Hometown View – Wednesday, 11/16

WOBM has lost a longtime friend in Dr. Alvan Field, who passed away on Monday evening. He was the founder of Beachwood Dental Arts, who this year is celebrating their 50th anniversary in the dental industry.

Many know Dr. Field from the caricature of him on the dental practice which is located on Route 9 in Beachwood. For his many friends and patients who would like to pay tribute to him you can do so by making a donation in his memory to the J. Phillip Citta Regional Cancer Center at Community Medical Center. While Dr. Field may be gone those at Beachwood Dental Arts promise to carry on and continue the tradition that he started.

It’s time for the Occupy Wall Street protest to end. I applauded the efforts of many of those who gathered in Zuccotti Park weeks ago to wage a peaceful protest about the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots. However in watching the news the last few days I get the impression that more and more of those who are part of the movement are there just because it’s something to do.

What many of them need to do is take a shower, shave and move on. It was a noble effort and gesture but it’s outlived its purpose. As for some of the smaller gatherings, I drove by Huddy Park in Toms River last week and saw 4 people with signs and frankly was embarrassed for them. If there is strength in numbers than there is weakness when you only have a few.

It has been quite a season for the Neumann University men’s soccer team which has made it to the round of 16 in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament with the help of a pair of former Toms River South standouts. The Knights stunned the defending national champions and top seed Messiah College 1-0 in overtime in the second round of the tournament a few days ago and on Saturday will face Montclair State in Amherst, Massachusetts. Neumann, a school of 3,000 students just outside of Philadelphia has been led all season long by senior Andrew Leissing, who was recently named the Colonial States Athletic Conference co-player of the year. Leissing leads the team with 17 goals and has been tremendous in the post-season as it was his overtime goal that knocked off previously undefeated Messiah and handed them their first home loss in ten years.

A 2008 graduate of Toms River South, Leissing’s teammates include sophomore defender Dan Crashewsky, who earned conference honorable mention honors. It was Crashewsky who led the Indians to an improbable state soccer championship in 2009.