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No. 2 Vol. 8
www.theblackrivernews.com
August 2016
Heroes Honored In Chester To Show Appreciation
By Anastasia Marchese he Chester Township and Borough Recreation director along with the Chester Township Summer Day Camp held a special “Hero’s Day” on Fri., July 29. This event was organized to honor local first responders and veterans while giving the campers the opportunity to show the community’s appreciation. It was also open to the public. The Chester Township Police Department, The Chester Volunteer Fire Department, and the Chester Volunteer First Aid squad were on site with their emergency vehicles. Campers and community members were invited to explore the vehicles and see how they enable these local heroes to do their jobs. According to the town website, “These everyday heroes were honored with songs, poems, thank you notes and a light reception expressing appreciation for keeping Chester safe and protecting our way of life.” The Morris County Sheriff's Department also participated with members of their K-9 Unit & Bomb Squad. This part of the sheriff's department, “is a specialized team of sheriff’s officers who use highly trained dogs to perform services such as search and rescue operations, narcotics and arson detection and fugitive tracking. Working in tandem with the bomb squad, this unit also responds to explosive emergencies for purposes of bomb detection and disposal,” according to the department's website. These specially trained officers put on a demonstration of how the dogs and officers work together, “which educated and entertained campers and visitors alike,” according to Recreation Director Maxine Finney. The Chester Recreation Camp program runs for first through eighth grade. Children participate in a “traditional
camp format where they rotate through a variety of supervised activities throughout the week including games, team building, arts & crafts, sports, music, swimming, entertainment, weekly talent show, camp Olympics and field trips all in one week of fun,” as described on the website. The camp program for this year ran from July 5 through Aug. 12. Some of the other events that were scheduled for campers to participate in this year were a Camp Carnival Day, bowling at Circle Lanes, taking in a Somerset Patriots Baseball Game, a trip to Medieval Times, a cool trip to Frog Falls Water park, and an outing to the Turtle Back Zoo. There was one field trip planned per week of camp. The Hero’s Day event however provided a unique opportunity for the campers not to only enjoy themselves but to give the gift of appreciation to the very special group of men and women who protect and serve their community. During the week preceding the event, the campers worked on artwork to celebrate the service of these local heroes. During the event, the campers presented thank you posters to each department that came. The stage was decorated with an American flag that the campers had made from their hand prints. The participants dressed with a red, white and blue theme to honor the service each local hero is giving not only to the community, but to the nation as well.
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After the presentation, the participants were treated to an American flag cake that had been donated by Shoprite of Chester and Registered Dietitian Grace McGuirk.
Annual Morris County 4-H Fair Offers Family Fun In Chester
he annual Morris County 4-H Fair, a showcase and fun celebration of the efforts of 4-H youths from across Morris County, was held Wed., July 20, at Chubb Park in Chester Township, through the weekend. A host of family-friendly activities were planned for the fair, including pony rides, hay rides, petting zoos, animal shows, fireworks, tricky tray, car and motorcycle show, hot air balloon rides, watermelon eating and cake decorating contests, live entertainment, delicious food, and amusement rides. Saturday was filled with special events: hot air balloon rides, car and motorcycle show, goat races in the late afternoon and an evening tricky tray. Most important, the county’s 4-Hers got to display their animals and projects, which are a culmination of the past year’s hard work. “The 4-H Fair is a showcase and celebration of the won-
derful achievements of 4-Hers from around the county,” said Kelly Dziak, Morris County 4-H Program Associate. “It is great opportunity for all in the community to come out for wholesome family fun.” Morris County Freeholder Doug Cabana, who participated in formal opening ceremonies at the fair, said “This is a great family friendly event that is centered around the hard work done by these great 4-H kids, who represent some of the best young people, and who are future leaders of their communities and our county. We should all be extremely proud of the efforts they have made and the work they will show off at the fair.’’ The Exhibit Tent was packed with arts and crafts entries, informational displays and hands-on activities for visitors. The Entertainment Tent and Coffee House featured live musical performances and interactive demonstrations. continued on page 10