Rotary Fair July 19-24

Big news this year for the Rotary Club of Hillsborough, NJ annual fair - every night is wristband night!

See you there.


Click the image to view and print the flyer.

He Wants to Ride His Bicycle

An indoor velodrome on the Belle Mead GSA Depot property? I'll admit, the idea - being promoted by Hillsborough resident and cycling enthusiast Michael Izzo - seemed a little crazy when I first read it in the Courier News.

Then I did a little research.

The Dunc Gray Velodrome in Bankstown, Australia

There are only 24 bicycling arenas in the U.S. - just one more than in the relatively tiny U.K. and many less than in Japan. Only a couple are in the northeast (New Hampshire and Queens, N.Y.), and only two are indoor tracks, (California and Colorado).

Having a velodrome - even a less expensive outdoor track - as part of the planned recreation facility at the Depot definitely falls under the category of Big Ideas. But it is an idea that would instantly put Hillsborough, and Somerset County, in the lead pack with the yellow jersey.

Something to consider.

Playground Fundraiser Swings on Sunday

An event to raise funds to build a universally accessible playground at Ann van Middlesworth Park will be held Sunday, June 27 at Body Shop Total Fitness in Hillsborough. The activities begin at noon and will feature fun physical fitness challenges for men and women.



Click on the images to view and print the flyer.



The playground - which has a price tag of $120,0000 - is an ongoing project of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Academy members and local volunteers construct the playgrounds in just one day. The playground is designed to be used together by disabled children and their typical peers.


Bringing the playground to Hillsborough was the idea of committeeman Anthony Ferrera who emphasizes that no taxpayer dollars will be used for the project.

Here is a video highlighting similar projects in Las Vegas, Orlando, and other locations.

Township Budget Still a Work in Progress

The Hillsborough Township Committee recently introduced their budget for fiscal year 2010.  Although taxes will rise $42 for a home assessed at the township average of $350,000, the $28 million budget is actually LESS that it was in 2009 by about $78,000.  The last time spending actually decreased was in 1990 - twenty years ago.

The modest tax increase, as well as salary freezes and reductions by various unions and department heads, was used to offset a staggering loss in state aid of $840,000 and cover $750,000 in state-mandated increases.

There is just one piece of the budget puzzle left.  Township officials are still negotiating with the PBA over how to cover reductions in the police budget.  If some type of wage freeze or other concession is not found, some positions will likely be eliminated.

Given the concessions already made by every other township union and association to save the jobs of their members, it would be wonderful to report that the PBA has found some way to do the same.

GoHillsborough (dot blogspot dot com)

Today's post marks the third anniversary of Gillette on Hillsborough.

Over the past three years the blog has received about 25,000 visits, and almost 40,000 page views.  Not bad for a blog that has never mentioned Miley Cyrus, Gossip Girl, or any of the Kardashians!

The vast majority of readers still arrive at the blog through a search engine, which is just fine.

Many find their way here through links on other sites, or have this blog bookmarked on their computers.

I am contemplating changing the web address of the blog from cnhillsborough.blogspot.com - a reference to the Courier News - to gohillsborough.blogspot.com - which can stand for Gillette on Hillsborough, or just "Go Hillsborough!".  There really is no good reason to keep the vestigial reference to the Courier News affixed firmly to the front of the web site.

I only hope readers will still be able to find the blog after the switch, as Blogger offers no good way to automatically redirect to the correct site.

Anyway, stay tuned for a switch around July 1, 2010.

Blockhead Pens 600th Post

“No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money.” - Samuel Johnson, April 1776

James Boswell noted Dr. Johnson's remark during a conversation in which Johnson was explaining why he would not be writing about his upcoming trip to Italy.  Why go to all that trouble if you are not getting paid for it?

I have often asked that question of myself in the course of writing the previous 599 entries of this blog.  I confess there are many days I am in complete agreement with Johnson. 

When I began writing "Gillette on Hillsborough" for the Courier News in 2007, I thought of this enterprise as a bit of an adventure.  A chance to try something new.  The newspaper showed me how to get started on Blogger - on a page with no ads that would be linked to from the newspaper's website.  This seemed reasonable enough to me.  I wasn't getting paid - and neither were they.  The blog was purely a public service with no cost to the newspaper.

Over the course of the first two years, the blog also appeared 175 times on the Courier News editorial page.  This pleased me as it allowed many more readers to come into contact with the blog than would ever look for it on the computer.  During the second year, the Courier News switched from Blogger to a proprietary blog format - on a page filled with ads.  In the third year they switched again - to a proprietary blog format based on WordPress, also filled with ads that I did not control.  Then editorial page changes at the Courier News and Home News Tribune eliminated the revolving "Local Voices" section from the page.

During these past two years then, I have kept up BOTH versions - "Gillette on Hillsborough" at the original Blogger site, and "The View From Hillsborough", as it is now called, at MyCentralJersey.com.  I even experimented with putting ads on the Blogger site - but there just isn't enough traffic to generate any income of note. (I have yet to reach the $100 threshold where they will actually send you a check!)  Since the original Blogger site has about four times as many visits each week as the MyCentralJersey.com site, I would assume that the newspaper isn't making any money from me either.

So here I am back at Johnson's question - why go through all the trouble?  I get little enjoyment from it, and it takes a fair amount of time.  Still, I derive satisfaction from having written these posts.  I can look back on the 600, and state that the vast majority of them are unique to this blog.  In other words - no one else is writing about Hillsborough's past and present the way I am.

The Courier News surely no longer recognizes my work on this blog as having any sort of value - indeed they have valued it at $0.00.  No matter.  When I quit or move the blog to another newspaper all they will be losing is one blockhead, they've still got a boatload.

Memorial Day Observed in Hillsborough

Hillsborough Residents observed Memorial Day on Saturday, May 29. I did as well - and I took my camera along.

The Grand Marshall was Viet Nam veteran and Purple Heart recipient - and long-time Hillsborough resident - Ted Dima.

Freeholder Jack Ciaterelli, Assemblyman Peter Biondi, and Committeeman Anthony Ferrera were among the Hillsborough public servants who marched in the parade.

The Raiders Marching Band.

Girl Scout Troop 255

Making that perfect candy toss!

Ted Dima addresses the assembled.

Mayor Frank DelCore

Mayor Frank DelCore and Committeewoman Gloria McCauley lay the first wreath.

A final salute to the fallen.

Last Man Standing

At Hillsborough's Memorial Day Parade this morning, more than one person remarked that there were so few veterans of World War II still living. That's true enough, but not so few that every community isn't proud to have at least a handful in their midst. After all, there are still approximately two million U.S. World War II veterans among us.

World war I is another story entirely. There is just one surviving U.S. veteran of the Great War - Frank Woodruff Buckles.

Born in February of 1901, the underage Buckles bluffed his way past Army recruiters, enlisting at the start of America's involvement in the war in April 1917.  He served as an ambulance and motorcycle driver in both England and France.  He seems to have spent his active duty uneventfully - his real adventure came twenty-five years later in his civilian life.  While working for a shipping company in Manila in 1942, he was captured by invading Japanese, and spent three and a half years in a WWII Japanese prison camp.

Albert Woolson, who died in 1956 at the age of 106 was the last surviving Civil War veteran.

Anson Wolcott Gillett didn't live quite that long.  Born in 1845, he served three enlistments, then spent the rest of his career in the directory and advertising business.  He was one of Blackhawk County, Iowa's last remaining Civil war veterans when he died in 1937.

A Leak Worth Talking About

Here's the latest news from Reuters on the BP oil leak.



And here's the live feed from BP - courtesy of PBS.

"Wage Freeze in Progress, 379 South Branch Road...."

Hillsborough Township police dispatchers may be looking to make a few extra bucks now that they have voluntarily accepted a wage freeze for the upcoming year.  With the agreement, members of Police Dispatchers' local 701 who have been working without a contract since 2008, will retroactively receive the same 3.5% increase for 2009 that was given to all non-uniformed personnel.

So what can a police dispatcher do in his spare time to earn enough money to make ends meet?  How about become one of the mostly recognizable voices in television history?

That's exactly what real-life LAPD police dispatcher Shaaron Claridge did in 1968 when she signed on to be the radio dispatch voice heard on "Adam-12"!  Producer Jack Webb, Sgt. Friday of "Dragnet" fame, decided that having an authentic dispatcher in the role would add a touch of realism to the police drama.

Who can possibly forget one of the most famous lines in television history?  "One adam twelve, one adam twelve..." ranks right up there with "Lucy, I'm home" and "Heeeeeere's Johnny!"

You can hear Ms. Claridge on many 60s and 70s television cop shows - "Dragnet", "Columbo", even "Lou Grant" - always in the often uncredited role of "police dispatcher".  Her voice even appeared in the 1983 Roy Scheider police helicopter movie "Blue Thunder".

So, take heart Hillsborough dispatchers - there's always show biz!

No Fireworks over "No Fireworks"

The Hillsborough Township Committee announced yesterday that the annual Fireworks and Family Fun Day would not be held this year due to budgetary considerations.

Canceling the event will save taxpayers at least $20,000 - the minimum usually budgeted for the fireworks and entertainment.  In a year when township employees have agreed to wage freezes and salary reductions, asking the public to sacrifice our July 4th celebration is reasonable and responsible.

Almost two years ago I wrote about the fireworks, "even the most frugal family takes a small vacation once in a while - and that's what the Independence Day Celebration is for Hillsborough."  Now it's time to cancel this year's vacation - maybe save up for next year.

I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

Jumbo Jet Jettison not a Joke

Did you hear the one about the jumbo jet that dumped 170,000 pounds of fuel on Central New Jersey?  Yes, by now you have, but it's not a joke.

A Continental Airlines Boeing 777 bound for Tokyo experienced hydraulic issues shortly after taking off from Newark Airport on Sunday.  Before the jet could return to Newark and make a safe landing, weight needed to be reduced by dumping its fuel.

I was out behind Woodfern School for Junior Raiders Track and Field, on the sidelines with dozens of other parents, when we spotted the plane flying low, with landing gear down, and ejecting fuel from both wings. 

Here is a video shot by, presumably, a Hillsborough resident, of the jet over Hillsborough.



You have probably heard that this incident is no big deal, that the jet fuel is vaporized in the atmosphere - breaking down into its constituent atoms - and poses no risk. Then why have we never heard about a plane dumping fuel over New Jersey before? It seems to me that every previous story of this nature always includes a passage about the aircraft flying out over the ocean to dump fuel.

I am glad Leonard Lance is looking into this and looking for answers. Let's make sure the joke - and the jet fuel - isn't on us.

Verizon, Inverted

The Associated Press is reporting today that Verizon has put in a request to New Jersey regulators that it be allowed to stop automatic delivery of their White Pages telephone directory.  The company claims that this move will save 5,000 tons of paper a year.  Sounds "green", doesn't it?  Yet the report does not mention Verizon's Yellow Pages.  Apparently no request has been made to save those "yellow" trees.

Go to your kitchen drawer right now and pull out the Verizon book.  The White Pages take up only about a third of the book!  Most of it is the Yellow Pages.

The ad sales and listings in the Yellow Pages pay for the personal listings in the White Pages.  This has been the business model for directories for at least 150 years - before the telephone was even invented. 

If Verizon doesn't have to print the White Pages, the profit from the Yellow Pages is increased.  And make no mistake, they have to deliver those Yellow Pages to every home, or they won't be able to sell the ads.  One of the rationales for stopping White Pages delivery is that people can find these listings on the internet. Hey, Verizon!  People can find the business listings on the internet too.

If Verizon is going to turn the directory business on its head, maybe they should invert their logo too.

Hillsborough Art Show May 20 and 21

[From the Hillsborough Township Web Site]


Hillsborough Cultural Arts Commission 6th Annual Art Exhibit - May 20th & 21st

Unveiling of New Public Art Collection Portrait

Release Date: May 07, 2010


The Hillsborough Township Cultural Arts Commission proudly announces the 6th Annual Art Exhibit at the Municipal Complex. The show will be open to the public on May 20, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and on May 21, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. As many as 300 pieces of art are expected to be on display.

Prizes totaling $3,000.00 will be awarded in two divisions – Student Two-Dimensional Art and Photography created by Somerset County High School students and Adult Two-Dimensional Art and Photography created by Hillsborough’s adult artists. Artwork and photography will be judged by a group of world class professional artisans working in a number of disciplines. The judges will be available during the afternoon of May 20th to speak with entrants and guests alike.

"This event is an excellent opportunity for residents to enjoy and admire the work of local artists. I am especially excited to see the newest addition to Hillsborough’s Public Art Collection," stated Committeeman Anthony Ferrera, liaison to the Commission.

The Public Art Collection – the brainchild of International award winning illustrator and portrait artist Kevin Murphy, will be a series of paintings depicting notable Hillsborough residents from yesterday and today. The student grand prize winner in each Annual Art Exhibit will receive a $1000.00 commission and the opportunity to work with Mr. Murphy in his Hillsborough studio to create the portrait.

The first painting in the Collection is a portrait of Assemblyman Peter Biondi, painted and donated by Kevin Murphy himself. Last year’s grand prize winner, Gabrielle Fiorillo, has been working on the second portrait – a painting of opera singer Anna Case Mackay – which will be displayed for the first time at 7:30 p.m. on May 20th.

Greg Gillette, chairman of the Cultural Arts Commission, will speak about local legend Anna Case at the unveiling. "Anna Case, although not well-remembered today, was a huge star in the first half of the 20th century," said Gillette. "The daughter of the South Branch blacksmith, she rose to become a star at the Metropolitan Opera, a best-selling Edison recording artist, an in-demand concert performer, and a pioneer in both radio and motion pictures."

For more information about the show, or to enter your work in the adult division, please contact Marie Hankins, 908-672-7041, lucashankins2@comcast.net or Nancy Edwards, 908-359-2516, nancy.edwards@comcast.net .

Meet the New Boss....

In my recent post about the Manville - Somerville football game, I said that at that time - 1958 - Manville High School was "nearly new".  In fact, between the time of Manville's secession from Hillsborough in 1929 and the construction of the High School in the mid 50s, only one school building, the Roosevelt School, had been built in the boro.  And that school was built in that first year of 1929!

In 1954, twenty-five years after Manville's incorporation, the school board began to pitch the idea of building a high school in town.  In those 25 years, Manville's population grew from 5,441 to 9,375, and more importantly, the number of school children increased dramatically.  In just the years from 1943 to 1954, enrollment went from 793 to 1,293 - and was expected to go to 1,800 pupils by 1961.

The Manville Board of Education produced a booklet with all of this information, and the arguments in favor of building a high school - you can see it here. 

What is most amazing to me about the 1954 publication is what it says about the conditions school children in Manville were subjected to, including teaching some classes in basements and other sub-standard rooms, perpetual split sessions for students, and even twelve classes being taught on a "half-time basis" - meaning the students were not even getting the required amount of time in school.  All of this in addition to the fact that Manville's teenagers were forced to attend three different area high schools, because no single school could accommodate the 375 students.

In essence, all of the things Manville complained to Hillsborough about in the 1920s, were still being perpetuated a quarter-century later!

Somerville vs. Manville 1958

What is the Somerville High School football program for their game against Manville on September 27, 1958 doing on the Hillsborough Blog?  Most readers will know that in the decades prior to our own high school's 1969 opening, Hillsborough students went to Somerville.  What you might not know is that, despite splitting from Hillsborough in 1929 to form their own municipality - largely over school-related issues - by the mid-50s Manville had still not built a high school of their own, and were sending their students all over Central Jersey - to Bound Brook, New Brunswick, and Dunellen!.

So what we have here is the nearly new Manville High School footballers not only taking on their new Somerville rivals, but also, in a sense, taking on their long-lost Hillsborough brethren, wearing the orange and black of Somerville.

How many familiar Hillsborough names can you spot in the 1958 Somerville squad?

License to Run

Today I made my quadrennial visit to the MVC office on Union Avenue in Somerville to renew my New Jersey Driver's License.  I was well prepared.  I took my current license, my birth certificate, and my ATM card with my embossed name and signature on the back.  Those are just a few of the many items you can choose from to verify your identity under the 6 Point ID Verification Program.

But that is not what this post is about.  Indeed, I was in and out of that office in about 15 minutes.  And that includes the minute I spent standing at the reception desk while the greeter finished her magazine.

The purpose of this post is to let you know how easy it is to run for elected office in New Jersey.  Much easier than renewing your driver's license.

There are requirements, of course, to stand for an elected post such as the Board of Education seat I was reelected to this month.  You must be a High School graduate. you must be registered to vote, and you must live in the district where you are running.  But you don't have to prove any of that.

All you must do is declare it.  A simple signature attesting to your qualifications, and that's it.  Be the first one to sign your own petition, get nine other registered voters to put their names down, and you're on your way.

I've never had to show any ID or prove residency, or anything else - and now I am one of nine individuals with oversight of a $108 million budget, 1000 employees, and most importantly, the education of 7500 children.

And I never needed to show so much as a library card, or a ticket from the dry cleaner!

Only in New Jersey.

Auto Inspections Should Be Junked

Governor Christie is finally turning his attention to New Jersey's wasteful and odious auto inspection system.  In a move that could save taxpayers $12 million, transportation officials are proposing an elimination of bi-annual mechanical inspections.  Federally mandated emissions inspections would still be required, but with failure rates for the mechanical portion of the inspection at just 6%, it makes sense to send that part of the test to the scrap heap.

I first wrote about junking inspections after I heard Flemington resident Phil Greiner make the suggestion at the Somerset County Business Partnership Affordability Forum six moths ago.  I also suggested a major change to New Jersey driver's license renewals.  A $24 four year license is probably the best bargain in New Jersey - perhaps too good.  How about a ten year license somewhere in the $75 range?  This would work out to be $1.50 more per year, but would be well worth it to the New Jersey driver who will only need to renew five or six times during his entire driving life.  Think of how much less crowded the MVC will be when drivers only have to come in once a decade!  Think of how much the state will save on staffing those offices.

Paying the Bills - Old School

Hillsborough Township is off to a pretty good start this budget season, exacting wage freezes and give-backs from union and non-union employees.  Undoubtedly, further creative solutions will still be needed before the municipal budget can be balanced.  The question is, how can you continue to pay the bills when the cash has run out?

I recently acquired a unique piece of Hillsborough history that I thought might provide some answers - a one hundred thirty-year-old transaction ledger from the JC Lane General Store in Neshanic.  The 635 page book covers the period from December 1879 to March 1881 and offers a fascinating glimpse at everyday life in 19th century rural America.

I wasn't surprised to find that one of Lane's most frequent customers was Hillsborough Township.  As I carefully turned the pages I found numerous entries for Hillsborough - items ranging from coffee and cranberries to tobacco and kerosene.  The town made payments on the account periodically, usually in cash.

It wasn't very far into the ledger - page 59 - that I found the first example of Hillsborough's creative financing.  On February 7, 1880, the municipality made a $9 payment toward their account, not with cash, but with 18 bushels of potatoes.  Likewise on June 25 of that same year, the town received a credit of $6.61 for bringing in a quantity of butter, and 19 1/2 dozen eggs.

In so doing, Hillsborough was no different from dozens of other Lane customers who often paid their accounts with goods from their farms. 

In 2010, Hillsborough is once again following the example of the private sector.  Some ideas never go stale.

Just Call Him "Mr. Freeze"

Move over Otto and Arnold, there's a new guy in town ready to wield the freeze gun.

It's Hillsborough Township Mayor Frank DelCore!

He already got the public works employees, department heads, and non-union employees to freeze their salaries for 2010.

Now he has performed his cryogenic magic on the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 3697, Council 73 (AFSCME), freezing off 2.5 hours of each work week, saving Hillsborough Taxpayers an additional $77,000.

No word yet on whether he plans to turn anyone into a Frosty Freezie.

Accomplished Musicians Concert Sunday, April 11

The following press release appeared on the Hillsborough Township web site.


3rd Annual Accomplished Musician Concert - April 11, 2010

Release Date: April 01, 2010

The Hillsborough Cultural & Arts Commission in partnership with the Hillsborough Board of Education are proud to announce that the 3rd Annual Accomplished Musician Concert will be held at the Hillsborough High School Auditorium at 3p.m. on Sunday, April 11, 2010.

The concert will include performances by the student winners of the Accomplished Musician Award, the Hillsborough High School Saxophone Quartet, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra String Quartet.

This event is open to everyone; tickets are available at the door for $5 Adult, $3 Students/Seniors.

“The mission of the Cultural Arts Commission is to stimulate art, and the appreciation of art, within our community. I am very pleased this year to be able to present not only our Accomplished Musicians, but also the Hillsborough High School Saxophone Quartet, and a very special appearance by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra String Quartet. Anyone interested in great music should plan on attending this event on April 11," stated Greg Gillette, Chairman of the Hillsborough Cultural Arts Commission.

"It's wonderful to see the incredible talent and dedication of our music students, and to be able to honor their hard work by showcasing them in this concert," stated Peggy Cioce, Hillsborough’s District Supervisor of Fine & Performing Arts.

The winners of the 3rd Annual Accomplished Musician Award, who will perform at the concert, are as follows:

Joyce Lu, Catherine Ji, Lauren Tran, Justin Havel
Auten Road Intermediate School

Justin Tran
Hillsborough Middle School

Simon Wang, William Mellott, Max Lee, Jonathan Gibbons
Hillsborough High School

The winners, chosen from the many talented students who auditioned this winter, will also receive a trophy and a cash prize.

Rotary Club Easter Egg Hunt

The Rotary Club of Hillsborough is holding their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday at Pheasant's Landing.



Click on the image to view and print the flier.

Eagles Are Up

Check out the Duke Farms Eagle Cam. Click here.

Gillette for BoE 2010

The following letter appeared in the Hillsborough Beacon on March 25.


Dear Friends,

I am writing to you today to announce my candidacy for reelection to the Hillsborough Township Board of Education, and to ask for your vote on April 20.

I came to you three years ago with a pledge to improve Hillsborough schools in the areas of education, administration, and finance, and to serve as your voice on the Board. Even as we have achieved many successes in these areas – rising test scores, a new superintendent and central office administrators, and stabilization of taxes – there are many new challenges ahead.

The recent loss of $6 million in current and expected state aid is a potentially devastating blow to our community – students, teachers, administrators, and taxpayers alike. As chairman of the Board Finance Committee these past three years, there is no one that understands the issues involved better than I. The fiscal policies I have promoted since 2007 – refinancing of existing debt, not taking on more debt, and using our 2008-2009 state aid windfall for non-recurring capital projects and tax relief – will help us weather this storm while other districts founder.

Through all of the triumphs and challenges, past, present, and future, I can assure you there is no one on the Board more committed to the ongoing success of our school district. I was humbled that you chose me three years ago as your representative, and pledge to renew my commitment going forward. You are in my thoughts with every question I raise and every vote I cast. I ask you now to remember me when you cast your vote on April 20.

To learn more about me please visit http://gilletteforboe.blogspot.com/.

Simpler Math

Here's the scoop. I've been dealing with a $109 million math problem for months now, and it just got a lot worse - $5.16 million worse.

If you want an idea of how crazy it's been, you need look no further than the Hillsborough Blog itself.

All through the last two school budget seasons - roughly November through March for the finance committee, I was perfectly able to keep up my blog posts here with no problem.

This year is a completely different story, as you can see by adding up the meager number of posts I have made since November of 2009.

November 2009 - 5
December 2009 - 15
January 2009 - 10
February 2009 - 10
March 2009 - 6

Total 46


Now that's the kind of math I had almost forgotten existed!

Still Saintly After All These Years

Poor Saint Valentine. He drew the shortest month (February), and the wimpiest theme (romantic love?). Not only that, but there are at least TWO early Christian martyrs named Valentine being honored on February 14 - and a slew of others on different days. The guy(s) gets no respect - we don't even use the word "saint" any more when we hand over the candy and flowers.

And then there's Patrick. There's only one of him, and he gets his holiday during one of the longest months. And he's associated with revelry and snakes. How cool is that!

But the most curious thing about Ireland's patron saint is that even after 1500 years he retains the full majesty of his title. No one is walking around on March 17 wishing each other "Happy Patrick's Day".

Hey, must be the luck of the Irish!

####

Next up: Can someone tell me why Jersey is the only state that has lost it's "New"? If you're a Jersey Girl from the Jersey Shore, please enlighten me. And if you're from York or Hampshire, or even Mexico, you can chime in too!