Clinton Township Newsletter

3 a u g u s t 2 0 2 1 Summertime! Carol Beder's Lately I'm feeling some "Summer Slide" – are you, too? I'm not even going to try to get creative with this August column, but here are a couple of my recent thoughts... I always want to include other voices in this publication, so I'm thrilled to have several here this month, in addition to our regular offerings. Officer Raff of the CTPD is answering your questions, an anonymous reader is sharing her experience and advice for the loss of a loved one, and Rachel Sprague interviews Alex Ireland of Radiant Mushrooms, a family-run micro-farm in Clinton Township. Feel free to email us and let us know what you think. Recently my family took a vacation to OBX, NC. With us were our adult kids, my mother, four of our nephews, and some dear friends. It was wonderful to have everyone together again, after being apart for so long. At least three of the kids were working and/or taking classes remotely. In my opinion, that option has been one of the silver linings in the dark cloud of this terrible pandemic. The ability to work and learn far away from one's office or school has provided some freedom to those who are capable of taking advantage of it. One of the conversations we had during our time together was the question, "What parts of pre-pandemic life do you think Covid-19 will have changed, maybe permanently?" The most agreed-upon answer was the elimination of unnecessary work travel. Before the pandemic, one of my children worked half of each week in NYC, and the other half of the week in Charlotte, NC – every single week, for many months on end. That schedule abruptly ended in March of 2020, and my child doesn't miss it. The planet is better for it, too. Having worn masks, sanitized, quarantined, and socially distanced ourselves for the past year or more, I had forgotten what it felt like to get sick. (Looking back, it was a pretty healthy time for us.) That came to a halt the day after we returned from OBX with summer colds. Nothing life-threatening, just miserable, and I had forgotten how that felt. (Our Covid-19 test results were negative.) Maybe masks are a good thing to wear occasionally going forward, even though we've been vaccinated. On the first day of vacation, my youngest discovered that he had Lyme disease – for the second time. All five of us have had it, plus the dog. So here's a reminder that Lyme disease is still a threat, as you probably know. New residents – maybe don't have picnics on the lawn, and learn all you can about this malady. Speaking of new residents, I'm thrilled with the influx of new people to our community – another silver lining! More people are discovering we've known for years – that Clinton Township and Hunterdon County are fantastic places to live and raise children. To paraphrase Garrison Keiller's "News from Lake Wobegon", I'd say that Clinton Township is where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average. Also, our residents are marvelous, our schools are excellent and our countryside is bucolic. Returning from vacation, once we drive into our county I start to exhale, enjoying once more our hills, farmland, historic stone houses, and lush countryside. I know that, thankfully, we're finally home. If you're new to Clinton Township or the surrounding area – welcome! You've come to the right place. (Check out the "I Love Hunterdon County" Facebook group for a bevy of gorgeous photos of our local spots.) I sincerely hope all of our school-age children (including our college students) will have a normal, in-person classes school year for 2021-2022. They deserve it, with all that they've been through. For that matter, so do their parents. I hope you all enjoy your last month of summer! Julie Flynn 9 / 11 M e M o r i a l r e - D e D i c a t i o n w i t h t h e a n n a n D a l e h o s e c o M p a n y On Saturday September 11, 2021 at 2:00 pm, the Annandale Hose Company #1 will host a formal ceremony re-dedicating our Memorial located at the Fire House, 68 Beaver Avenue in Annandale, on the 20th Anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our Nation. All members of the community are cordially invited to join us for this event. There will be refreshments served in our Fire House following the ceremony. Thank you for your support. We hope to see you there! Oriental Rug Specialist Since 1934 Sale & Service of Oriental Rugs & Carpets

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