EDITORIAL: Holiday season a special one in Manville

   Every community in New Jersey seems to develop a personality of its own; often with a focus of some sort or another.
   Think of Princeton’s connection with science and learning, Cape May’s image as a quaint Victorian village or Hoboken’s as a destination for the young and hip.
   Whether by accident or design, Manville should be known throughout New Jersey as the best place to be for Christmas. We work the holiday like no one else.
   Certainly, credit goes to our large Catholic and Christian populations; although lots of towns enjoy such demographics, we defy them to match Manville’s Christmas activities.
   To begin, let’s consider just what the churches do: certainly every church has its own Christmas tradition, but many Manville churches share their holiday fun with others: the living nativity done each year at Manville Reformed Church or Emmanuel Baptist Church’s community sing-along come to mind.
   What better way to mark the meaning of the holiday than joining friends and neighbors at such events?
   But in Manville, that’s just for starters: local fire companies do an extraordinary job of making Christmas special. Fire Co. No. 1 helped many get ready for the holiday by offering gift wrapping, while hundreds of children received personal visits from Santa, courtesy of Fire Co. No. 3.
   Both companies took on the projects as fundraisers, making them win-win projects for the community.
   And, of course, the hundreds of houses decorated for Christmas make the town sparkle in December. We found some streets where nearly every house featured an enchanting display, and some displays were truly beautiful to behold.
   The holiday season really got its start on Dec. 5, when the borough’s tree lighting and Santa visit was held. For the crowd gathered on South Main Street, the Sacred Heart Church choir and Manville High School marching band helped entertain, while the Recreation Commission provided free hot chocolate and a DJ to play holiday songs when the performers took breaks (and we hope the Recreation Department will continue the tradition in coming years).
   But these kinds of activities and events occur in lots of places and lots of towns. What truly impressed us this year were other events which we believe really show why Manville deserves such recognition.
   The first was the help give to the Salvation Army by members of the Manville High School Key Club, who spent hours on the coldest days and nights of the year helping collect money. Teens are often belittled as self-absorbed, but these kids showed their understanding of the holiday by giving their time and energy to help others.
   We were also impressed by the speed with which the community responded to Ray Walsh’s project to sponsor local families struggling this holiday season. Mr. Walsh was able to collect donations to the Somerset Food Bank from local residents and businesses to make sure 60 Manville families weren’t hungry this December, a true reflection of the meaning of Christmas.
   And finally, the sweet sounds of Christmas carolers who warmed the night of Dec. 20 on the northside — we don’t know who they were, whether the caroling was a planned activity by a local group or just a spur-of-the-moment idea, but it was a terrific treat.
   As we’re putting away the lights, decorations and trees for the year, we’ll hold on to the sights and sounds of this year’s Christmas. The holiday may be over, but the memories are part of what makes Manville a great place to live.