M t . O l i v e’s H o m e t o w n N e w s p a p e r
MOUNT OLIVE LIFE Vo l . 2 1 • I s s u e 6
Ju n e 2 0 2 5
Member of Mid-Atlantic Community Papers • Association of Community Publishers • Mt. Olive Chamber of Commerce AUDITED BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL (CVC), ST. LOUIS, MO.
Mt. Olive’s 1855 Church Reclaims its Glory with Dedication
BY CHERYL CONWAY STAFF WRITER
MOUNT OLIVE - After more than two decades of restoring the former Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Flanders, the historic building will be dedicated this month. Its official opening to the public, however, is still about two years away as final visitor access upgrades get underway. The Mt. Olive Twp. Council approved a resolution at its April 29 meeting authorizing a grant application to the New Jersey Historic Trust for visitor access upgrades and partial restoration of the church. “There remain a few items that would overall enhance the historic Mount Olive Baptist Church which include providing a parking area, paths to the front entrance, enhancing the site drainage, minor stucco repairs and undertaking additional minor stabilization of the fabric ceiling,” the resolu-
tion states. The town has applied to the NJ Historic Trust for a $214K grant with a 50% match coming from the Local Open Space Trust. It has been 22 years since the town has taken over the Mt. Olive Baptist Church property, and with a sigh of relief, final renovations are here! “I would say this is the last major renovation of the property, however, in the future the township may apply for grants to renovate the other schoolhouse building,” says Mt. Olive Twp. Business Administrator Andrew Tatarenko. Anyone who drives by the property knows that parking is limited. “The actual location and number of spots has not been determined at this time,” says Tatarenko. “The goal is to install a pervious surface materi-
al (grass and gravel, HexPave or similar system) for parking with a designated walking path that is barrier-free compliant.” Another plan is to construct multiple paths from each parking lot area to get to the building, adds Tatarenko. If the grant is awarded, funding would be included in the 2026 budget with a construction start date in 2027, he adds. In the meantime, the excitement is brewing so a dedication ceremony was planned for June 7 at 10 a.m. “A dedication ceremony is being planned and those who contributed to the project will be invited first,” says Tatarenko. “In the future, once the visitor access is complete, the general public will be invited to visit the site. There is no parking on-site. We are providing a shuttle service from
townhall at 9:30 a.m. Once the building is complete, it has been decided that “No church services” will be held. “Use is still to be determined,” notes Tatarenko,
Warrior Walkway Sets Path For Freedom Celebration
BY CHERYL CONWAY STAFF WRITER
MOUNT OLIVE - On July 4, 2026, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Events are being planned in all 50 states with festivities, parades, fairs and exhibits. A committee has been established in Mt. Olive to plan a local celebration to mark the day. The town is selling 24’’x48’’ Hometown Hero Banners for $300 to align Rt. 46, Budd Lake and Main Street Flanders for active duty, veterans, fallen heroes, EMS, police and firefighters. Deadline to reserve the banner is June 13. For more info or to order, go to lmeininger@ mtolivetwo.org. The All Veterans Memorial
organization is also gearing up by building a team to plan, coordinate and execute the AVM’s recognition and denotation of the founding father’s vision of independence and liberty.
AREA - The winners from May’s “Find Mr. MO the Mascot” are Patty MacDonald; Netcong, Niidharshan Dhineshkumar; Flanders, Mark Tullo; Flanders and Terri Laffan; Hackettstown. The ads that “Mr. Moe”
were in: Remax Sharon Caruso, Vision Source, Flanders Car Wash, Mountain Top Church, Enzo’s Ristorante and Omaha Steaks. Thanks to everyone who enter and congratulations to our winners!
“Our vision for this 250 year celebration is to relive and renew our nation’s founding principles by reminding our community that freedom has never been free - that it has been fought for and protected by true Patriots throughout history,” says AVM Founder Charlie Uhrmann. “We can think of no better stage than the All Veterans Memorial Educational Complex to re-enact and recite the quotes of founding fathers,
Winner from May’s “Find Mr. MO Mascot” Contest
DR. MICHAEL LALAMA
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military leaders, historical figures and notable events,” she says. Uhrmann plans to create a Warrior Walkway, a temporary display of photos at the AVM. “This is absolutely separate from the Mount Olive Township Hometown Heroes campaign,” Uhrmann explains. “The Warrior Walkway will allow non-Mt. Olive residents to participate. Our campaign will provide a private, tranquil place for our visitors to learn about our nation’s many wars, pay their respect and reflect. “The idea was mine,” she adds. “Since majority of AVM supporters are not from Mt. Olive and therefore unable to participate in Mt. Olive’s Hometown Hero campaign, we decided to provide them an opportunity at the AVM. The idea came to me while preparing and cleaning the complex for Memorial Day.” Sponsored by Hackettstown Home Depot., this campaign will begin at the AVM’s Memorial Day Ceremony, when the AVM will begin taking orders. Prototype panels with information regarding the campaign will be installed in September, says Uhrmann. “The cost to be added to the panel is $98,” says Uhrmann. “I love this project. This campaign will be a small part of a larger program for our Nation’s 250 Anniversary. “Those who wish to participate will be asked to provide a military photo, the name, rank, dates of service and war served. The information will be transferred onto a 12” x 12” aluminum plate that will be coated with a commercial coating that would prevent rusting, fading and graffiti. After a
minimum of six months and at the request of the sponsor, the plate can be removed and given to the family.” The Warrior Walkway will have its own private, secluded area behind the War Horse and War Dog Memorials, she describes. “Each section will be made up of a single 3’ x 5’ hardboard concrete supported by 4” x 4” braces,” says Uhrmann. “Each section can accommodate 15 individual warriors. We estimate there will be 25 panels on each side of the walkway. Since we are an educational complex, we will reserve the middle panel to add a real-life photograph and war stats of that particular war. “The attached panel will be one contiguous panel along the asphalt walkway,” adds Uhrmann. “Each separate panel will hold (15) 12” x 12” military photo. They will be categorized by wars. The Vietnam War will be placed on the left (along soccer field) extending from the parking lot all the way down towards the pond. The other panels will be on the right side. With benches. This walkway will denote each war and provide brief details. “We anticipate that the Vietnam War and Global War on Terror sections will garner the most support,” adds Uhrmann. “But you never know.” To get more information, visit https://www.allveteransmemorial.org.
who previously suggested the building could be used for small gathering and weddings. Last year, the interior restoration of the church was complete with septic being hooked
It is easy to enter. Look through the paper and read the ads and look for “Mr. Moe” in the ads. He will be located throughout the paper in 6 random ads. Then go to https://www.my-
PLEASE SEE CHURCH RECLAIMS, PAGE 2
AI Hits the Road in Mt. Olive with New Service
BY CHERYL CONWAY STAFF WRITER
MOUNT OLIVE - Paving the way to being the go-to source for information and service, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be the secret source to determining what roads need paving and what holes need patching in Mt. Olive. The Mt. Olive Twp. Council approved a resolution at its April 29 meeting authorizing an agreement with an AI software provider to assist with road rating, mapping services and infrastructure identification. After soliciting various proposals, the council agreed to a comprehensive program with Vialytics, a road management web system. Vialytics submitted a comprehensive program not to exceed $19,734. Mt. Olive Twp. Mayor Joe Nicastro says the township has talked about this service for many years as it would help detect road conditions sooner. “Technology stuff is getting good,” says Nicastro at the meeting. “Always looking for something new to do; technology always gets upgraded.” Nicastro explains how phones will be attached to certain vehicles. The system will be mapped to all roads in the township. The road conditions will then be graded, broken signs will be identified, problem water drains, sewers, manholes. The roads will be updated throughout the years and within a year the township will have a map of all the roads and conditions of them, “which roads have holes and cracks,” says Nicastro. “It’s a really good system.”
Your Chance to Win a $25 Gift Card with the “Find Mr. Moe Mascot” Contest AREA - Check out our mascot...Mr. Moe. Look for him in the ads in this issue and enter (no purchase necessary) to win a $25.00 gift card to different establishments (4 winners).
up to the bathroom as the final phase. The Mount Olive Baptist Church dates back to 1855 when it was built with Greek
paperonline.com/find-contest. html scroll down and fill out the form to be entered. Winners will be notified and printed in the next issue.
With “seamless road management with the Vialytics web system, within hours, our advanced algorithm processes your data, allowing you to view results directly in your browser,” as explained on the Vialytics website. “Effortlessly monitor all roads and assets, filter for the most critical damage, and assign work orders—all in one intuitive platform. With Vialytics, planning maintenance and upkeep has never been easier or more efficient.” Mt. Olive Twp. Business Administrator Andrew Tatarenko further explains how this new service will be effective. “AI is becoming more prevalent and beneficial to local government,” explains Tatarenko. “This technology will automatically identify cracks, potholes and other defects in the road surface. That data will then be used to map, rate and prioritize the roads that need to be repaired. “In addition, the technology will identify road signs, catch basins, manholes and other infrastructure which needs to be repaired,” continues Tatarenko. “It will help the township with early detection, improve efficiency and cost savings and assist with the decision making process in road resurfacing.” Funds for this initiative are coming from the 2025 capital budget, he adds. The technology can be installed on any smartphone device, says Tatarenko. “I anticipate two to five vehicles will be used,” he concludes.