With the celebrations of their 60 years at Bayshore Pharmacy in the Foodtown Shopping Mall now a happy memory, staff at the popular pharmacy and gift shop is hard back at work continuing their tradition of excellence, friendliness and providing all the services of a hometown pharmacy.
Nearly 100 friends, neighbors and customers stopped in the pharmacy earlier this month to help two generations of the family along with relatives and pharmacy employees recognize the accomplishments of the first owner, Richard Stryker, Scott Eagleton, who was a partner in the business for many years, and Stryker’s son, Rich, who is the current owner.
The Stryker family Photo credit: Tommy Pantaleo
Visitors came from all over the Bayshore as well as South Carolina and West Virginia to be part of the party, accept numerous gifts and enjoy a celebratory cake. Gifts included salt water taffy, sanitizers, a health safety packet, cosmetics bag and the opportunities for blood pressure checks by IMA Urgent Care and a Yoga Class. The class was taught by Laura Vuksanovich, the Monday night yoga instructor at the Port Monmouth Fire House community class.
Tom Stone of Stone Emergency Training, SET , who soon will begin a series of first aid, babysitting emergency and CPR training in partnership with the pharmacy, also presented gifs and information about his program.
Neighboring Foodtown, the supermarket started by Capt. Joeseph Azzolina USN (ret) and a neibhror of the pharmacy since it opened, also had pieces of their popular crumb cake for all the visitors..
Mayor Lori Hohenleitner started the ceremonies at noon with a ribbon cutting in front of the store, which has enlarged twice since it first opened in the shopping center on the opposite side of Foodtown.
It was a party that not only celebrated 100 years of loving Highlands, but also renewing family ties and events, sharing time and history with neighbors and friends and meeting new friends and family members.
The occasion was the festive celebration held at the Guenther home on Marine Place, a home first settled by the family in the 20th century, replacing other homes owned by the Guenther family since the first of five generations first summered here in 1924.
Walt and his siblings own the Marine Place residence and annually have a family get together to relive old times and establish new memories and traditions.
With this year being the centennial of the first Guenther summer in Highlands, 105 family members and friends turned out for the celebration, with the oldest 103 years of age and the youngest two 14 and 16 months of age. In-between were a host of teenagers and early 20s from Tennessee, some planning on starting their own families shortly, others in the 30s 40s, and beyond, and all happy to see the Summer home that has been in their family for generations.
Family members came from 12 states in addition to New Jersey, arriving from New York, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, New Mexico, Mississippi, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. Some came by plane including one couple that piloted their own plane. Many more drove, and still others came by Seastreak ferry while there were others who walked. Nearly all had been to the family bungalow before but about a dozen were making their first visit to the historic family home.
Guests enjoyed sharing their memories and hearing stories about Highlands and especially their visits to the family bungalow. There were many stories about swimming over the bulkhead using ladders the family put up on the old wooden bulkheads.
Fishing trips in their own boats moored in the Shrewsbury River or snapper fishing with bamboo poles from in front of the house were highlights of several conversations.
Visits to the Twin Lights, now a state museum, ocean swimming at Sandy Hook, now Gateway National Recreation Area, and bike rides along wooden walkways, now Henry Hudson Trail were also included in numerous stories as were barbecues in the backyard and making beach plum jam, clam chowder and family recipe potato salad in the kitchen. Beach plums were readily available at Sandy Hook, and numerous family members remember gathering them for the traditional family jam making sessions.
Sitting in the rockers on the front porch enjoying the view of the river, boats and New York City was popular all day long.
Mayor Carolyn Broullon joined the family celebration for the afternoon presenting the family with the Highlands Borough Proclamation she had recorded in municipal minutes which recognizes the Guenther family’s 100 Years of Summers in Highlands.
Walt and Linda Guenther had poster size copies made of many of the 1924 and beyond black and white photographs and lined the first-floor level porch with the posters, more photos, along with a scrapbook, the borough’s proclamation, and other memorabilia from the past century.
Guests enjoyed the photos taken over the years; the Guenther family on a South Bay Avenue beach in 1924 with King Boat Works craftsmen working in the background was a favorite.
Grandma, Dad, Aunt Gert South Bay Ave Beach Next to King Boat Works Highlands NJ 1924 Highlands NJ 1923
The family was also honored at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church where they have been summer parishioners for 100 years and congratulated in the church bulletin as well as honored at a special mass on Sunday morning.
“It was a wonderful day,” said Walter Guenther, one of the generations who spearheads and makes all the arrangements for the annual event. “Even God gave us His own gift with the spectacular sunshine and beautiful day we had. We could see how times have changed, even in the photographs. Where we have cherished the small black and white photos from Kodak cameras, this year’s family photo was made possible through a drone. We could all gather on the top deck overlooking the Shrewsbury while the drone took the photo from out over the water.”
Walt Guenther is as avid about all Highlands history as he is about preservation of his family ties with the borough. An active member of the Highlands Historical Society and publisher of the Society’s newsletter with his wife, Linda, he has conducted walking tours of the borough telling some of the history of its business area and has participated in the historic presentation of Joshua Huddy. The story of the Revolutionary War hero who was hanged in Highlands a couple of blocks away from the current Guenther home, in retaliation for the death of a British soldier., was researched and written by Council president Joann Olszewski and reenacted by the Society in several presentations earlier this year.
100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years
Putting aside all the politics in town, the doings of the outgoing boards of education and the actions of the boardthat is also a thing of the past come December that include giving a five year contract to the superintendent rather than letting the elected board take action in January, it’s been great fun seeing some of the happy and terrific things happening in the Bayshore at this time of year.
So exciting to meet Alyson Camerota and see how the people of Shrewsbury absolutely loved her spending hours in the borough hall then in the Historical society over wine sharing stories, laughing, and simply enjoying good company. She’s animated, sparkly, fast moving, and a fine example of how people who really want to can overcome lots of tragedy and emotional distress can be happy and successful. She exudes happiness and it’s catching.
So nice to see the Shrewsbury Historical Society be such a part of the program that began with Mayor Ulmer’s invitation to her former classmate to come for a book signing. It’s history, as Don Burden says, even when you’re talking about punk rock bands and unhappy times. It’s all that makes Shrewsbury so special.
Speaking of the Society, look for another story here soon on what’s on display this summer. Don and Mary Lea, his equally dedicated wife, as well as a score of outstanding and hard-working society members, have a fantastic display of sewing machines, dating over 100 years and going from treadle to electric. This is definitely a family exhibit, with the women loving the improvements in machines over the years and the men loving the intricate mechanisms and outstanding woodwork of the machine cabinets. Every exhibit in this very active society’s museum is a piece of history that keeps you proud of being a part of Monmouth County. The Eisner display from when they made military and scout uniforms is great, too.
Also love the Highlands Historical Society James T. White awards going to those terrific and talented youngsters at the Highlands Elementary School. The kids work hard, produce very creative work, and honor a former mayor, teacher and clammer whose name is synonymous with Great Things and People of Highlands. So nice to see the youngsters getting to know more about local history.
Also wonderful to see the Mayor and Council president both recognize what the summer folks mean to the borough, especially generations like the Guenther family who have found it the very best place to spend summers for the past hundred years. Walt and his family have done a great job of preserving so many memories in photos and seeing them all celebrate together…more than 100 of them at the celebration last week….also shows what a great family it is. What a clever idea to preserve this year’s memory with the family on the deck of their raised house overlooking the Shrewsbury River. They took the photo by drone and it’s spectacular.
And Salt Water Liquors and the fine brothers and the rest of their kin who all contributed to make it such a great liquor and wine store was particularly nice to me and went far over and above what any store owner needs to do. Wanting to celebrate one of my own grandson’s 40th birthday with an Atlantic Highlands gift I knew he’d love, I learned, thanks to Salt Water, that Carton’s Brewery does indeed make 40 varieties of the beer this particular grandson drives down from another county to enjoy. So what better than 40 cans of Carton Beers for a 40-year-old! He loved it! In fact, his brothers-in-law were so impressed and liked the idea so much I might even try one of the fruit-flavored ones myself! Don’t think it will replace wine, but worth a try!
It was more a welcome home party than a formal book signing adventure. And the crowd loved it! Alisyn Camerota
It was Friday night when friends, former schoolmates, Shrewsbury old timers and those new to the borough all crowded into Borough Hall to visit with news anchor and correspondent Alisyn Camerota .
The Shrewsbury Historical Society had planned the book signing for their museum near town hall. But the crowd was so large it had to be moved to the Meeting room at Borough Hall, where it was still overflowing with more than 100 guests of all ages eager to see the journalist and ask her questions about her book, Combat Love, and her life in Shrewsbury.
The book is already a leading seller throughout the country and focuses on Shrewsbury and the Jersey Shore when Camerota lived in the borough in the 1980s.
It was Mayor Kim Eulner who invited the author and journalist to come back to Shrewsbury for the book signing, unlike any she has already had in states across the nation.
This one was a book signing where Camerato was not only loved for her writing, but also for coming back to her growing up home, meeting with friends from her teen age era, and visiting and talking about the changes and similarities of her hometown between the 1980s and the present.
And the mayor asked her to be here, not only for the excellence of her writing, and the fact the book focuses attention on familiar names and places, but also because the Mayor is a longtime friend of the author.
They went to kindergarten together in Shrewsbury.
Camerota was also formerly with Fox News. She details in her book what was life like for her growing up in Shrewsbury in the 1980s, the lone daughter in a family fraught with problems and a teenager caught up in the music of Shrapnel, a local punk rock band, drugs, independence and neglect.
During the 75-minute-long meeting in Borough Hall, Eulner and Camerota sat like old friends in two comfortable chairs looking more like old buddies catching up than the professionals that both are. Eulner guided the author through a series of questions, anticipating what the audience wanted to hear, but often interrupted the flow, as both laughed, or grabbed hands or chuckled out loud thinking of other times and instances the questions brought up.
Yes, she’s seen the house where she used to live, Camerota told the Mayor, but hasn’t been in it, something it sounded like the Mayor would help arrange before she left. The house is now on the National Historic Registry for its age and architecture.
Yes, lots of people mentioned in the book are in the room, they both said, as one or the other pointed to familiar faces the author could still recognize in spite of the more than 30 years since she was that rascal of a teenager with them, enjoying summers, loving Red Bank Regional High School, and caught up in Shrapnel, the five member local band that had such die hard fans who would follow them wherever they played.
Camerota told both sides of her life in Shrewsbury during the session that was both joyful and funny, as well as heartbreaking and serious as the attractive wisp of a woman told about the abuse of her father, the free wheeling attitude of her mother when it came to her upbringing, and the fact she herself always felt a void of love and not being the most important part of her mother’s life.
Her independence born of that upbringing and doubtlessly leading to her success and happiness today, included coming back, alone, from Washington state after her mother, then divorced, brought her to live. But Alisyn missed her Shrewsbury friends, with her mother’s blessing, headed back to Shrewsbury as a teenager, knocked on the door of a friend’s home and asked his parents if she could stay. They did welcome her, as did another family, her friends, and all her friends at Red Bank Regional.
She shared with the crowd that it was the times, a time when parents gave more free reign to their kids and let them learn more on their own, growing in strength and confidence. Perhaps parents of today are too much helicopter parents, she mused, then added with a touch of sadness, “they don’t have what we had….”
Combat Love took her ten years to write, Camerota explained, and yes, there are lots of stories that ended up on the cutting room floor, a few of which she shared with her hometown crowd. She wrote and re-wrote, she said, sometimes for hours at a time, others for five minutes, always overwhelming in each of the individual memories her writing helped recall.
Camerota admitted her mom did not want her to write the book because in part, it would make her look bad. Not so, the author said, saying that in the end her mom gave her approval and understood. She was convinced when her daughter told her that when the whole picture was taken in perspective, she indeed did come out as a loving mother. The duo is close today. And her mom is pleased with all her successes, including Combat Love.
Sure there are lots of names in the book, familiar names, as many in the audience attested. But for those who asked they not be named, yet Camerota knew were important in her teenage years and very much an important part of her life, she used names she made up, names that would enable them to recognize themselves, but which kept their identities private in the book.
Monmouth County in general and Shrewsbury in particular were different in the 80s, Camerota said, when drugs were easily available and popular in the historic little town. It was the shadowy side of the county she said, adding she is grateful that she herself dodged the bullet of the possible long-term results of illegal drug use and too much teen age partying.
The author told the story of Phil Donohue and how he was impactful in her life, credits him with helping her find the lasting love she now enjoys with her husband, and their two daughters and son.
She talked about going to Shrewsbury for school from kindergarten until midway through fifth grade when she was transferred to the more conservative New School of Monmouth County in Holmdel. She admits that after being there through eighth grade, she “was ready for Red Bank Regional.” Today, she is on the Red Bank Regional Hall of Fame.
She talked about how important Renee Maxwell, a teacher at Red Bank Regional was in her life and how generous and kind she was with her talent and time. She spoke about Friendly’s near the firehouse where the teenagers all gathered and her graduation with the class of 1984 .
As animated and exciting she was in talking about her life in Shrewsbury, and her warm-hearted laughter and sparkling eyes when someone brought up another memory, it was melancholy, serene, and meaningful when she recalled what she remembers most about Shrewsbury.
It’s the smell of honeysuckle, she sighed. The smell of honeysuckle in the warm air, on a sunny day, or a cool evening, always reminds the author of the very special Shrewsbury or her growing up years, a town that yes has changed, but somehow, is the same as the loving town and people she remembers from her teen aged years.
But it captivated audience Friday night who didn’t want to let their favorite author go. Those mentioned in the book sat listening, laughing, remembering, then adding their own memories. Four former mayors listened, laughed and must have had their own memories of their mayoral years, Dorothy Mason, Emilia Siciliano, Donald Burden and Erik Anderson, along with current Mayor Ulmer. The centenarian Carlotta Niles was also present recalling her own life in Shrewsbury in the 1980s.
The River Road Book Store at 759 River Road, Fair Haven, had two professional personnel at the book signing to assist, and Shrewsbury police officers carried in the boxes of books for those eagerly to purchase the books and have the author sign them with personal messages. Even the author, who also talked about being able to walk to the Eastern Branch Library a block from her home, remembers the Book Store, though by the more familiar name to longtime residents as the Fair Haven Book Store. Copies of Combat Love are available at the bookstore today.
Burden, who in addition to being a former mayor is also president of the Historical Society, said like everyone else in the borough he was thrilled to learn of Camerota’s successes through the years and her popular book on Shrewsbury. The Society hosted a wine and cheese get together following the book signing so residents could share more time with Camerota and view some of the exhibits at the museum. Camerota’s book is certainly very much a part of the history of the borough, he pointed out, since it tells so many stories about the people and places of the latter part of the 20th century.
“She told her story with laughter, with fond remembrances, and with a joy that makes us all proud of Shrewsbury,” Burden said, “yet she was able to also convey the sadness, personal grief and difficult times she endured. That she was able to forgive her father for his actions, realize she has the full and complete love of her mother and tells that story in such a heartfelt manner is a most generous gift to everyone who reads her book. We, like her, love the ‘honeysuckle’ aroma that keeps Shrewsbury and what it means to every family close to our hearts.”
Anyone who lives in the Bayshore, especially in the Navesink area, knows that the Navesink Fishery is just about the best restaurant around to get outstanding seafood of all kinds. They offer a menu diversified with all manner of delicacies from the sea and even at least one chicken entrée for those who don’t know how wonderful everything from the sea tastes when it’s prepared in the Fishery’s kitchen. They also have a spotlessly clean and charmingly inviting quiet restaurant and you can even keep your own costs down by bringing your own libations.
Ruddy and Pat Field have been working hard in their incredible restaurant for years, and it’s always been very inviting and delicious, to say nothing of the stupendous fish market in the front section.
As a visitor who has always admired the fresh flowers so beautifully arranged on every table, it was easy to learn that it’s Pat that has the gardener’s hand and has a knack for keeping beautiful blossoms alive and well, focal points on every table in this cozy eatery.
But stopping in there tonight to celebrate some great news with a friend, I learned something else. Pat, in addition to the flowers, is magnificent with the greens and herbs as well.
There’s nothing that says fresh to your table more than seeing the owner walk in from the kitchen, her arms laden with lush green leaves of all kinds, the makings of some of their delicious salads. But along with the lettuce and other greens, Pat was carrying pots full of fresh herbs…rosemary, mint, lemongrass, parsley, and so many more.
She stopped to let us soak in the aromas, but it was fascinating to learn that she grows them all in her own gardens in Atlantic highlands.
When they say fresh at the Navesink Fishery, they really mean fresh.
The restaurant is open from 5 p.m. every day except Monday, is located in the Navesink Plaza in Middletown on Route 36, halfway between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, and can’t be beat for seafood, be it freshwater trout or so many varieties from the sea. Salmon is prepared in several different ways and it’s well worth several visits to taste them all, The shellfish are exactly as you like them, and everything else matches up perfectly. Even the sweet potatoes and vegetables are to swoon over.
Not only does Ruddy make all this magic and deliciousness happen, but don’t leave without trying his key lime pie. They have several desserts brought in from local bakeries who already have their own reputations for excellence, but his key lime pie is light, tart, and the perfect ending for an outstanding meal.
The friendliness, charm and neighborliness come with it all at no extra charge.
Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon and Council president Joann Olszewski were both at the Guenther home on Marine Place this week while the Mayor presented a plaque to the third of the five generations of Guenthers who have called Highlands their summer home for 100 years.
The proclamation relayed a brief history of the areas in the borough where the Guenthers lived over the years, the storms they’ve weathered and the fact their current home started out life as a Sears do-it-yourself house kit, a popular home building project in the early and middle 20th century.
Mayor Broullon, center, presented the plaque to siblings, Eric, Walt, Janet Neighbors and Kurt Guenther. The Guenthers were also honored with a mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and congratulated in the Sunday bulletin for the church where they have been summer parishioners for a century.
Volunteer of the Month at the Atlantic Highlands meeting of the Mayor and Council was Morgan Spicer, whom Mayor Lori Hohenleitner praised for her numerous efforts of volunteerism in a variety of ways for the borough.Spotlight
Councilman Jon Crowley also praised and thanked Spicer for her artistry and the amount of work she has done with him in promoting and assisting with the various recreational and cultural events in the borough. Spicer, an artist who has designed and done the art work for several books, is active with the Arts Council and environmental issues and also received the praise of Marilyn Scherfen for her volunteerism in those areas.
Sherman and Sons Jewelers, located on First Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, was honored as the Business of the month at the July meeting of the Mayor and Council. Mayor Lori Hohenleitner praised both Bob and Arlene for being the “welcoming safe place” to visit and enjoy the stories, fun, and efficiency of the jewelry store owners. Sherman Jewelers has been a landmark in the borough for decades, and Bob has been active with the Chamber of Commerce as well as various committees in the borough.
The enthusiasm is There! The team is fantastic! We’ve all worked hard, and we have it happening!
Those are the thoughts of Captain Lance Hubeny, after the Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council announced at its meeting this week that five squad members answered a 2 a.m. first aid call.
Hubeny was pleased to hear of the announcement and praised the squad for their enthusiasm. “Just think,” he said, “two years ago, we were lucky enough to get two people out for a call in the middle of the night. Now we have more than we need and they’re all eager to respond.”
Hubeny has been chief of the squad for the two years since the borough retained Meridian to answer calls during daylight hours. During those two years, in promoting the benefits of being a first aid volunteer, in urging more membership and in conducting outreach to encourage more members, the squad has grown, more volunteers are taking the necessary EMT classes and through their own fund raising recently purchased a used ambulance and is ordering a new one which takes two to three years to receive, the volunteers are now a far more effective, efficient, and enthusiastic group of volunteers able to serve the community.
“You know I’m always so proud of all these volunteers,” the captain said,” and the idea of more coming out for a middle of the night emergency call that we actually need is just one more reason why this borough has every right to feel so proud of all our volunteers.
At the final board meetings of the three boards of education that have been in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands for so many years, the Superintendent Tara Beams noted that in her three years here she has been part of the meetings for all three boards, a total of 26 members. Through those years, with board members changing, she has dealt with 44 different members, she said, noting how great each was, how wonderful it’s been and how bittersweet it is that now the Highlands and Atlantic Highlands boards will exist only in history and memory and Henry Hudson’s board is changed and expanded. sad
Each of the boards had little social hours just before their last meetings to ‘celebrate’ or say goodbye to each other and be thanked for all their volunteer time.
As well they should be. It isn’t easy being a Board of Education member. It isn’t easy giving up all that time, sitting in sometimes very dull meetings and making decisions in the expectation they are all for the good of the student, and all within the taxpayers’ ability.
What was missing among all these congratulations was any mention made of ALL the board members over ALL the years so many people have been serving these boards. Many of those former members are still living in the area and would have loved to be able to share their own bittersweet memories of boards that will no longer exist.
In Highlands alone, Joan Wicklund was a long time member of both the local school at one time and the Hudson board for a very long time, devoting her heart and soul to everything for the school and the kids. Pat Robertson brought experience and hard work to the board., always knew what she was doing, always had great input, and also has feelings about the change. But they weren’t invited to share. Neither were Karen Jarmusz, Pam Semmel, Dolores Monahan, and so many others. The list goes on of so many men and women who gave so much and would have liked to be recognized at the very end. But no invitations went out to them, even those living in town. How very sad.
Superintendent Beams has only been here a few years so understandably she doesn’t know or realize how close these people have been to the school and how much that board has meant to them. I’m sure it’s the same with Atlantic Highlands residents. I’d be certain the superintendent doesn’t even know how many generations of the same families have served, or how many spouses have served. Has she ever even heard of Sam Brown? Or wow, Florence Adair?
It was nice of the superintendent to thank all the bosses she has known and it was appreciated. But so many others before she came to Highlands, names and personalities, are part of the history of the boards of education which will soon be history. They should never be forgotten.
The Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council today formally presented an offer to the catholic diocese of Trenton to purchase the Mother Teresa School property with the assistance of Monmouth County recreational funds and indicated they are hopeful of acceptance of the offer and rapid movement in closure and sale.
The governing body took action during an executive session at the beginning of last night’s council meeting, noting the terms of the resolution, since they include the offer price, could not be made public until the matter is solved.
However, council members, who voted unanimously to approve the resolution made by Councilman Jon Crowley and seconded by Councilman James Murphy, were in agreement with borough attorney Peg Schaffer’s assessment that, if accepted, the closing would move swiftly and an ordinance to complete the matter could be introduced at the next meeting or in August. Principals involved in the negotiations requested the borough make ts offer formally in writing, she said, adding, “we don’t want to hold it up, this should turn around quickly.”
