Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon and Council president Joann Olszewski were both at the Guenther home on Marine Place this week while the Mayor presented a plaque to the third of the five generations of Guenthers who have called Highlands their summer home for 100 years.
The proclamation relayed a brief history of the areas in the borough where the Guenthers lived over the years, the storms they’ve weathered and the fact their current home started out life as a Sears do-it-yourself house kit, a popular home building project in the early and middle 20th century.
Mayor Broullon, center, presented the plaque to siblings, Eric, Walt, Janet Neighbors and Kurt Guenther. The Guenthers were also honored with a mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and congratulated in the Sunday bulletin for the church where they have been summer parishioners for a century.
Volunteer of the Month at the Atlantic Highlands meeting of the Mayor and Council was Morgan Spicer, whom Mayor Lori Hohenleitner praised for her numerous efforts of volunteerism in a variety of ways for the borough.Spotlight
Councilman Jon Crowley also praised and thanked Spicer for her artistry and the amount of work she has done with him in promoting and assisting with the various recreational and cultural events in the borough. Spicer, an artist who has designed and done the art work for several books, is active with the Arts Council and environmental issues and also received the praise of Marilyn Scherfen for her volunteerism in those areas.
Sherman and Sons Jewelers, located on First Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, was honored as the Business of the month at the July meeting of the Mayor and Council. Mayor Lori Hohenleitner praised both Bob and Arlene for being the “welcoming safe place” to visit and enjoy the stories, fun, and efficiency of the jewelry store owners. Sherman Jewelers has been a landmark in the borough for decades, and Bob has been active with the Chamber of Commerce as well as various committees in the borough.
The enthusiasm is There! The team is fantastic! We’ve all worked hard, and we have it happening!
Those are the thoughts of Captain Lance Hubeny, after the Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council announced at its meeting this week that five squad members answered a 2 a.m. first aid call.
Hubeny was pleased to hear of the announcement and praised the squad for their enthusiasm. “Just think,” he said, “two years ago, we were lucky enough to get two people out for a call in the middle of the night. Now we have more than we need and they’re all eager to respond.”
Hubeny has been chief of the squad for the two years since the borough retained Meridian to answer calls during daylight hours. During those two years, in promoting the benefits of being a first aid volunteer, in urging more membership and in conducting outreach to encourage more members, the squad has grown, more volunteers are taking the necessary EMT classes and through their own fund raising recently purchased a used ambulance and is ordering a new one which takes two to three years to receive, the volunteers are now a far more effective, efficient, and enthusiastic group of volunteers able to serve the community.
“You know I’m always so proud of all these volunteers,” the captain said,” and the idea of more coming out for a middle of the night emergency call that we actually need is just one more reason why this borough has every right to feel so proud of all our volunteers.
At the final board meetings of the three boards of education that have been in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands for so many years, the Superintendent Tara Beams noted that in her three years here she has been part of the meetings for all three boards, a total of 26 members. Through those years, with board members changing, she has dealt with 44 different members, she said, noting how great each was, how wonderful it’s been and how bittersweet it is that now the Highlands and Atlantic Highlands boards will exist only in history and memory and Henry Hudson’s board is changed and expanded. sad
Each of the boards had little social hours just before their last meetings to ‘celebrate’ or say goodbye to each other and be thanked for all their volunteer time.
As well they should be. It isn’t easy being a Board of Education member. It isn’t easy giving up all that time, sitting in sometimes very dull meetings and making decisions in the expectation they are all for the good of the student, and all within the taxpayers’ ability.
What was missing among all these congratulations was any mention made of ALL the board members over ALL the years so many people have been serving these boards. Many of those former members are still living in the area and would have loved to be able to share their own bittersweet memories of boards that will no longer exist.
In Highlands alone, Joan Wicklund was a long time member of both the local school at one time and the Hudson board for a very long time, devoting her heart and soul to everything for the school and the kids. Pat Robertson brought experience and hard work to the board., always knew what she was doing, always had great input, and also has feelings about the change. But they weren’t invited to share. Neither were Karen Jarmusz, Pam Semmel, Dolores Monahan, and so many others. The list goes on of so many men and women who gave so much and would have liked to be recognized at the very end. But no invitations went out to them, even those living in town. How very sad.
Superintendent Beams has only been here a few years so understandably she doesn’t know or realize how close these people have been to the school and how much that board has meant to them. I’m sure it’s the same with Atlantic Highlands residents. I’d be certain the superintendent doesn’t even know how many generations of the same families have served, or how many spouses have served. Has she ever even heard of Sam Brown? Or wow, Florence Adair?
It was nice of the superintendent to thank all the bosses she has known and it was appreciated. But so many others before she came to Highlands, names and personalities, are part of the history of the boards of education which will soon be history. They should never be forgotten.
The Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council today formally presented an offer to the catholic diocese of Trenton to purchase the Mother Teresa School property with the assistance of Monmouth County recreational funds and indicated they are hopeful of acceptance of the offer and rapid movement in closure and sale.
The governing body took action during an executive session at the beginning of last night’s council meeting, noting the terms of the resolution, since they include the offer price, could not be made public until the matter is solved.
However, council members, who voted unanimously to approve the resolution made by Councilman Jon Crowley and seconded by Councilman James Murphy, were in agreement with borough attorney Peg Schaffer’s assessment that, if accepted, the closing would move swiftly and an ordinance to complete the matter could be introduced at the next meeting or in August. Principals involved in the negotiations requested the borough make ts offer formally in writing, she said, adding, “we don’t want to hold it up, this should turn around quickly.”
Historian and author Jack Grodeska will be the speaker this month in the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society’s Speaker Series accenting local history and little know facts about the Bayshore.
Grodeska will highlight little known local hero Captain Adam Hyler and his whaleboat the Revenge, on Wednesday, June 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Strauss Mansion Museum.
Grodeska will speak on Hyler’s contributions to the Revolutionary War effort and how he helped the patriots overcome the British and the loyalists. He will speak on how the Revenge, under cover of darkness, was successful in capturing several British ships in the Raritan Bay.
There is no charge for the event, although donations are always welcome. Guests are urged, however, to bring some item non-perishable food or baby item to become a part of the Historic Society’s support of the local food pantry.
The Osprey bird, the only living species that can be found nearly all over the world, is a soaring bird, one frequently seen in the Bayshore and nesting near the ocean.
But at the Highlands Public School, the OSPREY is the award giving to the students who are selected for SOARing for the month.
SOARing stands for the student selected in each of grades kindergarten through sixth grade who has particularly exhibited ideal examples of SAFETY, OVERCOMING difficult challenges and motivation and positivity in school activities, ACCEPTANCE and being inclusive of others, motivated to achieve goals and having a positive attitude and mindset and RESPECT, treating peers and teachers with kindness, being punctual and great in attendance and being cooperative and helpful.
The award is given monthly at a Highlands Board of Education meeting and Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon is part of the ceremony that recognizes each of the recipients. Mayor Broullon also honors the students at the Highlands Borough Council meeting when she announces the activity at the Public School and her appreciation of being part of the award ceremony.
School Principal Dr. William Jacoutot, board secretary Christopher J. Mullins, and School district Superintendent Tara Beams also participated in the ceremony along with the board of education members.
Dr. William Jacoutot
SOARing OSPREYS at the Highlands School this week were kindergarten students Anyela Betancourt and Jenna Kurdes, first graders Charlie Pugh and Arianna Cervantes, second graders Luke Baker and Chase Savin, third grade students Arianna Brown, fourth grade student Robert Nonnemacher, fifth grade students Bryce Coleman and Dominique Baros and sixth grade student Mia Longo.
Each was selected by his teacher for the award and received a certificate from both the school district and the borough in recognition of his selection.
The new contract replaces the superintendent’s current contract with the Henry Hudson Regional School and the two elementary schools in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands which would have terminated her contract in 2026.
Terms of the contract were not included in the resolution, though a copy of the contract is maintained in the district’s business office.
At the same meeting, the board also unanimously adopted the same resolution (5-28-2024 – HHRS Board Cert of Resolution) the school boards in the district adopted this week amending the revised Settlement Agreement and authorizing principals to sign agreements with Oceanport and Shore Regional under specific conditions. This is the same settlement agreement first proposed and unanimously approved by the Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional boards May 28 and revised after Superior Court injunction request (Verified Complaint) was filed by Highlands Councilwoman Joann Olszweski.
It was a busy night at Henry Hudson Wednesday with a variety of activities and actions: There was no mention of the court date set for June 24 on complaints filed by the Highlands municipal leader against the three boards of education. (Jo-Anne Olszewski-Letter brief in support of order to show cause(7728181.1))
Actions did include:
The public hearing on Beam’s five year contract and another for the business secretary,
A regular meeting and an annual meeting
A sports award ceremony for school athletic teams,
A regular and final meeting of the current Henry Hudson board of education which ceases to exist in hits current form July 1.
All of which took 42 pages in three separate documents for the public to see the agendas for the evening.
The public hearings on the proposed superintendent and business administrator board secretary contracts were early on on the agenda for the first meeting with board attorney Jonathon Busch explaining the contracts are necessary since the personnel will be operating under the expanded district board of education and encompasses duties for the three schools in the new regional district.
No one explained however, why the transitional board, which did not meet in executive session to discuss the matter, extended Beams’ current contract signed last year by many of the same board members ,rather than continue it for the two year period already approved.
That action would also enable the new board of education, the first to be comprised of elected members to the Prek-12 district, to act on a contract when they assume office in January.
Acting both as a member of the Highlands governing body where she is council president, and as a private citizen of the borough Olszewski filed a Verified Complaint seeking an injunction “preliminarily and permanently” of the resolution unanimously approved by the boards of education in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands from taking any action.
The court action names the Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, and Henry Hudson Regional boards of education as the defendants in the case which focuses on actions taken in connection with regionalization matters concerning Sea Bright’s and the two boroughs in the school district desire to have the people decide whether they can become a part of the new Pre-k-12 Henry Hudson Regional School District.
In that resolution, the boards had authorized their board presidents to enter an agreement with their adversaries, Oceanport and Shore Regional Board of Education. Those boards would dismiss the two towns from their appeal of a court order that would allow Sea Bright to join the two regional schools, the action opposed by the two districts where Sea Bright currently sends its students.
Although the terms of the concept of the agreement have not been released, Olszewski’s formal complaint asks for relief in that the concept of the agreement is for an agreement that is not yet in existence, and yet the resolution authorizes the presidents to sign the still to be developed agreement.
The complaint also charges a violation of the Open Public Meetings Act and the common law rule that public bodies cannot usurp the rights or responsibilities of their successors, something the resolution would do inasmuch as the school boards will be dissolved and cease to exist July 1 when the approved Pre K-12 Regional district for the two towns takes effect.
The Highlands borough council president’s action came after it appears the boards, without any public knowledge entered into discussions with Oceanport and Shore Regional which would include excluding Sea Bright from ever joining the new regional school district, taking the right of voters to make the decision themselves.
With the matter filed in Superior Court in Freehold Monday, Judge Acquaviva yesterday set the June 24 date, 12 days from now, to hear the oral arguments requested in the complaint against the Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional boards of Education.
After receiving notification of Olszewski’s action, both Highlands and Atlantic Highlands boards of education at their meetings this past Monday and Tuesday evening, unanimously adopted resolutions which would approve a revised Settlement Agreement in the matter, with once again the terms of the original agreement nor the revised agreement, made public.
At Wednesday night’s meeting of the transitional board of education, that board also unanimously adopted the same resolution after going into a 15 minutes executive session. That nine-member board will be in control from July1 until Jan. 1, 2025. Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, five residents from Highlands and four from Atlantic Highlands, who will be elected in November, will be the first nine member elected board of the new preK-12 Henry Hudson Regional School district.
Olszewski sought the court ordered injunction because the school board actions have been unfair not only to herself but to all residents and taxpayers because of the apparent violations of law.
Vito Gagliardi of the Porzio Law Firm is presenting Olszewski before Judge Acquaviva and Jonathon Busch is the attorney for the boards of education named as defendants in the case.
While it isn’t necessary to differentiate between male veterans from female veterans…they all put their lives on the line, it is nice to know that New Jersey is one of the states that designates June 12 as Women Veterans Appreciation Day. It was the late Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver who signed the legislation recognizing the special day for women’s recognition in 2019 and it has been observed ever since.
