By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
The borough’s first Clean Community Day will be held April 25, when hundreds of volunteers will scour parks, brooks and schools picking up litter.
| April 25 loaded with special events
April 25 will be a busy day in Manville, as a number of events benefiting local organizations and causes are held. As the morning begins, groups from town will gather for the first annual Clean Community Day (see story), followed by the Manville Education Association clothing drive, the Manville High School Parent Teacher Student Association’s flea market, a food drive sponsored by the American Legion, Manville PBA and the New Jersey Marine Crops Road Detachment MCL, a yard sale by Manville Girl Scout Cadette Troop 864, Manville Hillsborough Elks Lodge “Shop for Mom” event, and a fundraising spaghetti dinner for the MHS varsity baseball team. The MEA clothing drive will benefit the gorup’s scholarship fund, and organizer Carolyn Rogus is hoping to hit a milestone by raising $10,000 since the clothing drive began. Only $129 is needed to achieve that goal. The group holds fall and spring drives every year, with the first Scholarship Clothing Drive held on April 28, 2001. The spring drive is always held after Easter break giving the parents that extra week to go through their closets. The hours were also extended to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. giving everyone time to come during the day. The clothing and other items can be dropped off at the loading dock at the high school gym parking lot. ”I have had a few parents actually make as much as three trips back and forth to the drive working all day on their clothes,” said Ms. Rogus. “I also joke with everyone to go home and keep cleaning that I would be here until 5 p.m.” In addition to the clothing, items that can be donated include stuffed animals, high chairs, walkers, bouncers, cribs; strollers, car seats, and other baby items are acceptable, as well as children’s’ small bicycles. All clothing should be packed in plastic bags with shoes being bagged separately. ”With the clothing drives, the MEA is able to give a boy and girl each a $500 scholarship every year,” Ms. Rogus said. For each donation, the MEA will be handing out cloth tote bags for the spring drive. For more information or any questions call Carolyn Rogus at Alexander Batcho School 908-231-8521. While at the high school dropping off your donations, stop by and check out the MHS Parent Teacher Student Association’s flea market. The flea market will be held right in the high school gym parking from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Vendors are needed, so if you’re cleaning and would like to get rid of those unwanted items, bring them to the flea market. Spaces are 10-by-15 feet (a parking space) and are $15 each bring your own table. For a reservation form, visit the school district Web site at www.manvillesd.org click on high school and download the form. For more information you can e-mail [email protected] or call Mary Ellen at 908-526-5568. Proceeds will benefit the MHS Project Graduation and Scholarship funds. Across town at the American Legion on Main Street, the New Jersey Marine Corps Road Detachment MCL no.1284, the Manville PBA no. 236 and American Legion Post 304 are holding a food drive to benefit the Somerset County Food Pantry. The drive will take place from 9 a.m. 2 p.m., and the NJ 101.5 FM radio Prize Patrol is expected to join them. They are accepting canned goods, boxed goods, and non-perishable bottled drinks. Case lots would also be appreciated as well as monetary donation. ”The New Jersey Marine Corps Road Detachment invites you to join us in supporting our neighbors through this difficult time,” Alice Rogers of the MCRD, said. “Throughout the year, the Road Detachment provides care packages for our active military personnel, personal items and phone cards for wounded veterans and supports the community at large. It has been brought to our attention that donations to the Somerset County Food Bank have been down significantly, yet there is more need for their assistance than ever. Together, we stand tall. Support your neighbors in the American way.” Manville Girl Scout Cadette Troop 864 will also be holding a yard sale fundraiser outside from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at Camplain Volunteer Fire Co. no. 2 on South 13th Avenue. The girls and their families will be selling their wares to raise funds for troop activities. Stop by and support the Girl Scouts while traveling around town. The Manville Hillsborough Elks Lodge no. 2119 on Brooks Boulevard is holding “Shop for Mom” an afternoon of shopping, food and fun with area vendors and crafters. Shoppers are invited to come from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. to shop for gifts for moms. Spaces are still available for crafters and vendors to participate. For more information call 908-722-4691 or the lodge at 908-725-1717. Finish the day off by supporting the Manville High School baseball team at a spaghetti dinner from 1 5 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post on Washington Avenue. Head coach Dan Sferrazza and the players will host. ”The team will be using the proceeds to buy much needed equipment, make improvements to the field and buy new uniforms,” Mr. Sferrazza said. “The team is always looking for new and exciting ways to raise money.” Tickets can be purchased from anyone of the baseball team members, coaches or at the door. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors over 55, $3 for kids 4 12 years old, and under 3 are free. If anyone is interested in donating and or helping the team can contact at Mr. Sferrazza at [email protected]. |
”We have various locations in Manville that are parks or public land,” Public Works Department Director Phillip Petrone, who is spearheading the event after he attended a workshop in Toms River sponsored by the state Clean Communities Council. “We are going to clean up brooks and whatever debris is in the brook and we going to be picking up a lot of the litter.”
After the workshop, Mr. Petrone spoke to Mayor Lillian Zuza and some of the members of the Borough Council, and Mayor Zuza thought it was a good idea. With Mayor Zuza as honorary chairwoman of an organizing committee, Council members Lou Fischer and Ed Komoroski, and residents Violet Hall, Rich Walters, Dave Tarby, Ron Stashak and Vince LoMedico have been busy getting everything ready for the day.
The committee has about 150 volunteers, after they sent letters to groups in Manville, such as Boy Scout Troop 193, Christ the King School, Alexander Batcho Intermediate School, Sacred Heart Church’s CCD classes, Manville High School, the Veterans of Foreign Wars post, and the American Legion.
But any volunteer over the age of 12 will be welcomed (Mr. Petrone is concerned younger children could get hurt). Pre-registration is being done through the groups and schools, with on-site registration at Manville Fire Company No. 3 at 7:30 a.m. April 25. Groups will then be bused to cleanup locations, with committee members there to help guide the work. All participants will be given a T-shirt with the Clean Community Day logo.
The actual cleanup will take place from 8 a.m. to about noon. After the cleanup, everyone will be bused back to the firehouse, where there will be a cookout organized by the ladies auxiliary from the fire company.
As part of the project, students at Christ the King School were treated to a puppet show on March 31, and students at Weston School had the show on April 1.
Anyone interested in helping can contact Mr. Petrone at the Public Works Department, 908-725-5515, ext. 106, or Administrative Assistant Violet Hall at ext. 100.
”We are hoping to make this a success,” Mr. Petrone said. “As long as I am living and I am here, you will have a Clean Community Day.”
The grant from the Clean Communities Council, funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of the Treasury, totals $14,191. The borough has received smaller grants in the past from the program, using the money to pay for leaf pickup and other smaller projects.

