- Around Town
- Around Town - Winter - Holiday 2009
- Around Town - Early Holiday 2009
- Around Town - Early Spring 2010
- Ask The Experts
- Ask The Expert - Brock Farms
- Ask The Expert: John Beurskens
- Cynthia Salter-Lewis, MD, ReNew Med-Spa and Cosmetic Laser Center
- Black Book
- Black Book - A Better You
- Black Book - Little Expressions
- Black Book - Rosalia Italian Marketplace
- Cover Story
- Susan Wigenton - United States District Judge
- Stay Tooned - Keep an eye on Long Branch’s Michael Attardi – Animation’s New Maestro
- Lights, Camera...Cooper!
- Daytripper
- Day Tripper - Yogi Berra Museum
- Day Tripper: Dover Stone Church
- Daytripper: Museum of Modern Art
- Gift Guide
- Gift Guide - Hot Tubs by HotSpring, LLC
- Gift Guide: Marlboro Tennis & Training Center
- Gift Guide - Coco Parí
- Health, Wellness & Beauty
- Health - NJ Shore Fit
- Health - Spine and Pain Centers
- Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation
- Homes
- A Place for Family - The Castelluccis
- Pretty as a Picture
- A Family Home by Design - The Trupiano's
- Newsletter Articles
- Asbury Park
- Judy Serhus - NJAR Circle of Excellence Gold Award Winner
- A Little Bit Country - Corey Wagar
- Our Picks
- Our Pick: DCH Freehold Nissan
- Our Pick: Precision Mirror and Glass, Inc.
- Health - Tara Gostovich, DMD, PA
- People On The Move
- People On The Move: Wendy Neuberger and Stephanie Phillips
- People on the Move: Lieutenant Ross Licitra
- People on the Move: Tim McDonnell
Dr. Dinosaur ...aka Dr. Paul Kovalski
04/30/2009
Handling the Tough Cases from Forensics to Fossils
When Living In Marlboro heard that lifelong Marlboro resident Dr. Paul Kovalski discovered a dinosaur bone – believed to be that of a Hadrosaurus – right here in our backyard, we knew this would certainly be an interesting story. But after spending time with the nature enthusiast, we uncovered many layers to this man who makes it his business to give back.
Kovalski lives in the childhood home he grew up in, which has spanned more than four generations of his family. The former town councilman is responsible for implementing Dinosaur Day (a yearly event held in the town); he helped save and name the Marlboro Tree and an historic River Birch adjacent to his property (that was nearly cleared several years ago); and he helped design the 9/11 Memorial at the Marlboro Recreation Community Center. In addition, in years passed, the fossil fanatic was named “Person of the Year” for his efforts in raising a significant amount of money for the Muscular DystrophyAssociation.
By trade he is the Chief of Dental Services at the Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital in Hunterdon County, and has been a Forensic Specialist with the Monmouth County Medical Examiner’s Office for nearly 20 years. You may have recently seen him featured on Fox’s “America’s MostWanted” with JohnWalsh, talking about the “Baby Bones” case in Upper Freehold. The skeletal remains are believed to be that of a girl between the ages of 5 and 9. Asearch yielded no results when compared to the missing and exploited children records; apparently, no one had ever reported her missing. This just sites one of many cases of which the dental genius has been an instrumental part. Through all of his “serious natured” experiences, Kovalski says it is humor that keeps him grounded.
The dentist believes his parents instilled in him a thrill of exploring nature. “Dr. Dinosaur” was able to carve out some time from his very busy schedule to speak with Living In Marlboro.
LIM: We spoke on the phone briefly prior to this interview, and you touched uponmany interesting things about yourself on a personal level, as well as your avocations. Tell us a little bit about your life growing up in Marlboro…your “historical” home.
PK: In the late ’40’s my grandparents purchased a small farm on Route 9, where the HessGasStation is. They lived there for several years, and then my father ended up buying 1 acre from them, on which he built a home…a little cape cod. I then ended up buying the home frommy dad, making some additions. So actually now my son is the fourth generation Kovalski on the property. When we grew up in Marlboro, Route 9 was a single lane. There weren’t any stores or lights around. The closest general store was where the Pathmark andMcDonald’s are; it was called Walsh’s General Store, and that’s where we would go to get milk. The next closest store, I believe, was the A&P in Freehold. We used to go to Federici’s Pizza on Saturday nights, and then the Jersey Freeze on the circle. There was very little traffic on [Route] 9 at that time...once in a while, like on the weekends in the summer. We had three neighbors at the time. Two of them were across the street on Route 9 and one was way in the back; it was a very small community. At that time people only knew of Marlboro because it was affiliated with Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital. It wasn’t known as it is today. There wasn’t the great diversity that we have today. It wasn’t a bedroom community for New Yorkers. People would never dream about living here and commuting into the city. Now it’s very commonplace. The schools were smaller; you kind of knew everybody. The only restaurant here wasYoussoufs on Route 9, which is now the Renaissance Diner. They had a few rooms there at the motel and people would stay there when they would go to the shore. It wasn’t busy here…kind of rural. I remember going to another general store with my aunt and uncle over on School Road East and School Road West. The other big area to go to was Englishtown…Manalapan didn’t really exist.
LIM: So where did you go to school and graduate from back then?
PK: I actually went to a private academy, but I started my education at a little schoolhouse on the corner of Union Hill Road and Tennent Road. It’s a little historic one-roomschoolhouse. I went to kindergarten and first grade there. I remember my one teacher – Mrs. Beadle.We had a small group. One of the big things that I remember being so cool was that we got our ownmilk for lunch! We got our littlemilk container…that was it! You knew all the people in the township. That area was referred to as the Robertsville section at that time.
LIM: Obviously a lot has happened leading up to the point in time to when you served on the town’s council.
PK: Well, I have also had an interest in the natural world and education. My dad was a blue collarworker. He had a blacktop and concrete business. I actually worked for him every summer since I was 10 years old. My mom would encourage me to partake in outside activities having to do with nature. I liked to take walks in the woods. I liked to collect specimens. Reluctantly, my dad built a room in the house that I live in now…we call it the nature room. We have shelves hanging with displays [and] I used to give little nature talks to the family. I have to give credit to my mom for instilling that….the love of nature and discovery; that’s what really started me. We would take trips to the library in Freehold…it would smell like mildew [and] it was like going into another world. I expanded my knowledge. Years later, I found a tree in Marlboro that I measured and then reported to the state. It turned out to be the largest willow in the state of New Jersey. I went to testify at town hall to have it saved, because when I first found it there was a bulldozer parked underneath it with oil cans, and it looked like it was going to be knocked down.
LIM: Where is the tree now?
PK: In the Marlboro Manse development off of Vanderberg… A reporter that I met at town hall got all excited and thought it was a cool story when I went to testify. She went there with me and within 3 days of us going, the bulldozer was gone, the oil cans were cleared. I found out later that the mayor had been contacted at the time; I proposed to have it called the “Marlboro Tree.” At that time we were celebrating Marlboro Township’s 150th birthday. There is a formula to measure the circumference of a tree, and it turned out to be about 150 years old. The name was accepted, we made a coin for it, and that kind of got me into the public eye as far as preservation efforts. I was approached by some political people who encouraged me to run for office, which I did; I was elected. I was on the council for 4 years and served as president for 2 [years]. I continued to work on levels of preservation. I still lead two groups in the spring and two in the fall through the Recreation Department at Big Brook for fossil finding.
LIM: Before we get into the “fossil finding” part of your life…you’re a dentist by trade. Where did you receive your training?
PK: I graduated in 1987 from Farleigh Dickenson College of Dental Medicine in Hackensack, New Jersey. I had gone to college at Andrews University in Southwestern Michigan. When I came back, I was a science and math teacher for 3 years, and then went to dental school. When I came out I took a position with the Department of Human Services at Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital. I worked there for 10 years. At the same time I was there, I started to do forensic dental exams with the Monmouth County Medical Examiner’s office. I eventually took over doing those for my colleague who introduced me to it.
LIM: What is your current role with the Department of Human Services?
PK: I am the Chief of Dental Services at Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital in Hunterdon County. It is one of five mental health hospitals under the Department of Human Services. The Department is split up into two divisions – the Division of Mental Health and the Division of Developmental Disabilities. I practice dentistry with the Division of Mental Health. That’s where I have been for 22 years now.
LIM: Describe a typical workday…
PK: Being in charge of the department there are various administrative duties that one has to do. I sit on an Infection Control Committee. I am also the chairperson for a Tobacco-Free Committee for a hospital. The state wants to make its hospitals tobacco free; it’s been very difficult. We want to do this in a nice, understanding way by offering nicotine replacement pharmacology. I am also the elected Secretary-Treasurer of our medical staff at our hospital. You know, you can never be too busy… Most of the treatment that I do there is oral surgery.
LIM: What is the biggest challenge you face working for the state?
PK: Working for the bureaucracy. I enjoy treating and caring for the patients. It’s very challenging with our types of patients, but very rewarding when you can give them confidence, or take them out of pain and discomfort and provide the quality of care that is the standard for the community that otherwise they may not have been able to get. It’s almost a specialty. The challenge is where there are so many different levels above you in the state…all the programs you have to go through. We have to fill out a lot of paperwork.
LIM: You had mentioned that you specialize in forensics?
PK: I had mentioned that I had taken over for a colleague of mine in Monmouth County and I’ve been doing it now for about 19 years. What that entails is…with direction from the medical examiner, who is sometimes affiliated with the prosecutors office, for instance, homicides…if a body that shows up in Monmouth County that can’t be identified because of trauma, decomposition, skeletal remains, washing up in the ocean, or they just find a missing person who has not been identified, I will go in and do a forensic dental exam that entails mouth radiographs, charting, any other photographs – trying to piece together the identification. Then sometimes we will be supplied with X-rays; in that case we can do comparative analysis to conclude identification and closure. If we can’t identify we will then work with the FBI’s National Crime Information Center and enter the data, and then try to match the information up nationally.
LIM: Tell me about the case that landed you alongside John Walsh on Fox Television’s “America’s MostWanted.”
PK: Just recently a case that I did 4 years ago in Upper Freehold Township – that of the skeletal remains of a child – America’s Most Wanted just featured that. They were referring to the case as “Baby Bones.” It’s a little girl believed to be between the ages of 5 and 9. She is believed to be African American, mixed race, possibly Hispanic; it was found that no one has reported her missing. John Walsh interviewed me about some of my dental findings so we could get the word out.
LIM: Let’s get to the “bare bones.”You discovered a dinosaur bone right here in Marlboro! You must have been dumbfounded…
PK: This area of Marlboro (called Big Brook) is a natural stream or river that cuts through the earth; that’s where the fossils are and that’s where we find them. Marlboro is noted as one of the top fossil sites on the Eastern United States. We’ve taken church groups, school groups, boy scouts, recreation department groups…so if it’s a nice day we try to get out there frequently.
LIM: Do you always find something when you go?
PK: Oh yeah…there’s always something.
LIM: There’s still that much to find?
PK: Yes, you have to know what to look for though. You also need to know the type of “period” pertaining to what could be there when you are looking. I found this object and I knew it had certain indicative morphology… I knew it wasn’t just a rock or a stone. There were some characteristics of it; that it was something. It looked very similar to fossil tusk. It was peeling on the outside and it had concentric rings and tusks; elephant tusks are actually modified incisors, but this was very dense. I thought it could be something, but I didn’t want to get too excited! I contacted a curator for the state because it wasn’t like I could just go look it up in a textbook. He is the expert in the field. So I attached photos to him in an e-mail, and he wrote back that the photos looked great but he really wanted to see it in person. So when I took it to him in Trenton, he looked at it and with a big smile looked atme and said, “Doctor Kovalski, you’ve got a dinosaur bone!” That was pretty cool!
LIM: What type of “dino” do you suspect the bone is from?
PK: Based on the size of it, we believe it’s a Hadrosaurus, which is the state dinosaur.
LIM: Who knew we had a state dinosaur?
PK: I know…believe it or not, New Jersey is only one of 6 states to have a state dinosaur. That’s because in 1858, in Haddonfield, New Jersey, they discovered a skeleton, which turned out to be the first almost complete dinosaur anywhere in the world; so it got a lot of fame and it was then declared our state dinosaur.
LIM: Have you received any national recognition from this “bone-a-fide” treasure?
PK: No, only that I was interviewed on NewsRadio 88, 1010 WINS, and New Jersey 101.5. They were asking me about that too! We’ll see what happens…
LIM: Who has the bone now?
PK: It’s housed in the Kovalski collection! It was on display at Dinosaur Day in Marlboro (held prior to this publish date), along with a picture of what the real creature looked like.
LIM: You seem to have a passion for finding fossils, how do you inspire others?
PK: Well, it’s not just fossils. It’s the whole thing about going into nature and taking kids out there for the first time. They actually find something themselves… that excitement of discovery. I think that’s what keeps me motivated.
LIM: Tell me about Dinosaur Day, which is held every year in Marlboro…
PK: I do it to bring recognition to what is found here in our backyard. We do have natural resources here, and we bring awareness to all our elected officials… that they need to preserve it!
LIM: Have you taken the bone to the local schools here and presented it to an “assembly”?
PK: I have not. I just got a call from a scout group in Freehold. I need to call the guy back, but I’ve just been so busy. I have a standing offer to come speak at all the schools. I have been in to discuss forensic dentistry and “CSI Marlboro.” The kids like that!
LIM: Are you married?
PK: Formerly married.
LIM: Any children?
PK: I have a 19-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter.
LIM: Are they into the “digging thing” too?
PK: Not too much. My son likes to travel to all the National Parks. I have a goal to visit all the National Parks in the country. As he’s getting older he’s getting more interested in it. We just did a father and son trip to San Francisco and Yosemite.
LIM: You had mentioned that through all of your findings and experiences, people often suggest that you should run for mayor one day.
PK: Yeah they are always kidding me about that.
LIM: Have you made any real decisions about it?
PK: I think right now I love giving back to the community and the town. As of the moment it’s not on the table. I think everybody needs to give back.We have a lot of talented people in our township. When I give back it’s so rewarding. Well see what happens. I never want to say never, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now.
LIM: Paul Kovalski seems like a really serious guy. Is there a lighter side or something silly you’d like to share?
PK: Absolutely! Everybody at work knows my sense of humor. What we do is very serious and we don’t want to lose track of our respect and need to be accurate, but humor is a way of coping with things. A patient of mine said to me that he wishes more doctors would have a sense of humor…they are too uptight!
LIM: Do you find yourself, in a way, desensitized with what you do day in and day out in your job?
PK: Well you have to detach yourself, but by the same token not lose track of what we are dealing with. It is someone’s father, sister, or child, or what have you…and you want to be accurate so the emotions don’t blur your focus. There have been many cases in Monmouth County that I’ve I.D.’d and I have helped to play a role in bringing some sort of closure to people. If it’s criminal thing, you get to help the police to be on the right track.
LIM: What are some of your favorite hobbies?
PK: I love to cook and bake and I like to visit my parents and spend time with them inWest Virginia.
LIM: Do you attribute who you are today to them?
PK: Absolutely! My dad has a real good sense of humor. Wherever I go people always ask me how my dad is…they remember him in a respectful way. He taught me to give back – to use my talents and be successful – but to give back to the community and have fun with it too!
Favorite Restaurants:
Federici’s in Freehold
Favorite Musician:
Bruce Springsteen
Favorite Movie:
The Patriot
Pet Peeve:
superficial and negative people
Three People You’d Like to Have Dinner With:
Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Eleanor Roosevelt
Advertisers
Powered by eDirectory™