Beach Haven Fire Co. members assist with Parkway car fire rescue, marriage proposal days before Christmas

For a shore town fire department operating in the off-season, members of the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. have had a lot of action the past few days.

Pat O’Donnell, lieutenant and president of the fire company, was at the right place at the right time Monday morning, when he helped put out a car fire on the Garden State Parkway. O’Donnell, who also owns a pool table service company, said he was traveling southbound from the Meadowlands to another job in Little Egg Harbor when he noticed a woman driving a minivan with smoke “pouring out of the hood.” After pulling over, the vehicle erupted into flames, trapping the woman’s baby in the back of the van, O’Donnell said.

Photo via Facebook
Four days before Christmas, Jenna Anderson
and Lewie Letts, both members of the local
fire company, got engaged to be married.

“The baby was so small. It was an infant,” he told The SandPaper later that afternoon.

Members of the Forked River Volunteer Fire Co. were notified of the incident near Parkway exit 74 around 11 a.m. and were on their way to the scene at the time.

In the interim, O’Donnell helped snuff out the fire with two extinguishers carried by a firefighter from the Lanoka Harbor fire department, who had also stopped to help. The baby was then rescued from the vehicle.

“Another minute was about all we had,” said O’Donnell. “If she hadn’t pulled over when she did, we might not have been able to get to the baby in time.”

As a volunteer firefighter, O’Donnell claimed the rescue was “not really that big a deal.”

“Of course I’m going to stop; it’s instinct,” he said. “I’m a volunteer, so I’m basically on-call. If the whistle goes off, I go. Any one of the guys from my department would have done the same thing.”

This incident followed another dramatic event involving Beach Haven Fire Co. members.

The previous day, the fire company rallied around Deputy Chief Lewie Letts, helping him pull off a surprise marriage proposal during the company’s annual holiday fire truck rides.

Letts, who has been volunteering with the company since 2005, proposed Sunday to fellow firefighter Jenna Anderson. Letts’ sister, Kristen Jackson, helped distract Anderson with a gift of a dozen roses during a group photo with Santa, while Letts got down on one knee behind her.

“It was amazing; it couldn’t have been better,” Letts said. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget her face when she turned around. I was super excited. I knew she was going to say yes. There was no doubt.”

Anderson did say yes, and the couple embraced each other while surrounded by friends and family.

Letts said he had been planning the proposal "since before Thanksgiving." He wanted to enjoy it with everyone, but also make it “a total surprise,” he explained.

The couple has been dating for the past two years, after meeting at the firehouse. They both come from a long line of retired and active local firefighters.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church hosts Narcan distribution, recovery service for families, friends and addicts

HOPE Sheds Light, an organization dedicated to providing communities with an understanding of the disease of addiction, specifically regarding such drugs as heroin and other opiates, including prescription drugs, is joining forces with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office for a Narcan distribution seminar at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Brant Beach on Jan. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is geared toward family members and friends living with a drug addict. A total of 50 kits will be available, and training will be provided on how to use the intranasal device.

Photo via Press of Atlantic City
50 kits will be available to anyone living with
a drug addict, including family and friends.

Narcan, also known by the generic name naloxone, is used to temporarily reverse the potentially fatal effects of opiate overdose. Due to the area’s drug epidemic, police officers and EMTs in all of the county’s 33 municipalities have been equipped with the opiate neutralizer through a program spearheaded by the prosecutor’s office. The hope is to now get Narcan in the hands of family members.

“When a person stops breathing, you typically have three to four minutes to do something, to save their life,” said county prosecutor’s office representative Al Della Fave. “We love that police officers and EMTs have it, but that’s a critical window – three to four minutes. So if a family member has it, it definitely raises the revival rate of the individual, if they’re able to administer it immediately.”

According to the prosecutor’s office, there have been 122 Narcan reversals in the county since April 6, when the Narcan program officially rolled out. There have also been 77 overdose deaths, 76 of which were opiate-related. During this time last year, the county had 108 overdose deaths, a “majority” of which were opiate-related.

“We believe that’s mostly in part to the naloxone program,” said Della Fave. “If you consider that those 122 people reversed may have died, our numbers would again be up hovering where they were last year. We understand it’s just a temporary fix, just like the finger in the dike, until we can work with health department people and social service folks to get these individuals into rehab and break the cycle of addiction.”

HOPE Sheds Light, a group of local business people, law enforcement and mental health agencies, drug rehabs, churches and other nonprofits, is working to do just that. Formed in 2012 by the Rosetto family, who lost their son to substance abuse, the organization is dedicated to helping anyone in need.

“It’s just a bunch of people who’ve come together to say, ‘You know what, this heroin situation is a monster, and we’re going to do our best to just come together and bring in all the different skills and talents that everybody has,’ said the Rev. James Jacob of Holy Trinity Church, a HOPE board member. “The recovery groups are there. Narcotics Anonymous is represented. There’s people from AA. And we’re just saying, ‘Enough is enough. This has got to end. It’s just crazy.’

“All of us, we can’t just turn our heads and say, ‘It won’t be my kid’ because it’s everybody,” he added. “My sons are young, and as a parent you have to think about it. These are good kids. These are kids that just got started experimenting, and it takes hold, and it takes hold fast. ... Unfortunately we (Ocean County) have the dubious distinction of being real big in heroin overdoses.”

Of course, using Narcan as a form of help has its share of attached stigma, said Jacob, a Manahawkin resident who has been in recovery for 20 years from heroin addiction.

“I had one public official, I won’t say who, who told me that these people are just going to go out and do it again. That’s one sentiment you run into,” he said. “What I always say to people is ‘Suppose it was your son.’ Some people actually say to me, ‘Just let them die,’ and I’m like ‘OK, well, first of all, I’m a person of faith. We don’t go that route; we don’t just let people die. My feeling is I don’t care if they use it 10 times. Hopefully we keep trying until they get it. Each death is just not acceptable.”

To help enforce the message of recovery, Jacob will begin leading a recovery service “for families and people that are in addiction situations” at Holy Trinity Church every Sunday at 12:30 p.m., starting Jan. 11.

“It’s another way to reach out and support people and say, ‘We’re here for you,’” he said. “What HOPE Sheds Light is doing, and what we’re doing, is we’re forming teams of people to say, ‘When someone gets out of drug rehab, or when someone gets out of jail, or when someone ODs, there’s that crucial period of time between when they walk out of the hospital.’ A lot of times they end up going back to their former life. What we’re saying is ‘Lets have a team of medical professionals and law enforcement people and churches to say, ‘You know what, we can help you get a job, we can help you get clean, we can send you to Narcotics Anonymous, we can help you get into a rehab. We can help you with your family life, we can counsel you, we can pray with you. We can be here with you so that you can turn your life around,” because most of the junkies that are out there, that I know, are people who don’t really want to go on with this any longer. They really do want to stop; they just don’t know how. I say that from experience.”

For more information about the seminar and service, call Jacob at 609-494-6888.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Ship Bottom woman celebrates her well-traveled life, 100th birthday on Christmas

Jean E. Dean, a woman filled with wanderlust who eventually settled at the Jersey Shore in Ship Bottom in the mid-1960s, will celebrate one of her greatest milestones this Christmas. The local resident, who spent much of her adult life traveling the country as a Trans World Airlines flight attendant, where she befriended owner Howard Hughes, before eventually marrying Alfred “Chubby” Dean, a Major League Baseball pitcher and first baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics (now the Oakland Athletics) and the Cleveland Indians in the 1930s and ’40s, will celebrate her 100th birthday on Dec. 25.

To celebrate Dean’s century of life, and many more years to come, she plans to enjoy a lobster dinner with her grandson, Greg Root, and his girlfriend, Joy Buhler, at The Octopus’s Garden in Mayetta on Christmas Eve.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Jean Dean recounts memories of
her life over the past 100 years.

Though she now lives a quiet life with her two cats, Ruby and Meow, just three houses from the ocean on Long Beach Island in a duplex below her grandson, the New Jersey native who grew up in Riverside said she has had a “wonderful life” exploring land, sky and sea.

Dean had written to Eastern Airlines in her early years and was denied a position because “they only hired men.” But her nursing skills, which she acquired after high school while working at St. Agnes Hospital in Philadelphia, later helped her obtain a position with TWA, originally formed as Transcontinental and Western Air.

Standing at 5-feet-5, Dean said she was told during her interview, which she kept quiet from her parents, that she was too tall. She was later chosen out of 100 applicants.

“I made it out of 20 girls,” she remembered. “I was in the biggest planes all the time. I had a good reputation.”

She left the Garden State to move to Kansas City, where TWA was once headquartered. She was on the initial flight of the first TWA Stratoliner, the first commercial plane with a pressurized cabin, which was delivered in 1940.

Dean escaped death from a TWA crash that killed 22 people, including Carole Lombard and her mother and 15 army servicemen, in January 1942. Dean was supposed to be on the flight, but switched shifts with a fellow flight attendant.

“I was so upset about it that I was going to quit flying,” she said.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The LBI resident worked as a flight attendant
for the Trans World Airlines for many years.

Dean did not quit, however. She was a good friend of Hughes, who often asked for her personal assistance when flying. The first time they met, she said, she had to help him out of his bed, which had “fallen apart and sunken.” Although Dean thought she would be fired, Hughes simply told her she had “really pinched his ass,” she said, laughing at the memory.

“He came up to the door, and I’ll never forget, he had a New York Times paper, and he was a handsome man then,” she remembered. “He had on a dark, cashmere coat. I’ll never forget it.”

While on a layover in Chicago one day (much to her disappointment because she had a date somewhere else), Dean said she also got a chance to meet Chubby, her husband of 30 years, who died of a heart attack in 1970.

“Chubby was terrific,” she said. “He was the smartest person, and he was great at beating the Yankees. He shut them out two times on opening day. I had a wonderful life with him because everything was sports. You mention it, and I went to it – Kentucky Derbies and everything, all the big things he would do.”

They both loved to travel, and she went by boat to join him in Germany, where Chubby was stationed in the military during World War II. During their stay, Dean often took trips all over Europe. In 1950, she went to Rome with 300 other people to meet Pope Pius XII, who blessed her at the Vatican, which she believes helped her get pregnant after doctors had told her she would never be able to have children. She had her only daughter, Donna Root, shortly after returning to the United States.

“Miracles do happen,” said Dean. “What’s to be will be.”

During her travels, she met many famous people, including actors James Cagney and Errol Flynn, comedian George Burns and New York Yankees center fielder Joe DiMaggio, as well as singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole.

Dean has traveled to every state except North and South Dakota and Alaska, her grandson said. She also worked many years for MacMillan Publishing Co.

“I had a wonderful life, I really did,” she said. “I’m open for everything.”

Although Dean dated and even received marriage proposals after Chubby passed away, she vowed never to marry again.

“She’s gone to Hawaii. She went to see the Eagles play in the Super Bowl in 1981. She’s done everything she ever wanted to do,” her grandson said. “She’s dated musicians, she’s dated athletes. She’s done it all. She’s been married. She’s gone on balloon rides. She’s done everything you can think of: nursing, modeling, dancing, all that, everything. Everything you can think of, she’s done.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.

Lawsuit against Beach Haven Borough dismissed by judge

Photo via Google
The case was presented at the Ocean County
Courthouse on Friday, Dec. 12.

A civil action lawsuit against the borough of Beach Haven regarding the Nov. 4 General Election for town council, filed by Beach Haven resident Tom Lynch, was dismissed by the Superior Court of New Jersey Civil Division Ocean County on Dec. 15 “for failure to produce sufficient evidence to support its claims,” according to court documents received by The SandPaper that same day. Lynch, who represented himself during the case, led by Presiding Judge Craig L. Wellerson at the Ocean County Courthouse in Toms River on Friday, Dec. 12, had filed a formal complaint against the town, which was represented by Borough Solicitor Richard Shackleton. Lynch challenged several of the absentee votes by requesting that “these votes be excluded from the Beach Haven Borough General Election for Town Council and a new recount be provided and then made official.”

“He was challenging the validity of a handful of voters’ residencies,” said Beach Haven Borough Clerk Sherry Mason, who was served with the paperwork on Dec. 8. “It really wasn’t a challenge of the count of write-ins, or anything like that. What he was doing was trying to pick out a handful of voters and claiming that they were not able to vote in Beach Haven because of their residency.”

Saying that the challenge is now done and over, Lynch, when reached by phone, preferred not to comment further on the matter.

Following the election, members of the Ocean County Board of Elections met Nov. 10 to certify the write-in and provisional votes cast in the county, including for the Beach Haven Borough Council. According to Marie Peterson, assistant supervisor of the board, incumbent Beach Haven Councilman James White received 166 of the 169 write-ins, as well as one provisional ballot, for a final tally of 167 votes, officially re-electing him for one of the two available council seats.

Don Kakstis, one of the four candidates who officially ran in the election, received the other available seat with 202 votes. Lynch, who came in third, received 164 votes, plus one provisional vote, for a final tally of 165 votes, Peterson said.

Prior to the election, the Concerned Citizens of Beach Haven, a committee of local residents that formed to seek White’s re-election, invested in letters and signs urging voters to write him in on the ballot due to his “strong leadership” during his current term, especially during Superstorm Sandy and the ongoing recovery process.

White, along with Councilman Edward Kohlmeir, had decided not to run for re-election, “to give someone else a chance,” he said. After learning of his potential write-in, he said he would be “humbled and proud to serve if it would come to pass.”

White is expected to be sworn in Jan. 2.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.

Ocean County municipalities gearing up for 'continued environmental and economic benefits' through recycling

All of Ocean County’s 33 municipalities are expected to sign five-year Recycling Center Use and Revenue Sharing Program agreements for the new year, allowing for “continued environmental and economic benefits,” a recent press release from the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders stated.

Photo via Google
The county's municipalities receive financial
benefits from the agreements, as well.

“This action allows us to continue working with our towns in providing the best possible recycling opportunities,” said Freeholder James F. Lacey, who serves as liaison to the county’s award-winning recycling program.

The agreement outlines the proper use of the two regional recycling centers and the acceptable recycling materials. The Southern Recycling Center is located off Stafford Park Boulevard in Stafford Township, and the Northern Recycling Center is located off New Hampshire Avenue in Lakewood.

The agreement also provides towns with the benefit of the county’s Revenue Sharing Program, which allows for the distribution of 50 percent of the county’s recycling revenue.

“This program provides municipalities a dividend based on the amount of material recycled,” Lacey explained.

“Recycling comes with numerous benefits for our residents and towns,” added Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. “Because of all the components of the program, including paint management, electronic recycling, household hazardous waste collections, paper shredding and all the materials included in single-stream recycling, we are saving landfill space and decreasing the amount of items dumped illegally.”

Next year marks the fifth year since the county implemented single-stream recycling, Lacey noted.

“This has proven to be a great success as we see the recycling rate increase,” he said. “Our residents have done a great job in embracing single-stream recycling. Placing all materials into one bin at the curb has made the program as convenient as possible. Residents don’t have to bundle papers or place recyclables in plastic bags. As a matter of fact, we urge them not to use plastic bags because they can damage the recycling machinery. All materials can remain loose and mixed together in one container.”

The county’s Single Stream Processing Center, a “premier public/private partnership between Ocean County and Waste Management Recycle America,” opened at the Northern Recycling Center in October 2010, Lacey noted. Waste Management made an investment of over $3 million to the single-stream processing modifications, while the county contributed close to $1 million in replacing the aging baler, electrical upgrades and observation gallery modifications.

“Our residents and municipalities saw early on the benefits from this project, which made recycling easier,” Lacey said. “I encourage all of our residents to recycle. It really helps make a difference here in Ocean County.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

St. Francis Community Center piloting infant massage course for babies, parents and caretakers

It is no surprise that infant massage, nurturing touch used on babies by parents or caregivers, is known to encourage a stronger bond between the pair. But it can also provide myriad other benefits for a baby’s well-being, said Lori Tomaro, director of St. Francis Community Center’s Family Support Services and one of nine professionals in the department who is trained in the practice.

“We want for babies to understand that their needs are going to be met, so this is a time where we focus on them. It’s a quieter setting,” she explained.

Photo via St. Francis Community Center
Amy Mackenzie (left) of St. Francis
practices the nurturing touch on a doll while
Veronica Lozano massages her daughter.

Benefits of the skin-on-skin contact range from better sleep and digestion as well as improved circulation to reducing colic and gas symptoms and stress. Tomaro saw these issues relieved in babies who participated with their parents in a training course hosted by St. Francis and conducted by Infant Massage USA, the U.S. chapter of the International Association of Infant Massage founded in Sweden in 2005.

“Even with one of those babies, who had some elimination concerns (she was constipated), we got to see a difference within those three days,” Tomaro said. “Mom was reporting sleeping being better. Sleeping was getting longer; there was less waking up in the middle of the night. Over three days, waking up during the middle of the night went from four or five times to one time.”

The training program, held at St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church in Beach Haven in September, was funded by a research study for home visitation programs through the federal government.

“We had read about the benefits of infant massage prior to attending the training, which is what made it such a gift to be able to do this,” said Tomaro. “But once we completed the training, what we saw and the information that we heard, we wanted to share it with everybody. We kind of felt like it was a gift that everybody should have because it’s not something just stay-at-home moms can do. A mom who’s working full time can do this before bath. Dads can do this in a way to make sure they get their special time with their baby. So we see the importance. We want to make sure everyone has the information and opportunity.”

To spread awareness of the process, members from St. Francis have started a five-week infant massage course, aimed at teaching others how to properly engage in the practice.

“There are specific, deliberate massage strokes for different parts of the body,” said Tomaro. “There’s little songs, nursery rhymes, that go along with different ones.”

During the center’s first five-week program, held from October through November, a 6-week-old colicky baby “was relaxed, comfortable and not fussy for many hours, when in the beginning it was only one hour of peace, during the massage,” Tomaro said.

“That’s huge for a mom who’s home all day with her baby who’s crying all day. It gives them another avenue to pursue if baby’s fussy,” she added.

An entire massage, used on the legs, arms, face and belly, takes about 45 minutes. Of course, it does not need to be done all at once, said Tomaro. The massage, which uses edible oils such as vegetable or coconut oils “because babies put their hands in the mouth,” can be done throughout the day. It can also be used for bedtime relaxation, “to help them have a nice, sound, restful sleep.”

Before beginning, parents are instructed to engage in some of their own relaxation techniques, to help ground them for the process.

“It is a special time created by the parents with their baby,” said Tomaro. “We live in a world that’s very rushed. Parents are working eight hours a day. Babies are maybe in childcare. This is a special time,” she emphasized.

The technique is a great complement to St. Francis’ Parents as Teachers program in which trained professionals work specifically with expectant mothers up until the children are 5 years old, to provide in-home services and to make sure the babies are reaching their milestones – that they are walking, crawling and learning to talk at appropriate time frames so they are ready to start school.

“It kind of fits in with the services we provide in strengthening families,” said Tomaro. “We teach parenting, we teach anger management, in-home parenting. We have a program for Spanish-speaking, in-home therapy. So it’s all about creating a better environment for children and their families.”

The Parents as Teachers program also provides activities or referrals to other community agencies if children are “lagging behind a bit.”

“We work with some parents who are busy with everyday life situations and maybe don’t understand that they can strengthen that bond,” Tomaro said. “A lot of people could almost be insulted by (someone) saying (infant massage) ‘is going to increase your bonding and attachment.’ They’re like, ‘I’m bonded.’ But this strengthens and deepens it to a deeper level.

“Every baby doesn’t have the benefit of having a parent that is always bonded,” she added. “It could be because of medical issues, where babies don’t get to be on their mom right away. You see in movies where they take that baby and they put it right on top of their mom (after birth). Sometimes that doesn’t get to happen. Bonding happens within the first few days of the baby’s life. Attachment is over a much longer period of time. So we’re strengthening that, and what that does is it gives that message to the baby that all their needs are being met. This increases their confidence and overall well-being.”

A five-week program, which began Nov. 22, is being conducted by St. Francis at the Stafford branch of the Ocean County Library on Saturdays, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Instructors are also hoping to begin a Tuesday morning class for interested participants. To register, or for more information, call 609-494-8861.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Beach Haven, other LBI towns to receive beach replenishment via Long Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Project

All of Long Beach Island, including Beach Haven, will receive free beach replenishment via the Long Beach Island Coastal Storm Damage Reduction project, Richard Crane, Beach Haven borough manager, announced during the monthly town council meeting on Monday, Dec. 8. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $128 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. for the project, a joint effort between the Army Corps’ Philadelphia District and the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The beach replenishment is expected to
be completed by May 2016.

According to a press release, the work will involve dredging approximately eight million cubic yards of sand from an approved borrow area approximately three miles offshore of LBI. The sand will be pumped through a series of pipes onto the beaches within the municipalities of Beach Haven, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom and a small section of Surf City over a length of 12.7 miles. The sand will then be built into a dune and berm system designed to reduce potential damages to infrastructure, businesses and homes that can occur from coastal storm events. The contract includes the construction of dune crossovers, placement of sand fencing and dune grass plantings.

The project was partially completed when Superstorm Sandy hit the Shore in 2012. The Army Corps completed the initial construction of the project in Surf City in 2006; Harvey Cedars in 2010; and Brant Beach between 31st and 57th streets in Long Beach Township in 2012. The Army Corps repaired beaches in Surf City and Harvey Cedars in 2012 after Hurricane Irene, and fully restored the beaches within all three communities after Sandy in 2013. The restoration and repair work was fully funded through the Army Corps’ Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies program.

The Army Corps is expected to issue a Notice to Proceed prior to the end of this year, after which the contractor will have 480 days to complete the project, Crane explained. Work is expected to be completed by May 2016.

Construction will be funded entirely by the federal government through the 2013 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, commonly referred to as the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill. Following the completion of initial construction, the project will be eligible for continued periodic nourishment.

It was also announced during the town council meeting that two companies associated with the state Neighborhood Preservation Grant program regarding reconstruction of Beach Haven's municipal building and renovation of its emergency operations center came out last week to do environmental studies of the buildings.

“We’re anxiously awaiting the results, so hopefully we can move on to the next level of the process,” Crane said.

Also last week, the borough received bids for two projects on the bayside of Coral Street. The replacement of the water main, anticipated to begin in January, received eight bids with the lowest from P&A Construction of Colonia for $243,462.30. The state Department of Transportation Road Reconstruction Program project, expected to begin in the springtime following drainage work, received seven bids, the lowest of which came from Earle Asphalt in Farmingdale at $414,313.13.

Councilman James White announced that, due to the strain on the local first aid squad, some members of the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. are expected to begin working “hand in glove” with the EMTs.

“It looks like it’s going to take off, and it should solve the problem of the volunteers on that squad that are really under a burden right now,” he said.

During public comment, the council members addressed the issue regarding tent weddings in residential neighborhoods by saying they are continuing to work among themselves and with a lawyer on the best way to proceed.

“I think that there’s still some things we need to discuss, and council, I don’t think we exactly all feel the same about this issue,” said Councilwoman Nancy Taggart Davis.

Technically, she explained, the way a number of pertaining ordinances are now written, tent affairs can be held in a residential area only if they are for personal use, something which has not been fully enforced. If the ordinances are going to be changed, it needs to be done “very rapidly” so that people who have booked weddings in the area can make accommodations.

The council also praised the recent holiday events in town, many of which have been orchestrated by Beach Haven Future as well as the Long Beach Island Historical Museum.

In other meeting news, the council adopted an amendment to increase the dog license fee by 30 cents. Another amendment, which changed the deadline for purchasing a preseason tennis pass to June 15, was also adopted. A revision to clarify the six-trash-receptacle limit for business and commercial establishments was adopted, too.

An ordinance amendment pertaining to special events and block parties held in the borough, including bonfires, was passed on introduction.

“We made a lot of subtle changes here and there,” Sherry Mason, borough clerk, told The SandPaper. Changes range from insurance limits to fixed and waived fees as well as guidelines for security deposits.

At the close of the meeting, Councilman Edward Kohlmeir, who is leaving the council at the end of the year, expressed his gratitude in working with the town.

“This is my last official meeting that I’ll be attending, and I want to say, ‘thank you,’ to everyone on this council,” he said. “It has been a wonderful, wonderful 4 1/2 years. I’ve given 9 1/2 years to the borough’s service, and I’m looking forward still to continue to serve the borough. But I can tell everyone in this town that you have four other individuals on this council that are excellent, excellent people.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.

Moustache Party at Hudson House Bar to benefit local group's fight against 'man cancers'

Sporting a mustache in November is more than just a fashion statement. For those participating in the Movember campaign, growing out the facial hair is a way of rallying together in support of the Movember Foundation, the leading global organization dedicated to helping those living with “man cancers” receive the treatment and care they need.

Photo via FacebookRobby Ellender, the Handlebar Falcons
team leader, is a bartender at the Hud.

A Moustache Party to help support one local group’s Movember fundraising team will be held at the Hudson House Bar in North Beach Haven on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 9 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for best ’stache and most raised funds. A Mr. and Mrs. Movember will also be named.

Although tongue in cheek, the event is dedicated to helping conquer some very serious diseases such as prostate and testicular cancers. Group leader and Hudson House bartender Robby Ellender, one of 12 participants on the Handlebar Falcons team, has committed to donating all of his tips from the event to the campaign.

“I’ve been doing this for six years. It started as just a way to do some good,” Ellender said. “In my lifetime one in two men will be diagnosed with cancer. That’s a staggering statistic. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in men, just behind lung cancer.

“I found out about (the campaign) when I went to Temple University, and it seemed like a fundraiser that was right up my alley. I can’t really run marathons, and I’m not smart enough to organize anything monumental, but I can grow a moustache and ask my friends to help.”

All of the team members have their own reasons for joining the campaign. Ellender said he participates in honor of his grandfather who died of lymphoma when Ellender was in kindergarten. Ryan Zielinski does it for his father, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago and is now in remission.

“Cancer just plain sucks,” said Ellender.

So far this year the team has raised $1,490. Ellender has helped raise $210 of the total and hopes to reach his personal goal of $1,000. In order to entice people to donate to the group, he has offered some pretty bold stipulations, such as getting a tattoo chosen by anyone who donates over $200. Those who donate over $100 will receive a large painting by Ellender, and $50 will get donors a small painting. Any donation between $50 and $31 will get contributors a color, hand drawing signed by Ellender. Donations between $30 and $21 incorporate a signed hand drawing. Donations of $20 to $11 include a free beer, and a personalized thank-you will be given to anyone who donates between $10 and $1.

Last year, the group helped raise nearly $4,000 for the campaign, which is the most they have ever collected. They hope to at least match that figure this year.

“Every year it gets bigger and bigger,” Ellender said.

Although the group usually hosts a pancake breakfast benefit, this year they have all been “preoccupied” with one of the Falcon members’ wedding. They expect to “pick up the slack” next year, Ellender said.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Beach Haven School’s new swimming program to begin next month

Students at the Beach Haven School will get their feet wet through a new school-funded swimming program at the St. Francis Aquatics Center in Brant Beach beginning next month.

Photo by Kristin Blair
The indoor aquatics center
was built in 2003.

“It’s great for physical activity, and they live by the ocean. They should know how to swim,” said EvaMarie Raleigh, school superintendent. “Not all kids know how to swim, even though they live here. Anytime you live by the ocean, a body of water or two bodies of water, it’s really important.”

Students in grades four through six will attend the program for an hour each a week, for a total of 15 sessions. Five sessions will be held during the springtime for those in first, second and third grades. The school’s Pre-K and kindergarten classes will attend three open-swim sessions in May, when the older students are busy with state testing.

Three instructors will be leading the classes, including a St. Francis swim teacher as well as school gym teacher Mark Cummings and school music teacher Toni Dworkin, who is a former Southern Regional swimmer.

The program, suggested by a parent last year, was approved by the school board in August and will cost about $2,000.

“I was a swimmer and a swim coach, so I’m all for swimming,” said Raleigh.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.

‘Celebrate the Season’ in Beach Haven includes new and traditional holiday festivities

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Beach Haven is offering a vast array of
holiday activities throughout December.

This year’s Celebrate the Season, a month-long event of holiday festivities in Beach Haven beginning the weekend of Nov. 28, will include more activities than ever before, from horse and carriage rides at Kapler’s Pharmacy, the annual tree lighting at Veterans Bicentennial Park and caroling at the Long Beach Island Museum to a holiday dog parade hosted by Lucky’s Bed and Biscuit, an ugly sweater brunch at The Gables Inn and Restaurant and a buffet-style Christmas party at Tuckers Tavern, to name a few. Some of the events have been taking place for several years, but other exciting, new festivities have been added to complement the traditional merriment.

“Celebrate the Season will continue to grow with special activities added each and every year,” said Barbara Cona, executive director of Beach Haven Future, a local organization comprised of business owners and residents that helps coordinate the community event. “The small-town feel of Beach Haven provides an atmosphere where holiday memories are created and celebrated.”

BHF is sponsoring three of the many special events, including a Holiday Decorating Contest in Beach Haven with judging for best residence and best business. There will also be a “People’s Choice” component, where individuals may vote for their personal favorite by placing a ballot in the designated box at Spice It Up in Bay Village, Murphy’s Marketplace, Buckalew’s Restaurant, Kapler’s Pharmacy, Diane Turton Real Estate, or Carmen’s Restaurant. Nominations must be submitted to bhf@beachhavenfuture.com by Dec. 5.

BHF’s Christmas Party Fundraiser will be held at Buckalew’s Restaurant on Friday, Dec. 5, from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 per adult and include light fare, two drinks and entertainment. A Christmas hat contest will also be held, and Murphy’s Marketplace will have donation packages available for $8 and $12, which will benefit St. Francis Food Pantry. Tickets can be purchased through Buckalew’s or online at beachhavenfuture.com/apps/webstore/.

A “Dine Around Town” progressive dinner hosted by BHF will be held on Friday, Dec. 12, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The evening will start with the first course at Tuckers Tavern. Participants will then move to Carmen’s Restaurant for the second course before heading to Buckalew’s for the third course and entertainment. Tickets, $50, are available at beachhavenfuture.com/apps/webstore/, or at participating restaurants.

For a complete list of Celebrate the Season events, visit beachhavenfuture.com/celebrate-the-season.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

‘I Am Road Comic’ to screen at South End Surf ’N Paddle Nov. 29

Photo via IMDb
The film is directed by Jordan Brady.

The Lighthouse International Film Society is shining the spotlight on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 29, with the 8 p.m. screening of “I Am Road Comic” at South End Surf ’N Paddle in Beach Haven.

A follow-up to cult-favorite stand-up documentary “I Am Comic,” the film offers an in-depth look at what it means to be a working comedian in 2014.

“The documentary examines the good, the bad, the hilarious and the ugly as these comedic road warriors take it on the road,” Christine Rooney, managing director of the Lighthouse International Film Festival, said.

“I Am Road Comic” features interviews with some of today’s hottest stand-up comics such as Judah Friedlander, Niki Glaser, Maria Bamford, Doug Benson, Wayne Federman, Jim Norton and Alonzo Bodden. The film is directed by Jordan Brady, whose resume includes “Waking up in Reno” with Billy Bob Thornton and Charlize Theron as well as “The Third Wheel” with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Tickets cost $5. Admission is free for film society members. 

For more information, visit lighthousefilmfestival.org.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Applications available for St. Francis Counseling Service’s Winter Confidential Sexual Violence Advocate Training

Photo via nj.com
Certified volunteers will help support victims of
 sexual assault through hotline calls and in person.

In view of the local and national discussion on sexual assault awareness, which is prevalent on college campuses as well as in communities spanning Ocean County, a Winter Confidential Sexual Violence Advocate Training, hosted by St. Francis Counseling Service, will be held at the Toms River South High School every Monday from 6 to 9 p.m., for 12 weeks beginning Jan. 5. Individuals interested in providing guidance, support, information and referrals to survivors of violence through hospital accompaniments and hotline calls are invited to take part in the program.

“St. Francis Community Center recognizes the importance of developing a methodology that treats sexual assault victims with sensitivity and understanding,” said Erin Borysewicz, sexual assault/abuse prevention outreach coordinator at St. Francis Counseling Service. “The dignified, compassionate and well-organized treatment of victims is an essential element in creating an environment in which individuals feel safe reaching out for support and assistance.”

The volunteer services are expected to help promote healing for the victim as well as to improve the identification and collection of evidence in all cases of sexual assault. By collaborating with community partners, the program also serves to bridge the gap of awareness for community members who may benefit from the services.

“Every survivor has a story, sometimes that goes untold,” said Borysewicz. “We provide a safe place for survivors to gain strength, empowerment and begin to take control back in their lives. ... We are looking to increase our number of trained CSVAs in Ocean County, in order to better serve both community and campus settings with the victim-centered approach of advocacy and awareness.”

Applications for the service training can be obtained by emailing Borysewicz at e.borysewicz@stfrancislbi.org. For more information, call 609-494-1554.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Stockton College Veterans Affairs program receives recognition by Military Times

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey has been named to the “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015” listing by Military Times, an organization comprised of the Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times, which is published by Gannett Government Media. The recognition is for the school’s Veterans Affairs program, which began in 2008 and serves over 400 veterans and active-duty service members.

“Our student veterans lead the region with veteran graduation rates at over 94 percent, and they excel academically as well,” President Herman Saatkamp said in a release.

Photo via Stockton College
The college is number 15 on
the list of four-year schools.

Stockton’s veterans program, ranked 22nd among 100 four-year schools, includes a full-time veterans counselor, a faculty resource team and a separate orientation for veteran students as well as a veterans’ lounge. Through the Office of Veteran Affairs, veterans and service members can explore eligibility for G.I. education benefits, receive referrals to a variety of support services and connect with their fellow veterans by becoming a part of Stockton’s Student Veterans Organization.

The “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015” listing is an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that make an organization a good fit for service members, military veterans and their families, Military Times said in a statement. In their fifth year, the rankings factor in the most comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military students’ success rates.

According to Military Times, the comprehensive survey requires schools to thoroughly document a tremendous array of services, special rules, accommodations and financial incentives offered to military and veteran students and to describe many aspects of veteran culture on a campus.

“We factor in what is, to our knowledge, the most detailed school-by-school data on veteran students’ academic success anywhere, including graduation, retention, persistence and course completion rates,” said Amanda Miller, editor of “Best for Vets.” “Two years ago, only 11 percent of the hundreds of schools surveyed could provide that level of detail. This year, that figure is up to 45 percent. By recognizing only the schools that do the most, we believe we’re helping to raise the bar in veteran student services.”

To view the full “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015” rankings, visit militarytimes.com/bestforvets-colleges2015.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.

Beach Haven School’s NJ ASK results reflect performance decrease in math, increase in English language arts

Using a PowerPoint presentation, Beach Haven School Superintendent EvaMarie Raleigh broke down the school’s New Jersey Assessment Skills and Knowledge results during the board of education’s monthly meeting, held on Nov. 18. The results from the standardized test, which is administered by the N.J. Department of Education and was taken in May by the students in grades three through six, consists of math and English language arts content, and also assesses additional grade levels in science. Together with the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) that is given to students in 11th grade, the NJ ASK is used to assess student performance in the state’s public schools.

Photo via Google
Statewide, scores were about the same
compared to last year.

Overall, the school’s scores reflected a performance decrease in math and an increase in ELA. The third-grade students’ scores showed an increase in ELA and were on target with the state mean, but dropped in math. The scores for students in fourth grade increased slightly in ELA, decreased in math and stayed about the same in science. The fifth-grade scores saw a drop in ELA and a significant drop in math. The scores for the sixth-grade students increased in both ELA and math.

Jennifer Tomlinson, a student parent who was elected to the board during November’s general election, said she believed the decrease in the scores reflected the shift in the school’s test preparation and readers/writers workshop.

Raleigh said the school’s overall results lined up with statewide performance results, which remained relatively consistent, with only slight increases or decreases from last year to this year. She did, however, acknowledge the school’s “math problem.”

“We definitely need improvement in math,” she said. “Our language arts scores are hanging right there, on every grade level, with the state.”

The school is also challenged with reducing the achievement gap, Raleigh added.

“It’s all about really what each kid needs,” she said.

Next year, the students will take the Partnership Assessment for Readiness of College and Careers assessments via computer. The assessments, aligned with the new, more rigorous Common Core State Standards, will measure whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers. The new testing will “dramatically change” the baseline, making it difficult to measure the past years’ scores, Raleigh said.

“Our goals for meeting the new Common Core State Standards and the corresponding Partnership Assessment for Readiness of College and Careers is to continue to utilize and strengthen our reader/writers programs for ELA and to determine the best materials (math series, on-line software, etc.) to use to meet the increasing demands in the math Common Core and PARCC,” said Raleigh. ”Currently we are exposing our students to more use of technology as the test will be taken via computers for the first time in the New Jersey state assessments. We will begin to have all students in grades three through six use practice assessments to be familiar with the new testing protocols and electronic tools.”

In other meeting news, it was announced that a $500 donation from the Beach Haven Community Arts Program is being used to partially fund a trip for the students to see the “The Wizard of Oz” at Surflight Theatre on Dec. 5. The balance is being paid by the PTA.

Raleigh also announced that Little Music Makers of Bernardsville donated “quite a list of musical items” to the school.

During public comment, student parent Shari Boehler urged the board to make an effort to have the board meetings recorded, a request she said she has made multiple times.

“It just seems there’s often discrepancies,” she explained. “I’ve had personal discrepancies with the meetings for my own personal comments for the minutes, for things that have been said. I see something tonight was brought up with a discrepancy. I don’t understand why they’re not recorded.”

Boehler also asked the board if she was allowed to bring cupcakes into school to celebrate her child’s upcoming birthday, an issue that has been debated between many parents and the board at prior meetings. Raleigh replied by saying the cupcakes could be brought into school but would be taken home, not eaten in class.

On another note, applications to fill the board seat left open by former vice president Sandra Close, who resigned in October, will be available until Dec. 12. A replacement is expected to be chosen by the board at next month’s public meeting, on Dec. 15, Raleigh said. The board will reorganize in January, welcoming Tomlinson and Meredith L. O’Donnell, both teachers in the Stafford Township School District who ran unopposed for the Beach Haven School Board’s two open seats in the November election.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.