‘YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN’ A SMASH HITPoint Beach student cast wows crowds PAGE 21

BAY HEAD � LAVALLETTE � MANTOLOKING � POINT PLEASANT � POINT PLEASANT BEACH

75 CENTSFRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015

Norma-K IIsinks in slip

State prison forformer Boro man

Boro house destroyed in blaze“My heart breaks because the boat was

built in 1964; it’s a solid mahogany boat thatretired years back. When I got the call early

Sunday I was just beside myself.”

NORMA KELLER Owner, Namesake of the Norma-K II

BY LIANNA BASS& JESSICA FASANOTHE OCEAN STAR

FREEHOLD — Former Wall su-perintendent and Point Pleas-ant resident James Habel wastaken into custody Tuesday af-ternoon, here, after beingfound guilty of second-degreeofficial misconduct and fourcounts of falsifying and tam-pering with records.According to the Monmouth

County Prosecutor’s Office,Mr. Habel, 58, faces a mandato-ry state prison sentence of fiveyears without the possibility ofparole for the second-degree

Body at Beachtrain station ID’d

BY PAIGE TAYLORTHE OCEAN STAR

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — NJTransit Police are investigat-ing an incident involving a 62-year-old male whose body was

found near the Point PleasantBeach Train Station earlierthis week.The victim has been identi-

fied as James Lange, of PointPleasant Beach, according toNancy Snyder, NJ Transitspokeswoman.Point Pleasant Beach Police

arrived on scene around 8:30a.m. and notified NJ Transit

SEE BODY PAGE 4

James Lange, 62, ofPoint Pleasant Beach,found on Tuesday

RYAN MAYER THE OCEAN STAR

During a Sunday morning patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard noticed theNorma-K II appeared to be taking on water in its Point Pleasant Beachslip. The owner and namesake of the fishing vessel, Norma Keller,called the loss heartbreaking, but said this week the boat is no longertaking on water.

BY PAIGE TAYLORTHE OCEAN STAR

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — Aboat with 50-plus years of his-tory docked in Ken’s Landingsank in its slip over the week-end.The fishing vessel, the Nor-

ma-K II, belongs to the Nor-ma-K Fleet. It is the secondboat in the fleet to have sunkin the last few months.

According to U.S. CoastGuard Petty Officer JonathanCinquegrana, of SectorDelaware Bay, a small boatcrew had been patrolling thearea and noticed the stern ofthe docked boat was sub-merged in the water.Petty Officer Cinquegrana

said the Coast Guard’s boathad been checking for ice andpatrolling the area when thecrew noticed the partially sub-merged Norma-K II, and sub-sequently notified the owner.U.S. Coast Guard Station

Is no longertaking on water

SEE SINKS PAGE 3

BY JESSICA FASANOTHE OCEAN STAR

POINT PLEASANT — The investigation intothe cause of a house fire that occurred Satur-day night on Sunset Avenue is “pretty muchclosed,” according to Ocean County DeputyFire Marshal Bill Hopson, the lead investiga-tor. The blaze has been ruled accidental.

RYAN MAYER THE OCEAN STAR [TOP] | COURTESY OF DAVE THERGESEN [CENTER & ABOVE]

Firefighters battled the blaze at a Sunset Avenue house in Point Pleasant for about three hours on Saturday. No injuries were report-ed, but the house was destroyed in the fire.

Community ralliesaround displaced family

SEE BLAZE PAGE 10

RYAN MAYER THE COAST STAR

Judge Francis Vernoia [above] presided over the trial ofJames Habel, a former Point Pleasant resident. MonmouthCounty Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Falco [below], as wellas Assistant Prosecutor John Loughrey, prosecuted the case.

RYAN MAYER THE COAST STAR

JAMES F. HABEL

Habel taken intocustody after verdict

SEE PRISON PAGE 7

WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COM FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015 THE OCEAN STAR PAGE 3POINT PLEASANT BEACH

Manasquan Inlet, PointPleasant Beach, notified Sec-tor Delaware Bay — which isthe Coast Guard’s immediatecommand station — that theNorma-K II had sunk in itsslip.Representatives from the

station arrived around 8:50a.m. on Sunday, March 8, toensure that there was no fuelwas being released into thewater, according to Petty Of-ficer Cinquegrana.The petty officer said he

was unaware of what causedthe boat to sink.The owner of the boat and

its namesake, Norma Keller,of Brick, said the situationwas heartbreaking as the boathas so much personal historyin her family.“My heart breaks because

the boat was built in 1964; it’sa solid mahogany boat thatretired years back,” she said.“When I got the call earlySunday I was just beside my-self.”Ms. Keller said she had

seen every part of the boatbeing built in Atlantic Cityover 50 years ago and is veryattached to it. For years, shewas hoping a private ownerwho could tend to its specificneeds would purchase theboat, but no offer wentthrough.Ms. Keller also said that

over the years, the boat —which once chartered up to82 passengers — may havebecome twisted in the dockand taken in water duringlow tides. She said the boathas not been used to hostlarge crowds for year; mostrecently, it served that pur-pose around 2007.“The boat was not sup-

posed to sink,” she said,adding that when the boat be-came twisted it may have tilt-ed to its side and taken in wa-ter. She said by the time shearrived, the boat requiredpumping.“It was an odd situation

why this boat sunk, that’swhy this is so upsetting,” Ms.

Keller said, calling the situa-tion a mystery.She said she has been on

and off of the boat multipletimes since the incident andconfirmed that it is not takingon water.“It’s a classic wooden boat,

it needs a lot of maintenenceand care,” Ms. Keller said.“We would like to start herback up again; she does runand will run again.”In the vessel’s glory days, it

held over 80 passengers andabout 50 to 60 rod holders forfishing trips. More recently,the seasoned vessel has beenused to carry only a fractionof that, but it could be pur-chased at a low price andfixed up.“I’d love to see someone

come down and buy it fornext to nothing and take timeto fix it up,” Ms. Keller said,adding that it does not needas much money as it doestime and care.Last November, Ms. Keller

and her family said goodbyeto another marina staple intheir fleet — the Miss PointPleasant, which sunk due to ahole in its side.Although the situation

with the Miss Point Pleasantled to an unfortunate partingwith the vessel, the future ofthe Norma-K II remains un-clear.For more information on

the fleet, visit www.normak-fishing.com.

Paige Taylor covers Point PleasantBeach for The Ocean Star. She can bereached at ptaylor@theoceanstar.comor 732-899-7606 Ext 14.

The Norma-K II sinksSINKSFROM PAGE 1

RYAN MAYER THE OCEAN STAR

The Norma-K II, a mahogany fishing vessel built in 1964, partially sank in its slip over the weekend. The boat is no longer taking on water.

WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COMPAGE 4 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015 POINT PLEASANT BEACH

BY PAIGE TAYLORTHE OCEAN STAR

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — It’squite apparent that this win-ter season has brought with itrecord-breaking tempera-tures, a surplus of snow accu-mulations and icy conditionsacross the northeast region aswell as here in Ocean County.

But what may come asnews to some is that onegroup of individuals — whohave been privy to these con-ditions, as well as ensuringthe safety of the community— is the Point Pleasant FirstAid and Emergency SquadRescue Dive Team.The squad, which serves

Point Pleasant Beach, BayHead, Mantoloking and thesurrounding area, works tokeep locals safe year round.Members of the squad’s vol-unteer rescue dive team — allof whom also respond to firstaid calls — play a major rolein ensuring residents’ safetyby clearing local bodies ofwater of debris, patrolling thebeaches, rescuing swimmersin distress and many other ef-forts.One of their most recent

endeavours, which took placein late February, was to brushup on their ice-diving skills atMantoloking’s South LagoonDrive.“With all the stories

around about kids and trucksgoing through the ice, it was agood time to get the diversready to go in the ice,” chiefdiver of the squad, Chet Nes-ley, said. “We don’t always getice in this area, so every timewe get ice, we get the teamsout on it and under it.”Mr. Nesley said just as the

team began their dive, it be-gan to snow, but that “thedrill went on.”The team performed “sur-

face rescues,” with victimsfalling in the ice and “res-cuers going out to them andgetting them out of the wa-ter,” Mr. Nesley said.

“Going over ice safety andways to get to the victims outof the water was just half thedrill — the other half was go-ing under the ice in full divegear and searching for a lostvictim,” he said.Mr. Nesley said being un-

der the ice is certainly not foreveryone. “It’s easy to get lost and

you can’t just pop to the sur-face,” he explained. “Youhave to be able to find thehole you went in.”A line and tender is always

on hand to ensure the safetyof the divers.“The tender can guide the

diver using line pulls andsearch an area for a missingvictim,” Mr. Nesley said.He said the whole team is

“ice diver certified” and thetwo newest team membersare halfway to the comple-tion of their certification.Mr. Nesley said one never

knows what is going to hap-pen, so the team must alwaysbe ready, hence the recenttraining.“It’s better to train and not

need it, than to not train andcome up short when called,”he said.The rescue dive team does

not accept payment for itsservices, but does accept do-nations to supplement itsbudget. Visit www.point-beachems.org for more infor-mation.

Paige Taylor covers Point PleasantBeach for The Ocean Star. She can bereached at ptaylor@theoceanstar.comor 732-899-7606 Ext 14.

Dive team braves the iceOne of many trainingefforts by Point Beach’s

rescue dive team

COURTESY OF POINT PLEASANT FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY SQUAD RESCUE DIVE TEAM

Dive team member Linda Criqui tended the line as member Ali Briggs braved the icy water. MemberRich Gurry [back left] acted as the safety diver, as chief diver Chet Nesley watched over the team.

Police of the situation, ac-cording to Point PleasantBeach Lt. Joseph Michigan.Local police officers

cleared the scene around 11a.m. as the incident occurredon NJ Transit property, Lt.Michigan said.“The lead agency is NJ

Transit Police, so they arenow in charge of the investi-gation,” he said.Ms. Snyder confirmed the

investigation is underway.

“At 8:50 this morning anadult male trespasser was dis-covered near the railroadtracks in vicinity of TrentonAvenue in Point PleasantBeach,” she said on Tuesday.Ms. Snyder also said the in-

dividual was pronounced de-ceased just moments later, “at8:59 a.m.”As of yesterday, it had not

yet been determined if the in-dividual was struck by an NJTransit train or “sustained in-juries in another manner.”Rail service was temporari-

ly suspended at Bay Head,Point Pleasant Beach and

Manasquan in both directionsTuesday morning and a sub-stitute bus service was estab-lished for patrons, accordingto Ms. Snyder.Ms. Snyder said normal

train service resumed at 11:15a.m.The investigation, led by NJ

Transit police, is ongoing. Nofurther information about theincident was being releasedby NJ Transit at press time.

Paige Taylor covers Point PleasantBeach for The Ocean Star. She can bereached at ptaylor@theoceanstar.comor 732-899-7606 Ext 14.

BODYFROM PAGE 1

THE OCEAN STAR

Feb. 26 marked the celebra-tion of the third anniversary of“Matthew’s Table,” a monthlylunch program located at Cen-tral United Methodist Church,729 Arnold Ave., Point Pleas-ant Beach. Three years ago the church

began the outreach, seeking tonot only give nourishment ofthe body but to also create aplace for gathering and friend-ship.

Coordinator Katie Wilfordsaid the origin of the programis based on a scripture versefrom St. Matthew, encourag-ing that “we do unto others.” She, along with fellow coor-

dinator Tempe Mahan, and agroup of volunteers from thechurch and surrounding com-munity prepared the meal us-ing fresh ingredients withtried and true recipe favorites.The lunch is held on the

fourth Thursday of everymonth and is open to the pub-lic.There is no charge for the

home cooked meal and thereare also grocery items andfresh produce distributed topeople who attend.

Pastor Don Stevens of thechurch is also on hand togreet and visit with those whoattend and also makes deliver-ies to homebound people inthe Point Pleasant and Brickarea.The anniversary last month

was celebrated with cake andsinging from well-wishers.Many of those present havebeen coming to lunch atMatthew’s Table since its be-ginning.Ms. Wilford reports that

over 1,500 meals have beenserved since its inception.Call the church office for

additional information at 732-892-3233.

‘Matthew’s Table’ reaches itsthird year serving the publicMonthly lunch program

held at the UnitedMethodist Church

The F. Thomas CrawleyAuditorium at the G. HaroldAntrim Elementary Schoolwelcomed family, friends andpatrons who were eager tobe entertained this weekend,as the show hit the stage onFriday, March 6.Young Frankenstein told

the story of FrederickFrankenstein, the grandsonof the infamousTransylvanian mad scientist.Throughout his life,Frederick had tried todistance himself from hisgrandfather’s work. However,when he inherits hisgrandfather’s Transylvanianestate, Frederick gets mixedup in his grandfather’s workand a series of mishapsensue.Senior Ethan Hasse

dominated the play’s lead asFrederick, while seniorChristopher Erbe played therole of Frederick’s humpbackassistant, Igor. Frederick’stightly-wound fiance,Elizabeth, was played bysenior Emily Pedersen andInga, Frederick’s assistant,was played by sophomoreNina Colagiovanni.The show was chosen as

the perfect fit for the castand crew late last year bymusic teacher and playdirector Emma Fretz, alongwith two hardworkingseniors, Marielle Ravally andIndigo Shea.“Once we did the cold

read I knew it was going tobe great,” Ms. Fretz said.She also said it was the

best show the students haveever done. The productioncame close to selling outeach day over the weekend,despite the unfavorableweather and two statebasketball games thatoccurred nearby.

PREPPING FOR PRODUCTIONWhile viewers of the

production may have been

busy spending their timeencapsulated by theperformances, they also mayhave overlooked thecountless months, hours andlong nights that it took toprepare for the opening act.Casting, rehearsals and

preparation began late lastyear in December; however,it wasn’t until opening nightthat all of the cast and crew’sefforts finally came tofruition. Many of thecontributors to the musicalshared a level ofapprehension prior to theshow.The players did not let

their nerves get the best ofthem, however, as they havepre-show rituals theyperform. Although reluctantto share, the high-schoolersadmitted that they dance to“throwback” songs to releasesome anxiety and buildenergy levels.Christopher, who played

Igor, said he was verynervous as this was his lastproduction as a senior.“Dancing is our go-to,” he

said. “It gets us excited andready to perform.”Ms. Fretz added that when

the players had “low energydays,” they would stoprehearsal to play a dancesong to regain energy.Ethan, who played

Frederick, said he feelsnervous before every show,especially this one as he hada lead role and fearedforgetting his lines.“We do a lot of fun things

to get us in the mood ofperforming,” Ethan said. “Webecome a big family.”Freshman Connor Dosch,

who played the hermit, saidthe exercises can “reallycalm you down” as well ascharacter building, which isresponding to questionsfrom the director about one’scharacter in an effort tobetter connect with them.

“It really helps you getmore comfortable in the skinof the character,” he said.Jacob Clement, who

played VictorvonFrankenstein, said he wasnervous to go on stage butquickly took comfort in thefact that the audience wasdark.“You think, ‘Hey, it’s just

like practice, just emptyseats,’” he said.

HITTING THE STAGEThe production was not

only a musical, it was also acomedy, which can be anadditional feat to master.Ms. Fretz said the actors

didn’t expect the crowd torespond to jokes becausethey practiced so longwithout an audience.Chase Lovgren, who

played the role of InspectorKemp, echoed this sentimentand said, “It [laughter] wasdefinitely a new element onFriday ... and we grew moreaccustomed to it as the showwent on.”Ms. Fretz further

explained that the musical isan “innuendo show,”meaning some jokes requireexplanations, but the hope isthat the audience takes theright stance in receivingthem. “I didn’t expect any of it

[the laughs],” GeorgiaRiordan, who played FrauBlucher, said. “I was in themiddle of singing and all ofthe sudden there’s thiscouple in the front rowcracking up and I’m like ‘OK,I’ll take it.’”

MORE THAN A PERFORMANCEThe show may have been

an excellent experience, butthe bonds and friendshipsforged were an extrasomething special for thecast and crew.Chase, who is a

sophomore, said this was thisfirst musical and that heenjoyed his experience. “It was different, new and

fun,” he said. “I can’t wait todo it again next year.”Members of the crew also

felt the experience was avaluable one.Ryan Hanrahan, running

crew head and assistantstage manager, said therewere some little mistakesthat were made.“Nothing can be perfect,”

he stated, adding that he will

be participating in theproductions in the years tocome and that he has moreto learn in the process.In the beginning of the

school year, theupperclassmen train theunderclassmen to carry ontheir knowledge and insight.“Our job was to train a

person underneath us to takeon what we learned for thepast four years,” Indigo Shea,scenic designer and stagemanager, said.Ms. Fretz said she allows

the students a lot ofresponsibility, and trusts thestudents — from all crews —will work with and help eachother.“When it comes to picking

who is coming next, I workin tandem with who they aregoing to replace to be sureI’m picking somebody theytrust to take over,” she said.“They have to know from astudent to studentstandpoint that the newpeople will assume theresponsibility needed toprovide for the entire castand crew.”Costume crew head

Marielle Ravally said, “Overthe years [I’ve] grownaccustomed to having to dothese things but then havingto turn around and teachsomeone is a new aspect ofit, which is reallyinteresting.”Alexa vanWoerkom, a

freshman on the crew, saidthe upperclassmen were niceand helped her feel includedin the production. Nina, who played Inga,

said she had a lead role as afreshman last year and neverexpected to experience suchcomfort as she initiallystarted out with noexperience. “I wasn’t expecting to

make so many friends,” sheadded.Aside from friendships

made, each person,regardless of their role in theproduction, had a uniqueexperience.Rich Bilotti, lighting crew

head, said he cherished thelate nights spent with hisfriends in preparation for theshow.Connor said it was cool to

see the product of everyone’s

efforts in the end, aseveryone has grown andimproved over time.Deanna vanWoerkom, a

senior and crew head ofprops, said participating inthe plays has enabled her tobecome more outgoing. Shesaid the best times wereeating dinner together onstage during tech week.“No matter what we were

in, whether in the ensembleor have the lead, or crewheads, we would just bondfor that 20 minutes,” shesaid. Many of the cast and crew

members agreed that theyformed inseparable bondsand would consider theirnew friends, family.Christopher, or Igor, has

been participating in themusicals for four years andbelieves that “you get out ofit what you put into it,” asMs. Fretz once told him.“Doing the musicals is a

very large responsibility, ittakes up a lot of time andeffort and it’s not easyperforming,” he said. “Butbeing able to do that withpeople who become yourfamily is the most rewardingexperience.”Ms. Fretz said the students

learn commitment and trustin an “unreal degree” in theprogram.Beth McGuire, guidance

counselor and vocal director,noted the importance of howstudent driven theproduction, especially withregard to the work of Indigoand Marielle. She said, “The students

who lead the program reallyelevated the production.”“The show went off very

well and the students had agreat time; all the buzzaround the school is that theproduction is the best theschool has every seen,” Ms.McGuire said, noting thatfeedback from faculty andstaff has also made theproduction stand out.

MORGAN CAMPBELL THE OCEAN STAR [ABOVE] | COURTESY OF MICHELE VANWOERKOM [BELOW]

“Young Frankenstein,” which is said to be one of the best shows yet by Point Pleasant Beach Players,came to life on stage with the help of its talented cast members.

MEL BROOKS ORIGINAL HITS STAGE AS SPRING MUSICAL

ast weekend, the Point Pleasant BeachPlayers debuted their spring performance,the Mel Brooks original, “YoungFrankenstein.” While the cast and crew

worked hard in rehearsals in an effort to bringevery element of the show to life, they alsoforged everlasting memories and bonds.

BY PAIGE TAYLORTHE OCEAN STAR

L

Beach High Schoolopens curtain onYoung Frankenstein

COURTESY OF MICHELE VANWOERKOM

The cast and crew of “Young Frankenstein” worked tirelessly for months in preparation of the show, which debuted on Friday, March 6, when the Point Beach Players offeredan unforgettable performance.

The Ocean Star

PAGE 21PEOPLEFRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015

OBITUARIES 24HOUSES OF WORSHIP 24WITHIN REACH 23STREET BEAT 27