Residents show their support for original seal

(Continued from Page 14) the messages before they make a decision. Everyone seems to have different opinions. The commissioners just want to do their due diligence. No decision has been made.”

The poll was open to Union County residents, she said. When the poll ended, anyone who resided out of the county and voted was not counted and separated from the tally. Only the tally of Union County residents were accepted. Each IP address and email was permitted to vote only one time.

Schools who participated in the poll were from Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Garwood, Hillside, Linden, New Providence, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit, Union, Westfield, and Winfield.

“We are aware of a petition that was going around by residents against the changing of the seal which has 1,951 signatures,” said Martins in an online message to LocalSource. “However, those who signed the petition are not just from Union County – they are from all of New Jersey, out of state and sometimes country. Our poll just included Union County residents.”

“I agree with the commissioners that the seal is not accurate and I don’t know if it was ever meant to be accurate,” Arminio said. “It was an artist’s rendition of an action that changed the course of the war. Hannah Caldwell was the first woman killed in battle in New Jersey. She was shot and killed by a British soldier. One of the girls who was with her testified about that.”

“One of the arguments that was used … is that the seal should be replaced because it’s not accurate, but I feel it’s artistic license, it’s a dramatic picture of what happened,” La Mort said. “The picture on the seal in the doorway of the shadow is supposed to be Elias. The artist is trying to tell the story symbolically.”

“The two women who were present, a girl named Abigail Lennington that did some housekeeping and a nurse named Catherine Benward, testified at the Essex County Courthouse at the inquest into her death.”

Caldwell’s name still figures prominently in Union.

“Hannah Caldwell was the last school built in Union; actually, it was a lab that was converted into a school,” Arminio said. “One of the former board of education members, Ray Perkins, he and his wife were walking down the street when they agreed it would make a good school. They talked to Superintendent Ted Jacobowski and they named it after Hannah Caldwell in the late ’90s.”

As for the issue of the county seal, everyone interviewed said they hoped it was resolved.

“They seem to be indicating that they could revisit this debate, but we're just hoping they’re going to end it,” La Mort said. “The Board of Commissioners meets every other week. We thanked the commissioners on April 27 for their decision, but nobody from the other groups was there, so maybe they’re dropping it.”

“It came as somewhat of a surprise that the commissioners were thinking of changing the seal,” added Arminio. “I don’t think this is important enough that (the Union County Board of County Commissioners) should spend so much time on a seal that’s been around since 1933.”

Arminio also praised Kean University history graduate Kelly Komar for everything she did, particularly putting togeth-