NEWTON, N.J. – In anticipation of the Feast of the Epiphany, Christ Episcopal Church in Newton will offer Choral Evensong on Twelfth Night, the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany, Thursday, Jan. 5, 7 p.m.
Evensong, the choral version of the evening prayer liturgy used in the Anglican tradition, will be sung by the Christ Church Newton Senior Choir under the direction of music director Joe Mello. The choir will chant the evening service by Merbecke and offer the anthem “Arise, Shine, for thy Light is Come” by Healey Willan. Christ Church Interim Rector Tim Mulder will preach.
The event is free and open to the public, although a free-will offering will be taken. Christ Church is located at 62 Main Street in Newton. For more information about Christ Episcopal Church call 973-383-2245 or visit www.christchurchnewton.org.
Warren County and the NJ Youth Corps are pleased to continue the Kayaking Program at White Lake. The popular program runs from May 4th through September. Kayaks will be available for use on Tuesdays from 4-7pm and rentals are free to the public.
All participants must bring a completed Release and Liability Waiver before the kayak trip. Please download and print the form, fill it out, and bring it with you. Copies of these forms will also be available on site.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, there will be a limited number of kayaks available by RESERVATION ONLY to ensure adequate social distancing.
To make a reservation, contact Aaron Rosado, Preserve Manager of White Lake. Rosado runs this program and is responsible for the care and maintenance of White Lake.
“I am the eyes and ears of White Lake”. Rosado explains.
About Rosado, after completing AmeriCorps, Rosado discovered what he wanted to do. “I want to help others by maintaining and showcasing our public lands. I believe the outdoors are therapeutic and can change one’s perspective entirely.” Rosado said.
The name “White Lake” comes from the white chalky material that lines the bottom of the lake. This is called “marl”. Marl is composed of freshwater shells and clay and long ago was processed for use in fertilizer and cement. The water takes on a tropical coloring on account of the sunlight hitting the white shells on the lake bottom.
White Lake is deep and covers 69 acres. It is part of the 469-acre White Lake Natural Resource Area, a gem within the Warren County Park System. Ample parking is located in Hardwick Township, off Route 521 (Stillwater Road), about three miles from Blairstown. The property has a dock, hiking trails and fields of beautiful wildflowers. Motorized boats are not allowed.
More can be learned about White Lake by visiting the website warrenparks.com
Kayak Fun Facts:
Kayaks have been used for 4,000 years. In Munich, Germany, you can see the world’s most seasoned, enduring kayaks. These kayaks are from the year 1577.
Kayaking helps control the heart rate and it is scientifically proven that this sport is very beneficial.
Kayaking elevates endorphins, which improves the mood of the paddlers.
The 2021 report found mercury, chlordane and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon contaminants above Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) standards in its sample collections. Due to these contaminants, Brockerhoff classified the dumping as a hazardous waste spill.
Since those original testings, another LSRP has been assigned to the property. Peak Environmental visited the site early this year to collect additional fill samples from 26 test pits that were dug deeper and ranged over a larger portion of the property.
Mike Suk, 50 Mt. Vernon neighbor and homeowner, came before the Blairstown Township Committee (BTC) to provide updates on these soil contamination issues at a meeting on June 8.
Suk informed the BTC that contamination results from the 26 test pits, most recently inspected, are in and he is currently waiting on the finished report.
According to Suk and his communications with Brockerhoff, the original LSRP planned to remove all contaminated soil and test the aquifer— if affected it could contaminate all wells in the surrounding area.
However, under the supervision of Peak Environmental, an aquifer contamination test may not be recommended. It is routine for LSRP’s to create specific Mitigration to Ground Water standards depending on site conditions, that may not be skewed by DEP standards.
At the BTC meeting, Suk read an excerpt from an email sent to him by the DEP.
“While [the DEP] cannot predict an LSRP’s actions, for your planning purposes you should be aware that it is common for an LSRP not to recommend aquifer testing if residual soil contaminants do not exceed site specific Migration to Ground Water remediation standards.”
Suk told the BTC there’s no guarantee these contaminants haven’t reached water sources. “I don’t want to come back here 20 years from now and find that people in our township came down with some type of cancer or ailment due to us not doing our jobs.
Suk stated that he and other concerned Blairstown residents are “dead set on having every bit of that soil removed from that property.”
The Blairstown Land Use Board’s Soil and Fill Ordinance states, “unregulated and uncontrolled placement and movement of soil and other mineral deposits can result in conditions detrimental to the public safety, health and general welfare.”
All soil movement and filling operations must be approved by the Township Zoning Officer or Township Engineer. With this in mind, Suk requested the township engineer and environmental engineer assist in overseeing Peak Environmental’s report and its remediation plan.
Mayor Robert Moorhead assured Suk, “that report will be looked over carefully.”
It’s difficult to measure the distance a home run covered if you know where it landed but not where it started. For the same reason officials in Knowlton want establish a baseline for air quality on Route 46 before the influx of trucks expected with the planned warehouses in White Township and Mount Bethel, Pa.
Mayor Adele Starrs said the township has requested that an air quality monitor already in place from the state Department of Environmental Protection be adapted to measure small particles associated with highway exhaust.
The monitor was originally put in place to measure air quality while coal-fired power plants in just across the Delaware River on the Pennsylvania side were operating. The plants have since been decommissioned but in an ironic twist, could become the site of future warehouses that would generate their own air-quality issues.
“Having that data is really important,” Starrs said, of the measurements that would be taken before the traffic patterns change. “We will need that as a baseline for comparison.”
While the full scope and timetable of the warehouse construction has not yet been determined, Starrs said state and county officials have estimated the projects could add as many as 15,000 vehicles to Route 46 through portions of Warren County. The same roadways currently see a daily traffic volume of between 11,000 and 14,000 vehicles, according to the Warren County Transportation Master Plan.
The microscopic particles generated by vehicle exhaust, frequently referred to as PM 2.5 because of their size, indicating the size, include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen monoxide. The particles, which measure 2.5 microns or less, can also include water vapor, mercury and unburned fuel. For comparison, there are 25,000 microns in an inch.
The monitors being requested by the township would need adjusted to be able to detect particles of that size.
Once a baseline has been established, officials would then be able to determine any changes in the amount of pollutants after highway traffic increases.
Dancers enjoying the good vibes from the band, Yarn, at the Kickoff Concert at the Ramsayburg Homestead, June 15th, / Photo Credit: J. Phalon, June 2022
The Ramsayburg Homestead Summer Concert Series continues with blues guitarist Toby Walker July 25, at 3 p.m.
On the banks of the Delaware River, the Ramsayburg Homestead Amphitheater is celebrating the return of live music following the pandemic. Organizer Jeff Rusch said 2022 is his first year at the helm of the series, and that he was pleased to be a part of the revival of live music on the Delaware.
Several hundred people attended the opening show, featuring the band, Yarn, at Ramsayburg Homestead on June 15th / Photo Credit: J. Phalon, June 2022
“It’s really great to see the turnout,” Rusch said, of the several hundred people who attended the opening show on May 15, with the band Yarn and their Highways of Americana show.
Yarn played at Ramsayburg Homestead to appreciative onlookers. / Photo Credit: J. Phalon, June 2022
A veteran D.J. and music guy, Rusch said the contacts he has made over the years have helped him attract talent to the Knowlton Township venue.
Jeff Rusch, a veteran ‘music guy’ from radio, in charge @ Ramsayburg Homestead at the Yarn concert, May 15th. / Photo courtesy of S. Rusch, June 2022
Walker’s solo show on June 25 will be preceded by a guitar workshop at 1 p.m. More information on the workshop can be found at his website, LittleTobyWalker.com.
Through stories and songs, Walker brings listeners along on his journey through the Deep South, where he learned the roots of the Blues. He counts Blues guitar legends Etta James and James “Son” Thomas among his mentors.
Walker uses a variety of instruments during his show, including Toby uses a variety of instruments, including a one-string diddley bow, National Steel guitars, harmonicas and even a cigar box guitar.
A donation of $10 is suggested for the show, and concertgoers are welcome to bring lawn chairs and even arrive up to an hour early and bring a picnic to the natural amphitheater at Ramsayburg.
Located on Route 46, just south of the Delaware Water Gap, the Ramsayburg Homestead and its structures are all that remains of the 55-acre tract originally settled in 1795 by Irish immigrants James and Adam Ramsay. There, the brothers found a tavern that they continued operating, and added a store followed by a post office, lumberyard, sawmill and blacksmith shop.
The buildings still standing on the remaining 12 acres of the estate were built between 1800 and 1870 and include the tavern building, cottages, barn and other outbuildings.
The New Jersey Green Acres program took possession of the property in 2000 and included it in the Beaver Brook Wildlife Management area, the state Department of Environmental Protection lacked the resources to maintain the structures on the land. The Knowlton Township Historic Commission stepped in and arranged a lease of the property to preserve the buildings
with multiple state, federal and private grants. The hamlet is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
The layout of the property offers access to the Delaware River for canoes and kayaks and also offers pristine location for outdoor music.
Other artists scheduled for the concert series this summer and fall include the jazz of the Karl Latham Quartet on July 16, the Alex Radus Band on Aug. 28 and Don Elliker with his band, Me and My Big Ideas, on Oct. 1.
After skipping 2020 for the pandemic and a saturated day last year, the Blairstown Memorial Day parade kicked off under bright blue skies and sunshine the afternoon of May 30. Sponsored by the Givens-Belet Post 258 American Legion since 1945, the events began with veteran memorial services at Cedar Ridge Cemetery with the parade then winding north on Route 94 to Footbridge Park.
LOCATION: 715 Grand Ave, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 PHONE: 908-979-0900
Centenary Stage Company produces full-scale productions with its mainstage Equity Company and with the Young Performers Workshop, as well as offering concerts and special events in the new state-of-the-art Lackland Center featuring a 485-seat theatre and a 120-seat Black Box space for smaller productions.
2. DuBOIS THEATRE @ Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts – Blair Academy
LOCATION: 2 Park Place, Blairstown NJ, 07825 PHONE: 908-362-6126
Blair’s lively arts scene features student concerts and theatrical productions, professional art exhibits in the Romano Gallery, annual Bartow Series performances and workshops, and more. Our community celebrates the arts, and we encourage everyone to experience and participate in our many on-campus arts events.
LOCATION: 5 S. Greenwood Ave, Hopewell, NJ 08525 PHONE: 609-466-1964
The Hopewell Theater is a 180-seat theater featuring independent films, live music, comedy and performances. With flexible seating options, from intimate banquette table seating to traditional fixed theater seats and a balcony.
LOCATION: 234 Spring Street, Newton NJ, 07860 PHONE: 973-940-NEWT (6398)
The Newton Theatre is a beautifully restored 600-seat performing arts center in the heart of Sussex County, presenting diverse programming, including world-renowned music acts, comedians, family shows and much more, in an intimate setting. Iconic performers such as Judy Collins, Lyle Lovett, Kansas, Arlo Guthrie, Jon Anderson, and The Glenn Miller Orchestra have all graced the stage.
LOCATION: 23 Lake Shore RoadBud Lake, NJ 07828 PHONE: 973-691-2100
Pax Amicus is a first-rate community theatre specializing in contemporary comedies, dramas, and musicals for the public with cast-calls open to all adults over the age of 16.
LOCATION: 30 Main Street, Blairstown, NJ 07825 PHONE: 908-362-1399
Roy’s Hall is a forum for artists who best exemplify world traditions, reflect contemporary trends and explore artistic frontiers, and by nurturing the artistic and cultural life of its own community in and around the Skylands region of New Jersey.
LOCATION: 1686 Country Road 517Hackettstown, NJ 0784 PHONE: 908-280-3654
Rutherfurd Hall is a cultural center and museum owned and managed by the Allamuchy Township Board of Education. For ten years it has provided educational and enrichment programs to the public. Information regarding Rutherfurd Hall consort series and theatrical performances please see our calendar.
LOCATION: 552 River Road, Shawnee on Delaware, PA, 18356 PHONE: 570-421-5093
The Shawnee Players, consisting mainly of local actors and actresses, performed here to enthusiastic audiences from 1904 to World War II. In 1943, Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians began to broadcast their famous radio programs from the Hall.
LOCATION: 524 Main Street, Stroudsburg, PA, 18360 PHONE: 570-420-2808
The Sherman Theater first debuted on January 7th, 1929; exposing the Stroudsburg area to newfound cultural beginnings on opening night with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Through the decades, the theater became the central point of the community. The Sherman Theater is proud to have served our community by featuring demanded artists, assisting in the betterment of the community, and always having our doors open for the public!
LOCATION: 45 Main St, Stanhope, NJ, 07874 PHONE: 973-347-7777
The Stanhope House is a small venue located in a quiet New Jersey town. In the past, it focused on blues music, but now shows range from rap to pop punk and folk. Be sure to check out the beer garden during the warmer months!
Anyone that has seen the movie ‘Miracle on Ice’ has heard the famous question – “Do you believe in miracles?” That’s what the fans were saying on May 17th as the Pope John Lions defeated the Roxbury Gaels 7-6 on a two-run walk-off single from Sophomore Brandon Weir.
Two other Sophomores would be the key to win as Sophomore pitcher Parker Rutowski held the Gaels to only one earned run. To set up Weir’s walk off single, Sophomore Marco Bonfiglio walked after a stellar 8-pitch at bat. The Lions were able to tie the game in the bottom of the first inning with a sacrifice flyout by Senior Frank Ciccone, scoring Senior Gabe Weir.
Gabe Weir scoring the tying run in the First inning / Photo Credit: A. Nowel, May 2022
The score stayed tied at 1 until the Gaels added two runs in the third inning and another two runs in the fourth inning. With the Gaels leading 5-1, the Lions faced a tough predicament. The situation would get worse as the Gaels would add another run in the top of the sixth inning, but Rutowski would work his way out of the inning to limit the damage.
Pope John Sophomore Pitcher Parker Rutowski dominating on the mound / Photo Credit: A. Nowel, May 2022
“Pitching well felt good since this one of the first times I came out and dominated,” said Rutowski. “I was a little nervous to pitch the top of the seventh, but I knew that we could hit and trusted my teammates to finish the job after I did my job.”
The Lions’ offense finally came alive when Gaels Junior pitcher Justin Ford couldn’t find the strike zone. Sophomore Mac Tufts was able to get on base to get the inning started and came around to score when Freshman Jack Portman stayed patient at the plate, drawing a RBI walk. Junior Brian McKenna would also be patient and win the battle at the plate with a RBI walk.
Pope John Sophomore Mac Tufts at bat in the sixth inning / Photo Credit: A. Nowel, May 2022
The Gaels would get out of the inning with only this damage done, but the Lions’ weren’t done. Going into the top of the inning, Lions Head Coach Sean Bierman thought about taking out Rutowski, but decided to keep him in. Rutowski shut down the Gaels one final time, giving the Lions an opportunity to complete the comeback.
Tufts, again, got on base to start the inning followed by Senior Nolan Niziol hitting the ball into the right-center gap for a RBI triple. McKenna came to the plate and doubled Niziol in and suddenly it was a 1-run game.
With two outs and a runner on second, Bonfiglio came to the plate. He had struck out both times in the game, but he worked the count to 3-2. Bonfiglio fouled off the next three pitches and stayed patient, walking to bring up Brandon Weir.
Pope John Sophomore Brandon Weir after the win / Photo Credit: A. Nowel, May 2022
“I felt a lot of anticipation, waiting during Marco’s [Bonfiglio] at bat,” said Weir. “I’ve known Marco for a long time, and I know he could get the job done in stressful situations and that’s what he did.”
All nerves would be settled as Weir hit a hard ground ball off of the glove of the shortstop and into the outfield. McKenna scored easily, but Junior pinch-runner Ayden Alexander would be waved home by Coach Bierman in a close play. The throw was too late and the Lions ran onto the field in celebration.
The Seniors were exceedingly grateful to Weir for winning the game, but also felt happy to have won this big game at home and on Senior Night.
“It felt great, I was honestly excited to be out there,” said Senior outfielder Steve Mesaros. “I’m really glad we were able to battle and win.”
Gaels Head Coach Ryan Roumes was upset about the loss, but felt his team still played well even though they didn’t pull out the win.
“We hadn’t been playing too well lately, but we came and played well for a while in this game,” said Coach Roumes. “Pope John [the Lions] gets all the credit, they battled and they came back hard.”
PRESS RELEASE: Warren County, NJ (June 1, 2022) – The Warren County Community College Trustee Search Committee has extended its application deadline to June 30, 2022, seeking persons interested in serving as Trustees of the Warren County Community College.
Applicants shall have been residents of Warren County for at least four years, and cannot currently hold any elected public office or be employed by Warren County or Warren County Community College.
College trustees must be available approximately 20 hours per month. Trustee duties include: fiscal and operational oversight of the institution; setting policies and procedures to be implemented by the college administration; evaluation of the college president and appointment of other staff; determination of the educational curriculum and programs consistent with the institution’s mission; development and approval of master planning concepts; and preparation of reports to New Jersey Higher Education, the Warren County Board of County Commissioners and the community in general.
Interested applicants are required to submit resumes, a letter outlining their interest and ability to fulfill the role of WCCC trustee, and any other pertinent material by Thursday, June 30, 2022. Please send applications to Chairperson, Warren County Community College Trustee Search Committee, c/o Board of County Commissioners Office, 165 County Route 519 South, Belvidere, NJ 07823.
PRESS RELEASE: NJ DEP (May 24. 2022) – Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette says New Jersey is ready for a stellar summer season following review of water quality monitoring and visits to both the Jersey Shore and North Jersey lakeshores ahead of Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the outdoor summer season.
Coastal monitoring flights and preseason sampling confirmed that beaches and water quality are in great shape, Commissioner LaTourette announced during the annual State of the Shore event in Asbury Park, which followed the Commissioner’s visits to Greenwood Lake, Lake Musconetcong and Lake Hopatcong Tuesday, May 24th.
During the event, Commissioner LaTourette noted that Governor Murphy announced that entrance to all state parks, forests and recreation areas will be free this summer for all visitors, regardless of state residency. Anyone who already purchased a 2022 annual State Park Pass will automatically receive a full refund. Other individual park fees remain in place, including but not limited to camping, interpretive programs, and mobile sport fishing permits.
The State of the Shore address is held every year heading into Memorial Day weekend to update the public on the status of beach readiness and water quality monitoring. The annual event is sponsored by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, which is made up of academic institutions and organizations dedicated to coastal and marine research, education and outreach. State of the Shore has taken on even more importance as New Jersey grapples with the adverse impacts of climate change, including coastal erosion and increasingly hot summers.
Overall, New Jersey’s beaches are healthy due to a combination of relatively mild winter storm seasons the past four years and continued efforts by federal, state and local governments to bolster state beaches through beach renourishment projects, according to findings by the Sea Grant Consortium.
“New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is honored to release the State of the Shore report once again,” said Dr. Peter Rowe, Executive Director. “Our beaches are what defines our beautiful coastal state and this report is integral in examining their condition. As you will read in the report, New Jersey’s sandy shores are in good shape and ready for the 2022 summer season.”
“In spite of two back-to-back late season Nor’easters, state and federal investments in beach nourishment in the decade since Superstorm Sandy, along with a mild winter have left the majority of New Jersey’s beaches in good condition heading into the Memorial Day weekend,” said Dr. Jon K. Miller, the Coastal Processes Specialist for New Jersey Sea Grant Consortiumand a Research Associate Professor, as well as Director of the Coastal Engineering Research Group at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, Hudson County.
The Murphy Administration has also made support for New Jersey’s inland lake communities a priority, and Commissioner LaTourette kicked off the summer season along New Jersey’s lakeshores with a visit to Greenwood Lake, Lake Musconetcong and Lake Hopatcong. These lake communities are go-to destinations for summer recreation and key drivers of local economies.
“We were extremely pleased to welcome Commissioner LaTourette back to Lake Hopatcong,” said Martin ‘Marty’ Kane, Chairman of the Lake Hopatcong Foundation.
“It is wonderful that the Commissioner visited three of our public lakes to see for himself the many challenges they are confronting. Through collaboration with the DEP staff and our local officials, we are starting to see real progress with many important projects to ensure Lake Hopatcong remains one of the state’s real treasures.”
“The Lake Musconetcong Regional Planning Board, the municipal representatives, Assembly members and state Senators are extremely pleased with the genuine concern and interest shown by the Commissioner,” said Earl Riley, Lake Musconetcong Regional Planning Board Chairman.
“We all look forward to a growing positive relationship between the local lake communities and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.”
About Coastal Monitoring
The Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program is one aspect of the comprehensive New Jersey Beach Monitoring Program which evaluates water quality; conducts aerial visual assessments of coastal waters and shoreline conditions; tracks chronic water quality problems in partnership with DEP’s Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring and local health authorities; and uses prison inmates to remove floatables and other debris from tidal shorelines.
Debris removal enhances the beauty of natural resources, protects wildlife habitats and provides safer navigation in state waterways. Last year, the Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program collected and analyzed 3,753 ocean, bay and river water quality samples. New Jersey in the last three years has had zero ocean beach closures as a result of exceedances of the primary recreation bacterial standard. Several ocean closures last summer stemmed from heavy rains that led to Combined Sewer Overflows from the New York / New Jersey Harbor. A combination of wind direction, surface currents and tides pushed floatable materials onto New Jersey beaches after the heavy storms.
Advisories and closures are rare, generally occurring after heavy rainstorms that can carry nutrients and bacteria in runoff from pet waste and wildlife such as gulls, geese and other warm-blooded animals into recreational waters. Bay and river beaches that do not have good natural circulation are more likely to experience closures.
The most significant impact on water quality at recreational bathing beaches continues to be nonpoint source pollution transported by stormwater and discharging through outfalls to waterways which can increase bacteria concentrations near stormwater outfall pipes. The Beach Monitoring Program will continue Source Tracking Projects to find and eliminate nonpoint source pollution impacting recreational bathing beaches.
In addition, the DEP’s efforts to combat non-point source pollution include the state rules and guidance for stormwater management, development and implementation of Long-Term Control Plans to address CSOs, and 319(h) Water Quality Restoration Grants to mitigate Nonpoint Source Pollution.
Visitors can get up-to-date information on all water sampling results and beach notifications by visiting https://njbeaches.org/. The public can use this website to get beach status information (open, under advisory or closed), reports, and fact sheets, as well as a link to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission website to purchase a Shore to Please license plate. Proceeds from the sale of these plates fund the work of the New Jersey Beach Monitoring Program.
Follow Commissioner LaTourette on Twitter and Instagram @shawnlatur and follow the DEP on Twitter @NewJerseyDEP, Facebook @newjerseydep, Instagram @nj.dep and LinkedIn @newjerseydep
Warren County Sheriff – (Vote for 1) REPUBLICAN(S): James J. McDonald Sr. macj7601@hotmail.com Todd W. Pantuso toddpanz@gmail.com DEMOCRAT(S): No Petition Filed Warren County Commissioner – (Vote for 1) REPUBLICAN(S): Jason J. Sarnoski sarnoski@hotmail.com DEMOCRAT(S): Theresa Bender Chapman tbc4commissioner@gmail.co
On May 11th the Blairstown Township Committee voted with a 3-2 majority to approve the 2022 municipal budget, which brings a $450 tax increase to the average property owner. The vote took place following an animated public hearing where Blairstown taxpayers raised questions and concerns regarding this year’s tax bill.
The first resident to speak, Joe Rich, asked the Township Committee for a budget break down. “The public deserves an explanation”, stated Rich.
Blairstown Auditor John Mooney reiterated the township’s financial situation. He described that after years of balancing the budget off of the NJ Energy Receipts Tax afforded to the township by Yard’s Creek, the stagnant State Aid is no longer the financial savior it used to be. When the township’s savings began to run dry, a municipal tax was introduced.
Mooney explained, “We have started addressing the capital needs of the town which kind of have been put off…going out taking care of the roads, taking care of a bridge, taking care of vehicles, equipment and maintenance items.”
Under the 2022 Municiple Tax Budget, $767,375 is devoted to Capital Projects. “We are finally being fiscally responsible with our spending,” stated Mayor Robert Moorhead.
Resident Wayne Dixon asked the Township to take a closer look at its Capital Fund allotment.
Dixon pointed out, “I noticed that every single year, we’re spending $76,000 to buy a new police car. We have eight vehicles lined up back there— some old, some new. Is that totally necessary? Can we buy one every other year?”
According to Committee member Charles Makatura, the short answer is no.
“When you take a patrol car out…that car runs for the entire shift, you don’t shut them off. There’s so much electronics in them now you can’t shut them off, they’ll overheat. They don’t have the lifespan that an ordinary automobile may have,” said Makatura.
Dixon then moved on to question open space and historic farmland preservation. In 2022, nearly $170,000 will go towards the acquisition and protection of undeveloped land.
“We take tax dollars, and we go out, buy a piece of land…And the first thing that happens with our property is that it comes off the tax rolls. So, the taxpayer has put tax dollars up front, and they lose the tax revenue on the back end. That doesn’t sound like a really good idea,” said Dixon.
Mayor Moorhead disagreed with Dixon on the value of these types of investments.
“You will always get pushback from me if you’re gonna question open space…the most valuable thing we can do for generations to come is to preserve what we have. And that is our open space,” said Moorhead.
Blairstown resident Rita Gross stood up and stated, “But we have so much property in Blairstown, but we still have no place to walk.”
She continued, “We have Sycamore Park, we have Footbridge Park – which is underwater half the time, and we have no walking trail.”
The Mayor assured Gross that two new pieces of open space – the property across the street from North Warren Regional High School and the stretch of farmland between First Hope Bank and the Blairstown Dairy, would both host a one mile walking trail.
At the conclusion of the public hearing, a vote was taken. Mayor Moorhead, Deputy Mayor Walter Orcutt and Committee member Makatura voted in favor of adopting the budget. Committee members Joanne Van Valkenburg and Debra Waldron voted against it.
Tis the Season to buy fresh local produce plus so much more at the Blairstown Farmers Market on Saturdays, from 9:30 to 1 PM, starting June 4th.
The Blairstown famers Market has been a successful Market providing locally grown and produced food to our community for the past 15 years. Most vendors at the market are 25 miles of Blairstown.
The vendors offer everything from abundant produce, meats, local honey, artisan deserts and breads, fruit and eggs plus pickled and prepared foods. Special market events will take place throughout the market season. Every market day features live music and children’s activities.
The farmers market will be having its Grand Opening Saturday, June 4th, 9:30 AM to 1 PM. The market season runs from June to October 29. Remember BYOB, bring your own bag please.
The Market is located at 5 Stillwater Road (Route 521) across from the Blairstown Elementary School and next to the Blairstown Firehouse. Except for handicapped visitors, parking for non-vendors is at the school.
In 2007, a group of people got together and decided Blairstown needed a farmers’ market. The first Market was at the Givens Bellet. It grew organically into the thriving market we all look forward to today. After a couple of years, the Market outgrew the space at Givens Bellet. It was moved to its present location in town.
Kendrya Close, executive director of The Foodshed Alliance said, “When we started the market, we only had eight farmers.”
“From our first Market Day, our community supported the Market,” She elaborated. “The Farmers’ Market is successful because of the vibe. It is a gathering place, a community event where you can have friendly conversations with your neighbors and help support your local farming community. This makes for an ideal family friendly experience! I like to think of our Market as “The little market that could.”
The Blairstown Farmers’ Market will again accept EBT/SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) participants this year. Simply bring the EBT card to the Foodshed Alliance table. The Market Manager will swipe the card for the amount that is needed and give Tokens that can be used to buy groceries from participating fresh food vendors at the Market.
This year, SNAP participants will receive $20 extra in free “Good Food Bucks” each Market Day to spend on fresh produce. This benefit is made possible thanks to a grant from the Garden State Good Food Program, administered by City Green, a nonprofit working to improve access to fresh, locally grown foods.
Close works with Lisa Kelly, Development and Communications Director. They have been working together from the start. The dynamic duo has seen The Foodshed Alliance evolve into a 501C3 food and farm organization. The goals of the organization are to create sustainability in this beautiful region.
L-R: Lisa Kelly and Kendrya Close outside their office at 326 High Street in Hope / Photo Credit: MB Journe
Another successful endeavor, the Foodshed Alliance now owns preserved farmland in Sussex County where it leases 66 acres to nine new sustainable farm businesses.
Did you know The Foodshed Alliance has a “Gleaning” program? This program was created so volunteers may harvest the extra produce from the farms. Foodshed works with Local Share.
Local Share, is an organization that connects food pantries, also known as Food Banks, with local farms so that crops left after the harvest don’t go to waste. If you are interested in volunteering to help with gleaning (aka harvesting) and/or delivering food to our pantries, please see the foodshedalliance.org/ website.
Throughout the market season the following vendors may be found at Blairstown Farmers Market:
Apple Ridge Farm
Dove Education
ESTROG
Godlewsky Farm
Seeds to Sew International
Heaven’s Gate Llama Farm
Hope Cress Farm
Imperfectphil
Jersey Pickles
LovelyLou Mama Crochet
Jimmy’s Mushrooms
Kaleidoscope Learning
Kimball Farm
Manskirt Brewery
Miner’s Daughter
Orlando’s Bakery
Paulinskill River Photography
Rosie’s Empanadas
Top of the Mountain
Valley Fall Farm
Mike’s Pasta
Untamed Ferments
Breadlock Botanical
The Market is the creation of The Foodshed Alliance. “The Foodshed Alliance grew out of a dream of a self-sustaining rural economy,” states their website.
A Message from Blairstown’s Animal Control Officer, Scott Hendricks:
There are a number of different types of snakes in our area. The two that are venomous to humans are the Timber Rattler and the Copperhead. In the spring the snakes emerge from their dens. They like rocky areas for their dens, so the Kittatinny Ridge is a prime habitat for snakes.
We are nearing the start of the snake’s emergence phase. The emergence phase can start in early April and continue through May. Both gravid (pregnant/with eggs) females and males and non-gravis females begin to move, shed, and forage for food beginning in the May timeframe.
Looking at the two charts, the months of June – August (are when) the snakes are active, and this is the time to be vigilant. The following charts show the seasonal cycles.
As they begin to forage for food and to mate, they move into areas that are inhabited by humans. It is important to be aware of your surroundings and alert for any snakes in the area. This is especially true if you are hiking in the woods.
All snakes are beneficial to our environment since they are an important player in the population control of mice, voles, insects, etc.
It is illegal to kill, harm, harass, handle or collect ANY of New Jersey’s snakes (and their parts) under the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act.
Contact Info:
Hardwick, Frelinghuysen and Knowlton are served by Animal Control Officer Alan DeCarolis
Around 2:30 p.m., Sunday, May 15th, a glider in final landing approach at Blairstown Airport, crashed short of the runway. Despite the efforts of the Blairstown police, fire and EMT responders, soon on the scene, the pilot could not be resuscitated.
The deceased was a 70-year-old resident of Ho-Ho-Kus and student of Jersey Ridge Soaring on his second solo flight of the day.
Observers of the accident reported that a wing of the plane seemed to clip a prominent tree on approach causing it to rotate and drop nose-first to the ground. The glider crashed inside the township owned, fenced storage area across Lambert Road opposite the airport runway.
In an email reporting the tragic event, Kevin Martin, owner of the glider operation said the student had begun learning to soar with them in 2021 and first soloed in November. He was well known and liked around the airport, and drew great joy from his flying, learning, and interactions with his fellow pilots.
Martin said he was a conscientious student who took his aeronautical education very seriously and often participated in the winter online ground school and glider simulator training.
The causal details of this incident are unclear. The NTSB is investigating.
Blairstown farmland to become a public garden in 2023.
Farm Meadows Community Park, a hub for tranquility and culture, will be established in Blairstown within the following year. The park will be governed by the Farm Meadows Park Advisory Committee, which will operate under the Town’s Open Space Committee.
Soon to be located in the stretch of farmland between First Hope Bank and the Blairstown Dairy, this piece of protected open space will host walking paths, extensive horticulture and opportunities for artistic exhibition.
Stretch of farmland designated for passive recreation in 2023 / Photo Credit: A. Tironi. May 2022
Spearheaded by Rosalie Murray and Monika Hamburger, local residents with an affinity for gardens and design, plans for the new park envision a large walking path that would edge the 62 acres with intimate lanes branching from the main path.
These smaller adjoining paths would be lined with flowering trees and lead to attractions such as a children’s garden, a decorated pergola or a water feature. The entire park would be a botanical garden containing native plants of all varieties.
Murray and Hamburger imagine a space dedicated to lifetime sports: tennis, badminton and handball. Blueprints for the Park feature open areas for kite flying, Tai Chi, and family picnics. They plan for stone tables and chairs to be scattered around the property for card games, chess and checkers.
The two ladies are looking for local contributions— local artists to display their work and musicians to play throughout the day.
“The park will be a celebration of our community,” explained Hamburger.
Murray added, “There’s a lot of very talented people in our community and we want to enlist them.”
The Farm Meadows Park Advisory Committee identifies four major sources of funding for this project. The first would be from community members – people who can lend expertise regarding architecture and construction.
The second would be the township Department of Public Works for the creation of a walking path.
The third is through grants such as the New Jersey Recreational Trails Grant or Arbor Foundation Grant.
And finally, utilizing allocated open space funds, Blairstown’s 2022 Municipal Tax Budget sets aside over $169,000 for the preservation of open space and historic farmland.
“It is time to spend some [money] on a community park. Our Citizens need and deserve a reward which they can enjoy for the support they have given through the Open Space tax,” stated Murray.
The Blairstown Township Committee and Auditor John Mooney introduced the 2022 Tax Budget in a meeting Wednesday that calls for increasing the tax rate from 9.9 to 25 cents this year.
Ordinance 2022-02 proposes an exceedance of the municipal budget appropriation limits by 3.5% instead of the 2.5% allocated by the state. To the average local taxpayer assessed at $250,000 to $300,000 property value, the tax bill would estimate $741 in 2022. Last year taxpayers in this bracket owed only $292.
Up until 2018, Blairstown residents paid no local or municipal taxes. This tax break was possible because the township hosted Yard’s Creek and therefore earned an Energy Receipt Tax which could fund Blairstown’s budget in its entirety.
The Energy Receipt Tax allocated by the State has remained the same despite inflation. In an effort to protect the local tax rate, the BTC began to utilize surplus or fund balance, but it wasn’t enough.
Three years ago, a five-cent local tax rate was created which rose to 9.9 cents in 2021.
This year’s budget is looking at a 15.2 to 25 cent tax rate. If the BTC moves forward with a tax rate over 10 cents next year, the township will be subject to a 2% cap on an increase in the tax levy as sanctioned by the state of New Jersey.
By raising the local tax rate and taking advantage of historically low interest rates in bonds, Blairstown township can now begin to fund Capital Projects such as fixing roads, buying equipment and building up the municipal coffers.
Committeemember Joanne VanValkenburg acknowledged the financial severity of the situation. “My concern is (Public Notice about the increase.) This is going to be a nightmare come August and September when people get their tax bill.”
To this, Mayor Robert Moorhead stated, “In all fairness, it’s less than the cost of DIRECTV…it’s less than they pay for satellite TV.”
VanValkenburg responded, “You know, to us up here, maybe $10 a month, $50 a month, $100 a month is peanuts. But to many in the public, that is not peanuts.”
The Blairstown Township Committee will hold a Public Meeting on May 11 so Blairstown residents can ask questions and raise concerns on the 2022 budget and potential tax increases.
Nick Morro is a Senior at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta, New Jersey. Commuting every day from his home in Blairstown to the school can be challenging. The addition of a knee injury that has inhibited his ability to make this commute alone would make most people give up.
Playing on Pope John’s baseball team has given Morro an outlet and being taught by his coaches to never quit when the going gets tough, helps Morro to never quit.
“Morro takes ball 4 during a game on a drizzly Saturday morning” / Photo Credit: A. Nowell 2022
From the time he stepped on the field, Morro fell in love with the game. Pope John’s baseball program was Morro’s next step after 8th grade, and he was ready to play for Coach Vincent Bello. “Three years with Coach Bello really helped me improve my baseball game,” said Morro. “We have a new head coach, Sean Bierman. He played at big level schools, so he knows what it takes to play at the next level.”
Coach Bierman played baseball at Vanderbilt University, one of the most prestigious baseball schools in the country. He joined Coach Bello’s staff as an assistant coach last season and was promoted to head coach when Coach Bello left for a high school job in Florida.
The coach that has had the greatest impact on Morro was Coach Benny Perez. Coach Perez played independent baseball in Puerto Rico after graduating from Marist High School in Bayonne, New Jersey, and playing one season at New Jersey City University (NJCU).
“Coach Benny has coached me since 6th grade, and he’s always putting [the things he’s talking about] toward life too,” said Morro. “He and the other coaches always give me good life lessons.”
“Nick has been a 3-year starter for our Varsity team,” said Coach Perez. “Nick has contributed tremendously, regarding teamwork and leadership, not only on the field, but off the field as well.”
Morro is moving on from Pope John baseball after this season and attending Fairleigh Dickinson University where he’ll continue to play ball for their team.
“Morro sets for a pitch against High Point” Photo Credit: A. Nowell2022
Morro’s teammates have seen a kid that works hard and is successful, carry it with him in social interactions. Nick Buchman, a Senior pitcher in his 4th season playing for the Lions alongside Morro, has grown close as a teammate and friend to Morro said, “Nick [Morro] and I have been friends since 8th grade/Freshman year, and my Senior year wouldn’t be the same if he wasn’t there,” said Buchman. “I wish he was still on the field with us, it’s a shame he got injured. I think, personally, Nick’s a great kid. He has a great work ethic, and I think he’ll come back from this injury even better.”
Morro is sidelined due to an injury to his knee but hopes to return to the field soon and roam the outfield with the same dominance that he left on the field. A keystone in the Lions’ offense and defense, Morro is ready to finish his high school career with the success that the Lions are hoping to acquire this season
As reported by Bruce A. Scruton in the New Jersey Herald –
A state Department of Transportation internal committee met this week to advance a project to study damage to a retaining wall that supports a raised section of Route 80 near the Delaware Water Gap, which may be “subject to sudden failure,” according to the meeting’s agenda.
The committee received approval for its request for $5.5 million in state funds to inspect the wall and come up with solutions to address the problem, which includes the deterioration of the wall and a minimum 12-inch-deep crack.
The estimated cost of the repairs to the wall’s crack and deterioration stands at $51 million.
The “failure” warning was included in the project description from the meeting’s agenda, which also stated the retaining wall “does not meet current serviceability requirements due to its minimal reinforcement,” and that a failure “is a risk to the traveling public and could result in a closure of I-80.”
The retaining wall stretches for more than a quarter-mile around the base of Mount Tammany, an area known as the S-curves that was built in the 1950s.
The engineering study will take a look at the retaining wall issues that were discovered by crews making repairs to a nearby section of the wall that had been scoured or eroded by water coming down from Mount Tammany. The mountain is located on the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap and is maintained by the NJDOT.
The scour, known by locals as the “erosion cave,” is at milepost 1.4 of the wall, which is 1,470 feet long, 13 to 18 feet tall and consists of 49 individual panels.
According to an NJDOT memo, “upon clearing vegetation west of this wall repair, additional wall deterioration, with a minimum 12-inch-deep crack adjacent to the wall shear key, was observed.” The memo also stated the wall “does not meet current serviceability requirements due to its minimal reinforcement. Due to the tied-back construction of the existing wall, it could be subject to sudden failure, which is a risk to the traveling public and could result in a closure of I-80.”
A video taken in 2020 by local residents as part of their effort to draw attention to the “erosion cave” and other problems with the 75-year-old road and wall, shows the crack existed at that time.
When the wall was constructed, a drainage system was included that would collect and control the water flowing off the mountain to channel it into the river.
However, breaks and cracks in that system of mostly concrete pipes allowed water to get into the fill. The water, seeking a path to the river, pushed down to the bottom of the wall and eroded parts of it away.
Over the years, other breaks and cracks in the drainage system allowed water to get into the fill behind the wall that holds up the highway.
A retired civil engineer who worked for public entities looked at the information that the engineering study will include and said he thinks the water has built up behind the wall, creating more pressure on the structure.
The engineer, who asked that his name not be published, said the concrete, like a piece of chalk, can take a lot of pressure, but is also “brittle” and can break without warning.
As part of the repair project, the contractor drilled a series of “weep holes” in the retaining wall. Those holes are attached to perforated piping and provide a route for water trapped behind the wall to flow through the wall to reduce the pressure.
“However, that’s just a temporary measure,” the engineer said. “It’s a sign that there’s water back there.”
The engineer also said he thinks there was minimal steel used in building the wall and in anchoring it to the base of the mountain.
While there are strict federal laws on how often inspections need to be conducted on bridge structures, there is no similar law on how often retaining walls need to be inspected.
The study is needed since the structure is likely nearing the end of its useful life and was built to standards of the 1950s, not modern standards, the engineer said. He added he does not think there is immediate danger, but a full inspection needs to be done.
Additional photos provided to the Ridge View Echo by Tara Mezzanotte. Follow up interviews will be conducted with State & County Officials on this matter.
At the April 20th regular town meeting, Donna Holsterman and Mark Scialla came before the Blairstown Township Committee (BTC) for a second time to discuss flooding on Maple Lane.
A 30+ year resident of Maple Lane, Holsterman described how the next-door property used to be a depression where rainwater would collect. When developers came to build Scialla’s house, the land was filled in without any accommodating drains.
Both residents described how several days of heavy rain will cause Scialla’s basement to fill with water that must be pumped out. This water, sometimes four feet deep, then deposits onto Holsterman’s front lawn. According to the Warren County Board of Health, this creates an issue that can lead to leach field failure.
They’ve asked the Blairstown Township Committee to place a pipe at the end of their property lines which would deposit the water to a wooded area owned by residents across the road.
Mayor Robert Moorhead and Deputy Mayor Walter Orcutt are against the installation of a pipe.
“You can’t let water run onto someone else’s property just because it’s on your own,” stated Moorhead.
However, on Maple Lane, there are several drains that deposit water from one side of the road to the other through a connecting pipe. And, when the fire department is called to pump the standing water, it’s pumped onto the road and drains into that same wooded area.
Orcutt asserted that installing a pipe where the water collects will not alleviate the problem as the pipe would be too low to pitch water across the road.
“I couldn’t disagree with you more,” Scialla replied.
Moorhead claimed Maple Lane flooding occurs only during the winter months when the ground is frozen.
Holstterman, living on the property year-round. insists this is not a seasonal issue. He asserted that Maple Lane was repaired a few years ago and because of those township repairs, the road sits higher than the property low point, trapping the water Scialla pumps onto Holsterman’s front lawn.
A representative of French & Parello Associates, an engineering consultant company, met Scialla on his property to evaluate the issue and spoke with the BTC on his findings.
At the township committee meeting, Orcutt claimed the Engineer agreed that a pipe would be insufficient. Scialla countered saying the Engineer agreed the position of the township road exacerbates the issue. French & Parello did not write up a report on this particular site visit.
The Blairstown Township Committee left Scialla and Holsterman with no solutions.
Moorhead stated, “I have no suggestion to mitigate the water in your basement.” Apparently in agreement, Orcutt said, “We can’t get in the business of worrying about when your basement is flooding.”
Brag Farm Retreat was denied a use variance, April 4th, to develop a retreat on the former 178-acre Sugarbarb property off Silver Lake Road, in Frelinghuysen.
Russ and Natalia Brag of Columbia proposed building 40 A-frame cabins, a 2-story, 7,500 square foot Clubhouse and a 6,000 square foot dwelling on a separate 27-acre flag lot. According to their use variance plan by Finelli Consulting Engineers, all were shown surrounding the existing 5-acre lake on the property and/or scattered along new drives throughout the heavily forested lot and pastures.
The Sugarbarb Farm property currently has three dwellings, a barn, 10-stall horse stable and several outbuildings. The property is zoned AR-6, Agricultural Residential 6-acre minimum lot size.
The Land Use Board meeting was held in the Frelinghuysen School Auditorium, April 4th, because a large crowd was anticipated since the Brag Farm Retreat application attracted an overflow crowd to the Town Hall last month. Indeed, a large crowd showed up and the meeting went nearly to Midnight.
Application documents also showed that Brag Farm Retreat wanted to host artists’ retreats, a small art gallery, painting classes and various art installations throughout the property.
Because it was a “d”, or use variance, the applicant needed at least five (5) affirmative votes from the seven members comprising the Board’s Zoning representatives. They failed to get that with four voting against the proposal.
Prior to the determination against the application, opponents to the development questioned how the shared septic systems for each structure would protect fragile ecosystems known to be onsite, as well as traffic.
Because they were seeking use variance approval to be followed up with the more in-depth testimony for their hoped-for Site Plan review, Brag Farm didn’t present an Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), Letter of Interpretation (LOI) or Traffic Study.
“Karin White sees the beauty in the discarded.” / Photo Credit: MB Journe 2022
Karin White is a Renaissance woman who transforms the old into new by combining a love of art with a passion for recycling old things. As defined by Merriam-Webster, a Renaissance woman “is interested in and knows a lot about many things.” Indeed, she has managed to combine her successes in art with a successful business to enrich her family and friends.
White is a jewelry artist, working with semi-precious metals, gemstones and a variety of discarded items. She incorporates found objects, natural gemstones, silver and silverware, copper and bronze. When inspiration strikes, she gathers some items at garage sales and creates beautiful, one-of-a-kind jewelry using recycled and natural materials. Her work can be seen at Gallery 23 in Blairstown. They have an online store at www.Gallery23.net.
She said she’s met many people selling her art at music festivals and street fairs. Her work has been sold at stores, home parties and she has taught jewelry making.
White is also well known for selling real estate. She currently works for Burgdorf Real Estate ERA in Hope, New Jersey. She was the secretary for the Warren County Board of Realtors for many years. White has won the NJAR Circle of Excellence Award for the past five years. This prestigious award recognizes realtors who are experts in their field.
“I have real estate customers who have bought jewelry from me in the past” said White. “I have sold my jewelry at music festivals. This was ideal, enjoying the music while working and dancing to my favorite bands. I have met so many people with this career. The same people who bought a spoon bracelet from me, trusted me and wanted me to help them buy or sell their home.”
In 2020, White’s love of antiques spurred her to buy a neglected historic home in Hardwick. Known to be constructed by a Wheelwright, named Wildrick, over 200 years ago, she’s been dutifully restoring its quaint charm and structural integrity of the three-story barn.
A stay-at-home mom for 15 years, White has three children – Daniel, Michael and Grace; each of whom she’s raised to be creative and compassionate. Her daughter Grace has her mother’s artistic talent, making stunning illustrations of animals. White’s involvement in the lives of her children and our community is extensive. She was the president of her PTA for many years.
A philanthropic woman, she was asked to design spoon bracelets for a church organization to raise money to aid refugees in Africa. Several hundred spoon bracelets were created and sold to support the people in need.
White is always willing to lend a hand. She volunteered at her children’s school and is a longtime member of the Blairstown Historic Preservation Communitee. Many have been enriched by her willingness to serve.
White grew up in an artistic family. Her childhood home was filled with paintings, sculptures and photography reflecting generations of family artists. White’s mom and grandmother inspired her to paint. Her great grandfather worked in copper and metal. Her father repurposed and built beautiful furniture and household items.
“I grew up going to estate sales and flea markets. My mom would pick things off the side of the road,” White giggled. “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. This was before garbage picking was cool.”
“I decided to take my mom to a bead store for a jewelry making class for Mother’s Day. This outing jump started my jewelry business,” she reminisced.
Together they learned the technique of metal clay jewelry. The process involves metal clay that is stamped with a design from an antique button collection. The clay is fired in a kiln which transforms the clay into a silver pendant. The pendants are high quality – 999 silver. Each participant went home with a completed necklace.
White was hooked. She started making gifts for family and friends. Soon many of her acquaintances wanted to buy her work.
She is a graduate of Montclair State University with a major in art and photography. Her formal training in the arts and her family background transformed her life as a Renaissance woman of today.
White recalls fondly, “Being a stay-at-home mom, I had the time to make presents for friends. It was very encouraging that my hobby was appreciated. This built my confidence.”
“I love making jewelry and it was fun selling my line. My spoon bracelets were my signature piece, it was fun buying heirloom spoons and repurposing them into bracelets,” said White.
Her father passed away after a long illness. At the same time, her marriage of many years was coming to an end. She credits her art with helping her heal in these trying times.
White is truly a Renaissance woman, dovetailing all her gifts and talents into a phenomenal artistic lifestyle thus adding rich color and texture to the local environment and providing a valuable service to others.
White’s unique creations / Photo Credit: MB Journe 4/2022
“We just temporarily moved to the neighborhood so we can be safe,” conveyed the harmless baby fox kit / Photo Credit: Antler Ridge2022
If you have suddenly seen a fox in the yard near your home, there is a good reason for this. It is denning season.
Between the end of March and early April, a mother fox will give birth to between 4 and 5 kits. A coyote will often find a fox den, dig out the babies, and kill them. A mother fox knows this and will frequently choose a den site close to people, away from where coyotes generally go. It is not unusual for a fox to den under a porch, shed, garage, barn, or side of a hill, trying to keep her family safe.
Please allow these short-term accommodations because this is not a permanent situation. If you are lucky enough to see how beautiful an adult fox is or witness the kits playing (at a distance of course) you will be glad you did!
It is not uncommon for Red Foxes to change dens several times during the season, so you may not see them for long. Kits do not leave the den until they are about a month old. Foxes do not live in a den year-round, only when a mother has babies. During the summer as the kits grow older, you will see less and less of them, and by September everyone will have packed up and moved on.
If you see a fox during the day, it does not mean she is rabid. A mother fox works tirelessly to feed her kits and will often be out during daylight hours foraging for food. Foxes are omnivores, generally feeding on berries, grasses, and small rodents.
They are solitary and prefer to be left alone. They do not want to hunt and eat your children or mate with your dog. A fox simply wants a safe place to raise her family. Please allow her to do that.
The National Weather Service reported that at 6:15AM, Sunday, the flood stage of the Paulins Kill was at 5.04 feet. The flood stage is 5 feet. One local resident reported waking up to 55 inches of rainwater in her basement from groundwater, flooding important utilities.
Footbridge Park was flooded. Seen here on April 9th / Photo Credit: D.L. DunnLonely park benches / Photo Credit: D.L. Dunn, 4-9-2022High water engulfs Footbridge Park, April 9th weekend / Photo Credit: D.L. DunnTurbulant waters @ Footbridge Park, Saturday, April 9th / Photo Credit: D.L. Dunn 2022This young teen from Hardwick couldn’t resist / Photo Credit: D.L. Dunn, 4-9-22Playground underwater @ Footbridge Park, April 9th / Photo Credit: D.L. Dunn 2022
Many fisher folk could be seen throughtout the area Saturday, April 9th for Opening Day of Fishing, luring fish despite turbulant water from heavy rainfall.
Young Grayson of Blairstown hoped to catch Trout or Bass on Saturday, for the First Day of Fishing in New Jersey / Photo Credit: D.L. Dunn 4-9-22Stephen and his son, Grayson, brought their gear to Footbridge Park / Photo Credit: D.L. Dunn, 4-9-22Stephen & Grayson took their chances fishing in the very turbulant Paulins Kill, on Saturday, April 9th. / Photo Credit: D.L. Dunn, 2022
As is customary in New Jersey, weather permitting, Township Governing bodies meet on or soon after January 1st their annual Reorganization Meetings to swear in new members to their respective Township Committees, give public notice of the names / contact information for municipal officials and the forthcoming Committee meeting times and dates.
The Ridge View Echo hereby offers this useful information to keep everyone informed about who is running their towns. This information and more data is available via the Towns’ websites and is required by law to have been posted in their respective municipal buildings and Official newspapers.
Blairstown Township
The Township of Blairstown is governed by the Township form of government, registered voters directly elect members of the five-member Township Committee. The Committee selects the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, from amongst themselves, annually at the reorganization meeting held annually on January first. It is at the reorganization meeting when newly elected members of the Committee are sworn-in, committee assignments are delegated, and members of Board/Committee are appointed.
The Mayor, and the Deputy Mayor (in the absence of the Mayor), serve as the presiding officers at Township Committee meetings, administers oaths of office and execute contracts/agreements along with the Township Clerk, who serves as the Governing Body’s representative/liaison to the various departments of the Township.
The Township Committee governs through the adoption of policy ordinances (municipal legislation) and resolutions (codified actions) of the municipality. In the Township form of government, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor do get the opportunity to vote. In the Borough form of municipal government, the most prevalent form in the state, the Mayor can only vote in the event of a tie.
MUNICIPAL BUILDING 106 Route 94, Blairstown, N.J. 07825 (908) 362-6663 (OFFICE)
Committee Members
ROB MOORHEAD– Mayor Committee Term Expires December 31, 2024 Contact: rmoorhead@blairstowntwp-nj.com Committee Assignments:
Deputy Police Commissioner
Water Utility (primary) Personnel (primary) Emergency Management (primary) Blair Academy (primary) Intermunicipal, County, State & Federal Liaison (primary) Fire Department (primary) DPW (alternate) Finance (alternate) Open Space (alternate) Municipal Court (alternate) Rescue Squad (alternate) Blairstown Elementary (alternate)
Police Commissioner Animal Control Officer (primary) Municipal Court (primary) Rescue Squad (primary) Class III Land Use Board member Buildings & Grounds (alternate) Water Utility (alternate) Emergency Management (alternate)
Committee Assignments: DPW (primary) Finance (primary) Open Space (primary) Buildings & Grounds (primary) Class I Land Use Board member Personnel (alternate) Blair Academy (alternate) Intermunicipal, County, State & Federal Liaison (alternate)
Fire Department (alternate) Paulina Dam liaison (alternate)
Blairstown Elementary (primary) Senior Citizens (primary) BEC (primary) Blairstown Historical (primary) Recreation (alternate) COAH (alternate) Main Street (alternate) North Warren Regional (alternate)
2022 Township Committee Meetings will meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month and will begin at 7:30 PM:
January 12, 2022 January 26, 2022- Cancelled February 9, 2022 February 23, 2022 March 9, 2022 March 23, 2022 April 13, 2022 April 27, 2022 May 11, 2022 May 25, 2022 June 8, 2022 June 22, 2022 July 13, 2022 July 27, 2022 August 10, 2022 August 24, 2022 September 14, 2022 September 28, 2022October 12, 2022 October 26, 2022 November 9, 2022 November 30, 2022 (5th Wednesday due to holiday)
Frelinghuysen Township
“Frelinghuysen Town Hall in Johnsonburg” Photo Credit: B. Barbour, 2022
#2022-01 SETTING MEETING DATES FOR FRELINGHUYSEN TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE WHEREAS, Section 12 of the Open Public Meetings Act, Chapter 231, P.L. 1975, requires that at least once a year, not later than January 10th of such year, every public body shall post and mail to newspapers designated by said body, a schedule of the location, time and date of each meeting of said body during the succeeding year.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Frelinghuysen Township Committee that the regular public meetings of the Frelinghuysen Township Committee will be held on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 210 Main Street, Johnsonburg, New Jersey. The full regular meeting schedule is as follows:
Regular Meeting Dates for 2022:
January 19, 2022 February 16, 2022 March 16, 2022 April 20, 2022 May 18, 2022 June 15, 2022 July 20, 2022 August 17, 2022 September 21, 2022 October 19, 2022 *November 9, 2022 December 21, 2022
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the following dates during the calendar year of 2022 are hereby designated as the workshop meetings of the Mayor and Committee of the Township of Frelinghuysen, to be held on an as needed basis.
Workshop Meeting Dates for 2022:
January 12, 2022 February 9, 2022 March 9, 2022 April 13, 2022 May 11, 2022 June 8, 2022 July 13, 2022 August 10, 2022 September 14, 2022 October 12, 2022 *November 21, 2022 December 14, 2022
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that unless otherwise specified, all workshop meetings will be held at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 210 Main Street, Johnsonburg, New Jersey. Work meetings may be subject to cancellation. Formal action may be taken at any regular or workshop meeting. Executive sessions may be conducted by the governing body at these meetings. *Denotes change in meeting dates due to the League of Municipalities Conference.
Blairstown Office Hours: Monday – Wednesday and Friday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Hardwick Township Commitee
“Hardwick Township Mayor Chris Jacksic being sworn in by NJ State Senator Steven V. Oroho at the Reorganization Meeting.” Photo Credit: C. Jacksic, 2022
The Township Committee is comprised of three Committee members who are elected at large for staggered terms of office. Each year voters elect one of the members to a three (3) year term on the Township Committee. In January, the Committee reorganizes selecting one of its members to serve as the Mayor and a second member to serve as the Deputy Mayor. The title of Mayor is a largely ceremonial position responsible for chairing meetings, acting as the Committee president and representing Hardwick’s interests at regional and state functions. The Township Committee adopts an annual budget, approves contracts and authorizes the payment of bills. The Committee further appoints the professional staff, consultants and members of various advisory committees and boards. The Township Committee is responsible for the adoption of local ordinances governing such diverse issues as land use and general nuisances.
Committee Members:
CHRIS JACKSIC – 2022 Mayor Mayor’s Term expires December 31, 2022 (Committee Term expires December 31, 2024)
Committee and Department Liaison Assignments: Mayor, Municipal Attorney, Municipal Clerk, Animal Control & Licensing Clerk, Public Safety/Court, Emergency Management, 9-1-1, Police, Fire, EMS, Board of Health
JOHN LOVELL – 2021 Deputy Mayor (Committee Term expires December 31, 2023)
They’re going to the mattresses again this Saturday at Footbridge Park in Blairstown.
Bedlam in Blairstown is part of the annual Fall Festival, organized by the Blairstown Enhancement Committee (BEC). The festival begins at 10 a.m. this year, and the beds will be rocking by noon.
“The actual races start at noon, but the program is starting at 11,” said Melinda Gaertner, one of the organizers of the event. “What happens is we have the bed race teams arrive early because they do a walk-through of the course and how to race the bed.”
Gaertner said the race course gets pretty crowded and getting up close to the action can be a little challenging as race time approaches.
And anyone with a few friends who’d like to still be “in bed” at noon, albeit in motion, can bring a team.
“We just need teams of five people to show up with team spirit and speed,” said Melinda Gaertner of the BEC. A $50 donation is requested for each team, and registration is open until the first heat.
The BEC will provide a finely engineered racing bed for each team. Participants are encouraged to bring their imagination and creative decorations for their breakneck berth.
Bed races start at noon sharp on Saturday, but get there early for a good viewing spot. Photo by Joe Phalon.
In addition to the well-liked activities in recent years’ festivals, this year has some new attractions.
“This year, we’re going to have some inflatable attractions, such as an inflatable obstacle course and a bounce house for the kids that’s all fall-themed,” Gaertner said. “We will have our pumpkin painting as we always do, and the pumpkins are generously donated by Race Farms.”
This year will include a blacksmith demonstration along with a chainsaw carver demonstration. The Jaris Cook Band will also perform.
“They played at Fall Festival last year, and everybody really enjoyed them,” Gaertner “We’ll get to see them again.”
A $1.07 million environmental penalty against a South Jersey data center may seem far removed from northern Warren County.
But the enforcement action announced Sept. 22 comes as New Jersey puts new rules in place for an industry that communities including Blairstown, Knowlton and Frelinghuysen have already moved to restrict.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said inspectors found 62 large natural-gas generators operating without required air pollution permits at the DataOne facility in Vineland. DEP ordered the company to obtain permits or stop operating the generators.
The case comes as Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration rolls out a statewide framework addressing data centers, including electricity costs, resource use and impacts on host communities.
For Warren County, however, the state action follows months of local debate over a more basic question: Should large data centers be allowed in these communities at all?
Why Trenton Is Focusing on Data Centers
Data centers house servers and computing equipment behind cloud storage, artificial intelligence and other digital services. Large facilities can require substantial electricity, while some also use significant amounts of water for cooling.
Sherrill announced a four-part plan in May focused on electricity costs, energy and water transparency, agreements between developers and host communities, and labor standards.
A law signed in July creates a separate ratepayer category for large data centers and directs the state Board of Public Utilities to develop rules intended to prevent other electric customers from subsidizing infrastructure needed to serve them.
Tracking Electricity and Water
Another law signed Aug. 27 requires data center owners and operators to report energy and water consumption to the BPU twice a year, including water use, water sources and information about on-site and backup power.
Water is a particular concern in Warren County, Commissioner James Kern III said, because much of the county is within the Highlands region and many residents rely on wells.
“These facilities use a significant amount of water,” Kern said in an interview with Ridge View Echo. “And most of our county is on well water. So where does that come from? And I think it’s really important that those factors are part of how towns are ultimately zoning.”
The Delaware River Basin Commission, a federal-interstate agency that manages shared water resources in the Delaware River Basin, is also tracking data center development.
Elizabeth Koniers Brown, the DRBC’s Director of External Affairs and Communications, told Ridge View Echo that the commission is aware of two proposed data centers across the Delaware River from Warren County, in Lower Mount Bethel and Upper Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania. The Slate Belt Technology Campus in Upper Mount Bethel has two designs proposed: One would occupy about 76 acres; the second, 32 acres. The Lower Mount Bethel Technology Center would take up to 450 acres of land. The average data center is about 100,000 square feet, or about 2.3 acres.
Residents raise concerns about the environmental risks posed by the proposed mega data centers, which would affect communities, residents, wildlife and the integrity of the Delaware River—which would impact NJ communities equally. Noise pollution and quality of life are also among residents’ concerns, as expressed on the No Data Center LMBT’s social media posts.
Neither of the Pennsylvania projects has applied for DRBC approval, Brown went on to say.
“The DRBC has not yet received any applications for data center projects because the existing data centers in the basin purchase water from public water supply systems rather than operate their own withdrawal systems,” Brown said.
Brown said the commission is tracking roughly 30 proposed data centers throughout the basin.
The Vineland case illustrates another issue associated with some facilities: on-site power generation. DEP said each of the 62 natural-gas generators discovered during its July inspection had a capacity of 1,982 kilowatts. NJ state law requires a permit for any generator with a capacity of 37 kilowatts or higher.
“This enforcement action, by far the largest ever taken against a data center in New Jersey and possibly one of the largest such actions in the nation, sends a clear message that these facilities will not be constructed or operated with impunity in this state,” DEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak said.
What the Rules Mean for Towns
The state’s framework also gives municipalities guidance if they decide to consider a data center.
The Department of Community Affairs has outlined how towns can negotiate Community Benefits Agreements with developers. Such agreements can address infrastructure, emergency services, noise, lighting and pollution while potentially securing investments in roads, schools and workforce development.
The guidance does not require towns to approve data centers or replace local zoning authority.
“At the end of the day, I think ultimately in New Jersey, it’s a home rule state, so the towns really have to address it,” Kern told Ridge View Echo.
Kern said municipalities seeking to restrict data centers need to do so through zoning ordinances rather than resolutions and said a master plan can further clarify where the use fits.
Warren County Was Already Moving
Earlier this year, Kern circulated a model ordinance to municipalities considering how to handle large data centers. He compared the issue to warehouse growth several years ago, when towns revisited zoning as development proposals emerged.
The model ordinance was advisory, leaving each municipality to determine its own land-use rules.
According to Kern, 18 of Warren County’s 22 municipalities now have protections in place addressing data centers.
Frelinghuysen adopted an ordinance prohibiting large-scale data centers in June, while Knowlton and Blairstown have also moved to restrict the facilities. Blairstown’s regulations prohibit data centers larger than 5,000 square feet.
“I would say that it’s important that residents are engaged and aware of what’s going on in their community because ultimately that’s who elected officials work for,” Kern said.
What’s Next?
New Jersey’s data center policy is still taking shape. The BPU must develop detailed electricity rules required under the new law, while data centers will face new requirements to disclose energy and water consumption.
For northern Warren County, the issue will continue to play out at multiple levels. Trenton is establishing statewide rules, the DRBC is tracking potential water impacts, and local governments retain an important role in deciding where, and in some cases whether, large facilities fit within their communities.
The Hardwick Township Historical Society (HTHS) hosted its inaugural Oktoberfest celebration on Oct. 4 on the grounds of the Vass Farmstead on Stillwater Road. People of all ages showed up for the well-attended event despite cool, wet conditions. A light steady mist fell throughout the afternoon, but the weather couldn’t dampen the festive mood of volunteer Phyllis McGeehan of Stillwater, who turned out in a colorful dirndl. She and other members of the Historical Society were on hand selling beer mugs and giving tours of the Vass house to festival attendees.
Local vendors on site included Homestead Harvest Farm, who served up funnel cake and other treats. Student members of the North Warren chapter of Future Farmers of America brought pumpkins for painting and baked goods for eating. Camp Mason, Maverick’s Legacy and others also had tents set up, while a live blues band could be heard from all corners of the property.
Volunteers from the Stillwater fire department spent the afternoon pouring mugs of German beer and working a grill lined with bratwursts provided by Alpine Meats and Deli of Blairstown. A long line formed early at the kitchen door of the Vass house, where firefighters took orders and served up hot brats to hungry—and patient—festival goers. In addition to music and food, entertainment for all ages was on hand in the form of a photo booth, an inflatable bounce house and an apple pie-baking contest.
Joe Sugar (left) and Bob Wolff of the Stillwater Volunteer Fire Department work the grill on Sunday, October 4 at Hardwick’s first annual Oktoberfest. Photo by Danny O’Neill.
The centerpiece of the event is the Vass Farmstead house. The cut limestone structure was built in 1812 on 550 acres belonging to John Vass, originally of Germany. The house has a long, storied history and has survived various owners and multiple uses throughout it’s 200-plus year history. Now under the care of the HTHS following a $1.1 million restoration, funded by state and local grants along with private donations, the volunteers who maintain the property are eager to show it off to the public as both a piece of living history and as a unique event venue.
John Lovell, president of the HTHS, explained the years-long process of bringing the house back from the brink of demolition and into its current state of preservation. After sitting vacant for a decade or more, subject to vandals and the elements, the State of NJ purchased the house and surrounding 520+ acres in 1997, originally under the umbrella of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The house remained vacant for another 20 years, and at one point was slated for demolition by the state of New Jersey.
Volunteers Adrianna Mathura (left) and Maria Paino hand out maps to festival goers at the Hardwick Oktoberfest on Oct. 4. Photo by Danny O’Neill.
It was around this time Lovell began talking with the powers that be about the future of the property. The members of the HTHS recognized the property’s potential, but much work would need to be done to realize the goal of turning it into a functional event space.
Crucially, Lovell recognized the need for a permit to serve food and alcohol on site in order to host events, but properties owned and managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife can’t legally hold such permits. After nearly 10 years of paper pushing, negotiating and waiting for funds and inspections, the decision was made to reassign a roughly two-acre parcel of land surrounding the house to the Department of Parks and Historical Structures because, as Lovell notes, “They understand the need to have events to fund the house. So it went from a house the state at one time wanted to tear down to one they very much want to preserve now.”
A view of the Vass Farmstead house from Stillwater Road. Photo by Danny O’Neill.
Even in its current restored state, work continues. The Historical Society needs to replace several windows, but as a property listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, the original single pane glass and wooden frames can only be replaced by new single pane glass and rebuilt wooden frames, which excludes modern materials such as vinyl or aluminum replacement windows. Lovell notes that the many mandates and restrictions that accompany historic designation can be frustrating, but he recognizes their importance in keeping the character of the old structure intact.
Phyllis McGeehan agrees that the hard work pays off. “It’s all worth it when we do something like this, and the community is coming in,” she says. “It’s all worth it.”
The North Warren Patriots snapped a four-game losing streak Friday 10/2 with a decisive 36-20 victory over Sussex Tech.
The Pats avoided the miscues that had dogged the team during the past few games while capitalizing on mistakes by Sussex. That included a rare two-point safety when North Warren’s Garrett See recovered a Sussex fumble in their end zone.
“The guys played tough,” said head coach John Baum. “My message before the game was, hey, these seniors, this is their night. Let’s go out there, pull everything into the engine that we possibly can, go out there and give them the night they deserve.”
North Warren’s Tyler Stout ran for three touchdowns against Sussex Tech. Photo by Joe Phalon.
North Warren came out stoked from the outset with Tyler Stout running for a 10-yard and five-yard touchdown in the first quarters. Stout nailed a third TD in the third quarter. He ran for 92 yards total on 14 carries.
Patriot Cole Castles scored in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard run. Castles did most of the heavy lifting for North Warren with a game high 127 yards rushing on 16 carries, punctuated with two sacks and one interception.
Quarterback Charles Mamay gained 10 yards on the ground and passed for 107 yards, completing six of 10 attempts while Zach Paseler rushed for 50 yards on 11 carries.
North Warren QB Charles Mamay in the pocket. Photo by Joe Phalon.
“We played 11 as one tonight,” Baum said. “I can’t be any more happy or proud for everybody who played. And even the guys on the sideline, making sure that everybody was amped up.”
In his third year as head coach, Baum noted that the Sussex Tech win marked the first multiple-win season since he took the helm.
“We got another win under our belt,” Baum said. “I. my tenure is the first time that I’ve gotten more than one win in the season, so this is the first time these guys have experienced it, too, and I think that they’re ready to carry on that message, carry on that mission.”
A pumpkin makes a surprisingly practical roasting vessel. As the chicken cooks, its juices release with the pumpkin and root vegetables, creating an incredible golden broth and a tender, savory dinner with just a touch of natural sweetness. Bring the entire pumpkin to the table, lift the lid for the grand reveal and carve the chicken right where it cooked.
Ingredients
● 1 large, sturdy pumpkin, wide enough to hold a whole chicken
● 1 whole chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds
● 1 pound small potatoes
● 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thick pieces
● 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into thick pieces
● 1 medium turnip, peeled and cubed
● 1 large onion, cut into wedges
● 4 cloves garlic, minced
● 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
● 3 or so tablespoons olive oil
● 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
● 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
● Lard optional
Instructions
● Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the pumpkin in a sturdy roasting pan before filling it. Once everything is inside, it will be far too heavy for pumpkin juggling.
● Cut a wide lid around the stem, making the opening large enough to lower the chicken inside and carve it later. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Save the seeds for roasting, if desired.
● Pat the chicken dry. Combine the garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Rub the mixture over the chicken and inside the cavity.
● Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan with some garlic and lightly sear your whole chicken on both sides.
● Toss the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnip and onion with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
● Place about half of the vegetables in the bottom of the pumpkin. Lower the chicken into the center, breast side up, and arrange the remaining vegetables around it. Replace the pumpkin lid and loosely wrap it in aluminum foil.
● Rub the entire pumpkin with lard or olive oil.
● Roast for 2½ to 3½ hours, checking after 2½ hours. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portions of the breast and thigh registers at least 165°F. The vegetables and pumpkin flesh should be tender.
● Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let everything rest, still covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
● Carefully carry the pumpkin to the table in its roasting pan and place it on a sturdy heatproof trivet. Remove the lid at the table, watching for hot steam.
● Before carving, use a ladle to remove some of the rich broth from the bottom of the pumpkin. Pour it into mugs to sip with dinner or into a heatproof container to save for soup, gravy or another meal.
● Cut the pumpkin open, and then carve the chicken directly inside the pumpkin. Serve it with the root vegetables, spoonfuls of tender roasted pumpkin and a little of the remaining broth.
Noshing Notes
Choose a pumpkin with firm, unblemished skin and a wide, stable base. Cut the opening generously. You need enough room not only to fit the chicken inside but also to reach it comfortably with a carving knife at the table. Because pumpkins and chickens vary in size, use a thermometer to determine when the chicken is ready.
Pairs Well With
Serve with warm crusty bread for soaking up the broth and a crisp green salad dressed with apple-cider vinaigrette. A dry hard cider, unoaked Chardonnay or ginger beer complements the sweet and savory flavors.
Waste Not Want Not
Refrigerate the reserved broth and use it within three to four days, or freeze it for later. Roast the pumpkin seeds with olive oil and salt, and purée any remaining pumpkin flesh for soup, muffins or quick bread. Leftover chicken and vegetables also make an excellent pot pie or autumn hash.
The big news at North Warren Regional’s September 28 Board of Education meeting was undoubtedly the Shared Services Agreement, in which North Warren Regional and Blairstown Elementary agreed to split the services of Dr. Patrick Ketch as a superintendent for both schools.
The first board meeting of the year covered other ground, including reports of a successful Back to School Night, the new Corrective Action Plan for North Warren’s ongoing chronic absenteeism concerns, updates about what’s on the minds of middle schoolers and further matters extracurricular and otherwise.
Five Star Reviews for Back to School Night
If Back to School Night had a promo poster, the designer could pick from a bevy of rave reviews.
“Wonderful,” said Board President Taylor Casey. “Very successful,” said Assistant Principal Sam Scocozza. Board member Dr. Mary Ann Boyd called it a “nicely conducted event” that left her “very pleased and impressed.”
This year’s event invited community organizations to bring a table and chat with visiting students and families. Scocozza guessed that about 25 organizations accepted, including the PTO, the Interact Club, and local nonprofit groups like Project Self-Sufficency.
Board member Dr. Mary Ann Boyd expressed admiration for the student guides at North Warren Regional’s Back to School Night in September. Photo by Chip O’Chang.
Members of the Interact Club, along with the cheer squad, led parents on guided tours around the school, giving the evening a personable touch.
Scocozza gave a special shout-out to sophomore Tori Maza, who made announcements to keep visitors on time with the event agenda.
Sounds like a convivial kickoff to a year that, in Casey’s words, is “off to a great start.”
Last year’s NJSLA scores will be released by December 8.
Chronic Absenteeism: At NWR and Elsewhere, an Immoveable Object
Scocozza introduced the school’s Corrective Action Plan for chronic absenteeism, on behalf of Interim Principal Chris Carrubba, who could not be in attendance.
By NJ law, students who miss 10% or more of their annual school days are counted as chronically absent. If a school sees chronic absenteeism in 10% or more of its population, it must develop and submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to the state.
This isn’t the first time that NWR has submitted a CAP to the state to address absenteeism. Despite last year’s CAP, NWR’s chronic absenteeism rate of 15% hasn’t budged.
Scocozza pointed out that every high school in Warren County currently requires a CAP for attendance. Here were the chronic absenteeism numbers for Warren County in the 24-25 school year:
Warren County Vocational Technical School: 10%
Hackettstown High School: 11.8%
Warren Hills Regional High School: 12%
North Warren Regional High School: 15.2%
Belvidere High School: 21.3%
Phillipsburg High School: 23.2%
NJ state average: 14.4%
“Our corrective action plan is very similar to what we’ve been working on the last couple of years,” Scocozza said. “We’re not making any big wholesale changes at this point in time because our rate of chronic absenteeism is right on par with the state average. So we’re not doing better. We’re not doing worse than the state average.”
Board member Cynthia Mardin added in her report for the curriculum committee that chronic absenteeism is a nationwide problem, with a national average of 27.8%. New Jersey has the best attendance rate in the nation, at nearly half that. According to Mardin, the best-performing schools in NJ have an absenteeism rate between 8% and 11%.
“That being said, we want to do better,” Mardin said.
The school plans to gather more data with surveys, research successful initiatives from other schools and implement state guidance in order to improve its stubborn absenteeism rate.
Middle School Students at NWR
Speaking of survey-derived data, a recent survey of NWR’s middle school population found mostly positive findings.
The survey came from the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Division of Mental Health and Addiction services, commissioned by the Center for Research and Evaluation on Education and Women Services at Montclair State University. It posted over 60 questions to middle schoolers across the state in order to build a statewide report on their “perceptions and experiences related to supportive environments, safety, substance use, mental health, gambling, problematic behaviors and social media.”
NWR parents can breathe easy. Results from student responses were “resoundingly positive” in naming protective factors like parental praise, sharing family meals and feeling close to adults at school. In even more positive news, 100% of middle school students report feeling safe in their neighborhood.
Scocozza identified one opportunity for the school to improve. To the question “Do you have access to school-based help for substance use problems?” the majority of students responded “I don’t know.”
NWR staff hopes to make that answer definitive. The school has planned for the student assistance coordinator, a counselor trained to work with students in matters of substance abuse, to meet with middle school classes this fall.
The final results from the survey will be shared statewide in 2027.
Board Policy and Extracurricular Leadership
Board member Beth Makatura surfaced three items she wanted to put before the board: a proposed policy to limit cellphone usage by board members during meetings; a potential partnership with Modern States, a nonprofit that allows learners to earn college credit for free via online self-paced classes; and the potential impacts of Blairstown’s new zoning laws on the school’s future.
The board gave a polite but assertive no to the first, sent the second to the school’s administrators and counseling department and agreed to the importance of further research into the third.
The board also returned to a question of extracurricular leadership that had been scheduled but tabled at the August meeting: the appointment of a theater director. North Warren’s theater program has been led by Dr. Nyann Biery for the past three years. At the August meeting, parents and former staff raised concerns about the appointment of marching band and jazz band director Alexandra Straulina to the position.
The agenda item returned and, this time, passed. Straulina was appointed theater director, Jeff Louw was appointed assistant theater director and art teacher Vanessa Wyker and School Counselor Terri Quinn were both appointed assistant theater directors with half stipends.
“We did a little bit of research into the what and why, and yeah, it seems everything’s fine,” said Board President Taylor Casey. “We checked on the logistics of everything and everything was great.”
Upcoming dates to remember include:
● October 26, which is the next Board of Education meeting at North Warren Regional,
● November 23, the Powderpuff game, followed by a bonfire, and
● November 24, which is the Voices of the Veterans full-day program.
The Blairstown Elementary Board of Education voted to approve the Shared Services Agreement and Superintendent Employment Agreement at their regular meeting on Sept. 30. The agreement between Blairstown Elementary and North Warren Regional School district was first approved by NWR at their regular meeting on Sept. 28.
The official start date was Oct. 1, 2026, but the agreement is still pending county and state approval. Blairstown Elementary Principal and Acting Superintendent, Colleen Silvestri, will continue to fill the role until Oct. 15 while approvals are pending. The Shared Superintendent employment contract for Dr. Patrick Ketch was approved for a term of four years from Oct. 1, 2026 through Jan. 30, 2030. The approval also included a shared service agreement with NWR for facilities maintenance and repairs. The agreement is expected to run through June 30, 2027.
The employment agreement outlines a 60/40 partnership between the districts. NWR will contribute 60% of employment costs of superintendent salary, while BES will contribute 40%. Both districts agreed to a schedule of three days at NWR and two days at BES with accommodations in place should the need arise.
“We are sharing a superintendent,” stated Jeremy Cook, President of BES. “We have our goals; they have theirs.” He continued to say, “We pay 40% and they pay 60%; [Dr. Ketch is] there three days but there will be plenty of flexibility.”
With each school being a limited purpose regional school, each district consisting of one school, 2.5 miles apart, the consolidation of services has a substantial financial impact on both districts. The cost savings have been calculated at a savings of $543,000 over four years, or $223,804 for North Warren and $319,620 for Blairstown, respectively.
Concerns over transparency, open communication and district autonomy were raised during public comment. Residents questioned why an email was sent to the NWR community but no such communication had been sent to the Blairstown community.
While discussing the superintendent schedule, board member Brad Van Valkenburg stated, “I want to make sure communication is wide open [between the boards].”
The public was informed that, due to recommendations of legal counsel, the decision was made to delay any official announcements about the employment contract, but concerned residents were informed that each district would be administered independently.
“The whole goal is this is a group, joint effort”, explained Taylor Casey, Board President of NWR. “We’ve discussed the schedule and an open door policy.” She continued to say, “Our intention is to share many services; it’s a natural pathway to cost savings.”
In other board business, the newest member of the Blairstown Board of Education, Ross Gitomer, was sworn in. His term is to run from Sept. 30, 2026 to the Jan. 2027 reorganization meeting.
Transportation costs and field trips were approved. It was noted that initially field trips were going to be limited to one trip for the year, but ultimately two trips were approved for the year.
Roof maintenance, phone system updates and fuel proposals were approved along with an amended motion to participate in the Coordinated Transportation Service Agreement with Warren County Special Services School District. The contract was amended to include a 5% administrative fee, which was originally approved at 4.5%.
The next Blairstown Elementary Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Oct. 15, 2026.
Blair Academy has ushered in a new era to the heart of campus with the recently opened, state-of-the-art Center for Health and Well-Being, a transformed athletic field, beautifully updated dormitories, inviting outdoor gathering spaces and additional student housing. Together, the projects represent a $35 million investment.
On September 12, students brought the field to life for the first time, and Blair’s Board of Trustees will gather later in the fall for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the projects.
At the center of the renewed campus is Marcial Field, better known as “the Bowl.” Home to Blair’s lacrosse and field hockey teams throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the field remained in use through the late 2010s before years of wear made it difficult for athletes to play on safely. It has now been regraded and transformed with a FieldTurf surface that provides the consistent ball movement important to both sports. The field can also accommodate soccer games when needed.
View from Mason Dormitory
The investment builds on Blair’s strong athletic tradition: Last year, 32 percent of graduating seniors in 14 different sports were recruited to compete in college athletics, reflecting both the caliber of the School’s programs and the dedication of its student-athletes.
Director of Athletics Paul Clavel, Blair class of 1988, said the project was inspired by a desire to restore activity to this central part of campus. He remembers students and parents gathering on the surrounding hillsides to watch games—an experience the renovated field will make possible once again.
Although the playing surface has been expanded and leveled, the Bowl retains its signature shape and tree-lined hillsides, providing fans with a natural vantage point. Director of Facilities Dave Schmitt also confirmed that the Soap Slide, a longtime student favorite, will continue to take place in the Bowl each fall.
The project coincided with the second phase of renovations to Mason and Freeman Halls. Built in 1966, the dormitories received new windows, bathrooms and updated limestone, stone and brick facades during the first phase. This summer, interior work included new sheetrock ceilings, trim, wood accents, lighting and décor. The buildings’ open floor plans and central atriums—features that naturally bring students together—were preserved.
A new courtyard and firepit between Mason and Freeman, along with the nearby patio at the Center for Health and Well-Being, create additional spaces for students to gather and watch games. The first floor of Brooks and Hoffman House, formerly Blair’s Health Center, has also been converted into a residential dormitory with eight student rooms and a faculty apartment.
Together, these projects preserve the traditions and defining features of this familiar hilltop campus while creating updated spaces where students can live, compete and connect.
“With all new landscaping and upgraded facilities, it’s going to be one of the premier athletic sites in the state,” said Teddy Wenner, Blair’s Dean of Enrollment and Communications, who graduated from Blair in 1996. “It’s going to become a signature piece of Blair’s beautiful campus.”
Media Contact
Adele Starrs Director of Communications Blair Academy starra@blair.edu
About Blair Academy
Founded in 1848, Blair Academy is a dynamic, coeducational boarding school in New Jersey, located 65 miles from New York City. Amid an inclusive, vibrant community, 475 students pursue a superior college preparatory education and explore their passions through myriad artistic and athletic activities. Strong faculty-student relationships lead to exceptional learning and empower students to become persons of great accomplishment and character. Blair graduates distinguish themselves at top colleges and as leaders in their professions and communities.To learn more, visit http://www.blair.edu.
This winter, the weather outside may or may not be frightful—but heating bills almost certainly will be. That’s due to the skyrocketing cost of distillate fuels, including diesel, jet fuel and Fuel Oil No. 2, the fuel used to heat homes with oil tanks.
In NJ, homes with heating oil are concentrated in rural areas: Cumberland, Salem, and some of Burlington Counties in the south, and Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon Counties to the northwest.
For these specific counties, it’s looking like a pricey winter.
50% National Increase Projected, Nearly 90% Increase vs. Last Year Seen Locally
The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that 4.79 million households used heating oil in the 2023 to 2024 winter. Over 80% of them are concentrated in the Northeast.
In New Jersey, 198,050 of occupied residences rely on heating oil, according to the 2024 American Community Survey run by the Census.
Those residences aren’t equally distributed throughout the state. Instead, data from the EPA illustrates a distinct geographical separation.
This map displays data from the U.S. EPA Home Heating Fuel Use Survey, organized by Census Tract.
As seen in the map here, the eastern side of NJ (light beige) relies almost entirely on natural gas, with areas of Bergen County showing gas usage for 90% of residences and electricity for the remaining 10%.
Meanwhile, western NJ shows a much higher reliance on heating oil. The strongest reliance can be found in Census Tract 3746, an area that encompasses the Stanhope area on the north side of Lake Musconetcong in Sussex County. There, 81% of households rely on heating oil.
Rates of fuel oil usage in Warren County are comparable to the southernmost parts of Salem and Cumberland County, with between 51% and 67% of households relying on fuel oil for heat.
In Census Tract 311.01, the tract that includes Blairstown (the yellow dot in the map above), 67% of residences use heating oil.
This winter, that’s bad financial news—and getting worse.
Less than a month ago, the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) predicted a 31% increase in the cost of heating oil this winter. A Sept. 28 press release now predicts a 50% increase.
Residents of Warren County have already seen massive increases. For a one-year comparison, look at this Oct. 11, 2025 screenshot from cheapestoil.com, a website that compares the costs of heating oil from several local delivery companies.
A screenshot from cheapestoil.com, comparing the prices of residential heating oil in Warren County on October 11, 2025. Taken using the Internet Archive
This time last year, a Warren County resident could buy heating oil for between $2.84 and $2.99 a gallon.
Now, compare that to a screenshot from the evening of Oct. 6, 2026.
A screenshot from the same website, taken at 1 p.m. on October 6, 2026.
This year, those prices range between $5.45 and $5.58 a gallon—an 88% to 92% increase, nearly double.
Susan Haney owns Fuel-Rite Petroleum alongside her husband John. The business moved from Blairstown to Belvidere three years ago. About 95% of their business consists of home heating oil delivery, she said.
Although she’s worked in the heating oil delivery space for over 20 years, the recent price increases are unprecedented.
“A lot of suppliers are having some issues, but I’ve never seen oil this high ever. Ever,” she emphasized. “It’s historic. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Haney has also noticed a change in customer behavior. More customers are filling their oil tanks early in the season, worried that delay might bring an even greater increase in oil prices.
She worries about her customers, who she says have been “in shock” when she tells them the prices over the phone. For her own part, Haney maintains relationships with up to six suppliers at a time and maintains a 100,000-gallon capacity storage tank to make sure the business has contingency plans in case of emergency or supply challenges.
Faced with steep price increases, many heating oil customers wonder: Is it better to wait, in the hopes that prices go down? Or would it be smarter to buy now, before prices can increase further? Or take a balanced approach by filling the tank half now, and half later, cutting potential losses in half either way?
Haney isn’t sure what to tell them. But her own hope is that this can’t last forever.
“I don’t see it staying,” she said. “It’s not sustainable. People can’t afford it.”
Impacts from Iran and Ukraine: Conflict Comes Home
Dr. Karen Clay, professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon, isn’t so sure.
The cause of the problem is two part, she says. One part has been well-known since Feb. 28: the disruption in the international flow of crude oil caused by conflict with Iran and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. This is the reason that gas prices and distillates have been higher for months.
The U.S. has tried to mitigate these impacts with releases from the national Strategic Petroleum Reserve. After seven months of restricted oil flows and emergency reserve releases, the SPR fell to 283 million barrels of crude oil on Oct. 2, its lowest level since 1982.
Crude oil must be processed in refineries to produce distillates: jet fuel, diesel and heating oil. Those refineries are the second part of the problem, according to Clay. The oil market is an international arrangement, with crude oil drawn from one area of the world shipped to a refinery calibrated to its chemical consistency in another. With Ukrainian bombings of Russian refineries and tensions in the Middle East damaging refineries in the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, there are fewer refineries in operation worldwide to turn crude oil into distillates.
American refineries are operating full-bore, with a 92.5% utilization rate the week ending Sept. 25. But distillates produced in America don’t stay in America, not with countries worldwide dealing with the same international challenges and just as hungry for jet fuel and diesel. American refineries are equally willing to sell to international customers as to American customers. So domestic supply stays tight, and prices stay high.
On Oct. 5, the G7 announced an emergency stock release of 100 million oil barrels “to begin immediately over four months, including a frontloaded substantial diesel release within the first 20 days.” The price of diesel fell in response to the promise of new supply in a starved market. But without bringing damaged refineries back online or building new ones, a years-long process, Clay said the fix is temporary, and the core problem remains.
What if the conflict with Iran resolves tomorrow, oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz as plentifully as before and every damaged refinery magically comes online? Even that miraculous outcome wouldn’t lower prices right away, as every country will be rushing to fill its depleted emergency reserves. “The problem is the low inventories,” Clay said. “What’s going to be happening is refilling of some of the stocks as well.”
In her assessment, a complete solution to the oil and distillate price spike would be timed in months, not weeks, even in the most optimistic scenario. There isn’t much hope she can see for a quick fix.
Winter Is Coming. So What Now?
In a survey conducted by the Ridge View Echo, local homeowners who rely on heating oil said that they’re looking for alternatives.
Several have already invested, or plan to invest, in woodburning or pellet stoves. Some already have an electric heating option that they intend to use more often this winter. Others focus on lowering the thermostat, using thermal curtains and weatherstripping, and planning their oil purchases by comparing multiple suppliers and carefully timing their purchase.
But in a question about plans to prepare for the winter and heating costs, 38% of respondents said they still weren’t sure what they’d do.
Some don’t see any alternatives.
“Heating oil is my only form of heat and the only way to have hot water during the fall/winter season,” wrote a resident of Stillwater who entered her name as Sarah. “I’m on a fixed Veterans’s disability and don’t have a functioning wood or pellet stove. I will not be able to afford to heat my home this winter.”
Dr. Clay foresees supplementation as the most likely response, both in the short and long term. “If this persists, then I think we’ll see a more rapid transition towards heat pumps, which are probably the most viable of the options for people in more rural areas,” she said.
Elsewhere in the Northeast, some elected officials have pursued policy responses.
Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts made headlines on Oct. 5 by announcing a “state of energy emergency” and expanding access to energy bill assistance.
In Maine, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King wrote to the White House requesting an emergency release from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. The reserve holds one million barrels of ultra-low sulfur distillate across four locations in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and the New York Harbor area. The White House has not yet responded to the request.
Closer to home, the New Jersey Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is available to offer assistance with heating bills. Participants in SNAP, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or Social Security’s SSI program are automatically qualified for LIHEAP assistance.
Then there is the oldest tactic of all: hoping, or praying, for an easy winter.
“If it’s a mild winter, it may not be too bad,” Clay said. “If it’s a really cold winter, it’s going to be not so great.”
For more information about the LIHEAP program in Warren County, contact NORWESCAP, Inc. in Phillipsburg.
Daylight savings time will end soon, and we may soon experience as a nation Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over, hoping for a different result.
Twice a year we revive the debate about dispensing with the time change ritual and establishing daylight savings time for the entire year.
This isn’t one of those “let’s at least give it a try” moments. We did try it.
Everybody hated it. Every. Body. Hated. It. Every single human being alive in the United States hated it. People hated having breakfast—and lunch—in the dark.
What makes anybody think doing the same thing again will have a different result?
(Excuse me one second. I’ve just been informed that the correct term to use for the process is daylight saving time, without the “s” on “saving.” That comes from the same individual who spent his Y2K years helpfully reminding people that the millennium actually ended on Dec. 31, 2000, not Dec. 31, 1999.)
President Donald Trump has made this one of his priorities and has promised to sign it into law if it reaches his desk. Which it just might.
In my freshman year of high school—the “Energy Crisis” winter—the reality of our dependence on foreign sources of fuel hit us square in the face. Or, depending on what you believe, the reality of the fabricated shortage orchestrated by the oil companies hit us in the wallet.
The nation freaked out. It was 1974. President Richard Nixon laid the groundwork for the Department of Energy, and appointed the first “energy czar.” Among the first actions—or panics, as some might say—outdoor Christmas light displays were banned as a step toward saving energy. Most people abided by the edict, if grudgingly. Could you imagine such a mandate today?
Then came the big one: We were told daylight saving time would extend through the winter, giving us that extra hour of sunshine in the cold winter evening.
What they forgot in 1974 is that when we shifted that hour in the middle of the winter, it would be dark until 8 in the morning. Midnight dark. One of those unintended consequences. Kids were literally walking to school in the dark and sitting through morning classes during the nighttime.
Schools issued reflective tape for dark winter coats. Yeah, problem solved.
The sun came up about 9 a.m. as I dozed through my algebra class. By the next winter the idea has been scrapped. I like a little daylight in the morning. Let’s keep it that way.
Morning darkness was not good for the brain. I have a friend who grew up in Finland, and I once asked him if that long darkness was something native Finns got used to. No, he said, they didn’t. Many drank vodka for three months to deal with it. That extra hour of light at the end of the day didn’t really have all that much value anyway.
It was still dark when most people got home from work.
A more recent change made some sense, especially extending it a week in the fall. Whoever picked the original date apparently did not have kids when they said, “Let’s make it dark an hour earlier a couple days before the night we encourage our kids to dress in dark costumes and stay out late roaming the streets for candy.” They seemed oblivious to the idea that kids would be put in danger.
Some things don’t need to adjust to a time change. I had an uncle who was a dairy farmer in Upstate New York. The cows didn’t look at the clock. They woke up that same time every day. And try explaining it to a dog, who says, “It feels like 5 p.m., dinner time, but it’s really 4 p.m.? I’ll chew your arm off instead.”
I agree the time change is a pain. But if we do eliminate it, I think we should opt for year-round standard time, not daylight saving time. Of maybe we should just leave things be.
Einstein was right about a lot of things. And this is one result that’s not going to change from the last time we tried it.
Ghost pipe may look like a plant or fungus that is dead and sucked dry of its color, but it actually never had any to begin with.
That’s because ghost pipe—or Monotropa uniflora—is a flowering plant that has no chlorophyl.
Chlorophyll, if you remember from fifth-grade science class, is a chemical in plant cells that not only gives plants and leaves their signature green color. It also allows them to convert energy from the sun into plant food.
Since ghost pipe does not contain any chlorophyll, it needs to get it nutrients through alternate means.
A ghost pipe acquires its energy by becoming an epiparasite. An epiparasite is a parasite that forms a relationship with another parasite to obtain nutrients. In this case, ghost pipe uses filaments to connect to the mycorrhizal fungus attached to the roots of other plants and trees beneath the soil.
The plant therefore does not require sunlight.
Ghost pipes are small (about four to eight inches tall) and can be found throughout North America under deciduous trees or pines. They have all the same parts of a flower and offer nectar and pollen to pollinators, such as bumblebees and flies.
Once a plant has been pollinated and begins to produce seeds, the flower turns upright and then blackens. The remains of the flower can persist throughout the winter.
The ghost pipe is also referred to as an ice plant or a corpse plant.
The scientific name uniflora refers to only one flower at the top of each stem. Monotropa translates to “one turn” and is refers to how the flowers point down when in bloom and then do “one turn” to point upward after pollination.
Native Americans believed ghost pipe had medicinal purposes for eye treatments, fevers or colds; but as the plant was discovered to contain toxic substances, it is no longer recommended for treating ailments.
Ghost pipes may seem underwhelming given their lack of color and their parasitic nature. But discovering them after a heavy mid-summer rain or even finding their remains in winter against the white snow is a real treat for the wildflower enthusiast.
Fun Facts About the Ghost Pipe
Ghost pipe is a plant without the green chlorophyll.
Ghost pipe is an epiparasite, which is a parasite that forms a relationship with another parasite in order to obtain its nutrients.
Ghost pipes can be found throughout North America under deciduous trees or pines.
The scientific name uniflora refers to only one flower at the top of each stem.
Monotropa refers to “one turn” where the flower makes a single turn upright after being pollinated by small bees or flies.
Because ghost pipe gets its nutrients from other plants, it doesn’t need to be in sunlight and prefers shady places under trees.
There are a few less craters in Knowlton’s Tunnel Field as paving of the entry roadway began last week.
Other changes are coming as well, said Township Mayor Debra Shipps, including improved wifi connections at the park and a proposal by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12246 to help clear trails and install benches along the way that will recognize veterans of the North Warren area.
Also, fees for the use of the pavilion in the park will increase to $200 per day along with a refundable $200 deposit for the bathrooms at the park.
Justin Flynn, commander of VFW Post 12246, said the trails and benches are part of the organizations outreach. The post, which was charted this past January, already has 32 members and is named for U.S. Army Specialist Ronald H. Wildrick Jr., who was killed Dec. 11, 2011, in the Kunar province of Afghanistan when his truck hit an improvised explosive device.
Paving begins on the driveway through Tunnel Field in Knowlton. Photo by Joe Phalon.
“We’re doing our best to partner with the trail committee here in town for the Tunnel Field,” Flynn said at the Sept. 14 township committee meeting. “We’re offering our labor to help cut trails and make the area safe. We were fundraising to get some concrete bench molds so that we can make benches to place along the trails.”
Flynn said a plaque honoring a local veteran will be installed on each bench. While Post 12246 is based in Knowlton, it draws members from across North Warren and into Sussex County.
New fees and deposits will apply for use of the pavilion and bathrooms at Tunnel Field. Photo by Joe Phalon.
“A war veteran who’s passed on doesn’t have to have been in action,” Flynn said. “It’s just a way to remember the veterans who are members of our community.”
In the meantime, internet service provider Planet Networks will be installing improved wifi access at Tunnel Field, Shipps said, which will enable the installation of higher-resolution security cameras.
And Knowlton Township Community Day is coming to Tunnel Field on Oct. 24. The free event begins at noon and runs through 5 p.m. It will feature food trucks, pony rides, a petting farm and other activities.
Date & Time: Oct. 5, 2026 at 7 p.m. Location: Town Hall, 210 Main Street, Johnsonburg
What’s on the Agenda:
Memorializing Resolution #2026-14 Frelinghuysen Township Land Use Board in the matter of Katie Styer and Jesse Styer – Conditional Use Variance Relief Block 1404, Lot 21.03, Application LU#2026-01
Public Comment: Public participation is included on the agenda.
How to Attend: In person. Agenda available through the Frelinghuysen Township website.
Town officials in Knowlton want to shine a light on lights that are not shining.
Specifically, streetlights that don’t work and those that are not needed because of redundancy or are illuminating places that don’t need illuminating.
“We pay almost $2,000 a month for streetlights,” said Mayor Debra Shipps. “And half of them don’t work.”
There are a total of 77 streetlights in Knowlton, Shipps said. Yes, that is a small number for a township that is 25.5 square miles. Some towns have 77 streetlights on one street. Newark, New Jersey, which is similar in area to Knowlton at 25.4 square miles, has approximately 25,000 streetlights. (Newark also has approximately 800 intersections with traffic lights while Knowlton has…none. But Knowlton has more farm stands.)
Former committeeman and community advocate Rene Mathez recently conducted an informal survey of streetlights in the township and identified many that are not working properly and some that probably aren’t necessary. Of the lights that are not working, the town still pays Jersey Central Power & Light, Shipps said.
Shipps directed township attorney Tara St. Angelo to look into any legal issues that could arise from removing streetlights.
The recommendations would not include heavily used intersections or any intersections with state or county roads. A final list is expected to be completed and forwarded to the state Department of Transportation, Shipps said. Approximately 23 lights will be reviewed.
Committee member Adel Starrs said the township paid $1,840 for streetlights just for September.
“This should represent a substantial saving,” Starrs said.
John Stockton was sworn in as a member of the Knowlton Township Committee at its September meeting, filling a vacancy on the governing body.
Stockton will be seated as a member for a term that expires at the end of 2026. He will also appear on the November ballot to run for a full term.
The road to the committee for Stockton was not without its bumps. Stockton will replace former committee member Ryan Lembeck, who was formally removed from the governing body for excessive meeting absences. Under state law, a vacancy on the local county committee of the party whose member is vacating the seat, in this case the Republicans, gets to put forward up to three names for the incumbent township committee members to choose from.
None of the three candidates, including Stockton, were able to get to the three or more votes to be appointed to the committee.
Two of the four members of the all-GOP governing body declined to support John Stockton, who was nominated by the county committee for the vacant seat.
The appointment required a majority of the township committee, in this case a minimum of three votes. Without the support of Committee members Debra Shipps and Adele Starrs, the resolution to fill the vacant seat failed.
Because Lembeck was a Republican, the seat—if filled—would remain in GOP hands with the local Republican organization submitting up to three names for the township committee to choose from. At this point in the process, state law requires the committee to immediately seat the choice made by the Republican County Committee.
Shipps made no secret that her choice to fill the vacancy was Vince Gaeta, who she said has served on a number of committees and boards in Knowlton and has been a long-time regular at township committee meetings.
Committee members Matt Baley and James Mazza both supported appointing Stockton to the seat so the township committee could operate at its full complement of five, which would allow the governing body to avoid tie votes, which, ironically, happened in this case.
Oktoberfest is coming to Hardwick this Sunday at the Vass Homestead on Stillwater Road.
“The event is being made possible as a result of the generosity of area sponsors and the efforts of the Hardwick Oktoberfest Committee,” said John Lovell, a township committee member and an organizer of the event. “The committee has been working since early spring to line up 20-plus vendors who will be offering an assortment of special foods and crafts.”
While this Sunday’s fall celebration marks Hardwick’s first annual Oktoberfest, the event can trace its roots back many years in the form of Community Day, which has been held at the Vass Homestead for many years. But this year, the day will feature traditional Oktoberfest food and drinks.
“What would a traditional Oktoberfest be without beer, brats and wiener schnitzel?” said Lovell. “All on the menu at the Vass Farmstead.”
This inaugural event blends the spirit of traditional German festivities with the community’s rich heritage, said organizers.
The event will also feature a reptile house in the homestead barn, and activities for children from face painting to a bouncy house will be on hand.
This is a rain or shine event with tents, the Vass house and the barn providing cover.
“We are hoping for a big turnout from Hardwick and all of our neighbors,” said Lovell.
The Oktoberfest takes place Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the historic Vass Homestead, 97 Stillwater Road in Hardwick Township.
Frelinghuysen Township was recognized for its contributions to Warren County’s bicentennial celebration and the United States’ semiquincentenial.
Lori Ciesla, director of the Warren County Board of Commissioners, presented Frelinghuysen Mayor Kirk Perez and Committeeman Brian James with a plaque marking the township’s efforts at a ceremony in front of town hall last week.
“Last year was Warren County’s bicentennial, so we were 200 years old,” said at the presentation. “And now with the country’s semi-quincentennial, 250 years, we wanted to somehow recognize all the towns in Warren County.”
The plaque presented to Frelinghuysen by the Warren County Board of Commissioners. Photo by Joe Phalon.
Perez highlighted the role Frelinghuysen played in the development of the county as one of its earliest incorporated townships. He also talked about the important role of agriculture in Frelinghuysen, an industry that continues to thrive today.
Ciesla cited the township’s local character, something Frelinghuysen shares with many of its neighbors.
“I really think we’re the best in New Jersey, and it’s that hometown feel, that Americana look here,” Ciesla said. “And we just wanted to make sure that everybody had a little memory.”
In case you are wondering, Frelinghuysen Township will be celebrating its own bicentennial in 2048, just 22 years from now.
Dr. Patrick Ketch was officially appointed North Warren Regional High School’s new superintendent this past May. Now, if the logistical gears turn smoothly, he will act as the superintendent for both NWR and the school he previously led, Blairstown Elementary School, in a Shared Services Agreement.
NWR originally made the agreement public at a special meeting of the Board of Education on Sept. 14. BES did likewise on Sept. 16.
According to the Mutual Shared Service Report distributed at NWR’s Sept. 28 regular board meeting, the community’s response at the two mid-September meetings was “generally positive” with no “objections or negative comments” noted. After reviewing the report, North Warren’s board agreed to submit it for approval.
The Blairstown Elementary School Board of Education will also vote on the shared services report during their Sept. 30 meeting, with one last opportunity for public comment.
The agreement has an estimated start date of Oct. 1, 2026, pending county and state approval, and will remain in effect through June 2030.
Timing: A 60/40 Split Between North Warren and Blairstown
North Warren’s BOE distributed the five-page report describing the logistics and rationale for the shared services partnership, alongside the 28-page Superintendent Employment Contract.
The report explains the districts’ vision for the shared partnership. By the terms of the agreement, Ketch will retain the superintendent responsibilities for both schools. The general framework is that he’ll spend 60% of his time at North Warren, including three days on site, and 40% of his time at Blairstown Elementary, entailing two days on site. That general plan includes flexibility for special events, emergent needs and urgent updates.
The superintendent Employment Contract, distributed at North Warren’s September 28 Board of Education meeting, stipulated the terms of Dr. Ketch’s employment as shared superintendent of both schools. Photo by Chip O’Chang.
When Ketch is off-site, daily responsibilities will fall to the school principals, Interim Principal Chris Carruba at North Warren and Principal Silverstri at Blairstown. The document also emphasizes the role of communication technologies and the close proximity of the schools, which are 2.5 miles apart—an easy commute if duty suddenly calls Ketch to switch sites.
Each school would conduct its own annual superintendent evaluation. The report also indicates that North Warren’s other sending districts, Knowlton and Frelinghuysen, were consulted in the process and expressed no opposition.
Ketch is a strong candidate to lead both districts, the report argues, as someone already familiar with both schools. He previously led Blairstown as the superintendent for five years before his appointment at North Warren this year.
The report argues that the agreement “will enhance educational opportunities, strengthen operational efficiency and maximize fiscal resources for both communities,” vs. each school having a full-time superintendent.
Dollars and Fiscal Sense: Plan To Save Over $543K Over Four Years
In an increasingly tough budgeting environment, the last reason may be the most compelling—especially for Blairstown and Hardwick residents, who pay taxes for both schools.
As the superintendent for both schools, Ketch will be paid an annual salary of $215,000 to start. This number will rise 3% every year, with a final amount of $234,936.30 at the end of the four-year contract.
The 60/40 split in timing applies to cost allocations, too: North Warren will pay 60% of Ketch’s salary, employed-paid benefit costs and any other approved compensation, amounting to $129,000 in the first year. Meanwhile, Blairstown will pay 40%, amounting to $86,000 in year one.
North Warren will cover 60% of the superintendent role and host Ketch 60% of the time, or an estimated three days a week, while Blairstown will cover 40% of the costs and host Ketch an estimated two days a week onsite. Photo by Chip O’Chang.
On the one hand, Ketch’s salary will be higher than the average full-time superintendent salary in NJ: $203,728 last school year, according to the NJ Department of Education’s Certificated Staff Database. Probably more important to taxpayers, though, are the cost savings from splitting that salary vs. each school compensating its own separate full-time superintendent.
To calculate the total savings projected for the four-year partnership, the school added Ketch’s previous contract at BES to the original full-time version of his North Warren contract from this summer and calculated the cost over four years. They then compared that total to the cost of the proposed shared partnership.
The final result was a combined savings of $543,424 for both districts over four years. That’s about $223,804 savings for North Warren and $319,620 for Blairstown. Those amounts include the cost of benefits, which Ketch said he does not take, but is required in cost-of-contract calculations.
Blairstown in particular benefits from the arrangement, as the partner covering only 40% of the superintendent role. Its cost share of $86,000 is much lower than any full-time superintendent would make. In fact, that’s 54% of the salary Ketch made there in the 25-26 school year.
The End of a Long Road
Assuming Blairstown Elementary’s confirmation and county and state approval, the partnership represents the culmination of a months-long process.
“This was uncharted territory for both districts, and there were a lot of questions and uncertainties that had to be worked through,” Ketch wrote in a follow-up email. “There were also several different roads we had to cross, including contractual, legal, state, county and board considerations.”
He continued: “Ultimately, both districts worked through the issues collaboratively, and I believe the final agreement provides an opportunity for the districts to share resources while maintaining strong leadership and services for both school communities.”
The Mutual Shared Service Report will go before Blairstown Elementary School’s Board of Education on Sept. 30 for approval and submission to the county and state.
This week, Gallery 23 concludes its month-long retrospective exhibition of work by local artist Curtis Engesser.
On the surface, 68-year-old Engesser has lived out in the open—literally. Among local artists, he’s known for painting his vibrant landscapes outside in nature, instead of working from photographs in the climate-controlled comfort of a studio. He’s also one of the original cofounders of Gallery 23, Blairstown’s cooperatively-owned, artist-run gallery that celebrated its 25th anniversary this summer. In other words, he’s a well-known and respected member of the local creative community.
Then there’s his enormous catalogue. If it’s true that art is the purest form of self-expression, then Engesser has authored an autobiography that could fill volumes. His fellow gallery members estimate that he’s created hundreds, if not thousands of paintings since he first took up painting in the 80s, with some wondering if he completes one painting every single day. Even with an entire room and a few walls devoted to his work at Gallery 23, this month’s retrospective exhibition features only a fraction of Engesser’s full collection.
Despite a highly visible presence, though, Engesser has kept much of his non-artistic life to himself.
“Curtis is somewhat of a loner, so many of us don’t know him well,” said gallery artist Barbara Matlaga.
Assembling the retrospective exhibit became a gallery group project and a chance to understand more about the quiet man with the wildly prolific collection.
Matlaga continued: “We’ve learned more about him because of this experience.”
Exterior Shot: A Life in Metal and Pigment
Engesser wrote his own biography for the retrospective exhibit. It reads like a Raymond Carver short story, fitting for a man who graduated from Lafayette College with a degree in English.
A job in publishing bored him, we learn, so Engesser got a job at an auto body shop instead. Then he took night classes to get certified as a welder, and from there opened a welding business while also teaching welding at Sussex Tech for 17 years.
“I liked the whole lifestyle. Welding is like hell with the lid off,” the bio reads. “Then night brings the cheap beer.”
Cheap beer’s a connecting thread between welding and painting. Gallery photos at the retrospective show Engesser’s process: an old-fashioned easel, palette and supplies loaded onto the back of his pickup truck and parked in the wide-open natural spaces that he prefers. Karin White, the gallery artist who took the photos, remembers him working on the outline for a painting, pausing for a PBR, and picking up the brush again for the details.
Engesser started painting in college. The bio mentions that he used to work from photographs. Then he learned about the French Impressionists, who painted outside—en plein air, if we’re being fancy, academically precise or French. When he tried working en plein air himself, he never went back.
Engesser paints outside, where the sunlight and shadows are constantly shifting. To get the scene down exactly as it is, he has to work fast. Photo by Chip O’Chang.
The advantage of painting outside is the immediacy: Shadows and light change before your eyes. There’s no suspicion that a camera filter has altered the tones. The tradeoff is that the process requires speed. The artist is in a constant race to get the colors and shapes down before the natural light changes and they’re staring at a totally different scene. Engesser guesses that he finishes all of his paintings in two hours or less.
The fast pace works for him. “It’s like an explosion,” he wrote in his bio. “The paintings seem to happen by themselves; I just have to show up.”
On Sept. 19, the gallery hosted a reception with wine, cheese, crackers and a cake decorated with a reproduction of an Engesser painting. About an hour into the event, some attendees fetched cans of PBR for the artist.
It was a fitting tone shift for the artist and exhibit. He’d picked the name himself: “An Industrial Tradesman’s Observations of the Natural World.”
Capturing the Light of Each Season
Walking through the exhibit feels like watching a montage. Many paintings depict the same point of view—a river, a road—in different seasons.
According to Gallery 23 President Robin Harris Rickard, that was intentional… after a few other possibilities were discarded.
Members of a local poetry group were inspired to write after finding his paintings at the end of his driveway. Serendipitously, they found their way back to Gallery 23 for the retrospective. Photo by Chip O’Chang.
It all started with the first opening of the painting barn. Gallery 23 members have spoken with awe of the barn where Engesser stores the paintings that he plans to keep. The ones he doesn’t like so much, he leaves at the end of his driveway for people to take for free.
Rickard looked forward to helping the gallery put together a proper celebration of this lifetime artist’s work. And also, she had to admit: “I wanted to get into that barn!”
The first step of organizing the retrospective was to curate the paintings, choosing which ones to include and then organizing them into some kind of cohesive theme.
Gallery artist Karin White remembers stepping into the painting barn. “It’s so full,” she said. “There’s hundreds and hundreds of them. And you get up there and it smells like paint.”
Some artists organize their work chronologically, by subject, by color or some other personal guiding light. Engesser’s vast storehouse, while neatly stacked, followed no such organizational theme. The other artists considered possibilities. Could they organize the paintings chronologically, starting with the oldest painting? What was the oldest painting? Engesser wasn’t sure.
Finally, Rickard and the other gallery artists agreed to choose and organize the paintings seasonally. The eye can loosely group them by color, with the whites and grays of winter on one panel, the brilliant pinks of sunsets on another and the dappled array of sunlight and leaves in a section devoted to views of the Delaware River.
Engesser has been told that his work is reminiscent of the Hudson River School. His fellow artist-owners at Gallery 23 marvel at the way he captures light. Photo by Chip O’Chang.
In his bio and in conversation, Engesser expresses fondness for the Hudson River School, though his paintings more represent a Delaware Water Gap school. They capture the many faces of the New Jersey Highlands and Skylands, sometimes Maine, too, but mostly here. The colors shift with the seasons but never fade.
“The way he captures light is just amazing,” said Wendy Tuttle, a gallery artist who owns some of his paintings.
The most striking mini-collection in the exhibit may be the paintings accompanied by poems. Engesser didn’t write them. Unbeknownst to him, local writers had written poems inspired by his work.
How these poems were discovered almost stretches belief. Another member of the gallery also participates in a poetry group. As she listened to other group members’ poems, she realized that two of them—”Abundance on Fox Hollow Road” by Elaine Koplow and “Stillwater” by Annette Haar—seemed especially familiar. Turns out, both were inspired by paintings left for free in Engesser’s driveway. With the writers’ permission, the gallery displayed the poems alongside other Engesser paintings.
“It’s so symmetric. It really was,” Rickard said. “Everything sort of showed up when it was supposed to.”
A Loner in Nature Is Never Alone
The attendees at the reception recognized many of the settings in Engesser’s paintings. Old Mine Road. Mountain Road. The Delaware.
Four paintings, aligned in a column, depict all the same spot: a field in Sandyston, near Nonno’s Italian Restaurant. It’s state land that farmers lease, though not all the fields are planted at the same time. The field stretches a quarter mile at least, by Engesser’s estimate. “It’s a nice view, and you can see the sky,” he said.
All of the paintings in this column depict the same spot: a field in Sandyston near Nonno’s Italian Restaurant. Engesser didn’t intend to sell the top painting, but he forgot to label it before someone bought it. Photo by Chip O’Chang.
In the many paintings at Gallery 23, and the hundreds in Engesser’s famous painting barn, none depict people. Why the depopulated depictions? “I like having no people around,” he said. “Maybe that’s why.”
When asked about himself, Engesser’s answers aren’t extensive. But in a conversation about local history, art, wildlife or current events, he’ll make cogent points and cite his sources, too.
Amidst his affable and informed remarks, the occasional philosophical statement will slip in. During a conversation about an Anthropic ex-employee who alleges that AI will kill us all within the next decade, Engesser, who says he’s never owned a TV and hates computers, isn’t impressed by humanity’s recent technological advancement.
“Twenty years ago, we had everything we want or need. We can’t ever stop, though,” he said. “That’s human nature. We can’t ever stop making things ‘better.’”
His remarks stand out against the backdrop of works that venerate the beauty of forests, mountains and rivers. A world without humans.
“We’re not working out,” Engesser says at one point. “All the other species, they do their thing. You know, they reproduce, they eat and everything’s fine. But we sort of jumped the rails.”
The paintings depict what hasn’t jumped the rails. Gloriously abundant fields with greens so fresh you almost get grass stains. Slender shadows of trees slanting across the snow. Light glowing through every season, never bleak or dim. There are no people here, but there’s no loneliness, either. There’s radiance, stillness. Peace.
Gallery artists and visitors alike learned much about Curtis Engesser from this month’s look at his life’s work. But for decades, he’s already said what he has to say, with color and light: a tribute to the land and the company of the sky.
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