OLDBRIDGE ALL AROUND
VOL 4, NO 1
OB OLD BRIDGE
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Pursuing Progress
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Mayor's office of Economic Development
A Publication for the community of Old Bridge
OLD BRIDGE HAUSER HILL FARMS, 150 YEARS OF GETS AN AA1 HARD WORK AND LOVE FOR OLD BRIDGE GENERAL OBLIGATION UNLIMITED TAX AND BOND RATING Old Bridge has received an Aa1 general obligation unlimited tax (GOULT) rating from Moody’s Investors Service, an indicator of the Township’s robust financial health, it was announced. Moody’s said it assigned the rating on Old Bridge’s $8.5 million G eneral Obligation Bonds, Series 2019, consisting of $8.1 million General Improvement Bonds and $450,000 Arena Utility Bonds, Moody’s maintains the Aa1 GOULT rating on the Township’s outstanding GOULT debt, it said in a press release. According to Moody’s “the Aa1 GOULT rating reflects the Township’s large tax base with ongoing development and healthy resident wealth and income. It also incorporates management’s history of budgeting conservatively, which has contributed to the Township’s strong finances. In addition, the Township’s fixed costs are above average; however, total quite is quite modest.” Moody’s cited Old Bridge’s “large, growing tax base, and “strong financial trend” as the Township’s credit strengths.
Despite a variety of obstacles that make farming more challenging every year – from extreme weather to restrictive governmental regulations to finding good labor – John and Midge Hauser can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s a trait both have inherited from several generations of Hausers dating to the inception of Old Bridge Township – and even earlier. In fact, there isn’t a time that Hauser Hill Farms on Ticetown Road wasn’t part of the fabric of the Old Bridge community. And the Township is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. “My great-great grandfather was
born here in Old Bridge,” said John Hauser, a fifth-generation farmer. “He was born here in the 1860s so he was here at least 150 years ago working almost the same land we work now. My grandmother’s side was another farm family. They originally got the grant for Throckmorton from England, so that side of my family goes back to the start of the country.” Neither John nor Midge Hauser knows exactly how old Hauser Hill Farms is “but Hausers have been here at least 150 years in pretty much the same location,” John Hauser said. “Being the last family-owned farm in Old Bridge is a tremenContinued on page 12
MAYOR’S INAUGURAL 5K RESULTS
With more than 550 runners participating – after early estimates that the field might barely top 100 – the Mayor’s Inaugural Health and Wellness 5k Honoring Our Hometown heroes proved to be a rousing success on March 30. Jan Stofan of Englishtown crossed the finish line first in a time of 18:25.1, with Troy Allen of Old Bridge (19:50.6), Raunak Desai of Matawan (19:57.0), Jade Wurst of Old Bridge (20.05.0) and Anthony Kapasakis of Jackson (20:27.4) rounding out the top five. “Our community was extremely generous in helping make the day a big success,” said Rosemarie Rivoli, project coordinator for the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. “We received doContinued on page 29
MAY 2019