All Around Matawan-Aberdeen, September-2022

Save The Date!

MATAWAN-ABERDEEN VOL 1, NO 1

CHAMBER CORNER A MESSAGE FROM THE

Aberdeen Day – 9/24 - Page 16 Matawan Day – 10/1 Matawan Halloween Home Decorating Contest – 10/29 - Page 14

A Publication for the community of Matawan & Aderdeen

MATAWAN DAY FESTIVAL ON MAIN STREET ARRIVES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1ST

MATAWAN-ABERDEEN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Welcome! As President of the Matawan Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, it is both my pleasure and an honor to welcome you to the 1st edition of All Around Matawan Aberdeen. We are pleased to be a contributor to a monthly publication dedicated to informing and uniting residents and businesses in the Matawan Aberdeen Community.

Our Chamber is proudly in its 54th year of service to members and residents of our community. We currently have close to 200 active members in our Chamber. We offer monthly events throughout the year giving members the opportunity to collaborate and interact with one another to best serve and support the businesses and residents of our community. If you are a new or existing business in our area and are not a Continue on page 19

Get ready to mark your calendars! The Matawan Day Street Festival returns on Saturday, October 1st (rain date 10/2), 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Colorful canopies and flags will once again line Main Street as far as the eye can see as vendors set up their booths, ready to showcase their products and services.

More than a dozen food trucks and food booths will be dispersed among the vendors, releasing tantalizing smells that will

mix with the fantastic sounds of live music emanating from the bandstand and entertainment area. Performances by yoga, music, karate, dance studios, Dee Jay entertainment, live bands, and tours of Burrowes Mansion will all return as fan favorites.

The festival has some new additions this year. The KidZ Corral will feature pumpkin decorating, face painting, balloon art, and more. In addition, new bounce houses, slides, and in-

teractive play will be in various locations along the street. The day’s activities will be shown live on YouTube in the debut of our broadcasting booth, along with interviews, food contests, and other fun events.

Adding these new elements to old favorites, Matawan Day Street Festival 2022 promises fun for the entire family.

This fun day is organized and hosted jointly by the Matawan Economic Development Commission and the Matawan-Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce. For information, visit MatawanBorough.com or MACOCNJ.com. Special thanks to our sponsors for their support. Parking will be available at the Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station, with a shuttle running to and from the event.

A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER/PUBLISHER It i s w i t h great pride and honor to launch this inaugural publication of A l l A ro u n d Matawan Aberdeen for the David Lee Townships of Hernandez Jr Matawan and Founder/ Aberdeen. The Publisher publication was born from a similar project in Old Bridge of providing local coverage specific to our township. All too often publications

focus on the salacious and sensational headlines, not on the hard work by residents, businesses, teachers, first responders and local officials. After seeing many other towns with publications, I felt the need for Matawan Aberdeen to have its own publication to promote both of these great towns. The concept for All Matawan Aberdeen began over collaborations with the Chamber of Commerce. The business climate and excitement generated by the Chamber of Commerce re-emphasized to me what

a great place Matawan Aberdeen is to work, live and invest in. My goal is to create a publication that covers local events, provided township information to residents, and a conduit to highlight our businesses and to provide information on their products and services at no cost to our residents and tax payers. All Around Matawan Aberdeen is a privately funded publication written here in town by residents, students, officials and business leaders.

One key feature is to highContinue on page 15

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MAYOR’S MESSAGE

Mayor Joseph Altomonte Dear Residents, It’s been an honor and pleasure to be your Mayor for the past seven years. I’m proud of the work we have done together to make Matawan one of the best places to live! We have improved our downtown, sponsored new town-wide events, and expanded our recreation programs.

People stop me on the street to tell me that Matawan is better than ever.

Our downtown improvements have continued to attract new businesses, such as the Brew Coffee Shop, A Salute, and

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we’re all excited about the new Main Street Donuts shop getting ready to open. In addition, we added a new event on Main Street this year, a classic car show which was a huge hit - with proceeds going to our local VFW. There’s no denying the beauty of Lake Lefferts. We’ve been encouraging residents to enjoy the lakefront by sponsoring lakeside dining, live music, and other events over the summer. You can rent one of our canoes, bring a pole to fish off the dock or sit and relax. Of course, our lakeside Fourth of July Celebration was a night to remember. With activities for the kids to enjoy, a fabulous band, and a pie-eating contest, all before dark, the fireworks ended the evening on a spectacular note.

Our recreation programs have expanded yearly, from our newly enhanced summer camp and senior classes to our recent Family Night Under the Stars featuring bands, movies, and a BMX show. Next is the Matawan Day Street Festival, sponsored by the

Matawan Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce and Matawan Economic Business Development Commission, right on Main Street on October 1st from 12-5. Last year we had thousands of visitors, and I hope to see you there!

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at joseph.altomonte@matawanborough.com or by calling Borough Hall at 732-566-3898 x605. Once again, thank you for allowing me to serve as your Mayor.

Thank you, Joseph Altomonte

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Join the Chamber now and save $25.

Attention Business Owners and Professionals of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties: Mention this ad and we will waive the registration fee of $25.** All area businesses are welcome to join our organization of 175+ members supporting businesses since 1968.

Contact us today to see how the Matawan-Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce can help your business grow and connect to the community you serve. See our website for . meetings and events. Check out our membership list.

www.macocnj.com or call: 732-290-1125 Email: info@macocnj.com Follow us: @macocnj

**UPON PAYMENT OF ANNUAL DUES – LIMITED TIME OFFER

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A HOT SUMMER DELAYS LAKESIDE DINING’S DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT

Lakeside Dining at Lake Lefferts Park will return this month on two consecutive Saturday nights for its Dancing in the Moonlight Series.

Beginning Saturday, September 10th, The Burger Shop will host a 50’s theme night, the first of two dinner and dancing nights by the lake. City Sounds Entertainment will dee jay two hours of 50’s hits infused with some

more recent decades for a great night of dancing.

On Saturday, September 17th, DiBari’s Pizza Restaurant will serve as the host restaurant while Charlie’s Band performs two hours of Sinatra from Swing to the Big Band era music and more.

Both nights will begin at 5:30 and end by 9:00 pm.

The dining area will be set up with tables, chairs, and lights, and possibly a

dance floor to make the night memorable and fun.

Bathrooms are available.

Parking is across the street.

It’s BYOB, and seating will be limited, so be sure to call in your reservation and your food order to The Burger Shop, (908)7458243 for the 50’s Night – September 10th, and to DiBari’s Pizza Restaurant, 732-566-9991 for Sinatra from Swing to Big Band Era and More – September 17th. Matawan Economic Development Commission, chaired by Councilman Brian Livesey, organizes Lakeside Dining.

In addition, Matawan Aberdeen Public Library sponsors music. For questions or more information, please call Cathy at 732-566-3898 ext. 630.

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CHECK IT OUT: LIBRARY NEWS!

Dear, Matawan and Aberdeen Residents, I’m ve r y excited to launch this column in the inaugural issue of All Around Matawan-Aberdeen and I look forward to sharing library news with you each month.

It’s also fitting that September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and we have many exciting initiatives happening.

MAPL staff will be on the road quite a bit over the next month – at all of the MARSD Back to School Nights, at Aberdeen Day on 9/24, and at Matawan Day on 10/1. At each of these events, Matawan and Aberdeen residents (Cliffwood, too, of course!) can register for a library card if they are new in town, and we will have events calendars, bookmarks, and other goodies, and staff members to answer questions about all things library.

During the month, all new

cardholders will be entered into a raffle to win a very special Library Lover’s Prize Pack which will be customized to include items to suit the winner’s interests and age group. So as not to exclude our existing cardholders, a second Prize Pack will be raffled off as well! To enter, just complete a slip at the front desk and answer the question: What do you do with YOUR library card? or drop us an email with your answer at info@matawanaberdeenlibrary.com. Winners will be contacted in early October.

For more information about our materials, programs, and

services, visit our website: www. matawanaberdeenlibrary.com, stop by the library (open 7 days!), or give us a call at 732-583-9100.

Have a great September!

Kimberly Paone, Library Director Matawan Aberdeen Public Library

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THE HOW-TO GUIDE TO SAT AND ACT PREP Over the past two decades, I have been a student of my students, particularly those who have made the best improvements on these tests. What do they do that most students don’t?

I have found that it boils down to four habits students should have: (1) Do all of their practice, to the best of their ability, under timed conditions. When students do their best, they get the most out of their practice and will automatically be in “go” mode on test day. Practicing under timed conditions will ensure slower-working students know what pace they must work at to finish on time. Faster students will know how much time they have to go back to check their answers.

(2) Go over explanations to questions they have wrong.

Taking practice tests repeatedly

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is not enough. Students must learn all they can from a practice test before moving on to the next.

In The Official Study Guide to the SAT, there is an explanation to each question. I also have almost 800 video explanations to the questions in that book (which is the only book on the market that includes real SATs) at https://www.youtube.com/c/ IvyMastersLearningCenter Learning from mistakes by going over explanations is essential to the learning process.

(3) Know how the strategy relates to the questions they have wrong. Should I have picked numbers for a math problem? How do I ap-

proach vocabulary-in-context on the reading? How does the writing and language section expose my misconceptions of colons? Taking a class or working with a tutor that teaches strategy helps improvement.

(4) Practice and study an hour per day. If a student never went to basketball practice—just showed up for the game—that student is going to play terribly.

Test prep is no different. Putting the time in to improve is essential. So how is you prep going?

Suggestion for a topic? Want to join a mock test? You can reach me at Paul.Pscolka@ ivymasters.com 732-4856480 www.ivymasters.com

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MATAWAN WELCOMES NEW BUSINESSES

By Councilman Brian Livesey

There is change brewing in Matawan lately (pun intended)! If you have driven down Main Street, you might have noticed Brew Coffee Bar, which had its grand opening last fall. Brew Coffee is owned by Brandon Castro, a local resident who has a great love of coffee.

The shop specializes in tea, coffee,

and tea fusions, pastries, and other quality beverages. In addition, Brew also hosts live poetry and music nights showcasing local artists. Stop by and say hi to Brandon at 133a Main Street.

Further up Main Street, workers are getting ready to open Main Street Donuts. This shop will be the second location for Main Street Donuts, after successes they had at the original location in Belmar, NJ. Also locally owned

by Joe Rizzuto, Main Street Donuts will specialize in handcrafted, made-to-order, artisanal donuts. The donut combinations are endless; you can even purchase a donut decorating kit! Main Street Donuts will soon open at 141 Main Street.

Finally, we move over to Broad Street with the recent opening of Just Love Coffee Cafe. Also owned by a nearby resident, Just Love is a well-established nationwide franchise. In addition to menu items such as coffee, tea, and espresso, they also serve waffles, omelets, and burritos for breakfast. Fruit bowls, salads, and wraps round out the dinner menu. So stop by and check out Just Love Coffee Cafe at 273 Broad Street.

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THERAPY DOGS BRING COMFORT

By Anita Greenberg, DVM

Dr. Anita Greenberg and her husband, Dr. Daniel Belli, are the owners and operators of the East Brunswick Animal Hospital for more than 30 years. Dr. Greenberg has been a member of the Old Bridge Township Council since 2016 Therapy dogs are trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people in settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices or disaster areas. They work as a team with their owners and handlers.

Therapy dogs help people cope with health issues, emotional problems, stress and depression.

Dogs can be valuable allies when it comes to supporting the most vulnerable people. Therapy dogs are not service dogs.

The difference between therapy dogs and service dogs is that service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks to help a person with a disability, such as a Seeing Eye dog.

While service dogs have special access privileges in public places, such as in restaurants and on planes, therapy dogs are not granted that access.

Therapy dogs are obedient, interact favorably with humans and other animals, have good temperament, are social and do not exhibit jumping and barking. They must succeed in a series of tests in order to become certified. The certification and training is supervised by quali-

fied therapy dog organizations.

And both the volunteer and the dog must achieve certification.

The dog first has basic obedience training, and then therapy dog training. This includes being comfortable around wheelchairs and walkers.

Therapy dogs have a long history. Florence Nightingale pioneered the idea of animal assisted therapy, using animals to reduce the anxiety of patients in psychiatric institutions.

Sigmund Freud used dogs to ease his patients and make them more comfortable to socialize.

In 1976, Elaine Smith started a program to train dogs to visit institutions and founded

Therapy Dogs International, promoting healing and improving the quality of life for the people being visited and the staff that cares for these people. Since that time the use of therapy dogs has grown rapidly.

Therapy dogs have demonstrated the ability to reduce anxiety and depression as well as boost the moods of the patient with whom they engage. They can support patients in developing social skills, try to make patients more open to participating in the therapy process and assist them in feeling more comfortable in what is often a strange situation.

Any dog can become a trained and certified therapy dog, although there are characteristics that make certain breeds better suited. They must be intelligent, focused, calm, comfortable being touched, gentle and clean.

Being intelligent means knowing when it is time to play and when it is time to be calm, adapting to ever changing situations. They must be obedient

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and well-trained to listen and respond to commands. They must be focused and not be distracted by noises or other people.

They must have a calm temperament and be very sociable. They must form bonds and be comfortable with the patient’s touch.

Patients need to be able to approach therapy dogs without fear.

Therapy dogs must be kept clean, well-groomed, low-shedding, and not drool as they frequent hospitals and nursing homes.

Some of the most common breeds that serve as therapy dogs are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Poodles, Greyhounds, Pomeranians, Pugs, Beagles, Yorkshire Terriers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Maltese.

I have seen firsthand, time and again, how animals bring fulfillment, comfort and joy to people, and it is wonderful that there is kindness in individuals that will take the time and effort to obtain certification and volunteer to become a therapy team that helps people in need.

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Catering

Since 1975

SEPTEMBER 2022

Deli

$5 OFF

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any purchase of $25 or more.

Delicious Food

CATERING & GOURMET DELI DeMarco’s opened on December 9, 1975, mixing and baking hand-rolled artisan bread in a traditional brick oven. In the decades since, DeMarco's has grown into a gourmet deli, as well, adding a full line of Boar's Head meat products, gourmet dishes, and a wonderful catering menu. Come visit us!

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Scan To See Our Deli Menu

DeMarco Catering 1121 Route 34, Aberdeen Township, NJ 07747

(732) 566-2112

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Now that our Family Night Under the Stars series is behind us, we are looking forward to our last few recreation events here in Matawan. We are excited about bringing to our community our 1st Annual Halloween Home Decorating Contest. The Borough of Matawan’s Recreation Department

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MATAWAN’S 1ST ANNUAL HALLOWEEN HOME DECORATING CONTEST will be awarding 4 Grand Prize Winners for Best Decorated Home with $100 Visa Gift Cards each, a trophy and bragging rights for best decorated Halloween Home for the year.

Further details will be listed on our website at www.matawanborough.com.

We are continuing our Senior Exercise classes with Danielle Meany. We are offering Chair Yoga on Wednesdays at 10AM-11AM and Senior Strength classes on Fridays

11AM- 11:45AM. For more information, please call Recreation at 732-566-3898 x130.

Please Save the Date for our Halloween Extravaganza which is scheduled for Saturday, October 29th at Hourihan Field at 201 Broad Street. Kids activities will include a bounce house, inflatables, candy giveaways and the event closes with a musical concert.

Fun night for families and we are looking forward to it. Stay tuned for more details.

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A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER/PUBLISHER Continued page from 1 light various departments within Matawan Aberdeen Township and to introduce you to the officials and leaders running the town. Each month will feature columns from the Mayor’s Offices, Economic, Libraries, Senior Center, Parks and Recreation, local high school writers, sports, as well as local contributors.

Strong community engage-

ment allows residents to participate in the decisions made by local government and stay informed about upcoming projects and policies. Reaching the most residents possible is always challenging and communities are constantly experimenting with new methods to reach residents. This publication will be delivered every month to your home or business, and will also include many calendars, events

and business coupons for savings directly for Township residents. I am extremely proud to be a part of this exciting new endeavor and our team is confident that it

will become a highly respected and trusted resource of residents and businesses in our Matawan and Aberdeen just as it has in Old Bridge for years. We trust that

the information presented in this publication will serve to highlight our towns and its people.

David Lee Hernandez Jr Founder/Publisher

MATAWAN-ABERDEEN

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SEPTEMBER 2022

FUN-FILLED DAY PLANNED FOR ABERDEEN DAY 2022

Join Mayor Fred Tagliarini, the Township Council, Recreation Department and the Economic Business Council for Aberdeen Day, the annual township-wide celebration, on Saturday, September 24th.

The day-long event is gearing up to be one of the Township’s largest, featuring a variety of events at Matawan Region-

al High School, 450 Atlantic Ave., and some additional locations throughout town.

“Our annual celebration perfectly showcases our wonderful community and we encourage all residents to join us for the variety of fun, family activities planned,” said Aberdeen Director of Parks and Recreation Keith Heckman.

“This year’s Aberdeen Day will

have something for everyone!”

The high school field will transform into a family fun zone for the main event, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with inflatables, a rock climbing wall, pie eating contests, performances by Bwana Jim, a petting zoo, pony rides and more. The high school parking lot will feature food trucks and other various vendors.

There will be a free celebrity athlete autograph signing in the school’s gym from 1-3 p.m. along with the Sports Card and Memorabilia Show. It will feature two former NY Yankee World Series Champions Jeff Nelson and Roy White, Matawan High School graduate and Super Bowl champion Jim Jeffcoat, and former MLB relief pitcher Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams. Attendees are limited to three items per signer and photographs will be available for those without a personal item.

Special business-sponsored events, including entertainment and free food tastings, will

take place at the Stop & Shop center on Route 34 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. DeMarco’s Catering, Stop & Shop and Smoothie King will offer free food.

There will also be entertainment and a classic movie car show.

Cross of Glory Lutheran Church, located at 95 Cambridge Drive, will once again be hosting its Annual Yard Sale, Bake Sale & Snack Shack BBQ from 9 a.m.

– 3 p.m. Residents can drop off donated items on September 23 from 7 – 9 p.m. at Cross of Glory, located at 95 Cambridge Dr. Entertainment will also be provided on Route 34 at Alternate Ending Beer Co. and The Court Jester. Alternate Ending will feature a beer garden with performances by Ocean Ave. Stompers from 5 – 7 p.m. and Jon Caspi from 8 - 10 p.m.

The Court Jester’s beer garden will be open from 5:30 – 10 p.m. and will include a bounce house, corn hole and live music.

The Spray Park at Veter-

ans Memorial Park will be open from noon – 5 p.m. for residents to enjoy.

Free trolley service will once again be offered between venues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thank you to Aberdeen Day’s Title and Media Sponsors: Cross of Glory Lutheran Church, Krauszers Food Store, Northeast Spine & Sports Medicine, Marshall Eyecare Physicians, Buhler Jeep Chrysler Dodge Ram, Tony’s Mountain Construction, LLC and The Blue Rock.

For more details and a full schedule of events, visit www. aberdeennj.org or visit www.

Facebook.com/AberdeenTWP

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CHAMBER CORNER

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A MESSAGE FROM THE MATAWAN-ABERDEEN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Continued from page 1 Chamber member, we would love for you to reach out to us and see how membership can help you grow your business. Please go to MACOCNJ. com for information.

We would like to invite you to our largest and most popular event of the year, Matawan Day Street Festival on Sat. October 1st.(rain date Oct.2nd). It is an all-day event that takes place on Main Street in Matawan offering live entertainment vendors and fun activities for visitors of all ages. We are currently accepting Vendors and Sponsors for this event. Please go to MACOCNJ. com for vendor rates and sponsorships. The event in recent years has drawn in excess of 5000 visitors and 150+ Vendors.

We would also like to invite our members and friends of the community to participate in the annual Aberdeen Day celebration, Saturday September 24th. For vendor

Thank You Jeff Pantelas

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BRIEF HISTORY OF PREPARATORY SCHOOL IN MATAWAN

and event information please go to www.aberdeennj.org We l o o k f o r w a r d t o hearing from you and continuing to serve our Matawan Ab e r d e e n C o m m u n i t y !

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In 1830, Middletown Point (now Matawan) was growing into one of the wealthiest and most prominent towns in Monmouth County. Many wealthy sea captains searching for a place to retire found Middletown Point’s Main Street with the only existing bank in the county, an attractive location. So much so, it soon became known as Captains Row. The popularity of Middletown Point brought more people into the area who built mansions and more roads. The new roads and the use of Matawan Creek provided access between New Jersey and New York and to most significant places in the area.

Wealthy families now living in the area felt it was time to

build a boys’ preparatory. They chose a location in Middletown Point at the intersection of Church Street and Jackson Street.

By 1834, The Academy was opened and served as a premier institution for boys from various parts of New Jersey. The school was revered for its instructors, unique and extensive curriculum, and its success in providing its graduates with a wide range of knowledge. The school acquired additional buildings for various programs and staff and eventually expanded into a large building around 1860.

Later known as the Glenwood Academy, various noteworthy men attended the school which included two New Jersey governors, a US vice president, a US ambassador, members of Congress and various district court judges.

By the early 20th century with increased access to public schools, the academy was no longer

considered an adequate institution. In 1915, the 75-year-old, premier institution shut its doors.

The school still stands today at 10 Church Street in Matawan as a testament to a bygone era in New Jersey. The high ceilings, three levels and exterior charm still remain (now Co-ops) and harken back to a time when prominent young men received their educations, and many chose to dedicate their lives to public service. One such graduate was Garrett Hobart.

History remembers Hobart as the only vice president of the United States who died in office. Due to his death, William McKinley had to find a replacement to run on the presidential ticket. They chose Theodore Roosevelt. One must wonder how all of history might have changed had it not been for the untimely death of the Glenwood Institute graduate, Vice President Garret Hobart.

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MATAWAN POLICE DEPARTMENT With the 2022-2023 school year quickly approaching, the Matawan Police Department will be focusing our efforts on addressing traffic-related complaints and concerns, especially those in our school zone and in the areas traveled by our school buses and students walking to and from the schools of the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District.

Enforcement details will be assigned targeting aggressive driving offenses such as speeding, failure to observe traffic control devices and improper passing and distracted driving violations such as using a handheld communication device.

We want to remind all motorists that the speed limit on Ravine Drive is 35 MPH. However, when children are present at the Ravine Dr. Elementary School, the School Zone Speed Limit is 25 MPH. This speed limit will be strictly enforced. Motorists should reduce their speed when

entering the school zone, be attentive to the School Crossing Guards at their various locations throughout the Borough and obey their signals to STOP. Parents are reminded that when dropping off or waiting for their child’s bus to arrive at their stop, they are still required to abide by state and local traffic laws. Frequently, parents improperly park at an intersection designated as a school bus stop causing an unsafe condition while waiting for their child to board a bus.

The most common offenses are parked facing the wrong direction, within 50 feet of a stop sign or within an intersection.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. We wish all the students a happy and safe school year!

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JAR OF HOPE

JAR of Hope was born September 13th, 2013, when the founder, Jim Raffone’s precious son, James (“Jamesy”) Anthony Raffone, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). JAR of Hope’s mission is to find a cure for Duchenne MD. Jamesy was 4 years old when he was diagnosed. Today he is 13. Each day without a cure his muscles continue to waste away as will all children who suffer from this horrific disease. Statistically, by the age of 12 they will be in a wheelchair, by 15 they will be a quadriplegic, by 18 they will not be able to breathe on their own and eventually will live on

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a ventilator until their bodies are no longer strong enough to fight this disease. Many don’t survive past their mid-20s.

The only way this disease will continue to cheat these children of a future is if we stand by and do nothing to find a cure.

DMD is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. It primarily affects boys, although there are a few rare cases of girls who have DMD. Duchenne affects 300,000 boys worldwide; 20,000 children in the United States alone. These children are robbed of their childhood as they can’t run and play.

In over 200 years, a cure for Duchenne has not yet been found. Not one child has survived this disease, and as you can probably imagine, it takes millions of dollars, massive amounts of time and people committed to finding a cure. JAR of Hope has and continues to dedicate each and every day to finding a cure and living in a world where Duchenne no longer exists. With the help of donors and spon-

sors, JAR of Hope is funding a team of research scientists and doctors determined to eliminate Duchenne. We also provide financial and emotional support for children and their families who are and have been affected

by DMD. We have purchased wheelchair accessible vans, installed chair lifts on stairs in homes for these children to be able to move from one floor to another, funded studies, assisted with medical bills and, unfortunately, have paid for funeral expenses for children that have lost their fight to Duchenne MD. JAR of Hope’s founder, Jim Raffone, has been relentless in his pursuit to defeat Duchenne.

Some of his efforts in educating others, raising awareness and funds include breathtaking world-record events such as climbing Mt. Everest, creating race teams to participate in marathons and ultra marathons around the world, gathering thousands of people to simultaneously do pushups together, and creating the longest Lego

chain at a school in New Jersey, to name a few. You can see the many events that have taken place on JAR of Hope’s website.

Jim has received Keys to Cities from various Governors and Mayors as he has traversed around the globe determined to make Duchenne a household name and push science forward.

Jamesy is the inspiration behind JAR of Hope and Jim is committed to all of the children with DMD around the world.

Jamesy’s courage, strength, positive attitude and willingness to do whatever it takes to get healthier and stronger every day motivates Jim to carry on until the first child is cured. Jim and the JAR of Hope team believes that this disease has gone on for too long.

Jim’s motto is: “I can, I will & I must” find a cure; however, he knows that he cannot do it alone.

Together, we can make history and save lives. Please check out jarofhope.org to learn more about us, for prior and upcoming events, and continuous updates from our researchers.

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IN MEMOR I A M MICHAEL MCANDREW

Michael McAndrew, 54, of Old Bridge, NJ passed away on May 11, 2022 at the Geisinger FATHER JOHN J. SCULLY

May 30, 1944 - July 30, 2022 Father John J. Scully, 77, passed away on July 30th at Morris Hall in Lawrenceville, New Jersey after a brief illness.

Father John was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and marked his 50th year of ministry in May. Father Scully attended St. Philip Neri School, Boston, and St Charles College, Catonsville, Maryland. He prepared for the priesthood at St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, where he earned his Master of Divinity degree, and was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 1972, by Bishop

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Medical Center in Danville, PA. He was born on June 24, 1967 to Thomas and Barbara (Rakowski) McAndrew in South Amboy, NJ. Michael grew up in Old Bridge and Matawan before settling in Berwick, PA in 2017. He enjoyed fixing cars

with his brother and spent many years as a truck mechanic for Mosaic. He also loved landscaping and working on his property, fishing and party boats.

Michael will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Michael is survived by his

mother Barbara (Rakowski) McAndrew and his brother T h o m a s J. M c A n d r e w.

He was preceded in death by his father Thomas A. McAndrew. The Mass was offered at St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church

B u r i a l t o o k p l a c e at Ho l y C r o s s C e m e t e r y in North Arlington, NJ. Funeral was handled by Old Bridge Funeral Home.

George W. Ahr in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

Father Scully’s first assignment was with Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro. After three years, he moved to St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth where he was responsible for St. Mary Grammar School and Mater Dei High School. He then spent two years at St. James Parish, Woodbridge, followed by time at St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville.

His first assignment as pastor was in 1982 where he served Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune.

While there, he constructed a new church building which was dedicated by Bishop John C. Reiss in 1992. He was proud of his 15 year service as chaplain of the Neptune Police Department where he celebrated the Blue Mass in the Cathedral each year.

Following Holy Innocents, Father Scully served as pastor of St. Clement Parish, Matawan, for 18 years. During this time, he established the House of Hope, a new meeting space for various support groups, and improvements to the buildings and grounds of St. Clement. He also focused on the spiritual development of the young parishioners of the church. He was proud of the robust religious program and often invited the children up to the altar to talk about the gospel.

In 2011, St. Clement honored Father Scully by naming the religious education building after him, in recognition of his dedication to the youth of the parish.

Another passion was his ministry to the local community and law enforcement. He served as chaplain of the Aberdeen Police

Department. During this time, Father John and St. Clement felt the devastation of 9/11, Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy. During each event, the church mobilized to support the community with supplies and comfort. St. Clement lost six parishioners on 9/11 and Fr. Scully visited each family and dedicated a monument to them on the grounds of St. Clement.

In January 2011, Father Scully was honored by the Matawan Borough Council as “Citizen of the Year” for his faithful service.

Upon retirement, Father Scully served in local parishes and enjoyed time with family and friends. He was known for his sense of humor, compassion and joy. “Uncle Jack” loved to dote on his grand nieces and nephews. .

He will be lovingly remem-

bered by his three nieces and their spouses; Anne and Paul Kisslinger, Rose and Jonathan Miller, Ellen and Steven Cattani, and his dear friends, Edward and Jennifer Scully. He was predeceased in death by his parents John and Rose Connelly Scully and his sister, Margaret Prendergast.

Funeral was handled by Waitt Funeral Home visitation was healed at St. Clement on 8/4 and 8/5 and mass at St. Clement on 8/5. Burial was at St. Gabriel’s Cemetery and Mausoleum on 8/5.