Steps For Joe

Over 600 people came together today at Matawan Regional High School for a fundraiser to help a student named Joe Ahmed get treatment for Stage IV Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare, aggressive bone cancer.

Marchers walked a circuit from MRHS down Atlantic to Little, across the bridge, then a right on Broad, a walk along the lake, a left on Main at the doughboy in the park, a left on Little and a right on Atlantic back to the school. This water stop got creative with the arrangement of the cups.

The event was organized by Tim Makalinao and Adam Elliott and assisted by officials of the township and borough. CERT assisted with traffic control.

Joe's treatment is experimental and very expensive. You can still donate online at Steps for Joe.

History: Matawan Mayor Allows Women to Wear Shorts, Limits Police Actions to Those Indecently Exposed (1952)

What women could wear on the streets of Matawan became an issue in the summer of 1952 when the chief of police challenged their wearing of shorts. The text below appeared on the front page of the 24 Jul 1952 issue of The Matawan Journal.

YOU CAN WEAR 'EM, GIRLS

Mayor Spafford W Schanck took up the cause of the fair sex wearing shorts at Tuesday's council meeting. The mayor announced the women of Matawan had his sanction to walk the streets with them on. He said only persons who were beyond question "indecently exposed" by scanty attire would be subject to questioning by police. Chief John J Flood, of borough police, announced last week women wearing shorts on borough streets had been asked to change to other garb as shorts were considered not in keeping with the atmosphere of a home community the type of Matawan.

There's an interesting discussion in the 28 Feb 1918 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2 col 4) of the change in men's perceptions of women's wear from indecency to patriotism brought on by shortages of fabric during World War I.

History: Farmers and Merchants Bank to Become Matawan Borough Hall (1959)

The 8 Oct 1959 edition of The Matawan Journal said that Mayor Ralph R Dennis revealed that Matawan Borough was buying the Farmers and Merchants National Bank building on Main Street and would be renovating the space for use as a borough hall. The borough would be paying $30,000 for the bank building, which was located across the street from the US Post Office, plus another $20,000 to outfit the space for borough offices and install a jail cell block. To date the borough had been renting meeting space from the American Legion Post..

History: First Annual Monmouth County Firemen's Parade, Matawan (1875)

The 27 Nov 1875 edition of The Matawan Journal described the events of the Monmouth County Firemen's grand parade, which was held in Matawan on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday 25 Nov 1875. The honor of hosting what was the first such annual parade was granted by the United Associations of Monmouth to Matawan's Washington Company, the oldest fire company in the county.

Recent rains had made the streets muddy, but the day was clear and bright.

The following fire companies appeared in the parade in order of seniority:

•  Washington Company (the Washingtons), of Matawan, was represented by 45 men in red shirts and black pants. Their equipment was a single-deck hand engine.
• Good Will Company (the Good Wills), of Freehold, was represented by only 25 men and a ladder truck stripped bare of its ladders, buckets, and other appurtenances. The company was indignant that the Freehold commissioners had limited the fire company's participation, especially that they had refused to allow them to bring their handsome steamer and stripped bare the ladder truck. The "noble few" arrived first, in carriages.
• Navesink Hook and Ladder Company (the Navesinks), of Red Bank, was represented by 61 men in blue shirts and black pants. The men arrived on the 1:27 pm train and were met by their hook and ladder truck, complete with ladders, etc, which had been drawn to the event by two teams of fine horses.
• Oceanic Company (the Oceanics), of Long Branch Village, consisted of 53 men in red shirts and black pants. They arrived by special train along with the Atlantic Company and were met at the station by the Washingtons. They brought their Babcock engine.
• Atlantic Company (the Atlantics), of East Long Branch, consisted of 53 men in blue shirts and black pants. They arrived by special train along with the Oceanic Company and were met at the station by the Washingtons. Their one-cylindered steamer was the most handsome machine in the parade. They also brought their ladder truck, complete with appurtenances.

Also appearing were the following bands:

• Jefferson Cornet Band, of Newark, a 14 piece band, accompanied the Matawan fire company.
• Major Allstrom's Cornet Band, of Red Bank, accompanied the Navesink fire company.
• Freehold Band, of Freehold, a 16 piece band plus drum corps, accompanied the Freehold and Long Branch fire companies.

The parade began at the Matawan railroad station, proceeded as far as the residence of John Suydam, then counter-marched down Main Street as far as the residence of Mr L Cady. The parade counter-marched to Church Street, then down Church to Broad Street, then Broad to Little Street, and up Little to the Engine House.

The firemen constructed a great archway over the intersection of Main and Little Streets to honor the county's firemen, who were greeted all along the way by citizens displaying mottoes of welcome, hanging wreaths, waving handkerchiefs, and draping flags from their windows. An estimated 5,000 persons attended the parade. Men, women and children thronged the streets and hung out of windows along the parade route.

The companies parked their fire vehicles at the Engine House and proceeded on foot to Washington Hall for a collation prepared by the ladies of Matawan. The newspaper took Lieutenant Hendrickson for a sneak preview of the collation. He reportedly compared the collation favorably to a reception prepared for the military at the dedication of the "soldiers' monument at Beverly."

When the festivities were over, the Freehold men departed in their carriages and the others departed by train. Foreman Sickels, of Washington Company, and his crew were given high praises by the newspaper for their untiring efforts to make the parade a success. Chief Marshall Sidney Walling, and his assistants Henry Stillwell, D P VanDeventer, and Charles A Geran were complimented on how they aptly preserved the order of the day on horseback, especially how they kept their steeds in check despite the din of the parade.

Other fire company news:

The 19 Feb 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that the Washington Company would muster in full dress on 22 Feb 1876 at 7 o'clock. Also announced was the Centennial Firemen's Ball of Monmouth County, which would be held at John J Wheeler's hotel in Eatontown on 22 Feb 1876.

The 11 Mar 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal reviewed the assets of the local fire company and asked its readers to ask themselves if the fire company didn't deserve more support.
   1 - The firemen are well organized, willing and alert.
   2 - The engine house, if a bit costly and not large enough to stow all the necessary gear, is well built and paid for.
   3 - The company has an engine that works, albeit with great effort.
   4 - The company has a suction hose, but it's only barely long enough to reach the water in a typical well.
   5 - The company's ejection hose has such serious leaks that bystanders are guaranteed a good wetting. About 100 feet of the hose is good enough for hose practice but not for a significant fire.
   6 - The alarm bell in the engine house was cracked during the Centennial celebrations and is now useless. It's glory has departed, the writer notes.
   7 - The promised cisterns have yet to arrive.

The 29 Apr 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the utter destruction by fire of the home of a colored man named David Schanck. The house had been located near the "camp meeting woods." The newspaper thought the property had been insured.

A letter to the editor in the 13 May 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal urged Matawan residents to turn their attention to the poor condition of its fire fighting vehicle, hoses, and equipment. "The engine is classed by experts as third class, useless in a case of a large fire; the hose now on hand is unfit for use; and there is not enough even of this to reach a fire at a short distance." The writer, listed simply as C D H, encouraged the replacement of the old equipment and purchase of new. He ended with a hope that this will wake some of the Rip Van Winkles of Matawan to a sense of their duty. . ." 

The 17 Jun 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that the Washington Fire Company was arranging to acquire a new bell to replace the one in their alarm tower. That bell cracked while ringing in the Centennial year on New Year's eve. The company would parade at 1 pm on the 4th of July.

The 14 Oct 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the upcoming Monmouth County Firemen's annual parade, which would be held in Long Branch on 19 Oct 1876. The article made mention of "the Washingtons," the local Matawan fire company, which would be represented at the parade. The writer noted that the previous annual parade was held in Matawan in Nov 1875.

Rock n Arrests at Train Station

Lots of emergency vehicles at Ab-Mat train station tonite. Some rockers heading from NJ Transit trains to shuttle buses going to the 311 Slightly Stoopid concert at the PNC Arts Center were arrested for fighting. Others were taken away to hospitals with heat exhaustion.

See The Patch for details on this story.

Temporary Detour in Downtown Matawan

As of 2:30 pm Sunday, traffic was being detoured around the corner of Ravine Drive and Main Street. See The Patch for details of what happened to cause the road closure and updates on the status of repairs.

History: Jilted Lover Stabs Himself in Neck at Matawan Train Station (1927)

A lonely man, feeling depressed after being jilted by a woman, stabbed himself in the neck and broke off the knife blade after getting off the Central Jersey Railroad train at Matawan rail station, according to a front page article in the 1 Apr 1927 edition of The Matawan Journal. He had just arrived from Highlands, where he claimed he'd tried to drown himself, but the water wasn't deep enough; his shirt was still wet.

Matawan Chief of Police Edwin Sloat and Dr Millard Erwin saw to his immediate medical needs, then Chief Sloat sent him to the Monmouth County jail, where he was examined by a doctor, found to be demented, and quickly committed to the New Jersey State Hospital (now Trenton Psychiatric Hospital) in Trenton.

Three years later, the 1930 Federal Census listed an Anthony Waideles, age 39, born in Polish Russia and spoke Lithuanian, who was head of household on 8th Street in Union Beach. He was a house laborer. The record showed that he had immigrated to the US in 1912 and was a naturalized citizen. He claimed to have only $10 to his name.

Living in the same household was a roomer named Joseph Mackovick, age 38, who was born in Lithuania and spoke Lithuanian. He was a laborer in hollow tile. He was an alien; the date of immigration is difficult to read.

The Matawan Police Department had been established a year earlier, on 9 Mar 1926, according to a history found on the Matawan PD website. Chief Sloat was the first full time police officer in Matawan to hold the position of Chief of Police.

Below is the original text from The Matawan Journal.

STABS HIMSELF IN THROAT.
Anthony Waidhes Mentally Unbalanced Said Girl Deserted Him.

Because he had been jilted by a woman, Anthony Waidhes, 35, a native of Poland, stabbed himself in the throat with a jackknife Wednesday morning. The man was a passenger on the Central Railroad train on the Highlands division, which arrived at Matawan station at 8:45. It is thought that he thrust the knife into his throat soon after he alighted from the train. Blood streamed from the wound and the man's clothing was soaked with water.

Chief of Police Edwin C. Sloat of Matawan took the man in charge and Dr. Millard Erwin administered first aid and advised that Weidhes be taken to a hospital. Chief Sloat questioned the man who told him that the knife had broke off in his throat when he stabbed himself and that before he attempted to slash his throat he had tried to drown himself but that the water was not deep enough. He said that he had no family and that a girl had deserted him.

As the man was apparently demented, Chief Sloan took him to Freehold, where he turned him over to Jail Physician Dr. Clayton and after an examination as to his sanity he was committed to the State Institute at Trenton.

Former Matawan Police Chief Speaks Out in TV Interview

Former Matawan Police Chief James Alston spoke out regarding his recent suspension and demotion in a video interview with News 12 on Friday. Alston claims racial discrimination and the Borough's attorney claims the recent actions against Alston were justified.

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.

Matawan Council to Take Action on Police Chief

Matawan Borough Council has scheduled a special meeting to "take formal action on the hearing officer's decision concerning the Chief of Police," according to a public notice. The meeting will be held Monday 11 July 2011 at 6:30 pm at the Matawan Municipal Community Center at 201 Broad Street.

Chief James Alston has been suspended with pay since last year.

UPDATE: Matawan-Aberdeen Patch issued breaking news tonight that Matawan Chief of Police James Alston is being demoted to Lieutenant and given a ten-day suspension. Jason Gallo will remain Acting Chief of Police for the time being. Check out the detailed Patch article.

How Do They Spell DWI in Warrrensburg? The Same as in Matawan

A Matawan man was charged with DWI in Warrensburg, New York, according to The North Country Gazette. The driver had an astonishing blood alcohol level of 0.14. Yikes! He was also charged with felony operation of a vehicle under a suspended license. Surprise, he lost his privileges for a previous DWI. I hope the Matawan and Aberdeen PDs will take note.

What's with all these middle aged Matawan men heading out of town and getting in trouble with the law lately? Dentists? Policemen? I'm running out of ways to say Matawan Man...

MAPL Book Sale Big Hit

The Friends of the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library (MAPL) held a successful book sale last weekend. After the Matawan Police closed the street outside the library, the Friends put out tables of fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, and everything in between for people to peruse. Customers were charged $5 for a bag of books, or $1 for individual hardbacks and $0.50 for paperbacks.

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.

Speedy Delivery Comes to Matawan PD

Matawan and Gloucester City police departments began using a new toy in their squad cars on Friday, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.They can issue you a traffic summons or parking ticket in about forty seconds.  Here's an excerpt from the news article, which of course focused on Gloucester City:

Squad-car laptops are equipped with . . . e-ticketing software. Officers swipe a driver's license in a small scanner. Criminal and driving histories, obtained from different databases, are then displayed on the laptop and automatically entered into the software.

Officers then choose the offense from a menu and input their location. Squad cars are equipped with a printer, and tickets are printed in the car. Tickets and summonses are automatically uploaded to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

For a parking violation, officers would enter the license-plate number, make, and model, along with the offense and location.

Marc Hampton Robbery Reminiscent of Moreno Killing

A recent robbery at Marc Hampton apartments, as reported in APP, sounds a good bit like the Max Moreno robbery/murder. Both stories feature young people with lots of cash on hand being robbed in apartments their peers likely couldn't afford. The only difference is the lack of a dead body. Wonder if the NYC robbery originated in the Matawan-Aberdeen area, or vice versa? I hope the police get a handle on this "activity" before bullets start to fly and innocent bystanders get hurt.

News Updates as of 29 September 2010

• Tropical Storm Nicole will be merging with a storm currently hitting the Carolinas and deliver up to 2 inches of rain, winds between 20-30 MPH, flash flooding, and thunderstorms to Aberdeen and vicinity on Thursday evening into Friday, according to The Weather Channel. Local weather is expected to be sunny and clear for Saturday's Matawan Day, MAPL Book Sale, and Spaghetti for the Soul events.
• The Independent has not been able to obtain detailed official statements or open public records on Matawan Chief of Police James Alston's suspension from duty or the disciplinary charges he faces. Each institution involved claims the ongoing matter must be kept under wraps due to privacy considerations related to personnel and pension issues. Ultimately a full public disclosure seems unlikely, even after the dust settles, unless of course Mr Alston allows the information to be released. A similar situation at the library left more questions than answers. Undoubtedly the borough is anxious to see things settled one way or another given Mr Alston's publicly funded salary of over $10,000/month, which continues on and on during this seemingly neverending review.
• Aberdeen Town Council minutes for July through September were posted online on Monday.
• My wife's Apple computer is showing the Board member page hyperlinks just fine, so the errors I'm finding are peculiar to my Windows Netbook viewer. Once again we can blame Bill Gates and Microsoft! ;-)
• Newly appointed Monmouth County historian Randall Gabrielan will seek grants to fund necessary maintenance, repair, and renovation to Burrowes Mansion, per The Independent. I hope he and the Matawan Historical Society will take a moment to review the value of obtaining items of local historic value available from an individual in Texas, items related to Elizabeth Spader Clark and her YMCA service during WWI. I spoke with a member of the Society in August but have yet to hear back.
• The APP Editorial Board met with the local candidates for freeholder on Tuesday, per APP. Most candidates emphasized cutting services, cutting municipal employees and their benefits, and cutting taxes. Most seemed to agree that those who weren't proactively making cuts would eventually have no choice but to begin whacking away at costs. If that is their whole agenda to improve life in Monmouth County, maybe there is no need for county legislators in the first place? They're obviously not going to spend money to keep our wayward youth detained within the county but continue to send them out to neighboring county facilities, leaving local parents and police officials to travel long distances to visit our children. The Independent article on historic preservation (above) prominently featured Monmouth Freeholder Lillian Burry referencing the warm spot she has in her heart for the Burrowes Mansion. But given her fellow Freeholders' overwhelming desire to cut and cut, just where does she think the money is going to come from to paint and trim the mansion? Her exuberance seems a bit cynical in that context.

Matawan Police Alloted Figurehead Leader by Council

The Borough Council has named Lieutenant Jason  Gallo as acting commanding officer of the Matawan Police Department during James Alston's absence, according to APP. No doubt the Matawan PD has not been without leadership since March, when its chief was put on administrative leave. Presumably Gallo is merely getting formal recognition for a job he's been fulfilling for months. If not Gallo, who has been running the department in Alston's absence?.Coverage of this news story has been sorely lacking in most respects.

History: Blue Laws Challenged in Matawan - September 1930

Marion Davies in "Floradora Girl"

When you venture out to the movies this Sunday evening, keep in mind that eighty years ago the local churches wouldn't have looked kindly on breaking the Christian Sabbath in that way. The police could even arrest the proprietor of the theatre for violating the so-called Blue Law.

This front page article from the 19 September 1930 issue of The Matawan Journal (below) makes it clear that changing the status quo required some serious walking on eggshells to avoid not only jail but hell and damnation. The mention of a golf course on Main Street that was full of patrons well into the evening must be left to our respective imaginations.

RIVOLI GAVE ITS FIRST SUNDAY SHOW 

Matawan had its tryout of Sunday motion pictures. The Rivoli Theatre on Main Street, of which Monroe Schramm is tho proprietor, opened according to announcement Sunday night, and presented Marion Davies in "The Floradora Girl" as the feature attraction, The house was comfortably filled. The police did not stop the show and Mr. Schramm was not molested in any way.

In order not to conflict with the church services which began at 7:45 and 8 p. m.. Mr. Schramm opened the theatre for the sale of tickets at 8:30 p. m. There was one performance beginning at 8:45 p. m. and lasting until about 11 p. m. People were on hand several minutes before the doors were opened and the sale of tickets was steady.

The golf course on Main Street was also open as usual and at 9:30 p. m. was filled with people. Among the players were people from Middlesex, Union and Hudson Counties. The golf course will also continue to be a regular Sunday afternoon and night attraction here.

Bagelicious Bagels and Deli

Boy was I wrong about the old Rita's on Rte 34. I went back to take this pic. Funny how a glance can create such a chimera. (My wife asked me to use that word in a sentence.) So it's Bagelicious, not Bagel Den. Oops!

Matawan Police Chief Continues to Dangle in Wind

A personnel review process continues against the Matawan Police Chief, according to APP. The local press isn't exactly enlightening the public on what's happening in this case, choosing instead to dig into the Chief's EEO complaint against the Borough as if that has something to do with his current situation. The local and county governments are leaving the Chief to dangle in the wind while they decide what to do. In the meantime, the Chief is being stripped of his perquisites, one by one, suggesting to the public that the charges are something more than political drama. I'm sure these things take time, but leaving the public to speculate on the matter is a negative for the Chief. The borough and county should get on with it and the press should dig a little deeper.

News Updates as of 16 June 2010

• The Independent just published a picture of the seining event at Cliffwood Beach on 29 May.
• Patricia Hillyer, science instructor at MAMS, has won a position in the prestigious Department of Energy ACT teacher mentoring program. The Independent says Mrs Hillyer will spend the next three summers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory as part of her ACT award. You might recall from a March 2010 article in this blog that Mrs Hillyer took her science class to PPPL,where they took second place in a regional competition.
• Matawan Borough Council recognized members of the Matawan PD for their efforts related to a major car accident on Route 34 at Peter's Fishery, per The Independent.
• See a list of Rock n' Music Idol winners from the VFW's recent competition in CentralJersey.com.