...For the past year, I was the student representative on the Mendham Borough Council and it was a great experience for me. I learned what the town government does, and how it works. More importantly though, I was able to give the council a student's perspective on the issues.

...I would like to thank the Mendham Borough Council and especially Mayor Kraft for supporting and helping to start this new program which gives students a voice in the community.

- RUSSELL WEINSTEIN

''Old Glory Fund,'' sponsored jointly by the Woman's Club of Mendham and the Mendham Business Association. ...The flags have succumbed to wind and weather and have been retired. By establishing this fund, we hope to give every member of our community the opportunity to help insure that Old Glory will once again fly high and proud in our town.

...Donations may be sent to
Old Glory Fund,
P.O. Box 395
Mendham, N.J. 07945.

...an effort to raise nearly $5,000 through private donations for 100 new flags to line Main Street on national holidays and for the town's Labor Day parade.

...''We can't expect the town to pay for everything,'' said Holenstein. ''I don't think the borough realized how bad the flags looked. This was an unexpected expense.''

...Last fall, when many area towns were putting up their flags after the attacks, the borough debated whether to erect their own flags, realizing that they weren't in good condition, said Borough Administrator Ralph Blakeslee.

''We got tons of phone calls from residents asking us why we didn't display the flags,'' said Blakeslee. ''I talked to the mayor and council about it and our feeling was that old flags were better than no flags at all.''

After public works employees put up the flags, some people started complaining how bad they looked, said Blakeslee.

...''Efforts like this certainly help us keep finances under control,'' said Blakeslee. ''Hopefully the fund drive will foster a patriotic feeling in town.''

...Bob Diffin, president of the Mendham Business Association, said he was disappointed the Borough Council didn't take care of the matter.

''The business association has no problem donating money to the borough especially when it's a good cause,'' said Diffin. ''We want Mendham to look better but it's sad that a town of this wealth doesn't do something like this right away.

''There's too much money collected in taxes in Mendham for things like this to go undone,'' said Diffin.

Borough Councilman Gerard Dolan said the town had budgeted for flags in this year's budget proposal but that members of the Woman's Club then approached the council with their fund-raising project.

...The Preziosis have hundreds of historic postcards from the area reflecting a bygone era when Mendham had the tallest flag pole in the state, a stagecoach traveled through Mendham Township on its way to Morristown, and local men played on the Chester- Mendham baseball team. After moving to Mendham 17 years ago, the Preziosis immediately began collecting local postcards at antiques and postcard shows throughout Morris County.

...Their collection includes cards of the old railroad station in Chester, circa 1913, the dedication of Mendham Township's Schiff Reservation in 1933, and a hand- colored postcard of the Black Horse Inn in Mendham from the early 1900's.

...''Postcards aren't breakable. We fell in love with them,'' said Mr. Preziosi.

... Their collection has mushroomed to several hundred thousand postcards in the last two decades.

Mr. Andrus: Finance - The figures Mr. Blakeslee provided in the first draft of the 2002 Budget don't mesh. The preliminary increase is at four cents; it should be decreased to one and one-half cents. This is a decrease of approximately $150,000. The draft budget does not include an increase in the appropriation for the Library. We expect to use $900,000 from surplus this year. The Finance Committee has decided that it would be a better idea to continue to use bond anticipation notes instead of permanent financing. Sewer revenues were much lower in 2001 because the bills did not go out in time for payment before the end of the year. There is still a great deal of work to be done on the budget.
see the ENRON-product of last years "work."

The Devers soccer facility may represent a more intense use of the property than the residence. Parking may become a problem that will have to be addressed by the road association because it is a private road.

Mr. Garubo: Public Safety - The Police answered 1,421 calls in December; 19,966 in 2001. There were 11 Fire calls (6 false alarms) and 40 First Aid calls. A few institutions in town continue to cause a large number of false alarms. The ordinance provides for the removal of these institutions from the alarm network.

Mr. Henry: Zoning and Library Liaison - Representatives from both towns will meet to plan the legal requirements regarding moving forward with the Library project. They will also be developing a funding formula. The general feeling is that the Library should remain private. The actual building of a facility is years away. Consultants are being interviewed for the REDI grant. Outdoor display of merchandise is still being discussed by the Planning Board, including time limits and enforceability. Land use fees are also being reviewed and will be updated.

Mr. Witczak: Personnel - Two Recreation Director applicants have been interviewed. The deer count stands at between thirty-five and forty; another neighborhood has shown an interest in having their area hunted. Mr. Witczak will attend the January 31st meeting on the Lyme Disease study.

MAYOR'S ITEMS

5 Hilltop Road - It is unlikely that the parking will be improved this year, but a new design will probably be developed.

Municipal Parking - Mayor Kraft has asked the Police Chief to enforce the parking regulations, but it is difficult with limited manpower. Additional spaces will make it even more difficult. Finding parking space for customers as well as local business' employees continues to be a major problem. Use of parking meters was suggested.

Electronic Mail - Mayor Kraft asked that all of the Council members provide their email addresses so that the amount of paper being distributed can be decreased.

MENDHAM TWP. — Township committee members will get some details this week on what it would take to restore one of the township’s historic treasures — a 19th-century cider mill on Route 24, across the street from Sammy’s Ye Old Cider Mill restaurant.

Consultant says restoration of Nesbitt Mill could cost $1.4 million
© Excerpts From 1/24/02 Observer Tribune story

19th century mill may net state funds
© Excerpts From 1/23/02 Daily Record story

MENDHAM TWP. The township's decision to expand deer hunting in two additional parks paid off in a big way this hunting season with 44 deer culled through Jan. 19, said township officials.

...A total of 18,600 accidents involving deer were reported to the New Jersey DOT in 2000, a statewide increase of more than 4,000 over 1999,

...there are an estimated 150,000 to 170,000 deer in New Jersey — and increased traffic in wilderness areas.

...In Mendham Township, ...police reported 59 car accidents involving deer last year. None resulted in any serious injuries to people,

... Fish and Wildlife estimated that there were anywhere from 45 to 65 deer per square mile in Mendham Township, which covers 16.6 square miles.

... hunts in three township parks that concluded this month killed 48 deer, up from 12 last year, Mendham Township officials said.

...State officials set a goal of killing 80,000 deer this hunting season, which would exceed last year’s statewide tally of 77,444.

..."What we’re starting to see now is an overall reduction of the herd," said state Division of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Al Ivany.

....150 parents are ''attached'' to the program every year, at least by means of their children's participation. Now, with a pool of over 150 parents, is it unreasonable to think that at least one person, or two, is willing to step forward and volunteer to coordinate t he program?

...Borough officials have been working with a recreation consultant on a proposal to rehabilitate the 33-acre Mountain Valley Park off Mountain Avenue

...Last fall, the borough received $19,300 from a federal recreation grant to build a handicapped accessible trail looping around the park's pond. The funding will also be used to improve a 2,500-foot stretch of trail running from Patriot's Path to India Brook. The borough hopes to finish the two projects by the summer of 2004.

...Mud Hole--pictures

...The park was a popular destination in Mendham several years ago, especially among local children who enjoyed swimming in the pond which was known as the ''mud hole,'' said borough historian Katherine Emmons.

...''It was a viable area at one time and a big place for families in town,'' said Michael Ackerman, former borough mayor

... Officials plan on dredging the pond which is filled with silt.

...Crotsley said the park is still popular for picnicing and hiking and that there is a good spot near the pond for fishing.

He said when he moved to Mendham in 1957, the park's pond was dredged every year with sand regularly added to its beach. The swimming hole, fed by natural springs, was closed nearly 25 years ago because of the poor water quality of its feeder stream, he said.

...Borough officials hope that by building a bridge, visitors will be able to have easier access to the trails and recreation area opposite the park's parking lot off Mountain Avenue without going around the pond or reaching it from Route 24.

...''It was a sorry day for the consumer when the cable companies were deregulated,'' ...

MENDHAM TWP: For the second year, deer hunts yielded disappointing results in the township, the police department said Friday.

A total of 16 deer were killed in six days of hunts this month — 10 in the Meadowood natural areas, three in Burnett Brook and three in Buttermilk Falls, police said....

...Last December, 13 deer were killed in six days of hunting at Burnett Brook and Buttermilk Falls. State wildlife officials estimate that nearly 1,000 deer inhabit the township.

MENDHAM TWP. — For a fourth time, the work of prominent local photographer Judi Benvenuti is being featured on a UNICEF Christmas card.

MENDHAM TWP. — In a sense, 5-year-old Raymond Gnesin would make the perfect juror...

...Raymond, who attends kindergarten at the Hebrew Academy in Randolph, was summoned by Judge Reginald Stanton to appear at the Morris County courthouse Jan. 28 at 8:30 a.m.

...$200,000 to the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions in Mendham for support of a "Smart Growth Assistance Program" that would provide matching grants to municipalities in rural areas where development pressures are intensifying...

The collective American memory is not necessarily very long and a memorial in Morris County to the victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks would serve to keep the lessons of vigilance permanently alive. The Morris County Freeholders, led by Mendham Township's Jack Schrier, are now discussing construction of a memorial....

Debbie Tieste would welcome a county memorial to the victims of the World Trade Center attack and would even like to place a remnant of the tower in her Harding Township back yard as a tribute to her late husband.

Tieste, whose husband, William, 54, died in the Sept. 11 attacks, was among other victims' survivors who said the county should erect a memorial as a tribute to all the terrorists' victims. The Morris County Freeholders, led by Mendham Township's Jack Schrier, have recently begun planning for the memorial to the estimated 100 people who died in the attacks and who either lived, worked or had relatives in Morris County...

...At Mendham Borough's Mountain View School, 89.2 percent of the fourth graders were proficient in the language arts, math, and science section while at the Mendham Township Elementary School 86.9 percent were proficient in the three sect ions...

Twelve-year-old Susanna Lisky got a chance over her Christmas break to do something that most kids only dream about: compete on a nationally televised game show for thousands of dollars.

The seventh grader, who appeared on ''Jeopardy'' on Christmas Day, didn't win first place but came away a winner in the eyes of her family and friends. Lisky, who competed with two other boys, was in first place with $18,000 but only bet $700 on the final Jeopardy question, finishing in second place.

The past year was a hectic year in the Mendhams with a new historic preservation area in the borough, controversy over a proposed cell tower, discussions of a library merger and changing of the guard in the schools.

Deer problems were an issue for both the borough and the township. In January, the governing bodies of both Mendhams adopted resolutions urging the federal Department of Interior to develop a one-shot immunocontraception formula to control the white-tailed deer population.

Mendham Township school officials said they would need another 10 to 12 classrooms to accommodate future growth after submitting their long-range facilities plan to the state.

...In March, 50 area firefighters fought a powerful blaze that destroyed an $800,000 house in Mendham Township.

Things heated up in May after School Superintendent Berneice Brownell-Benson resigned from the Mendham School district but not before criticizing the school board for ''trying to micromanage school operations.''

The township's Zoning Board of Adjustment torpedoed an application for a cell tower off Conifer Drive.

A Superior Court judge upheld a decision by Mendham High School not to allow one of its students to attend graduation ceremonies because she was intoxicated at her senior prom.

Julius Wargacki was appointed as the new principal of Mendham High School.

Mendham mourned the loss of Francis Skidmore who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.

The Township Committee gave the thumbs up for a new playground behind Wysong Field and the Ralston Firehouse off Route 24.

The Township Committee contracted with a communications consultant to help find a solution to poor emergency communications coverage.

MENDHAM Borough Councilmen Gerard Dolan and John Andrus again each took the oath of office

The borough also made the following appointments for 2002 standing committees: Louis Garubo as chairman of the Public Safety Committee and member of the Recreation Committee and Public Works and Utilities Committee; Lawrence Haverkost as chairman of the Recreation Committee and member of the Public Works Committee and Land Use Committee; Neil Henry as chairman of the Land Use Committee and member of the Finance Committee and Personnel Committee; and Stanley Witczak as chairman of the Personnel Committee and member of the Public Safety Committee and Recreation Committee.

The following appointments were made for Mendham Borough officials for 2002: Ralph Blakeslee as administrator and deputy clerk; Susan Giordano as treasurer; Jeanne Pugsley and Denise Fuchs as deputy treasurers; Jeanne Pugsley as administrative secretary; Karen Bellamy as deputy public utilities clerk and deputy tax collector; Rosalie Lauerman as tax search officer; Denise Fuchs as assessment search officer; Helen Cleary as tax assessor secretary; Ralph Blakeslee as purchasing agent; Thomas Miller as assistant purchasing agent; Jeanne Pugsley as public agency compliance officer; Denise Fuchs as civil rights officer; Lisa Conover a s court administrator; Mary Ann Dillon, Patricia Lobur, Susan Travis, and Brenda Zimmerman as substitute court administrators.

Also, Helen Cleary as construction code office secretary; Joseph Alicino as building inspector; Pamela Andrus as police department secretary; Jean Haverkost, Eleanor Sacco, and Craig Bellamy as part-time police department secretaries; Craig Bellamy as fire official; and Thomas Miller as deputy fire official and public works superintendent.

Other appointments included Diana Callahan for a one-year term as land use coordinator; Geoff Price for a one-year term as zoning officer. For the Planning Board, Alexa Lewandowski and Robert Snedaker were each appointed for a four-year term; Neil Henry a one-year term; Diana Callahan a one-year term; and alternate Nicholas Cusano a two-year term.

For the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Dennis Santo and Alix Diana were appointed t o four-year terms and alternate Barbara Stanton to a two-year term.

For the Board of Health, Linda Brower and Richard Winne were appointed to three- year terms and Robert Collins, alternate member, to a two-year term.

For the Local Assistance Board, Carolyn Dunham was appointed to a four-year term and Mary Creamer a one-year term as secretary.

For the Environmental Commission, Wil Geiger and Frances Kopcsik were each appointed to three-year terms.

For the Open Space Advisory Committee, Michael Ackerman, Carolyn Menagh, and William DeBuvitz were appointed to three year terms.

For the Historic Preservation Commission, Peter Burke and Alan Weinstein were appointed to three-year terms.

William DeBuvitz was appointed to the Whippany River Management Committee. Ed Rogaski was appointed to a one-year term on the Community Service Program. Catherine Emmons was appointed to a one-year term as curator and historian.

Thomas Miller was appointed to a one-year term as advisor to the Shade Tree Committee. Father Michael Drury was appointed to a one-year term as police chaplain. Koleen Kelly, Susan Thompson, and Lisa Pedalino were each appointed to one-year terms as police matrons.

Mary Lalier, Betsy Bellamy (substitute), Lisa Marie Pedalino, Kathleen Lilieholm, and Roxanne Hayes (substitute) were each appointed to one-year terms as school crossing guards.

Bob Collins, Ben Jenkins, Willard Bergman, Joe Grassi, Gerard Dolan, and John Deighan were each appointed to one-year terms as fire wardens.

Ralph Blakeslee and alternate Thomas Miller were appointed to the Public Alliance Insurance Fund Commission.

Ralph Blakeslee and Thomas Miller were each appointed as representatives to the Community Development Revenue Sharing Committee.

Joseph Eible Jr. was appointed as fire chief.

Mayor Richard Kraft says he and his Republican colleagues on the Borough Council will have their hands full this year...

...At last Tuesday's reorganization meeting, the mayor reviewed the highlights of 2001 which included the creation of an historic district and a successful start to the borough's deer management program. The mayor also outlined goals for the coming year which include reviewing borough building ordinances and working with Mendham Township to develop a joint library....

The borough's deer management program is off to fast start with 27 deer killed so far, said the mayor. Florie Farm Road residents have allowed bow hunters to hunt within the 450 feet limit mandated by the state. Kraft said the hunters were using tree stands, shooting down toward the ground...

Borough officials and several residents have continued efforts to prevent the expansion of Mendham High School and encourage the regional school board to consider long-term planning ''rather than simply expanding Mendham High, creating a mega school with a much larger student population with even greater traffic problems and further burdening the borough's infrastructure,'' Kraft said....

Plans are in the works to increase downtown parking, said the mayor. Hampshire Management, which recently purchased the building housing Robinson's Drug Shop and the former Burgdorff Realtors, intends to create 45 parking spaces behind the buildings, said Kraft.

The mayor said the borough's waste water treatment plant is operating well but that it is still running above the permitted capacity. The state Department of Environmental Protection has allowed the borough to increase the output flow from 400,000 to 450,000 gallons per day and in return Mendham will be required to improve the quality of the flow from the plant.

This year, borough officials will consider ways to encourage residents to install low flow devices in their homes and businesses, said Kraft. Currently, the borough requires that any proposed additions are required to retrofit any appliances using water with low flow devices.

Among the borough's numerous goals for 2002 are creating plans to improve Mountain Valley Park; continuing with plans to refurbish the historic Phoenix House; and work with Mendham Township on plans to build a joint library.

...on this year's agenda is a review and update of the borough's building ordinances, some of which were ''written in a different era,'' said Kraft. The comprehensive review will look at building sizes, lot coverage and set backs, soil conservation, and accessory buildings, he said....

The Borough Fire Department has upgraded their website. The improved site includes a good community profile and an outline of call reports for 2001.