Clinton Township Newsletter

1 8 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 0 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M C L I N T O N T O W N S h I P ' S F o R a n F i E l d – B E a v E R B R o o k t R a i l Clinton Township has just completed a new connector trail that starts at Foran Field, off East Main Street. It connects to the Beaver Brook Ravine Trail, terminating 2.2 miles north on David Post Road. The new trail includes a fork connecting to the Springside-Nassau Road mountain biking trail complex, maintained jointly with High Bridge. The new hiking path terminates on Herman Thau Road, 0.9 miles from Foran Field. From Herman Thau Road to David Post Road is an additional 1.3 miles. This is a 4.4-mile out-and-back trail; there is no parking area other than at the Foran Field parking lot. The trail is moderately difficult, with uneven footing, two major stream crossings over rocks and steep areas requiring some rock scrambling. Sections of the trail near the stream may be impassible at certain times of year and after heavy rains. To get started, park at the trailhead located at the north side of the Foran Field parking lot. You'll see a kiosk, showing a map of the Foran to Beaver Brook Trail Path. The Clinton Township website has an Open Space page with a printable version of the map. Walk through the grassy field along the tree line (east) for 200 yards. The trail enters the woods to the left and winds through a diverse hardwood forest and meadows; take in the thousands of milkweed in bloom swarming with insects and chorus of birds. Then the trail forks, with the mountain biking trail going left to the Nassau trail system. The trail to the right is marked as hiking only; it goes sharply downhill into the Beaver Brook floodplain. Please respect the rules of use to preserve this ecosystem: stay on the trails; foot traffic only – no mountain bikes or other vehicles are allowed. The rest of the trail mostly follows Beaver Brook, with some challenging hills ahead. Take in the forest's varied understory and spectacular tree canopy that provides shade to take the edge off these hot summer days. The trail continues to Herman Thau Road, with a challenging stream crossing just before a climb up to the road. Walk to the right (east) along Herman Thau Road about 100 yards; turn left at the Green Acres sign where the Beaver Brook Trail starts and continues north. As you enter Beaver Brook Trail, let your imagination take you back three hundred years. The Trail's heritage predates the Revolutionary War. It is a vestige of a road system that was used for extensive commerce, mining and iron smelting. You can spot several ruins along the way, including old bridge abutments and connecting roads (no longer passable) that went up to the ridge on both sides of Beaver Brook Ravine. Halfway to David Post Road, you'll come upon the remains of Lord Amesbury Furnace, built in 1752, that was used for iron smelting (including ore from mines on adjacent property) and was part of the Colonial efforts in the War of Independence. While the Furnace is dramatically deteriorated from its heyday, notice the professional masonry, the size of the original footprint, and the remains of connecting roads that intersected at the Furnace. The surviving archway and walls were just refurbished so that this gem will survive time. Just north of the Furnace, you may also see a dam, which was built in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps using rocks scavenged from the Furnace. We are considering options to remove the dam as part of restoring the stream. From the Furnace, continue north to David Post Road. The remaining trail is a gradual uphill that diverts from the floodplain, passing through a developing forest and crossing several rivulets feeding Beaver Brook. David Post Road is the turn-around point for this out-and-back, 4.4 mile round-trip trail. Please visit and enjoy this Township resource. The recent work has been done by Paul Maiwaldt from Clinton Township Open Space, Amy Switlyk from the Clinton Township Council, and Mike McGeough. We have a strong partnership with the High Bridge crew that conceived and developed the Nassau Road mountain biking complex: Thatcher Simpson, Bob Madden, Todd Seelig, Dan Kaminski, Jilian Benedetti, Mike Brogan, Hunter Simpson, Rich Grate, Kyle and Neva Mason contributed to the heavy lifting to hand-build and improve this trail. Stay tuned for follow-up articles on other recreational opportunities with Clinton Township Open Space, as well as a focus on the partnership with High Bridge to connect the mountain biking communities! C L I N T O N T OW N S H I P M U N I C I PA L N E W S w w w. C l i n t o n T W P N J . c o m 2 0 2 0 H U N T E R D O N C O U N T Y T R A N S F E R S TAT I O N CA R D S The 2020 Hunterdon County Transfer Station cards are now available. Please call the Clinton Township Clerk's Office at: 908.735-8800, ext. 200 if you would like one mailed to you or pick one up in person. The Clerk's office hours are: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm Monday – Friday. P E D D L E R S / S O L I C I TO R S O R D I N A N C E The Mayor and Council have adopted an ordinance governing peddling and soliciting. This ordinance requires peddlers, solicitors and canvassers to obtain a license before going door-to-door in the Township. Non-profit organizations are exempt from the licensing requirement; however, members of these organizations must carry proper identification. In order to protect the privacy of our residents, the Township has created a "Do Not Solicit" registry. A form to join this registry is available in the office of the Township Clerk, and can be downloaded from the Township website. By participating in the registry, residents make an affirmative decision not to receive commercial peddlers, solicitors, or canvassers at their property located within the Township. A list of those residents will be provided to each peddler, canvasser or solicitor. Additionally, residents can post a "No Solicitation" sign on their property. A sign of this nature shall be applicable to all peddlers, solicitors and canvassers. Questions regarding the ordinance or the registry may be referred to the Township Clerk at 908.735.8800, ext. 204. h O M E S E C U R I T Y Residents are encouraged to be vigilant about locking their homes, not just when away on vacation, but also while at work during the day. Although many of us live in quiet neighborhoods, it is important to remember that with three major highways intersecting in the Township (Routes 22, 31 and 78), it is easy for dishonest persons to break into a home, steal what can be taken quickly, and escape via one of these routes. Some good rules to remember: • Always lock your home, even if leaving for a very short time. • Insist your children do the same, especially if they are home alone after school. • Keep a good relationship with your neighbors, and ask them to watch for any suspicious activity. • If you return home, and feel that something just "isn't quite right," leave quickly, and call 911 from a neighbor's home. • Don't make it obvious that you are away for an extended time, (take care of your mail, newspapers, etc.). • Don't leave an outgoing message on your answering machine stating that you are out of town.

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