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By Elaine Van Develde
Fair Haven Girl Scout Caroline Peters made it through Hurricane Sandy unscathed.
But the teen, daughter of Councilman Jonathan Peters, saw what the storm did to the property of people she knew well and cared about. She watched as it ripped up the iconic Fair Haven Dock, a traditional spot for all those who grow up Fair Haven style.
Continue reading Girl Scout Project Earmarks Sandy, Storm Surge Education
Those at the Halloween Parade at Viola L. Sickles School in Fair Haven this year got a spooky musical treat when the kids launched into a flash mob of Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Zombie Style.
The concept, a first in the school district, was conceived by parent Bennett Coleman and choreographed by Vanessa Berry, owner/director of Kick Dance Studios in Fair Haven and Rumson, a release from the school district said. The performance involved students in first through third grades dancing up a diabolical storm.
“We had just three rehearsals, and all of the students worked really hard,” said Berry in the release. “This was a great opportunity for the children currently taking dance lessons to show off their moves, as well as for all of the students to enjoy demonstrating what they learned.”
“I thought all of the students were utterly charming,” said parent Susan Culbert in the release. “I was impressed by them.”
The Sickles Halloween parade has been a longstanding tradition. Officials welcomed the new addition.
“I am so grateful to Vanessa Berry for the donation of her time, and to Monmouth Stereo for the donated use of their equipment,” Sickles School Principal Cheryl Cuddihy, costumed as candy Dots, said. “I also want to express my thanks to Bennett Coleman, who was instrumental in organizing this wonderful activity.”
Be sure to check out the video on the Fair Haven PTA Facebook page. Click here.
By Elaine Van Develde
Hurricane Sandy’s waters rushed into Rumson’s West Park section, pushing residents out and leaving lots of devastation behind.
The U.S. Army National Guard’s soldiers were posted at its entrances. There was no passing through for some time.
When the downed wires and felled trees were fixed enough and the floodwaters had subsided, there was a sense of calm, yet eerie stillness in the neighborhood.
This is what it looked like at sunset at the foot of Washington Avenue by the Shrewsbury River’s inlet.
Remember?
The following is an edited release from the Rumson School District …
“I like books,” said Clara Winters, a first grader at Deane Porter School, when asked why she was excited to attend this year’s Rumson School District Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) Book Fair.
Judging by the number of excited youngsters clutching brand new books in anticipation of taking them home to enjoy, Clara was in good company.
The 2014 Rumson PTO Book Fair, held in the gymnasium of Deane Porter School from Oct. 15 to 22, featured a large number of compelling titles to pique the interests of Pre-Kindergarteners through eighth graders at Deane Porter and Forrestdale schools.
Thousands of books and related items were available for immediate purchase, including a selection of titles for adults and young adults.
This year’s attendees were urged to make way for their new purchases by donating gently used titles to the Bridge of Books Foundation.
Bridge of Books provides an ongoing source of books to underprivileged children throughout New Jersey in order to support literacy skills and foster a love of reading.
The Rumson school community donated of 20 cartons of books.
Kicked off with a conch shell concert by Forrestdale School Band Music Teacher John Lebitsch, the book fair’s Family Fun Night was held on Oct. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. and featured activities such as face painting, crafts, and King and Queen for a Day photos as well as a gift basket raffle.
Parent volunteers assisted with book sales throughout the event, while eighth graders from Forrestdale School helped out with activities.
“We are so fortunate to live in a district with a wonderful Book Fair and terrific community and PTO support year after year,” said Abby Daly, this year’s PTO book fair chairperson. “The money that is earned through book fair is invested in new titles for our school libraries to help keep our collections fresh.
“It’s truly an investment in the future.”
For those wishing to purchase new books for use in specific classrooms, teacher wish lists were made available as well.
Forrestdale fourth graders Kira and Lisa Hunt. “The Book Fair is always great,” said Forrestdale fourth grader Kira Hunt. Her sister, Lisa, agreed, adding that “picking out books is a lot of fun.”
By Elaine Van Develde
Yes, you could have called it a seasonal Sea Bright dog day.
And there are few of those days left for four-legged friends to romp on the shore.
Recently, though, the day of the Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweeps was a prime example of a great day for furry friends to have a little fun with their masters.
Check it out.
By Elaine Van Develde
Voters said “yes” to the state open space funding question on the 2014 ballot.
But what does that really mean?
It’s one of those questions on the ballot that many don’t understand oftentimes bypass for that reason or another — more often than not because it seems too convoluted to process while voting.
This election what was Question #2 did not elude voters. The majority, 79,605, or an overwhelming 62 percent, said “yes” to a measure will put in place a mechanism to permanently fund open space acquisitions.
In years past, voters have been asked to OK local taxes of anywhere from a penny to a few cents per $100 of assessed property value to put funds in a trust dedicated to the acquisition and preservation of swaths of land seen as prime for forever passive or active recreation.
But, such land has become more and more expensive, as a valued diminishing asset. And, as many municipalities rely on state and county grant funds to supplement their acquisitions — taking a percentage of the purchase burden off taxpayers — funds have been exhausted while towns’ acquisition “wish lists” have dwindled due to economics.
So, the state came up with a way to take a percentage of a tax already brought in and dedicate it to open space.
It’s a permanent mechanism. And, in accordance with the regulations that accompany any grant for such space preservation, once the land is preserved, it can never again be used for any commercial or private development purpose — only passive and/or active recreation.
By the same token, environmentalists and preservationists have touted for years, once land is lost to development, it’s lost forever.
In this case, now 4 percent of corporate business tax revenue will be automatically put in the open space piggy bank from 2016 to 2019. Then, from 2019 on, 6 percent will go into the preservation coffers.
While this money has already been helping with the proliferation of environmental programs, it will now also cover land preservation in several ways: open space/passive and active recreation land acquisition, agricultural (farmland) help, and flood buyout assistance.
On the Friday before the election, now re-elected Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry was on hand to congratulate Fair Haven officials on the acquisition of the historic Williams/Robards property at the foot of DeNormandie Avenue.
Burry called the closing on the property a prime example of how the “yes” to the #2 ballot question would benefit the public and future generations.
Saying that she had been supporting the question on the campaign trail, she called attention to the fact that the long-time-coming acquisition of the DeNormandie property involved state funds that would get a big boost from the new measure that the question proposed, such as the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Blue Acres and Green Acres programs.
“It’s exciting to be part of such a wonderful occasion and to think about how wonderful it is that all these entities working together were able to come to this wonderful conclusion and that is to save this piece of property,” Burry said. “You can’t do better than this. I’ve been on projects that take longer than 10 years. I always say, ‘In my lifetime, please.’ This was well worth waiting for.”
Yet another portion, or $100,000, of the funding for DeNormandie came from the non-profit Monmouth Conservation Foundation.
The organization’s executive director, Bill Kastning, also a major proponent of Question #2, called DeNormandie an example of a quality acquisition, more of which he’d like to see come to fruition.
“The Monmouth Conservation Foundation saw a need here to assist Fair Haven with the acquisition of this all important piece of property,” Kastning said. “In it’s 37 years, the foundation has helped with the preservation of about 6,500 acres. Quantity counts and quality counts. While we’re talking here of only 6.9 acres, it’s 6.9 acres of waterfront property, a portion of the waterfront, a fantastic view, and a walkable park for a community that certainly needs access to the waterfront. Saving this property … You can’t do better than this.”
By Elaine Van Develde
Historically, officials in Rumson can’t remember a time when a Democrat or independent sat on the governing body.
There has, however, been one consistent candidate for Borough Council for many years now — Michael Steinhorn.
This election was no exception. With two seats up for grabs — those of Republican incumbents Benjamin Day Jr. and Shaun P. Broderick — Steinhorn again threw his hat into the status quo ring, attempting to mix it up on the dais.
Garnering 512 votes, or 16.5 percent of the votes this time around, he failed. His campaign was characteristically low profile.
The top vote-getter in the Rumson council race was Day, with 1,313 votes, or roughly 42 percent of the votes. Broderick won 1,265 votes, or about 41 percent.
There were nine write-ins.
By Elaine Van Develde
When the storm’s rage subsided, the Rumson-Fair Haven area was left literally powerless for nearly two weeks. Then the guys from Alabama Power rolled in to the rescue, quickly being dubbed Hurricane Sandy heroes.
In what seemed like effortless work to them, sorely needed electricity was on and humming away within a couple of days.
Area residents flocked to Fair Haven Fields to feed the crew and heap on the accolades. The Alabama guys met them with smiles and a great service that has gone unforgotten.
Remember these warm smiles?
By Elaine Van Develde
Two years ago, voting in a presidential election in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy became historic for many reasons.
One of those reasons was just the logistics of where displaced people whose towns and selves were handicapped by the storm were voting.
Then there was the notion of getting people out from under their Sandy-plagued circumstances to vote at all.
Well, the turnout was much higher than anticipated. This is how it looked at one polling place in Fair Haven — the firehouse — that took in its Sea Bright neighbors to vote.
Remember?
By Elaine Van Develde
They apparently just haven’t had enough.
That’s why Fair Haven and Rumson borough council incumbents are running for additional three-year terms on their respective governing bodies — and largely unopposed.
Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli faces no competition for his first full four-year term. Lucarelli filled former Mayor Michael Halfacre’s unexpired term when he was appointed director of the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control in January of 2012. The current mayor then won the uncontested election to finish Halfacre’s term through 2013 in November of the same year.
Newcomer Democratic candidate Aimee Humphreys is vying for one of two seats up for grabs on Fair Haven’s Borough Council. Running a lower-profile campaign, she is attempting to unseat either Susan Sorensen or Jerome Koch, both Republicans, on a platform of lowering municipal taxes and fighting reassessments. Humphreys was unavailable as of press time.
Sorensen is competing for her second term on council and Koch has served since 2002.
The two are running on a platform of experience and track records in office for keeping municipal taxes flat for six years, garnering $3.5 million in grants to offset the cost of capital improvements and more. They say, in their campaign literature, that they would like to “continue to run our borough like a successful business.”
In Rumson, Republican incumbents Shaun P. Broderick and Benjamin W. Day Jr. are vying to keep their seats on council.
Their only competition is Democrat Michael Steinhorn, who has attempted to break the characteristically longstanding Republican hold on the governing body several times and lost.
Steinhorn also ran for Monmouth County Surrogate in 2011 and lost to incumbent and former Middletown Mayor Rosemarie Peters.
The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at all the regular polling places in both boroughs.
By Elaine Van Develde
“It’s been a long, arduous process,” Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli said, “but sooner than later locals will have a park on the riverfront to call their own.”
The mayor and other local, county and non-profit officials brought the decade-long concept one step closer to fruition on Friday when they gathered to commemorate Fair Haven’s acquisition of the property on the Navesink River at the end of DeNormandie Avenue.
Officials have eyed the 6.9-acre $1.2 million swath of land as future passive recreation facility for years now, since the tenure of former Mayor Michael Halfacre. However, for one red-tape reason or another, it’s taken a persistent fight and many avenues of grant acquisition to keep the land that was intended by its owners to remain in the public trust just that — and at the right price.
In the end, taxpayers are contributing $200,750 for the property, “most of which has already been budgeted for,” the mayor added.
The remainder of the funding was allocated as follows: NJ Blue Acres Grant Program paid for the bulk, or $608,750 of it; the Monmouth County Open Space Grant Program kicked in $250,000; and, most recently, the non-profit Monmouth Conservation Foundation contributed $100,000.
In order to procure the grant money, the borough needed to commit to certain conditions: the home is to be demolished; a passive park with riverfront access must replace the home; there are to be no impervious surfaces; and the park is to be named after the property’s founding family, the Robards with a plaque anchored on the site giving a brief history of the family. The timetable, starting with the demolition, for all of this is slated for the spring of 2015.
This way, it’s guaranteed to be the borough’s “to enjoy for future generations going forward,” Lucarelli said. Once property is acquired as open space, using state, county and non-profit funding, it must stay just conserved as such.
That was the aim of local officials and the property’s original owners from the onset — to keep riverfront access open so that future generations can enjoy growing up Fair Haven style.
Frequently, the mayor has talked about how he grew up in Rumson with “sand between my toes.” The riverfront has been a mainstay for most who have grown up in the area, though the price and taxes of owning property on the riverfront is staggering for those of modest means — as were the Williams and Robards families, whose relatives had made the property their home since the 1850s.
For that reason, Lucarelli said, the descendants of Charles Williams — the free black man of his time who built his home and settled his family at foot-of-DeNormandie spot — felt that if they must sell the property, it would be their wish to preserve it as open space for all to enjoy rather than cloister it as an elite private property.
The most recent owners, the Robards descendants, whose family had lived in the spot since 1855, knew that as well and, for that reason, wanted to keep it open to the public.
“Winifred Robards (who lived there since 1855, when she was 3) was known to invite kids onto the property to play and enjoy it all the time,” Lucarelli said.
Soon enough, they and future generations will.
By Elaine Van Develde
It was about this time two years ago that Woody’s Ocean Grille Owner Chris Wood and Head Chef Onofrio Muscato saw an immediate need to help the hungry, cold and displaced in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
So, they just pulled out the grill and started flipping burgers, eggs and anything else they could to serve up some comfort to the superstorm’s victim. Before long, the U.S. Army National Guard was sent to set up camp and help. Word spread and soon there was a parking lot full of mess tents, food trucks, clothing bins and more.
Sea Bright Rising was born.
Two years later, Sea Bright Rising has brought in $1.3 million and distributed $1 million of it, Wood said recently. And the organization is not done yet. Many more of Sandy’s victims are still displaced and Sea Bright Rising wants to help.
Check out the non-profit’s website at seabrightrising.org.
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