With a tug on a rope holding a canvas cover on a new street sign, Cheverly Road was transformed into Fred Vereen Jr. Road in honor of the long-time community activist last week.
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
With a tug on a rope holding a canvas cover on a new street sign, Cheverly Road was transformed into Fred Vereen Jr. Road in honor of the long-time community activist last week.
Mayor Jim Kownacki helped Mr. Vereen remove the canvas from the street sign at the Dec. 11 dedication ceremony. Fred Vereen Jr. Road is the street on which Mr. Vereen lives.
”This is a very important moment — not just for Lawrence Township, but for Eggerts Crossing. It is well deserved,” Mayor Kownacki said of the street renaming. Fred Vereen Jr. Road is located off Eggerts Crossing Road, near the Ewing Township border.
Mr. Vereen, who grew up in the Eggerts Crossing neighborhood, was instrumental in creating the Eggerts Crossing Village affordable housing development on Johnson Avenue, and also in establishing the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center on Eggerts Crossing Road — now known as the Lawrence Community Center.
Mr. Vereen also played a role in creating the Every Child Valued after-school program that meets at Eggerts Crossing Village. The housing development’s community center was renamed the Fred Vereen Jr. Community Center.
Tom Wilfrid, who is a former mayor and school board president and who now chairs the Every Child Valued program’s board of trustees, suggested changing the name of Cheverly Road in Mr. Vereen’s honor.
Mayor Kownacki said that when he became involved in the Eggerts Crossing Civic League and toured the Eggerts Crossing neighborhood many years ago, he was struck by its resemblance to some of the streets in Jacksonville, N.C., which is home to Marine Corps base Camp Lejuene.
The Eggerts Crossing neighborhood and its counterpart outside the military base lacked the amenities that other parts of town had, such as paved streets, utilities and streetlights, said Mayor Kownacki, who served in the Marine Corps Reserves.
”Fred had a vision to turn this part of Lawrence around, and he did it. It has housing that was never there before. Fred worked hard to improve this part of town. It has been an honor to serve with Fred (in the Eggerts Crossing Civic League),” Mayor Kownacki said.
Gently teasing Mr. Vereen, the mayor said that since he has become involved in the Eggerts Crossing Civic League, he has learned how to make hushpuppies — deep-fried cornmeal balls — and how to bread fish for its annual fish fry fundraiser.
Mr. Vereen said he “thanked my good Lord for all the years He has given me, and the good health and strength to do the good things He has led me to do.”
He acknowledged that Mr. Wilfrid “put the bug” in Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun’s ear to rename the street, and Township Council approved a resolution to do so.
”What I have done over the years, I didn’t do by myself,” Mr. Vereen said.
He said he likes to celebrate those who have gone before him and helped to make things possible. He added that “I told people what I thought needed to be done and they jumped on board.”

