THE SOUTH AMBOY ★★★★ SAYREVILLE Date: July 27, 2013 PRICELESS Vol. 22 Issue 10 FEMA Has $29.5M Remembering Mary For 129 Sayreville Lou DeBlis By Tom Burkard Homes The City of South Amboy is in mourn- The Federal Emergency Management ing over the loss of its beloved Director of Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance grant Recreation/Senior Outreach Coordinator, program is providing $29.5 million for the Mary Lou DeBlis, 66, who died on July 18. state Dept. of Environmental Protection to She worked for the Recreation Dept. for purchase and demolish 129 flood-prone nearly 50 years, getting her start as a teen properties in Sayreville. in the mid-1960’s. Mary Lou worked her way up through the department to her current Hurricane Sandy’s floodwaters wreaked position to which she was appointed in the havoc all over, especially in Sayreville, when 1980’s, succeeding Jack Hulsart. Always flood waters from the South River damaged very proud of her Irish ancestry, she was and destroyed homes along Weber and Ma- selected for the prestigious honor of 2011 cArthur Avenues. To date, there have been Irish Woman of the Year. approximately 129 homeowners who have Mayor Fred A. Henry said, “The City been approved for buyouts, which will be of South Amboy lost a great friend and champion of the people, especially the se- based on the pre-storm value of the homes. niors and children. Being involved myself Appraisals will be taking place soon, and Superstar rocker/philanthropist Jon Bon Jovi (l) hands an envelope with a $1 million check with sports and the city, I knew Mary Lou the amount each homeowner will receive to New Jersey first lady, Mary Pat Christie for the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund almost all of my adult life. I, and all of us th will then be determined. Residents have the on July 8 . See more photos on pages 10, 21. (Photo by Tom Burkard) who knew her lost a very dear friend. Just option of rejecting the buyout offer. (Continued on page 4) The state of NJ is exploring the possi- Bon Jovi Comes Home bility of creating flood plains, and returning Donates $1M To Sandy NJ Relief Fund the area into a natural state, according to By Tom Burkard DEP officials. For a very busy superstar rock star/ac- as well as newspapers. tor/businessman, who travels all over the More people filtered into the area di- world, Jon Bon Jovi returned home for the rectly in front of Borough Hall, and the wait Police Departments second time in 9 months since Hurricane was on, with lots of Sayreville Policemen Get Grants Sandy wreaked havoc all over, especially and plain clothes State Police officers also Our local Sayreville and South Am- in the Borough of Sayreville. arriving at the scene. Rumors were flying boy Police Departments recently received Jon was on a mission, which was kept around as to what Bon Jovi would announce, th grants through the New Jersey Department pretty quiet until the morning of July 8 , and one was that he was going to do a ben- of Transportation Safe Corridor Program, when 104.3 FM radio station announced on efit concert for Sayreville’s Sandy victims. the air that he would be coming to Borough We were also told that Bon Jovi, Governor which is beneficial in an effort to keep Hall at 11 a.m. to make an announcement. Christie and his wife Mary Pat were taking dangerous stretches of state highways safe Other tips were received, and said he would a tour of the local neighborhoods that were for motorists. be there at 10:30 a.m. for the press confer- hardest hit by the superstorm. The Safe Corridor Program targets high- ence, and if you were to attend, get there by The time marched on, and everyone ways that have a large number of crashes, and 10 a.m., as the surrounding streets would waited, and waited, and waited. Those doubles fines in designated safe corridors. be closed. who couldn’t find a shady spot, fried in the The funding from the fines will be used We arrived about 10 a.m., in the red-hot hot sun. The 10:30 tip proved wrong, and toward enforcement equipment including sun, and sweltering heat, and there were over so did the 11 a.m. starting time. It was past 100 people already present, along with news 11:30 a.m., when the front doors of Borough police vehicles, radar equipment, computer Mary Lou DeBlis media from all of the major TV networks, (Continued on page 10) (Photo by Brian Stratton) hardware, and software. The law was spon- sored by Assemblyman Wisniewski. Sayreville will receive $47,927, and “Snake” Sabo To South Amboy will get $25,176 for traffic Play enforcement of Route 9. At Buddies The announcement was made on July 8 Sayreville’s own Dave “Snake” Sabo, by 19th Legislative District representatives of Skid Row will headline a fundraiser Senator Joseph F. Vitale, Assemblyman John at Buddies Tavern on Friday, July 26th at S. Wisniewski, and Assemblyman Craig J. Buddies Tavern & Banquet Hall in Parlin. Coughlin. Four other excellent bands will also per- form. The fundraiser is for Dawn Ciavarro to help her pay for her health insurance so Antique & Classic that she can get the life saving treatment that Car Show/Flea she needs. Please visit: donationsfordawn. tumblr.com/benefitconcert for more info. Market—Aug. 4 All proceeds from ticket sales and raffles Independence Engine & Hose Co. will be going directly to Dawn, as well as a #1 will present its 14th Annual Antique & percentage of food and beverage sales from Classic Car Show/Flea Market on Sunday, Buddies Tavern, as is always their policy Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain Date The ribbon is cut and Key Food is officially open. See more photos on page 14. (Phtoto for all benefits. by Brian Stratton) is Sunday Aug. 11. The event will feature blacktop parking, no judging of vehicles, Key Food Opens NEXT ISSUE fans choice trophies, sponsor award trophies, In South Amboy th Chief’s Trophy, Mayor’s Trophy. Jukebox By Tom Burkard, Steve Schmid AUGUST 24 Jimmy will provide the music entertainment. The long-awaited, and much-anticipated store in Staten Island and over a dozen 7- Vendors and craft vendors will offer many grand opening of Key Food store, located at Eleven stores in New Jersey was quick to excellent items for everyone. There will also 629 Bordentown Ave., South Amboy took notice the community’s need for another • FOOTBALL th be raffles, great food, the famous Satski’s place on July 12 . Area shoppers are very food store, and contacted Paczkowski, and Ribs, Irish dancers. Bud & Bud Light mugs happy to have the new supermarket, which an agreement was reached, and the rest is • LABOR DAY history. Over 70% of the Foodtown staff provided by the Landmark Tavern, are only was completely remodeled to the tune of • BACK TO SCHOOL $3 million, as it also fills the huge void cre- will be working at Key Food including $1 for vehicle entrants All Day! *Due to the ated when Foodtown closed after Hurricane Foodtown’s former assistant manager Nancy economy the early registration price has been Sandy left the store without power for 11 days Orlowski, and Ed Paczkowski’s sons, Frank lowered to $5! Advanced entry fee $5 per DEADLINES last year. Ed Paczkowski, Foodtown’s owner Paczkowski, who is the manager of the meat th vehicle. Pre-registration deadline is July 31. was faced with the monumental decision as department, and Ed Paczkowski Jr. 80% of August 12 Day of Show entry $15. to what to do with the store following the the meat department will be run by former FOR ADS CALL Come on down with the entire fam- hurricane, and after much soul-searching, it meat department employees. 732-727-0398 OR ily for a day of fun on Broadway in South was time to sell. Nasser said that Key Food will be using 732-727-1906 Amboy! Nasser Nasser who owns a Key Food (Continued on page 14 2 July 27, 2013 South Amboy-Sayreville Times Talk Of The Towns Pleasant Little By Tom Burkard Msgr. Behl Keeps Busy Trivia By Tom Burkard Msgr. Richard Behl, who served at 1. President of Frog Hollow Swim & Tennis St. Mary’s Parish back in the 1960’s, is Club in 1965? a. Allie Clark b. Fred Pittel currently pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle c. Woodrow McCarthy Parish, Old Bridge. In addition, he is the 2. She was selected “Mrs. Sayreville” in chairman of the diocesan Commission for 1998? a. Karen Ann Antonucci b. Susan Pro-Life Action. Pleshette c. Miriam Schwartz In Memoriam 3. In 1971, where was the Club Jaguar located Alfreda Golaszewski, 88, of Sayreville in South Amboy? a. Washington Ave. b. Rt. died on June 22. In 1971, she was selected 35 South c. Rt. 35 North “Mother of the Year” at St. Stanislaus Kostka. 4. The 1964 Sayreville HS Senior Prom was James Hanvey, 46, formerly of Sayreville held at? a. Red Wood Inn b. Buttonwood Manor c. The Manor died on June 24. Jim played for my Sayre- 5. She was president of Mechanicsville ville War Memorial HS Jayvee baseball Hose Co. #1 Ladies Auxiliary in ’86? a. team in ’83, and was a team-player who Roxanne Keegan b. Linda O’Leary c. Mar- always gave 100%. Dolores Mankowski, tha Holton Members of the American Legion Post 211, Sayreville Color Guard presented a Certificate 67, of Sayreville died on June 29.