March 19th Date - Sadie Pope Dowdell Public Library

THE 

Date: February 26, 2011 PRICELESS Vol. 20 Issue 5 

Sedlak Was A 

Friend To All 

By Tom Burkard 

T h e 

Borough of 

S a y r e v i l l e 

lost one of its 

most beloved 

and prominent 

residents 

when Michael 

“Mickey” Sedlak, 

86 died on 

Jan. 21. 

M i c k e y 

led a very-exciting,high- 

(Photo courtesy of Janice O’Brien) 

profile life, 

starting back 

in World War 

II, when he was a highly-decorated member 

of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. 

Rick Sedlak proudly said that “Uncle Mickey 

won 2 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars, and a 

presidential citation. He even rode on the 

back of General Patton’s jeep. The general 

offered him a ride as he was carrying ammo 

up a mountain in Europe.” 

Mickey loved participating in the Veterans 

Day Memorial Service at Borough Hall. 

In fact, on Veterans Day 2008, the Borough 

had a special ceremony in his honor, with 

the unveiling of a new sign at the Mickey 

Sedlak Center which included 2 Bronze Stars 

and 2 Purple Hearts. 

On October 27, 2002, he was honored 

with the dedication of the Mickey Sedlak 

Recreation Center on Dolan Street in 

Sayreville. Many local residents, family 

and friends turned out to pay homage to the 

wonderful gentleman, who always put the 

community first as Sayreville’s Recreation 

Director. Mickey worked for over 50 years 

with untiring, unselfish devotion to generations 

of children’s sports and recreation in 

the Borough of Sayreville. He was always 

involved and helping those in need with 

fundraisers or in any way he could. He was 

very closely involved with the Sayreville 

Brain Injured Children, and loved to dress 

up as Santa Claus and bring cheer to the 

youngsters. “They are my pride and joy, 

and my personal project was to take care of 

the handicapped.” 

Allie Clark, a good friend of Mickey’s 

said, “He was a wonderful guy, well-liked 

and very sports-minded. 

Through the years I got to know Mickey 

very well, and was honored to do the longest 

one-on-one interview that he ever granted 

any media. He definitely loved the military/ 

veterans, all sports, umpiring, and so much 

more. At his home during the interview, 

he showed me his trophy room, which was 

over-filled with trophies, awards, citations, 

honors and other important artifacts from 

his superb life. 

I certainly found out everything about 

his love for, and involvement in sports 

over the course of his lifetime, and was 

surprised to see that a couple of newspapers 

had mentioned that he was a major league 

baseball scout for the Cleveland Indians and 

Pittsburgh Pirates. I knew this was incorrect 

immediately, and went to other baseball 

people who knew Mickey better than I, and 

they verified that he was never a pro scout. 

However, I’m sure if he had chosen to become 

a baseball scout, he would have been 

the best there ever was because he knew 

the game inside-out, and could succeed at 

anything he attempted to do. 

In our final interview in December 

2009, Mickey told me that he loved people. 

“I treat people the way I want to be treated, 

with dignity.” Everyone who knew Mickey 

Sedlak loved him. He was a friend to all. 

Mickey Sedlak will be sadly missed, but 

his legacy will live on at every recreation 

event in the Borough of Sayreville. May 

God Bless, Michael, “Mickey” Sedlak! 

The South Amboy St. Patrick’s marshals were recently honored with a dinner at the AOH 

Hall. Pictured (l-r) Deputy Grand Marshal Jim Cleary, Honorary Grand Marshal Joseph 

DeMarco, Grand Marshal Francis “Butch” Mulvey. (Photo by Brian Stratton) 

South Amboy St. Patrick’s Day Parade 

and “Tip-A-Pint-Night” 

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the 

corner, so get your Irish on. The 2011 South 

Amboy St. Patrick’s Day Parade “Tip-A-Pint 

Night” will be held on Thursday March 10th 

at the Munck-ee Bar, 113 South Feltus Street, 

South Amboy. The festivities begin at 7:00 

PM and will run until 10:00 PM. Cost is 

$20.00 per person at the door and includes 

domestic draft beer, wine, soda, and finger 

food. Entertainment will be provided by the 

Col. DB Kelly Pipe and Drum Band. 

This year’s South Amboy St. Patrick’s 

day Parade will be held on Saturday March 

12th, 2011. The city’s own Francis “Butch” 

Mulvey and James Cleary will be serving as 

Grand Marshal and Deputy Grand Marshal 

respectively, and Chairman of the Board of 

Highgrade Beverage Companies, Joseph 

DeMarco has been named the Honorary 

Grand Marshal. The 2011 parade is dedicated 

to the memories of the late Richard “Dick” 

Cronin and Virginia “Ginny” Tierney. Both 

active and beloved members of the South 

Amboy Irish community, their contributions 

were immeasurable and they will be 

sorely missed. 

As in previous years, the parade will step 

Mayor Fred Henry (l) and Councilmen (l-r) Joseph Connors, Donald Applegate, and 

Michael “Mickey” Gross are all very happy and thrilled to be serving the City of South 

Amboy following their swearing-in ceremony at a City Council meeting on Feb. 16. (Photo 

by Tom Burkard) 

Henry Optimistic In Address 

Following the swearing in ceremony 

at the City Council meeting on February 

16, Mayor Fred Henry began his address 

by quoting Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, “The 

Crisis,” which started with the words “These 

are the times that try men’s souls.” General 

George Washington had the entire essay 

read to the troops at Valley Forge during 

the American Revolution. Henry said “In 

no way do I want to equate what we went 

through to the hardships endured by those 

heroes, but those famous words do convey 

a sense of what we experienced these past 

3 months. We had an election, a recount, a 

6 provisional ballot ruling, another recount, 

a court hearing and ruling on the entire process, 

and just recently an affirmation of my 

appointments to city positions. Right now, 

I’m 6 and 0 and still your mayor! However, 

we know that it is not over, with an appeal 


off at 2:00 PM from the corner of Bordentown 

and South Pine Avenues in South Amboy. 

The route will run from Bordentown Ave., 

to Stevens Ave., turn at Main Street, and end 

just past at the reviewing stand on Broadway. 

It’s a long standing South Amboy tradition, 

attracting local residents, and people from 

throughout the state and surrounding area. 

Last year’s parade was canceled due to the 

nor’easter of 2010. This year brings hopes 

for blue skies and fair weather for its over 

30 marching bands, hundreds of marchers, 

and throngs of enthusiastic spectators. Just 

in case, a rain date is set for March 26th. 

In addition, the “Official” South Amboy 

2011 St. Patrick’s Day Parade” T-shirt 

is now available and can be purchased by 

stopping in at the South Amboy Branch of 

the YMCA. These beautiful, 2-color T-shirts 

are only $10. Quantities are limited, so get 

yours today! 

For additional information about “Tip- 

A-Pint Night”, the “Official” parade T-shirt, 

or the South Amboy St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 

please visit http://saparade.com/, or contact 

Betty Sturgis at 732-261-7350 or rbsturgis@ 

optonline.net 

pending, but this city and its citizens deserve 

that we move forward, and that is exactly 

what I will do. “ He went on to praise his 

team of dedicated workers including Police 

Chief Darren LaVigne, Jerry McGee, head 

of Public Works and his fine crew for their 

efforts during the brutal snow and ice storms, 

Business Administrator Camille Tooker, 

City Clerk Kathy Vigilante, Fire Chief Pat 

Bielak, First Aid Captain Christine Walczak 

and President Gene Cox, Redevelopment 

Director Eric Chubenko, and YMCA Director 

Katie McAdoo. 

Mayor Henry also noted that he asked 

the City Council to pass a resolution to refer 

to the Planning Board an amendment of the 

Southern Redevelopment Plan to permit the 

inclusion of a skilled nursing facility. This 

would allow for the building of an 84,000 

square foot facility in the area just past the 

continued on page 13 

South Amboy 

Recieves $145K 

Mayor Fred A. Henry announced today 

the City of South Amboy has received 

$145,127.79 from FEMA to reimburse the 

City for eligible expenses associated with 

the March 2010 storm which necessitated 

the declaration of a Federal State of Emergency 

in NJ. 

“I would like to thank FEMA for this 

assistance which helps the City defray its 

costs with regard to this storm. I would 

also like to thank all the City Departments 

who worked with the Administration and 

FEMA to qualify this reimbursement and 

file an application that brought this award 

to fruition.” 

The City was reimbursed for emergency 

personnel expenses, as well as expenses 

related to storm damage to City infrastructure. 

Additional expenses, such as shoreline 

stabilization efforts are pending and may be 

reimbursed on completion. 

5 Bombers Win 

District Titles 

The Sayreville Bombers wrestling team 

finished third place with 143 points behind 

team champion South Brunswick 189.5, 

and Old Bridge 176. However the Blue 

& Gray captured a tourney-high with five 

individual champions. Congratulations to 

Sayreville’s District Champions: (112 lbs.) 

Gary Siriday, and (119) Anthony Geiger, who 

won their third District titles, and also (103) 

Mike Bohling, (215) Christopher Raub, and 

(Heavyweight) Tyler Carlock. 

St. Patrick’s Parade 

March 12th 

starts at 2 pm 

Bill George Dies 

Suddenly 

The South Amboy-Sayeville Times 

was saddened to hear about the passing 

of Amboy Beacon newspaper editor/publisher 

Bill George, who died suddenly on 

Feb. 17. George was seen at the swearing-in 

ceremony during the City Council 

meeting on the evening of Feb. 16. SA 

Times Publisher, Tom Burkard and staff 

send their heartfelt condolences out to 

Bill’s family at this difficult time. 

NEXT ISSUE 

March 19 th 

☞ EASTER 

☞ PASSOVER 

☞ SPRING SPECIAL 

☞ BASEBALL/ 

SOFTBALL 

ALL DEADLINES 

MARCH 7 TH 

FOR ADS CALL 

732-727-0398 OR 

732-727-1906

February 6, 011 South Amboy-Sayreville Times 

Talk Of The Towns 


Sister Mary Gomolka Celebrates 60 Years 

South Amboy native, Sister Mary 

Gomolka was honored with a huge gala 

celebration for her 60th Jubilee as a nun. 

Congratulations to Sister Mary Gomolka 

who is a fine and dedicated lady, and one 

of the kindest people you could ever meet. 

God Bless, you always! 

Von Gonter Gets $1,000 Scholarship 

Nicole Von Gonter of Parlin was presented 

with a $1,000 journalism scholarship 

by the New Jersey Sports Writers Association 

at its 75th Anniversary Banquet recently. 

Nicole has spent 3 years as the Sports Editor 

of the Kean University student newspaper. 

Congratulations! 

In Memoriam 

Mary Westbrook, 75, of South Amboy 

died on Jan. 16. She was a very kind-hearted 

lady, always friendly to all. Edmund “Eddie 

Rev” Revolinsky, 83, of Parlin died on Jan. 

23. He was Past President and Ex-Chief 

of President Park Independent Fire Co. In 

addition, “Eddie Rev” was a Democratic 

Committeeman for the 12th District. He also 

tended bar for Shachel’s Bar and Jolly K in 

Parlin. Stanley Gutkowski, 87, of Sayreville 

died on Jan. 29. He was co-owner of Sun- 

Glo Bakery in Sayreville for 42 years until 

he retired 28 years ago. In the 1960’s, he 

had a daily route throughout South Amboy 

and Sayreville, bringing fresh pastries, rolls, 

rye bread, and more through the different 

neighborhoods. It was curbside service at 

its finest, and customers would go outside 

to his light blue truck and purchase items 

for their families. John “Jack” Nemeth Sr., 

70, of South Amboy died on Feb. 2. He was 

a proud member of Enterprise Snorkel Co. 

for 49 years, and a really great guy. Ignatius 

Spina, 88, of South Amboy died on Feb. 

4. “Iggy” as he was affectionately known 

by his friends, was a very mild-mannered 

person who was kind to everyone. He was 

also an avid reader of The SA Times. 

May God bless them all for their many 

good works on earth. 

Pleasant Little 

Trivia By Tom Burkard 

1.Sacred Heart School’s principal in 

1985? a.Sister M. Bernard b.Sister M. Vianney 

c.Sister M. Fidelis 

2.Sayreville War Memorial High 

School’s Valedictorian in ’73? a.Joseph Zawistowski 

b.Mary Ann Romanski c.Drucilla 

Buonaiuto 

3.The Hoffman High school play in 

1969? a.Mrs. Robinson b.Charlie’s Aunt 

c.Man of La Mancha 

4.Back in the early 1940’s a popular ice 

skating spot in Sayreville was? a.Ducks Nest 

b.Kennedy Park c.Whitehead’s Pond 

5.Hoffman High’s Student Council 

President in ’63? a.Cynthia Kurtz b.John 

Lange c.Alice Long 

6.In 1973, where was Apex Cleaners 

located in Sayreville? a.Sayre Woods 

Shopping Center b.A & P Shopping Center 

c.Main St. 

7.The theme for St. Mary’s Christmas 

Ball in 1995 was? a.White Christmas 

b.Enchanted Evening c.Silver Bells 

8.President of the Morgan Athletic Association 

Ladies Auxiliary in ’79? a.Freida 

Kirshgessner b.Nina Grandouis c.Pat Prybylowski 

9.South Amboy Lions Club President in 

1978? a.Steve Gozora b.Ray Tomaszewski 

c.Bob Pawlik 

10.Sayreville Borough Clerk in ’83? 

a.Jeanne Tomasso b.Margaret Hahn c.Susan 

Robotowski 

11.Commander of American Legion 

Luke A. Lovely Post #62, South Amboy in 

1987? a.William Ryan b.Bob “Zak” Sekerak 

c.Joe Blaha 

12.Where in Sayreville was Super Service 

Bus Co. located in 1983? a.Bordentown 

Ave. b.Route 35 c.Ernston Rd. 

Answers 

1b 2c 3b 4c 5a 6b 7b 8a 9a 10b 11a 

12b. 

Sister Carol Henry (l), Director of the Mercy Center in Asbury Park recently celebrated the 

Center’s 25th Anniversary. Ann Henry (r), is Carol’s proud mother. Sister Carol, a South 

Amboy native, and 1966 graduate of St. Mary’s H.S., founded Mercy Center in 1986. The 

establishment is an all-purpose center for those in need. The goal is to help people become 

self-sufficient, not just in the immediate future, but for the long term as well. Congratulations, 

Sister Carol on a job well-done! (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

SOUTH AMBOY 

SAYREVILLE TIMES 

P.O. BOX 3027 • SOUTH AMBOY N.J. 08879 

Tel. 732-727-0398 

email: satimes@aol.com 

website: thesatimes.com 

Publisher 

Tom Burkard 

Associate Publisher 

Brian Stratton 

Feature Writers 

Elaine Holton Scott 

Teo Weber 

Henny the DJ 

Clem Skarzynski 

Dr. John Misiewicz 

Steve Schmid 

Bill Garnett 

Anna Harris Friberg 

Poet Laureate 

Albert Gomolka Jr. 

Opinions and comments in printed articles do not necessarily reflect 

the opinion of The South Amboy-Sayreville Times, c. 1991. 

This newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in the editorial 

copy or advertising beyond the cost of space occupied by error.

★ Business of the Month ★ 

John Auto Center 

Pictured (l-r) is the outstanding staff at John Auto Center in South Amboy; Owner Surjit, 

Chris and Alex. (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

By Steve Schmid 

South Amboy gained a wonderful new business in January 2008, when Surjit Singh 

opened up an auto repair facility. His business, John Auto Center Inc. is located at 

272 North Stevens Ave. Surjit and his mechanics are ready to take care of your car or 

truck, and will even help if your lawn mower or snow blower needs attention. They 

are all professionally certified to repair foreign and domestic vehicles plus their repairs 

are 100% guaranteed. They are certified to do New Jersey state inspections and John 

Auto Center is a licensed auto repair facility. Surjit loves working on cars and has 

been fixing them since junior high school, when he helped friends fix brakes, change 

oil, and replace burned out bulbs. He dreamed of one day owning his own business, 

and that dream is now a reality. His mechanics also love working on cars and trucks, 

and helping local residents get their vehicles back on the road. 

No job is too big or too small for them to handle. When a problem occurs, they 

will thoroughly examine your vehicle and come up with a diagnosis. They’ll let you 

know what they’ve found before they start work, so you can make the right decision. 

The next time you need an oil change, stop in at John Auto Center. It’s only $19.95 

for most cars. It’s also the place to go if you think you may have a problem. Surjit 

and staff will always give you a friendly greeting and make sure you’re happy with the 

work done. They’re open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To make an appointment call 732-727-8500 or stop by and say hi. 

You’ll be happy to deal with Surjit and company. 

Fundraiser For Breast Cancer Research- 

Feb. 27 

Christopher Deibert, the executive 

director of music at St. Mary’s Church will 

be wrapping up his solo organ recital tour 

on Feb. 27, at 4 p.m. at St. Mary Church in 

South Amboy. The performances are for 

the benefit of the National Breast Cancer 

Foundation, which he has given as part of 

his role with the Military Order of the Collar 

(MOC) of St. Agatha of Paterno. He 

was honored with installation as a knight 

A PRAyER FOR HEALING 

Lord, you invited all who are burdened to come 

to You. Allow your healing hand to heal me. Touch 

my soul with Your compassion for others. Touch 

my heart with Your courage and infinite love for all. 

Touch my mind with Your wisdom, that my mouth may 

always proclaim Your praise. Teach me to reach out 

to You in my need. Help me to lead others to You by 

my example. Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring me 

health in body and spirit so that I may serve You with 

all my strength. Touch gently this life which you have 

created. Amen -T.B. 

in this Italian philanthropic association in 

September 2010. Deibert has played works 

by Bach, Mendelssohn, Couperin and Widor, 

and more at his concerts on his 6-church tour 

throughout the area. 

Donations are suggested for $20 per 

person, although any amount is appreciated. 

For more info call 732-721-0179 or 

visit www.musicatstmary.org and click on 

Concert Events. 

PRAyER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN 

(Never known to fail) Oh, most beautiful flower of 

Mt. Carmel, Fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, blessed 

Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist 

me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me 

and show me, herein you are my mother. Oh, Holy 

Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth! I 

humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to 

succor me in this necessity. There are none that can 

withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are 

my mother. Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for 

us who have recourse to thee (3 times). Holy Mary, 

I place this cause in your hands (3 times). Say this 

prayer for 3 consecutive days. You must publish it and 

it will be granted to you. Thank you. -G.O.. 

Rocky Kusic(l) and Ed Smith of the St. Mary Food Pantry receive a check for $1000. from 

Darlene Gennaro and Fr. Dennis Weezorak, members of the South Amboy/Sayreville Rotary 

Club. At the suggestion of Rotarian Gene O’Toole, the club raffled off a full toy chest to 

benefit the Food Pantry. The St. Mary Food Pantry serves anyone in our communities 

regardless of faith and based solely on need! 

South Amboy-Sayreville Times February 6, 011


“FIVE GENERATIONS” (l-r) Joan Downs, great-great grandson Sean, great-great grandmother 

Eleanor Kukucska (recently passed Dec. 21, 2010), grandmother Linda Leander and mother 

Heather Leander. Photo was taken Nov. 2010. (Photo/Info submitted) 

Mick Moloney & Friends Return 

Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage 

Commission, the Folklife Program for 

New Jersey, in association with the City of 

South Amboy welcome the return of musician 

and vocalist Mick Moloney for the 

17th year, at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 

9, 2011, at South Amboy High School, 200 

Governor Harold G. Hoffman Plaza on 

John T. O’Leary Boulevard, South Amboy, 

NJ. This free program is funded in part by 

Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage 

Commission, Middlesex County Board of 

Chosen Freeholders, and New Jersey State 

Council on the Arts/Department of State, a 

Partner Agency of the National Endowment 

for the Arts. 

Combining the careers of arts presenter 

and advocate, folklorist, and professional 

musician, Mick Moloney is an accomplished 

singer as well as an excellent mandolin and 

tenor banjo player who possesses a vast 

storehouse of songs and instrumental pieces 

from the Irish and Irish American traditions. 

He will be joined by Athena Tergis, fiddle; 

Dana Lyn, fiddle; Jerry O’Sullivan, uilleann 

pipes and tin whistle; Billy McComiskey, 

button accordion; Brendan Dolan, piano; 

and Niall O’Leary, step dance. Together 

they will present a truly lively and spirited 

evening of soul-rousing music, droll stories 

and spirited dance. 

As a young man in Ireland, Mick Moloney 

was exposed to the Irish folk music 

traditions that were played by legendary 

master musicians. He learned to play the 

traditional instruments and music from the 

Irish countryside - music that was passed 

down from generation to generation. Today 

he performs the folk music and songs from 

the 18th and 19th centuries that deal with 

themes such as the great famine, emigration 

to America, the American Civil War, and the 

development of Irish and Irish-American 

music in America. 

Mick Moloney: Traditional Irish Music, 

Song & Dance, is offered free of charge; 

however, registration is required. To attend 

this Folklife program, please contact the 

Commission, 732.745.4489. Persons with 

hearing disabilities may call 732.745.3888 

(TTY users only), or 711, the New Jersey 

Relay System. South Amboy High School 

is an accessible site. An Assistive Listening 

System will be in use during the program. 

An American Sign Language interpreter is 

available with a two-week advance request. 

For changes due to inclement weather, please 

call our Weather-line, 732.296.8966, on the 

day of the scheduled program. 

yearbook-St. Mary’s 1961 

As St. Mary’s HS Class of ’61 returned 

for its final school year in early September 

1960, Elvis Presley ruled the radio waves 

with his #1 hit, “It’s Now Or Never,” and 

shortly afterwards, Chubby Checker’s 

“The Twist” dance became a worldwide 

sensation. 

At St. Mary’s, James Griswold was 

Student Council President, and Richard 

McCloud , VP. The basketball games were 

always exciting, and the school play, “Showboat” 

packed them in at the gym. The Book 

Fair, and Magazine Subscription Day were 

also memorable events. 

1961 was a big year, as Maris & Mantle 

chased Babe Ruth’s home run record…John 

F. Kennedy was sworn in as President in January…The 

Berlin Wall was built…Astronauts 

Shepard & Grissom went into orbit…JFK 

started the Peace Corps. 

Does anyone remember these cute nicknames 

of St. Mary’s seniors? Lulu, Shorty, 

Doodles, Pogo, Grizzy, Major, Flip, Hooter, 

Ducky, Gootch, Cecil, Pristine, Sleepy… 

Some of the 144 graduates selected 

randomly included; Raymond Andrejewski, 

Frances Banfield, Suzanne Brennan, 

Arlene Conway, Joseph Coughlin, Thomas 


Cudo, Thomas Cross, Lawrence Hanko, 

Leon Kaboski, Arthur Kennedy, John 

Ciszewski, John Lukie, Patricia MacNeil, 

Joanne Nagy, Joseph Nebus, Philip Purcell, 

Ann Ryan, Joanne Suminski, Marie Tarallo, 

Leonard Tice, Joseph Toris, Joseph Dooling, 

Jacqueline Dowling, Carol Fabiszewski, 

Richard Ferguson, Stephen Flanagan, 

Constance Hansell, William Hansell, Mary 

Ellen Jankowski, Melvin Hospidor, Judith 

Margaretta, Dennis O’Leary, Maureen 

O’Toole, Rita Potts, Linda Potts, Patricia 

Smith, Joanne Sobush, Beverly Sorrentino, 

Barbara Stramback, Bernadette Trpisovsky, 

Jeanne Trzoniec. 

The Blue & Gold had several fine senior 

athletes including All-State baseball players 

John Seaman and Patrick Marotta, Vincent 

Halleran, James Heffernan, Walter Lange, 

John Cesare, Kevin Beebe, John Toscano, 

Gary Cross, John O’Hare, Lawrence Pristavec, 

Ralph Treadway. 

Roy Orbison’s “Running Scared” 45 

record was a big hit at graduation time along 

with Pat Boone’s “Moody River.” 

St. Mary’s Class of 1961 featured plenty 

of fine people who went out and made positive 

marks on the world! 

Middlesex County College to Offer 

Workshops on Financial Aid Process 

Workshops on applying for financial 

aid for college will be offered at Middlesex 

County College. The workshops, which 

are open to current Middlesex students and 

those who have applied, will be held on 

the College’s Edison campus and the New 

Brunswick Center. 

“The financial aid process can sometimes 

be confusing,” said Aretha Watson, 

director of admissions and assistant dean of 

enrollment and student support services. “At 

this workshop, we’ll help you go online and 

apply. By the time you finish the workshop, 

you will have applied for aid.” 

The workshops on the Edison campus, 

2600 Woodbridge Ave., will be held 

Mondays from February 28 through April 

25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Thursdays 

from February 17 through April 28 from 2-4 

p.m. In addition, the workshops will be held 

from 9-11 a.m. on the following Saturdays: 

February 26, April 9, April 30, May 7 and 

May 14. 

The New Brunswick sessions, which 

are at 140 New St., will be at 6 p.m. on 

February 16, March 23, April 6, April 27, 

May 11, and June 15. 

To register for a workshop on the Edison 

campus, call 732-548-6000, ext. 3711. To 

register for a workshop at the New Brunswick 

Center, e-mail infonb@middlesexcc. 

edu or call 732-745-8866. You will receive 

an e-mail listing the items you need to bring 

with you on that day.


6 February 6, 011 South Amboy-Sayreville Times 

Councilman-At-Large Joe Connors is sworn in by City Attorney John Lanza, as his daughter 

Erin (l) and wife Debbie proudly look on. (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

Benefit Concert 

March 5 

Trinity United Methodist Church, 815 

Bordentown Ave., Sayreville/South Amboy, 

will be holding a benefit concert for a church 

family struggling with cancer on Sat., March 

5. Music will be by the Christian Rock 

Band, Still Small Voice, from 7-9 p.m. It’s 

a free concert (although they are asking 

for an article of food for the community 

pantry). Donations will also be collected 

for the family to assist with some medical 

expenses. Stop by for some wonderful music 

and an opportunity to share your blessings 

with someone struggling with cancer. If you 

would like to send a donation, please send it 

to the church and mark it Benefit. 

The Miraculous Prayer 

Dear Heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked for many 

favors. This time I ask you this my special one (mention 

favor). Take it, Dear Jesus, and place it within your own 

broken heart, where your Father sees it. Then, in His merciful 

eyes, it will become your favor, not mine. Amen. (Say 

this prayer for 3 days, promise publication and your favor 

will be granted. Never known to fail.) -EP 

DVD Drive 

Extended 

The Dowdell Library Foundation Inc. 

of South Amboy is extending its highly successful 

DVD Donation Drive into February 

and March of 2011. During these months, 

please look for the “Dowdell DVD Donation 

Drive” boxes located throughout the 

community, including the Dowdell Library, 

local schools, South Amboy City Hall, Zack’s 

Diner, Madura Pharmacy, and the South 

Amboy YMCA. The Foundation is accepting 

Blu-Ray, DVD, music CD, and video game 

donations in good condition. Your contributions 

will enable the library to increase its 

resources for the residents of South Amboy, 

NJ. All donations are fully tax deductible 

and The Dowdell Library Foundation, Inc. 

is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. If 

you need additional information, please 

contact Elaine Gaber, Library Director, 

at 732-721-6060 or egaber@dowdell.org. 

The Library Foundation is counting on the 

community’s generous support to make this 

project a success.



The residents of Shoregate recently held a luncheon to honor former South Amboy Mayor, 

John T. O’Leary for all the accomplishments he made during his 24 year term. O’Leary 

seated front row center proudly displays the plaque that was presented to him. (Photo by 

Brian Stratton) 

Cub Scout pack 91 of South Amboy, held it’s 6th annual 

PineWood Derby race on Sunday January 30, 2011. The boys 

love building their cars & racing them down the track. They 

had a great time cheering for each other and all did a great job! 

Pictured standing (l-r) Tom Richter (Scout Master Troop 91), 

Deb Richter (Cub Master Pack 91), Gary Cottrell (Den leader), 

Phil Abeteillo (Den leader) and all the boys with their trophies. 

(Photo/Info submitted) 

From The Parade Archives 

1999-St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal William J. Tierney is pictured on Bertram 

Ave., where the parade lined up that year. (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

St. Patrick’s Day Parade 

History/Grand Marshals 

The idea for having a St. Patrick’s Day 

Parade in South Amboy was conceived by 

Frank Connolly, who was the owner of The 

Monaghan House. He organized what was 

to be the first South Amboy St. Patrick’s Day 

Parade in 1976. The parade consisted of 1 

bag piper, the South Amboy Police Dept., the 

Fire Department, the First Aid Squad, and 

a few marchers who represented the Frank 

Connolly Association. 

In 1978, Connolly sold the Monaghan 

House and a group of supporters organized 

the South Amboy Irish American Association 

for the sole purpose of continuing the 

St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Every year the 

parade has grown and flourished to one of 

the largest in all of New Jersey. 

The following is a complete list of all the 

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshals: 

Frank Connolly Association-1976-William 

“Doc” O’Leary 1977-Tom O’Brien 

1978-Robert Hackett. 

The South Amboy Irish-American 

Association-1979-Frank Connolly 1980- 

James & Mary Lenahan 1981-Robert J. 

Sayreville 

Recreation 

Spring Registration 

Sayreville Recreation Dept. is holding 

open registration for all Spring 2011 classes 

starting the week of March 1 at the Mickey 

Sedlak Recreation Center on Dolan St., 

Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 

3:30 p.m. Spring Session starts the week of 

April 4 for Little Kids Playtime at Kennedy 

Park as well as for the Mommy & Me programs 

(Toddler Funtime, Motion Tuesday, 

Little Chefs, Tiny Chefs, and All by Myself). 

These programs have limited space, so sign 

up early to reserve your spot. 

Hope For Diner 

Debbie 

A Tricky Tray Fundraiser (Breast Cancer 

Awareness) hosted at the South Amboy Elks 

Lodge on Washington Ave., will be held on 

Feb. 27 from 1-5 p.m. There will be a $15 

minimum donation per person entrance fee 

that will include 20 tickets, Buffet, Desserts, 

and Coffee (additional tickets & drinks may 

be purchased). Lots of great prizes including 

restaurants, hair salons, jewelry, martial arts 

classes, and many more wonderful prizes. 

There will also be a 50/50 drawing. In addition, 

Maureen from “Route 9 Cash For 

Gold” (located behind Burger King on Rt. 

9), will be there. Bring all your unwanted 

or broken gold and turn it into cash. 20% of 

the proceeds will go to Debbie! If you can’t 

make it, please stop by the store and mention 

Debbie! Hope to see you there! 

(Children under 13 and outside food 

not permitted) 

Hourahan 1982-Allie Clark 1983-David 

B. Kelly 1984-Alfie O’Connor 1985-Mary 

Powderly 1986-William Coman 1987-Joe 

Crowe 1988-John Potthoff 1989-Edward 

Wallace 1990-John Kenny 1991-Jim Harvey 

1992-George Shuler 1993-Neil Hourahan 

1994-Jim “Red” O’Connell 1995-Ginny 

Tierney 1996-Jack McCarthy 1997-William 

J. McDonnell 1998-Edward Semoneit 

1999-William J. Tierney 2000-Peter John 

Kenny 2001-Mayor John T. O’Leary 2002- 

Jack O’Leary Sr. 2003-Dick Cronin, Joe 

Noble, Russ Stillwagon 2004-Geneva Kelly 

2005-Jim “Doc” Ryan 2006-Leo McCabe 

2007-Walter “Pete” Casey 2008-Elizabeth 

“Betty” Leveille 2009-John Donnelly 

Sr. 2010-Thomas J. Noble 2011-Francis 

“Butch” Mulvey. 

OLV 125th 

Anniversary 

Commemorative 

Cookbooks 

The OLV Senior Group still has cookbooks 

available for sale. Be one of the parishioners 

who has a copy of this memorable 

compilation of delicious parish recipes. 

Cookbooks are available at the pastoral 

center or contact Teri at (732) 727-7639. 

The sale price is two for $10.00. 

PRAyER TO ST. JUDE 

(To be said when problems arise or when one seems 

to be deprived of all visible help, on far cases almost 

despaired of). Most holy Apostle St. Jude, faithful servant 

and friend of Jesus, the church honors and invokes you 

universally as the patron of hopeless cases, of things 

almost despaired of, pray for me, I am so helpless and 

alone. Make use I implore you of that particular privilege 

given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help 

is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this 

great need that I may receive the consolation and help of 

heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings., 

and that I may praise God with you and all the elect 

forever. I promise O Blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful 

of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and 

powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to 

you. Amen. Thank You St. Jude. -E.P..

Winter Long Ago 

1964-Late South Amboy Police Officer 

August “Augie” Charmello (l) exchanges 

greetings with St. Mary’s High School 

student John Triggs as he heads to school 

on a snowy, winter day. “Augie” was one of 

the most beloved and popular South Amboy 

policemen in history. 

Colin Pascik 

Fundraiser 

The Cambridge Inn, Knights of Columbus, 

and VFW Monroe Central Post 

262 will be hosting a “Road To Recovery 

Fund” fundraiser event for Colin Pascik on 

Sat., March 12 from 6-11 p.m. at Knights of 

Columbus of Spotswood, 30 Crescent Ave., 

Spotswood. There will be dinner, dessert, 

coffee & soda, door prizes, entertainment 

featuring Tri-State DJ & live music by Black 

Rose. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at 

the door. Children under 12 years old-$10. 

There will also be a $15 Bottomless Beer 

Mug. Tickets can be purchased at Cambridge 

Inn, Spotswood 732-251-7400 or online: 

cambridgeinn@verizon.net. For more info 

go to: www.colinpascik.org. Come and enjoy 

a night out for a great cause! 

Blood Drive 

Every two seconds someone needs 

blood. Some people need regular transfusions 

to live. Save a life today and donate 

blood at The Sayreville Public Library on 

Tuesday, March 22, from 2:30-7:00 PM. 

Located in the Meeting Room. For more 

information, contact Alaina at 732-727-0212 

x25 or email: alainad@lmxac.org. 

Silent Auction- 


Trinity United Methodist Church, 

815 Bordentown Ave., Sayreville/South 

Amboy will be holding a Silent Auction on 

Sat., March 19th from 6-9:30 p.m. FREE 

admission, and you only bid on the items 

you are interested in purchasing. For more 

info or to make a donation, call the Church 

at 732-721-3558. 

Organist Wanted 

Pastor Wayne Jones is seeking an organist 

for Sunday Service at the Trinity Methodist 

Church in South Amboy/Sayreville. 

Please call 732-721-3558. 

SAyAA Registration 

The South Amboy Youth Athletic Association 

is now accepting registrations for 

the Boy’s Baseball (ages 4 through 12) and 

Girl’s Softball (ages 4 through 18). 

Registration forms can be picked up 

and dropped off at the Recreation Office on 

the second floor of the YMCA Community 

Center, O’Leary Boulevard. 

For more information, call Gene Reagan 

at 908-510-0385. 

My Sweetie 

By Al Gomolka Jr. 

Times Poet Laureate 

c.2007 

I wish I had a sugar jar 

To keep my sweetheart in 

She’ll sprinkle me with kisses 

All day long 

And I’ll put her back in again… 

I wish I had a candy box 


Confectionary hugs whenever I yearn 

And I’ll put her back in again… 

A Valentine life so lovely and gay 

The sourpuss world no longer my way 

I’ve got a gal who wants me each day 

And she pulls me back in again 

Yes she pulls me back in again… 

I wish I had a honey pot 


Drippin’ in dreamlight’s golden glow 

Ah, I’ll pull her back in again… 

A Valentine life so happy and gay 

The sourpuss world no longer my way 

A saccharine gal who’s happy to say 

I’ll sweeten him up again 

And she sweetens me up again. 

Sayreville Library 

News 

Teen Workshop - Learn the art of face 

painting and balloon animal making with 

Marti from Marti Enterprize! With just a little 

bit of training, you too, will have the artistic 

talent to do face painting. Imagine working 

while having fun and being creative. With 

face painting, and balloon animal making 

skills, the possibilities are as endless as the 

smiles that are created! Wednesday, March 

9 @ 2:45 pm. Grades 6 -12. Register online 

by visiting: www.sayrevillelibrary.org or call 

732-727-0212 ext. 5 for more information. 

Children’s Theatre - Youth Stages presents 

Aesop and The Bully: A Fable For Our 

Times! What should you do when faced 

with a bully? Meet Demetra, she is being 

threatened by Diabom, the village bully. 

Her friend, Aesop, and her classmates at 

The Academy (the children in the audience) 

arm her with the skills and techniques she 

needs to stand up for herself, by enacting the 

morals, learned from other tales. Children 

love participating as they learn anti-bullying 

strategies! March 24, @ 6 PM, ages 3 and 

up. Registration required, please visit: www. 

sayrevillelibrary.org or for more information 

call: 732-727-0212 ext. 5 

Motorcycle 

Blessing & Run 

Col. David B. Kelly, Middlesex Division 

1, Ancient Order of Hibernians of South 

Amboy will hold it’s 1st Annual Motorcycle 

Blessing and Run on May 7, 2011. Sign up is 

from 9:30am to 11:15am, coffee and bagels. 

Blessing at 11:15 and Run is right after. Return 

to the A.O.H. for lunch, beverages and 

vendors. Cost is $25.00 for rider and $15.00 

for passenger (discounts available for early 

registration). For early reservation checks 

must be received by 5/1/11. Mail to: A.O.H., 

271 2nd St. South Amboy, NJ 08879, Attn. 

Bike Blessing. For more information contact 

Butch Williams at: coloneldavidbkellyaoh@ 

gmail.com. 

Irish Delights: 

Music to Cheer 

your Soul 

Performer, composer, and author L. E. 

McCullough, Ph.D. is an internationally 

acclaimed virtuoso performer of the Irish tinwhistle. 

Lisa Bansavage is an actress whose 

career spans Broadway, Off Broadway, film, 

television and national commercial credits. 

Together they will deliver an exciting and 

entertaining program of traditional Irish music, 

Irish poetry, and dramatic monologues 

at Sayreville Public Library on Saturday, 

March 19 from 2:00-3:30 PM. Register online 

or contact Alaina for more information 

at 732-727-0212 x25 or email: alainad@ 

lmxac.org. 



Jackie D’Alessandro and Donna Kuchta from 

Amboy Bank prepare display information for 

a Retirement Seminar 

Community Dance 

Feb. 25 

The South Amboy Youth Athletic Association 

(SAYAA) is sponsoring a dance 

for all children from 4th to 8th grade on 

Fri., Feb. 25 at the AOH Hall. Cost is $10 

per child. There will be a DJ, dancing, and 

refreshments. Parents need to sign children 

in and out of the dance. Registration for 

baseball/softball players will be available and 

accepted at the dance. Volunteers needed, 

call Gene Reagan 908-510-0385. 

Community Auction 

On Sat., March 19, Trinity United 

Methodist Church, 815 Bordentown Ave., 

Sayreville/South Amboy will be holding 

a “Community Auction.” Gift certificates 

and donations by local merchants, including 

a golf outing for 4, will be auctioned. 

FREE admission, and you only bid on the 

items you are interested in. Come and bring 

your friends for a fun night out. For more 

info or to make a donation, call the Church 

at 732-721-3558. 

Amboy Bank 

Hosts it’s Annual 

Retirement 

Seminars 

In the month of March, there will be 16 

seminars in various Amboy branch offices. 

All the seminars are free and will cover 

topics that are important to seniors; income 

in retirement, paying for health care and information 

on reverse mortgages. Visit www. 

amboybank.com for a complete schedule of 

seminar locations and dates. 

Jackie D’Alessandro, Vice President, 

stated “We look forward to connecting with 

the seniors in our community and helping 

them address their issues and needs in retirement. 

We know March will bring another 

successful month of seminars.” 

Founded in 1888, Amboy Bank a fullservice 

commercial bank with 26 offices in 

Central New Jersey prides itself on quality 

service and community involvement. Amboy 

Bank has been voted “Best Bank in Central 

Jersey” for the past 13 years in a row. 

St. Padre Pio 

Society Dinner 

Dance-Feb. 26 

The St. Padre Pio Society will present 

its 1st Annual Dinner Dance on Sat., Feb. 26, 

starting at 8 p.m. at Sacred Heart Memorial 

Hall across from the church. There will be 

a hot buffet provided by Jacques Caterers, 

5 hours open bar, 70’s music by S.D.E. 

Productions, and a special appearance by 

Danny Vecchiano and the Giglio Band. Price 

is $60 per person. For more info visit www. 

njgiglio.com or call 732-721-0040. 

The Miraculous Prayer 

Dear Heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked for many 

favors. This time I ask you this my special one (mention 

favor). Take it, Dear Jesus, and place it within your own 

broken heart, where your Father sees it. Then, in His merciful 

eyes, it will become your favor, not mine. Amen. (Say 

this prayer for 3 days, promise publication and your favor 

will be granted. Never known to fail.) GO

Bobby Valli, brother of world-renowned 

recording artist Frankie Valli, sings a beautiful 

song at the Blue Moon in South Amboy 

recently. (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

Comedy Night 


South Amboy Knights of Columbus 

Council 426 will hold Comedy Night on 

March 5 from 7-11 p.m. at the Council 

Home, 308 Fourth St. Cost is $35 and includes 

hot & cold buffet, three comedians, 

beer, wine, and soda. For more info call Al 

at 732-609-7365. 

Corned Beef & 

Cabbage- 



Council 426 will hold its annual Corned Beef 

& Cabbage Dinner at the Council Home, 308 

Fourth St., following the St. Patrick’s Day 

Parade on Saturday, March 12. Cost is $7 

per person. Take-outs and sandwiches will 

also be available. 

Sayreville’s Connie Modzelewski (r) gets to visit with one of her all-time favorite entertainers, 

Bobby Valli (l) at the Blue Moon, during Bobby’s recent performance. He has also presented 

shows locally at Covello’s Restaurant in South Amboy, and St. Stan’s in Sayreville. (Photo 

by Tom Burkard) 

South Amboy-Sayreville Times February 6, 011 11


School Days…Long Ago 

1955-The 3rd Grade Class at South Amboy Elementary School was taught by Miss Hannah 

McNeil (pictured in the back). The students starting with the row on the far left, 1st row 

front to back-?, Jerry Drill, Carol Volk, Nancy Moore. 2nd row-?, Darlene Kazmierski, 

Elaine Read, Nancy Whitmore, Brooke Van Cleef, Dennis Wood. 3rd row-Gloria Nemeth, 

Kenneth McKinnon, Phyllis Rainone, Richard Peterson, Gary Mihok, ?, Dorothy Baumbauer. 

4th row-Diane Petersen, ?, ?, Joan Pencharik, Mary Dennis, Richard Wojtkowiak, ?, Kriss 

? 5th row-Edna Hamilton, Helen Nemeth, Richard Aull, Kathy Tarallo, Margaret Smith, 

Allan Homan, Chester Meinzer. Standing in rear (l-r) ?, Robin Applegate, Miss McNeil, ?. 

(Photo/names courtesy of Kathy Tarallo Bloodgood) 

Remember When? 

By Frank Hunt 

July 5, 1962-A 50th Anniversary ceremony 

of the first Air Mail flight in New 

Jersey was held in South Amboy. The first 

flight took place on July 4, 1912 between 

South Amboy and Perth Amboy. Locals 

pictured (l-r) “Fritzie” Lukie, South Amboy 

Police Officer E.J. Orzulski, ?, South Amboy 

Police Captain Edward O’Leary, Postmaster 

George Stader, ?, Joe Casey. (Photo/Info 

courtesy of Frank Hunt) 

June 30, 1949-Master Sergeant George 

Orzulski of South Amboy retired from the 

U.S. Army after 22 years of service… 

Aug. 2, 1928-South Amboy Police Officer 

John Stanton, who was killed in World 

Hoebich Appointed 

South Amboy’s 

Judge 

Mayor Fred Henry appointed James P. 

Hoebich as municipal court judge, replacing 

Emory Toth, who filled in after the death of 

Judge Joseph Hoffman in late 2009. Hoebich 

will serve a three-year term that will expire 

on Dec. 31, 2013. 

South Amboy 

Columbiettes 

To Organize 


Council 426 will sponsor a Ladies Auxiliary, 

The Columbiettes. Any Catholic female age 

17 and over is invited to join. An information 

night will be held Tuesday, March 22 

at 8 p.m. at the Council Home, 308 Fourth 

St. For more info, call Sandra Behinski at 

732-521-3012 or Steve at 732-727-1707. 

War I, had one of the largest funerals ever 

held in St. Mary’s Church. The combat 

hero was only 33 years old and resided on 

Feltus Street. 

Medicare & 

Medicaid Fraud: 

How to Spot It & How to Stop It! 

Learn how to stop Medicare and Medicaid 

fraud, waste, and abuse with special guest 

speaker, Charles Clarkson, Esq., coordinator 

of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) of New 

Jersey. Presented by the Jewish Family and 

Vocational Service of Middlesex County 

at Sayreville Public Library on Tuesday, 

March 15, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. 

Register online or contact Alaina for more 

information at 732-727-0212 x25 or email: 

alainad@lmxac.org.

Henry Optimistic 

new YMCA/Rec center and next to Frog 

Hollow. He said that “If all goes as planned, 

construction should begin this summer. 

Along with the construction jobs, when completed, 

the facility will add between 150-200 

permanent jobs to the city of South Amboy. 

With this we will add another great ratable to 

the city, many jobs, and, with the increase in 

traffic down Broadway, more customers to 

our business district. It is a great win-win 

for the citizens of South Amboy.” 

He also mentioned that “We are all 

neighbors in South Amboy, whether we live 

in Bergen Hill or Lighthouse Bay, and it is 

critical to maintain unity, to come together, 

to work together, and no longer care about 

being a Democrat, a Republican, or Independent, 

but to do what is best for South Amboy. 

Communication is the key to success and 

that is one of my goals.” 

Henry also encouraged residents to 

“Instead of constantly bringing up the empty 

storefronts, try to talk up and visit the open 

store.” In addition, he would like to see 

everyone get involved in the community in 

one way or another, whether it be volunteering 

for the fire departments or First Aid, or 

with the youth as coaches or organizers. He 

quoted Martin Luther King, “What are you 

doing for others?” 

The mayor said that “Our citizens get a 

very good return for their tax dollars, as we 

Turn your Goals to 

Gold! 

Setting goals is a key to success. Learn 

how effective use of goals can bring you 

success in all areas of your life. Through 

this seminar you’ll learn effective ways to 

set goals, as well as specific steps to follow 

to achieve them. Turn Your Goals to Gold is 

Part 3 of a 3 part series that included Planning 

Your Success and Attracting Joy. This 

program will take place at Sayreville Public 

Library on Saturday, March 12 from 2:00- 

3:30 PM. Register online or contact Alaina 

for more information at 732-727-0212 x25 

or email: alainad@lmxac.org. 

Bon Jovi & Friends Rock 

Starland Ballroom 


Despite poor weather conditions and lots 

of snow, Bon Jovi fans packed the house at the 

Starland Ballroom in Sayreville to see their 

hometown hero and his friends in action for a 

very good cause. Tickets were $250 apiece, 

and the sold out show brought in thousands 

of dollars for the Parker Family Medical 

Center, a nonprofit clinic in Red Bank that 

provides care to the uninsured. 

The 90-minute, Jon Bon Jovi and 

Friends concert was jam-packed with great 

music, mostly popular covers, starting with 

a slow acoustic version of “Help” by The 

Beatles, which sent the message out that 

support was needed for the Medical Center. 

Bon Jovi and his 17-piece band had the 

crowd singing and dancing all night with 

a cool variety of great oldies such as “See 

See Rider” by Mitch Ryder &The Detroit 

Wheels,” “Start Me Up” by The Rolling 

Stones, Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” “I 

Can’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops, The 

Foundations’ “Build Me Up Buttercup,” 

and many more. Southside Johnny sang 

continued from page 1 

Mayor Fred Henry takes the oath of office from City Attorney John Lanza, as his family (l-r) 

daughter Erin, son Fred III, and wife Linda, hold the Bible. (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

still have one of the lowest rates in Middlesex 

County. Some say they get nothing for 

their money. I say they are protected by an 

excellent police department and volunteer 

fire and first aid squads. We have garbage 

and recycling pickup and it’s done on time. 

We have an excellent recreation and senior 

citizen departments with a new Y/Rec center. 

Just look around. It’s here! “ 

Mayor Henry thanked his family for 

their support and remembered his late father 

Fred Sr., a long-time South Amboy Councilman 

and Council President, “I’m sure 

he is watching me today from somewhere 

up above.” 

Henry pointed to President John F. 

Kennedy’s inaugural address when he gave 

a challenge to America and said, “Ask not 

what your country can do for you, ask what 

you can do for your country.” The South 

Amboy Mayor said, “ I would like to challenge 

the citizens of South Amboy. What 

can you do for your neighbor, whether that 

neighbor lives in Bergen Hill, Lighthouse 

Bay, Mechanicsville, or Amboy Gardens. We 

are all neighbors in South Amboy. Look for 

someone to help, for we all need help once 

in a while, whether it is to shovel snow from 

a walk or rake some leaves. Many do these 

things already, but we can always use more 

help. Get involved.” 

Close Election 

1930’s-In a South Amboy election for 

a Council-At-Large seat, Andrew Kurtz 

squeaked out a 1-vote victory over Joseph 

Smith. 

Thrift Shop 

Reopened 

The Thrift Shop at Trinity United 

Methodist Church, 815 Bordentown Ave., 

Sayreville/South Amboy has now reopened. 

Hours are Tues., Thurs., and Sat., 9 a.m. to 

noon, weather permitting. Donations are 

being accepted during those hours. 

with Bon Jovi on 4 songs, and they did an 

exceptional job on Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, 

I’m Comin.’” Bobby Bandiera, who quite 

often tours with Bon Jovi, turned in a very 

nice rendition of “Midnight Confessions” 

by The Grass Roots. Popular guitarist Bob 

Burger and Bon Jovi sang the classic Dave 

Clark 5 song, “Glad All Over.” 

From his original repertoire of songs, 

Bon Jovi hammered out “You Give Love A 

Bad Name,” “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “Wanted 

Dead Or Alive,” “We Weren’t Born To Follow,” 

and “Lonely” an outtake from the 2007 

“Lost Highway” album. 

The show was outstanding, and the 

crowd enjoyed it immensely, while helping 

such a worthy cause. Over the past several 

years, Bon Jovi has been very much involved 

in helping those down on their luck, with 

fundraisers and other charitable works, 

such as sponsoring the construction of new 

homes through his own SOUL Foundation, 

and singing for the Red Cross to help those 

who were affected by an earthquake. 

South Amboy-Sayreville Times February 6, 011 1


South Amboy Councilman Don Applegate is sworn in by City Attorney John Lanza as Tony 

Gonsalves holds the Bible. (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

94th Birthday Celebration! 

You’re invited to a party @ the Dowdell 

Library of South Amboy where they will be 

celebrating their 94th birthday! All members 

of the community are invited to come 

and join the fun activities in March. On 

Tuesday, March 8 (6 pm), see Will Ferrell, 

as the super-intelligent alien in the movie 

“MegaMind.” On Monday, March 14th, 

birthday cake and refreshments will be 

served from 3:30 – 7:30 pm; on Wednesday 

and Friday, March 16th and 18th there will 

be children’s birthday celebrations at 3:45 

pm; and on Saturday, March 19th (12:30- 

3:30 pm) there will be a Family Game Day. 

Also, watch for announcements for a free 

computer class available on a first come, 

first served basis. 

The Dowdell Library has become a 

destination for the community; a place where 

people of all ages can enjoy informational 

and recreational materials such as bestsellers, 

current magazines, newspapers, Dvds, electronic 

games, or even 24/7 access to quality 

online information such as JerseyClicks from 

the library’s web page www.dowdell.org. 

Last year, in addition to other programs, more 

than 600 public elementary school students 

took the Dowdell library tour! What’s new? 

The Job and Career Accelerator! Either use 

it at the library or from home or office to 

explore career options, find jobs, take free 

online computer courses or free online occupational 

tests. Just log onto the library’s 

web site and select the Accelerator! 

People from around the country also 

log on the library’s web site for online access 

to the South Amboy Citizen and South 

Amboy-Sayreville Times in order to conduct 

genealogy research on their South Amboy 

ancestors. The library has expanded public 

access to the historical archives and maps. 

Members of the community are encouraged 

to consider donating historic photographs 

which document South Amboy’s heritage. 

Just speak to Barbara Bringman, Local History 

Librarian or Library Director, Elaine 

Gaber. 

The Dowdell Library is adjacent to 

the South Amboy High School. For more 

information, contact the library at 732-721- 

6060 or comments@dowdell.org. 

MISTy WATER-COLORED MEMORIES 

By Elaine Holton Scott 

“Memories…like the corners of my 

mind. Misty water-colored memories of 

the way we were…” 

“10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-HAPPY NEW 

YEAR!!!” The crowd shouted on TV as 1960 

departed, and 1961 arrived. After watching 

the ball drop in Times Square, and listening 

to Guy Lombardo’s band play Auld Lang 

Syne “live from the Roosevelt Grill,” it’s 

bedtime for me. January 1st is a Holy Day, 

the Feast of the Circumsomething or other, 

and that means getting up early to go to 

Mass. Darn it. 

Being 13 years old and in 8th grade at 

St. Mary’s is starting to feel so exciting, and 

so grown up, too. Just last week, I got one of 

the new transistor radios for Christmas, and, 

now, everywhere my friends and I go, Rock 

& Roll music comes along with us. We’ve 

always been crazy over music…crazy over 

dancing, too. From watching Dick Clark’s 

American Bandstand for the last four years, 

and with lots of practice, we know how to 

Twist, Jitterbug, Stroll, Cha Cha, and even 

Waltz, just as good as the regulars on his 

show. 

In only 19 more days, John F. Kennedy 

is going to be sworn in as our 35th President 

of the United States. Because he’s both Irish 

and a Roman Catholic, it’s like he’s some kind 

of Irish Saint moving into the White House. 

I bet there’s going to be a lot of celebrating 

going on that day, especially here in South 

Amboy where Irish blood flows as freely as 

Irish whiskey. 

In school, we’ve begun to learn the Latin 

songs and responses to say during Mass for 

our Graduation Ceremony in June. The 

nuns have made it very clear to us that it’s 

either learn the Latin or forget about graduating. 

Somehow, that’s making the “mumbo 

jumbo” a lot easier to learn. Besides, it’s 

Student To Run 

Painting Business 

First year Rutgers student and current 

South Amboy resident, Austin Kaiser is 

majoring in Natural Resources and Business 

Economy, and is enrolled in a summer 

internship that will help him begin 

his entrepreneurship. He graduated from 

Cardinal McCarrick HS last year, and is 

eager to learn the foundation for starting a 

business for himself. Kaiser applied and 

qualified for an internship which gives him 

his own exterior house painting business 

to run during the summer. The internship 

gives him funding and resources to go out 

and hire painters and advertise the business 

among many other things. Austin has always 

been serious about one day starting his 

own business, and has wasted no time with 

marketing, even though actual production 

will not begin until summer. Kaiser hopes 

to gain real-life business experience and at 

the same time offer a service to his town and 

neighbors by painting homes. He will be 

painting lots of houses this summer, and is 

getting a head start in lining up jobs. If you 

might be interested in having any painting 

done this summer or receiving a free estimate, 

call Austin at 732-439-3580 or e-mail him 

at akaiser1992@gmail.com. 

really neat knowing another language, even 

if it is old Latin. 

In May, we’ll be going to Bear Mountain 

State Park in New York for our 8th grade 

class trip, the furthest from home many of 

us have ever been. I really wish I could buy 

a Brownie to take with me, but how can I 

save up around $4.50 from my measly 10 

cent milk/5 cent candy lunch money? I 

guess I could share Rosanne Cross’ camera 

and maybe buy a roll of the black & white 

127 film for her to be nice. Naah, forget 

about that. I need to get some money to 

keep for myself. 

Oh well, I’m not going to worry about 

anything now. May is like…50 years 

away. 

“Can it be that it was all so simple then, 

or has time re-written every line? If we had 

the chance to do it all again, tell me, would 

we, could we?” 

***1961 was sort of a “threshold” year 

for older “Baby Boomers” like myself. 

Thirteen would turn into fourteen and grammar 

school into high school, bringing more 

freedom, school dances, parties, basketball 

games, first loves, and an eagerness to enjoy 

every single moment of every single day. 

1961 was the beginning of the “big time,” 

with our whole lives stretched endlessly in 

front of us. 

Some Favorite TV Shows from the 

Fall Line-ups of ’60 and ‘61: Wagon 

Train, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Untouchables, 

Perry Mason, Candid Camera, Ben Casey, 

Dr. Kildaire, The Real McCoys, Rawhide, 

The Garry Moore Show, The Red Skelton 

Show 

Top Movies: West Side Story, Guns of 

Navarone, The Hustler, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 

Parent Trap, Judgment at Nuremburg 

Hit Songs: Stand by me/Spanish Harlem 

(Ben E. King), Crazy/I Fall to Pieces 

(Patsy Cline), Crying (Roy Orbison), Moon 

River (Henry Mancini), The Lion Sleeps 

Tonight (The Tokens), Hit the Road Jack 

(Ray Charles), Runaround Sue (Dion), Town 

Without Pity/Only Love Can Break A Heart/ 

Love My Life Away (Gene Pitney) 

Best Motion Picture: West Side Story 

Best Actress: Sophia Loren (Two 

Women) 

Best Actor: Maximilian Schell (Judgment 

at Nuremberg) 

New Dances: Pony, Limbo Rock, 

Bristol Stomp 

Europe 2012 

Tony G. is at it again! After organizing 

30 plus trips to Europe, he is looking to 

2012 for his next adventure. At present, he 

is weighing two possibilities. One would 

be called Enchanting Ireland, an 11-day trip 

with overnights in Dublin, Limerick, County 

Cork, County Kerry and Galway. There 

is also the opportunity for an extension to 

Belfast for 2 nights. The other trip would 

be to Italy, and would include overnights 

in Venice, Florence and Rome. This would 

be a 12-day trip. Whatever trip is selected, 

it would run in July of 2012. If anyone 

would like info on either trip, e-mail Tony 

at tonyg1952@rome.com. 

The Hibernians recently honored the following at the AOH dinner dance.Pictured left to right 

are: Joe Campbell Hibernian of the Year, Mary Lou DeBlis Irishwoman of the Year, George 

Fuller Flag Raiser 2011, and Mike O’Hara Irishman of the Year. (Photo by Mark Hurley)

1966-St. Mary’s talented third baseman Brian 

George awaits the pitch in an exciting game 

against the Sayreville Bombers. 

Brian George was destined to be a big 

success in life. He realized at a very young 

age that hard-work and creativity were important 

keys to achieving lifetime dreams and 

goals. Brian grew up in the Hope Homes 

section of President Park in Parlin. He said 

that, “Around 1954, Sayreville was broken 

up into lower Sayreville (the old families), 

and the newcomers (the developments: Hope 

Homes, President Park, Sayre Woods, Laurel 

Park and Parkway Homes) were mostly 

from Essex and Hudson Counties. It was 

a great place to grow up. You could walk 

out of the house and there were 20 kids to 

play with. Recreation wasn’t as organized 

as it is today. Kids organized football and 

basketball games themselves, and we played 

choose-up games.” 

As an 8-year old, George was selected 

to play on a Little League baseball team, 

and it was a rarity because you had to be at 

least 10 to play in the league. He was such a 

talented player that he was called “Little Joe 

D.” after Yankee great, Joe DiMaggio. 

The year of 1961 wasn’t only a memorable 

one for our country as Mantle and 

Maris battled to break Babe Ruth’s home 

run record, but also for the Sayreville Little 

League All-Star baseball team. “Winning the 

state championship was one of the greatest 

experiences in my life. Our coach Ken Buchanan 

was a good person and great coach. 

I loved playing for him and all of the other 

guys did too. Herb Davis also coached. 

We won 10 games in a row to take the NJ 

Championship, and advanced to the Division 

II championship, but lost a heartbreaker to 

Darien, Connecticut. If we won we would 

have gone to Williamsport, Pennsylvania to 

the Little League World Series,” said George. 

He also said he hopes that someone from 

the Sayreville Little League or Recreation 

Dept. will get a reunion together to commemorate 

the 50th Anniversary this year 

of Sayreville’s only Little League State 

Championship team. 

Young Brian George was kept busy, not 

only with his heavy sports schedule, (He also 

played on St. Mary’s 8th grade basketball 

team), but had a New Brunswick Home 

News paper route which he worked at for 

6-7 years, and diligently put money away 

for his college education. “I saved $1 every 

week for college, and had enough money 

for three semesters,” he said. His 8th grade 

basketball coach was Mr. Wallace, Teddy’s 

father, and “To this day, I remember things 

he taught me,” said George. 

George said that his favorite grammar 

school teacher was Sister Mary Hedwig. “I 

was very active and would get up and walk 

around during class when I was in 8th grade, 

so one day she told me to bring a clothesline 

in to school from home, so I did. And she 

tied me up with it in my chair, he laughed. It 

was hilarious.” Sister Hedwig was in charge 

of the cafeteria, and gave Kevin McQuade 

and I the keys, and back then, it was a big 

deal to be trusted with the keys.” He also 

had Sister Hedwig in 5th grade. 

Brian chose to attend St. Mary’s high 

school along with teammates and guys he 

grew up with, the late Jim Passafiume and 

Jim Price. He said that, “Sayreville tried to 

keep our Little League team together when 

we were ready to go to high school, but the 

three of us liked St. Mary’s and went there. 

Where Have you Gone, Brian George? 


I also felt that St. Mary’s had a great coach 

in “Smokey” Ryan and I wanted to play for 

him. He led the team to the state championship 

in ’63. Unfortunately, when I got there, 

they didn’t renew his contract and he didn’t 

coach.” This, plus the fact that St. Mary’s 

did not have an official football team left him 

disappointed that he didn’t attend Sayreville 

War Memorial High School. After 3 years 

of varsity baseball, he felt that “In retrospect 

I would have rather gone to Sayreville. A 

bunch of my buddies were there, and they 

offered a more serious program. Although 

my teammates at St. Mary’s were great guys, 

my life might have changed quite a bit if I 

went to Sayreville.” 

The always-energetic George was 

involved in many other school activities. 

“We had a club football team at St. Mary’s, 

and I played quarterback with a bunch of 

excellent players including Sean Kelly, Paul 

Jankowski, Kevin McQuade, Jim Wallis 

and Donnie Potts. These guys could have 

played on any high school team in Middlesex 

County. We played the T-formation and 

kicked extra points. I was the kicker. We 

won all 5 of our games over CBA (twice), 

St. Joe’s, Hoffman, and St. Peter’s. We took 

it real serious.” 

In addition, his good friend Jim Dufford, 

was Editor-In-Chief of “The Crown,” 

the school newspaper, and asked George to 

become the Sports Editor. Brian accepted, 

and penned the popular sports column called 

“By George.” 

He tried out for Coach Luke Lenahan’s 

varsity basketball team, and was disappointed 

that he didn’t make it, but channeled 

his energy and enthusiasm into becoming 

a member of St. Mary’s first-ever boys 

cheerleading squad. He said that, “People 

thought it was a joke. It was a spoof. We 

were all athletes that couldn’t make the 

varsity basketball team. We had a lot of 

fun. We were very spirited, and we loved 

St. Mary’s. The guys on the basketball team 

were our buddies. We looked sharp and did 

corny things.” 

Brian also was a member of the St. 

Mary’s CYO High School basketball team 

for 2 years, and they captured the Raritan 

Bay Area CYO League championship. 

“Our coach, Jim MacKay was the best I 

ever played for, and that includes college. 

He was from our neighborhood, and would 

play basketball with us at the park. We had 

a good team and a great bunch of guys, all 

buddies, and after winning the Area title, 

lost in the Diocesan finals to a Trenton team 

down at Trenton.” 

Father George Brembos selected Brian 

to be the President of St. Mary’s CYO, and 

his good buddy, teammate, and fellow altar 

boy, Billy Bulman to serve as Vice-President. 

“The CYO was a big deal back then. Kids 

that went to Hoffman, Sayreville, CBA, and 

St. Joe’s, were able to get together with a 

focal point. We had car washes, and great 

dances, where we brought in bands from out 

of town,” said George. 

Brian loaded and unloaded trucks at 

Port Newark while in high school, and also 

worked for the Sayreville Board of Education 

doing odd jobs. “I got $4.50 an hour from 

the Port Newark job, and that was big money 

back then. Plus, I liked to spend money on 

clothes, and my family wasn’t wealthy, and 

it was up to me to generate income.” 

While President during his senior year, 

he also organized two major concerts at 

St. Mary’s gym, and called them “CYO A 

Go-Go.” “Seton Hall was doing big name 

concerts and I thought why couldn’t we do 

it on a smaller scale, and we did. I went to 

Colonel’s Cooper nightclub on Rt. 35 in 

South Amboy, and met with the owner Art 

Stock, and he gave me his booking agent in 

Jersey City,” said George. 

The first “CYO A Go-Go” was held 

around Christmas in 1965, and featured The 

Shangri Las, The Strangeloves, The Duprees, 

and the legendary Bobba Lou as the Deejay. 

Headliners for the Easter concert in ’66 were 

The Bobby Fuller 4, The Crystals, The Isley 

Brothers, and The Duprees. Brian said that, 

“From those great experiences, I started my 

South Amboy-Sayreville Times February 6, 011 1 

own production company.” The legendary 

Jimi Hendrix allegedly performed with The 

Isley Brothers at the latter Go-Go, but that 

will probably always go down as an unsolved 

mystery. George said that, “Hendrix could 

have been there as a backup for the Isley 

Brothers before he went to London.” He 

also stated that “Both shows were highly 

successful, and we made four figures on the 

two concerts.” Brian got his future business 

ideas, inspiration and some experience from 

organizing and producing the two shows. 

Sister Mary Theodore was his favorite 

teacher in high school. “She was my History 

teacher, and inspired my love of history, and 

I majored in history at college,” he said. 

After graduation from St. Mary’s in 

1966, Brian went to Kings College, in 

Wilkes-Barre, Pennyslvania, and started 

Magnus Productions, a business that booked, 

organized and promoted concerts with bigname 

acts during that time. George ran 

more than 30 shows with nationally known 

performers such as The Duprees, The Happenings, 

Vanilla Fudge, Eric Burdon & 

War, The Chambers Brothers, The Allman 

Brothers, Van Morrison, Jethro Tull, Chi- 

Brian George, a 1966 graduate of St. Mary’s H.S., is pictured at his popular Northshore 

Menswear business in Sea Bright. (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

cago (“The most successful concert I ever 

had”), Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, 

Joe Cocker, The Brooklyn Bridge (“Which 

I did in Sayreville”), and many more. Brian 

said that the nicest groups he dealt with were 

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, “Very 

professional,” The Duprees, “I love them,” 

Chicago “was great,” and Joe Cocker “was 

terrific.” 

While at Kings he also played Club 

Football, and in his words, “I was a second 

string halfback, third string quarterback, and 

was on specialty teams, and as a freshman 

was the kicker. It was the first year Kings 

College had Club Football.” 

Brian recalled “The summer before 

graduation, I was 6 credits short, and went 

to Rutgers, and was thrilled to bump into 

my two favorite teachers together, Sister 

Hedwig and Sister Theodore.” 

Following graduation from college, he 

hoped to get into television or rock promoting, 

but decided to take a position with J.P. 

Stevens, a textile company in New York and 

St. Louis. The man who hired him became 

president of Burlington, which was #1 at the 

time, and got Brian to work for Burlington, 

and two years later he was promoted and sent 

to Burlington in Chicago. He sold fabrics to 

Levi Strauss, Wrangler, and other companies 

that made clothing, slacks, sportswear, etc. 

George came back to New York in ’76, as 

the National Sales Manager, and stayed with 

Burlington until ’81. “When I left, I opened 

an executive search business, specializing 

in apparel and retail industry. It went very 

well for 5 or 6 years, but I really wanted to 

open my own clothing store,” he said. In 

1982, he bought an old house in Rumson, 

NJ, and converted it into a clothing store. 

He called it Northshore Menswear because 

“I lived on the Northshore of Chicago, and 

I liked the name, and to justify it by saying 

I’m on the North Jersey Shore.” In his own 

words, “It started like L.L. Bean and ended 

up like Brooks Brothers, featuring tailored 

clothing, sportswear, shoes, furnishings, etc. 

I was very proud of it. In ’88, we opened 

a store in New York called Northshore on 

the Hudson, and we didn’t lose money in 2 

½ years that I was involved there.” Brian 

came back to New Jersey and started an- 

other business called Varsity Rags, which 

manufactured sports apparel for athletic 

departments of major colleges. “Our first 

customer was the University of Notre Dame, 

and for 10 years, we sold apparel to their 

athletic department. It was great exposure. 

From Notre Dame’s business, it grew and we 

had all the service academies, and still have 

the Naval Academy, Coast Guard, and West 

Point. We’ve also done projects with the 

SEC, Sports Illustrated, George Bush, John 

McKain, Bill Clinton, even Barak Obama. 

It’s been good exposure for us.” 

In 2003, Northshore was moved to its 

present location at 1080 Ocean Ave., in Sea 

Bright, and believe me, this place has just 

about everything you could want in a men’s 

clothing store. The late Sonny Werblin, 

owner of the New York Jets was one of 

Northshore’s customers. George also met 

Bruce Springsteen “A number of times at 

parties, and he’s very, very quiet.” 

Since childhood, Brian has always 

continued on page 23


1966-Pinky Clark and His Country Cutups are pictured (l-r) Chuck Stapleton, Clarkson 

“Pinky” Bloodgood, Allen Bloodgood. This vintage photo was taken during a performance 

at Cloverleaf (Now Sciortino’s Harbor Lights) located at 132 South Broadway, South Amboy. 

Vinnie Walsh owned the bar at the time. The popular band played all around the area, 

including Mel’s Lounge, and was together for about 5 years. Allen said that his favorite 

song to perform was Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart.” (Photo courtesy of Kathy & Allen 

Bloodgood) 

Christy and the Rascals, Walt “Corky” Moskal (l) formerly of Morgan and a Sayreville War 

Memorial HS graduate, is a very talented guitarist, who taught himself to play mandolin in 

2003, and last year finished 3rd place in a competition in north Alabama. He’s been living 

in Mississippi since 1981, and has been an Oceanographer for the Naval Oceanographic 

office for 29 years. Pictured is the popular band, Christy and The Rascals (l-r) Walt “Corky” 

Moskal, Ed Genois, Helio Zalvalsa, Christy West. The group can play any type of music, 

and specializes in Swing/Jazz of the 1920’s-1950’s. 

(Photo/info courtesy of Walt “Corky” Moskal) 

One Hit Wonders 

50 years Ago 

1961 (Song- Entertainer) Angel Baby- 

Rosie & The Originals; There’s A Moon 

Out Tonight-The Capris; Baby Sittin’ 

Boogie-Buzz Clifford; Apache-Jorgen Ingmann 

& His Guitar; Asia Minor-Kokomo; 

Please Love Me Forever-Cathy Jean & The 

Roommates; Mother-In-Law-Ernie K-Doe; 

Daddy’s Home-Shep & The Limelites; Hello 

Walls-Faron Young; Heart And Soul-The 

Cleftones; Peanut Butter-The Marathons; 

Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me Of 

You)-Little Caesar & The Romans; Yellow 

Bird-Arthur Lyman; I Like It Like That, Part 

1-Chris Kenner; Pretty Little Angel Eyes- 

Curtis Lee; Last Night-The Mar-Keys; I Just 

Don’t Understand-Ann-Margaret; When We 

Get Married-The Dreamlovers; A Little Bit 

Of Soap-The Jarmels; Who Put The Bomp 

(In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)-Barry Mann; 

The Astronaut (Parts 1 & 2)-Jose Jimenez; 

Mexico-Bob Moore; This Time-Troy Shondell; 

You’re The Reason-Bobby Edwards. 

#1 Pop Hits On Feb. 

26 

2001-Stutter-Joe (featuring Mystikal) 

1993-I Will Always Love You-Whitney 

Houston 

1982-Centerfold-The J. Geils Band 

1975-Pick Up The Pieces-AWB 

1968-Love Is Blue-Paul Mauriat 

1959-Stagger Lee-Lloyd Price 

#1 Country Hits On 

Feb. 26 

1994-I Swear-John Michael Montgomery 

1981-Southern Rains-Mel Tillis 

1979-Every Which Way But Loose-Eddie 

Rabbitt 

1960-He’ll Have To Go-Jim Reeves 

1955-Loose Talk-Carl Smith 

1979-The Amazing Bolts talented band featured two South Amboy members, and are 

pictured from (l-r) Hot Dog Johnny Cook (AKA Johnny Bolt),Tom Caterina (AKA Tommy 

Bolt) of South Amboy, Mike Marrone (AKA Mikey Bolt) of South Amboy, and Pete Decker 

(AKA Petey Bolt) of Milltown. Marrone said that, “We played all over the place and still get 

together for fun and games.” Mike Marrone is currently the Program Director for the Loft 

Channel on Sirius XM Radio at the Washington, DC headquarters. (Photo/info courtesy 

of Mike Marrone) 

The Profit$ were back in town for their first rehearsal since last October. Two of the 

members live out of state, and it’s tough to get back to Jersey for practice, but they are 

sounding super and will be ready to rock at their St. Mary’s High School Reunion in June. 

Pictured (l-r) Jim Coan, Tim Tice, Dan Toye (The 6th Profit), Joe DeLucia, Bob Toye, Mike 

Henry. (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

Country Music Star Darius Rucker (r) performed to a sold out crowd at the Count Basie 

Theatre in Red Bank this month. Performing his country hits along with a few songs form 

Hootie and the Blowfish, Rucker was joined on stage by Mark Bryan (l) guitarist for the 

Blowfish for their hit “Let Her Cry”. Rucker also performed an outstanding version of Prince’s 

“Purple Rain”, great show! (Photo by Brian Stratton) 

Music Trivia 

U.S. Cities 


1.__ The Night Chicago Died a.Dave Loggins 

2.__Do You Know The Way To San Jose b.Paper Lace 

3.__New York, New York c.The Animals 

4.__Kansas City d.Wilbert Harrison 

5.__Monterey e.Frank Sinatra 

6.__Please Come To Boston f.Glen Campbell 

7.__Houston g.Freddy Cannon 

8.__By The Time I Get To Phoenix h.Elton John 

9.__Palisades Park i.Bruce Springsteen 

10._Abilene j.Tom Jones 

11._Philadelphia Freedom k.Johnny Rivers 

12._Atlantic City l.Dionne Warwick 

13._Harlem Nocturne m.Dean Martin 

14._Memphis n.George Hamilton IV 

15._Detroit City o.The Viscounts 

Answers 

1b 2l 3e 4d 5c 6a 7m 8f 9g 10n 11h 12i 13o 14k 15j

Boys Basketball 

Cardinal McCarrick (15-4) Coach Joe 

Lewis has his club fired-up for tournament 

time, the GMC, and also state tourney, and 

they are recently led by Ahmid Williams, 

Marques Townes and Charlie Gorman. 

Sayreville (5-14) Rookie Coach John 

Wojcik’s club has been hot lately, and 

pieced together a 4-game winning streak. 

Top scorers lately are freshman Corey Taite, 

Mike Phair, Cody Van Note, Chris Pineiro, 

Joe Saitta. 

South Amboy (2-15) The Guvs have had 

a tough season. Dustin DeVoe and Aaron 

Radich are the only players to consistently 

hit for double figures, and Mike Zammit 

recently turned in a brilliant career-high 

performance with 23 points. 

Girls Basketball 

Cardinal McCarrick (16-1) Coach Lynn 

Ust’s Blue & Gold club is once again one of 

the real powerhouses in the county. Contributing 

big time recently have been Olivia 

Gorczynski, Maggie Presnal, Lexi Born, 

Sydney Ransom and Alyssa McDonough. 

South Amboy (11-6) Coach Ron 

Halsey’s Lady Guvs have played really well 

recently. Leading the way are Jillian Webber, 

Kait Hubbard and soph Nicole Burns. 

Sayreville (3-15) The Bombers have 

had a very tough season. Top players for 

Coach Tara Currie recently have been Rachel 

Harris, Alexis Baker, Bridget Giovenco and 

Jamilla Manley. 

Boys Bowling 

Sayreville (16-0) Once again, the 

Bombers have one of the best clubs in all 

of N.J. On any given day, Phil Bailey, Jay 

Ciszewski, Anthony Nicholas, Eric Applegate, 

Wayne Bebert or Ryan Roberts could 

School Sports 

turn in spectacular performances for this 

stellar team. 

Cardinal McCarrick (6-6-1) Zach 

Durso, Jason Latham, and Kevin Savoia 

were the top keglers this year. 

South Amboy (4-4-1) The Guvs’ top 

bowlers were: Phil Oppenheimer, Marcus 

Bishop, Ray Ghigliotta, and Kevin Riley. 

Girls Bowling 

Cardinal McCarrick (13-0) Coach Maureen 

Jones team has had another fabulous 

season. The Blue & Gold’s balanced attack 

is led by Katie Rose Noble, Katie Latham, 

and Nicole Higgins. 

Sayreville (0-14) Kristen Renz and 

Megan Aucone bowled well towards the 

end of the season. 

South Amboy (0-15) Holly Wood rolled 

a 425 in a 2-1 loss to New Brunswick in the 

GMCT prelims. 

Wrestling 

Sayreville (13-4) Top records, with 

weight class in parenthesis: (103) Mike 

Bohling 27-2; (285) Tyler Carlock 16-3; 

(215) Chris Raub 16-4; (112) Gary Siriday 

15-4; (145) Noel Santiago 14-5; (130) Dan 

Ronan 13-8; (189) Nick Richiusa 11-9. 

Boys Swimming 

Sayreville (1-5-1) The best swimmers 

lately are: Peter Dufrat, Mike Astarita, Ryan 

Zucker, Skyler Lutz. 

Girls Swimming 

Sayreville (1-4) The great Maureen 

McKenna gets support from Elizabeth Kaczmarek, 

Michelle Quinn, Jane Priskowski, 

Lauren Lopez. 

The All-Time Greatest High School 

Basketball Players 

Sayreville, St. Mary’s/Cardinal McCarrick, 

Hoffman/South Amboy 

In order to qualify for this list, the player 

had to have been selected to an All-County 

1st team pick by any of the daily newspapers; 

Chosen All-State any team 1st, 2nd, 3rd; 

Scored 1,000 or more points; Recorded 1,000 

or more rebounds; Led the county in scoring; 

Set any county scoring records. This is the 

ONLY CRITERIA used to select . 

*The list is probably incomplete, so if 

you know of anyone who should be on it, 

based on the above criteria, please don’t 

hesitate to let us know, and the player will 

be mentioned next month, if you send proof 

of the player’s accomplishments. You can 

also send in your personal list of who you 

feel are the All-Time Greatest of the different 

decades, regardless of their accomplishments. 

Just be sure to sign your name, as 

it will appear with your selections. E-mail 

to: satimes@aol.com or mail to: The SA 

Times, PO Box 3027, South Amboy, NJ 

08879. Thank You. 

Sayreville Boys-1940’s-Ted Gutkowski, 

George Keenan, Bob Mytnick, 

John Wortley. 1950’s-Rudy Balaskiewicz, 

Stan Kojkowski, Charlie Klolakowski, 

Ron Kuran, Joe Rudy, Al Saroka, Ben 

Zaleski. 1960’s-Joe Deerin, Bill Mandy, 

Jeff Osowski. 1970’s-Steve Makwinski. 

1980’s-Ralph Novak, DanOgborne. 1990’s- 

Leland Norris, Marcin Ziobron. 2000’s-No 

qualifiers (NQ) 

Sayreville Girls-1970’s-Rhonda Rompola. 

1980’s-Cindy Allman. 1990’s-(NQ) 2000’s- 

Jessica Kitrys. 

St. Mary’s/Cardinal McCarrick Boys 

1930’s-Allie Clark; 1940’s-Reggie 

Carney, Bob Fleming, Dan Fuller, George 

Harkins, Johnny O’Brien. 

1950’s-Bob “Don” “Pep” Bennett, Jerry 

Gorczyca, Luke Lenahan, Marty Metzger, 

Jack Vail. 

1960’s-Jay Derent, Jack Kreiger, Jim 

McCloud. 1970’s-Joe Kolakowski, George 

Krzyzanowski. 

1980’s-NQ. 1990’s-Dan Blaha, Rob Zaleski. 

2000’s-Kevin Burns, Mike Burwell, Morece 

“Mo” Isaac, Kevin Oliveri, Julio Rosario, 

Vince Rosario, Mika Wilson. 

St. Mary’s/Cardinal McCarrick Girls 

1 9 7 0 ’s - K a t h y R e d l i n g , S u e 

Wilson.1980’s-Janine Barella, Mary Jean 

Sibilia. 1990’s-JoEllen Paczkowski. 

2000’s-Jacinda Dunbar, Olivia Gorczynski, 

Kaitlyn Katko, Chrissy Keir, Jessica 

Pruiti, Lauren Zarantonello. 

Hoffman/South Amboy Boys 

1940’s-Jim Croddick, Walt Rogers; 

1950’s-John Ciol, Jim Inman, Charlie Koerner, 

Marvin Wood. 

1960’s-Billy Clayton, Jerry Drill, John 

Lange, Ken Wahler, Curt Wood, Dennis 

Wood. 1970’s-Bob Clayton, Frank Kuziemski, 

Gary Lange. 1980’s-Peter Smith. 

1990’s-Gary Kuhn; 2000’s-Joe Bartlinski, 

Ed Behnen, Joe Charmello, Brian Seres, 

Nick Shaw, Mark Simko. 

Hoffman/South Amboy Girls 

1970’s-Chris Dill. 1980’s-Sue Check, 

Nancy Garsick, Krissy Kuziemski, Jenny 

Kuziemski, Mary-Anne Lewis, Tricia 

Popowski, Lisa Smith, Lynn Ust, Jamie 

White. 1990’s-Jenny Ingstrup, Kristy 

Parfianowicz, Kim Peterson. 2000’s-Katey 

Charmello, Kiersten McCarthy, Regan 

Rone. 

Hartsfield Cops 

Crown 

Sayreville’s Amari Hartsfield breezed 

to the GMCT 55-Meters championship 

with a quick time of 7:27, finishing ahead 

of Kaitlyn Davis of North Brunswick, who 

finished at 7:36. Congratulations! 

Bailey Rolls 

Another 

Perfect Game 

Sayreville’s superstar bowler Phil 

Bailey rolled his second perfect game of 

the season in the preliminary round of the 

GMC Individual Tournament. Congrats on 

another unbelievable feat! 



(As of Feb. 10) 

The Sayreville Bombers boys bowling team once again proved that they were one of the 

best teams in all of New Jersey, by winning the GMCT championship, and the CJ Group III 

title. Congratulations to Coach Mike Weinert and the Bombers. (Photo submitted) 

Sayreville Captures GMCT Championship 

The powerful Sayreville Bombers 

boys bowling team captured the prestigious 

GMCT bowling championship with a hardfought 

victory over East Brunswick, 2-1. 

Coach Mike Weinert’s Blue & Gray was 

shocked in the first match by the Bears, 

despite strong showings by Phil Bailey 

246, Wayne Bebert 220, and Eric Applegate 

215. 

Sayreville bounced back in Game 2 

as Applegate rolled a 266, Bebert 257 and 

Bailey 246. In the pressure-cooker, Game 

3 finale, Jay Ciszewski and Applegate hit 

huge spares in the 9th frame to all but seal 

the Sayreville triumph. Top scorers in Game 

College Chatter 

Jacinda Dunbar, who was the Home 

News Tribune’s Player of the Year in 2008, 

as well as 1st Team All-County and All-State 

basketball star for Cardinal McCarrick, is 

currently starring for Quinnipac University. 

The talented junior is #3 in scoring with a 

9.4 avg., and also third in rebounds with 116 

for the team that has a 10-11 record. 

Keir Scored 1,000 

Points 

It was brought to our attention that we 

inadvertently left Cardinal McCarrick’s 

Chrissy Keir off the Lady Eagles 1,000 Point 

Club list last month. Chrissy certainly did 

score over 1,000 points, and was an All- 

County and All-State standout, in addition 

to being one of the greatest players in Blue 

& Gold history. 

McCarrick Sweeps Bombers 

Cardinal McCarrick boys and girls 

basketball teams both swept two games with 

Sayreville with Sayreville this year. The 

Eagles topped the Bombers, 68-50 in their 

second meeting, with freshman Marques 

Townes leading the way with 17 points. 

Will Thomas tossed in 11 points and had 

7 boards, while Jumanne McDaniel scored 

10, had 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Sayreville 

3 were Ryan Roberts 255, Bebert 223, and 

Applegate 211. Anthony Nicholas also 

contributed to the victory. 

The Bombers finished second the last 

2 years, and won the GMCT 4 years ago. 

Congratulations on a great job! 

Bohling, Geiger 

Win Titles 

Mike Bohling and Anthony Geiger 

captured GMCT wrestling championships, as 

the Sayreville Bombers placed 3rd as a team. 

Bohling won a 5-0 decision over Matt Coons 

of Woodbridge to win the 103-lb. division 

title, and Geiger won by an injury default 

over South Plainfield’s Troy Heilmann to 

take the 119-lb crown. 

The Bombers also had 3 runners-up, 

Gary Siriday (112), Noel Santiago (145), 

and Tyler Carlock (285). 

Congratulations on a great effort! 

Bombers Take First 

CJ Group III Crown 

The Sayreville boys phenomenal bowling 

squad rolled to its first-ever CJ Group 

III Sectional championship, beating out 

second place Woodbridge, 3,182-3,124. Jay 

Ciszewski led the outstanding performance 

by the team with a beautiful 658 series, and 

qualified for the prestigious Tournament of 

Champions (TOC) with 11 other superb 

bowlers. Ciszewski was followed by teammates 

Ryan Roberts 649, Eric Applegate 

646, Phil Bailey 632, and Wayne Bebert 

597. Way to go, Bombers! 

The Cardinal McCarrick girls bowling team turned in another outstanding season under 

Coach Maureen Jones. Congratulations to the Lady Eagles! (Photo by Brian Stratton) 

freshman, Corey Taite fired in 13 points and 

Danny Wojcik hit for 9 points. 

T he Lady Eagles easily notched their 

second win over the Sayreville girls this 

season, with a 72-22 romp over the Bombers. 

Olivia Gorczynski tossed in 11 of her 15 

points in the first quarter, when CM raced to 

a 33-6 lead. Maggie Presnal chipped in with 

12 points, and Alyssa McDonough 11.


The Clay Cole 

Show By Henny the DJ 

In the mid 60’s Clay Cole had a TV 

dance show that was to popular music in 

the New York City area then, what MTV is 

to the whole country today. It was the ‘go 

to’ place to find the hot artists and songs 

and dancers of the Swinging Sixties. How 

hot was the show? The best example is that 

when the Rolling Stones made their first 

trip to the USA in 1965, they spent a solid 

week at the Daily News Channel 11 studios 

hanging out with Clay Cole. What Murray 

the K was to the Beatles. Clay Cole was to 

the Stones. 

Sadly, Clay Cole passed away recently 

and Tommy Burkard asked me to write 

something about his passing. Why me? 

Well, guess who actually got to dance on 

that very popular Clay Cole Show? That’s 

right, old Henny the DJ. And, even though 

I couldn’t do “The Slop” as well as Charlie 

Conroy or “the Mashed Potatoes” as well 

as Nonnie Nonnemacher, I knew a girl who 

could and when she won Clay Cole tickets 

in a dance contest at Colonel Coopers, she 

called me up and asked me to take her to 

New York and be her partner on the show. I 

quickly said, “Love to.” So, Tommy and all 

remaining Palisades Park fans everywhere, 

here is a day at Clay Cole Show, Monday, 

March 15th, 1965. 

BEFORE THE SHOW - We knew 

there was no way we were going to be able 

to dance at six in the evening in a fully lit 

studio, in front of TV cameras unfortified, so 

after we parked the car on 42nd street by the 

Daily News Building, we stopped in a nearby 

Blarney Stone and emptied some Rheingold 

Chug-A-Mugs. A very nice touch, I thought, 

and one that proved very wise, as well. 

DURING THE SHOW – In a small, 

stifling hot, overly lit TV studio sitting on 

folding chairs we all waited patiently during 

stop and go taping where a one hour show 

was taking three hours to produce. When 

he wasn’t actually performing, Clay made 

himself invisible. So untended we waited 

while Rip Taylor, that’s right the guy from 

the “1.98 Beauty Show,” the comedic guest 

for the night, sang “What Kind of Fool Am 

I” tossing disdainful confetti at us losers. 

Surprisingly, there was relatively little 

dance time for us, 6 or 7 songs. Think Soul 

Train minus the Soul Train Dance Line, 

flashy clothing and exotic dancers. Since 

we were rookie TV types thrown in with 

Clay’s camera wise coterie of Regulars, the 

few instances that we actually knew which 

camera was operating, we had to scramble 

for face time by wedging our way through 

the front line like Bronco Nagurski on third 

and one to get in “camera mugging position”. 

Afterwards I drove Mary Ann back 

to Woodbridge, thanked her for asking me 

to go with her and headed back over the Victory 

Bridge for the safe haven of good old 

South Amboy, Fritze’s and then the welcome 

sanctum of David Street. 

AFTERMATH – The great thing is 

that the show was shown two days later on 

Wednesday, March 17th, St. Patrick’s day at 

7pm, Channel 11. At home I kept looking 

hard to see if we were “on” and just as I was 

about to admit that somehow we had eluded 

the camera the whole dang show, “Bang” 

there we were, front and center mugging and 

hogging the cameras like the two rubes from 

the sticks that we were, with the cheesiest 

you know what eating grins you ever saw. 

But being on TV then was a big deal and I 

felt good about it all. Still do. 

So there you have it, Tommy, Clay Cole. 

“Sic transit gloria mundi.” 

NEXT TIME- Part 2, No, it was not “The 

Hideaway”. It was “Sheridan’s.”

Ron “Mucci” Ciszewski, 70, of Boynton 

Beach, Florida, and formerly of Sayreville 

died on Jan.23. “Mucci” as he was 

affectionately known throughout the local 

sports communities was one of the top fastpitch 

softball pitchers in Middlesex County for 

many years, and led his teams to countless 

championships. In addition, he was a star 

baseball and basketball player at Sayreville 

High in the 1950’s. Ciszewski was known 

for his soft shooting touch in hoops, and at 

the old Hoffman High School gym on George 

Street, would bring the ball just across midcourt, 

and easily hit jump shots from 35-40 

feet out, and that was before the 3-point 

field goal rule started. During the 1970-71 

season, he was chosen unanimously to the 

first-ever All-City 1st team, and scored 174 

points, for a 24.8 avg. in 7 games. 

50 years Ago 

1961-St. Mary’s boys’ basketball 

team routed Roselle Catholic, 70-55 in the 

season opener. Jack Kreiger led the way 

with 21 points, while Bill Tibbitt scored 

15, Joe Jankowski 14, and Bob Suminski 

13 points. 

40 years Ago 

1971-St. Mary’s boys’ tennis team 

nipped West Side of Newark, 3-2. John 

Wortley and Bruce Malinowski registered 

big singles victories for the Blue & Gold. 

December 9, 1967-Sayreville’s Jeff Osowski 

(32) playing for Penn University blocks a shot 

by All-American Dan Issel of Kentucky in a 

battle won by #9 ranked KU over unranked 

Penn, 64-49. Issel went on to become an 

NBA Hall-of-Famer. Kentucky’s coach was 

the legendary Adolph Rupp at the time. In the 

contest Issel scored 12 points and grabbed 

17 rebounds, while Osowski scored 5 points 

and hauled in 8 rebounds. 


The Local Sports Memory Machine 


Glory Days in 

Local Sports 

1958-Rumson ripped Hoffman, 

61-50 in boys’ basketball. 

Dave Inman led the locals with 

23 points, and Tommy Adams 

chipped in with 15. 1962- 

Sayreville slipped by Carteret, 

47-44 in boys’ hoops. Joe Demetski popped 

in 15 points and Joe Blaszka 10. 1978- 

Hoffman hammered Spotswood, 71-39 in 

basketball action. Bob Clayton burned the 

nets for 24 points, and Frank Kuziemski got 

23 points and 14 rebounds. 1984-Sayreville 

girls’ basketball team belted Madison Central, 

47-39. Caryn Lukie scored 14 points, 

grabbed 13 rebounds, and had 9 steals to 

lead the way. Terry Lockwood scored 11 

markers and ripped 14 rebounds. Kate 

Briody added 10 for the Bombers. 1999-St. 

Mary’s mauled Metuchen, 67-54 in girls’ 

hoops. Jacqui DuBois tickled the twine for 

21 points, Heather Baumlin scored 15, and 

Lisa DiBernardo 11 for the Lady Eagles. 

2004-Cardinal McCarrick slammed South 

River, 73-44. Kevin Oliveri topped the 

scoring with 25 points, while Billy Wagner 

connected for 22 points and ripped 8 boards. 

Donnie Reid added 14 points. 

35 years Ago 

1976-Sayreville wrestler, Steve Scillitani 

finished the year with a (23-1) record, 

and won the county, district, and regional 

championships in the 170-lb. class. He finished 

his career with an awesome (69-8-1). 

In addition, he was an All-County 1st team 

football selection by The News Tribune. 

C.y.O. Days 

1954-St. Mary’s 8th Grade basketball 

team trounced Our Lady of Peace, 78-41. 

John Phillips poured in 28 points and George 

“Rock” Stader 22. 1968-In the Amboy 

Area High School Division, Sacred Heart 

hammered Holy Spirit, 56-36 behind Steve 

Skarzynski’s 20 points…Tom Holovacko 

fired in 22 points to lead St. Mary’s to a 77- 

65 romp over St. James of Woodbridge… 

In Grammar School play, Ron Croddick 

pumped in 22 points to lead St. Mary’s to an 

easy 53-27 triumph over St. John Vianney. 

New Mantle Book 

“The Last Boy Mickey Mantle And 

The End Of America’s Childhood,” a book 

by Jane Leavy about Mickey Mantle was 

released before the holidays, and has done 

quite well on the market. Leavy is the author 

of the New York Times best-selling book, 

“Sandy Koufax.” 

I was quite surprised and honored 

to be mentioned with my first book, “The 

Ultimate Mickey Mantle Trivia Book” 

which was published in 1997, in Leavy’s 

Bibliography. 

Next Month: 

All-Time Greatest 

Baseball, Softball 

Players 

Our March 19th Spring Special will 

feature the All-Time Greatest High School 

Baseball and Softball players from Sayreville, 

St. Mary’s/Cardinal McCarrick, Hoffman/South 

Amboy. To qualify, players had 

to have been a 1st Team All-County (Not 

Division), or any team All-State selection. 

In addition, if they led the county or state in 

any major offensive categories for a season, 

they will be included, if proof is provided. 

If anyone has any candidates to nominate for 

this honor, please send the info to our e-mail 

at: satimes@aol.com, or send us photo copies 

of the newspaper articles with the proof to: 

SA Times, All-Time Greatest Players , PO 

Box 3027, South Amboy, NJ 08879. 

From The Sports Archives 

1928-This vintage photo shows the St. Mary’s boys basketball team, that won the City 

Series over South Amboy. Top row (l-r) Ed Carroll, John Grimes, ?, Father Faber, Al “Horse” 

Jankowski, Pohl, “Gilly Gelsinon, Lou Lagoda. Bottom row (l-r) Joe McGonigle, Coach 

Charlie Eppinger, Capt. John Zdaniewicz, Manager Joe Vail, ?. 

T.H.E. 

Game 

Sport-Basketball 

Year-1964 

Teams-Sayreville (2-1) vs. Hoffman 

(0-3) 

Recap-Daily newspapers touted the game 

as “Homecoming Night” for Bombers first 

year Coach Jim Inman, who had starred at 

Hoffman in the early 1950’s. Center Jeff 

Osowski poured in 20 first half points to 

lead Sayreville to a 35-27 lead at the break. 

The Blue & Gray erupted in the third quarter 

and outscored the Guvs, 30-14, to pave the 

way to a 79-61 triumph. Osowski topped 

the scoring brigade with 34 points, while 

teammates Jim Van Fossen 12, and Richie 

Marcus 10 chipped in. The Purple & Gold 

were paced by Billy Clayton with 17 markers, 

followed by Curt Wood 16, and Edwin 

Witkowski 10. 

The Boxscore 

Sayreville 79 

Osowski 34 Van Fossen 12 Marcus 10 Bob 

Burdak 7 John Karlowitz 6 Lemerich 3 

Roy Place 3 Don Mandy 2 McLaughlin 2 

Trawinski 2 Warren Walerzak 0. 

Hoffman 61 

Clayton 17 C. Wood 16 Witkowski 10 Greg 

Havlusch 8 Leo Dohan 8 Bob Keegan 2 

Harold Dennen 0 Joe Jankowski 0 Tony 

Pelican 0 Bill Keegan 0. 

MVP-Jeff Osowski, Sayreville. 

25 years Ago 

1986-Sayreville speedster, Bob Beers 

won the GMC championship, and was 

also a Cross Country All-County 1st team 

selection. 

Kovaleski Topped 

Cuomo 

Way back in 1952, South Amboy’s John 

Kovaleski played his first year in professional 

baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates 

Brunswick (GA) Class D club in the Georgia-Florida 

baseball league. Coincidentally, 

his teammate was a young outfielder from 

Queens, New York, Mario Cuomo. Kovaleski, 

then known as Kowaleski, was selected 

an All-County, and All-State shortstop for 3 

years at Hoffman High School, while Cuomo 

was also a star in New York. 

John played second base for Brunswick, 

and turned in a stellar rookie year, playing 

in 127 games, drilling 136 hits, and batted 

.296, tops on the club for starters, and #12 

in the league. Mario played in 81 games, 

got 62 hits, and batted .244. Brunswick had 

a tough year in ’52 and went through two 

managers, Mickey O’Neil and George Pratt, 

while turning in a record of 62-78, .443. 

Mario Cuomo only played one season 

in the minors, and went on to bigger and 

better things…As we all know he became 

Governor of New York. John Kovaleski 

played in the minors for a few years, and 

made his mark for many years as a Physical 

Education/Health teacher, and coach at 

Hoffman High. 

Flashback: 1972 

The Hoffman High boys’ tennis team 

was coached by Mr. Oleyar, and his players 

were Wayne Applegate, Jim Powell, Rich 

Johnson, Chris Johnson, and J. Krug. They 

played a 16-match schedule, but the record 

the records are not available. 

Gary George, one of Sayreville High School’s greatest football players in history is pictured 

recently at his brother Brian’s Northshore Menswear business in Sea Bright. In ’69, Gary, 

a superb halfback, was an All-County 1st team, and All-State 3rd team selection. He also 

captained the football and baseball teams. (Photo by Tom Burkard)


• TANK REMOVAL • INSTALLATION 

• TANK TESTING • SANDFILL 

• ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 

ASI 

ADVANCED 

SITE 

IMPROVEMENT 

( ) 

566-0281 

Fishing Flashes 

By Teo “Weebles” Weber 

Salt Water 

Al the heavy snow, wind and extreme 

cold have us all in the winter doldrums. The 

few times the Party Boats have sailed it’s been 

a decent catch of Cod and Ling on the far off 

wrecks. There are more Cod around this time 

due to the extreme cold water temperatures. 

Mackerel have left and any Blackfish that 

are caught are by incidental catch. There are 

some Pollock and a few Hake around too. 

A friend of mine went out on a recent trip 

on the Big Jamaica which made an 8 hour 

run to Block Island near Montauk. All he 

caught were a few small Cod and everyone 

else got just about the same results. 2011 

Fluke regulations may be loosened as New 

Jersey was under the total catch quota. It 

might still be, six fish at 18 inches, but with a 

longer season or the same 3 ½ month season 

with 6 fish-one may be 17 inches. There are 

still other options too. We will have to wait 

to see what happens! 

Fresh Water 

The intense cold has put an end to most 

open fishing, but if you can brave the cold, ice 

fishing is relatively good. Lake Hopatcong 

produces big Pickerel and Perch and occasionally 

a hybrid Bass. In Sussex County, 

Lake Aeroflex gives up Trout on small jigs 

tipped with mousee grubs. There isn’t much 

else going on. Giving you a heads up, get your 

2011 fishing license and Trout stamp. 

Earth Day 2011 

The Environmental Science classes at 

South Amboy Middle/High School are selling 

tee shirts to commemorate Earth Day, 

April 22, 2011. 

Shirts are available in the colors Apple 

Green or Lake Blue – sizes ranging from 

adult small to adult 3XL. Shirts will also 

be personalized with “South Amboy High 

School – Environmental Science”. 

Cost is $10 (additional $3 for 2XL 

and 3XL) and can be viewed on the school 

website www.saboe.k12.nj.us Click on 

the Earth icon for order forms and general 

information. 

Orders can be dropped off or mailed to 

South Amboy High School c/o Mrs. Tracey 

Reilly. 

Payment must accompany order 

– deadline for orders is March 14, 2011. 

Approximate delivery date is second week 

of April. 

Snow Shoveling 

For much of the east coast, this is turning 

out to be one snow filled winter. Remember 

your body was made for use not abuse. Shoveling 

snow qualifies for 30 minutes of daily 

aerobic activity, and counts as a moderate to 

difficult workout. The heavier and wetter 

the snow, the bigger the burn. Digging out 

from the storm can burn up to 400 calories 

an hour. Snow shoveling is serious stuff and 

can be hazardous to your health. In an ABC 

News study, heart attack rates jump 20% in 

the week following snowstorms. In a 17 year 

study period of 11,500 individuals, the most 

common diagnosis was soft tissue injury at 

55% followed by lower back disc injury at 

35%. Slips and falls, and cardiac related 

injuries accounted for the other 100%. 

Safe Shoveling Techniques: 1. Before 

going out take a few minutes to stretch and 

warm up. 2. Stay hydrated. Dehydration 

during physical activity can cause muscle 

cramping and increase your heart rate. 3. 

Keep your body warm and well insulated 

by layering your clothes. Wear boots with 

good traction to reduce the risk of slipping 

and falling. 4. Push snow to the side instead 

of lifting it. 5. Practice safe lifting by bending 

the knees and keeping your upper body 

straight. 6. Avoid twisting your body and 

walk your shove full of snow to where you 

want to dump it. As always an ounce of 

prevention is worth a pound of cure.

LETTERS 

Thank You 

On behalf of the Lenahan family, I 

would like to extend a sincere thank you to 

everyone for all of your kind thoughts, support, 

prayers, hugs, and stories regarding our 

father, Luke Lenahan. He was an amazing 

man, father, and grandfather, who touched 

many lives. He will be missed. 

Returning to New Jersey from my 

current home in Colorado for my father’s 

funeral, I was reminded and truly touched 

by the tight-knit feeling and deep roots of 

the community of his hometown of South 

Amboy. The support and caring from everyone 

was overwhelming. 

My Dad would often send me his copy 

of The South Amboy-Sayreville Times. I 

always looked forward to reading it. He 

would highlight articles that would later 

become future phone conversations. I will 

miss that. 

My father was very proud of his family 

and his small town of South Amboy, and it 

was evident in his life. South Amboy is a 

gem of a town. I will continue to receive 

The South Amboy-Sayreville Times in his 

honor and to stay current on the friendly 

little town of South Amboy. 

Thank you to everyone. 

Sincerely, 

Heleen Lenahan 

(Formerly of South Amboy/Sayreville) 

Boulder, CO 

Hello Tom, 

I have enjoyed your newspaper over the 

years. Now I enjoy reading it online in color! 

It brings back a LOT of good memories. 

Jeanne Rogers 

(Formerly of South Amboy) 

Florida 

Tom, 

Regarding the George Street School 

articles: The gravel lane between John St. 

and George St. was named, Clinton Place. 

After the 1950 Explosion, it was paved. 

Jim Phillips 

South Amboy 

Hello Tom, 

Your paper is fabulous! A long time 

ago I wanted to subscribe and you told me 

I can read it online for FREE! Thank you! 

In your January issue, there’s a Juggernaut 

Update regarding YouTube and making sure 

to go to the Juggernaut Part II. I found that 

the best way to watch this 2-part movie on 

YouTube.com is to type: thejuggernaut silent 

movie. This puts Part 1 right on top of the 

list and when Part 1 is don playing, part II of 

this movie is right there to click on. About 

2 years ago, I bought a DVD of this movie 

from the Sayreville Historical Society and 

they still have a supply of them for sale. 

What pioneers of movie-making did in 

those days is fascinating! YouTube has so 

many listings of The Perils of Pauline, and 

I’m going to see if the 1910 movie that was 

shot at the Parlin railroad station is there. 

Katharina Loniewski 

Sayreville 

Hi Tom, 

Thank you for a terrific newspaper! 

Sue Dill-Raba 

(Formerly of South Amboy) 

Tom, 

Thanks for the nice article in the best 

newspaper in New Jersey! 

W. Tom Kross 

South Amboy 

Hi Tom, 

I had to smile at the youthfulness of 

those familiar faces of the St. Mary’s JV 

team (1966) pictured on page 21 of the 

January issue. Then, when I got to page 24 

and saw a photo of myself as a 5-year old 

in 1956, I let out sort of a groaning chuckle. 

It strikes me that our community is part of 

the same cloth, and The SA Times is one of 

the stitches that ties us together. 

Jerry Smith 

South Amboy 

Camp Middlesex Means Summer Fun for 

Kids; Open House Set for March 6 

Twenty-three new camp programs 

have been added to Camp Middlesex for 

the summer of 2011. The camp, located on 

the Middlesex County College campus in 

Edison, is for kids 6 to 18 years old. It runs 

from June 27-August 19. 

An open house, at which prospective 

campers and their parents can meet staff, 

learn about all the programs and register, 

will be Sunday, March 6 from 1-4 p.m. in 

the Technical Services Center. A raffle will 

be held for a $100 gift certificate toward 

camp. 

Camp Middlesex is actually many 

special interest camps. Campers can pick 

their activity from a list of dozens, including 

theater, robotics, chess, magic, karate, 

sports, video game creation, art, cooking, 

fashion, computers, and much more. Each 

session runs for one week, mornings or 

afternoons, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 

to 5 p.m. Most kids pick two camps for a 

full-day experience. There is also a pre-camp 

option starting at 7:30 a.m. and an after-camp 

program that goes until 6 p.m. 

The cost varies by program but most 

are $175 per half-day camp. 

“Parents love the variety of programs,” 

said Elaine Berlin, the Camp Middlesex 

coordinator. “They tell me ‘Who else offers 

theater, painting, sports, science and cooking, 

all in one place.’ This is a great option for 

working parents who want their children to 

be doing something fun and fulfilling. It’s 

affordable, and all our instructors are certified 

classroom teachers who care about each 

child. We have a full-time nurse should the 

need arise. Plus, the classrooms are air-conditioned 

and the campus is beautiful. It’s a 

wonderful experience.” 

New programs include digital photography, 

making movies, how to be a deejay, 

the science behind special effects, baking 

cupcakes, and many, many more. 

For a brochure that details all the camps, 

or for more information, call 732-906-2556 

or visit www.middlesexcc.edu. 

South Amboy Knights of Columbus Council 

426, Past Grand Knight Wayne Castello is 

pictured enjoying his night at the PGK Dinner 

recently. (Photo submitted). 


The Benefits of Parent/Child Classes 

Katie McAdoo, Branch Director, South Amboy YMCA 

There is power in playing with your 

child. When parents set aside time to engage 

in a thoughtful and organized way with their 

children the benefits are endless. Today’s 

hectic lifestyles can often get in the way of 

spending time with our children which is 

positive and engaging. Parent/child classes 

are a way to deliberately set aside quality 

time with your child. The experience your 

child has in these classes can also promote 

cognitive development, positive social 

interaction, the development of fine and 

gross motor skills and increased vocabulary 

while increasing the parental bond that you 

have with your child. If you are a working 

parent and time is limited consider having a 

grandparent, friend or babysitter participate 

in the class with your child. 

When looking for just the right class 

to participate in with your child you should 

think about what will be of interest to you 

both, what your available time is and what 

your family budget can afford. Classes range 

from being themed in art, music, movement, 

literacy, swimming and even science. These 

classes are a perfect way to meet other parents 

and children, so don’t feel you need to sign 

up with a friend. The best way to find what 

your community has to offer is to check 

with local churches, museums, libraries, 

pre-schools and community organizations 

WWW.? 

This building shouldn’t be too hard for our mystery photo experts. Send your answers in 

to: thesatimes@aol.com. Good luck! (Photo by Tom Burkard) 

January Winners 

Another year got underway for our 

popular WWW.? mystery photo contest, and 

surprisingly, there were very few winners on 

a relatively easy to identify structure. There 

were 2 names acceptable for the site, The 

City Garage, or the City of South Amboy 

Public Works Building. Congratulations to 

the following winners: two-time defending 

champion, W. Tom Kross, 2008 champion, 

Marian Mills, Chuck Pickard, Charlotte 

Sadowski, Peggy Yuhas. 

such as the YMCA. 

Once you have an idea what is available 

to you visit and observe the classes, see 

how the children and parents are interacting 

and decide what will work best for you. 

Some key things to focus on are: how is the 

leader or teacher is communicating with the 

group? What is the space like? Is bright and 

cheerful? Is it warm enough? What is the 

noise level? Are there enough supplies and 

pieces of equipment for each participant? 

Do the other parents seem friendly? You 

and your child should feel comfortable in 

the environment. Once you have decided 

on a class to enroll in you may want to visit 

once or twice again so that your child will 

feel comfortable. 

While the developmental benefits of 

playing with your child in an organized setting 

such as a parent/child class are endless, 

the benefits that cannot be measured are the 

wonderful memories you will make. The 

friendships you make with other parents 

and children may last a lifetime. You will 

sing the songs you have learned, re-read the 

books you discovered and play the games 

you played over and over again. For more 

information on classes at the South Amboy 

Branch YMCA visit www.ymcaofmewsa. 

org/southamboy/pre_school or call 732-553- 

YMCA (9622).


Obituaries 

Blaszka, Mary Orlowicz, 91, of Sayreville 

died on Jan. 17. 

Ciszewski, Ronald “Mucci,” 70, formerly 

of Sayreville died on Jan. 23. 

Clayton, Gladys, 91, formerly of South 

Amboy died on Jan. 17. 

Dooling, Louise Reich, 76, formerly of 

South Amboy died on Jan. 19. 

Fazio, Tommaso Jr., 42, of Parlin died 

on Jan. 28. 

Golaszewski, Raymond, 65, of Sayreville 


Graf, Laurie A., 56, of South Amboy 

died on Feb. 10. 

Gutkowski, Stanley, 87, of Sayreville 


Kominkiewicz, Francis, 95, of Sayreville 


Lee, Chung Ho, 67, of Sayreville died 

on Jan. 29. 

McDonald, James “Jimmy,” 50, formerly 

of South Amboy died on Jan. 27. 

McLoughlin, John A., 63, of South 

Amboy died on Jan. 20. 

Meyer, Richard E. “Richie,” 78, of 

Sayreville died on Jan. 18. 

Neira, John J. Sr., 86, of Parlin died 

on Feb. 6. 

Nemeth, John A. “Jack” Sr., 70, of South 

Amboy died on Feb. 2. 

Nemeth, Scott, 43, of Morgan died on 

Feb. 3. 

Olsen, Gloria E., 87, of Morgan died 

on Jan. 30. 

Pilot, Dorothy J., 70, formerly of Morgan 


Przygoda, Catherine, 94, of Sayreville 


Revolinsky, Edmund “Eddie Rev,” 83, 

of Parlin died on Jan. 23. 

Sedlak, Michael “Mickey,” 86, of 

Sayreville died on Jan. 21. 

Sieron, Henry, 82, formerly of Sayreville 


Sotomayor, Ana, 59, of South Amboy 


Spina, Ignatius S. “Iggy,” 88, of South 

Amboy died on Feb. 4. 

Szczecina, Joseph F., 81, of Morgan 


Thebold, Alice M., 81, of South Amboy 


Westbrook, Mary E., 75, of South Amboy 


Auxiliary Meeting 

THE LADIES AUXILIARY of Veterans 

of Foreign Wars Post #4699 will hold its 

monthly meeting at 8PM Tuesday February 

22,2011 at 575 JerneeMillRoad,Sayreville, 

NJ. All members are invited to attend with 

all eligible ladies and past members who 

are inactive. Refreshment will be served. 

any infro call 732-264-3041 

OLV Bus Trip 

The OLV Senior Group will be sponsoring 

a bus trip to Hunterdon Hills Playhouse 

on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 to see 

Noel Coward’s Comedy Classic, “Blithe 

Spirit”. 

The cost of the trip is $75.00 which 

includes ticket to the show, full lunch, bus 

transportation, bus gratuity, and a snack on 

return trip. The bus will leave from OLV 

lower parking lot at 9:30AM and return 

at 5PM. 

Choices of entrees are: Yankee Pot 

Roast, Catch of the Day, Fried Shrimp & 

Scallops, Breast of Chicken w/stuffing, and 

Baked Ham w/Fruit Glaze. 

For further information or questions, 

contact Teri at (732) 727-7639. 

You may mail a check written to OLV 

Seniors and include your choice of entrée. 

Send all correspondence to: Teri Yetsko, 6 

Lani Street, South Amboy, NJ 08879.

Remembering Sayre Woods 

Shopping Center 

Several people were trying to recall 

some of the businesses and their personal 

memories of the old Sayre Woods Shopping 

Center, which is now Gateway Plaza. 

Sayreville’s Mary A. Snover said she remembered 

Channel Lumber, a bakery, Chinese 

Restaurant, Kresge’s, Pink ‘n’ Blue, Carousel 

Hair Designers, Carlos’ Pizza, Canadian’s, 

J.C. Penney, Rexall Drugs, Acme. “There 

was a separate building with the Camera 

Store, bank, and offices upstairs. Dr. Brahin, 

the Podiatrist was upstairs. My dad’s 

eldest sister would take me to Kresge’s to eat 

and buy toys on Saturdays, and my parents 

ordered lots of Chinese takeout,” she said. 

Nancy Fleming recalled J.C. Penney’s Catalogue 

Store, the jewelry store, and Amboy 

National Bank. 

Tom Burkard shared several memories 

of Sayre Woods. “ W.T. Grant’s was where 

I would buy my little green pet turtles 

(They are actually Red-Eared Sliders) as a 

youngster, and then later on as a teen, pick 

up the latest 45 records (vinyl, remember 

them)? There was also Barry’s Stationery 

Store, where they sold tobacco, newspapers, 

and magazines. “I always got my Baseball 

Preview books there in March,” he said. My 

mother bought me the “Bas-Ket” game at 

a toy store in Sayre Woods, and it provided 

countless hours of entertainment. Kinney 

Shoes was always the place to go for 

Dowdell Library 

News 

Come join us at the Dowdell Public 

Library of South Amboy (adjacent to High 

School) for these upcoming Youth Service 

events! Registration is required for all activities, 

please call or stop by to sign up (4 

person minimum to hold program). 

SAVE THE DATES: FREE PRO- 

GRAMS! 

TOT TIME: an interactive child centered 

program. (

February 6, 011 South Amboy-Sayreville Times

March 19th Date - Sadie Pope Dowdell Public Library

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