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.
Monday, October 24, 2011
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
