Random notes and thoughts this morning:
Barnegat High School junior football standout Ryan Morris is going to have a lot of choices when it comes to college as the 6’6, 240 pound tight end and defensive end is now up to 9 scholarship offers. The latest was the University of Illinois who officially extended an offer to Morris on Tuesday. Others who have already put full scholarships on the table are Purdue, Indiana, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Louisville, Tulane, Duke and Central Florida. Morris caught 30 passes for nearly 500 yards and 4 touchdowns last fall and was also a defensive standout for the Bengals.
As the weather has warmed up so has Toms River’s Todd Frazier, who had another big night for the Louisville Bats, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Playing third base Frazier was 3-4 with a pair of doubles and over the last ten games has been hitting at a .350 clip. After a slow start the Reds prospect is now batting .277 with 7 homers and 20 RBI’s in 32 games. Unfortunately things have not gotten better for older brother Jeff, who is in the Washington Nationals organization and batting just .143 with 2 homers for the Syracuse Chiefs.
By the way the Nationals single A franchise will be in Lakewood this coming weekend and that has caused some extra interest. That’s because Bryce Harper, the #1 pick in last June’s draft plays for the Hagerstown Suns and will be at FirstEnergy Park beginning Friday night. The 18-year old outfielder is second in the South Atlantic League with a .377 batting average and has 7 home runs through 30 games and a 14-game hitting streak. Harper signed a five-year, $9.9 million contract last August, the largest ever for a non-pitcher who was just drafted. Hagerstown will play in Lakewood Friday & Saturday night, Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.
Saturday night’s Gift Auction sponsored by the Beachwood Soccer Club at Toms River Intermediate South will feature yours truly calling the numbers. Tickets will be sold at the door beginning at 5:30pm and the $15 admission will get you entry level prize tickets, coffee and dessert. There are some fantastic prizes to be won and for more information you can call (732) 473-0915.
So good bye to Basement Bertha and General Von Steingrabber, just two of the characters created by Daily News columnist and cartoonist Bill Gallo. Gallo, who spent nearly 70 years at the newspaper died Tuesday at the age of 88.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
A Great Day For Golf
Monday was a great day to play golf and those that took the course at Eagle Ridge Golf Club in Lakewood during the afternoon did so for a great cause. The 11th Annual Caring Classic Outing raised nearly $40,000 for the Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey and culminated with an awards dinner in the Grand View Ballroom at which I served as Master of Ceremonies. Part of the reason for me helping with the event was the formal invitation came from Lisa Carone of the Lakewood BlueClaws…it’s hard to say no to Lisa. However in truth I was there because Caregiver Volunteers is such a great organization and they did honor me a couple of years ago at their Harvest of Hope Gala. For the past 17 years they have helped elderly residents remain independent and stay in their homes even though they can’t drive any more. A network of some 1000 volunteers will drive residents to doctor’s appointments, take care of the food shopping and sometimes just sit and talk with them. Basically the fill the void left by family members who are not always available to check on their elderly relatives. It’s a tremendous organization that relies on fundraisers like yesterday’s golf outing which was sponsored in part by Woodhaven Lumber. Don Johansen of Harrogate Life Care and Trish Mazejy of Bartley Healthcare served as Co-Chairpersons of the Golf Committee and special thanks go to Jan Kokes of the Kokes Organization, the host for the annual event. Among friendly faces that played and supported the cause were Senator Bob Singer and attorneys Harvey York & Robert Novy. Novy, who an officer on the Caregivers Board of Trustees, hosts a weekend law show on WOBM AM.
On an unrelated note the Manchester Township High School baseball team can clinch the Class B South championship with a win today at Brick. Coach John Musolf’s Hawks secured a share of the title by scoring twice in the bottom of the 7th and rallying past Central 5-4 Monday. Jon Roszel, who is headed to West Virginia University, doubled and later scored the game-winning run on a throwing error. If Brick wins today than the Green Dragons will share the division crown with Manchester.
Jackson Memorial also clinched at least a share of the Class A South crown with an 8-4 win at Toms River North last night. The Jaguars can make it official with a win at Brick Memorial this afternoon.
On an unrelated note the Manchester Township High School baseball team can clinch the Class B South championship with a win today at Brick. Coach John Musolf’s Hawks secured a share of the title by scoring twice in the bottom of the 7th and rallying past Central 5-4 Monday. Jon Roszel, who is headed to West Virginia University, doubled and later scored the game-winning run on a throwing error. If Brick wins today than the Green Dragons will share the division crown with Manchester.
Jackson Memorial also clinched at least a share of the Class A South crown with an 8-4 win at Toms River North last night. The Jaguars can make it official with a win at Brick Memorial this afternoon.
Monday, May 9, 2011
End Of Freshman Year
If you looked closely at the cars, SUV’s, vans and trucks departing the campus of Penn State University this past weekend it was pretty easy to know which ones belonged to the families of female students as opposed to males. Those driven by parents or girls themselves were jam packed to the point where you could barely see while the guy’s vehicles had enough room to fit extra passengers. That sums it up in a nutshell.
About 8 ½ months after we moved my daughter Alex into her freshman dorm as a somewhat apprehensive freshman I was back in Happy Valley to pick up a young woman who had a terrific first year away from home. You might recall that during the Christmas break we had moved her into a different dorm as she re-located onto a floor occupied by members of the Kappa Delta sorority she had pledged. That was in itself a chore and because the new room had some extra space it allowed her and her roommate Nicole to acquire more “stuff.” I could not believe what I was loading into my SUV as it filled every nook and cranny with clothes and an assortment of things that left me asking “why are we bringing that home?”
What a difference from when my son was a freshman when I think we filled a couple of suitcases and bins and that was pretty much it. Of course he did not have enough shoes to open a store and clothes that could not possibly have all been worn. As a matter of fact I do recall him telling his mother that a few pairs of jeans would be the staple of the wardrobe and as long as there was always a clean pair then you were good to go.
Anyway we managed to get almost everything in my SUV although a couple of things were left behind as donations simply because we had no place to put them.
Alex said tearful goodbyes to her sorority sisters but they have plans to get together over the summer, starting with Memorial Day weekend. Now she is home which means noise is back in the house which I am grateful for as I really missed the craziness that goes with having a teenager around. Of course check back with me in a few weeks and I will probably be counting the days until she goes back.
(note: there was no Hometown View on Friday, May 6)
About 8 ½ months after we moved my daughter Alex into her freshman dorm as a somewhat apprehensive freshman I was back in Happy Valley to pick up a young woman who had a terrific first year away from home. You might recall that during the Christmas break we had moved her into a different dorm as she re-located onto a floor occupied by members of the Kappa Delta sorority she had pledged. That was in itself a chore and because the new room had some extra space it allowed her and her roommate Nicole to acquire more “stuff.” I could not believe what I was loading into my SUV as it filled every nook and cranny with clothes and an assortment of things that left me asking “why are we bringing that home?”
What a difference from when my son was a freshman when I think we filled a couple of suitcases and bins and that was pretty much it. Of course he did not have enough shoes to open a store and clothes that could not possibly have all been worn. As a matter of fact I do recall him telling his mother that a few pairs of jeans would be the staple of the wardrobe and as long as there was always a clean pair then you were good to go.
Anyway we managed to get almost everything in my SUV although a couple of things were left behind as donations simply because we had no place to put them.
Alex said tearful goodbyes to her sorority sisters but they have plans to get together over the summer, starting with Memorial Day weekend. Now she is home which means noise is back in the house which I am grateful for as I really missed the craziness that goes with having a teenager around. Of course check back with me in a few weeks and I will probably be counting the days until she goes back.
(note: there was no Hometown View on Friday, May 6)
Thursday, May 5, 2011
We Are The Champions
New Jersey is one of only three states that does not have a football playoff system that allows public high schools to play for overall group championships but Wednesday the first hurdle was cleared to change that. The NJSIAA’s Executive Committee voted overwhelmingly to approve a change to the constitution which right now does not allow for the playing of any games past the sectional level.
The current playoff system results in some 20 schools being able to call themselves “state champs” and has left many wanting teams to play on just like in all the other sports. Yesterday’s action means the constitution change now goes to the general membership of the NJSIAA in early December where two-thirds will need to approve the measure for it to go into effect. If they do then a plan can be presented next spring to start playing overall group championship games beginning in 2013.
Leading the charge for such a plan has been Bill Bruno, the athletic director in the Brick Township School District and East Brunswick football coach Marcus Borden. They have been talking to coaches and school officials and will continue to work on a plan that addresses the many concerns that go with such a major change. At some point they will need to have a formal proposal which they can take around the state prior to next December’s vote. It has to take into consideration everything from when the season starts to what to do about the traditional Thanksgiving Day games that some still feel are sacred and must be continued. How this plan is received will ultimately decide the fate of whether New Jersey goes the distance in regards to the playoffs….or stops short like we have been doing for years.
Sad to learn yesterday about the passing of Ed Brandt, who spent most of his working years at Lakewood High School as a teacher, head football coach and later Athletic Director. Ed can best be described as simply a nice man who was liked and respected by everyone. He was a driving force behind the establishment of the Lakewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame and is a well-deserved member as well. Not surprisingly the family is asking that memorial contributions may go to a scholarship fund in his name. Information on arrangements is available at www.deliafuneralhome.com
The current playoff system results in some 20 schools being able to call themselves “state champs” and has left many wanting teams to play on just like in all the other sports. Yesterday’s action means the constitution change now goes to the general membership of the NJSIAA in early December where two-thirds will need to approve the measure for it to go into effect. If they do then a plan can be presented next spring to start playing overall group championship games beginning in 2013.
Leading the charge for such a plan has been Bill Bruno, the athletic director in the Brick Township School District and East Brunswick football coach Marcus Borden. They have been talking to coaches and school officials and will continue to work on a plan that addresses the many concerns that go with such a major change. At some point they will need to have a formal proposal which they can take around the state prior to next December’s vote. It has to take into consideration everything from when the season starts to what to do about the traditional Thanksgiving Day games that some still feel are sacred and must be continued. How this plan is received will ultimately decide the fate of whether New Jersey goes the distance in regards to the playoffs….or stops short like we have been doing for years.
Sad to learn yesterday about the passing of Ed Brandt, who spent most of his working years at Lakewood High School as a teacher, head football coach and later Athletic Director. Ed can best be described as simply a nice man who was liked and respected by everyone. He was a driving force behind the establishment of the Lakewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame and is a well-deserved member as well. Not surprisingly the family is asking that memorial contributions may go to a scholarship fund in his name. Information on arrangements is available at www.deliafuneralhome.com
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Wednesday Bounce
Bouncing around all over the place this morning:
Last call for a couple of fundraising golf events next week. Monday the Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey hold their 11th Annual Caring Classic Outing at Eagle Ridge Golf Club. Registration and lunch are at noon and I will be on hand to help with the awards dinner at the conclusion of the day. For last minute information call Lorraine at (732) 849-2719.
The St. Joseph/Monsignor Donovan High School Alumni Golf Outing is set for next Thursday (May 12) at Woodlake Country Club. Hosted by the Griffin Football Association the event is open to all friends and family of the school with proceeds to fund scholarship and tuition assistance programs at Monsignor Donovan. For information you can the Alumni Office at the school at (732) 349-8801.
Speaking of Mon Don, basketball standout Sean Grennan has officially signed his National Letter of Intent to play for Seton Hall. Pirates head coach Kevin Willard
said that the 6’2 guard solidifies the Pirates backcourt and is among six newcomers who could help the program right away as The Hall will lose many of their top players from last season. Grennan, who lives in Sea Girt and scored more than 1400 points in his high school career originally committed to Davidson last summer before that offer was withdrawn,
John Wagner was named this week the new head football coach at Point Pleasant Beach High School. Wagner is currently an assistant principal and athletic director at Roselle Park High School but prior to that had a successful 24-year run as coach at that school and in 2006 was inducted into the New Jersey Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
The Community Medical Center Foundation will hold its Sixth Annual Wine Tasting Event to benefit the J. Phillip Citta Regional Cancer Center on Wednesday, June 1st at the Toms River Country Club. “Red, White and Brew-Kick Off the Summer” will take place from 5:30-8:30 and summer attire is welcome. For information contact the CMC Foundation at (732) 557-8131.
Last call for a couple of fundraising golf events next week. Monday the Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey hold their 11th Annual Caring Classic Outing at Eagle Ridge Golf Club. Registration and lunch are at noon and I will be on hand to help with the awards dinner at the conclusion of the day. For last minute information call Lorraine at (732) 849-2719.
The St. Joseph/Monsignor Donovan High School Alumni Golf Outing is set for next Thursday (May 12) at Woodlake Country Club. Hosted by the Griffin Football Association the event is open to all friends and family of the school with proceeds to fund scholarship and tuition assistance programs at Monsignor Donovan. For information you can the Alumni Office at the school at (732) 349-8801.
Speaking of Mon Don, basketball standout Sean Grennan has officially signed his National Letter of Intent to play for Seton Hall. Pirates head coach Kevin Willard
said that the 6’2 guard solidifies the Pirates backcourt and is among six newcomers who could help the program right away as The Hall will lose many of their top players from last season. Grennan, who lives in Sea Girt and scored more than 1400 points in his high school career originally committed to Davidson last summer before that offer was withdrawn,
John Wagner was named this week the new head football coach at Point Pleasant Beach High School. Wagner is currently an assistant principal and athletic director at Roselle Park High School but prior to that had a successful 24-year run as coach at that school and in 2006 was inducted into the New Jersey Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
The Community Medical Center Foundation will hold its Sixth Annual Wine Tasting Event to benefit the J. Phillip Citta Regional Cancer Center on Wednesday, June 1st at the Toms River Country Club. “Red, White and Brew-Kick Off the Summer” will take place from 5:30-8:30 and summer attire is welcome. For information contact the CMC Foundation at (732) 557-8131.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A Political Shot In The Arm
I am certainly not alone in thinking that the raid by Navy Seals that led to the death of Osama Bin Laden may have all but ended the 2012 Presidential election. While President Barack Obama’s approval ratings have been sinking for quite some time the death of the world’s most wanted terrorist may be the shot in the arm he needed to reverse those fortunes.
Even Obama’s most vocal critics have praised him and his administration for the effort that eventually caught and killed the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. A problem for any Republican running is at least for now it takes their main issue off the board…that of national defense and security. That GOP has hammered home in recent elections its belief that they are the party that will stress the military and security while at the same time insisting the Democrats are weak when it comes to that. For now the shoe is on the other foot as it’s the Obama Administration that finally brought Bin Laden to justice and they don’t really have to say it…we all know it. Of course things can change dramatically but despite all the other problems, from gas prices to jobs it looks like the President will be tougher than ever to beat at the polls.
While the date of Bin Laden’s death may not stack up nearly as memorable as others in history it will be one that many are able to say, “I was__________when Osama Bin Laden was killed.” Many in our area were asleep and did not learn about what had happened until they awoke Monday morning. Of course those that were at the Mets-Phillies game will become part of history and while the attendance was about 45,000 you can figure ten times that will insist they were there. May 1st does not have the same impact as December 7th, November 22nd or September 11th but it is nonetheless very significant.
Today is National Teacher’s Day and a good time to reach out to that special teacher who impacted your life. Some of mine are no longer with us but a special thanks to Cy Dunn, Ron Villano, Juanita & Lolita Carfora and others from my days at Central Regional.
Jackson Memorial has all but clinched the Class A South baseball title thanks to a 4-2 win at Toms River South Monday night. Matt Guarino, who started the evening on the bench, ended up the hero with a tiebreaking two-run triple in the 7th.
Guarino entered the game as an injury replacement and certainly made the most of his opportunity. The Jaguars have beaten the Indians twice this season and those are South’s only losses.
Even Obama’s most vocal critics have praised him and his administration for the effort that eventually caught and killed the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. A problem for any Republican running is at least for now it takes their main issue off the board…that of national defense and security. That GOP has hammered home in recent elections its belief that they are the party that will stress the military and security while at the same time insisting the Democrats are weak when it comes to that. For now the shoe is on the other foot as it’s the Obama Administration that finally brought Bin Laden to justice and they don’t really have to say it…we all know it. Of course things can change dramatically but despite all the other problems, from gas prices to jobs it looks like the President will be tougher than ever to beat at the polls.
While the date of Bin Laden’s death may not stack up nearly as memorable as others in history it will be one that many are able to say, “I was__________when Osama Bin Laden was killed.” Many in our area were asleep and did not learn about what had happened until they awoke Monday morning. Of course those that were at the Mets-Phillies game will become part of history and while the attendance was about 45,000 you can figure ten times that will insist they were there. May 1st does not have the same impact as December 7th, November 22nd or September 11th but it is nonetheless very significant.
Today is National Teacher’s Day and a good time to reach out to that special teacher who impacted your life. Some of mine are no longer with us but a special thanks to Cy Dunn, Ron Villano, Juanita & Lolita Carfora and others from my days at Central Regional.
Jackson Memorial has all but clinched the Class A South baseball title thanks to a 4-2 win at Toms River South Monday night. Matt Guarino, who started the evening on the bench, ended up the hero with a tiebreaking two-run triple in the 7th.
Guarino entered the game as an injury replacement and certainly made the most of his opportunity. The Jaguars have beaten the Indians twice this season and those are South’s only losses.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Death Of bin Laden
I am sure glad I stayed up to watch the Mets-Phillies game last night because that’s how I learned about the capture and death of Osama Bin Laden. In the top of the 9th inning of what was at that time a 1-1 game fans at Citizens Bank Park began chanting “USA! USA!” as they got the news through their hand-held devices. What was funny was seeing the expression on the faces of the players, who had no idea what was going on or why the crowd was chanting. Of course the announcers had already broken the news and it led me to switching channels and eventually watching President Obama’s national address at 11:30pm before going back to the baseball game that the Mets finally won after 14 innings and nearly five hours.
I do admit to being a bit perplexed over the “celebration” of Bin Laden’s death. Watching people in the streets in New York and Washington DC it almost reminded me of what it was like when the US beat Russia in Ice Hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics. I think part of it might be that we had almost given up on finding the mass murderer, nearly ten years after he orchestrated the 9/11 attacks.
Of course what is now of concern to most is what the repercussions might be from the death of the world’s most wanted man and will it spark another wave of terrorism from those seeking revenge.
The high school baseball teams from Central and Lacey will play tonight at Leiter Field in Bayville and those attending can help a family in Alabama that was a victim of last week’s deadly tornadoes. The Berkeley Little League is hosting the game on “Random Act of Kindness” Night where spectators can donate money and purchase 50/50’s to help Sheryl & Mark Meadows who lost their home and suffered fairly serious injuries when tornadoes swept through Alabama last week. The house was ripped from the foundation and tossed about 80 feet and I’ve seen pictures which make the fact they survived seem like a miracle. The league has been collecting funds all weekend long at their Moorage Complex which will culminate tonight when the Golden Eagles host the Lions. Berkeley Little League President Bob Everett became away of the Meadows’ plight through a relative who works at Auburn University and knows the family. Tonight’s game starts at 6:30pm.
I do admit to being a bit perplexed over the “celebration” of Bin Laden’s death. Watching people in the streets in New York and Washington DC it almost reminded me of what it was like when the US beat Russia in Ice Hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics. I think part of it might be that we had almost given up on finding the mass murderer, nearly ten years after he orchestrated the 9/11 attacks.
Of course what is now of concern to most is what the repercussions might be from the death of the world’s most wanted man and will it spark another wave of terrorism from those seeking revenge.
The high school baseball teams from Central and Lacey will play tonight at Leiter Field in Bayville and those attending can help a family in Alabama that was a victim of last week’s deadly tornadoes. The Berkeley Little League is hosting the game on “Random Act of Kindness” Night where spectators can donate money and purchase 50/50’s to help Sheryl & Mark Meadows who lost their home and suffered fairly serious injuries when tornadoes swept through Alabama last week. The house was ripped from the foundation and tossed about 80 feet and I’ve seen pictures which make the fact they survived seem like a miracle. The league has been collecting funds all weekend long at their Moorage Complex which will culminate tonight when the Golden Eagles host the Lions. Berkeley Little League President Bob Everett became away of the Meadows’ plight through a relative who works at Auburn University and knows the family. Tonight’s game starts at 6:30pm.
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