BELLEVILLE POST
ESSEXNEWSDAILY.COM
FEBRUARY 2026
VOL. 36 NO. 23
Three Kings Belleville honors Martin Luther King celebrated
— See Page 3
Welcome to the force
— See Page 6
BHS rolls to ECT crown
— See Page 23
BELLEVILLE — The township held a Martin Luther King ceremony and flag raising earlier this month. The event, which was emceed by Council Member Vincent Cozzarelli Jr., began in the courtroom in Town Hall with the Belleville Middle School choir singing the national anthem. Councilmember Tracy Muldow introduced the main speaker, the Rev. Moses Parker Jr. of Second Baptist Church of Belleville. Parker thanked God for King’s vision and asked that people see the value of every life. “Remind us we are not here by accident,” Parker said. “Give us hearts willing to serve.” King’s legacy is honored not just for what he did but for how he lived, Parker said. “King’s vision was his purpose and he lived his purpose,” Parker said. “All of us in this room have a purpose.” Parker told those present that with purpose comes service. “Imagine if every decision made within the next 24 hours was made with love and service,” Parker said, adding that the good that would come out of that would last a very long time. “We all have the ability to inspire and empower,” Parker said. “It’s not just about honoring Dr. King, it’s about continuing his vision.” Parker extolled audience members to be of service and not just remember that King had a dream but to live it. Mayor Michael Melham followed and noted that Belleville has a policy of only doing flag raisings at Town Hall for countries with the one exception being a flag raising for Martin Luther King Jr. “The flag represents the ongoing work of confronting injustice,” Melham said. The Belleville Middle School Choir followed singing “We Shall Overcome” before Belleville Police Department Detective Ansuma Marbey, who is the department’s school resource officer and a
Photos by Joe Ungaro
At the Martin Luther King Jr. flag raising ceremony are, from left, Mayor Michael Melham, Detective Ansuma Marbey and the Rev. Moses Parker Jr. Below left, Parker was the featured speaker at the event. Below right, the Belleville Middle School choir performed several songs.
23 year veteran of the department, was honored. The announcement of the award was met with much applause and Marbey, who was not told beforehand that he was being honored, was asked to speak.
Matthew De Fede
The Knowledge & Experience You Can Trust.
“I’m just glad to be part of the team, serving the community,” he said. Marbey was asked to actually raise the flag outside City Hall while Muldow sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
elite homes
O: 973-846-0065