Tickets are $40 and include entry to the crowd-favorite Margarita Contest, where seven local restaurants will shake things up in a battle for the title of Best Margarita in Highlands! Guests are invited to Sip their way through seven 6-oz. samples, then vote for the winner.
The ticket also grants access to exclusive food and drink specials at participating eateries and pubs, including discounts at select retailers, and a variety of surprise samplings throughout the day. T
To keep the celebration lively, Academia de Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer will bring the spirit of Mexico to life with performances at participating venues!
Tickets are available in advance online at highlandsnj.com or at check-in, which takes place at Huddy Park (Bay & Waterwitch Ave. – 329 Bay Ave. for GPS) between 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM.
At check-in, guests will receive a wristband and a map of the 11 participating business locations.
This is a rain-or-shine event, and tickets are non-refundable.
Cinco de Mayo Cantina Crawl is made possible by participating establishments and sponsors which include Monmouth County Tourism, Montecalvo/Bayshore Family of Companies, Bahrs Landing, Bridge Marina, Farmacie by the French Market, Dovetail Vintage Rentals, Gateway Marina, Hufnagel Tree Service, In the Garden, Off the Hook, Proving Ground, Seafarer, Valley Bank, WRAT 95.9, Gem’s Bagels, and Highlands Cafe.
“This is a wonderful town…art is important…what better place could there be…” said artist Yan Cao at this week’s meeting of the Mayor and Council.
Cao, whose artwork was on display at the meeting, made the statement after being named Artist of the Month and accepting the certificate from Mayor Lori Hohenleitner.
Cao presents her artistry in watercolors primarily as a means of showing natural beauty and seascapes in a medium that draws people to the tranquility as well as natural beauty of the scenes. She is a member of the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council whose mission is to strengthen the community through the arts.
The Arts Council, located at 54 First Avenue, is an all volunteer organization that was formed 20 years ago and incorporated shortly after as a non-profit organization that has drawn new partnerships and creative programming to the borough. The Council presents exhibitions in its galleries and front windows and also offers a boutique of local art, classes and workshops.
Yan , in speaking of her nature scenes, noted “Poetry is how you feel….I paint poetry.”
Her work brings elegance to any art collection. She told the governing body at the meeting that she has been in the United States from her native Shanghai for 20 years, and has lived in Atlantic Highlands for ten years, drawn by its character, its beauty at both sunrise and sunset,, and its unique property and quality from the marina to the residences and main street to its history. “This is an artist’s paradise,” the popular artist told the Council.
Members of the Highlands Borough Council and representatives of the Highlands Business Partnership officially welcomed the Highlands Café with a celebratory ribbon cutting at its new location, 300 Bay Ave., last week.
The heart of the Highlands Café, formerly the Girls Café at the corner of Washington and Bay Avenues, and is the trio of chefs: Laercio “Junior” Chamon Jr., Bill Alexander, and Christopher Booket.
Each of the three chefs honed his culinary skills through the Brookdale Community College Culinary Program. Their paths converged at Graze Restaurant, in Little Silver—a local farm-to-table spot —where their shared philosophy and friendship began to take root. Their passion for food, people, and community is the secret ingredient in every dish they create.
Chef Laercio brings more than 25 years of culinary experience to the table, beginning with a bucket of oysters and a dream. After shucking oysters when he was 15, he launched a successful food truck, catering company, and restaurant, a story of perseverance and passion. His food truck, Cuts, and Catch, offers a fresh and fast casual Surf & Turf menu and can be found seasonally at The Seafarer, 1 Atlantic St.
Now back in Highlands—where it started for him at the iconic Doris & Ed’s on Shore Drive, Junior is focused on using food to strengthen community ties and lead a team grounded in shared values: uplifting others, exchanging knowledge, and growing together.
Chef Bill Alexander discovered his love for cooking during college and launched a culinary career now spanning two decades. With an associate’s degree in culinary arts from Brookdale and a B.A. in Political Science from Kean University, Bill brings both creativity and thoughtful depth to his dishes. His experience ranges from supermarkets to casual fine dining, shaped by a calm and deliberate approach and a love for the energy of the kitchen.
Chef Christopher Booket brings an artistic flair to the Highlands Café. A Monmouth University graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design, Chris followed his heart into the culinary world through Brookdale’s Culinary Education Center. Over the past 15 years, he has blended art and food, working in bars, pizzerias, and fine dining establishments, with a focus on detail and a drive to create dishes that balance creativity, comfort, and precision.
Together, this chef-driven team leads both the front and back of the house, creating a space that’s as warm. Diners say it is obvious the food is , and thee chefs agree it is so.
Highlands Café offers fresh, locally sourced breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday, from 6 AM to 3 PM. The menu features house-made specialties including pork belly burritos, pancakes from scratch with banana bourbon fosters, steak and eggs in many varieties, chicken sandwiches, house sausages, soups, daily specials, and a rotating selection of pastries.
LT (jg) Angus J. Yeoman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Yeoman of Bayville, received his wings of gold as a Naval Aviator at ceremonies held last week at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Florida. Helicopter Pilot
Yeoman will report to Naval Station Norfolk where he will next qualify to fly the Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter. The Knighthawk’s missions include logistics support, search and rescue, medical evacuation, special warfare support, anti-surface warfare and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The aviator’s parents are both former Navy, his father Chris, a former Navy Chief who served on gun boats as a boatswain’s mate and his mother, Tracie Smith Yeoman, originally of Highlands, a retired Commander and deep sea diver. Commander Smith-Yeoman, who retired after 24 years in the Navy, also retired last December after 12 years as the Senior Naval Science Instructor of the NJROTC program at MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology on Sandy Hook.
Lt (jg) Yeoman is a 2018 graduate of Donovan Catholic High School in Toms River, and the University of South Carolina with a degree in geography, where he was commissioned into the Navy through the NROTC program.
He reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola for the Naval Introductory Flight Evaluation (NIFE) program, the introduction of flight basics, shortly after being commissioned in 2022.
In this nine-week course, like all students, he completed academic classes in basic aerodynamics, aviation weather, air navigation, flight rules and regulations, and aircraft engines and systems. Throughout that time, he was also exposed to aviation physiology through classes with the Naval Operational Medical Institute, learning about how flight affects the human body.
NIFE establishes the foundations of aviation fundamentals for aspiring aviators but is also a screening tool that tests a student’s ability to handle stressful evolutions. Yeoman learned to fly a Cessna 172, a single engine fixed wing aircraft, in this program.
Upon completion of NIFE, Yeoman reported to Training Squadron (VT) 27, the Boomers, at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas where he completed Primary flight school, a 22-week course where he learned visual flight, basic instrument flying, aerobatics, radio instrument navigation, and formation flying. He also completed a solo flight in the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II, a single-engine turboprop aircraft.
The Naval Officer then transferred to Naval Air Station Whiting Field in the panhandle of Florida to Helicopter Training Squadron (HT) 18, the Vigilant Eagles, for rotary wing pilot training. This course is designed to develop student skills in helicopter flight maneuvers using the Leonardo TH-73A Thrasher helicopter, visual navigation and tactics. Completion of this course also includes an intensive curriculum of basic and radio instruments, and courses took six months and gave Yeoman the status of a trained and proficient all-weather aviator.
Leonardo TH-73A
Yeoman and each of the 14 other military members receiving their wings of gold, including 11 Navy officers, one Coast Guard officer and two Marine Corps officers, also received their Naval Aviator numbers, designating the number of aviators in the military since the first Naval Aviator’s number was issued in 1918. Yeoman’s number is 37837.
The three-member Yeoman family has served a total of 44 years in the Navy, in addition to Commander Smith-Yeoman’s 12 years as an NJROTC instructor after her Navy retirement. With Lt(jg) Yeoman’s father a Chief boatswain’s mate, considered one of the most versatile and important positions on a Naval ship, his mother a deep sea diver and himself an aviator, the Yeomans have served the Navy and the nation on land, in the air and under the sea.
My Newly Winged Grandson and I
Helicopter Pilot Helicopter Pilot Helicopter Pilot Helicopter Pilot Helicopter Pilot Helicopter Pilot Helicopter Pilot
When celebrating the incredible achievement of 15 young officers in the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard becoming Naval aviators at NAS Whiting Field in Pensacola, Florida, it takes more than one ceremony. Wings
There were two ceremonies to honor the 15 new aviators, who now number 37873 the total number of Navy, Marine or Coast Guard aviators who have ever achieved that title since Commander Theodore Gordon “Spuds” Ellyson first earned it for his achievement in 1911 and was given Wings Number One as a naval aviator.
Eleven of the 15 officers who were winged in ceremonies this year participated in the first of the two ceremonies, held on the Naval Air Station, The Blessing of the Wings.
Each of the officers and their guests were at the rituals and greeted by LT. Latoya Smith, the Naval Chaplain at Whiting Field, who introduced Monsignor Michael Reed of the Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. Monsignor Reed is a chancellor in the Office of the Bishop and Director of the diocesan office of Sacraments and Worship.
Monsignor Michael Reed
Chaplain. Smith read from the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament the passage that reminded the officers that “Even youth grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles..”.
Monsignor read the Good Shepherd verses from the New Testament’s Book of St. John, “there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again….This charge I have received from my Father.”
The congregation joined in readings asking God to “Show me your ways…teach me your paths…guide me in your truth…and teach me you are my God and my hope is in You all day long.”
Each of the officers then held their new gold wings in hand, as Monsignor Reed went to each, blessed the wings and offered each new aviator congratulations and prayers for safety and protection in their obligations as helicopter pilots
This first ceremony closed with a singing of the Navy hymn, “Eternal Father”, written by William Whiting in 1860 and inspired by its recitation of dangers of the sea. It is a song of thanksgiving for the mercy of God for His rescues from perils of the sea. For the aviators, the verse most poignant was “Lord, guard and guide the ones who fly through the great spaces in the sky. Be with them always in the air, In darkening storms or sunlight fair.
O hear us when we lift our prayer for those who peril in the air>”
Aviators honored in this ceremony were Marine1st Lt. Kaitlin R. Warnke of Corpus Christi, Texas and 1st Lt. Derian Insani of Rockwall, Texas, Coast Guard Lt. (jg) Michael Gilmore, Jr. of Santa Clarita, California, and Navy Lieutenants (jg) Chloe K. Brown, Corpus Christi, Tucker W. Brown, Creedmoor, North Carolina, Breanna Duncan, Bealeton, Virginia, Daniel Farias, Laredo, Texas, Derian Insani, Rockwall, Texas, Kyle A. Lingis, Pasadena, Maryland , Oscar E. Prioleau III, Atlanta, Georgia, Benjamin Wallace, Oakton, Virginia, Kaitlin R. Warnke, Corpus Christi, Texas, and my Grandson, Angus J. Yeoman, Bayville, New Jersey
Flounder’s On the shore of Pensacola Bay on the west side of Florida, a heartbeat from Alabama, Pensacola, Florida has just about everything that would attract visitors or residents to this charming, busy, clean and fun city. There are beaches galore, museums for everything from history to nature, amusement parks, zoos, historic cemeteries, a lighthouse, every water sport and activity imaginable and restaurants to fit any taste.
But clearly, the Naval Air Station Pensacola and Whiting Field are the life of a city that has flown under five different flags in its centuries old history.
NAS Pensacola , better known as the Cradle of Aviation, covers 8400 acres, was established in 1914 as the first naval aviation station and employees 16,000 military members along with another 8400 civilians. It’s home to the famed Blue Angels as well as the training ground for what are understandably known as the best helicopter pilots in the world.
My Newly Winged Grandson and I
The city not only welcomes, supports, and is supported by the Navy along Pensacola Bay, but boasts hundreds of businesses big and small, that exist, not because of the multitude of collegians who come here for spring break, but for the Navy personnel, their employees, and the families of all the civilian employees who work on or for the base.
Impossible to visit all the great restaurants, but on a recent visit to attend the Aviation Designation ceremony for a Navy lieutenant grandson, Flounders Chowder House is an absolute standout, not only for the excellence of the food and friendliness and efficiency of the staff, but also for its history, its size and variety of seating locations, and it’s very clever menu.
Coincidental as it may be, Flounder’s is not named for the fish that appears on the menu along with numerous other delicacies from the sea. It’s actually the family name of the founder, Floyd Founder, . It’s his big, worn and trusty retired shrimp boat, the Flounder, of course, that sits on land adjacent to the restaurant’s entry to greet everyone making reservations and sitting along the wall patiently waiting to enter and dine.
The Founders are big on good humor, clever décor and decorations and unique uses for old items. You’re drawn to marvel that 1,000-pound blue marlin hanging over one of the bars and admire the stained-glass windows here and there. You wonder about the former confessional booths retired from a church in New Orleans and can enjoy and think of prohibition history when you see the stills. If you’re outside for dinner, there’s always that sand volleyball court or the stage where there is most likely some concert or music of some sort going on,. But there are also tables, big and small to accommodate all size groups, that are cozy, comfortable, relatively quiet .
Regardless of where you eat at Flounder’s…and there are several different rooms, all clean, inviting, and spacious you’ve got to take some time to enjoy the menu before even choosing the meal!. Floyd Flounder, Founder, and his Family, love alliteration.
There are Flounder’s Fish Tenders, or Floyd Flounder’s Phenomenal Flounder Chowder, a specialty of the house. There are “Free range Gulf Fish From the wood Fired Grille, of courses Flounder’s Fried Flounder, and several Flounder’s Flash Fried Features of shrimp and oysters. For $23.99, ,you can order Floyd Flounder’s Flawless Full Flavored Florida Flash Fried Fish complete with hush puppies and Flash Fried potatoes. Of course there are Flounder’s Fowl dishes of chicken, and the list goes on.
The eight-page menu is complete with photos of fishermen, Felix Flounder and his dog, as he describes his faithful friend Fluke, Fred, Floyd and Felix Flounder setting up the beach volleyball area and some daring bathing beauties of the 1920s in their bathing attire.
There are also some cute ‘abuses’ of well-known quotations. Like Will Rogers saying, “I never met a flounder I didn’t like,” or Alexander Pope’s “Tiger Err is human, to Flounder divine.” Mae West’s “It’s not the Flounder in your life it’s the life in your Flounder” isn’t as well-known as a Patrick Henry’s Give me Liberty or Give me Flounder.”
For this blog writer of Veni Vidi Scripto, a favorite is “I came, I saw, I floundered.” And Abraham Lincoln’s “United we stand, divided we flounder,” which still carries a lot of truth even with the change of a word.
Whether you go for one of their Poke Bowls, Maki Rolls, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, or just want to enjoy a Flounder’s version of the state pie, the Key Lime, Flounder’s is a Must stop when visiting the Naval Air Station.
The food’s great, but the fun of the place makes it even better!
Seats are limited and final reservations should be made soon for the Country Hoedown Party set for Saturday, April 26 at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help gym Class Reunion
Country line dancing, with a dance caller and instruction, are highlights of the evening which also includes a country style buffet, dessert table and soft beverages. All tickets also include a chance on a flat screen TV and an admission prize.
Tickets are $35 each with $15 for children under 12 and no charge for infants.
There are still a limited number of opportunities for sponsorships of the event which draws large crowds.
For tickets, purchased can be made online at https:highlandskofc11660.org/country-hoedown-party or by calling 732-804-5165. Checks can also be mailed to KofC #11660, 94 Asbury Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716.
A Mother’s Day Tea Party, complete with tea and savories, will be held at St. Agnes Church Hall on Saturday, May 10, the day before Mother’s Day.
Tickets for the event are $30 each and can be purchased at the church office on Center ave.
The event will include raffles on gift baskets and flowers; a flower bouquet demonstration along with a flower bar and hat contest will also be highlights of the afternoon.
The tea begins at 2 p.m. and also includes raffles and door prizes.
The 8th grade class of St. Agnes School, Class of 1970, is holding its 55th class reunion October 18 of this year.
Graduates and others interested in knowing more about the planned event can contact judy_grasso@hotmail.com or call her at 732-539-26` for further information.
There is so much favorable to say in support of rail travel. Besides the ease in getting tickets, boarding, and enjoying comfortable seats, to say nothing of the more economic price than the flying alternative, there is the added charm of enjoying magnificent scenery, meeting new people and sharing ideas. Sure it takes longer than flying, but the benefits certainly outweigh the air if you have the time.
Hattiesburg Mississippi Train Station
En route to Pensacola, Florida Amtrak’s Crescent to Hattiesburg, Mississippi is about as close as it comes to the Naval Air Station that both the Blue Angels and Naval Aviation call home. For this traveler, it was made especially easy; with a son living in Mississippi also traveling to the naval base for ceremonies winging a new aviator in the Navy, Hattiesburg Mississippi was a wonderful place to meet and travel together in his car the remaining 150 miles.
Newark’s Penn Station
Unlike the airlines, you don’t have to arrive two hours in advance in order to board Amtrak; you can sit comfortably in Newark’s Penn Station until they announce the platform where the train will be arriving from New York heading south and west.
Seats are comfortable, spacious, with the opportunity to stretch out, put your feet up, or sit up while you plug in your electronics seat side to ensure full batteries.
The Crescent, trains #19 and 20, depending on the direction it’s going, are Amtrak’s most convenient way to travel between the northeast and New Orleans and other points southwest of New Jersey.
It’s a journey of about 27 hours or so and has a reputation for most often running either on time or a few minutes early. It passes through 11 states before hitting Louisiana with Hattiesburg one of four stops in Mississippi after passing through Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama .
Arriving in Hattiesburg station around sundown, a few minutes before scheduled, it was great to see my son waiting on the platform eager to take my bags and get us on the way to Pensacola.
Amtrak’s Crescent, as great as it is, seems to have lost some of the class and certainly some of the friendly staff are usually an important part of Amtrak’s service.
For one thing, while the Café car is well stocked, with a variety of foods for breakfast, lunch or dinner and all kinds of beverages, including beers, wine and more, the quality is definitely not where it used to be. This could be the sharp decrease in purchases on board compared to purchases on the Chicago trains bound.
It was amazing how many passengers I spoke with were shocked I purchased each of my meals rather than carry “lunch bags,” really shopping bags filled with beer, soda, sandwiches, salads and pastries. Not sure whether it is because there have been decreased café purchases since folks began bringing their own food or the quality of food and service has declined so people started carrying their own; but either way, food and service on the Crescent is adequate and comparatively inexpensive, just not top notch.
That defect is certainly more than compensated for with the magnificent views as the train rolls by cities, villages, mountains, lakes, rivers and picturesque settings this nation offers in every state.
There’s something about the Blue Ridge mountains that make the foothills, especially with creeping myrtle blooming along so much of the way especially beautiful.
creeping myrtle flowers
Jefferson fans might like passing through Charlottesville while Clemson fans cheer as the Crescent stops at that university’s hometown before continuing on to Georgia.
The inflated cost of private bedrooms keeps the coach cars full as travelers get on at any one of 30 or so train stops and off one to 25 or so stops later. The sleeping cars are on the opposite side of the Café car, along with tables and chairs for more formal full meals for those passengers.
But sleeping in the coach cars is definitely a comfortable option. The seats are wide, affording room between you and the passenger in the next seat; the backs go back and foot rests come up to make more comfortable positions once the car lights are dimmed and conversation stops Even passenger stops during the night are quiet, as the conductor leads late night arrivals to seats and helps them with any luggage they have not checked.
There are several stops along the way where extended time in the station is included in the schedule, both in order to change train crews and to enable passengers to get out, have a cigarette, get some fresh air and exercise or pick up a magazine or newspaper in the station.
The Crescent passes from the eastern to the central time zones and it’s amazing how watches and phones know how to adjust as soon as the train goes from one to the other
Passengers tend to chat with each other along the way, but phones, laptops and mini screens for movies are far more evident than books or puzzles. The café car is well fitted with comfortable tables and chairs, giving passengers the opportunity to change seating at their will and enjoy their meals either in their seats or in the café car meeting other passengers.
Arriving at the station early for the return trip to Newark, spending time in Hattiesburg station also makes a future trip to that city tempting. Known as the birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll, the city is home to both the East Sixth Street Museum District and the 1964 Freedom Summer Trail, a historic adventure that highlights the city’s role in the civil rights era. It’ s a city with more than 200 eateries, plenty of art and boutique shops, more than 3,000 hotel rooms as well as B&Bs and campgrounds, a zoo, two military museums, many historic sites, and some great murals and sculptures along a Public Art Trail that features 100 stops. Even their utility boxes are painted with colorful art!
But for this trip on the Crescent, more adventurous and exciting was getting to Pensacola for the wing ceremony of a Naval Lieutenant grandson soon to be Naval Helicopter Pilot.
In its continuing commitment to provide comprehensive health and well-being solutions to the community, Bayshore Pharmacy has launched its in-house wellness center, marking a significant step in services for the Atlantic Highlands area.
The Bayshore Pharmacy Wellness Center will operate within the existing Bayshore Pharmacy in the Super Foodtown Plaza offering a range of wellness services designed to complement traditional pharmacy offerings. This integrated approach aims to provide a convenient and accessible hub for individuals seeking to optimize their overall health and well-being.
“We are thrilled to introduce Bayshore Pharmacy Wellness Center to our community,” said Richard P. Stryker, R.Ph, Owner of Bayshore Pharmacy. “For decades, Bayshore Pharmacy has been a trusted source for medication and health advice. Now, with the addition of the Wellness Center, we can offer a broader spectrum of services focused on preventative care, stress reduction, and overall wellness, all under one roof. Our goal is to empower our community to take a proactive role in their health journey. By integrating wellness services with our pharmacy expertise, we can provide a more holistic and personalized approach to healthcare.“ the pharmacist said.
Under the program, Bayshore Pharmacy Wellness Center will initially offer Wellness Workshops, educational sessions on topics including lifestyle and healthy aging with personalized guidance on healthy eating habits, dietary supplements, and stress management.
Lifestyle + Movement, a workshop designed to help integrate movement and mindfulness into daily life, promoting a healthier, happier person; Heart Health + Labs: essential information and practical tools to understand heart health for more informed decisions about your well-being.
The Bayshore Pharmacy Wellness Center will be staffed by experienced and certified professionals dedicated to providing high-quality care, allowing patients to conveniently access both their prescription needs and wellness services in a familiar and trusted environment.
The first workshop is scheduled for Monday, April 28, at 6pm at Bayshore Pharmacy and will be presented by Richard P, Stryker, R.Ph.
Guests are invited to discover practical steps and a starting point in this complimentary workshop Visit BayshorePharmacy.com or call 732-291-2900 to reserve your spot. Seating is limited.
Bayshore Pharmacy a locally owned and operated second generation pharmacy dedicated to providing exceptional patient care for over 60 years.
Offering a wide range of services, including prescription filling, medication therapy management and over-the-counter products, Bayshore Pharmacy is the area’s largest card and gift shop with plenty of parking and delivery service 7 days a week.
A recently released Offshore Wind Energy report by the Government Accountability Office—the independent congressional watchdog agency—gives credibility and vindication to concerns first raised in Congress by Representative Chris Smith that offshore wind turbines pose significant threats to national security and aviation and maritime safety by interfering with radar systems.
Photo: Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press
Smith said the report provides additional scientific justification to President Trump’s pause on offshore wind which he hopes results in immediate stoppage of offshore wind projects, including Empire Wind 1 off the coast of NJ and NY which Smith called “dangerous and reckless”.
The new GAO report states in one section of the report: “Wind turbines can reduce the performance of radar systems used for defense and maritime navigation and safety in several ways. These include reducing detection sensitivity, obscuring potential targets, and generating false targets, according to a DOE report.
“In addition, offshore wind energy development may affect larger military exercises by obstructing flight and surface and subsurface vessel movement, according to DOD officials.”
GAO explains that wind turbines “are constructed predominantly of steel that has a high electromagnetic reflectivity, according to a 2022 National Academies report. As a result, the turbines and rotating blades can make it hard to see targets on different radar systems, including high-frequency and marine vessel radar.”
Late last month, Rep. Smith asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to review the decision by the Norwegian company Equinor to begin rock laying and moving ahead with Empire Wind 1 despite President Trump’s January 20th executive order stating that assessment is needed to review the many shortcomings of the Federal wind leasing process including, “potential inadequacies in various environmental reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act.”
Two years ago the Congressman authored an amendment that passed the House of Representatives 244 to 189, requiring the GAO to comprehensively investigate the impact of offshore wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey and elsewhere.
During the debate on his amendment Smith said, “If and when the wind turbines go online, vessel navigation—including US Navy ships, merchant ships, fishing boats, and search and rescue operations by the Coast Guard—may be significantly hampered due to radar interference. The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released a report in 2022 entitled Wind Turbine Generator Impacts to Marine Vessel Radar and found that wind turbine generators “obfuscate the marine vessel radar for both magnetron-based and solid-state radar… and “can cause significant interference and shadowing that suppress the detection of small contacts…”
When the U.S. Senate to failed to adopt the amendment, the New Jersey Republican joined by Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Andy Harris (R-MD) sent a letter, requesting GAO to undertake the review. Today’s GAO report is the result.
A few months later—on July 19, 2023—Smith authored another policy amendment this time to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization that would have required the President of the United States or his designee to certify in writing that ocean wind projects “will not weaken, degrade, interfere with, or nullify the capability of radar relied upon by the Federal Aviation Administration or the Armed Forces.” The amendment passed the House by a voice vote but was blocked in the Senate.
In the section tiled Offshore Wind Turbines Could Have a Variety of Impacts on Maritime Navigation and Safety, the report expresses safety concerns that offshore wind constructed close to existing shipping lanes may increase the risk of vessels colliding with offshore wind turbines or other vessels. It states that “large shipping vessels may have trouble avoiding turbines in the event of a mechanical failure due to the wide turning radius—a large shipping vessel may need up to 2 nautical miles to properly maneuver.”
Smith said he hopes that the GAO report “will be yet another wake up call to stop this dangerous initiative. The Biden and Murphy Administrations have habitually dismissed and trivialized our very well-founded concerns not just on radar interference and national security but the devastating consequences to marine life, recreation, and commercial fishing.
“The offshore wind industrialization approval process has left unaddressed and unanswered numerous serious questions concerning the potentially harmful environmental impact on marine life and the ecosystems that currently allow all sea creatures great and small including whales to thrive. The GAO report confirms that there are still many, many unaddressed and unanswered questions.”
“Ocean wind energy development is an egregiously flawed and dangerous initiative and must be stopped.”
