Bonnie Knechtel and Chelsea Witkowskiwill meet residents, answer questions and share their thoughts about the school and board of education business and obligations at the Highlander Bicycle Co., 28 First Avenue, the intersection of First Ave. and Ocean Blvd.
Knechtel is one of three persons vying for the one two year term on the new board against Noreen Higgins and Justin Thomas.
Although Witkowski and Knechtel did not file as a single team for the two pieces, they have met and discussed their ideas about education and have agree on numerous issues and educational matters and are in support of each other for the two seats for one and two year terms.
Goddard will highlight her new book. Learning for Work: How Industrial Education Fostered Democratic Opportunity, published by University of Illinois Press.
Learning for Work is a history of industrial education in the Progressive Era, a history shaped as much by now-unknown students and teachers as by more famous reformers and intellectuals. In recovering the story of the Chicago Manual Training School and its offshoots, Goddard also brings into focus debates over the relationships between education, work, opportunity, and social mobility in a nation structured, then as now, by hierarchies of race and class.
Wine and light refreshments will be offered at the event. Interested persons are urged to make reservations by e-mailing schreiberJerald@gmail.com or calling 773-706-3272.
The Historical Society is located at 419 Sycamore Avenue, Shrewsbury.
Goddard has written two other books, both about Chicago.
Within no personal agenda but with a strong love for both Highlands and education, Irene Campbell said she is seeking a term on the new Henry Hudson Board of Education because she wants to see the progress that has been made there continue.
“Things have improved greatly since I first got on the board but there is always room for improvement,” she said. “Even though I don’t have children at the school right now, I feel like all those kids are mine.”
Campbell is running for the one three-year term open to a Highlands representative for the new board in the November election, vying for the seat against Suzanne Thomas, both longtime residents of the borough.
Born in New York, Campbell has lived in Highlands 58 years, first as a summer resident with her parents as a child, then full-time after marrying her husband Dan, a lifelong resident. The couple have three grown daughters, both educated in the local school system, and two grandchildren.
A member of the Highlands Board of Education since April of 2000, now a member of the appointed regionalization board earlier this year, Campbell takes pride in being part of the team that negotiated teacher contracts for the new tri-school district, more difficult than previous years, she admitted. That is because the new contract which will cover all teachers in Henry Hudson Regional, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands Elementary schools involved working with board members from the two other schools and staff and the team had to create a single contract for the teachers in all three schools rather than the previously three different contracts.
Now vice president of the appointed regional board, Campbell said her experience in working on the contract team for more than 20 years as a member of the local board of education was a benefit in creating the new contract which she termed a huge accomplishment.
On the subject of regionalization with Sea Bright, Campbell said she “definitely “would like to see Sea Bright join the Tri District, “but not before they break their ties with the Shore Regional/ Oceanport district.”
The candidate said not only the boards of education but also the borough have spent “entirely too much money on lawyer fees, money that could have gone to our kids. Things have to be done right. The financial outcome has to be fair to both Atlantic Highlands and Highlands,” she said.
Regionalization has always been a hot topic throughout her two decades on the board of education, Campbell said. She recalls that 16 years ago she was appointed to a committee by Carol Morris, the Monmouth County superintendent, to discuss shared services and regionalization. It was a time when the three independent districts in the two towns shared everything possible.
But to see them become a single district this year is “awesome” for many reasons. Each school is able to keep its own uniqueness, some staff are shared by all three schools so will know the children from elementary through high school.
There is a shared director of curriculum and child study team, things are done the same way in each school, and building projects are being completed to ensure all three remain in good shape. “It has been a long road to regionalization and I am very proud that I was a part of it and would like to continue to see it all through.,” the candidate said.
Campbell is also happy that the Highlands school had the new cupola built last year and air conditioning has been installed in the school gym, two major benefits for the elementary school.
An authorization specialist at Robert Wood Johnson Health, and former market manager at the Highlands Farmers Market, Campbell also has a long and distinguished history as a volunteer for numerous causes in Highlands.
She is a former Girl Scout troop leader, Highlands Girl Scout organizer, summer reading program organizer, class mom and PTO member who held various PTO official positions. At Henry Hudson, she was a band parent, raising money for uniforms and serving as a chaperone for many band trips.
More recently, she is a member of the Municipal Alliance for Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, and two years ago was named Volunteer of the Year by the Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse ( GCADA). She is also vice president of the Highlands Historical Society and a library steward for the free libraries in Highlands.
When she ran for her most recent term on the Highlands school board Campbell said she did it to continue her advocacy for children and to ensure they receive the best education possible. But, she added, “I realized that I could not do things alone. I was part of a team that worked together. Through the years I have worked with many different board members with different opinions, but all had one thing in common…doing the best for the children.”
Over the years of being a board member, Cambell said she has seen many improvements, particularly in parent participation in all three schools, volunteerism by parents which is very good better than she have ever seen it and the band parent group at Henry Hudson as well as the Admirals Athletic Club which give so much support to the student activities in those fields.
Arriving by Amtrak into Ashland Virginia abut an hour north of Richmond is fascinating once you realize the railroad tracks run right through the center of the town’s main street, Railroad Avenue. Departing the train, it’s easy to see that part of the Randolph Macon College is on one side of the tracks, and directly across, on the other side across the tracks, the road, and behind the train station is the Henry Clay Inn.
Henry Clay
As he had indicated on the phone call I received while on the rain, William, the reservations manager, was indeed waiting in the spacious and beautiful foyer with its huge fireplace, wall paintings and wooden and carpeted staircase to the upper rooms. The Inn, named for the patriot born here, overflows with warmth, charm, and hospitality and a small but very efficient and generous staff who simply want you to feel at home and know they are there to help wherever needed.
The Inn is a 19th century Georgian-style mansion completely renovated while preserving its historic beauty, and a popular site not only for the overnight accommodations but also for breakfasts through dinner five days a week locals apparently love as much as visitors.
While Ashland calls itself the Center of the Universe, the Henry Clay Inn says it is part of the fabric of the community and part of its history for more than a century.
The large front porch of the in, well-lighted in the evening with sparkling lights also has interesting brick pathways amid shrubs and flowers leading to it. The comfortable tables and chairs spread across the spotlessly clean outdoor area invite guests to enjoy meals or cocktails outdoors in pleasant weather and offer one of the best views of the railroad, which is definitely a highlight of the city.
Having confirmed I like the sound of trains night or day, William showed me to a magnificent room overlooking the station, complete with all the amenities of a modern day hotel including a refrigerator and fused with the charm and comfort of a gracious and beautiful four-poster bed complete with a white silk and lace coverlet. Windows facing both east and south offered expansive views and the bathroom and adjoining dressing area were well stocked and lighted.
In truth, even for those not enamored by train whistles and rail clacking, the noise during the night is not enough to disturb sleep, but could be considered very relaxing as freight trains a couple of miles long rumble through a few hundred feet away.
Like all the rooms on the second floor, it was down a hall from a central living room, complete with comfortable couches and chairs, a fireplace, a bookcase filled with a variety of books, a coffee and tea service, and French doors opening out to a second floor front porch and comfortable chairs overlooking the town, the railroad and the train station which has been converted to a local tourism site filled with information on all the fascinating places to visit in Virginia.
Going down for breakfast in the morning also meant meeting Andrew, just as genial, gracious and eager to please as William, and the head chef and kitchen manager overseeing the three dining areas of the intimate little room, a much larger dining room, and, for those who wish, that gracious porch. Andrew immediately brought a beverage of choice before launching into the fascinating menu that included everything from eggs and pork belly or bacon to pastries and a pecan log served warm, loaded with pecans and served amid a maple syrup that brought out both the outstanding texture of the pastry and the taste of the nuts.
By the coffee and tea service in the upstairs living room, there is a framed quotation on the wall from Henry Clay. “Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.”
William and Andrew, and I daresay every employee of this gracious Inn teeming with Southern charm and personality, certainly exemplify and practice the Inn’s namesake’s quote.
It’s the town where the famed Secretariat was born and bred, Big Red, the thoroughbred who broke all kinds of records in winning the Triple Crown and is still considered the best race horse of all time.
It is the birthplace of Henry Clay, an American lawyer and Senator who later represented Kentucky and ran for the Presidency three times . It’s the home of Randolph Macon College, the oldest still operating Methodist founded college in the nation founded in 1830.
It is the closest town to Red Hill, the last home and burial place of Patrick Henry, one of the most compelling of all speakers during the Revolution, one of the first voices raised against paying taxes to England.
Yet what draws friends, neighbors and visitors together in Ashland Virginia is trains.
Trains of the CSX Line, Amtrak , Chesapeake and Albemarle, and any other railroads that come through. Trains that carry passengers to Richmond or Florida, to Williamsburg or New York, trains 100 to 150 freight cars long carrying fuel, food, and products from numerous companies that need to make deliveries all over the nation and keep business going.
They all pass through Ashland. Right smack down the middle of Railroad Avenue, the main street in this Hanover County city of approximately 110,000 residents.
It was the railroad that drew me to Ashland as well, for the relaxing and beautiful ride through cities ,forests and countryside from Newark to this city about an hour north of Richmond.
I also wondered how a town fares when life literally has to stop and wait while trains pass through. It’s a city that if you’re on the wrong side of the tracks and you want to get on, you could miss your train. Granted, you can generally see the passenger train coming from a distance far enough away that you can safely cross and board.
But then there are times when a freight train might be passing through in the opposite direction on the other track and there’s no way of crossing. The locals say that happens to one or two would be passengers every week. Easy to solve, if Amtrak wanted to put up a signal and announce in advance which track its train is arriving on.
For this trip, excitement and fun started not long after Amtrak left Newark Penn Station . It’s easy to get into conversations in the dining car if you’re not one of the many who apparently start their work day there, immediately setting up their computers and communicating with it throughout the five or six hour trip. I, however, was more fascinated with the traveler who was shuffling, dealing, and spreading out cards across the table, obviously reading Tarot cards.
My conversation with Raven started once he noticed my interest, confirmed he was doing a reading of himself and asked if I wanted him to read my cards. I agreed, and it was a great experience. But even more interesting I learned as we chatted a while that Raven had been an addict for many years, free from his addiction for more than 15 years and now successfully working at a mission helping others to overcome their own addictions and start on better lives for themselves.
He said he chose to quit drugs because “I got tired of not feeling good about myself” and learned there were many finer things in life after visiting Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon where he was fascinated by its role in providing breeding, nesting and restring areas for tens of thousands of birds along the Pacific Flyway. You can learn a lot when talking to strangers on a train.
Then there was the activity in the adjacent passenger car where a passenger declined to show a ticket, said she was heading to Richmond and couldn’t find her ticket or receipt. She would have to get off the next station she was told by the conductor, and she nodded in agreement. But she failed to get off at the next station as she had said, and crew members warned her police would escort her off at the station after that, still two or three stops before her destination. Indeed, when she once again failed to get off, police boarded the train, emptied the car and had passengers wait on the platform, then located the woman and courteously escorted her off the train. As the rest of the passengers re-embarked and the train pulled away, we could see the woman talking with the officers, apparently in her continuing effort to show she indeed was a paying customer.
About an hour outside of Ashland, my phone rang. It was a call from William at the Henry Clay Inn, checking to confirm my reservation and assuring me he would be at the inn waiting my arrival. “Just get off the train and we’re right across the street,” he said.
Oh, that Tarot card reading? Raven had told me to concentrate on a specific decision I would be making in the future while holding the cards, take a few deep breaths and relax. Then he spread out the cards and told me to pick ten which he then arranged, face side down.
Through the next half hour or so, he told me I’ve had great success in the past, will continue to have it, and am outspoken, people know where they stand with me, and I am unafraid of repercussions. He told me I am honest, but would be a better person if I lived more spiritually and did not depend on myself so much before making decisions.
People respect me, he continued, but I need to be more generous. People listen to me, too, he said, and find me both truthful and knowledgeable. As for that decision I would be making? Raven pointed to a card that spelled success but said I have to look into it more spiritually before making that decision.
Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland
Keep Checking Back, or Subscribe so that you don’t miss my next story on my travels to Ashland Virginia
Business of the month honored by the Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council for October is Classic Boat Rides and its owners Capt. Dan Schade and first mate Vicky, the couple who single handedly provide great cruises, historic river tours. luncheons, private parties and more aboard any of their fleet of boats which include the Navesink Queen and the Mariner both in the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor.
In presenting the certificate, Mayor Lori Hohenleitner praised and thanked them for their friendship, their 15 years of being in the Harbor and the benefit they bring to the harbor as well as great contribution they make to the borough.
The Schades in turn expressed their thanks and appreciation for being able to run their business out of such a great borough with wonderful people saying they have loved the town from the start. and they are happy to be part of the memories people make of good times with Classic Boat Rides.
Close to 200 Highlands residents heeded the invitation of the Mayor and Council to attend a special meeting last Monday night to listen to experts and ask questions concerning the proposed flood wall encompassing the borough that the Army Corps of Engineers has been designing for years.
After three hours of explanations, questions, responses, charts, reactions and opinions, Mayor Carolyn Broullon accomplished what she had set out to do……provide as much information as possible and get as much response as possible from residents before they vote on a non-binding question on the November 5 ballot.
Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon
In thanking everyone for attending the meeting, and urging at its onset for all to be respectful and courteous, knowing emotions are running high on the possible construction, Mayor Broullon turned the meeting over to the professionals from the Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to present their plans and what is necessary for them to be carried out.
While most of those present were aware of many aspects of the federal and state proposal, most opposed the idea of a 14-foot-high concrete flood wall extending from the Veterans Park area to west of Gravelly Point close to One Willow St. which could be constructed no earlier than 2030.
Residents objected to the possibility of eminent domain to acquire some of the land necessary for the current plans, others charged officials at the state and federal levels have not been transparent, others called for completion of repairs to the borough’s pumping stations before proceeding with further projects to stop flooding in a borough accustomed to high water at storm and moon tides.
There was applause when a resident charged “it’s always the government, but it’s the people who suffer,” and termed the proposal as known as “a really, really bad deal.” There were groans when a resident painted a picture of “a rusted wall hiding the water instead of the nice little fishing town Highlands really is.” There were more groans of discontent when another resident said “the town disappears when the wall goes up,” and questions concerning everything from how many buildings would be saved with construction of the wall to “how can we say yes when we don’t even know the design of the wall?
In the end, it was clear that while the question on the ballot November 5 is non-binding, it will give the governing body a strong message from the voters how they feel about the Army Corps continuing designing its idea for what the experts feel is the best solution and one already workable in other areas of the country against rising ocean tides studies show will continue to continue even more rise in future decades.
A Yes vote will give the governing body confidence they are doing the will of the majority by not taking any action and enabling the Army Corps and state DEP to proceed with further plans without any signatures on any contracts that would seal the deal. A no vote would give the state and federal agencies the firm idea the borough is not interested in saving the borough from predicted extremely high tidal waters anytime in the future. A No vote would probably put this particular program to death and could possibly have the state take a more cautious look at funding future flood control projects for the borough.
In either case, the decision made by the current Mayor and Council does not impact any decision of a future governing body until any contracts and agreements are signed between the borough and the state DEP.
State DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette
State DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and DEP Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Moriarty presented most of the background and study information of the proposal that was first introduced in 2016 in a clearly presented explanation on work on shore protection from Long Branch to Keansburg. LaTourette said that shore surge has always been the biggest complaint of residents throughout New Jersey, from rivers as well as tides. He noted that while plans for the proposed flood wall for Highlands are not fully designed yet, and the Corps predicts some years to go before completion, the idea of a flood wall has been found to be the most effective link meeting the storm surge challenge wherever implemented. “If we do not do it know, we will lose,” LaTourette opined, “this is the moment” to ensure safety. He said the purpose of the meeting was to keep residents informed and to enable the state to decide is if it should continue working with the Army Corps on completing plans for a wall in the future.
Congressman Frank Pallone’s District Director Matthew Montekio was present the entire three hours to report back to the Congressman on the opinions of the residents. He carried Pallone’s message that there is truth in the studies that the risk of future higher flooding is “real and increasing.” He explained the experts were not present at the meeting to convince residents to proceed, but rather to advise them of the risk the borough faces and to ensure Congressional funds authorized for flood work are available and used.
Assistant Commissioner Moriarity cited the vulnerability of properties in coastal storms, citing the sea level of Highlands, and showing how flood waters have increased and will continued to increase over the next 30 decades. Borough Engineer Joseph Rafferty also quoted high water figures by the year 2050. Raferty also explained that Zone 1 of a comprehensive overall solution to water programs are the borough’s three pump stations which forcibly move out high water, zone 2 is the runoff from Route 36 and Zone 3 is the Monmouth Hill runoff and associated silt, noting the borough is working with the Army Corps on two of the projects which will result in more safety against flooding.
The proposed wall, although its design and completed plan are yet to be completed, would definitely be 14 feet high, and would be completed sometime no sooner than seven years from now. It would require negotiations for property where necessary for the plan and there could be configurations, different proposals for the appearance of the wall and other changes before the design is complete.
Residents expressed doubt in FEMA funds, several citing their frustration with both FEMA funding and flood insurance in the wake of the borough’s devastation from Sandy and the lack of access to beaches, Sea Streak, marinas and other aspects that are a historic part of Highlands.
Cost of the project was set at $148 million, with Highlands funding approximately $13 million. But here were no firm answers on how the wall impacts flood insurance costs, the tax rate and future property values. It was suggested that an updated study be made of the number of buildings that would be protected by the wall, so the public could be aware of the ratio saved versus the overall costs of a wall.
Residents in favor of continuing the study also asked that consideration be given to have another vote after more up to date information is obtained, plans modified and a study done on property sales and the negative impact on taxes should property values be lowered with the change in the borough’s appearance and design.
Council members decline to offer any comments on their personal opinions for the federal and state proposal, preferring to wait until after the Nov. 5 vote to see the opinion of the public before deciding on any future action.
Michael Dowens and Paul Roman were honored with the Distinguished Citizen Awards of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently when the DAR held its third annual luncheon attended by close to 100 residents at the Holmdel Community Center.
Michael Dowens receiving the Distinguished Citizen Award of the Daughters of the American Revolution
This DAR Distinguished Citizen medal is presented to an individual, 18 years or older, or to groups that exemplify honor, service, courage, leadership, and patriotism.
Dowens answered a call to action in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States and demonstrated much courage and leadership by enlisting as a Search and Rescue Swimmer for the Navy, despite having no previous swimming experience.
He served in the Northern Arabian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom and later in Liberia and Somalia. Delivering aid, food, and fresh water to the local people overseas were some of his most enjoyable moments during his years of service with the Navy. He believes that the Navy has instilled in him a profound appreciation for “living free,” which highlights his understanding of the sacrifices necessary for and the importance of preserving freedom.
Following his career in the Navy, Michael committed himself to serving his community by becoming a police officer for Holmdel Twp. He was a member of the Honor Guard, received two Lifesaving Commendations, and received numerous letters of commendation. As a police officer, he has been complimented by a fellow officer who says: “He is the guy you want standing next to you at the most critical moment.”
Dowens founded Unbroken Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial and emotional support to veterans struggling with PTSD. To raise awareness of the issue, as well as raise funds to send veterans for treatment, he walked 237 miles while carrying a heavy rucksack and an American flag from the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial to Washington, DC. He raised $30,000 for this walk which was enough to send two veterans for treatment at The Refuge.
In 2017, he again walked 250 miles, this time from the Vietnam Veterans Monument in Washington to VFW Post 133 in East Brunswick, where he is a member, and walked again between New Jersey and the nation’s Capital in 2018 and 2019. To date, Unbroken Warriors has raised over $100,000 for fellow veterans.
Michael also regularly speaks to students at local schools during patriotic events for Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Flag Day, drawing on his experiences to help educate today’s youth.
Paul Roman receiving the Distinguished Citizen Award of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Roman’s career began when he enlisted in the US Army in 1969. He retired in 2006 with the rank of Major. During his Army years, he was also honored for his many outstanding contributions, receiving numerous commendations and achievement of medals.
He was placed on Special Assignment in the wake of the Gander, Newfoundland plane crash where troops were killed and medical records were destroyed. On that mission, he coordinated medical supplies for the 5000 Reservists in the 78th division. He was chosen as EMS Coordinator for several major events, including the World Trade Center Disaster, NJ Bayshore Ferry Evacuations providing a safe exodus from the city for thousands impacted by the attack.
The honor recipient has held a number of government positions, including his most recent appointment by Governor Phil Murphy to the New Jersey Public Health Council. He has served on the Shrewsbury First Aid Squad since 1968 and his commitment to public service and to public health extends to developing teaching materials and teaching future EMS professionals. He established the oldest 8th grade CPR Certificate Program in the US in 1975, a program he still coordinates.
Roman’s long and extensive service career in Emergency Medical Services and Public Health has resulted in his receiving numerous accolades for his commitment and leadership. He is now the 5th most active Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician in the US.
In presenting the award, DAR officers praised Roman for his continually active life and his commitment to public service is unparalleled.
The Chorus of the Atlantic, an award-winning men’s a cappella ensemble, will hold open auditions for new members this November and December.
Auditions will be held at the Red Bank Middle School, 101 Harding Road, Red Bank, every Tuesday during those two months at 7:30 PM.
The Chorus of the Atlantic is known for its vibrant performances and commitment to musical excellence. All voice parts are invited to join for an opportunity to become a part of a dynamic group dedicated to the art of a cappella music.
Participants will receive music and learning media to aid in their preparation. The Chorus will be reviewing holiday songs during this season. Walk-ins are always welcome. While some musical experience is preferred, it is not a requirement. The experience gives all men an excellent chance for singers of all skill levels to hone their talents and perform with a respected ensemble.
The Chorus of the Atlantic will be caroling in Red Bank November 30 and December 14. Audition participants will be invited to join us in singing these familiar holiday songs.
Audition materials will be provided of the interested male singers; some prior singing experience is beneficial but not necessary. All are invited to join the Chorus for an evening of music and camaraderie!
The Chorus of the Atlantic has earned accolades for its exceptional performances and community involvement. With a diverse repertoire and a commitment to excellence, the chorus continues to inspire and entertain audiences across the region.
Families are invited to bring pets of all kinds for the annual blessing. The traditional event honors St. Francis of Assisi, known for his love for animals and the number of miracles he made possible through them. His feast day is October 4, animal blessings are held throughout the church during the month of October.
Born in Italy in the 11th century, Francis was known as a rebellious young man, spoiled and given to partying and drinking until his devotion to Christ changed his lifestyle and his evangelical zeal and consecration to poverty, charity and personal charisma led to thousands of followers strengthened by his message. He was named the protector of animals before of his great love for all animals, and Pope Francis, who took his papal name in honor of Francis of Assisi, recognized him as the patron saint of animals and the ecology honoring his love for animals and nature.
