MANVILLE: Borough renews Community Day

By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
   There is a new glimmer of hope for a yearly tradition in Manville that was snuffed out in 2008 because of continuing budget cuts.
   At the Jan. 3 reorganization meeting, resident Ray Walsh was appointed to the newly formed position of Community Day chairman in an effort to begin planning for the event that drew thousands of residents of each year until it was canceled in 2008 in an effort to save money.
   ”I was approached about this position because I do other things for the community,” Mr. Walsh said. “We are trying to bring back Community Day.”
   Community Day was started by former Mayor Angelo Corradino after Hurricane Floyd hit the town in 1999. It was supposed to celebrate the members of the community coming together to help each other in the wake of the destruction.
   ”It was to honor those who gave their time,” Mr. Walsh said. “There are so many in need, and we can appreciate the townspeople for all they do.”
   In 2008, however, with cuts required throughout the borough’s budget to eliminate expenses in the wake of rising costs and state aid cuts, Community Day was pulled from the schedule several weeks before the scheduled date the third Saturday in September.
   Recreation Director Rich Armstrong has said the celebration at Lincoln Park usually costs the borough about $10,000, and the Finance Committee chose to eliminate it from the Recreation Department’s budget in an effort to reduce funds before the Borough Council approved the $13,474,290 budget in August.
   ”We have to generate funds for this,” Mr. Walsh said.
   As the chairman for the event, Mr. Walsh said he plans to set up a steering committee of between five and seven members, who can plan ahead for the celebration and figure out how to raise the funds. He said he also would like to have two to three representatives from the council be part of the committee.
   ”We need to set up a meeting and go over the logistics,” he said. “We have to see what is involved. But since the committee is newly formed, I don’t want to set a blueprint now.”
   Mr. Armstrong said he will be working with the steering committee to generate ideas for raising funds.
   Mr. Walsh said it will be important in the coming months to get participation from local businesses and residents, donating funds, food and other materials to make the event a possibility this year.
   ”We need businesses and private residents to donate,” he said. “We want the community to share the expense.”
   According to Mr. Armstrong, the celebration usually includes food, children’s games, moonwalks, nighttime fireworks, child safety seat checks with the Police Department and displays of Rescue Squad equipment, among other activities.
   In the past, Mr. Walsh said, there have been community volunteers bringing food and helping in other aspects of the event. He said he wants this to continue with even more assistance from the residents.
   For Mr. Walsh, the main goal of bringing the event back to the town is to remind residents of why it was started in the first place and to honor the town for its commitment to helping neighbors in need. At this point, he said, he is still working on the ideas to make this a reality.
   ”I think we lost focus on the event,” he said. “We want people to have a better understanding of it. We are honoring the community and thanking people for being Manville residents.”