Writing has never been work for me because I enjoy it so much, and had great English, French and Latin teachers in high school who also made it easy to expand my vocabulary and know the meanings of so many words.

But the greatest joy in writing is when it brings pleasure, happy memories, or enables a person or family to be able to take some pride in others know some of the special things about someone special in their own family. That’s why features stories on people have always been my favorite kind of writing.

That’s also why The ABCs of Highands was such an easy book to write because it’s simply telling stories about some pretty terrific people. I found people like reading nice stories about nice people and many called, wrote, or e-mailed me to let me know their favorites.

Certainly one of the most popular of all the people in that book is Ralph the Shoemaker.

Whether people knew Ralph well or just because they dropped a pair of shoes off to be repaired, polished, or given new life at the hands of a master craftsman, everyone felt a little better about himself and about life, because of the few minutes he may have spent with Ralph. So just to make everyone feel a little better in this rainy weather, just to let somebody feel a little better about himself and perhaps get a warm, fuzzy feeling from a happy memory because of meeting Ralph, I’m including one of the stories from by book: R is for Ralph.

More than a Shoemaker or Cobbler

He wasn’t involved in politics. He did not teach in the school nor preach in the churches. He didn’t hold a big professional job or have a lot of money. He did serve in the military and was a member of American Legion Post 143. And when his son was in Boy Scouts, he went to all the parent meetings, shared all the work of merit badges and played an important role in the scouting family.

But none of these things mattered to the people who met him. It was how Ralph the Shoemaker made you feel that you remember.

Ralph Carone was simply the kind of person who touched everyone’s lives and made each a little better for having known him.

The Brooklyn-born shoemaker had his shop at 228 Bay Avenue. Actually, it was more a hospital where everything from boots and shoes to baseball mitts, belts, purses and gloves were lovingly and tenderly patched, sewn, polished, remade or given a new life for the owner.

Oh, and Ralph was so good at his trade! He would look at that worn-out, unpolished, scraped up pair of shoes, hold one in his hand, push back a little on those eyeglasses teetering at the end of his nose and smile, look up and say, “sure, these aren’t bad. They just need a little help. I’ll have it done tomorrow… tomorrow, unless you’re in a hurry?” He’d just stand there, perhaps wipe his hand on that dye and polish stained apron, smile that soft smile that let you know he was a man you could trust, no matter what. And if you took too long to answer, he’d add, “well, if you need it today, we can do it right now.”

Ralph the Shoemaker was a craftsman beyond compare. But more importantly, he was the soft leather that soothed souls, the warm smile that brought comfort, the good friend to all who was as comfortable as an old slipper.

Ralph learned his trade from his Italian family and first worked at his first shop in Highlands on Valley Street. He married Dorothy Perry, former wife of Burt Perry from the merry-go-round ownership and raised her son Arnold as well as the two youngsters, Kathy and Bob, whom he and Dorothy had during their long and happy marriage.

Best known for his quiet manner and ready smile by generations who depended on the cobbler’s expertise, Ralph set up his crowded, messy-appearing and sweet smelling shop three steps down from the screen door leading to the couple’s home at the back of the shop. It was set with his sewing machine at the front window just to the right of the door from street side, so he could look up and wave to every passing kid, smile at the baby in every baby carriage and greet every walker who passed by with a smile and a soft hello. Everyone knew his stool as well. It was always right there, ready for him to sit down at that front window.

Behind the sewing machine at the window and the stool, there was Ralph’s workbench, his tools scattered but apparently precisely where he wanted or needed them, a little cash register where he always seemed to have the right change, a rag to wipe his hands before he picked up the shoes you ordered for repair, and pieces of leather, laces and other accoutrements of the trade. On the other side of the tiny shop, with a small aisle in-between where customers could walk in, or Dorothy could step out the family home door to say hello, were the racks and racks of shoes, boots and everything else made of leather. All repaired, all neatly aligned, all ready for pick-up by another satisfied customer.

What was missing were receipts. Tickets. Little pieces of paper that identified a particular pair of shoes as belonging to a particular customer. There was no need for that kind of fluff. Ralph Carone knew every customer and every leather or leather-like item that was brought in by that customer for repair.

Even families like the Dempseys and Ptaks, with ten or more kids in the group, knew that Ralph Carone not only knew which family brought in the shoes for repair, but which youngster in that family owned them! Soldiers stationed at Fort Hancock or airmen on the former Air Force Base on the hill knew that if they were transferred or called to duty before picking up a pair of shoes they left for repair at Ralph’s, they would be right there when they came back months or years later. And Ralph would remember the soldier who left them and tell him how happy he was he made it back home.

The kids in town remember how they could bring a beat-up, ragged, or old hand-me-down baseball glove and Ralph the Shoemaker would make it perfect. The teenage girl knew he would have that broken heel on her highest heel repaired in plenty of time for that night’s special dance or date.

The smell of the shop stayed with everyone! There’s something about worn leather, fresh polish, a coat of wax and a smiling shoemaker that seemed to melt away every problem, end every worry, and for just those few minutes, allow a visitor to feel cozy and comfortable. Ralph Carone, Ralph the Shoemaker, had the knack for fixing broken hearts and leathered souls as well as shoes.

There were the regulars who simply stopped for conversation with Ralph. His close group of friends must have resolved every problem in the world during those afternoon chats he shared while continuing his work. There were the more affluent people from “up North” who would come down for a visit or a weekend, and bring their supply of fancy shoes for Ralph, because nobody in the big city seemed to be able to do the job as well.

It is difficult to say how Ralph made a living for his family, though it was obvious they were well loved and well cared for, wanting nothing. Because for the customer nothing ever seemed to cost more than a quarter or fifty cents.

The Reverend Martin McGrail, who grew up in the town, went off to the Navy, came home and later founded a ministry where he could stay in town and administer to its people, remembers a time when he was a kid. It was the 1960s and cleats on shoes were “what the cool guys wore.” Marty wanted to be one of the cool guys like Johnny Marconi and his older cousins. So one day Marty took two soda bottles back to the store, got his ten cents deposit for them, then went to see Ralph. The shoemaker knew exactly what Marty wanted, and knew he wanted to be man enough to pay for it himself. So Ralph the Shoemaker took the kid’s ten cents and put cleats on his shoes. The young preacher was beside himself with joy and happiness worth far more than the dime Ralph had reluctantly taken from him for the job. The euphoria lasted, as Marty once said, “until I got home and my mother removed them saying, ‘No cool cats in my house!’ “ But Ralph the Shoemaker gave a kid a memory that lasts a lifetime.

Karen Mount Tailor, another native who stayed on to become a borough clerk in the 1980s, remembers mostly Ralph’s soft-spoken manner and great smile, as if he were always happy. She and Ralph and Dorothy’s daughter Kathy would walk to school together every day, and Karen looked forward to starting each morning stopping to meet Kathy and Ralph wishing them both a good day. Stories that are never forgotten.

Even those who didn’t grow up with Ralph fixing everything leather for the entire family, Ralph the Shoemaker was a master shoemaker. Ted Jasper, a police officer, remembers Ralph as the go-to guy for everything leather because “this guy could sure work miracles with rawhide.” Another unforgettable memory.

Few even remember Ralph and Dorothy taking a vacation or holiday. The shop was simply always there, that comfortable spot where you could walk in with a greeting to share or a pair of boots to be fixed. Where you could find that old pair of shoes you dropped off a couple of months ago still sitting there, now shiny, clean and fixed, just waiting for you to come pick them up. Dorothy was there often sweeping up the dirt from shoppers and the dust from the shoes, and Ralph was on his bench sewing and smiling. Some do recall one week back around 1985 when the Closed sign was up on the door for a week.

Ralph Carone died in 1996, after working in his shop for 60 years. But to the locals, there aren’t many who cannot still imagine the aroma of the strong sweet smell of newly polished leather, see an old sewing machine or hear the whir of its motor without smiling a bit and remembering a time a long time ago when Ralph the Shoemaker gave new life to more than run down heels or tired soles.

EDITORS NOTE: If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of The ABCs of Highlands, and reading more stories about the People, Places and Things that made Highlands great, go to Book Sales

While I was associate editor, later editor of The Courier in the 1970s and 1980s, we often asked young college students to cover entertainment in Monmouth County and write their reviews for The Courier. Here’s one written by my daughter, Kathy Smith, in 1976 when she was a freshman at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa., but home frequently, especially when some of her favorite people were performing in one of her favorite places.

By Kathy Smith

ATL. HIGHLANDS – For those who have never been to a dinner theater at the Shore Casino, this is the month to do it.

Sleuth is a play in two acts by Anthony Shaffer that opened under the direction of Jan Edward, hailed as one of New York’s brightest young directors and recently the director of the Shadowbrook presentations.

Although it played to a sparse audience the production is a superb rendition of an excellent play.

The two main characters are portrayed by Robert Clarke and Robert Waldron who all but steal the show. The two also produced the presentation and have given the world an excellent example of how well their talents blend.

Clark sets the mood as Andrew Wyke, a well-to-do writer whose specialty is detective stories. He reads from his manuscript and as always the police are stumped by obvious clues. Enter the amateur sleuth who is in all Wyke’s books, discovers the clues and cracks the case to the derision of the hapless police.

Clarke’s British accent is convincing if you assume it isn’t the real thing in the first place. His ability to establish mood is remarkable. He is intent, conniving, pensive and petrified all with startling conviction.

Costar Bob Waldron is equally talented and equally pleased with his work. Neither overshadows the other although both excel compared to the other three characters in the mystery. Waldron’s most impressive quality is his facial expressions. Don’t miss them, they’re phenomenal! His face turns various shades of red with each mood, and his eyes reflect his thoughts of Milo Tindle, a travel agent interested in Wyke’s wife.

Inspector Doppler, played by Bret Rowan Lord was also convincing coming close to the performances of Clark and Waldron. He is a clever detective in the play with a cunning mind and probing eyes. His main concern is with an alleged murder. He feels certain of the murderer’s identity and confronts him with the evidence. As in Wyke’s books, clues are obvious and riddles provide hints.

Trowler Brando and Daron B. Walter are Detective Sgt. Tarrant and police constable Higgs. Both are believable and enjoyable but fail to be fully brought into the spotlight because of the overwhelming performances of the two main characters.

Basically, the play concerns itself with two murders and a jewel robbery. The suspect couldn’t be the butler, there isn’t one, and surprises are abundant throughout the two acts, even though clues are obvious and will distributed throughout the play.

Sleuth is definitely the hit of the evening at the Shore Casino and well worth the ticket price alone But the added bonus of a Shore Casino dinner make it the most enjoyable bargain of the century. The entire evening is excellent with unforgettable entrees, waitresses pleasant and friendly and the show is superb.

The setting is a British country home and is perfect to the smallest detail A stone wall provides the backdrop and a coat of arms completes the look. Books are cluttering the massive desk, Goldfish are even swimming happily in an aquarium.

To say more would ruin the full effect of the play, since the element of surprise is important. Curtain time is at 8:30 (7:30Sundays) and dinners are served from 7.We’d suggest arriving close to 7 so you can enjoy a leisurely meal before curtain time. Another idea is ordering a bottle of wine for sipping pleasure during the play. Naturally there are no orders taken during the presentation, but the waitresses are busy and efficient during intermission.

And after the show, the actors mingle with the audience, getting their reactions and opinions and answering their questions.

An awesome experience for those who like to chat first hand with the stars.

The play is an absolute must if you like great enjoyment and this cast deserves a good audience. They really give their all. Make your reservations, see for yourself, and you’ll agree.

Writing about Jimmy Egidio, one of Atlantic Highlands’ great former police chiefs, and Bettie Jane and Vinnie Shea, a couple who fostered more than 20 children before adopting some of them, reminded me there are all kinds of heroes in the Bayshore, and always have been. Another one is Lou Papa, former Harbormaster at the Harbor and a whole team of folks who know that teamwork works. I wrote this editorial about them for The Courier in the mid-1970s when all these great folks proved once again, we truly live in a wonderful place …

Atlantic Highlands Harbormaster Louis Papa, three people working on their boats in the harbor area, and the crew on an unidentified motorboat in Sandy Hook Bay joined forces in Sunday’s storm to save the lives of four persons and all should be commended for their quick thinking and bravery.

And so should the Coast Guard. The guardsmen were ready and well equipped to handle the overturned boat and its dumped-in-the-water sailors.

And the first aid squads. Teams from Atlantic Highlands and Highlands became part of a well- though- impromptu organized team whose first though was to help others.

And the police officers were on the scene, rendered whatever assistance they could and handled the communications system that kept the entire rescue operation running smoothly.

So often rescue efforts by first aid volunteers and trained teams like the Coast Guard are taken for granted; alert actions like those shown by Mr. Papa and the other rescuers are considered part of the job.

It shouldn’t be that way. Any of these men could have taken an instant longer to get to his position, been a bit less quick thinking and therefore slower acting, and still be considered to have done his job.

We commend all those who joined in the rescue efforts, turning what could have been a disastrous day into one with a happy ending. Heroism is still alive and well in the Bayshore.

Aren’t you glad you live here?

It was 77 years ago this week that the Beacon Hill Golf Clubhouse burned in an early morning fire that attracted hundreds of residents from throughout the area to watch.

The fire was well underway when it was first noticed by a Leonardo resident at shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, 1944, when the resident noticed smoke and flames coming from the area. The Brevent Park, Leonardo and Community fire departments responded but were e unable to save the building, which was already completely engulfed by the time they were notified and arrived.

James Small, the golf pro and manager since 1926, lived a half mile from the golf club and later said he thought the cause, which was undetermined, could have been due to a short circuit.

While fighting the fire, Robert Delade and Henry Sage, both Leonardo firemen, were slightly injured, Delade with a head injury when champagne bottles exploded from the heat of the fire. Sage suffered a cut on his next.

Beacon Hill had started more than 40 years prior, with a small building closer to the road. In 1928, construction began on the large clubhouse in the southwest corner of the property and it was enlarged and altered three years later when both a cocktail lounge and a trophy room were added. Most of the trophies were destroyed in the blaze as well as golf clubs and personal belongings in the lockers of club members.

Jason Smith and Melissa were married Aug. 24, 2013 on the train to Paradise. In Pennsylvania, that is. And they followed the ceremony with a gala reception at the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum at the Strasburg Railroad Station. A second marriage for each, the couple wanted to make this wedding day something unique, unforgettable, and joyful. Jason, the grandson of a PRR locomotive engineer and an avid model railroader, frequently took Melissa to Strasburg to see the countryside, take a train ride past lush farms and picturesque homesteads in the heart of Amish country, and visit the museum. In the museum, he pointed out the engines his grandfather had run nearly half a century before and stood with pride before his grandfather’s name on the PRR Wall of Honor, denoting the senior Smith’s four decades as a locomotive engineer. Melissa had always recognized Jason’s fondness for the railroad, and everything connected to it, so she wondered whether it would be possible to be married on the train and have a reception at the Museum. When the couple inquired., they found a friendly, helpful, and enthusiastic staff both at the Railroad and in the museum to make their dream come true. The couple carried out their Railroad theme from the very start, issuing their invitations in the form of train tickets, complete with punches from a conductor’s authentic punch. They reserved the first class car on the 5 p.m. train at the Strasburg station, and arranged for their minister, complete with a speaker system, to officiate as the giant steam locomotive lumbered its way to Paradise, soft music playing in the background, Keeping the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride until she walked down the aisle, Melissa stayed in the Station until Jason was aboard, then snuck in the passenger car’s rear door to stand behind a wall until the bridal music began. She chose to ask Jason’s seven-year-old son, James, to be ringbearer and her sister as maid of honor. The trio walked down the gently swaying passenger car center aisle, to a beaming Jason, his dad, Bob as his best man, and the minister, all prepared at the end of the car. The huge windows gave a glimpse of the hundreds of tourists delighted with the extra thrill of seeing a bride, as well as the white smoke billowing out of the engine just ahead of their car. By the time they reached Paradise, Jason and Melissa were Mr. and Mrs. Smith. As is the normal procedure for the scenic rail ride, for the return portion of the 45-minute journey, the engine was switched, and the Smiths and their wedding guests were at the rear of the train. At the station, they posed for photos from the outside car platform, behind a hastily hung “Just Married” sign that swung from the platform railing. After more photographs and congratulations from friends and strangers alike, the couple headed across the street to the PRR Museum, where their guests enjoyed a sumptuous cocktail hour in the simulated small town train station. Following that, and ample time for the guests to enjoy an afterhours roam through some of the numerous exhibits at the museum, the wedding party moved into the main exhibition hall. There the decorated tables were surrounded by steam, electric and diesel engines from a bygone era. Each table was decorated with a miniature railroad lantern, and the buffet tables and music platform encircled the reception area. Jason took the time between accepting congratulations and beaming over his new wife’s beauty and happiness to point out the engines his Pop Pop had run. He also received special permission to board Engine #4935 and recreate a family photo of his grandfather in that same engine. Carrying the railroad tradition to yet another generation, Jason’s son James also hung out the window like an experienced engineer for a photo. The couple pointed out the K4 the senior Smith had also run and explained to guests that he had worked both passenger and freight trains until his retirement in 1992. Both the bride and groom wanted Jason’s grandfather to be a part of the ceremony, so they had also arranged for a special exhibit at the Wall of Honor. Amid hundreds of names, most added since the senior Smith’s name was first engraved, Museum staff had highlighted his name on the wall, and set a candle and the 2178 photo in front of it. Did she miss the pomp and circumstance of a formal church wedding and an elegant reception at a glamourous club or restaurant? “Not at all,” an exuberant Melissa said, “I knew this was something Jason would love, and that meant I would love it, too. It was exciting, I loved having all the tourists clapping and smiling for us, and all our guests say it was the most unusual wedding they’ve ever attended. Add the sunshine filled day that we had, it was the perfect wedding in the perfect location to the perfect man.”

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.