History: The Matawan Journal Calls for Temperance Society, 1876

The 14 Oct 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2 col 1) reported that John Hill, a saloon keeper in Keyport, fled the area, seemingly in anticipation of his second Grand Jury indictment for keeping a "disorderly house." This prompted Mr Hill to flee, or, to quote the newspaper, to take "leg bail."

"Whether he had heard of the indictment, or was assured that it would be made, we have not learned; but it is evident that his guilt was so well established in his own mind that he knew his next fate would be State Prison. To avoid this he has run away."

Getting on his temperance soap box, the newspaper editor complained that Hill was only one of many bar keeps in Monmouth and Middlesex counties who "are violators of the very license law that grants them the privilege to pour rum down the throats of their neighbors and impoverish their families." The  bars were even selling liquor within earshot of the area churches' pulpits during worship service hours, he complained, a clear violation of the license, which sets rules to keep these businesses shuttered on Sundays. "Six week-days we would judge to be enough for the privilege of carrying on such a work of human destruction and family desolation as this. . ."

The editor, pointing out that there was no temperance society in Matawan, asked rhetorically, "Is not the evil practiced here? Have we become so highly moral as to need no institution to keep up this virtue save the churches?" The editor credited the churches for doing great work, but called for additional measures for those who had lost their way. "[T]here are many who seem to need another step before they enter the sanctuary, and that step is the temple of temperance."

The editor worried that local society was ignoring the problem as their boys faced the life of a drunkard and their girls the grim possibility of "becoming the wives of men whom intemperance may curse." In the meantime, the editor noted, municipal officials were continuing to issue licenses despite the peril around them. In an obvious reference to The Devil, the editor thought that local officials were turning a blind eye, instead "doing nothing to stay the fowler from spreading his net."

She's Gone and It's Our Loss

Jan Rubino's suspension from the Matawan-Aberdeen Board of Education on ethics charges is in the news again because her opportunity to challenge the 15 November verdict has passed. The judge's decision therefore goes into effect immediately. This leaves Ms Rubino's position empty through the end of her term in April 2011. She has said she will not seek re-election.

The initial complaint against Ms Rubino claimed she had sent some re-election campaign emails to district employees, an ethics violation. She supposedly admitted that her personal mailing list likely included a few friends who worked in the district, but she couldn't confirm one way or the other because she'd deleted the correspondence. Joey Warren got the ball rolling on eventual charges against Ms Rubino via a blog article he posted less than a month before the official ethics complaint was filed. Mr Warren claimed to be entering the "political fray" of the school board because of this and other "machinations" by Ms Rubino and her ilk. It was time to take sides.

It's unclear whether Mr Warren's entree into local school board politics was manifested in his lodging this complaint, but I suppose so. He surely envisioned Ms Rubino's censure for ethics violations would come and go, justice would prevail and they could blithely continue to joust over various and sundry minutia of school administration. Surprised by the recent verdict, Mr Warren complained of the "unjust punishment" meted out against Ms Rubino when the judge chose a six-month suspension instead of his carefully considered and less impacting censure. But it is what it is. As Mick Jagger famously said, " You don't always get what you want."

Now that Ms Rubino has been put through the wringer for two years and then hung out to dry, are we any better off? I'd say no. She has been one of the biggest advocates for our schools since my college-age daughter was in elementary school, always putting hard work and social skill together to make our schools a better place. I certainly feel we've lost more than we've gained in this vain effort at justice. Ms Rubino had plenty to contribute to our district in years to come, but now she's gone. I hope she finds an alternate way to serve the community. If not, it's our loss.

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.

Karma and A Good Upbringing

I try to stay positive, but sometimes events take me to a dark place. I'm still down after the unthinkable happened last weekend. So who stole my grass seed from the driveway? Yeah, I know. I can't believe it either. So horrible. A sign of the end times.

Today the cashier at Dunkin Donuts gave me $17.12 change of my $20 bill for a $4.88 coffee and snack. When I gave her the $2.00 back, a businessman nearby said, "Well, you don't see that anymore." I told him I was only concerned about bad karma. Actually, I'm rooting for the abovementioned travesty of justice to catch up with a certain grass seed thief.

In the meantime, I'm on the lookout for an unreasonably lush lawn among the neighbors.