Barbershop Music Appreciation Day

Details: Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 13 July 2010

RED BANK, NJ - Flat hats, striped vests and handlebar mustaches worn by four men standing under a lamp-post crooning tunes in harmony conjures up an image of Americana that is the Barbershop Quartet.

Popularized in modern culture by The Music Man (Buffalo Bills Quartet), reprised in community theaters across the country.

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Buffalo Bills Barbershop Quartet sings in The Music Man

Barbershop music has its roots in African-American spirituals and European folk music. At the turn of the 20th century, before radio, was sheet music and the parlor piano. Folks would gather around and sing the latest tunes of the day. The melody was sung and someone would harmonize by adding another note - the tenor voice, usually a third step above the melody. Another voice would add the bottom or bass note. When a fourth note was added, the baritone, the chord that was created resounded with overtones - a fifth note in the chord could be heard though no one was singing it. Thus was barbershop harmony born.

Genevieve M. Hawley Memorial Foundation 2010 Award Winners

Details: Category: News; Published: 13 July 2010

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ - The Genevieve M. Hawley Memorial Foundation has awarded 15 scholarships and community service awards to 15 area students for 2010.

Since the foundation inception in July of 2002, the foundation has awarded 72 scholarships and community service awards to deserving students in Monmouth County totalling over $60,000.

Prior to receiving their respective scholarships and awards, the students were honored with a luncheon that took place at Julia's Restaurant in Atlantic Highlands. Among the 250 guests who attended the annual awards luncheon were; Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Sixth Congressional District), Atlantic Highlands Mayor Frederick Rast III, Highlands Mayor Anna C.Little, Assemblyman Dave Rible, Monmouth County Freeholder Director Lillian Burry, Monmouth County Freeholders John Curly, John D'Amico and Amy Mallet, members of the Atlantic Highlands and Highlands governing bodies as well as retired Atlantic Highlands Superintendent George C. Wuesthoff, who was a longtime friend of Genevieve Hawley.

AH Man Builds Catamaran - Plans Atlantic Crossing

Details: Category: News; Published: 12 July 2010

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ - Many have had the dream of building their own boat and sailing it across the ocean. Few have deigned to try. Time, material and money are the usual reasons these dreams seldom come true. But for one Atlantic Highlands man his dream is closer to reality.

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Newly built catamaran launched at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor.

Jacques Pierret, a 55-year old Frenchman, lost his job as a computer programmer a few years ago and decided to fulfill a life-long dream to build his own boat. As a young boy he would go to the seashore with his father and uncle and watch as they built and raced dinghies. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1996 and became involved with Catamaran racing - first in Florida, then at the Atlantic Highlands Catamaran Club. He served as an officer of the club and helped organize sailing schools and races, including the Statue of Liberty race.

Community PAR Garden Begins Harvest

Details: Category: News; Published: 12 July 2010

‘Lunch Break’ Benefits with Veggies & Tour

MIDDLETOWN, NJ - In April 2010 a church’s expansive grounds were transformed into a Community PAR garden. The PAR Garden (Plant-A-Row For the Hungry) is a community garden divided into individual plots and planted with vegetables allowing participants a sense of self pride and self worth while producing food for the needy. The goal of the garden is to produce a minimum of 1000 pounds of organically grown produce to be supplied to community soup kitchens, food banks and/or needy families in our area. Some groups that are working in the garden include the Westminster Presbyterian Church congregation, members of other nearby churches, the local Lions Club, the WPC Nature Pre-School, a local Youth Club and caring neighbors.

This month, harvesting has begun with over 251 pounds of fresh produce being donated to Lunch Break, a soup kitchen and pantry located in Red Bank. In honor of this initial harvest and to better understand the community needs, the PAR Garden Committee & Lunch Break will tour each other’s facilities on Saturday, July 17, 2010 beginning at 9am at Lunch Break. Following the tour of Lunch Break, Director Gwen Love and others will join in a tour of the PAR Garden located on the grounds of Westminster Presbyterian in Middletown, NJ.

For the past fifty years, the Westminster Presbyterian Church has maintained a quiet existence. The church, made up of approximately 200 members, sits nestled a hundred yards back from the bustling Tindall Road and across from Middletown High School North. This year the church is moving in several new directions to integrate itself and positively impact the community.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Julie Bair or Bruce Forshee at 732-671-2585 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Surfer's Environmental Alliance Hosts White Water Evening

Details: Category: Monmouth County; Published: 12 July 2010

Seastreak Ferry to Offer Free Transportation to New Jersey Partygoers

Sea Bright, NJ – Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA) is making waves yet again this year with its 4^th Annual SEA Paddle NYC and White Water Evening celebration in Manhattan. The non-profit organization announced today that on August 13, New Jersey stand-up paddlers and partygoers will celebrate the finale of SEA’s 28-mile charity paddle around New York City with multiple venues to choose from at the famed South Street Seaport; SEA’s Ultimate Beach Party will begin at 3:00 p.m. at Water Taxi Beach, and the White Water Evening will be held on the third-floor viewing decks of the South Street Seaport starting at 6:00 p.m.

This year’s White Water Evening will be catered by the legendary Harbour Lights restaurant and will boast a cocktail hour, charity poker games, silent auction, award ceremony and much more. Given this year’s strong concentration of paddlers from New Jersey, the Seastreak Ferry, based out of Atlantic Highlands, has graciously sponsored complimentary transportation for prepaid paddlers and partygoers traveling to and from Manhattan for SEA Paddle NYC. Seastreak has even added an 11:00 p.m. ferry for SEA’s White Water Evening guests.