MANCHESTER – It wasn’t an opening of a new convenience store or restaurant but a gathering of Crestwood Village VI residents, Mayor Robert Arace and several Ocean County representatives couldn’t have been more excited.
The occasion was the activation of a traffic light on Route 530 and Congasia Road in the Whiting section of the township which was near the entry point of that senior development. Sadly, the one person not present was the woman who was most responsible for the effort, Ellie Strasser.
Her partner John Zubrycky spoke during a brief ceremony held in front of a bench that now featured a plaque honoring Strasser for her work in the activation of the traffic light. That effort began a few years ago.
“She was an energetic, self-driven woman, who cared so much about the happiness and safety of all the Village VI residents. She would never join with those who would curse the darkness but instead she would be the first to light a candle,” he said.
A new traffic light turns red for the first time on Route 530 and Congasia Road in the Whiting section of Manchester Township. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)
“It was my great privilege to have lived with Ellie for 11 ½ years. I learned so much about life from her. The last couple of years became rough due to her illnesses but she struggled through it all while working to better the lives of the residents here. She had no fear about taking on any project no matter how difficult it seemed,” Zubrycky said.
He added that “this traffic light was one of those projects. We all could learn a lot from Ellie, her interest and determination carried throughout her life and her refusal to accept ‘no’ for an answer was remarkable. I know she is watching us today.”
Her daughter Lisa Scranton told The Manchester Times, “She was very passionate and cared a lot about the community and the welfare of her fellow residents. She lived here for 15 or 16 years.”
Scranton noted that her mother’s concern came from the numerous accidents around the area.
“There had been accidents – not particularly at this intersection – but on this road. Most of the issues were people trying to get out on high traffic hours, eight in the morning, three to five at night. It was hard for them to get in from the traffic because people don’t slow down,” said Wayne Koster who serves as president of the Crestwood Village VI Board of Trustees.
Koster added, “I had the pleasure of working with Ellie Strasser for a number of years on the Board of Trustees. I’ve been a member for 14 years. She worked with me off and on. She was instrumental in working with our emergency management team.”
“She was also very instrumental in several special projects in our village including a gazebo that people love over by our lake,” Koster said.
He added, “we also have shuffleboard courts and now this traffic light which she doggedly persisted in getting. With her dedication and perseverance, we have it now.”
A plaque on the back of a bench recalls the woman who pushed to have the nearby traffic light installed. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)
Ocean County Assistant Engineer Mark Jehnke said “it was probably about 150 days of construction and the processing of it took more time than the construction. It is a three-to-four-month project as far as working days then we expanded out.”
“We had to wait for JCP&L and for material. It is taking us up to six months to get the overhead aluminum,” Jehnke added.
Strasser had initiated a petition and also involved the prior administration of Manchester Mayor Robert Hudak as the project progressed. The traffic light replaces a blinker light that was placed at the intersection as a traffic calming device.
Mayor Robert Arace said “today was really dedicated to Ellie. It was a testament to her hard work and perseverance. She reached out to the council, the mayor, the county. She got a petition together of 300-plus signatures. I think it shows that when you want to get something done and you are persistent it will get done.”
Crestwood Village VI resident John Zubrycky spoke during a brief ceremony about Ellie Strasser’s dedication to getting a traffic light near the entry point of the village installed. (Photo courtesy Manchester Township)
“I think she impacted the lives of many drivers and their safety and I want to also thank the County who did some spectacular work improving the intersection. The blinker I believe was up on August 10 to get people regulated to the intersection,” the mayor added.
Mayor Arace added, “I wish we had more people like Ellie who find a passion project that impacts the community positively. If we had more people like her the township and the country would be better.”
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