Amid the hustle and bustle, the fun and games, the work and play today, hopefully we all set aside a few minutes today to honor the 3528 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military award for valor.
March 25 is the day in March, Medal of Honor Month, when special ceremonies are held throughout the nation to honor both the living and deceased who are recipients of the Medal of Honor.
It is the day when many of the 61 living recipients of the Medal of Honor gather at the Tomb of the unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and honor the four Medal of Honor Unknown Soldiers who are recipients.
It is the day when special ceremonies and commemorative as well as educational events are held aboard the USS Yorktown , the home of the National Honor Society at Patriots Point South Carolina.
The Society is comprised of those who wear the Medal of Honor, and through the Society’s Outreach, Education and History initiatives, the Medal of Honor recipients continue their service to the nation.
This year, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society recognizes American Airlines as the key sponsor of its Medal of Honor March 2025 tributes . As a longtime partner to the Society, American Airlines has played a vital role in ensuring the legacy of the Medal of Honor reaches every corner of the country. Its dedication is best exhibited through Flagship Valor, a specially designed Airbus A321 , a visual tribute to Medal of Honor recipients.
Flagship Valor is also a resource for Medal recipients, and this year has delivered many of them to Washington, D.C., for the Presidential Inauguration, to New York City for the Foundation’s 17th Circle of Honor Dinner at the New York Stock Exchange, and once again to Washington today for the annual Citizen Honors Awards and National Medal of Honor Day activities.
Here in New Jersey, let us remember and pause to thank all of our military, but especially the 88 New Jerseyans who have fought and received the Medal in every war from the Civil War to the present, from Jedh Barker to Jay Zeamer, from John Toffey in the Civil War to Father Charles Watters in Vietnam, all New Jersey Medal of Honor recipients.
In this part of Monmouth County, let us also remember in a special way Middletown’s Horace Thorne, Freehold’s Pvt. Thomas Fallon, and Highlands’ Robert Blume, representatives of the heroism and gallantry so many of our courageous military display as they face unknown dangers in their efforts to bring peace to the world.
Mayors of the three boroughs and the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education president met this week at the invitation of Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon and agreed to work in collaboration in finding the best solution to move forward with the regionalization question of Sea Bright coming into the Henry Hudson Regional School district.
Despite regionalization being a topic of discussion, litigation and elections in Highlands and Sea Bright for more than three years, this is the first time the Mayors of the towns involved, Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright, and the president of the Board of Education, Richard Colangelo, have met to discuss it jointly.
“I felt it was important to get the Mayors and board President as the four elected persons who serve our communities together,” Broullon said when asked why she called the informal meeting.
The meeting was held at the Highlands Borough Hall in an effort to move forward with what the boroughs and school districts have been struggling with for years.
Present for the informal meeting with Broullon were Sea Bright Mayor Brian Kelly, Atlantic Highlands Mayor Lori Hohenleitner and Board President Richard Colangelo.
“We agreed to work in collaboration to find the best solution to move forward,” Mayor Broullon said after the meeting “We also discussed the path of how to proceed once the NJ Supreme Court makes a decision, as that can trigger many things depending on what they decide.”
The mayor was referring to the Appellate Court decisions that ruled Sea Bright does have the right to leave Shore Regional and Oceanport districts and join neighboring Henry Hudson, decisions which have since been appealed by Shore Regional to the NJ Supreme Court.
The questions concerning financing education should Sea Bright become part of the district were not discussed, the mayor said, noting that that phase of discussion “will happen at a future meeting, once the financial experts update the real estate evaluations of all towns as well as student enrollments at the three schools in the district.”
What was discussed, the mayor said, were ways in which the boroughs and school board “can break through some of the pitfalls we encountered two years ago. Educating the public on both the history of the process and on the numbers is also important,” she said.
Although no date has been set for a second meeting, Broullon said all agreed to meet again to continue discussion and she is hopeful of an April date, though one has not yet been set.
In response to why she called the meeting and how effective could a meeting of the mayors and board representatives be, Broullon pointed out that “a face-to-face meeting is just the first step.
Everyone was engaged and positive. “Sometimes,” she said, “just getting together in one room make a huge difference in terms of a smoother process. This was certainly a worthwhile meeting, and I look forward to more progress and more information for the public as we move forward.”
Highlands – Long after the Lenni Lenape found it as their warm weather home for its multitude of fish and clams, long after Henry Hudson discovered it and called it a lovely land to see; years after Joshua Huddy was hung in retaliation for the killing of British soldier Peter White, years after the Twin Lights un-twin towers carried the brightest Fresnel lens across the water to aid seamen, and even years after the Hartshornes developed the land, Christian services were held in tents and Atlantic Highlands split from Middletown to become its own borough, the borough of Highlands was born.
It was March 22, 1900, that Highlands officially became a borough, also separating itself from Middletown Township and becoming an independent borough like Atlantic Highlands.
Because the two boroughs set their own municipal lines and separated from Middletown, Middletown continued to retain the rest, including the Sandy Hook peninsula from the borough of Sea Bright line to the tip of Sandy Hook, as well as the portion of the hill from Buttermilk Valley to the borough line in Navesink near where the Navesink mini mall is located. Eastpointe at the top of Mount Mitchill is the last building in Highlands, the east side of Route 36 is the boundary line in that area, with Kavookjian Field and Monmouth Hills and the lands west of Valley Avenue all still part of Middletown.
The former Air Force base now part of the Monmouth County Parks system is in Highlands but the rest of Hartshorne Woods is in Middletown. Below the hill, Popomora Park on Bayside Drive is the dividing line between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.
David M. Miller, First Mayor of Highlands
David M. Miller, for whom Miller St. is named, was the first Mayor of the new Borough, serving from April 24 until March of 1902. He was followed y Mayor Charles Maison, who also served two years, Peter Cornwell, Harry Brown, and Allen Reid. Brown came back again in 1917 to serve for another year or so, and was followed by Fred Kieferdorf and Dr. John Opferman, who was recognized and admired more for his medical expertise and baby deliveries than his municipal leadership. He was followed by another beloved physician, Dr. James Rowland,
Cornelius J. Guiney, Jr.
Neil Guiney became the borough’s longest serving mayor when he was elected in 1955 and served until 1965 and then again from 1974 to 1983.
Anna C. Little
Anna Little, now Judge Anna Little, became the borough’s first female mayor in 2008, then went on to become a Monmouth County Freeholder. Other mayors whose names are still known and whose families still live in the borough include Bahrs, Bedle, Dempsey, O’Neill, Nolan and Hall.
Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon
Carolyn Broullon is the borough’s current Mayor, having served since 2022 after serving as a council member. She is seeking election to another term in the November election.
Happy Birthday Highlands on 125 years of moving forward and retaining old world charm and beauty.
It is most likely the Italians who began the custom and tradition of Pane di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph’s Bread). Some form of St. Joseph’s Bread is always the centerpiece of St. Joseph’s Table, a centerpiece in many homes in Sicily during March and Lent, honoring St. Joseph’s Feast Day of March 19 which always falls during Lent.
Tradition says that during the Middle Ages, there was a terrible drought that encompassed Sicily, robbing the people of their farms and harvest for the year. Through prayers and devotions to St. Joseph, the father of Jesus, Sicilians knew that as the father of their Savior he would also save mankind from the drought.
When their prayers to him were answered, the drought ended and farms flourished, the people of Sicily began preparing St. Joseph’s Table every year with bread as its focal piece, in thanksgiving for their prayers to the Saint being answered.
Bread is made from wheat, as when “a tiny grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it bears much more food at harvest time.” Bread is the stable of the Table as a symbol that dictates no one can be turned away from the table and there is always an obligation to feed the poor. Many Sicilians always include sesame seeds sprinkled on top to resemble and symbolize teardrops in remembrance of Christ’s passion and death.
The Breads can be as simple as dough cut into two stripes, braided together and baked as a braid; they can be sweet as desserts, in the form of a cross or crown of thorns to honor St. Joseph’s foster son Jesus and His crucifixion. Or they can even be crumbs, which also symbolizes sawdust and St. Joseph’s lifetime labor as a carpenter.
Cooking with the Saints, a book by Alexandra Greeley and Fernando Floraest, which features recipes for a variety of saints honored at different months throughout the year, includes Basbousa, an Egyptian sweet cake which Egyptian Coptic Christians serve regularly throughout the seasons of Lent and Advent. The Cooking with the Saints book offers St. Joseph’s breadcrumbs simple and different, including both sugar and anchovies.
BASABOUSA
CAKE
½ Cup sugar
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup yogurt
¾ Cup shredded coconut
!/2 teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda
1 12/ Cups coarse semolina
SYRUP for CAKE
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Preheat over to 350 * and grease a 9 X 13 baking pan.
Melt butter and cool. Combine sugar and yogurt, and stir in coconuts,baking powder and baking soda. Add dash vanilla extract if desired. Mix well, and pour mixture into prepared pan.
Sprinkle top with chopped walnuts or almonds if desired.
Bake cake for 40-50 minutes until tester in the center comes out clean.
While cake is cooking, prepare syrup by combining sugar and water, cook over medium heat, stirring until all sugar is dissolved. Add lemon juice and bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and continue cooking at low temperature another 20 minutes. Let cool slightly while mixture thickens. While both cake and syrup are hot, pour syrup over the cake. Let it set for 15 minutes.
St. Joseph’s Bread (Pane di San Giuseppe)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
2 packages active dry yeast
6 cups flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsps salt
4 tbls melted butter, at room temperature
Bottom of Form
5 large eggs, divided
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon anise seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine milk and yeast and rest for 10 minutes.
Add melted butter, sugar, and 1 cup of flour; beat with regular paddle on a mixer for about 2 minutes. Add 4 of the eggs, anise seeds, and 1 more cup of flour.
Beat for 2 more minutes.
Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough starts to tighten. Continue to knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes.
Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a cloth towel, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch the dough down and divide it into 3 equal pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into the shape of a thick noodle, about 1/2- to 1-inch thick and 20-22 inches long. Braid the dough together loosely and tuck the ends of the braids under the dough. Place the braided loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Combine water and the remaining egg; brush the loaf with the wash.
Generously sprinkle the top of the dough with sesame seeds.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Transfer dough to a wire rack; let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
St. Joseph’s Crumbs (Mudrica di San Giuseppe)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 Cups unseasoned breadcrumbs
3 anchovies, minced
1 teas. Sugar
Heart olive oil in skillet over low heat. Add crumbs, stirring constantly until they turn light golden. Stir in anchovies and mix well.
Remove from heat, cool on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar.
Can be used as substitute for grated cheese.
Pane di San Giuseppe Pane di San Giuseppe Pane di San Giuseppe Pane di San Giuseppe Pane di San Giuseppe
Pictured from left: Deputy Chief John Werner, Sergeant Ric Cruz, Officer Robert Poss, Officer Nicholas Massaro, and Chief R. Craig Weber (Photo courtesy of MTPD)
Cops Two new police officers were sworn in and another was promoted to sergeant at the March meeting of the Middletown Township Committee.
Middletown Township Mayor Tony Perry
Mayor Tony Perry swore in Ptl. Ric Cruz as a sergeant on the department after the veteran officer has completed more than four years as a detective.
The officer served in the United States Coast Guard, before becoming a patrolman for the department in 2012. Throughout the 13 years of his police career, he has overseen the Community Relations Unit, spearheaded the Police Youth Week camp, led the Police Explorers program, and instructed the police aspect of the Middletown Alliance’s program, Alliance Leaders, that teaches 5th and 8th graders about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
Sergeant Cruz is also heavily involved in the Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence (L.E.A.D.) program that is taught in schools and was recognized as the New Jersey Instructor of the Year at the 2024 L.E.A.D. Conference. Sergeant Cruz is a passionate advocate for our elders and youth and regularly provides police tours and presentations. Perry described him as “ a true staple in our community and beloved by many.”
The Mayor also swore in Nicholas Massaro and Robert Poss as officers on the department. Both graduated from the Monmouth County Police Academy and had experience in other departments before coming to Middletown.
Ptl Massaro graduated from the academy in 2020 and worked for the Keyport Police Department. He received his K-9 certification from the New Jersey State Police in 2023 and has received several awards, including the 2022 Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Award and the Chief Phil Meehan Leadership Award from Hazlet Hope.
Officer Poss graduated from the Academy’s 89th Basic Class for Municipal Police Officers and worked in the Long Branch Police Department from April 2012 to December 2024 in various capacities including six years with that department’ s Forensic Unit Criminal Investigations Division. Some of his training included Crime Scene Investigation Course #113 through the New Jersey State Police Forensic Services Bureau and New York Police Department Homicide Investigators Course.
The Knights associated with Our Lady of Perpetual Help St Agnes parish have staged a number of events in recent years, all drawing crowds to locations both at St.. Agnes church in the Charles Hesse hall as well as at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help gym on Miller St., Highlands.
In addition to the monthly breakfasts, which draw crowds the second Sunday of each month from 8:30 through noon, the knights organize popular comedy, dance, and entertaining nights and this year are bringing the country hoedown for a post Easter celebration. The hoedown comes complete with dance caller and instructions for those who want to learn new country music dance steps.
The Knights, by popular demand, are also offering special discounts for tables of 14 at $450. Regular admission is $35 per person, with a special $12 price for those under 12 and non charge for infants. Ticket price includes the country-style dinner, dessert table. soft beverages, the dance and instructor, as well as a chance on winning a flat screen tv as well as an admission prize simply for purchasing the ticket.
Their real purpose for those Monday morning meetings is to knit and crochet baby blankets, hats for all ages, baby pajamas and anything else that will help those in need. But judging from the laughter, the hot cups of coffee and tea and the constant happy chatter that fills the lower level of St. Agnes Church, the Knitters and Crocheters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help St Agnes Parish give as much to each other in friendship and companionship as they do for Birthright, Lunch Break and all the other organizations they help.
They’ve been meeting for more than 20 years, ladies of the church who are as nimble with their fingers on needles as they are with laughter and conversation.
Some of the original members are retired from the weekly meetings, some have passed on now, but their names are still well known and appreciated…names, like Finnegan and Rathmacher, Hrbek and McBurnie, Wallings, Grimm and more.
Today’s Knitters and Crocheters are equally adept with their needles, some learning from each other, some taught by their grandma at home when they were children, one even taught by her sister.
They bring their needles, their wool or yarn, their coffee cups and perhaps cookies or cakes, and spend two hours every Monday knitting their own creations.
Most of the baby hats and blankets are then donated to Birth Right to give to moms in need, some are adult hats and scarves that go to Lunch Break to keep the less fortunate warm. Some, including large baby blankets are sold at church functions to raise funds to purchase more wool.
Recently, when their hand made articles drew more than $350, the women kept $50 to purchase more yarn but donated the rest to offset church expenses for the parish.
“We always accept yarn donations,” a very busy and organized Linda Jacques said. Linda is unique in the group in that she does not knit…she organizes and as she puts it, “carries the heavy load.” She keeps records, handles appointments, keeps the group informed of important news, and keeps several photo albums showing happy babies wearing most beautifully knitted and crocheted colorful and warm hats.
There is a difference between knitting and crocheting, the women will explain, though both produce beautiful finished pieces. Some of the women, like Kate Diebold and Sue Shearer prefer crocheting, and have been doing it for years, though Sue says she has only been with this group for one year. “But they taught me how to make some things,” she quickly adds, proud of her friends and talented ladies.
Kate has been crocheting for more than 50 years and taught herself the craft using a book. She laughs now, showing how she was taught to hold the needle “like a pencil” and compared to Sue, to them it looks like she is working backward. “They all come out looking the same, though,” the women laugh as they admire each other’s work. Like Sue, Kate comes every week to crochet for the good feeling of helping someone in need as well as the fun and conversation of her close-knit friends.
Christine Scanlon learned how to knit from her mother in Germany when she was only five years old. “My mother wanted me to learn, so she bribed my older brother to learn with me,” she remembers with a laugh “We used to give each other socks at Christmas. I still remember the ones I gave him were rust with colorful accents.” Christine particularly likes the Monday get-togethers because “it’s just rewarding to do something for someone; my family has no need for anything now, but there are people who do. So this helps them.”
Liz Pomeroy lives in Locust and comes every Monday for many reasons, primarily because it helps others and besides, she says with a twinkle in her eye, “I want to knit” and knitting with the other women is heartwarming. Right now, she’s working on a hat for a teenager or adult similar to one she’s made before, both with a creative heart knit directly in the center. Liz credits her grandma with giving her her first lessons.
Ellen Lindberg laughs when she explains she knits “because I like it! It’s better than watching TV!” The fact that her creations help other is simply icing on the cake. She taught herself how to knit and looks at it as a means of entertainment.
Betty Anderson learned to knit from her older sister, Dolores. Betty was in college at the time and got attached to the hobby after her sister taught her the skill. Betty not only knits Mondays for the St Agnes group but also has knit scores of little infant hats for newborns at the hospital where she volunteers in the preemie and new baby unit.
The women welcome new members to join their busy and fun Monday mornings. There are no dues, no signups, no need to bring anything except a willingness to help others through needle skills. The group always accepts donations of yarn as well, be it new packages in any color or parts of bundles. Any in the group are willing to teach a newcomer their dexterity with a needle .
Persons interested in joining the group or donating yarn or needing more information can contact Kate at 732-291-4450.
The Knitters make more than warm hats, scarves, and blankets. They make laughter, fun and deeply appreciated hand-designed pieces of warmth for others in need.
Spec4 Thomas [Tommy] J. Ptak, Killed in Action, 22 March 1968
March 22, 2025, will mark 57 years since Thomas Ptak, son of Benjamin and Gerry Ptak, of Highland Avenue, Highlands, was killed in Vietnam, the only resident of Highlands to lose his life during the Vietnam War.
To families who knew the Ptak family, and youngsters who attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help school and Henry Hudson High School with some of Tommy’s brothers and sisters, it was difficult to accept his loss.
His funeral mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help was overflowing with neighbors, friends, military members and relatives and several years later, Ptak Tower, the senior citizen complex on Shore Drive. was built and named in his honor.
For many for whom knew and Loved Tommy, the date will never be forgotten, the pain will never be dulled, the memories never to fade .
It is 57 years since Tommy’s death. That is …
684 months without a son
2,974 weeks without a brother
20,819 days with Broken Hearts
The following is the article I wrote in 1968 after Tommy’s funeral
They buried Tommy Ptak Monday morning, the local newspaper in Highlands reported April 4, 1968.
It was Specialist fourth class Thomas Ptak, 270 Highland Avenue, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Ptak, to the very militarily correct Army sergeant who escorted the soldier’s body from the place where he died in Hue, Vietnam, back home to Highlands for the funeral, then on to Mt. Olivet Cemetery where he will rest forever.
It was Spec 4/c Thomas Ptak to the six ramrod straight and Army-perfect soldiers who served as pallbearers at the military funeral at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church where Tommy and his family had worshiped all his life.
To all Americans, to all citizens of a free country, it was Spec. 4/c Thomas Ptak whose body lay in the plain casket under the American flag.
But to the hundreds of people who crowded into Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church for a last goodbye and a funeral mass, to the dozens more who spilled out onto the steps of the Church that gave a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean, it was just plain Tommy.
It was Tommy to young brothers and sisters, some of whom weren’t old enough to comprehend the ugly way in which he died.
It was Tommy to sorrowing parents who couldn’t begin to comprehend what wonderful parents they had been and how much love they received from all ten of their children.
It was Tommy, the son who would have been proud of their strength at his funeral.
It was Tommy to the dozens and dozens of high school students from the regional high school he attended, and the two local Catholic high schools where some of his friends attended. They all could remember happier days when Tommy was skillfully performing on a gym horse or tossing a ball with them in the middle of the street.
It was Tommy to the school principals who remembered Tommy as a “good boy, a typical boy, the kind you’d want in any class.”
It was Tommy to practically every neighbor along Highland Avenue and Valley St. where Tommy grew up, folks who remembered a friendly wave or a smile from a busy youth working on a motorcycle in the yard as they passed the always happy, always busy Ptak home.
Neighbors who had broken all the rules of protocol and flew their American flags at half-staff even before Highlands Mayor John A. Bahrs ordered it for the entire town. The neighbors had all gone out to front yards to lower their flags the minute they heard of Tommy’s death.
It was Tommy to the three priests who concelebrated the funeral mass: the one who grew up in the parish and knew the whole Ptak family, the one who spent five years in the parish and knew and visited often with the family, and the one who just arrived in Highlands the year previous, not lucky enough to get closely acquainted with the young hero.
It was Tommy to the police chief and members of the police department who could remember he was ‘a nice kid, we ought to have more like him.”
It was Tommy to the altar boys who formed their own guard of honor as his body left the church. Boys who were classmates of Tommy’s younger brothers or sisters.
It was Tommy to the grammar schoolgirls who sorrowfully sang a very special funeral mass. It was a mass for the Tommy some of them had looked up to when they were very small, and he was a big eighth grader. It was Tommy, the big brother of their classmates, the big brother who looked so grown up and handsome in his army uniform.
It was Tommy to a neighbor who had served more than twenty years himself in the service of his country. Now retired as a Sergeant Major, Sal Giovenco attended the funeral in full dress uniform, perhaps to show the family of the young hero that he was proud of this particular soldier, proud to have known him, and proud to show that he too believes in the cause for which Tommy died. Sal knew, and showed, Tommy deserved the honor and respect of the American soldier’s uniform.
Spec4 Thomas [Tommy] J. Ptak, Killed in Action, 22 March 1968The official records refer to Tommy as Thomas John Ptak. Born Feb. 1, 1948, died March 22, 1968. The Army records indicate he was an E4, Specialist Fourth Class, ID # 11755688, a member of C Company, Second Battalion, 501st Infantry, 101st Infantry Regiment…Geronimo, as it was known.
He had been promoted twice.
He started his Vietnam tour on December 14, 1967, and he was in Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam, March 22, 1968, 98 days later, when he was killed in a hostile ground attack of multiple fragmentation wounds. Died outright, the records say. Body recovered. He did have many honors, though: the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Combat Infantry Badge and several Vietnam Campaign Medals presented by the South Vietnamese government in appreciation for our American forces.
They buried Tommy Ptak Monday morning; the newspaper continued. The nation lost a soldier, parents lost a son, and Highlands lost a very special youth.
There were plenty of smiles and happy faces besides Donna’s this morning when Gem’s House of Bagels opened its doors at the former Katz Confectioners on Bay Avenue in Highlands and owner Donna could greet all who patiently waited for the new eatery.
The owner of Gem’s House of Bagels in Keansburg…sister of the owner of the other seven scattered around the area, and a staff with equally large smiles and happy faces was eager to meet all the folks who have been patiently awaiting the opening, giving morning coffee-goers another option in addition to the Highlands Café at Washington Avenue for great breakfasts.
Donna’s showcase looked spectacular this morning, filled with all varieties of bagels and other pastries. There’s also a refrigerated showcase with some spectacular cream cheese spreads, including walnut raisin, vegetable and even jalapeno.
She also offers chicken and other salads, muffins, croissants, turnovers, some fascinating egg combinations and sandwiches. Only a table for sit down though, although Gem’s offers catering and there were also a lot of folks stopping in for takeout.
Great luck to another new and very happy business owner in Highlands.
AHES Students and their families from the Atlantic Highlands Elementary School raised more than $14, 800 in support of the American Health Association during their 2025 Kids Heart Challenge program sponsored by the American Heart Association.
That was one of the highlights in the monthly report prepared and read by Henry Hudson Regional High School Senior Juliana Werdann at this month’s meeting of the Board of Education. Werdann contacts each of the three schools in the district monthly and reports on major activities, achievements and programs of each. Her reports are on the regular agenda of each month’s regular meeting, following reports from the district superintendent, business administrator and board attorney.
Juliann Werdann on the right and instructor Dawn DeSanto
Werdann’s report indicated more than 128 Atlantic Highlands elementary school students registered for the Kids Heart Challenge with 20 students and their families completing Finn’s Mission, a program supported by the Heart Association that includes videos, tests, and paths to follow for brain and heart health. Finns Mission helps students earn badges, learn hands on CPR and recognize signs of stroke.
Werdann noted that through the active participation in the Heart Challenge, the school plays a vital role in promoting cardiovascular wellness both within the community and nationwide in contributing to scientific research and education.
Since 2012, the local school has raised more than $209,000 for the American Heart Association because of the support and dedication of not only the students, but staff and families as well.
Students in the Highlands Elementary School also set a new school record for funds raised for the Kids Heart Challenge raising more than $6,000 for this year’s program, an achievement that earned the school $500 in physical education and wellness equipment.
