Monday, October 31, 2011

Halloween Double Dip

So trick or treat has come and gone for some of us while for others today is the day kids and would-be kids will be out seeking goodies. Of course only in this area can costumed characters double dip and many do. Out of towners were out in full force in Toms River and surrounding towns Sunday and then today will be back in their own neighborhoods seeking more candy.

Again for those fairly new to this area Halloween itself is marked by a parade in downtown Toms River which means trick or treating is the day before. No truth to the rumor that plans are in the works for a parade on Christmas Day with all other Christmas celebrations to be now held on December 24th.

We were away visiting my daughter this weekend and did not get home until late in the afternoon but that was plenty of time for a couple of hundred trick or treaters to stop by. Most were cute, adorable and well-behaved but it only takes a few to ruin the atmosphere. There are those who run on the grass, don’t say “thank you”,
and express displeasure at the candy you are giving out. In some cases their parents witness the poor behavior and do nothing which really ticks me off. Then there are the teen-agers who can’t be bothered to dress up and just show up with a pillow cases. I really wanted to refuse to give them anything but it wasn’t worth the hassle and problems it would cause so I just made sarcastic comments and gave them their treat. However I would be in all favor of a law that restricted trick or treating to only those in costumes.

All in all most of the kids and their parents are great but it’s amazing what a couple of bad ones can do to spoil your spirit.

Meanwhile in quite a few areas of New Jersey there might be no Halloween trick or treating. That’s because many are still without power from Saturday’s storm and with the temperatures dropping into the 20’s they left their homes to stay with family and friends elsewhere. My brother ended up at a hotel in New York and might not get power back in this Morris Township home until the middle of the week.

Does this surprise storm me anything in terms of the upcoming winter? Probably not although it might make it seem even longer.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Ocean Of Love Billboard Radiothon

Many of you are not aware that 92.7 WOBM is part of Townsquare Media, a large company that has 11 radio stations in New Jersey and four here in the Ocean and Monmouth County area. Our shore group of stations are not afraid to promote one another especially when it comes to events that benefit the community. A shining example of that is 105.7 The Hawk’s 11th Annual Ocean of Love Billboard Radiothon. Since 5pm on Monday on air personality Andy Chase has been living in a tent on top of a scaffold in the Lowes/Target parking lot on Hooper Avenue in Toms River.

Chase broadcasts, eats and sleeps from his temporary accommodations 30 feet off the ground. Ably assisted by the entire on-air and support staff of the Hawk, Andy is seeking to raise $105,700 for Ocean of Love, an organization that supports the daily needs of families dealing with childhood cancer. What is so wonderful about this event is that it’s a real grass-roots fundraiser in which people of all ages participate. From little kids bringing their piggy-banks, to schools raising money, to support from the business community hundreds rally behind a cause that is noble, worthy and unfortunately needed at the Jersey Shore.

With all of this said I urge you to support The Hawk and Ocean of Love. You can drop off a donation on location and say hello to Andy, go on line at www.1057thehawk.com or call 877-hawk-1057.

I will be away this weekend visiting my daughter at school and while I’m excited to see her I’m disappointed that I will miss Shawn & Sue’s 3rd annual Spooktacular at the Pine Belt Arena on the campus of Toms River High School North. This is truly a great family event and I thoroughly enjoyed attending the first two and watching all the kids in costumes. There is plenty to do from 5-8pm and admission is just $10 for the family with proceeds going to the Ocean County Cancer Coalition. Details are available at wobm.com.

Good luck to a pair of teams from the Beachwood Soccer Club who have advanced to the final four in the NJYS State Cup on Saturday at the Wall Soccer Complex. The Girls U13 Beachwood Dragonflies will play a team from Palmyra while the Boys U11Beachwood Pirates take on a team from Medford. The winners advance to the championship games on Sunday to complete the tournament which began in mid-September.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tournament Time

It is tournament time in the Shore Conference with the Boys & Girls Soccer Tournaments and the Field Hockey tournament all reaching the semifinal round.

However only when it comes to Boys Soccer does Ocean County have representation in the final four where everyone is chasing top-seed and defending champion CBA. The Colts ended Point Boro’s surprising run with a 6-2 victory
Tuesday and will next meet 4th seed Toms River North, who advanced to the semi’s with a dramatic win over Freehold Township in a penalty kick shootout.

The Mariners tied the game on a second-half goal by Taylor Sica and then prevailed 6-5 in PK’s to earn a date with undefeated CBA tomorrow night in Neptune. Those two teams met in the finals last year with the Colts winning 3-0.
On the other side of the bracket 7th seeded Lacey got a late goal from Chris Thompson to surprise #2 Toms River East 1-0 and move into the semifinals for the first time in ten years. The 17-2-1 Lions will meet Holmdel who ousted 3rd seed Howell in penalty kicks. Lacey will face Holmdel in tomorrow’s first semifinal at 5pm at the Summerfield School before North collides with CBA.

The latest Big East development figures to have a major impact on Rutgers who could be left on the outside looking in. Tuesday it was reported that the Big 12 has decided to add West Virginia as a replacement for Missouri when the Tigers leave the conference for the SEC. The Mountaineers departure from the Big East is a major blow as they have the conference’s best football program along with a very good basketball program. WVU also leaving could make schools like Boise State say no to head east and it’s possible the football version of the Big East could fall apart. Where would that leave Rutgers? It seems the Scarlet Knights hopes rest with an invitation to join the Big Ten or ACC and if that doesn’t happen in the near future then they could be a school that has no choice but to play in a lesser conference that will lower and not raise their program and profile.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Catching Z's

When you work the early-morning shift in radio sleep is precious and often hard to come by and after more than 32 years I still can’t figure out how to balance it all.
Most mornings I get up right around 3am although if I have to shave than I’ll set the alarm clock a few minutes earlier than that. Medical experts tell us we should get 8 hours sleep which would mean I would have to go to bed at 7pm which I have never done before. Most days I don’t get home from work until around 5pm so there is no way I’m going to bed at 7 and often I have work-related events that keep me out until after 9 o’clock or even later.

Of course I could go right to sleep at night without watching television but I’m a sports fan and there is usually something that garners my interest. I also watch about 6-10 prime-time shows on a regular basis many of which I DVR which my wife and I will watch around dinnertime and in the early evening. Our regular routine will then find her going to bed and me hitting the couch for a game or show and eventually I fall asleep on the couch. Last night I fell asleep in the 3rd inning of the World Series game and woke up at 12:45 in the morning. At that point I got off the couch and crawled in bed where I could not fall back asleep so by 1:15 I was back on the couch watching Sportscenter. Finally at 2:15 I got back into bed where I fell into a wonderful sleep….for 48 minutes.

I know most of my early-morning colleagues take a nap during the day or go to sleep earlier but unfortunately I don’t get to nap during the day although I have been known to doze off in my office or during a boring meeting. While I have no immediate plans to change I recently came across a list of some of the things caused by lack of sleep and it’s not pretty.

Chronic sleep loss is simply bad for your health and puts you at greater risk for heart disease (including heart attacks), high blood pressure, strokes and diabetes.
If that’s not enough it impairs your critical thinking, ages your skin, leads to depression, makes you forgetful, impairs judgment, makes you gain weight and last but not least may increase your risk of death.

Of course a smart person would take this into consideration but tonight I’m hosting a radio show and won’t get home until well after 9pm and I haven’t yet watched Homeland from Sunday. Oh well….there’s always the weekend.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Halloween On The Shore

If you have just moved into the area in and around Toms River be advised that Halloween is a bit different around here. Everywhere in the United State you trick or treat on Halloween except in Toms River and some of the surrounding communities where an annual parade is bigger than the holiday itself. So while the calendar tells you that Halloween is next Monday, October 31st be prepared for trick or treaters this Sunday because that’s the day they will be out in force.
If you are not sure what exactly your town does you should contact their Borough Hall where hopefully you will get someone on the phone who knows the answer themselves. Of course maybe one day someone will actually take my suggestion seriously that the parade should always be held on a Saturday night which would make things easier for everyone. Nah…it makes too much sense.

Based on what I saw and heard you would have thought the Jets won the Super Bowl Sunday after they came from behind to beat the Chargers. Let’s face it here…San Diego is not that good and had to make the long trip East which is always difficult. It wasn’t like the Jets played this epic football game and people are going crazy over Plaxico Burress’ three touchdown catches. Really…they were 3, 4 and 3 yard receptions. I guess fans are just looking for a silver lining.

Sometimes the greatest pleasures come from the simplest things. Yesterday morning my wife needed to do something in downtown Point Pleasant Beach and rather than wait in the car I grabbed a cup of coffee at a place called Green Planet
Coffee Company on Arnold Avenue. Actually it was a vanilla latte and after getting my cup I sat outside in one of these big green Adirondack chairs they have.
Well it was at a time in the morning that the sun was right in my face and I got into this completely relaxed state in which I could have stayed there for hours. Unfortunately a half an hour later it was time to go but I have to try that again.

The death over the weekend of longtime Ocean County Undersheriff Wayne Rupert is not only a tragedy for his family and friends but a real loss to Ocean County. He was an outstanding public servant and especially valuable during weather emergencies. Rupert will be greatly missed.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Friday, October 21, 2010

Southern Regional High School has been playing football since 1958 and tonight they can do something that’s never happened in the more than 50 years of the program…win an outright division title. Southern is 5-1 and they are heavy favorites over a 1-4 Toms River East team that comes into Goldberger Memorial Field looking to spoil what could be a party in Manahawkin.

The Rams clinched at least a share of the Class A South title last week when they rolled over rival Toms River North and that in itself was noteworthy because you have to go back to 1972 to find when they last won even a share of a division title. Now tonight on what should be a perfect evening for football all the stars are aligned for an outright championship. Veteran coach Chuck Donohue has assembled a solid group of players led by running back T.J. Bellissimo, who scored a school-record 6 touchdowns last week with much of the credit due to a solid offensive line. Quarterback Dan Higgins, receiver and safety Alec Morris, two-way standout Matt Kelly and linebacker Kevin Fitzpatrick are all major contributors to what’s been a special season for Ram fans. Tonight’s game will be broadcast on our sister station 105.7FM (and also 1160AM) with kickoff at 7pm.

This 7th weekend of the season also features two big games in the wild Class B South Division where Central, Brick and Barnegat all have just one loss.
One of those teams will be eliminated tonight when the Bengals host the Green Dragons in Barnegat. If Brick win’s it will clinch at least a share of the division title for first-year head coach Rob Dahl. Central which has experienced a football renaissance this fall, can do no worse than tie for the championship with a win over arch-rival Lacey tomorrow afternoon. The Lions have won 21 of the previous 28 meetings between the schools including the last 8 but this time they are the underdogs against Kalyph Hardy and company.

To a non-football item….congratulations to Lavallette’s Sam Hammer, who added to his reputation as New Jersey’s premier surfer by winning the Smith Optics Garden State Grudge Match Thursday at Casino Pier in Seaside Heights. The 31-year old former Point Pleasant Beach High School wrestler scored perfect 10 rides in both the semifinals and finals to put away his last two competitors in the head to head competition. It was the 4th time Hammer claimed the championship in the nine-year history of the event. When he is not bartending at his family’s Crabs Claw Inn or running his own surf camps Hammer proved again Thursday that when it comes to New Jersey surfing…he is still on top.

This & That

Southern Regional High School has been playing football since 1958 and tonight they can do something that’s never happened in the more than 50 years of the program…win an outright division title. Southern is 5-1 and they are heavy favorites over a 1-4 Toms River East team that comes into Goldberger Memorial Field looking to spoil what could be a party in Manahawkin. The Rams clinched at least a share of the Class A South title last week when they rolled over rival Toms River North and that in itself was noteworthy because you have to go back to 1972 to find when they last won even a share of a division title. Now tonight on what should be a perfect evening for football all the stars are aligned for an outright championship. Veteran coach Chuck Donohue has assembled a solid group of players led by running back T.J. Bellissimo, who scored a school-record 6 touchdowns last week with much of the credit due to a solid offensive line. Quarterback Dan Higgins, receiver and safety Alec Morris, two-way standout Matt Kelly and linebacker Kevin Fitzpatrick are all major contributors to what’s been a special season for Ram fans. Tonight’s game will be broadcast on our sister station 105.7FM (and also 1160AM) with kickoff at 7pm.

This 7th weekend of the season also features two big games in the wild Class B South Division where Central, Brick and Barnegat all have just one loss.
One of those teams will be eliminated tonight when the Bengals host the Green Dragons in Barnegat. If Brick win’s it will clinch at least a share of the division title for first-year head coach Rob Dahl. Central which has experienced a football renaissance this fall, can do no worse than tie for the championship with a win over arch-rival Lacey tomorrow afternoon. The Lions have won 21 of the previous 28 meetings between the schools including the last 8 but this time they are the underdogs against Kalyph Hardy and company.

To a non-football item….congratulations to Lavallette’s Sam Hammer, who added to his reputation as New Jersey’s premier surfer by winning the Smith Optics Garden State Grudge Match Thursday at Casino Pier in Seaside Heights. The 31-year old former Point Pleasant Beach High School wrestler scored perfect 10 rides in both the semifinals and finals to put away his last two competitors in the head to head competition. It was the 4th time Hammer claimed the championship in the nine-year history of the event. When he is not bartending at his family’s Crabs Claw Inn or running his own surf camps Hammer proved again Thursday that when it comes to New Jersey surfing…he is still on top.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Thursday This 'n That

Just a little of this and a little of that:

Raise your hand if you watched Game #1 of the World Series last night. Now raise your hand if you would have watched if the Yankees, Phillies or Mets were playing. That’s the problem with baseball…it’s become more of a regional game than ever before and I imagine the TV ratings will reflect that. Those in St. Louis and other parts of the Midwest along with Texas will follow the series but the rest of the country will be much more interested in their favorite prime-time TV shows.

Saturday looks like an ideal day for motorcycle enthusiasts to take a Ride for Hope and help children with cancer. It’s a 60-mile poker run through central and south Jersey with registration from 9-11am at Tommy’s Coal Fired Pizza on Route 70 in Brick. The cost to participate is $25 with all proceeds to benefit the Ashley Lauren Foundation, an organization that helps New Jersey children and their families facing pediatric cancer. For tickets and more information visit www.ashleylaurenfoundation.org and look under “events.”

For those of you who enjoy and appreciate the talents of high school bands then Saturday evenings “Music Under the Stars” is for you. Sponsored by the Manchester Marching Hawks it’s a battle of the marching bands featuring those from Central Regional, Freehold, Jackson Liberty, Jackson Memorial, Lakewood, Long Branch, Monmouth Regional, Shore Regional, Toms River East and host Manchester. The event will take place on the football field at Manchester Township High School beginning at 5pm. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children and seniors.

Tonight’s Barnabas Health High School Football Show on our sister station 105.7FM will feature first-year Brick Green Dragon coach Rob Dahl and his outstanding senior linebacker Tom Winters. Also appearing at Boston’s in Toms River during the live broadcast from 7-9pm will be Monsignor Donovan quarterback R.J. D ‘Anton and assistant coach Paul Barna.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

"Good" Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship or lack thereof has been in the spotlight this week in the wake of a rather bizarre incident that occurred after last Sunday’s hotly-contested NFL game in which the visiting San Francisco 49ers handed the Detroit Lions their first loss of the season. Normally after a game the two head coaches meet around midfield, shake hands and exchange in brief pleasantries under the heading of “good game coach.” Obviously if the two have a relationship the meeting can last longer and appear friendly and genuine. That was not the case Sunday when rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers sprinted across the field in obvious jubilation, vigorously shook the hand of Detroit’s Jim Schwartz, backslapped him and then took off to continue the celebration. That exchange which may have included an obscenity did not sit well with Schwartz who ran after and confronted Harbaugh, bumping him a few times before being separated by players and others.

That incident between two young, cocky and even arrogant coaches has brought up the issue of sportsmanship and like everything else it will spill down to the younger ranks. Football is the only major pro sport in which not only coaches but players shake hands after a game. When a baseball game ends everyone heads back to their dugout. In hockey they only shake after the final game of a playoff series and when there is an NBA there is no formal post-game greeting. However football, the most violent and amped-up game ends with coaches shaking hands and often features opposing players joining one another in prayer.

In recent years high school athletics has routinely featured post-game handshakes although last year in a weird and to me unnecessary act the NJSIAA mandated during the basketball playoffs that teams shake hands before and not after the game. That was designed to avoid what occurred in a 2010 game in which a brawl broke out in the post-game handshake line when a female basketball player attacked another. I’m actually surprised there’s not more of that because I can tell you from experience that the losing team does not really want to shake hands with the team that just beat them and that often starts with the coaches. Heck can you imagine if opposing parents had to shake hands after a youth or high school sporting event? That would be entertaining…the local police department would be on speed dial.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Random Thoughts

Just a few random thoughts to share with you:

I know many want to portray this “Occupation Wall Street” movement as just a bunch of unemployed weirdo’s with nothing better to do. Yes there probably are some who just joined-in because it seemed like a cool way to kill some time but the majority appears to be rational thinking men and women who are motivated by frustration and desperation. It’s a sure sign that the masses are starting to give up hope that our elected officials will find a way to get us out of this mess and that is a scary fact. Don’t expect the protests to end any time soon….as a matter of fact they might continue to grow.

“Boardwalk Empire” is not for everyone but it’s clearly one of the best done shows on TV which is no surprise because HBO knows how to produce a show. The characters are gritty, raw, flawed and brilliantly portrayed by a cast headed up by Steve Buscemi and Michael Shannon, who often steals the show as Agent Nelson Van Alden. What makes “Boardwalk Empire” so great is that it takes you back to the days of prohibition in Atlantic City and as a viewer you really feel part of that period.

No surprise that the TV ratings for baseball’s League Championship Series were down 20 and 43% from last year. Milwaukee, St. Louis and Detroit are not New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco so the paltry numbers are not really a surprise. The World Series begins tomorrow night with the Texas Rangers solid favorites to beat the St. Louis Cardinals…the question is will anyone be watching.

Forget about coaching….Southern Regional’s Chuck Donohue is one of the most gracious gentlemen you will ever meet. Last week’s win over Toms River North allowed the visiting Rams to clinch at least a share of their first football divisional title since 1972. We broadcast that game on the Shore Sports Network and long after it was over Donohue came over where we breaking down our equipment to seek out sideline reporter Ed Sarluca. He told Ed that when we broadcast games in his early years as Southern coach it would bother him that it was always the other coach featured in the post-game interview because that team had won. He vowed that one day Sarluca would seek him out because it was the Rams who would prevail and indeed that has occurred more and more in recent years. We’ll be in Manahawkin Friday night where a victory over Toms River East would give Southern its first-ever outright championship.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer



The numbers from yesterday’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Point Pleasant Beach were simply overwhelming. A record 17,000 walkers helped the American Cancer Society raise more than $1.1 million in the battle against the disease with the money used to help people stay well, get well and fight back as well as ongoing research. However what makes the event so great is that it’s really hundreds of smaller groups who are all walking for a reason. Some are there as a tribute to a loved one or friend lost, others walk for survivors and many walk in the hope that one day breast cancer will become old news. The groups are as small as a couple to as large as The Brady Bunch, who had so many that they waited a half an hour after the start to begin their trek.

As most of you probably know by now my wife Jane is a breast cancer survivor and since 2004 she has organized a group of family, friends and co-workers from Manchester Township High School. As they usually do “Team Booberang” gathered early in the parking lot at Arnold and Ocean Avenues that is used as the staging point for the walk and had bagels, muffins and mimosas. Then their group, which included young, old and even a dog hit the streets. I stayed behind and found a good vantage point to watch the massive start…it actually took more than half an hour for everyone to get past the starting point. It is an awesome sight as are some of the outfits with pink the color of the day and many shirts featuring inspiring messages. Many companies had teams, including Bank of America who lost a co-worker to breast cancer just a few weeks ago. Schools were represented with soccer and field hockey teams walking in groups and there were even cheerleaders to greet the participants as they finished. On what was a perfect day for such a journey everyone who took part had a reason to be proud that they contributed to an overwhelming success not just because they helped raise a lot of money but because they raised just as much hope.

There were more than 800 survivors among Sunday’s walkers….we can only hope that number will continue to increase each and every year.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Sunday looks like a perfect day for the American Cancer Society’s annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Point Pleasant Beach. Registration begins at 8am at the corner of Arnold & Ocean Avenues and some 10,000 walkers are expected to begin their journey at 10am. I will be on hand to show my support for “Team Booberang” which will be a couple of dozen strong. Organized by my wife Jane who is a breast cancer survivor, the group features family, friends and co-workers from Manchester Township High School.

Longtime Manchester school administrator Kevin Burger and his wife Peggy were among those honored by the Ocean County Women’s Connection during their 4th Annual Banquet last night at the Holiday Inn of Toms River. The Burgers are the founders, organizers and heart and soul of “Kevin’s Kids,” a unique holiday drive that brings Christmas to needy kids and families in Manchester. It started as a small effort to help a few students and now it’s grown to a monumental one which last year saw more than 400 children benefit from the kindness and generosity of teachers, school staff, volunteers and members of the community. Kevin Burger is the Director of Student and Administrative Services in the school district while Peggy retired a couple of years ago after more than 30 years as a teacher and educator.
Also honored at last night’s dinner were Mary Jane Flammer, who serves in the US Air Force Reserves and is active with the USO…realtor Ann Schuld who has donated time and effort to the Relay for Life among other things and Louise Zuber, who describes herself as an ordinary woman but has shown an extraordinary heart and compassion for others. Congratulations to all the honorees.

If you read the sports section of the Asbury Park Press please notice today’s “Pick Six +1” which features the high school football predictions of six Press sports writers and yours truly. While I may be listed last I have been coming on in recent weeks and am just a game behind Penn State alum Rob Ziegler for the most correct picks this season. This weekend I have predicted several upsets, including Monsignor Donovan over Point Boro and Brick to top Ocean. In the biggest game of the weekend I called for Southern to beat Toms River North although last night on our weekly high school football show I went with the Mariners. In other words I think it’s a toss-up. Either way you can hear the Rams battle the Mariners tonight on our Shore Sports Network as a Southern win would give them at least a share of a division title for the first time since 1972.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

New Jersey Hall Of Fame Nominees

I guess there was some buzz earlier this week over the announcement of the 50 nominees for the 2012 class of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. I for one just can’t get excited over the Hall of Fame which was probably created so we could show the rest of the country that they have the wrong image and perception of New Jersey.

The first four induction ceremonies certainly featured plenty of prominent individuals including Yogi Berra, Malcolm Forbes, Thomas Edison, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Walt Whitman, Count Basie and many others. Unfortunately some of the bigger names were no-shows at the spring induction ceremony which I guess we should have expected since more people seem to leave the state then come here. The list of nominees for the fifth class is quite impressive even though many you don’t associate with New Jersey including actor Michael Douglas who I figured was singled out because he once drove the Garden State Parkway. Actually I learned he was born in New Brunswick which I guess met the criteria.

Thank goodness there are still enough quality candidates that Snooki and her low-life friends have not yet been included but there will probably be a day when the Jersey Shore cast gets to walk the red carpet.

Truthfully the Hall of Fame is a pretty good idea…I’m just upset I haven’t been asked to MC the induction ceremony. If you would like to vote on this year’s class you can do so at www.njhalloffame.org

I know most of you have little or no interest in high school football but for those who do tonight and every Thursday night I host The Barnabas Health High School Football Show from 7-9pm on The Shore Sports Network. Along with Ed Sarluca and Matt Harmon we do the show live from Boston’s Restaurant and Sports Bar in Toms River from 7-9pm. Tonight’s on-site guests will be coach Chip LaBarca Jr. and quarterback Scott Buxbaum from Toms River North and first-year Point Pleasant Beach coach John Wagner and senior Mark Jurkowski. Also appearing on the show will be Rumson coach Shane Fallon, Monmouth University coach Kevin Callahan, Asbury Park Press football writer Steve Falk and Scott Stump, who provides stories and more for our web site….shoresportsnetwork.com. The show airs live on our sister station 105.7 FM.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Golden Years

We like to lump just about everything into categories and that includes people.
Whether it be by sex, race, religion, profession…you name it and we put them into this one large group. Age is no different, especially when it comes to the young and the old as some will say “teen-agers” or “senior citizens” like they are ALL the same and usually do so in the negative.

Yesterday our sister station WOBM-AM (Bob & Marianne ) hosted an expo at the Quality Inn of Toms River which was attended largely by Senior Citizens. By the way for the record a senior citizen is usually someone over the age of 65 although some places refer to 60 as the age at which you become a “senior.” Either way it’s likely that a senior citizen is someone retired or hopefully heading into their “golden years.”

Anyway there were a lot of them in attendance at this event and as I usually do when it’s over I realize that seniors are often as different as night and day. Yes quite a few are thrifty or even cheap which is somewhat understandable because they grew up during the depression era and know what it’s like to get by with little.
Of course many of them (like others of all ages) are struggling to get by each day and regardless of age are worried about what the next day will bring. There are those who complain about everything and even though yesterday’s event was free and featured plenty of giveaways and perks wanted more and were not afraid to tell you that. I learned that saying “while supplies last” means nothing….as a matter of fact I was told that it was our obligation to get more supplies.

However I found just as many who were charming, fun-loving, understanding, appreciative, generous and more. Many asked about my family, saying they have been listening to me for years and have basically watched my children grow up while listening to stories on the radio. They enjoyed the event, were happy if they won something and just plain fun to be around.

Bottom line is that seniors and no different than teen-agers in that the age does not necessarily define them. There are 17-year olds who are very different and it’s the same with 70-year olds. So let’s not put them all into the same category although one thing is for sure….if we live long enough we’ll all be senior citizens one day.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Life's Unanswered Questions

Every once in a while I go back into the archives for a radio version of a re-run and today is one of those. Feeling a desire and need to bring a smile to your face…at least I hope so here are some things to ponder:

1. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
2. If people from Poland are called “Poles,” why aren’t those from Holland called “Holes?
3. Ever wonder about those who spend $2.00 on a little bottle of Evian water?
Do you know what you get when you spell Evian backwards? NAÏVE.
4. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren’t they just stale bread to begin with?
5. If FedEx and UPS were to merge would they called it Fed Up?
6. If the commercial is right and 4 out of 5 people suffer from Diarrhea does that mean one person actually enjoys it?
7. Do those who work for Lipton Tea take coffee breaks?
8. Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?
9. What hair color do they put on the drivers licenses of bald men?
10. Did you ever notice when you put “The” and “IRS” together it spells…”THEIRS?”
11. Why do they put pictures of criminals in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don’t they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?
12. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn’t it follow that electricians can be de-lighted, musicians de-noted, cowboys de-ranged, models de-posed, tree surgeons de-barked and dry cleaners de-pressed?
13. If most mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks does that mean Chinese mothers use toothpicks?
14. Did you ever notice that you never really learn to swear until you learn to drive?
15. Do you think more and more people read the Bible as they get older because it’s like cramming for a final exam?


I hope you smiled at least once….if not then you are in for a rough day.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Summer's Return

A little of this and a little of that after the most sensational October weekend I can ever remember at the shore.

As a matter of fact it was so nice I had to get my wife’s beach chair out of storage so she could go yesterday to the beach in Seaside Park. I had other things to do but Jane went with a couple of friends and said it was hot and crowded and the water was incredibly warm. The mild weather was a real boost to the Columbus weekend festivities in Seaside Heights as the traffic at times looked like a summer weekend. The October “heat wave” will break tomorrow and in a few days we’ll be pretty much in the 60’s which is more like it. The warm weather has been a dilemma for those who put away all their summer clothes but yours truly was not caught off guard…I have shorts on today.

Some 150 people were on hand Saturday night for a “Retirement Roast” of Denny D’Andrea at the Brick PAL building. D’Andrea recently retired from teaching at Brick Memorial High School and during much of his career he was a highly successful head and assistant wrestling coach. The tight-knit wrestling community was on to hand to pay tribute to him Saturday including many of his former wrestlers, among them state champs Bob Martin of Brick Memorial and Cary Broad of Manalapan. The diminutive D’Andrea was head coach at Freehold Boro for 5 years and then 5 at Manalapan before spending two decades at Memorial.
While no longer coaching he remains involved in the sport and is a goodwill ambassador. The retirement roast was organized by former Memorial head coach Tony Caravella.

I’ve broadcast a lot of high school football games over the years but few can match the excitement of Central’s dramatic come-from-behind 21-20 victory over Manchester Friday night which we carried on our Shore Sports Network. The visiting Hawks jumped out to a 20-0 lead behind the play of running back Joe Johnson and quarterback Tim Rogers and it looked like they would spoil Hall of Fame night at Joseph J. Boyd Field. However that was when Kalyph Hardy took over and put on a show few there will forget. He scored three touchdowns, including the game-winner from 8-yards out with 32 seconds left. Hardy, who might be the best athlete in the shore finished with 222 yards rushing…ten more than Johnson. The two met at midfield after the game and exchanged handshakes knowing that while the scoreboard didn’t say so…both were winners.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Friday, October 8

The High School Football weekend got off to an early start as last night Toms River North improved to 4-1 with a 35-28 win over visiting Colts Neck. Senior quarter Scott Buxbaum ran for 103 yards and a touchdown and threw a pair of touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Joey Fields in the 4th quarter.
Mariner senior Jesse Tate scored touchdowns on a pass reception and fumble return. In what would have to be considered a surprise, Middletown North knocked off Howell 21-13 last night while the shore’s top-ranked team Red Bank Catholic ran all over Freehold 45-0 and Wall just got past Ocean 14-7.

Tonight the Shore Sports Network will be at Central Regional where the Golden Eagles host a banged-up Manchester team in a key Class B South matchup featuring two of the shore’s too players in running backs Kalyph Hardy and Joe Johnson. A win tonight could put Central in position to win its first division title since 1994. Hardy has already topped the 1,000 yard rushing mark after just four games and is coming off a 415-yard rushing performance against Brick a week ago. The game will be broadcast on 105.7FM and 1160AM with kickoff at 7pm.

The Toms River Student Loan Fund honored Superintendent of Schools Frank Roselli along with 19 teachers at last night’s annual recognition dinner at the Quality Inn of Toms River. Roselli was saluted for his lifetime of commitment to the district and its students and praised the staff and community for their support.
The dinner also paid tribute to the reigning teachers of the year in the 19 schools who were joined by family and friends. I had the pleasure of serving as Master of Ceremonies and am a trustee of the student loan fund which assists Toms River High School graduates. Special thanks to the Quality Inn for their usual outstanding job.

Speaking of outstanding, kudos to everyone at Klee’s Bar & Grill who hosted their 20th fundraising golf outing this week at Gambler Ridge for Ocean of Love. The incredibly well-run event raised around $17,000 and as always featured plenty of sunshine and smiling faces, especially from the winning foursome of Ted Schelmay, Bill Frank, Mike Citta and Charlie Frazier. With the support of owners Sue Brosnan and Butch Anderson and under the direction of Glenn McCarthy and Joe Cary the staff at Klee’s has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Ocean of Love, who assists families dealing with childhood cancer. Well done!!!!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Steve Jobs: 1955 - 2011



On the surface I would seem to be the last guy to pay tribute to Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple and former CEO who died Wednesday at age 56 some seven years after first being diagnosed with cancer. I’m technically-challenged and at this point have never owned an iPhone or iPad….I do have an iPod but frankly I don’t know how to operate it very well and it keeps playing the same Dave Matthews songs. However Jobs’ genius to me is summed up in the 2005 commencement address he gave at Stanford University of which I have a copy which I keep in my office. It chronicled his ups and downs, from being born to a young, unwed college graduate student who put him up for adoption. He blew much of his parent’s savings before dropping out of Reed College but he didn’t leave the school. Instead he started taking classes at the same school in subjects that interested him, including calligraphy which ironically helped him a decade later during the resign of the first Macintosh computer. But let me go back a bit because at this time he didn’t have a dorm room because he really wasn’t enrolled in college. Jobs slept on the floor of some friend’s rooms and returned Coke bottles to get some money for food and every Sunday walked 7 miles across town for a free meal at a Hare Krishna temple. And in his speech he told the Stanford grads that while they may not sound great…he was happy because he was doing what he wanted to do.

He also went on to recount the story that at age 30 he lost a battle with the co-founder of Apple and was out of a job when the Board of Directors sided with the other guy. But he went on to start another company which eventually was bought out by Apple who then returned Jobs to the top position. It was during this time that he met the love of his life and while it was not easy to accept Jobs shared with the graduates that his original firing was actually the best thing that could have happened.

This speech was only about a year after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at which time his doctor told him he would last only six months. He kept waiting to die during this period but things actually got better and he thought he had beaten the disease. But it didn’t matter because he learned during this time that Death is very likely the single best invention of Life as it clears out the old to make way for the new. He told the students that right now they are the new but they would gradually become the old. He added “your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life and have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

In A Hurry

In most cases I think you can break drivers into two main categories….those in a hurry and those who are not. I know that’s rather simple but I really believe when you look closely at those behind the wheel it comes down to that and can in some cases be the root cause of road rage.

I admit that most times I fall into the category of being in a hurry as it always seems like I am racing against the clock to get somewhere. Most of the time it’s my fault as I did not leave enough time to get from point A to point B. Often though outside factors like traffic put you behind and then result in sometimes desperate measures to make up that time and get to where you need to be. That is when you seem to run into the driver who seems to be out for a joy ride and is in no rush to go anywhere. You get behind him or her and your blood pressure starts building as they are cruising or limping along at 5 or 10 miles below the speed limit. Let’s face it they are not doing anything wrong but you (or me) start screaming at them to pull over or get off the road as you keep looking at the clock and realize there is simply no way you are getting to your destination on time.

Of course this can lead to a full-blown road rage incident and sometimes does because you are now blaming the slower driver for what’s really your problem. It’s not as bad as when you get cut off or have to jam on your breaks because the driver in front of you does not use a turn signal but there is no question the slower driver at the very least causes stress in others. Listen this really comes down to the fact that most of us are time-challenged and if it takes 20 minutes to get somewhere we plan on 20…or maybe even 18. So when you get behind that slow driver in a non-passing area you quickly make them out to be the bad guy or even bad driver. In truth even if they are doing the speed limit we want them off the road for people like us who have places to go and things to do. I would imagine that is much more prevalent in an area like ours where there are so many elderly drivers on the road….many of whom should no longer be behind the wheel. However as long as they are we need to co-exist and maybe at the end of the day the simple solution is respect and courtesy. Of course I could make a case that’s the solution to most of our problems but I’ll leave that for another day.

With a somewhat hurried Hometown View, I’m Kevin Williams.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Homeland Fills The 24 Void

Maybe it’s because it seems like there’s so much bad news and we need laughs but it looks like the TV comedy is back. Sitcoms of course were the rage for years but prime-time TV has been dominated by reality shows and dramas in recent times.
However early returns have been favorable for programs like “Two And A Half Men”, “2 Broke Girls,” “Modern Family,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Big Bang Theory” which have all been ranked in the Nielsen ratings top ten. Among the new shows the early indications are that “The Playboy Club” and “Charlie’s Angels” are in trouble and could be the first ones to be cancelled. We DVR so many shows during the week I didn’t think I could commit to another but yesterday a co-worker implored me to watch a new drama on Showtime starring Claire Danes. So I did and “Homeland” is very good and I’m hooked…it’s a little bit like “24” and if you liked that show I think you’ll get into this one very quickly.

During the past baseball season you might have heard promos on this radio station for a program called “Home Runs for Heroes” which is a partnership between OceanFirst Foundation, the Lakewood BlueClaws and WOBM FM/AM. Basically the way it worked is that the OceanFirst Foundation gave $1000 to a military-based charity each time a BlueClaws player hit a home run during a home game. The charities were randomly tied to innings and the results are in with a total of $26,000 awarded to nine local charities that serve members of the military and their families. The big winner was VetGroup which received $7000 followed by the New Jersey National Guard State Family Readiness Council which was awarded $4000. All nine of the charities received at least $1000 and over the three years the OceanFirst Foundation has given $80,000 to these outstanding organizations…now that’s a grand slam.

Hawaii is about to become the first state in the nation to make Surfing an official high school sport. Of course Hawaii is the birthplace of surfing so it being the first to take this step is not a great surprise. State officials believe by making surfing a school sport it will open doors for kids to represent their school just like those who play football, basketball and other sports. Hawaii has the only statewide public school district in the country which makes this a bit easier to launch as every school will have to offer surfing to its student-athletes. Championships will be awarded to boys and girls as well as teams, similar to golf.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Andy Rooney Signs Off 60 Minutes




Andy Rooney said goodbye last night….sort of in his 1,097th weekly commentary that aired on “60 Minutes.” The 92-year old admitted curmudgeon has had the last word on the hit CBS newsmagazine show for 33 years and dreaded the day when it would come to an end….Sunday was that day. Rooney said “I wish I could do this forever. I can’t though.” He insisted he was not retiring because he’s a writer and a writer never stops being a writer. If you watched last night you learned that he grew up in Albany, New York and began writing while in the Army during World War II for Stars and Stripes. Shortly after that he joined CBS where he wrote for Arthur Godfrey’s Radio & TV Show and later he was the writer and producer for newsman Harry Reasoner. Rooney’s now-famous closing piece on “60 Minutes” actually began as a summer replacement but proved to be some popular it was a regular feature by the fall of 1978. He made a career out of talking about things that bothered him and most of us but he never liked the limelight and as you might have learned last night refuses to give autographs, rarely answers fan mail and hates it when people shout his name. But he admitted to living a lucky life and was appreciative that so many enjoyed his commentaries. In what was a fitting conclusion to his swan-song Rooney said if you see him in a restaurant, “please, just let me eat my dinner.”

Honestly the best compliments I have ever received while doing this segment are those that have compared me to Rooney. There are many differences though, even more so than fame and fortune. He only had to do one piece a week and the 1,097 he aired pales in comparison to the approximate 3,150 ‘Hometown Views” I have broadcast over some 14 plus years. Plus, I trim my eyebrows when necessary and if you see me in a restaurant I’ll gladly talk to you if you pick up the tab.

For the most part the sports teams I root for have not had great success in recent years…or decades. So that means much of my energy often comes rooting against those I don’t like. With that said yesterday was a great day….the Giants win and the Eagles, Jets, Cowboys, Yankees and Phillies all lose. It won’t last long but for one day I felt like a winner.