for design and engineering for a living shoreline and bulkhead at Veteran’s Park., seeking funding for the Snug Harbor pump and surrounding area.

On the all-important topic of  School Regionalization, the Mayor pointed out again Highlands has agreed to go to mediation on the cost haring. But now has to wait while the attorneys are negotiating who will be the mediator.

Good news in the report is the fact the borough has received $771,518 so far this year and is working on the FEMA BRIC [Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities] grant funding for the Snug Harbor Pump station and to mitigate the runoff from Monmouth Hills. The public meeting on this project will be at the next meeting Oct. 19 r, in the meantime there are on-going discussions with Monmouth Hills HOA, State, County and Middletown officials and the promise , according to the mayor that “we look forward to working on a solution together.  The borough will enter the Community Rating System [CRS] program for lower flood insurance.

Gregory Valesi, Pe, PP, CME will be named CRS Coordinator  on Nov. 11 and the next step is  for FEMA to conduct a visit or contact the Borough to review National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.

That ‘s one heck of a comprehensive report. Too bad Highlands residents are not interested in knowing not only the bad things, but also the good things that are happening in their town