Editorial-March 15, 2007

Residents can help out their community

By: Mae Rhine
   There are a couple of ways West Amwell residents can help their township.
   First, the Historic Preservation Committee wants to replace the deteriorating veterans memorial. The new one will include veterans of all wars.
   The committee needs help in tracking down all veterans who came from West Amwell. It has a list of about 135 men and women who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Desert Shield and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
   The old memorial at the former municipal building on Mt. Airy Village Road only lists the names of 83 men and women who served in World War II.
   The committee plans to visit cemeteries and the graves of vets who served in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War I.
   The committee also needs help to work on other issues related to the new memorial, including raising funds.
   Anyone interested in serving on the new subcommittee or who can contribute the names of township veterans may call Ruth Hall at 397-0425.
   A different issue is what to do with the 104 acres of land surrounding the township’s municipal building at 150 Rocktown-Lambertville Road.
   Right now, about half of it is being farmed.
   Ideas run the gamut from setting aside some land for a possible future middle school; hiking trails, fairgrounds; farming in conjunction with South Hunterdon High School’s agricultural classes; and wildlife habitats.
   There’s a nine-member committee that will discuss what to do with the property. It has a year to come up with recommendations, which should include input from township residents.
   Contact any of the new committee members: Ms. Hall; Joan Smith; David Beaumont; Gary Robinson; Hal Shute; former mayor Tom Molnar; Dave Hauser; John Hoff; and Catherine Urbanski or show up at the meeting scheduled for March 26 at 7 p.m. at the municipal building at 150 Rocktown-Lambertville Road.