1923 Hillsborough Commuter Train

In the 1920s, the Lehigh Valley Railroad still had regularly scheduled passenger service between Easton, PA and New York City - including their signature "Black Diamond Express" whose only intermediate stop was at South Plainfield.

Hillsborough commuters had a choice of two station stops for boarding - Flagtown or South Somerville (previously named Royce Valley) - and you had to be on time because there was only one train each morning that stopped at these stations.

The train left Flagtown at 7:00 AM and South Somerville at 7:06, and arrived in New York at 8:43. The return trip in the evening was 3 minutes faster as the 5:22 PM train got into Flagtown at 7:02 PM.

Check out this schedule from 1923!

Flemington Wants Trains

Like many Central New Jersey communities, Flemington is seeking restoration of passenger rail service. Hillsborough is already on board with plans for the reactivation of the CSX West Trenton Line - a project that is at least 10 to 20 years in our future - but Flemington's plan should also be intriguing for Hillsborough residents and officials, because 7 miles of the 18 mile line between Flemington and Bound Brook would run through our town. There would be more track in Hillsborough than in any other community along the line!

Flemington last saw passenger service along this corridor on April 25, 1953 when Jersey Central's No. 1555, nicknamed "Old Friendly" made its final run on the South Branch Railroad between Flemington and Somerville. The photo below is from the station stop at Neshanic Station that day.



The section of those tracks between Three Bridges and Somerville was torn up years ago, and the proposed route wouldn't use that exact alignment, but would use the existing Norfolk Southern Lehigh Valley Line which closely parallels the old Jersey Central route.

This line also had passenger service a century ago, with stops in Hillsborough at Flagtown and at Royce Valley, where the railroad crosses the present day Route 206.

What do you think? Should Hillsborough endorse restoration of passenger service along this corridor? How about turning Flagtown into a "transit village", or building a commuter rail station at Docherty Park?

If the West Trenton Line is expected to take another 10 to 20 years, this plan will take about 20 to 30. Still, it will never happen if we don't plan for it now!

Puzzle Pieces

Thank you to the following Hillsborough and area businesses that have supported Autism Speaks and Hillsborough's Hope by selling Puzzle Pieces in their stores.

Bagel Bop - Hillsborough

Learning Express - Branchburg and Hillsborough locations

Maggie Moos - Hillsborough

Hillsboro Pharmacy - Hillsborough

Kidz on the Move - Hillsborough

IHOP - Hillsborough

Secrets Salon and Day Spa - Bridgewater.


Please help us thank these area businesses by patronizing their stores!

Time Warp

Members of the Hillsborough Township Committee joined the Planning Board on the dais of the multipurpose room to hear the concerns of citizens and citizens' groups about the proposed development.

Residents of the town had been hearing about the project for weeks, and had legitimate concerns about what impact this massive project would have on the town - especially property values, school enrollments, and environmental impact. After all, the project was planned for an environmentally sensitive area of the town. Experts came forth to state that projects like this in Franklin Township and Bridgewater had caused taxes to rise, and had strained those communities.

Sound familiar? This event took place in the multipurpose room of the Hillsborough Consolidated School - now known as Hillsborough Elementary School - on May 15, 1953!

It concerned the proposal by 3M to build the quarry and roof tile granule manufacturing plant on the border between Hillsborough and Montgomery.

Fifty-five years later, Hillsborough faces another tough development challenge. And though much has changed since 1953, one thing remains the same - Hillsborough's open, resident-friendly municipal government still encourages citizens to come out and actively participate in the democratic process.

Thank You!

What an amazing day! There are no words to describe what it was like to look out from the stage at our 9th annual Central New Jersey Walk Now for Autism and see the thousands of walkers committed to our goals of raising awareness and funds for autism research.

It was each of you, who came out to Mercer County College on a beautiful, crisp, Sunday afternoon, who made the day so special. Each year we are getting closer to finding the missing pieces of the autism puzzle - and it's because of you! Thank you for once again making the Central Jersey Walk a huge success!

For the next few weeks, we will be entering your donation information into our Walk website. We will let you know when the entry process is complete. We will continue to credit your team until December 31.

Post Walk Donations: (Be sure to indicate the team to be credited.)

Autism Speaks
Walk Donations Department5
455 Wilshire Blvd, #2250
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Attn: CNJ Walk

Walk Day Photos are now posted to the website. Thank you again for all of your hard work! We will continue to keep you posted as our total continues to rise. Enjoy your week!

Patty & Greg Gillette

Finances Shaping Up

According to one of our area's oldest road signs, the southern border of our town is just 3.9 miles from the "New Jersey Neuropsychiatric Institute". But when it comes to sound fiscal policy, Hillsborough and Montgomery Townships are a world apart.

An article in today's newspaper describes the problems Montgomery is having with development plans for the former "Institute" - which began as the New Jersey Village for Epileptics in 1898, became the NJ Neurpsychiatric Institiute in 1952, and changed its name to the North Princeton Developmental Center in 1975.

The Center closed in 1998, and Montgomery purchased the site from the state in 2005 for $5.65 million - and then spent another $22 million to clean the site with the hopes of developing 42 of the 257 acres as Skillman Village.

The crippled economy has wreaked havoc with those plans. None of the developers contacted by Montgomery Township have committed to the project, and taxpayers are left holding the bag.

How big of a bag is it? The debt service on the loan Montgomery took to buy the property is $880,000 per year. That amounts to 3.25% of their annual budget! Yes, three and a quarter percent of Montgomery Township's municipal budget is used to pay the debt service on this ONE project.

Hillsborough's Chief Finance Officer recently released his annual report on the state of Hillsborough's finances. The eight page report is full of interesting information, not the least of which is the fact that while other municipalities - like Montgomery - have been borrowing, Hillsborough has been paying down it's debt - saving taxpayers thousands of dollars each year and putting the town in great financial shape!

We're in such good shape that if our financial report had legs it could make that 3.9 mile run down to Skillman Village in about 20 minutes!

Walk Now For Autism 2008

[This is the official press release for our upcoming event on October 19. Many of our Hillsborough friends will be joining us for the walk.]



FROM: AUTISM SPEAKS WALK NOW FOR AUTISM
Dina Schwab – 609-228-7315; dschwab@autismspeaks.org
Lauren Havanki – 609-228-7332; lhavanki@autismspeaks.org


THOUSANDS EXPECTED TO JOIN TOGETHER AT AUTISM SPEAKS’ 9TH ANNUAL CENTRAL NEW JERSEY WALK NOW FOR AUTISM ON OCTOBER 19

-- Increasing Awareness and Raising Funds to Support Research into the Nation’s Fastest-Growing Developmental Disorder--

Thousands of walkers – including individuals with autism, their families and friends – are expected to join together to raise much-needed funds for critical scientific research and to increase awareness about a growing health crisis that now affects 1 in every 150 children at Autism Speaks’ 9th Annual Central NJ Walk Now for Autism on Sunday, October 19 at Mercer County Community College. All proceeds from the event benefit Autism Speaks, the nation’s leading autism advocacy organization.

Last year’s event raised more than $280,000 with 4000 participants and 115 teams. This year’s goal is to break $400,000.

Toys“R”Us, Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and Parade Magazine proudly serve as national sponsors of the Autism Speaks Walk Now for Autism program. Other sponsors are Fruscione Foundation, Janssen, Merck, Black Rock, Nutricia, and Wilshire Enterprises.

Walk Now for Autism is a unique fundraising event which creates a safe and fun day for families who are affected with autism. The day includes a 2 to 3 mile walk and Community Resource fair with educational sources, therapists, schools, recreational organizations, and creative child-friendly activities; a true “one-stop-shop” for families affected by autism. This year Toys“R”Us will have a tented space serving as home base for Geoffrey the Giraffe. Attendees will also be able to stop by and sign their children up for Geoffrey’s Birthday Club and pick up the “Ten Toys That Speak to Autism” handout, a list of toys that help build the skills of children with autism, created in collaboration with Autism Speaks.

Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by extreme behavioral challenges. Another child is diagnosed every 20 minutes.

WHAT: Autism Speaks 9th Annual Central New Jersey Walk Now for Autism

HOW: To register, visit http://www.walknowforautism.org/

WHEN: Sunday, October 19
12:00 pm Check-in
2:00 pm Walk starts

WHERE: Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, NJ

Are We There Yet?

3M 1.1 Mi.

J&J 2.4 Mi.

N.J TRAINING SCHOOL FOR BOYS 3.6 Mi.
N.J.N.P.I. [NJ Neuropsychiatric Institute] 3.9 Mi.
Hopewell 8 Mi.
Princeton 9 Mi.

Worst Ever?

I think it is very possible that yesterday's blog post titled Norz Hill Boo and Moo was the poorest writing I have ever done for On Hillsborough. There was almost nothing interesting about it at all - which is a shame because we DID have a great time at Norz Hill Farm, and they deserved a better piece.

I usually strive for better than this - I really do not know what happened. Very disappointing.

It's like going to the movies expecting to see this



And getting this instead!

Norz Hill Boo and Moo

Halloween is in full swing at the 1500 acre Norz Hill Farm on South Branch Road. We enjoyed a fun Sunday afternoon at the farm - including picking pumpkins, finding our way through the corn maze, and taking the farm tour.

Norz Hill Farm is home to 300 milking cows who supply milk to Quick Chek and Shop Rite supermarkets.




The farm tour included information about the herd, which also includes heifers - cows too young for milking - as well as dry cows who no longer produce milk. Norz Hill is also the "go to" farm when cows are needed to appear on television and in print ads - which means Hillsborough has some of the most famous cows in America!




We didn't stay late enough for the haunted Creepy Hollow attraction, but the kids posing like this in the corn maze is always creepy enough for me!

300 Reasons to Keep Looking Up

Is this it? Is this what 400 years of American achievement has brought us? Have we finally become a society that measures its worth solely on the size of our bank accounts rather than on the value of our contributions?

It wasn't that long ago that the thirty year long "me decade" was a punchline. It's not so funny anymore. J.F.K.'s inaugural exhortation has been flipped on it's head - and a nation where hard work was once valued is now the nation where gamesmanship is most prized. Why work for your money when your money can work for you! Sounds good until your money goes on strike!

So what is there to look forward to? Where can we find optimism in a bearish world?

The ideas and ideals that made America are still here. There are still people that want to live up to them - leaders and followers.

As this is my 300th blog entry for Gillette On Hillsborough, I have given it the traditional nominal title. I don't have all 300 reasons to keep looking up, but I will get you started with a few.

I believe we can have compassion without resentment.

I believe we can have assistance without entitlement.

I believe we can have ambition without greed.

I believe we can have service without self-interest.

What do you believe?

Good Farmer, Great Neighbor

Are you taking the kids to one of the local farms this Halloween season? There are at least three farms right here in Hillsborough that rev up the "agricultural tourism" aspects of their businesses this time of year, and all are a good bet for an afternoon of family fun.

Hillsboro Farm is located on Hillsborough Road, Norz Hill Farm is out on South Branch Road, and Doyle's Unami Farms, which I wrote about last year, is near the end of Mill Lane. All of the farms generally offer all of the usual Fall season activities like hayrides and pumpkin picking, and you can visit their websites for more info.

The photos below are from our 2003 trip, just down the block, to our favorite Hillsborough family farm, Everett's. Tom Everett's name is well known in Somerset County and across New Jersey for his leadership on agricultural issues and farmland preservation. The Everetts exemplified everything that makes a good farmer a great neighbor - not the least of which was a generous hospitality, shown to its best advantage each Halloween.

After Tom Everett's untimely death from pancreatic cancer in 2005 at the age of 55, Everett's Family Farm ceased their farm stand and Halloween activities. Thanks Tom for being a friend to the New Jersey farmer, and a great Hillsborough neighbor.

Bye Bye 7?

Could this be the end of New Jersey's 7th Congressional District? According to a recent article in the Courier News, our state's slow population growth over the last decade could mean a loss of one congressional seat after the 2010 census. It just could be number seven!

New Jersey at one time had as many as fifteen seats in congress, but lost one after the 1980 census, and another after the 1990 census as population growth boomed in the "sunbelt" and slowed in the northeast. Now the decade long exodus of New Jersey residents - 377,000 lost to out-of-state migration - may mean that our thirteen congressmen could be reduced to twelve.

Our 435 United States Representatives are apportioned by Congress, but the congressional districts are drawn by the state legislatures. The 7th district, a traditionally Republican territory, meanders from Hunterdon to Union Counties, and borders more districts - six - than any other district. It's easy to see how a Democratic state legislature and Democratic governor would carve up the 7th, with the western and central parts of the district being joined to the 5th and 11th districts, while the eastern portion is gobbled up by the 6th, 10th, 12th, and 13th.

Take a look at the map below to see what I mean.





Subtle boundary shifts would also have to be made, to keep populations fairly even, and the districts would have to be renumbered from 1 to 12, but the 7th as we know it may be finished!

Of course the re-districting would not go into effect until 2013 - just in time for Leonard Lance's third term!

GSA Depot Blaze

Last week's fire at the former Belle Mead GSA Depot exemplifies the danger inherent in vacant properties in general, and in disused Federal properties in particular. We can be thankful that no child vandals, or firefighters, were injured or killed in the blaze - and can view this incident as a wake up call for township and federal officials , and the general public.


Part history, part curiosity, and part eyesore, the GSA Depot has been part of Hillsborough for over 65 years. Now we need to kill the curiosity by demolishing the eyesore. The township committee has taken the first steps by approving acquisition of the 369 acres to be used primarily for recreation. The federal government needs to replace missing security fences and tear down unsafe buildings on the property.

Mayor Ferrera has called on Hillsborough Township Police to increase patrols in the area. When the depot was in operation, it was regularly patrolled by guards wearing this patch on their uniforms.

Absolutely Positive, For Sure

It's campaign season in Hillsborough! Did you notice? Letters-to-the-editor, campaign signs on every corner, internet forums overflowing with vitriol - all the good stuff!

Mayor Anthony Ferrera and familiar face Gloria McCauley are set to square off against newcomers Matt Dawson and Manny Foranoce for two, three-year seats on the township committee.

So what sort of campaign can we expect from these four? It seems like negative campaigns are the norm these days - unfortunately, none of the four candidates has a name that rhymes with "spender" or "dance", so I guess that's out!

What I would really like to see is a positive campaign of issues and ideas. Mayor Ferrera has a record of service on the township committee with accomplishments he can tout, and decisions he can defend. Gloria McCauley has served proudly on last year's Charter Study Commission, and on various township boards and commissions. Matt Dawson and Manny Foranoce each have ideas to bring to the table, and criticisms of the current township committee.

All four candidates have a vision for the future of Hillsborough, and strategies for making it happen.

And that's all you need for an absolutely positive campaign. You don't need personal attacks on a candidate's character, libelous claims of immorality, or misinformed charges of unethical behavior. Those are the tools of the desperate, and none of us are that desperate, I hope!

Dear Readers and Friends [Update:October 2, 2008]

Final Update - My mother is in a sub-acute care facility in Baltimore where she still awaits further surgery. Thank you to all who have inquired as to her condition and have kindly offered assistance to our family, it is much appreciated.

I hope you enjoyed rereading the old, and not so old, blog entries that I reposted during September. I think I'm about ready to get back to work - just in time, it seems! [October 2]


For those of you who have asked, here is an update on my mother's condition.

After 17 days in intensive care, she was moved this week to a sub-acute nursing facility where she will continue her recovery while doctors wait for her overall condition to improve and for her leg to heal enough to undergo further surgery.

As for the blog, the first ten re-posts were the most visited pages when they were originally published. The next ten re-posts will be my personal picks.

Thanks for reading! [Sept. 18]



Dear Readers and Friends,

As some of you may know, my mother was involved in a very, very serious car accident on Sunday morning in Pocomoke City, Maryland.

As a consequence, I will be spending much of the next month traveling to and from the University of Maryland Medical Center R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

I hope you won't mind reading some re-published blog entries for the next few weeks.

Rest assured that I will be monitoring the Hillsborough news over this period, and will be back with some brand new commentary very soon.

Greg

Walk Now For Autism

Please join us Saturday October 19, 2008 at Mercer County Park for Autism Speaks' signature fundraisng event "Walk Now For Autism". Click here to join our Hillsborough's Hope team.

Last year we raised $40,000 for this worthy cause, and we need your help for another succesful season!

I Can't See It

Hillsborough Township is once again revising its sign ordinance. Businesses will now be able to put up temporary signs twice a year. This is a definite improvement over the previous rules, where temporary signs could only be used during the period when a permanent sign was being constructed. Temporary signs can help to advertise seasonal sales, and the like.

Who is driving these changes? It is Hillsborough's business owners. And in changing the sign ordinance multiple times, the Hillsborough Township Committee has shown that they are being responsive to the needs of the business community.

The questions I still find myself asking are:

1. Are Hillsborough businesses relying too heavily on road signs and drive-by traffic?
2. Are our attempts to speed traffic more quickly on Route 206 hurting businesses?
3. How will drivers on the Route 206 bypass see ANY of the signs, no matter how big they are?

So Bad...It's Bad!

For the past year I have been undecided as to whether I believed the Route 206 bypass through Hillsborough would ever be built. I have had many doubts that we would ever see another highway in this town - all justified seeing as "paper projects" such as I95 and the Somerset Freeway have been planned and discarded numerous times since the 1950s!

New Jersey has a long history of not implementing projects and initiatives until they have been folded, spindled, and mutilated into worthlessness. Take for example COAH - where we now learn that a family whose house was lost in a fire can't rebuild without paying a COAH fee. Or Abbott schools - where one of the worst performing districts in the state has a superintendent making $300,000.

Because up until recently I still felt that the 206 bypass had some value, I was very doubtful it would ever be built! Even with the truncated route, the two lanes at the southern end, and the traffic lights, the plan was not quite ruined.

The revelation earlier this month the the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority has allocated no money for what is arguably the most congested part of Route 206 - from Triangle Road to Brown Avenue - has finally convinced me that this project IS going forward. A great useless road that will speed northbound travelers quickly to Triangle, and then leave them in a rush hour nightmare on a daily basis.

Yes, this finally sounds like a New Jersey project. I can hear the DOT sharpening their shovels already. They sure didn't sharpen their pencils!

All's Fair

For some reason I've always been partial to the Hunterdon County 4H Fair.

Does this make me a traitor?

Memorial Run

Running is the purest sport. It requires no special skills or equipment. There is nothing to throw, catch, kick or hit - no other person to face off against, no teammate to pick you up. There is no luck involved, no friendly rim to corral an errant free throw, no fortuitous bounce from the cart path to the fairway. All that is required is dedication, determination, and will.

It is safe to say that the 400 friends and fellow athletes who gathered at the Hillsborough Township High School football field on Sunday to honor track star Jason Walton with a memorial 6.8 mile run already know this. And they know something else. Running is meditative, contemplative, and spiritual. A 6.8 mile run is a moment of silence that lasts 40 minutes, and still isn't enough time to reflect on the life and achievements of this fine young man.

That would take a marathon - or two.

Marathon

Bill Rodgers was one of my sports heroes growing up. Arguably the greatest road runner (as opposed to track runner) of all time, he was a four time winner of the New York City and Boston Marathons in the 70s and 80s.

He was at the top of his game in 1980 - an Olympic gold medal should have been the crowning achievement of his career.

The Right to Be Fed

I wish I didn't know anything about China. Reading about China over the last several months has nearly spoiled my enjoyment of the Olympic Games.

I wish I didn't know about the Cultural Revolution, the Red Guards, the "criticism" of intellectuals. I wish I didn't know about the persecution of political dissenters - whose dissent is paid back by a bullet in the back of the neck, usually in public, often in an athletic arena.

The International Olympic Committee awarded these games to Beijing partly because they believed it would strengthen human rights in China. It has had the opposite effect. It has empowered the Chinese government - at the expense of its people.

I appreciate the athletic achievements of all the Olympians, and would have been sorry for them if the US boycotted the Games this year - just like I was disappointed for the athletes when we boycotted the Moscow Games in 1980. But I believe that a boycott this year would have been more meaningful than the 1980 boycott.

Hong Kong democracy leader Martin Lee, when speaking of the rights and freedoms of the Chinese people has said, "There is only one right in China - the right to be fed. It's the sort of right all dogs and cats enjoy."

Think about that when putting out Rover's Alpo tonight.

Old Folks Home

Do we really need another age-restricted development in Hillsborough? Aren't there too many "old people" here already? Will we need to rename our town "Leisure Village North"?

Hardly.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 2508 residents aged 65 and over living in Hillsborough. That makes up just 6.8% of the population - the lowest percentage in Somerset County! Compare that with Bridgewater's 5443 seniors - 12.7% of their residents, and Franklin's 5805 - 11.4%.

Does this mean Hillsborough is a less desirable place for senior citizens than Bridgewater, or Franklin, or the 18 other Somerset County municipalities?

According to Erickson Retirement Communities, who propose a 1500 unit age-restricted development at the Royce Brook Golf Course on Hamilton Road, the answer is NO. Senior citizens want to live in Hillsborough - they just can't find the right kind of housing.

Of all the arguments against the Erickson development - the project is too big, the buildings too tall, encroaches on neighbors, traffic, environmental impact - the argument that we already have too many seniors living here is by far the weakest.

Erickson may still not be a good fit for Hillsborough - there just may not be a good location for this project in our town. But if that turns out to be a true, it will be too bad for Hillsborough - for our current residents, and those that would love to make our town their "old folks home".

Charge It!

Hillsborough is ready to get back into the credit card business, signing a deal this week with Affinity Credit Union. Affinity will allow interested residents to sign up for a credit card where a small fraction of the interchange rate will go back to the township to use for youth and senior programs.

I'm not sure what an "interchange rate" is, but it can't be very big. And 30% of it - Hillsborough's cut - will be even smaller. Still, it is a legitimate source of revenue, and the programs that received this money when we had a credit card program from 2001 - 2005 will surely be happy to receive it again.

And it goes without saying that this is a much friendlier way to raise a little money compared to the schemes devised by some New Jersey towns, namely speed traps and ticket blitzes.

Will I get a card for myself? Frankly, I don't think my wallet could handle another piece of plastic. But I'm giving the credit card program "two swipes up" nonetheless!

Let Me Hear It

Since I started posting about half of my blog entries to MyCentralJersey.com in May, the number of daily visitors to THIS blog has decreased by about 50%. That's fine with me, as I assume most people are reading Gillette On Hillsborough at that other site.

What has disappointed me a bit is that comments to this blog have dropped dramatically - and they haven't been made up by lots of comments on the MyCentralJersey blog. I know that between the two blogs, just as many people, or maybe even more, are reading now as they were before.

Maybe the topics haven't been as conducive to comments - I'm not sure. But I am going to make a renewed effort to respond to each comment I receive - so - let me hear it!

####


And remember, there are twice as many posts here as there are on that other blog - so be sure to keep this one bookmarked, and check back often!