About Eileen Moon

In 1918, as World War I was raging in Europe, an invisible enemy had already begun an invasion much closer to home – an invasion that would prove far deadlier than the war itself. Early that year, a new strain of influenza had begun making its presence known around the country, but its impact faded as spring gave way to summer and, here in the Two River area, life continued pretty much as before. That October the Red Bank Register newspaper featured a Steinbach’s ad announcing the latest selec

A controversy is brewing, stemming from a proposal to replace a sculpture of Civil War Maj. Gen. Philip Kearny with one of suffragette Alice Paul at National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C., a chamber in the United States Capitol. But if these two fighters could step forward in time to watch the arguments unfold, they might well enjoy the battle more than anyone else on earth. The stipulation that has pitted Kearny against Paul is that each state in the Union is permitted to place only two s

With the height of the flu season upon us, business at Bayshore Pharmacy in Atlantic Highlands has been brisk. But along with the chills, fever, coughs and runny noses that accompany the flu, some customers are suffering from worries about contracting the novel coronavirus (NcoV), said pharmacist Richard Stryker. Symptoms of NcoV are similar to the flu but can swiftly progress to more serious complications like pneumonia. Fortunately, the risk of contracting the new virus first identified in W

A series of bills aimed at discouraging employers from misclassifying workers as independent contractors was signed into law Monday, Jan. 20 by Gov. Phil Murphy. Those who may be affected by the new rules include construction workers, food delivery workers, UBER and LYFT drivers, seasonal workers and others who regularly render services to businesses but are not on the employee payroll. Not included in the legislation signed Monday was a controversial Senate bill, S-4204, which would have alte

With the height of the flu season upon us, business at Bayshore Pharmacy in Atlantic Highlands has been brisk. But along with the chills, fever, coughs and runny noses that accompany the flu, some customers are suffering from worries about contracting the novel coronavirus (NcoV), said pharmacist Richard Stryker. Symptoms of NcoV are similar to the flu but can swiftly progress to more serious complications like pneumonia. Fortunately, the risk of contracting the new virus first identified in W

It was a time of racial, ethnic and religious divides; a time of turmoil marked by protests and polarization over immigration, threats of war and worries over economic uncertainty. For Jews and other minorities targeted by the Nazis, the madness spreading across Europe in the 1930s and 1940s was a death sentence. As the rest of the world argued about what to do, whether to intervene or isolate, whether to opt for conscience or complacency, some spoke out loud and clear. Among them was Monmout

On Sunday, Nov. 10, members of the Monmouth County Hunt will celebrate opening day of their annual foxhunting season at the 5,700-acre Assunpink Wildlife Management Area in western Monmouth County. As they have done since 1885, club members will don their formal foxhunting attire and ride on horseback through the woods. In past generations, foxhunts took place on estates of wealthy aficionados of the sport. But at this club, the sport is in the chase; foxes are not harmed. Irish immigrant Rob

MIDDLETOWN – If you happen to be wandering the aisles of the Tractor Supply store on Harmony Road this month, you might hear a chirping sound coming from somewhere near the center of the store. If you follow that sound, you’ll come upon a scene you don’t see too often in Monmouth County’s retail meccas: a fenced-in pen full of live baby chicks, fuzzy puffballs of white and yellow that will one day grow into hens, roosters and ducks. Though unremarkable for farm country, raising chickens and du

MIDDLETOWN – Building on a relationship that has benefited students for many years, Brookdale Community College is entering a formal partnership with Ray Catena Auto Group that will fully prepare Brookdale’s automotive technology students for a well-paying career in the automotive industry following graduation from the college’s two-year associate degree program. While Brookdale has long had a training partnership with General Motors, its partnership with Ray Catena is its first direct training

Two River residents will soon have another chance to take a free ride on the Navesink aboard the wooden sailing garvey Pete’s Banjo. Members of the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association (NMHA), the New Jersey Friends of Clearwater (NJFC) and Monmouth Boat Club are joining together to present this Saturday sail from 10 a.m. to approximately 11:30 a.m. Sept. 14. The sail will depart from the small marina at Marine Park in Red Bank. All three organizations have a long history of encouraging appre

COLTS NECK – Thanks to a group of people united by a common vision, kids with visual impairments will no longer have to sit on the sidelines while other kids are having fun on the playground at Dorbrook Park. At 10 a.m. Aug. 22 members of the Colts Neck Lions Club and the Friends of the Monmouth County Parks will gather at Dorbrook Park to break ground on the Sensory Lions’ Den, a playground that will be open to all children but has been specially designed for kids with visual impairments. The

When summer ripens into August, the pleasures it brings take on a special sweetness. We know the days of bare feet and bike rides, fireworks and fairs, will soon recede like the warm tides of the summer ocean. But before they do we have a few more weeks to savor the joys of another summer. At the Navesink Hook & Ladder Company in Middletown, that means it’s time to get ready for the annual old-fashioned Navesink Country Fair, an event that the firehouse has been holding for 131 years. The fi

As it says in the New Testament, faith can move mountains. It can also move mountains of food. Just ask Gerald and Karin Duffy, veteran volunteers at the Barn for the Poorest of the Poor, a quietly powerful nonprofit organization that has been delivering food to people in need since 1987. Tucked away in a corner of a parking lot on Kanes Lane in Middletown, the Barn is actually a warehouse where a well-organized army of volunteers sort and pack surplus food they have collected from area super

When Johnny Gilbert introduces Roey Hadar on “Jeopardy!” in two weeks, he’ll say Hadar is from Arlington, Virginia. But a few thousand folks here in the Two River area know better. Although Arlington is where he’s living now, Hadar is a Jersey guy, born and bred – and his real hometown is Fair Haven. Despite his efforts to persuade producers otherwise, “Jeopardy!” rules state that contestants must claim the city they currently live in, not their hometowns. Fortunately, Hadar’s mother Ashley

LITTLE SILVER ­­­­— The flowering dogwood planted on the grounds of Parker Homestead will likely blossom for many springs to come, in living tribute to a woman whose career as a teacher and volunteer work on behalf of her beloved community will continue to bear fruit. Members of the board of trustees of the Parker Homestead planted the tree April 28 at a ceremony in honor of their fellow board member Elizabeth A. Hanson. She died March 14 at the age of 73 after a three-year illness that failed

RED BANK – All was in harmony Monday when the Count Basie Center for the Arts welcomed its newest member. Wielding a pair of giant scissors, Mayor Pasquale Menna and Basie CEO and president Adam Philipson cut the ribbon officially opening the Count Basie Center’s Monmouth Conservatory of Music at 65 Chestnut St. Calling the arts a “thriving engine” for the economy of the borough, Menna said, “As a music enthusiast and someone who wishes he could play, I can’t wait to watch it grow.” The Monmo

SEA BRIGHT – Generations of beachgoers have enjoyed taking a book to the beach for some second-hand romance and adventure in the sunshine. But the Borough of Sea Bright has taken that a step further by bringing an entire library to the beach. Mayor Dina Long, council members, longtime library supporters and residents new and old came out last Saturday, March 16, to celebrate the rebirth of their library which, along with many structures in this seaside borough, was a casualty of Super Storm Sa

Two of Rumson’s landmark restaurants are greeting spring with a fresh direction and a reaffirmation of their strong connections to the community. At Ridge Road and Avenue of Two Rivers, the elegant Victorian building that was long home to the legendary French restaurant Fromagerie has been reborn as The Rumson House. And on River Road, the former What’s Your Beef/Russell & Bette’s is now Victory Park Tavern. Owners of both restaurants have chosen names that honor each restaurant’s deep roots

RUMSON – It was a Level 2 on the Fliuch Scale last Sunday when the seventh annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade set off from the top of River Road near Allen Street for its one-mile or so trek across the borough in celebration of the saint who legend credits with driving the snakes out of Ireland. The Fliuch Scale, created by Irish journalist Michael Freeman, attempts to organize the varying kinds of rain that fall on Ireland into a scientific-ish pattern that ranges from the lovely 1 – A Grand Soft