Vol. 15 - No. 37
In This Week’s Edition
THE TOMS RIVER
TIMES
FOR BREAKING NEWS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper For Toms River, Island Heights, Ortley Beach & Lavallette
American Legion Makes History
Mayor Looks Back While Moving On
Community News! Don’t miss what’s happening in your town.
Pages 8-16.
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 18.
Dear Pharmacist Page 19.
Classifieds Page 23.
Business Directory Page 24-25.
Wolfgang Puck Page 31.
—Photos by Chris Lundy (Above) The Legion hall is located at 2025 Church Road. (Right) There is a lot of history in the building. By Chris Lundy TOMS R I V ER – When George Potter Va nde r ve e r se r ve d in “the war to end all wa rs,” he probably didn’t realize how historic his sacrifice would be. Vander veer, f rom Bayville, was the first from Ocean County to die in World War I. He served with Company E of the 24th Engineer Corps. He passed away at 19 years of age on Aug. 4, 1918, at Fort Porter in New York. He had been suffering from “shell shock and gas.” According to the New Jersey Courier: “He was thought to be improving nicely when acute articular rheumatism set in.” He had even told his father, while on his hospital
bed, that he wanted to get back to France to continue serving. One hundred years later, he still is serving, in a way. The American Legion as a national institution is 100 years old. The local branch, Post 129, started the same year, in 1919. Past president Bob Scheiderman gave a tour to JerseyShoreOnline recently. According to the post’s own history, it all started back in September of 1919. U.S. Ar my Lt. Clifford R. Powell travels through Toms River and “stirs up the boys” just back from the war to start up the post. On Oct. 21 of that year, a group of about two dozen veterans assembled to create the post. Victory discharge
buttons were given to those who presented discharge certificates. Leadership was elected that day, and they met at a restaurant/inn called the “Ocean House,” located at the northwest cor ner of Main and Water streets. Also on that day, the Legion was invited by the Toms River Fire Company to participate in their Armistice Day Parade on Nov. 11. After the parade, the fire company gifted the post with a flag mounted on a ten foot oak staff. This staff is still on display in the hall. As to a permanent residence, that would come later. They acquired property from Deloro Potter on Main Street (Route 9 today). Later, in 1924, the town
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bought a strip of land from them to build a road to the school. The Legion required that the road be called Legion Court, and it still has that name today. In the 1990s, the post had outgrown the property and purchased the current spot at 2025 C hu r ch Roa d . T he building hosts events, has a bar with table seating, and conducts Legion business. It also stores historic artifacts, such as a photograph taken of Vander veer at boot camp. It was given to the Legion by his mother, and the photo still hangs in the hall. It’s not just Legion history, but American history. There are artifacts like a 48-star (Legion - See Page 7)
By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – Thomas Kelaher doesn’t stay still for long. When sitting in his office, he doesn’t rest. He is in constant motion, full of energy, and a repository of local knowledge and stories. Some of the most entertaining stories are not fit for print. Even though his tenure as mayor has come to an end, there’s no chance he’ll spend his retirement with his feet up. “I’m too active. I’d go crazy,” he said. “I have no hobbies. When I fish, the only things I hook are my fingers. When I was leaving the prosecutor’s office, I made a timeline. I worked since I was in 6th grade delivering papers.” He had been a newspaper photographer, started a law practice, and was appointed a deputy Attorney General of New Jersey by Governor Richard J. Hughes. Idol hands are the devil’s workshop, as his elementary school nuns used (Kelaher - See Page 4)
Freeholders: Fiscal Stability In 2020
By Bob Vosseller TOMS RIVER - Ocean County Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari returned to a very familiar role, that of director of the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Vicari previously served 11 times as Director of the Board, most recently in 2017. He was chosen among his peers to serve as director in 2020. He is the longest serving Freeholder in New Jersey, having fi rst been elected in 1981 and previously served as mayor of Dover (now Toms River) Township five times. He is a retired school superintendent. “It’s a privilege to be selected by my fellow freeholders to lead the board in the New Year,” Vicari said. Gary Quinn, the newest member of the board, having been elected in 2018, will serve as (Freeholders - See Page 6)
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