BY KATHY CHANG
It’s not just a routine eye exam when you step into Cohen’s Fashion Optical. Grab a cup of coffee at the coffee bar or grab a bottle of water, Dr. Angel Arizmendy and Shawn Sadili want to know how you are doing.
“Whether [customers] come in and we catch up or they are meeting us for the first time, it’s just about building relationships,” Arizmendy said. “When I tell patients about a treatment, a drop or something that might be scary, I say ‘Listen, we treat people like family. If you were my family member, I’d tell you to do this because it’s true. We treat people with care. We really care about what we do.’”
Arizmendy is just a few months into owning Cohen’s Fashion Optical at 26 E Main St., but his story with the eye business begins with his mentor Dr. Thomas O’Kane.
O’Kane opened Cohen’s Fashion Optical in Jersey
City and another location at the Freehold Raceway Mall some 25 years ago.
“He got a chance to open a place right after optometry school. He started in Jersey City and eventually opened [a location in Freehold],” Arizmendy said. “He managed the Jersey City location and his sister, Lauri, managed the Freehold location.”
At some point the location at the mall moved to the location on E Main Street.
Arizmendy started as a technician and worked part time and as an intern for O’Kane at his Jersey City location.
“I said, ‘This is kind of cool,’ so I chose to study and went to optometry school in Chicago and became [an eye] doctor,” he said. “I followed in his footsteps. He kind of was like a role model to me, he was my mentor.”
Arizmendy graduated from optometry school last year and came back to his home state.
“Unfortunately, [O’Kane] passed away when I was in optometry school due to cancer, we had stayed in
please see COHEN’S, page 6
elcome to the 07728, a magazine dedicated to the lifestyle and community of Freehold. We hope you have been enjoying our bi-monthly editions so far. This is my first Letter from the EDITOR and I am excited for you to check out what we have in store for our Fall edition.
First off, we are NMG media group, proudly providing over 50 publications within New Jersey and Pennsylvania, specializing in original local content. We have been given the opportunity to delve into all the wonderful and exiting things Metuchen has to offer on a new level with the magazine.
In this issue, Take a Walk on the Wild Side with the Half Mile of Horses Art Walk, which pairs equine history with beautiful artwork. Learn about the walk on page 14. Readers will learn about the Historic Walnford, which offers an opportunity to explore local history on page 16. Rachel Mitzelman is a paramedic, firefighter and the first female to serve as president of the Freehold Township Independent Company No. 1. Her
inspirational story begins on page 12. Mouths may start watering as readers learn about Broad Street Dough Company from owner Desdemona Dalia, whose vision of a doughnut business started at her kitchen table. Now her vision has expanded to three family-owned and operated doughnut bakeries. One is located in Freehold, 177 Elton Adelphia Road. Learn about it in 07728’s Boro Bites segment on page 8. Our business spotlight shines on Cohen’s Fashion Optical. Dr. Angel Arizmendy is the new eye doctor that carries the torch of his longtime mentor Dr. Thomas O’Kane. His story begins on page 2. All of this and more awaits on the pages ahead. Enjoy! Editor
We bi-monthly first excited
touch,” he said.
Lauri O’Kane took over the two businesses after her brother’s passing, but due to health reasons had to step away.
“Since I graduated and became a doctor, she kind of ‘passed the torch’ sort of speak,” Arizmendy said. “We’re all like a family here. We’ve known each other for years and we always treat everyone like family. That’s something we really like about this area. All local businesses support each other. Everyone’s here to help each other out, there’s no toxic competition.”
With the “passing of the torch,” Arizmendy is catering to longtime customers of the O’Kanes, as well as forging his own path.
“A lot of people who come in have been coming here for years,” he said. “They were coming in as kids with the O’Kanes and now I’m seeing them, and they are my age. It’s a testament of how they ran their business.”
Now, Arizmendy is a fresh 29 year old stepping into the shoes of his mentor, who began his practices around the same age. Owning his own business has always been a goal.
“It’s always been my personality, if I go for something, why not take a risk, especially when I’m young and fresh,” he said. “God willing down the line, it can provide for a
family or pass down to the next generation like [the O’Kanes] did with me. We’re not blood related through family, but they always thought of me like a son.”
Arizmendy, who is half Latino and is fluent in Spanish, looks forward to working with the Freehold community, which has a large “underrepresented and undertreated” Latino population. It may be because of the language barrier or the misunderstanding of medication, he said.
“We find a lot of cases of undiagnosed blood pressure issues, diabetic issues and some autoimmune conditions just by looking at the back of the eye,” he said. “If you think about it, looking at the back of the eye is actually the most noninvasive way to check the patient’s vascular health without injections or X-Rays.
“If we see bleeding, we say, ‘Hey, when is the last time you got bloodwork done?’ If we see swelling, ‘How’s your blood pressure? We can check it here real quick.’ There’s a lot of patients who have gotten bloodwork done and they say, ‘Doc thanks, I haven’t been to a doc in years’ or ‘I didn’t know my glucose was like through the roof.’”
At Cohen’s Fashion Optical, customers will find essentially a “one-stop shop” anything eye related.
“We are a full circle optometry service starting with glasses, anything from designer frames to something super fancy, pricy and high end to a quick fix in an hour, which we can do in our laboratory we have in back,” Arizmendy said. “We have something for
everybody. We do contact lenses. I do specialty contact lenses. For example, people who have a hard time reading up close eventually have bifocal glasses, which we have in contacts too.
“Naturally we do the medical side of it. We manage a lot of glaucoma, a big condition that causes a lot of permanent vision loss. We monitor [those cases] here quite a bit. [We also monitor] diabetes, hypertension [and] cholesterol in the back of eye. People will come in with eye trauma from scratches and stuff like that.
“So, everything from looking good in a pair of glasses to feeling good in a pair of contacts and making sure your eyes are particularly healthy. We try to do everything here,” he said.
Arizmendy said they also co-manage patients who need surgery or laser at a certain point in their treatments.
As the new business owner forges his own path, he said a big thing for him is to get out into the community and give back.
Raised by a single mother, who he gets his Latin Columbian roots from, Arizmendy said he knows what it’s like being on the other side of the spectrum, not coming from a lot and going to bed hungry.
“To be able to give back is a really good feeling and I’m very blessed and very lucky to be here,” he said. “Everything comes full circle.”
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Every new business venture begins with a great idea that is pursued to foster our journey in finding our little corner of the world. Desdemona Dalia’s idea began with an initial vision for Broad Street Dough Company, which has expanded to three family-owned and operated doughnut bakeries.
These doughnut shops will make your mouth water even before you take that first bite. Each delectable creation will tantalize all of your senses.
The hard-working single mom of three had the idea percolating in her mind for a few years, but she says she was “petrified to move forward.” That is until she let go of her fear with the encouragement of her ex-husband, Fred Dalia, who is in the food business. He told her that she had a great idea that she should pursue.
Dalia began planning for her doughnut business at her kitchen table. She started with a menu of 16 doughnuts and named some of them after local streets and roads.
Today, among the three stores there are 40 different doughnuts on the everyday menu, in addition to chocolate, red velvet, blueberry, apple cider, and pumpkin doughnuts for the fall season.
But what keeps customers coming back is the combination of typical flavors found at other doughnut shops combined with unusual specialty offerings, including megafavorite Churro Bites.
Other specialties include Mulberry Street, Cannoli cream, Wayside Walnut -- maple
please see BITES, page 9
please see BITES, page 9
Community and family support instrumental in the dough company’s success
glaze with wet walnuts, Creamsicle (vegan and glutenfree), with orange and vanilla drizzle, All-American (vegan and glutenfree) with peanut butter and jelly, Fruity Pebbles, vanilla with fruity pebbles cereal, Broadhurst, with chocolate pretzel, peanuts and caramel, The Monmouth, Vanilla Oreo, and Chai Town, (vegan and gluten-free) vanilla with Chai Tea spice.
The bakery also offers mini doughnuts and a variety of other specialty doughnuts for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, bar/bat mitzvahs, communions, and other events.
Dalia opened her first shop in a strip mall in Oakhurst (2005 N.J.-35) in 2014. With help from family - especially her then 14-year-old daughter, Ariana, who built up the social media presence - the business was an immediate hit.
“From the start, we had a line around the building,” she said. “I wanted to include everyone in the community. Everyone knows they are super welcome, and they feel that vibe. What I envisioned has come true and then some.”
So, what makes her shops unique?
An aesthetically-pleasing environment, helpful staff, and open kitchen where customers can watch the doughnuts being made through a glass partition. Dalia is one of the first local businesses to offer this behind-thescenes glimpse into the bakery business.
In addition to traditional doughnuts, Dalia wanted her shop to be all-inclusive. Most of the everyday menu items can be adapted to vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and kosher varieties, she said.
“I love that a family can come in and make a feel-good purchase and no one has to be left behind,” she said. “We wanted to be responsive to children and adults with allergies, so my product became easily adaptable for them.”
Dalia opened the Freehold location (177 Elton Adelphia Road) in June 2019, with
the same family support as her first location and had a stellar first six months … and then the pandemic hit, and she was forced to close both locations during lockdown. She opened her third location (967 South Coast Highway), shortly after the pandemic, in October 2020 in Encinitas, Calif. (near San Diego). Her brother Joseph Ramaglia, who has a strong food service management background, is at the helm. He was joined by their brother, Andrew, and sisterin-law, Marinna LaCerva, who took the concept and quickly expanded the family business.
Dalia said her daughter, Ariana, is going to graduate school in California to study business management and “is going to be a great asset to the San Diego location where time-permitting she will be pinch-hitting.”
To what does Dalia attribute her success in building three successful businesses with a daily stream of happy customers?
“We provide an extremely welcoming environment. For me, it was always about the vibe and how you made someone feel from the moment that they walked in the door,” she explained. “We are all so busy these days, and this is a way to take a pause and make a feel-good purchase.”
As a single mom who knows how to hustle and focus on creating a fresh, quality product, she said having a brick-and-mortar store was important to her.
“Even during the growth process, it was about how to maintain that friendly, community energy and vibe, without having a corporate feel,” she said.
Dalia has taught her three children, who range in age from 16 to 22, a myriad of life lessons.
“While failure is always a variable when it comes to business and to life,” she said, “quitting is never an option for me.”
“I love what I do, and I also learned how to constantly pivot. I tell my children that I
please see BITES, page 10
continued from page 9
understand the feeling of not wanting to get out of bed some mornings, but you have to give it 100 percent each and every day.”
Among the happy longtime customers is Hannah Levy of Eatontown, who has been a customer at Oakhurst since the bakery opened its doors.
“The doughnuts are always fresh and coming to you hot off the fryer,” Levy said.
Her children love the Churro Bites, and recently had a customized platter made for her 4-year-old daughter’s birthday that was a huge hit with the party guests.
Levy says she is “obsessed with the pumpkin doughnuts,” and also enjoys the Maple Walnut. But in addition to the taste, the fact they are kosher is very important to the Levy family.
“It means that I can take [doughnuts] to my children’s school any time that I want to.”
There are plans for additional locations in the future for Broad Street Dough Company in and around New Jersey, as well as California.
“We are excited about what we envision in our minds, but we still need to be cautious to make sure the timing is right. So future locations are to be determined.”
Regardless of how many shops Dalia and her family open in New Jersey and California, she says one aspect will remain constant, “keeping customer service on
point, along with fresh, quality ingredients and products available and continuing to create a sense of community.”
The Broad Street Dough Company website is under construction with an option of
and the right portal for shipping,” she said.
“I am a people person and I’ve analyzed the marketplace for a product with universal appeal that would attract men, women, children, and families,” she said. “People are excited about supporting small, local businesses. We do our best to make a difference in someone’s day.”
To reach the Freehold shop,
online ordering for the first time. There will be many different options customized for each of the three locations.
“We are creating proper packaging
Rachel Mitzelman moved up the ranks and is the first female to serve as president of the Freehold Township Independent Company No. 1
BY MATTHEW SOCKOLNine months into her tenure, the first female president of the Freehold Township Independent Fire Company No. 1 has been up to the challenge.
Rachel Mitzelman was installed as president for 2022 during the fire company’s installation dinner in January.
“I can confidently say that my presidency over the last nine months has been nothing short of a challenge, but not one that I’ve felt incapable of handling,” Mitzelman said. “The more time I’ve spent in this role, the more I’ve begun to understand and learn about the company I serve.”
The Freehold Township Independent Fire Company No. 1 is one of two fire companies in Freehold Township. The fire company serves the area west of Route 9. The area east of Route 9 in Freehold Township is served by the East please see FIRE, page 13
Freehold Fire Company No. 2.
Mitzelman has lived in Freehold Township for 23 years. She began her emergency medical services (EMS) career in 2011 after she turned 16.
Mitzelman joined Freehold EMS, which serves residents of Freehold Township and Freehold Borough.
“I saw a sign outside the municipal building advertising that members were needed, and I joined as soon as I was of age,” she said. “I started out by becoming an emergency medical technician (EMT) and realized quickly that I had a passion for being on the ambulance and helping people.”
After a few years, Mitzelman advanced her EMS career by becoming a paramedic. That designation allowed her to work closely with local fire departments and she eventually joined the Freehold Township Independent Fire Company No. 1.
“I instantly fell in love with being a firefighter and giving back to my hometown in a different way,” she said. “Within my first year in the fire company, I was ‘Firefighter 1’ certified and became the secretary. I slowly worked my way up the executive chain to vice president and eventually president.”
Mitzelman credited her brother, Christopher Norton, as one of her biggest influences. He was an EMT with Freehold EMS and a firefighter with Freehold Township Independent Fire Company No. 1 before her.
“I am incredibly proud to have been elected as the president of Freehold Township Independent Fire Company No. 1, not only because I am the first female, but being the president in general is an incredible accomplishment,” Mitzelman said.
“It means a great deal to me that my brothers and sisters in the department trust me with this responsibility and have afforded me the opportunity to represent them.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve my hometown in the ways I have been able to over the last 10 years. I have worked incredibly hard to achieve all that I have in that time and will continue to work hard in order to keep serving to the best of my abilities,” she said.
“I want to convey through my efforts that with hard work and dedication anything can be achieved. I never would have believed I was capable of accomplishing half the things I have when it comes to my time in emergency services until I started working toward them.
“The fact that this industry is predominantly male-dominated has never once intimidated me or prevented me from doing just as much, if not more than anyone else. I want to express to any young women who may read this that they are capable of far
more than they believe they are, and I hope I am able to provide some shred of proof of that,” Mitzelman said.
Although still working full-time as a paramedic and part-time as an educator, Mitzelman said she prioritizes the fire company. She acknowledged facing difficult decisions, but described witnessing growth in the department and praised the fire company’s support system of executive board members, commissioners, operational officers and members of the body for their help.
to donate to charitable organizations and increased the number of volunteer firefighters.
“Through our own financial growth, we have been able to give back to the community in many ways,” she said. “I have watched this department grow throughout the course of the year to a now total of 60 active volunteer firefighters who have answered over 600 calls, including multiple structure fires, motor vehicle accidents and other emergencies.
“One thing that Freehold Township Independent Fire Company No. 1 can pride itself on is our incredible community outreach,” she said.
During the year, Mitzelman described how the fire department has interacted with the community through the annual Santa Run, National Night Out, fire prevention events at local schools and hosting visits for local Girl Scout troops.
“I believe I have assisted in facilitating a lot of necessary changes as president and that is something that I take pride in,” she said. “As an elected leader, it has become my responsibility to ensure that my choices are in the best interest of the company.
“Luckily for me, I have a strong support system behind me,” Mitzelman continued. “Not only have they been there for me throughout the year, but [they] have not allowed the fact that I am a woman to have any bearing on my leadership abilities. Despite being faced with adversity, I have seen this department thrive in many aspects.”
Mitzelman noted that the fire company has received over $100,000 in donations this year, which has allowed the company
“I am incredibly proud to have been elected to lead an organization such as this one and would like to believe I have made a positive impact,” Mitzelman said. “I am thankful for the efforts of the membership and their continued support. If the fire company has taught me anything it is that I am capable of things I never thought that I was.
“I am a firm believer that leadership is not title or rank, it is influencing those around you in a positive way,” she said. “I am hopeful that through my efforts I can set an example, especially for young women, that you are capable of anything you set your mind to.”
PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE
Rachel Mitzelman is a paramedic and a firefighter. She worked her way up the executive chain to vice president and eventually now president of the Freehold Township Independent Company No. 1. She is the first female to serve in the position.
The Freehold Raceway is the oldest half-mile horse racing track in the country. To honor Freehold Borough’s equine heritage, artists were invited to showcase that history through a public art installation, where horse sculptures were painted in designs highlighting the borough’s culture. Creating an outdoor, walkable art gallery, there are 12 locations along West and East Main Streets in the bustling downtown area for Freehold lovers, art lovers and horse lovers to indulge in the beauty and culture of Freehold.
What makes this Half Mile of Horses Art Walk even more special is that visitors can vote for their favorite horses. There is a QR code on every pedestal that brings you to the voting site.
Some of the horses chronicle the history of important locations in the borough.
Better Odds was designed by Lynne Fata to celebrate the Freehold Library, which was built in 1903 in a Georgian Revival-style architecture and is still beloved by residents today for “inviting us to wander inside to explore its bookshelves, maybe finding a book on local history, a novel by a favorite author or a calendar of local events.
please see HORSES, page 15
HORSES continued from page
14 The benches outside offer a perfect spot to read, dream and escape for a bit, as time and the world goes by.
“With the advances of technology, libraries are staying current in offering new ways to find what we need. A beautiful blue sky, a proud flag, a bench, a town clock, flowers in bloom and a library. Life in a small town,” she said in her artist statement.
Another borough staple is The Karagheusian Rug Mill, the manufacturing heart of Freehold for 60 years starting in the 1930s. The mill was owned and operated by two Armenian brothers who fled Turkey and immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. Their showroom was in New York City, but the manufacturing was in Freehold.
“The design on this horse is from a vintage Karagheusian carpet. The rug’s background color is black, and the floral pattern is intricate and very colorful. I thought it would work well on one of Freehold’s half mile of horses,” Mary Caruso-Albert said of her horse, King Karagheusian.
Born in Freehold, USA pays tribute to hometown hero Bruce Springsteen: Eileen Petruch pays homage to the local celebrity by painting aspects of Freehold, American pride and freedom. She attached a 3D miniature Fender guitar, saxophone and sunglasses. She also built up the collar of the leather jacket and red bandana with clay.
The Painted Lady is based on the beautifully colorful Victorian homes in Freehold Borough – a Victorian home painted in three or more colors is actually called – of course - a painted lady, according to artist Brianne Van Vorst.
“Horses are like flowers – you need one in every color,” she said in her artist statement. Also based on geography and inspired by her family’s move from Nevada to New Jersey about six years ago, Toni Field from Its All About Art decided to mark that momentous occasion through her artwork.
“We took a giant leap of faith and we have been happy ever since. We love our community and our transition from Las Vegas to Freehold and what inspired me to design this
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horse in the way that I did,” she said in her artist statement.
“The inspiration for this design comes from our hometown and the beautiful Garden State,” artist Paige E. Reed said of Let It Grow. “This design includes fast facts about New Jersey, our hometown and good vibe quotes/inspirational sayings. Being an educator and lifelong resident of Freehold has provided me with a life of love, laughter, family and memories. With that, my No. 1 goal and inspiration for this design is to ‘let it grow.’ Let the love I have for this town/state
breaks through space and time. “She trains daily in zero gravity, causing her to run over 770 mph! Her incredible speed causes her to break the sound barrier and expose her true intergalactic form,” according to her description of her project.
Artist Judith Mazzucco’s love of horses goes “WAAYYY Back” according to her design. Cave drawings are emblematic of mankind’s earliest connection to horses, according to her description.
“The horse has a hold on man, an inseverable bond. Now, as in the past, humans relate to horses in a myriad of ways, by drawing, photographing, sculpting, loving, owning and simply absorbing their presence.
I have created my interpretation of ancient cave paintings of horses on the horse sculpture. The present-day horse reflects the embodiment of its ancestors,” she said in her statement.
Some of the sculptures were based on pure beauty.
Melissa Hood created Growing Change with a collage of overlapping butterfly wings with each one arranged to create a rainbow.
grow and inspire others to live a life full of all beautiful things. I hope my horse brings you happy thoughts and comfort knowing there’s no place like home,” she said.
Other artwork celebrates the beauty and mystique of the animal.
The farming industry in the Garden State was the impetus for Karen Martin to join the project. She decided to depict spring planting followed by fall harvesting.
“The horse provided the muscle to plow, harrow and harvest various crops,” she said of her creation, Harrow and Harvest.
A horse is measured by hands, or 4-inch increments. Knowing that a horse is proportionally measured at 6 hands wide by 7 hands high, Adam Reich created “6x7 Hands,” with the hands colored in blue and gold, the colors of the Freehold High School Colonials, in a way to “represent that these horses are to be embraced by our residents and those that enjoy the borough,” he said in his artist statement.
Intergalatic Galloper, by Tasheda Dutches, wonders if a horse could run so fast that it
“This horse represents change, kindness, growth, acceptance and peace,” she said.
Artist Marguerite Hemberger created her own take on Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” with a glittery black horse adorned with a silver mane, tail and hooves, and white muzzle.
The Half Mile of Horses Art Walk project is a collaboration between the Borough of Freehold, the Freehold Borough Historic Preservation Commission, DowntownFreehold.com and the Neighborhood Preservation Program.
View and vote for your favorite horse through Oct. 15. On Oct. 15 there will be a ribbon ceremony for Win, Place, Show (first-, second- and third-place, respectively) in front of the Hall of Records on East Main Street.
For more information, follow the Half Mile of Horses Art Walk on Facebook.
BY CHRISTINE BARCIA
Adeep sense of Monmouth County’s history is on display at Historic Walnford in Crosswicks Creek Park, Upper Freehold. Listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, Historic Walnford sits on a 36-acre site that provides a walk-through history.
“We have buildings from three centuries ago on this site,” explained Julie Fenlon, historic site supervisor at Historic Walnford. In addition, the site is home to a 19th century gristmill.
Three gristmills have been in operation at Walnford: the first built circa 1735; the second built in 1822; and the third built in 1872 [into] 1873, according to Fenlon.
The first two mills were powered by water wheels, and a turbine powered the third mill. Crosswicks Creek powered all of the mills at Walnford.
“We still have the turbine, and it is on display near the mill,” she added. Today, the mill is powered by electricity.
“While the power source has changed, the gristmill operates much the same as it did historically. The motor is turned on using a key, like starting a car,” Fenlon explained.
She continued with the steps in the operation of the gristmill: The hopper, a wooden container directly above the millstones, is filled with shelled corn. The corn flows through the hopper to the vibrating shoe, driven by the damsel, feeding the corn steadily into the eye of the runner stone.
The millstones are pieced together from a hard volcanic rock called French Buhr Stone.
The (top) runner stone and (bottom) bed stone are dressed (cut) with a pattern of angled grooves called furrows. The sharp edge of each furrow cuts open the grain and the starch is scraped from the bran (outer shell). The runner stone rotates and the bed stone is stationary.
The cornmeal is then carried up to the third floor where it is sifted through fine, medium and coarse wire screening. The three grades of meal are stored in bins on the second floor.
“We have a hydraulic motor on
shed across from the gristmill,” explained Fenlon.
The current mill was used primarily to grind corn into cornmeal for local use and it ran from circa 1873-1917.
The mill is operational today, and public milling demonstrations are provided on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. from April through November.
The cornmeal, bran and middlings produced from the demonstrations are sent to Longstreet Farm in Holmdel to supplement the modern diet of livestock.
“We’re here for preservation, not production,” Fenlon said.
Historic Walford dates back to the 18th century, specifically 1734, when the village was centered around a gristmill.
In 1772, Richard Waln, a successful Quaker from Philadelphia, purchased the village as an escape from city life. It offered three mills, blacksmith and cooper’s shops, a large two-family brick house, five tenant houses, farm buildings, 100 plowed acres and two orchards, according to the Historic Walnford brochure. Waln renamed the site Walnford.
In 1799, Waln’s son, Nicolas, and
please see HISTORY, page 17
his wife, Sarah, took over the property and oversaw it to grow in both size and population. When Nicolas passed away, Sarah and her daughter, also named Sarah, took care of Walnford. According to the Historic Walnford website, a post office was added to Walnford during this period and with fewer acres to manage Sarah (the daughter) updated the home, built a new carriage house and cow barn, and rebuilt the gristmill in 1873 after a fire.
By the late 19th century, settlement moved west and “local mills became obsolete,” Fenlon said.
In 1907, Richard Waln Meirs and his wife, Ann Weightman Meirs, brought the property into the 20th century. In 1973, after 200 years of occupancy by the Waln family, the Mullen family purchased the property and later donated this historic site to the Monmouth County Park System in 1985, Fenlon explained.
“Seems like everyone here was interested in preserving it (Walnford),” she said.
Other highlights of Historic Walnford include a New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail marker that recognizes “women who had a significant role in shaping Walnford’s development and ensuring its preservation.”
The inscription on the marker notes how generations of women oversaw the mills, farms and building, in addition to rebuilding the gristmill after a fire.
Additionally, an art exhibit, Thrive, which explores the cycles of nature is on display at Historic Walnford.
“It made the most sense that since we are located in a park system our inaugural art exhibition would speak to nature,” explained Romana Schaeffer, museum curator for the Monmouth County Parks System.
Thrive is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through July 7, 2023. Featured artists are Alice Momm, Maureen Bennett, Susan Hoenig and Katrina Bello.
“My work is very much concerned with the nonhuman living world that surrounds us, the passage of time, states of wonder, and a desire to repair,” Momm reflected.
She added that the setting is inspiring “with the beautifully preserved Waln family house, Crosswicks Creek, and still functioning grist mill.”
During the opening of the exhibit, visitors who were local residents “were so happy to see new exhibits and events happening at Walnford,” Schaeffer said.
For more information about the Historic Walnford visit https://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/page.aspx?Id=2541
C: 732-737-5697 VLevine@ERAcentral.com
C: 732.754.5900
C: 732.597.0906 AReilly@ERAcentral.com
C: 908.278.1063
C: 732.995.5609 RSibilia@ERAcentral.com
C: 732.890.1219 TWisniewski@ERAcentral.com
The 13th annual Foodstock on Oct. 15 at the Freehold Township Independent Fire Company No. 1, Stillwells Corner Road, Freehold Township, from 1-6 p.m. Foodstock NJ assists with the needs of less fortunate community members who are struggling to put food on their table. Everyone is invited to participate in Foodstock. Suggested donations are non-perishable food items, a tax deductible monetary donation or a Foodstock T-shirt sponsorship ($250 or $500). All are welcome to enjoy a day of music, food and fun. Each attendee is asked to provide at least 50 pounds of nonperishable food. Details: foodstocknj.org
in Freehold event dates:
October 16: Haunted Hayride
Rain date: October 23
October 22: Monster Mash & Jack-o-lantern contest
October 28/29: Haunted House
October 30: Costume parade/contest
Fall Flavor of Freehold will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 12 to support the Freehold Municipal Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse.
This is a unique tour of Downtown Freehold’s venerable restaurants, bars, and shops. Participants walk from place to place with their “Passport” used as a guide of where to go. Everyone will receive signature samples from some of Freehold’s most loved establishments.
Tickets are $20 per person. Print or screen shot your confirmation email to check in and redeem your Shamrock Passport at the DowntownFreehold.com Gazebo in front of 10 East Main Street.
No Refunds or Exchanges; with the exception of tickets purchased for a canceled event if the event cannot be rescheduled by downtownfreehold.com.
Freehold Elks Lodge No. 1454 will hold an All-U-Can-Eat Sunday Breakfast from 9-11:30 a.m. on the third Sunday of every month at the lodge, 73 E. Main St., Freehold Borough. Extensive menu cooked to order. Adults, $11; children 12 and younger, $5.
A farmers market will be held every Friday through October, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Monmouth County Hall of Records plaza, Main Street, Freehold Borough.
Marty’s Place Howl-o-Ween Family Fest will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 22 at Marty’s Place, 118 Route 526, Upper Freehold Township. All proceeds will benefit the senior dogs cared for by Marty’s Place. This is a dog-friendly event. Highlights will include canine costume contests, a leisurely walk, agility demonstrations, hayrides, a pet photo booth, police dog demonstrations,
live music from AlterEgo, vendors, food
Trick-or-Treat in Historic Walnford
Trick-or-Treat at Historic Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper Freehold, for free from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 30. Discover the history of this annual tradition while touring the historical buildings and beautiful fall landscape. Walk from building to building where staff will provide facts about Walnford and the family who lived here, as well as a treat to fill your basket.
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.
1-6 assists less
is $5 for adults; children under 6 are free.
Monmouth Crossing is a vibrant assisted living community that offers the comforts and privacy of home without the responsibilities. Our safe, caring environment allows for maintained independence, extra support when needed, and a socially fulfilling lifestyle.
We offer the peace of mind that comes from living in a community that has been repeatedly recognized for outstanding, quality care by both Holleran, a national leader in senior living research, and the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services by earning Advanced Standing Distinction for nine consecutive years.
For more information about our limited time $20,000 off pricing incentive and to schedule a live tour, call or visit: Debbie Yigit, 732.303.8600 monmouthcrossing.com
Application fee of $520.00 (includes the appraisal, credit report and flood search)
Subject to credit approval.
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