1. ‘YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN’ A SMASH HIT
Point Beach student cast wows crowds PAGE 21
BAY HEAD S LAVALLETTE S MANTOLOKING S POINT PLEASANT S POINT PLEASANT BEACH
75 CENTSFRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015
Norma-K II
sinks in slip
State prison for
former Boro man
Boro house destroyed in blaze “My heart breaks because the boat was
built in 1964; it’s a solid mahogany boat that
retired years back. When I got the call early
Sunday I was just beside myself.”
NORMAKELLEROwner,NamesakeoftheNorma-KII
BY LIANNA BASS
& JESSICA FASANO
THE OCEAN STAR
FREEHOLD — Former Wall su-
perintendent and Point Pleas-
ant resident James Habel was
taken into custody Tuesday af-
ternoon, here, after being
found guilty of second-degree
official misconduct and four
counts 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 five
years without the possibility of
parole for the second-degree
Body at Beach
train station ID’d
BY PAIGE TAYLOR
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT PLEASANT BEACH — NJ
Transit Police are investigat-
ing an incident involving a 62-
year-old male whose body was
found near the Point Pleasant
Beach Train Station earlier
this week.
The victim has been identi-
fied as James Lange, of Point
Pleasant Beach, according to
Nancy Snyder, NJ Transit
spokeswoman.
Point Pleasant Beach Police
arrived on scene around 8:30
a.m. and notified NJ Transit
SEE BODY PAGE 4
James Lange, 62, of
Point Pleasant Beach,
found on Tuesday
RYAN MAYER THE OCEAN STAR
During a Sunday morning patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard noticed the
Norma-K II appeared to be taking on water in its Point Pleasant Beach
slip. The owner and namesake of the fishing vessel, Norma Keller,
called the loss heartbreaking, but said this week the boat is no longer
taking on water.
BY PAIGE TAYLOR
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT PLEASANT BEACH — A
boat with 50-plus years of his-
tory docked in Ken’s Landing
sank 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 second
boat in the fleet to have sunk
in the last few months.
According to U.S. Coast
Guard Petty Officer Jonathan
Cinquegrana, of Sector
Delaware Bay, a small boat
crew had been patrolling the
area and noticed the stern of
the docked boat was sub-
merged in the water.
Petty Officer Cinquegrana
said the Coast Guard’s boat
had been checking for ice and
patrolling the area when the
crew noticed the partially sub-
merged Norma-K II, and sub-
sequently notified the owner.
U.S. Coast Guard Station
Is no longer
taking on water
SEE SINKS PAGE 3
BY JESSICA FASANO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT PLEASANT — The investigation into
the cause of a house fire that occurred Satur-
day night on Sunset Avenue is “pretty much
closed,” according to Ocean County Deputy
Fire 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 rallies
around displaced family
SEE BLAZE PAGE 10
RYAN MAYER THE COAST STAR
Judge Francis Vernoia [above] presided over the trial of
James Habel, a former Point Pleasant resident. Monmouth
County Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Falco [below], as well
as Assistant Prosecutor John Loughrey, prosecuted the case.
RYAN MAYER THE COAST STAR
JAMES F. HABEL
Habel taken into
custody after verdict
SEE PRISON PAGE 7

2. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COM FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015 THE OCEAN STAR PAGE 3POINT PLEASANT BEACH
Manasquan Inlet, Point
Pleasant Beach, notified Sec-
tor Delaware Bay — which is
the Coast Guard’s immediate
command station — that the
Norma-K II had sunk in its
slip.
Representatives from the
station arrived around 8:50
a.m. on Sunday, March 8, to
ensure that there was no fuel
was being released into the
water, according to Petty Of-
ficer Cinquegrana.
The petty officer said he
was unaware of what caused
the boat to sink.
The owner of the boat and
its namesake, Norma Keller,
of Brick, said the situation
was heartbreaking as the boat
has so much personal history
in her family.
“My heart breaks because
the boat was built in 1964; it’s
a solid mahogany boat that
retired years back,” she said.
“When I got the call early
Sunday I was just beside my-
self.”
Ms. Keller said she had
seen every part of the boat
being built in Atlantic City
over 50 years ago and is very
attached to it. For years, she
was hoping a private owner
who could tend to its specific
needs would purchase the
boat, but no offer went
through.
Ms. Keller also said that
over the years, the boat —
which once chartered up to
82 passengers — may have
become twisted in the dock
and taken in water during
low tides. She said the boat
has not been used to host
large crowds for year; most
recently, 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 she
arrived, the boat required
pumping.
“It was an odd situation
why this boat sunk, that’s
why this is so upsetting,” Ms.
Keller said, calling the situa-
tion a mystery.
She said she has been on
and off of the boat multiple
times since the incident and
confirmed that it is not taking
on water.
“It’s a classic wooden boat,
it needs a lot of maintenence
and care,” Ms. Keller said.
“We would like to start her
back up again; she does run
and will run again.”
In the vessel’s glory days, it
held over 80 passengers and
about 50 to 60 rod holders for
fishing trips. More recently,
the seasoned vessel has been
used to carry only a fraction
of that, but it could be pur-
chased at a low price and
fixed up.
“I’d love to see someone
come down and buy it for
next to nothing and take time
to fix it up,” Ms. Keller said,
adding that it does not need
as much money as it does
time and care.
Last November, Ms. Keller
and her family said goodbye
to another marina staple in
their fleet — the Miss Point
Pleasant, which sunk due to a
hole in its side.
Although the situation
with the Miss Point Pleasant
led to an unfortunate parting
with the vessel, the future of
the Norma-K II remains un-
clear.
For more information on
the fleet, visit www.normak-
fishing.com.
Paige Taylor covers Point Pleasant
Beach for The Ocean Star. She can be
reached at ptaylor@theoceanstar.com
or 732-899-7606 Ext 14.
The Norma-K II sinks
SINKS
FROM 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.

3. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COMPAGE 4 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015 POINT PLEASANT BEACH
BY PAIGE TAYLOR
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT PLEASANT BEACH — It’s
quite apparent that this win-
ter season has brought with it
record-breaking tempera-
tures, a surplus of snow accu-
mulations and icy conditions
across the northeast region as
well as here in Ocean County.
But what may come as
news to some is that one
group of individuals — who
have been privy to these con-
ditions, as well as ensuring
the safety of the community
— is the Point Pleasant First
Aid and Emergency Squad
Rescue Dive Team.
The squad, which serves
Point Pleasant Beach, Bay
Head, Mantoloking and the
surrounding area, works to
keep locals safe year round.
Members of the squad’s vol-
unteer rescue dive team — all
of whom also respond to first
aid calls — play a major role
in ensuring residents’ safety
by clearing local bodies of
water of debris, patrolling the
beaches, rescuing swimmers
in distress and many other ef-
forts.
One of their most recent
endeavours, which took place
in late February, was to brush
up on their ice-diving skills at
Mantoloking’s South Lagoon
Drive.
“With all the stories
around about kids and trucks
going through the ice, it was a
good time to get the divers
ready to go in the ice,” chief
diver of the squad, Chet Nes-
ley, said. “We don’t always get
ice in this area, so every time
we get ice, we get the teams
out on it and under it.”
Mr. Nesley said just as the
team began their dive, it be-
gan to snow, but that “the
drill went on.”
The team performed “sur-
face rescues,” with victims
falling in the ice and “res-
cuers going out to them and
getting them out of the wa-
ter,” Mr. Nesley said.
“Going over ice safety and
ways to get to the victims out
of the water was just half the
drill — the other half was go-
ing under the ice in full dive
gear and searching for a lost
victim,” he said.
Mr. Nesley said being un-
der the ice is certainly not for
everyone.
“It’s easy to get lost and
you can’t just pop to the sur-
face,” he explained. “You
have to be able to find the
hole you went in.”
A line and tender is always
on hand to ensure the safety
of the divers.
“The tender can guide the
diver using line pulls and
search an area for a missing
victim,” Mr. Nesley said.
He said the whole team is
“ice diver certified” and the
two newest team members
are halfway to the comple-
tion of their certification.
Mr. Nesley said one never
knows what is going to hap-
pen, so the team must always
be ready, hence the recent
training.
“It’s better to train and not
need it, than to not train and
come up short when called,”
he said.
The rescue dive team does
not accept payment for its
services, but does accept do-
nations to supplement its
budget. Visit www.point-
beachems.org for more infor-
mation.
Paige Taylor covers Point Pleasant
Beach for The Ocean Star. She can be
reached at ptaylor@theoceanstar.com
or 732-899-7606 Ext 14.
Dive team braves the ice
One of many training
efforts 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. Member
Rich 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 Pleasant
Beach Lt. Joseph Michigan.
Local police officers
cleared the scene around 11
a.m. as the incident occurred
on NJ Transit property, Lt.
Michigan said.
“The lead agency is NJ
Transit Police, so they are
now in charge of the investi-
gation,” he said.
Ms. Snyder confirmed the
investigation is underway.
“At 8:50 this morning an
adult male trespasser was dis-
covered near the railroad
tracks in vicinity of Trenton
Avenue in Point Pleasant
Beach,” she said on Tuesday.
Ms. Snyder also said the in-
dividual was pronounced de-
ceased just moments later, “at
8:59 a.m.”
As of yesterday, it had not
yet been determined if the in-
dividual was struck by an NJ
Transit train or “sustained in-
juries in another manner.”
Rail service was temporari-
ly suspended at Bay Head,
Point Pleasant Beach and
Manasquan in both directions
Tuesday morning and a sub-
stitute bus service was estab-
lished for patrons, according
to Ms. Snyder.
Ms. Snyder said normal
train service resumed at 11:15
a.m.
The investigation, led by NJ
Transit police, is ongoing. No
further information about the
incident was being released
by NJ Transit at press time.
Paige Taylor covers Point Pleasant
Beach for The Ocean Star. She can be
reached at ptaylor@theoceanstar.com
or 732-899-7606 Ext 14.
BODY
FROM PAGE 1
THE OCEAN STAR
Feb. 26 marked the celebra-
tion of the third anniversary of
“Matthew’s Table,” a monthly
lunch program located at Cen-
tral United Methodist Church,
729 Arnold Ave., Point Pleas-
ant Beach.
Three years ago the church
began the outreach, seeking to
not only give nourishment of
the body but to also create a
place for gathering and friend-
ship.
Coordinator Katie Wilford
said the origin of the program
is based on a scripture verse
from St. Matthew, encourag-
ing that “we do unto others.”
She, along with fellow coor-
dinator Tempe Mahan, and a
group of volunteers from the
church and surrounding com-
munity prepared the meal us-
ing fresh ingredients with
tried and true recipe favorites.
The lunch is held on the
fourth Thursday of every
month and is open to the pub-
lic.
There is no charge for the
home cooked meal and there
are also grocery items and
fresh produce distributed to
people who attend.
Pastor Don Stevens of the
church is also on hand to
greet and visit with those who
attend and also makes deliver-
ies to homebound people in
the Point Pleasant and Brick
area.
The anniversary last month
was celebrated with cake and
singing from well-wishers.
Many of those present have
been coming to lunch at
Matthew’s Table since its be-
ginning.
Ms. Wilford reports that
over 1,500 meals have been
served since its inception.
Call the church office for
additional information at 732-
892-3233.
‘Matthew’s Table’ reaches its
third year serving the public
Monthly lunch program
held at the United
Methodist Church

4. The F. Thomas Crawley
Auditorium at the G. Harold
Antrim Elementary School
welcomed family, friends and
patrons who were eager to
be entertained this weekend,
as the show hit the stage on
Friday, March 6.
Young Frankenstein told
the story of Frederick
Frankenstein, the grandson
of the infamous
Transylvanian mad scientist.
Throughout his life,
Frederick had tried to
distance himself from his
grandfather’s work. However,
when he inherits his
grandfather’s Transylvanian
estate, Frederick gets mixed
up in his grandfather’s work
and a series of mishaps
ensue.
Senior Ethan Hasse
dominated the play’s lead as
Frederick, while senior
Christopher Erbe played the
role of Frederick’s humpback
assistant, Igor. Frederick’s
tightly-wound fiance,
Elizabeth, was played by
senior Emily Pedersen and
Inga, Frederick’s assistant,
was played by sophomore
Nina Colagiovanni.
The show was chosen as
the perfect fit for the cast
and crew late last year by
music teacher and play
director Emma Fretz, along
with two hardworking
seniors, Marielle Ravally and
Indigo Shea.
“Once we did the cold
read I knew it was going to
be great,” Ms. Fretz said.
She also said it was the
best show the students have
ever done. The production
came close to selling out
each day over the weekend,
despite the unfavorable
weather and two state
basketball games that
occurred nearby.
PREPPING FOR PRODUCTION
While viewers of the
production may have been
busy spending their time
encapsulated by the
performances, they also may
have overlooked the
countless months, hours and
long nights that it took to
prepare for the opening act.
Casting, rehearsals and
preparation began late last
year in December; however,
it wasn’t until opening night
that all of the cast and crew’s
efforts finally came to
fruition. Many of the
contributors to the musical
shared a level of
apprehension prior to the
show.
The players did not let
their nerves get the best of
them, however, as they have
pre-show rituals they
perform. Although reluctant
to share, the high-schoolers
admitted that they dance to
“throwback” songs to release
some anxiety and build
energy levels.
Christopher, who played
Igor, said he was very
nervous as this was his last
production as a senior.
“Dancing is our go-to,” he
said. “It gets us excited and
ready to perform.”
Ms. Fretz added that when
the players had “low energy
days,” they would stop
rehearsal to play a dance
song to regain energy.
Ethan, who played
Frederick, said he feels
nervous before every show,
especially this one as he had
a lead role and feared
forgetting his lines.
“We do a lot of fun things
to get us in the mood of
performing,” Ethan said. “We
become a big family.”
Freshman Connor Dosch,
who played the hermit, said
the exercises can “really
calm you down” as well as
character building, which is
responding to questions
from the director about one’s
character in an effort to
better connect with them.
“It really helps you get
more comfortable in the skin
of the character,” he said.
Jacob Clement, who
played Victor
vonFrankenstein, said he was
nervous to go on stage but
quickly took comfort in the
fact that the audience was
dark.
“You think, ‘Hey, it’s just
like practice, just empty
seats,’” he said.
HITTING THE STAGE
The production was not
only a musical, it was also a
comedy, which can be an
additional feat to master.
Ms. Fretz said the actors
didn’t expect the crowd to
respond to jokes because
they practiced so long
without an audience.
Chase Lovgren, who
played the role of Inspector
Kemp, echoed this sentiment
and said, “It [laughter] was
definitely a new element on
Friday ... and we grew more
accustomed to it as the show
went on.”
Ms. Fretz further
explained that the musical is
an “innuendo show,”
meaning some jokes require
explanations, but the hope is
that the audience takes the
right stance in receiving
them.
“I didn’t expect any of it
[the laughs],” Georgia
Riordan, who played Frau
Blucher, said. “I was in the
middle of singing and all of
the sudden there’s this
couple in the front row
cracking up and I’m like ‘OK,
I’ll take it.’”
MORE THAN A PERFORMANCE
The show may have been
an excellent experience, but
the bonds and friendships
forged were an extra
something special for the
cast and crew.
Chase, who is a
sophomore, said this was this
first musical and that he
enjoyed his experience.
“It was different, new and
fun,” he said. “I can’t wait to
do it again next year.”
Members of the crew also
felt the experience was a
valuable one.
Ryan Hanrahan, running
crew head and assistant
stage manager, said there
were some little mistakes
that were made.
“Nothing can be perfect,”
he stated, adding that he will
be participating in the
productions in the years to
come and that he has more
to learn in the process.
In the beginning of the
school year, the
upperclassmen train the
underclassmen to carry on
their knowledge and insight.
“Our job was to train a
person underneath us to take
on what we learned for the
past four years,” Indigo Shea,
scenic designer and stage
manager, said.
Ms. Fretz said she allows
the students a lot of
responsibility, and trusts the
students — from all crews —
will work with and help each
other.
“When it comes to picking
who is coming next, I work
in tandem with who they are
going to replace to be sure
I’m picking somebody they
trust to take over,” she said.
“They have to know from a
student to student
standpoint that the new
people will assume the
responsibility needed to
provide for the entire cast
and crew.”
Costume crew head
Marielle Ravally said, “Over
the years [I’ve] grown
accustomed to having to do
these things but then having
to turn around and teach
someone is a new aspect of
it, which is really
interesting.”
Alexa vanWoerkom, a
freshman on the crew, said
the upperclassmen were nice
and helped her feel included
in the production.
Nina, who played Inga,
said she had a lead role as a
freshman last year and never
expected to experience such
comfort as she initially
started out with no
experience.
“I wasn’t expecting to
make so many friends,” she
added.
Aside from friendships
made, each person,
regardless of their role in the
production, had a unique
experience.
Rich Bilotti, lighting crew
head, said he cherished the
late nights spent with his
friends in preparation for the
show.
Connor said it was cool to
see the product of everyone’s
efforts in the end, as
everyone has grown and
improved over time.
Deanna vanWoerkom, a
senior and crew head of
props, said participating in
the plays has enabled her to
become more outgoing. She
said the best times were
eating dinner together on
stage during tech week.
“No matter what we were
in, whether in the ensemble
or have the lead, or crew
heads, we would just bond
for that 20 minutes,” she
said.
Many of the cast and crew
members agreed that they
formed inseparable bonds
and would consider their
new friends, family.
Christopher, or Igor, has
been participating in the
musicals for four years and
believes that “you get out of
it what you put into it,” as
Ms. Fretz once told him.
“Doing the musicals is a
very large responsibility, it
takes up a lot of time and
effort and it’s not easy
performing,” he said. “But
being able to do that with
people who become your
family is the most rewarding
experience.”
Ms. Fretz said the students
learn commitment and trust
in an “unreal degree” in the
program.
Beth McGuire, guidance
counselor and vocal director,
noted the importance of how
student driven the
production, especially with
regard to the work of Indigo
and Marielle.
She said, “The students
who lead the program really
elevated the production.”
“The show went off very
well and the students had a
great time; all the buzz
around the school is that the
production is the best the
school has every seen,” Ms.
McGuire said, noting that
feedback from faculty and
staff has also made the
production 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 Beach
Players debuted their spring performance,
the Mel Brooks original, “Young
Frankenstein.” While the cast and crew
worked hard in rehearsals in an effort to bring
every element of the show to life, they also
forged everlasting memories and bonds.
BY PAIGE TAYLOR
THE OCEAN STAR
L
Beach High School
opens curtain on
Young 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 offered
an unforgettable performance.
The Ocean Star
PAGE 21PEOPLEFRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015
OBITUARIES 24
HOUSES OF WORSHIP 24
WITHIN REACH 23
STREET BEAT 27