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By Press Release

Diane Turton to Host Turton Talent Show

to Benefit CASA of Ocean County and Collier Youth Services

Wickatunk, NJ--Diane Turton, Realtors is excited to announce that they will be hosting a Turton Talent Show to benefit CASA of Ocean County and Collier Youth Services. The event will take place at the Algonquin Theatre in Manasquan, New Jersey on September 22nd. Please be sure to visit the turtontalentshow.com website for more details and to purchase tickets to the event.

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If you’ve got talent (Singers, Dancers, Poets, Musicians, Comedians, Magicians, etc.) and are between the ages of 8 and 18, we want you! Auditions will be held July 6th at the Brick PAL (60 Drum Point Road, Brick, NJ 08723) from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. To set-up an audition appointment, visit the turtontalentshow.com website for more details and audition information. If you can't make auditions, email us a video submission at Turtontalent@dianeturton.com The deadline for video submissions is July 30th. Prizes will be awarded to the top three performers and the audience favorite.

“I so look forward to this exciting event and the opportunity to recognize the talent of our youth,” said Diane Turton, President & Founder, Diane Turton, Realtors. “It is also extremely rewarding to support CASA and Collier Youth Services, two great Monmouth and Ocean County local youth programs.”

About CASA of Ocean County

The mission of CASA of Ocean County is to train everyday people to act as the voice for the neglected and abused children in foster care. The CASA Volunteer serves as the child's voice in court and is committed to moving the child towards a safe and permanent home. For more information, visit CASAofOceanCounty.org

About Collier Youth Services

The mission of Collier Youth Services is to provide at-risk youth a chance to grow toward their potential in an environment that promotes belonging, dignity and hope. For more information, visit collieryouthservices.org.

About Diane Turton, Realtors Since 1985, the Diane Turton, Realtors name has earned renowned recognition as the premier real estate company in the markets that they serve. With 18 strategic locations serving Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties, the Diane Turton brand is recognized worldwide in providing complete residential and commercial real estate ownership services and support. Diane Turton, Realtors caters to all real estate requirements, including title, insurance, referral and relocation services. The company is staffed with nearly 425 sales associates along with a full-time management/support team. Led by President/Founder, Diane Turton for the past 33 years, Diane Turton, Realtors was founded on the following five core values: Trust, Communication, Service, Knowledge and Courtesy.

Experts in the markets they serve, Diane Turton, Realtors operates in close proximity to New York City, Philadelphia and Atlantic City. More information on the dynamics of Diane Turton, Realtors can be found on the company website at www.dianeturton.com

Asbury Park Press

There’s Double Trouble, The Alligator and Water Witch. Loveladies, Wickatunk and Success.

They’re among more than 3,300 New Jersey localities tracked by the state that aren’t among the 564 municipal governments incorporated as cities, townships, boroughs, towns or villages within the state’s 21 counties.

The curious names for many of these communities, neighborhoods and hamlets have interesting stories behind them, although some are in dispute and a few remain mysteries. But many residents strongly identify with them, and some people are unaware of the official names of their hometowns.

The nonprofit New Jersey Planning Officials, a group of volunteer citizen planners that educated and provides support for zoning boards and elected officials, keeps the list of locales on hand for that very reason.

“People will call us and say they’re from Reaville, and we’ll explain they actually reside in Raritan Township and Hunterdon County,” says NJPO’s Eugene Dunworth.”

Where is Double Trouble Village?

Double Trouble Village in Berkeley Township is on the eastern edge of the Pine Barrens. Now considered a ghost town, the village is located in the heart of Double Trouble State Park.

The historic site for the village is considered “a window into Pine Barrens industries,” according to the state Park Service website. A sizable lumber mill began at Double Trouble Village in the 1700s, and a large cranberry operation began there in the 1860s.

One account of the origin of the name says heavy rains twice damaged a dam there and forced two reconstructions.

“A more colorful legend involves local beaver or muskrats that persisted in gnawing at the dam, which caused frequent leaks,” the Park Service website says. “Such leaks gave rise to the alarm ‘Here's trouble,’ upon which workmen would rush to repair the leak. One day two breaks were discovered, and one worker overheard the shout ‘Here's double trouble.’ ”

How did Water Witch, Wickatunk and The Alligator get their names?

Water Witch is in Highlands Borough in Monmouth County and a reference to the nearby Water Witch Club Historic District that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The original club, which still is a site for weddings, included a billiard room and casino and was named after the 1830 James Fenimore Cooper novel “The Water-Witch” about the abduction of a woman by the captain of a ship of the same name.

The state’s entry of The Alligator in Jackson Township in Ocean County stumped officials at the Ocean County Historical Society and Lakewood Historical Museum. All three said the only recollection they have is the existence of a former bar called the Alligator Inn on the Jackson-Lakewood border that was popular in the 1960s and 1970s because you could gamble and drink in a remote setting.

Loveladies in Long Beach Township in Ocean County was the site of a government agency that was a precursor to the U.S. Coast Guard beginning in 1871. The area was named after the man who owned an island next to the agency’s location.

Wickatunk in Marlboro Township in Monmouth County, meanwhile, is believed to have derived its name from “wikewetung,” the word in the Indigenous Algonquian language that means “the fishing place.”

What about Success and Ho-Ho-Kus?

Success, an area in Jackson Township in Ocean County, could have been a nod to its thriving timber-related industries that included making charcoal and tar in the late 1800s and early 1900s. State Historic Preservation Office documents show that the areas around Success were also part of an effort to make parts of the Pine Barrens a winter vacation resort destination as companions to the summer spots at the beaches.

“This was a response to strong social trends, national in scope, that advocated vacations for all people, and were responsible for the contemporaneous Ocean County developments along the seacoast,” according to a Jackson Township survey on the state’s website.

Of course, even some of the state’s official locales have interesting names as well, including Ho-Ho-Kus Township in Bergen County -- and Pohatcong, Netcong and Lopatcong townships and Hopatcong Borough. The Ho-Ho-Kus website says there are up to 16 different definitions for the word but says the most accepted version is that it was the Delaware Indian word for “The Red Cedar.” The Congs, meanwhile, derive their names from Delaware or Lenni-Lenape Indian languages.

by Caileigh Pattisall

View Author Profile

Editor's note: Notes from the Field includes reports from young people volunteering in ministries of Catholic sisters. A partnership with Catholic Volunteer Network, the project began in the summer of 2015. This is Caileigh's final Notes from the Field blog post.

I've been feeling all sorts of nostalgia lately, especially since my last blog post corresponds with my last month of service with Good Shepherd Volunteers.

I've been thinking a lot about when I first applied to this program. I was 21 and had just graduated in a pandemic. I had vague ideas of what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be.

I turned 24 last month. I got to celebrate this birthday in a new city with new friends. I'm in such a different place now, and I'm grateful. I have grown in so many facets of my life, met incredible people, and had all sorts of new experiences.

I'm grateful for the initial community I have lived with this year in Washington Heights. My roommates are so different from me, and I have learned so much from them and their own life experiences. I would have never met then if I had stayed in Northern Virginia, if I had never taken this leap of faith. Living with them has been truly a gift, one where I've been able to gain perspective.

My roommates surprised me after a long day at work with our apartment decorated and this beautiful carrot cake. (My favorite!) It was so thoughtful and a great way to turn 24. (Caileigh Pattisall)

I'm also grateful to have met and worked with all the participants in the program at Barbara Blum Residence. I've never been so inspired by resilience and growth, and it's been incredible to bear witness to.

I'm also grateful for the experiences I have had through being a part of this organization. A few weeks ago, all of the Good Shepherd Volunteers were graciously invited to LifeWay Network's Event Towards New Life. The event was a beautiful gala in Midtown Manhattan, where we celebrated the accomplishments and work of LifeWay Network to end human trafficking. We also celebrated Good Shepherd Sr. Maureen McGowan, who represents the Sisters of the Good Shepherd on the board. It was fun to get dressed up and be together to support and learn about a great cause.

In the first piece I wrote for Notes from the Field back in December, I walked you through what a community check looks like at my placement site. I find myself checking in again and feeling proud of how far I have come in just one year. I'd like to pay homage and take you all with me through one last community check-in.

"How are you feeling?"

I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward this year and the people I've met who have inspired me to keep going when things got tough. I'm also, of course, feeling nervous for what comes next, but with that comes excitement.

"What is your goal for today?"

Today, my goal is to stay present. I want to cherish these last small moments of this year that I will fondly look back on.

"Who can help you with that?"

I think everyone I'm currently in community with can help me stay present. At home and at my job, everyone has done a fantastic job checking in and fostering a space where I want to be present.

"What's your commitment?"

Each community check-in, we have to make a commitment to one of the Seven Sanctuary Commitments: nonviolence, emotional intelligence, shared governance, social learning, growth and change, social responsibility, and open communication. I would like to continue with growth and change. I hope committing to growing myself and my experiences can make me a better advocate and worker in the social justice field.

"What is your safety plan?"

Safety plans are strategies you can use to remain calm when experiencing a stressful situation. These can look like physical exercises, things you're looking forward to, or just simply something you can tell yourself. I remember reading a quote by writer Robert Brault: "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

It's hard to see sometimes through the stress or the trivial moments that these might be things you'll miss down the line. Through all this nostalgia, I'm realizing what it means to take each day in full, to actively try to be more present. Because over time, it's been the little things I've seen and been able to be a part of that have truly contributed to my overall growth.

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Collier celebrates the opening of its Inclusive Playground with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Collier Youth Services, Community Contributor

Diana Piotrowski and her family cutting the ribbon to officially open the Collier Inclusive Playground (Collier Youth Services)

Members of the Woman's Club of Colts Neck and members of the Collier Board pose with Sr. Debbie, Executive Director of Collier Youth Services, in front of the Inclusive Playground (Collier Youth Services)

Andrew and Colleen Janiw pose with Sr. Debbie, Executive Director of Collier Youth Service (Collier Youth Services)

The Piotrowski Family poses with Sr. Debbie, Executive Director of Collier Youth Service (Collier Youth Services)

Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn poses with Sr. Debbie, Executive Director of Collier Youth Services (Collier Youth Services)

Collier Youth Services, a nonprofit located in Wickatunk, NJ, officially opened the Collier Inclusive Playground on Monday, June 27th. This playground will provide hundreds of hours of fun as well as mental and developmental growth for campers at Kateri Day Camp as well as Students in Collier School, both programs of Collier.

To mark this joyous occasion, Collier hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for all the donors who helped make the playground a reality. Among the audience were members of the Colts Neck Woman’s Club, the Lions Club of Colts Neck, Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn, individual donors, and board members. After the ribbon was cut, campers flooded the playground running toward their favorite pieces of equipment—the twisty slide and the whirl and twirl were among the top.

Since 1977, Kateri has provided a safe, supervised summer camp experience that enriches the lives of children from Monmouth County’s poorest neighborhoods. Kateri is unique because it is the only day camp in Monmouth County that solely focuses on the children of families who live in poverty. Each summer, over 220 campers come to Kateri at little or no cost, thanks to camperships (camp scholarships) covering the full camp tuition, round-trip transportation, breakfast, lunch, snack, swim lessons, literacy program, and on and off-site activities.

The benefits of the Inclusive Playground Studies are truly significant. Studies have shown that playgrounds improve athletic abilities by gaining cardio endurance and strength from the varying equipment. Agility will improve as well as fine and gross motor skills, balance, and coordination. Imaginative play that occurs on a playground helps develop executive functioning skills providing them with opportunities to troubleshoot, prioritize, plan, and negotiate.

An Inclusive Playground allows youth with disabilities to be included in this vital development. Last year, 55% of Kateri campers were diagnosed with some form of disability such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, and cerebral palsy. An inclusive playground respects the needs of each of our campers. This safe and fun space where everyone can play together will foster a sense of community where everyone feels welcome, and there is something for everyone.

When camp is not in session, the inclusive playground will be used by 80 students currently participating in the Occupational Therapy (OT) program at Collier School, also located on the Collier campus. Collier School is a Middle and High school for students whose mental health and behavioral challenges cannot be met within their public school. Many students are diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorder, depression, mood/attention/adjustment difficulties, oppositional/defiant behavior, poor social skills, and school avoidance. Children with these diagnoses can quickly become under or overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, or agitated throughout the school day. The playground will build gross and fine motor skills, core strength, and body awareness for them. Students will also use the playground to provide "movement breaks" to help them reset and be more productive in the classroom.