The Borough of Matawan continues to struggle with certain local businesses using up too many of the parking spaces in the municipal lot on Little Street between Main and Broad streets. Mayor Buccellato, who was interviewed on the subject in the 19 Jun 2014 edition of The Independent, said the spaces are meant for customers of businesses along Main Street, not for the warehousing of taxi cabs.
The mayor tried to generalize the issue, as if other businesses might also be abusing the privilege of parking in the lot. But this isn't the first time I've heard that one or more of the taxi services is the culprit. Patsy's Taxi and Costera are located right there on Little Street; however, the parking issue didn't seem to arise until Costera came along.
Costera uses all the kiss n ride spaces along the curb in front of the old Aberdeen station, so they've got one strike against them in my book. The other cab companies have nothing good to say about Costera, which has given them another strike. I don't know how accurate their claims against that company and its drivers are.
The public library had a problem with local residents using the library
lot and using up spaces for patrons. Signs were eventually put up, but I
suspect the abuse of the library lot continues.
Mayor Buccellato may deal with the parking issue by charging businesses a fee to use a controlled number of spaces in the lot. At least that's one of his ideas. He realizes the issue wasn't fully addressed last time it came up, so he plans to find a robust solution by the end of this summer.
Showing posts with label MAPL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MAPL. Show all posts
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Online Local Newspaper Archives Get New Capabilities
For those of you who use the digital images of The Matawan Journal and Bayshore Independent from the archives maintained by The Matawan Aberdeen Public Library, be advised that great improvements have been made to the capabilities of the research tools and the navigation within the archives, as well as the looks of the pages themselves. Be sure to check out the Advanced Search widget, which allows you to search across both papers and to search exact strings of text and to use wild cards.
The old familiar framework still exists for some reason but does not function, so be sure to change the favorite places in your browser to the new links.
If you've not explored the old newspapers, they can be quite fun. They go all the way back to 1869, but the oldest papers can be difficult to read. But you can find the electrification of downtown Matawan, installation of trolley service, construction of Route 35 and Route 36, development of Cliffwood Beach and Strathmore, construction of the dams, it's all there. Society news has stories you would never see in today's press. And the old advertisements are amazing. Pick a year and dive in.
For more details about these and other local newspapers online, see the Research Tools link at the top of this blog.
The old familiar framework still exists for some reason but does not function, so be sure to change the favorite places in your browser to the new links.
If you've not explored the old newspapers, they can be quite fun. They go all the way back to 1869, but the oldest papers can be difficult to read. But you can find the electrification of downtown Matawan, installation of trolley service, construction of Route 35 and Route 36, development of Cliffwood Beach and Strathmore, construction of the dams, it's all there. Society news has stories you would never see in today's press. And the old advertisements are amazing. Pick a year and dive in.
For more details about these and other local newspapers online, see the Research Tools link at the top of this blog.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
A Book About Sloan Products, Matawan Dry Goods
I'm always on the lookout for books about Matawan and Aberdeen. At the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library I discovered "A Sloan Product: A Memoir of a Lost Boy" by Neil L Selinger, published in 2011. Selinger tells of growing up in a four-generation Jewish family living on a 23-acre farm at 59 Freneau Avenue (Route 79) in Matawan.
The family owned and operated Sloan Products, a wholesale distributor of a variety of dry goods. The enterprise was closed a few years before the book was published. Once farmland in the Freneau section of the borough, the property is now the home of The Preserve at Matawan, with a street called Sloan Court running through the development. Fifteen acres of the land has been "preserved" in the true sense of the word. It is now protected wetlands.
There is a nice tribute to the author and his book in The New York Times. (See Loss of Speech Evokes the Voice of an Author, by Peter Applebome.) Mr Selinger developed Lou Gehrig's Disease shortly after finishing the book.
The 13 Sep 1951 edition of The Matawan Journal had a classified ad: "BOY WANTED as helper on truck."
The 10 Oct 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal had two graphic ads for Sloan Products, one for a rocking horse they distributed called the Blue Ribbon Wonder Horse; the other ad was for Kaiser Foil.
You can find the book under "Selinger" in the library's Biography section, which is upstairs along the back wall.
The family owned and operated Sloan Products, a wholesale distributor of a variety of dry goods. The enterprise was closed a few years before the book was published. Once farmland in the Freneau section of the borough, the property is now the home of The Preserve at Matawan, with a street called Sloan Court running through the development. Fifteen acres of the land has been "preserved" in the true sense of the word. It is now protected wetlands.
There is a nice tribute to the author and his book in The New York Times. (See Loss of Speech Evokes the Voice of an Author, by Peter Applebome.) Mr Selinger developed Lou Gehrig's Disease shortly after finishing the book.
The 13 Sep 1951 edition of The Matawan Journal had a classified ad: "BOY WANTED as helper on truck."
The 10 Oct 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal had two graphic ads for Sloan Products, one for a rocking horse they distributed called the Blue Ribbon Wonder Horse; the other ad was for Kaiser Foil.
You can find the book under "Selinger" in the library's Biography section, which is upstairs along the back wall.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
History: A J Cartan's Department Store, Matawan (1913)
The 18 Dec 1913 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 8, right column) contained a large Christmas advertisement for A J Cartan's Department Store. Check the prices! (See bottom)
A J Cartan's Department Store, 92 Main Street, Matawan was owned and operated by Andrew Johnson Cartan (1865-1927), of the same place. He was the son of Lawrence (1832-1903) and Ellen Cottrell Cartan (1840-1888). His father, originally from Ireland, operated a lumber and flower business. Andrew's wife was Sarah (1873-1933).
Photographs of the store dated 1910 and 1925 can be found on page 32 of Around Matawan and Aberdeen, by Helen Henderson. A photograph of Cartan Coal and Feed, situated at 90 Main Street in 1910, is available on page 33 of the same volume.
Andrew J Cartan died in 1927 and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, according to Find-a-Grave. (There's no photographs of the Cartan family's Rose Hill Cemetery gravestones at Find-a-Grave, so an industrious reader with photography and web skills and an interest in history might want to take some shots and add them to the Find-A-Grave site. Or take the photos and send them to me by email for uploading.)
Andrew's wife, Sarah Cartan, died in 1933 and was buried at Green Grove Cemetery in Keyport, according to Find-A-Grave. A nice photo of the gravestone is available at the site.
Andrew J Cartan (age 54, born in New Jersey to an Irish father and NJ mother) was enumerated at 83 Main Street in Matawan with the occupation of retail merchant at a general store in the 1920 Federal Census. He was listed as married but no wife appeared with him.
Andrew J Cartan (44 NJ) appeared with wife Sarah (36 NJ) in the 1910 Federal Census. Children were Helen (16) and Johnson (8). Andrew and Sarah had been married 18 years and Sarah had had two children, both surviving. Andrew was listed as a retail merchant in a grocery store. A notation said he was an employer. (The 1910 Census distinguished between those who employed persons, workers who were employed by others, and those who worked "on their own account." The enumerator noted these as EMP, W, and OA.)
Lawrence Cartan died in 1903 and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Matawan, according to Find-A-Grave. No photo of gravestone.
Johnson A Cartan (Aug 1865, 34 NJ) appeared with wife Sarah (Nov 1873, 26) and daughter Helen (Jun 1893 NJ) in the 1900 Federal Census. Johnson was listed as a store keeper, groceries. His widowed father, Lawrence (Jun 1832, 67 Ireland) appeared on the same page with children Katie (Sep 1871, 28 NJ), Garret (Dec 1873, 26 NJ), Alice (Feb 1876, 24 NJ), and Bert (Jun 1879, 20 NJ). Only Bert was employed, as a bank clerk.
Caroline Cartan died in 1888 and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, according to Find-A-Grave. No photo of gravestone.
A Johnson Cartan (14 NJ) was enumerated in the Matawan household of Lawrence (50 Ireland) and Ellen (40 NJ) Cartan in the 1880 Federal Census. His father was a dealer in flour and lumber. A J had three brothers: Lawrence, Jr (7), Garrett (5), and Birdie (1) and two sisters, Katie (9) and Alice (3). The elder Alice (16?) and Ella (11?) were missing from the household and are presumed to have died. Some families in those days would use a name again to memorialize a child who had died.
Andrew J Cartan (age 4 NJ) was enumerated in the Matawan household of Lawrence (39 Ireland) and Ellen Cartan (30 NJ) in the 1870 Federal Census, along with his siblings Alice (6) and Ella (1)..
In the 1860 Federal Census, Lawrence Cartan (age 30, Ireland) was enumerated in the Matawan household of master carpenter Reuben (Reban, sic) Brown and his wife Caroline. Lawrence was a master miller with $3,000 in real property and $200 in personal property.
If someone will check the Matawan Journal obituaries index at Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library and email me the dates the obituaries appeared in the newspaper, I'll grab whatever additional information might be available and provide links to those papers. The indices are large, floppy printouts with plastic covers that can found in the Reference section of the library. Ask at the Reference Desk if you're unfamiliar with that great resource for local history and genealogy information.
A J Cartan's Department Store, 92 Main Street, Matawan was owned and operated by Andrew Johnson Cartan (1865-1927), of the same place. He was the son of Lawrence (1832-1903) and Ellen Cottrell Cartan (1840-1888). His father, originally from Ireland, operated a lumber and flower business. Andrew's wife was Sarah (1873-1933).
Photographs of the store dated 1910 and 1925 can be found on page 32 of Around Matawan and Aberdeen, by Helen Henderson. A photograph of Cartan Coal and Feed, situated at 90 Main Street in 1910, is available on page 33 of the same volume.
Andrew J Cartan died in 1927 and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, according to Find-a-Grave. (There's no photographs of the Cartan family's Rose Hill Cemetery gravestones at Find-a-Grave, so an industrious reader with photography and web skills and an interest in history might want to take some shots and add them to the Find-A-Grave site. Or take the photos and send them to me by email for uploading.)
Andrew's wife, Sarah Cartan, died in 1933 and was buried at Green Grove Cemetery in Keyport, according to Find-A-Grave. A nice photo of the gravestone is available at the site.
Andrew J Cartan (age 54, born in New Jersey to an Irish father and NJ mother) was enumerated at 83 Main Street in Matawan with the occupation of retail merchant at a general store in the 1920 Federal Census. He was listed as married but no wife appeared with him.
Andrew J Cartan (44 NJ) appeared with wife Sarah (36 NJ) in the 1910 Federal Census. Children were Helen (16) and Johnson (8). Andrew and Sarah had been married 18 years and Sarah had had two children, both surviving. Andrew was listed as a retail merchant in a grocery store. A notation said he was an employer. (The 1910 Census distinguished between those who employed persons, workers who were employed by others, and those who worked "on their own account." The enumerator noted these as EMP, W, and OA.)
Lawrence Cartan died in 1903 and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Matawan, according to Find-A-Grave. No photo of gravestone.
Johnson A Cartan (Aug 1865, 34 NJ) appeared with wife Sarah (Nov 1873, 26) and daughter Helen (Jun 1893 NJ) in the 1900 Federal Census. Johnson was listed as a store keeper, groceries. His widowed father, Lawrence (Jun 1832, 67 Ireland) appeared on the same page with children Katie (Sep 1871, 28 NJ), Garret (Dec 1873, 26 NJ), Alice (Feb 1876, 24 NJ), and Bert (Jun 1879, 20 NJ). Only Bert was employed, as a bank clerk.
Caroline Cartan died in 1888 and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, according to Find-A-Grave. No photo of gravestone.
A Johnson Cartan (14 NJ) was enumerated in the Matawan household of Lawrence (50 Ireland) and Ellen (40 NJ) Cartan in the 1880 Federal Census. His father was a dealer in flour and lumber. A J had three brothers: Lawrence, Jr (7), Garrett (5), and Birdie (1) and two sisters, Katie (9) and Alice (3). The elder Alice (16?) and Ella (11?) were missing from the household and are presumed to have died. Some families in those days would use a name again to memorialize a child who had died.
Andrew J Cartan (age 4 NJ) was enumerated in the Matawan household of Lawrence (39 Ireland) and Ellen Cartan (30 NJ) in the 1870 Federal Census, along with his siblings Alice (6) and Ella (1)..
In the 1860 Federal Census, Lawrence Cartan (age 30, Ireland) was enumerated in the Matawan household of master carpenter Reuben (Reban, sic) Brown and his wife Caroline. Lawrence was a master miller with $3,000 in real property and $200 in personal property.
If someone will check the Matawan Journal obituaries index at Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library and email me the dates the obituaries appeared in the newspaper, I'll grab whatever additional information might be available and provide links to those papers. The indices are large, floppy printouts with plastic covers that can found in the Reference section of the library. Ask at the Reference Desk if you're unfamiliar with that great resource for local history and genealogy information.
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| A J Cartan's Department Store, Christmas ad (Matawan Journal, 18 Dec 1913) |
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| A J Cartan's Department Store Christmas ad (Matawan Journal, 18 Dec 1913) |
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| A J Cartan's Department Store, Christmas ad (Matawan Journal, 18 Dec 1913) |
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| A J Cartan's Department Store, Christmas ad (Matawan Journal, 18 Dec 1913) |
Friday, September 28, 2012
Matawan Journal Online Archive (1878)
The online edition of The Matawan Journal has an incorrect link to the 1878 issues, linking instead to the 1869 issues. Here's a good link to the 1878 issues. Hopefully the link on the site can be fixed.
Monday, December 26, 2011
MAPL Offers Many Useful Services - 2011 PSA
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.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Lopsided Governance in Aberdeen
I received an ad in the mail the other day from the Aberdeen Democrats promoting their candidates for Township Council. The ad suggested that the "Aberdeen Democratic Team" has proven itself by fixing roads, installing solar panels, and securing open spaces, but 3 of the 4 candidates weren't even on the Council when those projects were accomplished. What they are really telling you is that the Township is being run by the Democratic Party through the Council, whoever they happen to put in there.
Individuals should run for office, not parties.And parties ought not to be running the town; the Township Council should be in charge. I personally believe in the checks and balances that result from a two party system and would prefer that the Council was, if not balanced, then at least less lopsided. Voters simply don't have adequate access to local political decision making when one party goes into executive session, for example. Where is the give and take? The exposure of bad ideas in press releases or news leaks? Where is the corrective when things are going wrong? Voting Column 2 as the Democrats suggest in their ad won't give you those checks and balances.
There are a lot of big signs and glossy mailings being paid for by the Democratic Party this year, so the machine obviously wants to remain in total control of the Council. The Republicans have yet to make their presence known, so I suppose the Dems will sweep the Council yet again.
There is apparently no political cost to the Democrats for major projects that continue to languish - the pool club, the glass plant, and the railroad plaza. The new senior center seems to be going to a major Democratic contributor in the state. And there is no cost to the Dems for overdeveloping County Road, tapping the free public library's budget allocation, leaving the grass growing tall at our roadsides and the snow piled so high on area sidewalks that our kids have to walk in the street to get to school.
I'll be voting for sunshine on the Council and quality of life in our Township this November.
Individuals should run for office, not parties.And parties ought not to be running the town; the Township Council should be in charge. I personally believe in the checks and balances that result from a two party system and would prefer that the Council was, if not balanced, then at least less lopsided. Voters simply don't have adequate access to local political decision making when one party goes into executive session, for example. Where is the give and take? The exposure of bad ideas in press releases or news leaks? Where is the corrective when things are going wrong? Voting Column 2 as the Democrats suggest in their ad won't give you those checks and balances.
There are a lot of big signs and glossy mailings being paid for by the Democratic Party this year, so the machine obviously wants to remain in total control of the Council. The Republicans have yet to make their presence known, so I suppose the Dems will sweep the Council yet again.
There is apparently no political cost to the Democrats for major projects that continue to languish - the pool club, the glass plant, and the railroad plaza. The new senior center seems to be going to a major Democratic contributor in the state. And there is no cost to the Dems for overdeveloping County Road, tapping the free public library's budget allocation, leaving the grass growing tall at our roadsides and the snow piled so high on area sidewalks that our kids have to walk in the street to get to school.
I'll be voting for sunshine on the Council and quality of life in our Township this November.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Embers: Childhood Stories of Matawan
I just finished reading an interesting book from the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library and thought I'd share some details. Embers: Stories and Sketches (974.9461 Ve), a book written by Matawan native Roy Veary, tells the author's childhood memories of the Matawan area from the 1920's into the early 1930's. The book is written in large part from a kid's perspective and focuses on things important to a kid, like camping, hiking, swimming in the lake and sledding in winter. Along the way we learn something of making the best of things during difficult economic times. Roy's illustrations are quite nice. I just wish he'd included some hand drawn maps.
Roy tells us how old he was when things happened but never provides a year to give temporal context. And he doesn't give us his parents' names. In a way Roy tells us as much about time as Charles Schulz reveals in his Charlie Brown cartoon. Luckily, I found the Veary's in the Federal Census. Roy was born in the second half of the year 1920, so the stories from his early teenage years are from the worst of The Great Depression.
Roy was the youngest of the Veary children in the 1930 census. His siblings were his sister Elsie (born abt 1915) and brothers Joseph "Bumpy" (born abt 1917) and Frank Jr (born abt 1919). Their parents were Frank (born abt 1899) and Addie (born abt 1900) Veary. Frank was working as a driller in a foundry in 1920 and as a laborer in a tile company in 1930. Addie was raising 3 kids and had one on the way in 1920 but was working as a laborer at a phosphate factory in the 1930 census. They lived on Spring Street in Matawan in 1920 and on Atlantic Avenue in 1930.
Addie's parents, Thomas (born abt 1874) and Minerva (born abt 1877) Bailey, lived with the Vearys in Matawan for over a decade. Thomas was a pressman at a tile factory in 1920 and a laborer in 1930. Addie and her older sister Lida (Aunt Lida in the book) lived on their parents' farm in Holmdel in 1910.
Frank's parents, Frank (born abt 1862 in Germany) and Annie (born abt 1880) Veary, lived on Atlantic Avenue in 1910. His siblings were Frederick (born abt 1899), Margaret (born abt 1903), and Annie (born abt 1909). The elder Frank emigrated from Germany in 1891 and remained an alien in 1910, when he was employed as a clay pressman working in terra cotta.
In the chapter Going to Town, Roy tells us about visiting Butler's grocery, Hyle's bakery, Mahoney's grain and feed, Pruden's butcher shop, Bill Smith's blacksmith's, Harden's store, the movie theater, the police station, Riedel's barber shop, Allen's store, Wagner's store, and the grammar school. As for the films Roy says he saw, there was William S Hart's last film, Tumbleweeds, in 1925; the 1926 film The Great K & A Train Robbery and the 1929 version of Seven Keys to Baldpate. (pp 19-28)
Roy has two chapters dedicated to the subject of railroads: The Railroad Tracks (pp 34-45) and The Junction (pp 97 - 109). He talks a lot about his exploits related to a trestle that crossed Lake Matawan between his home off Atlantic Avenue and points in town, including school. He also talks about how he and his friends went for a swim in the railroad water tower near the Matawan station. Parents be advised: Your kids do crazy things when you're not looking.
Roy has multiple chapters on hikes he and his friends went on. The Yellow Brick Ruins tells of a hike to the Cliffwood Brickyard (pp 110-115); Mocassin Horse covers a hike up the creek from Lake Matawan to Holmdel (pp 116-129); Going to Church recounts his two-day hike to Old Tennent Church (pp 154-163); and The Ocean Going Canoe tells us about Roy and his friends and their adventure by canoe from Lake Matawan to Matawan Creek and thence across Raritan Bay to Union Beach for an overnight camping trip and back again. This one his parents knew about but should never have permitted, seems to me. (pp 63-76) He tells us of his summer exploits in Bummer Summer (pp 86 - 96) and winter fun in John Ray's Hill (pp 77 - 85). Roy even tells us of travel by steamboat, a common means of transit in those days, in The Bowery - We Never Go There Anymore. (pp 145-153)
I recommend the book for those who want to immerse themselves in what Matawan was like over 75 years ago. I wouldn't suggest that parents send their children on two-day hikes in New Jersey anymore, but it can be fun to read about a time when that was possible. The book is generally well-written but doesn't seem to have been professionally edited. It has a few nagging grammar problems, like the author's mistaken use of it's for its and some number agreement issues, but nothing one can't overlook. Once I return the book you should find it in MAPL's New Books section near the door.
Roy tells us how old he was when things happened but never provides a year to give temporal context. And he doesn't give us his parents' names. In a way Roy tells us as much about time as Charles Schulz reveals in his Charlie Brown cartoon. Luckily, I found the Veary's in the Federal Census. Roy was born in the second half of the year 1920, so the stories from his early teenage years are from the worst of The Great Depression.
Roy was the youngest of the Veary children in the 1930 census. His siblings were his sister Elsie (born abt 1915) and brothers Joseph "Bumpy" (born abt 1917) and Frank Jr (born abt 1919). Their parents were Frank (born abt 1899) and Addie (born abt 1900) Veary. Frank was working as a driller in a foundry in 1920 and as a laborer in a tile company in 1930. Addie was raising 3 kids and had one on the way in 1920 but was working as a laborer at a phosphate factory in the 1930 census. They lived on Spring Street in Matawan in 1920 and on Atlantic Avenue in 1930.
Addie's parents, Thomas (born abt 1874) and Minerva (born abt 1877) Bailey, lived with the Vearys in Matawan for over a decade. Thomas was a pressman at a tile factory in 1920 and a laborer in 1930. Addie and her older sister Lida (Aunt Lida in the book) lived on their parents' farm in Holmdel in 1910.
Frank's parents, Frank (born abt 1862 in Germany) and Annie (born abt 1880) Veary, lived on Atlantic Avenue in 1910. His siblings were Frederick (born abt 1899), Margaret (born abt 1903), and Annie (born abt 1909). The elder Frank emigrated from Germany in 1891 and remained an alien in 1910, when he was employed as a clay pressman working in terra cotta.
In the chapter Going to Town, Roy tells us about visiting Butler's grocery, Hyle's bakery, Mahoney's grain and feed, Pruden's butcher shop, Bill Smith's blacksmith's, Harden's store, the movie theater, the police station, Riedel's barber shop, Allen's store, Wagner's store, and the grammar school. As for the films Roy says he saw, there was William S Hart's last film, Tumbleweeds, in 1925; the 1926 film The Great K & A Train Robbery and the 1929 version of Seven Keys to Baldpate. (pp 19-28)
Roy has two chapters dedicated to the subject of railroads: The Railroad Tracks (pp 34-45) and The Junction (pp 97 - 109). He talks a lot about his exploits related to a trestle that crossed Lake Matawan between his home off Atlantic Avenue and points in town, including school. He also talks about how he and his friends went for a swim in the railroad water tower near the Matawan station. Parents be advised: Your kids do crazy things when you're not looking.
Roy has multiple chapters on hikes he and his friends went on. The Yellow Brick Ruins tells of a hike to the Cliffwood Brickyard (pp 110-115); Mocassin Horse covers a hike up the creek from Lake Matawan to Holmdel (pp 116-129); Going to Church recounts his two-day hike to Old Tennent Church (pp 154-163); and The Ocean Going Canoe tells us about Roy and his friends and their adventure by canoe from Lake Matawan to Matawan Creek and thence across Raritan Bay to Union Beach for an overnight camping trip and back again. This one his parents knew about but should never have permitted, seems to me. (pp 63-76) He tells us of his summer exploits in Bummer Summer (pp 86 - 96) and winter fun in John Ray's Hill (pp 77 - 85). Roy even tells us of travel by steamboat, a common means of transit in those days, in The Bowery - We Never Go There Anymore. (pp 145-153)
I recommend the book for those who want to immerse themselves in what Matawan was like over 75 years ago. I wouldn't suggest that parents send their children on two-day hikes in New Jersey anymore, but it can be fun to read about a time when that was possible. The book is generally well-written but doesn't seem to have been professionally edited. It has a few nagging grammar problems, like the author's mistaken use of it's for its and some number agreement issues, but nothing one can't overlook. Once I return the book you should find it in MAPL's New Books section near the door.
Friday, July 1, 2011
MARSD Superintendent Names His Representative to Library Board
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| MRHS Library Media Center |
Mr Gross fills the vacancy left by longtime board member Kathleen Eovino, his predecessor at the school as well. He received his masters in library and information sciences from Rutgers University in 2010 and has just completed his first year at MRHS. His first board meeting will be on 13 July 2011.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Patricia O'Keefe Retires; New Principal Sought for Lloyd Road Elementary
The online podcast of the 27 June 2011 MARSD Board of Education meeting includes the following interesting pieces of information:
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| O'Keefe |
- Ms Patricia O'Keefe has announced her retirement as Principal at the Lloyd Road Elementary School. (The job is already posted online.)
- The district has hired two new Vice Principals -- Mr Michael Wells at MRHS and Mr Mark Van Horn at MAMS. Mr Wells begins his duties 1 July 2011; Mr Van Horn on 1 August 2011.
- The Board has participated in two mediated sessions of negotiations with the Matawan Regional Teachers Association (MRTA), on 27 April and 6 June 2011, and plans to attend a third session on 8 August.
- The Superintendent of Schools and the Mayor of Matawan (on behalf of both Aberdeen and Matawan) each recognized Kathleen Eovino for her years of dedicated service to the community through her work in the school system and on the board of the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library. The student representative likewise praised her service and thanked her on behalf of his fellow students. Ms Eovino, in turn, recognized the service of teachers in our district. She also recognized the library board for their efforts. She received a well deserved standing ovation from those in attendance.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Teen Place at MAPL, Grand Opening Tuesday
The Matawan Aberdeen Public Library (MAPL) has a newly designated "Teen Place" upstairs with specially purchased tables and chairs. The library is hosting a grand opening of the space this Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm.
Below are some images of the new furnishings plus a copy of the invitation to the festivities.
Below are some images of the new furnishings plus a copy of the invitation to the festivities.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
MAPL Book Sale Big Hit
Laurie Creed, manager of the Matawan Starbucks, did a great job as chair of the book sale. A number of local high school students helped the Friends with the heavy lifting. Library trustees Kimberly Paone (Librarian) and Greg Cannon (Aberdeen Town Council) each dropped by to show their support.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Library Week 2011 at Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library
Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library celebrated Library Week 10-16 April 2011. Check out their video (above), as well as their calendar of upcoming activities. Note that the library is open today but closed Sunday and Monday for the Easter holidays.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Matawan Regional School District Soon To Be 50
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| The above picture, which appeared on the front page of the 22 June 1961 edition of The Matawan Journal, documents the final meeting of the Matawan Township Consolidated School District on 20 June 1961. |
Since representation was now to be based on population, the new Board would consist of 5 members from the Township and 4 members from the Borough. To be properly balanced, 3 Borough residents' terms had to be cut short and 3 Township members added. The Monmouth County Superintendent of Schools handled the arrangements, including the naming of new members. He also set an organizational meeting for 26 June.
3 Borough members were to leave the Board:
- Thomas J Siddons (3 years remaining)
- John P Kane (2 years remaining)
- Floyd R Brown (1 year remaining)
- Harold J Dolan
- Roy S Matthews
- Daniel J Heaney
- John J Bradley
- Alfred Manville
- Mrs Esther Rinear
- The Reverend Francis Osterstock was Pastor of the Bayview Presbyterian Church. He had graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1955 and been Bayview's pastor since that time. He was past president of the Keyport-Matawan Area Council of Churches and a member of the Matawan Library Board.
- Joseph Stenger, of Route 34, was President of the Township Planning Board and vice chairman of the industrial commission. He was 31, married, with two children. He worked as a bank cashier and had been a Township resident for 21 years.
- Adam H Gurnicz, of 418 Prospect Avenue, Cliffwood Beach, was a World War II veteran, having served in the US Army Air Corps. He was married with 3 children and worked as a draftsman in Perth Amboy. He had been a Township resident for 10 years.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Africa in Matawan Township: 1855, 1936
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| Detail from Map of Middletown Point, Monmouth County, New Jersey, surveyed and published by Thomas A Hurley, 1855 |
Next time you're in the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library, take a close look at the old map on the wall over the computers in the reference section. The section of town east of Atlantic Avenue, roughly where the high school is currently located, was once called Africa. It was the part of town where the African Americans lived since pre-Revolutionary times.
During the Great Depression, the Franklin D Roosevelt Administration formed the Works Progress Administration to provide employment for the countless people out of work. Light town histories, like Matawan: 1686-1936, were standard fare for the Federal Writers' Project. One can only imagine the sort of discussions those writers had with local officials to prompt the following text, which followed some paragraphs about the nicer parts of town:
One of the most colorful local names, "Skintown," is sometimes given to the section of Atlantic Avenue lying between the two railroad lines. The story is that some years ago a contractor built several cheap houses and sold them at fancy prices.
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| Omar Khayyam |
Sources: Matawan: 1686-1936, pp 11-12, written and illustrated by workers of the Federal Writers' Project, 1936. Photo from Wikimedia appears in the Wikipedia article Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Middletown Library Clearly Owes Its Town; MAPL, Less So
Middletown Township is bristling over having to pay more than half a million dollars in debt service annually on the buildings it owns that house the town's library, per APP, while the library collects an annual stipend based on a percentage of property taxes and develops a healthy surplus. Faced with a huge budget crisis that threatens to force two dozen municipal layoffs, including the loss of ten police officers, the Township Council has asked the library to fund the buildings' debt service or face the prospect of cost savings through the library becoming a county branch.
It seems to me that Middletown Township has a legitimate claim on that half a million dollars. Matawan and Aberdeen, on the other hand, hold no such righteous claim to the monies they've been pocketing from our library in recent years. I'd given up speaking out against the annual money grab as choreographed by local officials sitting on the library board. This past year has been a masterful exercise in perception management, leaving our new librarian in the odd position of scrimping and saving on library expenses in order to preserve a budget surplus that ironically must revert to the local municipalities at year's end. A complex budget exercise by the board last fall established a new routine of guaranteeing a surplus to municipal coffers each year.
On the occasion of this situation in Middletown, I thought I'd bring this up one last time. I've stopped attending board meetings because there's something just not right going on there. I admire the board's public service but the utter conflict of interest is really upsetting.
It seems to me that Middletown Township has a legitimate claim on that half a million dollars. Matawan and Aberdeen, on the other hand, hold no such righteous claim to the monies they've been pocketing from our library in recent years. I'd given up speaking out against the annual money grab as choreographed by local officials sitting on the library board. This past year has been a masterful exercise in perception management, leaving our new librarian in the odd position of scrimping and saving on library expenses in order to preserve a budget surplus that ironically must revert to the local municipalities at year's end. A complex budget exercise by the board last fall established a new routine of guaranteeing a surplus to municipal coffers each year.
On the occasion of this situation in Middletown, I thought I'd bring this up one last time. I've stopped attending board meetings because there's something just not right going on there. I admire the board's public service but the utter conflict of interest is really upsetting.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Independent Digitization Project Available Online
Scanned images of The Independent are now available at the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library website. Images can be browsed by year or searched via an online database search engine. The search engine REQUIRES that you choose a publication and date range, and of course you must add keywords to search.
The search engine, provided by the digitization company IDI, has a few issues that need to be resolved. For one thing, it contains only The Independent, not The Matawan Journal, so when you are asked to select a publication, only The Independent appears. A user must return to the MAPL website and start over to use The Journal by year or via a separate search tool. That's not very helpful. Also, the search tool sometimes errors out. In such cases, the date range drop down menu won't appear. This requires that a user go back to MAPL website and start over. The seach engine will not let you go back to select a publication and re-select The Independent. And it does not provide a link back to the MAPL website.
Following up on an October blog article, MAPL, Middletown, and Monmouth County public libraries have all made significant financial contributions to the cost of this digitization project and the project is fully paid for.
The search engine, provided by the digitization company IDI, has a few issues that need to be resolved. For one thing, it contains only The Independent, not The Matawan Journal, so when you are asked to select a publication, only The Independent appears. A user must return to the MAPL website and start over to use The Journal by year or via a separate search tool. That's not very helpful. Also, the search tool sometimes errors out. In such cases, the date range drop down menu won't appear. This requires that a user go back to MAPL website and start over. The seach engine will not let you go back to select a publication and re-select The Independent. And it does not provide a link back to the MAPL website.
Following up on an October blog article, MAPL, Middletown, and Monmouth County public libraries have all made significant financial contributions to the cost of this digitization project and the project is fully paid for.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
MAPL Director Gives and Gets First Assessment
Kimberly Paone, the new head of the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library, presented her first report to the Trustees on Wednesday evening. Board members and visitors were so impressed with her report that she received a round of applause.
Two newly hired computer technicians will primarily help customers with computer issues. They will also help with the circulation desk and various clerical duties. One of the new techs will also maintain the MAPL website and offer one-on-one computer training 4 pm to 9pm beginning 18 October. MAPL also has a new youth services intern.
New furniture, part of the SWAT grant, will arrive on 14 October. Online computers will not be available during the furniture installation. The computers we use to check the library catalog are soon to be placed on end caps.
The library continues to have issues with its elevator. A problem with the doors should be resolved shortly and be under warranty. Issues with the emergency phone are being addressed.
The color of the library's new logo will be maroon and steel. New signage based on the logo is being postponed as other options are considered.
Innovative Document Imaging (IDI) of East Brunswick has completed the digitization of our local newspapers from 1973 to 1991. MAPL is contributing $12,000 towards the project and Middletown has agreed to pay $8,000. Once Monmouth County is on the hook for $12,000, the balance of the scanning project through February 2000 will be completed.
The director's requests included seven new computers for the library's staff. They could soon be replaced with Dell computers available at a discount through Monmouth County. The board is also considering bolstering the hired help to keep the youth services desk staffed during library hours and to help address a gap in coverage of tweens and teens. A new Smart Access Manager (SAM) could also be in the future to make paying for printing at MAPL much easier.
New mail boxes and email accounts should help the new library director to communicate more efficiently and privately with her staff. New name tags for senior staff and job title tags for part time staff should make it easier for patrons to recognize staff.
Patrons are invited to meet the new director at the library on 22 October. Check fliers posted at the library for details.
Note that board meetings will start a half hour earlier (7:00 pm) beginning with the November meeting.
Two newly hired computer technicians will primarily help customers with computer issues. They will also help with the circulation desk and various clerical duties. One of the new techs will also maintain the MAPL website and offer one-on-one computer training 4 pm to 9pm beginning 18 October. MAPL also has a new youth services intern.
New furniture, part of the SWAT grant, will arrive on 14 October. Online computers will not be available during the furniture installation. The computers we use to check the library catalog are soon to be placed on end caps.
The library continues to have issues with its elevator. A problem with the doors should be resolved shortly and be under warranty. Issues with the emergency phone are being addressed.
The color of the library's new logo will be maroon and steel. New signage based on the logo is being postponed as other options are considered.
Innovative Document Imaging (IDI) of East Brunswick has completed the digitization of our local newspapers from 1973 to 1991. MAPL is contributing $12,000 towards the project and Middletown has agreed to pay $8,000. Once Monmouth County is on the hook for $12,000, the balance of the scanning project through February 2000 will be completed.
The director's requests included seven new computers for the library's staff. They could soon be replaced with Dell computers available at a discount through Monmouth County. The board is also considering bolstering the hired help to keep the youth services desk staffed during library hours and to help address a gap in coverage of tweens and teens. A new Smart Access Manager (SAM) could also be in the future to make paying for printing at MAPL much easier.
New mail boxes and email accounts should help the new library director to communicate more efficiently and privately with her staff. New name tags for senior staff and job title tags for part time staff should make it easier for patrons to recognize staff.
Patrons are invited to meet the new director at the library on 22 October. Check fliers posted at the library for details.
Note that board meetings will start a half hour earlier (7:00 pm) beginning with the November meeting.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Long Neck Creek, Aberdeen, New Jersey
When I wrote my recent article about the Route 35 water main project, I couldn't find any information online about Long Neck Creek, cited as the place along Route 35 where the deteriorated main crosses the highway. Today, while reviewing the Aberdeen Township Master Plan at the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library, I found a State Plan Policy Map that showed the creek zoned in the Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area (PA5). [See slide 20/31 in this State Development & Redevelopment Plan (SDRP) slide show for further information about PA5 status.]
Long Neck Creek looks to originate near the end of Roosevelt near Gordon in Cliffwood. It crosses under the New York - Long Branch train tracks between County Road and Cliffwood Road. It crosses Route 35 between those same two roads and feeds into Whale Creek near the end of Lenox Road in Cliffwood.
According to a 1999 NJDEP report, the watershed drainage into Long Neck Creek once received non-source pollutants from the Anchor Glass plant.
A Federal Writers' Project map on page 2 of Township of Matawan: 1857 - 1957, a book compiled by Mrs Frank Tiemann, shows the creek as the southernmost unnamed tributary of Whale Creek. By the way: the unnamed tributary pictured on that map as feeding into Long Neck Creek is likely the stream that crosses under Matawan Avenue and passes through the woods next to MAMS.
Long Neck Creek looks to originate near the end of Roosevelt near Gordon in Cliffwood. It crosses under the New York - Long Branch train tracks between County Road and Cliffwood Road. It crosses Route 35 between those same two roads and feeds into Whale Creek near the end of Lenox Road in Cliffwood.
According to a 1999 NJDEP report, the watershed drainage into Long Neck Creek once received non-source pollutants from the Anchor Glass plant.
A Federal Writers' Project map on page 2 of Township of Matawan: 1857 - 1957, a book compiled by Mrs Frank Tiemann, shows the creek as the southernmost unnamed tributary of Whale Creek. By the way: the unnamed tributary pictured on that map as feeding into Long Neck Creek is likely the stream that crosses under Matawan Avenue and passes through the woods next to MAMS.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
MAPL Friends Meeting
The next meeting of the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library Friends will be held on Monday, September 13 at 7:30 pm in the library meeting room. The topic will be the upcoming book sale. The new library director, Kimberly Paone, will visit the group for a few moments at the beginning of the meeting.
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