Township Times
weekly edition
News for the next week...
07/26 - Summer Concert - RVA Fields, 7:00 PM
07/29 - Recycling Depot - 9 AM to Noon
08/01 - Tri-Town National Night Out - RVA Fields, 5 PM to 8 PM
08/03 - Curbside Recycling
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Each week we will include a fun fact or historic tidbit about our great hometown
REFLECTIONS ON FANFAIR
Brainchild of Ellen Dixon and Eleanor Bamford, the concept of a Community Fair Day to raise funds for Riverside Hospital was presented to the Board of Trustees by Marilyn Morfogen (Women’s Auxiliary President) in 1970.
The first FanFair, as it became known, was held June 5, 1971, preceded by a formal dinner dance and specialty auction under the main tent the night before. This community event continued annually on the first weekend of June until 1986, drawing more than 20,000 people each year and raising over $1 million for the hospital.
Enclosed within thousands of feet of snow fence were an Art Tent, Auction, Country Store, Crafts Tent, Entertainment in the Main Tent, Farm Yard, Flea Market, Lane of Shops, Adult Midway, Children’s Midway (with carnival rides), and Food Tents: Clam Bar, Greek Tent, Italian Tent, Taco Tent, Hattie's Kitchen, Waffles & Ice Cream, plus the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries and pizza. Sky-divers, military equipment, antique autos, hot air balloon rides, and even a 3 story tall King Kong entertained the crowds. The day long fair ended with a spectacular array of fireworks.
The entire community came together, donating time, goods, equipment, and services to make this one-day fair an eagerly anticipated and well-attended event. Working year round planning, cooking and organizing the fair and dance forged great and long-lasting friendships in Boonton Township and surrounding towns.
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Quoting Riverside Hospital publication, Community, Fall 1976:
The spirit that brought Americans together as one nation is still alive and can be seen in the devotion and effort that made FanFair such a success. The hundreds of volunteers, area residents, gave thousands of hours of their time throughout the year to make FanFair what it is.
FanFair is community participation…Fairgoers enjoyed a great variety of international foods as well as an all day auction, art exhibit, rock groups, skydivers, gymnasts and square dancers. Every activity at FanFair is the result of the volunteers’ time and effort. And its success is due to the people who come to the fair each year.
Thanks to Charlie Maraziti for these FanFair memories
If you have any old photos or newspaper articles about Boonton Township that you would like to share please let us know
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Summer Camp Friday Fun
Thanks to BTFD for cooling off our campers on this hot day
with a big water dump to finish it off
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RVA Parking Lot Update
Construction progresses with the redesign of the RVA parking lot. The contractors are finishing the curbs, then the trees will be planted and islands filled next week, weather permitting.
The parking lot remains closed to all patrons - it is a construction site and the Township's insurer requires the closure. Patrons must park at the temporary lot behind the Firehouse on Rockaway Valley Road.
The Police Department has issued summonses and will continue to do so to anyone who believes the lot closure does not apply to them.
NOTE: The parking lot will be open for:
Summer Concert - July 26
Tri-Town National Night Out - August 1
Township Picnic and Fireworks - August 5
The repaving is currently scheduled for the week of August 7th. At that time, the lot will be closed to all vehicles for at least two weeks and until the lot is re-striped.
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Township Picnic and Fireworks
presented by TerrAscend
Saturday, August 5, 2023
rain date August 6, 2023
picnic starts at 4 PM
fireworks at dusk
RVA Fields
free admission, all are invited to the fireworks
Please leave your dog at home
No alcoholic beverages permitted at fireworks
Parking lot will be open for the picnic and fireworks
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Join us for our first Summer Concert at RVA Fields
featuring Chapel Concert Band
free admission and open to all
bring your blanket and lawn chairs
snack stand will be open for refreshments
parking lot will be open for the concert
The Chapel Concert Band formed in 1983 and celebrated its fortieth anniversary this spring. They are a multi-community concert band sponsored and supported by The Chapel, in Lincoln Park with musicians of all ages. Music selections range from marches, patriotic selections, big band offerings and traditional concert band repertoire. The Band rehearses and plays indoor concerts at the Chapel’s Sunset Facility in the winter and outdoor venues in the summer. They are excited to present their first concert at Boonton Township RVA fields this summer.
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TRI-TOWN NATIONAL NIGHT OUT 2023
RVA FIELDS
Parking lot will be open for the event
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Leonard Park Improvements
Construction began on July 20th at Leonard Park with the pathway and removal of the existing basketball courts.
The basketball courts will be reconstructed to include both basketball and three dedicated pickleball courts.
The removal and reconstruction of the stairs from RVS should begin the week of July 24th, weather permitting.
The park will be closed to all patrons when the contractors are working -your cooperation is greatly appreciated
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Recycling News
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Natural Gas is Coming to Rockaway Valley Rd, Wetmore Drive, Elizabeth Way and Miller Drive!
NJNG is extending natural gas mains on Rockaway Valley Road from North Road to Wetmore Drive, Elizabeth Way and Miller Drive (from Decker Lane to the cul-du-sac)
Residents interested in connecting to natural gas service should contact NJNG directly
please call 848-206-8340 and their Inside Sales Team will take care of the residents
Several residents have called the Municipal Building to ask about extending gas mains to their neighborhoods in and around the installation area. That decision is solely made by NJNG and not by the Township. We suggest you speak to your neighbors and if there is sufficient interest, please contact NJNG directly at the number listed above.
several connection incentives currently available
this QR Code that will connect customers directly to the NJNG website and interest form to complete and submit!
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Sunday Morning Adult Softball
10 AM to 12 Noon
RVA Fields
All Welcome
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News from our Health Officer
Public Health Nurse Office Hours
Our Public Health Nurse office hours are generally on Thursday mornings from 9AM to 10AM. If you would like to confer with our nurse, Cindie Bella, RN, BSN, REHS, MAS,
she can be contacted at
973-631-5491 or cbella@co.morris.nj.us
The Public Health Nurse serves as a vital resource to our community for health-related referrals such as COVID tests and vaccines or weigh loss management.
Blood pressure screenings are done during office hours - no appointment is necessary.
Good idea to call beforehand to verify hours for the week. Stop by during office hours for more information.
For health related information visit the Morris County Public Health website at: https://health.morriscountynj.gov/coronavirus/#cases for up-to-date data and information.
Go to https://www.morriscountynj.gov/Residents/Health/Coronavirus to find vaccination and testing sites in Morris County.
If you have any questions, call the County COVID Hotline at 973-829-8250.
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Book Club
For August we will meet August 8 at 7pm in the Town Hall Library to discuss:
Small Things Like These
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.
Already an international bestseller, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.
For September we will meet September 12 at 7pm in the Town Hall Library to discuss:
Letter to My Daughter
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Maya Angelou shares her path to living well and with meaning in this absorbing book of personal essays.
Dedicated to the daughter she never had but sees all around her, Letter to My Daughter transcends genres and guidebook, memoir, poetry, and pure delight.
Here in short spellbinding essays are glimpses of the tumultuous life that led Angelou to an exalted place in American letters and taught her lessons in compassion and how she was brought up by her indomitable grandmother in segregated Arkansas, taken in at thirteen by her more worldly and less religious mother, and grew to be an awkward, six-foot-tall teenager whose first experience of loveless sex paradoxically left her with her greatest gift, a son.
Whether she is recalling such lost friends as Coretta Scott King and Ossie Davis, extolling honesty, decrying vulgarity, explaining why becoming a Christian is a “lifelong endeavor,” or simply singing the praises of a meal of red rice–Maya Angelou writes from the heart to millions of women she considers her extended family.
Like the rest of her remarkable work, Letter to My Daughter entertains and teaches; it is a book to cherish, savor, re-read, and share.
“I gave birth to one child, a son, but I have thousands of daughters. You are Black and White, Jewish and Muslim, Asian, Spanish speaking, Native Americans and Aleut. You are fat and thin and pretty and plain, gay and straight, educated and unlettered, and I am speaking to you all. Here is my offering to you.”—from Letter to My Daughter
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Rockaway Valley Garden Club
The Rockaway Valley Garden Club generally meets the 2nd Tuesday of each Month.
Meetings begin at 10: 00 am and are held at the Boonton Township Municipal Building, 155 Powerville Rd.
Guest are always welcome, and we encourage you to come join us to see what we are all about.
Check us out at our website: www.RockawayValleyGardenClub.org or on our Facebook page.
Any questions can be sent to our email address: info@rockawayvalleygardenclub.org
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Prescription Drug Drop Box Program
check the County web-site for drop off locations
https://www.morriscountynj.gov/Departments/Sheriff/Community-Programs/Prescription-Drug-Drop-Box-Program
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A Message From the Boonton Township Police Department
The Boonton Township Police Department is pleased to announce a number of free community services that we are happy to offer to all of our residents. One program that we are particularly proud of is our “Vacant House Check” program. If you will be away on vacation, or if your home will be vacant for any period of time, our officers will conduct periodic checks of your residence or your business while you are away. Please visit our website at www.btpolice.org to acquire a vacant house form, or to learn more about the program. These forms can also be found in the lobby of our Police Department.
We are also very excited about our “Alert Boonton Township” program, which works in partnership with “Smart911”. “Alert Boonton Township” is a special emergency alert system designed specifically for our residents here in Boonton Township. Did you know that currently only approximately 15 percent of our Township population is registered to receive community alerts for Boonton Township? To sign-up for “Alert Boonton Township” please visit www.btpolice.org/emergencynotifications. Once signed up, you can opt-in for text or phone messages to alert you to various matters throughout our community. Anytime one of our residents signs up with “Alert Boonton Township” they are also provided with a free “Smart911” account. Smart911 is a program which allows you to create a custom safety profile in the event you ever need to dial 911. When a registered individual dials 911, our dispatch center will automatically be able to view your safety profile, which contains as much or as little information you are comfortable sharing. You can let us know if you have pets in your home, if you rely on medication, or if our emergency responders should have access to any other information regarding your home and family. This is a free and private life-saving service, and all are encouraged to register.
Last but not least, the Boonton Township Police Department also offers a very special service titled, “Project Lifesaver”. With this program, the Boonton Township Police Department is able to aid senior citizens or anyone with special needs, ensuring that they are protected on a daily basis. This program is specifically aimed for individuals with special needs who may have a tendency to wander away from home. Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small personal transmitter around the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies the Boonton Township Police Department, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. Most who wander are found within a few miles from home, and search times have been reduced from hours and days to mere minutes. Recovery times for Project Lifesaver clients average 30 minutes — 95% less time than standard operations. For an application, please visit us at Police Headquarters at 155 Powerville Road.
| " ALERT BOONTON TOWNSHIP " |
STAY CONNECTED WITH…
BOONTON TOWNSHIP’S EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO REGISTER
This notification system allows residents to receive e-mail, text message, and/or other alerts regarding emergency notifications and other important messages regarding our community. With this program, you can choose to receive alerts by whatever method of communication you prefer.
Visit www.btpolice.org and click on the “emergency notifications” tab on the right side of the page. Follow the instructions to be redirected to the "Alert Boonton Township" registration page. Once redirected, ensure you are on the page for Boonton Township New Jersey and follow the step by step instructions on the web page to create an account and receive emergency alerts for Boonton Township.
"Alert Boonton Township" also automatically signs you up for Smart911 which provides you and your family with a potentially life-saving resource. Smart911 is a free emergency 911 component which helps our emergency dispatchers better assist you during an emergency. This service also allows residents to create a safety profile which can include any information they would like to share with first responders during an emergency.
FOLLOW THE BOONTON TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT ON FACEBOOK!
Type in @BOONTONTWPPD IN YOUR FACEBOOK SEARCH BAR OR IN MESSENGER TO FIND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PAGE
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