Spring Cleaning?

While the holidays brought many gifts that we like, they also brought items we don’t need or want, or which duplicate what we already have.  “What to do, what to do …”  Here’s a solution that allows you to unload good things you can’t use while helping children who can really can benefit from your aid. 

The Deirdre O’Brien* Child Advocacy Center is holding a giant “yard sale” of these and other items in order to benefit its young clients. If you have items to donate to the sale – clothing, toys, equipment, anything new and used – contact Trisha Luing, MD, Director of Development for the Center. If you cannot drop off your articles she will arrange for them to be picked up.

The sale is scheduled for Friday May 21 and Saturday May 22 at a location to be announced. The hope is to engage the entire Morris County community in this spirited event.  *(The Deirdre O’Brien Center was created in memory of a young Mendham Township crime victim.)

Deirdre O'Brien Child Advocacy Center

8 Court Street, Morristown , NJ   07960

973-631-5482

===

TWO RECYCLING DATES CHANGED!

Please note that in 2004 there will be NO recycling collection on Memorial Day (May 31) or Labor Day (September 6). 

However, the Township has arranged for two alternative collection dates – they will be Saturday, June 5 and Saturday September 11.

Remember: do not put out recycling for collection on Memorial Day and Labor Day but DO so for the Saturday following each of those two holidays. 

===

MENDHAM TOWNSHIP DIRECTORY

www.mendhamtownship.org

Town Hall ( 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri.)....(973)543-4555

Stephen P. Mountain , Administrator

Penny Newell, Clerk

Public Works/Road Department ......(973)543-4509

Construction & Zoning Office ....…..(973)543-7464

Municipal Court .................………..(973)543-7526

Police Dept. (Non-emergency only)..(973)543-2581

EMERGENCY ONLY...... 9-1-1

Township Committee

Robert D. Pierson, Mayor                                  (973)543-5606

Santé D'Emidio, Deputy Mayor                          (973)543-8590

Richard H. Krieg                                               (973)543-6755

Brian J. Phelan                                                  (973)895-3031

Jack Schrier                                                      (973)543-2447

===

Act NOW to Vote in the Primary Election, Tuesday, June 8

Are you eligible to vote in the Primary Election on Tuesday June 8? 

“Why, yes,” you may say, “after all, I am a registered voter.” But are you an “affiliated” registered voter? In other words, have you formally declared your preference for one of the two major political parties? If you have not, you are deemed “undeclared” and cannot vote in the Primary.

There are two ways to remedy the situation:

1.       Obtain a Declaration Form from the Morris County Clerk’s office by calling 973-285-6125 or download the form from www.morriscountyclerk.com – then mail it to the address listed

2.       Or, declare your preference at your Polling Place on Primary Election Day and you will be eligible to vote at that time

Why is it important to vote in a Primary? Candidates for the November General Election are chosen in the Primary. If you do not vote in the Primary, you have no say at all in deciding who those candidates will be. 

In November you are free to vote for any candidate or any party you wish -- regardless of your declared affiliation!  But to help ensure that a candidate you prefer gets on the November ballot, act now to Declare -- and be sure to Vote in the Primary Election on Tuesday, June 8.

  Tuesday June 8 Is Primary Election Day  --  Your Vote Will Count!  

IN THIS ISSUE

·  Important! Two Recycling Dates Changed

·  Declare Yourself -- and Vote on June 8

·  Photography Contest Builds on Success

·  “Lost” Community Found

·  Put Some Step in Your Spring!

·  Spring Brush Pick-Up, HazMat Disposal Dates

·   Mayor's Report: "Bad News – Good News"

            ... and more

Published by Your Township Committee                              Printed on Recycled Paper

===========

Vol. XIII,  No. 1                                                                                    SPRING 2004

OUR 255^th YEAR

Bad News - Good News

As most of you know by now, the talks between Mendham Township and Mendham Borough about a potential merger of our respective police departments have been suspended.

Background of the merger talks

Representatives of the Borough Council approached us last summer to explore a possible consolidation of our two police departments. Members of both governing bodies held numerous meetings on the subject, encouraged by the success of our 25+ year Borough-Township joint court system. We agreed upon hiring an experienced consultant to conduct a three-part feasibility study. Both municipal governments approved that.

After reviewing results of the first phase of the study, we believed the findings showed promise for lowered costs and greater efficiencies from a consolidated police force. The Township Committee voted unanimously to proceed with the second, more definitive, phase of the study. But by a 4 to 3 vote the Borough Council said no.

We now understand that the Borough has approved an ad hoc committee that will explore several issues, among them merging police as well as other services with various towns including ours. We wish them well with this plan and we are always ready to listen to mutually beneficial proposals. In the meantime we will be attending to our primary responsibility by looking at the needs and costs of our police department, while considering ways to increase its already efficient operation. In light of the suspended talks we hope that a great opportunity for both towns has not been missed.

The Gorilla in Our Midst

On May 10, 2001 , after more than two years of hearings, our Board of Adjustment denied Verizon Wireless a variance to build a 148-foot cellular tower in a lovely single-family home neighborhood. The application was for property, located just off Conifer Drive , owned by Samuel Barsa.  Verizon brought suit against the Township in Superior Court in Morristown , where our denial of the variance was upheld. Verizon then went to the NJ Court of Appeals which found for Verizon and overturned the denial.

As this is written, the Township is preparing to file a motion to have the case heard by the New Jersey Supreme Court. We understand that separate motions will be filed by a number of Conifer Drive neighbors. The case could go either way.

Historic Cider Mill now preserved

In other news, the historic Ralston Cider Mill which sits on 4.5 acres at the western edge of town, was purchased by the Township in early January for $900,000. Funding came from $400,000 in the form of a Morris County preservation grant and $500,000 from our open space trust fund. The mill will be leased back to the Ralston Cider Mill Trustees who will manage the property and raise funds for its restoration.

Financial matters

On February 9 the Township Committee introduced the 2004 municipal budget which includes a one and one-half cent rise in the tax rate. This is the first increase in Mendham Township ’s municipal tax rate in seven years, or since 1997, and only the second rise since 1991.

The $8,098,728 budget reflects an increase of $2,277,106 over 2003. The largest portion of that, $950,000, is a reserve for a long-range facilities-improvement program which includes the proposed joint Library of the Mendhams, our Township municipal facilities, a new Brookside firehouse, and trail and ballfield construction at India Brook Park.  The 1-1/2 cent increase brings the current rate from 42 cents per $100 of assessed value to 43-1/2 cents.

(See Revaluation article in this newsletter)  The State of New Jersey requires that every ten years each municipality shall conduct a reassessment or revaluation of all its real property. Therefore, each home and property in our town will be visited by an assessor during the summer of 2004 to determine current value. You will receive additional information about the reassessment later this spring. In the fall, the assessor will mail you a written notice indicating the new appraised value of your home and property. Because of the strength of the real estate market in our town, most property values will probably go up. But that does not mean the tax you pay will necessarily increase, since the tax rate will be applied across all reassessed properties in our community

Appreciation

Thank you for everything you do to help keep our town the excellent community it is. I hope you accept my personal invitation to attend our regular Township Committee meetings at 7:30pm on the second Monday and fourth Tuesday of each month. There are two opportunities for public participation in every meeting. The Township Committee and I look forward to seeing and hearing from you.

===

Environmental Commission

Put Some Steps in Your Spring!

Now that it’s spring, the Environmental Commission encourages you to take advantage of the

650 acres of open space in Mendham Township and take some walks in the forest. Most of the tracts have trails, with new trails planned for the others.  The Township-wide Trail Map, available in Town Hall and the library, will help you choose which open space property is most appealing to you on any given day.  Individual trail maps also are available. 

Experienced trail walkers will notice some new features this spring:

·         Some seventy trees in Burnett Book Natural Area have been labeled with the common name and Latin name. Try guessing the identity of some trees (without peeking at the label) or see how many of the six species of oak tree you can find -- or look for the rare black ash tree.  Don’t miss the spectacular displays of spring wild flowers in your search for a rare tree.

·         A new pond has been created in Buttermilk Falls Natural Area near the old Mendham Waterworks.  “Spring Pond” joins the Frog Pond and Wood Duck Pond as attractions for wildlife – and walkers.

·         Trails will be better cared-for than in the past thanks to a group of citizen “Trail Stewards” who have volunteered to maintain many of our trails.

·         New trails have been completed in India Brook Park and Tempe Wick Reserve. Rehabilitation of a one-mile section of Patriots Path between Cherry Lane and Cold Hill Road is expected to be completed by summer.

·         Native shrubs and grasses will be planted in the spring at Buttermilk Falls Natural Area to continue the rehabilitation of that property.

If you would like another copy of our award-winning Open Space brochure -- with descriptions of the tracts, a map and beautiful photos -- additional copies are available free in Town Hall.

It has been said before but bears repeating: You don’t have to travel long distances to enjoy healthful walks on lovely woodland trails.  Enjoy your town’s open space properties this spring.

===

Nature: love it and leave it

Leave Young Wildlife Alone

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife urges New Jerseyans to leave young wildlife undisturbed.  "Every year, especially during the spring and early summer, the lives of many young animals are disrupted," said DEP Commissioner Bradley M.  Campbell . "Well intentioned people may attempt to 'save' these animals, and more often than not, the mother is nearby witnessing her young being taken."

 

Your potential acts of kindness often have the opposite effect. Instead of being left to learn how to survive, young animals will be denied their natural learning experiences. They often become attached to their caregivers and cannot be returned to the wild. In addition, nearly all wild birds and mammals are protected under the law and may not be legally taken from the wild or kept. 

Only when they are found injured or with their dead mother is there reason to do something and only under these circumstances can an animal be legally kept while it is being transferred to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Those who encounter such a situation may contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife at 609-292-2965. Or visit the Division's website at www.njfishandwildlife.com for information on the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center.

Above all, individuals should never consider wild animals as possible pets. "People must resist the temptation of adopting wildlife because of the risk of bringing wildlife-borne diseases like rabies and parasites such as roundworms, lice, fleas and ticks into the home," Campbell said. If in doubt, leave them out.

   ===

Historic Preservation Committee

Found: The “Atlantis” of Mendham Township

Did you know there is a lost hamlet right here in Mendham Township ?  It was called Harmony, and was settled around 1750.  Harmony was located at the confluence of the five streams that form Harmony Brook and eventually feed the Whippany River .  But if you’re looking for it, don your scuba gear; today, it’s beneath the waters of the Clyde Potts Reservoir.

Harmony, with its ample water supply, was a farming community. An 1850 map identifies the residents as the Kaisers, Brunnels, Clarks, Mrs. Dickerson, the Bryants, Hulverts, and Pooles.  By 1860 the community had grown.  Some of the newer families included the Stuarts, Krammers, Skennicks, Quimblys and Eskars. They served their community as coopers, blacksmiths, wine makers, charcoal burners, shoemakers, distillers, teamsters, and most of them also as farmers.

The Harmony residents spent Sundays at Mt. Freedom Presbyterian Church near the corner of Sussex Avenue and Old Brookside Road .  Tombstones still bear many of the names listed above, as well as those of Dray, Colvert, Coombs, Coe, Young, Carp, Guerin, Crane, Woodhull, Connett and others associated with Harmony.   

Children attended the Mt. Freedom School near the Church or the Brookside Grammar School . Those living in the westernmost reaches attended the Doby Road School at the corner of Doby and Calais Roads (since demolished; now a retention basin.)

Between 1928 and 1931 the Morristown Water Company acquired land for construction of the Clyde Potts Reservoir along with extensive additional holdings in surrounding properties.  Roughly half of this land now0 comprises the Township’s Buttermilk Falls Natural Area. 

Before starting work on the reservoir, the homes and buildings of Harmony were demolished, their chimney’s toppled, and the resulting debris burned.  All that might be seen today if the reservoir were emptied would be an occasional stone foundation, the largest of which would mark the remains of the distillery.

Four homes, however, did survive: the Guerin’s, the Garrity’s, the Coe-Coomb’s house and the Clark ’s house.  These were moved up the hill and placed along Old Brookside Road .  Unfortunately, the Coe-Coombs house was subsequently demolished to make room for a new, larger, more modern structure.

A diligent effort over several years created a major partnership among our Township Committee, the governing body of Randolph , the Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority (the water company), Morris County itself and the State of New Jersey , to protect over 900 acres of land around the reservoir. That huge watershed is now publicly owned and preserved by a conservation easement. (See related article under Open Space Committee)

Trails are being created through this property, which will be opened to the public later this year.  Visitors to these trails will find trace reminders of the old settlement.  Well preserved are foundations of houses (with basements) and barns (without), plus smaller remnants of outbuildings and corncribs.  A lime kiln is located just across the town line in Randolph .  Remains of hearths are evidence of once-thriving blacksmith shops. And a handful of old bridges span small streams.

The lush, heavily treed hills behind the reservoir once were denuded of trees, especially in the mountains where the Brunnel family burned charcoal to feed the local forges.  Boy Scouts from Morristown reforested these hills with an assortment of pines and spruces and eventually native deciduous trees took hold.  The result: a precious water recharge area that also is an autumn patchwork of colors. It is among the prettiest in the state and a seasonal eye-feast for those of us lucky enough – or wise enough – to live here.

===

Open Space Committee

Conservation Easements – Another Tool for Land Preservation

In coming issues of the Township Newsletter, the Open Space Trust Committee (OSTC) will discuss methods of preserving land that might be of interest to Township property owners.  This is the first in that series.

One reason our town is known as a “jewel of Morris County ” is the generosity of residents who allow some or all of their property to be kept as open space. Landowners interested in land preservation have numerous options available to them.    One of the most creative is called a conservation easement.  The Handbook of Landowner’s Options describes a conservation easement as “a legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization or government agency that permanently limits a property’s uses in order to protect its conservation values.”  By restricting property through a conservation easement, the owner continues to enjoy many of the rights of ownership yet ensures that the land and its natural resources are preserved in perpetuity. 

The biggest threat to conservation values on most properties in New Jersey is development.  Because of this, conservation easements generally prohibit the future development of a property.

Often with a conservation easement, a landowner can continue to manage the land in the same way it always has been managed as long as the management does not conflict with the terms of the easement.  This is especially true with conservation easements on farmland.   With farmland conservation easements, as under the County Farmland Preservation program, farmers are allowed to continue farming and can sell their property only as farmland, with a permanent prohibition against development. Other conservation easements limit uses that would do harm to the natural attributes of the property and are written to suit a landowner’s specific desires and needs.   Depending on its location, a conservation easement can be applied to a few acres or many acres. 

When a conservation easement is granted the owner may be eligible for a charitable deduction equal to the amount of reduction in the land’s value.  A conservation easement may be granted to a land conservation organization or directly to the town or other government agency.

This is a useful and relatively simple tool you can use to help keep Mendham Township the “jewel” it is, while accruing benefits to yourself now -- and to future generations, as well. The OSTC can provide you with several books on the subject and also is willing to help you decide on appropriate preservation options that best meet your needs and interests.  Please call Township Administrator Steve Mountain at town hall (973.543-4555) for further information with no obligation.

  ===

And Speaking of Open Space …

The Mendham Township Tree Protection and Roadscape Committee cordially invites all residents to hear David Epstein, Executive Director of the Morris Land Conservancy, who will speak here on Thursday, April 15 at 7:30pm .

In his leadership role with MLC for the past decade, Mr. Epstein has helped preserve more than 5,000 acres of land in our area including hundreds of acres in Mendham Township .  The Governor recently appointed David Epstein, along with our own Jack Schrier, to serve on the important Highlands Task Force and make recommendations to help preserve New Jersey ’s Highlands

The Morris Land Conservancy is a non-profit organization that successfully works to protect northern New Jersey ’s open spaces through its preservation, stewardship and educational programs. The MLC focuses on critical watersheds, scenic and historic landscapes, wildlife habitats, and important recreational areas. The continuing goal of the Conservancy is to make northern New Jersey a better place to live, work and raise a family.

As a supporter of open space preservation in our community, we encourage you to come and enjoy this exciting speaker discuss the work of the Conservancy -- and its vision for the future.

When:    Thursday, April 15 at 7:30pm .

Where:   Mendham Township Municipal Building

                Cherry Lane, Brookside

===

Emergency Management

Homeland Security Begins … at Home

Our local Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is a joint undertaking of Mendham Township and Mendham Borough. The Office’s Task Force had a very busy 2003 with Coordinators Evan Thomas (Township) and Thomas Berenbak (Borough) participating in six bimonthly meetings.  Among other tasks, they completed a revision and review of the Municipal Emergency Operations Plan using FEMA’s introduction to State and Local EOP Guidelines, completed the Municipal Terrorism Annex, and assisted in a revision of emergency operations for all the schools in the township and borough.

Our OEM also was able to secure a FEMA grant in excess of $24,000 for reimbursement of all township expenses related to the blizzard of February 2003. A local emergency-planning meeting was held in anticipation of Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. Coordinator Thomas is currently working on evacuation plans for the township elementary and middle schools.

We hope you will join us in extending appreciation to Township Police Lt. James Hughes, Deputy OEM Coordinator Jack Alderton, Township First Aid Squad representative Paula Oswald, Borough Police Chief Patricia Cameron, Borough First Aid Squad representative Dave Murphy, as well as all members from the township and borough Emergency Planning Committee and emergency services.

===

Bureau of Fire Prevention

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Every residence in New Jersey is now required to have installed carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in the immediate vicinity of all sleeping rooms. It is also recommended that an additional CO alarm be located in all finished basements. The new regulation permits the use of battery powered, hard- wired, plug-in alarms, or CO alarms as a part of a property or life safety fire detection system. There are also combination carbon monoxide/smoke detectors available and installation shall strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Electrically operated devices are required to be supplied from a dedicated branch circuit or the un-switched portion of a branch circuit also used for power and lighting,  Operation of a switch (other than a circuit breaker) or a ground-fault circuit interrupter is not permitted to cause loss of power to the alarm. The alarm may be located on the wall, ceiling, or other location as specified in the manufacturer’s installation instructions. The alarm device is required to be supported independently of its attachment to wires.

For alarms installed in the vicinity of sleeping rooms, the alarm notification appliance is required to be clearly audible in all bedrooms over background noise levels and with all intervening doors closed, with a minimum rating of ??X5dBA at 10 feet. If the alarm is intended to notify occupants in the same room, the sound pressure level is permitted to be 75dBA at 10 feet. Reference documents for the purchase and installation of the alarms can be found in the National Fire Protection Association Standard 720 and UL 2034.

Smoke/Fire Detection Alarms

All homes are required to have an operating smoke detector on each level of the residence and in the vicinity of all sleeping rooms. Depending upon the date of construction, the detectors’ power supplies are required to be battery, hard-wired, hard-wired with battery backup, or a central low voltage fire detection/alarm system. Since 1993 smoke detectors are required in each bedroom.

The Township Fire Department strongly urges all residents to provide a smoke detector in each bedroom and provide at least one battery operated or battery back-up smoke detector in the vicinity of all sleeping rooms.

Central Smoke/Fire Detection Alarm Systems

All low voltage central fire detection/alarm systems are required to be inspected, tested and maintained annually by a NJ certified fire alarm contractor. If your residence has an alarm system that has smoke detectors supervised by a fire alarm panel regardless as to whether you are contracted with a monitoring company to call the fire department this inspection is required.

When having work contracted in your home ensure that the contractors are aware of the fire detection system and actions must be taken to prevent nuisance activations while work is being conducted. These actions may include the proper protection of the smoke/heat detectors, conducting activities in areas not affecting the detectors and placing the system on test during the hours while the daily work is being conducted. Some activities may affect and damage a detector if it is exposed to dirt and dust from construction, paint or vapors.

Landlord Responsibilities

Per New Jersey Administrative Codes, a landlord is required to install and maintain smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms per code. Prior to the occupancy by a new tenant it is required that the landlord obtain a Certificate of Smoke Detector & Carbon Monoxide Mann Compliance from the Fire Official.

-- Jeffrey Betz, Twp. Fire Official

===

===

Following a successful first contest last year, amateur photographers of any age living in the Mendhams (Borough or Township) are invited to enter their photographs of Mendham Township open space properties for tour second annual photo contest sponsored by Mendham Township. This contest is to encourage awareness and enjoyment of our open space areas, to have some fun, and to obtain great photographs of open space for the Township.

You are eligible if you are an amateur who is:

·         A resident of Mendham Borough or Mendham Township

·         Age group 14 and younger*

·         Age group 15 and older/adult*

·         Not an employee or committee member for Mendham Township

Snap your photographs of Township open space properties during 2004 (spring, summer, and autumn).  Photos can be:

·         Film, or digital

·         Color, or black and white

Photos should be submitted as taken in the camera and not enhanced other than cropping if desired.  Enter as many photos as you like and bring to Mendham Township Municipal Bldg., 2 Cherry Lane , Brookside , by December 10, 2004 . 

All photos will be placed on display to the public. Winners will receive additional recognition and prizes.

*Photos will be judged in the two age groups.

The eligible open space properties to photograph are:

>India Brook Natural Area / India Brook Park / Buttermilk Falls

>Dismal Harmony                     >Cold Hill Reserve

> Meadowood Park                     >Ralston Fields / Wysong Field

>Burnett Brook                         > Tempe Wick Reserve

>Schiff Nature Preserve

No other open space properties or parks are eligible subjects.

Entry submittals must be accompanied by a short submission form available at town hall. Submissions should include an 8x10 inch print, the “original” (negative, slide, or a disk with a digital image file [preferably TIFF, JPEG acceptable]) and a brief narrative identifying the photographer, equipment and media used, property that was photographed, and any interesting notes about the photo.

 All entered materials and all rights to their use will become the property of Mendham Township .  No entry materials (prints, etc.) will be returned.

Photos should capture the essence, beauty, and character of the open space.  Composition may show views, streams, ponds, trees, fall foliage, flowers, animals, birds, insects, or other natural attributes.  Pictures may include people using and enjoying the open space or recreational activities, or historical features. Mendham Township has over 54-miles of trails through hundreds of acres of land preserved in a natural state, so there are endless opportunities.

For more information and application forms, contact Steve Mountain , Township Administrator, telephone 973-543-4555.  Information also will be posted on the township website, www.mendhamtownship.org.

 

===

First Aid Squad

Crutches, Wheelchairs, Other Equipment Available to Residents

The Mendham Township First Aid Squad has medical support equipment available to lend. Our supply consists mainly of crutches, canes (one four-legged ), walkers, commodes and toilet risers.  Occasionally, a wheelchair is available. The Squad also welcomes donations of wheelchairs and any clean, usable equipment of this type. For a loan or to make a donation, call Linda Brusco at Town Hall (973)543-4555 or at home (973)543-2830.

====

Maryann or Dave,

Today, please check accuracy of the following info for newsletter, make any corrections, and FAX back to me at home – 973-543-9090.  Thanks  -- Jack Schrier

CHECK DATES!! CHECK DATES!!  CHECK HAZMAT FEE$!!

Dept. of Public Works

Brush Collection

Tires, Batteries and Oil Disposal

Submitted by David H. Read, Sr., Superintendent of Public Works

Spring Brush Pick-up                                                             Monday,  April 12, 2004   

Spring Tire, Battery , Oil Recycling  - 8am – 12 noon                        Saturday, May 15, 2004

Fall Brush Pick-up                                                                  Monday,  October 11, 2004   

Fall Tire, Battery , Oil Recycling  - 8am – 12 noon                 Saturday, October 16, 2004

Please ensure that brush is at the side of the road by 7:00 AM , with the ends facing the roadway.

ALL BRUSH BUNDLES MUST BE TIED WITH STRING, NOT WIRE.

BRUSH WILL NOT BE PICKED UP IF IT IS NOT TIED.

Brush bundles should be less than 12” in diameter and less than 6’ in length. Stumps and logs over 6’ in length or over 6” in diameter will NOT be picked up. All material must fit through the chipper.

BRUSH WILL NOT BE PICKED UP if lots or wooded areas are cleared either by the homeowner or a contractor. Homeowners and/or contractors must dispose of cleared wood themselves. Town brush pickup is intended for the clearing of brush that has fallen during storms.

It is crucial NOT to include in your bundles any material other than branches, scrub or brush. When wire or metal rods are tucked inside the bundle this damages township equipment, which must then be repaired or replaced with your tax dollars. MOST IMPORTANT, improperly prepared bundles can easily cause serious injury to our workers as the material passes through the chipper.

Spring and Fall Tire, Battery and Oil Collection will be held on above dates:            

Location: DPW Garage, 40 Mt. Pleasant Road.  Hours: 8:00 AM until noon .

Charges are: Tires--$3 ea., Tires with rims--$5. ea., Batteries--$2.ea., Oil--no charge.

The township is pleased to continue providing these environmentally important services to residents and we appreciate your cooperation in helping to ensure safety.  If you have any questions please telephone the Dept. of Public Works at (973) 543-4509.

===

Recycling is the law

Recycle Every Other Monday, Townwide

TWO RECYCLING DATES CHANGED!  Please note that in 2004 there will be NO recycling collection on Memorial Day (May 31) or Labor Day (September 6).  However, the Township has arranged for two alternative collection dates – they will be Saturday, June 5 and Saturday September 11.  Remember: do not put out recycling for collection on Memorial Day and Labor Day but DO so for the Saturday following each of those two holidays. 

Have Your Recycling Containers & Bundled Newspapers at Curbside by 6 a.m.

                                   

Recycling is required by law. Recycling also lets you reduce the weight of trash you put out for weekly collection, thereby saving you money on your per-bag trash collection costs!*

 

How to Prepare Newspapers for Recycling

To properly prepare newspapers for curbside collection, bundle them and tie the bundles with string or twine. Keep newspapers separate from all other paper, and do not place them in plastic bags. It is OK to include coupon flyers, glossy special sections and all paper that actually comes with the newspaper.

Pick up and post in your home an illustrated flyer at town hall that describes all recyclable materials, with information on our simplified recycling collection procedure.

* (You pay only for the weight of trash you put out for collection, 65c for one 15lb. bag. For example, one 15 lb. bag of trash per week means that a full year of trash collection is a mere $31.20!  Recycling removes weight from your trash and saves you money. Trash stickers are available at Mendham Apothecary as a convenience to our residents. To learn more about our bargain trash collection service, call Sue at town hall – 973-543-4555.)

=====

Can You Write A Punch Line?

We’ve omitted the punch line of this cartoon so you can send us your own version. Come up with something that is witty/clever/droll/ingenious/morbid/funny/poignant/inspired … whatever. Our panel of distinguished judges (ha!) will roll on the floor while evaluating your entries. We will print their choice of the top three in our Autumn edition. Unless you tell us not to, we’ll give you credit. Enjoy a limited bit of local fame, if not fortune.

Enter as often as you wish. No purchase required but you must be a resident of Mendham Township and include your address with your entries. Deadline is August 1, 2004 . Winners will receive ten (10) township trash collection stickers, courtesy of your Township Committee – and not bought with taxpayer money!

Mail to: Newsletter Cartoon, PO Box 520 , Brookside , NJ 07926-0520

===

Building/Construction Dept.

                                                                                   

Build It Right

This is the time of year when many residents anticipate doing some type of construction project. So please remember that once you have received your approved construction permit, you also are required to have the appropriate inspections.  They may include the following:

REQUIRED INSPECTIONS:

·         Footing

·         Foundation

·         Plumbing/Electric and Fire rough inspection (before framing inspection).

·         Framing and Fireplaces

·         Insulation

·         Final Electric, Plumbing and Fire

·         Final Building

·         Final Site Work (Grading, Driveways, Etc.)