07728 Freehold | May 2022

SUMMER 2022

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ARE BETTER IN FREEHOLD

IN THIS ISSUE:

RED IN PA R SO

Y TB

SPO N

Freehold Fire Department Celebrates 150th Anniversary, Borough Bites…and More!

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2022 EVENTS please note that all events are subject to change - check our website for the latest.

May Manalapan & Freehold

Bring your lawn chairs!

Fall Concert Series Hall of Records Wednesdays 7:30-9:30pm September 7th Moroccan Sheepherders 14th Vinnie Pastore’s Gangster Squard 21st Peanut Butter Bridges 28th Motor City Revue Event Sponsors October 15th Phil Engle Band 12th Tequila Rose

Borough HS Jazz Bands

Friday 27th 7-9pm Hall of Records

Freehold Borough Memorial Day Parade Monday - May 30th See Website for details : FreeholdMemorialDay.com

Latino Festival - Saturday - September 17th - 12-7pm

Thursday Rock Concert Series Thursdays 7:30 - 9:30 Pm Hall of Records Event Sponsors Bring your lawn chairs!

October Events Downtown Freehold

County Seat Jazz Blues & More Street Fest Sunday 2nd 12-6pm Vendors, Food Trucks & More.

The Ruckus - Jobonanno & The Godsons Chuck Lambert Band - CMJ Jazz Band Spooktacular Halloween Special Movie Night Friday 14th 7-9pm Hall of Records (see website)

June 2nd James Maddock 9th

The Pat Roddy Band

16th Funky Uncle All Stars - featuring Jon Christian Dugue 23rd The Weeklings 30th The Eddie Testa Bankd July 7th

Mission Dance

14th Joe Baracata Band 21th Matt O Ree Band

Flavor of Freehold

August 4th Parrot Beach 11th Colossal Street Jam 18th Pat Guadagno & Friends 25th Turnstyles

Tues/Wed, 11th/12th

SNOWDATE For Jolly Trolley Sunday, 11th 3-8pm

FBAC 2022 Jazz, Blues & More

Jolly Trolley 21+ Tour w/live music Downtown Freehold Saturday, 10th 9:30pm -10:30 pm

Summer Concert Series Every Sunday through August

SNOWDATE For Jolly Trolley 21+ Sunday, 11th 9:30-10:30pm

June 5th - August 28th

Brunch w/Santa American Hotel Sundays 4, 11, 18, 25 10am-3pm

Downtown Freehold Gazebo enjoy the music!

Event Sponsors Dru-Anne Palaima Linda Fasico Freehold Art Gallery

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Event Sponsors

Brunch w/Santa Sweet Lew’s Cafe Saturday 10th 9am-12:30pm Carolers Thursday, 15th 6-8pm Menorah Lighting December 9th - Monday

Farme’s Market Every Friday July through October

11am - 4pm

Live Music

November/December Happenings Tree Lighting Tuesday, December 6th 5-7pm Jolly Trolley (family) Downtown Freehold Frieday, 9th 5 -8pm -- Saturday, 10th 3-8pm

28th Chuck Lambert Bankd w/Coo Moe Jhee

Bring Your Lawn Chairs and

5:30-8pm

5:30-6:30Pm

Visit DowntownFreehold.com for more information.

Hall of Records

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SUMMER 2022

07728 MEMORIAL DAY FREEHOLD’S

PARADE

Dates to Civil War Times Full festivities expected on May 30 as parade plans return to ‘normal’

SUMMER 2022 ISSUE

COO

PERRY CORSETTI VP OF SALES

ARLENE REYES PUBLISHER

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JENNIFER AMATO LAYOUT & DESIGN

KIMBERLY KRAUSS

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Centraljersey.com

BY CHRIS ISAAC

P

reparations are well underway for the celebrations scheduled for May 30 for Freehold’s annual Memorial Day Parade. This is a particularly momentous occasion in Freehold, which has one of the biggest and longest-running parades in the entire country. The event is approaching what is believed to be its 148th year, originally starting not long after the end of the Civil War. This year’s parade feels especially significant because it will be more of a return to normal after COVID precautions created a more limited spectacle the previous two years.

“The parade of 2020 looked very different from usual because of the shutdown, but we think it was even more meaningful,” said Amanda McCobb, the parade committee’s vice chairman. “We asked that nobody come in person to see it, but rather they joined us on Facebook Live to see the event, which many did, or viewed later. Last year, our process was mostly normal, although the parade was a bit smaller as some of the groups themselves chose not to participate.

However, from a planning standpoint, this year we are fully back to normal.”

McCobb has held the vice chair position since 2007. That sees her in charge of keeping everything organized on the big day itself, ensuring everyone knows where they SUMMER 2022

need to be, and also handling much of the correspondence among parties in the leadup to the event.

With this being the event’s big return to normal, they are looking to commemorate the occasion with the full range of activities that help the crowd remember the true meaning of Memorial Day. “We typically have between 70-75 marching units, including youth sports teams, bands, fire departments and first aid squads, Scouts and, of course, our veterans organizations,” said McCobb. “The Point Memorial Service will take place at Elks Point in Downtown Freehold at 8:30. At the memorial service, the names of all the Freehold area fallen who have a cross at Elks Point will be announced, along with the raising of the American flag, the laying of a wreath by this year’s Host Post, the VFW, and the sounding of ‘Taps.’ ” It is McCobb’s mother, Alice, who is chair of the parade committee and spearheads the planning of the day itself. Alice McCobb please see PARADE, page 6 Freehold Borough’s Memorial Day Parade returns on May 30. Pictured are groups that marched in previous years.

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In this Issue: Memorial Day Parade ER Nurse, Kelly Marinello Bringing Strength to Nursing Borough Bites Following Freehold Springteen Museum A Look at Local History

4 8 10 13 14 16

COVER PHOTO BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

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SUMMER 2022

PARADE

continued from page 4

has been involved with the parade for decades, and is proud to have brought her daughter in on the tradition as well. They say that Alice McCobb probably started getting her daughter to lend a hand as early as 5 years old, when the latter began helping with event photography.

“I have been working on the Memorial Day Parade in Freehold since I joined the Freehold Borough Recreation Commission in the early 1980s when the parade was still organized as a part of Recreation,” Alice McCobb said.

“In the mid-1980s, the parade split off into its own committee and organization. We date my chairmanship from about the 1988 parade - my wedding was May 1987, and I know I didn’t act as chairman that year since I was planning my wedding - although nobody can quite remember the exact year.”

A grand marshal has already been chosen for this year’s parade, but the details of who is still being kept under wraps while anticipation builds. Regardless, Freehold residents are eager to enjoy all the moments of the parade in their full glory again. With how much history this event has, nobody enjoys seeing it disrupted. As Alice McCobb is known to say, “It doesn’t rain on my parade.”

Though that is likely said with a touch of irony hearkening back to the only time when the parade was ever canceled during Alice’s tenure, back in 2000 when it was called off the day of due to severe weather that caused safety concerns.

Explaining why they are so dedicated to having this parade rain or shine, Amanda McCobb said, “This is to represent all of our fallen service members who have given their lives in defense of the nation, and to remind us all of the true meaning of Memorial Day, which is not a day at the beach and a BBQ.” The parade begins at 10 a.m. May 30 from the corner of Brinkerhoff Avenue and Main Street. ■

From left: Alice McCobb, Amanda McCobb and Karen Ketcham at a previous parade.

The McCobbs are chair and vice chair of the parade committee, respectively.

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SUMMER 2022

BY KATHY CHANG

K

elly Marinello – in essence - started Olympic weightlifting because of nursing.

“When I first got my [nursing] job, they had us observe a lot,” she said. “You have to move your own patients and sometimes you don’t get a lot of help to do that. You have to be strong enough to do that. I didn’t want to be weak. I didn’t want to be that person that couldn’t move their own patients.”

Marinello was determined to get into shape and be as strong as she could be.

Now - as her mother Jeanne wrote in a social media post after her second gold medal win – Marinello is an “Operating Room Nurse by day; Gold Medal Weightlifter in her spare time.”

Patrick Manturi, who had worked with her at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township, introduced her to the sport of Olympic weightlifting.

Four years later, Marinello, 27, is strong and at a point in the sport of Olympic weightlifting she really didn’t expect.

“It just grew and evolved,” she said. “I didn’t expect myself to be at this point. I wanted to be strong. I didn’t think I would be a weightlifter. I did dance, cheerleading and soccer my whole life; we didn’t touch barbells. It evolved into something and I’m very happy it evolved the way it did.”

Marinello said everyone supports one another in the sport of weightlifting even through competitions.

“It’s more like you are competing with yourself,” she said. “I don’t want to beat this person; I want to beat my own record.”

Another plus is everyone does not have to be a certain age or size to weight lift.

“Everyone is so nice and supportive,” she said. “It’s just a great community.”

Marinello grew up in Brick Township and moved to Freehold Township in 2008 when she was in the eighth grade.

After high school, she went on to earn an associate’s degree from Brookdale Community College in Middletown and SUMMER 2022

earn a bachelor’s degree from New Jersey City University in nursing.

After graduating in 2018, she began her nursing career at CentraState Medical Center. She works as a nurse in the operating room.

“I always liked helping people,” Marinello said of what led her into the nursing field. “In high school, there were a bunch of different vocational things you could do and one of the things was nursing. I did that my last year of high school and then got into the Brookdale [nursing] program.”

During any given work week, which consists of three 12-hour shifts, Marinello helps prep patients for surgery, making sure all consents are signed, and certain questions are answered.

She works with an anesthesiologist, a surgeon and scrub tech during a surgery.

“I give them everything they need and as the surgery is going on, I’m kind of running the room because the surgeon can’t move,” she said. “Sometimes I’m scrubbing in … we have to learn both. It’s very interesting.”

Marinello said it has been a learning experience since surgery is not part of nursing school.

“It’s a great environment,” she said of the atmosphere at CentraState. “I like being oneon-one with the patients.”

A challenging part of the job includes the unknown emergencies that can come 8

through the door.

“You kind of always have to be ready for anything,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t get much time to prepare … and we’re like scrambling. That’s probably the most difficult part.”

On two of the days, Marinello is the charge nurse at night during an 11 p.m. to 11 a.m. shift. From 3-11 a.m., she coordinates surgery rooms and times.

COVID-19 Pandemic When the pandemic essentially shut everything down in March 2020, Marinello was just fresh off her first Olympic weightlifting competition with Mach1 Barbell in Long Branch.

“It was like, ‘Wow,’ I’m just starting to be in competitions,” she said. please see MARINELLO, page 9 07728

continued from page 8

MARINELLO

And as time went on, the excitement and drive for the sport halted for a bit.

“I didn’t get to meet with my team, which I had every Sunday,” she said. “During the pandemic, we couldn’t see anybody, and I started doing my own thing. At one point, I actually stopped working out for about a month.”

At CentraState, things were also up in the air. Elective surgeries had been put on hiatus.

“My operating nurse skills kind of went out the door,” she said, explaining she was sent to help all over the hospital from the ICU (intensive care unit) to the ER (emergency room) during March to June 2020. “It was just a sad, sad time for everyone.”

After a month of not working out, Marinello got a “pick me up” from her coaches at Mach1 Barbell. They provided at-home workouts. Using her father’s barbell and metal plates from the 1980s, she did the best she could in her carpeted basement and/ or outside on nice days.

In July 2020, Marinello participated in her second weightlifting competition in Freehold. In the 55-kilogram, or 121-pound, weight class, she qualified for a national meet in Las Vegas, which was scheduled for September 2020.

It was unfortunately canceled due to COVID, but with qualifications lasting one year, Marinello was able to compete in a competition in Utah in March 2021.

“I did pretty well there,” she said.

After the competition in Utah, Marinello faced a challenge of her first real injury from the sport.

“I had an impingement in my shoulder and posterior inferior labral tear and some rotator cuff tendinitis,” she said.

After help from Freehold Spine and Wellness, she was able to recover from her injury and continue lifting.

Since her recovery, Marinello has participated in more local weightlifting meets and hit an all-time personal record with a 165-pound clean and jerk, which garnered that second gold medal and qualified her for the Arnold Weightlifting Championships in Columbus, Ohio, in March 2022.

As Marinello looks ahead, her goal is to continue to qualify for as many national competitions and ultimately qualify for an international competition.

Along with competitions, Marinello said similar to what drew her to the nursing field, she would like to help other people experience weightlifting, try things they normally wouldn’t and not be afraid to push their limits. ■

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Kelly Marinello wanted to be strong as a nurse, so she pursued weighlifting to aid her strength building.

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Celebrate Summer with Freehold’s Historic

JERSEY FREEZE

BY LAUREN LAMANTIA

W

ith summer upon us and everyone eager to celebrate the season, it is the perfect time to grab a friend or family member and experience the fun, ice cream and food at Freehold’s Jersey Freeze.

Located at 120 Manalapan Ave. in Freehold, and a new location at Bell Works in Holmdel, Jersey Freeze has remained a staple in the borough, combining its historic roots with new modern flares for loyal customers and newcomers alike.

Originally founded in 1952 by the Blackmore family, Jersey Freeze stood as a place for residents to go mainly for ice cream but expanded to a restaurant with fast food in the 1970s with the dining room coming as an addition years later.

Katie DiNonno, now co-owner, started working at Jersey Freeze when she was 15 years old, she explained, in 1993 when she was a teenager in high school. When Bruce Blacmore retired in 2014, he sold Jersey Freeze to DiNonno and fellow co-owner Matt Cangialosi.

Cangialosi, a previous business owner of CKO Kickboxing in Freehold, and a police officer reaching his 10-year mark, met DiNonno when she was a member at CKO and they soon became friends. Cangialosi, who was looking for a new opportunity at the time, teamed up with DiNonno, and they have been the backbone of Jersey Freeze since 2015.

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In recent years, Jersey Freeze faced similar circumstances to other local businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, in which the restaurant and ice cream bar was faced with the stay-at-home order for residents, and restaurants suddenly having to pivot business strategies in 2020.

During this time, Cangialosi explained that the whole operation was changed to the parking lot for curbside pickup, and a new menu item was introduced called “family food specials” of a family grilled cheese pack, appetizer sampler and family chicken fingers, which has remained on the menu since.

With its years of loyal customers from Freehold and surrounding towns, Jersey Freeze not only provides a great atmosphere to unwind but is involved in the community, helping multiple local organizations with Dine and Donate events, Scouts, Little Leagues, and helping the local school district PTAs. One event known as their biggest fundraiser is in memory of 8-year-old Olivia “Liv” Lipnicky, who passed away two years ago please see BITES, page 12

PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

PREVIOUS: Jersey Freeze: Fruity Pebbles shake. ABOVE LEFT: Banana split . ABOVE RIGHT: Ice cream cookie sandwiches.

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NM-00494004

SUMMER 2022

BITES

continued from page 11

from a rare brain cancer, according to Cangialosi. Her favorite place was Jersey Freeze. The foundation that was started in her memory named Liv like a Unicorn is honored with a milkshake at Jersey Freeze for her birthday every year.

“Every year now for her birthday we make a birthday cake shake, that was her favorite shake, so Liv’s Birthday Cake Shake the whole weekend, every dollar that we make from those shakes goes back to this foundation,” Cangialosi said.

With their help in the community and expansive menu of soft serve, hard flavors, boats, chocolate chip cookies sandwiches, Oreo sandwiches, flavored milkshakes and their ever-changing Shake of the Month, Jersey Freeze has come a long way.

“The cakes are unbelievable,” Cangialosi said.

On the restaurant end, options are endless, too, with Jersey Melt, Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese, Jersey Cheesesteak, Fried Gulf shrimp and more. Allergy-friendly and dietary restriction options are also available, with vegetarian and vegan options for both the restaurant and ice cream.

DiNonno shared what her recommendations are for someone visiting Jersey Freeze for the first time.

“Our main thing is our soft serve ice cream. We do make our soft serve ice cream ourselves and that’s how Jersey Freeze started, just soft serve, we didn’t have the hard ice cream. So I always tell people to try the soft serve because that’s kind of our thing.” DiNonno said “As far as food goes, burgers are a big favorite here. Our second one is our cheesesteaks, everyone loves our cheesesteaks here.”

With many options for everyone to enjoy on a spring afternoon or people indulging in a burger and shake on their dietary cheat day, the two owners spoke on what being a part of the Jersey Freeze family means to them.

SUMMER 2022

“For me, I started working here when I was a teenager, so it just means a lot to me because I’ve been here forever and continue to just put everything that I have into it. I mean, for both of us, this is our life. Everything we have is here, everything we do is here,” DiNonno said. “For us it’s basically like our home.”

The passion for the business can be seen by those who visit, seeing DiNonno and Cangialosi working alongside others at Jersey Freeze, hoping others come back and make the place their home away from home, too.

“What we’ve built here and what we continue to do, I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Cangialosi said. ■

PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Tara Kleschinsky makes a classic cake.

Milkshake with whipped cream.

Sundae quarts.

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Following

Freehold It’s all in the details.

When it comes to your social calendar change is … not always good. But sometimes it’s inevitable.

Check each organization’s website for updated event information.

Freehold Fire Department anniversary

The Freehold Fire Department will hold a celebration of its 150th anniversary from noon to 5 p.m. June 11 at the Freehold Racetrack, 130 Park Avenue, rain or shine. There will be food and beverages, a money wheel, gift auction, 50/50 raffle, and performances by both The Eddie Testa Band and the Phil Engel Band. The Freehold Fire Department was founded on April 20, 1872. A ceremony marking the anniversary was held in April. Purchase anniversary merchandise at www.ljsengraving.com/freeholdfire150th; or in person at the Freehold Fire Department, 49 W. Main St., Freehold Borough, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Or, call 732-462-0164 to schedule a pickup.

Thursdays Rock Concert Series Downtown Freehold presents its annual Thursdays Rock Concert Series in front of the Hall of Records on West Main Street from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The current schedule is: June 16, Carnival Dogs; June 23, The Weeklings, July 7, Mission Dance; July 14, please see FOLLOWING, page 18

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SUMMER 2022

FREEHOLD BOROUGH WILL BECOME

HOME TO

SPRINGSTEEN ‘STORY CENTER’

BY MARK ROSMAN

A

s if Bruce Springsteen were not already leaving enough of a legacy in his hometown of Freehold Borough, now he will leave one in brick and mortar.

The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, in collaboration with Freehold Borough municipal officials, have announced a plan to renovate the Freehold Fire Department headquarters, 49 W. Main St., and turn it into My Hometown: The Bruce Springsteen Story Center.

The plan was announced by Mayor Kevin Kane, members of the Borough Council and Eileen Chapman, the director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives.

Springsteen attended and spoke at the event in March and said it was his longtime friend Mike Wilson, who served as Freehold Borough’s mayor for more than 25 years, who brought the idea to him several years ago.

A committee that includes former Mayor Roger Kane, the father of the current mayor, has quietly been working on the initiative since the idea was first mentioned.

Springsteen, who grew up in houses on Randolph Street, Institute Street and South Street, said he consented to the idea of an exhibition space that is expected to include artifacts, photographs, multimedia displays and interactive displays.

The exhibition space is expected to attract visitors from around the United States and around the globe to Freehold Borough.

Several speakers acknowledged that Springsteen landmarks in the borough already draw visitors to the community. Two of the homes in which Springsteen lived are still standing; the home on Randolph Street is not.

Freehold Borough officials recently announced plans for the fire department - which is celebrating its 150th anniversary to move out of its longtime headquarters and into a new facility, but did not immediately disclose what use would fill the fire department’s space.

The fire department’s move to a location to be determined is part of the Freehold SUMMER 2022

Center Core Redevelopment Plan on which municipal officials are moving forward.

The anticipated opening date for My Hometown: The Bruce Springsteen Story Center is mid-2024, according to a press release from the Bruce Springsteen Archives.

In remarks at the event, Kane said he “could not wait to get out of bed” to share the news with Freehold Borough and essentially the rest of the world.

“This (exhibition space) will serve as the catalyst for the redevelopment of the borough,” the mayor said. “It will bring people from around the globe to the Boss’s hometown.”

Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy addressed the packed firehouse and, noting that with Springsteen joining the guests on the dais and waiting to speak, said, “For the rest of my life, I will be able to say I opened for Bruce Springsteen.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Monmouth University and the Springsteen Archives.

I am looking forward to a decades-long collaboration with Freehold Borough,” Leahy said.

Glenn Cashion, who is Springsteen’s first cousin and a commissioner on the Monmouth County Historical Commission, said the announcement regarding My Hometown: The Bruce Springsteen Story Center is “awesome” and “will celebrate his enormous contribution to American music.”

Kevin Coyne, who is Freehold Borough’s historian and who will curate and program the exhibition space with the Bruce Springsteen Archives and individuals with significant ties to Springsteen, said during his remarks that the singersongwriter is “the defining storyteller of the last half-century.”

“The central idea behind the Freehold project is to tell the story of Bruce Springsteen as a writer, please see SPRINGSTEEN, page 15 14

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SPRINGSTEEN

continued from page 14

as a storyteller, as a chronicler of America, and how his story and the story of his hometown intertwine to tell the larger story of his country,” Coyne said in a press release provided by the Bruce Springsteen Archives.

Chapman said, “The Springsteen exhibition in Freehold will allow us to provide not only exciting exhibits that tell the story of Springsteen’s early years, but also dynamic educational and public programs with strong ties to the community and area schools.

“This exhibition will be an educational resource for teachers, with pre-tour activities for school groups. In addition, visitors will come from all over the world to see the exhibit,” she said.

As he made his way to the microphone, Springsteen accepted a sweatshirt from Kane with “The Boss” stitched across the front.

Speaking in front of a friendly audience, he said Wilson brought the idea for the Freehold Borough exhibition space to him.

Calling the firehouse “the coolest building in town,” Springsteen said he consented to the idea if everyone involved could “agree on how it’s going to work.”

“The bottom line is you can’t get away from the fact it feels bizarre. I sat three blocks from here and came up with a few songs and things that I liked and the idea

that 50 years later anybody was going to be interested in them at all, I mean what are the odds, folks? They’re very small.”

Springsteen said his memories of Freehold Borough “remain an essential part of me (and) I could not even tell you why. I don’t know why. All I know is that is has. That’s the reason I’m skipping breakfast to be here today. All I can really do is thank everybody, Mike (Wilson) and everyone here on the stage, you guys are all the best ...

“It’s been wonderful having this town as the center of my art and of my life. I look forward to doing that until they put me in a box. Thanks,” Springsteen said.

Kane, Leahy and Springsteen then signed a memorandum of understanding that links the parties and puts into motion the plan for My Hometown: The Bruce Springsteen Story Center. ■ PHOTOS BY MARK ROSMAN

Bruce Springsteen speaks during an event in Freehold Borough in March during which a partnership between Freehold Borough and the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University was announced and plans for the creation of My Hometown: The Bruce Springsteen Story Center were unveiled. Plans call for the Freehold Fire Department to move to a new location and for the Springsteen story center to be created in the renovated fire department headquarters on West Main Street.

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SUMMER 2022

A LOOK AT LOCAL HISTORY

All Gave Some, Some Gave All Freehold Fire Department celebrates 150 years of serving Greater Freehold community

BY JENNIFER AMATO

W

hen Kevin Coyne was growing up on Lincoln Place in Freehold Borough, he said his family had a little card hanging in the kitchen that listed all the fire alarm whistle codes.

“When the whistle blew you counted the blasts and then checked the card to see where the fire call was. Two, One, Two – that was the middle of town, Main Street and South Street. Three, One, Two – that was SUMMER 2022

Main and Center. Every corner of town had its own code,” he recalled.

Coyne’s uncle Gene was a firefighter who lived a few houses down, having served as a former chief, and one of four generations of Coynes who served in the Freehold Fire Department.

“When that whistle blew, I would sometimes see him race off down the street. And when that whistle blew, I did what a lot of kids did back then – checked the code and then got on my bike to race down the street, too, to where the fire was. The one I remember best was the coat factory on Bowne Avenue, because it was where my grandmother had worked,” he remembered.

“The whistle was powerful – powerful in sound – it jolted anyone who hadn’t heard it before, and many who had – and powerful also in meaning. When it blew it told everybody in town that if something was going wrong, somebody was going to try to make it right. And when it blew that weekly test at quarter past noon every Saturday – bleating over and over again beyond the count of any alarm code – it reminded all of us that some among us were always standing on guard,” he said.

Coyne, who is currently the historian for the Borough of Freehold, spoke these words 16

during the 150th anniversary ceremony for the Freehold Borough department, which was held in April. Another celebration is planned for WHAT DAY. The Freehold Fire Department was founded on April 20, 1872.

Enoch Cowart was elected as temporary president of the Goodwill Hook and Ladder, and Charles Richardson was elected secretary.

Goodwill Hook and Ladder housed their apparatus at local barns. The fire department established itself on Throckmorton Street in 1875, and then South Street in 1897. In 1917, it moved to its present location at 51 W. Main St. adjacent to the train tracks. In 2002, an auxiliary annex was constructed.

The local paper, The Democrat, declared that the company “was comprised of some of the most active citizens and will no doubt be of service in time of need,” a sentiment that continues to this day.

Since their formation, firefighters have fought several serious and significant fires throughout the borough.

On a Thursday night in September 1873, a fire started in the Main Street offices of the town’s other newspaper, the Monmouth please see HISTORY, page 17 07728

07728

Lester Van Schoick died from their injuries.

Their sacrifice on behalf of their town is marked by the memorial in the Market Yard.

Two other firefighters died in the line of duty: John Felton and Alfred Thomas Landavier.

Freehold Borough Mayor Kevin Kane, who is a 15-member of the fire department, thanked those for their sacrifices and congratulated the department as a whole for its decades of service.

“We really appreciate all you do for us,” he said.

On a more uplifting note, firefighters were assigned the duty of providing fire protection for Marine One and former President William Clinton on his arrival to speak at the Battle of Monmouth monument.

The department currently consists of four companies: Goodwill Hook and Ladder, Engine & Hose Co. No. 1, Richardson Engine Co. No. 2 and Monmouth Hose Company, with about 90 members. There is also now a junior firefighters program that began in 2006.

The borough department was the primary provider of fire protection to Freehold Township residents through the mid-1960s and continues to work closely with the township’s current fire departments.

Lester Preston Jr., a committeeman in Freehold Township, recalled visiting with a friend from college in 1980, when her father, Walt Friedman, asked about fire service.

Preston said Friedman put him in the car, drove to the fire station, had him fill out an application – and then took him out for drinks.

He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, father, uncle and cousin.

He noted responsibilities not just of firefighting, but also of rescue operations and assisting during other emergencies.

“Thank you very much for your service, it’s very much appreciated,” he said.

Municipal officials appropriated $5 million to be used to relocate Freehold Borough’s firehouse, develop a modern bus station and improve a borough park. According to a bond ordinance adopted in April, $4.4 million of the $5 million appropriation will be used for three initiatives: one, the acquisition of property at Throckmorton and Broad

Designing Your Dreams

HISTORY

continued from page 16

Inquirer. The bell rang from the Young Ladies Seminary, just a few doors that way. The fire spread in both directions, up toward the courthouse and down toward the railroad tracks. It was threatening to burn the whole downtown.

“You stopped it in one direction before it could consume the courthouse, and then you stopped it in the other direction, too,” Coyne recounted.

Some paint oil had ignited in the basement supply vault of Perrine’s store on a Saturday morning in 1886. Fire companies from surrounding towns came by train to help, and when the fire was finally out, Wolcott’s Dining Saloon, which was where Federici’s is now, supplied the firefighters with 120 gallons of coffee, Coyne said.

There were significant fires at Curley’s Laundry on Bowne Avenue, Gordon’s carpentry shop on Monmouth Avenue, the stables behind the American Hotel, Woodward’s grocery store on West Main, the Combs and Ellis lumber yard on Broad Street.

A gas light ignited Santa Claus’s sleeve at Levy Brothers department store and then set the window display aflame, too.

At a winter carnival on a frigid Saturday night in 1933, firemen fought the Belmont Hotel fire.

Barely a year later, at another of the old downtown hotels, they carried the residents to safety from the upper stories of the Monmouth House.

On a Saturday afternoon in 1962, firefighters shepherded 82 prisoners out of the county jail behind the courthouse and 200 children – including a young Bruce Springsteen – from the matinee of “Tom Thumb” at the Strand Theater, as they fought a fire that consumed half a block of East Main Street.

Two years later, they were at the other end of Main Street as a fire at the Freehold Bowling Academy took out six stores.

The Freehold Racetrack burned in 1984, and the old section of the Rug Mill burned in 1990.

The worst day recorded in the department’s 150 years was Aug. 2, 1933. An alarm came in from the box on the corner of Hudson and Mechanic streets. A worker at Polchak’s Women’s Coat Factory, one of the many small garment factories that once dotted the town, had just put five gallons of gasoline into a pressing machine. A small gust of wind caught a flame he was using to heat the line, and ignited the dust and oil on the floor. When the first firemen reached the side of the building, the gasoline exploded.

“Thirteen firemen were injured, stumbling back toward Mechanic Street, where their comrades threw them to the ground, and beat out their flaming clothes. All the local doctors and nurses were called to help, but for three of the men, there was little that could be done,” Coyne said.

Joseph V. Storey and brothers Leroy and

streets so the Freehold Fire Department headquarters may be moved to that location from 51 W. Main St.; two, the construction of a new police and fire public safety facility; and three, the construction of a modern bus station. The cost of these initiatives will be partially covered by $4.19 million in bonds or notes.

During the 150th anniversary service on April 24, Nolan Higgins directed the ceremony, which included a procession by the Freehold Fire Department down West Main Street to the firehouse, led by two bagpipers from Christian Brothers Academy; an invocation by the Rev. Jonathan Elsensohn, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Freehold; the singing of the national anthem; a rose presentation to the widows of the fire department; a presentation of resolutions by members of the Freehold Borough Council and Freehold Township Committee; the history of the department presented by borough historian Kevin Coyne; The Firefighters Prayer read by Deacon Matthew Nicosia, chaplain of the Freehold Fire Department; the tolling of the firehouse bell after the reading of the names of the fallen (Lester Van Schoick, Leroy Van Schoick, Joseph Storey, John Felton and Alfred Thomas Landwehr); and a closing benediction by Jennifer Elsensohn, pastoral associate from the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine of Freehold Township.

Next, an anniversary celebration will be held on Saturday, June 11, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Freehold Racetrack, 130 Park Ave., rain or shine. There will be food and beverages, a money wheel, gift auction, 50/50 raffle and performances by both The Eddie Testa Band and the Phil Engel Band.

“After 150 years, we never doubt you will always be there as you always have been,” Coyne said. ■

PHOTO BY JENNIFER AMATO

The Freehold Fire Department commemorated its 150th anniversary of providing emergency services to Freehold Borough and the surrounding area with a solemn ceremony in April. A celebration is planned for June 11 at the Freehold Racetrack.

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FOLLOWING

Joe Baracata Band; July 21, Matt O’Ree Band; July 28, Peanut Butter Bridges; Aug. 4, Parrot Beach; Aug. 11, Colossal Street Jam; Aug. 18, Pat Guadagno & Friends; and Aug. 25, Turnstyles. Bring a lawn chair.

Downtown Freehold Movie Night

Movies will be shown in front of the Hall of Records on West Main Street every Wednesday, from June 22 to Aug. 24, from 8:30-10 p.m. For the movie titles, visit downtownfreehold.com Bring a chair or blanket.

Farmers Market Every Friday, from July through October, visit the Hall of Records on West Main Street for a farmers market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jazz, Blues & More Summer Concert Series The Freehold Borough Arts Council presents Jazz and Blues & More summer concerts every Sunday, from 7-9 p.m., through Aug. 28, at the Downtown Freehold Gazebo, 10 E. Main St. Bring a lawn chair. The current schedule is: July 3, Chuck Lambert Band; July 10, Owen’s Heavy Mellow Acoustic

Trio with Lee Scott Howard; July 17, Pat Guadagno and Richard Blackwell; July 24, Layonne Holmes; July 31, Bethe Burns & The Legends; Aug. 7, Tommy B. & The Deep Blue Sea; Aug. 14, Jump Back; Aug. 21, Rogues on the Run; and Aug. 28, CMJ Jazz Band.

Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation Golf Outing The third annual Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation’s golf outing will be held June 27 at Charleston Springs Golf Course. The event benefits survivors of domestic violence, and the families of missing loved ones.

Details will be announced at www.snpfoundation.org

Class of 1972 Reunion Freehold High School Class of 1972 will celebrate its 50-year class reunion on July 23 at the American Hotel, Freehold Borough.

Tickets are $85 per person and must be purchased in advance; no tickets will be sold at the door. The deadline for ticket purchases is July 13. For more information, contact Sue Shrott by email at Sueshrott@gmail.com or call 732-995-7754.

Vendor Fair The Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation will

hold a vendor fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Aug. 20, rain or shine, at the Monmouth County Court House, 71 Monument St., Freehold. Rear parking lot available off Quinn Boulevard.

There will be food vendors, over 100 craft vendors, live music, rides, arts and crafts, and children’s activities.

The event benefits survivors of domestic violence, and the families of missing loved ones.

For more information, email sparze@ snpfoundation.org

Send us your calendar listings!

Please include all critical information: who, what, where, when and how to register or get tickets (if applicable), as well as a few lines of a description.

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