Clinton Township Newsletter

Local Realtor Publishes Newsletter o n R e a l E s tat e M a r k e t C o n d i t i o n s You can read the full version of Joe Peters' Monthly Real Estate Market Conditions Update at www.jpeters.com. It shows the months' supply for each town in Hunterdon County and it is also shown by price point. To find your dream home in Hunterdon County, call Joseph Peters of Weichert Realtors at 908.238.0118 (mobile) or 908.735.8140 (office). www.jpeters.com S av e t h e d at e : Norwescap's 5K: Nov. 3! Save the date! NORWESCAP's Career & Life Transitions Center for Women's 10th Annual 5k Run/Walk is Sunday, November 3. Registration (8am) is at the American Legion, Willow Grove Street. Course is at the Riverfront Park in Hackettstown. Call 908.835.2624; e-mail transitions@norwescap.org; or register on-line at www.raceforum. com/transitions. Visit: www.norwescap.org. Drug Abuse and Our Children When one thinks about violent crimes associated with gangs and drug abuse, inner cities are more likely to come to mind than the rolling hills of Hunterdon County. It can be easy to fall into a false sense of security, but these crimes do exist here. Although Hunterdon has a relatively low crime rate, there has been a slight increase. The Prosecutor's Office attributes this rise partly to the increase in drug use. Drug arrests in the County have risen 25% in the past three years. Alarmingly, drug use often starts with abuse of prescription drugs in the home, not on the streets, and kids can get hooked quickly. As parents, we can secure prescription drugs in our home. Talking to children about drugs also helps. Schools focus on the dangers of illegal drug use during Red Ribbon Week. In its 28th year, held this year October 23 through 31, the 2013 theme is "A Healthy Me is Drug Free." However, parental discussions with children about drug abuse can occur at any time. According to the redribbon.org website, children whose parents frequently talk to them about drug use are 42% less likely to use drugs. Unfortunately, only 25% of children admit to discussing drugs with their parents. Letting children know that a drug-related arrest as a juvenile can affect their ability to participate in the military or to secure a law enforcement job may help drive home the seriousness of their actions. As parents, we have many responsibilities; talking about drugs with our children is one of them. Why not talk to your son or daughter today about illegal drug use? "Don't wait. The time will never be just right." - Napoleon Hill The Hunterdon County C u l t u r a l a n d H e r i ta g e C o m m i s s i o n by Frank Curcio Between 1731 and 1841, Clinton Township was the southern half of Lebanon Township. At the point where the trail from Pittstown met the trail from Phillipsburg, Abraham Bonnell built a tavern and stagecoach stop. The area was known as "Bonnell's Tavern" until Daniel Hunt took over the milling operation at the South Branch and Spruce Run, and the name became "Hunts Mills", which it held onto until it got a post office in 1829, and it renamed itself "Clinton". It would soon become the largest settlement in the area. Meanwhile, halfway between Hunts Mills and Whitehouse, another stagecoach stop and tavern opened, calling itself the "Lebanon Hotel". A post office opened there in 1815; the area became known as Lebanon Post Office. Twenty–six years after this post office was established, Lebanon Township was halved, and the southern half—containing the Lebanon Post Office—took the name of its largest settlement, Clinton. Apparently the message that Lebanon P.O. was no longer in Lebanon is still in the mail. So Lebanon P.O. kept receiving Clinton Township's mail. After the CRRNJ arrived in the Township, a village sprang up around the Clinton Station so fast that within a few years a post office also arose. Clinton Station P.O. delivered mail to Clinton along with the Clinton and Lebanon offices. Later, Clinton Station changed its name (and the P.O.'s name) to "Annandale". Just above Clinton Station/Annandale, in a section of Clinton Township known as "Solitude", a settlement developed calling itself "High Bridge" because the railroad built a—well, you know. Its post office opened in 1855 to deliver mail to parts of Clinton Township. With these settlements growing, it was only a matter of time before they decided to go out on their own. Clinton became an independent municipality in 1865, High Bridge in 1871 and Lebanon in 1926—but they got to keep their mail to Clinton Township gigs. It's not just the Post Office that didn't get the idea of a New Jersey township as a municipality. The Federal Highway Department missed that memo, too. There's a sign at the Turnpike Newark Airport exit to Route 78 that says: "Newark, Clinton". It's not a distance sign, it's a Guide Sign to reassure drivers they're heading in the proper direction. So, Route 78 is the road to the largest city in New Jersey and to Clinton. Aren't there more populous places along the road? Sure, Hillside, Springfield, Bedminster, Bridgewater—So why Clinton? After studying the issue of that sign, taking GPS readings, charting along Google Earth, performing measurements with calipers and metric rulers on charts, maps and diagrams, and even doing math stuff, I have concluded that the sign refers to Exit 15–Clinton. It just so happens that Exit 15 is the only Exit after Newark that does not open to a township. Could it be that the Federal Highway Department views townships as great black holes, deep voids to be avoided? There is hope; slowly our townships are being recognized by the folks in DC—it began in the 1970s. n More next time (December), Frank Curcio When you advertise in the C L I N TO N TOW N S H I P Newsletter you can: Victor A. Rotolo, a resident of Clinton Township, was named to the list of 2013 NJ Super Lawyers for the eighth consecutive year. Call The Rotolo Law Firm today: 908.534.7900 to discuss any legal situation confronting you. Your half-hour consultation is free of charge! Their attorneys and staff are ready to serve your legal needs. The Rotolo Law Firm • 502 US 22, Lebanon, NJ 08833. www.rotololawfirm.com O c t o b e r • • • • • Reach Over 14,000 Local Consumers Each Month Change Your Message Monthly at No Extra Charge Have Your Ad Designed Free of Charge Run a Small Article* (150 words) Free of Charge Link your ad to your website on our "virtual flip" version at: www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com Email Us Now at: ctnl@comcast.net to Reserve Your Ad Space. 2 0 1 3 17

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