By Greg Westfall
Allentown has a long history of citizen volunteers for various activities and
organizations. Individuals have volunteered for the Allentown Art Guild, Allentown
Business Community Association, Hope Fire Company, Allentown First Aid Squad, Allentown
Garden Club, Allentown Lions Club, Allentown Public Library Association, The
Allentown Village Initiative, Allentown Villagers, churches and numerous other
worthwhile organizations.
Over the years the residents of this community have volunteered for such as organizations as RAGE, Communities United and other organizations to counter potential threats to our quality of life.
Allentown’s government boards, committees and commissions currently have
more than 75 individual citizen volunteers who care about our community.
These groups include the Economic Development Commission, Environmental Commission, Historic Preservation Review Commission, Historic Streetscape Committee, Planning and
Zoning Board, Recreation Commission, Sgt. George Ashby Memorial Park Committee,
Shade Tree Commission, and the Allentown-Upper Freehold Alliance Against Drug and
Alcohol Abuse.
Whether it be about our waste water treatment plant (Ad Hoc Sewer Committee), parking (Ad Hoc Parking Committee), traffic (Ad Hoc Traffic Committee), and senior citizens (Ad Hoc Senior Citizens Committee), countless individuals have volunteered.
The activities of many borough government committees and commissions have resulted
in the borough acquiring grant funding for the preservation and development (including
kiosks and walkway) of Heritage Park, the preservation of Sgt. George Ashby Memorial
Park, the restoration of Allentown Lake by dredging and the borough’s Natural Resource
Inventory, as well as the establishment of our National and State Historic District by completion of a volunteer-led historic sites survey.
In addition, a community forest management plan, shade tree inventory and other beneficial work have come from the Shade Tree Commission.
The bottom line is that Allentown would not be the place it is today without the hundreds of
volunteers over the years who have made this happen. I want to thank all the volunteers for their many hours of service to our community. I want to wish everyone a
happy, safe new year.
Greg Westfall is the mayor of Allentown.