By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
Sam VanNest gave time, money and friendship to Hillsborough for decades as a local businessman and volunteer planning and zoning boards member.
Last week, the township made a tangible thank you to Mr. VanNest, who died in August 2007, and his family by naming Amsterdam Road baseball fields after him.
A professionally crafted sign, reading “Sam VanNest Field at Country Classic Park,” fronts on the street.
“As soon as I saw it, I was so excited,” said Beth VanNest. “It’s beautiful. It’s awesome.”
She and her husband and family moved from Somerville to a Montgomery Road farm in 1997. The two met in high school, and the VanNests lived next-door to young Beth. When Mr. VanNest came back from the service in 1961, he took up the suggestion that he look up Beth, sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner. They married the next year.
The two just hit it off, said Mrs. VanNest. “When you know you have the right person, that’s it,” she said.
Mr. VanNest loved baseball and the Mets were his favorite team. “Boy, I hope we win the pennant,” said Mrs. VanNest. He played baseball in school, and sponsored teams through the business, but didn’t coach.
Joanne Delasko, who served on the Planning Board with Mr. VanNest, said one of the first things he insisted of home developers was to build graded fields first and put backstops on all baseball diamonds.
As Planning Board chairman, Mr. VanNest grew so exasperated at having no easy way for maps and photos to be held up for all to see in a meeting that he suggested/built a sill on the side wall of the courtroom to hold them.
Township Administrator Anthony Ferrera said Mr. VanNest’s Ace Hardware store — which was located on Amwell Road near the Route 206 intersection — was for more than 20 years a throwback to the days of personal service to customers who were friends and neighbors.
“He had everything you need,” said Mr. Ferrera. “It was like walking into someone’s garage. He helped people fix things. He’d spend time with you — nobody does that anymore. He knew each development and what items were put in the homes.”
Mrs. VanNest called Mr. Ferrera to push for a memorial for her husband. I said we need something in the township so people don’t forget him,” she said.
“It’s a long-deserved recognition for selfless time given,” said a son, Peter. “Dad was not home two or three times a week because he was at township meetings. He wanted to make his best impression on decisions that would shape the town.”
