Clinton Township Newsletter

3 n o v e m b e r 2 0 2 0 Living in rural Hunterdon County is always interesting. Despite the fact that I was raised in the South, my life is way more country now, as an adult, living in the State of New Jersey. Who'd've thought? If any of you frequent Sidney Road in Franklin Township, you probably know of Syd/Sid-the-Turkey. (He answers to both.) Syd is a very lucky bird, and I can tell you with total certainty that he has zero instinct for self preservation. Over the past year, I've learned how to dodge this guy, who seems to feel that he owns the road and all others are merely trespassers. In other words, a true New Jerseyan. I've learned the hard way that if I stop the car, Syd will come right up to my window, pretty much eye-to- eye with me in my little chevy, gobbling loudly. My kind (but assertive) request, "Shoo, turkey!" seems to have the opposite effect – Syd interprets this as "Let's be friends for life". More realistically, I think people have been feeding him from their cars. At this point I throw on the hazard lights, stop the car, put it in park, and to try to encourage him to move over to the side of the road, preferably moving deep into the woods. But no. Syd makes his way to the front of my car and stays there. I've seen many drivers do this same dance with Syd, who just finds cars and humans fascinating. I once saw an Officer babysitting Syd, he said, "...until "The State could come and take him away." The State didn't, the Officer gave up, and Syd prevailed. I, like many other drivers, learned that the best way to get around Syd was to go slowly enough so as not to hit him, but fast enough so as not to get a personal visit from him. For Syd, Traffic stops on this busy road in both directions, and I've seen lots of people taking selfies with him as if he's a fowl version of a Hunterdon County Kardashian. Franklin Township's website tells the next part of the story better than I. "On Saturday, September 26, the Township was alerted to the fact that the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW) Conservation Officer was in the Township because the State had received calls about Sid. The Officer was intending to kill Sid as that is the State's protocols for animals that cause a safety risk. Mayor Phil Koury was alerted to the situation and he arrived on the scene and convinced the Officer to hold off on putting Sid down in the hopes that he could instead be relocated. The Township has no jurisdiction over the County road and the regulation of wild animals is under the jurisdiction of NJDFW. However, the Officer heard the plea of the Mayor and agreed to delay putting down Sid until it was determined if other arrangements could be made. So, although it was not Thanksgiving and Mayor Koury is not the President, a turkey was pardoned (if only for the weekend). Over the weekend, Mayor Koury and Township Officials received many calls and emails from people looking to help Sid. Unfortunately, the trapping of a wild animal is only permitted with a license and we were told he could not be re-homed to a private local farm. Also, the Township was told of at least two attempts to trap Sid by a rescue organization over the weekend that were unsuccessful. On Monday, Mayor Koury spoke with a representative from the USDA who advised that if requested by the municipality, the USDA would humanely trap and relocate Sid. The Mayor was advised that the only options for Sid were relocation or to be put down. The State could not allow him to remain in Franklin as he was now a known danger. The Township is happy to report that its most famous gobbler was safely and humanely tranquilized and relocated on Tuesday, September 29. The Mayor was told that he was being relocated to the Wharton State Forest in Hammonton, NJ. A State website lists the Wharton State Forest as containing 123,152 acres." While I do miss Syd/Sid, I don't miss keeping an eye out for him or, worse, looking with dread for a pile of feathers in the road. Let's hope that he's happy in his new home, and let it never be said that we in Hunterdon County don't care about our local wildlife. On a different note, besides Thanksgiving, I'm told there's something else going on this month? Ah yes, the (seemingly) Endless 2020 Election. As the original owner of this publication and WWII combat vet, Fred Keesing, used to say, "Preserve Your Right To Gripe – VOTE!" I hope you and your families and loved ones have a Happy, Safe, and Blessed Thanksgiving! from Carol Beder's C U S T O M PA I N T F I N I S H Transformations for Your Cabinetry & Furniture • D E S I G N 9 0 8 . 8 3 2 . 6 0 3 2 T E W K S B U R Y SHADES | MOTORIZED SHADES | BLINDS | DRAPES | PLANTATION SHUTTERS You Deserve Them! 908.236.2688 14 Lebanon Plaza n WindowExpressionsNJ.net – Julie Fl�nn www.MSIPlumbingAndRemodeling.com 1109 Rte. 31 S. Lebanon, NJ 08833 New Jersey Licensed Master Plumber #8722 Your Remodeling Experts! 908.735.4438

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