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Center Players Just Want to Play

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Sheldon Fallon, president of Center Players, and Bernice Garfield-Szita, artistic Director for the theater that presents live presentations of everything from comedy to drama, has issued a plea for help in finding a new location.

Fallon said that Center Players may be homeless after 21 amazing seasons when their lease on the small and intimate theater at 35 South St.  expires in March 2024. The new landlords are planning to open a grocery store at the location, he said.

The all-volunteer community theater group has been a 501(c)3 non-profit organization since 1996 and opened its doors as a resident theater in 2001. Despite its size limiting audiences to 49, and with a 14×18 foot stage, Center Players has won statewide acclaim for productions. It was  recognized by the Freehold Chamber of Commerce as Nonprofit of The Year.

“We embraced diversity through our artistic participants and audience members and have worked to make Freehold Borough and its fine restaurants a destination for audience members from all parts of New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia and beyond, “ Fallon said, in looking back over the decades the theater has been a vital part of Freehold’s downtown area..

The New Jersey Association of Community Theaters (NJACT) recognized Center Players as one of the finest community theaters in the state with many nominations and awards for artistic excellence. Garfield-Szita received the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

Fallon explained that when  COVID-19 hit in 2020 and all live, in-person performances were shut down, Players went dark. Yet the Board continued to pay rent, secure grants, produce virtual theater presentations and find outdoor venues to keep theater alive in Freehold. Doors opened once again in October of last year  with California Suite and continues its current season with live, in-person performances.

The group is looking for  a new venue and raising funds to transform it into a theater to continue its reputation for excellence, inclusiveness and community involvement.  Fallon is urging anyone with knowledge of a new location or  funds to create a new theater space to contact Monmouth Players  at 732-462-9093 or email at info1@centerplayers.org.

“Without support,” Fallon said, “unfortunately, the Playhouse will need to close its doors permanently and that would be a great loss for all. “

https://www.facebook.com/centerplayersnj/

Coffee, Laundromat, Vacant Store Fronts

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The coffee’s terrific, (as is the hot water, my personal favorites) and nobody can beat Charley’s talents at the grill and stove. But it’s really the cheerfulness of The Girls Café that makes the day start out right.  Sisters Cathy and Vera, together with Charley and all the other Hartsgrove relatives that work here seem to have a knack for making everyone smile or downright laugh out loud just because of how they look at life. And that’s pretty heady stuff for early in the morning.

The Girls Café is closing an hour early Saturday, because they have their priorities right and are taking time to celebrate a family event with four generations of the family. So be sure to order your takeout lunches or enjoy your lunch before 1 on Saturday so The Girls can enjoy some time of their own.

Happiness and good natured employees must be catching in that section of Waterwitch, because Sue at the Laundromat on the corner of Huddy Avenue  also spreads a lot of good cheer though she never stops working to do it. Whether she’s showing a new customer how to work the washing machines, advising on the best size machine to use (and saving customers money, by the way) or simply talking about the events going on in town with a sense of pride and belonging, she makes doing a household chore a distinct pleasure. Since the laundromat offers the personalized service, folks coming in to drop off laundry loads for pickup later in the day get treated to some of Sue’s good-natured kidding and leave smiling.

Maybe some of those property owners with the vacant buildings along Bay Avenue would like to think about renting a small theater to Monmouth Players? They’re going to be out of their Freehold home in 2024 and are looking for a new stage to present their fantastic plays. Bernice the Artistic Director has done wonders  with some mighty terrific talent in presenting live theater in a small space but with great costuming, set design, and talented actors and actresses. Atlantic Highlands has the very wonderful First Avenue theater, and Highlands could do more of the same!

With Admiration & High Hopes

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When recuperating from an illness kept Commissioner Lillian G. Burry from addressing the graduating class of MAST after 17 years of being at each graduation, the Commissioner wrote a letter to the Class of 2022.

The letter was read at the commencement ceremony on Pershing Field Wednesday by Commander Tracie Smith-Yeoman, USN (ret). Before reading the letter, Commander Smith-Yeoman reminded  the class that while she had promised them completion of  what they lovingly referred to as Burry Hall before graduation, renovations are still continuing on restoring two of the historic buildings on Fort Hancock for the NJROTC program.

The following is Commissioner Burry’s address to the students:

For the past seventeen years, I have attended the Marine Academy of Science and Technology graduations.  I have also had many visits to the Academy , always with a strong interest in their needs and their accomplishments.

Look back on these last four years of your lives as a time of challenges and opportunities, while you look ahead at your lives knowing that you go forward well prepared to continue on the journey ahead. I can not pretend to know what you will achieve or how you will do it.  What I can do is offer a few words of advice.

Some of what you do will be done through collaboration, working with others to achieve a shared objective. Other things will be done through rigorous competition, striving to be the first and the best. The challenge for you is to know which. Which of these is the right approach for you?

As you go on in life you will see that there is often more than one approach and there’s often even more than two! It has been said that life is about the journey not the destination. There is a great deal of truth in that and you should appreciate all the good things that you find in every day life along the way. However, a journey without a destination can be just another way of getting lost.

You need to formulate a goal and a plan for realizing it. Then change it as circumstances change.  Reinvent yourselves as the world around you evolves. Never be afraid to stand your ground or strike out in a new direction. The key to it all is to know yourselves and be true to what you know. If you anchor yourselves to that truth you can find that you are on the island of serenity  in a sea of shifting tides.

Now go out and be brilliant. If you find yourselves falling short of that, then make yourselves happy.

Good Luck in whatever path you choose.

Congratulations Class of 2022.  Well Done!

Fondly,

Commissioner Lillian G. Burry

MAST Graduation

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Ceremonies for the 69 graduates of MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology were held Wednesday morning on Pershing Field in historic Fort Hancock, as 100 per cent of the members of the graduating class are heading for college or military academies later this year.

Addressing the cloudy skies and high winds, Principal Earl Moore good naturedly welcomed the crowd to the outdoor ceremony with a “Welcome to another Bad Hair Day at Sandy Hook.”  The principal praised parents of all MAST students, recognizing the sacrifices they make in time, transportation and at-home nurturing to ensure “these amazing” students  attend one of the highest ranked high schools in the nation. Moore also thanked the students for teaching him “insight, wisdom, your appreciation for freedom and democracy” and noted that while they are facing an unknown future they “are grounded in the realities of time.”

Dr. Charles R. Ford, Jr., Ed.D,, superintendent of the vocational school district for Monmouth County, also congratulated the students, though he said in jest he does not visit the school between November and April because of the weather the small peninsula faces during winter months.  Dr. Ford advised the graduates not to be afraid, and “go out there and make me proud.”

Commander Tracie Smith-Yeoman, (USN Ret.)Senior Naval Advisor for MAST, read a letter to the graduates from Commissioner  Lillian G. Burry who was unable to attend the ceremony she has spoken at for 17 years while at home recuperating from an illness.

Seven members of the class received scholarships to continue both education and military careers, with Mary Catherine Harvey, Loch Arbor, receiving an appointment to the US Naval Academy and Jenna Lewandowski of Ocean, an appointment to the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Ct.

James Abbes of Lincroft, was presented with a Marine Option Scholarship to Texas A&M, Aislinn Crowe of Brielle, awarded an NROTC scholarship to The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina,  Olivia Bonforte of Oakhurst, an NROTC scholarship to George Washington University, April Ivan of Aberdeen, an Army ROTC scholarship to Hofstra University and Conall Dougherty of Brielle, an Army ROTC scholarship to Villanova.

Representatives of each of the branches of service or universities was at the ceremony to make the presentations.

The NJROTC Marine Academy Color Guard presented colors for the ceremony with Cadet Grace Decker leading the Pledge of Allegiance and Cadets Olivia Reier Isabella Taborda and Oseph Villanueva singing the national anthem.

Senior Class President Kyle Gavlick addressed his classmates, reviewing the lessons they learned at MAST together with the unusual times and challenges they faced throughout their four years. Graduating senior and NJROTC Sergeant at Arms Owen McCaffrey lead the class in the ceremonial changing of the tassels on their graduation caps, and Daniel Vadon advised his classmates to go forward with “an open mind and growing heart.”

Students displayed a variety of honors each has received and maintained during their high school years, including National Honor and Spanish Honor societies.  Harrison Adler was a member of the Technology Student Association Honor Society as well as the Spanish Honor Society,  and Emma McPolin and Isabella Taborda each received the Seal of Bi-literacy in addition to the National and Spanish Honor societies’ commendations

The Center Avenue House

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I knew Jackie Larson before I ever even visited Highlands or Atlantic Highlands. At the time, she was Jackie Caruso, daughter of Dominick  and Mae Caruso, a family well known and respected in Atlantic Highlands for decades.

Jackie was a few years behind me when we both attended Mount St. Mary’s Academy in North Plainfield, me as a ‘dayhop,’ which meant I took the Somerset Bus from my family’s home in Union every day and walked up that gorgeous hill from Route 22 to the Academy at the top of the hill. Jackie was a boarder and lived at the Mount, going home weekends and having fun with her classmates after school and in their dorms throughout the week.  Small school that it was, we all knew everyone else in the school and were friendly with all.

 Jackie and I lost contact after graduation in the 1950s, but Jackie popped up in my life, happily for me, in the early 2000s, when my husband Jimmy and I were living in our RV and volunteering at the National Wildlife Refuge on the Outer Banks, rescuing sea turtles and banding pelicans.  Jackie saw the New Jersey license plates, inquired, then popped in to re-introduce herself when she recognized my name and where I was from.  (Muriel is a lot more unusual than the Smith I became!)

So our friendship was rekindled, we shared so many interests, including our mutual love and  respect for the  military, especially the Marines, and we have been dear friends ever since, though distance means the friendship is kept arm length through e-mails.

But Jackie has always been so proud of her family, and in particular, she was very close to her grandma. Her stories of growing up in Atlantic Highlands always delighted me and her love of her family and pride in all they did is heartwarming

There’s one wonderful story about her Atlantic Highlands relatives during the very exciting Prohibition time, which you’ll see here soon. But first, here’s Jacke’s story, at my request, on her family and ancestors in Atlantic Highlands. Jackie says she is an architect, a quite  accomplished one at that, but she’s also a writer and accomplished at that as well.

The Center Avenue residence

By Jacqueline Caruso Larsen

 

… As I was told, my paternal grandparents, Joseph and Rosena Caruso met when they arrived in New York in the late 1800’s. They married, lived on Mulberry Street, NYC for a short while before moving to Atlantic Highlands, N.J.

My Grandfather was a builder and was responsible for building the post office and many of the retaining walls along Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Highlands. He also built a home, guest house and bungalow on Center Avenue just east of Avenue B for his large family of three boys and four girls.

My grandfather died as the result of a construction accident and left his widow with seven children to support. It was very difficult.

The two older boys Louis and Domenick went to work in the millwork and building trades; the oldest girl, Mary worked in the West End Grocery Store across the street.

They all paid rent. The guest house was converted to a boarding house where my grandmother and her daughter, Josephine ,sought to provide lodging and food for local business people.

Domenick, my dad,  married Mae McAllister in 1928 and they moved into the bungalow at the Center Avenue property. My mother, Mae told me that a group of mysterious, appearing men rented the boarding house and paid a sizeable rent.

They would leave at dusk and return about three in the morning. One morning there was a lot of noise and they carried one of the men, obviously injured. into the boarding house. She later learned they these men were “rumrunners” and the injured man was of Russian decent.

No one asked questions. The rent was paid on time along with the gift of several cases of whiskey which my grandmother occasionally sold to visitors to her kitchen. This eased the burden of the struggling widow whom I loved, emulated in many ways, and called my grandma. Jacqueline Caruso Larsen.

 

Next:  Rooming House Boarders Tony the Shoemaker and Jack Rungayne

Sea Bright … On Top of Their Game

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While all the Bayshore towns seem to have gotten most of their meetings down to a science and can conduct all business within a shorter period of time, Sea Bright has to win this one, with folks at the meeting not having much to say, and council taking swift action on everything from approving renewals for seven liquor licenses, buying a 2023 police department vehicle, and asking the DOT to finally but swiftly address traffic safety issues the borough faces, particularly in summer i Must be those Thursday workshop meetings where they also invite the public to come and have some say.

All of that besides furthering the cause of school regionalization with its neighbors and once again promising Highlands Atlantic Highlands and the world that should Oceanport or Shore Regional take the very weird step and sue Sea Bright for thinking on its own, Sea Bright would underwrite whatever it would cost the new regional towns for the lawsuit.

It seems unlikely, many attorneys have said, that there would be any lawsuits since the new law makes the actions being taken by Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and  Sea Bright pretty clear cut and not only permissible, but commendable.

These towns will be making history should the referendums pass, and it’s hard to think the legislators who passed the law that went into effect in January would want to see it shot down. It’s not that they didn’t do their own research in designing the law. And litigation would certainly be expensive as well for Oceanport or Shore Regional, but as one very wise attorney said, “anybody can sue,” and you can’t stop it, frivolous or not.

But what was great fun at the meeting…less than a half hour long…was the pride Sea Bright can take that they have all their lifeguards, their beaches are crowded and safe, and they haven’t had any problem getting  applications for lifeguards, which appears to be a problem in many other towns.

As a result local businesses must be doing great, since the Memorial Day crowd at the beach was in the top five ever recorded in the borough and the beach is “swamped” on the sunny days, with bigger numbers than previous years. All those beach goers spend some money while they’re here, so good for Sea Bright businesses as well. And so great all their lifeguards are all well trained and certified and their beach cameras are up and running. Also pretty wonderful is the fact that in spite of some devastating headlines in other areas, there have been no major incidents on Sea Bright beaches.

The terrific library in Sea Bright also wants to be sure it has its important dates reserved well in advance to ensure they get the crowds they want and need, so it was also announced that their Fall Festival will be Oct. 22.   This library is wonderful any day of the year, so don’t wait til the Festival to visit it, if only for the spectacular view and utter peace and relaxation of  a great library with a wonderful staff.

Loved some of the ideas to ensure more safety for pedestrians crossing busy Ocean avenue, especially by the Capt. Azzolina Bridge,  near Anchorage, and by Tommy’s Restaurant. Would that the state would listen to a council that is so concerned for safety,  and take quicker action in getting lower speeds, brightly painted crosswalks and flashing lights.

Pride in the Flag

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The agenda for tomorrow night’s 7 p.m. Atlantic Highlands Council meeting looks like the meeting will go fast and peaceful, with an executive session at the end to discuss once again, the Mother Theresa property so hopefully something is really happening there.

If it’s any sign, St. Agnes has opened the Thrift Shop in the old Andy Richards house on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 to 3 p.m. so at least it’s a great time to pick up some bargains, be it in furniture, dishes, glasses jewelry, clothes, shoes, and so much more.

But back to the meeting!

If you’re active duty military or have served your country in any of the armed forces,  or are one of those parents who has worried long and hard while your uniformed son or daughter was defending this country in some foreign land, you might want to attend the meeting.

You’ll have the opportunity to hear the emotional and heartfelt letter being read by a second generation veteran and true defender of his country.

Former Mayor Fred Rast, a Highlands-born, but lived pretty much all of his life in Atlantic Highlands  retired Army officer, is taking up the cause for veterans and proper respect for the flag they all signed up to respect and defend.

The army veteran….he was a Lieutenant colonel when he retired…..has some mighty strong objections to the Gay Pride flag…or any other advertisement or promotion of any other way of life….to be flown on the same official Borough Hall flag reserved for the nation’s colors.

For good reason, flag etiquette permits the MIA or KIA flags..both honoring veterans…to be flown on the same flag pole. But American flag etiquette does not even let the flag of another nation fly on the same pole as the American flag, so how can a gay pride flag be okay?

For anyone who knows anything about flag etiquette, the American flag must always be flown higher than the flag of any other nation, but only on separate poles. The former Mayor is not opposed, it doesn’t appear, to the eight Gay Pride flags that have been flying all month in front of borough hall since they are not on the pole reserved for the nation’s colors.

But when it comes to one up there with the flag he has defended all his life, well, it looks like he sees red, white and blue. He’ll probably tell you that the latest flag etiquette out of Washington gives permission to embassies in foreign countries to fly the gay pride flag on the same pole, but that’s only after it’s been deemed appropriate, since of course it can’t happen in every country.

Isn’t it enough that the entire month is devoted to Gay Pride?  Yet there is only one day, one day a year, devoted to the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who have given their lives to protect this country.

Should we advocate to have May be Memorial Military Month rather than simply having a Memorial Day? As the daughter,  sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother of men and women in uniform, that doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me at all.

Also heard that the American flagpole  isn’t going to be the only disagreement being voiced at the meeting. It appears there are some folks upset that Borough Hall was open for business on Juneteenth.

Why be upset because borough hall was open? So were schools. So were many other offices.   By the way, county schools were open on Veterans Day. isn’t that a more significant holiday to honor men and women?

What has happened in Atlantic Highlands?

What has happened to the times where people just looked at people and smiled, reached out a hand to help, or even argued about politics at meetings, but got together afterwards to laugh and converse over a cup of coffee or can of beer?

What happened to the Atlantic Highlands that so many people came to for its tranquility, its beauty, its neighborliness, and its friendliness?

Let’s hope the people who came here to get away from all of that wherever they were … left it behind.

Reading & Writing

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Riley Lanigan and Glenn Cashion

Reading all the essays in the Monmouth County Historical Commission’s annual essay contest once again is one of the things that’s made me so happy today.

The fact  Glenn Cashion does such a terrific job in managing this contest for the hundreds of fifth graders who enter it, the great variety of places the kids visit and write about and the reminders through these stories of the amount of history in Monmouth County and that they are being recognized by another generation is enough to make anyone proud and happy.

As a Bayshore resident particularly partial to the Twin Lights, I thought Madeline Dougherty’s selection of that site for her story was awesome and her writing a tribute to her English teachers at St. Leo’s in Lincroft.

The same with Julianna Saliga of Middletown, who tied with Madeline for third place with her story of the Vietnam War Memorial. Julianna goes to St. James in Red Bank and lives in Middletown.

James Badishanian’s story about his ancestor in Armenia was a touching and poignant essay from this Oak Hill student that took the top prize, and of course Riley Lanigan’s story about her ancestor’s tilt top table he made as a gift for President Lincoln will always be a favorite among the Atlantic Highlands residents, the second place winner.

Then I picked up Atlantic Highlands Living and saw some great stories written by some of my favorite adults as well. Ellen O’Dwyer, a dynamo who works hard at whatever passion she supports, has a great story on monarch butterflies and the importance of milkweed and all the work of some pretty terrific Atlantic Highlands folks to ensure they endangered species is protected. To get her point across, Ellen told a great story about her own butterfly catchers as a youngster and how that impacted her adult passion for environmental protection and the beauty of nature.  She’s offering some free milkweed seeds and seedlings and is loaded with information and a charming  way of teaching you more than you need to know about milkweed.  You can contact her at ahstrong11@gmail.com.

The second great writer I read was that pharmacist extraordinaire, Richard Stryker…though great, still not quite as good as his father, he’ll have to admit…

But Rich wrote a story about the importance of fruit and vegetables in everyone’s diet, encouraged folks to shop with an open mind, think frozen fruits and veggies sometimes as well as soups and stews, then goes on to talk about being creative with food! His excellence in writing must be the result of all those hard days and nights of study and classes as a Game Cock in South Carolina!  Seeing him in print though, did remind me that Bayshore Pharmacy, in addition to having those great pharmacists and offering the latest in Covid vaccines and everything else, has a wonderful gift department with some very unique items, from souvenirs of shore visits to wonderful jewelry and glassware.

In the same magazine, published by Sara Murphy and delivered via the postal system through the Bayshore area, there is a terrific cover story about the Brinley family and the fascinating story of that sensational Shipwreck Rum they started, went through some tough Covid times, and now are successful  and sponsor so many events for local charitable organizations.  Sounds like a great family with a lot of talent.

Wedding Gowns Galore

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What started out as a great idea for a display at the Shrewsbury Historical Society blossomed into a unique exhibition that drew hundreds, perhaps thousands of visitors, included a display of some of the collection at Eastern Branch County Library, and charmed generations of women and girls with stories of the materials and people featured in the exhibition.

Weddings, Brides, and Bridal gowns are very definitely an important and historic part of the culture of people all over the world and have been for centuries.

Historical Society President Don Burden, who spearheaded the idea when he recognized the talent of Society volunteers and the generosity of local residents, explained the exhibit, Historic Wedding Dresses,  has  been special for many reasons. Currently it  includes 25 gowns at the Society’s building at historic Four Corners and another ten gowns in the Library until the end of this month, with many more in temporary storage.

Because of the interest, the Society, which published a booklet on the dresses last year, printed a second booklet this year with some of the same gowns described in the book and an additional five that were not part of the collection last year.

“The total collection has nearly four dozen different dresses,” Burden said, ranging from the Victorian era through the early 20th century with some accent on the Edwardian and mid-19th century time periods. Some of the gowns are on loan and will be returned to their owners when the exhibitions close down, he said, while others will be placed in storage for another exhibit sometime in the future.”

Burden said at the present time there are still another eight gowns that have never been on display because they are still in the process of being restored.

Burden, who gave up more than one Sunday dinner or Saturday afternoon at home to open the museum upon a last minute request, said he had an entire exhibit committee and support crew that deserves all the praise for the outstanding exhibit. These include his wife, Mary Lea Burden, Mark Degenhart, Mike Forrest, Stuart Buncher, Marty Kowalski and Mike Jones. In addition, the professional consultants who made certain the exhibit was accurate and filled with historic anecdotes and tales were Elizabeth McDermott, Ellen Jackson and Bernadette Rogoff.  “Nor can we forget the many local women’s and families who are represented in the exhibit, and the people who made gifts or loans dresses and accessories.”

Judi Buncher, who holds a fine arts degree from Georgian Court College and is founder of the Fiber Arts Guild at Allaire Village,   is the stylist and garment restore for the entire collection and Robin Blair, vice president of the historical society has taken a lead with Burden in both talks and organization throughout the exhibit, serving as docent and exhibit coordinator.

Before the Eastern Branch Library exhibit comes to a close the end of the month, there is still another Dress Talk session on Tuesday, June 28 at 2 p.m. led by the curators. These are informal sessions when the Society curators delve deeper into the history of the dresses the process of restoring them to excellence while retaining their historic beauty and significance, and the stories about the brides who wore them. Registration is necessary for the June 28 session, and is available either by calling the library at 732-683-8980 or on line at MonmouthCountyLib.org. The library is located at 1001 Route 35 in Shrewsbury.

While it is impossible to have an accurate total of how many visitors the exhibits have had, since  it is not known how many people came to Eastern Branch Library for a book or research and stayed to view the exhibit, Burden said comments from so many visitors indicate people loved the displays for a variety of reasons.

“Nostalgia is probably the main reason people loved the display,” the president said, “People love to see the fashions of other eras and loved hearing the stories about the brides, their families, and of course, the husbands at all these weddings.”  There were many moms who came with daughters to show them how bridal gowns used to be, to give them ideas for their own weddings, or just to share some mother-daughter time in a laid-back and leisurely manner.

“The exhibit afforded the opportunity to tell the history of the role of wedding dresses in society.  It also was an opportunity tell some interesting stories about the bride and their family, “ Burden explained. He noted the importance of providing an opportunity to tell about  traditions and customs. “The exhibit was more than just viewing the dresses; it was  hearing the background surrounding the gowns as well,” he said, “people just want to hear and perhaps imagine being part of these stories.”

For more information on the Society’s Museum or Library exhibits, or to learn more about the Shrewsbury Historical Society or to become a member, visit ShrewsburyHistoricalSocietyNJ.org.

Regionalization: Lawsuit? Sea Bright Would Foot the Bill

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Reporting that collaboration of  administrators and elected officials is working well towards ensuring the question of a K-12 regional school district with Sea Bright, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, the governing body unanimously passed two resolutions at last night’s meeting of the Mayor and Council, both advancing  measures necessary or desired to ensure the question is on the ballot in November in all three municipalities.

Council unanimously approved authorizing special counsel Porzio, Bromberg  Newman, P.C.  to prepare and submit a petition to the Commissioner of Education seeking authorization to hold a referendum for a new all Purpose PK-12 regional district. The resolution is similar to what Sea Bright had introduced months ago but incorporates  the authority for Porzio to submit the petition to the Commissioner of  Education.

At the same time, the governing body, again unanimously,  approved another resolution reiterating what it has said and approved several times in the past: in the unlikely event either Oceanport or Shore Regional High School files suit against Sea Bright, Highlands or Atlantic Highlands in connection with the regionalization proposal, Sea Bright has agreed to underwrite all costs any of the three towns would incur because of the litigation.

The resolution’s approval refers to the “unlikely event” of litigation, in light of the new law passed and signed by Governor Murphy in January which paves the way for forming regional school districts separate from what is in existence now should they prove both financially equitable for the municipalities involved and educationally sound for students attending the new regional school district.

Both Oceanport and the Shore Regional School Boards  of Education have remained silent throughout all the discussions on regionalization.  Sea  Bright has been having  public meetings with the two closer communities over several years. However, the Oceanport superintendent of schools this week sent  a newsletter to parents of school children  announcing the Board of Education is  seeking volunteers, “in particular Sea Bright parents,” to join an ad hoc committee to assist in educating the board with  facts on the regionalization possibility. That action is being taken, the superintendent said, since approval of the question on the ballot and subsequent approval by the three towns could have a devastating impact on the residents of Oceanport and students in Oceanport schools.

There are no Sea Bright residents serving on the Oceanport Board of Education though the community is considered a part of that Board rather than a sending district to Oceanport under a law enacted in the 1970s.

Although board members have never approached Sea Bright’s Mayor and Council for information, nor have board members attended any of the workshops in any of the three towns all of whom have held workshops in the past few months, the superintendent’s letter also said the loss of funding to Oceanport and Shore Regional would be devastating to the school community of Oceanport and Shore Regional. The letter did not address the high costs Sea Bright pays to both districts for the education of its fewer than  75 students.

Because of these reason, the superintendent said in the newsletter  that the Oceanport Board of Education “has had legal representation at these meetings,” though none has ever been identified nor addressed the official bodies.

The board has never taken a public position on the regionalization question, the letter said, so as  “to see the will of these communities before publicly vocalizing its own position.” The letter also said the proposal  will have a negative impact on West Long Branch, Monmouth Beach and Shore Regional High School though no concerns have ever been expressed at any public meeting of any of these boards or at Sea Bright Highlands and Atlantic Highlands meetings.

The newsletter made it clear the board of education plans to “consider every legal avenue available to oppose the regionalization, prompting the Sea Bright Mayor and Council to unanimously adopt the resolution assuring the two other towns in the proposed regional district it would pay all costs should the unlikely litigation happen.