Your Kids, Your Tax Dollars, Your Right, YOUR Vote
Superior Court Judge Gregory Acquaviva did not grant an injunction (Verified Complaint)sought in today’s hearing in Superior Court. However, the lawsuit designed to expose and challenge the secret deal to keep voters from having their promised say on adding Sea Bright to the Henry Hudson Regional Pre-K-12 School district will continue.
“The appearance before Judge Acquaviva enabled Mrs. Olszewski to expose to the public what has been going on,” attorney Vito Gagliardi told VeniVidiScripto after Superior Court action in Freehold Monday afternoon. “We will now pursue even more discovery to further expose what we all know was designed to intentionally keep the voters from what they were promised. “
Gagliardi, one of the two attorneys representing Highlands Council President Jo-anne Olszewskiboth for the Highlands Borough Council as council president and as a private resident of Highlands, made his arguments before Judge Gregory Acquaviva charging the Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional boards, all of whom will no longer exist next week, and the Henry Hudson transitional board, which will not exist after December 30, violated the Open Public Meetings Act by taking action in executive session without informing residents of the action taken.
Nor would the public still have any knowledge of the action, which essentially prevents Sea Bright from ever becoming part of this regional school district, were it not for information only learned because of Olszewski’s action.
Judge Acquaviva listened to arguments both from Gagliardi and attorneys for the school districts, Jonathon Busch and his partner Adam Weiss, questioning both for further information on the points they brought to his attention.
In response to the Judge’s questioning on whether a single student is impacted at the beginning of the coming school year, Gagliardi argued the ramifications are considerably more far reaching than a single school year, pointing out the boards who made the decision will no longer be in existence, yet are holding Sea Bright hostage for its future, an action that impacts Olszewski.
Aquaviva indicated the actions taken at the May 28 meeting of the joint boards were moot by their actions at June meetings, since the agreement they apparently made with Oceanport and Shore Regional to settle their litigation against Sea Bright negated the May action with new action they took at the June meeting. He failed to accept Gagliardi’s argument that even that argument can only be presumed, since the public was never made aware of the action, nor have minutes ever been approved and released. Gagliardi also pointed out that the public never had the opportunity to either hear or speak on the resolution adopted in the executive session.
While Judge Acquaviva also said that while the complainant did not present sufficient proof the Open Public Meetings Act was violated intentionally, Gagliardi said that just as this proceeding enabled the public to know more about what is happening, Olszewski plans to continue to fight for the public’s right to know and will continue to pursue further discover that not only will convince the court actions by the boards were intentional and voters are not being given their opportunity to vote on including Sea Bright.
“I can only hope the citizens look forward to getting all their children in the best educational situation and with the best financial situation possible,” the attorney said, “there is no doubt they have been misled, and there is no doubt the voters have been denied a right that they were promised.”
Olszewski said she has every intention of continuing to present as much evidence as the Judge wants to be sure residents maintain their right to vote on whether to accept Sea Bright into the regional school. “This has become a very complicated issue because of so many of the boards’ actions over the past years since they were promised last year’s vote was a first step,” the councilwoman said, “I have heard from so many people they only voted for regionalization between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands schools because they were promised the next step would be to have a vote on Sea Bright’s inclusion. It is a promise that was made to the people, It has been made impossible to keep by the secret action the boards took this month, and I plan on continuing my fight so the American right to vote is protected here in Highlands, Sea Bright and Atlantic Highlands.’”
As Marion Bartholomew and all the other women in the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Clubprepare for the 20th annual MS Race this August 17. this particular Shrewsbury resident can look back on what sail racing has meant to her as well as how this particular race has contributed so much to 180 Turning Lives Around, the non-profit organization that assists abused women. Breeze
Marion was in that first race 20 years ago, another half dozen since, and now continues to be part of the committee that makes the event not only a great resource for 180 Turning Lives Around, but also a popular attraction at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor and a major summer event for seamen and spectators alike.
Sailboat racing itself is, according to Bartholomew, “something that happens in a magical place. It is a physical activity and probably mostly a mental activity.” That is because, she explains, “even just a small tweak on a sail could make you the race winner.”
Still, she cautions, “You have to know how to spot where to make that tweak, and when to make it. That’s the magic, the subtle move that is hardly noticed but just might get you across the line first.”
Nor is winning everything. As Captain of My Time in that first race in 2004, her team placed second. She hasn’t placed since. Racing has always been important to both Marion and her late husband, Jeffrey Goldfarb. since they first joined the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club. He was a veteran racer, having participated in the crews for many Long island races.
“I was a cruising sailor,” she said, “We were invited to be part of the crew of My Time, a 35 ft. Beneteau, and I got hooked. From then on, for me our cruising vacations became a chance to tweak those sails if I saw another sailboat that might be passing us. My husband wanted me to sit and relax and enjoy the ride, but making our boat go faster was something I couldn’t resist.”
The following is the story Bartholomew wrote after that first race in 2004, as it appeared in Sail Magazine, a leading national wide magazine that chronicles the lifestyle, safety and seamanship of the sailing community.
A Little Extra Breeze
By Marion Bartholomew
There were enough of us females regularly crewing in the Wednesday night races at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, to inspire the club to hold an all female sailing race in August 2005. We called it our “Ms. Race.” A fairly seasoned sailor, I was invited to captain the boat that, usually, I crew aboard. It’s a 36-foot Beneteau called My Time.
The winds in August in Sandy Hook Bay tend to be light, and the weather is usually good, and therein hangs my tale. The crew came together easily, though it was a fairly inexperienced group. We happily practiced for the race in early August, in the light wind conditions that are typical of Sandy Hook Bay at that time of the year.
Even crew members new to sailing seemed comfortable as we went through the maneuvers of tacking and gybing. We practiced reefing, though heaven forbid we should need to.
Saturday, August 27, 2005, dawned sunny, clear, and breezy. Quite breezy. We had a solid 15 knots, which in our case approached the upper limit for uneventful racing. We were all a bit intimidated as we dropped My Time’s mooring, but I wanted my crew to feel confident, and I did my best to look confident, myself.
Then came the start and gusts into the twenties. Where was all this wind coming from? On the first leg, with gusts now to 25 knots, the boat was overpowered and we reefed. (In all my past seasons as a crew, I cannot remember a single time when we needed to reef My Time’s main).
At this point winning the race was not important to me anymore, and while not one of my five crew expressed concern in words for their physical welfare, I saw anxiety creep onboard and tried to take charge. I had to stop worrying about losing control of the boat and stay focused on finding the marks, giving directions, inspiring my crew. I didn’t feel we were in any imminent danger, but the wind was challenging our confidence, and I had to be the one to bring everybody home. It was just a race, not a test of survival, right?
The story in brief: Did we finish? Yes, second. Did we make mistakes? Oh my, so awfully many. Then, as we crossed the finish line, the committee on the RC boat applauded and called out wonderful words like “Great job!” and “Congratulations” and it felt so very, very heartening to hear those cheers. I saw my crew’s faces utterly glowing with pride for just having done it, for having suffered no damages to body or boat. We were all stronger now, and our two hours of rough sailing became a precious and unexpected gift of increased self-confidence on the water and in ourselves.
Registration has begun for the Andy Rooney Ocean Mile or Two Mile Swim scheduled for Saturday, July 13 at 7:30 a.m. in Sea Bright.
The races are an annual event named to honor two Sea Bright Mayors, Andrew Manning who was Mayor at the time of his death in 1988 and Charlies Rooney, Jr., who was mayor for ten years from 1989 to 1999.
All registrations will be online and T-shirts are guaranteed for the first 125 registered. The swim is limited to 200 participants.
This year, the swim will be point to point, starting and ending at the Sea Bright Public Beach. The Race will be in a typical triangle format and all swimmers need to register that morning 30 minutes prior to their swim.
Several awards will be given to various categories in the meet, with the Amy Lynn Gill Award to be presented to the first place female in the One Mile Swim. That award will be presented by Ms. Gill’s daughter, Hayden Gill.
The Mike Hudson award will be presented to the first place male in the one mile swim.
Wetsuit swimmers will be in a separate division with prizes for the top three overall male and female finishers. Awards will be given in age group categories for non wetsuit wearers only.
Both swims will start at the south end of the Public Beach, in front of Donovan’s, with the two miles swim slated to start at 7:30 a.m. and the one mile swim 45 minutes later at 8:15 a.m.
The results will be posted live at SplitSecondRacing.net/results. Interested swimmers should keep their cell phones close, since the sponsors email each finisher as they have included their e-mail address clearly on the race day form.
Swimmers who chance waiting until the day of the race to register must do it online, since no paper copy registrations will be accepted. Credit card are necessary. It is recommended to register online before leaving for the race if registering that day. An instant e-mail will give the registrant a chip number to pick up when upon arrival.
All athletes are responsible for returning their timing chip at the end of the finish chute. Straps should be separated and folded properly before being placed in the separate bin.
Sea Bright lifeguards will be stationed along the route in the water. Anyone needing assistance is alerted to raise their hands and wave to attract their attention.
Not only local residents but residents all over New Jersey are watching the results of the court decision on the school regionalization issue for Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional schools. Eyes
The following is an article written by award winning journalist Rob Jennings for the NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.
Jennings, who holds degrees in political science and communications and has appeared on both NJ. Com and Star Ledger pages, concentrates a large part of his reportorial excellence on education in New Jersey as well as politics and government. He has received first place awards from the NJ Press Association, the NJ Society of Professional Journalists and contributed to a series on the state’s pension crisis which was a finalist for the Investigative Reporters & Editors Medal
NJ Advance NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. In 2012, it was recognized as the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. Six years later, it was reported to have an average of 12.1 million unique monthly visitors consuming a total of 70 million page views per month.
Highlands Council President Joann Olszewski’s suit she filed earlier this month as both a member of the governing body and a private citizen is being held Monday, June 23, in Freehold before Superior Court Judge Gregory L. Aquaviva.
Jersey Shore town is being blocked from joining newly-merged school district, lawsuit says
Voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, which both have K-6 schools, approved a referendum in September to disband and join the Henry Hudson Regional School District next month. Both Highlands and Atlantic Highlands were already sending their students in grades 7 to 12 to Henry Hudson Regional High School.ng riots sent to mainland France for detention
However, the initial merger plan also included sending students from nearby Sea Bright into the newly-merged Henry Hudson Regional School District. Sea Bright disbanded its school district years ago and currently sends its students to Oceanport and Shore Regional school districts.
The plan to include Sea Bright students in the newly-merged school district didn’t happen because Oceanport and Shore Regional challenged the plan, according to the lawsuit filed by a Highlands official June 10 in Monmouth County Superior Court.
Though the 2023 referendum did not include Sea Bright, the borough could have voted in the future to join Henry Hudson Regional, the lawsuit states.
However, the Henry Hudson Regional school board held a joint special meeting May 28 with the school boards for Highlands and Atlantic Highlands in May to adopt a legal settlement that created multiple hurdles for Sea Bright to join their newly-merged district.
Sea Bright, among other conditions, would first need to reactivate its dormant school district, though there is no process for doing so under state law.
“It is clear that the conditions of the purported settlement agreement are designed to exclude Sea Bright from the new all-purpose Henry Hudson Regional School District and to prevent the voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands from ever considering adding Sea Bright as a constituent of Henry Hudson Regional,” wrote Vito A. Gagliardi, attorney for the plaintiff, Highlands Borough Council President Jo-Anne Olszewski.
Olszewski alleges the settlement agreement violated the Open Public Meetings Act because it was not specified in the meeting agenda and the terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Sea Bright is not a plaintiff in Olszewski’s lawsuit. The lawsuit names the school boards for the Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional as defendants.
Officials at the three school boards did not respond to requests to comment. Sea Bright’s business administrator also did not respond to a request to comment.
A Superior Court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for Monday in Freehold.
In the summer of 2022, several local boards — including the borough councils in Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright and the school boards involved in the proposed merger — adopted resolutions in support of expanding Henry Hudson Regional and including Sea Bright.
In response, the school boards for Oceanport and Shore Regional asked the state education commissioner to block Sea Bright’s bid to withdraw. Plans for the referendum proceeded in the three school districts, but without Sea Bright.
On Sept. 22, 2023, four days before voters approved the referendum, Angelica Allen-McMillan — then the state’s acting education commissioner — ruled Sea Bright was entitled under state law to withdraw from Oceanport and Shore Regional and seek to join Henry Hudson Regional.
Weeks later, Oceanport and Shore Regional filed an appeal with the state appellate court that named the school boards in Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional as defendants, in addition to the Borough of Sea Bright, Borough of Highlands and Borough of Atlantic Highlands. The appeal is still pending.
“It has become known that Oceanport and Shore Regional would agree to dismiss Defendants from the appeal in exchange for a series of conditions which would make it nearly impossible for Sea Bright ever to join the new Henry Hudson Regional School District, or, perhaps more importantly, for the voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands to vote on a referendum to consider this important issue,” Olszewski’s lawsuit says.
New Jersey, which is home to about 600 school districts, has few regionalized districts compared to many other states. Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that gave districts financial incentives to study consolidation, including combining into county-wide or regional school districts.
Seeing so many wonderful and true things being said about the Guenthers and their 100 years of calling Highlands home in the summer brings up thoughts of Bennies.
In Highlands, and many other waterfront towns that were filled to overflowing with visitors in the summer, it was a pejorative term to describe all those folks who came to town, be it for a day, weekend, or a couple of months. They were stereotyped as rude, loud, and rarely intermingled with the ‘locals, the ‘clammers,’ the folks who worked in the restaurants or shops and did their bidding.
Depends on your age and where you came from as to the origin of Bennies. To kids in Highlands in the last half of the 20th century, Bennies were the summer visitors who came down by train from Bergen, Essex (counties) Newark and New York, ergo, BENNIES.
But there were those from Rumson, Spring Lake and other more posh towns who said it originated from the early part of the century when wealthy New Yorkers came to the salubrious air of the Jersey Shore for treatment of anemia, hemophilia and other diseases and illnesses, since the shore air was “beneficial” to the. Hence, the summertime visitors got benefits from the shore, and were therefore BENNIES.
There are a few stories that credit the $100 bill the tourists had to spend locally. Just before the 1920s, the Eagle on the hundred-dollar bill was replaced with that wise philosopher, Benjamin Franklin, lovingly known as Ben. And so it was said the visitors used their Bennies to purchase their ice cream, beer and everything else.
The least known but sometimes referenced origin of Bennies came during the 1970s, long after locals called visitors Bennies. That one said the term came from the off-shore boat racing during the 1970s sponsored by the Benihana restaurant chain. Not likely.
There were some other terms often heard for visitors that were both loved, hated, revered and reviled by locals.
Shoobie was more common further south along the shore from Long Beach Island to Atlantic City. That’s what they called the day-trippers who took the train to the shore and took advantage of the pre-packed lunches that the railroad offered for sale enroute. They were packed in shoe boxes, hence the Shoobies.
There are those who say you could always tell a Bennie without even talking to him; he’d be the guy or girl wearing sneakers, sandals or shoes on the beach…the locals were barefoot.
While the Bennies and the Locals played together and spent time on the beach together, the summer folks’ families rarely interacted with the local folks, perhaps because the locals were always working, the Bennies were on vacation. There were exceptions to that as well.
Conners Hotel was more than a hotel in its heyday and long before the swimming pool and outdoor snack stand now since replaced by the Sea Streak ferry and parking lot. There were bungalows along a dirt road there that the same families came down and rented every year. There was the hotel where Herman Black, later his sons, Bill, Duke, Jack and Bobby, worked and so they knew all the Bennies. Locals went to Conners for their huge steaks and lobsters, and hence, the Bennies and Locals did meet, greet and enjoy each other all the time. Today, many of those Bennies are the full-time residents of highlands and the Bayshore area.
The Guenther’s, with their 100 years of being summer residents, indeed made themselves a part of the town, becoming involved, improving their properties, and even visiting in off-season. Hardly the Bennies of the derogatory title.
Today, in the Bayshore, you can’t tell a Benny from a Local. Nor does it make any difference. The Bennies, for all intents and purposes, are really the Locals of the 21st century.
With the celebrations of their 60 years at Bayshore Pharmacy in the Foodtown Shopping Mall now a happy memory, staff at the popular pharmacy and gift shop is hard back at work continuing their tradition of excellence, friendliness and providing all the services of a hometown pharmacy.
Nearly 100 friends, neighbors and customers stopped in the pharmacy earlier this month to help two generations of the family along with relatives and pharmacy employees recognize the accomplishments of the first owner, Richard Stryker, Scott Eagleton, who was a partner in the business for many years, and Stryker’s son, Rich, who is the current owner.
The Stryker family Photo credit: Tommy Pantaleo
Visitors came from all over the Bayshore as well as South Carolina and West Virginia to be part of the party, accept numerous gifts and enjoy a celebratory cake. Gifts included salt water taffy, sanitizers, a health safety packet, cosmetics bag and the opportunities for blood pressure checks by IMA Urgent Care and a Yoga Class. The class was taught by Laura Vuksanovich, the Monday night yoga instructor at the Port Monmouth Fire House community class.
Tom Stone of Stone Emergency Training, SET , who soon will begin a series of first aid, babysitting emergency and CPR training in partnership with the pharmacy, also presented gifs and information about his program.
Neighboring Foodtown, the supermarket started by Capt. Joeseph Azzolina USN (ret) and a neibhror of the pharmacy since it opened, also had pieces of their popular crumb cake for all the visitors..
Mayor Lori Hohenleitner started the ceremonies at noon with a ribbon cutting in front of the store, which has enlarged twice since it first opened in the shopping center on the opposite side of Foodtown.
It was a party that not only celebrated 100 years of loving Highlands, but also renewing family ties and events, sharing time and history with neighbors and friends and meeting new friends and family members.
The occasion was the festive celebration held at the Guenther home on Marine Place, a home first settled by the family in the 20th century, replacing other homes owned by the Guenther family since the first of five generations first summered here in 1924.
Walt and his siblings own the Marine Place residence and annually have a family get together to relive old times and establish new memories and traditions.
With this year being the centennial of the first Guenther summer in Highlands, 105 family members and friends turned out for the celebration, with the oldest 103 years of age and the youngest two 14 and 16 months of age. In-between were a host of teenagers and early 20s from Tennessee, some planning on starting their own families shortly, others in the 30s 40s, and beyond, and all happy to see the Summer home that has been in their family for generations.
Family members came from 12 states in addition to New Jersey, arriving from New York, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, New Mexico, Mississippi, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. Some came by plane including one couple that piloted their own plane. Many more drove, and still others came by Seastreak ferry while there were others who walked. Nearly all had been to the family bungalow before but about a dozen were making their first visit to the historic family home.
Guests enjoyed sharing their memories and hearing stories about Highlands and especially their visits to the family bungalow. There were many stories about swimming over the bulkhead using ladders the family put up on the old wooden bulkheads.
Fishing trips in their own boats moored in the Shrewsbury River or snapper fishing with bamboo poles from in front of the house were highlights of several conversations.
Visits to the Twin Lights, now a state museum, ocean swimming at Sandy Hook, now Gateway National Recreation Area, and bike rides along wooden walkways, now Henry Hudson Trail were also included in numerous stories as were barbecues in the backyard and making beach plum jam, clam chowder and family recipe potato salad in the kitchen. Beach plums were readily available at Sandy Hook, and numerous family members remember gathering them for the traditional family jam making sessions.
Sitting in the rockers on the front porch enjoying the view of the river, boats and New York City was popular all day long.
Mayor Carolyn Broullon joined the family celebration for the afternoon presenting the family with the Highlands Borough Proclamation she had recorded in municipal minutes which recognizes the Guenther family’s 100 Years of Summers in Highlands.
Walt and Linda Guenther had poster size copies made of many of the 1924 and beyond black and white photographs and lined the first-floor level porch with the posters, more photos, along with a scrapbook, the borough’s proclamation, and other memorabilia from the past century.
Guests enjoyed the photos taken over the years; the Guenther family on a South Bay Avenue beach in 1924 with King Boat Works craftsmen working in the background was a favorite.
Grandma, Dad, Aunt Gert South Bay Ave Beach Next to King Boat Works Highlands NJ 1924 Highlands NJ 1923
The family was also honored at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church where they have been summer parishioners for 100 years and congratulated in the church bulletin as well as honored at a special mass on Sunday morning.
“It was a wonderful day,” said Walter Guenther, one of the generations who spearheads and makes all the arrangements for the annual event. “Even God gave us His own gift with the spectacular sunshine and beautiful day we had. We could see how times have changed, even in the photographs. Where we have cherished the small black and white photos from Kodak cameras, this year’s family photo was made possible through a drone. We could all gather on the top deck overlooking the Shrewsbury while the drone took the photo from out over the water.”
Walt Guenther is as avid about all Highlands history as he is about preservation of his family ties with the borough. An active member of the Highlands Historical Society and publisher of the Society’s newsletter with his wife, Linda, he has conducted walking tours of the borough telling some of the history of its business area and has participated in the historic presentation of Joshua Huddy. The story of the Revolutionary War hero who was hanged in Highlands a couple of blocks away from the current Guenther home, in retaliation for the death of a British soldier., was researched and written by Council president Joann Olszewski and reenacted by the Society in several presentations earlier this year.
100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years 100 years
Putting aside all the politics in town, the doings of the outgoing boards of education and the actions of the boardthat is also a thing of the past come December that include giving a five year contract to the superintendent rather than letting the elected board take action in January, it’s been great fun seeing some of the happy and terrific things happening in the Bayshore at this time of year.
So exciting to meet Alyson Camerota and see how the people of Shrewsbury absolutely loved her spending hours in the borough hall then in the Historical society over wine sharing stories, laughing, and simply enjoying good company. She’s animated, sparkly, fast moving, and a fine example of how people who really want to can overcome lots of tragedy and emotional distress can be happy and successful. She exudes happiness and it’s catching.
So nice to see the Shrewsbury Historical Society be such a part of the program that began with Mayor Ulmer’s invitation to her former classmate to come for a book signing. It’s history, as Don Burden says, even when you’re talking about punk rock bands and unhappy times. It’s all that makes Shrewsbury so special.
Speaking of the Society, look for another story here soon on what’s on display this summer. Don and Mary Lea, his equally dedicated wife, as well as a score of outstanding and hard-working society members, have a fantastic display of sewing machines, dating over 100 years and going from treadle to electric. This is definitely a family exhibit, with the women loving the improvements in machines over the years and the men loving the intricate mechanisms and outstanding woodwork of the machine cabinets. Every exhibit in this very active society’s museum is a piece of history that keeps you proud of being a part of Monmouth County. The Eisner display from when they made military and scout uniforms is great, too.
Also love the Highlands Historical Society James T. White awards going to those terrific and talented youngsters at the Highlands Elementary School. The kids work hard, produce very creative work, and honor a former mayor, teacher and clammer whose name is synonymous with Great Things and People of Highlands. So nice to see the youngsters getting to know more about local history.
Also wonderful to see the Mayor and Council president both recognize what the summer folks mean to the borough, especially generations like the Guenther family who have found it the very best place to spend summers for the past hundred years. Walt and his family have done a great job of preserving so many memories in photos and seeing them all celebrate together…more than 100 of them at the celebration last week….also shows what a great family it is. What a clever idea to preserve this year’s memory with the family on the deck of their raised house overlooking the Shrewsbury River. They took the photo by drone and it’s spectacular.
And Salt Water Liquors and the fine brothers and the rest of their kin who all contributed to make it such a great liquor and wine store was particularly nice to me and went far over and above what any store owner needs to do. Wanting to celebrate one of my own grandson’s 40th birthday with an Atlantic Highlands gift I knew he’d love, I learned, thanks to Salt Water, that Carton’s Brewery does indeed make 40 varieties of the beer this particular grandson drives down from another county to enjoy. So what better than 40 cans of Carton Beers for a 40-year-old! He loved it! In fact, his brothers-in-law were so impressed and liked the idea so much I might even try one of the fruit-flavored ones myself! Don’t think it will replace wine, but worth a try!
It was more a welcome home party than a formal book signing adventure. And the crowd loved it! Alisyn Camerota
It was Friday night when friends, former schoolmates, Shrewsbury old timers and those new to the borough all crowded into Borough Hall to visit with news anchor and correspondent Alisyn Camerota .
The Shrewsbury Historical Society had planned the book signing for their museum near town hall. But the crowd was so large it had to be moved to the Meeting room at Borough Hall, where it was still overflowing with more than 100 guests of all ages eager to see the journalist and ask her questions about her book, Combat Love, and her life in Shrewsbury.
The book is already a leading seller throughout the country and focuses on Shrewsbury and the Jersey Shore when Camerota lived in the borough in the 1980s.
It was Mayor Kim Eulner who invited the author and journalist to come back to Shrewsbury for the book signing, unlike any she has already had in states across the nation.
This one was a book signing where Camerato was not only loved for her writing, but also for coming back to her growing up home, meeting with friends from her teen age era, and visiting and talking about the changes and similarities of her hometown between the 1980s and the present.
And the mayor asked her to be here, not only for the excellence of her writing, and the fact the book focuses attention on familiar names and places, but also because the Mayor is a longtime friend of the author.
They went to kindergarten together in Shrewsbury.
Camerota was also formerly with Fox News. She details in her book what was life like for her growing up in Shrewsbury in the 1980s, the lone daughter in a family fraught with problems and a teenager caught up in the music of Shrapnel, a local punk rock band, drugs, independence and neglect.
During the 75-minute-long meeting in Borough Hall, Eulner and Camerota sat like old friends in two comfortable chairs looking more like old buddies catching up than the professionals that both are. Eulner guided the author through a series of questions, anticipating what the audience wanted to hear, but often interrupted the flow, as both laughed, or grabbed hands or chuckled out loud thinking of other times and instances the questions brought up.
Yes, she’s seen the house where she used to live, Camerota told the Mayor, but hasn’t been in it, something it sounded like the Mayor would help arrange before she left. The house is now on the National Historic Registry for its age and architecture.
Yes, lots of people mentioned in the book are in the room, they both said, as one or the other pointed to familiar faces the author could still recognize in spite of the more than 30 years since she was that rascal of a teenager with them, enjoying summers, loving Red Bank Regional High School, and caught up in Shrapnel, the five member local band that had such die hard fans who would follow them wherever they played.
Camerota told both sides of her life in Shrewsbury during the session that was both joyful and funny, as well as heartbreaking and serious as the attractive wisp of a woman told about the abuse of her father, the free wheeling attitude of her mother when it came to her upbringing, and the fact she herself always felt a void of love and not being the most important part of her mother’s life.
Her independence born of that upbringing and doubtlessly leading to her success and happiness today, included coming back, alone, from Washington state after her mother, then divorced, brought her to live. But Alisyn missed her Shrewsbury friends, with her mother’s blessing, headed back to Shrewsbury as a teenager, knocked on the door of a friend’s home and asked his parents if she could stay. They did welcome her, as did another family, her friends, and all her friends at Red Bank Regional.
She shared with the crowd that it was the times, a time when parents gave more free reign to their kids and let them learn more on their own, growing in strength and confidence. Perhaps parents of today are too much helicopter parents, she mused, then added with a touch of sadness, “they don’t have what we had….”
Combat Love took her ten years to write, Camerota explained, and yes, there are lots of stories that ended up on the cutting room floor, a few of which she shared with her hometown crowd. She wrote and re-wrote, she said, sometimes for hours at a time, others for five minutes, always overwhelming in each of the individual memories her writing helped recall.
Camerota admitted her mom did not want her to write the book because in part, it would make her look bad. Not so, the author said, saying that in the end her mom gave her approval and understood. She was convinced when her daughter told her that when the whole picture was taken in perspective, she indeed did come out as a loving mother. The duo is close today. And her mom is pleased with all her successes, including Combat Love.
Sure there are lots of names in the book, familiar names, as many in the audience attested. But for those who asked they not be named, yet Camerota knew were important in her teenage years and very much an important part of her life, she used names she made up, names that would enable them to recognize themselves, but which kept their identities private in the book.
Monmouth County in general and Shrewsbury in particular were different in the 80s, Camerota said, when drugs were easily available and popular in the historic little town. It was the shadowy side of the county she said, adding she is grateful that she herself dodged the bullet of the possible long-term results of illegal drug use and too much teen age partying.
The author told the story of Phil Donohue and how he was impactful in her life, credits him with helping her find the lasting love she now enjoys with her husband, and their two daughters and son.
She talked about going to Shrewsbury for school from kindergarten until midway through fifth grade when she was transferred to the more conservative New School of Monmouth County in Holmdel. She admits that after being there through eighth grade, she “was ready for Red Bank Regional.” Today, she is on the Red Bank Regional Hall of Fame.
She talked about how important Renee Maxwell, a teacher at Red Bank Regional was in her life and how generous and kind she was with her talent and time. She spoke about Friendly’s near the firehouse where the teenagers all gathered and her graduation with the class of 1984 .
As animated and exciting she was in talking about her life in Shrewsbury, and her warm-hearted laughter and sparkling eyes when someone brought up another memory, it was melancholy, serene, and meaningful when she recalled what she remembers most about Shrewsbury.
It’s the smell of honeysuckle, she sighed. The smell of honeysuckle in the warm air, on a sunny day, or a cool evening, always reminds the author of the very special Shrewsbury or her growing up years, a town that yes has changed, but somehow, is the same as the loving town and people she remembers from her teen aged years.
But it captivated audience Friday night who didn’t want to let their favorite author go. Those mentioned in the book sat listening, laughing, remembering, then adding their own memories. Four former mayors listened, laughed and must have had their own memories of their mayoral years, Dorothy Mason, Emilia Siciliano, Donald Burden and Erik Anderson, along with current Mayor Ulmer. The centenarian Carlotta Niles was also present recalling her own life in Shrewsbury in the 1980s.
The River Road Book Store at 759 River Road, Fair Haven, had two professional personnel at the book signing to assist, and Shrewsbury police officers carried in the boxes of books for those eagerly to purchase the books and have the author sign them with personal messages. Even the author, who also talked about being able to walk to the Eastern Branch Library a block from her home, remembers the Book Store, though by the more familiar name to longtime residents as the Fair Haven Book Store. Copies of Combat Love are available at the bookstore today.
Burden, who in addition to being a former mayor is also president of the Historical Society, said like everyone else in the borough he was thrilled to learn of Camerota’s successes through the years and her popular book on Shrewsbury. The Society hosted a wine and cheese get together following the book signing so residents could share more time with Camerota and view some of the exhibits at the museum. Camerota’s book is certainly very much a part of the history of the borough, he pointed out, since it tells so many stories about the people and places of the latter part of the 20th century.
“She told her story with laughter, with fond remembrances, and with a joy that makes us all proud of Shrewsbury,” Burden said, “yet she was able to also convey the sadness, personal grief and difficult times she endured. That she was able to forgive her father for his actions, realize she has the full and complete love of her mother and tells that story in such a heartfelt manner is a most generous gift to everyone who reads her book. We, like her, love the ‘honeysuckle’ aroma that keeps Shrewsbury and what it means to every family close to our hearts.”
Anyone who lives in the Bayshore, especially in the Navesink area, knows that the Navesink Fishery is just about the best restaurant around to get outstanding seafood of all kinds. They offer a menu diversified with all manner of delicacies from the sea and even at least one chicken entrée for those who don’t know how wonderful everything from the sea tastes when it’s prepared in the Fishery’s kitchen. They also have a spotlessly clean and charmingly inviting quiet restaurant and you can even keep your own costs down by bringing your own libations.
Ruddy and Pat Field have been working hard in their incredible restaurant for years, and it’s always been very inviting and delicious, to say nothing of the stupendous fish market in the front section.
As a visitor who has always admired the fresh flowers so beautifully arranged on every table, it was easy to learn that it’s Pat that has the gardener’s hand and has a knack for keeping beautiful blossoms alive and well, focal points on every table in this cozy eatery.
But stopping in there tonight to celebrate some great news with a friend, I learned something else. Pat, in addition to the flowers, is magnificent with the greens and herbs as well.
There’s nothing that says fresh to your table more than seeing the owner walk in from the kitchen, her arms laden with lush green leaves of all kinds, the makings of some of their delicious salads. But along with the lettuce and other greens, Pat was carrying pots full of fresh herbs…rosemary, mint, lemongrass, parsley, and so many more.
She stopped to let us soak in the aromas, but it was fascinating to learn that she grows them all in her own gardens in Atlantic highlands.
When they say fresh at the Navesink Fishery, they really mean fresh.
The restaurant is open from 5 p.m. every day except Monday, is located in the Navesink Plaza in Middletown on Route 36, halfway between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, and can’t be beat for seafood, be it freshwater trout or so many varieties from the sea. Salmon is prepared in several different ways and it’s well worth several visits to taste them all, The shellfish are exactly as you like them, and everything else matches up perfectly. Even the sweet potatoes and vegetables are to swoon over.
Not only does Ruddy make all this magic and deliciousness happen, but don’t leave without trying his key lime pie. They have several desserts brought in from local bakeries who already have their own reputations for excellence, but his key lime pie is light, tart, and the perfect ending for an outstanding meal.
The friendliness, charm and neighborliness come with it all at no extra charge.
