February/March 2025

For the first time in a great while, ice boats were seen flying across the Shrewsbury River for a few days in January, so I guess winter is really here. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season filled with health, happiness, and love with family and friends. At January’s municipal re-organization we honored our outgoing emergency service officers and swore in our new officers for the fire, first aid and police departments. County Commissioner Director Tom Arnone and Raymon Santiago, the Monmouth County Prosecutor, joined the ceremony. Former Oceanport police chiefs, Michael Kelly and Kip Bebout as well as retired Oceanport police officers Buzz Baldanza, Frank Van Brunt, Micheal Perulli, Walter O’Neill, and Steven Briskey attended to see Chief Gary Grimes, Sergeant Daniel Petrucelli, and Patrolman Malik Jenkins be sworn in. Council members William Deerin, Mike O’Brien (three-year terms) and Patty Cooper (one-year term) were also sworn in again. I am truly proud of the Oceanport team currently in place, and I am honored to be able to work alongside them as Mayor. The keynote of the reorganization ceremony was to have been the Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement Award which was bestowed upon Ralph Marra. Sadly, Ralph passed away just a few weeks prior to reorganization. Instead, the award was presented to his loving wife, children, and family members at Ralph’s memorial service just hours before reorganization started. Ralph will be deeply missed by all who knew him and had the honor and privilege of serving alongside of him in the fire department, first aid squad, or during his 10-year term as an Oceanport council member. Ralph did many, many wonderful things for Oceanport, not the least of which was beautifying our parks, most notably Old Wharf Park. 

Speaking of our parks, Councilman Deerin’s Parks and Rec Committee has planned about a dozen recreation events for 2025. Maria Gatta Park (MGP) now has state-of-the-art lighting on all three fields, paid for by grant money. The next step in improvements to MGP, which will include permanent bathrooms and other needed amenities, is in the design phase. Grant money will be used to install a brand new, all-inclusive playground facility and ADA compliant bathrooms at Blackberry Bay Park. The new bathrooms will be in the old pool area. Speaking of which, the Borough has completed the pool demolition, and this will make way for other uses at the park in that area. Currently, CBA and Monmouth University use the space to house their rowing teams’ equipment. On Pocano Avenue, Sommers Boy Scout Park has been closed for about a year to allow for TWRA’s much needed sewer improvement project. That project should conclude in late 2025 and we expect to see a completely renovated site in the spring of 2026. The Borough will establish a volunteer Beautification Committee for that renovation. Trinity Park will be getting a much needed facelift including additional parking, more open space, a Thrive 450 outdoor gym, and more shade trees. Improvements to Old Wharf Park are currently underway with additional parking and upgraded lighting for the facility’s use, providing residents with greater and safer access.

Councilman O’Brien’s Finance Committee is putting together the municipal budget. 2025 will be a challenging year for the finance committee insofar as our current garbage contract is expiring and is out for bid. Some municipalities have seen their garbage contracts DOUBLE due to an increase in labor costs, insurances, and dumping fees. A committee was set up to explore options for a new garbage contract and the committee will have to be very creative if we are to avoid the sticker shock experienced by a great number of communities this past year.

Councilman Rick Gallo’s Public Works Committee oversaw three plus miles of road paving and the installation of new drainage facilities on Comanche Drive. Additionally, new sidewalks were installed along South Pemberton to provide safer access to and from Wolf Hill School. We entered into a shared service agreement with the county to investigate our storm drains and to devise a comprehensive maintenance and repair plan for them. Steve Briskey’s DPW department is up to date on their certifications and safety training, and the Borough has provided them with the proper equipment and vehicles to do their job safely and efficiently. Soon, the County will be installing much-needed storm drains along Shrewsbury Avenue from the intersection of  Branchport Avenue down to Iroquois Avenue. 

Council President Patricia Cooper’s Planning & Development Committee has been working diligently with all other committees, specifically in preparation for the Netflix development. Last year, Netflix received approval for Phase 1, the great majority of which will be built in Oceanport. Phase 1 contemplates four soundstages, mill buildings, renovation of the McAfee center, and utilization of the existing FMERA building as office space.  

Councilman Bryan Keeshan’s Public Safety Committee has ensured our emergency services have the proper equipment, training, and vehicles to serve our community. The Borough entered into an agreement with the Oceanport Board of Education wherein an additional school resource officer is employed, thereby allowing two armed police officers to patrol our schools. The First Aid Squad received replacement ambulances, and the Fire Department took delivery of a brand new E1 Pumper, which will replace a 1991 pumper truck.

On January 18th our entire volunteer emergency services community was put to the test as they heroically fought a blazing residential house fire for over seven and a half hours on Port Au Peck Avenue. While the residence was destroyed, no lives were lost, and injuries were minimal. Given the fact this property backs up to almost 60 acres of wooded land, if it weren’t for the quick and decisive response from our volunteers and those of many surrounding communities, the fire’s impact could have been much, much greater. We should all be thankful for these selfless volunteers who donate their time and energy to keep us all safe. To watch them in action is something special. But, then again, Oceanport, as a community, is something special. Before the fire was even under control, the residents of Oceanport started organizing efforts to ensure that the family whose lives were just disrupted, whose mementos were taken from them, and whose future seemed so uncertain, would not go through this anguish alone. Oceanport came together and rallied on many different levels to make sure this family knew they were loved and that we were there for them. By 9:00 AM on January 19th, members of the Board of Education, our Superintendent, both school principals, the PTO, council members, OEM, and individual community members met with me to develop a recovery plan for this family. The outpouring of love and compassion was absolutely overwhelming. I have lived my entire life in Oceanport, and I have never been so proud of our town, newcomers, and lifers alike, as I was as it all transpired. I can tell you the look of gratitude on the faces of those who were helped by old friends and complete strangers will never leave my mind.  Thank you, Oceanport. Contrary to our motto, Oceanport isn’t “A Great place to Live.” It’s the GREATEST place to live!