Borough Participates in Campaign Against Parents Hosting Teen Parties

With prom and graduation season in full swing, Borough Mayor Nelson Vaughan declared May 23 through the end of June as “Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t Be a Party to Teenage Drinking” Month 2011.

Vaughan presented the proclamation to Dawn Ferguson and Vince Fiorito, who are helping run the campaign in the borough, at the council meeting Monday evening.

Ferguson said this is the borough’s third year to host the campaign, which this year has become a county-wide program with the inclusion of the freeholders, the Morris County Health Department and the Morris County Alliance. She said they have begun distributing yard signs, posters are up in the borough, as well as stickers on pizza boxes.

“It’s not a popular campaign with our youth and some parents, but we think it’s important,” Ferguson said.

The mayor’s proclamation reads, in part, that the borough encourages residents to refuse to provide alcoholic beverages to underage youth and to take the necessary steps to discourage the illegal and unhealthy practice, including the reporting of underage drinking by calling their local police.

In other business:

• Council members heard a brief presentation from Christine Grobert and Peggy Sweitzer of the Local Assistance Board, and the work it is doing under the leadership of Welfare Director Lauren Glassman. The board is available to help Chatham residents who are in crisis, rather than sending them to the county for help, where it could take longer to receive assistance. Grobert said the Local Assistance Board provides many avenues of help to such residents, and that Glassman is available any time, night or day, to help. She added that anyone who wants to make a donation can make the check payable to the Borough of Chatham and mail it to borough hall, attention Local Services Board.
• Discussed the June 11 Fishawack Festival and the annual Mayor’s Cup Race. Brian Hart showed the council the new T-shirts for the race and said they are expecting about 800 runners this year.
• Bill Heap from the Jaycees invited the council to the Jaycees’ annual Distinguished Service Awards, to be held June 8 at Charlie Brown’s. This year they will be honoring the founding members of the Chatham Athletic Foundation.
• Council President James Lonergan reported that Shunpike Field was scheduled to open this past weekend but because of the heavy rains lately, it’s under water. He said if weather permits, it may be open this week. The ribbon cutting is scheduled for June 4.