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Dragons, Knights & a Maiden

By
Muriel J. Smith
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The story of a knight, a maiden, and a dragon has all the makings of a fairy tale, but of course the most famous dragon-slaying tale is the legend of St. George.

The story was popular in the Middle East and it was picked up by the Crusaders when they went out to that part of the world.

Ever since St. George has been associated with Knights and chivalry.

He is patron saint of England where his popularity has revived recently, but he is shared with many other countries and cities around the world. In England, St. George’s day is April 23rd. In Eastern Europe he is usually celebrated on May 6th.

This is an adaptation from the Lives of the Saints – with a slight change to the ending. In the original, St. George (a Roman soldier) forces the townspeople to convert to Christianity before he kills the dragon. He later went on to become a Bishop and a martyr.

George stands for courage, and chivalry. Chivalry is the code of honor which knights in armor used to follow. They had to swear to be brave, fair, true to their word, and to protect the weak and the poor. Of course not all knights kept the code – but St. George did.

The red cross of St. George is on the British flag. In England, his feast day is April 23 and he is also the patron saint of Canada, China, Greece, Russia, Portugal, Palestine, Ethiopia, Serbia, and Montenegro. And one country is even named after him – and that’s the Georgia which is situated between Russia and Turkey.

He is often painted as a knight in armor from the Middle Ages, but was in fact born long before those times, when the Romans still ruled much of the world.

In the time of the Roman Empire, 1700 years ago, just outside the City of Cyrene in North Africa – a dragon lived in a stagnant, smelly pond. And whenever the dragon breathed on a person or an animal, they died on the spot. At first the dragon breathed on all the sheep that lived in the fields around the city. Then he started to attack the people, and threatened to kill them one and all.

The people of Cyrene had no choice but to come to terms with the dragon. They agreed to give him one person every month, so long as he left the others alone and unharmed for the rest of the time. But how were they to decide which person to sacrifice?

The king decreed that the names of every citizen should be scratched onto pieces of pottery, and kept in a great urn. Each month, one of the names would be drawn out of the urn, and that person would be given to the dragon. In this way men and women, both rich and poor, were chosen to be fed to the evil beast.

Then one day the name of the princess was shaken out of the urn. According to the King’s own law, his daughter must be sacrificed. He called the people together and offered them gold and treasure if only they would agree to spare her from the dragon. The judges who oversaw the lottery said that it must be completely fair, or else the people would no longer accept it. And so, much saddened, the king said to the princess: “My dear, I shall never see your wedding day.”

A week went past, and the day arrived when she must meet her fate. The palace servants dressed her in her wedding gown and placed a crown of flowers on her head. They led her out of the city in a procession, and headed for the lake where the dragon lived.

As they were on their way, a Roman soldier came riding up to the city. His name was George and he was a Christian from Cappadocia in Turkey. George stopped and asked why such a beautiful young woman was looking so sad on her wedding day. A citizen replied:

“Because according to the law she must this day marry the dragon who lives in that lake, and her wedding gift shall be death.”

George immediately replied: “If that really be the case, then let me slay the dragon.”

The citizens warned him that nobody stood a fighting chance against such as ferocious, plague-breathing lizard, but George was determined to save the princess.

The people tied her to a tree by the lake, and left her to meet her fate. George saw the dragon emerge out of the swampy waters, and he charged up on his horse and flung his spear into its shoulder. The dragon let out a piercing shriek.

It was wounded but not fatally.

While it was writhing in pain, George managed to cut the princess free from her bonds. The dragon was enraged and bounded his attacker. George retreated and called out to the princess to take off the belt from around her waist and to throw it at the dragon. This she did, and by a miracle, the belt wrapped itself round the dragon’s neck like a collar. Immediately the dragon became as peaceful as a lamb, and the princess was able to lead it by her belt back to the City.

When the people saw the princess and George leading the dragon back to their walls, they became angry and afraid, until St. George drew out his sword and slew the dragon, Then the people knew that from then on they could live safe and unharmed

Please, Before …

By
Muriel J. Smith
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It was in April of 1968 that the King James Care Center was opened, built by Kingdon Westerlind and James R. Snyder…hence the King James name.

Herman J. Black, better known as Duke Black, of Conners Hotel fame in Highlands, was named the first administrator and the care center was immediately an important part of the Bayshore community.

Many of the aides,  nurses and other staff were sons, daughters, cousins, in-laws, neighbors or friends of many of the residents and so a family situation has been present from the onset of the care center.

As a gift to Duke in his new position as administrator, I drafted the following poem and had it framed. Duke kept this on the wall of his office throughout his tenure, until he retired as administrator, always ensuring the family atmosphere of the nursing home remained intact.

Today, the Care Center is now part of the Care One corporation that owns and operates nursing homes throughout New Jersey and beyond.

It still remains the family atmosphere, with many of the employees and staff members still related or neighbors and friends of residents.  Its current administrator, Jimmie King, is a local professional who started his career in the health field as a nurses aide at the former Atlantic Highlands Nursing Home in Middletown, where Helen Marchetti, former Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Atlantic Highlands native, was the administrator. Jimmie profited from the lessons he learned as an aide under Mayor Marchetti, and went on to further education to become a nurse and now a nursing home administrator.

The family atmosphere remains. The plaque with the poem  is off the wall, but staff at King James continues to follow the adage and listens to the words of its residents.

 

PLEASE,  BEFORE

 

Before you find fault with my hesitant step,

Or make fun of my rambling tongue;

Before you criticize my every word

Remember please, I once was young.

 

That step which now is so unsteady

That tongue which sometimes babbles on

Both have served long and faithfully well

In wonderful days now long since gone.

 

These feet took me over many roads

Some happy, exciting,  lovely and gay.

They trod over troubled miles, too,

Before resting here with me today.

 

These eyes have helped me see some sights

The memories of which I will never forget

They have guided me through many years

And seen views you have not experienced yet.

 

These ears have listened attentively

And kept me alert to what is going on.

They are not as sharp as they once had been

Remember, they served me well in days now gone.

 

And these hands, through frail, they look right now

Were not always in this condition

They have rocked cradles labored long, lovingly cuddled a child

And have been folded in prayerful petition.

 

And so, please before you criticize

Think of the things that this body has done best

And then perhaps you will agree with me

That no one better deserves this rest

A Child’s History of Atlantic Highlands

By
Muriel J. Smith
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The class assignment for the Social Studies Challenge Class of 1985 to write A Child’s History of Atlantic Highlands included 14 stories from the ten member class of 1985. These are some of them as printed in the book published in time for the borough’s centennial in 1987.

 Joshua Huddy

Joshua Huddy was captured during the sighting and sentenced to death as a spy. He was hanged from a tree on Bayside Drive.

Steamboats

Atlantic Highlands was once a favorite vacation spot for people from New York. Two steamboats made several round trips daily in season. Passengers disembarked at the great railroad pier built by the Jersey Central in 1892. They could then take the train which ran along the water’s edge to Long Branch, or stay here to enjoy the town beach and the Casino.

The Amphitheater

South of Ocean Boulevard across the street from where the Casino stood is a natural curvature in the earth called thee Amphitheater. Congregations used to gather on the hills surrounding a speaker who stood at the bottom. The acoustics are so marvelous you can hear a whisper as clearly as a shout.

In 1883, President Grant spoke in this amphitheater.

The Sea

In June 1896, two fishermen left Atlantic Highlands on what seemed an impossible journey they would attempt to row 3200 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.

They wanted to win a $10,000 prize offered by a newspaper. Frank Samuelson and George Harbo, Norwegian immigrants had a double ended sea skiff especially designed and built by William Seaman. It was only 18 feet, but had watertight compartments and handrails on the bottom to right here in case she should capsize. They packed a compass, fresh water, canned meat, bread, eggs and a little stove. They took ten pairs of oars and 240 oar locks. They survived 62 days of hard rowing, savage storms, and little sleep, arriving in France in August to great acclaim and praise.

They sailed for home with their boat, “Sea Fox” on a steamer. Due to head winds the steamer ran out of fuel 250 miles from New York. Guess who came to the rescue? That’s right, the Sea Fox! Over the side of the steamer went the little board with her two seamen, who rowed back to New York for assistance.

There is an exact replica of the Sea Fox which may be seen at the Twin Lights Museum in Highlands.

The Argonaut

The Argonaut, Jr. was a submarine built in 1894 by Simon Lake and tested on the bottom of the bay in our own harbor. It was a huge success, crawling around on the sea floor. A “water gate’ or door on the bottom, allowed the occupants to step out.  Replica of this tiny but capable craft is located in our harbor.

Sledding on the Hills

Once upon a time and this is a true story, Mount Avenue was a wonderful spot for adults and children to sleigh ride. After a sizeable snowfall, the Police would erect barriers to close each side street, and the people who lived on Mount Avenue would park their cars on the site streets. IN the very long ago days, people made their own sled with wooden runners and a long board seat. When they saw a trolley coming they would cry out “Trolleys coming” and the sledding would stop until the danger was past. A few years ago someone moved the police barrier causing a serious accident, and now this town tradition has been discontinued. Bur our local Historical Society has lots of pictures of folks in their old-fashioned clothes, on their antique sleds, and we can look at them and reminisce.

The Rum Runners

During the days of the Prohibition a large bootlegging operation was going on in Atlantic Highlands. The bootleggers, or “Rum Runners”  as they were called, controlled a powerful radio station located at the top of the hill. This station would send out signals to boats to determine whether they were smugglers or Coast Guard patrol boats. If they were smugglers they would open the bridge and allow them to pass through but if they were Coast Guard boats, they weren’t allowed to pass.

During the height of this operation as many as 10.,000 cases a week were smuggled through with a value of between $50 and $100 a case.

The Radar Station

In the 1940s during World War II Bell Labs Researchers needed a site to do secret tests on a new technology called radar. They built a laboratory to house the radar systems while the tests were being done. The antenna was concealed from view by having a water tower built around it as a disguise. No one knew the radar tower was even there! Famous scientists and engineers came here to work and prove how efficient radar could be.

The laboratory has been remodeled into a home and is located on Bayside Drive.

Coach Truex-Legend

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Arnold T. Truex … Arnie.

The name is synonymous with sports, physical education and coaching not one but three different high school sports teams while at Atlantic Highlands High School.

Born in November 1912, one of ten children, the oldest son of William Tilton Truex and Esther Hurley, Arnie married Margaret Wright in 1938 and the couple  lived in Neptune before moving to Atlantic Highlands in 1940, where he had been coaching in the high school for several years.

The graduating class of 1939 paid a special tribute to Truex in their yearbook, devoting an entire page in “sincere appreciation for the very fine and devoted effort” he made on students. His efforts to produce athletic activities,  they wrote, “resulted in a greater appreciation of love of sports, the better evaluation of good sportsmanship and the desire to learn and play the games as near perfection as humanly possible.”

As proof Truex’s efforts were not in fine and to show some of the reasons why he has always garnered respect, admiration and gratitude from every student, the tribute page listed the season’s records for each of the sports during their four years the Class of 1939 was instructed by Truex.

The list include bringing one of the two smallest high schools in the Shore Conference Group II division third place awards in the 1936 season in both baseball and football, as well as another second place in baseball and one in basketball.

In the 1937-38 year, Truex had the Atlantic Highlands football team tied for first place with Lakewood in Shore Conference football with seven victories and one tie, and at the same time taking first place in Shore Conference basketball. In the  North Central Jersey Championship, the team fell to Princeton by a single point in the state finals, but in that same year, the baseball team also took third place.

In 1938-39, Truex’s teams place fifth in football, third in basketball and first in baseball.

As a final tribute, the graduation class expressed their appreciation for all the achievements and wished him success in all future undertakings…except, they added “in the Leonardo-Atlantic games.”

Truex died in June, 1978 at age 65.

Recipient of the Commodore Steven Decatur award

By
Muriel J. Smith
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I always know how fortunate I am, I always know I have so many things to be thankful for, but then there are times when all the joys I get seem pretty awesome and overwhelming.

Take the last two weeks for example. It was thrilling to go to the University of South Carolina to see my youngest grandson, Angus Yeoman, not only graduate but also be commissioned an Ensign, in the US Navy of course, like his mom and dad, Chris and Tracie. Then after a quick visit home, I got to see him off to Penascola to begin his career in naval aviation.
But then, last week, I went to Barnegat High School to see my oldest great grandson, James Smith, son of my grandson Jason and his wife Melissa, receive numerous awards at the award ceremony of his NJROTC unit at Barnegat High School where James is a rising Junior.
James has always been outstanding in the NJROTC and has donated so many hours and weekends to volunteering on BB62, the Battleship New Jersey Museum at Camden. But at last week’s ceremony, he was also the sophomore recipient of the Commodore Steven Decatur award, named for the heroic commodore of the War of 1812.
Sponsored by the Naval Land Association, the award is given to a cadet who demonstartes those Navy core values of honor, courage and commitment, shows potential as a leader in his upper class high school years, and demonstrates motivation, performance of duty and military bearing. He aslo had to maintain a B or better in NROTC and a minimum of a cumulative B average in academic studies.
James also had the honor of having that award presented to him by his aunt, Commander Tracie Smith-Yeoman. USN (ret), who had  not yet come off her own high in joy at her son Angus’s achievement as an Ensign.
But that wasn’t all. James received other awards at his ceremony, so his dad was also up on stage to make those presentations.
That makes a total of 16 awards James has received in his two years in NJROTC where he’s an ensign. His unit received the Distinguished Unit award for being the best unit in Area 4 of the NJROTC, as well as a personal award for aptitude for his dedication to the NJROTC program
He has also earned two awards for outstanding cadet based on citizenship, academic performance, personal appearance and conduct, another Exemplary Conduct and Personal Appearance award, a Physical Fitness award, a Unit Service award for being an upstanding member of the unit, as well as a Participation award for his work with the unit.
He has earned the community service award, the Academic Achievement award for being on the school’s honor roll, a drill team award, another for recruiting two members to the unit, one from the Sons of the Revolution, a medal, for outstanding leadership and soldierly bearing, the Order of the Dedallion for Citizenship, and has been in Honor Company for his first and second years of service. He is also in Sea Cadets where he is a petty officer third class.
Whew!
But being at the ceremony, I could also see why James received so many awards and praise from his commanding offier and other members of the NJROTC. He was on stage the entire awards ceremony, because it was he who had been in charge of gathering all the medals, arranging them in order so the presenters could take the time to congratulate and shake the hand of each medal or award recipient at the ceremony, and then present a few of the medals himself.
He was busy, he was happy, he knew what he was doing, and he certainly made me proud!
And to top it off even more, the youngest of my great grandchildren. Brynleigh McNamee, celebrated her first birthday and her parents Trey and Jamie, hosted a spectacular party for the occasion for four generations of both sides of the family and I got to see once again what incredibly wonderful parents my grandchildren are.
The McNamee house is filled with love, just the right amount of discipline, a handsome and dynamic son and brother to Brynleigh, Athan, and overflowing joy and happiness.
Everyone should be as fortunate as I.

Regionalization: A Resolution … Finally

By
Muriel J. Smith
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The resolution to ask the Commissioner of Education if a question on regionalization can be put on the November ballot, an essential step in the entire process,  is on the agenda for Thursday night’s meeting of the Mayor and Council, paving the way for a possible question that could determine a new PreK-12 school district including Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright.

Approval by a majority on council Thursday night will mean the three towns can now take the necessary step before regionalization can even be a possibility, a regional district that would create one nine member board of education instead of the current three, and would include Sea Bright’s students in the district.

Both Highlands and Sea Bright had approved resolutions several months ago, but could not get any decision from the Commissioner without all three towns agreeing to have the question on the ballot. It is now up to the Commissioner to determine if the proposed K-12 idea is feasible after she reviews the studies that have been done on the proposal.

Should the Commissioner agree the question should be put to a vote of the people of the three towns, the councils would then have until Aug. 14 to decide the specific question in order to get it on the state ballot in November. Should they miss that deadline, the regionalization could still be on a ballot in a special election in either January or March; however, special elections are more costly and generally draw fewer voters.

Currently Sea Bright has no school in that borough but is a member of the consolidated Oceanport School District for its K-8 students, and a member of the limited purposes Shore Regional High School district for its 9-12 grade students.  Its resolution, adopted by unanimous vote of the Mayor and Council,   requested the question on the ballot based on the reports from several studies that analyzed financial, demographic and education impacts of regionalizing K-12 and removing the borough from Oceanport and Shore Regional districts. Those reports concluded such the new regionalization would present distinct advantages for students Sea Bright, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, would have the best opportunity to put in place characteristics of successful schools and would respond to challenges to bring greater diversity to the schools. The studies also showed that increased financial resources from Sea Bright would enable the regional district to provide greater investments in education resources, programs and services while providing long-term tax savings to Sea Bright.

The Highlands resolution, also adopted unanimously by the voting members of the Highlands Mayor and Council, was similar to Sea Bright’s resolution and cited the same studies and analyses by professionals and the recommendation from the consultants  as well as the financial demographic and educational advantages of a new PreK-12 district.

A state law that went into effect in January made it possible for Sea Bright to request release from tis Oceanport and Shore Regional obligations and seek a more equitable educational program in a new regional district.

The Atlantic Highlands resolution on the agenda  or Thursday  also cites the recommendations of the Porzio report done by the three boroughs, but also notes the report conducted by the Tri-District district and released last month. That resolution notes the tri district study agrees with the Porzio study and the recommendation that the regionalization be advanced as soon as possible. The resolution notes the study demonstrates the potential for improved efficiency and cost savings, as well as advancing an enhanced learning environment for the district, coordinating curriculum across schools and grades, and reflects a commitment from the affected current boards of education to make good faith efforts to implement practices that promote efficiency and education quality. The resolution recognizes that passage of the question in November would eliminate the current schools districts in creating the expansion of Henry Hudson to a PK-12 All Purpose Regional School District with the other two towns.

Mayor Loretta Gluckstein had indicated at the last meeting of the local Mayor and Council , that while the resolution was not at that meeting as anticipated, it is definitely on the agenda as a resolution for a vote at Thursdays meeting.

The proposed resolution is printed in full on the official AHNJ.com, webpage under agendas.

Randy Gabrielan-“Jersey City, A Monumental History”

By
Muriel J. Smith
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There are lots of local historians who love our Bayshore towns and have authored books about so many of the people places and things we all love. Randy Gabrielan is one of that group, and probably the most prolific, judging from the dozens of books on local history he has written or shown in photographs.  He’s been the Monmouth County historian and continues to serve on the Monmouth County Historical Commission.

But way back in 2007, Randy, who used to be an insurance broker, wrote and pictured  a book about his own native city, Jersey City. Titled “Jersey City, A Monumental History,” the book is chock full of photos of some of the magnificent architecture that made Jersey City a standout community for decades. He’s divided the book into chapters highlighting each of the individual communities or sections of the city, including Journal Square and The Heights, Greenville, the waterfront, downtown and Communipaw.

Although mostly an illustrated book, Gabrielan doesn’t mince words when he addresses some of the problems the city faced during growth, blaming it on the state’s poor mechanism for forming municipalities. He also talks about some of the other growing pains Jersey City has suffered, as well as the impact of the railroad as it tunneled through Bergen Hill, the oldest settlement from which the whole city has grown.

He writes about how street names have changed, and whether the Statue of Liberty is legally in New Jersey or New York.  He’s got some photos of Snyder High School , many of whose graduates now live in the Bayshore, and he included a great photo of the Romanesque Revival building of the 19th century that was the Jersey City Police headquarters and only lasted about half a century.

The book is also full of photos of churches in Jersey City, and gives a striking picture of how many there are, or were, and how many denominations they represent. There are catholic churches in Jersey City now on the National Registry, and the Jersey City Ukrainian Catholic Church of St.s Peter and Paul. That was first founded in 1887, the second Ukrainian catholic church in the United States and since demolished after its purchase by Colgate. But another building incorporating traditional Ukrainian motifs including five onion-shaped domes, replaced it in the late 20th century, when it was declared a tribute to all of the churches in Ukraine.

The many catholic churches in the city met the spiritual needs of the many immigrant catholic who worked the factories there.

The Dutch Reformed Church built in 1857 in Gothic Revival style, the Episcopalian Church of St. Matthew was built in 1881 and later became a catholic church to meet the needs of the growing Irish catholic community who worked in the local factories. St. Bridget’s rose from a small fame structure on Brunswick and Mercer streets to become another Gothic style church on Montgomery st, designed by Patrick Keeley in 1886. This church underwent preservation in 2006 after it was consolidated into the Parish of the Resurrection.

The Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church on Pavonia Avenue was built in 1882, and in the 20th century became home to the Central Missionary Baptist Church.  And the list goes on.

The book was published by  Schiffer Books, is well researched and certainly draws  one’s attention to the many reasons  Jersey City natives are so proud of their birth place, regardless of where they live today.

For more information on this, or any of Randy’s books, message Randall Gabrielan on Facebook.

Paprika!

By
Muriel J. Smith
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You have to love paprika!

It’s one of those unusual spices that was actually grown in North America, central Mexico to be precise, and cultivated here before spreading to the old world back in the 1500s. That’s when Spain discovered it and used it to add color and a distinct flavor to all kinds of wonderful dishes made even better with the taste and color of this little red, yellow or orange pepper product.

From Spain, paprika spread throughout Europe, and when it got to Hungary, it was kind of adopted by that nation’s cuisine to the point today Hungary is a major source of paprika and is the nation most often associated with it.

It’s because it has been so popular there since the 19th century that its name comes from the Hungarian, paprika.

As a spice, it is considered sweet as compared to its cousin, the hot pepper. The powder is generally made from dried and ground red peppers, but the kind with the milder and thinner flesh than their spicy cousins. The powder can be made, however, in any range from mild to hot, but it is most recognized as a sweet spice made from the pericarp, the outer skin with most of the seeds, which are the really spicy apart, removed and reserved for those hot pepper sauces..

The spice can be used in a diverse variety of culinary delights, from meat stews and soups to cream sauces, egg dishes and casseroles. Try sprinkling some on mac and cheese! Or on any finished dish to bring out a bit more flavor. Heat it with oil to bring out even more flavor, or use it in hummus.

Paprika is loaded with vitamin A, the vitamin that provides so much nutrient for the eyes, and is also recognized by many physicians as a cancer preventive. A teaspoon of paprika…easy to take in a day simply by all that sprinkling, accounts for more than 20 percent of what everyone should have of Vitamin A in a day.

As a beauty accent in presentations, it’s the bright red color that makes deviled eggs so much more attractive; it’s all those carotenoids that do that; for taste, it adds a bit of sweetness to rice or soups. It can be mixed with cayenne pepper to add more spice to a dish, and it can be blended with numerous other spices for blends and rubs for marinades or sauces.

It’s a main ingredient in chicken paprikash, the Hungarian national favorite Goulash, and paella. There’s more flavor to paprika if you add it near the end of cooking, rather than dulling the flavor by too much heat.

If there is any one disadvantage of paprika, it is that its flavor will dull, and in some cases actually spoil with age. So it’s better to buy it in small quantities and skip that savings on a large jar. Store it in a cool  dark place with a tight fitting lid.

Try this recipe for Chicken Paprikash

3 or 4 lbs. chicken thighs and drumsticks

1 tablespoon oil

1  tablespoons butter

1 large onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons  flour

1  large ripe tomato, chopped

1 cup chicken broth,

¾ cup sour cream (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a Dutch over or oven-safe sauté pan, heat oil and  butter over high flame, until butter foams. Sear chicken in batches, skin-side down, about 5 to 7 minutes, until crispy; turn and repeat another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken.

Pour off most of the fat , return to medium heat, and add onion. Cook, stirring frequently along with any leftover bits of chicken skin, until the onion has softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and stir again, cooking it until it has softened, another 3 minutes. Combine paprika with flour and add to mixture,  appreciate the fragrance of the spice, as you cook for about five minutes.

Add tomatoes and broth, whisk until smooth; put chicken, skin side up back in the pot, cooking another 25 to 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

To complete the dish, cook egg noodles, drain and toss in a bowl with butter. Serve with chicken on top, and if desired, add 1 Cup sour cream to sauce before pouring over finished dish.

New VA Clinic

By
Muriel J. Smith
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Congressman Chris Smith praised Mayor Maurice Hill as well as local veterans organizations and Veterans Administration officials for their dedication to the needs of veterans at groundbreaking ceremonies for a new VA clinic to be located on land off Hooper Avenue near the Seacourt Pavilion in Toms River.

Smith praised the mayor’s more than 35 years in the US Navy, retiring at the rank of admiral as well as his “long and distinguished career as a dentist.”

“No one understands the needs of our men and women in uniform better than you and the absolute necessity of a seamless transition from service member to veteran—especially in the provision of health care,” the Congressman said at the ceremony last week.

Smith also praised  Commander Mike Schaeffer of American Legion Post 129 on the post’s 100th anniversary three years ago, and Commander Mike Passeri of Berkeley VFW for their tireless advocacy on behalf of veterans and “for being the eyes and ears in the community to ensure that policymakers at all levels get it right.”

The Congressman also thanked VA Secretary McDonough,, and other VA physicians and directors for their leadership of the VA. He noted the new Clinic is designed to improve healthcare needs for the ever-growing veterans population of Ocean County, the largest of any county in New Jersey.

“By providing world-class comprehensive medical care including primary health care, dental care, women’s health care, mental health counseling, and physical therapy, the new clinic will help fulfill the solemn promise made by President Lincoln that we must “care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan…” Smith said, adding “ A grateful nation must put veterans first and ensure that their sacrifice is tangibly recognized in both word and deed.”

The congressman has been an active supporter of outpatient clinics for veterans since first elected in 1982 when he pushed for an Ocean County clinic, later adding amendments which led to the establishment of the Brick facility. That clinic opened in May 1991, but need has outpaced capacity since. The new  68,000 square foot clinic is almost double the size of the original and will provide a venue for more medical and support staff, enabling veterans to experience shorter wait times in receiving care and attention. There will also be 480 parking spaces.

The VA awarded a 20-year lease for the clinic to FDS Toms River, builder of the almost $61 million facility. It is adjacent to another new three story building which will house Ocean County’s Board of Social Services as well as the Veterans Service Bureau.

Jersey to Louisiana … By Train!

By
Muriel J. Smith
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So how does one get from Monmouth County, NJ, to New Orleans, Louisiana?  This traveler wanted to add another dimension to the fun, so I opted out of the flight and airport hassle syndrome, and instead,  added another 30 hours of relaxation, great scenery, and excellent food. I traveled the distance by Amtrak.

All of which means, by taking the train,  you get to see the beauty and wonder of America through 11 states and Washington, D.C. There simply isn’t anything that can compare!

Boarding in New York…Amtrak’s Crescent is one of the few long distance East Coast trains that doesn’t stop at Metro Park…you whizz through New Jersey, Philadelphia, Delaware and Maryland before stopping for a few minutes in Washington, D.C where dozens more board for the trip South through Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and final stop,  New Orleans.

Rather than the straight line south leaving the nation’s Capitol, the  Crescent travels west through Virginia, giving riders the opportunity to ride through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,  smack through the middle of towns like Manassas and Culpeper, Jefferson’s Charlottesville,  before moving on through High Point and Charlotte in North Carolina,  touching on Spartanburg and Clemson in South Carolina, and on to the beautiful city of Atlanta, Georgia.

Alabama’s small towns along the route include Anniston, where Anniston Army Depot, a huge Army installation with dozens of tanks lining a perimeter near the railroad,  Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama, then on to Meridian, Picayune and more in Mississippi before pulling into the Festival City of the World,  New Orleans.

The Crescent is the only Amtrak train that makes this route, and timing of the trains going north and south makes it possible to see different towns by night and day. Heading south, you’re just about entering Virginia at dusk, and sleeping your way through the Carolinas, with the sun rising over Georgia and an evening arrival New Orleans. On the return trip, it’s daylight from New Orleans through Georgia, then sleeping once again through the Carolinas, and daylight through the beautiful western side of Virginia and the upper Southern states for a noon-time or so arrival in New York.

Accommodations aboard Amtrak are delightful, whether you opt for coach, sleeping cars, or, in between,  business class accommodations which mean more space, quiet and comfort than the more popular coaches, and lower cost and privacy than the private miniature cabins for two. All classes of travel on the Crescent enjoy the same dining room and lounge cars, and seats in both coach and business allow plenty of room for stretching out and lying flat.

Once in New Orleans, there are accommodations of all price ranges from which to choose, and activities, entertainment and just plain fun regardless of personal taste, age, budget or time.

For openers, visiting a cemetery in New Orleans is a must.

Cemeteries in New Orleans are truly cities of the dead, with their vast above ground tombs lined up on either side of the streets, the vaults holding the remains of everyone from Voodoo priestess Marie Leveau to long ago mayors and a pioneer in the sugar industry, Etienne de Bore.

Clearly the most popular one is St. Louis No. 1 (there are 3) which has been actively accepting the remains of Louisianans since 1789. It’s a complete city block in size, with more than 700 tombs and more than 100,000 bodies in them. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, St. Louis #1 is reportedly haunted…no surprise there….and a popular tourist attraction with guides who spiel out delightfully entertaining stories as they weave among the vaults and point out famous family names.

A block away from the famed French Quarter of this exciting, colorful and in many ways deviant city that firmly believes in letting the good times roll, St. Louis #1 cemetery tour guides will show you the sealed vaults, the smaller sealed vault tucked away in a corner of the big monument and how each can be opened and re-sealed again to prevent flood waters from getting inside. The smaller doors to a corner of the vault serve another purpose. Each vault only holds one or two bodies, so when the next family member dies, the vault is opened, the remains of the last entombed which by now have turned to dust, are packed away carefully in a small container and reinterred in the little vault in the corner of the bigger one. Kind of an early version of cremation, but explains how more than 100,000 bodies can be buried in a sacred place the size of a city block. If two or three family members die before the first deceased’s body has disintegrated, families simply ask a neighbor if they can borrow their vault for a year or so.

Benjamin Latrobe, architect of the US Capitol, also designed a part of St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans’s Jackson Square and was working on the engineering design for a new waterworks project in New Orleans when he died of yellow fever. His son had died of the same disease three years earlier, and both are entombed in the cemetery. The burial ground is owned by the Catholic diocese and entry is limited to tour groups with storytellers who have been approved by the Bishop. Family members or genealogists can get special permits to enter and walk through the cemetery unattended.

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