It was 52 years this year since Dick Stryker served his first term as Mayor. It was the first time Atlantic Highlands had elected its mayor for a four year term, and the new and very popular Mayor laid out his plans for the future during the borough reorganization in January.
They all reflected the importance he felt for family, family life, and raising the borough to the high standards he felt it should be.
Stryker was elected in November, 1971 along with Gerald Kelty and John Phair to their terms on Council, giving the Republicans a majority on the governing body.
Stryker wasted no time in setting out his eight priorities, the first of which was cleaning up the “People pollution” so “Atlantic Highlands will be known for more than the town to go to see a dirty movie.”
Stryker was critical of some of the films shown at the First Avenue theater. But he also was concerned about a growing narcotics problem in town that was beginning to affect all towns, he said. So more of his priorities focused on making the narcotics board more effective and having it more in contact with the Monmouth County Narcotics Council.
Schools and the borough should work together, he also urged, and he was calling for the boards of education to work with the borough on school budgets. At the same time, Stryker wanted to introduce a new education program at the elementary school, one that would offer adult education after school hours primarily for parents.
As Chairman of the Harbor Commission and now as Mayor, Stryker wanted to abandon any ideas for a swimming pool at the municipal harbor, citing lack of space and too great an increase in traffic. He also wanted a survey of all the fire hydrants in the borough and a report on all problems so residents could feel more secure.
The GOP controlled municipal body also wanted to keep many of the same professionals who had been hired by Democrats, praising borough attorney Michael Barnacle, Borough administrator J. Leonard Clark, borough clerk Ruth Merker and borough court clerk Dorothy Davis among others.
That the Mayor was concerned about the showings at the Atlantic Theater was recognized in the ads for that were in advertisements in the same newspapers carrying his message to clean up the “people pollution.”
On the screen on First Ave for the week was “The Stimulators,” with the promo “Never has the theater shown a film of such visual and sensual magnitude,” describing the movie as “ a fascinating story of love.” It was playing with a second hit, “Touch Me,” in color, along with warnings viewing was restricted to those 21 years of age and older.
