LOOKING FOR MURIEL?

MIDDLETOWN - The AAUW Used Book Sale is featuring a 1/2 price sale Saturdays, June 12 and 19 from 9am to 1 pm as part of the end of season book event. The Used Book Store is located in the basement of Old First Church, 69 Kings Hwy and features shelves of books, puzzles, games and numer0us other recreational and educational used items at bargain prices. Most books are regularly priced at $3.00 for hardcover and $2.00 for paperbacks. June also features bargains on children’s books which range from a dime to half a dollar in price. Also featured are summer beach reads in a variety of romance novels. If marked with red dots, they are only ten cents each and include works by authors Nora Roberts, Barbara Delinsky, Linda Lael Miller, Maeve Binchy, Susan Mallory and Debbie Macomber. The sale also features many mystery authors including Danielle Steele, David Balducci and James Patterson. The final events before the Book Sale closes for July and August is the annual Bag Sale scheduled for Saturday, June 26 from 9:00 to 1:00. All books, greeting cards, puzzles, CDs, and DVDs that fit in a grocery bag are available for $5.00 a bag. The Book Sale volunteers will provide the bags, and there is no limit to the number you request.

This is the second running of the series Tracey has going in Jersey Shore Scene, and humbling to see it in print once again. Between the first printing and this one, I also completed The ABCs of Highlands, which is the book on 26 (or more!) or some of the people who are so much a part of Highlands. I also have a blog, https://6001f9f5595f3.site123.me/ thanks to a son and a daughter who continue to encourage me to keep writing.

ATL. HIGHLANDS – It was Set Day for the Porter home at 35 South Avenue today, and by noontime, voila! A two story, 1,984 square foot home was planted and raised on site. The eventful morning, involving no fewer than ten workers for Baracah Homes of Glenwood, Del. or their subcontractors, began shortly after 7 am, as the semi-trailers rolled up South ave. and progress began. The friendly workers and smooth operation of setting the home on site also brought out a dozen or so neighbors, some bringing out folding chairs to watch the entire process, and all chatting about the excellence of the team, the apparently Amish father and sons all working with other employees, with the ages all ranging from the teenaged sons to experienced workmen. Baracah…the word comes from the Bible and means Blessings…builds a variety of homes of all shapes and sizes in their huge indoor facility on Rout3 13 in Delaware, then brings them by tractor trailer to the prepared ground. A team hooks up a hoist and crane, then, care full of not disturbing any wires or utilities, gently picks up the quarter of a house and settles it neatly in place, one building upon the next. This particular model, The Georgetown, has a Victorian flair, includes three bedrooms and two and a half baths, and features an extended Bay window front. Approximately 40 men are in the Glenwood facility, and it takes them approximately eight to ten days to build each of the units, with each unit of this particular model weighing approximately 35,000 lbs. Baracah retains its own subcontractors to transport the units, ensuring their own attention to excellence. Prior to Set Day, the property owner had to secure a construction permit and a building subcode technical section permit.. The owner has also sought, and already secured, plumbing, electrical and fire permits, all of which have been approved, making it possible for the structure to be installed. The footing had previously been inspected in April and the foundation was inspected in late May. With everything up to date, and the building securely in place, the contractor will continue to contact borough officials for the various inspections that are required in the continuing stages of completing the modular building. Watchful neighbors gave their approval to the excellence of the crew, the smooth transition of all materials, and the rapid start to a beautiful addition to their neighborhood.

HIGHLANDS – In the absence of Councilman KL Martin and over the negative vote of Councilwoman Linda Mazzola, three members of the governing body once again introduced the $10 million bonding ordinance for construction of a new borough hall on Route 36 at its meeting Wednesday night. Giving no reason for overriding the vote of the two members necessary to approve the ordinance, council set yet another public hearing on the defeated bond for its June 16 meeting. The ordinance have been introduced in April and following the public hearing few weeks ago, fell to gain the necessary votes for approval, to the applause or residents in attendance at the meeting. While no member of council gave any reason of his own why the defeated code was being re-introduced, Mayor Carolyn Broullon said while she is not speaking for him, she understands Martin did not understand that his negative vote would defeat the ordinance. Law requires that four of the five members must approve a bonding ordinance, and with Martin voting with Mazzola, the original ordinance failed last month. Broullon continued to decline to give a reason for introduction of the new ordinance, in spite of no fewer than three pleas from the public to do so. Nor did Martin give any notice or excuse, nor anyone give any reason why he was not in attendance at the meeting, since he apparently not given any reason that was released to the public in spite of their queries. Although Borough Attorney Brian Chabarek did not weigh in on the question, Broullon said at least twice during the meeting that introducing once again an ordinance that had been defeated only weeks before is not illegal nor improper. No member of the governing body made any comment on a citizen’s suggestion the issue be put on a public referendum. Mazzola, the lone vote at this week’s meeting against the introduction, received applause for her vote but also received no response to her question on why Martin was not in attendance. Broullon interrupted the councilwoman to warn residents in the audience that if “you don’t hold your tongue you will be asked to leave.” During the public portion, former Councilwoman Claudette D’Arrigo likened the introduction of a second $10 million bond over the negative vote to a Presidential election when “you don’t like who was elected, so you hold another election,” a comparison Broullon said was entirely different Resident Michele Diebold said spoke on the re-introduction, saying she was “in total shock” at the governing body disregarding the original vote and opined that “it borders on the illegal,” but at the very least “is not right.” Broullon chided the resident, saying she was speaking “to the room you packed,” and said “bullying behavior” is not necessary, “we are neighbors, we can disagree, but we can have conversation.” But she declined to say why the ordinance was being brought up again. Another resident also challenged Mayor and Council on inaction it took on to other ordinances concerning parking regulations and specific roads set for a public hearing and an introduction, setting public hearings for meetings in June and July. Broullon said an ordinance set for Wednesday’s meeting was put on hold “because we’re still doing some tweaking on it,” and the second ordinance on parking, was set for a later introduction , probably next month, and a July 14 public hearing because “there are still discussions between the chief and attorney>’ Police Chief Robert Burton said later in the meeting he has met with one group of residents concerning parking in the Highland Aven area and invited other residents who wanted to discuss parking to contact him during his regular business hours for discussion and information. “Seek me out,” he said, explaining the Mayor acted to withhold the introduction “for reasons.” While the governing body unanimously approved applying for two grants, the Urban Parks initiative the state introduced this year, as well as Green Acres funding, both to finance the reconstruction and renovations to the Snug Harbor skate park, it conceded to resident Tricia Rivera it did not apply for a recreation improvement grant for which she had provided information a while back. The grants for which the borough is applying could possibly come with a 25 per cent grant, or approximately$150,000 ordaining the remaining $400,000 repayable over 20 years at an interest rate to be determined at the time payments would become due. Broullon said the first step is “to see how much we can get from the state” and pointed out when grants and loans are announced and awarded, the borough will still have the right to reject them if it were in a position not to finance the improvement. Residents are in strong agreement repairs and renovations should be made to the skate park to make it safe and useable, with some describing it as a major and needed improvement for the borough. Several have promised fund raising efforts to finance a part of the overall cost . Council unanimously approved the peddler licensing code to allow for a larger variety of service oriented vendors, approved liquor license renewals for the coming year, eliminated a 2007 ordinance that set parking restrictions on Washington Ave necessary at that time, and now, according to Broullon, no longer necessary, and amending the budget it had approved in April. Each of the proposed, held, or approved resolutions and ordinances as well as approved and cancelled liquor licenses are available to read on the borough of Highlands official website.

Closure of Atlantic Highlands Harbor Boat Ramp ATL. HIGHLANDS - Due to ongoing deterioration of the boat launching ramp at the Municipal Yacht Harbor, the DEP has issued an emergency repair permit allowing the harbor to address and repair the ramp to prevent any further damage. The cost to make this permanent repair currently stands at $450,000. Therefore, the ramp will be closed to any launching starting on June 10. It is expected the work will take approximately 10 days to complete barring any issues. As alternatives to launching in Atlantic Highlands, borough administrator Adam Hubeny and the harbor Commission suggests researching the Leonardo State Marina, the Keyport Municipal ramp, Blackberry Park in Oceanport, Rumson Municipal Ramp and Long Branch Municipal Ramp. Search of these locations is available at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/boat_ramp_guide.pdf Since it is a matter that requires immediate attention, the Harbor Commission apologizes in advance for any inconvenience and thanks all for your patience, understanding and cooperation.

ATL HIGHLANDS - It all started back in 1992 when Thomas Stone applied for a position as dispatcher with the Middletown Police Department. He held that position for three years. From there it was police academy, police officer in Atlantic Highlands, lots of other police-related courses, promotion to detective just days before 9/11, 2001. Next it was Sergeant and back to Patrol duty for another three years, then promotion to Detective Sergeant, and finally, two years ago, Captain of the Atlantic Highlands Police Department. And last week on Friday, May 28, Capt. Thomas Stone did a formal walk-out of police headquarters to the cheers accolades and shouts of thanks, praise and admiration. That’s when he became Capt. Tom Stone retired, new civilian, Tom Stone. It’s been a wonderful 31 years and seven months, the amiable, laid back, yet very proper police officer said. Looking back, there’s no doubt 9-11 was the worst, as the new detective worked alongside his fellow law enforcement officers from this borough and so many other places to help the frightened, ash-covered and shocked people from all over the tri-state area as Sea Streak helped them escape the horrors of New York and dropped them off at the municipal yacht harbor where these officers and so many other volunteers helped them find means to get to their own homes. “We had to coordinate all of this,” he recalls, “even though even we didn’t know what was going on in the beginning. I’m just happy I work with such a great team and we could pull together and get everyone through it.” There are some sad times, Stone recalls, reluctant to talk about it until pressed. Yes, there have been times he has had to make arrests, times it has cost him a friendship. Times he has had to comfort a family after a death or serious accident, but times he was happy to be there to give the aid and solace he could offer. And there are wonderfully happy times to remember as well. There are those three deliveries of healthy little babies he was there to assist for, there were the times he could take satisfaction in how he could talk down a dangerous situation and avoid it becoming more dangerous or possibly fatal. There were the times he knew he made a difference. That’s it, Stone smiles in recall, that’s the best thing about being a police officer. “You know you’re there to help, to make a difference, but when you see it really happening, ‘holy mackerel!’ then it hits you. And you can feel good.” One of those times was with a teen, “a good kid, too,” who got in a bit of trouble…”nothing serious, just you know, kid stuff!” Tom was there to help out. That kid returned the favor another day, when Tom was at a scene helping with an injured person. The teen helped him lift the person, and Tom, nonchalantly suggested he join the first aid. He did, became a great volunteer, got on with his life, and today, ..and here Tom looks both proud and happy….”he’s the principal of a large school!” The first aid squad is another passion in this officer’s life. In fact, any volunteer agency that helps people is an important part of his life. Growing up in Leonardo, he followed his dad’s example and was on the Leonardo First Aid Squad. That was back in 1984. Over the years, he also served seven different terms as Captain of the squad. Then he was assistant EMS Chief for Middletown Township. Now he’s a life member of the squad and has been an EMT as well since 1986. At the same time, Tom served with the Navesink Fire Company and of course, captain twice, and now a life member. “My dad did it, my older brother Cal did it,” I had great examples to follow,” the officer said. Married to Alisa, a nurse also known for her generous volunteerism and expertise….they met when she was an ER nurse and he brought in accident patients… Stone has a stepson, Matt, of whom he’s very proud, and a teenage daughter Casey, on whom he unabashedly admits he dotes. “Yes, I spend a lot of time with her, yes, I love her company, and yes she’s pretty wonderful. But she knows I’m a disciplinarian as well, and I’m there with her as her father, not as a friend who lets her get away with anything.” The smiles on Casey’s face show he’s telling the truth, and she likes it that way. Looking back, besides his parents and their leadership, Tom said he had discipline, leadership skills and education honed into him at MAST, the Sandy Hook high school where all students are members of the NJROTC. As one of the first classes to attend all four years at the high school, Stone said he learned well and also developed strong friendships. Some of those friends were there Friday when he did his final walkout at headquarters. He has enjoyed the FBI courses he has taken, together with Homeland Security education, and all the courses the local department offers its officers. He loved being juvenile officer, a position he first started 20 years ago, and loved working with the pre-teens in the library programs that were offered. There’s no doubt police work has its ups and downs, with no advance warning of which would be the up or down days, and policy and departmental procedures and regulations have changed greatly in all levels of law enforcement over the years. “But you learn, you go with it, and you do your best.” What’s in the future for this very popular police captain? “I’m not looking that far ahead,” he grins, “I want to spend the summer getting my health back…..police work is not perfect for blood pressure….I want to get some stress out of my life, I want to take my daughter to Florida and spend time with my wife.” I’ll revisit my future in the fall and look at some of the offers I’ve had for future employment.” But for this time, at least this month, Captain Stone can bask in the accolades showered on him by the many local residents who knew him as a respected officer, a good friend, and an honest and fair judge of everyone.

MANALAPAN – It will be Lighthouse Week at the Monmouth County Library when three programs concerning lighthouses and shore points will be presented once again by popular request. Beginning Tuesday, June 22, historian Nicholas Wood’s presentation of the Navesink Twin Lights at Highlands will be presented once again virtually, this time at 7 p.m. Wood, who is the resource interpretive in Historic Resources of the Twin Lights, is with the NJ Division of Parks and Forestry and will highlight some of the historic events in and around Highlands, where the historic lighthouse is situated. On Wednesday, June 23, historian Mary Rasa, who worked as museum curator as well as park ranger for the National Park Service for nearly two decades, will present a program on women lighthouse keepers, including one who served locally and was a Monmouth County resident. Rasa explores the unique government field that was one of the first to be open to women. Thursday, June 24, naturalist Jim Peck will present the stories of the barrier beaches and bay, at Sandy Hook as well as Cape May and Island Beach State Park. Peck was the Education Director for the American Littoral Society and has spent years educating the public on the fragility of the unique coastline along New Jersey. Each of the programs is available to click and view on the Library’s website and all are offered free of charge. Internet access is required. Visit MonmouthCountyLib.org and scroll to the Upcoming Events column to read information on how to access the programs. “The staff at our Monmouth County Library has done an outstanding job throughout the Covid pandemic,” said County Commission Lillian G. Burry, the county liaison to the Library. “They have offered each of these programs virtually in the past few months, and are presenting them once again because there have been so many requests. These three programs, highlighting all that is wonderful and historic about our coastline, will be presented on consecutive nights and all will begin at 7 p.m. It is an excellent time to learn more about what we have right here on our own shoreline.” For information on all programs and hours at the Monmouth County library and each of its branches, visit the library website at www.MonmouthCountyLib.org.

Manalapan – Rutgers Master Gardener Jane Zysk will present a program I “Irresistible Irises” in a virtual presentation offered by the Monmouth County Library. The program will be presented June 3 at 3 p.m. and will be presented on Cisco Webex free of charge. Registration for the internet accessed program is free, and registration is through the Library’s Upcoming Events column. The Upcoming Events program can be accessed at www.MonmouthCountyLib.org. Registrants will receive information via e-mail on how to access the discussion and the link will be e-mailed June 2 in late afternoon. All registration must be complete by noon June.2. Zysk will demonstrate the best planting sites and techniques for iris, and include tips on maintaining this species of flowering plant. Known for its showy flowers, the plant is named for the Greek goodness of the rainbow, Iris, and includes more than 250 species of blooms and colors. For more information on this and all programs offered by the Monmouth County library, as well as the times of openings for each of the headquarters and branch libraries, visit the library site at MonmouthCountyLib.org.

COLTS NECK – President Thomas Jefferson made his annual visit to the Cedar Drive School recently, the school’s first performance since the restrictions for Covid-19 began. Jefferson, portrayed by Steve Edenbo of the American Historical Theatre in Philadelphia, was both timely and historic in his presentation, wearing a mask and speaking to the students on the epidemic diseases during the 18 and 19th centuries, yellow fever and smallpox, and how those diseases impacted the residents of the colonies. Jefferson greeted students from the school in two separate sessions, and omitted his usual physical interaction with students because of the Covid regulations. Students all wore masks and were socially distanced from each other for the presentation in the school auditorium. County Commissioner Lillian Burry, former Mayor of Colts Neck, annually invite Edenbo to make his presentations for the student body, faculty members and guests. “Jefferson was an outstanding leader in his own time,” Burry said, “as well as continuing to be a role model not only for his writings, his politics, and his contributions to forming the new nation of the United States, but also because of his love of learning, his affection for books, and his musical talents and abilities. Jefferson will never go out of style, in my opinion.”

ATL. HIGHLANDS – Students at MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Sandy Hook, and members and leaders of Boy Scout and cub troops from Rumson joined with American Legion Post 141 members and friends to replace disintegrated American flags on the graves of veterans at Bayview Cemetery Saturday. “We are so appreciative of the cadets and scouts who turn out every year to take on this duty,” said Post Commander Peter Doyle. “ It is a large undertaking, considering this historic cemetery has graves dating back to the Revolutionary War, and at least one recognition of a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient,” he said. “Seeing these young patriots get up early on a Saturday morning to not only remove the faded flags but replace them with bright red, white and blue is proof that patriotism is still very much alive. CDR Tracie Smith-Yeoman, Senior Naval Science Instructor at MAST , said “we have only been doing this for perhaps four years, but we look forward to doing it for many more years in the future. The cadets volunteer because they are always looking for community service opportunities, and they feel very strongly about honoring our veterans,” the retired Naval Commander said. “Once a cadet does it the first time, he or she will do it again and again, because it is such a wonderful experience.” She added it seems strange to say the cadets enjoy the activity of putting flags on graves, “but it is such a beautiful cemetery with veterans' graves dating back to the Revolutionary war. The cadets get very interested in reading the names and the dates and the wars these men and women served in. I think they also like to learn about how the government takes care of veterans with the grave markers that veterans are entitled to receive.” Smith-Yeoman said that some cadets will serve in the military themselves, and she feels they like to take care of the veterans that came before them “in the hopes that someday some high school students will care for their graves in the same manner.” Assistant Scoutmaster James Martin of Troop 201 and Cubmaster of Pack 11, was present with Scout Graeme Martin and Cub Asher Martin for the annual flag placements and indicated his scouts, who have been part of the tradition for several years, similar to the high school cadets, enjoy being able to do something for the community and the veterans, and do read the names of the deceased and the wars in which they have served. The scouts also take all the damaged and faded flags, remove them from their wooden sticks, and dispose of them in a ritualistic flag burning ceremony. Pictured: Back row l to r: Cadet Erin White, Cadet Katherine Martyn, Cadet John Halsall, Cadet James Treshock, Cadet Jake Lindmark, Cadet Hannah Echols, Cadet Tessa Campolattaro, and Cadet Bradley Lau. Front row l to r: Cadet Mary Kate Welch, Cadet Mae Wooley, Cadet Mary Catherine Harvey, and Cadet Paige Lane

Atl. Highlands: Seventeen students at the Atlantic Highlands Elementary School were inducted into the National Elementary Honor Society at the first public meeting in the school since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Elementary Honor Society began in the tri-County District through the efforts of Superintendent Dr. Susan Compton shortly after the NEHS was established in 2008 by the ¬(NAESP). The Society recognizes students in both public and nonpublic elementary schools for their outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated personal responsibility. Through NEHS, students provide meaningful service to the school and community and develop essential leadership skills. NEHS supports these purposes by strengthening the lives of our nation’s elementary students and the schools in which they are enrolled. By starting a chapter, elementary schools create a method for acknowledging achievement and focus on the needs of the total child. In addition, NEHS provides information and resources to enhance the culture of achievement in the whole school, not just that of a select few. As the nation’s newest student recognition program, NEHS joins the New Jersey Honor Society - (NJHS) and the National Honor Society, the nation’s two oldest and largest student recognition programs, in creating a continuum of excellence being established throughout the elementary, middle, and high school education community. Both fifth and sixth grade students were inducted in the ceremony this year, because closures prevented an event last school year. Sixth grade students, the 2020 recipients of the honor are Martha Domanski, Dalila Ardolino, Leah Curry, Sloane Dougherty, Colin Drew, Theo Haggard, Jack Mahoney, Emilija Mednis and Leora Zilber. The 2021 recipients, all fifth grade students, are Charlotte Cannamela, Jonathan Gilpatrick, Naomi Vidal, Veronica Walsh, Benjamin Eitreim, Addison Kosakowski, William Seuffert and J.D. Zertuche. Participating in the program with Dr. Compton were Principal Lori Skibinski, Interim Tri-District Director of Curriculum and Instruction Eva Raleigh, and Tri-District Supervisor of Special Services Sam Angona together with the Board of Education for the Atlantic Highlands school district.t.

SHREWSBURY – The highly popular and broadly acclaimed Wedding Dress Exhibit of the Shrewsbury Historical Society is back again. Beginning Saturday, May 29, and continuing on Sunday, May 30 and Monday, May 31, Memorial Day weekend, the exhibit at the Shrewsbury Historical Society, 419 Sycamore Ave., will be open from noon to 4 p.m. This Exhibition will include the historic and modern gowns that were on exhibit last year, as well as an additional eight new gowns, bringing the total of wedding dresses on display to 28. The exhibit will also include a number of bridal-related items and clothes and photographs, including some of Historical Society members. Guests will also have the opportunity visit the second floor East Room for a second exhibit of unique and memorable items from the Borden Estate as well as a stained glass window once a fixture at the Old Brick Reformed Church in Marlboro “The volunteers in our Society are very happy to continue and add to this very popular exhibit,” said Society President Donald Burden. “The public has shown a great interest, not only in the gowns and their personal histories, but also in the unique way in which each is being displayed. We are happy to welcome those who have never seen the exhibit before to stop in, and feel certain those who have already seen the original exhibit will be delighted with the new and exciting articles we have added, through the generosity of so many preservationists.,” Burden said. There is no entry fee for the Exhibition, however, donations are always gratefully accepted to continue the maintenance and upkeeps of the Society building. The exhibition room will be open twice a week through June and July on Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m., and on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Society volunteers will also make the room available for special appointments by calling 732-530-7374.

HIGHLANDS – In the end, it was not being able to trust FEMA that defeated the proposed $10 million bonding order to build a new borough hall on the Navesink Ave. site between Miller St and Valley Ave., with Councilmembers KL Martin and Linda Mazzola listening to residents at Thursday’s meeting of the Mayor and Council. Although Mayor Carolyn Broullon, and councilmembers Joann Olszewski and Donald Melnyk continued to support a bonding issue in the hopes of receiving approximately $5 million from FEMA to offset the projected cost to taxpayers for future years, both Martin and Mazzola said it was not a wise business decision and said they could not in right conscience authorize the bond issue. With four votes required for bond issues, the ordinance was killed and plans for the proposed building are still up in the air. Martin, in his first vote in opposition to the mayor, said that as the son of a veteran and as a person who lost several family members in Hurricane Katrina, he distrusts FEMA, saying “they’re not always good about their word….I don’t trust FEMA.” The councilman added that when he first sought office last year, he did it “with the people in mind, not what I wanted,” indicating he listened to the people who spoke during the public hearing and the vast majority were opposed to the ordinance. He added that “ I want what is best for the town, I believe in something..” and said he could not approve a code that more than half the people in the borough appear to be against. Mazzola, the only councilmember who consistently questions council actions before voting on any issue, said that while she is in favor of the building, and has supported it for three years, while she recognizes the need for it and the need for the employees who provide “wonderful services” to residents to have better accommodations, “I don’t trust FEMA,” adding that the fact FEMA officials refuse to confirm in writing they indeed will grant $4.5 million to the borough for the building, “they put up a red flag” by not guaranteeing it in writing, or guaranteeing that if a grant now would be altered to become a loan that would have to be repaid sometimes in the future. Only Police Chief Robert Burton, speaking as both a taxpaying citizen and the chief of police, showed any support for the bond issue, citing primarily that he wants “a nice office, “ and “my employees deserve a building.” He invited residents to come down to the trailer that houses the police department and “smell the cat urine” from under the trailer and see the small and inadequate office space in which all employees work. Burton praised the new building , describing it as “nothing lavish,” and containing no storage space. He pointed out further delays will mean higher building costs, saying a sheet of plywood purchased for the Middletown Township Hall under construction costs $110. While several residents questioned the business sense of relying on FEMA’s grant without anything in writing, a fact confirmed by borough administrator Michael Muscillo, several asked the Council to pursue alternate options, including shared services with other municipalities for law enforcement facilities such as the court room and jail cells, to lessen the cost of state mandated facilities for new municipal construction. One resident suggested investigating the possibility of both public and private partnerships to reduce costs, or adding a floor to the building for either county or other uses so building costs could be shared. There was no indication following the vote that defeated the measure what actions the borough council may take or when they might introduce another ordinance more in keeping with the will of the people. Council did unanimously approve an amendment to what Broullon termed an “antiquated ordinance that did not allow you to do anything on Sundays” to permit Bingo games on Sundays. However, no member of council made it clear whether they have been any applications for Sunday Bingo licenses or the need to amend it at the same meeting at the $10 million bond issue or the introduction of seven other ordinances.

There will be plenty more photos on Facebook, I’m sure, but for starters, these three magnificent ladies and leaders were cheered, loved, and admired last night at the Serena DiMaso for Assembly event at the Shore Casino. Can’t say enough about the very enthusiastic crowd who were there to ensure Serena she has their backing in the primary election and to reiterate to her that they really appreciate everything she has done in her previous terms in the Assembly, something they are positive she will continue in her next term. Love our former Sheriff, former Lieutenant Governor, who reminded all the ladies present just how formidable they are, in spite of some powers who want to be rid of formidable and intelligent ladies. Seeing the trio together was living proof of how much women have done for the county and state, and that’s not even counting the other strong women in office who were there, including both Atlantic Highlands Mayor Loretta Gluckstein and Highlands Councilwoman Linda Mazzola, a lady who by the way, every meeting shows she can stand up for what she believes is right, regardless of whether other elected officials support her. She’s made it clear, and Councilman Martin joined her this week as well, in reiterating loud and clear they indeed listen to the people and agree they’re there to do what the people want, not necessarily what they want. A very wise attorney in Highlands also made it clear that the Government is there for the people, not the people there to do the will of the government. Former Councilwoman Claudette D’Arrigo was also there representing Highlands, another lady who while she might not be in office at the present time, is so formidable and such a great researcher and driver that Highlands will be putting her back on Council before you know it. But back to the DiMaso event at the Shore Casino. Wonderful to see old friends get together, people who haven’t seen each other from childhood days in New York discover they’re close neighbors and share the same mature and intelligent political beliefs, as well as wonderful friends from outside the district who know and love Serena and everything she stands for. And it was sheer delight to let everyone see not only how generous and perfect the Sweeney family is in running their Shore Casino, but being able to brag that these folks are true friends who can’t do enough to make everyone feel happy, content, and dear God, well fed! As one person put it, “At the Casino, they put out food like you haven’t eaten in six months, there’s so much of it!” And of course, it’s top quality, prepared by elegant and superior chefs, and always served piping hot or delightfully chilled, as it should be. There are many restaurants that are terrific, and we’re blessed and well fed to have them here in the Bayshore, but nothing will ever come up to the perfect blend of excellent food, friendly staff, spectacular setting, and down right friendliness of Bernie, Kathleen, Jay and everyone on the staff. Jay is pretty spectacular, by the way, and great to see him a vital part of the many upcoming celebrations at the Casino.

ATL. HIGHLANDS – The VNA, Visting Nurses Association is joining forces with First Call PPE, First Ave., to offer vaccines and on-site antigen tests at the Municipal Yacht Harbor Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon. The Johnson & Johnson VAX, one shot vaccine, will be administered at the tennis court parking lot behind the Shore Casino to all interested persons. Antigen test to confirm a person does not currently have Covid 19, and antibody tests, to confirm the presence of antibodies from a previous infection or vaccination, will also be offered at the site Saturday morning. Persons wishing to be vaccinated must bring a photo id and insurance card, if they have insurance, only photo ID is necessary for anyone without insurance coverage. In either case, there is no charge for either the vaccine or the testing. Since it will be the Johnson and Johnson vaccine being administered, there is no need for a second shot. First Call PPP, which opened its business on First Avenue last year and also offered services at no cost for borough emergency equipment, will also provide free sanitizer, N95 masks and wipes Saturday, and will be assisting VNA personnel with EMT staff. The company will be providing the rapid antigen testing, while the VNA will be providing the vaccine. The event is open to all ages from two years of age and up for Covid testing, and 18 years and older for the vaccine. The VNA Health Group is the state’s largest and most trusted not-for-profit provider of home health, visiting physicians, hospice and community-based care. Their newly formed research and innovation institutes are advancing new models of care while strong partnerships with the region’s leading health systems bring together a network of clinical expertise focused on helping achieve best level of health for all. “We are happy to be able to partner with VNA and offer this service to the people of this area, “ said Dave Wickersham, president of First Call. “It is important for everyone to be vaccinated and to be part of the strong community that will bring us all back to healthy and safe conditions so we can look forward to working and enjoying all our area has to offer.” Wickersham also expressed thanks to the Mayor and Council, the Harbor Commission and Borough Administrator Adam Hubeny for their support and assistance in enabling this program to be conducted Saturday.

ATL. HIGHLANDS – In its school year presentation of monthly Champions exhibiting the practices of the letters used to spell CHAMPION, the local Board of Education named the Champions of Optimism at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Education. Each month, a letter from the word Champion highlights a specific habit and characteristic that make a champion, and teachers throughout the kindergarten through sixth grade classes cite specific students for great achievements in that field. This month, the board highlighted the next to last letter, O, epitomizing optimism. Tri-school Administrator Dr. Susan Compton congratulated each of the students and reminded them that “A champion has vision. A champion dreams of things that haven't been and believes they are possible. A champion says, "I can.". Students demonstrating optimism show hopefulness and confidence about the successful outcome of something.” Other characteristics highlighted in earlier months were for citizenship, heroism, advocacy, mentorship, passion and innovation. Next month, students will be cited for nobility for demonstrating honesty, courage and kindness, together with strong character. This month’s Optimists were praised for showing everything from bright smiles and goal setting, friendship and positive attitudes, as well as never giving up, and seeing the bright side of a situation. They include kindergarten students Jack Coyle and Olivia O’Donnell, first graders Demiana Bradley, Valentina Vicens-Durzo and Charlotte Gallagher; second grade students Joseph Gannon, Greta Chabak, and Hayden Bifulco, third grader students Piper Dougherty, and Aubriella Romano. Fourth grade optimists are Maria Durazo, Benjamin Eittreim, Cathryn Seuffert and Finley Murphy, whose teacher described her as “a ray of sunshine and a student who “chooses to be happy.” Fifth grade Champions of Optimism are Samantha Morrisy, Aydin Colton, described as “a rainbow in a storm,” Philip Weiss-Doist, with a “smile that can’t be hidden” and Tara Weiss-Doust and LJ McKeon. Sixth grade Champions are Addison Krzycki, John Verange, Jack Burton, Max Schmoll and Drew Jaccodene. Principal Lori Skibinski who made the presentations and read the letters from each teacher making the nominations, praised all the students, especially recognizing the difficult times students have faced with virtual and in-class learning during the pandemic.

SHREWSBURY - Terming the sculpture by Franco Minervini “Fantastic,” Ted Raffetto told a crowd at the Monmouth County Library’s Eastern Branch that his uncle Charles Raffetto would be thrilled at the visual portrayal of Endless Possibilities through Reading. Charles Raffetto, who died in August, 2016 at age 89, bequeathed funds in his will to the library because of his own appreciation of libraries and love of reading during his lifetime. A native of Manasquan, one of five children, he was a graduate of Manasquan High School in 1944, and a Navy veteran before earning a degree from Villanova University, the earning a doctorate in medicine. Raffetto later changed his career to work in the US Post Office because of his love for his hometown and Monmouth County, and dedicated his free time to reading and gardening. His only remaining sibling, Elvira Raffetto, and most of his 16 nephews and nieces, together with several great nieces and nephews, were in attendance at the outdoor ceremony in front of the sculpture on the Route 35 side of the library. Monmouth County Commissioner Lillian G. Burry, the county liaison to the Library Commission, and a strong advocate of the sculpture, introduced both the donor’s nephew and Minervini, also in attendance at the event. Minervini is well known internationally, but most appreciated in Monmouth County for his sculpture in the Memorial Garden at Mount Mitchill, Atlantic Highlands, constructed after 9-11 and included a piece of the World Trade Center in the talons of an eagle. Traveling from his home in New York for the event, Minervini said he was pleased with the presentation of the sculpture in a library garden setting and was happy to be there to meet the Raffetto family. Library Commission Chairman Nancy Grebelja was master of ceremonies for the event, and recognized both current library members as well as past members in attendance who had worked on the committee to decide the sculpture as a fitting memorial to Raffetto’s wishes. Former Library Commission Chair Renee B. Swartz who spearheaded the library for more than half a century from its formative years until two years ago, as well as former Shrewsbury Mayor and former Library Commissioner Donald Burden, former Atlantic Highlands councilman Peter Doyle and Grace Abramov, were commended together with current members, former Freehold Township Mayor Barbara McMorrow, Atlantic Highlands Councilman Brian Boms, Marcy McMullen, Mary Ann Musich, and former Union Beach Councilman Frank A. Wells, all of whom approved the sculpture as a fitting tribute to its donor and the many advantages the library offers to everyone. In introducing Swartz, who she described as “a grand lady, you’ve been here right from the beginning,” Burry presented her with a bouquet of flowers for her years of volunteer service and leadership. Swartz, who is currently chairperson of the NJ Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, presented a plaque from the Center to Grbelja, Burry and Library Director Judith Tolchin, with the Library of Congress’ recognition of the Eastern Branch Library being a landmark learning institution for half a century. Swartz praised both the staff and the commission for the growth and broad range of academia, recreation, education, science, and enjoyment the library gives on a daily basis to the residents of Monmouth County. Burry, who has been the liaison from the county to the library throughout her continuing service as a county commissioner and former Director, noted the success of the library, as in any successful venture, depends on a team working together, something that is always evident within the library through its employees, director, and the library commission. Boy Scouts of Shrewsbury Troop 50 presented colors for the event Saturday, and former County Clerk M. Claire French led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Rev. Scott Brown of the Colts Neck Reformed Church, gave the invocation. Grebelja introduced may of the guests present for the event, including, in addition to Commissioner Burry, other county commissioners present Directors Thomas Arnone, Susan Kiley, Nick DiRocco and Ross Licitra. Music for the event was provided by guitarist and song writer Michael Wells of Union Beach.

MIDDLETOWN – “I’m thrilled to be coming back, it’s almost like coming home,” said Andrew Kahane, who recently was named administrator for the second time of the Care One at King James Care Center facility on Route 36. The sign on his desk tells the story as well: “Living the Dream.” Kahane is replacing Meagan Yorks, who has been administrator here since January 2020. Meagan has moved to another Care One facility but will always have King James close to her heart. Kahane is returning to this area after serving as Administrator since 2020 at CareOne at East Brunswick, and said he was happy to greet so many residents and employees upon his return who were here during his first administrative appointment at this facility. “It really is like coming home,” he said, “ here they always seem like one family, and both residents and employees are proud of that.” A native of Bergen County, Kahane began his career in care centers after earning a degree in communications from William Patterson College and working in a family printing business in Newark, Delaware. He began his care in Environmental Services supervision, working his way to Assistant Administrator in a skilled nursing facility and earning his Licensed Nursing Home Administrator License several years ago. Coming back to Care One here is particularly great, he said, since Yorks was an outstanding administrator, and handled the new parameters, regulations and changes brought on by Covid restrictions and mandates to perfection. “While so many things had to be changed, added, and unfortunately, things like visitation had to be restricted, it has been difficult on residents,” he said. “However, in speaking with residents since I returned, they praised Meagan, and have been very understanding of the changes that were essential.” Kahane praised the employees for their outstanding efforts, noting the Care Center is Covid-free and can now permit indoor visitation and outdoor visitation bringing residents and loved ones together again. The COVID-19 vaccine has been offered to all residents and employees and recently, the care center was able to close its “Red Zone,” the wing reserved for COVID patients, another positive sign that the steps taken in the fight against a virus that has affected so many lives are working. The staff and residents remain vigilant in their infection control practices to maintain the safety and well- being of all at the center. Looking to the future, the administrator said he is at first looking towards the next step in the state-mandated Covid regulations and the hopefully soon full return to all the outdoor activities the residents have enjoyed in the past. “Our residents have not been able to have shopping trips, visits to the horse farm and the many other activities the activities department plans, and we are hopeful they can be resumed shortly,” Kahane said. “It will be great to get back to normal,” he added, “although I’m not sure any of us knows what getting back to normal is.” He is also looking forward to working once again with the community and offering all the community connected activities the residents enjoy, including community recreational programs and family dinners.

MIDDLETOWN – Flowers, special desserts and inside visitation are all featured at the King James Care Center honoring all residents who are mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers this Sunday, said Activities Director Karen Cohen. “We’re so happy to be able to make this Mother’s Day so festive for our residents,” Cohen said, in noting that with no Covid cases at the Center, either among staff or residents, inside visitation as well as outside visitation are available Sunday during regular visiting hours. Family members must make reservations for the visits, the director continued, in order to be certain the caregivers at the Center can meet everyone’s needs and ensure Covid-free environments and space limitations. Reservations can be made simply by calling the care center at 732-291-3400, for visitation between 10 a.m. and noon and 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Residents have the option of outside visitation, weather permitting, or inside with safe distances. Each of the honored residents will be presented with flowers, Cohen said, and all will be able to enjoy festive desserts and beverage in the Center’s main dining room. Residents get to celebrate Mothers' Day all week with a variety of activities and special events, since it also is Nurses and Skilled Nurses Week and the Activities Department recognizes their staff with special events to honor all the nurses and skilled staff who are employed at King James. Beginning this Thursday the celebration week include Thirsty Thursday, which will feature root beer floats and a raffle basket for staff, chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling cider on May 7, and Ice Cream Social , May 10, a chocolate fountain on May 12, Bingo Bingo and more Bingo the following day, all activities for both staff and residents, and to complete the week of activities, a BBQ honoring all residents and staff on May 14. “It is wonderful to be here Sunday to see our residents enjoy this special day,” said Andrews Kahane, care center administrator. “Our staff at all levels works so hard to ensure a Covid-free environment and entertaining recreational activities for our residents all the time. And our residents certainly always show their appreciation and tell me how much they enjoy it. But Mother’s Day is really so special for so many of the residents that it is nice to see we are able to offer so much visitation and still feel confident our residents are healthy and safe.”

MIDDLETOWN - May specials at the AAUW Northern Monmouth County Branch Used Book Sale include 50% off mysteries, sports, biographies and travel, volunteers at the popular used book shop announced. Books are regularly priced at $3.00 for hardcover and $2.00 for paperbacks. Children’s books are a bargain at 10 to 50 cents each! There is also a large inventory of DVD’s and Children’s books. The sale is open every Saturday from 9-1 pm at the Old First Church, 69 Kings Highway. Regular Saturday hours are 9 am to 1 pm, through the last Saturday in June (excluding major holidays). Covid protocols remain in place. For information regarding donations please refer to the Branch website aauw-nj-nmcb.org or by calling 732-275-2237. Proceeds from the AAUW Used Book Sale provide university and college scholarships for women and girls and support local projects such as promoting STEM education for middle school girls.

HIGHLANDS – Mayor and Council for the second time introduced the $10 million bonding ordinance to finance construction of its long-planned borough hall on Route 36 at Wednesday’s meeting. But if all goes as hoped, the amount to be raised by bond is $4,750,000, which means an increase in the tax rate at about half of what was originally predicted. Borough finance office Pat DeBlasio reported he and the administrator have been working with FEMA and while they have no guarantee at this point, feel certain that approximately $5 million in FEMA funds will be authorized. If that happens as expected, DeBlasio said, the borough tax rate to finance the new construction would only increase about half of the predicted seven cents, or approximately four cents. Public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for the May 19 meeting. Prior to introducing the budget for the municipal building construction, Council also approved refunding the Atlantic Highlands/Highlands Regional Sewer Authority Bonds of $2.750 million, with DeBlasio saying timing is right for the move, necessary prior to bonding for the borough hall, since the re-bonding will be at a lower interest rate. That public hearing is also set for May 19. Council also approved its municipal budget for 2020, after only one person spoke, and no one objected during the public hearing. In a series of questions posed at determining many line items in the budget, which is expected to be reduced the tax rate by one cent, Kim Skorka asked why less funding is included for a grant writer to continue searching for grants available to the borough and told the governing body she does not feel they are searching as well as they could for outside sources to offset costs. Skorka also questioned if the governing body has had any conversations concerning the state analysis of police departments as she has questioned in previous meetings. In other business, Council introduced an ordinance which would allow Bingo on Sundays, a move Mayor Carolyn Bouillon said would remove the antiquated laws on Sunday games, and set the public hearing for the May 19 meeting. Currently no local non-profit organizations hold Bingo games in the borough. Mayor and Council also continued its agreement with the Coast Guard station at Sandy Hook for first responder assistance to the military installation in fire and safety emergencies. Council also approved several resolutions to provide more recreational equipment at borough parks, including a Sport Court at Snug Harbor, playground equipment for Huddy, Snug Harbor and Veterans Memorial parks, as well as playground rubber mulch. Mayor Broullon announced that beginning with the May 19 council meeting, all municipal meetings will be held in person and none will be held on Zoom. Nancy Messina was sworn in as a member of the Highlands Housing Authority. A borough wide garage sale will be held May 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is available until May 18 by visiting the borough website or contacting borough hall. The borough’s annual Memorial Day parade will be held May 29 at 11 a.m., co-sponsored by American Legion Post 143 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6902, the two veterans post within the borough.

ATL. HIGHLANDS - Incumbent Councilman James Murphy and former Army Captain Ellen O’Dwyer are seeking the two seats on borough council to be decided in this year’s election and will appear on the ballot in the Republican primary June 6. Unopposed in the June primary, they will face newcomer Brian Dougherty as the only Democrat candidate for the two seats to be filled in the November election. Councilman Roy Dellosso has indicated he will not seek another term. A third generation resident of Atlantic Highlands, and raising his three children as the fourth, Councilman James Murphy has been active in the community all his adult life. Serving as council president and police commissioner this year, he has been on the governing body three years and is seeking his second term. Murphy is a former member of the planning and zoning board, and the local Board of Education where his wife, Molly, currently serves. He is also a member of the original Board of Trustees for the borough’s Sailing Education program, an officer in the Office of Emergency Management, member of the Mother Teresa School Acquisition Task force, and Monmouth County Stigma Free subcommittee member for the Mental Health First Aid calendar of events. He is certified with green and Lean belt in Six Sigma, a business methodology for process improvement. Murphy also served as chair of the borough’s Department of Public Works and recently became a member of the local First Aid Squad. He has been on the Recreation committee for more than ten years, and serves as basketball, soccer and Little League coach At St. Agnes church, he is an usher and Eucharistic minister. He is also a third degree member of the Vincent T. Lombardi Council of the Knights of Columbus in Middletown. Murphy is a sales and branch manager, a home loan officer and first time home buyer specialist. He married his elementary school sweetheart, Molly, and the couple live on South ave. with their three children. Murphy said he is seeking a second term “because my work is not done yet. Right now, Atlantic Highlands needs strong leadership to guide us through this ever changing time. We have major changes coming down the pike, changes that will sculpt the future of our community. I’m here to continue leadership necessary to secure our prosperous future.” The councilman said the biggest problems of today are the same as years past, property and school taxes, infrastructure, and community involvement. “More and more we see neighbors arguing with neighbors, calling in to council meetings to shame, complain, and attack members of our governing body; fingers are increasingly being pointed outwardly and people’s concern for others’ wellbeing is seemingly diminished in too many areas. ‘Divisiveness’ is growing like never before. It takes ‘unity’ to spell the word Community.” Strong leadership is the only way to face each challenge, he said, along with continuing the work of resolving routine problems every Borough is up against. Looking back at his first term, Murphy believes his greatest accomplishment has been working with each council member to fulfil the needs of the community and satisfy many of their wants along the way. “Simply, I am up here to work with all residents for the greater good for Atlantic Highlands. As leaders within this community, I think we should all seek to finish our terms of service with fewer personal accomplishments and more unified accomplishments as a governing body.” O’Dwyer, who ran in a close raise last year in her first attempt to become a council member, while receiving the highest number of votes for a GOP candidate for council here in the past quarter century, said she is running again primarily because she emphasizes with the many residents with whom she has spoken about their concerns for the community and feels she can help by bringing her style of leadership and collaboration to the council table in troubleshooting solutions and getting things accomplished. Many have asked her to run again, she said, and she is ready and willing. A lifelong resident of Monmouth County, O’Dwyer is the daughter of an Asian mother who was an artist and an Irish father who was a contractor. The family moved from Hazlet to Colts Neck, where she also raised her son and two daughters on a farm rehabilitating and finding homes for retired racehorses. She earned a master’s degree from Seton Hal University and is a market research and business analytics consultant for biopharma, bringing therapies to patients suffering from rare diseases. O’Dwyer began volunteering as a pre-teen joining the Civil Air Patrol’s Bayshore Squadron. She also served as a first responder for the Colts Neck First Aid Squad, and is a founding member of the Friends of the Library board. Moving to Atlantic Highlands four years ago, she serves on the Environmental, Shade Tree, and Beautification / Public Relations committees, and the Sustainable Green Team as well as the Friends of the Library, Garden Club, and the American Legion, AH Post 141. Divorced for many years, and with three grown children, all living locally, O’Dwyer was assigned to the NJ National Guard’s 194 th Dental Detachment while a student at Rider University, participating in the Guard's Simultaneous Membership Program. Upon commissioning as a second lieutenant in the US Army, she spent four years on active duty in the medical logistics field, rising to the rank of captain while serving in Texas, California, and Kentucky before being deployed to Germany, where she was billeted as Chief of Logistics for a 400 bed full capability field hospital. Over her seven years, both active and reserve, she also served as a medical platoon leader, training officer, and marksman instructor. O’Dwyer feels the major problems facing the borough for which she will offer initiatives are continuing the public safety the community enjoys, protecting open space, supporting local businesses and the environment, and added “we need to be able to multitask and solve more than one prioritized issue at a time. I think the biggest solution is to address several issues at once developing plans for new revenue streams to offset expenses, and grow the local economy.” She plans to accomplish this by bringing business and technical skills and experience to the table, coupling them with the strengths of the rest of council She said her experience as Captain of the borough’s Sustainable Green Team this year has enabled her to collaborate with the Environmental and Shade Tree commissions, as well as the local Garden Club in bringing green initiatives to protect natural resources. The candidate said her unsuccessful run for office last year taught her positive things, including that “people are willing to volunteer and get behind a good idea or cause,” and added “I enjoy making it happen, by working together, hands-on.”

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – Longtime Planning Board member Brian Dougherty is seeking elected office for the first time, vying for one of two council seats to be decided in the November election. He will be competing for one of the two terms against GOP candidates incumbent Councilman James Murphy and newcomer Ellen O’Dwyer. Neither party faces a challenge in the June primary but are all on the ballot for that election. Democrat Councilman Roy Dellosso who has served on the governing body 15 years, decided not to seek another term. Born in Pottsville, PA. the son of a registered nurse, who was also a union representative, and a mechanic for Reading Anthracite, Dougherty attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Vocal Performance. He shares his professional time between two careers, both as an employee in board relations and academic programs at The Rockefeller University in Manhattan, and as a professional singer, for which he maintains a website at http://www.bridoc.com. He and his wife, Erin, a member of the local Board of Education, have been married 13 years and have two daughters and a son ranging in age from five to ten years of age. The family moved from Hoboken to Atlantic Highlands almost ten years ago. They had discovered Atlantic Highlands in 2008 when they had a wedding rehearsal dinner at Julia’s restaurant, and stayed at the Blue Bay Inn, immediately falling love with the community and knowing the wanted to move here. When the birth of their second child necessitated moving to larger quarters, they purchased their home on Center Ave. and planted their family roots in this Bayshore community. With the birth of their third child and the need for still larger quarters, they expanded that home, further settling their firmly established roots in the borough. Dougherty said he is running for council because of this love for the community as the ideal place to raise a family. But, he said, but has become frustrated with political discourse and recognized a caustic and divisive tone at the local level which he feels mirrors national politics, allowing him to see the need to become more pro-active. Having served on the local Planning Board since 2017, he appreciates how committee volunteers work in a non-partisan way to benefit the community and wanted to play a more active role. Preservation of open space, balancing the need for both capital investment in infrastructure while maintaining as low a tax rate as possible are the greatest challenges the borough faces now, he thinks, but added that because of its waterfront location, borough leaders must also face the impact climate change will have on the area half a century from now. He also is a strong supporter and would continue and look to increase the current commitment to road maintenance and improvements. Dougherty also serves on the borough’s Communications and Technology Committee which continues to find better ways to keep residents informed and connected. He feels he can be successful in reaching out to leaders in public and private sectors to bring new perspectives to these challenges. He also serves on the Environmental Commission, and the Plan Approval Advisory Committee, as well as the Board of Directors of Sandy Hook Little League, and coaches both tee ball and in the borough’s recreation soccer program. “I do my homework,” the candidate said. “ I’m ready to step in on January 1, 2022, prepared to do the work on behalf of all Atlantic Highlands residents.”

ATL HIGHLANDS – The local First Aid Squad volunteers do more than answer every possible call and serve an active part of their community. They think out of the box when it comes to being creative about getting their message across, especially when it comes to needing some help themselves. Richard Huff, President of the Squad, is indeed grateful and pleased at the great response the squad has had from local residents since they presented a video telling their own stories on line. The video was first shown last month with an advanced notice of when and how it would be available, and has since put put on the squad’s website. The video depicts several members of the squad and takes them through the emotional reasons why they themselves became volunteers. Viewers can see and hear first hand the personal benefits each squad member feels in providing assistance to others. It also details their personal heartbreak when they cannot answer a call because of insufficient response from volunteers, and tells their story with emotion, conviction, honesty, and a plea for help. Huff explained that a minimum of two members, most always three, are needed on every single emergency call that comes in for their assistance. A certified EMT is a must on every call, he said, and could be assisted by an emergency trained, but not certified, first aid volunteer. A driver is also needed, he said, and in this squad, volunteers are trained right within the borough on the emergency vehicles in use. There are many reasons why there may be insufficient members at a call, the squad president continue, in spite of having approximately three dozen volunteers on the roster. And the Covid-19 pandemic has only added to that list, he said, noting that peoples’ schedules, time constraints and obligations have changed because of quarantines and other reasons. Huff said as soon as the squad recognized Covid would bring on an even greater challenge to ensure they could meet every call for help, they decided they needed to get out the message in new ways, ways to attract more attention. The video did it. “In the past, before Covid,” Huff explained, “there were squad members everywhere, at all borough events, at the Fireman’s Fair, everywhere there were people the presence of squad members also made it known they were volunteers and filling a need for the community. They were there to answer any questions, to invite membership, to tell people the benefits. Now, with quarantines in place, these efforts were hampered.” Huff said members felt they had become more aggressive in explaining their need, and producing the video seemed like an unusual way to get their message across. “We had a need to increase awareness and find a way to start a conversation,” he said, “and this worked.” Since the video was first shown, Huff said there has been a great response, both from new people wanting to join, people wanting to know how they can help besides becoming a member, and people making to make donations as a means of helping defray expenses the squad has. In response to questions, Huff and all squad members explain that it is time consuming and not easy to become an EMT member, which includes more than 200 hours of training for certification. Nurses who already know emergency methods of rescues take a different course for their EMT certification, he said, and drivers learn locally. The good news, he added, is that many people who start out in one area over time move on to take further courses and become EMTS, simply because of the satisfaction they get out of helping others and being, literally, in life and death situations when they can take positive action.” Squad members take great pride in their work, Huff said, recognize they are highly trained and recognize the life support they can provide. The president also praised Dr. Ken Lavelle their Medical Director not only for the pride squad members can take in their excellence, but also because of the additional services the Director enables them to offer. Only squads who have a medical director can proceed with some specifically identified emergency medical responses, he explained, and Dr. Lovell, who is affiliated with Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, is available at all times to authorize their use of special procedures and medications and to do follow-up . “We’re serving our community,” Huff said, “we want to be the best we can be.” The numbers and times of calls fluctuate greatly, he continued, noting there have been 383 so far this year, and figures have risen as high as 640 in a year. Calls can be as simple as a scrape or minor wound, or as serious as cardiac arrest or breathing problems. Nor is there any particular time of day or night when it is more difficult to get responders, though early mornings, when parents are getting children out to school or heading to work can present problems. He himself has been a member since 2005 when he felt frustrated at seeing an emergency situation and not being able to do anything about it. Similar stories are told by other squad members, but all realize one person really can make a difference. “Our organization is made up of teachers, lawyers, carpenters, office workers, nurses, stay-at-home moms. We’re a place where people can use their previous experience in finance, marketing, education, psychology, technology and more, to make meaningful contributions to the Squad,” Huff said. He added there are more benefits in addition to personal satisfaction, include eligibility for college tuition benefits under the Volunteer Tuition Credit Program, the Atlantic Highlands funded Length of Service Awards Program, and various discounts afforded first responders throughout the state. “This is a great time to join our team and become a member of this dynamic organization,” said Chief Ann Schoeller, the squad’s first female chief. “It comes down to, ‘we’re a team,’ “she said, “we’ve been a squad in Atlantic Highlands since 1929, we work together, we help each other, we are all dedicated and we all try to be flexible . We just want to be there to help our neighbor.” Persons wishing to know more about the local First Aid Squad can visit their website at AHFAS. Org, call their non-emergency line at 732-291-8118 or e-mail info@ahfirstaid.org. Any member swill be happy to share the joy of being a member.

HIGHLANDS – Resource Interpretive Specialist Nicholas Wood will present a virtual exploration of the Navesink Twin Lights in a live presentation sponsored by the Monmouth County Library on Wednesday, May 12. Wood, who specializes in historic resources and is presented at the Twin Lights, will explore the history of the lighthouses as well as the historical events that occurred in and around the historic focus point since it was first constructed in the 219th century. The program, which will be doncuted at 10:30 a.m. will be presented on Zoom and is presented at no charge to the public. Registration and internet access are required. The public is reminded the program is protected by copyright law and recording in any manner, without written agreement with the presenter, is strictly prohibited. To register for the program visit www.MonmouthCOuntyLiob.org and register under the website’s Upcoming Events list. Deadline for registration is Tuesday, May 11 at noon. Information on accessing the link for the program will be e- ailed between 3 and 4 p.m./. May 11/ For for more information on what the Monmouth Cou9nty library offers on the Twin Lights and other lighthouses, visit the website or @MonCoLibrary.

Clearly, the tourism bureau of St. Michael’s in Maryland knows how to attract visitors. Coupling a visit here with a most unusual discussion and workshop on crabs aboard American Cruise Lines’ Independence are certainly highlights on a six day cruise on the Chesapeake Bay that was altered somewhat by the Covid situation, but nonetheless filled with wonderful people, making new friends, reviving old ones, great meals aboard a 100 passenger ship reduced to 56 because of Covid, and getting a chance to see how unique the Chesapeake Bay area is. St. Michael’s, which is on Maryland’s Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake, is considered one of the top 10 Best Small Coastal Towns in America and it’s easy to see why, even during a brief stay on a cruise ship. It’s picturesque, filled with history and a harbor and homes that go back more than 500 years. It offers all kinds of festivals and activities throughout the year…upcoming next week is the antique and classic boat festival. There’s the Classic Motor Museum, a weekly Farmer’s Market, a Running Festival in August, a ghost walk, friendly people, and a charming downtown area. Of course there is kayaking, golfing, cycling, canoeing, boating of all kinds, restaurants and bistros, B&Bs and hotels. But best of all, St. Michael’s is home to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The Independence docks right in the Museum, an incredibly wonderful 18-acre museum with at least ten different exhibit buildings, all within walking distance of each other, and all offering something unique about the Bay area, the people and the lighthouse. There’s even a working boatyard in the museum, the largest in the nation, a building devoted to Native Americans, one to small boats from crab skiffs to log canoes, of course a lighthouse to climb, another building dedicated to history makers from the 18th century, one to duck decoys, and so much more. In one of the buildings devoted to crabbers, there’s even an exhibit and a place of honor for Capt. Ben Dye, who was born in Monmouth County in 1827, but moved with his family to Perryville in Maryland’s Cecil County when he was a boy and where he lived until his death in 1896. Capt. Dye was best known for his decoys, characteristic because they were all hand-chopped and featured ducks with perfectly flat tails and simple or no wing decorations. My personal favorite is the exhibition building on the very edge of them all, this one devoted to the art of oystering. That exhibit is unique in that the designers of this non-profit educational museum brought a real oyster boat inside, then created life-like models of the boat’s captain and a few working oysterman intent at their craft. The recording doesn’t simply explain what each model is doing; rather it’s a recording of the watermen talking with each other, explaining to a young oysterman the whys and wherefores of every action he takes. It’s realistic and startling when you first walk in, see very lifelike models hard at work and think you’re interrupting an oystering lesson. The Museum has been around since the mid-1960s, and does an outstanding job of meeting its mission to preserve and explore history, the environment and the culture of the Bay area. Certainly worth a weekend trip for the museum along. The Independence certainly takes advantage of Maryland’s pride in its crabs, and native Lori Gross came aboard to lead an afternoon discussion in the ship’s lounge on crabs, crabbing, crab habits, how to catch them, cook then, and eat them. Just to be sure all the guests got it down perfectly, she also brought aboard dozens of freshly caught blue crabs, spread newspapers on the lounge tables in true Maryland style, and led the group in how to pick a crab, what to eat, what to discard, and how to protect your pile of crab meat from a hungry friendly table-mate. Lori, who now spends most of her time in photography and teaching about the Antarctic, convinced Independence guests that picking through the tough shells of crabs is worth the work and the mess. The following day, when the ship was in Annapolis, I chatted with a wholesaler on the dock who went into great detail about the feud between Virginians and Marylanders about crab regulations, where each state’s territory ends in the bay and how Marylanders…he was a native…..are so much more protective of the shellfish than Virginian crabbers. Another joy of cruising. You meet the finest people in the strangest places who want to share their own pride in their own hometown. Next Annapolis and how American Cruise Lines fails.

Crisfield is not so well known as some of the other Chesapeake towns like Yorktown and Annapolis, but it’s got its own kind of charm. It’s where you get the ferry to Smith Island if you ever want to visit that really out-of-the-way-perfectly wonderful little piece of a century or more ago but with modern facilities and a great clam museum. The Independence docked right up in the heart of town, and guests had the opportunity to either stroll the streets on their own or take a walking exploration with a guide. Since I’ve been there before, I opted to go it alone and stopped in a few of the gift shops and antique stores simply to pass the time of day with shopkeepers who were happy to see visitors. With fewer than 3,000 people, Crisfield in not really on Chesapeake Bay itself, but rather on Tangier Sound, an arm of the Bay. And it’s located in Maryland’s Somerset County. Rachel was one of several speakers American Cruise Lines invites on the ship to give information and historic stories about the different towns and areas the ship is visiting, as well as some ideas on the variety of shops, monuments, or restaurants in the towns where the ship is docking. On Tangier Bay, she gave a talk on the bay itself, pointed out Smith Island, which she said, is slowing disappearing since it’s an island that sits low in the water, and is challenged by rising waters. Founded in the 1600s, the island was founded by the English and kept to itself for centuries, so today’s inhabitants often can still be heard speaking in old English. An environmentalist, Rhode Islander, graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and a captivating speaker who invites the public to join in, ask questions, and give some facts on their own, Rachel is a wealth of knowledge about the western shore of the Chesapeake, and all the little rivers that are fed with the drainage from the mountains, leaving the water brackish before heading into the large bay and more mixture with salt water. Because of Covid, and though it was a Monday, only three stores, in addition to a couple of eating establishments, within walking distance of the Independence were open, but all three were fun to visit. In the first place, Marylanders are folksy, friendly people and they like to brag about their own little piece of heaven and tell you stories from their points of view. There’s always a fisherman or a boater on the dock, so that’s more friendly conversation about what’s going in and how Covid has affected them. And simply watching the boaters or fishermen is relaxing and always an opportunity to learn. Back on the ship in time for cocktails and conversation before the evening meal. Like all meals on most cruise ships, American Cruise Lines provides top of the line menus, and takes advantage of its cruises on the Chesapeake to ensure lots of seafood, predominately crabs, oysters and lobster from local waters. With only 56 seaboard the 100 passenger ship, there were generally only three entrees for each night’s dinner, generally a chicken, beef and always seafood, but also always a variety of soups, salads, and vegetables to supplement any entrée. And this after a broad array of tantalizing hors d’oeuvres served in the lounge during cocktail hour. ACL proves it simply isn’t possible to go hungry on a cruise. A great chef was aboard the Chesapeake cruise with an ability to think out of the box and try something new. His pan seared salmon, for instance, was served with a tomato jam, aside broccoli rabe served in a lemon butter sauce. The mixed salad included grape tomatoes, carrots and cucumber, and the brisket was braised in beer and served with Texas toast and kettle chips. Another night, there was grilled swordfish with a crab salsa, served with a vegetable pilaf, or a Dijon crusted leg of lamb with a red wine and min demi-glaze. The lobster tail was stuffed with shrimp and crab and served, would you believe, with a beef tenderloin. Cambridge was the next docking address for the Independence fourth day into the cruise, one of the large cities along the Chesapeake with its more than 12,000 residents that also makes it the fourth most populous cities on the eastern shore of Maryland, While the Harriet Tubman museum is the main attraction in this town, and the ACL offered a trip and tour of the museum, I opted instead the Choptank River Lighthouse, once again to talk with local residents about why they love their town so much. It was an education in lighthouses so different from our Twin Lights and Sandy Hook historic sites. Chesapeake lighthouses, because of the nature of the area, are “screwpile” types, neither high nor lofty like our New Jersey beacons, but rather shorter since height is not a necessity y in this area. More unusual, its legs are screwed into the riverbed to keep it steady. The Chop Tank River Lighthouse displayed by an enthusiastic volunteer from the organization that maintains it, isn’t the real thing. It’s a replica of the only lighthouse that was in the bay and served the neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia. It’s small, only 42 feet wide at its broadest, and replicates the one built in 1921 to replace the 1870 wooden schooner that had served as a lightship. The lighthouse sat in the Choptank River for only three years; it had been moved by barge from Virginia to replace another lighthouse that had been destroyed by an ice storm a few years earlier. Like many others, the Choptank light was dismantled and replaced by a Coast Guard buoy in the 20th century. The volunteer told of the loneliness of life on a lighthouse accessible only by water, two miles from land and where the term “white glove test” came from. (in his lonely splendor, the keeper nonetheless had to keep everything spic and span, dust free and spotless, always ready for the inspector who might show up for his white glove test for cleanliness.) The light was fueled by kerosene with a Fresnel lens to shine the light, but the keeper also had a fog bell for the times when even that light could not be seen by mariners. That had a mechanical striker the keeper used to hammer the help, warning vessels of nearby hazards, and enabling them to navigate by sound. Authentic and accurate in its replicated beauty, the lighthouse does have modern additions including a fire sprinkling system and a chair lift so even handicapper visitors can get up to view the area from the windows of the lighthouse. Next; St Michael’s and the Maritime Museum

There is a great intimacy, great camaraderie and great opportunity to meet new friends traveling on river cruises in both the United States and Europe. Several US companies have expanded from only offering these golden opportunities on the Mighty Mississippi, American Cruise Lines among them. Their Independence travels the east coast and by comparison, is one of the smallest of cruise liners that whisk people away for six to 14 days or so of pampering, learning, eating, seeing new and exciting cities and towns, and simply relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the surroundings. It’s got almost all the same amenities as the river cruising ships that accommodate 200 passengers, just in a lesser degree. For instance, there’s one dining room on the first deck, at the ship’s stern, offering fantastic views of the scenery along both shores as well as traffic on the Bay. It’s got a lounge, but only one, on the second deck, and that’s where all the evening entertainment and the daytime games are held. It’s also where cocktail hour starts usually at 5:30, but early visitors to the lounge readily found out that the staff sets up the bar a half hour or so earlier, and has no complaints if guests go up and help themselves. All the third deck rooms have their own great private decks, with a table and chairs to enjoy passing scenery and feel up close to the seagulls and terns flying near by. The top deck is open, a great place to see the captain as he comes out of the second floor wheelhouse to guide the ship to a dock, or simply just to sit and enjoy cool breezes and the sounds of the sea. There’s a mini putting range on this deck as well, and a few pieces of exercise equipment for those who feel the need. At most, the Independence holds 100 passengers, and on a cruise earlier this month, there were only 56 aboard because of Covid restrictions. However, a full complement, or so it seemed, of staff catered to the needs and wishes of each of these 56 guests, and certainly worked their hardest to keep them happy from the time they stepped on the boat in Baltimore until disembarking at the same location after stopping at Yorktown, Crisfield, Cambridge, St. Michael’s and Annapolis. Yorktown is clearly a highlight on the Chesapeake cruise and American Cruise Lines did it almost perfectly. Here again, the ship docks right at the edge of the historic town, and it‘s a walk up the hill to see it on your own. Since it is so full of history, a trolley tour with a local expert obviously proud of her town is the best way to see Yorktown. Yorktown was a pretty exciting place to live in the 1700s, when Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia and there were about 2,000 people living and working in the 250 to 300 buildings around town. Once Richmond became capital, the Revolution was over, and people began seeking other shores, Yorktown diminished in size but certainly not in charm. The battle lasted about 20 days, and was the turning point and last great battle of the Revolution. The guide will point out houses where the gunshots are still embedded in the exterior walls and tell the delightful story of how General Cornwallis did everything he could to avoid surrendering to General Washington, including sending out his second in command to surrender his sword. According to the storyteller, Washington retaliated with the same, sending his second in command to accept it. Eventually, however, Cornwallis did sign the surrender, which ultimately led to the end of the war and the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Yorktown is also the battle where young America depended on its French friends to win the battle, and Lafayette, our own General Nathaniel Greene, and Rochambeau are held in high esteem. There’s a great memorial high on the hill overlooking the town that commemorates the brave French and Americans, together with many Germans who fought for the colonies. The Independence also offered a bus trip to Williamsburg, but four hours in this former capital and wonderfully restored city can only give you a hint of the art, music, history, beauty and warmth that surround Williamsburg. With so many buildings to see, but with Covid restrictions limiting the amount, it was only possible to go into the Governor’s House, magnificent in its splendor and size, the court house, where guides in 18th century garb and 21st century masks looked a bit ludicrous, and the armory with its storage of muskets, gun powder and guides knowledgeable on how to load cannon and use ancient weapons. ACL could have done better by scheduling this stop for a weekday, since Bruton Parish Church, historic for the number of Presidents who worshiped there, is closed to the public Sunday to allow for its five or six religious services. The William and Mary Book Store at the perimeter of the restored area has rows and rows of tables devoted to famous Virginians and Yorktown heroes, from Thomas Jefferson to Alexander Hamilton. Enroute to Williamsburg, the bus passed not only the Yorktown Weapons Station, one of the sister bases to Naval Weapons Station Earle, but also the Museum of American Revolution. One wonders why ACL, in this town where Revolutionary War history was made, did not include a visit to this museum among its tours. Once back on the ship, after cocktails, hors oeuvres and friends talking over the facts they had learned during the day, then dinner, yet the best was still yet to come. In the evening, ACL had invited the local teen Drum and Fife Corps to have a contingent come aboard to entertain its passengers. And entertain they did. Two fifers and a drummer, all teens, all dressed in their official Revolutionary era regalia, all playing instruments of the era, delighted the passengers first with their renditions of music played during the war, then with their explanations of why the music was so important and what each piece signaled, and finally explaining and demonstrating in great detail each instrument and how it is played. A rousing rendition of Yankee Doodle Dandy with guests singing along, finished off an unforgettable day of remembering what it took, and the lives it took, to preserve freedom and begin a new country. Next: Crisfield and Cambridge

Even though we have all that spectacular waterfront beauty, those magnificent rivers and ocean, that nation-founding and before history, and our own historic Sandy Hook and Twin Lights lighthouses, there is something equally special about the Chesapeake Bay. And cruising through a good part of it on American Cruise Lines Independence, even while Covid is still impacting the world, is a magnificent and unforgettable experience. A week-long trip last week meant not only reliving some great parts of history, learning more than I ever need to know about crabs and ‘picking,’ and seeing lighthouses like nowhere else, it also included meeting some great people…with only 56 aboard the 100 passenger Independence, you get the opportunity to enjoy the company of all others on the ship. But this trip was made even more special by meeting…on the first day, no less, a charming couple from Port St. Lucie, Fla, whom I knew, talked about, and yes, wrote about, decades ago when they lived in Tinton Falls, and had many active and successful businesses. Enjoying the cruise with Don and Sue Somers was an added bonus to a wonderful week. Don, who had more businesses than most people have credit cards, at one time owned the Paradise Trailer Park on the waterfront while at the same time running the very successful limo, cab, and other businesses in Red Bank. HE and Sue moved from Tinton Falls, settled in Port St Lucie, found another home there they liked even better there and are now a couple of very happy former Monmouth Countians now Floridians. They flew up from their home at the same time I was Amtrak-ing it down from Metro park, and we all shared the last night before the cruise at the super-luxurious, super expensive Four Seasons Hotel at Baltimore Inner Harbor before boarding the cruise ship. American Cruise Lines had made all the arrangements, at our expense, of course, which included an overnight at the hotel, breakfast in the morning, a fantastic guided tour for a couple of hours of Baltimore, all while ACL crew scooped up our luggage, brought it to the ship and had it neatly placed in our rooms by the time we got there at the end of the tour. Of course there was all manner of liquid and appetizing refreshments in the main room to give us 56 passengers an opportunity meet each other, chat about where we’re from, why we were on this specific cruise, and what we were looking forward to. But let’s just start with the Baltimore tour. The city, at least parts of it, has changed one heck of a lot from the days when it was downright shabby, dirty, not very appealing and certainly with little regard for the huge history that envelops it. I’m sure those areas still exist, but certainly not on the bus tour. Instead, the magnificent Inner Harbor houses history in such ships as the Sloop Constellation, made in part from pieces of the Frigate Constellation which played an earlier role in American history. The sloop on display, however, is the last of its kind built by the United States Navy. Not far from it is the Sub Torsk, the 1944 submarine that housed 80 sailors in spaces so small they had to walk sideways to get through passageways, and the only one of its kind to serve in World War II. Today, it is both a museum and a memorial. The lighthouse in the harbor is an 1856 light, not very high, and not very bright compared to the Fresnel lens in the Twin Lights, but hearty and strong for the Inner Harbor. Baltimore is also so proud of so many of its native sons and others who chose to call it home while making headlines. Edgar Allan Poe’s home is on display, and they like him so much there that every October there’s a huge festival in his honor. Frederick Douglas is another personage highly revered and recalled in a museum, as is the famous Carroll family. They’re also proud to be home to the bakery that provides the rolls for all the McDonald’s restaurants along the east coast and the conversion of its many canneries into modern day office and residential buildings. Churches abound in Baltimore, many of which are pointed out on the tour, but none is as large or magnificent as the Cathedral of the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a mouthful to say or write, and better known these days as the Baltimore Cathedral. It was built soon after the Constitution guaranteeing religious freedom in America was signed, and Catholics wanted it to be large and beautiful as a way of showing they were finally getting the freedom to practice their religion without fear of penalty. It was designed by Thomas Jefferson’s architect, Benjamin Latrobe, the same brilliant mind who designed the US Capitol, and at the time of its construction, rivaled the Capitol in size and design. Built in the neoclassical style, since the church wanted to accent its acceptance in America, it appears more to be a federal building rather than religious, with its clear pane windows rather than the traditional stained glass of churches. The first Cathedral of any religion built in the United States, it took 15 years to construct, had John Carroll, the cousin of the Declaration as its bishop and was considered the most advanced building of its era. There are numerous museums to the many different ethnic groups that call Baltimore home, including black Americans, Irish Americans, Jewish Americans and many more. Baltimore is a city of museums and ethnic pride, together with a healthy respect for all the beer for which it’s famous, and crab houses for the state treasured shellfish. Fort McHenry is a story onto itself. Because of Covid restrictions, while the tour bus stopped and offered brief walks around some of the 42 acres of the national historic site, the museum itself is closed. While that huge American flag that flew over Fort McHenry is now housed in temperature and light controlled exhibition at the Smithsonian in Washington, it’s still stirring to step on the land where the flag flew in all its glory for Francis Scott Key to see from his ship the morning after the British bombed the fort in an unsuccessful attempt to take it over. Inspiring enough for the national anthem words to be written during the War of 1812, it’s still inspiring to be on the site. The tour bus made a final pass past Baltimore’s Washington Monument, the 178 foot high Doric column designed by Robert Mills who later went on to design the nation’s 555 foot tall Washington Monument. It was built on donated land in the heart of Baltimore and if you’re game for the 227 spiral staircase steps, it offers a spectacular view of the city. Back at the Harbor, guests were met at the pier by ACL staff who introduced us all to the ship, our home for the next six nights, and a tour of historic and beautiful Chesapeake Bay. NEXT: The ship, the crew, and Yorktown, Va.

Covid! It even has made booking a cruise less fun and more difficult! Booking a cruise on one of the wonderful and spectacularly beautiful rivers and bays of the United States is always a thrill. Actually taking it is so much more. And having cruised on both American Queen and American Cruise lines several times on the Mississippi, as well as the Columbia and Snake rivers and going through the Pacific Northwest following the Lewis and Clark trail from the Mississippi west, it seemed like the best way to beat Covid-depression, get away from indoor activities, strengthen my mind and learn something new. It is the best thing to do, I did it. So now I am preparing for another cruise, and I’m working my way through all the changes Covid has meant. Though I’ve visited many historic and entertaining sites, to say nothing of military installations, in both Maryland and Virginia, the states still hold great allure for me and there’s always so much more to learn. So a tour on the Chesapeake Bay of some sites in both states, together with one or two of the islands in the Bay seemed like a great idea. Besides, with the ship leaving Baltimore, it is easily accessible by Amtrak from Metropark and a cab ride to the Four Seasons hotel, the luxurious hotel American Cruise Lines makes accommodations for you for the night before the cruise. BUT Covid has added something to the planning. New regulations. New rules to follow, literally wherever you go. Amtrak’s rules are different from Maryland’s, Maryland’s are different from Virginia’s, and all are different from American Cruise Lines. On the plus side, there’s no doubt absolutely nothing will be crowded, there will not be any long lines to wait in to get into some attractions, and you’re practically positively assured everything everywhere in all your accommodations, both on land and on travel, will be pristine and spotlessly clean. On the ship, with the total number of passengers reduced by 25 per cent, you’re sure to meet everyone with whom you’re cruising someplace along the way. On ships that only accommodate fewer than 200 passengers regularly, that means fewer than 149 others will be on board with me. While I feel certain the employees will also be reduced in keeping with the fewer ship guests, I’m sure there will still be plenty to pamper each customer and fill every need. There will still be all manner of recreation aboard, from music and entertainment to lectures and games. The daily visits to attractions in the ports where the ship docks will continue to be great fun, with perhaps coach transportation instead of busses from pier to sightseeing site, be it the Naval Academy or a museum. Ships already well known for their spectacular meals and overabundance of foods of all kinds won’t change either. Also on the plus side, every state still requires face masks, as do all modes of transportation, so you’re ready and prepared for that. But Covid has made it necessary to learn so much more. Take Amtrak for instance. Besides the mask requirement for every passenger and employee….I must check to see whether the engineer seated by himself in the cab also has to wear one…..Amtrak makes it clear, in no uncertain terms, that mask better stay in place both in the station and on the train. They even warn you..the masks better not have any mesh or holes of any kind, they can’t be bandanas and they must cover nose and mouth. To be sure you know they mean business, Amtrak also warns you they’re following federal laws, and violators are subject to penalties, which could include being denied admittance to a train, being removed from a train, and …drum roll here!!! Being banned from future travel! If you already have a reservation, and you exhibit any symptoms, they also suggest you call Julie, their telephone connection, and she will help you cancel your reservation and make another for the future. Amtrak isn’t taking any chances. Then there’s the ship itself! They aren’t requiring customers to have had vaccines, but they are strongly suggesting them. And just saying you have been vaccinated isn’t enough; they will ask for proof such as that little cards that gives the dates and type.m They’re obeying shoreside regulations wherever they go which should be kind of interesting and test their versatility. They’re even having a Medical Officer aboard every ship to ensure testing as you go aboard, and identification of any positivity during the cruise. In fact, the ships all have a few rooms set aside just in case they need one or more for isolation. For those who are not vaccinated, they are required to be tested four days before the beginning of their cruise, and only NAAT or PCR tests will be accepted. Of course the usual pristine accommodations are more so, there will be constant cleaning going on, and plenty of opportunities for hand washing and cleansing. While masks, they say must be worn at all times, I can only hope they’re off for meals. There should not be many changes in visiting the on land sites. Both Maryland and Virginia require masks and the six foot distances, though it’s interesting that Virginia’s regulations call for the outdoor masks only when you cannot keep six feet away from another. In Maryland, all the shops and businesses are open, and the six foot mandate is required. Is it worth it? Of course it is. There’s the comfort of knowing the need to prevent spreading of the disease is important. There’s comfort in seeing how cleanliness is such a vital factor. But there’s a distinct thrill and a quiver of excitement in looking forward to a week or so in a new environment, on a ship that knows how to pamper well, with people who are bound to be happy and eager to share that happiness. I’m looking forward to it. I can hear the laughter in the air already.

Whoever said the joy of the journey is in the journey itself must have taken the Auto Train. It’s the only way you can get from the Northeast to Florida on a tank of gas. The Auto-Train, the only one of its kind in the world, at three-quarters of a mile long, the longest passenger train in the world, and the most relaxing way to get between the north east and the Sunshine State, is the non-stop ride that takes you and your vehicle, be it sedan, motorcycle, or SUV, from Lorton, Va. to Sanford, Florida. From there, you’re on your own to points further north or south. But a ride on the Auto-Train means beginning the vacation as soon as you step into the designed especially for the Auto-Train station in Lorton. You check your vehicle at the door, take a carry-on bag of essentials for overnight, and begin to relax. Your vehicle is taken by trained crew members and driven into the two-level enclosed rail cars where, along with the other up to 330 cars making the same trip, it is secured in place for the journey south. At the same time, you’re welcomed into the passenger cars, and depending on whether you opt for a lounge seat or a Superliner Deluxe bedroom, or something in-between, settle into your assigned quarters. It’s the same for the trip north to Lorton, where the station is located immediately adjacent to I-95.. Trains in both directions leave their respective stations at 4 in the afternoon, scheduled to arrive at their destinations 17 hours, 30 minutes later at 9:30 the following morning. You’re requested to arrive at least 60 minutes in advance of departure time, and it takes about an hour on average for all the vehicles to be unloaded and get you on your way at the opposite end. IN between, there are lounge and dining cars, regardless of whether you opt for a seat or a bedroom, movies in the evening, practically always a wine tasting at departure, and a three course dinner complete with wine, all included in the price of the ticket. For those who opt for lounge seats, it means stretching out in the recliner and using the blanket and pillow they provide, or, if you want the extra baggage, carry on your own. Bathrooms are located on the lower level of each car, and fresh fruit, coffee and cookies are generally provided in the lounge car. A full bar is also accessible. Dinner menu offers a choice of five dishes, always including a vegetarian, chicken, beef, and fish entree, with a chef’s special. For those who opt for the Superliner bedrooms, coffee is always available in each car, the deluxe rooms are made for two, have private bathrooms with a mini-shower built in, and the five dinner entrees in the Superliner passenger dining room often include filet mignon along with gourmet chicken dishes. There’s still fresh fruit and cookies in the lounge car. The roomettes are built for two, snug and without a private bath, but providing privacy and comfort. There are also family bedrooms, which sleep two adults and two children in one room, and accessible bedrooms which accommodate two adults and are on the lower level, available on every train. Besides the comfort of travel, there’s the beauty of the passing scenery. Before the sun sets heading north, you’ll leave Florida, pass through Georgia’s oldest city, Savannah, and if everything’s on time, cross the state line into South Carolina. Just before dark, then whiz through Charleston and Florence, SC, as well as the home of the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg, NC. If you’re a light sleeper, you’ll know the train stops for a half hour or so at Florence, SC for a change of engine crew, fueling and watering. If you’re an early riser, the charm of Virginia, from Petersburg, where a famous battle of the Civil War was waged, to Quantico, the home of the US Marine Corps and an FBI training facility, are worth seeing from the large train windows. The railroad runs right smack dab down the middle of several communities, including Ashland, so the slower speed gives you ample time to admire the gracious old Victorian mansions, the busy main street, and picturesque Randolph-Macon College. As spectacular as the scenery is, it’s the folks you meet traveling by train that set this mode of transportation above all the rest. Dining room tables are all set for four, so you’re bound to sit with other interesting people. It’s always fascinating to see where they’re from, where they’re heading and what they like best about rail travel. Surprisingly, there are a plethora of college kids who opt for Amtrak, some because they are afraid to fly, others because it’s an easy way to get all their stuff, crammed into their cars, between home and campus. If there is a major disadvantage to the Auto-Train it’s the fact it travels over rails owned by CSX railroad, which means freight frequently has the right-of-way and the Auto-Train is put on a siding to give access to CSX equipment. This occasionally means delays at arrival; on the occasions late arrivals are four hours late or more, the ingenious kitchen crew aboard whips up lunch for all. Cost of the Auto-Train sounds expensive on the surface, but considering it includes dinner and breakfast, that wine tasting and wine with dinner, the constant coffee and fruit and muffins, and comfortable sleeping accommodations, it isn’t too bad. Add to that the high cost of fuel, particularly if you’re traveling alone, and it could even represent a bargain. Like the airlines, prices vary according to the time of year and the availability; generally, the earlier you reserve, the cheaper you’ll get it. Amtrak often offers a special, sometimes allowing kids to travel free with adults. Any way you look at it, it’s worth a call to 1-800-USA-RAIL to learn more about a Vacation to a Vacation.

It was four years ago I spent a week aboard America Cruise Line’s paddle wheeler America , but the memories last a lifetime, and the knowledge gained from experts like Bill Wiemuth on the Mississippi River and Bertram Davis, great great grandson of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis, on the Civil War is sheer luxury. Still, the cruise line had one final offer for its satiated and contented customers….a brief tour of New Orleans with an unforgettable stop at a cemetery. Cemeteries in New Orleans are truly cities of the dead, with their vast above ground tombs lined up on either side of the streets, the vaults holding the remains of everyone from Voodoo priestess Marie Leveau to long ago mayors and a pioneer in the sugar industry, Etienne de Bore. Clearly the most popular cemetery in town is St. Louis No. 1 (there are 3) which has been actively accepting the remains of Louisianans since 1789. It’s a complete city block in size, with more than 700 tombs and more than 100,000 bodies in them. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, St. Louis #1 is reportedly haunted…no surprise there….and a popular tourist attraction with guides who spiel out delightfully entertaining stories as they weave among the vaults and point out famous family names. A block away from the famed French Quarter of this exciting, colorful and in many ways deviant city that firmly believes in letting the good times roll, St. Louis #1 cemetery tour guides will show you the sealed vaults, the smaller sealed vault tucked away in a corner of the big monument and how each can be opened and re-sealed again to prevent flood waters from getting inside. The smaller doors to a corner of the vault serve another purpose. Each vault only holds one or two bodies, so when the next family member dies, the vault is opened, the remains of the last entombed which by now have turned to dust, are packed away carefully in a small container and reinterred in the little vault in the corner of the bigger one. Kind of an early version of cremation, but explains how more than 100,000 bodies can be buried in a sacred place the size of a city block. If two or three family members die before the first deceased’s body has disintegrated, families simply ask a neighbor if they can borrow their vault for a year or so. Benjamin Latrobe, architect of the US Capitol, also designed a part of St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans’s Jackson Square and was working on the engineering design for a new waterworks project in New Orleans when he died of yellow fever. His son had died of the same disease three years earlier, and both are entombed in the cemetery. The burial ground is owned by the Catholic diocese and entry is limited to tour groups with storytellers who have been approved by the Bishop. Family members or genealogists can get special permits to enter and walk through the cemetery unattended. Jackson Square is exciting regardless of the hour of day or night, with swarms of people in all manner of dress and habits dancing, playing musical instruments, reading tarot cards, telling fortunes, selling voodoo dolls, all kinds of food, drink and strange smelling cigarettes, painting and selling caricatures or portraits, or simply sitting around watching everyone else. With St. Louis Cathedral the focal point of the Square, it isn’t unusual to see a bride and groom and their entire wedding party and guests come out of the Catholic cathedral and dance their way, complete with anything from a violinist to a mariachi band, through the Square to the applause and congratulations of happy strangers. Many of the brides carry white lace umbrellas and all their guests wave white linen cloths as they wend their way past tourists, artists, booths and stalls throughout the Square. Café du Monde, the open always café best known for its strong coffee and very special beignets, is only a short distance from the Square, but with lines of tourists waiting hours to sit and enjoy those fried donuts, it’s simply not worth the walk. Back in Jackson Square, two of the state’s museums, each dedicated to a different phase of the Pelican State’s history and lore, flank the still active Catholic cathedral where tourists wander up and down the aisles eyeing the statues and architecture, but are respectful and quiet during mass or other religious services. Excellent restaurants abound. Finding an outstanding restaurant in the Square with spectacular French and Creole cuisine was not a surprise. Finding one named Muriel’s was. And finding Muriel’s had a fascinating ghost in residence, complete with his story, as well as an upstairs outdoor balcony for sipping cocktails overlooking the excitement below made it irresistible. According to local lore, a wealthy man named Pierre Antoine Lepardi bought the property in the 1800s and refurbished the 18th century house to its original grandeur, loving not only the work it involved but the house itself. Pierre also had a thirst for gambling and lost the house in a poker game in 1814. So distraught was he over the loss, the story goes, he committed suicide on the second floor in what is now Muriel’s Séance Room. The room is elegant, rich in colorful fabrics, period furnishings and magnificent large framed paintings. But as much as I sat on the settee quietly in the eerily lit room and listened, inviting company and willing to take my chances on whether he would be friendly, I never heard a peep or got a glimpse of Monsieur Lepardi. The view from the balcony was sheer fun; the later dinner in the downstairs dining room, however, was spectacular. There’s a lot to be said for sampling Bouillabaisse, a combination of shrimp, mussels, crab meat, seafood meatballs and andouille sausage served in a sweet vermouth tomato broth, or shrimp and grits, seasoned with leeks and smoked tomato butter sauce and garlic. Finish it with a Gorgonzola cheesecake with honeyed pecans and slices of tart green apple and you find Muriel’s is as gourmet as it is mysterious. Even better. When the hostess, who runs a very tight, well-organized but very friendly staff, learns a real life Muriel is a dining guest, she presents her with a special labeled bottle of Muriel’s hot sauce. A great souvenir of a magnificent trip south

Several readers have asked that I write some stories about how my husband and I decided to give up full time jobs, a home, a 14-room house in Highlands, being close to our children, and spending ten years traveling throughout the 50 states. Let me start by staying it was the most wonderful ten years of my life. It really started when we were young, were on moderate income and had four children we wanted to see the country, vacation, and enjoy a different way of life. During those incredibly wonderful years we first had a tent, later a ten trailer, and we packed all three, later, four kids, Freckles, our wonderful mixed breed dog, and us into those cramped but cozy quarters and set out to blend family life, new experiences a bit of learning and lots of excitement into a couple of weeks every year. I remember the warmth of campfires as the kids roasted marshmallows, the thrill of catching lobster in Marathon Florida then cooking it over a campfire, the joy of hearing another camper singing Georgia on my Mind as he accompanied himself on the guitar and we all huddled together enjoying new friends. I remember the kids running wild over open fields in New York state, walking on trails in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and making their way through caverns in the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia. I remember White Sands, New Mexico and of course the Must-Stop at South of the Border on the way to Florida. So many happy memories with a family filled with so much love, not only for each other, but for sharing new experiences. The kids grew up, moved on, started their own families and we continued to work, with a life filled with happy memories. So in 1995, after Jimmy recovered miraculously well after four heart attacks, an angioplasty, catherization and quintuple bypass all within 60 hours, we decided God was giving us a message we should change our lifestyle. It was easy to decide what we should do, given all those happy memories with the family. For our 40th wedding anniversary that year, we bought us a 30 foot Flair, a bus-type RV that included a bedroom, bath, living-dining room -kitchen and driving quarters, left our home in the hands of our son and grandson, threw ourselves a going away party and took off. We had no plans where we were going or how or when we would get there. Open road, new adventures, lots of relaxation, plenty of time to learn, enjoy each other’s company, and see as much of the United States as we could were our focus. We carried an atlas with us and a campground guide and after a couple of days of wandering around the familiar areas of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, we hit on a plan: as soon as we arrived in a new state, we would stop at the visitor’s center, pick up all the brochures they had to offer, find a campground close by, pick up a bottle of wine, and settle in for a night or two or three always around 4 in the afternoon. We’d set up our site, put a couple of chairs and a table under the awning outside, poured that glass of wine and begin poring through the brochures. That usually took until well past dark, so we moved back inside, put dinner on to cook and finished reviewing the brochures. By the time dinner was ready, we had decided which attractions, museums, campgrounds, we wanted to see and visit. And that’s how we decided how long we would spend in any one campground. Once we saw everything we wanted to see there, we would pack up, perhaps stop at a grocery store for more supplies, and move on to the next part of the state, or the next state. We learned early some planning made life much easier for us. Jimmy, during his convalescence from all the cardiac procedures, had spent a lot of time watching cooking shows on tv and decided not only did he like to cook, but he was also really good at it! In the few months between his recuperation and our taking to the road, and while I was still working, he would do all the cooking. So it was natural for him to continue it on the road, whether we were cooking over a woodfire outside or the little stove in the RV. The planning part came over more glasses of wine at that kitchen table as we talked about what we wanted for dinner each night. If we were along a coast, we knew we wanted seafood and would wait until we got there to make purchases. But we would plan each meal, pack in the groceries necessary for that week’s menus…..RV refrigerators in the 1990s had limited size freezers so planning became really essential… and stock up before we left in the morning for our next day of travel. It worked perfectly, because we never knew exactly where we would end up that night…..there might be a fair going on in a town along the way we stopped to stop and visit, or a park with some walking paths we thought we’d try. But by 4 p.m. we knew we would stop, have plenty of time to set up our site and still enjoy a leisurely and excellent dinner. It didn’t take many days to put behind us the drudgery of working every day, the routine of taking care of a big house, and the realization we really didn’t need all the accoutrements we had collected, enjoyed and saved through the years. Life in an RV is an exciting experience! Doing it for a decade is a dream come true!

Tunnels are feats of engineering at any level, above or below ground, underwater or high in the mountains. But seeing and going through the more than three dozen tunnels cut through the Rocky Mountains for railroad engines is an unforgettable experience. Traveling on Amtrak’s California Zephyr through Colorado gives you an entirely new awe and appreciation for engineers, both the train-driving railroad kind and those who design highways, bridges and tunnels. Seeing the rocky, rugged, oft snow-covered mountains, dipping into the deep and gorgeous chasms, sitting in lounge cars with ceilings made of glass so you can see the tops of the mountains as the train curves gently, and slowly, through the middle or higher of them and then suddenly thrust into the utter blackness of a tunnel in spite of sun-filled skies gives you a little insight into both how gorgeous the United States truly is and how brilliant the minds, how hard the work of laborers, how fortunate we are to have all of that in our lives. Most of the 31 tunnels you pass through on the Zephyr within the approximate 1,000 miles of Colorado you pass through between its Nebraska and Utah lines are short, all with numbered openings that reflect the order in which they were built, not necessarily the order they come along the route. There are a few more tunnels as you continue through the Wasatch Mountains while traveling the roughly 500 miles through Utah before arriving in Nevada. Regardless, the Moffet Tunnel is the piece de resistance, if you will. Built in the 1920s around the same time the Holland and Lincoln tunnels were under construction in New Jersey, the tunnel had been the dream and idea of banker Daniel Moffet from the early 1900s. His purpose was to establish a shorter quicker way from Denver to points west, but designs, engineers, feuds among legislators and lack of funds kept putting off construction for more than 20 years. And though Mr. Moffet died a millionaire, he unfortunately never lived to see the realization of his dream. In contrast to the Holland and Lincoln tunnels, both about a mile and a half long, the Moffet Tunnel is six miles long! It takes ten minutes to pass through, given the engineer goes at between 30 and 40 miles an hour into the pitch darkness. It’s rather like spelunking in a deep cave in the Blue Ridge Mountains, only on the train it’s the headlight that cuts through blackness rather than a small light on a helmet. Passengers seem to take the trip in a hushed silence, whether in wonder or reverence, since conversation came to a halt as the train entered the tunnel. The Tunnel crosses the Continental Divide, that line signifying the water basins of North America, where all the rivers west of it flow to the Pacific, and those east of it empty into the Atlantic ocean. We had crossed the Mississippi river at the point it separates Illinois from Iowa, and the Missouri, the nation’s longest river, where it separates Iowa from Nebraska. We went from central to mountain time when we crossed from Nebraska into Colorado and could feel and see how the train was climbing once we left Denver. Passing through the Moffet Tunnel we reached the highest point above sea level, approximately 10,000 feet. And there’s one more treat for the eyes when you emerge from the tunnel into bright sunlight. While on the east side of the tunnel, the rugged mountains were absent of snow earlier this month, their multi-hued brownish coarseness and rugged curves dotted with pines and many other evergreens, suddenly there’s snow filled terrain, ski resorts, and even a ski aerial lift directly over the tracks, strange to see from a train, but must be even more strange for a skier passing over a locomotive on her way to the top of the mountain! They say the Upper and Lower Gore canyons in Colorado are dramatic to see, accessible only by rail or kayak, and indeed they are. But as you go through the canyons alongside the Colorado River, pass through Fraser which earns its name as the Icebox of America because it never experiences a frost-free season but where they say the fishing for all kinds of trout is unparalleled, and Granby, the Gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, you’re reaching Dotsero, the half way point of the trip between Chicago and San Francisco. You pass through New Castle, a former coal mining town where several mine explosions led to the end of the trade. But a fire still smolders inside and deep down in the mountain because of so many underground explosions from the high level of methane gas. Today, in true American custom and the spirit of rising above grief and destruction, there’s an annual Burning Mountain Festival held in New Castle every autumn.

While seeing the United States traveling on any train is a great way to explore the diversity that’s always on display here, the awe doesn’t really start until you leave Denver, Colorado, and begin to climb even higher into the Rocky Mountains! Denver may well be the Mile High city, but that’s only a couple of hundred feet over 5,000 feet. The California Zephyr climbs another 5,000 feet and you can see and feel it happening as you leave this city with its beautiful houses track-side and its distant view of rugged, rocky mountains. Rockies snow distance But there are sights before then! The Zephyr, officially train 5 westbound, is named for the Greek God of the west wind, the gentlest of all winds and the harbinger of spring; there’s no doubt riding on this can literally blow you away with awe at the beauty of it all. It’s also the name of the original train ride once known as the most talked about train in America back in the 1940s when it was operated jointly by at least three different railroads. Now strictly an Amtrak train, it makes the trip once a day between Chicago and Emeryville, California, and from there, a short bus ride to San Francisco. Not wanting to step foot into a sanctuary city, I opted to get off in Sacramento, about 85 miles northeast and the capital of the state since the Gold Rush of the 1840s. Today‘s Zephyr isn’t as luxurious or elegant as the Pullman cars of the past, but it’s so much more efficient, so much quieter and smoother, and of course, given the absence of coal-fired steam engines, so much cleaner. Very much like the Capitol Limited to Chicago, there are both coach and roomette cars, a lounge and dining room shared by customers in both, a downstairs area in the lounge car for snacks, sandwiches and breakfast pastries and beverages. Roomettes, for one or two persons, are two comfortable facing seats in front of large windows, and small storage area for a suitcase as well as an area to support beverages or snacks. At night, another bed drops down from above, and the two seats convert to a lower bunk, all comfortable, fitted with clean sheets and blankets, and several pillows. There are both overhead and reading lights and an intercom they say provides music, though I‘ve yet to find one that’s operable. Bathrooms are either down the hall or down a flight of stairs where a shower room is also located. The larger, more expensive bedrooms for two or more have a small private bathroom within. Rockies dry side Leaving the Windy City, you travel alongside the Chicago River heading to Naperville, an old city with new high-tech companies making it also an affluent family-oriented community. Then it’s on through Aurora, Illinois’ second largest city, Princeton, Kewanee, Galva Galesburg and…. not the same as ours, but…..Monmouth, the birthplace of Wyatt Earp. It’s about 170 miles outside Chicago that you cross the mighty Mississippi, the nation’s second longest river and enter Iowa where you’ll pass farms, small communities, lots of cattle, and horses, in spite of freezing temperatures, and see 300 miles of Iowa before entering Nebraska about 11 at night. Since the train’s regular smooth motion is great for sleeping, admittedly, I didn’t see any of the 500 miles we passed through that state before arriving in Colorado just before dawn. Nor did the stops at five different stations, including both Omaha and Lincoln, disturb my sleep, even though some station stops are dearly sought after by smokers who want to step off for a few puffs. They already know at the beginning, and are frequently reminded as well, that there’s no smoking allowed anyplace on the train under assurances the guilty will be escorted off at the next station. Arriving at Colorado just after 7 in the morning, passengers have an extra hour going west, since the Nebraska/Colorado state line is the change from Central to Mountain time. It’s a delightful full day to start out going through the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, once an area where chemical weapons were manufactured but since the 1980s a 15,000 acre refuge where you might get to see your first bald eagle sitting erectly high in one of the barren trees. Not far from there is another site that could make you swear off eating beef, once you see all the cattle in the pens waiting for their last ride before going to market. Rockies snow distance It’s leaving Denver that the ohhs and ahhs begin in profusion. For the next 300 miles, there’s nothing but natural beauty, climbing the Rockies, traveling alongside the Colorado River, and passing through cliffs and canyons, to say nothing of tunnels and plains. The splendor and beauty continues throughout the day, and continues into Utah when you cross the line into that state around dinner time. In many areas, the natural beauty is untouched by so much as a road, the mountains so close at times you feel you can tough them. It’s when most people are enjoying not only friendly conversation but sharing the beauty of the moment as they gather in the lounge car to see the side of the mountains directly in front of them, the soaring tops of them through the overhead glass domes of the car. The trip is made even better when volunteers from the National Park Service or railroad history clubs come aboard and point out historic sites and other points of interest along the way. With so much to see, so much to absorb, so much to admire, it’s impossible to soak it all in.

There is no doubt about it. I’ve been mesmerized by trains by entire married life. Oh, it wasn’t all fun and games, and I didn’t always like it. Growing up in Union County, I didn’t have much interaction with trains. It was easier to hop on a bus to Port Authority in New York or take the Number #8 bus to go to Elizabeth to shop in Goerke’s or visit Humes Music Store. As kids, we never took a train anyplace; family vacations to the White Mountains of New Hampshire were by car, two days of travel, an overnight in Connecticut and arriving at this magical wonderful Burroughs Farm in Twin Mountain, NH early afternoon the second day. It was exciting. But then I married a fireman on the railroad. Jimmy, like his dad, worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was a time when you hired out you hired as a fireman…and yes, there were steam engines, and yes, Jimmy really did shovel coal and sweat by the fire pit even on the coldest days. It would be years until he had the seniority to be ‘promoted’ to engineer. In between, the PRR became the Penn Central Railroad, the government stepped in and Conrail became the ‘freight’ railroad, and firemen and engineers had their choice…did they want to be Conrail engineers or Amtrak engineers, the new government railroad. Jimmy was already an engineer and he chose Amtrak, he liked running passenger trains, liked the trips to Washington, D.C, layovers in Philadelphia where he could visit museums before bringing another train back to New York, and liked the fact we would then have passes to travel wherever Amtrak ran. Even then, we never took many train trips. Jimmy didn’t want to spend his time off as a passenger on a train another engineer was running. Even with passes, we never got to take our children cross country, or even to the nation’s Capital by train. Jimmy believes the train was for work, not for pleasure. And he worked hard for his pay. At the time, there were no sick days, no holidays, no days off. If you didn’t work, you simply didn’t get paid. So he was very healthy all those years we were raising four children and putting them in tuition paid Catholic schools. He called in sick for our daughter’s cheerleading meets, our son’s Pop Warner games. Looking back, I’m so happy he had the option and we both recognized enjoying our kids’ activities beat a bigger paycheck any day. My train trips while Jimmy was alive were glorious when I took them. Often, when Jimmy had a run to Washington, DC, a four or five hour layover there, and another trip back to New York. I could go as a passenger, meet him at Union Station, and we could spend a couple of hours visiting the Smithsonian and having lunch in one of the Capitol’s restaurants before boarding his train for our trip back home. I loved it, and so loved the Smithsonian and visited every building, in addition to the Library of Congress and the Capitol many times. We took several trips after the Auto Train came into being, driving to Lorton, Virginia, boarding the train and watching them board our car, for the overnight trip to Florida, then reclaiming our vehicle and moving on to wherever we were going. Wonderful trips. After Jimmy’s death, both to memorialize him and our happy memories, and to travel….so easy to travel by train when you’re a lone woman traveler…I knew I wanted to take the train across the country! At least once! I ended up doing it more than that. I took one trip to New Orleans since I was also taking a cruise sailing out of there. What better way to start a cruise on the Mississippi than by taking the train to the boat! t was an opportunity to see the beauty and wonder of America through 11 states and Washington, D.C. There simply isn’t anything that can compare! Boarding in New York…Amtrak’s Crescent is one of the few long distance East Coast trains that doesn’t stop at Metro Park…you whiz through New Jersey, Philadelphia, Delaware and Maryland before stopping for a few minutes in Washington, D.C where dozens more board for the trip South through Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and final stop, New Orleans. Rather than the straight line south leaving the nation’s Capital, the Crescent travels west through Virginia, giving riders the opportunity to ride through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, smack through the middle of towns like Manassas and Culpeper, Jefferson’s Charlottesville, before moving on through High Point and Charlotte in North Carolina, touching on Spartanburg and Clemson in South Carolina, and on to the beautiful city of Atlanta, Georgia. Alabama’s small towns along the route include Anniston, where Anniston Army Depot, a huge Army installation with dozens of tanks lining a perimeter near the railroad, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama, then on to Meridian, Picayune and more in Mississippi before pulling into the Festival City of the World, New Orleans. The Crescent is the only Amtrak train that makes this route, and timing of the trains going north and south makes it possible to see different towns by night and day. Heading south, you’re just about entering Virginia at dusk, and sleeping your way through the Carolinas, with the sun rising over Georgia and an evening arrival New Orleans. On the return trip, it’s daylight from New Orleans through Georgia, then sleeping once again through the Carolinas, and daylight through the beautiful western side of Virginia and the upper Southern states for a noon-time or so arrival in New York. Accommodations aboard Amtrak are delightful, whether you opt for coach, sleeping cars, or, in between, business class accommodations which mean more space, quiet and comfort than the more popular and less expensive coaches, but still a lower cost and privacy than the private miniature cabins for two. All classes of travel on the Crescent enjoy the same dining room and lounge cars, and seats in both coach and business allow plenty of room for stretching out and lying flat. In recent years, I’ve traveled overnight both ways, in coach and in a private bedroom. Both have distinctive benefits. The coach seats are far less expensive, the seats are wide, big and lay back, and you can bring pillows or blankets for added comfort at night. You have the joy of meeting other travelers, making new friends, and everyone is polite and quite throughout the sleep hours when the lights are dimmed. The private cars of course give you all the privacy you want, two seats and a table for playing games, reading, or holding a glass of wine, and a porter who comes in and converts those two seats to a most comfortable bed at night., You meet your new friends in the dining room where the menu always has a minimum of five entrees and great desserts. It’s elegance on wheels. On the Crescent, it’s in Georgia in the right season, when you first see spring has arrived in the South, with magnolias in bloom, violet and white wisteria blowing gently in the breeze along tree limbs, and dogwood and bulb flowers adding brilliant colors to an already beautiful scenery. As in most large cities, the train stations are right in the heart of things, so it’s always an inexpensive cab ride to hotels of all price ranges, and museums, shops, restaurants and other entertainment you can start enjoying immediately. After all, it was a most relaxing, enjoyable, and scenic trip to get there.