Hiring Brush and Leaf pick-up schedules as well as municipal Yard hours were announced by Councilman James Murphy at Wednesday’s borough council meeting, along with news there are currently positions open in the Public Works Department for new employees.
Murphy noted the brush pick up begins October 7 and will be conducted zone by zone with one pass through the entire borough. Material should be out and in compliance with pick-up requirements he said.
There will be two leaf pickups, the first beginning Nov. 4, again zone by zone, and the second beginning December 9 with one pass through town. Residents are urged to remind any building contractors or workers of the schedules for the convenience of all and enhanced appearance of the borough.
The fall seasons for the borough yard are posted on the borough calendar as well as online and at the yard. Mondays through Fridays, the borough yard is open for recycling disposal from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. There will be weekend hours for leaf and brush drop-offs only, on November and December Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am, until noon.
The Public Works Department also reminds residents and businesses that no signs are permitted on borough, county or state property and will be removed if posted without written permission from the proper authority.
Persons interested in applying for a position with the Public Works Department should apply as soon as possible either Borough Hall during business hours or by downloading an application at ahnj.com
With more praise and thanks to First Aid Chief Lance Hubeny and the Atlantic Highlands First Aid Squad, Councilman James Murphy reported the squad will have a 2024 Ford E450 ambulance within two weeks.
At the same time, the squad and it chief deserve more praise and credit for the squad’s Cadet Program, noting that one cadet in the program has already completed all his training and is now officially an EMT with the squad, and two other cadets are in training to become EMR, or Emergency Medical Responders. Murphy noted the title of EMR with the requirements necessary to be completed to receive it is similar to an advanced first responder.
“Having three of four cadets earn an EMT or EMR designation is amazing,” the councilman said, noting also that the squad has answered 43 calls during the month of September.
News continues to get even better, he continued, with three more cadets in the process of joining the firsts aid squad.
The new ambulance was made possible through fundraising by the First Aid Squad through donations; the fact it will be available by next month rather than the two to two and a half years generally accepted for arrival of a newly ordered ambulance, is because of efforts by Chief Hubeny, Murphy said. He termed both the fund raising by the squad and the quick arrival of the new equipment “Astounding.”
Murphy reported the squad already also has a buyer for their “gently used rig” they purchased for use until they could secure a new ambulance. He pointed out the squad was able to sell it for more than they paid for its purchase.
The squad has answers 381 emergency calls from January to September, for a total of 1,047 calls since Hubeny took over as chief in July 2022, and promised a harder working, more enthusiastic, capable and enthusiastic squad that would work together seamlessly.
It’s the Volunteer of the Month for September that prompted Mayor Lori Hohenleitner to suggest that everyone should follow the example of the unnamed person.
In announcing there is a designated Volunteer of the month as has been the schedule for Atlantic Highlands Council meetings, Hohenleitner said the person selected for this month did not want to be publicly identified.
In agreeing to honor the resident without any identification, the mayor suggested that everyone instead “thank somebody”: for doing something nice.
The mayor noted there are many unsung heroes in town and many people who do things for others without recognition, but rather selflessly.
The honoree she said, is a person who is always busy doing something for the borough, always looking out for the Mayor and Council, and always representing what the community is all about.
She suggested that to honor the unsung hero everyone should thank someone for doing something nice whether it is wearing a plant or volunteering in some manner because “that’s what our town is all about.”
In presenting the award, chapter president Michele Donnelly noted that Cavagnaro “exemplifies all the qualities of this award for a naturalized citizen – Leadership, Trustworthiness, Patriotism and Charitable Service.”
The recipient of this prestigious award was born in Vietnam and escaped hours before the fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975, in her uncle’s boat, coming to the United States as a 1-year-old refugee with her parents and siblings.
Naturalized at age 7, her experience coming here at such a young age, and under such difficult circumstances, has shaped her life.
As an adult Thy began to appreciate the history of the Vietnam War and felt endless gratitude for the opportunities this country afforded her. She was especially thankful to the American soldiers who were willing to risk their lives to defend democracy – for a country that wasn’t theirs – and who then came home to their own country to face an ungrateful nation.
Thy wanted to give back to these soldiers and let them know how valued they really were. She began personally thanking veterans she met and in doing so, started to uncover the deep, complex burdens these veterans still carried.
This further spurred her on, in 2017 she founded Thanking Vietnam Veterans in Barnegat. She designed, built, and dedicated the first of its kind Vietnam Memorial in Barnegat on March 29, 2018, the first year after the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act was signed into law.
There is no other memorial of its kind in the US which was erected and funded solely by a Vietnamese refugee in honor of those soldiers who fought for her country.
Since 2018, Thy has hosted small dinner groups with veterans to allow time for her to have meaningful one on one conversations with them.
As testament to the impact she has on the veterans, she often receives sentimental gifts including South Vietnamese flags or crucifixes that the soldiers received in Vietnam they preferred to give to her rather than their own family members.
She has been asked by the VA to present her story to veterans as part of their veteran therapy sessions.
To further educate students on issues of democracy and immigration, Thy created an interactive presentation that tells the story of her family’s harrowing escape from Vietnam, and of the trauma the American soldiers experienced both while fighting a war and upon their return home.
Using exercises she created, Thy helps students develop empathy and understanding of the experiences of both the refugee and the soldier.
She is currently presenting her program to students at Barnegat Elementary, Middle and High Schools; East Brunswick High School; Seton Hall University ROTC cadets; with more schools coming on board in 2024.
The honor recipient received considerable recognition for her work including on March 29, 2022, when she was acknowledged and entered into the United States Congressional Record; in 2024, she received a State Proclamation from Governor Murphy. She has received Certificates of Appreciation from DAV Chapter 81, Marine Corp League 667, VVA Chapter 889 and VFW 10092.
In 2017 she received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition; in 2018 she received a Vietnam War Memorial Citation, and a Distinguished Republic of Vietnam Navy Unit Award from the US Exercise Tiger Foundation. She is a guest or keynote speaker at numerous events per year and her story was picked up by the Associated Press, which resulted in publication in every major news outlet, including Military Times.
Vietnamese Born Vietnamese Born Vietnamese Born Vietnamese Born Vietnamese Born Vietnamese Born
The Eastern Monmouth Are Chamber of Commerce offers special opportunities during October, celebrating it as Membership Month and inviting new members to join the growing community.
Jennifer Eckhoff, Executive Director of EMACC, extends a welcome to all businesses interested in expanding their network and connecting with the vibrant local business community.
“We invite you to join us in October for an opportunity to meet fellow entrepreneurs, learn about the latest industry trends, and explore new business opportunities,” said Eckhoff. “With over 96 years of experience supporting the eastern Monmouth County business community, EMACC is the ideal place to grow your business and build lasting relationships.”
Now is the perfect time to join the Eastern Monmouth Are Chamber of Commerce, the director noted. New members joining between October 1 and October 31,2024, receive 3 FREE MEMBERSHIP MONTHS (value of $68 – $175), and complimentary administration fee (SAVINGS of $45). All new October members will receive an EMACC social media photo feature on Facebook & Instagram (value of $150), plus the first 10 new EMACC members will receive a RADIO CAMPAIGN from THE BOSS 107.1 valued at over $2,050! *must book by 12/31/24.
Upcoming networking events for October include an EMACC Office Open House from 11 a.. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 3, October 9 Business Networking Breakfast, Oct. 14, Women In Business Networking Event, Oct 22, Business After Hours and EMACC’s Next Generation Networking Event.
Growing a business network through new contacts and networking opportunities and building relationships that will help your company succeed are all available through membership, the director said.
The Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1928 has supported our business and community for 96 years. EMACC plays an essential role in the health of the business community regionally and statewide. Proudly serving Eatontown, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Red Bank, Rumson, Sea Bright, Shrewsbury and Tinton Falls. All are welcome! Call for more information (732) 741-0055 or visit EMACC.org for membership details.
MiddletownMayor Tony Perrywill have his 7th Middletown Memories podcast Locally Sourced, available after Friday this week on the Middletown sites, and it’s fascinating (and wonderful!) to see his interests in not only the history of Middletown but its preservation and appreciation.
He interviewed me as a former reporter for The Courier from the 60s through the 80s, and it was as much fun now talking about all those great days today as it was living them and writing about them in The Courier decades ago.
So wonderful to hear his pride in the Submarine New Jersey (SSN796) and the history making commissioning that was held in his town last week. It’s worth a look if only to see the interest and pride this mayor has in his hometown.
Mail-in ballots for the November 5th General Election are now being mailed out and available, Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon advised residents this week.
Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon
“Voter turnout is expected to be high in the 2024 General Election, as it has been in all presidential election years, and voting by mail is a convenient way to vote and a great way to avoid potential lines at the polls or other inconveniences,” said Clerk Hanlon.
To vote by mail, registered voters must first complete a vote-by-mail ballot application form, which can be downloaded from the County Clerk’s Elections website, MonmouthCountyVotes.com, or from the County Clerk’s “Monmouth County Votes” mobile app.
The form can also be obtained in person at the County Clerk’s Elections Office located at 300 Halls Mill Road in Freehold or from the municipal clerk of a voter’s hometown. For voters who have completed the application in the past and indicated they want it continued, their ballots are being mailed now without any further action required by them.
Completed vote-by-mail applications submitted by regular mail must be received by the County Clerk’s Office at least seven days before an election, of October 29 for the November 5th General Election.
Applications may also be submitted in person at the County Clerk’s Elections Office up until 3 p.m. on November 4th, the day before Election Day. If applying in person, voters may obtain and cast their mail-in ballots early.
Simple instructions for completing and returning vote-by-mail ballots are included in the ballot package. Voters may return completed ballots in person at the County Board of Elections located at 300 Halls Mill Road, by mail or via one of the County’s ballot drop box locations.
For more information, visit MonmouthCountyVotes.com, download the County Clerk’s free “Monmouth County Votes” mobile app or call the County Clerk’s Election Office at 732-431-7790.
The Office of the Monmouth County Clerk is comprised of five divisions handling property recordings, elections, archives, passports and records management.
The County Clerk’s Office also provides resident, veteran and Gold Star Family identification cards to eligible county residents, administers oaths to notaries and public officials and performs wedding ceremonies.
The Monmouth County Clerk is a constitutional and administrative officer elected to a five-year term by the voters of Monmouth County. Christine Giordano Hanlon, Esq. was elected Monmouth County Clerk in November 2015 and was re-elected to a second term in November 2020.
Whether it is a tunnel leading to an underground still dating to Prohibition, or tunnels for bootleggers to move illegal whiskey to or from boats that were dealing with rum runners along Rum Row, or whether it was the cellar of a former school what was unearthed on Avenue C. might be a piece of history yesterday afternoon certainly brought neighbors together, lots of excitement to be shared, and historians, Historical society members and borough officials and employees to ensure that no matter what, it was well worth attention.
Word spread quickly throughout the late afternoon when the excavating company clearing and preparing the former Firemen’s Fieldhouse site for construction of three houses on the empty lot dug into what appears to be a tunnel on the northeast side of the property stretching into the backyard of West Highland Avenue house that backs up to the fieldhouse site.
Initial reactions and indications, coupled with legends and stories from generations, were the excavators hit on one of many tunnels reported to be in numerous locations throughout the borough, part of the Prohibition era from 1920 to 1934.
Oldtimers or second and third generation of families living in the borough during that era remember talk of tunnels for transporting illicit alcohol, either to the site from clamming and lobster boats that traveled out to Rum Row three miles offshore to pick it up, or trucks who clandestinely carried the illegal whiskey from its underground hiding places to both local and northern New Jersey liquor dealers, speakeasies and businesses that profited from the law that banned the sale and manufacture of alcohol.
Stories circulated among the gathering of nearby neighbors, friends and officials that tunnels were prevalent in prohibition and this particular tunnel could well be one that led to the Robert Mantell house on Avenue D, once the home of Andrew Richard, a local phenomenon often associated with the rough and wild times of Prohibition.
Talk even circulated that Richards had a friend, Dominick Caruso, well known for his expertise in construction, actually built the tunnel. However, a quick call to Caruso’s daughter, Jacqui Larsen, a retired architect, indicated that was not so.
Born long after Prohibition ended in 1934, Larsen said she heard many stories both from her father and her mother and aunts, all who were neighbors of Richards, as she was growing up. But she never heard her father talk about building any tunnels or underground rooms.
Fire Department secretary Lance Hubeny, recalled how the floor on that side of the fieldhouse, with a garage door opening to Avenue C., was always lower than the rest of the building, and volunteers often wondered and warned about parking heavy equipment on that portion of the building
Atlantic Highlands Historical Society members weren’t asserting specifically what the underground open space was originally but wanted it to be preserved at least until studies could be done, research completed, and a piece of Atlantic Highlands history preserved at least on video and in word. Several Society members turned out to show their interest and learn as much as they could so they could continue research and present an accurate portrayal if what appears to be what families have talked about for ages but will remain hidden as the borough progresses.
Society members on the site gathering whatever information they could were Patty Bickauskas, Ellen O’Dwyer and Lou Fligor. Historians on site were Greg Caggiano, Jack Grodeska and Muriel Smith. In a strange coincidence, Smith is scheduled to give a talk to the Highlands Historical Society at the Community Center in Highlands at 7 p.m. Thursday night on the subject of Prohibition in the Bayshore.
Councilman Brian Dougherty cycled over to see the uncovered tunnel sharing in the excitement and wonder, noting no one really knows yet what it was used for, but sharing in the camaraderie and stories. “It is very exciting, even if we don’t know yet what that tunnel was used for, “he said, adding “I would just encourage people to remember that this is an active construction site on private property. Safety first! “he said, urging people, politely, to stay away from the site.
Code Enforcement Officer Richard Colangelo was also present to ensure safety at the site and to direct anyone walking or standing on the private property of trespassing regulation site.
Borough Police responded to the site to ensure safety, to inspect and ensure no one was inside the tunnel and to cordon off the area with yellow ribbon as a reminder of no trespassing.
The possibility of the tunnel, with supporting beams inside and brick walls, as well as what appears to be a ventilation tube, might also be the cellar of a school, the Washington Avenue School, from the turn of the 20th century. Such a building is portrayed in the Arcadia book on Atlantic Highlands written by Randy Gabrielan.
Rum Runners Rum Runners Rum Runners Rum Runners Rum Runners
“Memory is a valuable tool in building spirited communication, “Monsignor Michael J. Walsh told the more than 100 guests at the annual Mater Dei Mass of Remembrance Saturday.
Monsignor Walsh, former pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Monmouth, where Mater Dei was the catholic high school from 1962 through 2021, celebrated the annual Mass of Remembrance for all deceased administrators teachers and alumni in which the names of more than 600 deceased persons were read by friends, classmates, parents or other relatives of the Mater Dei family.
The priest also congratulated and thanked the committee that has kept this tradition of Mater Dei alive since it was first started by former teacher, the late Thomas C. Murray. Msgr. Walsh commended the Committee headed by Mari Campanella Kovach, class of 1978, Cathy Daniels, class of 1979 and Tom Dooley, class of 1965, for planning the event, as well as preserving a Necrology of the Mater Dei family.
Kovach continues to invite all interested persons to provide updated information to the Memorial Necrology by emailing her at deckhill@comcast.net
That the tradition will continue in the future was emphasized by Kovach after the day’s event in an e-mail she sent thanking all for their participation in this annual Mass, noting some have traveled a distance to be present for it and all gave time and talents to have it happen. “I am truly grateful for your commitment to Mater Dei’s legacy and your willingness to support this annual opportunity to bring together our Mater Dei community,” the alumna said.
Absent from this year’s traditional mass was the Rev. Stanley Lukaszewski, also known as Father Stas, whose plans to be present were cancelled after he suffered a fall last week and was recuperating from fractures.
The Committee and those attending the mass gave special thanks to Canton Kerrin McCarthy Regan, Class of 2022, organist Diane Testa, and bagpipe Jim Shaw, class of 1976 who played the pipes in welcoming everyone to the mass.
Thanks also went o the hospitality committee which included Daniels, along with Ellen Poole, class of 1972, Maria Miele Skribner, class of 1983, Annemarie Golding McCarthy, Class of 1980, Judy Grandinetti Vogt, class of 1976 and Mary Caruso Corr, class of 1978.
Dr. Ken Dugan, who graduated in the first Mater Dei Class of 1965, came from Missouri to attend and participate in the remembrance. Dr. Dugan said it is a celebration he would never miss,agreeing with Monsignor Walsh on the importance of remembrance, and the joy it brings to recall memories of friends and classmates who helped form our lives.
Administrators remembered at the start of the Necrology, read by John Anderson, Kovach and Daniels, include the founding principal, Mother Bede, OSH, and principals the Rev. William Lynch, John V. Lonergan, Sister Mary Hugh, and Frank Poleski as well as assistant principal Frank Outwater. Teaching staff who were added to the Necrology this year include the late Philip Masterson, Mike Wherry, Jery Schulte,, Anthony Suozzo, James Tancredi, and the Rev. Bob Tynski.
Alumni added this year were Eugene Ambroziak, James Corridon and Karen Jane Halvorsen, class of 1965,
Susan Lentile Vasilev, class of 1966,
James Lentile, Gerry McDavitt, David Trombino and William Henry Vance, class of 1968,
Thomas Manning, class of 1969,
Diane Johnson Engemann, class of 1973,
Priscilla Gordon Potenza, class of 1974,
Michael Donovan, class of 1976,
Mary Dowens Everham and Terry Daly, class of 1977,
Craig Stern, class of 1978,
John Nipar and Norman Whiteman, class of 1979,
Joe Federico and Cheryl Puzzo Betts, class of 1983,
Michelle Horeis Hutter, Ronald Miller, George Rada and Tina Rothermund Evans, class of 1984,
As a current member of the appointed Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education and a former member of Henry Hudson Board, Highlands representative Donald H. Krueger Is seeking election to a one-year term in November because he feels he can be useful “as one who understands complex organizations like the school board.”
Krueger, who lives at Eastpointe with his wife Ming Zeng and has two grown children, has been a resident of the borough for ten years, and said he has always had an interest in education.
He has been an adjunct professor of business for the last ten years at Baruch College and previously served in the same capacity at Fordham University for seven years. He holds a master’s degree from the university of Rochester and a master’s from Harvard Business School.
The candidate said he first ran for the Board of Education in 2021 as a write-in candidate, appalled there was not a candidate on the ballot for the three-year term. “Education is too important to ignore,” he said, “and I believed I could be helpful to the community by filling that spot.” He won the election over two other write-in candidates, the first time he has run for any seat since high school student council.
Krueger feels the current Superintendent, Tara Beams, is one of the primary benefits of the Hudson schools, citing her intelligence, dynamics and energy who, he said, with the support of all three prior boards of education, Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson, “successfully brought us through the intensely politicized and bureaucratic process to regionalize, an effort that included collapsing three school districts into one and three separate teachers’ union contracts into one.
Praising Beams for all her efforts, Krueger added “her leadership and the capabilities of the people on her team now have the flexibility, the tools, and the wisdom to focus on and improve student outcomes for our students. All are on improving student outcomes both academically and socially.”
With fewer than 800 students in the three schools, Kreuger also noted it allows the students to get to know each other in ways not possible in larger school districts, citing the schools as almost “Private.” Further, he said the district’s STEAM Academy (Science Engineering Arts and Mathematics) is highly regarded and even attracts students from other school districts. There is a sense of “Admiral” pride at events including student awards night, and pride in sports, drama, music, media, art, poetry and academics.
The fact there is still a need to improve student outcomes is the major problem facing the district now, he believes, blaming Covid for affecting Hudson students as it has all schools.
Neither language nor math performance on standardized tests has been as strong improvement. To correct this, Krueger said, the board has approved expenditures to provide more resources for improvement including more focus on professional development programs for teachers, identifying students in need of extra help, and providing that extra help.
“We have also agreed tools to capture data more frequently on student performance in order to more quickly give students assistance and provide teachers with programs that improve their students’ academic achievement,” he added, noting his belief the board is intensely “student focused.”
While Krueger said he is in favor of regionalization with Sea Bright, and in regionalization the district has new tools for making new experiences possible for students and efficiencies for our taxpayers, he believes Sea Bright should only be included “under the right conditions.”
These include getting permission from the NJ Department of Education to bring those students into the HHRS school district; understanding the nature of the student body: elementary/middle school//high school/special needs; having a funding formula that is fair and would benefit the individual taxpayer households’ of Highlands, Sea Bright, and Atlantic Highlands, a formula, that should recognize the “ high fixed costs and very low variable costs of operating a school district.”
Krueger cited his own studies in the past that he said showed Sea Bright’s funding formula overwhelmingly benefited that borough’s homeowners at the expense of Highlands’ and Atlantic Highlands’ homeowners on that same basis. He said he has had his “finger on the pulse” of financial information including both grants and state and federal funding and praised Beams for schooling him on “the arcane nature of public education finance.”
He wrote a metaphor in which he described the Sea Bright situation with a couple who fall in love, marry, have disagreements, she meets another, goes through court proceedings and costs, and eventually the new attraction agrees to halt the union until the courts settle the couple’s original marital problems, culminating with his assessment that “we don’t want to be bigamists.”
Krueger will face three other candidates who have filed for the two one-year terms to be decided in November in Highlands, Allison Burel, Regina Melnyk and Kevin Ege. Highlands voters will also vote on candidates for the two- and three-year terms to bring a total of five Highlands representatives to the new nine-member school board.
