Jemma Nigh Players: Myra Danon, Donna Mansfield, Martin Moskowitz, Fridel Buxbaum, Bob Landman
MANALAPAN – Donna Mansfield takes it seriously when she says “The Show must go on!” So seriously, in fact, that the Programming Coordinator at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters did the only thing she could think of to do when she learned a one act play scheduled to go on stage at the headquarters library had to be cancelled because one of the five actors had to drop out. With scant weeks to go before the event Mansfield had been promoting throughout Monmouth County with great zeal was scheduled, and not wanting to spend as much zeal in announcing its cancellation, Mansfield volunteered to step in and do the job!
Mansfield…who is not an actress and has absolutely no experience on stage….pulled it off beautifully last week when she portrayed Nora in Sisters-in-Pain, a charming comedy written by Myra Danon of Jamesburg. Danon also played a role in this, the first comedy she has written on her own, though she did co-author one other play since she retired as an elementary school teacher in Harlem.
NHL Star Trevor VanRiemsdyk, a CBA graduate, brought the Stanley Club to Middletown on July 30th
What an exciting few weeks for Monmouth County! We are making history and people around the region are taking notice. The weather has been incredible – which means our beaches, restaurants and attractions are packed and in turn, economic rewards for the community.
We even got a visit from the Stanley Cup. Trevor VanRiemsdyk, a defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks and Middletown native, attended a ceremony in his honor at Middletown Arts Center on July 30. Hundreds of fans from the area turned out for this exciting event, where Mayor Stephanie Murray awarded Trevor a key to the city, and myself, along with my fellow Freeholders, dedicated the day in his honor, marking Thursday, July 30, 2015, as Trevor VanRiemsdyk Day.
And let’s not forget history making at the William Haskell Invitational. With a record setting crowd at Monmouth Racetrack, nearly 61,000 people came out to see triple crown winner, American Pharaoh. Officials said that is was the largest crowd in the 145-year-old racetrack’s history, with the previous single day attendance record, 53,638, set at the Haskell in 2013. We can now say that Monmouth Park, rich in its own traditions, is part of national horse racing history as well.
Freeholder Lillian G. Burry photo by Art Gallagher
Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry is resting comfortably at home after being released from Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank where she spent most of last week after sustaining injuries resulting from a fall outside of her Colts Neck Realty office.
During a phone interview this morning, Burry told MMM that she sustained a mild concussion, injured her left knee and crushed her right elbow. Her elbow joint was replaced.
“There’s still a lot of life in this old broad,” Burry said, “that’s it. When I do something, I really do it.”
Burry’s knee is being treated with an ice pack. Her right arm is in a cast that feels like it weighs 50 lbs., she said.
Traveling through the heart of northeastern Monmouth County got a lot easier this week after State,County and Local officials celebrated the reopening of the West Front Street Bridge, AKA Hubbard’s Bridge, that connects Middletown and Red Bank over the Swimming River.
The five month long replacement project that came in as promised before the Memorial Day weekend.
The opening follows the construction of a new 488-foot long steel girder bridge to the north of the existing West Front Street Bridge.
82 young men and women were sworn in as law enforcement officers today during their graduation ceremony from the Monmouth County Police Academy at Neptune High School’s Performing Arts Center, according to an announcement by Sheriff Shaun Golden.
43 officers completed the Basic Course for Police Officers, a 19 week program with 780 hours of training. 39 completed the Basic Course for Class II Special Law Enforcement Officers, a three month program that consists of approximately 600 hours of training with full police powers while on duty. Both classes are run through the Monmouth County Police Academy and upon completion the officers are well trained and well prepared to serve their respective law enforcement agencies.
The new officers’ training was sponsored by jurisdictions in Monmouth, Middlesex, Mercer and Burlington counties.
L to R: James Plousis, Chairman N.J. State Parole Board, Michael Ruane, Director Office on Aging, Disabilities & Veterans Services, Col. Carmen Venticinque, NJ ESGR, Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, Sheriff Shaun Golden & Acting Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni. Click photo for larger view
Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Lillian Burry, Acting Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni and Michael Ruane, Director of the Monmouth County Office on Aging, Disabilities and Veterans Services were each presented the Seven Seals Award by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) office during a Show of Strength ceremony held at the Sheriff’s Office in Freehold on Wednesday.
ESGR is comprised of dedicated and trained volunteers and staff. They develop and promote employer support for Guard and Reserve service by advocating relevant initiatives, recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of applicable laws, and resolving conflict between employers and service members.
ESGR informs and educates service members and their civilian employers regarding their rights and responsibilities governed by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
With the Seven Seals Award, ESGR recognizes significant individual or organizational achievement, initiative, or support that promotes and supports the ESGR mission to develop and promote supportive work environments for service members in the Reserve Components.
48 percent of the U.S.Military comes from the National Guard and Reserve.
The intersection of Crine Road (County Road 4) Dutch Lane (County Road 46) and Heulitt Road in Colts Neck will be closed from April 22 through May 2 for the installation of a roundabout.
Motorist heading east should follow Vanderburg Road to Boundary Road to Cedar Drive to Heyers Mill Road to Flock Road to State Hwy. 34 to Conover Road. Motorists travelling west should use the reverse route. A detour route has been posted.
FREEHOLD – Eighty cadets from the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) NJROTC unit were honored Thursday night at the regular meeting of the Board of Freeholders, when each received a certificate of appreciation and the day was proclaimed MAST Day in Monmouth County.
Freeholder Lillian Burry brought the honors to the high school students citing their first place awards in senior and freshman divisions of drill competitions. The senior team placed first in three of the four, second in the fourth at the senior level, while both the senior and freshmen teams took all the top honors in the academics portion of the events. MAST’s varsity Color Guard led by Cadets Steven Vieira and Kyle McKean also is undefeated in each of the competitions. The Color Guard opened the meeting Thursday night and presented colors for the pledge of allegiance which starts every freeholder meeting.
In a county as large and diverse as Monmouth County new issues arise for the Freeholders on almost a daily basis. Fortunately, most also come with a very clear and simple resolution as well and so are dealt with almost as quickly as they come. Then there are a few issues that are not that simple. These tend to be ones that place two or more fundamental commitments of government in conflict with one another. Determining the future of our care centers is just such a complex issue.
Good governments mirror the values of the societies that establish them. Compassion for the most vulnerable among us is a fundamental value of our society. From their origins as tuberculosis hospitals through their evolution as nursing homes into more sophisticated care centers our two facilities have met this moral obligation in Monmouth County.
Monmouth County will have a new 250 acre park in Aberdeen and Marlboro Townships, despite the fact that Port Authority of NY/NJ backed out of a commitment to fund $5 million to purchase 87.8 acres of the open space from a developer who had approvals to build 250 homes on the property.
Today, the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders approved funding the entire $10.6 million land purchase from Aberdeen/Wilson Associates, LLC through the County’s Open Space Trust Fund.
“The Port Authority appears to be unwilling to honor its commitment of sharing to fund a project that will preserve significant portions of the Matawan Creek watershed and eventually provide a 250-acre park,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the County Park System. “The Port Authority’s offer to help move this deal forward appears to have been withdrawn. Fortunately, Monmouth County has an invaluable Open Space Trust Fund to finance the entire purchase.”
State Senator Joe Kyrillos praised the Freeholder Board, the NY/NJ Baykeeper and Aberdeen Township for making the park a reality and slammed Port Authority for backing out of the deal.
