Killing Breast Cancer in 21 minutes, Everything happens for a reason

By Muriel J. Smith

Editor’s note: This article is the fourth  in an exclusive series of Muriel’s inspiring and hopeful message after dealing with breast cancer. Paint the Town Pink!

Muriel Smith and her grand-daughter Becca Marie

 February 2! Cryoablation Day. By 11:00, the breast cancer I had only known I had for 47 days would be dead in my chest and I’d be on my way to keep a luncheon date with a friend.  Having had procedures and tests at Centra State Medical Center several times in the past, I knew they called you a day in advance to remind you of your appointment. When I had not received a call by 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1, I called the hospital to be sure my procedure was still on schedule. They laughed good naturedly at my excitement and assured me everything was right on target and I was scheduled to be called sometime after 4 p.m. to verify it. I did get the call at 4:01 p.m.

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So That’s What Cancer Looks Like

By Muriel J. Smith

Editor’s note: This article is the second in an exclusive series of Muriel’s inspiring and hopeful message after dealing with breast cancer

It was Nov. 25, two days after my 79^th birthday, when Dr. Ann Hughes, the interpreting radiologist for the Star and Barry Tobias Women’s Health Center at Central State Medical Center, wrote to let me know my mammogram showed a finding “that requires additional imaging studies.”  The radiologist sent the same information to Dr. Robert Pedowitz, my general practitioner, who immediately called me. He wanted me to see Dr. Mary Martucci, the medical director and surgical oncologist at the Women’s Center. I’m not saying it’s cancer, he cautioned, simply that he would like an oncologist involved right from the get go. Just in case.

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From Body Massage to Breast Cancer Diagnosis

By Muriel J. Smith

Editor’s note: This article is the first in an exclusive series of Muriel’s inspiring and hopeful message after dealing with breast cancer

Muriel J. Smith

It’s quite a story.  Full of coincidences, a new invention, a forward thinking radiologist, a medical center that has the integrity and strength to offer its patients an economical and painless alternative to surgery, a private physician who suggests, explains, and urges a woman to review all options, a surgical oncologist who explains everything in simple detail then encourages a patient to make her own decisions, an international meeting, a team of young, bright, intelligent Israelis who are on the cutting edge of tomorrow’s cancer cures. And me.  I’m part of that story!

And it all started with a special sales offer for a body massage at Hand and Stone on Route 33 in Howell. That’s the embarrassing part.
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Twin Light Museum Reopens On 123rd Anniversary Of The Pledge Of Allegiance

By Muriel Smith

Senator Joseph Kyrillos, Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholders Serena DeMaso, Director Tom Arnone, Lillian Burry and John Curley and Highlands Business Partnership President Carla Braswell at the Twin Lights reopening with World War II and Korean War veteran Dick Seuffert of Middletown. Photo by Ken Braswell, ShoreGrafx.

HIGHLANDS – Close to 100 people joined Sheriff Shaun Golden and students from Rumson Country Day School in pledging allegiance to the flag in front of the Twin Lights, a scene enacted for the first time publicly at the same site 123 years ago April 25.

In a formal ceremony officially reopening the Museum at the historic lighthouse, Mary Jo Kenny, president of the Twin Lights Historical Society, welcomed guests to the 2016 season at the state-owned museum and introduced the program which followed the US Coast Guard honor guard presentation of the flag.  Golden led the group in saying the pledge as it was first recited at the site 123 years ago, and the current day passage, adopted in 1954.

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The Show Must Go On!

Librarian Steps In As Actress

By Muriel Smith

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.

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Freeholders honor MAST students

By Muriel Smith

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.

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