Developments in Freneau

Check out this corporate news release published at the Paramus Post on the occasion of the grand opening of a new condominium development off Freneau Avenue called The Preserve at Matawan. Local residents might be dismayed and yet amused at the four statements I've highlighted for you.

• "The Preserve is named after the lush 10-acre wooded preserve that the new community backs up to, complete with babbling brook. "
• "The trendy models include the 1,146-square-foot Arlington, the 1,491-square-foot Bramley and the 1,635-square-foot Canterbury."
• "... first residents are expected to move in beginning in March."
• "...The Preserve also offers a great location close to shopping and dining, outstanding public schools and mass transit and major highways. Both New York City and the New Jersey shore are easily accessible..."

I wonder if the obnoxious tree trimming by JCP&L behind the homes on Claire Court, as mentioned in the Independent, was in support of the opening of this new development?

William H Sutphin - Local Mayor and Congressman

For a touch of local history, here's a brief biography of a prominent man who spent much of his life in public service. William Halstead Sutphin was born 30 August 1887 in Browntown, NJ to James Taylor Sutphin and Charlotte B (Garretson) Sutphin (Ancestry subscribers only). He died 14 October 1972 in Salisbury, Maryland. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

At 28 years of age, Sutphin was mayor of the Borough of Matawan (1915-1916). In 1916, he served with the reserves on the Mexican border as a first lieutenant with the NJ Cavalry. When World War I followed, he was with the Air Service in France (1917-1919) , where he earned the rank of Captain. After the war, he returned to a roofing salesman job (1920-1931) and regained his position as mayor of Matawan (1921-1926). As mayor, Sutphin signed the ordinance that established the Matawan Police Department on 9 March 1926.

The wartime airman and young former mayor ran for Congress as a Democrat against the Republican Thomas M. Gopsill. They were vying for the 3rd Congressional District seat previously held by Harold G Hoffman. Sutphin won election, serving as the Congressman representing Matawan from 1931 to 1943. After losing his bid for re-election in 1942, Sutphin became vice president of a New York City paint company, then retired to Maryland in 1951, where he died some 20 years later. (Congressional Bio Directory)

There is a Sutphin Avenue in Matawan that is undoubtedly named after the former mayor and Congressman. It is a one-way street that joins Route 79 near Claire Court with Route 516.

Providence Baptist Church

The Providence Baptist Church has served the Cliffwood community since its founding in 1927 by the Reverend and Mrs. Smith. Before that, parishioners had to travel to Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Cliffwood Beach.

For some years after the building was erected, congregants had to bring chairs from home because the church had no pews. And a pot-bellied stove burned coal or old wood to keep folks warm during services.

The congregation was led for nearly thirty years (1958-1987) by the late Reverend J. L. Dargon, who is credited with edifying both the physical structure and spiritual life of the church.

The Reverend Amelda L. Lee had been associate pastor for thirteen years and active in the church for over forty years when she became the church's first female pastor in 2007. She had retired from a career in the federal government and returned to school, receiving her doctorate from Andersonville Theological Seminary in 2005. Her previous experience as superintendent of the Sunday School and director of the youth choir made her particularly well suited to the task of leading the congregation. Her work in prison ministries gave her a mission focus that would invigorate the membership's spirit of service.

The church building is located at 49 Kennedy Avenue. Sunday School begins at 9:30 am, followed by worship at 10:30 am. Its food pantry, which is open every third Saturday and is available in emergencies, is part of the Statewide Emergency Food and Anti-Hunger Network (SEFAN).

For further information, call the church at 732-566-4430. You can also learn more about the congregation from some of the sources I used for this article:

• Providence Church Plans Community Crusade 2000, Bayshore Independent, 12 July 2000
• Sing a Song, Bayshore Independent, 26 July 2000
• Cliffwood Church to Celebrate 75 Years, by Josh Davidson, Bayshore Independent, 4 September 2002
• New Pastor Fulfilling Her Mission, by Kevin Penton, Asbury Park Press, 11 January 2007
  

Maya Angelou Highlights 80 Years of Rainbows

One of the best things about living in the New York City metro area is the wide array of cultural events available to us. This evening, my family and I attended an appearance by Maya Angelou at nearby Lincroft, New Jersey's Collins Arena at Brookdale College. The event at Monmouth County's community college was promoted by the New Brunswick Area Branch of the NAACP, the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the school itself, which issued one free ticket per student. The event's three thousand tickets sold out on 17 February and the arena was packed with onlookers

It's hard to summarize Ms Angelou's performance, which was at once down-to-earth in manner and profound in substance. She sat in a chair rather than stand behind a podium due to her knees. She spoke conversationally and forthrightly to the large crowd, but her charm allowed us to feel as if she was speaking to each of us individually.

She's seen the world she grew up in turned on its head, something that seemingly startles and amuses her. For example, she told of getting a police escort to an event in Arkansas, a state where as a child she had feared "the boys" when they were "patroling" African-American neighborhoods like hers on horseback looking for men to beat or kill. She recounted childhood memories of hiding her uncle, a store owner, in a potato bin to protect him from roving bands of policemen.

Ms Angelou said she loves to appear at community colleges because the students there recognize the importance of education and, despite the odds, are trying to make it happen. She pointed to the story of Terence, the north African slave, who was educated by his Roman master and eventually became a poet. A slave remains human despite his station in society, Terence said in one of his half dozen works that have survived. In essence, a man must assert his humanity and consider nothing beyond his reach or out of bounds.

Eighty years of life have taught Ms Angelou that each person has a chance to make a profound difference in the lives of untold numbers of people through a chain of getting and then giving in response and learning and then teaching in response. She says the people who take on this lifelong challenge of passing it on become rainbows for people suffering under life's storm clouds.

I must say, though, that those three thousand folks lost the spirit of the evening when they got into their cars and tried to leave the Brookdale campus. The 35 minutes I spent in vicious dog-eat-dog traffic snarls, mind games, and alternate merge violations were harrowing and utterly nerve-wracking. My daughter suggested it would have been better if the order of the proceedings had been reversed and Ms Angelou had instead stood on the side of the road to deliver her message of peace to the dueling drivers as we fought our way towards Phalanx Road and our blood pressures soared. Whatever Ms Angelou said was certainly lost on some folks.

Will Obama Fund Cliffwood Beach Seawall Pedestrian Project?

After tonight's rousing speech by President Obama to a joint session of Congress, I wondered how his words might translate into meaningful change for Aberdeen Township. For example, a town council press release dated 22 January 2009 provided the council's wish list of local projects that could be set in motion if sufficient Federal stimulus funding could be acquired. Might we receive some of this money?

The township announced last month its intention to apply for the following projects:

1. Renovation and expansion of the George Hausmann Senior Center.
2. Relocation of a water main currently situated on a Garden State Parkway overpass to run underground below the roadway.
3. Construction of the Cliffwood Beach Seawall Pedestrian Project (augmenting grants that have already been awarded to facilitate the launch and completion of this project).
4. Refurbishment of two water lines that run below Route 35.
5. Construction of a sewage pump station and lines in Freneau, allowing for the addition of sanitary sewers to that section of the township.

No. 3 above is a request for funding to complete the Cliffwood Beach Seawall Pedestrian Project, part of a walkway that currently runs from Laurence Harbor (see photos) to Cliffwood Beach in Old Bridge Township.

A Bayshore Independent article of 29 January 2009 followed up on the press release and reported the following details about the sea wall effort:

"The Sea Walk Enhancement Project is a project that has gone on for a number of years, and we have received grant money in the past for this project, but we would like to receive funding for the completion of the project," Aberdeen Township Manager Joseph Criscuolo said. "The project has been done in several phases and there is quite a bit of beach erosion there."

Criscuolo said revitalization is the end goal for the sea walk project.

"The sea walk runs from Cliffwood Beach to Laurence Harbor, and there actually was a pedestrian bridge to the Morgan section of Sayreville at one time," Criscuolo said. "We want to re-create what used to be there and revitalize a recreation area and walking path for residents to enjoy. On a sunny day, you can actually see all the way across the [Raritan Bay], and it offers quite a beautiful view."

According to the township's online slide presentation outlining the sea walk project, available on the Web site, the project spans a 5/8-mile portion of publicly owned bayside property, allowing for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) access at Lakeshore and Beach drives and the wall itself, and restoring foot traffic to the shoreline in Cliffwood Beach.

Cliffwood Beach, the presentation states, was a popular resort town in the early 1900s, boasting a boardwalk, saltwater pools and amusements, until 1960 when Hurricane Donna ravaged the area and destroyed the boardwalk. Along with the area's economy, the beach also began to erode.

In order to prevent further land and beach decay, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed a seawall rising approximately 20 feet above bay level that spans the entire proposed sea walk section from Lakeshore Drive to Beach Drive.

According to the presentation, access improvements to the Lakeshore Drive access point are slated to include a new gated access, allowing for increased access control and visibility into the proposed ADA-accessible asphalt parking area. Additional improvements would include the installation of a handrail system, ADA-compliant ramps, as well as striping and signage.

In order to accommodate ADA access to the sea walk from the parking area, the township would also install a soft boardwalk, consisting of "engineered plastic-wood planks joined continuously with environmentally resistant ropes that can be laid out directly on the existing sand, to provide for acceptable access requirements, and then rolled up, removed and stored when environmental conditions require such, as in winter months," the presentation explains.

REMINDERS

There will be a special joint session of the Aberdeen Township Council, Matawan Borough, and the Aberdeen-Matawan Library on Thurs evening at 8 pm at 1 Aberdeen Square. And don't forget the zoning board meeting on Wed evening at 7:30 pm. Council agendas and minutes are updated regularly at the township website.

Board Approves 09/10 Schools Calendar

Principal Michele Ruscavage hosted the Matawan-Aberdeen Board of Education's monthly action meeting last night at Matawan Regional High School. Everyone remarked on the glistening condition of the school's rooms and corridors, a great improvement over previous years. One board member remarked to me after the meeting that the high school not only physically gleamed but had turned around in many ways, all in large part due to Ms. Ruscavage's leadership.

Many teachers attended last night's board meeting to see three of their popular colleagues -- John McCabe, Enid Lassman, and Steven Hutnik -- recognized as they head for retirement after years of dedicated service at the high school. A number of parents were there to see their children honored for achievements in the arts, in sport, in the classroom, and in the greater community.

Among several items on its agenda, the school board approved the 2009-2010 calendar, which features a school opening on Wednesday 2 September 2009. When you make your summer vacation plans, keep in mind that the school year will begin nearly a week before Labor Day this fall.

The board also approved a five-year $25,000/yr contract with RealTime Information Technology to provide an Internet system that will facilitate "real time" Internet communication between teachers and parents regarding student progress.

The personnel report indicated that two new mathematics instructors -- TBD at the high school and Concetta Kelly at the middle school -- are to serve through the end of this school year to cover gaps caused by a resignation, a rescission, and a maternity leave.

Matthew Bratsch stepped down from his position as student representative on the board last night. Bratsch said he felt he could contribute more to change at the school from outside the system. He took a seat in the audience and soon took the public podium to speak to the availability of books in his English classroom. The board engaged the topic and agreed to look into it.

The board agreed to look into public concerns over whether the board is adequately notified of changes in the professional certification status of school district employees.

Note that the next meeting of the school board has been rescheduled for 30 March 2009.

Members of the public had little time to review too few copies of the agenda before voting ensued last night. The personnel report alone was eight pages long. One parent who found the table empty of agendas rose to an issue that was already scheduled to be addressed. The board ought to seriously consider setting a deadline for papers that will be considered at board meetings and then make the agenda and all papers available online several days prior to the event. For sunshine laws to be effective, public hearings must facilitate proper debate.

Development vs Conservation in Aberdeen

According to an 18 December 2008 article in the Bayshore Independent, Aberdeen citizens gathered at a meeting of the township's Planning Board on 9 December to express their concern over a plan to meet Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) requirements through development of 62 townhouses near their homes on the northbound side of Route 34 near Lloyd Road. Despite their protestations, the plan was approved and will now be dealt with at the 25 February 2009 Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting.

In all the hubub regarding the Village at Aberdeen portion of the project, no one seems to have raised any concerns over the rezoning of conservation /recreation (CR) lands that will be required to build Renaissance at Aberdeen (red zone on map), a 132 unit affordable housing project on the west side of County Road behind a self-storage facility at Route 35 in Cliffwood. Maybe that issue should be raised on Wednesday?

The NY/NJ Baykeeper filed a cautiously optimistic report (pdf) circa 2005 on Aberdeen's plans to protect environmentally sensitive wetlands, floodplains, and surrounding waterfront lands through the implementation of a special zoning category. The report said, "This action will help guide away from these areas development projects that might have a large impact on the physical environment." Under duress to meet COAH requirements, the township seems to be chipping away at its stance on environmental protection by diverting lands to development that had been set aside. Worried about who their neighbors might turn out to be, township citizens as well seem to have missed the ball on waterfront preservation. Too bad, since so much of the township is seashore, lakes, and creeks.

Once this inevitable rezoning takes place, maybe Aberdeen can divert some commercial lands to CR status and in such a way protect an equivalent parcel of land from development? A September 2008 draft (pdf) of the NJ Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Plan (CELCP), which discusses conservation and recreational lands and programs that can help avoid their diversion to other uses, might be a place to start for some ideas on how to proceed?

Herding Viewers at Hazlet Multiplex

Have you ever been to the Hazlet Multiplex Cinemas to enjoy a blockbuster film only to have management come to the front of the theatre and bark at the audience, either with the use of a megaphone or a loud voice? If you've missed it, all I can say is it's an experience.

No doubt theatre managers have to limit misbehavior and the rule of law takes a backseat when Spiderman or Batman is in the house. Then again the movie theatre isn't grade school and the manager isn't my principal.

Maybe megaphone man has toned down the lectures about feet on the seats, noise, and cell phones? Maybe he doesn't issue as many warnings about potential removal from the theatre for violations of the theatre's code of conduct? Then again, there haven't been many blockbuster films of late either.

All I can say is that I've never been so ready to take my business elsewhere as when this guy takes center stage. Especially when I'm treated like a five-year old but charged adult ticket prices. (See poll to the right)

Raising Sand Has a Few Interesting Pieces

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss won the Grammy for their album Raising Sand. This song, Rich Woman, is the most popular of the album's songs, according to iTunes. I like Gone, Gone, Gone and Stick With Me Baby much better. In general, the album is too country for my current tastes.