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A village in the gathering storm Allentown at the crossroads of revolution Part II

By R. H. Schmitt Jr.

Allentown resident Andrew Harris was all smiles on July 11, 2026 after his horse, Brandon Blvd, won the Meadowlands Pace in East Rutherford. It was the first Pace victory for the 41-year-old trainer.

(Photo by Ken Weingartner/USTA.)

Andrew Harris reaches new heights in harness racing

By Rich Fisher

Andrew Harris wanted to celebrate. Oh, how he wanted to celebrate.

But for several seconds, which seemed like several years, he had to let his stomach churn as he watched and waited.

Finally, the photo finish showed that his horse, Brandon Blvd, had given the 41-year-old owner-trainer his first Meadowlands Pace victory in his 23-year career. The $800,000 Pace in East Rutherford is one of the biggest events in harness racing, a premier Grade 1 race for 3-year-old pacers.

It was the “first horse good enough” that Harris, an Allentown resident, could enter in the event. As his colt held off a charge from three others, the trainer thought he had it won but was not about to pump his fist until it became official.

“It was amazing because I See HARRIS, Page 15

A word from the journeyman scribe: This is the second of three planned installments examining the Revolutionary history of Allentown, Upper Freehold and the surrounding area in honor of the 250th anniversary of these United States. My aim, as ordered by my Cornwallis-admiring Editor-for-Life, is to present a snapshot of some of the more interesting people, events and extraordinary contributions of our historic village during America’s War for Independence from the British crown.

To be clear: These short installments are mere glimpses into the past and are not complete histories. I have leaned most heavily upon the hard-won research of amateur and professional historians, many of whom dedicated their personal and professional lives to discovering and preserving our Revolutionary past.

Foremost among those historians is John Fabiano of Allentown Borough, co-author and editor of the book “Allen’s Town, New Jersey: A Crossroads of the American Revolution.” Fabiano served

as executive director of the Monmouth County Historical Commission and is a past president of the Allentown Borough Historical Preservation Commission. In 2025, he received the Jane G. Clayton Award for his contributions to historic preservation.

John has acted as a recruited Virgil to my Dante and led me back into the past and through the smoke, heat and cannon fire, from the cramped, candlelit offices of a young, liberty-minded Allen’s Town lawyer named Brearley, who would play his own part in changing the course of the war and eventually have significant input in shaping the U.S. Constitution, to the horrific deep freeze of Christmas 1776 along the banks of the Delaware just north of Trenton.

There, on the other side, the supreme commander of the Continental forces stood with his most trusted advisers in the gloom, clutched in the maw of a wintry wrath. He must have felt the heavy press of eternity as he considered a dangerous and ill-advised plan to cross the river and march through the freezing blackness to Hessian-occupied Trenton.

The story would continue through the bloody battles of Princeton and Monmouth and back into the fields of Upper See STORM, Page 4

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STORM continued from Page 1 Freehold, nearly approaching the dark and dangerous wilds of the Pine Barrens, then haunted by gangs of thieves, marauders and Loyalist Tories with revenge on their minds and blood on their hands. Thanks, John.

Thanks also to Allentown’s beloved historian, artist and patriot Alice Wikoff, the 2020 winner of the Jane G. Clayton Award. Along with John and Alice, we cannot forget the immense contributions and fighting spirit of Ann Garrison, who, John insists, “did most of the heavy lifting for the book.”

Garrison also spent many years fighting for Allentown’s wild greenbelt, farmland preservation and more. I must also recognize historians Michael Adelberg, Thomas Pyle of Princeton and David Fowler, upon whose work I relied.

Finally, thank you to the librarians here in old Allen’s Town and, truth be told, throughout this nation, for they are the keepers of the flame.

II. The French and Indian War, 1753-1758: Allen’s Town spies a distinguished visitor. Now, let’s get back onto the Lower York Road and remember where we are and, more importantly, when.

The reader will recall, no doubt, that the Lower York Road originally followed old Lenape-Unami trails along two creeks. Doctor’s Creek led toward the rich countryside, bayshore and East Coast, while Indian Run connected the slowly expanding pre-Revolutionary communities of East and West Jersey.

Those communities included Perth Amboy, the capital of East Jersey, and Burlington, the capital of West Jersey. The road also offered a route, as both Gens. Washington and Cornwallis would recognize, from New York to that hotbed of colonial separatist audacity, Philadelphia.

Yet here we still linger, in the middle.

Indeed, at the very crossroads of it all.

The last time you and I, reader, loitered here at the corner of Allen Street, now Main Street, and what would, just after the Revolution, become Thomas Paine Street, though in modern times it somehow was renamed the bland, milquetoast Church Street, the French and Indian War was still very much in play.

In February 1756, we would have seen on our streets 24-year-old Col. George Washington of the Virginia Regiment. He was accompanied by his aide-de-camp, Capt.

George Mercer; Capt. Robert Stewart; and two servants.

Washington was fresh from the ill-fated Braddock campaign in the wilderness near present-day Pittsburgh. He distinguished himself during the retreat following the Battle of the Monongahela while also being blamed for initiating hostilities and mishandling what were meant to be negotiations with the French, who were aggressively occupying the Ohio River Valley.

With his military career in serious question, the disillusioned Washington was en route to Boston to seek an official royal commission. He faced undermining criticism from fickle and capricious superior British officers who defamed the provincial militia and, in history’s retrospective glass, the ambitious Virginian himself.

When he tarried here in Allen’s Town, Washington may have spent his hardearned shillings in its shops and frequented one of its inns or taverns. He possibly stopped at the Flag, where the Presbyterian manse now stands, or at “Randle’s Tavern,” also known as the “Crown Inn,” where Woody’s Downtown Cafe now serves hungry customers.

After being rebuffed by the British brass, Washington, now a changed and more seaSee STORM, Page 4

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STORM continued from Page 4 soned field officer, quit his military service to the crown, returned to Virginia and took up the life of a gentleman farmer.

In time, Washington turned those lessons in combat, military discipline and the internal workings of the British forces into valuable weapons for the cause of liberty. We must leave his story there for now, for nearly 10 years had passed.

III. The Stamp Act: Outrage, riot and a fuse of rebellion lit.

It was the spring of 1765, and tensions between the occupying British forces and the hard-working citizens of places such as Allen’s Town, Bordentown, Burlington, Philadelphia and Boston were heating up.

The small village of Allen’s Town, a humble cluster of 80 or so mostly rustic structures punctuated by the occasional grander dwelling that was likely the home of a prosperous merchant with dealings elsewhere, seemed to find itself increasingly in the crosshairs of British aggression and unwarranted attention. Similar situations abounded in nearby hamlets. Pleas and letters to England for mercy and more reasonable taxation went unheeded and were even mocked.

British troops had begun harassing common citizens, farmers and small businesses alike, a dark foreshadowing of the violent housing and quartering of troops to come

A Revolutionary War-era map traces the British and Hessian army’s route through Crosswicks, Allen’s Town and Imlaystown during its June 1778 march toward the Battle of Monmouth. during the war proper.

Beyond the increasing taxes, little did the colonists realize, from Boston down to Georgia, that the worst was yet to come.

On March 22, 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, and King George III granted it royal assent. The act imposed a new tax throughout the 13 American colonies, requiring every significant piece of paper, including pamphlets, playing cards and legal documents, to carry a royal tax stamp.

Due to reckless spending, unnecessary

6  The Messenger-Press | August 2026

foreign excursions, years of war and the relentless expansion of the empire, the British were deeply in debt and needed to raise roughly 100,000 pounds per year for an indefinite period.

The stamp tax, the colonists were glibly told, would pay for British garrisons stationed there to “protect their lives and property.” From this affront arose the rallying cry “taxation without representation” among the irate citizenry.

Although Fabiano points out that the

Stamp Act “primarily affected the upper echelons of colonial society” — merchants, lawyers, tavern owners and the like — it can be argued that the colonies were represented, if you will, by average working men and women who, while not wealthy, were already dreaming of bigger opportunities and hunting for better lives for themselves and their children.

In other words, America, even before formally declaring independence or creating a Constitution consisting of noble ideas, political and societal norms, and legal structures meant to create a society of laws, had perhaps already slipped the grasping bonds of a faraway king and his impecunious empire.

The colonists, led by angry merchants, journalists and other professionals, protested, rallied and rioted in the streets of small villages and large towns alike, forcing nearly all the stamp distributors to resign hastily.

Even more damaging to British authority was the nearly universal boycott of goods imported from England. Under extreme pressure from British merchants, the crown reluctantly repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766, but Parliament peevishly replaced it with the Declaratory Act, legislation explicitly stating that Parliament retained the absolute power to legislate and tax the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”

See STORM, Page 8

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STORM continued from Page 6 This constant conflict over taxation and interference with the colonists’ day-to-day business would eventually set the stage for the War for Independence, with Allen’s Town squarely in the center of the gathering storm.

IV. Allen’s Town on the eve of revolution: Patriots, Tories and Pine Barrens Robbers. Garrison and Fabiano write in their 2001 treatise that, before the war, a network of closely connected, prominent businessmen controlled transportation along the Lower York Road.

They write that the road linked the two capitals of East and West Jersey, Burlington City and Perth Amboy, and continued to New York and Philadelphia.

“During these years, the Borden family, the Rogers family, the Kirkbride family, the Height family and the Brown family, among others, often intermarried, creating a tight kinship network that was to play a major role in the war of the revolution in New Jersey,” they write.

Thus, Allentown figured prominently as a crucial link in the network of places along this route where county quartermasters from Burlington, Monmouth and Middlesex counties were stationed. Garrison et al. note that some members of these important local families sacrificed their fortunes and their very lives to the cause of liberty.

One of Allen’s Town’s most prominent residents and noted Patriots, Samuel Rogers, stood out as a key figure during this time and as a central link in the transportation of people and goods from New York to Philadelphia.

Rogers used his transportation business fruitfully to build valuable and profitable relationships that would later become a lifeline for the American side. He was not alone in this effort, as it is well documented that the vast majority of farmers and businesses in Allen’s Town and Upper Freehold smuggled grain, wool, a variety of foodstuffs and even lead up to Boston when that important port city suffered its first blockade by the British in 1774 following the Boston Tea Party.

Yet the rebellious, busy little hamlet, with its molasses-processing facility, mills of every stripe, pork, access to salt works, rich and plentiful farms and more, cleverly and quietly provided Gen. George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, who was encamped here in Allen’s Town ahead of the Battle of Monmouth, Lafayette and other commanders with invaluable sustenance and aid throughout the war.

It is no small thing to say that these noble Allentown and Upper Freehold families often had their property and even their homes confiscated, ransacked or burned by the British and their Hessian thugs.

In the particularly notable case of Allen’s Town’s own Isaac Randolph family, the consequences of patriotism and assisting the war effort against the British occupa-

tion were dire indeed. Isaac Randolph was a partner in Samuel Rogers’ transportation business.

Isaac’s sons, the three young Patriot Randolph brothers, James, Benjamin and Daniel, all suffered attacks and grave mistreatment during the war, including kidnapping, torture, lengthy imprisonment and, in one case, execution.

Benjamin ran Randle’s Tavern, also known as the Crown, in Allen’s Town.

In 1782, Daniel Randolph was captured

by British forces along with Capt. Joshua Huddy while guarding the salt works. He was tortured so badly at the Sugar House prison in New York that he lost both legs.

Huddy was unceremoniously hanged by the British atop the coastal Highlands.

Unlike his brother James, who was unceremoniously and without explanation executed while a prisoner of a gang of Loyalists in New York, Benjamin Randolph survived the war.

Benjamin was the proprietor of the wellknown Speedwell sawmill in the Pine Barrens and owned a shop that sold his famous and much sought-after fine Chippendale furniture. He went on to operate a Philadelphia tavern.

The tavern of note was called “The Sign of the Golden Eagle.” It was not far from Independence Hall and was well known and frequented by Benjamin Franklin, Martha and George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other luminaries of the era.

Joseph Borden Jr. of Bordentown assumed control of the stage and boat line connecting Philadelphia and New York.

Borden later became a colonel in Washington’s Continental Army, while his son attained the rank of captain. Both were prominent officers in the American Revolution.

Because of its strategic location between Perth Amboy and Burlington, New York and Philadelphia, and so near the Pine Barrens route to the coastline, Allen’s Town was the perfect location for New Jersey’s Courts of Admiralty, Fabiano explained.

The courts met mainly at Randle’s Tavern, formerly Barton’s Tavern, which had been operated by Gilbert Barton. They sometimes met at the Brick Tavern, also known as “The Queen,” and at other locations as well.

These courts decided the ownership of British ships and cargo captured by American privateers. Privateering was the practice of privately owned ships being authorized by a government to attack and capture enemy vessels.

The Allen’s Town courts evaluated the captured ships, sold any valuable cargo and distributed the money to the privateers.

Garrison, Fabiano et al. also write about Joseph Height, proprietor of the Stage Boat Tavern, who later bought Allentown Mills.

See STORM, Page 10

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STORM continued from Page 8 “The Stage Boat Tavern was another colonial public house in Burlington, on the riverside of Delaware Avenue near the Bassnet Tavern, and became the starting and stopping place for stages bound for the Amboys,” they write. “The last colonial proprietor of the Stage Boat Tavern was Joseph Height. He changed the name temporarily to the Sign of the General Wolfe, in honor of the man who commanded at Quebec. That was before 1770, when it reverted to the old name.”

While we have previously touched on Allentown Patriot and jurist David Brearley Jr., a signer of the United States Constitution, a fierce soldier and a dynamic intellect, it should be said that his father, David Sr., of Maidenhead, now Lawrenceville, was jailed no fewer than twice for leading New Jersey’s anti-proprietary land riots in the 1740s, according to Garrison et al.

We know that the younger Brearley practiced law from his Allen’s Town home at 7 S. Main St. His home and offices were burned under suspicious circumstances in 1771.

Brearley served as a colonel in the Monmouth County militia and later attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army. He served until 1779, when he resigned his commission to become New Jersey’s chief justice.

From historian Thomas Pyle of Princeton and Mercer-Gothic Lodge No. 270 F&AM,

we also learn that Brearley served as an important leader in the founding of Freemasonry in New Jersey.

The gallant Patriot, jurist, shaper and signer of the U.S. Constitution and chief justice was also New Jersey’s first grand master of the Grand Lodge. Like Washington, Franklin and other Founding Fathers, Brearley was committed to the expansion of the fraternity in the colonies.

As we speak of Patriots too numerous to name, even in a three-part newspaper series, we should note that New Jersey was the scene of more battles and skirmishes than any other colony.

Those conflicts included the battles of Trenton, Princeton and Monmouth, along with skirmishes in Crosswicks, Bordentown, Allen’s Town and communities along the coast. Allen’s Town was also the site of the vast majority of Admiralty cases, many of which were heard chiefly in Randle’s Tavern, formerly Barton’s, among other locations. These cases involved hearings of seafaring privateering cases away from the interference of British authorities.

A fourth tavern in Revolutionary-era Allen’s Town was the Cunningham Hotel, situated at 1 N. Main St. Shortly after the war, it became the Mason’s Crossed Arms and was owned and tended by Masonic leader Thomas Leland.

Just before the Civil War, the tavern and

inn became known as the Union Hotel. Legend holds that during the Revolution, as the war seemed to turn in the Patriots’ favor, several Hessian soldiers hid in the basement of the Cunningham and eventually deserted.

I would be remiss if we did not touch upon two important, very different occurrences in Allen’s Town and Upper Freehold during the American Revolution.

The first is the legend of the Pine Barrens Robbers, a loosely affiliated gang of Tory thugs and masked ne’er-do-wells who met at Waln’s Mill in Upper Freehold and targeted Patriot farmers and travelers in Upper Freehold and the Pinelands near Jackson.

Allegedly led by a farmer named Woodward, Waln allowed the group to meet and scheme in a secret location on his sizable farm and forge.

One Tory of note was a fellow named Pearson, a virulent Loyalist potentially associated with the Pine Barrens Robbers.

The story goes that, following an impromptu raid on a meeting of Loyalists by the Delaware militia passing through Allen’s Town, Pearson was abandoned by his compatriots and sought to escape up the Lower York Road toward Hightstown.

There, he was shot in the back while fleeing as a coward.

A second local tradition is that of Jinnie Jackson Waglum, an Upper Freehold woman who, many historians claim, led

Washington’s troops after the Second Battle of Trenton.

Jackson Waglum was a young Irish immigrant whose father owned a large, prosperous 1,000-acre farm on Walnford Road. She is listed as a member of Allentown’s Presbyterian Church. Often referred to simply as “Jinnie Jackson,” she was nonetheless married and living not far from Trenton in Maidenhead, now Lawrenceville.

After hearing of Gen. Washington’s daring expedition on the night of Dec. 25-26, 1776, to cross the frozen Delaware River and march 10 miles through the bitter darkness to surprise the Hessians and British officers in Trenton, she was determined to offer her assistance.

As the British planned their retaliatory attack on Washington’s encampment at Trenton, Jinnie Jackson, the farm girl from Walnford Road, rode with the devil at her back to reach the commander in camp.

Washington reportedly accepted her unusual offer, and on Jan. 2, 1777, Jackson donned a soldier’s tricorn hat, a Patriot blue army jacket and a cast-off woolen cloak.

Under cover of night, she led the colonial troops through the dense, snowy forests to the site of the Battle of Princeton. They arrived on the morning of Jan. 3, 1777, and took advantageous ground in preparation for the bloody conflict to come.

To be continued next month.

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Mixed-use center proposed for Allentown’s South Main St.

By Bill Sanservino

A longtime Allentown resident is proposing a mixed-use development behind the historic John Imlay Mansion that would bring new shops, food businesses, a brewery, residential space and a visitor center to South Main Street.

The tentative name of the project is Imlay Square, after the mansion at 28 S. Main St. Applicant Will “Wil” Borkowski is scheduled to appear before the Allentown Planning Board at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14. The borough is expected to accept his application and the required public notice before the project is placed on that meeting’s agenda.

The new buildings would be constructed behind the mansion and arranged around an off-street parking area. The historic structure along Main Street would remain untouched and continue to be the most prominent building on the property.

“I didn’t want to see big structures in the back that were overtaking the historic structures,” Borkowski said.

“Everything that’s going to be new is scaled down compared to the historic structures on Main Street. So it would be like a stepping-down process.”

The proposal includes retail and office space, two small food-related businesses, a brewery and residential space.

The number of residential units has not been finalized.

An existing garage would be converted to commercial use. Borkowski said the new construction would be difficult to see from Main Street until visitors enter the parking area behind the mansion.

“You’ll get this sense of a square, which is a place of safety if you’re trying to park and get your kids out of the car,” he said.

Borkowski said the architectural plans and early renderings have gone through the borough’s historic preservation review process. More detailed plans will return for additional review as the project moves forward.

He has served on local boards and committees during his 25 years in Allentown, including the Historic Preservation Review Commission and the school board. His work on the historic commission, he said, shaped his approach to the property.

“I was on the first committee, historic preservation, and got a real feel for why,

what’s going on,” Borkowski said.

He said he wants Imlay Square to support the independent businesses that have traditionally defined Allentown’s downtown rather than attract national chains.

“We’re really a small-business type of a community,” he said. “We don’t cater to the franchises.”

Borkowski said owner-operated businesses offer something that cannot easily be duplicated by a chain store.

“They know what’s going on next door,” he said. “When some customer comes in, they fill them in on all the news of the day of the town. Not just, ‘Hey, this is my product.’ They can assist them in other ways and find what they are looking for.”

One proposed food business would focus on breakfast and morning service.

Another would operate later in the day.

Both would be smaller than some of the borough’s established restaurants and cafes.

Borkowski said his interest in food was one of the reasons he began developing the proposal.

“You know, I love food, honestly, and I think we could use a couple more different places,” he said.

His daughter, who has a master’s degree and is studying nutrition, is considering opening a business that would counsel clients about dietary needs and prepare meals suited to those needs.

A brewery also has expressed interest in the evening food space. Borkowski said it would be a small operation where customers could eat, have a beer and spend time in town. Some beer would be brewed on-site.

“I don’t mind saying that there’s a brewery interested in the evening food side,” he said. “It could be a place where you hang out, have a beer.”

The goal, Borkowski said, is to give visitors more reasons to remain in Allentown instead of walking through the downtown stores and leaving after a short visit.

He said someone can sometimes finish shopping in the borough within about a half-hour. Adding more places to eat, a brewery and a historical attraction could extend that visit and generate additional customers for businesses throughout downtown.

“You want to have them sit down, talk, and then they may think about, ‘Let’s take a walk down Main Street,’” he said.

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replacement for the borough’s exist- merchant involved in the West Indies ing tours, carriage rides and historic trade.

The approximately 8,000-squareprograms.

Allentown has more than 180 pre- foot Georgian Colonial mansion has 15 served historic home sites, Borkowski rooms, 11 of them with open fireplaces. said, but people unfamiliar with the com- Its oak framework was built by craftsmen who also worked on Congress Hall munity may not know where to begin. in Philadelphia.

“Unless you’re going The John Imlay to one of the tours, the Mansion is listed on carriage rides, that hapsubhead here the National Register pens once or twice a year, of Historic Places. It and it’s limited seat,” he stands along what was said. “So this would be an once York Road, part opportunity to come here of the stagecoach route like five days a week.” between New York and The center also could Philadelphia. direct visitors to recorded Borkowski said the walking tours that explain parking area would the histories of individual serve the new busihomes, veterans memonesses and residences, rials, the cemetery and although the application other sites. may require relief from Borkowski said he some of the borough’s would like those recordings to feature local residents telling the parking requirements.

Providing spaces behind the buildings stories in their own voices.

“People that tell the story, not AI tell- also would reduce the project’s reliance ing it for you, it’s more personal,” he on curbside parking, he said. Customers said. “A resident tells the history of the who currently park on Main Street to visit businesses on the property would town.”

The mansion that gives Imlay Square instead be able to use the new lot.

“Because I’ll have parking for the new its tentative name was built around 1790

by John Imlay, a wealthy Philadelphia businesses, it will provide new parking that would not have been there if I didn’t build the parking lot,” he said.

Borkowski initially considered a larger brewery and distillery proposal for the property four or five years ago.

He spent nearly two years working on that concept, but the agreement with the prospective operator eventually fell apart.

He then returned to his original idea for a smaller mixed-use project.

“I immediately, you know, maybe depressed for about two hours with all Since 1848 that work and time we committed,” he said. “And then I said, ‘You know what, KAREN E. PEPPLER, I’m going to go back to my original MANAGER idea.’”

CENTER continued from Page 11 A visitor center and small museum would be another major part of Imlay Square. Borkowski said the space would be provided at no cost to the borough or any organization involved in operating it.

The center would give residents and visitors a regular place to learn about Allentown’s historic buildings, military history, cemetery, parks and role in the Revolutionary era.

Borkowski said the borough, library and residents have collected extensive historical material, but there is no central location where the public can regularly see it.

“We have a lot of history that has been donated to the town,” he said. “The library holds a lot of it, and we want to start to display it in an area.”

The center could include rotating exhibitions built around documents, photographs, property deeds, newspaper archives and other materials held by the library and local residents.

“We’re doing a special exhibition on something in town, we put that out for four months for people to see, and then you rotate it back into the next one,” Borkowski said.

He envisions the visitor center as a starting point for people who want to explore Allentown, rather than as a

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The revised proposal took another two years to develop.

Borkowski is an engineer by training and has renovated older properties in Allentown, Lambertville and Doylestown. He said he once considered studying architecture but chose engineering because it provided a more practical career path.

He does not consider himself a traditional developer.

“I’m the sole developer,” he said. “I don’t call myself a developer. I’m just basically an engineer. I’m improving.”

Borkowski said he prefers to renovate properties gradually and place tenants into completed spaces rather than construct empty buildings without a clear use.

“I’ll build out a little at a time and get a tenant in there and have a complete building and have the energy inside the building,” he said. “I like seeing people starting a business, and getting that new space makes me happy.”

He also wanted to take on the project himself because he feared a future property owner might build something that did not reflect Allentown’s historic character or the work residents have done to preserve it.

“I wanted to do it so it’s not actually prevented from someone else messing it up,” he said. “That’s not what we do in this town.”

Construction would begin only after the project receives the necessary approvals and permits. Borkowski expects the work to be completed in stages rather than all at once.

The project has taken several years to reach the Planning Board, but Borkowski said the process helped him refine the plans and learn how to navigate the land-use process.

“You learn from making mistakes,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with making a mistake.”“It’s taking me time,” Borkowski added. “But I do have time on my side.”

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Peppler leaves lasting legacy in Allentown Peppler was a member of the Mercer Robert B. Peppler Sr., a retired funeral director and former Allentown council- County Funeral Directors Association and served as its president from 1971 to man, died July 7. He was 87.

According to his obituary, Peppler 1972.

He also served for 18 years on the spent most of his life in Allentown, where he worked in his family’s funeral board of directors of Crosswicks Insurhome and served in municipal and com- ance Co., ending his tenure in 2001.

Peppler had been a member of munity organizations. He had moved Mount Moriah Lodge No. to Meadow Lakes in Hight28, Free and Accepted stown about three months Masons, since 1962. before his death.

He served on the board Born in Trenton, Peppler of trustees of the Friends graduated from Bordentown of the Old Yellow Meeting Military Institute in 1957.

House from 2015 to 2022.

He attended Albright ColAccording to his obitulege for three years before ary, Peppler enjoyed gardeciding in 1960 to enter the dening and taking care of family funeral business. the yard and his Sears preHe graduated from the fabricated home on Main Eckels College of Mortuary Street.

Science in 1961 and joined He also enjoyed golfing Peppler Funeral Home. He Peppler and taking family vacaworked with his father, Norman T. Peppler, and his brother Edgar tions, particularly summer trips to VerPeppler before Robert and Edgar later mont and the Jersey Shore. He followed operated the business following their the New York Mets and Philadelphia Eagles. father’s retirement.

In retirement, Peppler researched his Peppler retired in 2004.

Peppler Funeral Home traces its family’s genealogy and spent time orgahistory to 1848, when Samuel Fiddler nizing and sharing his findings.

His obituary said his grandchildren opened a funeral home on Church Street in Allentown, according to a history pub- were an important part of his life. Family members also remembered the grilled lished on the funeral home’s website.

Norman Peppler joined the business cheese sandwiches he made for them.

Peppler was predeceased by his wife in 1919 and later purchased it. The funeral home moved to 114 S. Main St. of 48 years, Judith K. Peppler; his parents, Norman Thomas and Elizabeth in 1939.

Edgar Peppler entered the business Clayton Peppler; and his brother, Ronin 1958, followed by Robert in 1961. ald C. Peppler.

He is survived by his children and The business was incorporated in 1965.

Members of the Peppler family have their spouses, Robert Jr. and Lori Pepcontinued to operate funeral homes in pler, Karen Peppler, and Brian and Crystal Peppler; his grandchildren, Emma C. Allentown and Bordentown.

Peppler served on the Allentown Bor- Peppler, Thomas “TJ” Peppler, Alexis ough Council from 1968 to 1973, accord- A. Peppler and Jackson E. Peppler; and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Edgar ing to his obituary.

He was also an overseer and treasurer and Jacqueline Peppler and Richard and of the Allentown Methodist Cemetery Patricia Peppler.

He is also survived by his brothersfor 41 years, ending his service in 2006.

He served for 15 years on the board in-law and sisters-in-law, John and Ann of directors of Allentown Savings and Coll, Patty and Ed Matthews, John Smith and Mary Coll; his cousins, Donald and Loan, with his tenure ending in 1995.

Peppler was a member of Hope Ginny Peppler; and several nieces and Fire Company from 1963 to 1974 and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be coached Allentown Little League from made in Peppler’s name to Allentown 1964 to 1968.

He was a longtime member and past United Methodist Church, 23 Church president of the Allentown Lions Club St., Allentown, or the Allentown Public and a member of Allentown United Librar y, 16 S. Main St., P.O. Box 383, Allentown.

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Service is the specialty at Allentown Wine & Liquors

By Jenna Rittman

For Nitesh Patel, running Allentown Wine & Liquors is about more than keeping the shelves stocked. It is about knowing his products, listening to customers and building relationships with the people who walk through the door.

Patel did not originally intend to run a liquor store. After working as a pharmaceutical scientist for 12 years, however, he realized he wanted to operate his own business instead of working for someone else.

When the pharmaceutical company he worked for moved from New Jersey to Colorado, Patel had the opportunity to move with it. He ultimately decided to stay and start a business of his own.

Patel has owned Allentown Wine & Liquors since 2006. The store offers a variety of alcoholic beverages, including wine, beer and vodka, as well as soda and candy.

When he first took over the store, Patel had to learn about everything from winemaking to bottling. It also took time to earn the trust of his customers.

“When I bought the store, everybody was kind of insulting me, saying ‘What do

you know about this?’” Patel says. “I took it as a challenge.”

Patel completed a course about alcoholic beverages and received a certification. He also learned how to identify a wine’s country of origin and variety through blind tasting, knowledge he now shares with customers.

Over the years, Patel says, he has earned the trust of Allentown residents. “[The] same people started loving me since then,” Patel says. “Day by day, I’m feeling proud. People are relying on me.”

Patel says the difference between Allentown Wine & Liquors and other area liquor stores is the attention he gives to product quality and customer requests.

He updates the store’s inventory to reflect new trends while continuing to carry longtime favorites.

He also avoids ordering products solely in bulk, allowing him to select items individually for the store.

Along with maintaining the store’s inventory, Patel makes a point of helping customers whenever he can.

“I try to help everybody,” Patel says. “I help them put stuff in their car. I talk to people, explain to people, I listen to their personal problems even.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Nitesh Patel When children enter the store with adults, Patel makes sure they remain in the soda, water and candy sections and keeps a careful eye on them.

Patel says the most rewarding part of owning the business is the relationships he has developed with customers.

“I put more effort than [when] I was working for somebody, but it pays out because I make more friends, more

clients in this whole town. I have my big whole family. That’s the difference between working for somebody and to be here,” Patel says.

One customer said the store’s location and prices make it a convenient alternative to shopping elsewhere.

“The store has really good prices,” the customer said. “I don’t want to have to go out of town to get alcohol.”

The store maintains a steady flow of customers throughout the year, Patel says, but business generally increases during the summer and the Christmas season.

Patel expects Allentown Wine & Liquors to continue operating much as it does today. As new residents move into the area and customers’ tastes change, he plans to adjust the store’s inventory accordingly.

“I really appreciate this town’s people because they’re trying to keep local businesses alive,” Patel says.

Allentown Wine & Liquors is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Allentown Wine & Liquors is located at 3 N. Main St., Allentown. For more information, call 609-208-9463.

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Andrew Harris in North American harness racing, along with the Hambletonian. It was the biggest win of the trainer’s career at the time, and Yo Tillie would go on to be named the sport’s best 3-year-old female trotter.

“Everything comes down to the Breeders Crown,” the Canadian native said. “A lot of weight is on the Breeders Crown so to win it is actually huge. I don’t care what division it is, it’s amazing to do.”

Although his 100 wins were the sixth most in his career, Harris cracked $4 million in earnings for the first time, thanks to having higher-powered horses to enter in more lucrative stakes races.

“I’ve graduated to a grand circuit barn,” said Harris, who has been stabled See HARRIS, Page 16

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HARRIS continued from Page 1 actually saw him reach his head out and put his head out in front, and I thought that was so cool,” Harris said. “My emotions were off the charts. But you had to wait until it was official because you don’t want to celebrate too early and look like an idiot. I was trying to tamper down my emotions.”

With standout driver Dexter Dunn in the sulky, Brandon Blvd took a slight lead on the backstretch before a group started closing. The horse beat three challengers by a head in 1:48.1. It was his 11th win in 16 career starts to go with four second-place finishes.

“It was obviously very close, you’re not super confident,” Harris said. “But I know that’s how that horse is. He’s one of those horses that likes to do what he has to do and tries not to overdo it.”

The victory was worth all the angst as Harris continues to build his prominence in the sport. He has nearly 1,300 career victories and more than $29 million in earnings, and his stature has risen in recent years with some major Grand Circuit stakes victories.

The father of two worked under several trainers after starting in 2004, when he earned his first victory. He went out on his own in 2015 and won more than $1 million for the first time the following year.

The following campaign produced a career-high 147 victories and a thencareer-high $3,131,655 in earnings. From 2018 through 2024, he won between $1.4 million and $3.1 million.

Then came 2025, his best season to date.

Harris’ horse, Yo Tillie, won the 3-yearold trotting filly division of the Breeders Crown, which is considered the most prestigious annual championship series

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HARRIS continued from Page 15 at Manalapan’s Gaitway Farm since 2020.

“I only have one race horse in the barn, everything else is a stakes player. At the end of the day, we focus mainly on stakes horses.”

His ability to do so came when he partnered with Freehold’s Punisher 11 Stable, operated by Bill Pollock and Bruce Areman. Harris met Areman while training one of his horses, Law Maker. Areman introduced Harris to Pollock, who was looking to get involved with standardbreds but wanted to buy only the best in the business.

Harris partnered with the duo in June 2022, and when they spent $535,000 on a horse, Andrew knew he had the financial backing necessary to take the next step.

“They were obviously a huge help for sure, without them I wouldn’t have these type of horses,” Harris said. “They’re helping me buy these good horses and giving me the opportunity to shine by picking the right ones. It covers all bases.

It helps in every aspect of it.”

The third-generation horseman has come a long way from Hamilton, Ontario, where he and his twin brother, J, would help their father, Jack, clean stalls before school. The two would jog and train horses on weekends and had some riding horses “that we’d putz around with in the

barn. It was all very horse oriented.”

While it might seem romantic to say that because of his upbringing, Harris always longed to make harness racing his career, it was not quite like that.

“At an early age it was forced on to me,” he said. “You’re not sitting there thinking it was gonna be a career because I didn’t really have a choice in it. My dad would make me go to the barn.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t excited to go to the barn because I HAD to go to the barn. But as the years went on, I got my driver’s license, drove a little bit, picked up from there and it kind of snowballed into what it is today.”

Harris received his schooling under two well-respected trainers, Bill Robinson and Casie Coleman. He began with Robinson during his final year of high school, and after two years, he was offered a job by Coleman, who sent him to work in the United States.

“Both of them were two horsemen with two totally different styles, and to see how they did it helped,” Harris said.

“Casie’s been a great friend of mine ever since. We’ve done very well together over the years when I worked for her and she still supports me and cheers for me to this day.”

As for leaving home to head to the United States, Harris was more excited

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than nervous.

“I was happy to do it,” he said. “It wasn’t something on my bucket list. I was probably 20 and I was young enough I wanted to explore the world so I was keen on checking out the world. I didn’t think I’d make it my home for the rest of my life. At the time I figured I’d go down for a month, check it out and come back.”

But when he returned to Canada, “all hell broke loose, nothing went right, horses were getting scratched.” Coleman enticed Harris to come back as a full-time trainer, and he has never looked back.

He originally lived in Hightstown and East Windsor before moving to Allentown seven years ago with his wife, Sofia, and his two daughters. Andrew met Sofia when she was working with some standardbreds and offered to give his girls riding lessons.

That grew into a relationship. Older daughter Gracie is in ninth grade at Allentown High School, while Kinsley is in sixth grade. They both ride horses, while Sofia works with show horses.

“I love Allentown,” Harris said. “My kids go to school in Allentown, it’s a great school district. I love every part about it.”

Harris was stabled at Showplace Farms in Millstone and White Birch in Allentown before moving to Gaitway six years ago. He went out on his own in

2015 when Coleman began cutting back on her horses.

“She was focused on going to Florida and didn’t have winter horses for me,” he said. “I was ready for it but I was also kind of forced into it.”

His first year on his own produced $727,688 in earnings, which would be the final year in which he did not break $1 million. Before hitting it big in the Breeders Crown, Harris had other successful horses, such as Law Maker, Waitlifter K and Pedro Hanover, to name a few.

When it comes to major stakes races, he takes the same approach as he does with any other outing.

“After campaigning and getting a lot of experience at that level, you just treat it like it’s another race,” he said. “You try to give them the best schedule going into it so they’re fresh and sharp and then if you’ve got all your I’s dotted, T’s crossed everything works out.”

Through 188 starts this year, Harris had 37 first-place finishes, 28 seconds, 24 thirds and $1,521,088 in earnings as of July 11. He keeps making progress but knows there is more to accomplish.

“I’m not where I want to be yet,” he said. “I want to be bigger and probably fulltime in Kentucky and fulltime in Jersey. I want to get bigger and win bigger races and keep growing that way.”

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The purpose of this advertisement is to solicit non-binding reservations. The non-binding reservation is not a contract and may be cancelled by the prospective purchaser at any time. Any money paid to the developer shall be refunded to the prospective purchaser upon request and cancellation of the non-binding reservation. The actual sales price for each specific Home will be based upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, the location and dimensions of the Home, and the specific choices made by each purchaser for interior finishes. Illustration is an artist rendering. ©2026 Sharbell Gordon LLC. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

August 2026 | The Messenger-Press17

HAPPENING What’s Happening is a selection of events taking place this month in our area.

For even more events, go online to our website, communitynews.org/events.

Details below were believed to be accurate at time of publication. We always recommend that you confirm all necessary details when planning to attend an event.

Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System naturalists lead 45-minute narrated tours of the reservoir with opportunities to view local wildlife. Tours are weather and water-level dependent. 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m.

Sunday, August 2

toric site. Free. 1 to 3 p.m.

Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System naturalists lead narrated reservoir tours. Tours are weather and water-level dependent. 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m.

Monday, August 3

Latin Festival: Tacos & Tequila, Monmouth Park, 175 Oceanport Avenue, Oceanport, monPlanning Board, Allentown Borough Hall, 8 A Change of Position, New Jersey Reper- mouthpark.com. Monmouth Park hosts a Latin North Main Street, Allentown, allentownboronj. tory Company, 179 Broadway, Long Branch, festival with food, drinks and live racing atmo- com. The board meets to handle planning and njrep.org. Opening day performances of Jeffrey sphere. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. land-use business. 7 p.m.

Sweet’s world-premiere comedy, directed by Mill Demonstration at Historic Walnford, James Glossman. Runs through Aug. 23. 2 and Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper 7 p.m.

Twilight Zone Viewing and Discussion, Freehold, monmouthcountyparks.com. See the Mill Demonstration at Historic Walnford, 19th-century gristmill in action during short Hamilton Township Public Library, 1 Justice SaHistoric Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper demonstrations throughout the afternoon. muel A. Alito Jr. Way, Hamilton, hamiltonnjpl. org. Librarian Chip McAuley screens an episode Freehold, monmouthcountyparks.com. See the Free. 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. of the classic television series and leads a discus19th-century gristmill in action during short Music on the Porch, Historic Walnford, 62 demonstrations throughout the afternoon. Walnford Road, Upper Freehold, monmouth- sion about its themes and continuing relevance.

7 to 8 p.m.

Free. 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. countyparks.com. An acoustic duo performs on Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, the porch during an afternoon visit to the his-

Saturday, August 1

Tuesday, August 4

Thursday, August 6 Arm In Arm Mobile Food Pantry, Hamilton Township Public Library, 1 Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Way, Hamilton, hamiltonnjpl.org. Food will be distributed to residents experiencing food insecurity. No advance registration is required. 2 to 4 p.m.

Live Music, Working Dog Winery, 610 Windsor Perrineville Road, Robbinsville, workingdogwinerynj.com. Working Dog Winery hosts Thursday live music with wine specials. 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Environmental Commission, Allentown Borough Hall, 8 North Main Street, Allentown, allentownboronj.com. The commission meets to discuss local environmental issues, sustainability and related borough matters. 7 p.m.

Township Committee Meeting, Upper Freehold Township Municipal Building, 314 Route 539, Cream Ridge, uftnj.com. The governing body meets for ordinances, resolutions, municipal business and public comment. 7 to 9 Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, p.m.

Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, Bearly Dead - Asbury Jams, Wonder Bar, monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System 1213 Ocean Avenue North, Asbury Park, wonnaturalists lead narrated 45-minute tours with derbarasburypark.com. Asbury Jams presents wildlife-viewing opportunities. 2, 3 and 4 p.m. an evening with Bearly Dead at the Wonder Bar. Open Mic Poetry: Echoes and Micro-Po- Ages 21 and older. 7 to 10:30 p.m. etry, Thompson Park Theatre Barn, Lincroft, The Counterfeiters with live band karamonmouthcountyparks.com. Participants may oke, Tim McLoone’s Supper Club, 1200 Ocean read their own work or a favorite poet during a Avenue, Asbury Park, asburyparkchamber.com. family-oriented open mic. Free; preregistration The Counterfeiters perform with live band karis recommended for readers. 7 to 8:30 p.m. aoke during an evening party-band event. 7 to

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demonstrations throughout the afternoon. countyparks.com. Park System naturalists lead a hands-on bay exploration using a seine net.

Fishing 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing, Free. 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.

Manasquan Reservoir, Howell, monmouthcounBoat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, Closed-toe shoes are required. 11 a.m. to noon typarks.com. Learn how to rig, bait and cast. Bait Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, and tackle are provided; fishing license required monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System natBorough Council, Allentown Borough Hall, 8 for ages 16 to 69. 8 a.m. to noon uralists lead narrated reservoir tours. Tours are North Main Street, Allentown, allentownboronj.

Life in a Freshwater Pond, Freneau Woods weather and water-level dependent. 2, 3, 4 and com. The borough council meets for municipal Park Visitor Center, Aberdeen, monmouthcoun- 5 p.m. business, ordinances, resolutions and public typarks.com. Park System naturalists explore Bags, Boards & Bands, Monmouth Park, 175 comment. 6:30 p.m. pond life including turtles, frogs, herons, fish and Oceanport Avenue, Oceanport, monmouthpark.

Seining at Fisherman’s Cove, Fisherman’s other freshwater wildlife. Closed-toe shoes are com. Monmouth Park hosts a summer event Cove Conservation Area, Manasquan, monrecommended. 11 a.m. to noon centered on cornhole, music and racing-season mouthcountyparks.com. Join a Park System atmosphere. noon to 6 p.m. naturalist for a free seining program to discover $500 Whitney Day Monmouth/Saratoga fish, crabs and other sea creatures along the Seining Along Sandy Hook Bay, Bayshore Contest, Monmouth Park, 175 Oceanport Av- cove. Closed-toe shoes are required. 11 a.m. to Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth, monmouthenue, Oceanport, monmouthpark.com. Handi- noon countyparks.com. Join Park System naturalists capping contest tied to Whitney Day racing. 11 for a hands-on bay program using a seine net to a.m. to 6 p.m. look for fish, crabs and other sea life. Closed-toe Millstone Planning Board, Municipal MeetAll Time Low and The Early November, shoes are required. 11 a.m. to noon Stone Pony Summer Stage, 913 Ocean Avenue, ing Room, 215 Millstone Road, Millstone, millBoat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, Asbury Park, stoneponyonline.com. All Time stonenj.gov. The board considers planning, subManasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, Low performs on the Stone Pony Summer Stage division, site plan and related land-use matters. monmouthcountyparks.com. Evening narrated 7:30 p.m. with The Early November. 6 to 10:30 p.m. reservoir tours are led by Park System naturalBoat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, Asbury Park Concert Band, Arthur Pryor ists and include wildlife-viewing opportunities.

Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, Bandshell, Asbury Park Boardwalk, Asbury Park, 6 and 7 p.m. asburypark.net. The Asbury Park Concert Band monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System natperforms a summer concert on the boardwalk. uralists lead narrated reservoir tours. 2, 3 and 4 p.m.

Allentown Farmers Market, High Street 7 p.m. upper elementary school parking lot, Allentown, allentownboronj.com. The market features fresh Planning Board Meeting, Upper Freehold Open Swim at the Fort, Fort Monmouth produce, local vendors and family activity, inRecreation Center, Tinton Falls, monmouthcluding the Lil Sprouts Play Patch for children. 9 countyparks.com. Public swim hours continue a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center pool.

Community Day, Hamilton Township Public 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Library, 1 Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Way, HamMill Demonstration at Historic Walnford, ilton, hamiltonnjpl.org. The family celebration Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper includes crafts, face painting, balloon art, tie-dye socks, local authors, sidewalk chalk and other Freehold, monmouthcountyparks.com. Historic Walnford offers another afternoon of gristmill activities. 10 a.m. to noon demonstrations. Free. 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and Disc Golfing at Big Brook, Big Brook Park, 3:30 p.m.

Marlboro, monmouthcountyparks.com. Visitors Victorian Laundry Demonstration, Historic can challenge friends or family to a round of disc Longstreet Farm, Holmdel, monmouthcountygolf, with discs provided or players may bring parks.com.

Experience a late-Victorian laundry their own. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. day, from lighting the wood stove to ironing.

Saturday Swim Time at Big Brook Park, Free. 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Big Brook Park, Marlboro, monmouthcountyBoat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, parks.com. Public swim time is offered at Big Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, Brook Park. Weather and conditions permitting.

WEDDINGS monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System nat10 a.m. to 6 p.m. uralists lead narrated reservoir tours. 2, 3, 4 and  Open Swim at the Fort, Fort Monmouth 5 p.m.

Recreation Center, Tinton Falls, monmouthFLOWERS Anthony Almonte, Wonder Bar, 1213 Ocean countyparks.com. Enjoy public swim hours at  the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center pool. Avenue North, Asbury Park, wonderbarasburyWeather and conditions permitting. 10 a.m. to park.com. Anthony Almonte brings a Latin soul BOUTIQUE summer party to the Wonder Bar. 7 to 11 p.m.

6 p.m.

Tuesday, August 11

Friday, August 7

Wednesday, August 12

Saturday, August 8

Sunday, August 9

Thursday, August 13

Ivy on Main is a boutique offering curated flowers, clothing, and thoughtful gifts - all in one inviting space.

Monday, August 10

Open Shoot Archery, Thompson Park Activity Barn, Lincroft, monmouthcountyparks.com.

Parks and Public Spaces Committee, AlImprove archery skills during an open shoot. lentown Borough Hall, 8 North Main Street, This is not a beginner instructional program; Allentown, allentownboronj.com. The commitequipment is provided. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. tee meets to discuss parks, public spaces and Mill Demonstration at Historic Walnford, related local issues. 7 p.m.

Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper Seining Along Sandy Hook Bay, Bayshore Freehold, monmouthcountyparks.com. See the Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth, monmouth19th-century gristmill in action during short

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Township Municipal Building, 314 Route 539, Brook Park. Weather and conditions permitting.

Cream Ridge, uftnj.com. The board meets to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. review planning, zoning and development matDisc Golfing at Big Brook, Big Brook Park, ters. 7 to 9 p.m.

Marlboro, monmouthcountyparks.com. Visitors Timbuctoo, Hamilton Township Public Li- can play a round of disc golf, with discs provided brary, 1 Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Way, Hamil- or players may bring their own. Free. 10 a.m. to ton, hamiltonnjpl.org. Historian Guy Weston 2 p.m. examines the origins and legacy of Timbuctoo, a Thompson Park Canoe Rentals, Thompson free Black community established in Burlington Park, Lincroft, monmouthcountyparks.com. CaCounty during the 1820s. 7 to 8 p.m. noes are available for rent on Marlu Lake, with Fishing 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing, Manasquan Reservoir, Howell, monmouthcountyparks.com. Learn basic fishing skills with bait and tackle provided. Fishing license required for ages 16 to 69. 8 a.m. to noon

equipment provided. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Avenue North, Asbury Park, wonderbarasburypark.com. Happy Mondays features The Havocs, Fair Panic, Book/Spirit and JM Cooks. Ages 21 and older. 7 p.m.

Monday, August 17

Zoning Board Meeting, Upper Freehold Township Municipal Building, 314 Route 539, Cream Ridge, uftnj.com. The board meets to consider zoning applications, variances and related land-use matters. 7 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday, August 18

Open Swim at the Fort, Fort Monmouth 9/11 Day of Remembrance Committee, AlRecreation Center, Tinton Falls, monmouthcountyparks.com. Public swim hours are offered lentown Borough Hall, 8 North Main Street, AlCarpet Repairs at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center pool. lentown, allentownboronj.com. The committee Carpet Cleaning meets to plan and coordinate Allentown’s 9/11 Life in a Freshwater Pond, Freneau Woods 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Park Visitor Center, Aberdeen, monmouthcounSmocking Demonstration, Historic Long- remembrance activities. 7 p.m.

Carpet Binding Area Rugs typarks.com. Park System naturalists lead an street Farm, Holmdel, monmouthcountyparks.

Hardwood Sanding & Refinishing exploration of pond life. Closed-toe shoes are com. View the lost art of smocking, a decorative Millstone Township Committee, Municipal recommended. 11 a.m. to noon embroidery made by gathering cloth in regularly Meeting Room, 215 Millstone Road, Millstone, Hardwood Installation spaced round tucks. Free. 1 to 3 p.m. millstonenj.gov. The township committee conLaminate Floors Mill Demonstration at Historic Walnford, ducts municipal business and receives public Seining Along Sandy Hook Bay, Bayshore Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth, monmouth- Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper comment. 8 p.m.

Luxury Vinyl Planks countyparks.com. Park System naturalists lead Freehold, monmouthcountyparks.com. See the Seining Along Sandy Hook Bay, Bayshore a hands-on bay program using a seine net. 19th-century gristmill in action during short Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth, monmouthFACTORY DIRECT TO SAVE YOU MONEY! Closed-toe shoes are required. 11 a.m. to noon demonstrations. Free. 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and countyparks.com. Park System naturalists lead 3:30 p.m.

Allentown, New Jersey a hands-on bay program using a seine net.

Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, Closed-toe shoes are required. 11 a.m. to noon 609-635-6300 Saturday Swim Time at Big Brook Park, Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, Give us a call, we do it all!

Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, Big Brook Park, Marlboro, monmouthcounty- monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System natManasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, www.dangelcarpets.com parks.com. Public swim time is offered at Big uralists lead narrated reservoir tours. 2, 3, 4 and monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System nat5 p.m. uralists lead narrated reservoir tours. 2, 3 and 4 Yacht Rock Revue, Stone Pony Summer p.m.

Stage, 913 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, stoneponyonline.com. Yacht Rock Revue brings its Historic Preservation Commission, AllenPrimetime tour to the Stone Pony Summer town Borough Hall, 8 North Main Street, AllenStage. 8 p.m. town, allentownboronj.com. The commission meets to discuss historic preservation matters Open Swim at the Fort, Fort Monmouth in the borough. 7 p.m.

Classes for 3 year olds and 4 year olds Recreation Center, Tinton Falls, monmouthFishing 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing, Potty trained countyparks.com. Public swim hours continue Manasquan Reservoir, Howell, monmouthcounFull- 1/2 day, early morning drop off off schedule available at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center pool. typarks.com. Learn basic fishing skills with bait 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Competitive tuition rates - secure environment and tackle provided. Fishing license required for Thompson Park Canoe Rentals, Thompson ages 16 to 69. 8 a.m. to noon indoor gym - outdoor playground - qualified educators Park, Lincroft, monmouthcountyparks.com. CaLife in a Freshwater Pond, Freneau Woods noes are available for rent on Marlu Lake, with all Park Visitor Center, Aberdeen, monmouthcounequipment provided. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. typarks.com. Park System naturalists lead an Mill Demonstration at Historic Walnford, exploration of pond life. Closed-toe shoes are Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper recommended. 11 a.m. to noon Freehold, monmouthcountyparks.com. Historic Nature Lecture Series: Life History of Blue Walnford offers another afternoon of gristmill Crab Claws, Bayshore Waterfront Park Activity demonstrations. Free. 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and Center, Port Monmouth, monmouthcounty3:30 p.m.

“Building a foundation for a lifetime love of learning” parks.com. A Park System naturalist discusses Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, blue crabs and their role in the Jersey Shore ecoSt. George Greek Orthodox Church Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, system. Free. 7 to 8 p.m.

1200 Klockner Road, Hamilton, NJ 08619 monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System natwww.stgeorgepreschool.org uralists lead narrated reservoir tours. 2, 3, 4 and Seining Along Sandy Hook Bay, Bayshore 5 p.m.

Excellence in Early Education Fresh Mozzarella Class, Laurita Winery, 19 Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth, monmouthAngela Gering Call for more information: Archertown Road, New Egypt, lauritawinery. countyparks.com. Park System naturalists lead Director (609)586-ABCD (2223) com. A hands-on class teaches participants to a hands-on bay program using a seine net. make fresh mozzarella at the winery. 3:30 p.m. Closed-toe shoes are required. 11 a.m. to noon

Carpet Installation

Wednesday, August 19

Friday, August 14

Saturday, August 15

St. George Preschool

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Thursday, August 20

Sunday, August 16

Friday, August 21

Happy Mondays, Wonder Bar, 1213 Ocean

20  The Messenger-Press | August 2026

Concert in the Park: JO & the Highland Ex-

press, Thompson Park Theatre Barn, Lincroft, monmouthcountyparks.com. The band covers funk and soul songs by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Kool & the Gang.

Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Free. 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 22

Allentown Farmers Market, High Street upper elementary school parking lot, Allentown, allentownboronj.com. The market features fresh produce, local vendors and children’s activities through the Lil Sprouts Play Patch. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Participants must be at least 42 inches tall. Free.

Open Swim at the Fort, Fort Monmouth noon to 3 p.m.

Recreation Center, Tinton Falls, monmouthMill Demonstration at Historic Walnford, countyparks.com. Public swim hours are offered Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center pool.

Freehold, monmouthcountyparks.com. Historic 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Walnford offers another afternoon of gristmill Thompson Park Canoe Rentals, Thompson demonstrations. Free. 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and Park, Lincroft, monmouthcountyparks.com. Ca3:30 p.m. noes are available for rent on Marlu Lake, with all Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, equipment provided. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, Mill Demonstration at Historic Walnford, monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System nat- Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper uralists lead narrated reservoir tours. 2, 3, 4 and Freehold, monmouthcountyparks.com. See the 5 p.m.

Monday, August 24

Open Swim at the Fort, Fort Monmouth Recreation Center, Tinton Falls, monmouthRecreation Commission, Allentown Borcountyparks.com. Public swim hours are offered ough Hall, 8 North Main Street, Allentown, at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center pool. allentownboronj.com. The commission meets 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to discuss local recreation programming and Mill Demonstration at Historic Walnford, events. 7 p.m.

Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper Freehold, monmouthcountyparks.com. See the Seining at Fisherman’s Cove, Fisherman’s 19th-century gristmill in action during short demonstrations. Free. 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and Cove Conservation Area, Manasquan, monmouthcountyparks.com. Join a Park System 3:30 p.m. naturalist for a free seining program along the 19th Century Woodworking Demonstracove. Closed-toe shoes are required. 11 a.m. to tion, Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel, monnoon mouthcountyparks.com. A woodworker demonstrates tools, materials and techniques used to craft functional items. Free. noon to 3 p.m.

Millstone Zoning Board of Adjustment,

19th-century gristmill in action during short demonstrations. Free. 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.

Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System naturalists lead narrated reservoir tours. 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m. $800 Travers Day Monmouth/Saratoga Contest, Monmouth Park, 175 Oceanport Avenue, Oceanport, monmouthpark.com. Handicapping contest tied to Travers Day racing. 11

Inspiring young minds at Saint George Preschool

Tuesday, August 25

Wednesday, August 26

Accordion Melodies of the 1890s, Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel, monmouthcountyparks.com. Hear melodies of the 1890s played on accordion during a visit to the farm. Free. 1 to 3 p.m.

Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System naturalists lead narrated reservoir tours. 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m.

Municipal Meeting Room, 215 Millstone Road, Millstone, millstonenj.gov. The board considers variance applications and other zoning matters.

7:30 p.m.

Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir, Manasquan Reservoir Visitor Center, Howell, monmouthcountyparks.com. Park System naturalists lead narrated reservoir tours. 2, 3 and 4 p.m.

Thursday, August 27 Jersey Shore’s Top Comic, The Vogel, 99

Shade Tree Commission, Allentown BorMonmouth Street, Red Bank, thebasie.org. Ten Jersey Shore comedians compete at The Vogel ough Hall, 8 North Main Street, Allentown, alin a comedy showcase hosted by Chris Covert. lentownboronj.com. The commission meets to discuss shade tree and streetscape matters. 7 check website for time p.m.

Sunday, August 23

NJ Thoroughbred Festival & Giveaway, Monmouth Park, 175 Oceanport Avenue, Oceanport, monmouthpark.com. Monmouth Park celebrates New Jersey thoroughbred racing with a festival and giveaway. noon to 5 p.m.

Fishing 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing, Manasquan Reservoir, Howell, monmouthcountyparks.com. Learn basic fishing skills with bait and tackle provided. Fishing license required for ages 16 to 69. 8 a.m. to noon

Friday, August 28

Horse Park of NJ Driving: Combined Test, Dueling Pianos, Laurita Winery, 19 ArHorse Park of New Jersey, 626 Route 524, Upchertown Road, New Egypt, lauritawinery.com. per Freehold, horseparkofnewjersey.com. The Laurita hosts a dueling pianos night at the winHorse Park hosts a combined driving test. check ery.

6 to 9 p.m. website for time

Saturday, August 29

Open Swim at the Fort, Fort Monmouth Recreation Center, Tinton Falls, monmouthThe Little Sit at Deep Cut Gardens, Deep countyparks.com. Public swim hours continue Cut Gardens, Middletown, monmouthcountyat the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center pool. parks.com. An educator helps visitors spot and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. identify birds during a scaled-down version Climb Time at Shark River Park, Shark of the big sit birding event. Free. 8:30 a.m. to River Park, Wall, monmouthcountyparks.com. 12:30 p.m.

Try the Park System’s portable climbing wall.

This sponsored content provided by Saint George Preschool At Saint George Preschool, we believe every child is naturally curious and eager to learn. Our mission is to nurture that curiosity in a safe, caring and engaging environment where children can grow into confident, lifelong learners.

We offer a well-rounded early childhood education that supports each child’s unique pace and interests.

Through hands-on, age-appropriate activities, we foster development in language, math, science, motor skills and more, while also encouraging creativity and critical thinking.

Beyond academics, we emphasize social, emotional, moral and spiritual growth. Children participate in group activities, cultural celebrations and story time that promote kindness, respect and community values. Physical wellness is also a priority, with a spacious indoor gym and a beautiful outdoor playground for daily movement and play.

Our programs include: • Preschool for children ages 3 and older who are potty trained • Pre-K for children who are 4 by Oct. 1 • Half-day schedules from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Full-day schedules from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Flexible scheduling that allows families to choose their days • Early morning care We are proudly part of Saint George Greek Orthodox Church and fully licensed by the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services. Our experienced and passionate staff treat every child like family, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all. Our goal is to build a foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

Saint George Preschool is at 1200 Klockner Road in Hamilton. For more information, call 609-586-2223, email Director Angela Gering at director@stgeorgepreschool.org or go to stgeorgepreschool.org.

August 2026 | The Messenger-Press21

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August 2026 | The Messenger-Press23

S U M M E R C AT E R I N G PA C K A G E

VACATION ANNOUNCEMENT: Feeds 8-10 $215 Choice of 3

RISTORANTE

Garden Salad • Roasted Vegetables • Corn on the Cob

Potato Salad • Rigatoni Vodka • Totellini Salad • Pasta Salad

FA M I LY ITALIAN I TA L I A N RESTAURANT R E S TAU R A N T FAMILY

We will be closed August 10th thru August 18th.

Reopening on August 19th

Tomato Cucumber & Feta Salad • Garlic Parmigiana Roasted Potatoes • Penne Broccoli & Garlic • Caprese Skewers • Stuffed Shells Paisana Salad • Chopped Antipasto • Rosemary Roasted Potato Choice of 2

Sacchetti Carbonara • Brick Oven Chicken • BBQ Chicken

Shrimp Skewers • Penna Alla Mamma • Meatballs • Chicken Parm Sausage Pepper Onions • Sausage Giambotta • Eggplant Rollatini Short Rib Mac & Cheese • Waygo Italian Hotdogs Choice of 1

BBQ Ribs • Boneless Short Ribs • Ribeye Steak (Chimichurri)

Regular Hours Shrimp Wrapped Bacon

Shrimp Skewers • Peach Bourbon Pork Tenderloin

SPECIAL OFFER OFFER SPECIAL 15%OFF OFF 15%

W E CATER C AT E R ANY ANY A F FA I R WE AFFAIR O N OR O R OFF O F F PREMISE PREMISE ON

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11 CHURCH STREETALLENTOWN, ALLENTOWN, NJ 609-208-0640 | | LAPIAZZARISTORANTE.COM 11 CHURCH STREET NJ || 609-208-0640 LAPIAZZARISTORANTE.COM 24  The Messenger-Press | August 2026