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125 Years Strong – Highlands Celebrates

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Highlands

Day long activities at three different locations honoring three different events highlighting Highlands, the Twin Lights and the American Flag will all take place Sunday, October 12 beginning at a breakfast before the 9:30 mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.

Under the direction of the Rev. Joseph Donnelly Council of the Knights of Columbus and the chairmanship of past Grand Knight Michael Napolitano, the day will honor the 125th anniversary of the Borough of Highlands, as well as the date the Pledge of Allegiance was said publicly for the first time, an event that occurred at the Twin Lights.

The third event commemorates the Knights of Columbus who lobbied successfully to have the words “under God” included in the original pledge. President Dwight Eisenhower included it on Flag Day, 1954, 71 years ago, after the phrase was incorporated into the pledge by a Joint Resolution of Congress amending the Flag Code.

Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon

The Knights of Columbus, the Rev. Jarlath Quinn, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help St Agnes parish, Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon, members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as the Highlands Police department, first aid and fire department as well as other organizations and individuals are all participating in the event and attending at least portions of it at its three different locations.

The 9:30 Mass will include a ceremony honoring the events being celebrated, after which all those interested will go across the street to Borough Hall. Napolitano will present a flag honoring the borough’s 125th anniversary to Mayor Carolyn Broullon and council members. While the flag will be raised to honor the presentation, it will then be displayed permanently under glass in the main meeting room at Borough Hall to ensure it is visible and protected from weather. The flag was designed and made by the Knights to honor the borough and its 125 years of history.

Following ceremonies at Borough Hall, which will include a talk by Broullon on the borough’s history, , the group will be at the Twin Lights museum Fat 12:30 for an outdoor ceremony at the site where the pledge was said publicly for the first time. After recitation of the original pledge and honoring its history, a second ceremony will be held beneath the flag with a recitation of the pledge as it is today, including the words ‘Under God.”

Following the Twin Lights ceremonies, the group will meet at the FVW post home adjacent to Huddy Park for a social event jointly hosted by the VFW and the American Legion.

This will be the first time in history the borough is being honored for its anniversary as an incorporated borough in a series of ceremonies also honoring the fact the pledge was originally said at the Twin Lights. The Knights of Columbus celebrate their founder, the Rev. Michael J. McGivney, and the mission of the Knights to create men in their faith and help others in their time of need. Their four core principals are charity, unit, fraternity, and patriotism. Founded in Connecticut, it is now a nationwide organization of more than two million men in more than 17,000 local councils around the world. The Rev. Joseph Donnelly Council, 11660 , was formed at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in August 1995. Its founding grand knight was James E. Smith, Jr., also a former councilman in Highlands.

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Highlands

We are All in this Together

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon

With a slogan reminding residents “We are all in this together” , Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon has officially kicked off her campaign for reelection to another term as Mayor. Her team has prepared mailers and Meets and Greets to keep the public aware of her accomplishments in the past and her plans for the future of the borough.

Broullon, who is seeking her third term as Mayor, has already agreed to three Meet and Greet sessions within the next month to give residents the opportunity to meet her in social neighborly sessions as opposed to formal council meetings.

There will be a Meet & Greet the Mayor on Sunday, September 28 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the VFW Post Home adjacent to Huddy Park, another one at Chilango’s Restaurant from 6 to 8 p.m. on October 8 and a third at Franny‘s Pizzeria and Restaurant at 279 Bay Avenue on Thursday, October 23 also from 6 to 8 p.m. In addition, other residents are holding their own afternoon and evening social events for the mayor and their guests.

“The idea is to let people feel comfortable asking me whatever they want,” the soft-spoken mayor said. Smiling, she added, “although I always want people to want to learn more about me and my plans and love for Highlands, this gives them another opportunity that I welcome.”

Broullon has been a resident of the borough since 2002, when she moved from New York to settle here. She had discovered the borough in looking for a summer residence, fell in love with the community and made it her permanent residence almost a quarter of a century ago . A market researcher with major companies for many years, she later became vice president of Gazela Globes and now has her own research marketing business.

In addition to the research company she runs, Broullon and Daneka, her wife, also own and operate Feed and Seed, a pet shop they designed and opened ten years ago. They purchased the former A&P in the center of the borough at Miller at. and Bay Avenue and restored it to its original design from the 1940s.

Among many improvements she cites that were completed during her tenure to date, Broullon cites dredging Jones Creek, creating a safety bump and new sidewalks along Shore Drive from Waterwitch to Matthews St. to accommodate not only residents but passengers on Sea Streak, drainage and other restorations and improvements along Portland rd. Bayside Drive and Marie Ave., the installation of an EV charging station on Bay Avenue, and improvements and updates to the pump station at Waterwitch.

The new borough hall was completed and opened in October 2020, and the administration and police moved their offices to the new site during her mayoral term,

Earlier improvements in 2021 include securing during over four and a half million dollars in grants and beginning the process for the borough to enter the Community Rating System program to ensure lower flood insurance rates.

To learn more about the incumbent mayor and see a complete list of accomplishments since she has served on the borough’s governing body, visit CarolynBroullon4mayor.com

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together together together together together together

All Hallows Eve in Colts Neck

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Colts Neck

Between a hayride, spooky tales, costumes, prizes, refreshments and more, it’s bound to be a spectacular Halloween event sponsored by the Colts Neck Historical Preservation Committee on Saturday, October 25 from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Committee is sponsoring its All Hallows Eve along the Burlington Path for all ages, for the evening that also includes the ghostly tales before a bonfire, and refreshments and a Halloween shop available for purchases. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes, at the Spooky Pavilion at the Colts Neck Firehouse 11 at 123 Route 537 in Colts Neck, where the event kicks off.

In case of rain the event will be held October 26.

Cost, including the hayride, is $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under, and free to those two years of age and younger.

For further information visit the Colts Neck Preservation Committee on Facebook.

 

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The Deplorables Caused Concern

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Deplorables

That group of motorcycles, cars and trucks, many sporting American flags flying in raised positions, that raised the concern of some Atlantic Highlands residents last week is known as the Garden State Deplorables, a New Jersey-based organization formed in January 2021.

It was designed with a goal of opposing injustice to American people in New Jersey, which they identified as “one of the highest liberal populated states In the United States. “

Their goal is to “Make New Jersey a place that is affordable and safe again. “ They support and promote only political candidates they believe have the interest of the residents not the lobbyist in the state known for high property taxes, high crime, and extreme utility costs, tolls and road conditions “ There are more than 2,000 members and growing.

The name, was co-opted when former First Lady Hilary Clinton told supporters at a New York fundraiser several years ago that half of Donald Trump supporters fell into what she called a “basket of deplorables” They took their action similar to Revolutionary times when American patriots took the Yankee Doodle derivative that the British overlords used in describing them,

The members of the group treat the former insult as a badge of honor and celebrated at a rally called The Day of the Deplorables in campaigning for President Donald Trump.

In the past, locally they held a protest on Route 35 in Middletown in support of Trump, an anti abortion rally in Shrewsbury, a meeting in protest over the suspected plan Red Bank to be designed as a sanctuary city, something that did not happen.

As Mayor Lori Hohenleitner of Atlantic Highlands said at a borough council meeting she has seen the group several times at the municipal yacht harbor. She said it is a group that meets Sundays and travels together in cars and motorcycles throughout the state and in Monmouth County, frequently travels from Howell to Atlantic Highlands.

Sunday, they have planned another rally by Kohl’s in Toms River honoring the late Charlie Kirk beginning at noon. On October 14, they are asking everyone to wear something in red to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk and is bravery on his birthday, October 14

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A Sign of the Times

By
Muriel J. Smith
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1
Sign

Sign “We addressed the situation immediately as soon as we were contacted,” Police Chief Scott Reinert told the crowd gathered at the Atlantic Highlands meeting of the Mayor and Council. “We did not want to create a mass public alarm. We handled the situation behind the scenes quickly and immediately.”

Atlantic Highlands Police Chief Scott Reinert

The chief spoke at the end of the meeting in which half a dozen or so parents expressed shock, fear, intimidation, and an inability to discuss the situation with a ten year old child while at the same time calling for more police protection and government action to insure more safety for students in the elementary school.

The subject was started during the public portion at the meeting following comments which started with complaints about the police not only permitting but also aiding a group of what was described as a hate group in cars and motorcycles who, one speaker said, formed a parade down First Avenue to the Yacht Harbor.

Atlantic Highlands Mayor Lori Hohenleitner

Mayor Lori Hohenleitner explained that she has seen the group in the harbor multiple times in the past, describing it as a group that appears to meet weekly and travel together throughout Monmouth County. While they have in the past parked at the harbor, that did not happen this year because of the heavy crowds present for the Flea Market which was ongoing there Saturday, she said.

Most of the comments then focused on the previous day, a Friday morning when a man appeared on the sidewalk across the street from the school wearing a handmade sign tied across his shoulders that said “Dems = Murder. “

The chief confirmed indeed there was a man wearing a sign, he was not doing anything unconstitutional or not permitted. He said he spoke to him about security, and had a conversation with him in Police Headquarters. Because of fears expressed, he also checked with school officials who have their own security in the building rather than the police presence. His decision was bringing further attention or action where it was not needed would only cause public alarm.

Kathleen Scatassa, who has a daughter in the third grade at the school, was the first to speak during the public portion on this matter, citing her concerns about the “parade” which she said was by a hate group as identified by the Anti- Defamation group .She would not specifically identify the group, she said, to avoid giving them any further attention. She said such a group should not be welcomed to the borough, let alone assisted by the police.

Scatassa, who has lived in Atlantic Highlands for seven years and is a former newspaper reporter according to her biography, is a Democratic candidate for council in the November election.

Lindsay Cohen objected to an organized group using borough roads and questioned whether permit were required or secured and noted this town is no place for hate groups, pointing out they are bad for business. Hohenleitner said while she has seen the group in the past, the group appeared larger this year and noted the police had to “act in the moment’ when alerted to it. She praised the “wonderful police department and how they moved in quickly.” The mayor also told the resident “I feel you are here to make us accountable,” thanked her for it and said she feels the council encourages people to attend meetings, give suggestions and become involved. Hohenleitner also said she feels the borough far more welcoming than it was 20 years ago and much more friendly.. She advised the resident that she needs to trust the police department.

Several residents spoke about the man with the sign, some admitting they had not seen it but had heard about it and were appalled. One mother said her child went to school and lived in his fear throughout the day until going to bed at night. Another resident said she was out of town but was calling into the meeting to voice her concern, another said she was horrified at the lack of response and said the police should have remained in the school all day.

One mother said if there were a borough meeting at 3:05 in an afternoon, every student from school would attend, and idea Hohenleitner supported and said she would follow through with a special meeting. One resident said she was “horrified” by the response by the police to the fact the man was walking with the sign in front of school, while yet another said she could not explain the situation to her son saying that freedom of speech was different from the event under discussion. One resident suggested that communications perhaps through the school PTA might be a solution, whole another noted that communication and education could be part of the cure.

The resident carrying the sign the parent complained about was Michael Ciano, a borough resident since 1973, and a frequent attendee at council meetings. Ciano, when contacted by VeniVidScripto, displayed the sign he had carried and explained he had left home shortly before 8:30 a.m. Friday morning and began his walk along the First Avenue side opposite Borough Hall at approximately 8:30.. He walked the sidewalk on that side of the street, not adjacent to the school, from borough hall to the area by Naylor’s, then returned to the borough hall area before returning home about 9 a.m.. Ciano said he also believes in free speech and felt the need to express his own opinions openly in the wake of other incidents which have occurred in the nation recently.

Nor is this the first time the resident has been challenged for his free speech, losing his position with the US Post Office several years ago. When he challenged that action, he was returned to employment when a federal court judge ruled there was no basis for the allegations charged against him and restored his position. Now retired, Ciano, who has also faced several family illnesses and deaths within a short time, also said a number of people who saw him walking with his sign applauded him and thanked him for his courage in expressing an opinion. He is the son of a veteran and a strong supporter of defense of the American flag and a person’s right to free speech.

In other business at the meeting, the council unanimously approved an ordinance amending its ordinance on standby generators, with no one offering any comments during the public portion. It also proclaimed the weeks between September 15 and October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month and another resolution honoring the Celebration of the Discovery of Quantum Mechanics, at the request of resident and frequent council attendee Joshua Leinsdorf.

It approved an amendment to the approved minutes of the April 26 meeting at the request of Councilman Brian Dougherty, a well as authorizing the award of a bid for contract for mooring tackle helix inspection at the municipal yacht harbor. Another resolution approved the payment of bills since the last meeting totaling $36,677.13.

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Lillian Burry Laid to Rest

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Burry

Former Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry was laid to rest in Atlantic Cemetery adjacent to the Church Tuesday afternoon following a Monday evening visitation at Holmdel Funeral Home and a service at First Reformed Church in Colt Neck Tuesday.

Friends

Senator Vin Gopal, former State Senator John Bennett, and Muriel Smith, all friends of Burry, gave remembrances of the late Monmouth County leader which, while different, all hinged on the same attributes Lillian espoused and practiced…her goodness, her willingness to help others, her leadership, love of helping others and ability to get things done. Lillian’s sister, Alba DiBello, drew on memories from childhood through modern day about growing up and living near an older sister of such renown, giving the churchgoers an opportunity to see the more personal side of Lillian’s life.

All spoke of their personal interactions with Burry, drawing laughs over some of the amusing experiences they told, expressions of hope and sadness, as well as exclamations of approval and agreement from the filled church. Their memorials were followed by similar comments from both religious leaders at the Church, the Senior minister Rev. Scott Brown and Rev. Gene Ryan, family life minister.

The funeral service followed an evening when thousands came to pay tribute and offer condolences to Burry’s husband, Don, their daughter, Lenore and her husband. grandchildren Stephanie and Vito and their families as well as Alba all honoring Burry’s memory.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden had Sheriff’s Officers stand watch at her casket throughout the five hours the family accepted condolences. NJROTC leaders, MAST principal Earl Moore and NJROTC cadets from MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology, also came in uniform to honor Burry, as did police officers from many Monmouth County municipalities.

Traffic was closed along Holmdel Road with police officers on scene to direct motorists around the busy intersection throughout the late afternoon and evening.

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Highlands Police Explorers

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Police Explorers

Six Police Explorers with the Highlands Police Department from Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Middletown joined police explorers from across the state at the NJ Law Enforcement Youth Academy recently, an annual week long event.

The local youth were accompanied by Patrolman Alexander Braswell, the local Explorer Post Advisor, who served as assistant coordinator for the Phase 1 program at the Academy and Patrolman Kevin Connor, who assisted Phase 3 as a role player in various scenarios. During the course.

The teens, with four in the first-year program, one in the second, and one in the fourth phase are all part of the program which has been active in the Academy program 2013. The Explorer program itself has been active in the borough since 2007.

“ Our Police Explorer program for 14 to 18 year olds is second to none,” said Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon in praising both the officers and police chief who support and assist in the program. “It is such a great way for these teens to grow with their community and learn life tools. They made us all very proud.”

One Explorer  took a 2nd place award for academic achievement for Phase 1, and another Explorer took a third-place award in the same phase.

Braswell said the local department under Police Chief Rob Burton holds the police academy program in high regard primarily because “it challenges our explorers mentally and physically to show them what they are capable of if they persevere. The academy aims to instill teamwork, pride, discipline and accountability into the explorers so they may apply those life skills to any path they choose.”

The local PBA in past years has held fundraisers including events and raffles to raise the funds so the Explorer families do not have to face the tuition costs alone. However, for the past two years, local businesses and generous individuals impressed by the caliber of the program and the enthusiasm of the would-be students have sponsored them for the program. Tuition for each Explorer for the Academy is $850. Both boys and girls at least 14 years of age and 8th grade graduates are eligible to become members of the Highlands Explorers, Braswell said.

Explorers in Highlands have a series of responsibilities as part of the program. These include responsibility for parking locations and safety during the Twin Lights Ride bike event. “This is one of the busiest days for traffic in Highlands and the explorers do a great job getting the cars parked in an orderly fashion in the designated parking areas for the event,” the advisor said.

Braswell himself is an example of the caliber of the Explorer program as well as the foundation it has set in his own life. A Highlands Police Officer for five years, he was a Highlands Police Explorer from 2013 to 2017 and saw himself how beneficial it was then and is rewarding to now In addition to Braswell, Sgt. Kevin O’Donnell and Patrolman Robert Alvator are also both former Explorers in this post.

Each of the officers now exemplifies that the Explorer program taught valuable life skills applicable to any profession, The officers cited the discipline, teamwork and personal accountability that are instilled in them and all say they continue to remain active with the program because for each of them, it guided them in their own pursuit of a career in law enforcement.

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Reinert and His Officers are GREAT

By
Muriel J. Smith
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0
Calls

Reinert As a journalist, I’ve sat at thousands of meetings of mayors and council, county boards of freeholders, state official boards, and dozens of other public boards and committees from harbor commission to sewerage authorities, from library boards to historical societies. I’ve seen outright fist fights at public meetings, calls to the police department of threats to kill, drunks thrown out of meetings, a woman having a stroke at a meeting, and even fights among elected officials that called for an end to a meeting. My own life has been threatened by my honest and truthful accounts of these meetings.

But never have I been so shocked as I was at this week’s meeting of the Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council when people came out to question the efficiency, effectiveness and wisdom of the Atlantic Highlands Police Department.

Don’t any of these people know this department?

Don’t any of these people know the integrity, wisdom and outright ability to size up a situation and act accordingly of this police chief?

Are they all new to town?

Have they never called on the police department for help, or just to ask a question?

Haven’t they ever seen these police on the street, stopping to talk with a youngster or reminding a teen he needs to wear a helmet?

Don’t any of these people know these cops have kids of their own, many in the local school system?

My concern is, not so much with the fear these parents apparently have over the sight of one apparently harmless and unarmed man on a public sidewalk with a sign that expressed one man’s opinion. My concern is that these people don’t know the excellence of the Atlantic Highlands Police Department.

There were people at this week’s council meeting who perhaps have never been at a borough council meeting before.

There were people who perhaps have been long time residents of the borough and may have had other interactions with the police in the past.

There were certainly some who indeed must be new to the town and do not know the excellence of what the men in blue in this borough are like.

There may have been people in that council meeting room who came from towns where police are more standoffish, nor towing the line, sticking to the absolute rule. Maybe they can be forgiven for not knowing what an Atlantic Highlands police officer is like.

Reinert

Yet they all turned out, this group of mothers who expressed terror and shock and fear, who said they were appalled, unable to explain to their children the horror of the scene, who said the world has indeed become a dark place, all because they saw a lone man with a lone sign they did not like standing on the main street in town, a county road, near a school where every kid knows he can trust a cop, can talk to them, heck, even had a cop in his classroom or meeting him at the library to read him a story or teach how to call a police officer if he’s afraid.

As a writer, I do see a lot of police action, do get to hear a lot of stories, do get to interact with officers and their records. I’ve been threatened more times than I can count for some of the stories I have written about police on and off the job. I’ve seen good cops turn bad, and I’ve seen bad cops who have been forced to leave departments.

But not in Atlantic Highlands.

I’ve known every police chief in this borough from the days of the great Chief Jim Egidio, and Sam Guzzi, the police chief who spent the rest of his life tracking down a murderer until he was finally convicted of the murderer of a local teenager.

I’ve covered the tenures of the incredible Jerry Vasto, the unforgettable Charlies Mazzarella, even the current chief’s predecessor David Rossbach. And when Current Chief Scott Reinert came into the position, it was with class, integrity, dedication, and a background that proved he is an outstanding chief strong enough to take on great battles, yet soft enough to sit with a youngster and wipe away a tear over a lost dog.

Borough of Atlantic Highlands police chief Chief Scott Reinert

To have these dozens of people vent at a council meeting, and be encouraged by the mayor to speak out more and be heard in their shock and horror was nothing short of simply not knowing anything about the Atlantic Highlands Police Department and its chief.

Cheers to Chief Reinert for speaking up at the end of the meeting. Cheers to the Chief who calmly, but clearly, outlined exactly what his department knew, what they did, and how very protected all the people in this borough were from the dangers of a single man carrying a single sign ion the sidewalk of a county road that runs through the middle of town.

Even in this instance, when dozens of people were challenging the wisdom and work of the department and expressing fear and questioning their attendance to duty, this Chief stood up, explained everything he had done, told everything of which his department was aware, cited his conversation with the single man with a single sign, exercising his First Amendment Right, standing on the sidewalk of a county road in the middle of town, and calmly assured these parents and others that yes, in Atlantic Highlands, under his leadership, this is truly a Police Department that knows and does it job.

Whether the people know it, or appreciate it, or even recognize is, aren’t the important thing even now. What they really need to know is Chief Reinert and the Atlantic Highlands Police Department always have, and will continue, to keep this borough safe.

Even if there are people who are scared silly by a single man carrying a single sign and standing on the sidewalk of a county street in daylight in the middle of town.

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My Dear Friend Lillian

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Every April 13 since then, Lillian and I have met for lunch exchanged gifts and toasted the third President of the United States

 

I like to tell people it was Thomas Jefferson who introduced Lillian and me. I knew about this gracious lady who was mayor of Colts Neck for many years, but I did not know much more about her other than she was a Monmouth County Freeholder and had been Mayor of Colts Neck and active in many different areas helping people in all kinds of situations.

When I went to a meeting of the freeholders and heard her speak, Lillian quoted Thomas Jefferson and said how important it was to stick to the ideals he had established.

As a Jefferson aficionado for many years, I was impressed by her ability to quote the third President. So I wrote her a letter congratulating her on being a freeholder and saying how I admired the fact she quoted Jefferson. She called me up and asked why I thought that was so good. I said I always loved Jefferson and think he’s the best President we ever had. She laughed and said, “So I guess we’ll be lifelong friends.”

And so we have been. Every April 13 since then, Lillian and I have met for lunch exchanged gifts and toasted the third President of the United States. While we also celebrate the Fourth of July, we do take a moment to observe his death on that date 50 years after signing the Declaration of Independence.

But I learned so much more about my new friend in the intervening years. I learned that if you gave her a cause, and she believed in it, you could pretty well count on it being accomplished. I learned that if you said something great about the US Navy, she might agree with you and even add something else. But then she would tell you something pretty spectacular about the Coast Guard and let you know that Don was a Coast Guard Captain. When she recommended me for my position on the Monmouth County Library Commission, she made it clear I would have to work at it, be knowledgeable about everything going on, and I better have good reasons to back up any suggestion I had. She also told me she felt confident I would follow my acts with personal fortitude and conviction. I hope I lived up to her expectations.

I learned how much she and Don loved Sandy Hook, how they would drive out there from Colts Neck, just for the beauty and historic significance of Fort Hancock. I learned she was on the 21st Commission and outspoken at every meeting. I learned she was just as active and outspoken on the Fort Monmouth Authority. I learned how she loved books and the importance of reading them. I learned that her granddaughter and grandson were the best grandchildren anyone, including me, could have. Yes, we did have arguments over that and in the end agreed they were all perfect. I learned that those three great-grandsons are the smartest, the best, the most adorable, the best brought up, and the most fantastic of any great grandchildren…including my own 13. Another friendly argument. But she always won.

It was easy to see how much she was in love with Don. It seemed they had the perfect marriage, Don taking all the ribbing he always took for being her chauffeur. But his genuine love for her surpassed any jokes he might have taken because of it.

And I learned the fun side of Lillian. She had fun when she was doing things for others, when she was helping a cause, protecting a veteran, advocating for a book or heck, even writing one about the historic sites in Colts Neck. But she also had fun sitting in Bahrs restaurant watching the seagulls perch on the pier; greeting the dozens of people who also ate there and always stopped at the table just to say hello. I learned that even when people she has worked with kind of cut her out of some things, she’d simply smile, nod, and go on her own way, confident in her own strong step, her own abilities to accomplish what she set out to do.

And I remember and so appreciate the impact Lillian had on teenagers. I would see her at MAST for every event they had, always calling aside a cadet or two to ask a question, compliment a uniform, or praise formation or drill. She inspired these teenagers, this little white-haired lady with the perfect make-up, the perennial smile, the inquisitive mind. She taught them to strive more, to be proud of themselves, and always treasure their memories. She promised them a new building to avoid those wintertime drills on Pershing Field, Hopefully one day that too will happen.

Lillian did not flaunt her religion; she simply practiced it every day in every way… She reached out to others and accepted with dignity any unhappiness or even illness that befell her.

Lillian Burry was truly Mrs. Monmouth County. But more than that, she was a dear, sweet, wonderful friend who put everyone ahead of herself. It was impossible to have a conversation with her without coming away from it just a bit smarter, a bit more thoughtful ,perhaps even a bit more open-minded.

My prayers and sympathy are with Don and Lenore and her husband Bob, Lenore, that incredible daughter who was always there to do her mom’s bidding, with Stephanie and James, Vito and Pamela, those fantastic grandchildren, with her sister Alba and Patrick and those greatgrandchildren Luca, Lorenzo and Rocco who brought her so much joy, The next generations have so many of Lillian’s fine qualities and excellence that indeed her spirit and charm will live forever. My prayers and sympathy to the friends and family who will miss her dearly. Today, the entire county is in mourning and one day, even more will be when everyone realizes that in the end there is really no one who can fill her shoes.

But my joy is with the fact she considered me her friend. And I will forever be grateful for that.

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Memorial Mass for Mater Dei

By
Muriel J. Smith
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0
Mater Dei

There are still some opportunities for those who would like to participate in the annual Memorial Mass for Mater Dei High School graduates, set for Saturday, September 27 at noon. All are invited to attend the mass, an annual memorial to honor all past students at Mater Dei High School.

The Rev Stanley Lukaszewski, Father Stas, former pastor at St. Mary’s in New Monmouth will say the mass honoring all Mater Dei graduates who have passed. Classmates and relatives and friends of the deceased former students are actively participating in the mass and the necrology roll call of each of the deceased by class.

Persons who know any former Mater Dei High School students who have not been included in the necrology can contact Mari Kovach with the information to have them included this year.

The annual Memorial has been organized by Kovach, Class of 1978, Cathy Daniels, 1979 and Tom Dooley , 1965 for many years.

During the Mass, Sister Patricia Russo, a faculty member in 1965-66, will carry the gifts at the Offertory, and Kerrin McCarthy Regan, class of 2011, will be cantor. Deacon Marty McMahon will serve as deacon during the mass.

The high school was founded by the late Monsignor Robert T. Bulman, and Mother Bede Loob, OSF, was the founding principal.

Those who want to participate or add names to the necrology can visit deckhill@comcast.net

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