Conners Hotel, the Black Family and their summer bungalows will always be a treasured part of Highlands history. One doesn’t have to live in Highlands or even the Bayshore very long before hearing a story about Conners Hotel, or the Brothers Black, or the swimming pool where many romances blossomed and old friends met. Or even the snack bar at the pool where Sis Black did the honors at the counter and Edna Black flipped the hamburgers and dropped the French fries into the hot oil. Everyone remembers Billy and Sal’s lobster dinners in the hotel dining room…a delicacy still presented at Wind ‘n Sea on Shrewsbury Avenue where the owners have their own great memories of summers at Conners. It’s gone now, the pool, the hotel, the family homestead, even the bungalows and beach. The family built condos and apartments on part of what was once a piece of the heartland that stretched from the Shrewsbury River to the red clay hills, and sold the rest to Sea Streak, the relaxing, enjoyable commuter boat trip from the Bayshore to New York, for its docks and parking. Shore Drive takes the place of the railroad tracks that brought so many visitors from Jersey City, Union City, Hoboken, New York, Staten Island and Brooklyn. But there’s so much more to know about the patriarch and matriarch of this Highlands landmark, William H and Mary Conners. This was the site William fell in love with in the late 19th century when he came here from his native Pennsylvania. He purchased the 10 acre or so tract next to the O’Neil property and filled in the land himself, drawing buckets of soil from the red clay hills to fill in the swamp land that ran to the water. He hauled all that clay by horse drawn wagon, using a trip lever to create buildable ground. Once he established new land, William then leased out portions of it, bringing folks from the city to enjoy the shores of the Shrewsbury in their tents. When that venture secured enough money, William then set out to build the hotel, which he named the Cedar Grove House, keeping the tents for the regulars who wanted to come back every summer. Hardworking and energetic, William and Mary worked the land themselves, growing vegetables for the table, and becoming more popular and sought after as the years went on. By the 1920s, the couple added bungalows to their summer offerings, and the place blossomed. They also built their own home, the “big white house” that later in the 20th century became the home to son Jack and his wife Sis, and their four children. William died in 1938, but not without leaving a legacy to his daughter, Marie. She was married to Herman “Blackie” Black, and the charm and growth of Conners continued. The Blacks renamed the hotel Conners, and from an early age taught their four sons the benefits of hard work and the necessity to give back to the community. Each of the sons, Bill, Jack, Herman, better known as Duke, and Bobby, knew and did every facet of running the business their grandparents had started. They moved with the times as well, adding the pool; the bungalows gave way to spanking new condos, the carriage house which at one time had been home to the nearly two dozen gardeners, groundskeepers, plumbers, band members and other employees who lived on the grounds, became a memory as the Carriage House Apartments were built. Still, the Conners Charm continued. The restaurant at the hotel became a series of dining rooms, as the popularity of Bill and Sal in the kitchen drew crowds every night. In the early years, the family was happy when the dining room capable of holding 60 diners had 19 or 20 on a Friday night; by the 1980s, the added rooms could accommodate 225 diners at one time, and the overflow didn’t seem to mind a bit sitting on the hotel’s front porch, cocktail in hand, waiting to be seated. Generations enjoyed the Cedar Grove turned Conners Hotel over the centuries. The four brothers Black have all passed on, as have all their wives except Edna, Duke’s wife, the last matriarch of the third generation connected with the hotel. There are numerous great-great grandchildren with unforgettable memories of their special times at Conners, a plethora of great-great-great grandchildren who hear the stories of their ancestors, and now a sixth generation being born and welcomed into a family that has been as much a part of the growth, love, and uniqueness of Highlands as the river and Twin Lights themselves.

One is the husband of Atlantic Highlands Mayor Helen Marchetti. Another is a former mayor himself and a pharmacist. The third is a River Plaza child. Psychologist and the fourth a freelance studio mechanic from Highlands who mingles with Broadway stars and Hollywood glitterati. Each varies in age, personality and profession, yet all share a single expertise and passion. They are all men who love to cook. From their perspective, cooking is a great way to relax, even a little therapeutic at the end of a long day. The men say they don’t mind the clean-up and they don’t think cooking takes away even one iota from their masculinity. Indeed, as one of the quartet put it, “most of the great chefs are men anyway.” Michael Iannucci of River Plaza, director of the child study team for Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, and Henry Hudson Regional School districts, acquired his love for cooking as a youngster while watching his father, whom he describes as the “happy Italian…the guy who wanted to feed the whole neighborhood,” whip up batches of tasty Mediterranean treats. Today, Michael is the epitome of the happy Italian. Easy going, friendly with a warm smile that gets broader at the mention of his wife, children, cooking or work, the school psychologist credits his dad with his love for cooking. “Dad would roll up his shirt sleeves and just cook all day,” Michael recalls, reliving the days the family of ten lived in New York. He was a cab driver by trade, Michael says, adding, “but he loved his cooking. It was important to Dad to make it taste perfect and look as delicious as it tasted. And do you know, he always did.” While working towards his psychology degree at Iona College, Michael parlayed his culinary abilities into a side job to help cover school expenses. He took a stab at it professionally after graduation and now relies on it for, among other things, its “psychological therapy.” “There are just too many stresses in everyday life to contend with – you have to take the time off to enjoy every day,” Michael says. “Every day can be exciting, can be different, can be a challenge, can be fun. You have to make it that way yourself. I can do it best in the kitchen.” With four children and a busy schedule, the family stays home a lot, so Michael uses that time to teach his own children how to relax and enjoy the kitchen. Weekend breakfasts are the highlight of the Iannucci culinary escapades. That’s when the entire family breaks eggs together, whipping up huge fluffy omelets. The food preparation is only part of the fun. Hours spent in the kitchen with the entire family is a time of hearty discussions, shared confidences and parental encouragement for two sons and two daughters ranging in age from 1 to 7. During the week, his wife Barbara often prepares early dinners for the children, then Michael takes over to make something special for the two of them. Although Craig Claiborne is Michael’s favorite chef, he by no means restricts himself to Claiborne’s recipe’s. Indeed, his favorite thing to do is try a new dish at a restaurant, figure out what’s in it, and try to duplicate it in the comfort of his own kitchen. “It’s a nice kind of challenge.” He also loves the challenge of cooking for a crowd, especially if his guests are all standing around in the kitchen with him, laughing, talking and as he puts it, “enjoying the show.” “I love presenting food to people,” he says with enthusiasm. For instance, I give special names to even simple things. Ask her (his wife) about Sheraton Toast.” Michael recalls only one serious costly mistake in the kitchen, dating back to his college days. He was working in a district with abandoned boys between the ages of 7 and 11 and prepared a turkey for a sumptuous Easter dinner. He put the bird in the over the night before to get the flavor of long, slow cooking. Just one problem. “I was too long and too slow and the bird was ruined,” Michael recalls. “So there I was for Easter dinner, taking 13 little black boys to a restaurant.” However, much it may have dampened his spirits, the experience left his enthusiasm for poultry undaunted. Chicken is still one of his favorite things to cook coming second only perhaps to “Gigantic lobsters” He’s not comfortable with baking or making desserts and thinks the presentation of an attractive and colorful dish is as important as its taste. It’s about the same for Peter Marchetti of Atlantic Highlands. Pete’s wife, Helen, a nursing home administrator, is also mayor of the borough. With the time both her jobs consume, Pete says it’s easier for him to take over the kitchen after his day’s work at the New Jersey Natural Gas Company., So every night, it’s Pete who prepares the family meals, and on weekends, it’s generally Pete, often Pete and Helen together, who turn out the bountiful buffets for hordes of friends and relatives. Like Mike, Pete credits a parent with his enthusiasm for things culinary in this case, his mother. “It was always a dab of this, a dab of that” he recalls. “I couldn’t help but get interested in how she did it all the time.” His mother cooked more from instinct than from a cookbook, .Pete explains, so “it was a little bit of this, a little bit of that. I watched. I cooked. I tried the little bits of this and that, and now I have it down pat.” It wasn’t until he was out on his own that Peter started putting together all those tricks he had learned years earlier. Today, his food preparation runs towards the simple and the basic and like Michael, he enjoys cooking with chicken. His favorite recipe is a casserole of it, cut up and layered with peeled and quartered potatoes with thin slices of onions mixed in, olive oil poured over and paprika spread on top. Baked at 350 degrees for about 1 ½ hours, Pete says it’s delicious. “I could make a meal of the potatoes and onions alone, even without the chicken, “ he says, “I make it for Helen and the girls, (her friends ) all the time.” A favorite vegetable combination is a broccoli and corn bake, made with canned cream corn and frozen broccoli, mixed with egg, breadcrumbs, chopped onions and butter, then topped with more butter and breadcrumbs and baked for 45 minutes. Besides the fun of preparation, it’s “seeing people enjoy what I make” that makes cooking so much fun. He knows he’s really made it when one of his guests says, “put a star by that one.” Like Michael, Peter isn’t very big in dessert preparation and does not do any bread baking at all. “I can’t see spending the time making when you can buy it,” he explains. Is there any hobby Pete likes better than cooking? “Yeah, golf,” he ways without hesitation. But then he’s quick to add, “but I’d never let Helen go hungry.” Dick Stryker of Atlantic Highlands is the former mayo who also likes to take over the kitchen. Though not with the regularity as Peter. Dick, a pharmacist who owns Bayshore Pharmacy in his hometown, also looks on cooking as a form of relaxation and sees putting recipes together kind of like mixing prescriptions. He likes to cook alone, without the assistance of his wife, Pat, and likes trying new recipes, new types of food and unusual combinations. But he loves to cook for others, and with four children, four grandchildren and a host of appreciative friends left over from his years as mayor, harbor commissioner and a host of other municipal positions, he’s always got a hungry audience. “Pat’s a great cook,” he says but adds, “sometimes it’s fun for her to get out of the kitchen and let me take over.” Seafood is his favorite dish to prepare – not unusual considering the family’s close proximity to the waterfront, and he insists on using only fresh seafood. He tends towards a number of shrimp and clam dishes, preparing them generally as main courses rather that appetizers. Jim McGrath lives in Highlands with his wife, Kay, and their daughter, Gena, the only one of the McGrath’s six children still living at home. A freelance studio mechanic, Jim is often gone from home several days at a time. But he loves to spend time winding down in the kitchen and relies on a combination of recipes from his book collection and his own thoughtful experimentations to turn out the dishes everyone loves. Unlike Michael, Peter or Dick, Jim loves to bake breads, loves to work with yeast and sweet dough, and delights in making special cakes for special occasions,. He’s got a mean reputation for turning out spectacular Irish soda bread and likes the texture of winter wheat flour. His favorite things to cook “are whatever my guests want most.” On each youngster’s birthday, he explains, they get to choose their favorite dish and he prepares it. It might be a paella for Gena or cabbage and bacon for Maureen. ‘But if it tastes perfect t to them, then it’s my favorite recipe for the time,” Jim says. Jim also cooks for large crowds and local residents can remember several dinners for hundreds he prepared for fund-raising events, benefits or local clubs. For large crowds, Jim is always assisted by a corps of volunteers “I have to be, it takes one person just to crack all the eggs when you‘re making a couple of hundred omelets!” His only concern is that he’ll have enough. He cannot remember any major disasters in the kitchen but admits to not being particularly pleased with a couple of things he made, dishes that nonetheless won raves from diners. One was a very hot chili that apparently made some friends happy but was just a tad too spicy for his taste. “Guess I’m my own harshest critic,” he says, chuckling, before adding, “or they’re just too polite.”

Two River Times December, 2014 By Muriel J. Smith ATL. HIGHLANDS – New Jersey’s Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will swear in Councilmen Peter Doyle and Jack Archibald to their next terms as councilman in Atlantic Highlands when the Mayor and Council reorganizes at noon on New Year’s Day at Borough Hall on First Avenue. “Councilman Peter Doyle and I are excited to have New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno administer the oath of office to us. Jan 1,” Archibald told The Two River Times. “ The Lieutenant Governor has been a great friend of Atlantic Highlands and a long time supporter of our residents and town. She had many requests for her presence at reorganizations, so we are truly honored that the she has chosen to attend our meeting. Her presence in our town will make this New Year’s Day a truly special time in Atlantic Highlands!” Borough Republican Committee Chairman Jane Frotton, who is also a former borough council member, was as delighted as the council members when she received a call last Thursday evening from Guadagno’s aide confirming the request. “She called at 8 p.m. and started out by saying she was apologizing for calling so late,” Mrs. Frotton said, “and my heart sank. I thought it was to say she couldn’t come. Then she told me it was to confirm Kim’s presence.” The committee chairman, who has held the post for more than ten years and been a member of the committee for more than 20, said she is confident the lieutenant governor accepted the invitation “because of the very close ties she has had with us, especially through the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. She was very helpful in securing FEMA funds for us, always gave us straight answers and gave us a lot of confidence.” However, the chairman conceded, she herself can be “rather pushy” and followed up her initial request for the lieutenant governor’s presence with several calls, texts and e-mails. “While we were at the American Hotel in Freehold waiting for the freeholder results to come in Election night, Jack and Pete thought it would be wonderful if we could get Kim to come to Atlantic Highlands. I said, ‘good idea, I’ll ask her.” The following day, Mrs. Frotton texted the Lieutenant Governor on her cell phone; she in turn texted back that Mrs. Frotton should contact her office in Trenton. Mrs. Frotton did that and received a confirmation the request would be passed on to the scheduler. When she didn’t hear from the scheduling office within a couple of weeks, the committee chairman sent out another note, asking for some kind of response. When she still didn’t hear, she began making plans for another government leader to swear in the council members. “Then I got the call.” Although shocked and pleased that the invitation was accepted, Mrs. Frotton said it was “typical of this outstanding leader who never forgets her roots. She had many, many invitations, many much large communities want her the same day, but she accepted our invitation.” The two women have known each other for many years, dating back to when Mrs. Guadagno was a commissioner in Monmouth Beach. Later, when she was running for Monmouth County Sheriff and Mrs. Frotton was supporting her election, Mrs. Guadagno asked what she could do in Atlantic Highlands. “I told her we had a Fireman’s Fair coming up, and if she wanted to come up and sling hot dogs and serve hamburgers, it would be a great way to get to know more people. She did, and she frequently mentions now that the way to get elected is to serve up hot dogs and hamburgers for firemen’s fund raisers in Atlantic Highlands.” Doyle was elected to his fourth term on Council, and Archibald his fifth, during last November’s election.

ATL. HIGHLANDS – New Jersey’s Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will swear in Councilmen Peter Doyle and Jack Archibald to their next terms as councilman in Atlantic Highlands when the Mayor and Council reorganizes at noon on New Year’s Day at Borough Hall on First Avenue. “Councilman Peter Doyle and I are excited to have New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno administer the oath of office to us. Jan 1,” Archibald told The Two River Times. “ The Lieutenant Governor has been a great friend of Atlantic Highlands and a long time supporter of our residents and town. She had many requests for her presence at reorganizations, so we are truly honored that the she has chosen to attend our meeting. Her presence in our town will make this New Year’s Day a truly special time in Atlantic Highlands!” Borough Republican Committee Chairman Jane Frotton, who is also a former borough council member, was as delighted as the council members when she received a call last Thursday evening from Guadagno’s aide confirming the request. “She called at 8 p.m. and started out by saying she was apologizing for calling so late,” Mrs. Frotton said, “and my heart sank. I thought it was to say she couldn’t come. Then she told me it was to confirm Kim’s presence.” The committee chairman, who has held the post for more than ten years and been a member of the committee for more than 20, said she is confident the lieutenant governor accepted the invitation “because of the very close ties she has had with us, especially through the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. She was very helpful in securing FEMA funds for us, always gave us straight answers and gave us a lot of confidence.” However, the chairman conceded, she herself can be “rather pushy” and followed up her initial request for the lieutenant governor’s presence with several calls, texts and e-mails. “While we were at the American Hotel in Freehold waiting for the freeholder results to come in Election night, Jack and Pete thought it would be wonderful if we could get Kim to come to Atlantic Highlands. I said, ‘good idea, I’ll ask her.” The following day, Mrs. Frotton texted the Lieutenant Governor on her cell phone; she in turn texted back that Mrs. Frotton should contact her office in Trenton. Mrs. Frotton did that and received a confirmation the request would be passed on to the scheduler. When she didn’t hear from the scheduling office within a couple of weeks, the committee chairman sent out another note, asking for some kind of response. When she still didn’t hear, she began making plans for another government leader to swear in the council members. “Then I got the call.” Although shocked and pleased that the invitation was accepted, Mrs. Frotton said it was “typical of this outstanding leader who never forgets her roots. She had many, many invitations, many much large communities want her the same day, but she accepted our invitation.” The two women have known each other for many years, dating back to when Mrs. Guadagno was a commissioner in Monmouth Beach. Later, when she was running for Monmouth County Sheriff and Mrs. Frotton was supporting her election, Mrs. Guadagno asked what she could do in Atlantic Highlands. “I told her we had a Fireman’s Fair coming up, and if she wanted to come up and sling hot dogs and serve hamburgers, it would be a great way to get to know more people. She did, and she frequently mentions now that the way to get elected is to serve up hot dogs and hamburgers for firemen’s fund raisers in Atlantic Highlands.”

HIGHLANDS – Former Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education President Joan Wicklund has announced the formation of the Robert R. Dziadosz Memorial Scholarship to honor the long time former Superintendent of Schools. Wicklund, who served 28 years on the Henry Hudson Board as well as three years on the Highlands local school board, was on the regional board during Dziadosz’ tenure and particularly remembers him for his “quiet authority. He changed the direction of education at Henry Hudson.” Dziadosz, who died Aug. 2 at his home on James Island, SC., lived in Atlantic Highlands when he was both a physical education instructor at the 7-12 school, later its superintendent. He also served as the school’s sports coach for many successful winning seasons and coached his teams to division championships in both basketball and baseball. “We’re still in the formation stages of this new scholarship for our Henry Hudson seniors,” Wicklund said, “but have already heard from several local residents as well as some of Bob and Kathy’s friends and neighbors in South Carolina, their retirement home, who want to be a part of Bob’s memorial dedicated to the impact he made on teen agers during his days in the educational field.” Wicklund said checks for the Memorial would fund a program enabling a Scholastic Committee to select and award annual prizes to deserving seniors at graduation. Checks can be made out to Henry Hudson Regional School, with a notation on them the funds are for the Robert Dziadosz Memorial Scholarship, and sent to the school at 1 Grand Tour, Highlands, and NJ 07732. “Bob was the epitome of the perfect teacher for high school students,” the former board president continued, “he believed in discipline with fairness, adherence to regulations with understanding, with honesty in all actions. He believed there was good in everyone, and because he expressed that to his students, he always brought out the best of them and gave them the confidence to excel in their own fields. Having a scholarship in his honor will continue his legacy for generations to come.” Wicklund also said Dziasdosz’ widow, Kathy, has endorsed the Memorial and is appreciative of the ways in which her husband is being remembered in education. Anyone needing further information can contact Wicklund at 732-291-3931.

My first byline in The Courier was on January 4, 1968. I had written for the paper for six months or so, and had a lot of stories about politics, American Legion meetings, Girl Scouts, and all the other mundane events and organizations that are so important in our small communities. Most of the stories were about events in Highlands, where we lived, where I knew the most people, and where I had some insight into activities going on.

I don’t remember why I wrote about Jack Mackel, other than he was the Police Chief, and Publisher Matthew J. Gill asked me to write about local people of interest. Jack and his wife Jeannette lived across the street from us on Huddy Avenue. Jack isn’t what I’d call an ‘aggressive chief,’ in fact, I always thought it was a part time job for him, since he also worked with Tommy Lyons, doing electrical work. But for the paper, I wrote the following:

Highlands Police Chief

He loves his coastal town

Highlands, New Jersey is a favorite place of Police Chief John J. Mackel, and has been ever since he met his wife here and settled down to become a citizen of the coastal town.

Born in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, May 3, 1913, Chief Mackel came to New Jersey in 1932 and married the former Jeannette Meyer, a Highlands girl, in 1934, The Mackels have two children, both married: John K of Belford and Patricia Ann Gardner of East Keansburg.

Before entering police work, Chief Mackel worked for Ford Motor Company and Reading Railroad in supervisory positions as well as in the fields of carpentry, electrical service and fuel oil burners.

He joined the Highlands police force in 1945 as a patrolman, was made Sergeant in 1958 and was elevated to the rank of Captain in April of 1966. After spending a few months as acting chief, he became full Chief of the Highlands Police Department in April of 1967.

Chief Mackel heads a bureau of six regular officers and two specials, including a juvenile officer and identification officer. The department fields two patrol cars.

Chief Mackel has seen many changes in the borough since he became a resident. Always active in community affairs, he was president of the Highlands First Aid Squad from 1943 to 1948. the time, the building which now houses the squad and equipment, was started. The Chief is justifiably proud of the fact that the First Aid Squad now has three ambulances to serve the small community.

The Chief has been an active member of the Highlands Fire Department, Columbia Hose Company, for 22 and a half years. He also served as vice-president of the PBA, Local 48, in 1958, a position he had to give up when he was made Sergeant.

He was Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 25 in 1949 and Scoutmaster of that troop from 1941 through `44. In 1943, Chief Mackel headed the sixth War Bond Drive in his area and brought the drive in way over the top. This feat helped the Chief ease his disappointment at not being able to join the service as he so badly wanted to do. His job with the Ford Motor Company was draft exempt, as he was needed where he was.

When Chief Mackel first joined the force there were a total of four men in the department. There were few benefits such as pensions and the like at the time. Today. The Chief remarks, things are looking up for the policemen in Highlands as they have had pensions since 1948 and were recently granted a salary increase, clothing allowances and a 40-hour week.

The New Jersey Association of Police Chiefs is expected to make a survey of the department which will hopefully bring about an increase in the department to eight men. Chief Mackel explained that the town has a steady population of about 3,800 residents, but that in the summer time there is a jump to nearly 12,000 people accounting for the increases in crime during the summer months. With the added attraction of the Sandy Hook State Park, traffic problems increase then, too.

Chief Mackel says recent years have seen a spurt in juvenile problems but, he says, “when a town grows, so do your problems.” He feels mostly that is because young people no longer have strong parental guidance.

The Chief would like to see an improvement in the training given in police schools. He states that they are excellent schools but that they are geared primarily to the police departments in large cities. “Some of the instructions given such as “on approaching a car with two or three in it, call headquarters for additional help’ just do not apply to a force the size of ours,’ Chief Mackel said. He would like to see the training for rural district police changed to fit the needs of the smaller departments.

Away from the job, Chief Mackel enjoys carpentry and fishing. He goes mostly for fluke but told us he used to be ‘pretty good’ with striped bass catching about 40 or 50 a year. He caught them in the river when they came in to feed on shrimp and other fishy treats.

The Chief said he and his wife have traveled to many other states and towns in the country, but “we always love coming back to Highlands. There is nothing more beautiful than watching the sunrise over the sea, especially when the trees are frosted with snow,” he said.

Chief Mackel has made a practice of giving with his hands to his community, but gives, too, of his whole heart, which is why, even when dealing with the dark side of the world, he sees so much beauty in his hometown.

In the early 1960s, when the Long Branch Daily Record was a popular newspaper in the Bayshore and Dottie Grosser was the editor, I had a page one column called Muriel’s Bayshore Banter. It was basically a gossip column highlighting anniversaries, birthdays, celebrations, trips and more of families in Highlands. Residents would call me and ask me to be sure I mentioned their events in Banter!

There was a far different style in writing in those days. One rarely mentioned a married woman by her first name, referring to her instead as Mrs. (Husband’s) first name and their last name. I never had a case where the wife did not assume her husband’s last name. It was also the custom to name families who were away on vacation, a practice that stopped once editors realized thieves read Society pages to find out which homes were empty and free for the breaking and entering.

Read this column from 1963 and see how many names you recognize and how many families are still very much a part of Highlands.

HIGHLANDS – Bud Steelman of Highland Ave. celebrated another year’s passing recently. Bud is a past chief of the local Fire Department and right now is still an active member of the department.

Also adding another year this week is the new corresponding secretary of the Highlands School Parent and Teacher Association. Kathy Carlstrom (Mrs. Albert Carlstrom) celebrated the event with her husband, Abe, and daughters Terry, Debbie, Kitty and Sandy. The family is now getting settled after moving into a new home right next door to where they have been living for several years.

Several members of the Highlands Fire Department and its Auxiliary helped Shrewsbury Fire Department celebrate the purchase of a new aerial truck at wet down ceremonies Sunday. Assistant Chief Francis Schmedes and his wife, Eileen (she’s president of the Ladies Auxiliary) Mr. and Mrs. Henry Anderson and children Michael and Cathy, John Franklin, Harold Foley, Sivert Walstrom, Al Lyon and his son Steve, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Chodnicki and their daughter, Jody, and Mrs. David Patterson can all vouch for the fact that the purchase of a new truck was duly celebrated.

Helen and Wade Davis and son, Dean, are off on a several week vacation during which they are seeing many different states and visiting relatives on both sides of the family. Right now, they’re in Fort Arthur, Texas visiting Wade’s brother, Oscar. From there, they’ll travel to Florida where they’ll stop to see Wade’s sister in Jacksonville and Helen’s mother in Orlando. They’ll return to Portland Rd. some time around the middle of June.

There isn’t anyone around who doesn’t love the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and know at least five different facts about it. But now the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University is offering something pretty exciting that proves once again that with History, there is always some current Happening. The Lighthouse, for those who may not be aware, is the oldest working lighthouse in the entire country. Built in 1764 and designed by Isaac Conro, becoming the work for which he is best remembered, it remains the oldest standing navigational aid in the entire country, and was built so solidly that in 1852, a Congressional inquiry determined it to be one of the three best-built lighthouses in America. A half century before, General Washington had written the walls were so thick they were impenetrable. When built, the lighthouse stood about 500 feet from the tip of Sandy Hook; over the centuries the Hook grew through littoral drift, and while the lighthouse didn’t move, it’s now close to a mile and a half from the tip of the Hook. Because of this, the earth beneath and around the Lighthouse holds marvelous secrets, and Dr. Richard Veit’s inquisitive archeological sleuths are hopeful of uncovering some of them. And even better, Dr. Veit is inviting all interested curious workers who want to try their own hand at a bit of the dig to join in! Beginning Saturday, May 28, and for every Saturday during June, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, these industrious and inquisitive college students will be combing the earth for a two acre area around the Lighthouse to see what treasures they can uncover. Dr. Veit noted the possibilities are endless: this was the first land Henry Hudson saw in 1609, it has always been the gateway to New York and the eye for navigators on the water and could hold remnants of ships that were tossed, turned, or spilt their goods along the shores of the Hook. It was home to many Europeans in the early part of the 1700s, and a British stronghold during the American Revolution. As such, there were many Loyalists who sought refuge on the Hook from the enthusiastic retaliation of American Patriots; runaway slaves sought out the Hook to work with the British and hopefully gain their freedom. It was there for the Spanish American War in the 19th century when Fort Hancock was established, and through the 20th century, playing important roles in every war from then through the Cold War era and Nike Missiles until its closure in 1974. At a meeting last week of the Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee, Dr. Veit said the general public is invited to drop in any of those Saturday mornings a bit after 9 a.m. and he could put them to work learning something about archeology and how to search for hidden wonders. Guests are invited to stay as long or as short as they’d like, he said, adding with a smile that “of course the students will be there from 9 to 4.” Reservations aren’t needed and no experience is necessary, but the memory of a day on a dig could last a lifetime. The students, under Dr. Veit’s tutelage, and with the blessing of both the Advisory Committee and the National Park Service, are doing their dig before construction work starts on the foundation of the Lighthouse, which is in need of serious work. The professor said some of the two acres laid out for the archeological work includes some of the land that was at the water’s edge in an earlier era, but most of it is land that was trod, fired upon, lived on, and part of someone’s everyday life. Dr. Veit said the late Dan Seitz’ Hartshorne Papers, which the Hartshorne descendant bequeathed to the Monmouth County Historical Association, have been a treasure trove of information. For instance, from the Hartshorne Papers, Dr. Veit learned that at one time there were five different lighthouse keeping cottages on site, so “who knows what could turn up from everyday life from that era?” Whatever artifacts are found or uncovered, of course, remain the property of the National Park Service, but be they buttons or badges, coins or glass, china shards or belt buckles, they all hold a story of the people who lived or visited there in an earlier time. The lighthouse on the land known as Refugee Town during the Revolution may have been on a US postal stamp in the 1990s, might even have been the backdrop for a soap opera in the 20th century. The land under it may have been purchased from the Hartshornes with funds raised through a national lottery. But now, in the summer of the 21st century, today’s historians, archeologists and just plain folks who love Sandy Hook, can have the opportunity to hunt, in the name of the Park Service, for bits and treasures that hold the stories of the centuries.

It depends on to whom you are speaking as to who has the responsibility of “Heap Hill.”

Yet while upper echelon powers argue it out, the pile of junked cars, together with the hazards and ugliness of it, grows larger and more unsightly. Heap Hill is an approximate one block area located between the Twin Lights and Henry Hudson Regional School. Since May, according to Air Force personnel, or for the past two years, according to borough residents, it has become a haven for cars which have long since served their purpose. After numerous calls, several interminable waits, and uncounted transfers and referrals this reporter learned the following: In Highlands, Mayor Cornelius J. Guiney Jr. said the borough can’t take any stand since it is federal property. He did say, however, the borough owns the right-of-way through the area and any cars on it would be removed immediately. He added, “We’d like to see them cleared” and added “it would be interesting to see what would happen if the road were closed.”

Police Commissioner William McGowan reiterated the Mayor’s statement, saying “if it were up to us, we would get rid of them right away.” He added “We haven’t had any cooperation up there.” Police Chief Howard Monahan said he had a man go up there and look at the area and he agreed to dispose of the cars. But in the meantime somebody, presumably on the federal level “got the idea they should get money for the cars and the guy wouldn’t touch if after that.” Monahan also questioned the thought behind the state statute governing the auction sale of junked autos. “We have to hold them too long before we can do anything about them.” On the Air Force Side, COl. Ralph W. Frank, Commander of the Highlands base, explained the property had belonged to the Air Force but was declared surplus and as such fell under the jurisdiction of the General Surplus Administration in New York. He added that the base had contacted Highlands police , notified them of the condition, but then received word from Army headquarters to “get out of the business” since it was now GSA property. A spokesman at the civil engineer’s office at the base also said it was a GSA property and has been surplus property for approximately two years. The spokesman said his office had contacted the GSA office several times concerning the state of the property and added, “We’re concerned here because we have friends in the area and we know it is unsightly and hazardous. Somebody’s dragging their feet.” And the GSA in New York? We found it difficult to get them to talk., After one New York call, three waits and three transfers, we heard from a spokesman who refused to be named that “the head Air Force people were told to take care of the property until it is sold. “We are not responsible for the protection, maintenance and repair of it.” The spokesman also said he would contact Col. Frank and clarify the matter. He offered further that the property is in process of being transferred to the Henry Hudson Regional School district. When asked whether the transfer would be ‘with or without the cars,’ the spokesman laughingly answered, “that’s a good question.” At the Henry Hudson Regional School Board of Education Secretary Sal Giovenco said he had received word June 25 from the GSA office stating the New York Office was aware of an “eyesore and hazardous condition,” had no custodial responsibilities but would take whatever action is necessary to clear it up. The letter also informed the school board that a transfer of the property to the school district is anticipated in the near future. Residents in the area say the Heap started about two years ago with seven or eight cars. A quick count yesterday showed 52, some upright, others completely overturned. All are without tires, most with broken windshields, no headlights, and vandal gutted insides. One was the scene of a fire last week and residents say oftentimes the night’s silence is broken by sounds of the cars being dismembered or wrecked. Even daytime quiet is pierced by loud and abusive language emanating from the area together with banging and the sound of breaking glass. Where are the cars coming from? This also remains unanswered. Col. Frank said to his knowledge there was only one car belonging to Air Force personnel there and “we made him move it as his own expense.” Other than this, no one seems to see them come or know their origin. But Heap Hill continues to grow. Visitors to the Historical Museum at Twin Lights have but to turn from their breathtaking view of the ocean to see an ugly problem no one seems to be able to care to solve.

It could well be called Maryknoll volleyball diplomacy. Two high school students from Red Bank Catholic High School in Monmouth County, N.J., working through the school’s Maryknoll Affiliate chapter, have shown that teenage girls can bridge the gap between countries and foster new friendships through sports. The New Jersey teens—Catherine Curtin of Atlantic Highlands and Ava Zockoll of Bay Head—spent five days in old Havana, Cuba, last summer using their love of volleyball to develop friendships and help less fortunate students on the island nation 90 miles from the United States. The trip was the idea of 16-year-old Catherine, a member of the school’s Maryknoll Affiliates. She organized the trip, with the help of her parents, Daniel and Tricia. It included teammate Ava and her mother, Nancy. The students took volleyballs, nets, game shirts, and love and enthusiasm with them on the trip, which took place the last week of June. In Cuba they met fellow volleyball enthusiasts from an informal community group called Barrio Habana Community Project, led by the husband and wife team of Pavel Garcia Valdez and Sandra Sotolongo Iglesias. “We went to Cuba to show teens there our way of life and to give them a better understanding of American people, as well as to see how we could help them,” Catherine said. “We came home with new friends and the realization of how very nice and friendly