Aberdeen NJ Life

Loop of Pink Ribbon Turns Against Women's Cancer Screening

2012-02-02T23:18:00.000-05:00

Susan G Komen for the Cure has turned against Planned Parenthood under pressure from the ultra-right, according to The Guardian, prompting New York City Mayor Bloomberg to offer a quarter million dollars of his own money to defray the lost support.

The writer Judy Blume tweeted this, per Reuters, "Susan Komen would not give in to bullies or fear. Too bad the foundation bearing her name did."

Reuters added that more than Democrats in the U.S. Senate sent a letter urging Komen to reconsider. The letter read, in part, "It would be tragic if any woman, let alone thousands of women, lost access to these potentially life-saving screenings because of a politically motivated attack."

The pro-life assault on Planned Parenthood has been relentless over the past year, so it is a bit of a surprise that Komen's shameful act has finally brought the madness to the fore. Any one of the primarily Republican legislative moves, at the state and Federal level, could have sparked an outcry. Better late than never, I guess. I only hope the nation can gravitate to a more mainstream perspective on women's health issues, and soon.

History: County Neglects Aberdeen Road Bridge Over 40 Years (1935)

2012-01-30T00:37:00.000-05:00

According to the 25 Jan 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal (page 1 col 4), for over forty years the Monmouth County Freeholders eschewed their obligation towards the bridge over Matawan Creek on Aberdeen Road. Apparently the Board had been recently reorganized back in 1892 and the matter was either forgotten or put out of their minds.

Upon the 'small' board of freeholders taking over the management of the county, and none of the new members being particularly interested in the needs of the township, the ownership of the roadway soon passed from their minds and it was grossly neglected as to upkeep by the county, altho the unjustness of the attitude was brot to the attention of several subsequent boards.

Rensselaer L Cartan, chairman of Matawan Borough Council's street committee, appeared before the Board of Chosen Freeholders armed with a copy of the 1892 minutes book and made the Borough's case for the county's obligation towards the bridge. He took the opportunity to suggest that the county work with the borough to renovate the bridge in such a way that it facilitated the borough's plan to build a second dam and form what would soon become Lake Matawan.

. . . it was suggested that now the matter of ownership being finally determined, federal aid be asked for, so that the road might be raised six feet and widened so that when the present bridge becomes obsolete the creek can be filled in, which would make a dam.

The area between the proposed dam and Lake Lefferts could be flooded to a depth of three feet, and provide another lake to Matawan's chain. The work could be arranged so that it might be done by federal loan, while the material could be provided for a trifling cost, if any. Should the project go thru, it would provide labor for all of the relief help, as well as for the trucks needed for hauling the earth.

Become a Trails Team Volunteer

2012-01-29T18:55:00.000-05:00

An opportunity is coming up in March for you to learn the basics of being a Trail Teams volunteer for the Monmouth County Park System. Once trained, you'll spend one or two mornings per month working on new or existing trails within the county system.

Training is scheduled for Sat 10 March 2012 from 9 am to noon in Holmdel. Read this news release for more information. Sounds like fun.

Fisheries Management Budget Cuts Come to Roost

2012-01-29T17:29:00.003-05:00

I've spoken repeatedly in this space about how the quality of life in New Jersey is at risk as Governor Christie hacks away at state budgets. Fewer government workers can mean fewer pensions paid in Trenton, but it also means less service to the community, including less oversight and monitoring in key areas.

The net effect of one realm of Christie's budget cuts rated a small if unattributed mention in today's Asbury Park Press. The NJ Bureau of Marine Fisheries has stopped an entire category of fishing -- the herring catch -- because the state lacks the staff to collect the necessary data to meet a regional commission's mandate to report on fishery sustainability. So what? Well, the implication is that the state doesn't have adequate staff to know what's happening with our fisheries, which has a much deeper significance than the status of herring. Not to diminish the impact of a change in status for one type of fish. The herring is an important food fish for other species, so its depletion can have all sorts of ramifications.

Unfortunately, the APP article made it only to page A19 in the print edition of today's paper -- just above the fold on the cover of APP's second A section. And the article needed to place more emphasis on the lack of staffing and budget. And it needed greater prominence in the paper. The incident should be viewed as a red flag, an ominous sign indicating something important needs fixing.

The article - State shuts river herring fishery - says that the Bureau of Fisheries doesn't have adequate staff to track the depletion of herring, which most recent information suggests is yielding less than 2% of what fishermen caught in the mid-1960s. Plus, herring is being inadvertently caught in net trawling operations to the tune of 3 million pounds per year. Herring is an important food fish to many fish, mammals, and birds. It is important to the striped bass, a major sports fish in our region.

Tom Fote of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association warned of the effect of state budget cuts on the Bureau of Fisheries in the February 2011 issue of Fisheries Management and Legislation Report. He pointed out that a lack of funding would cause the very problems that have forced NJ to stop the herring fishery.

Without appropriate funding, there is not enough personnel to actively participate on committees for stock assessment and technical issues at ASMFC. We risk being shortchanged in plans when we are unable to participate. When plans are developed we are unable to provide the technical information that supports our point of view. We can’t do regional breakdowns for species like tautog because we can’t accumulate the data to support decision making. As we review many of these plans in the upcoming years, this problem will be even worse.

In a 2007 report, Mr Fote had this to say:

In the last 25 years I have seen a complete disregard by the state for adequate funding for the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Fisheries Administration, Bureau of Marine Fisheries. The New Jersey treasury has only contributed a little over 1 million dollars per year from the general fund since the mid 80’s. The other 2 million dollars per year comes from Wallop-Breaux funds and interstate grants. Both of these funding sources come from the excise tax on saltwater tackle drawing money directly from user groups.

. . . In this same period of time I have seen a huge reduction in staff in the Division of Fish and Wildlife, most seriously in the Bureau of Marine Fisheries. Even in the years where money was not tight and other agencies of state government were seeing increases in funding and staff, the Bureau of Marine Fisheries has seen no increase. This has significantly hampered their ability to manage the resource and meet the escalating responsibilities placed on them by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and state mandates. . . .

In 2007, the Bureau of Marine Fisheries was responsible for implementing over 20 Fisheries Management Plans (FMP) put in place by either the ASMFC or NMFS. Most of the plans require a monitoring of size, recreational bag limits, seasons, commercial quotas and biological information for stock assessment. To meet these additional responsibilities there has been no increase in total staff. In fact, the staff has continued to decrease to a level about 30% less. The Bureau of Marine Fisheries has been in crisis mode and unable to meet minimum requirements for the last 15 years. We have been voted out of compliance by ASMFC since we are unable to do the biological research required in some of the FMP’s. I am not blaming the Division. Everyone who works there does a fantastic job with way too few people. The fault is not theirs. What I have seen is the impact this understaffing has on morale, sometimes resulting in early retirements of valued staff.

He recommended that a portion of sales tax receipts from the fishing and boating industries be directed to supporting the Bureau of Fisheries. He wrote:

This lack of increased funding has occurred despite the contribution of recreational fishing to New Jersey’s economy. Recreational fishing alone contributes 1.3 billion dollars annually to New Jersey’s economy. It accounts for over 500,000 visitors to New Jersey each year with fishing as the goal. The boating industry is a 2 billion dollar industry, tied to fishing, a clean environment and a well-managed resource. The most recent figures I have seen suggests the commercial industry contributes 4 – 5 hundred million dollars annually. . . . New Jersey ranks #2 in the country in the number of trips made for recreational saltwater fishing. We rank #2 or #3 in the number of anglers. We rank #3 in the commercial landings. However, we are outspent for a state Bureau of Marine Fisheries by every state. We are at the bottom of the list for funding despite being at the top of the list for income generated.

In summary, you must defend your quality of life against unwise cuts in budgets. Tax cuts are nice, but to the extreme lowered taxes can yield anarchy. But, at the same time, you must expect to pay your fair share for quality of life and a secure, sustainable future.

Extreme and Close

2012-01-29T13:04:00.002-05:00

We saw Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close last night at Hazlet Rave. It has a wonderful complexity that gets beyond the terror attacks underlying the film. I loved the humanity that comes at you from so many angles. Take a couple of tissues; it's definitely a two hanky flick.

I have to say that the name of this movie is difficult to remember, much less say. I told the guy at the ticket booth that I wanted "two for Extremely" and that sufficed.

The youngsters sitting around us were too young to appreciate the flick. No idea why they came when there was a man on the ledge next door. I ended up scolding them for chatting and joking, talking on their cell phones and being generally a pain in the ass while Tom Hanks is trying to reach his son for the last time. When I look in the mirror, I don't see old and grumpy, but maybe I am. I hate being that guy, but I paid good money to see this movie. More than the money, the development of the story's mood was very important.

No doubt my aisle mates were only 3-4 years old when the Towers went down, but that's really no excuse. I can remember being moved by Tora! Tora! Tora! and Patton when they came out, and WWII was from my parents' generation, not mine. I don't recall acting like a mindless brat at the theater. When I was 6-7, yes. Oh, my God yes. But not at 14.

I guess compassion and sensitivity aren't being graded on standardized tests, and there are no good multiple choice questions that will demonstrate a student's appreciation for the human struggle. They should at least understand what it means to waste twenty bucks at the movies. If they didn't before, they know how I feel about it now. We had a momentary human struggle of our own.

History - Edward Payson Terhune (1830-1907)

2012-01-29T02:54:00.001-05:00

St Paul's American Church, Rome, Italy, was built in 1873. (Terminartors)

The 27 Jan 1877 edition of The Matawan Journal contains this blurb on the front page.

Rev E P Terhune, the husband of Marion Harland, the novelist, and the brother of Wm L Terhune, Esq, of Matawan, has been offered the Chaplaincy of the American Chapel at Rome for two years, with a comfortable salary and three months' vacation in the summer.

Edward Payson Terhune (22 Nov 1830 - 25 May 1907) was the brother of the prominent Matawan lawyer William L Terhune. In the 1850 Federal Census for New Jersey, Edward P Terhune, age 19, was a student living with his parents, John and Etty Terhune, 57 and 58 years old, respectively. Edward's father was a publisher and bookseller worth $7,000 at the time. They lived in North Brunswick.

Edward attended Rutgers College. (1850) (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 102) He graduated from the Dutch Reformed seminary at New Brunswick, NJ. (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 102) (Wikipedia)

Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond, VA (VCU)

Edward served as pulpit supply at the Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Va. (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 102)

Village Church in Charlotte Court House, VA (VA-GENWEB)

Edward served at the Village Church at Charlotte Court House in what is now Smithville, Va (1854-1859). During his 5-year tenure, William Wirt Henry, an elder at the church, a Richmond lawyer, and the grandson of the great American orator Patrick Henry, was a close and faithful friend. (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 102) (Wikipedia)

Edward married Mary Virginia Hawes (21 Dec 1830 - 3 Jun 1922) in 1856. (Wikipedia)

Soon after his installation he married a Richmond girl, already known to the public by her nom de plume Marion Harland. They took possession of the cozy village parsonage in 1856. (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 102)

Mary V Terhune (abt 1903) (Wikimedia)

The 1850 Federal Census for Virginia shows Mary V Hawes, age 18, living with her parents, Samuel P and Faith A Hawes, ages 50 and 44, resp. Her father was a merchant born in Massachusetts. Mary and her mother were natives of Virginia.

More information about Mary Louise Terhune, aka Marion Harland, can be found at Essortment. (Surely better than her Wikipedia page, which has errors. For example, the page suggests Mary was born in Newark when she was clearly from Virginia. Her husband's entry at Wikipedia has several errors as well.)

Edward did quite a bit to bring Reformed faith to the slaves in his area. Below is an excerpt from a Virginia piece on his ministry in Charlotte Court House. The writing, while striving to be liberal, is affected by the time and place.

One marked feature of his ministry in Charlotte was the influence he acquired over the colored people of the region. The Village Church had but one negro communicant when he became the pastor. Colored Presbyterians were very rare throughout the state. Baptism by immersion was a popular rite with them, and the camp-meetings of the "shouting Methodists" appealed powerfully to their emotional natures. The Presbyterian and Episcopal churches were shunned as cold, formal, "only fit for educated white folks." In winter, the body of the Village Church was given up to the blacks on Sunday afternoons, their masters and mistresses occupying the galleries in which their servants had sat in the forenoon. Prayers were offered, hymns given out and sung by the congregation on the floor of the house, the pastor preaching from the chancel, and without notes.With the beginning of the warm weather, the Sunday afternoon gatherings took on a more picturesque aspect. The planters of the outlying country offered their homes in town for the use of Dr Terhune and his hearers. Scores of whites and hundreds of negroes flocked together on these occasions. The scene, as described by an eye-witness to the writer, was one the like of which will never be beheld again in this country.

In the background was the mansion house, usually of dark-red brick mellowed by age, embowered by trees, one or two centuries old. At the open windows, and thronging the broad piazzas were seated the ladies and gentlemen of the family, and friends who had driven over to enjoy the service. On the shaded lawn were close tiers of "forms," or backless benches, for the servants, who were never styled "slaves" by their owners or themselves.There were usually accommodations for about five hundred, but there were more present, sitting on the grass and porch-steps, or leaning, motionless and decorous, against the tree-trunks. Beyond the lawn were the carriages of the guests, and tied to the "racks" with which every hospitable plantation was abundantly furnished, from twenty to thirty saddled hunters belonging to the gallant cavaliers of the neighborhood.

The signal for the commencement of the exercises was the upraising of a hymn from the heart of the dusky assembly; one of the weird, wondrously-sweet native airs which the jubilee singers are trying to preserve. . . . Or a colored deacon, black as ebony, his massive features showing grim under a hillock of gray hair, stood up in his place and "lined out" from memory:

Show pity, Lord! O Lord, forgive!
Let a repenting rebel live.

. . . Within two years, seventy colored members were added to the roll of the Village Church, giving, upon examination, most satisfactory evidence of intelligent appreciation of the solemn truths to which they subscribed, and of vital piety. Prior to the presentation of their names as candidates for admission to the visible church, the pastor organized classes for spiritual instruction, which met on two evenings of the week in his study.

When in 1858 he accepted a unanimous call to the First Reformed Church of Newark, NJ, the grief of these simple hearted neophytes was overwhelming. Among the valuable parting gifts to him from this -- the church of his first love -- was a handsome family Bible, inscribed From the Colored Members of the Village Church, of Charlotte C. H, Virginia. (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, pp. 102 - 103)

First Reformed Church, Newark (Old Newark)

Edward was minister at the First Reformed Church (Old Newark, Houses of Worship, First Reformed Church and Reverends) in Newark (Mar 1859 - 1876). (A History of the City of Newark, Vol 2, by Frank John Urquhart, p. 999) (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 103) (Wikipedia erroneously states that he was minister at Old First Presbyterian Church in Newark.)

The 1860 and 1870 Federal Censuses showed Edward and family living in Newark.

Edward earned his Doctor of Divinity degree at Rutgers University (1869). (Wikipedia)

Edward was featured in an article called Pulpit Orators in the Newark (NJ) Evening Gazette in 1873. (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 103)

Edward left his pulpit in Newark in 1876 to care for his wife, who was ill.

In 1876 this prosperous pastorate was severed -- to the people suddenly and unexpectedly. To him who had for more than a year watched his wife's failing health with grave apprehension, settling into the conviction that her life depended upon a sea-voyage and many months of restful change - the separation was a sadness but not a shock. . . .

Dr Terhune took abroad his whole family, and the Winter of 1876-7 was passed in Rome for the invalid's benefit. While there he officiated as chaplain in the non-liturgical American Church. (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 104) (Wikipedia) (Note: Possibly identical with St Paul's American Church in Rome, which, when built in 1873, was the first non-Catholic church built within the walls of Rome.)

American Church in Paris (Friendly Adventurers)

In the winter 1877-8, Dr Terhune, then resident with his family in Geneva, Switzerland, received a request that he would supply the pulpit of the American Chapel in Rue de Berri, Paris, the chaplain, the Rev Dr Hitchcock, having been summoned to America by the illness of a relative. For four months, Dr Terhune was his substitute, giving great satisfaction to the regular attendants of the handsome and commodious chapel, and to the many travelers who filled the pews throughout the Winter and Spring preceding the great exposition. (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 104)

Edward served at a Congregational church in Springfield, Mass (1879-1884). (Wikipedia) (Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, 1882, p. 104) The 1880 Federal Census for Massachusetts showed him living with his family in Springfield. He was listed as a Cong Clergyman.

He served at a Reformed church in Brooklyn, NY (1884) (Wikipedia)

He resigned his pastorate in Brooklyn to serve as pulpit supply at the Fullerton Avenue Church in Chicago, Ill. He was expected 6 Oct (Christian Work, an illustrated family newspaper, vol. 59, 1895, p. 531)

Low Tide at the Cliffwood Beach Seawall

2012-01-28T17:59:00.000-05:00

I took some photographs this afternoon along the Cliffwood Beach seawall at low tide. It was bright and sunny and the weather was crisp and calm. Gulls and geese swam in the still waters of the Raritan Bay while white birches stood vigil on the shore.

I noticed that the pole cameras are gone -- well, to be more precise, the cameras are gone but the old poles remain. And there is a green metal waste can at each end of the seawall, plus a covered trash can at the sidewalk near the little parking lot off Beach Drive. The Lakeshore Drive end of the seawall requires some work to provide formal access. I hope there is a plan for that. I thought there were supposed to be steps.

Birches along the seawall

The Amboys are visible to the west.

Low tide at Cliffwood Beach reveals remnants of an old bulkhead

New waste receptacles have been placed along the seawall

The new World Trade Center tower is easily viewable from Cliffwood Beach

Hazlet Foodtown Awaits the End

2012-01-27T22:46:00.000-05:00

Bare, unlit shelves in the dairy case at the Hazlet Foodtown.

We were out of town for New Year's, so we didn't see the article in Matawan-Aberdeen Patch saying that the Foodtown in Hazlet is closing on 25 February. So when we dropped in to pick up a few things tonight, well - Yikes! The shelves were nearly empty and the place was eerily quiet, like one of those post-Armageddon movies like Mad Max or The Stand. Even outside, we thought the store might be closed. There were no customers. No shopping carts rolling through the aisles. No announcements on the public address system. The stock on the shelves was only one or two products deep and selection was shockingly sparse. The deli had no staff and no pre-packaged deli meats. Nearly all of the frozen foods were gone and the section was darkened.

We chatted with a pleasant but obviously sad sales clerk. She expected to be out of work in a month.

History: 15 Speeches Over 75 Years Reveal A Changing State of the Speech

2012-01-26T01:09:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's an odd expectation, but when I watch the State of the Union speech, I expect the President to assure me that "the state of the union is sound" and that's that. There can be gunfire outside my door and bill collectors lurking in the bushes outside, I still like to hear those words so I can sleep at night. Even if I am sleeping in the street. When Mr Obama suggested that we will soon achieve soundness, that we are moving in that general direction, I was rather startled. Was he suggesting that things aren't sound? We all know that things aren't going well, but I wasn't expecting the patented assertion of power and authority in our times to be nuanced and projected.

I went digging in the past and found that America's status has only recently been clear enough to state categorically. There were no short declarative assertions years ago. Here is a sampling from the past 75 years of January speeches. FDR's assertion of the sad state of our affairs in 1937, after years of Depression, is particularly protracted. But they get shorter, I assure you.

Here are the pertient excerpts from fifteen State of the Union speeches from the past 75 years:

Franklin D Roosevelt - 6 Jan 1937

The recovery we sought was not to be merely temporary. It was to be a recovery protected from the causes of previous disasters. With that aim in view—to prevent a future similar crisis-you and I joined in a series of enactments—safe banking and sound currency, the guarantee of bank deposits, protection for the investor in securities, the removal of the threat of agricultural surpluses, insistence on collective bargaining, the outlawing of sweat shops, child labor and unfair trade practices, and the beginnings of security for the aged and the worker.

Nor was the recovery we sought merely a purposeless whirring of machinery. It is important, of course, that every man and woman in the country be able to find work, that every factory run, that business and farming as a whole earn profits. But Government in a democratic Nation does not exist solely, or even primarily, for that purpose.

It is not enough that the wheels turn. They must carry us in the direction of a greater satisfaction in life for the average man. The deeper purpose of democratic government is to assist as many of its citizens as possible, especially those who need it most, to improve their conditions of life, to retain all personal liberty which does not adversely affect their neighbors, and to pursue the happiness which comes with security and an opportunity for recreation and culture.

Even with our present recovery we are far from the goal of that deeper purpose. There are far-reaching problems still with us for which democracy must find solutions if it is to consider itself successful.
For example, many millions of Americans still live in habitations which not only fail to provide the physical benefits of modern civilization but breed disease and impair the health of future generations.

The menace exists not only in the slum areas of the very large cities, but in many smaller cities as well. It exists on tens of thousands of farms, in varying degrees, in every part of the country.

Another example is the prevalence of an un-American type of tenant farming. I do not suggest that every farm family has the capacity to earn a satisfactory living on its own farm. But many thousands of tenant farmers, indeed most of them, with some financial assistance and with some advice and training, can be made self-supporting on land which can eventually belong to them. The Nation would be wise to offer them that chance instead of permitting them to go along as they do now, year after year, with neither future security as tenants nor hope of ownership of their homes nor expectation of bettering the lot of their children.

Another national problem is the intelligent development of our social security system, the broadening of the services it renders, and practical improvement in its operation. In many Nations where such laws are in effect, success in meeting the expectations of the community has come through frequent amendment of the original statute.

And, of course, the most far-reaching and the most inclusive problem of all is that of unemployment and the lack of economic balance of which unemployment is at once the result and the symptom. The immediate question of adequate relief for the needy unemployed who are capable of performing useful work, I shall discuss with the Congress during the coming months. The broader task of preventing unemployment is a matter of long-range evolutionary policy. To that we must continue to give our best thought and effort. We cannot assume that immediate industrial and commercial activity which mitigates present pressures justifies the national Government at this time in placing the unemployment problem in a filing cabinet of finished business.

Fluctuations in employment are tied to all other wasteful fluctuations in our mechanism of production and distribution. One of these wastes is speculation. In securities or commodities, the larger the volume of speculation, the wider become the upward and downward swings and the more certain the result that in the long run there will be more losses than gains in the underlying wealth of the community.

And, as is now well known to all of us, the same net loss to society comes from reckless overproduction and monopolistic underproduction of natural and manufactured commodities.

Overproduction, underproduction and speculation are three evil sisters who distill the troubles of unsound inflation and disastrous deflation. It is to the interest of the Nation to have Government help private enterprise to gain sound general price levels and to protect those levels from wide perilous fluctuations. We know now that if early in 1931 Government had taken the steps which were taken two and three years later, the depression would never have reached the depths of the beginning of 1933.

Franklin D Roosevelt - 6 Jan 1945

In considering the State of the Union, the war and the peace that is to follow are naturally uppermost in the minds of all of us.

This war must be waged—it is being waged—with the greatest and most persistent intensity. Everything we are and have is at stake. Everything we are and have will be given. American men, fighting far from home, have already won victories which the world will never forget.

We have no question of the ultimate victory. We have no question of the cost. Our losses will be heavy.

We and our allies will go on fighting together to ultimate total victory.

Harry Truman - 9 Jan 1952

The United States and the whole free world are passing through a period of grave danger. . . .

We are moving through a perilous time. Faced with a terrible threat of aggression, our Nation has embarked upon a great effort to help establish the kind of world in which peace shall be secure. Peace is our goal-not peace at any price, but a peace based on freedom and justice. We are now in the midst of our effort to reach that goal. On the whole, we have been doing very well.

Last year, 1951, was a year in which we threw back aggression, added greatly to our military strength, and improved the chances for peace and freedom in many parts of the world.

This year, 1952, is a critical year in the defense effort of the whole free world. If we falter we can lose all the gains we have made. If we drive ahead, with courage and vigor and determination, we can by the end of 1952 be in a position of much greater security. The way will be dangerous for the years ahead, but if we put forth our best efforts this year--and next year--we can be "over the hump" in our effort to build strong defenses

John F Kennedy - 11 Jan 1962

We are all trustees for the American people, custodians of the American heritage. It is my task to report the State of the Union--to improve it is the task of us all. . . .

We sometimes chafe at the burden of our obligations, the complexity of our decisions, the agony of our choices. But there is no comfort or security for us in evasion, no solution in abdication, no relief in irresponsibility.

A year ago, in assuming the tasks of the Presidency, I said that few generations, in all history, had been granted the role of being the great defender of freedom in its hour of maximum danger. This is our good fortune; and I welcome it now as I did a year ago. For it is the fate of this generation - of you in the Congress and of me as President - to live with a struggle we did not start, in a world we did not make. But the pressures of life are not always distributed by choice.

Lyndon Johnson - 17 Jan 1968

I report to you that our country is challenged, at home and abroad: --that it is our will that is being tried, not our strength; our sense of purpose, not our ability to achieve a better America;

-- that we have the strength to meet our every challenge; the physical strength to hold the course of decency and compassion at home; and the moral strength to support the cause of peace in the world.

And I report to you that I believe, with abiding conviction, that this people--nurtured by their deep faith, tutored by their hard lessons, moved by their high aspirations-have the will to meet the trials that these times impose.

Richard Nixon - 20 Jan 1972

We have been undergoing self-doubts and self-criticism. But these are only the other side of our growing sensitivity to the persistence of want in the midst of plenty, of our impatience with the slowness with which age-old ills are being overcome.

If we were indifferent to the shortcomings of our society, or complacent about our institutions, or blind to the lingering inequities--then we would have lost our way.

But the fact that we have those concerns is evidence that our ideals, deep down, are still strong. Indeed, they remind us that what is really best about America is its compassion. They remind us that in the final analysis, America is great not because it is strong, not because it is rich, but because this is a good country.

Jimmy Carter - 23 Jan 1980

This last few months has not been an easy time for any of us. As we meet tonight, it has never been more clear that the state of our Union depends on the state of the world. And tonight, as throughout our own generation, freedom and peace in the world depend on the state of our Union.

The 1980's have been born in turmoil, strife, and change. This is a time of challenge to our interests and our values and it's a time that tests our wisdom and our skills.

Ronald Reagan - 25 Jan 1984

A rebirth of bipartisan cooperation, of economic growth, and military deterrence, and a growing spirit of unity among our people at home and our allies abroad underline a fundamental and far-reaching change: The United States is safer, stronger, and more secure in 1984 than before.

Ronald Reagan - 25 Jan 1988

Tonight, then, we're strong, prosperous, at peace, and we are free. This is the state of our Union.

George H W Bush - 29 Jan 1992

We are still and ever the freest nation on earth, the kindest nation on earth, the strongest nation on earth.

Bill Clinton - 23 Jan 1996

The state of the Union is strong.

Bill Clinton - 27 Jan 2000

My fellow Americans, the state of our union is the strongest it has ever been.

George W Bush - 24 Jan 2004

In their efforts, their enterprise and their character, the American people are showing that the state of our union is confident and strong.

George W Bush - 28 Jan 2008

And so long as we continue to trust the people, our nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure and the state of our union will remain strong.

Barrack Obama - 24 Jan 2012

The state of our Union is getting stronger. And we've come too far to turn back now.

------------------------------------

By the way: I found a site that has a nice compendium of state of the union speeches going way back. I noticed, however, that the name of the President paired with individual speeches was no always accurate. Apparently the website designer didn't realize that some of these speeches were held before Inauguration Day on a year when Administrations were changing. So the 1961 speech was delivered by Ike, not JFK, and JFK delivered the 1963 speech, not LBJ. There are spoof sites out there, too, such as this spoof pretending to be George W Bush's 2004 speech. So, just be careful out there...

History: 85th Anniversary of Trinity Episcopal Church, Matawan (1936)

2012-01-23T00:13:00.002-05:00

The 22 Jan 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal heralded the appointment of Reverend John H Schwacke, rector of St Peters Episcopal Church in Freehold, to succeed Reverend A P Mack, of Keyport, as priest at the Matawan Episcopal Mission. The Mission had been at Matawan since 1855.

Ten years later, the 17 Jan 1936 edition of The Matawan Journal celebrated the church's 85th anniversary.

Trinity Episcopal Church Marks Its Eighty-Fifth Year; Read History

Trinity Episcopal, Main Street, Matawan (NJ Churchscape)

The eighty-fifth anniversary of the founding of Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church, Matawan, was observed last nite by the parishioners with a dinner at Buttonwood Manor. The occasion also marked the completion of ten years' service as rector by the Rev. John H. Schwacke, D. D., who is also rector of historic St. Peter's Church, Freehold.

Dr Schwacke served as toastmaster. The Rev Henry R. Fell, rector of St. Mary's Church, brot greetings from Trinity's nearest Eplscopalian neighbor, and the Rev. George Boyd, St. Peter's, Perth Amboy, also responded. Howard S.Holt, fellow of the Royal College of Organists, England, and choirmaster and organist of St. Peter's, Freehold, was in charge of a musical program which comprised numbers by Louis Tovey, baritone soloist of St. Peter's, Freehold, and of the Freehold Men's Chorus, and Leslie Willis, 14, Freehold radio soprano.

At a business session at the parish, Clifford Chapman, Sr.. was re-elected warden; Clifford Chapman, Jr., re-elected secretary; Frank A. Dell, Sr, treasurer; and Mrs Gerard A. Devlin and Amos B. Stultz were appointed a committee to organize a young people's group in the church.

Father Schwacke read a paper on the history of Trinity Church and made a few remarks on the parish's
present stats. His sketch of Trinity thru the years follows:

Parish Of Trinity Church

Trinity Church moved from Main Street to Ryers Lane in 1968.

The parish of Trinity Church, Middletown Point, was organized and incorporated May 11, 1850. It was
admitted into union with the Convention of the Diocese of New Jersey at its annual meeting in the City of Newark the same month and the same year, the day of the annual meeting being the last Wednesday in May.

At the time of its organisation, the Rev Fernando C. Putnam was appointed a missionary to Middletown Point and parts adjacent and was elected rector of the parish. He continued as the missionary and the rector-elect until November, 1862, when he resigned.

The corner-stone of the church edifice was laid by the bishop (Doane) at his visitation, April 24, 1850.

The edifice was completed and consecrated by Bishop Doane, June 19, 1851.

The organisation of this parish and the building of the church was mainly the work of John Travers, Esq, in whose family the missionary lived during his whole incumbency.

From the time of the resignation of the Rev. P. C. Putnam until the Rev. Maxwell Reilly took charge of
the parish, only occasional services took place, the church being for the most part closed. During the ministry of the last mentioned clergyman, in the parish, quite an interest was manifested by the people
in spiritual things, as may be seen by the large number, comparatively speaking, that were admitted to the church fold by the holy rites of Baptism and confirmation. And the zeal of the small band of Christian women connected with the congregation, the writer must say, is worthy of the greatest praise, and if only continued, in the end it will no doubt do much toward obtaining for each of them the blessings of those whom the Lord Jesus shall say hereafter, "Well done, you good and faithful servant, enter thou into the Joy of the Lord."

The connection of the Rev Maxwell Reilly with the Parish began on the tenth of November, 1859, and
ended on the first of May, 1861.

The following is the official list as shown by the register of the rectors of the parish with the dates of service.

Rev. P. C. Putnam. May 11, 1860 - November, 1862.
Rev. Maxwell Reilly. Nov. 10, 1859 - May l, 1861.
Rev. O. Theo. Leibt. Oct., 1864 - May, l866.
Rev. James E. Kenny. June 1, 1867
Rev. L Hodgson. Feb. 1, 1868.
Rev. R. B. Chetwood, Jr. April 18, 1869 - August 13, 1870.
(Rev.) John Braser Draper.- August 18, 1878 - March 4, 1879.
No registration, 1879 - 1916.
Rev. Benjamin Dagwell. June 18, l916 - November 1, 1919.
Rev. Albert P. Mack. February 1, 1925 - Dec. 26, 1925.
Rev. J. H. Schwacke, Jan. 1,1926 -

Some Interesting Items

June, 1851. There were fifteen names on the register.

In 1865 the rector's salary was $680. In 1936, the rector's salary was just $800.

Most ministers served about one year—one served two weeks.

All during the early days of the parish, there were gaps from time to time in the service of the rectors. There seems to be a great gap from 1879 to 1914, during which time only occasional services were held, frequently with only lay readers in charge.

1879 seems to be an important year in the history of the parish. About this time a number of memorials
were placed In the church. A marble top retable (sic) in memory of Edward Torey, an alter cross in memory of Dr. J. S. H. Bartlett. The register records that he was for a long time a faithful worker in the
parish and that it was chiefly due to him that the church was "kept alive during a long period of weakness."

A credence table in memory of Mrs. Eliza Whitlock.

A pair of candlesticks in memory of Fredricka Whitlock.

An altar desk in memory of Mrs. Martha Bartlett (mother of Dr. Bartlett). (Replaced by a new altar
desk now in use).

On Advent Sunday, 1879, the parish received an iron cross from friends in Keyport. It was placed on the top of the belfry.

You can read more about Trinity's history at the church's website.

Monmouth Republicans Eye Menendez Seat in US Senate

2012-01-22T17:10:00.001-05:00

NJ State Senator Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) and former Highlands Mayor Anna Little (R) are looking to replace US Senator Menendez (D-NJ) this fall. An Ocean County solar power installer has also launched a campaign to be the Republican candidate this fall, but the effort is likely just for the publicity.

Menendez has yet to announce but even at this early date he is well ahead of the challengers. A Fairleigh Dickinson survey showed Kyrillos and Little polling at 31% each against Menendez, who leads both of the Republicans by 12 points (43%), according to NJ.com. A Quinnipiac poll showed Menendez favored against an unnamed Republican opponent by 11 points (46% to 35%), per NJ.com. In any event, NJ hasn't elected a Republican to the US Senate since the lengthy service (1955 to 1979) of Clifford P Case.

Menendez had a $7 million war chest as of September. Governor Christie plans to help Kyrillos with his fundraising, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

Little seems an unlikely choice once things shake out. According to Politifact NJ's Truth-o-Meter, a recent Tea Party-style accusation by Little against Menendez was "Mostly False."

History: Gilbert McDermott Goes to Florida (Christmas 1881)

2012-01-22T02:34:00.001-05:00

Page 3 of the 21 January 1882 edition of The Matawan Journal contained a 4 Jan 1882 letter to David A Bell, editor and proprietor of the newspaper, from Gilbert McDermott, a local insurance agent, who had traveled to Florida over the Christmas holidays, supposedly for health reasons.

Mr McDermott wrote to "Friend Bell" that they departed New York on Wednesday 14 December 1881 aboard the S S City of Columbus, which was commanded by Captain Fisher of Matawan. They hit high seas and most got seasick. "Many had a sad upheaving of their inward condition." The weather cleared off Cape Hatteras and life slowly returned to normal aboard ship. Captain Fisher regaled the McDermotts with stories of his exploits at sea and gave them a tour of the pilot house. He gave Mr McDermott his spyglass and pointed out the lightship stationed off Cape Hatteras.

Revenue Cutter Dexter (left) comes to rescue survivors of City of Columbus wreck off the coast of Massachusetts (Wikimedia)

Wikipedia reports that the City of Columbus was built in 1878 and made runs between Boston and Savannah until it ran aground off Massachusetts in 1884 with a loss of life of 100.

The McDermotts debarked at Savannah on Saturday and boarded the City of Bridgeton. They sailed the Sea Island Route down to Fernandina, Florida. He found the St Johns River a "dreary waste as far as the eye could reach."

A connection to the City of Bridgeton (Sea Island Route) is mentioned in "The Official Railway Guide: North American Freight Service Edition," by the American Association of Passenger Traffic Officers (Philadelphia: 1881, National Railway Publication Service)

After an hour they reached Jacksonville, which he seemed to find uncomfortable due to the high percentage of African Americans there. He remarked that half of Jacksonville's 12,000 residents were black, with a "much thicker sprinkling of colored people" in town because it was Christmas time.

Black workers pack grapefruit at Jacksonville.

The city was well laid out, had a business district centered on Bay Street, had major utilities, many fine 3-story buildings, and a strong media (5 daily newspapers and a number of weeklies). Most anything you might want could be purchased, but the "walks of the town are mostly boards and in a poor condition, while the middle of the streets are a bed of sand, with no effort to improve them. Hence they use two-wheel carts principally for carting, with a mule between the shafts and a negro on the foreboard -- invariably."

Mr McDermott was disappointed that it had been raining a lot during their visit to Florida, with hot days in the Sun and cold, damp nights that required them to light a fire to keep warm. He pointed out that Jacksonville was surrounded by marshland and residents suffered with malaria. Board was available for $4-6 per night, even for $1/night under certain circumstances. He didn't like Jacksonville and didn't understand why doctors would refer their patients to go there.

He abandoned Jacksonville and went 120 miles south to Enterprise, Florida, where he was writing from. He found the place less cold and damp, with less fog, less "society" and more pines. They had nice accommodations on an orange grove with many fresh fruits and vegetables available.

The 1880 Federal Census enumerated Gilbert McDermott and his wife Mary as age 34 and living in Matawan Township. His occupation was as a life and fire insurance agent. David A Bell, also in the Township, was age 39 and was enumerated with his wife Isabella age 31 and their 11 month old infant son Arthur S Bell (born May 1879). David, an editor by occupation, and his mother were born in NJ but his father was born in England. Isabella and her parents were born in Maryland. Also in their household was Isabella's sister Sallie Shepard, age 24, also from Maryland, as well as a servant named Mary J Kemp, age 23.

Gridlock At WTC PATH Station

2012-01-21T19:54:00.000-05:00

True Stories From a Mosh Pit (Campus Socialite)

When the Port Authority closed its 33rd Street PATH station on Friday morning due to police action , a dangerous situation of a different sort unexpectedly arose at the World Trade Center PATH station. Dense crowds formed inside the station trying to get out to the street and nearby subways and buses, and those who took subways and buses to the WTC PATH station found a huge crowd outside trying to get in.

Passengers had headed to the WTC station in unusually large numbers -- those on their normal commute through WTC plus those who would normally have used the 33rd Street station. This excessive volume had caused a rare case of what we might call PATH gridlock. Unfortunately, the Port Authority was oblivious and left passengers to fend for themselves during this gridlock situation. Beyond the discomfort and delay, the crowding conditions became extreme and rife with potential danger.

The only sensible action taken by the Port Authority during the incident was to shut off the power to the dozen massive WTC escalators, presumably to keep passengers from reaching overcrowded landings and become injured and/or crush those already packed on the landings. People resorted to using the escalators like regular steps.

Since all but one of the escalators at WTC station were claimed by exiting passengers, only a single escalator was available for those seeking to go downstairs and catch a departing PATH train. A narrow pulse of passengers was slowly but steadily pressing through the crowd to that escalator. The rest of those hoping to enter the station massed across the station's frontage seeking a way in. The occasional stray pressed through the crowd the wrong way, not knowing the "arrangement," only to find that one "can't get there from here." The scene looked like one of those films of a cell under a microscope.

Passengers were packed like sardines on the upper platform, just outside the WTC station's newsstand. Indeed, the landing was a veritable mosh pit with currents of traffic moving this way and that. The crowd couldn't get out of the station normally because the people mobbed outside were blocking all but one of the potential exits. The crowds both inside and out were involved in the ultimate alternate merge as they pressed their respective masses of humanity into 2-abreast streams of people that could fit through the available ways out of and into the station. And you know how well New Yorkers handle alternate merges -- if not, just try it at the Holland Tunnel merges.

Those of us who had yet to reach the mosh pit landing were temporarily stranded on the steep escalators. It was take a step and wait. Wait some more. Take a step and wait. Repeat. In the meantime, we craned our necks trying in vain to see what was happening at street level. It was odd to stand motionless on the escalators. Conversations ensued as people pondered among themselves what was happening. All wanted to be on their way. Most were reasonably patient. All complained about the lack of public announcements.

I could have gone through life without this experience, but on the bright side it was reassuring to see that commuters cope well with bad traffic management. Luckily the mob remained calm, as a panic by even a few could have caused pandemonium and countless injuries, even deaths.

I have to say the Port Authority let PATH passengers down on Friday morning. Luckily things worked out okay, but it wasn't an obvious outcome. I hope officials study this occurrence and develop contingency plans for when this scenario plays out again. After all, it could have been a disaster.

Aberdeen Recycling May Become Easier in April 2012

2012-01-16T22:54:00.000-05:00

Aberdeen Township hopes to change trash haulers as of 1 April, which should allow residents to throw cans, bottles, plastics and newspapers all into the same can and get rid of all recycling trash twice a month, according to a Township press release and APP. Such an arrangement would not only be easier for residents to manage, it would get the old cans and bottles out of the house more often. And there will be less of a penalty (a month's wait) for missing a recycling day.

If you're wondering, like I was, just how the sanitation company might deal with all our recyclables after we've jumbled them together and smooshed them into one big trash truck, see the Andela Pulverizer System for a discussion of how commingled recyclables can be processed. Presumably the new company will do something along these lines.

Until April, the current recycling regimen continues.

History: Curly Beauty Salon, Keyport (1952)

2012-01-16T20:48:00.000-05:00

The Curly Beauty Salon at 71 Broad Street in Keyport was offering the popular "poodle cut" in its ad in the 17 Jan 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal.

The ad read, "If you have been thinking about a POODLE CUT, here is your chance to do something about it! During January and February MR LARRY will cut and permanent wave this exquisite creation for a complete price of $12.50.

Here is your opportunity to be one of the
first to enjoy this pert, glamorous POODLE HAIRDO."

Lucille Ball, Lux Radio Theatre, 1951 (Wikimedia)

Short, soft and curly was in and straight hair was out. Lucille Ball's hair style (right) was the epitome of the poodle frenzy of the early 1950s, according to Fifties Web.

History: $10/wk for Bus Commute Between Keyport and Port Authority (1967)

2012-01-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

45 years ago, you could take the bus from Keyport to New York daily for a week (10 trip package) for $10, according to this ad for the Rollo Bus Terminal on Route 35 at Six Corners in the 19 Jan 1967 edition (pg 13) of The Matawan Journal. This was a typical commute for those who rode the bus in those days. (Today, Academy Lines offers a ten-trip package from Hazlet/Keansburg for $95, according to their online pricing schedule.)

Of course, in this same 1967 newspaper, Burger Chef was selling its burgers 2 for 69 cents; porterhouse steaks were selling at the grocery store for 89 cents/pound a 3-bedroom house in perfect condition in Keyport with a formal dining room, fireplace, full basement and garage was selling for $18,500 (No money down for vets.); and a 4-bedroom 2 1/2 bath home in the Edgemere Drive section of Matawan Borough, with a formal dining room, family room, and 2-car garage was selling for $34,850.

By the way, The Matawan Journal (12 and 19 Jan 1967 editions) had nothing to say about the first Superbowl match between Green Bay and Kansas City, which was held 15 Jan 1967.

Our Inventive Region: US Patents in the Aberdeen Area Since 1976

2012-01-14T22:54:00.000-05:00

The US Patent Office has an online database that allows you to search for details about the inventors and their inventions back to 1976.*

Feeling inventive? Check out how many patents were granted to inventors claiming the following hometowns in the last 35 years. If you dig around in the data, note how many of these inventors worked at AT&T, Merck, Hartford Insurance Co and other major corporations.

Aberdeen - 592
Belford - 102
Cliffwood Beach - 47
East Brunswick - 3,023
Edison - 4,451
Freehold - 1,925
Hazlet - 494
Holmdel -2,821
Keansburg - 55
Keasbey - 32
Keyport - 181
Leonardo - 120
Manalapan - 967
Marlboro - 1,206
Matawan - 1,143
Middletown - 2,450
Morganville - 1,044
Navesink - 18
Old Bridge - 758
Parlin - 240
Perth Amboy - 91
Sewaren - 28
South Amboy - 98
South River - 127
Union Beach - 31
Wickatunk - 2
Woodbridge - 522

* You can only search by patent number in this database between 1790 and 1975. Researchers must rely on the Patent Office's multi-volume annual reports during this earlier period. Perhaps I can access some random copies using inter-library loan to see what our local Matawan inventors were up to in the 19th century?

2012 Flu Shots

2012-01-13T20:50:00.000-05:00

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services has a flu shot finder tool at its website. Flu shots at CVS Pharmacy are $29.99, but they give you a $5 gift card. No appointment necessary but you can schedule one if you like. Walgreens was providing $10 million worth of vouchers on a first come first serve basis for the uninsured and those who cannot afford the flu shot, according to a 1 Dec 2011 article at NJ.com. You're supposed to check with your local health department for those vouchers. The Salisbury Patch says it isn't too late to get the shot, btw.

History: Newberry's, Keyport (1953)

2012-01-12T23:44:00.000-05:00

J J Newberry, which had a small Newberry's department store on West Front Street in Keyport at the time, ran an advertisement in the 5 March 1953 edition of The Matawan Journal. The ad coincided with the company's mass mailing of "thrift tickets" that provided customers 25 cents off on a $1.00 purchase at their stores. Shoppers were to check their mailboxes to be sure they received their tickets. If they didn't receive them, they were instructed to write to Newberry's in New York and let them know right away, presumably so they could send out new ones. And then it would be "Sandy MacTavish time!"

The ticket in the mail was meant to save customers money on purchases for their whole families. The country was about to fall into recession as the Korean War came to an end, so the economy was probably already tight. People needed to save money, and thrift stores were one way to save. Maybe that's why the Scotsman was so happy? In the ad he's jumping for joy at receiving his ticket, saying, "Hoot, mon. It's like finding a quarter-r-r!" (Note the rolling R's.That's his brogue, I presume.)

We could all use a thrift ticket these days.

Newberry's advertisement (1953)

What Happened in 1012?

2012-01-09T23:29:00.000-05:00

Benedict VIII (Wikimedia)

A thousand years ago in 1012, there was a complex succession in the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Sergius IV died after only a year in power and Theophylactus succeeded him as Pope Benedict VIII. Gregory VI attempted to claim the shoes of the fisherman but had little support and was forced to flee Rome. After spending two years in Germany as Antipope, but the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II eventually defanged him, leaving Benedict VIII, the 143rd leader of the Catholic Church at Rom, to rule until his death in 1024.The notorious Pope Benedict IX was born in 1012. He would be one of the youngest popes and the only one to sell the papacy.

Minaret of the al-Hakim mosque in Cairo. (Druze History and Culture)

In 1012, a year after the Baghdad Manifesto, Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr al-Lah (Ruler of God's Command) entered the third of his three distinct periods of rule. This period marked an end to al-Hakim's persecution of non-Muslims and an effort towards acceptance of Christians and Jews who refused to convert to Islam. He was the first Fatimid ruler to be born in Egypt.

St Alphage is asked for advice. Painting by Vincent of Beauvais (c 1400-1410)(Wikimedia)

In 1012, Vikings killed Alphage, the Archbishop of Canterbury, whom they had taken hostage in 1011. He refused to allow payment of a ransom, so he was murdered by his captors.

A work of Cai Xiang (Cultural China)

Cai Xiang, Chinese calligrapher (Wikimedia)

Chinese politician Cai Xiang, the most famous calligrapher of the Song Dynasty, was born in what is now the Fujian Province in 1012. Among his accomplishments, Cai would pioneer the manufacture of an expensive, much sought out variety of dragon tribute tea cake.

History: Matawan Creek Trestle Fire (1946)

2012-01-09T00:12:00.001-05:00

The 12 Dec 1946 edition of The Matawan Journal (Page 1 , Page 2, col 4) featured an article (Rail Service Is Disrupted By Fire; Matawan Trestle Blaze Razes Crossing Over Creek, Meadows; Rush Repair Project) which reported a major fire had caused the utter destruction of the 60 year old all-timber Matawan Creek railroad trestle a little past 7 a.m. the previous Friday (6 Dec 1946).

"[T]he flames from the creosoted timbers lit up the morning sky and dense clouds of smoke drifted southeast over Matawan," according to the Journal, which described the 1004 foot trestle as having stood 75 feet above the creek.

Railroad workers suspected arson, this being the third trestle fire in the region in 6 days.

It was first thought that the fire was the work of an arsonist. Police Chief Edwin C. Sloat and many firemen held to this belief in the early stages of the investigation. Investigators called attention to the fact that the Matawan fire was the third railroad trestle fire in the metropolitan district within six days. They seemed to think, too, that it might be more than mere coincidence that each of the fires began in the darkest morning period just before dawn.

The first of the series destroyed the Pennsylvania Railroad's wooden trestle at Seaside Park. The second broke out on a span of the Long Island Railroad—subsidiary of the Pennsylvania—between Hammels and Broad Channel on Jamaica Bay.

Sparks, or live coals, from steam engines might conceivably have started the Matawan and. Seaside fires, it was said, but engineers have strict orders against dumping fires at either place. The theory that sparks struck from the third rail might have started the Long Island blaze has been advanced but it was pointed out that no trains are scheduled over that span between 2:30 a.m. and 6:25 a.m.

Firemen holding to the arson theory pointed out that the Matawan fire appeared to have broken out in three different parts of the trestle and spread rapidly along the oil and-creosote-soaked timbers, despite the fact the wind was blowing from the north rather than from the east or west, the direction in which the bridge runs.

The flagman said he first noticed the flames at three different places at the trestle's base. When the engines arrived the blaze had made terrific headway and firemen fought a losing fight to save the structure.

The fire caused caused immediate confusion for 10,000+ commuters on two railroad lines, but the NY & LBRR responded quickly. Passengers were soon being re-routed via bus service provided between Matawan and South Amboy. And trains from the Freehold line were being rerouted to Jamesburg and joining service at South Amboy. Others found alternate means. "Many commuters have put wartime car pool systems into operation, driving into South Amboy where the normal train service is not affected."

The railroad contracted the J Rich Steers Construction Co of New York to replace the span. More than 150 workers were soon laboring 24 hours a day to erect a temporary trestle with one track. Tidal flooding was causing some delays, but NY & LBRR expected service to be restored on its trestle in two weeks.

Current map showing relative locations of Aberdeen-Matawan RR station (green), Main Street crossing (yellow), and Matawan Creek trestle (red). The map is oriented north. Garden State Parkway Exit 117 can be seen on right.

John Fritz, the flagman at the Main Street crossing (railroad crossings had people to tend them at this time in history), discovered the fire not long after the 5:40 am train passed through. The blaze was several hundred feet northwest of that crossing. Note that the fire was said to be east of Main Street, but that is in regional railroad terms. Trains heading from Matawan to New York are said to be eastbound because that is the direction they are going when they cross the Hudson River into New York. The trestle was actually northwest of the Main Street crossing. (see map above)

A few administrative notes:

1) A photo of the blaze was taken by a professional photographer at dawn, just before the trestle collapsed. It appeared on the front page of the newspaper. The quality of the online version of the photograph is terrible. Someone should make sure the Borough, Library, and/or Historical Society have a version of that John Mershon photograph for posterity.

2) The online image of this edition of the newspaper goes Page 1, Page 10, Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, etc. Since this story continues on Page 2, you will want to be aware of this error if you plan to view it online.

3) New Jersey History's Mysteries has an image of a postcard labeled Matawan Creek, Matawan, NJ showing what appears to be a bridge over Matawan Creek, presumably Aberdeen Road, with the trestle looming in the background. The caption suggests that this is where the body of Lester Stillwell was recovered.

4) Railroad Picture Archives has an album called Abandoned Railroads of NJ with a 2009 image labeled Matawan Creek Trestle. The overhead catenary lines suggest the North Jersey Coast Line tracks between Long Branch and South Amboy, but the wooden trestle looks to be only a single track. I'm rather perplexed by the image.

5) I found the article below on the Matawan Creek trestle while researching this piece. It is unrelated to the above but might come in handy in your researching the span.

The NY & LBRR are storing heavy timber at Matawan, preparatory to the usual winter repair of the trestle over Matawan Creek. (17 Oct 1930 edition of The Matawan Journal, pg 5)

History: Girls Soccer Begins at Matawan High School (1930)

2012-01-08T20:01:00.001-05:00

1930 Florida State Girls Soccer Team (Flapper Girl)

I stumbled upon this article (below) from the 17 Oct 1930 edition of The Matawan Journal marking the beginning of girls soccer at what was then Matawan High School. No doubt the school board saw no harm in letting girls play this odd European sport in gym class since it was so cheap. Give 'em a ball and let them have at it.

The newspaper, on the other hand, seems to have seen soccer's prospects as a (boys) varsity sport before the school did, as the paper compared soccer's cost to that of football and hockey. No telling if either the school or the paper expected it to become a girls varsity sport. Girls were already playing in college. (see photo above from Florida State's 1930 yearbook.)

Ah, Title IX! So important to girls sports. I have my doubts that MRHS complies, given how much they spend on football, but the situation is much better than it was 80+ years ago. Baby steps, I guess.

MATAWAN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS PLAYING SOCCER

The girls of Matawan High School are getting much enjoyment and physical activity out of a new game, soccer. Soccer is a very active, healthful and interesting game, and the girls are rapidly learning the rules and technique in their physical education classes and in practice after school hours. It is hoped that soon, soccer may become a varsity sport with some keen competition between the high schools of our area. Soccer is less expensive than hockey or football and affords activity for twice as many as basketball.

Who's Your Favourite?

2012-01-07T11:29:00.000-05:00

History: Bedle's Row, Mount Pleasant (c 1840-1930)

2012-01-07T05:12:00.002-05:00

Bedle's Row was a row of five houses located at the corner of what is now Route 79 and Route 516. The houses were supposedly built by Joseph D Bedle (1831-1894), son of Thomas I and Hannah (Dorsett) Bedle of Matawan. Three of the houses were torn down in 1930 to build a gas station at the corner, while the other two houses were merged and renovated to become the home of the station owner.

BEDLE'S ROW - OWNERS

Joseph D Bedle (NYPL)

A row of five houses was built in Mount Pleasant (now Freneau) in the mid-19th century, supposedly by Joseph D Bedle (5 Jan 1831 - 21 Oct 1894), the 23rd Governor of New Jersey ((1875-1878). (It seems more likely to me that the property belonged to Bedle's father, Thomas I Bedle, a local merchant born about 1806. The elder Bedle would have been in a better position and a more appropriate age to be acquiring property and building homes on it at the time it must have occurred. A check of land records and local atlases is in order.)

William L Dayton (Wikimedia)

The property, eventually known as Bedle's Row in apparent tribute to the Governor, was acquired by a prominent local man named Dayton. Two possibles are listed below.

1) Joseph Bedle's legal associate William L Dayton (17 Feb 1807 - 1 Dec 1864). Dayton was an attorney for the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Freehold and a judge in Trenton then moved into politics. He served as New Jersey's US Senator (1842-1851) and was then chosen over Abraham Lincoln in 1856 to be the first Vice Presidential candidate of the recently formed Republican Party (paired with John C Fremont). After that unsuccessful bid, he served as New Jersey Attorney General until 1861, when President Lincoln made him our emissary to France. Dayton was instrumental in protecting US interests in Paris during the Civil War, especially by keeping Napoleon III from recognizing the Confederate States of America. Dayton died in Paris before the war ended.

2) Alfred B Bedle (b abt 1811) was a local physician living in Matawan In the 1870 Census, he had $40,000 in property, including $20,000 in real estate. His son Rensselaer Bedle (b abt 1843) was a lawyer living at home.

Dr Nathan Ervin (b abt 1863) bought Bedle's Row from the "Dayton Estate". (Since William Dayton died in 1864, the land transaction was unlikely to have been between Ervin and William Dayton's estate.) Ervin lived with his wife Georgiana at 103 Main Street in Matawan in the 1920 and 1930 Censuses. They lived in the Borough in 1910, but in Madison in 1870 and 1880.

Gaston Colot and wife purchased Bedle's Row from Dr. Ervin about 1927. Mr Colot was born in Brussels, Belgium about 1885 and died in Matawan in 1965.

BEDLE'S ROW IN THE NEWS

The 7 January 1882 edition of The Matawan Journal provided this brief obituary under the caption Mount Pleasant:

Jacob Horner, who resided in one of the dwellings known as "Bedle's Row," died at 4:30 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. He was married, and was the step-son of Mr George Hiser. He has been afflicted with consumption for some time. The funeral took place on Friday afternoon, and the remains were interred in Rose Hill cemetery.

The 26 July 1899 edition of The Red Bank Register provided this short blurb under In and Out of Town: Short and Interesting Items From All Over the County:

A house in Bedle's row at Matawan, occupied by a family named Heyer, was struck by lightning on Sunday of last week. The occupants of the house received a slight shock.

The 8 February 1929 edition of The Matawan Journal announced Gaston Colot's intention to open a modern gas station at the corner of present-day Route 516 and Route 79 in Freneau.

GASTON COLOT TO BUILD A SERVICE STATION

WILL BE LOCATED AT MIDDLESEX AND MAIN STREETS

Three Houses Are to be Removed to Make Room for the New Station

Gaston Colot has extensive plans prepared to build an up-to-date gas and supply station at the intersection of Middlesex and Main Streets, where the present row of yellow houses now stand. Three of the houses near Middlesex Street will be torn down to make room for the new gas station. The building will be of the modern gas station type but considerably larger than most of them seen on the highway. Beside gas and oil service Mr and Mrs Colot will continue to handle tires and automobile accessories as well as their former battery service work. Work will be started about the first of March, or as soon after as the tenants in all five houses can locate elsewhere. The sidewalk will be widened and the corner of the road cut back in circular fashion to give greater width to the road and ease in turning the corner.

The two houses remaining after the three end houses are torn down will be completely renovated and turned into one dwelling in which the Colots will make their home when completed. Just what will be done with the present garage building has not been determined.

This property was bought by Mr and Mrs Colot a couple of years ago from Dr Nathan Ervin. It has been known for a number of years as Ervin's row. When Dr Ervin bought it from the Dayton Estate, the buildings were in a bad state of repair. He greatly improved the corner. Now the new owner plans to make an even greater improvement in line with the general improvements now taking place on all sides in Matawan. Mr and Mrs Colot and family are Belgians and moved to Matawan fifteen years ago. They have been fine citizens and through the dint of hard work and good business practice have progressed.

The 22 August 1930 edition of The Matawan Journal provided this front page article about the end of Bedle's Row:

Gaston Colot has given the tenants in the five houses owned by him and known as Bedle's Row, notice to vacate. He plans to raze the row of houses which are said to have been built by Governor Bedle, the only Governor of New Jersey to have come from Matawan. In their stead a fine super gas station will be erected along the line of the one-stop gas stations of the present day. The road will probably be widened and a great improvement will be made on the site when it is completed. Work on demolishing the end house will be started next week.

The 17 October 1930 edition of The Matawan Journal provided this update to the razing of Bedle's Row:

The construction of a new gas station has been started on the site from where the old building known as Bedle's row was removed recently.

GASTON COLOT IN THE MATAWAN JOURNAL

The 16 November 1916 edition of The Matawan Journal included an advertisement (bottom, right) for Standard Oil that said Gaston Colot was selling their products in Freneau.

Gaston Colot Auto Repair Shop, Freneau, NJ (1919

The 7 August 1919 edition of The Matawan Journal included an advertisement (above) for the Gaston Colot Auto Repair Shop in Freneau.

Colot 1922

The 3 November 1922 edition of The Matawan Journal included an advertisement (left) for Exide car batteries and battery testing and charging at Gaston Colot's repair shop in Matawan. Ford Magneto ignition systems provided an inconsistent flow of current from non-rechargeable dry cells and were difficult to maintain, so customers were moving to rechargeable batteries. Mr Colot's shop sold A and B batteries for wireless, self-starter and generator and recharged Ford Magnetos while you waited. A similar ad appeared in the 4 May 1923 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Standard Oil, 1916

The 22 February 1924 edition of The Matawan Journal included an advertisement saying that Gaston Colot offered a full array of Chervolet parts and repair services in Matawan.

The 18 February 1965 edition of The Matawan Journal included an obituary for Gaston Colot, who razed Bedle's Row and built a gas station in its place, an enterprise which he operated in Matawan for many years. The article suggested that Mr Colot operated an auto repair shop as early as 1916 but didn't build his gas station until 1930.

Gaston Colot, Matawan, Succumbs In Hospital

Gaston Colot, 80, of 348 Main St., Matawan, who opened the first service station in Matawan Borough, died Tuesday night, Feb. 16, 1965, at Monmouth Medical Center after a long illness.

Mr. Colot was born in Brussels, Belgium. He was the son of the late Felicien and Elvinia Colot. Mr. Colot had been trained for the diplomatic service. He attended Sorbonne University, Paris, and The University of Bonn in Germany and also took advanced studies in the diplomatic field at Nottingham, England. He served as a student officer in the Belgium Navy.

When he was a young man, Mr. Colot and his family came to this country. He had lived in Matawan since 1914 and opened the service station in 1916 which is still in operation, the business being carried on by his son, Robert Colot, a former Matawan councilman, and his grandson, Matawan Councilman Robert R. Colot.

Mr. Colot and his wife, Mrs. Clarisse (Suchet) Colot, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1957.

Surviving in addition to his wife, son and grandson are two other grandsons. Lt. Comm. Peter Colot, U.S. Navy, Alexandria, Va.; Raymond F. Colot, Matawan, and eight grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. from the Bcdle Funeral Home, Matawan, to St. Joseph's Church where at 9 a.m. a requiem mass will be offered.

Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station Zone To Be Developed Piecemeal

2012-01-05T02:25:00.000-05:00

The history of the Aberdeen-Matawan train station redevelopment impasse, as described in today's Independent, is a tale of a fatal difference of opinion between two municipalities over which developer to use. The tussle prompted one of the developers to sue, and that locked things up royally at the proposed Transit Village for years and years.

No doubt there are reasons why the Borough found its own developer instead of sticking with the Township's, but the end result is that an utter lack of cooperation between municipalities has left us in a worse place than if we'd moved forward through compromise long ago.

Amazingly, at this point in the game, the parties seem to have determined that the only way to get anything done is for each municipality to develop its own part of the station and to forgo compromise and cooperation. That piecemeal approach should make the place look just swell, don't you think? A veritable hodgepodge of designs could ensue. And it teaches our youth so much about getting along.

If you thought pointless yet wasteful tugs of war were fought only inside the Beltway, you were mistaken.

2012 Aberdeen Township Zoning Board

2012-01-05T01:24:00.002-05:00

The Aberdeen Township Council was to consider Resolution 2012-2 at its 2 January 2012 reorganization meeting. With that resolution, the Council would appoint Thomas Bucco, George Falco and Sherry Gotell to four year terms (2012-2015) on the zoning board and David Phillips to a two year term (2012-2013) as Alternate No 1.

Mr Bucco was to be a reappointment, his 2008-2011 tour having just expired. Harvey Brenner's tenure on the board had also just expired, but he didn't re-up. He was moving instead to the Township Council, having recently been elected. The origin of the third person's four year term must involve Laronda Hobson's 2008-2011 vacant slot on the board. Mr Phillips was replacing Mr Falco as Alternate No 1 as Mr Falco moves up to full board membership.

The zoning board's reorganization meeting is typically held on a Wed eve in mid- to late January, so a meeting is due in the next week or so. Nothing is posted on the Township website yet. A new chair and vice chair must be chosen. The board will also go through the motions of selecting its other officers: attorney, planner, secretary, et al.

Below is the list of last year's (2011) zoning board members as it appeared on the unmodified Zoning Board page of the Aberdeen Township website as of 4 January 2012. (Tenures of service have been added based on research in past Council minutes, as indicated at bottom.)

Harvey Brenner (2008-2011) - Chair
Henry Arnold (2010-2013) - Vice Chair
Maureen Camillary (2011-2014)
Thomas Bucco (2008-2011)
Giusseppe (Joseph) Ciaglia (2009-2012)
Lyle Phelps (2010-2013)
George Falco (2010-2011) - Alternate No 1
Maxine Rescorl - Secretary
Marc Leckstein - Attorney
CME Associates - Engineer
Coppola & Coppola - Planner

Past Council minutes provide these details about the tenures of the 2011 members above:

Maureen Camillary was to be appointed to a four year tour (2011-2014) by the Township Council at its 4 January 2011 meeting, per Resolution 2011-2.
Henry Arnold and Lyle Phelps were to be appointed to four year tours (2010-2013) by the Township Council at its 1 January 2010 meeting, per Resolution 2010-10. George Falco was to become Alternate No 1 (2010-2011).
The contents of Resolution 2009-2, which approved Zoning Board members that year, are unavailable online, but the intention to nominate Giussepe Ciaglia to a four year term (2009-2012) was contained in the 6 January 2009 Workshop Minutes.
Harvey Brenner, Thomas Bucco, and Laronda Hobson were to be appointed to four year tours (2008-2011) by the Township Council at its , per Resolution 2008-8. Lisa Aviles was to fill the unexpired term of Edward Wysmierski (2008-2009) and Sam Vinson was to serve a two year term (2008-2009) as Alternate No 1.

2012 Aberdeen Township Planning Board

2011-12-31T01:30:00.000-05:00

Aberdeen Township Council is making its annual adjustments to the membership of the Planning Board in its Resolution 2012-1.

Fred Tagliarini remains as ex-officio Class I member (Mayor of Aberdeen Township).
Robert Brady will be appointed to another year as the Class II member (Head of Public Works Department).
Councilwoman Margaret Montone will be appointed to another year as the Class III member (Council representative).
Arthur Hirsch and Joseph Vena are to be appointed to four-year terms (2012-2015) as Class IV members (At-large members). They will replace Peter Cusumano and Concetta Kelley, whose three-year and one-year terms, respectively, expire at the end of 2011. The 3 Feb 2011 edition of The Independent and the Matawan-Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce website both mention an Arthur "Artie" Hirsch as one of the owners of Snap Fitness in the ShopRite shopping center. A May 2010 edition of All-Fitness News referred to him as a new owner of Snap Fitness. This could be the new member of the board. There are numerous listings, including one at Loopnet, for an Arthur Hirsch working as a Weichert realtor in Aberdeen. Perhaps that is a previous career for Artie or a different person entirely? Vena is a well-known surname in Aberdeen but I didn't find any details about a Joseph except a minor Planning Board action in 2007. Ms Kelley is leaving the board to join the Township Council on 1 January 2012.
Pedro Mirabel and William Shenton remain as Class IV (At-large) members til the end of their four-year terms (2010-2013). Mr Shenton served as chair of the 2011 Planning Board. What kind of land transaction was Mr Mirabel's Non-Usable Sale in September 2011? It appears on a NJ State Taxation report of some sort. The property appears to have sold for three times its assessed value.
Wanda Sims will fill the unexpired term (2012) as a Class IV member (At-large member) of Robert Swindle, who is leaving the board to join the Town Council on 1 January 2012. Ms Sims seems to be the daughter of Councilwoman Wilhelmina Gumbs.
Vincent Vinci is to be appointed to a two-year term (2012-13) as Alternate No 1.
James DeMattia is to be appointed to a one-year term (2012) as Alternate No 2.

You're well advised to note the names of Class IV At-large members. Their position is a common stepping stone for Democratic candidates to Township Council positions. It would be nice if the Township website included some basic backgrounds on appointees to this board and Zoning.

Refer to my 5 January 2011 blog posting for more information about Planning Board resolutions in recent years.

A Dozen Years Wasted and Counting

2011-12-26T12:17:00.000-05:00

One of the last actions of the current Aberdeen Township Council will be 2011-134, which proposes to send the train station redevelopment plan back to the Planning Board for reassessment. The Council proposes to resubmit the question to Coppola and Coppola Associates, the firm that determined the need for renewal in the first place more than 12 years ago.

You might say, "The Council could ask anyone in town if redevelopment is necessary. They don't need to pay experts to determine the obvious. Most people have known for a dozen years that something needed to be done to improve the train station area. They've only been waiting for ground to be broken." But the law under which the redevelopment is allegedly being conducted has changed, so the Township plan has become obsolete and must be reconsidered and reassembled at considerable cost and delay.

The lack of progress at the train station was a campaign issue in the fall. This resolution could not have been presented before election day without consequences for the Democratic ticket. Now that the election is over, this resolution is being enacted before the new slate takes office to minimize any tarnish. This holiday session will also assure few people will even know what happened.

And ultimately, reassessment of redevelopment does not guarantee that the Township Council will resolve its differences with the Borough and NJ Transit et al. It just puts us back to where we were 12 years ago. Where will we be in 2024?

MAPL Offers Many Useful Services - 2011 PSA

2011-12-26T02:14:00.000-05:00

The Matawan Aberdeen Public Library beckons. Don't forget to drop in and take advantage of their many useful services and activities. The library is located at 165 Main Street at Park Avenue in downtown Matawan.

Cause An Uproar - Support NatGEO Campaign to Save the Big Cats

2011-12-26T01:55:00.001-05:00

You can begin to Cause an Uproar by learning more about the dire situation with big cats, by "liking" the Cause an Uproad Facebook page, and by sending a donation however small to the cause to save the big cats.

History: Local Businesses and Organizations Offer Holiday Greetings, Matawan Journal (1971)

2011-12-26T00:53:00.000-05:00

The 23 Dec 1971 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this listing of local businesses and organizations wishing readers seasons greetings. See names, streets, and towns below. The street numbers were available in the scanned image but were too difficult to read. A better rendering of this edition would be worth considering as it is mostly illegible.

A Better Trip, Lloyd Road, Matawan
Ann's Delicatessen, North Concourse, Cliffwood Beach
Auto-Lawn, Conover Road, Wickatunk
Burger-Chef (Lambrakis Brothers), Highway 34, Matawan
Buttonwood Manor, Route 34, Matawan
Cherry Travel Agency, Route 34, Matawan
Cliffwood American Servicenter, Highway 35, Cliffwood
Cliffwood Beach Water Company, Ocean Boulevard, Cliffwood Beach
Cliffwood Sunoco, Highway 35 and Cliffwood Avenue, Cliffwood
Dell's Market (Established 1906), Main Street
Don's Television (Sales and Service), Tennent Road, Morganville
Eddie the Butcher, Main Street, Matawan
The Friendly Shop, Main Street, Matawan
Gaslight Liqueur, Main Street, Matawan
Happy Hour Laundromat, Main Street, Matawan
Harris Hardware, Main Street, Matawan
Johnnie's Cozy Corner, Main Street, Matawan
Arne Kalma (Flowers), Route 34, Matawan
Marbell's Coiffures, Route 34, Matawan
The Matawan Borough Mayor and Council
Matawan Chamber of Commerce, Main Street
Matawan Garden Center, Main Street
Matawan Lumber Company, Sutphin Avenue
The Matawan Township Mayor and Council
Nu-Tone Paint and Wallpaper Company (Bal and Ed), Main Street
Rinear's Repairs (Auto), Freneau Avenue, Matawan
Rural Body Works, Highway 34, Cheesequake
Sigismondi's Greenhouses, Lloyd Road, Matawan
Strathmore Lanes, Route 34, Matawan
TenEyck Ronson, Inc, Upper Main, Matawan
Town and Country Dodge, Main Street, Matawan
Dick's Western Auto, Main Street, Matawan
Paul Ziegler (Florist), Jackson Street, Matawan

Pull Up An Old Chair

2011-12-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

Apparently one of the consequences of leaving the Greenwood Avenue gate open is that a lowlife can drive his pickup truck down the access road and leave his old armchair right on the beach. Classy.

Maybe he thought the place was abandoned and uncared for?

The bay view is still beautiful. The beach just needs a little TLC.

History: Grinch Thwarted in Middletown (1991)

2011-12-24T17:49:00.000-05:00

The 18 Dec 1991 edition of The Independent contained this Christmas spirit editorial. This spirit is still alive in the Bayshore. I dropped by the Hazlet K-Mart on Thursday to try to pay off a delinquent layaway Christmas purchase of toys or clothing for someone down on their luck, but all of the accounts had already been paid off by other volunteers. Nice. (The layaway payoff phenomenon is all over the web.)

True meaning of Christmas

As the Christmas season approaches, a reminder of the true meaning of the holiday has been presented to Middletown residents from an unlikely source.

Two weeks ago, an unknown arsonist saw fit to throw a lighted torch through the window of the headquarters of Middletown Helps Its Own, a Port Monmouth-based charity organization which distributes toys and food to needy families during the holidays, among its many charitable endeavors.

Two bins of toys, as well as tons of clothes destined for the needy in the township, were destroyed in the blaze; and were it not for the quick reactions of the Port Monmouth Fire Company, the entire building - a converted historic train station - may have been lost.

The results of the tragedy appeared grave. Shocked and saddened volunteers from MHIO were left with fewer toys to distribute to kids who otherwise may have found nothing in their stockings and nothing under their trees this year.

With the economy in the shape it's in, there would be more and more such children this year than ever before. But then a miraculous thing happened.

Phone calls started pouring in from volunteers, disgusted by the actions of that unknown Grinch who tried to
ruin Christmas for kids whom he's never even met, and willing to help the organization rebound from the
loss.

The Marines donated a truckload of stuffed animals from their "Toys for Tots" program. Donations from individuals skyrocketed. The Middletown police offered to pick up toys from people too busy to get to Port Monmouth to deliver them themselves.

The community responded to the actions of one isolated idiot with togetherness, caring and spirit, and the results were remarkable. MHIO officials now say that their stock of toys for the holidays is larger than it was before the fire, and they have dozens of new volunteers to help distribute them. Middletown helped Middletown Helps Its Own.

In a strange way, it took an arsonist to show everyone the true meaning of Christmas - to give of yourself to help others. When you think about it, it makes a pretty good Christmas story.

African-American Series: Manhunt, Year in County Jail for Petty Theft, 1933

2011-12-24T01:25:00.000-05:00

At the height of the Great Depression, even a fistful of coins from a cash register warranted a manhunt and arrest. All the more so if the thief was a "burly negro." The article below appeared in the 14 July 1933 edition of The Matawan Journal.

BURLY NEGRO GETS 364 DAYS IN JAIL
Captured In Meadows After He Had Stolen About $8 from Hauser's Shoe Store, Keyport

A burly, six-foot Negro giving the name of William Brown and claiming he was from Greenville, Ind., was sentenced to 364 days in the Freehold county Jail last Friday morning when arraigned before Recorder Harry Bolte Jr. of Keyport, charged with stealing about $8 from Frank Hauser, a Keyport shoe merchant.

Brown entered the store of Mr. Hauser on Front Street shortly after 9 o'clock Friday morning, having just left the American Clothing Company's store where he had been begging. Mr. Hauser was standing on the street, a short distance from his store conversing with an acquaintance when he saw the Negro enter the building. Returning to the store, Mr. Hauser saw the man step away from the cash register with.his fists clenched. Upon being questioned as to why he was there and what he had in his hands, the Negro said he came into the store to ask for a dime. He denied that he had taken anything from the cash register. Mr. Hauser compelled the man to open his hands which held a dollar bill and about $7 in silver which was the amount of the money in the register. Mr. Hauser, who is of slight build, struck the Negro, who made a break for the door and ran down the street. Mr. Hauser rushed to the door and called for assistance. An alarm was broadcast and the Keyport police and State Troopers began a search for the colored man. He was traced to the meadows along the creek n the vicinity of the Maple Place bridge and after about an hour and a half search he was located by Police Captain George M. Mason and one of the troopers. The money was found on his person. The Negro was able
to keep himself concealed in the tall sedges and could watch the officers who were unable to locate him for some time.

Brown was fingerprinted by the troopers who stated they believe a check of the prisoner's record will reveal that he is wanted by police in other cities.

History: Buttonwood Manor Opens in Matawan (1933)

2011-12-23T21:19:00.000-05:00

The Buttonwood Manor was to open for business on 1 July 1933, according to this advertisement appearing in the 30 June 1933 edition of The Matawan Journal.

There are two things I can point out in this ad that you might find surprising:

1) In July 1933, the Buttonwood was not on State Highway Route 34, which ended at Main Street in Matawan until 1953. No, the restaurant was on State Highway Route 4, which was established by the NJ State Assembly in 1927 as a north-south route running through the state from Cape May all the way to Fort Lee, where the George Washington Bridge was still under construction. (Some consideration was actually given to calling the Garden State Parkway the Route 4 Parkway because it was going to be a bypass of Route 4.)

2) Five years before the Buttonwood was established in 1933, the "banks of Lake Lefferts" didn't exist. Matawan Creek was only dammed to form this man-made lake in 1928.

History: NJ Bell Advertisement, Matawan Journal (1946)

2011-12-23T16:11:00.000-05:00

New Jersey Bell picked Christmastime to run an advertisement saying that they were having to raise prices because their costs were going up. The ad, which appeared in the 19 Dec 1946 edition of The Matawan Journal, attempted to offer an explanation for their increased rates and to assure customers that they weren't being gouged.

Gee, I guess corporations really are just like people after all. They've always known just how we feel.

History: Ads for Elixirs and Christmas Gifts, Matawan Journal (1871)

2011-12-22T22:12:00.000-05:00

The 23 Dec 1871 edition of The Matawan Journal included these advertisements, among others, on the front page, right below the listing of local marriages and deaths. Many were for elixirs and tonics, ever-present but of dubious value.

An old Baltimore negro who had emigrated to Liberia years ago ordered a quantity of Dr Bell's Cough Syrup a short time ago, stating that although coughs and colds were not frequent in Africa, he would not like to be without it in his family.
CHRISTMAS CANDIES for sale at Ben E Griggs popular grocery store.
If you would save yourself from Pneumonia and your children from Croup, use the "People's Sure Cough Cure" on the first appearance of a Cold. A child's life was saved the other night by having it in the house. Sold by Druggists and Merchants generally. Price 63 cts.
NOTICE: Persons going to New York to purchase holiday presents, etc, can have them delivered at their homes in Matawan or Keyport by ordering them sent, at the store where purchased,by Adams' or the Central Express, thus saving them the trouble of carrying them. J L M Dominick, Agent.
HOLIDAY GOODS: You can make no nicer or more acceptable present than a new dress, pair of shoes or gloves, towels, napkins, fine writing paper, toilet soap, perfumery, jewelry, lamps, crockery, etc, -- All the above and many other Holiday presents may be found, cheap for each, at Henry L Holbrook's.
What more suitable and valuable Holiday Present can you select than some article of clothing from the store of E I Brown? A half-dozen shirts, neckties, collars, cuffs, suit of clothes, a hat, etc, etc.
Can't go to Church? Why not? O! my cough would disturb the congregation. Cure it then with "Hale's Honey of Horehound and Tar," a pure vegetable remedy, unfailing as the Sun and mild and harmless as the summer air. Sold by all druggists. Pike's Toothache Drops cure in one minute.
You can buy Wishart's Pine Tree Tar Cordial at Geo W Bell's drug store.
NERVOUS DEBILITY, Vital weakness or depression: a weak exhausted feeling, no energy or courage, the result of mental overwork, indescretion or excuses, or some drain upon the system is always cured by Humphrey's Homeopathic Specific No 28. It tones up and invigorates the system, dispels the gloom and despondency, imparts strength and energy - stops the drain and rejuvenates the entire man. Been used twenty years with perfect success by thousands. Sold by dealers. Price, $1.00 per single vial or $5.00 per package of five vials and $3.00 vial of powder. Sent by and on receipt of price. Address: Humphrey's Homeopathic Medicine Company, 562 Broadway, New York.
COAL! At Holmdel Station BY JOSEPH D HOFF AND SON, FOR CASH. Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal, as good as the best and as cheap as the cheapest. Also, Genuine Cumberland Coal, for blacksmiths, constantly on hand.

History: Katherine Boggs, First Female on Keyport Council (1962)

2011-12-22T02:26:00.000-05:00

Katherine E Boggs (25 Dec 1907 - 12 Dec 1988) was to become the first female member of the Keyport Borough Council when sworn in on 1 January 1962, according to the 28 Dec 1961 edition of The Matawan Journal. The Republican candidate, she had been elected in November 1961 to fill a one-year unexpired term on the board. She anticipated creating a master plan so Keyport could acquire Federal urban renewal funding and begin to move forward. (Dec 1961 Matawan Journal, Social Security Death Index)

SERVICE

Mrs Boggs was an incumbent Republican candidate in the 1962 election, according to page 3 col 5 of the 18 Apr 1962 edition of the Red Bank Register. As a councilwoman in 1964, Mrs Boggs presented a parking issue before the Council (RBR 11 Feb 1964 p 2 col 2) and argued for local bars to close at 2 am instead of 3 am (RBR 9 Jun 1964 p 3 col 6). And as a councilwoman in 1965, she was at loggerheads with the Planning Board over the expansion of apartment developments in the borough. She and the school board felt that apartments did not bring in sufficient tax revenues to support all the children they tended to add to the school system. The mayor, a realtor, and the Planning Board were opposed to an apartment ban. Mrs Boggs collected signatures on petitions she presented to the Board and Council (RBR 13 Apr 1965 p 13 col 4).

In August 1969, Mrs Boggs was president of the Keyport Welfare Board. The 26 Aug 1969 edition of the Red Bank Register showed Mrs Boggs arguing with the Borough Council over the control of welfare matters.

BACKGROUND

Soon after moving to the borough from Milltown in 1946, Mrs Boggs began to attend Keyport Board of Education meetings. She founded and presided over the Keyport High School Mothers Club, an organization that served as a parent-teacher association, athletic booster club, and scholarship fund all in one. About 1948, she joined a group of community members in calling for more and better recreational facilities in Keyport, prompting Rutgers University to conduct a formal survey of available facilities. She ultimately served on the school board from 1950 to 1956, setting her up for her duties on the Council. In all things, she took an active interest and never hesitated to express her opinion. (Matawan Journal, 1961)

Mrs Boggs graduated from Collingswood High School in southern New Jersey and studied for 2 years at Temple University's business school. She did clerical work at the Will E Cusick firm in Keyport from about 1949 to 1958, when the firm closed. Her family consisted of husband Harrison R Boggs (14 May 1907 - 21 Aug 1989) and children Harrison, Jr; Richard; and Katherine. Mrs Boggs and her husband were living in Jamesburg in the late 1980s when they died. (Matawan Journal, 1961, Social Security Death Index)

PETER SONDERGAARD AND PERTH AMBOY TERRA COTTA COMPANY

The Boggses acquired the Peter Sondergaard house on Beers Street when they relocated from Milltown after the Second World War. (Matawan Journal, 1961)

DANE (Danish Archives North East) at Rootsweb says that Peter Sondergaard of Keyport joined several others in the establishment of a terra cotta factory in Perth Amboy in the spring of 1895. The factory became a major supplier of terra cotta for the construction of building facades across the country.

Peter A Sondergaard (62 Denmark, speaks Danish) lived on Beers Street in the 1930 Federal Census along with his wife Marie (53) and sister Sophia Peterson (70). He had $17,500 worth of property and no occupation.

Peter A Sondergaard (51 Germany, speaks Danish) lived on Beers Street in the 1920 Federal Census along with his wife Marie (43) and sister Sophia Peterson (59). He was retired. (Note: Comparing the 1930 and 1920 censuses, I thought the 1920 census enumerator made a mistake with Peter's birth place, but apparently the 1930 enumeration was the incorrect record. The 1910 Federal Census also said that Peter and his parents were born in Germany but spoke Danish.)

Peter Sondergaard (42 Germany) lived on Washington Street, Keyport, in the 1910 Federal Census along with his wife Marie (33) and a Danish servant named Andrew Johnson (23). Peter worked at a manafactory (sic) of terre cotta. Peter and Marie had been married 15 years and she had had no children.

History: Poet's Inn, Matawan (1961)

2011-12-20T01:14:00.000-05:00

The 21 Dec 1961 edition of The Matawan Journal contained an advertisement for The Poet's Inn, which was announcing the opening of their bar and cocktail lounge on Thursday 28 Dec 1961 at 5 pm. They were accepting New Year's Eve reservations for a buffet, favors and dancing.

History: Christmas Tree Lights Are Safe (1931)

2011-12-19T22:35:00.000-05:00

The 18 Dec 1931 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this JCP&L advertisement selling electric Christmas tree lights fire safety

Electric Christmas Tree Lights Are Safe

Back in the days of whatnots, bustles and whiskers, Christmas was a busy day for the fire department. But along came the incandescent lamp -- and that was changed. The proud papa playing Santa Claus replaced candles with electricity -- and could go through Christmas day without asbestos whiskers.

We have a complete assortment of Electric Light sets for Christmas Trees -- heavy, water-proofed circuits for outdoor lighting -- bulbs both brilliant and softly glowing. Let us help you light up for Christmas.

Jersey Central Power & Light Co

History: Hahne & Co, Newark, Christmas Ad (1911)

2011-12-19T00:09:00.000-05:00

Page 4 of the 21 Dec 1911 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this Christmas advertisement by Hahne & Co, a huge furniture store between Halsey and Broad Streets at New Street in Newark. The ad featured a woman and her young daughter contemplating the purchase of an armchair as a Christmas gift. The woman was saying,"Mother and father would be pleased with a nice easy chair." The little girl was offering,"Merry Xmas to Grandma."

The ad bragged about the store's large selection and endless stock. "You can come to Newark assured of finding practically anything and everything you want. This is no little store with little stocks. It is the state's great treasure house." And it assured customers that delivery in time for Christmas was also not a problem.

Julius Hahne (pronounced Hayne) founded Hayne & Company in 1858. The 5 story tall flagship store was built on a 23 acre site on Broad Street in Newark in 1911. That store had 441.000 sq ft and included two restaurants and an atrium. The company suffered as Newark's fortunes seriously eroded in the 1960s and 1970s. It was eventually absorbed into Lord & Taylor in 1988.

Below is a Google map and street view of a large boarded up building where Hahne & Co once stood. The image is of Halsey Street between Bleeker and New Streets.

History: Rabies in Matawan (1885)

2011-12-17T18:06:00.006-05:00

A young man captures a rabid dog on a French street in this detail from a painting.

The 23 Dec 1885 edition of The Red Bank Register carried this story about a mad dog that attacked two people -- one in Matawan and another in Keyport -- bit five dogs, was hunted for two days and eventually shot and killed in Cliffwood. Treatment for hydrophobia was in its infancy, so the victims had to hop a ship to France for immediate treatment from Dr Louis Pasteur himself. The first human trial of the treatment had been in July of that very year.

A MAD DOG AT MATAWAN.
TWO PERSONS BITTEN BY THE RABID ANIMAL

Edward Bucklin, of Matawan, and Charles Britton, of Keyport, the Victims—The Bitten Persons to Sail for Paris to Be Treated for Hydrophobia—A Number of Dogs Also Bitten -- The Mad Dog Killed After a Two-Days' Chase.

Last Saturday afternoon Chas. S. Bucklin, of Matawan, with Holmes Boice and Edward, Mr. Bucklin's youngest son, went out gunning. They took with them Mr. Boice's six-month-old bird dog. The dog and boy played together all the afternoon until the dog began to act strangely. It snapped at objects and foamed at the mouth, and suddenly, without any warning.it ran up to Edward and bit him on the hand. The wound was slight, but nevertheless created some alarm, which grew almost to terror when on Sunday it was found that the animal was undoubtedly mad.

After the gunning expedition the cur was taken home and chained up. On Sunday afternoon it grew restless and barked incessantly. A young lad stole up behind tbe place where it was fastened and loosened the chain. Like a shot the dog started off toward Main Street. Down the street it ran at a headlong speed, while the people looked on and wondered if the dog was mad. He met five dogs on the way to the depot and bit all of them. Two have since been shot. From the depot the dog ran on to Keyport, and at that place Charles Britton was severely bitten. From Keyport the animal went to Cliffwood where it was hunted for two days, and was finally captured and killed.

S S Normandie (Wikimedia)

Early on Monday morning Mr. Bucklin and Mr. Britton visited the physicians in Newark who had communi- cated with M. Pasteur about the children bitten in that city, and they advised both to sail for Paris at once and undergo treatment for the prevention of hydrophobia. Accordingly this Wednesday morning at six o'clock young Bucklin sailed on the Steamer St. Germain for Havre, from whence be will proceed to Paris by rail. Mr. Britton will probably follow on the steamer Normandie next Wednesday.

Much sympathy is expressed for Mr. Bucklin. His son is a bright boy of fourteen years, and much liked by everyone who know him. Many people claim that the Commissioners should enforce their ordinance concerning dogs, but they say they have no authority, and thus the matter rests.

History: Sebastian Straniero, Keyport, Earns Bronze Medal in Germany (1945)

2011-12-17T13:19:00.002-05:00

The 18 Oct 1945 edition of The Matawan Journal highlights two regional Bronze Medal winners (Sebastian Straniero of Keyport in Europe and Charles Schilke of Wickatunk in the Pacific) and provides that week's list of local soldiers heading home to Matawan (Charles W VanClief, Herbert H Schenck, Charles H Shinn, Joseph A Conzalina, Leo A Kalleta, and Richard V Voelker) , Keyport (Charles S Hopla, Charles Kegley, Frank Della Pietro, Clair Menzel, and Robert J Trusain?), Cliffwood (Edward T Cox, John D Boyle, Edward G Oakes), Browntown (Everett H Congrove and Frank Burlew), West Keansburg (Ira J Boyce), and Laurence Harbor (Frederick N Thomas).

The 1930 Federal Census shows Sebastian Straniero (8, NY) living on Poole Avenue in Raritan Township with his parents Grazio (41, Italy) and Mary C (35, NY) Straniero and siblings Nicholas (12, NY), John (10, NY), Salvatore (5 NJ), Charles (2 10/12, NJ), and Anthony (1 2/12, NJ). Grazio was a laborer at a truck farm. He had immigrated to the US in 1910 and was a permanent resident alien. He and Mary wed about 15 years earlier (he at age 27, she at 20).

According to his obituary in the 14 May 2008 edition of The News Transcript, Sebastian Straniero went on to serve in Korea through the National Guard. He was the owner/operator of Buddy's Barber Shop in Hazlet. He worked for the Hazlet Board of Education, retiring in 1991. He died in Morganville on 1 May 2008 at the age of 86. His brothers Nick, John, Charles and Anthony all predeceased him. Two sisters and a brother survived, as did his wife Frances and two sons. Frances died in August 2010, according to her obituary on Day Funeral Home's website.

The article below is just one example of our area's human investment in the Second World War and how our local boys were in the thick of it. There were four Straniero brothers in the service; three would be home for Christmas in December 1945, according to the Journal.

Bronze Star Medal For Local Soldier
Raritan Twp. Youth Cited For Achievement In Germany; Expected Home For Christmas

Pfc. Sebastian A. Straniero, 23, son of Mrs. Mary Straniero, Raritan Township, R. D. 1 , Keyport, has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement in action on Apr. 6, 1945, in the vicinity of Zuttlingen, Germany.

The citation accompanying the award, reads as follows —"Private Straniero was advancing as lead scout of the platoon when he was fired on by an enemy machine gun about a hundred yards away. Falling to the ground, he signalled for his platoon to provide covering fire as he advanced to bring fire on the enemy. Crawling under fire, Private Straniero advanced 50 yards and, firing two shots, killed the enemy gunner, enabling the platoon to continue its advance. The aggressive action of Private Straniero reflects great credit upon himself and upon the Armed Forces of the United States."

Straniero, who expects to be home for Christmas, entered the army in November, 1942, and was sent overseas in March, 1943. He served for two and one-half years with the 43lst Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Aircraft Warning Battalion which on Aug. 6 marked its third anniversary of overseas service. He was transferred to the 63rd Infantry Division in December, 1944.

He attended the Raritan Township schools and worked at Eisner's in Red Bank before entering service. He has three brothers in service, and they are, John, seaman first class, who expects to be home also for Christmas after a year and a half in the Pacific; Cpl. Nicholas, with the 88th Division of the Fifth Army in Italy, who has been overseas two years and in service four and one-half yearn, and Cpl. Salvatore, now in Korea, having been overseas a year and a half. Nicholas, whose wife lives in Matawan, anticipates being home for Christmas, too.

Pull The Plug On Illegal Online Gun Sales - NYC Lays It Out For Us

2011-12-17T00:32:00.000-05:00

40% of all gun sales are through private sellers. There are no background checks in a private sale, but the seller cannot sell a weapon to someone they suspect would not be able to pass a background check. It's illegal. Check out POINT, CLICK, FIRE! An Undercover Investigation of Illegal Online Gun Sales, sponsored by the New York City mayor's office. Their private investigators found that 62% of online sellers (125 sellers, 14 states) were willing to sell a gun to someone who told them they couldn't pass a background check. They have an interesting press release detailing the investigation, its results, and their recommendations. They also have more videos like the one below.

Given the unthinkable violence we've seen in our county, it is unwise to believe this is a NYC problem. It's everybody's problem.

History: Horses and Mules in Matawan (1886)

2011-12-15T20:23:00.001-05:00

The 18 Dec 1886 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this shockingly stark Before & After advertisement for horse feed. A ragged looking horse begs the reader, "Send me to Peterson's or the buzzards will have me, sure." The right panel shows that same horse prancing down the lane, revitalized. The caption reads, "After eating the sweet & pure feed from Peterson & Co, Main St, Matawan."

The 7 Apr 1877 edition announced that day's grand opening of the Peterson and Smith groceries and provisions store under Washington Hall in Matawan. Under Local Miscellany, the paper reported "A show window has been put in the store under Washington Hall adjoining the drug store of Dr Shackelton. The store has been rented by Messrs. Wm A Smith and Thomas Peterson, former clerks of Mr Henry L Holbrook, for a grocery store."

The 1880 Federal Census showed Thomas L Peterson (26 NY), retail grocer, living in Matawan with his parents, Charles F (58 NY) and Susan C (56 NJ) Peterson, and his sister, Addie Peterson (20 NY). Charles was a carpenter by occupation. Susan had pneumonia at the time of the census. Wm A Smith (28 NJ), dealer in dry goods, was also living in Matawan in 1880, along with his wife Fanny (25 NJ) and his brother Israel Smith (23 NJ), a clerk in a store.

The 7 Jan 1888 edition referred to Peterson's as the Washington Hall grocer in Matawan, purveyor of groceries, hay, straw, flour and feed.

The same edition of The Matawan Journal included the above advertisement for Frank Bedle's sale and exchange stables. Apparently while the American frontier was being "tamed," enterprising businessmen were out west buying up large quantities of horses and mules and shipping them East, probably by train, for sale in places like Matawan. As the ad proclaimed, "New lots [were] being received from the West."

In 1886, people were still getting around on horseback or in carriages and using horses and mules to pull wagons, carts, trolleys and various forms of farm and road equipment. Easterners were looking for animals that were "hardy, serviceable and stylish for heavy work, carriage and saddle." This market would all but disappear over the next 25 years as motor vehicles claimed their place in society.

Frank Bedle (32 NJ), laborer, was living in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census, along with his wife Josephine (31 NJ), son Theron (4 NJ), daughter Lilly (1 NJ), mother-in-law Margaret Magee (54 NJ), sister-in-law Mary A Crawford (25 NJ), niece Laura Crawford (3 NJ), and a boarder named John Hollahan (21 NY), laborer.

The same edition of The Matawan Journal also contained an advertisement for Sidney Walling, manufacturer and dealer in harness, robes, sheets, whips, etc., located on Main Street in Matawan. His shop was two doors above the Matawan House. Walling claimed "a full assortment of all goods pertaining to the trade," adding that "Goods not in stock [can be] procured at short notice" and "Repairing [will be] promptly attended to."

Sidney Walling (58 NJ), harness maker, also lived in Matawan, according to the 1880 Federal Census, along with his wife Mary J (51 NJ) and their daughter Minnie (14 NJ).

History: Benjamin E Griggs, Matawan Grocer, Christmas Ad (1881)

2011-12-13T02:10:00.001-05:00

The 10 Dec 1881 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this advertisement for fancy fruits, nuts, and groceries for the approaching holidays. The ad said that Kris Kringle had "appointed Ben E Griggs as his Matawan agent for the best Christmas and New Year's grades of oranges, lemons, raisins, currants, citron, foreign and domestic nuts, and fancy groceries for sale at reasonable prices!"

The 1880 Federal Census shows Benjamin E Griggs, age 32, grocer, living in the Matawan Township household of his father, also Benjamin E Griggs, age 60, assessor of taxes. Also living in the household were the grocer's sisters Elizabeth Griggs, age 30, and Sarah A Hendrickson, age 42, and Sarah's husband Garrett Hendrickson, age 42. All were born in NJ.

The 1889 Atlas of Monmouth County shows a lot labeled "B E Griggs" at the corner of what is now Main and Center Streets.

Benjamin was 52 years old (Sept 1847) in the 1900 Federal Census. He was still a grocer but was now head of household. His part of town had become the Borough of Matawan. He was now married to a 43 year old (Oct 1856) woman named Daphne. They had wed four years earlier. Benjamin's widowed brother William Griggs, age 60 (Nov 1839), was living in the household and working as a grocery salesman.

Whither Downtown Matawan?

2011-12-12T00:16:00.000-05:00

The Dollar Express store at 147 Main Street in Matawan is going out of business. This will be just one more vacancy for an already depressed downtown. It's truly bad times when a dollar store can't make it. Does the Borough Council actually have a plan to stop the bleeding? What's their greater vision for Main Street?

The Fracking Song - My Water's On Fire Tonight

2011-12-11T14:09:00.001-05:00

The EPA has publicly linked fracking to groundwater contamination in at least one drilling location, according to NPR's All Things Considered. But the battle rages on. The company denies the allegations. In the meantime, the EPA is conducting a broader study of the effects of fracking.

History: Fred Hendrickson Murders William Slack in Red Bank (1899)

2011-12-11T03:46:00.002-05:00

Nineteen year old Fred Hendrickson murdered 67-year-old William Slack in a fit of jealous rage after coming upon Slack and Mrs Fanny Withington in the woods with a six-pack of beers, according to the 20 Sep 1899 edition of The Red Bank Register. Hendrickson was not pleased with the couple's sylvan rendez-vous because he considered Mrs Withington his girl, so he took one of the beers and broke it across Mr Slack's skull, killing him. He then dragged the body to the edge of the clearing and left.

Moses Withington, Fanny's husband, was out of the picture as he was taken to Long Island a week earlier by Pinkerton detectives, who arrested him on charges related to the murder of John Bunn in Bayshore, LI over the 4th of July holiday. The detectives said Withington had been working on Long Island at the time under the name Charles Richardson.

Hendrickson, Mrs Withington, and Eugene "Slick" Holmes and his wife Edith were incarcerated in the Monmouth County jail in Freehold. The Holmeses aided and abetted the crime by providing Hendrickson a place to stay the night. Hendrickson was arrested at their home the day after the murder.

Distant Cousin has a full transcript of the Red Bank Register article about this incident.

Below are some details about key players in this saga. I'll add updates to this article if I can find more information about this story.

Fred Hendrickson

Fred Hendrickson is the son of Henry Hendrickson of Shrewsbury. Initial reporting suggested that Fred was the maternal grandson of Mingo Jack, an African American who was lynched at Eatontown for assaulting the white woman, Angelina Herbert. This was soon retracted. His mother was actually the daughter of John and Rachel Holmes, according to the Red Bank Register of 27 September 1899, as cited by Distant Cousin.

Fred was educated in the Red Bank school system. "He left school about five years ago. The Red Bank boys and girls who were his school mates say that he was a very nice mannered boy and they liked him very much. . He had more companions and associates among the white young people than any other colored lad has ever had in Red Bank. A short time ago he began to go with a tough-crowd of colored people and his degeneration was rapid He lived with his father at Shrewsbury until about two months ago, when his father told him he must give up his evil companions or quit his house. The boy chose to do the latter and has since lived at Red Bank."

The 4 October 1899 edition of The Red Bank Register details the empanelment of the Grand Jury at Freehold. The names of the judge and jury are provided.

Fred served 7 years in prison for the murder of William Slack.

New Jersey birth records show Fred Hendrickson was born 12 Oct 1876 in Shrewsbury to Henry and Charlotta Hendrickson.

The 1910 Federal Census shows a Fred Hendrickson (30 NJ) living in Red Bank with his wife of 7 years Margaret. He was a laborer at the bottling works. They were enumerated by race as mulatto.

Fred ran into Fannie again in 1911, according to the following article from the 23 Dec 1911 edition of The South Amboy Citizen, page 2.

Has Ex-Convict Arrested

With blood streaming from a gash over her right eye and her face lacerated, Mra. Fannie Holmes, of Beach street, Red Bank, staggered into police headquarters Saturday and told Police Chief J. Frank Patterson that Fred Hendrickson, a former convict had beaten her and attempted to kill her with a knife. Hendrickson was arrested a little later and committed to jail to await the action of the grand jury. Hendrickson recently served a term of seven years in the State prison for killing John Slack. Slack was talking with Mrs. Holmes when Hendrickson hit him over the head with a bottle, killing him instantly.

He was driving a carriage in Red Bank in this article in the 26 March 1913 edition of The Red Bank Register.

HORSE IN LIVELY FLIGHT
EXCITING RUNAWAY ON MONMOUTH STREET MONDAY MORNING
Two Men and a Horse Hurt, and a Wagon and Automobile Badly Damaged -- Driver's Escape from Serious Injury Was Remarkable

Two men and a horse wofe hurt and an automobile and a wagon were damaged in a lively runaway on Monmouth street Monday morning. The horse belongs to William Kelly, proprietor of the American hotel. A New York man had hired the rig to go to Oceanport. Fred Hendrickson of Red Bank was driving. Some of the harness broke when the wagon was near the railroad crossing and this caused the horse to bolt.

The horse ran down the street at top speed for a distance and then dashed into an automobile belonging to Mrs. Isaac H. Adlem. The machine was standing in front of Dr. Frances L. Cooke's house. Both Hendrickson and the New York man were thrown out. Hendrickson for a few minutes was beneath the excited plunging horse and it seemed remarkable that he was not crushed to death. The New York man landed heavily on his shoulder. He was taken into Dr. Cooke's house, and later in the morning he returned to New York. His injuries are painful but not serious.

Hendrickson was cut and bruised on his hands and legs. The horse also suffered similar injuries. The automobile is a new machine, which Mrs Adlem bought about a week ago. Both the lamps on it were broken and it was otherwise damaged. It is estimated that it will cost about $200 to repair it. The dash board of the wagon was broken and the vehicle was badly dented and bent.

Fred Hendrickson, born 12 Oct 1876, registered for the World War I draft in September 1918. He was working for Frank H Brasch as a teamster at the stable on West Street in Red Bank. His residence was also listed as West Street. Fred listed his nearest relative as his mother, Charoli Hendrickson, 12 St. Mary Place, Red Bank. He was listed as negro by race, short by height, and slender by build.

The 1920 Federal Census showed Fred Hendrickson (43 NJ) living on Central Avenue in Red Bank, along with his partner Josephine Lacey and 4 Lacey children.The family was enumerated by race as black. He was a laborer at the coal yard by trade.

The 28 June 1965 edition of The Red Bank Register, page 2, contained the obituary of Fred Hendrickson's widow.

MRS MARGARET HENDRICKSON

RED BANK — Mrs. Margaret Hendrickson, 85, of 16 St. Mary's Pl., died Saturday at her home. Mrs. Hendrickson was born in Canada.

She was a member of the Shrewsbury Ave. AME Zion Church here.

Mrs. Hendrickson was the widow of Fred Hendrickson.

Surviving are an adopted daughter, Mrs. Grace Jeter of this place and several nieces.

The funeral will be tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the F. Leon Harris Funeral Home, Red Bank, with Rev. T. H. Coursey, pastor of the Shrewsbury Ave. A.M.E. Zion Church, officiating. Burial will be in White Ridge Cemetery, Eatontown.

William Slack

Slack was born and raised in the Trenton area, where he worked as a carpenter. He moved to Red Bank after the Civil War and lived on Broad Street for a few years with his wife and three sons. After his wife died, Slack moved West, returning to Red Bank about 1896. His sons Ralph and Joseph were living in Red Bank at the time of the murder, while his son Charles remained out West. Slack built a number of houses in Red Bank and was considered a good carpenter. He built the Hubbard house at the corner of Broad and Monmouth Streets, for example.

William Slack (30) of Princeton was called for military service in the Civil War in June 1863, according to a registry of the Second Congressional District draftees.

The 1860 Federal Census showed William Slack (28 NJ) living in Lawrenceville, Mercer County, NJ with wife Anna P (28 NJ), son Charles H (4 NJ), and daughter Elizabeth (6/12 F NJ). William was a carpenter. He and his family were enumerated as white by race.

Annie Slack (35 PA) and sons Charles (14 NJ), Ralph (6 NJ), and Joseph Slack (1 NJ) were enumerated in Lawrence Township, Mercer County, NJ in the 1870 Federal Census. They were living in the household of Israel and Mary Reed. Mary was 28 and born in Pennsylvania, so she and Annie could have been sisters. Israel was a farmer.

Ralph Slack

Slack's son Ralph, also a carpenter, died on 3 Oct 1899, less than a month after his father was murdered. He was aged 34 years 7 months at the time of his death.

The 12 October 1899 edition of The Matawan Journal, page 2, inferred that his death might have been a suicide, perhaps a response to the circumstances of his father's recent death:

Killed By a Train - Ralph Slack of Red Bank, aged 34 years, son of William Slack who was murdered at Red Bank about four weeks ago, was killed by a freight train at Red Bank last Thursday night. He was working at Lakewood that day and returned to Red Bank at 4:45 that afternoon. He did not go home immediately, but was noticed between 7 and 8 o'clock lying down in the vicinity of his house. Hearing a train whistle blow, he was seen to jump up and run toward the railroad track. Later his body was picked up between the tracks. He leaves a wife and two children.

The 1900 Federal Census showed Ralph's widow, Thasia Stack (Oct 1865 NJ) and her children Yvonne (Jul 1891) and Robert (May 1895), living in Shrewsbury with Ralph's brother Joseph (Dec 1868 NJ), his wife Bernice (Aug 1877 NY) and their 2 children Elsie (Apr 1897 NJ) and Ralph (Jan 1899). Also a carpenter, Joseph had been married to Bernice for 4 years at the time. Thasia was working as a seamstress to make ends meet. She had had 4 children, but only 2 had survived by the time of the census.

The 1895 NJ State Census showed Ralph P and Phisa (?) Slack living in Shrewsbury along with children Yvonne, Robert H, and Joseph.

The 1880 Federal Census showed a 17-year-old Ralph Slack in reform school in Jamesburg, Middlesex County, NJ.

Moses Withington

The 1900 Federal Census shows Moses Withington (Apr 1876 NJ) as a prisoner at Sing Sing State Prison at Ossining, Westchester County, NY. A waiter by occupation, Moses had been married 7 years at the time of the census. Moses was enumerated as a black man.

Moses (4 NJ) was living in his parents' household in Middletown in the 1880 Federal Census. His father Samuel Withington (55 DE) was a gardener by trade. His mother was Catherine (43 NJ) and his many siblings were Wesley (18 NJ) Alfred (16 NJ), Caroline (12 NJ), Cornelius (10 NJ), Augustus (7 NJ), and Ida (2 NJ).

Birth records show Moses was born in Trenton on 11 May 1876 to Samuel and Catharine Withington.

First Methodist Church Responds

A TEMPERANCE SERVICE.
Pictures of Red Bank Events at the First Methodist Church.

A temperance service was held by the Sunday-school of the First Methodist church on Sunday afternoon. Rev. J. E. Parmley of Oceanic made an address and Rev. E. C. Hancock and John Chamberlain gave blackboard talks. The illustrations on the blackboard were drawn by Clarence M. Johnston. One series of illustrations was called " Snap Shots of Recent Events in Red Bank." Among the events pictured were Fred Hendrickson in jail, the finding of Ralph Slack's body on the railroad track, the eviction of a family for non-payment of rent, and a young man taking a drink at a hotel bar.

APP Sports Highlights MRHS Girls Soccer Coach Ken McCabe

2011-12-11T01:04:00.000-05:00

The Asbury Park Press has highlighted Ken McCabe, Matawan Regional High School's girls soccer coach, as one of the region's stars.

J Mabel Brown, Matawan Journal, Visited Hawaii (1928)

2011-12-08T01:33:00.000-05:00

Schofield Barracks Salute (Honolulu Magazine)

J Mabel Brown and her sister went to Hawaii in 1928. There is a lengthy write up on pg 7 of the 4 May 1928 edition of The Matawan Journal. Part travelog, part history lesson, the three-column article has the occasional personal or local tidbit.

The sisters visited in Honolulu with Mr and Mrs Edgar Schanck, formerly of Holmdel.

Ms Brown tells an amusing story of taking the wheel of their chauffeured vehicle so that their driver could play them songs on his ukelele. She hadn't noticed that it was a powerful 12 cylinder car and she was totally unfamiliar with the terrain, but she was soon cruising along while the driver played for two hours.

They dropped in at Pearl Harbor. It was 13 years before the Japanese surprise attack, but already politics were surrounding the naval base there. Ms Brown reported, "The Federal government maintains a large army post with quarters for a division of 30,000 men at Schofield barracks and subsidiary forts. Here we spent a day, and a fine lot of men they are. The navy base at Pearl Harbor is one of the most discussed problems by our Government. There are also aviation fields and a powerful radio station."

Before they left Hawaii, the sisters met with Governor Wallace Rider Farrington. Ms Brown, editor of The Matawan Journal, found lots to talk about with the Governor, who was an "old newspaper man." She had a letter of introduction from Secretary of State Frank B Kellogg, which she carried at the insistence of Senator Walter Evans Edge, also a former journalist, but she didn't need it to get in to see the Territorial Governor. She also carried a letter of introduction from former Congressman Stewart H. Appleby, who had read about the sisters' trip in a piece in The Asbury Park Press.

Monmouth County Board of Freeholders - Jan 2012 Reorganization and Beyond

2011-12-06T22:17:00.000-05:00

More Monmouth Musings provides a useful brief on what the January 2012 reorganization is expected to bring to the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders. There is also discussion of Freeholder candidates for upcoming elections and their likely supporters on the current board.

History: Suspicious Death of Thomas Lynch, 28, of Keyport (1900)

2011-12-06T21:46:00.000-05:00

The last Keyport horse-drawn trolley before electrification. The car stable in background later became the home of Rollo Bus Company. (Courtesy Keyport Kid)

A front page story in the 6 December 1900 edition of The Matawan Journal concerned the suspicious death the previous Saturday evening of Thomas Lynch at "Jerry Shehan's hotel near the car stable." Witnesses said that Lynch fell out of his chair as if poisoned. He was removed to his home in the Apple Orchard section of Keyport, where he died the following morning. An autopsy on Tuesday revealed that Lynch had died from "alcoholism." Lynch, the step-son of Edward Brown, was about 28 years old and unmarried.

Thomas Lynch

The 1900 Federal Census for New Jersey shows Thomas Lynch, born Dec 1874 in New York to Irish parents, living in the Keyport, Raritan Township household of his cousin Edward Brown, born Jan 1850 in Ireland. Mr Brown was an oysterman and Thomas was a laborer at a brickyard. Also in the household were Mr Brown's wife, Mary, born Mar 1855 in Massachusetts to Irish parents, and Mr Brown's widowed older brother, James Brown, born Feb 1843 in Ireland. James listed no occupation. James emigrated to the US in 1865, three years after Edward; both were naturalized as US citizens. It appears that they lived on Beers Street.

Thomas Lynch could be identical with Thomas G Lynch, 6 years old, son of Michael (30 Ireland) and Mary A Lynch (34 Ireland), who were residing in Castleton, Staten Island, New York in the 1880 Federal Census. Thomas G's father was a laborer. Thomas G had an older brother John (7) and younger brothers Michael (5), Richard (3), and Peter (1 mo, born in May 1880). All of the children were born in New York.

Car Stable

Today's automobile collectors and racing enthusiasts call a garage full of expensive vehicles a "car stable," but in the late 19th and early 20th century, the term referred to a place where a trolley service stored its passenger vehicles, whether horse-drawn or powered by electric lines.

On page 1243 of The History of Essex County, Massachusetts, Vol II Part 1, written by Duane Hamilton Hurd and published in 1888 by J W Lewis & Co, the author discussed an 18th century tavern in Wenham that used to be "situated where the horse-car stable now stands."

Column 7 of the front page of the 2 July 1889 edition of The New York Sun, available at Chronicling America courtesy of The New York Public Library, tells of an apparent sexual assault that occurred near the street car stables in Keyport. (The attacker was not only negro but black, seemingly double trouble in the mind of the New York reporter. And the woman was not only attacked but assaulted, apparently a subtle reference to what seems to have been an attempted rape.)

On Thursday evening of last week, about 9 o'clock, Mrs Mary Green, aged 63 years, of Keyport, was attacked near the street car stables by a large, black, powerful negro, who attempted to assault her. She managed to escape, though seriously hurt by the attack, most of her clothing being torn from her body. The negro escaped and has not yet been caught.

Page 10 of the 20 September 1899 edition of The Matawan Journal described how the "Keyport horse car line" lost one of its vehicles to fire while parked "on the track in front of the car stables."

One of cars of the Keyport horse car line was destroyed by fire last week. The car stood on the track in front of the car stables and a lighted lamp was placed in it as a warning to passers-by. The lamp exploded and caused the fire. The loss is about $800 and is partly covered by insurance.

With the development of electric-powered trolley service in the Bayshore in the early 20th century, the term car stable may have begun to refer to a storage facility for electric-powered trolley cars. For example, page 9 of the 20 May 1903 edition of The Red Bank Register mentioned the establishment of a car stable in the Keyport-Matawan area, the direct result of electric-powered trolley development in the Bayshore. Was the facility to handle remnants of the horse-drawn business or the budding new electric-powered cars? It's unclear from the following text.

The Jersey Central traction company, which is extending its [trolley] line from Keyport to Red Bank, is building a new power house on land between Keyport and Keansburg which the company bought from John Cottrell. The building will be of brick, 90x92 feet. All the machinery will be in duplicate, so as to insure power at all times. When the plant is completed the present power house between Matawan and Keyport will be abandoned for that purpose and the building will be used as a car stable.

The 28 June 1904 edition of The New York Times included an article title Big Hippodrome for Old Car Stable Site. The General Carriage Company had operated car stables along Sixth Avenue between 43rd Street and 44th Street in Manhattan until the city began construction of a subway in 1900. The trolley company's stock suddenly dropped to nothing and the stables and associated property had to be sold. The property was about a block north and east of Times Square, where the first NYC subway line, the IRT, opened the now famous 42nd Street - Times Square station in October 1904.

History: William Fountain, Hardware Merchant in Matawan (1904)

2011-12-04T15:42:00.000-05:00

It has not been that long since people in Matawan used gaslight to illuminate their homes. This ad for Block Light brand gaslights distributed locally by W A Fountain appeared on page 5 of the 3 November 1904 edition of The Matawan Journal.

W A Fountain is likely identical with William Fountain, a hardware merchant enumerated in Matawan Township in the 1900 Federal Census. Mr Fountain was born in Apr 1839 in New Jersey. His wife of 30 years was named Annie S Fountain, born Aug 1849 in New York. She had had 3 children but only 2 were still living. Their son Albert F Fountain, born May 1874, was living with them, as was their daughter Emma Close, born Feb 1877, and her husband of 1 year William A Close. At age 47, William was over twice Emma's age (47 v 23). William was a merchant (Crab & Feed). A servant, Anna Vandeveer, also lived with them. Her occupation was listed as nurse.

The History of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Ohio, Vol 2, by Joseph Green Butler, pg 54, says that the Block Light Company was based in New York until 1908, when it moved to Youngstown to be more centrally located in the nation. The firm became the Block Gas Mantle Company in 1915. The book discusses the company in context of its biography of Otto Kauffman. The Gas Light Journal, vol 89 (1908), mentions Block Light's recent purchase of Cremo Mantle in Youngstown. A 40-page book titled The Block Light Company was published in 1910.

Huskies Football: The Next Act Should Be Contrition

2011-12-04T03:19:00.000-05:00

In a recent opinion piece, The Newark Star-Ledger's Steve Politi contrasted the polar responses of the Wayne Hills and Matawan-Aberdeen communities to the Bad Boys behavior recently displayed by members of their football teams. He criticized Wayne Hills and applauded Mat-Ab for their approaches to the discipline dilemma. "In Matawan, they’ve taught their teenagers that there are consequences when rules are broken, and that protecting the integrity of an institution is far more important than hanging a silly banner on the gymnasium wall. What, exactly, were they teaching in Wayne Hills?"

North Jersey complained about the Wayne Hills approach over a week ago, saying, "[The Wayne Hills football coach] fought to have [his team] play in the run-up to the big game, making an emotional appeal at a recent board meeting to which he brought 60 uniformed players. It was then that the board stayed the decision of its own superintendent and let the accused play. Town and school leaders were largely silent during the ensuing controversy. Many of the coach’s fans in town rallied around the team, but the incident drew a raft of negative comments and media attention from around the country as Wayne became a local touchstone for a national conversation on the culture of football at schools."

The Matawan players' misbehavior was only recently revealed by the Manasquan Police to have been a bit more criminal and little less silly than Coach Martucci had been letting on. After all, breaking into student lockers and stealing things at a host school isn't aggravated assault, but it isn't filling a favorite teacher's car with bubble gum either.

So congratulations to our local school district for disciplining those players and to the public for its toleration of their actions. But to borrow Mr Politi's question, I must ask "What are we teaching here?" This can't be the end of the story. Missing some footballs games should only be the beginning of the Matawan players' penance given their sins. After all, theirs was an act of contempt for authority, different only in degree from the demonstration of hostility towards the Aberdeen Police by a menacing group of MRHS students that occurred back in October. Let's hope MARSD has concrete plans for a more direct response by those involved. Perhaps compulsory community service next summer in Manasquan would express adequate contrition?

History: Nellie Maxwell and Syndicated Feature "The Kitchen Cabinet," 1920

2011-12-03T01:47:00.001-05:00

The latest in 1920's women's fashion appeared in Nellie Maxwell's The Kitchen Cabinet, a nationally syndicated feature found in The Matawan Journal. For example, in her article "Fabrics to Fit Summer Time", which appeared on page 7 of the 27 May 1920 edition, Ms Maxwell praised the then-current trend in summer dresses to use lace bodices and simple skirts instead of previous years' designs that applied velvet and other heavy materials that were uncomfortable to wear in the heat of summer.

The feature contained advertisements targeted at women, including

Lydia E Pinkham's Vegetable Compound, a remedy for fainting spells caused by The Change of Life.
Bell-ans for Indigestion - 6 Bell-ans, Hot Water, Sure Relief
Stove Repair Corporation, sales and service, Newark, NJ
Fletcher's Castoria, that famous old remedy for infants and children.

And the ladies had to endure a series of what someone apparently thought were humorous pieces for women, like this brief exchange labeled Film Fun:

"I see you advertise for a ticket seller and ask that ladies weighing more than 200 pounds.kindly do not apply."
"Yes."
"Isn't that discrimination?"
"No; merely common sense. Any lady shaping up larger than that could not get into my glass cage."

Sarasota History Alive has a 1913 edition of The Kitchen Cabinet with recipes.

The Fulton History website has an image of page 8 of the 28 Nov 1930 edition of The Cold Springs Recorder. It provides this background information on Ms Maxwell.

For two years Miss Maxwell was engaged in domestic science extension work for the state agricultural colleges of Iowa and Nebraska. In that work she was called upon to give wives advice on how to plan their household work so they could do it more easily and satisfactorily than it had been done before.

Then Miss Maxwell became a lecturer, and demonstrator at the numerous institutes which are held under the auspices of the University of Wisconsin. She has been a frequent contributor on household subjects to the publications of the university, and with her co-worker she prepared the Women's Bulletin for Wisconsin women, ten thousand copies of which are distributed annually.

Cross of Glory Lutheran to Host Tree Lighting and Caroling

2011-12-01T23:50:00.000-05:00

My friends at the Cross of Glory Lutheran Church asked me to post this notice about their upcoming Christmas tree lighting and carol sing. Sounds like fun.

Cross of Glory Celebrates Fourth Annual Tree Lighting
Family and friends welcome to join in carol singing and holiday sweets

DEC. 3, 2011, Aberdeen, NJ — To ring in the holidays in a most celebratory fashion, the Cross of Glory Lutheran Church in Aberdeen will host its fourth annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Carol Sing on Sunday Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. More than 200 people are expected to join in the festivities, which will be held rain or shine at Cross of Glory, at 95 Cambridge Drive.

Santa Claus is expected to make an appearance with elves in tow, and the rafters of Cross of Glory will echo with the sounds of everyone’s favorites Christmas tunes. After the carols have been sung and the 30-foot tree in Cross of Glory’s front lawn has been lit, revelers are invited into Fellowship Hall to enjoy home baked sweets and pastries alongside other refreshments provided every year by Delicious Orchards. The tree will remain lit every night from Dec. 11 until Jan. 5, 2012.

“This event is eagerly awaited by not only our growing congregation but by neighbors, family and friends, and this year we expect to be the biggest of all,” declared Jeremy Samuelson, head of Cross of Glory’s tree lighting committee. “You would have to be descended from Scrooge himself if you didn’t want to take part in this tradition of ours at Cross of Glory.”

Each year Delicious Orchards of Colts Neck donates a generous amount of pastries, cookies and apple cider to the event. That bounty is supplemented by home baked goods provided by Cross of Glory’s churchgoers, many of whom volunteer to help Mr. Samuelson prepare for the evening’s festivities.

To volunteer, or for further information about the event, please contact Mr. Samuelson at 732- 583-1118, visit www.coglcnj.org, or check out Cross of Glory Lutheran Church’s Facebook page.

About Cross of Glory Lutheran Church

Founded in 1964, the Cross of Glory Lutheran Church is part of the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and is led by Rev. Gary E. Costa. With the support of over 300 members, the church runs a nursery school, stocks and supports the Matawan food pantry and provides other services to residents of Aberdeen and neighboring towns. For more information on Cross of Glory, please visit www.coglcnj.org, or our Facebook page.

Temple Shalom Hosts Showing of Gasland

2011-11-30T00:40:00.001-05:00

Rachel Dawn Davis (left) posed with 2 members of HAQLA at tonight's showing of the film "Gasland."

Temple Shalom in Aberdeen hosted Rachel Dawn Davis, a regional representative of Food & Water Watch, for a public showing this evening of "Gasland," a documentary by Josh Fox about the environmental hazards of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The event drew about two dozen interested citizens, including members of Hazlet Area Quality of Life Alliance (HAQLA).

Things you can do to try to protect your drinking water and the environment:

Write to your state legislators and encourage them to vote to override Governor Christie's veto of NJ's bipartisan fracking ban ( (S2576). The bill passed the Assembly 58-11/8 back in June 2011 but was conditionally vetoed by the Governor.
Write to your state legislators and encourage them to support A-4231/S3049, which would prohibit the shipping or transporting into, or treatment in the State, of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing. Check out what Politicker NJ has to say about the bill.
Attend your next municipal council meeting and tell them your concerns about the dangers of fracking and the transportation of its waste for treatment in the state.

UPDATE: I told my wife this morning that I fully expected to receive a couple of terse anonymous replies to my blog post from people funded by the energy industry, and those posts were in my in box this evening as predicted. I encountered the same thing when I expressed my concerns about global warming. These critics aren't just regular folk with a difference of opinion. They are sponsored. And I won't post their nonsense here.

Miss Elsie Gates, First Female Candidate for Matawan Township Council, 1932

2011-11-27T23:27:00.000-05:00

Miss Elsie Gates, a Republican from Cliffwood, petitioned to run for a seat on the Matawan Township Council, according to the 22 Apr 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal. She would be the first woman in township history to run for town council, as no other candidates applied. She would vie for the seat of William Hyer Sr, the incumbent Democrat on the Council. The paper helpfully pointed out that it wasn't too late for a man to get on the ballot for the general election through a write in candidacy in the primary.

The Elsie Gates Association held a Republican fundraiser at the Cliffwood fire house in October, according to the 28 Oct 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal. People played bridge, pinnocle, and dominoes at 7 tables and a fine time was had by all. We can only wonder at this line in the report: "Refreshments were served by the hostess at a late hour." A long list of those attending was printed.

Ms Gates lost the election to Hyer 622 to 466, according to the 11 Nov 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal.

The following spring, Ms Gates approached the Council in her capacity with the CB Welfare Association. According to the 15 Apr 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal, she accused Thomas Sinnott, the Township's Overseer of the Poor, of unfair distribution of grocery contracts to a particular grocer over another. She had been approached with complaints by applicants for aid. The President of the welfare association came to the defense of Mr Sinnott, but Ms Gates claimed that Powers spoke in his behalf because he and Sinnott were relatives. "Were he my own brother I would not uphold him if I thought he was not on the square and in his rights." Ms Gates submitted a written complaint to the Governor. The newspaper took a rather partisan tone, titling the front page article "Miss Gates Stirs Up More Strife."Ms Gates had been elected Secretary of the Cliffwood Beach Welfare Association in November 1931, according to the 6 Nov 1931 edition of The Matawan Journal.

History: Samuel B King, Automobile Dealer, Marlboro, 1922

2011-11-27T22:34:00.000-05:00

The 20 Oct 1922 edition of The Matawan Journal contained the above advertisement promoting sales of the Studebaker Big-Six Sedan at the S B King automobile dealership in Marlboro, New Jersey.

Samuel B King, 39, ran a garage, according to the 1920 Federal Census for New Jersey. He lived on Railroad Avenue in Marlboro with wife Ada (38), son Edward (18) and daughter Susie (14).

He was son of James H and Susan E King. They lived in Marlboro, according to the 1900 Federal Census. James was a blacksmith born in Aug 1846. Samuel (Sep 1880) and his older brother James (Jun 1876) were both also listed as blacksmiths.

History: Monmouth County Receipts and Expenditures, 1897-8

2011-11-27T16:59:00.000-05:00

Asher T Applegate, Monmouth County Collector, used to publish the county's receipts and disbursements twice a year in major area newspapers. The 23 Jun 1898 edition of The Matawan Journal shows such an accounting for the period November 1897 to the end of May 1898. It happens to include full payment of county taxes for the year 1897 by Matawan Township Collector Austin F Stewart ($2,640 on 22 Dec 1897) and Matawan Borough Collector J H Horner ($8,958 on 7 Jan 1898). Middletown Township paid over $90,000 in county taxes, while Raritan Township paid $9,997 and Holmdel Township paid $7,836. Matawan's Farmers and Merchants Bank paid a $5,000 installment on a loan from the county.

New Jersey State Comptroller William S Hancock paid the county its share of the state school tax ($112,210 on 26 Feb 1898 and $12,468 on 9 Mar 1898). Mr Hancock also paid the county its apportionment of state aid for free public schools ($5,891 on 20 Dec 1897). Mr Hancock reimbursed the county one-third the cost of road construction ($11,398 on 27 Dec 1897)

Disbursements included salaries and expenses for judges, constables, coroners (J Turner Rose charged $15 total for post-mortems on 3 named individuals), board of prisoners, and freeholders, as well as expenditures for bridge, bulkhead and road repairs, bridge and road lighting, surveying, printing, drawing up of plans, legal fees, heating oil, burials, and elections.

History: Bedle Funeral Home Established in Matawan (1934)

2011-11-26T04:01:00.001-05:00

The 11 May 1934 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the impending establishment of the Bedle Funeral Home on Main Street in Matawan. The funeral home was to be operated by Ralph Bedle, the son of Keyport's well-known funeral director, Harvey S Bedle. An eerie sort of wedding present from Ralph's father, the funeral home would also serve as residence for the young undertaker and his soon-to-be bride after their wedding in the fall.

The property was next door to the First Presbyterian Church until the church burned down in the 1950s and relocated to its current Route 34 location. Both Bedle Funeral Homes are currently part of the Sidun Funeral Group.

Below is the beginning of the 1934 Journal article:

Harvey S Bedle Buys House In Matawan
Taylor Property Purchased for Ralph Bedle; House Will Be Altered Into Funeral Home

Harvey S Bedle, of Keyport, has purchased the Floyd T Taylor property adjoining the Presbyterian Church in Matawan for his son, Ralph, whose engagement to be married has recently been announced. It is expected the marriage will take place in the fall.

In the meantime extensive alterations to the property will be made, whereby the already fine house will be turned into a modern funeral home, similar to that in Keyport, and Ralph and his bride will make their home in the same building.

This Bedle family in direct line of father and sons have been undertakers for nearly 100 years. William Bedle, the first of the line to enter the profession when the undertaker not only took care of the body of the deceased but made his own coffins, established himself about 1840.

Loving Hut Vegan Cuisine Has Opened in Matawan

2011-11-26T00:14:00.001-05:00

Someone was kind enough to let me know that Loving Hut's restaurant at 952 Route 34 in Matawan had a soft opening on 11 November 2011. I'll be checking it out this weekend if at all possible. Here's a link to their online menu. I'm adding a map below. The restaurant is located on Route 34 in Matawan in the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot between Broad Street and the Hudson Trail. I'll add an update when I get a chance to visit. (I have oodles of turkey in my fridge!)

UPDATE: We dropped in this afternoon (Saturday) to give Loving Hut a try. The place is quite bright and clean. Plenty of tables for dining in comfortably. The place settings were quite fancy, with stemware, white plates, silverware, a tall courtesy bottle of filtered water. Service was prompt and pleasant, and the food was fresh and well prepared. I had the Loving Hut Burger and my wife had the Golden Charm rice plate. We shared the crispy rolls and the veggie tempura. We finished with a slice of faux chocolate cheesecake and coffees.

As for the few negatives, the kitchen has some issues with getting the food courses out in the right order. They promised me they are working on it. And I cannot recommend the Loving Hut Burger. While the burger and sweet potato fries were certainly tasty, the burger toppings make it an impractical conception. I found the ingredients constantly slipping from the bun. I went through three napkins and eventually had to put it down.

Loving Hut is planning its grand opening in early December. They're still getting things in order. I wish them well.

View Larger Map

History: Thanksgiving Celebrated in Matawan, 1871

2011-11-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

Matawan's Thanksgiving festivities in 1871 were reported in considerable detail in the 2 Dec 1871 edition of The Matawan Journal. Events began Wednesday evening with a Literary Society gathering. "There were familiar faces whose presence, as visitors, told of reunions around many hearth-stones, and there were strangers who had become the sons-in-law or had married the sons of some of our honored citizens. A part of the literary exercises of the evening partook of a thanksgiving nature."

This was followed on Thursday by an ecumenical service run by the ministers from the Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches. The service was held at the Methodist Church, which was located on Main Street about where the Dollar Store sits today.

The Presbyterian minister, J Henry Kaufman, delivered a sermon on the need for the churched to check corrupt political power. "If the men who hold political power are impure, the streams of influence will become corrupt. So it has been in profane and sacred history, and with such examples before us, let us take warning. The great preservative is the intelligence and purity of the people, and the duty of moral and religious men is to see that the ignorant are educated. And our magistrates should be wise, God-fearing, and eschewing covetousness."

History: Frederick Whitcomb of Freehold, 1873-1911

2011-11-23T04:36:00.000-05:00

A hundred years ago this week, traveling salesman Frederick Whitcomb of Freehold shot himself in the head in his room at the Boston Tavern on Tuesday and died the next day in a local Boston hospital, according to the 23 Nov 1911 edition of The Matawan Journal, page 1, col 3. Mr Whitcomb, age 37, represented A P Smith & Co of East Orange.

The Federal Census for 1910 showed Frederick A Whitcomb, age 39 of New York, living in Freehold with his second wife Eliza F Whitcomb, age 28 of New Jersey, and their two sons McClean F and John F, ages 3 and 8, respectively, both of New Jersey. Frederick and Eliza had been married 3 years and only McClean was hers. This was Eliza's first marriage. Frederick was a "commercial master" whose business was "merchandise." They had a servant, Anna Pettis, age 23 of Virginia. Anna had been married 5 years and had one living child, but her husband and child did not appear in this listing.

The Federal Census for 1900 showed Frederick Whitcomb, born Nov 1873 in New York, living in East Orange with his first wife, Isabella, born May 1880 in New Jersey and her father, Gustav Kruell, born Oct 1849 in Germany. Frederick was a salesman and Gustav an engraver. Frederick's father had been born in Canada and spoke English; Frederick's mother had been born in New York. Isabella's father Gustav came to America in 1872 and was a naturalized US citizen.

The Federal Census for 1880 showed Frederick Whitcomb, age 6 of New York, living in Buffalo, New York with his parents, N. Whitcomb and wife Mary, two older siblings, a lumber dealer and his wife who were boarding with the family, and a 34 year old black servant from Virginia named Evelyn Logan. Frederick's father was a dentist born in Canada. A notation said that Frederick had scarlet fever on the date of the enumeration.

An Ancestry family tree showed Frederick's parents as Nathan/Nathaniel W. Whitcomb and Mary L Barnes. The same record showed Isabella Kruell's mother as Clara Cecilie Kuhns.

The A P Smith Manufacturing Company of East Orange made fire hydrants, according to FireHydrant.org. Their first hydrant was patented in 1896. The company was purchased by US Pipe in 1966.

Time to Make Off With the Donut Money? Not Really

2011-11-22T15:23:00.000-05:00

Keansburg PD did a nice job of thwarting an after-hours burglary at Dunkin Donuts in their town around 10 pm on Sunday night. The police told APP that a local couple carefully planned an inside job at the woman's place of work. The woman put a change of men's clothes and a walkie talkie in their baby carriage and left it behind an abandoned house, then went to work at the donut shop as usual. The man dressed in camouflage and lurked behind the store until closing. The woman finished her shift at closing time, quickly retrieved the baby-carriage and returned to the store. They entered the rear of the store, opened the safe and took the money, but the police had staked out the place based on a tip and were able to stop the thieves in their tracks. The police are to be congratulated on some fine work. The couple had left their child with a neighbor, so social services were looking into that situation. I'm not sure what they planned to do with the $5,000 they intended to abscond with, but it doesn't seem worth all the trouble and time they'll likely serve.

Unbelievable Violence

2011-11-21T23:18:00.000-05:00

History: JFK Assassination in Matawan Journal, 1963

2011-11-21T22:38:00.000-05:00

The 28 Nov 1963 edition of The Matawan Journal memorialized the assassination of President John F Kennedy in Dallas less than a week earlier. Tuesday is the 48th anniversary of that terrible event, the World Trade Center attack of my generation..

History: Jersey Central Appliance, 1950

2011-11-21T17:23:00.000-05:00

The 20 April 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal had this advertisement for the latest Frigidaire refrigerator. The ad was posted by Jersey Central Appliance Company, which had representatives in Matawan (Mrs Eleanor Weir) and Keyport (Norman Scott and Dorothy Haupt).

Keyport Considers Tearing Down Former Borough Hall

2011-11-21T17:11:00.004-05:00

Keyport is talking about tearing down its former Borough Hall on Main Street, according to Monday's Asbury Park Press. The building is a former Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) office that was converted to a municipal facility in the 1950's, according to the 21 June 2000 edition of The Independent.

The old borough hall housed the police department on the first floor, and the council chambers and courtroom were upstairs. The old facility did not meet Federal standards for a police station and the second floor offices were not handicapped accessible. Council meetings were held at the Keyport Senior Center until the new building could be built, according to the 23 Aug 2000 edition of The Independent.

The new building at 70 West Front Street, just around the corner from the old hall, was built for just over $4 million and was open for business in January 2004, according to the 3 Mar 2004 edition of The Independent. Talk of needing a new borough hall began in earnest in about 1993, according to page 6 of the 5 Oct 1994 edition of The Independent.

The Keyport Day 1955 committee held its meetings in the "former Keyport borough hall on East Front Street," according to the 11 Aug 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal,, suggesting that the Borough had moved recently to the Main Street address. That's the closest I could come to finding a reference to that move. If someone knows when it was, I'll dig some more in local references for a news article documenting the event.

History: Garden State Parkway Roadbed Cuts Through Matawan, 1953

2011-11-21T16:31:00.001-05:00

The 10 Sep 1953 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this front page story about the clearing of land in our area for construction of the Garden State Parkway. Sorry the images aren't so great. The original photographs or better scanned images of the newspapers would be of local historical value. Perhaps the Historical Society already has them?

History: Car vs Horse; Henry S Terhune Suspected of Hit n Run in Holmdel, 1907

2011-11-20T23:51:00.002-05:00

The front page of the 2 May 1907 edition of The Matawan Journal contains this rendering of one incident that took place at the nexus of times as the newfangled car and the old reliable horse struggled to find their place on our local roads.

On April 16 one of the horses at H. R. Thomas' stock farm at Holmdel was so badly hurt that it was shot. The horse was ridden to the village by one of the boys on the farm and at the bridge at the foot of Ely's Hill he became frightened at an approaching automobile and backed right into the path of the car. The horse was knocked down and one wheel passed over his leg, breaking it. He regained his feet and after throwing his rider the horse ran home.

The auto was one formerly owned by Henry S. Terhune of this place, but which he sold several weeks ago to President Morris of the Jersey Central Traction Company. It was in charge of its latter's chauffeur, who was being instructed how to run it by Mr. Terhune's chauffeur, and was under control and going at a slow pace when the horse backed into it.

George Tash, manager of the stock farm has written Vice-President Brown asking him to pay for the horse, but the latter denies any responsibility and has replied to Mr Tash that he will communicate with Mr Morris, who is on the Pacific Coast, regarding the matter. The chauffeur denies responsibility for the accident and before any damages are paid it is probable that the question of liability will have to be settled in a court of law.

The 24 Apr 1907 edition of The Red Bank Register tells of the same event but with different details. The horse was one used to train aspiring jockeys but on this date was being ridden into the village to pick up provisions. The article describes a hit and run committed by four persons in a vehicle owned by Henry Terhune of Matawan.

The number of the automobile was secured and it was found that the machine belonged to Henry Terhune of Matawan. Two men and two women were in the automobile when the accident occurred. They stopped the machine a few minutes to see if the boy was hurt and when they found that he was not they started off again at an increased speed up the road. George Tash, manager of the stock farm, has written a letter to Mr. Terhune asking him to pay for the horse.

Reference is made in both articles to Ely's Hill. The location is in Holmdel, based on a front page article in the 7 Jun 1911 edition of The Red Bank Register.

The most excitement that Holmdel has seen in a long time occurred on Saturday when one of the county steam rollers came within an ace of crashing through the bridge at the foot of Ely's hill.

History: Bids for Addition to Matawan School Exceed Expectations, 1907

2011-11-20T21:15:00.001-05:00

According to the 12 Sep 1907 edition of the Matawan Journal, Matawan's school board needed more space in its existing school building, which had only recently been built. They drafted a plan for an addition and solicited for bids. Board members were aghast when the lowest bid came in at over $17,000 for a job they thought should be done for $16,000. They immediately set about seeking additional money from the electorate to fund it.

Below is a description of only part of this extensive improvement to the building they had. It's amazing what they could get built for under $20,000 in those days. The article contains floor plans but they don't reproduce well for this medium.

There will be two entrances, front and rear, in the new building, which, with the entrances to the present building will afford ample facilities for the quick emptying of the building in case of necessity.

The school has always suffered for want of an assembly room and the plan shows that a room 52 x 68 feet with a stage 18 x 25 feet have been provided. This part of the building can be used for public entertainments of various kinds and be the source of a considerable revenue during the year beside being of great benefit to the school. Provision is also made on this floor for two recitation rooms and while they are not needed at the present time the board has planned for the future in providing them.

In the basement will be a fresh air room 21 x 15 feet and a foul air room the same size, allowing room for the furnace between. Should manual training ever be introduced into the school two rooms in the basement 54 x 30 feet each can be utilized, thus keeping pace with the best schools of other communities.

. . . If the building is erected from the proposed plan our community will again have a building second to none in the State and one that should fill our needs for generations to come.

Burned Out House in Cliffwood Beach Restored

2011-11-20T18:24:00.000-05:00

The house on Greenwood Avenue in Cliffwood Beach that suffered a fire last winter has been extensively restored after about a month of concentrated construction work. Little if anything had been done when I wrote about the house in May, but there were signs of life by July. Work began in earnest about a month ago. Looks like things should be wrapping up by Christmas as long as inspections go well.

Huskies Doing Great - Fall 2011

2011-11-20T15:28:00.000-05:00

Matawan Regional High School has been very competitive this fall. The Lady Huskies won sectionals in soccer for the first time ever, according to Freehold Patch, and came really close to advancing to the state championships. The Marching Huskies came in third in Tournament of Bands competition at Hershey. And the Huskies football team just beat the Manasquan Warriors in the Central Jersey Group II semifinals, according to The Mat-Ab Patch, which has a lengthy article with photos and statistics.

Graduates from Matawan have gone on to do well in college as well. Native Robin Anderson is a freshman on the UCLA tennis team. The Daily Bruin recently posted an article and great photo identifying Robin and a teammate as Double Trouble after their victorious first doubles match for the Bruins. And Kyle Hardy is a sophomore playing football at C W Post on Long Island. Kyle is a successful wide receiver who is studying criminal justice, according to the Pioneers' website. Kyle caught a 38 yard touchdown pass on 5 November 2011 to put the Pioneers on top at the half against Cheyney and ultimately win the game that week. And there's Brandyn Curry, a junior point guard for the Harvard Crimson. Brandyn was a rising star in football, basketball and baseball at Matawan, according to the Crimson website, but his parents' divorce prompted a sudden move to North Carolina before he could achieve a quarterback and/or point guard position for the Huskies. But he did well at his new school and recruiters came a-knocking.

Congratulations to Huskies everywhere.

Divided Highway Redux: Route 9 Reminiscent of Route 35

2011-11-19T19:51:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time since Route 35 between Laurence Harbor and Keyport was called Death Highway because it had no concrete barrier to keep vehicles from crossing into oncoming traffic. But I recognize the issue being raised about Route 9 between Old Bridge and Freehold in yesterday's Asbury Park Press. It was a big problem here on Route 35 until we won construction of a concrete barrier, as reported on page 30 of the 29 January 1986 edition of The Independent. Old Bridge and Aberdeen worked together to win that fight, making the installation of a barrier a political issue by collecting thousands of signatures, etc, etc.

We ride that part of Route 9 on our way to Freehold Raceway Mall and other places, so we should be supportive of the cause anyway, if only because it serves our interests. But hopefully because it is the right thing. It worked on Route 35, saving countless lives.

We can only wonder what sort of body count is required before NJDOT will do something. They probably say there is not enough money available to do it. Remember those signs "Your tax dollars at work"? Well, this is just another example of what happens when the sign reads "Your tax dollars in your pocket."

Stop n Scan

2011-11-19T18:25:00.000-05:00

We visited the Stop n Shop at the corner of Routes 35 and 36 in Keyport last night and tried out their grocery shopping scanner idea. Physorg published an article about the new device back in 2008, but this was the first time we'd tried it.

My wife heard about the scanner from a friend who uses it regularly at the Aberdeen Super Stop n Shop. This woman employs the device to convince her kids that particular purchases are outside the family budget. The device keeps a running total on the bill, plus items can be added and deleted to the system. quite easily.

There's a rack of these scanners just inside the door at the Keyport store. We scanned our courtesy card at the terminal and it freed up a device for our use. (Well, actually the first device resisted our best efforts to free it, so we had to cancel out and start again.)

The scanner seems to know where you are in the store, because it quietly suggests things on sale. We unintentionally ignored the screen half the time, so we doubtless saved lots of money on things we didn't really need. But, on the other hand, it knows what you usually purchase and makes fairly reasonable suggestions. I have to say that after we made a lot of sale purchases and the device pointed out our savings on each piece, I was quite annoyed when we made a series of purchases of items not on sale. I think I enjoyed getting the positive strokes and felt bad when I didn't save any money. Or it was my competitive nature coming out.

What I liked best was that we wheeled up to self-checkout and used the device to scan a card above the cash register and that was it; we were done. Well, we had to pay, of course, but there was no emptying the cart to scan each individual item.

As we were leaving, the manager suggested that next time we bag our groceries as we shop to make settling up and exiting the store even faster. I think I'm in love.

It Takes A Transit Village

2011-11-19T17:51:00.000-05:00

The Asbury Park Press doesn't even bring up Aberdeen-Matawan anymore in its discussions of transit villages. Wonder why that is? Maybe because our much touted project is dead in the water.

Pallone Speaks to Bayshore NAACP

2011-11-19T15:10:00.003-05:00

US Congressional Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ) was a guest speaker at today's meeting of the Bayshore Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was held at the St Mark AME Zion Church, 218 Delaware Avenue in Cliffwood. Mr Pallone updated the membership on the current deadlock in Congress between forces wanting to stimulate the economy and raise revenues by taxing the wealthy versus those who want to resolve the deficit by cutting programs and not raising taxes on the wealthy. He urged the audience to watch for changes in voter rights, pointing out that changes in voter registration, absentee voting, early voting, and ID requirements on polling day are happening across the country and quickly eroding our rights. After short remarks, Mr Pallone fielded questions on veterans benefits, college loans, Social Security, and jobs.

The NAACP is a non-partisan, not-for-profit social organization whose members (of all races) advocate for minority rights. The Bayshore Branch will have its next meeting at noon on 21 January 2012 in the basement of St Mark AME Zion Church. If you would like to join or simply donate to the cause, visit the NAACP website at www.naacp.org. To show support you can also become a friend of the NAACP at Facebook.

History: Crop Dusting in Monmouth County (1936)

2011-11-14T22:47:00.001-05:00

The 9 Jul 1936 edition of The Matawan Journal shows Clarence Sproul of Keyport and George Young of Red Bank starting a crop dusting business out of Red Bank Airport.

Clarence Sproul, of Keyport, and George Young, of Red Bank, are two enterprising flyers who are rapidly developing a business new to Monmouth County but extensively employed in the Middle West and South. Sproul and Young have fitted up their plane at the Red Bank airport with a "dusting" device which permits them to cover farmers' fields and orchards with chemical solutions for the purpose of halting the ravages on insects and plant diseases harmful to growing crops.

Since starting the enterprise the firm, which is known as the New Jersey Aerial Dusters, have dusted potato fields in East Windsor Township, 100 acres at the Jersey Homesteads project, Ely's Corner, and fourteen acres of peach trees in the Old Cherry Tree Farm orchards, Route 35, Middletown Township. The work at the Old Cherry Tree Farm was the first time the new firm had attempted to dust orchards and the few early morning spectators who witnessed the successful operation were loud in their praise of the accomplishment.

The 31 Jul 1947 edition of The Matawan Journal suggests that crop dusting began in earnest in the county only in 1945.

Monmouth County farmers are taking to the air to safeguard their crops. Dusting and spraying of crops by airplane, started two years ago in the county, now is being carried on extensively. Most of the dusting this season has been done by Clarence Sproul, Keyport, who used the Red Bank airport as his base.

History: USS Solar Explosion at Leonardo (1946)

2011-11-14T03:08:00.000-05:00

The 2 May 1946 edition of The Matawan Journal contains details of the local response to the "disastrous blast of the USS Solar at the Leonardo pier area of the Earle Naval Ammunition depot." After the initial response from US Naval and Middletown authorities, first aid squads from 35 communities responded to a call for assistance, including local squads from Matawan, Keyport, Union Beach, Laurence Harbor, and Keansburg. 125 injured sailors were taken to area hospitals. 7 sailors lost their lives in the explosion.

The Destroyer Escort Sailors Association (DESA) has a web page on the incident, including photographs and transcriptions of New York Times articles about the incident..Wikipedia tells the history of the ship,which was officially designated DE-221.

History - Foreigners Deported to Free Up NJ Jobs at War's End (1945)

2011-11-14T02:27:00.001-05:00

No sooner was the Second World War over than foreign workers from the Caribbean were ousted from their jobs in New Jersey to make room for locals whose war-production jobs were evaporating, according to the 6 September 1945 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Foreign Workers To Be Moved From Jobs
State Manpower Head Says Prisoners And Others Are Now Being Released As Replaced

As a means of insuring maximum job opportunities for New Jersey's own citizens Thomas F. Costello, State Manpower Director, has moved to end all employment of foreign workers and prisoners of war in the state as rapidly as local workers are available and willing to take over the jobs.

Costello disclosed that he had instructed all local offices of the United States Employment Service, a week ego, to carefully investigate all current non-agricultural employment of workers imported from Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Barbadoes, as well as prisoners of war, to determine whether they could be supplanted by New Jersey citizens displaced in employment through recent war production cut-backs and cancellations.

The manpower director, praising the splendid contribution to the war effort made by the several thousand foreign workers imported to New Jersey, said the termination of their work contracts would be strictly in conformity with the international agreements under which they came into the state to aid in overcoming manpower shortages during the period of the most critical labor stringencies.

Costello said the foreign workers had willingly accepted mass employment in many of the least desirable job categories, many of them at relatively low wage rates. For that reason, and until local citizens are available and willing to accept those jobs, it may be necessary to retain some of the foreign workers to maintain production of highly essential and perishable food products and other output of New Jersey industry.

Already the movement of the foreign workers back to their native islands is well under way. A force of 556 at one time employed at Pickatinny Arsenal has been reduced to 37 and similar cuts have been made in employment of foreigners in Paterson, Newark and other places. Approximately 20 per cent of the remaining force is employed presently at the Raritan Arsenal.

The prisoners of-war have been employed almost exclusively by the state's food processing plants in jobs involving the heaviest labor and low pay, Costello said. Approximately 1600 prisoners have been on the state's industrial payrolls.

Beware the Power of Persuasion

2011-11-14T01:32:00.000-05:00

Brace yourself. The energy companies are currently trying to convince us through a barrage of television ads that there's no danger to our water supply from fracking and tar sand pipelines. It's a not so subtle effort at persuasion. Don't be fooled. These people are not your friends.

A currently running Conoco Phillips ad, for example, shows a small group of college students telling their designated "emotional" friend how utterly safe it is to bring up natural gas from below the water table for our use. "I'm listening," the young woman says. One of the students suggests he plans to snag a job with an energy company when he grows up. Are you convinced? Based on what these 20 somethings are telling us, there's no chance of Conoco Phillips polluting our drinking water through fracking. And no chance that the muck they plan to force into the ground and back to the surface again will pollute our land when they store it in waste ponds for years. Who says so? The experts at the energy companies, of course. (Don't ask them about a recent coal ash spill into Lake Michigan, a spill caused by the collapse of a retaining wall holding a large quantity of coal ash being stored long term. Things like that don't happen.)

There's another ad making the rounds involving a rodeo. We're all being taken for a ride by the environmentalists, or so the story goes. Additional regulation of well-meaning energy companies will only cost jobs and raise energy costs. Cute little puffing bulls. They've gotta be telling the truth. AP must be lying when they say that inspectors stumbled upon a 30-foot crack in a nuclear containment building and other abnormalities at an Ohio nuclear power plant last week. Apparently they don't usually look in those spots, but they've got things well in hand. We're all safe. Really. Well, not really.

Just think back on our recent power outage. Remember how they lied to us about when the power would be restored. Remember that Pittsburgh power workers ended up having to come to fix our lines and restore power. We never saw a JCP&L vehicle in the area for a week.

JCP&L's own audits point to a lack of investment in trimming tree branches over its lines and replacement of old poles as significant reasons for why so many of us lost power in the October snow storm, according to an excellent article in NJ.com. In other words, cutbacks in routine maintenance saved money on their bottom line and the hell with us; more money for stockholders is all that matters to energy companies. Heaven help us all if that had been a pollution event.

Corporations aren't people. You can't persuade me.

NJ Transit Customer Survey - November 2011

2011-11-12T17:03:00.000-05:00

Take the NJ Transit survey between now and 27 November 2011.

African-American Series: Amiri Baraka at Monmouth College, 1987

2011-11-11T21:23:00.003-05:00

The first use of the term "African-American" in The Bayshore Independent appears on pg 21 of the 4 Feb 1987 edition. The article announces the visit of Amiri Baraka to Monmouth College.

A student in the Newton, NJ school district wrote a short piece for Black History Month in which he/she provides a brief biography of Mr Baraka and explains what the poet of black culture means to him or her.

The video at top was recorded in Troy, New York in February 2009. Below is the text of the Bayshore Independent piece from 1987, mentioned above.

College sets Baraka for Feb. 16 program
W. LONG BRANCH

Amiri Baraka, the celebrated poet and playwright, will read selections from his work and discuss aspects of black culture and history Feb. 16 at Monmouth College.

The program, offered in conjunction with the college's Black History Month celebration, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Wilson Auditorium.

Admission is free and open to the public.

Baraka, who began writing under his "slave name" LeRoi Jones, came to national attention in the late 1950's and early 1960's.

His poetry, plays, fiction and non—fiction have garnered international acclaim.

He has received Guggenheim and Whitney fellowships, as well as awards from the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New Jersey State Council for the Arts.

In 1958, Baraka founded Totem Press which published works by Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and other significant beat generation writers.

Recently, Baraka has edited Cricket, a magazine of African—American music, and has directed publication of new literature through Jihad Press and Peoples War Publication.

He is currently editor of The Black Nation, a journal of African— American thought.

Aberdeen Banishes Partisan Squabbling on Council

2011-11-11T00:13:00.001-05:00

Is anyone else disappointed that Aberdeen Township will continue under one-party rule as a result of Tuesday night's elections? On the bright side, the Council will never suffer from partisan deadlock. And just think what might be accomplished this time around. I'm sure that eventually the Dems, being friends and all and lacking distractions, will actually deal with those pesky unfinished projects they've already taken credit for.

2011 Election - Go Vote!

2011-11-08T00:37:00.000-05:00

The polls are open today in Aberdeen Township from 6 am to 8 pm. Be sure to go out and vote. And encourage at least one other person to do likewise. Good luck to all candidates.

MRHS Marching Band Comes in 3rd at Hershey Stadium

2011-11-07T00:17:00.001-05:00

Matawan Regional High School's marching band came in third in the 2011 Atlantic Coast Group 2 Competition at Hershey Park Stadium on Sunday evening, according to the Tournament of Bands. Congratulations!

Black Bellied Plovers Visit Cliffwood Beach

2011-11-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

Joe Reynolds, author of the Nature on the Edge of NYC blog, spotted three juvenile black bellied plovers at Cliffwood Beach and wrote an article a few days ago about it called Three Little Birds along Cliffwood Beach. Check out the great photographs. We have great wonders in our own backyard.

Ballotpedia

2011-11-06T22:18:00.001-05:00

I stumbled upon Ballotpedia Voter Guide tonight. You can put your district (we're in District 13) or your zip code in and it will provide you with a roster of your NJ State Senate and State Assembly candidates. Click on the name of a candidate in that list whom you want to know more about and it will take you to a page with resources about the candidate. Unfortunately, Ballotpedia has no information about Freeholders or local municipal elections.

NJ Spotlight has a nice summary of the Assembly candidates.

History: Walling Field, Raritan Township (Hazlet), before 1942-1955

2011-11-05T19:29:00.006-04:00

USGS Map of Keyport Quadrangle (1954) showing Walling Field in Raritan, NJ. Landmarks include Cedarwood Cemetery, Rosemont Cemetery, Green Grove Cemetery, and Chingarora Creek. Map includes Mechanicsville and Keyport Borough. Heavy red lines from left are Route 36 (top, marked) and Route 35 (bottom). Red and white horizontal line bordering Walling Field was Middle Road. The red and white vertical line intersecting Middle Road would have been Poole Avenue.

Walling Field was a private airstrip at Route 36 and Middle Road, where Airport Plaza in Hazlet is now located, according to the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce and other sites. The book "Hazlet Township," by William B Longo (1998), available at Google Books, says the airport was on property that was part of Keyport until the early 1960's, but most records seem to suggest Raritan Township or Hazlet.

I haven't found any details regarding the actual establishment of Walling Field, at least not yet. First mentions of it that I can find indicate that it was operating before the Second World War. It's possible that the field is named for prominent Keyport native David A Walling, who was born 29 August 1832 and died 7 April 1914 in Tinton Falls. Perhaps the field was established around the time of his death? That's about when Aeromarine started operations in Keyport as I recall.

Author Longo says the airport relocated to Morganville (Marlboro Township) in 1959, but that is incorrect. The shopping center's developer, Phillip Levin, had filled all available retail space by October 1956 and construction was already well under way. And Rhea Preston, a farmer in Marlboro, obtained the necessary state license to operate Preston Airfield on his farm in 1954 in anticipation of Walling Field being closed and the airport relocating there. This is according to Preston's daughter Candee, whose remarks are cited in Abandoned and Little Known Airfields. She says the gas tanks were installed on 30 May 1955. Later known as Preston Airport and then Marlboro Airport, the airfield in Marlboro operated for another fifty years. The author of Abandoned and Little Known Airfields has not yet encapsulated the history of Walling Field.

According to "Keyport: From Plantation to Center of Commerce and Industry," by Jack Jeandron (2003), pg 104, available at Google Books, the owner of Aeromarine offered in January 1934 to operate a public airport for Keyport for $1 per year but rejected some stipulations added by the Mayor and Borough Council. Jeandron suggests that Keyport might be home to a major regional airport if not for that caveat to the Aeromarine contract. I didn't find any reference to Walling Field in the available pages online. (Note: Jeandron's book contains a particularly detailed history of local maritime commerce. Many of the pages are available online, but Google Books withholds some for commercial purposes.)

Below is what i could find in local newspapers about the airport. Not much, I'm afraid.

1) Page 15 of the 15 January 1942 edition of The Red Bank Register tells of a plane crash at Walling Field in Raritan Township.

HITS TREE IN LANDING - Arthur Shultz, proprietor of Ye Cottage Inn, Keyport, was slightly injured yesterday afternoon when his light Aeronca plane struck a tree when landing at Walling Field, Raritan township, and nosed over. The propeller, landing gear, and under part of the plane's fuselage were damaged.

2) Page 2 of the 29 January 1942 edition of The Independent has a column with Hazlet social news. It mentions that Fred Algor was in charge of Walling Field before the war. Algor had become a flight instructor with the US Army in Texas. (The cross-country trip mentioned would have taken months and months in that era, I presume.)

Mr and Mrs Frank A Cerraty, of Route 35, Hazlet, accompanied by Miss Katherine Merlock and William Kahlert have returned from a 6000 mile automobile trip thru the western and southern states. They visited Thomas and Fred Algor, instructors at the US Army flying field at Terrell, Texas. Fred Algor was formerly in charge of the Walling field in Hazlet before leaving for Texas. The group also spent a week in Miami, Florida.

3) The 15 March 1951 edition of The Independent reported the crash of a plane at Morristown that had taken off at Walling Field.

Plane Crashes With Keyporters
Everdell, Pilot And Brother-In-Law Are Only Hurt Slightly In Night Accident

Two Keyport men, the pilot and his passenger, walked away from their two-passenger plane which crashed on the unlighted ,east-west runway of Morristown Municipal Airport at 7:30 Monday night.

The pilot was Donald C. Everdell. 25, of 146 Osborn St. His forehead was scratched, Ralph Dehnz, 36, of 53 Green Grove Ave., the passenger, is Mr. Everdell's brother-in-law. Both were treated at Memorial Hospital, Morristown. Mr. Dehnz also sustained only scratches.

The plane, a single-engine Stinson L-5, took off from Walling Field, Keyport, at 6 p.m., according to Mr Everdell. He said there were 12 gallons of gas in the tank, enough- for a 110-mile flight. At Teterboro, 50 air miles from Keyport, Mr. Everdell circled the control tower and tried to ask permission to land. "But my radio just wouldn't put out," he reported.

Heads For Morristown

The bayshore pilot then decided to head for Morristown field with which he is familiar. The runway lights there were not on, but Mr. Everdell said, he could see the strips from a 1000-foot altitude. He stated they were illuminated "by the rotating green and white field beacon and by moonlight. He explained that as he neared the runway a ground haze at 200 feet obscured his vision.

The plane struck the edge of a drainage ditch about 100 feet off the north side of the runway and about halfway down its length. The plane hit at about 75 miles an hour speed and flipped over on its back, Mr. Everdell said.

An airport official was in an office at the field and heard the crash. He drove to the scene and found the men climbing from the wreckage.. Mr. Dehnz said he was "all right" but Mr. Everdell appeared dazed and had to be helped from the wreckage.

The landing lights at the airport are turned on only by request, Allan B. Heinsohn, manager, said. A pilot may file a flight plan with the Civil Aeronautics Authority, or telephone the field before a flight. The CAA will investigate Monday's accident.

Mr Everdell, an auto parts salesman in Keyport, has had his private pilot's license five years. He has flown 700 hours, and has had 80 hours night flight experience, 20 only recently. He was a crewman with a Navy carrier based observation squadron. In the Pacific in World War II, Mr. Dehnz said he flew as a crewman with the Air .Force in Europe.

4) The 12 May 1955 edition of The Independent has a photograph of 14 pilots from Walling Field who participated in Operation Grasshopper.

The caption reads: The planes flew in two formations of six and eight to test Ground Observer Corps, as well as military posts, in county. Operation was under the direct supervision of Arthur S Van Buskirk, Coordinator of Monmouth County GOC, Staff Sgt George H Pilkington of the Trenton Air Defense Filter Center, and Dyson Woodhouse, assistant to county coordinator. The flyers who volunteered their time and planes are pictured at the air field before the test. They are: Harold LaVoie, Dick Logue, Bud Delaney, Dick Cresman, Joseph Laskiewicz, Steve Paterson, Tom Nagel, Walter ?, Mel Nodel ?, George Lewis, and Ray Kruser (front row); Charles Guentner, Austin Burns, Staff Sgt Pilkington, William Kahlert, William Schultze, Charles Haseman?, Joe Kelsa, Lloyd Runin? , Mike Paleio?, Mr Woodhouse, Raymond Wallace, and Mr Van Buskirk. (Feel free to send corrections to these names. They are difficult to read.) The 9 Jun 1955 edition of The Independent also discusses Operation Grasshopper.

UPDATE: I had some luck searching for Walling Airport in The Matawan Journal.

The 9 Sep 1954 edition of The Matawan Journal revealed that Walling Airport had been in operation for 20 years, an enterprise of the Walling Brothers. It consisted of 60 acres with two directional runways, well graded takeoffs, and facilities for commercial aircraft. Over the past two years it had developed sufficient contracts to become the main center for tow-banner advertisement flights destined to area beaches, replacing Asbury Park and Red Bank Airports. Daniel Walling was the proprietor of the airport, which was described as being in Keyport. The summer beach circuit for these advertisement-bearing planes was from Seaside Park to Long Beach, Long Island. 20 private planes were housed at the airport, including planes belonging to Van Winkle Todd, CEO of Hanson-Van Winkle Munning Co, and Arthur Schultze, owner of Ye Cottage Inn. The front page includes a photo of Mr Schultze peeling a tow-ad from the runway.

The 24 Feb 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal discussed rumors of the possible sale of Walling Airport at Route 36 and Middle Road in Keyport. Daniel Walling denied that he was seeking to sell but didn't deny that his brother James Walling might be attempting to liquidate his interest. The proprietor of the airport was identified as L W Seaburg.

The 13 Aug 1953 edition of The Matawan Journal contains a reference to Walling Airport, described as being outside of Keyport. The front page article talks about how LaGuardia Airport generates a directional beam that orients pilots on their approach to the New York City airport. The beam, which crosses over Point Comfort and passes directly over Walling, is referred to as the Matawan radio signal.

The 21 Apr 1960 edition of The Matawan Journal provides this article mentioning the airport after it had closed and patrons had moved to Marlboro.

Flying Club At Preston's Elects

Annual election of officers of the Preston Air Field Flying Club, Marlboro Township, was held over the weekend. Those chosen at the third annual election of the group were: William Stevenson, Ret Batik, president; Stephen Megill, Long- Branch, vice president; Joseph Laskiewicz, Cllffwood secretary, and Rhea Preston, Marlboro Township, treasurer.

The club is the owner of two planes, an Aeronlca and a Tri-Pacer that are used for lessons, training flights, and sport flights by the membership of 33. The club is successor to the one that operated at Walling Airport, Raritan Township, before that site was sold for a shopping center. The majority of its members are student
flyers aiming for licenses under the instruction of experienced pilots.

The 13 Apr 1961 edition of The Matawan Journal contains Daniel Walling's obituary.

Daniel Walling Dies Suddenly

Daniel W Walling, 65, Green Grove Ave, Keyport, died Sunday afternoon of a heart attack while helping firemen fight a grass fire near the trailer in which he lived. The fire, at Green Grove Ave., near Eighth St., was the sixth in the Borough since Friday afternoon.

Police said Mr. Walling suffered a heart attack while he was helping firemen fight the grass fire with a garden hose. The Keyport First Aid Squad administered oxygen while police called Dr. Francis W. Holman, Broad St., who pronounced Mr. Walling dead.

Mr. Walling, a native of Raritan Township, had lived in the Keyport area all his life. He was a retired farmer and the operator of the former Walling's Airport at Route 36 and Middle Rd, now the site of a housing development and shopping area. Surviving are one sister, Mrs. Peter O. Weigand of Keyport; and two brothers, James W. and William Van, both of Raritan Township.

Funeral services were held yesterday at 2 p.m. at the Bedle Funeral Home, Keyport, with the Rev. Norman R. Rlley, pastor of St. John's Methodist Church, Hazlet, officiating. Interment followed in Green Grove Cemetery, Keyport.

History: Bowling in Keyport, 1954-1955

2011-11-05T02:16:00.000-04:00

According to the 12 May 1955 edition of The Independent, a new 20-lane Bowl-O-Drome being built on Route 35 near the Keansburg Gateway in Middletown would replace the Keyport landmark known as the Raritan American Legion Post No 23 alleys. With air conditioning in summer, a lunchroom in the lobby and a meeting room for club gatherings, the new alleys were prompting leagues from Long Branch, Red Bank, and Keyport to sign up. They alleys would continue to have pin boys setting the lanes in the back, but new underground ball returns would prevent disturbance of bowlers' concentration. Dom Lafayette, the owner of the Keyport alleys, was partnering with Lupe Ruffini of Red Bank in the new enterprise, which was expected to open in August.

A year earlier, there were 6 columns of bowling teams listed on the next to last page in the newspaper. The page was nearly filled with team and individual player names, game scores and set totals, and standings. Bowling was a big deal in the 1950's and nearly every shop in town had a team, or two, or three. Here are the leagues and teams:

The Keyport Businessmen's Bowling League: Keyport Radio & TV, McQueen's Cleaners, Keyport Jewelers, Burlew's Restaurant, Keyport Cleaners, Tourine's Tavern, Montagna's Sunoco, Garber Supply, Cliffwood Inn, Varlese's Construction, Keyport Bar, Pete's Tavern, Walt's Tavern, Mike's Esso, Single System, and Rollo Trucking.

The Matawan-Keyport Merchants League: Burlew's Restaurant, Frank's Barber Shop, Regan's Bar, Cliffwood Amoco, All-Bros. Woodworking, OK Sales and Service, Cliffwood Fire Co, Cliffwood Angels, Crate's Beverages, Keyport Diner, Wehrle's Dairy, Consolidated Fuel, Rapolla's Market, Jag's Sport Goods, DeLuxe Cleaners, Anchor Inn, Walling's Market, Old Mill Dairy, Schank's Oil Heaters, and Mat-Key Rec.

The Key-Mat Church Bowling League: Calvary Methodist, Bayview Presbyterian, Gethsemane Lutheran, Matawan Presbyterian, Matawan Methodist, Keyport Reformed, Hebrew Congregation, Keyport Baptist, St John's Methodist, and Matawan Baptist.

The Mat-Key Mixed Sunday Night League: LaZare's Shoes, Mat-Key Rec, Keyport Diner, Jim's Bar, C F Bahrenberg Market, Oswald Seafood Market, Bayshore Stationers, Bayshore Hardware, Hollywood Service, and Keelan's Bar & Liquor.

Keyport Recreation League: Tetro's Bar, Rose Hill Trucking, Martini's Diner, Aumack's Furniture, John's Bar, Dixie Lee, Brentwood Hotel, and Burlew's Restaurant.

Keansburg Ladies Monday Night League: H Wasserman & Son, Gentile's Market, Pete's Inc, Keyport Recreation, Mat-Key Recreation, H L Scott's, Marquet's Pharmacy, Richard's Hollywood Market, Keansburg News, and Louis' Restaurant.

Keansburg Businessmen's League: Andy's Station, Thompson's Sweets, Central Tavern, Crate's Beverages, NJ Shore District, Harold's Garage, Ambrosino's Farm Stand, and Consolidated Fuels.

Middletown Bowling League: King's Hardware, VanNortwick Bros, Port Monmouth First Aid, Mack's Oil Delivery, Mallett's Builders, Giles Market, Prestage Plumbers, Noble's Service Station, Brady's Sport Club, and Beacon Beach Assn.

History: Renovation of Airport Plaza, Hazlet (1976-77)

2011-10-30T23:40:00.001-04:00

Plaza Arena opened at Airport Plaza in early 1977.

Victor Scudiery, owner of Interstate Electronics Inc (IEI), bought Airport Plaza in February 1976 for $700,000 and proceeded to renovate what had become a rundown shopping center. According to page 6 of the 27 October 1976 edition of The Independent, W T Grant's bankruptcy had left a big vacancy in the 20 year old retail site, so Scudiery made space for smaller stores and added professional offices. Marvin Schneider of Matawan signed a lease to bring a roller rink to fill a large vacancy; the Plaza Arena was set to open in January 1977. (The photo above, which appeared on page 7 of the 16 March 1977 edition of the Independent, featured Carol Shepherd, skating instructor, with her two students, Larry Wolfe and Jill Schoellner.) Scudiery even moved his own business from Keyport into the shopping center. All the improvements convinced charter stores Rite Aid and Thom McAn shoes to stay.

History: Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station Buildings

2011-10-29T17:49:00.000-04:00

Holmdel Patch has an interesting piece on Aberdeen-Matawan train station and its three station buildings.

I'd be interested in more details about the renovation plan, the buildings in the area -- what they were, what they are now, what the plans are for them -- etc. Hopefully someone will write a piece about the abandoned building next to the new station, for example. I believe it was a chemical company. I hope that building goes away in any station renovation project. What about the discussion of putting the library there? What about parking for residents? And parking in general? And what's going on with the law suit between the two municipalities? Is there no accountability for that dragging on endlessly? And the loss of the parking concession back to NJ Transit? That cost us a lot of money, I presume. Who is stepping up to go through the paddle wheel for that blunder?

I can't believe there is so little information in the public realm about such a key issue with municipal elections only a few days away. Does it strike anyone else as ironic that Planning Board members are running for Aberdeen Council and will likely win seats, despite their abysmal record with the Glass Plant and Train Station renovation projects?

A Blustery Day

2011-10-29T14:20:00.025-04:00

Today's wind, rain and blowing leaves might warrant a few minutes hunkered down in your thoughtful spot to watch Winne the Pooh and The Blustery Day.

NJ DEP and Beach Access for Anglers

2011-10-29T14:03:00.000-04:00

NJ DEP has promised to rewrite state guidelines to guarantee after-hours beach access after anglers expressed concerns that local municipalities were being granted too much latitude to limit fishing along the Jersey shore. Complaints of heavy enforcement at Cliffwood Beach are mentioned in an Associated Press article that appeared in APP and Philly Inquirer. Rule changes are being drafted at Trenton and should be in effect by Memorial Day 2012.

27th Jolly Mouse Craft Show, Lloyd Road Elem, 5 Nov 2011

2011-10-29T13:23:00.000-04:00

Jolly Mouse Craft Show is coming next Saturday 5 November 2011 to Lloyd Road Elementary School in Aberdeen, according to APP. The show, which is scheduled to run from 10 am to 4 pm, offers a variety of handmade crafts for sale. The event supports the Hazlet Aberdeen Matawan Therapeutic Recreation Program.

Matawan Man Arrested After Parking Dispute Leads to Injury

2011-10-29T13:02:00.000-04:00

Police told LoHud that a Matawan man was arrested for hitting and injuring a Mount Vernon, New York woman with his car after a dispute over a parking space in Bronxville, New York. LoHud is a news service covering the Lower Hudson Valley.