It will be hard to find anyone more excited or prouder when Middletown Township celebrates the grand opening of its new Town Hall, tomorrow, Wednesday, July 5 than Mayor Tony Perry.
The gala event, which will include food, fun games, entertaining music, exciting giveaways, and more, marks the culmination of more than five years of planning, design and construction. The celebration, which begins at 6 p.m., concludes with fireworks at 9 p.m.
For Perry, it is the highlight of the five years he has already served on the governing body since first elected to the Township Committee in 2017, making him the longest serving mayor in more than 50 years. And this week’s dedication, he said, will always remain one of his proudest moments heading up the township in which he takes great pride.
Looking back at the town hall where he first served, and comparing it to the new facility, Perry sees it as something in which every resident can take pride, and every resident and employee will be far better served.
He is particularly proud of the state-of-the-art facilities for the township Police Department, recalling when the previous town hall was built the department was smaller, amenities were fewer, and no considerations were made for female officers since there were none. The new police department facility, he said, offers fitness facilities, separate bath facilities and more and improved space for a department that is second to none.
Perry is also pleased with the amount of shared services the township offers and provides for other municipalities, seeing it as tax savings for all; the new construction will enable the township to expand on shared services as well.
But Perry is most proud that Town Hall represents a superior work environment for its employees as well as a government site where the residents are welcome and will have greater access to information and records that they want.
“I want the residents to feel as proud of this building as I do,” the mayor said, “and more importantly, realize that this Town Hall is representative of the township as a whole, one building with all its amenities and offices under one roof, drawing the entire township together as the one large and wonderful township that it is.”
Perry also noted the building was not constructed for 2023 or 2025, but rather “this is a building that is state of the art today, tomorrow, and will be from here on in. I expect that this town hall will outlast me and so many of us here now.”
It has been an exciting five years as Mayor and part of the planning of the building, he said, and recognizing all the time and effort that has gone into the design that “reflects everything that is so great about Middletown.”
After the ribbon cutting ceremony, township employees will also be offering open house tours and residents will be given the chance to participate in a community mural.
Parking will be available in the large gravel lot and there will also be a free shuttle at the Middletown Arts Center (36 Church Street). The rain date is July 7.
Tomorrow, after stopping by at the Allen House in Shrewsbury at 9 a.m. and feel the inspiration hearing the words of the Declaration of Independence read aloud. Think back to when Thomas Jefferson holed himself up in his room in Philadelphia to concentrate on the words for the document that formed a nation.
Think of how the young and the old, from Jefferson to Delaware’s Caesar Rodney and Philadelphia’s own Benjamin Franklin, were inspired by John Adams’ fiery New England twang urging his fellow Congressional members to take action and shore up George Washington’s troops leading their own battle for freedom.
Think of New Jersey’s own five signers of the Declaration of Independence and realize how each of these men truly did put his life, his land and his personal honor on the line for this belief.
Then walk across the street, better yet, if your car is parked in the Shrewsbury Borough Hall parking lot, take advantage of the Shrewsbury Historical Society’s magnificent collection. Tomorrow, July 4, will be the last chance to see an exhibit of 45 chairs, perfect seating arrangements for infants, toddlers, busy housewives, hardworking farmers, and professionals, all captured in a display that shows not only American ingenuity but also the best of designs from other nations and centuries.
Each story has a history of its own, and the Shrewsbury Historical Society is filled with members who know those histories and are so willing to share them with everyone.
This particular exhibit was also on display, in part at the Monmouth County Library’s Eastern Branch, but even if you’ve seen it there, there are more chairs to see at the museum tomorrow before it closes.
Ask about becoming a member of the Society; ask about their next exhibit scheduled to open in the fall. Check out some of the other new items on display to celebrate the Fourth. Enjoy the delicacy of the miniature houses and ask for the history behind them.
The Museum will be open July 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. enough time to let you see how thriving and ambitious this Historical Society is and the contributions it makes on a regular basis to preserving the history of Shrewsbury and the surrounding area.
It’s hard to tell what a hero looks like. But when it comes to identifying one through his actions, it’s easy to see that Private First Class Francis X. McGraw is the epitome of what Hero means.
Known throughout his school years at St. Joan of Arc grammar school in Camden where he was born, and Camden Catholic High School, Francis X McGraw was known as a quiet kid, a good kid, one who didn’t like trouble and was agreeable to all. He wore glasses, studied hard, and stayed out of trouble.
After his high school graduation in 1937, he worked at the local Campbell Soup Company factory as a machinist’s helper for a few years. But in 1942, a couple of months after Pearl Harbor, McGraw was inducted into the Army at Fort Dix and spent the next couple of years first in training in Tennessee, Massachusetts, then in Virginia and finally Florida before being shipped out to Algeria.
From his record, it seems that somehow or other, Francis X McGraw was always where the most notorious battles of the war were happening. He was with 1st Platoon Company H, 26th Infantry Regiment, in the First Infantry Division…the Big Red One…in North Africa, fighting the German Afrika Korps. Then he was in Gela, Sicily for the capture of that island, next on the beaches of Normandy on 6 June 1944, D-Day.
After that, the private first class was one of the troops fighting German defenses and crossed the Rhine into the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, which ended up being the longest single battle in American history. His Medal of Honor citation tells the story of what he did there.
The son of John and Mary McGraw, PFC McGraw was born in Camden and raised at the family home at 3110 Merriman Road, His dad was a farmer and the family lived across the street from St. Joan of Arc Church where he served as an altar boy and graduated from Camden Catholic. The family still has some of his letters home during the war, where he urged them to “keep up those prayers, I certainly need them.”
Dying in the Forest after his incredible heroic efforts, which drew praise from his fellow soldiers for his bravery, his continuing to go forward to get supplies in the midst of battle as an ammunition bearer, and refusal to stop fighting and await medical treatment after being struck by German antitank rockets, PFC McGraw was first buried in a temporary military grave, then moved to the Henri Chapelle American Military Cemetery in Belgium after the war.
His parents received the telegram Dec. 7, 1945 from the Secretary of War expressing deep regret that their son was killed in action on November 19, 1945.
His father received his Congressional Medal of Honor from Mayor General Leland Hobbs, USA, in a ceremony at St. Joan of Arc parish Hall.
Among honors paid to the quiet hero was the naming of an Army Military Ship USAT, in Military Sea transport Service until 1974, the McGraw Barracks in Munich, which was active from 1945 until 1992, and the 500 mile long Tigresses Landsite highway adjacent to the Barracks, as well as the McGraw Graven Trench. H was honored in the Price of Freedom Exhibit at the Museum of American History and identified as the “Quiet Hero of Camden.”
PFC McGraw’s Medal of Honor citation reads:
CITATION
He manned a heavy machine gun emplaced in a foxhole near Screenshotted, Germany, on 19 November 1944, when the enemy launched a fierce counterattack. Braving an intense hour-long preparatory barrage, he maintained his stand and poured deadly accurate fire into the advancing foot troops until they faltered and came to a halt.
The hostile forces brought up a machine gun in an effort to dislodge him but were frustrated when he lifted his gun to an exposed but advantageous position atop a log, courageously stood up in his foxhole, and knocked out the enemy weapon.
A rocket blasted his gun from position, but he retrieved it and continued firing. He silenced a second machine gun and then made repeated trips over fire-swept terrain to replenish his ammunition supply.
Wounded painfully in this dangerous task, he disregarded his injury and hurried back to his post, where his weapon was showered with mud when another rocket barely missed him.
In the midst of the battle, with enemy troops taking advantage of his predicament to press forward, he calmly cleaned his gun, put it back into action and drove off the attackers. He continued to fire until his ammunition was expended, when, with a fierce desire to close with the enemy, he picked up a carbine, killed one enemy soldier, wounded another, and engaged in a desperate fire-fight with a third until he was mortally wounded by a burst from a machine pistol.
The extraordinary heroism and intrepidity displayed by Pvt. McGraw inspired his comrades to great efforts and was a major factor in repulsing the enemy attack
On this July 4th weekend … take a moment from celebrating with friends and family, take a minute from Beer, Boats and BBQ’s and read some of the inspiring stories of New Jersey Medal of Honor Recipients … it will make this freedom that we enjoy … all the more precious.
Op Sail ’76 … It was 47 years ago tonight, July 3, It was a full moon and the Capt.Louie was offshore on a star-filled night. That was when I witnessed one of the most emotional, most inspiring, and most grateful events in a month that paid so much tribute to the birth of the nation’s 200th anniversary, and the pride in being an American.
My story in The Courier speaking about that moment began:
“It was just after midnight, the opening minutes of July 4, the 200th birthday of the United States. We were aboard the Capt. Louie out of Highlands, and had just visited the sixth of seven tall ships, bringing back cadets who had spent a few hours with families in Atlantic Highlands homes.
As the young cadets scrambled over the side of the Louie and onto the deck of their tall ship, they were aided by the officer standing watch and quickly joined other cadets lining the side of the ship.
And as the Louie pulled away, the cadets offered us our first celebration of a 200 year birthday…in English they learned on their way across the ocean, the youngsters sang out loud and clear, “Happy Birthday to you.”
It was an exciting and memorable salute to America…
What made it even more poignant and memorable was the fact the cadets were those of the Armada de Chile sailing to say Happy Birthday America aboard the Esmeralda.
Contrary to other opinions expressed in newspapers for the month preceding Op Sail, we found the Esmeralda a beautiful sleek, stunning four masted-ship breathtaking with or without sails. If at one time it ever had been used as a torture ship by other Chileans, there was no more evidence of that this week than there was aboard the Eagle that it had at one time been a Nazi ship, the Horst Wessel, and was confiscated by us as spoils after World War II.
The Esmeralda was one of two four masted schooners in the Op Sail tall ship parade, and one of only four, four- masted ships, along with the Juan Sebastian de Elcano of Spain, the Russian Kruzenshtern, and the Japanese barque, the Nippon Maru.
The Esmeralda and Juan Sebastian were sister ships, both built in Spain with the Esmeralda the older by 20 years. The figurehead of the Esmeralda is a condor with his wings spread, the national bird of Chile.
As beautiful as the ship is, it still doesn’t compare with the warmth and friendliness of the cadets who sailed her from their home port last March and hope to return again to Chile on Sept. 11.
There were eight Chilean cadets who enjoyed the hospitality of families in Atlantic Highlands when they were transported from the ship on the Capt. Louie to pier 5 at the municipal yacht harbor, to be met by hundreds of well wishers who gave the Chileans and cadets from eight other ships who came ashore here to a typical small town welcome.
They spoke warmly and freely of their experiences in Atlantic Highlands, glad for the opportunity to have a home cooked meal and most pleased about the friendliness of the American people.
If the cadets heard reports of some hostilities against them, they gave no indication of it and when questioned would only say, “politics and people are two different things.”
In Keyport about 200 local residents lined the sidewalk across from the Keyport Yacht Club to applaud and shout cheers of welcome to the Chilean cadets and their officers. The group outnumbered by more than four to one the out of city protesters who picketed quietly and orderly in front of the Yacht Club. Carrying placards denouncing the Esmeralda as a ‘torture ship’ the demonstrators walked in a circle in front of the Yacht Club throughout the afternoon.
During the dinner, one of the cadets came out of the yacht club, surveyed the protestors and recommended, “at least you should be happy you can do this in your country.”
Inside, officers and members of the Yacht Club started their ceremonious welcome with the national anthems of the United States and Chile, invocations and introductions and a welcome address by Commodore Viggo Melin, who also presented a gift to the Esmeralda crew. The barbecue and dock party which followed included barbecued steaks, lobster tails, shrimp and salad, and dancing on the dock with music by the Sloan family.
Luis Enrique Matus was typical of the Chilean cadets. He and others enjoyed the hospitality of the McCallum, Sundin and Ruddy families who staged a gala buffet for the boys.
The first thing they saw, Luis, who prefers to be called Henry, his middle name, was “the people are very friendly, very nice. They all planned such a good f time for us.
The cadets got their first samples of several new kinds of food they said, with his own favorite being turkey and Coca Cola. Watermelon was also delicious he said. Like the other Chilean cadets, Henry had brought a Spanish-English dictionary aboard ship with him, and practiced words and phrases with the boys so they could converse when they reached America.
The cadets on the Esmeralda ranged in age from 16 to 20 years, and for most, it was their first visit to the United States. They were among the first group of 1200 cadets who will sail the Esmeralda, Childe’s White Lady, to various ports around the world.
There are females in the Chilean Navy, the boys said, but not on the ships. “That would be too dangerous,” they laughed.
Henry said the United States is “almost as pretty as his own country,” but is better because “here the people are more free.”
The story went on for a few thousand more words with interviews with some of the cadets from the other ships.
It was the longest story I ever wrote for The Courier, and outside of the five books I’ve written, the longest story I’ve ever put on paper.
Still it was one of several stories I had both in that special edition as well as in the weeks before OpSail. Op Sail ’76 was the most glorious event to hit the Bayshore since Henry Hudson dropped anchor.
The earlier stories were much sadder, much more dramatic, much less like what the Bayshore is known for. Highlands Police Chief Howard Brey was concerned about the crowds that would be descending on his town, and talked about machine guns and bringing in military forces to help protect Highlands from all the visitors… and the hatred for the Esmeralda in particular.
On the other hand, members of Yacht clubs like Atlantic Highlands and Keyport were learning more about other languages and cultures, along with the ships’ histories, so they could prepare welcomes these young men would enjoy.
But the protests against the Esmeralda were the worst.
The ship had been reported on long before Op Sail by the US Senate, as well as Amnesty International and the Chilean Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a floating jail and torture chamber. Perhaps it was, especially when Augusto Pinochet was in power. That is why its international port visits were frequently met with the kind of treatment some United States left wing groups gave it here.
But it was not a torture ship when it was teaching these young cadets how to sail. Nor was it a torture ship when it participated in international regattas in 1964 or 1976, or even after Op Sail when it won the Cutty Sark Trophy twice or visited New Zealand in 2016 to celebrate that nation’s celebration of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s 75th year.
Those cadets learning to defend their country, to bring aid to others and to learn trades and professions at sea were never torturers. Why ever would Americans hold either the ship or the cadets to blame?
It bothered me then. It bothers me now.
The steel-hulled tall ship is 70 years old this year, and still sailing the seas as a training ship for cadets in the Chilean Navy
Besides being the only minister among the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, Jonathan Witherspoon is unique in that his reputation as an active minister, leader and educated orator preceded him across the Atlantic Ocean.
Witherspoon was born in 1723 and educated at the University of Edinburgh; he was also the author of many moving and inspirational sermons and other texts. It was one of his sermons, “The Trial of Religious Truth by its Moral Influence,” that was well read in the colonies and brought the young minister to the attention of Richard Stockton, a Declaration signer and also a trustee at the College of New Jersey, later known as Princeton. Stockton went to Scotland to meet with Witherspoon and ask him to become president of the University.
Witherspoon accepted and the family moved to Princeton where he improved the curriculum and made Princeton a stronger and better college. The debate societies and programs he started there became the learning grounds for both Aaron Burr and James Madison among others.
As a Scotsman, Witherspoon was not a fan of the English from the onset, so his sermons and local activities led to his essay on the “Thoughts on American Liberty” and his belief in independence for the colonies. He then became active in establishing a new constitution for New Jersey and efforts to oust Royal Governor William Franklin from office. Franklin was the illegitimate and estranged son of Benjamin Franklin and a follower of the Royal government.
Witherspoon is recognized as the fiery minister who stood up during the debates on the independence resolution to chide a fellow delegate that “the country is not only ripe for the measure of independence but in danger of becoming rotten for the want of it.”
After the adoption, Witherspoon’s remained in Congress for six more years, serving on boards and committees including one dealing with collecting foreign intelligence through letters from friends overseas. He also served in the state legislature and was in the convention that ratified the national Constitution in 1789.
The minister’s son, James, was killed at the Battle of Germantown. His home and offices were ransacked by the British causing the loss through damage or fire of untold numbers of essays and other works dating back to his time in Europe.
Witherspoon was at the lead of those reorganizing the Presbyterian Church at the national level and served as moderator of the first assembly of the group in 1879.
Witherspoon’s wife died in 1779, and two years later he married a 24-year-old widow and the couple had two children before his death in 1794 at the age of 71. He is buried in the President’s Lot at Princeton Cemetery.
Charges of reckless driving and two other motor vehicular violations were issued to the driver of the truck that interrupted business, traffic and collapsed several utility poles on First Avenue last Friday, June 23.
Both Police Chief Scott Reinert and Borough Administrator Robert Ferragina have praise and thanks to residents employees and volunteers for working together to prevent more serious problems immediately following the accident.
It was late Friday afternoon when a large boat being transported to the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor on a trailer clipped a utility wire and took down three utility poles on First Avenue, a county road.
The two poles on the west side of the street were in front of Kunya Siam restaurant and the Strada restaurant. The third pole on the east side, was in front of Borough Hall. When the truck clipped the utility wire, it apparently caused the poles to snap and partially collapse.
Borough Administrator Robert Ferragina, who could hear the activity from his office in Borough Hall, immediately went outside to inspect what had occurred and noted that members of the Police Department were already on the scene and securing the street, diverting traffic and keeping pedestrians off the road and away from danger.
Fire and first aid volunteers immediately also responded, along with Highlands police, and tapes were posted across side streets to prevent access by both motorists and sightseers while police continued to access the damages.
The administrator immediately contacted JCP&L as well as Verizon and Monmouth County to alert them of the situation and all three, similar to the municipal reaction, responded immediately. Each had crews on site within minutes.,
Ferragina said Monmouth County officials and departments offered any resources the borough needed. “Our Public Works Department, our Fire Police, our OEM Coordinator Sara Weimer, as well as our Fire Marshall Marty Hawley, were all on site within minutes, “the administrator said, noting Mayor Loretta Gluckstein also immediately was on scene and kept aware of all the activity.
“The response, coordination, and collaboration among all of the emergency entities, the utility companies, our DPW, and the county could not have been more efficient and professional,” both Ferragina and Police Chief Scott Reinert said. “Had the response and collaboration not taken place so quickly and professionally the situation could have been terrible, with injuries and possibly deaths. “
The chief noted that Lt. Michael Zudonyi, Sgt. Jonathan Elmer, officers Timothy Funk, Erica Hoffman, Davi Cunha and Sgt. Brian Phair were on scene as well as himself. In addition to Highlands Police, who were on scene shortly after the incident, the Keansburg Police Department assisted with traffic control during the night after the incident while businesses were reorganizing, and power was being restored.
Both Reinert and Ferragina noted the borough First Aid Squad was aware of the situation and ready to respond. However, because of quick action, volunteers and professionals working together, and possibly a lot of good luck as well, “there were no injuries and no need for any medical attention.”
The damage to the borough included the three utility poles and the elements that were on them, as well as the area at the bottom of the poles where bricks are in place. Those bricks will be repaired or replaced as needed, Ferragina explained.
All three utility poles have already been replaced, including the one in front of borough hall which also needed some additional work.
The administrator said that luckily there was only minor damage to one vehicle and one borough light pole. Power was shut off intermittently by the utility companies throughout Friday night and Saturday morning.
“As Borough Administrator this incident effectively demonstrated to me the extensive training in emergency preparedness and response by borough first responders,” Ferragina said. “It also demonstrated the positive and professional relationship the borough has with the utility companies and the county. The most important aspect of the incident is the fact that there weren’t any injuries. Both Chief Reinert and I, as well as the mayor and entire council, are grateful for that as well as the preparedness everyone showed.”
The driver of the vehicle, in addition to reckless driving, was also charged with failure to exhibit vehicular registration and having unclear license plates. All charges are pending court action.
2023 EMACC Board of Directors. Photo Credit: Tommy Pantaleo
Red Bank– The Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce (EMACC) will celebrate its 95th anniversary supporting local businesses Tuesday, July 25 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Molly Pitcher Inn .
The evenin’s Summer Soiree will feature beautiful views of the Navesink, networking, food, cash bar and music by Goldenseal.
“EMACC is extremely proud to have served our local businesses and communities for the last 95 years,” said Jennifer Eckhoff, Executive Director. “This event will honor our history and celebrate our future in the beautiful setting the Molly Pitcher Inn offers.”
The event will also recognize long-time EMACC members: for their years of service.
Honored for between 50 and 60 years of membership will be Brookdale Community College, Hackensack Meridian Health, Riverview Medical Center and the The Curchin Group.
Honored for between 70 and 80 years of membership will be Philip J. Bowers and Zager Fuchs.
Celebrating between 80 and 90 years of membership in the EMACC will be the Molly Pitcher Inn itself, together with Alliant Insurance Associates, Irwin Marine and Lawes Coal Company.
Singular with more than 90 years of membership will be founding member Schwartz Mazda
“We are looking forward to celebrating our long-time members who provide a wide variety of unique services to our community, and thank them for playing a vital role in our Monmouth County towns,” said Eckhoff. “We invite community members from our area to join us for a great event.”
EMACC began in 1928 when 12 businessmen banded together to form the “Red Bank Chamber of Commerce” to serve the business interests of downtown Red Bank. Over the next 28 years, the organization’s membership grew beyond the borders of Red Bank and was renamed the Greater Red Bank Chamber of Commerce and then the Red Bank Area Chamber of Commerce.
In 1995, the name and service area were changed to the “Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce” to better reflect the organization’s growing membership and the rapidly expanding business interests in the neighboring communities of Eatontown, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Rumson, Sea Bright, Shrewsbury and Tinton Falls.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities to the 95th Anniversary Summer Soiree are $95 and can be purchased at www.emacc.org. Early Registration is encouraged to accept a discount for registration.
For more information, or to inquire about becoming an event sponsor or member of EMACC, call (732) 741-0055 or send email at info@emacc.org.
Richard Stockton, Signatory the Declaration of Independence
Richard Stockton was certainly the wealthiest of the five New Jersey signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was also probably the best educated of them and worked for a well-known and highly regarded Newark law firm.
Born in 1730, Stockton showed no interest in politics, enjoyed living a luxurious life in the Princeton family estate of Morven, later the Governor’s Mansion for many years and now a museum. Stockton was polished and described as an enlightened politician as well as a graceful speaker.
But it was his legal studies that led to his being involved to help the colonies become an independent nation, as well as the inspiring speaking of John Adams when he and the other four New Jerseyans went to Philadelphia to vote on the Declaration the month before the vote was taken.
He was also concerned for his fellow man, best evidenced when he was sent to inspect troops in New York state and was shocked at the lack of supplies and clothing the New Jersey volunteers had. So when he learned the British were nearing Morven, he returned home to the estate, and before even moving his wife and children to safety further away in Monmouth County, he helped feed, clothe and supply the colony soldiers who were in the area.
Loyalist militants roused him from his home at night, took him prisoner and jailed him in Perth Amboy before moving him to New York where his health was severely diminished in that prison for more than a month and led his becoming an invalid.
Whether he was released from prison through a prisoner’s exchange program or the intercession of General Washington is not precise, however, he returned home extremely ill and never able to recover.
Stockton’s statue is one of the two representing New Jersey in the Statuary collection at the nation’s Capitol, with Civil War hero General Phillip Kearny in Statuary Hall and Stockton in the Capitol crypt. It has been part of the 100-statue collection since donated by the state in 1888. Stockton State University was named for Stockton as was the village of Stockton and several other smaller honors.
Earlier in his career, Stockton served on the governing Council of New Jersey and the New Jersey Supreme Court, before being named to the Continental Congress and going to Philadelphia in time for the final debates and approval of the Declaration of Independence.
Suffering from the effects of his imprisonment together with a cancerous mouth and jaw, Stockton died at Moven Feb. 28, 1781. He was the second of the New Jersey Signers, after John Hart, to die.
He is buried at Stony Brook Quaker Meeting House cemetery in Princeton.
John Hart, Signatory of the Declaration of Independence
The year 1776 wasn’t exactly one of the best in John Hart’s life, despite the fact he was one of the five from New Jersey who bravely voted for the Declaration of Independence on July 4 and signed it on Aug.2, creating the new nation.
For Hart, it was the thing to do, and he was proud and honored to do it.
But that same year, just three months after the July event, his wife and mother of their 13 children fell ill and died after 36 years of marriage. The following month, the British entered his property, forcing him to remove the children to the care of relatives and friend while he remained to stay close to his acreage. He hid out in the mountains hear his home in Hopewell while the British plundered the land but returned to it and worked to rebuild it again.
He must have been successful, since in June of 1778, when Washington was leading 12,000 troops in the area in defense of the nation, Hart allowed them all to camp on his land. Washington, who spent more time in New Jersey than any other colony during the Revolution, went on with his rested and refreshed troops to win the Battle of Monmouth at Freehold, a turning point in the Revolution.
Uneducated and the oldest, at 68, of the New Jersey delegation to sign the Declaration, Hart left the Congress to return to New Jersey and become the a state Assemblyman, to be elected twice as Speaker, the first Speaker of the Assembly in New Jersey, and to chalk up several other accomplishments.
In addition to being an elected Justice of the Peace in spite of little education, Hart also served as the first vice-president of the New Jersey Provincial Congress, amassed more than 600 acres of farmland to become the largest landowner in Hopewell, and gained the respect of all for his hard work energy, honesty and dedication toward independence.
Hart was the second generation of his family to serve in battle. His father had been a member of the famed Jersey Blues, the New Jersey volunteers who, who earlier had fought against Quebec in the French and India War.
John Hart died at home in 1779 is buried in the First Baptist Church Cemetery in Hopewell.
Each of the Care One facilities throughout the state is participating in the company program of selecting a non-profit to help for the summer. Care One at Middletown is the former King James Care Center on Route 36 between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.
Activities Director Karen Cohen said the facility has selected the program because of its outreach to the entire area, and the fact it is 100 per cent volunteer and supported solely by donations. The volunteer group has food distribution Centers open every Tuesday from 5 to 7;30 p.m. and the care center has already met with the volunteers and collected jars of tomato sauce which had been requested.
Additionally there is a raffle basket set up in the Care One lobby donated by staff and residents, and plans are in place for a musical Care Fest which will be open to the community.
“We have many plans being discussed,” said Cohen, “because everyone here is eager to be a part of this great program. Our residents love to help others and love to participate in any events that include the community.” For this reason, Cohen said they are also considering having a petting zoo for the community. The petting zoo at the care center, an annual event, is one of the most popular community events of the year, with the residents outside and in the midst of everything from ducks and birds to donkeys and ponies, with sheep, goats and other farm animals also always included.
Cohen said the care center is also planning a food drive this summer and will announce plans and dates in the near future.
MHIO was founded in 1964 as a means of helping neighbors. The volunteer organization provides food and emergency services to township residents throughout the year, including providing limited assistance with utility bills in conjunction with other charities. The group coordinates the distribution of more than 600 food baskets to neighbors in need during the thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and has as its motto “As long as there are people in Middletown who need help, and people and organizations in Middletown who are willing to help, Middletown Helps Its Own will be there to help.
“I am happy our residents and residents want to become so involved,” said Care One administrator Jimmie King, “although I am not surprised. Our residents seem to always want to reach out to help those in need, and our staff is willing and eager to come up with ideas to engage them in community programs. Middletown Helps Its Own has a long history of being there for the community and our residents and staff are proud to be a part of their enthusiasm to help others.”
