Bernard Joseph Sweeney, Bernie to everyone who ever who needed a helping hand or visited the Shore Casino, died Friday morning at Riverview Medical Center, surrounded by the love of family. He was 90 years old and had been proprietor of the famed Casino in the Park in Jersey City for 60 years and the Shore Casino in the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor for 46 years

The son of the late Joseph and Theresa Ippolito Sweeney, Bernie was born in Jersey City and is a graduate of Snyder High School. He served in the US Army as a paratrooper after graduation and before going with the Union City Dispatch as a new reporter and editor. He also served as a Director with the Jersey City Police Department. When he took over the Casino in the Park in Jersey City, it became a high society meeting place for the rich and the famous, together with the not so rich and famous firemen, emergency volunteers and police officers who held their own dedicated events programs at the highly touted facility because of Bernie’s kindness, generosity and lifelong desire to help everyone in need. The facility was the gathering place for politician, movie and Broadway stars as well as sports and other famous personalities, including Frank Sinatra who hosted a gala event at the Casino in the Park on the occasion of his parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. President Bill Clinton was a guest at the Casino in the park, as well as boxer Muhammad Ali and numerous personalities before the Sweeneys retired from the facility last year.

Bernie was honored by numerous military, political, veteran and charitable and fraternal organizations over the years for his many generous donations to all their special causes, and for always having a facility ready to accommodate whatever was needed to help someone else.

Bernie opened the Shore Casino in Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor in 1976 and continued his finesse as a restaurateur, people-gatherer and dynamic host. Together with his wife Kathleen, the Casino continued to be the gathering place for the well known and not so well known, from former First Lady Barbara Bush to local young couples holding their wedding receptions at the waterfront facility.

Bernie is survived by his wife, Kathleen Sheehan, sons, Joseph, in Florida, BJ and his wife Marie, Middletown, and Jay Strebb, who managed the Casino for Bernie, one daughter, Kathleen Connors and her husband Jeff, of Holmdel, and grandchildren Leah Sweeney, Joseph Ryan Connors, M.D., New York, and Katie Connors, BSN, of Holmdel.

A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Agnes Church. Viewing will also be in St. Agnes Church Tuesday evening from 4 to 7 p.m. Postens-McGinley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangement. Burial will be in Bayview Cemetery, Middletown.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St. Agnes Church.

The Atlantic Highlands Historical Society is inviting new members and calling for volunteers to participate in a Spring Cleanup in preparation for Strauss Mansion Museum formal opening for an exciting 2022 season scheduled for April 10.

In a letter to members this week, Membership Chair Joanne Dellosso outlined some of the accomplishments of the active society in the past, and highlighted some of the events and exhibits slated for this year.

One of the highlights will be a new exhibit on the sinking of the Titanic, in recognition of the 120th anniversary of the tragedy. A special exhibit in the new Victorian Tea Room at the Mansion will highlight the ship, its passengers and the events of that tragic day.

In order to prepare for the reopening volunteers are needed Saturday and Sunday, April 2 and 3, for light cleanup activities including sweeping, dusting, and reorganizing exhibits. Work will be done from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, and volunteers are welcome for any time portion within that time. Interested persons can contact Museum personnel on Facebook, Instagram or their website.

Events this year include the return of the free monthly speaker series, an arts and crafts fair, a cruise on the Navesink Queen, the fall Flea Market and a number of extraordinary events in October including showings of the ever popular Nosferatu with a live band, ghost hunting experiences and private tours.

The Mansion is also available for rent for private parties, events and celebrations throughout the season.

Persons interested in becoming members of the Society can contact the Society at their website and through Facebook and Instagram.

The Society is a non-profit 501 (C) 3 organization, making membership dues tax deductions and contributions tax deductible. One hundred present of dues is dedicated for the maintenance of the museum and all its programs.

The Sandy Hook Foundation, in issuing its annual end of the year appeal for donations, to help them keep up the terrific work they do at the national recreation area in our midst, put out a really impressive reminder of all they accomplished during the past year.

The amount of history they spread and maintain is pretty amazing in itself. They aren’t open for visitation yet….and aren’t we all looking forward to that day…but the Foundation does provide the programs at History house, the Fort Hancock Museum, the Lighthouse keepers Quarters and the Lighthouse itself.

But they also have been, during the past year, providing programming outdoors at the various ‘outdoor auditoriums” our beautiful Sandy Hook offers They even have great programs planned for the rest of winter.

The ‘Hunt the Hook’ Scavenger Hunt last April was a spectacular event with close to 800 people signing up to go all over the Hook finding the answers to a series of clues at both history and culture points. The Foundation took advantage of wonder teenagers and corralled them into a great beach cleanup at Fisherman’s Beach. Their three months of beach yoga sessions were a big hit, as was that evening hosted by the STARS Astronomy Club. That was a night sky lesson that gave everyone the opportunity recognize some of the brighter stars in the sky. There was roller skating, a live DJ, and an All-Star Benefit Concert, which again, attracted more than 1,200 people.

At the same time, The Foundation does all the maintenance at the six bike repair stations and also put up some new split-fencing near Lot M at the observation deck. The Foundation is funding the new drinking water access, coupled with informational signage telling the important of the story between water conservation and recycling.

It sounds like an awful lot being accomplished at a time when Covid has put so many restrictions on so many activities. For that alone, it’s worth an investment in the Sandy Hook Foundation to keep all its programs alive and funded. Visit their site at sandyhooknj.org and see for yourself. Maybe you even want to join this hard working Foundation. It’s the interested and involved residents who can keep history alive!

It was the kind of funeral that was so thoughtful, so prayerful, so perfect…and so Irish!…that you would have thought Bernie planned it himself, with his wife Kathleen, now a widow, double checking to be sure every detail was taken care of.

While hundreds gathered at St. Agnes Church Wednesday morning to say a final farewell to the Shore Casino owner of the last half century and even longer that that of the Casino in the Park in Jersey City …Generous …Kind … Big-Hearted were the descriptions of the day.

Known for his generosity to everyone, but especially every police, fire and emergency team, volunteers for every charitable or military organization who asked, as well as to young couples who wanted a wedding reception to remember, and everyone else, so many were there at the funeral to say their last thanks to a great guy.

Police from Highlands, Middletown, Jersey City and so many other places lined up alongside the Atlantic Highlands police department, who were there from the very start of the day until the very end, their way of reminding Kathleen they will always be there for her.

The Middletown Police and the fire department, among so many other gestures, said their own final farewell to Bernie, displaying a huge American flag over the entrance to Bayview Cemetery, their reminder to the stream of cars that Bernie was truly a patriot.

The Middletown Police Department gave a very formal and professional 21 gun salute at the cemetery, and through the courtesy and swift action of Congressman Chris Smith, the US Army Color Guard folded the American flag draped over Bernie’s casket and presented it to Kathleen with the respect and thanks of the President of the United States, the US Army, and a grateful nation.

Following the funeral, there was the usual perfect repast at the Shore Casino that Bernie had done for so many others. It was Jay, Kathleen’s son, who put aside his own grief at the loss of the father he knew, the boss he worked so diligently for for so many years, the guy he loved as a friend, who directed that spectacular team of Shore Casino employees to prepare a buffet with everything from salmon and whitefish to a roasted pig and Steamboat roast.

It was Jay who ensured that the moving screen atop the Casino said a welcome to the crowd from the Casino, a farewell from Bernie, and a thank you to all The Shore Casino team, themselves all in grief over the loss of their boss, lined up military style at the door to the Casino to show Kathleen their great love and respect for her before going to their culinary, waiting, bartending and serving duties in true Shore Casino style.

But it was the mass with three priests on the altar that brought so many to tears, from Father Jarlath’s first blessing and the hymn reminding Kathleen and family “Be not Afraid” to the sorrowful “I’ll take you Home Again Kathleen” as Kathleen and family escorted Bernie out of church. Even the readings by his granddaughter, Katie Connors and grandson Dr. Joseph Connors, reminded everyone of Bernie. Katie read from the Bible that “the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” And Joseph spoke of love, how it conquers all, and how it is the best of all virtues.

Bernie’s long time friend, Bob Waldron, who was also buried with a mass at St. Agnes at the time of his death, was present for this mass in the person of his widow, Diane Waldron, Bob and Diane’s daughter, Abigail Swanson and her husband who carried up the gifts, and Bob’s granddaughter, Macy Swanson, who sang the beautiful Ave Maria.

It was the incredible wonderful voice of professional singer Colleen Kelleher, well known in Jersey City for her Irish music, concerts and stage appearances, and a close friend of the Sweeneys, who joined the parish’s music coordinator Courtney Grogan in providing music that calmed the audience, gave them time to reflect on their own Bernie memories, and lifted the spirits of a broken-hearted family. Kathleen’s daughter, Kathleen and her husband Jeff, never left Kathleen’s side throughout the entire day, helping her comprehend, as Kathleen herself said, “I won’t have anybody to fight with!”

And Jay, the same Jay who has been at Bernie’s side for every wedding, funeral, PBA party and every other event that went so spectacularly at the Casino over the years, gave a eulogy about his step-father that came from the heart, including the poem he included and the special friends of Bernie’s he remembered, from Dick Stryker and John Amici, who both joined the Atlantic Highlands police as pallbearers, to high school friends from Snyder High in Jersey City.

The Irish were in fit form for Bernie’s funeral, coming from all over Jersey City and the New York area as well as Florida to be there for Kathleen and bring greetings and special flowers from relatives and friends in Ireland.

It was a spectacular Irish send-off for a spectacular Irish man. For me, Bernie was there in spirit enjoying every second, but scoffing with a growl, “Come on, now, this isn’t for me. Get on with it now.”

The AAUW Northern Monmouth County Branch, League of Women Voters, and the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center are presenting both a video and a discussion virtually on Monday, Feb. 28 beginning at 6:30 p .m. on the subject of women’s suffrage.

The video: Suffragists Speak: Race, Slavery and the Fight for the Vote, was originally written and presented live two years ago by members of the AAUW in cooperation with the Fortune Cultural Center and the League of Women Voters.

After the video, a discussion will follow on the history spanned on the video from the experience of African American women and their fight to vote even after the passage of the 19th amendment, a significant part of both Black History and Women’s History month.

Access to the program is available by sending an e-mail to aauw.nmcb@gmail.com.

More information about scheduling future showings and securing permission for use is available by emailing SufffragistsSpeak@gmail.com

Bernadette Rogoff, Director of Collections for the Monmouth County Historical Association will highlight a St. Patrick’s Day Special on Irish indentured servitude in Monmouth County on Wednesday March 16.

The program is presented virtually by the Association and co-sponsored by the Monmouth County Library and will begin at 7 p.m. Registration, at no cost, is required by noon March 15 and available by visiting the library’s Online Calendar at www.MonmouthCountyLib.org.

MS Rogoff has worked with the collections of the Historical Association for 30 years, and has produced more than 45 changing exhibitions on all aspects of Monmouth County History, from the American Revolution to the Jersey Shore. Rogoff researched and produced the first exhibition on the artist Micah Williams and is a recognized expert on Monmouth County-related historic clothing and textiles.

The popular speaker and historian will also be a principal speaker in June at the Trenton War Memorial at the New Jersey History and Historic Preservation Conference in Trenton.

What a great idea to have the borough of Atlantic Highlands designated a Community Wildlife Habitat, something that’s expected to be pursued by the Open Space committee with the governing body adopting a resolution Thursday night.

It’s a great recognition of all the beautiful gardens, both in the business area, in so many homes throughout the town and in the borough’s parks.

The borough is already a Tree City in recognition of their care and protection of trees, and to be recognized for their conservation methods as well is one more example of what a great community it is.

The resolution refers to its discouragement of the use of toxins and therein lies the irony of Thursday’s actions. The very next resolution expected to be adopted after the one on conservation is the one authorizing the county to continue its aerial mosquito spraying in certain areas of the borough, which, of course, means they’re spraying with toxins to get rid of mosquitos.

I suppose it’s necessary, but just seems strange that the one saying how protective the borough is of the environment is followed by one saying not only don’t we want mosquitoes…they’re an insect, remember, so it’s okay for the county to use their toxic materials to get rid of them.

Timing is everything.