The Township's New Look

The new look will begin inside Township Hall and will extend further, to Colony Pool and Noe Pond, as maybe even as far as the former Madame Bey's boxing training camp and to Green Village. Yes, in the coming months people who frequent the township municipal building or simply drive around town will notice some small changes in the landscape.

At a Township Committee meeting last week, representatives from both the Historical Society of Chatham Township and the Art League of the Chathams discussed those changes.

The league, for one, is planning to commission a mural to be painted in the entranceway of Township Hall. Artist Amy Horowitz, who would do the painting, presented a proposal to the committee, complete with photos on posterboard that were intended to represent what the mural would one day look like.

The painting would likey highlight three seasons: spring/summer, fall and winter. It would ideally "tastefully" incorporate images of native wildlife, according to Horowitz, and would also pay homage to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, a portion of which is within the township.

"I really like the idea of the Great Swamp, just because it's so much a part of our community," Mayor Nicole Hagner said. "It'll really make the entrance hallway stand out for us."

Because the mural would be painted directly on the wall, it would be a permanent fixture.

The Historical Society also discussed its plans to place four new signs around town that commemorate certain historical landmarks. They cost $1,800 each, and the township has agreed to pay for two of them. It may agree to pay for more in the future, but Hagner cited the township's tight budget in saying it could not do so now.

The signs for which payment has been approved will be placed at Colony Pool and at the Noe Pond Club. The text for the signs has not been finalized.

Historical Society member Caroline Knott said as more and more new residents move into town, the less they might remember about its history. This is one way, she said, to remind them.

"I think it's just a wonderful investment for the town," she said.

One of the other two signs would go on River Road, where Madame Bey's boxing training camp—a place where prizefighters were once trained—is located, and the final sign would be placed in Green Village.

"This is a chance to put our stamp on our town," committee member Bailey Brower said.