Borough Could House NJ 'Great Space'

Chatham Borough Councilmen Vicki Fife and Len Resto plan to submit Memorial Park to New Jersey's Great Places program.

Two members of the Chatham Borough Council have big plans for Memorial Park and Pool. Councilmen Vicki Fife and Len Resto are compiling an application to get the entire Memorial Park complex—from the municipal pool to the softball fields, from the 9/11 Memorial to the Library of the Chathams—named as a Great Public Space in New Jersey. Fife said, "For all the right reasons we think the whole complex, with the 9/11 Memorial and the Library [of the Chathams] and the rain garden and all of those things, make it this 'perfect storm' space right in the middle of Chatham Borough." Elements of the complex, including the 9/11 Memorial and the rain garden, were made possible through donations volunteer efforts and free labor. Others, such as the …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (42)
• Videos (1)

Forkem30

10:08 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012

We know what we have and over the years that has become less and less, what is the benefit?   more ›

Ex-Mayor Spearheads War Memorial

Barbara Hall has researched records in her effort to get a memorial stone for borough residents who died in the Civil War installed at Memorial Park.

Former Chatham Borough Mayor Barbara Hall went before the council Monday to ask for support in expanding the war memorial in Memorial Park. The park's first memorial was dedicated on July 5, 1920 to honor Chatham residents who died in World War I. "That was the first war after Chatham became first the village, then the Borough of Chatham," Hall said. Over the past 92 years more monuments were added for additional wars, including World War II. The park was rededicated on May 31, 1997 for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Chatham Borough. In 2011 the plaques were refurbished and a new stone and plaque were added to honor Vincent Sullivan, a Chatham resident who died in the second Gulf War. Hall now wishes to have the council's …

• Photos (3)

VIDEO: Community Gathers for Pool's Reopening

Memorial Park and Pool project represents "best of what Chatham Borough has to offer," mayor says.

Mayor Bruce Harris, Councilman James Lonergan and numerous other Chatham volunteers, officials, contractors and employees gathered Saturday to mark the official reopening of Memorial Park and Pool. The efforts made to rejuvenate the fields and the pool, Harris said, represent "the best of what Chatham Borough has to offer," because residents paired with elected and appointed officials to determine what improvements to make. The park, Lonergan said, will serve as a new home for the Chatham High School softball team, and the pool has already garnered "well above" members from previous years. As of Saturday, Lonergan said, about 170 adults and 130 children were signed up as members for the 2012 summer pool season. Harris and Lonergan thanked …

• Photos (35)
• Videos (1)

Sprout House Sells Plants for Rain Garden

The preschool in downtown Chatham is giving residents the chance to mimic the borough's rain garden.

Sprout House in Chatham Borough is currently holding their Native Plant Sale for members of the community. Plants offered at the sale include some of the plants that will be planted in the public rain garden at Memorial Park. The garden will be located next to the pool house and is currently under construction. Beverly Klepper, a member of the Sprout House Parents Association, said the sale offers a unique chance for Chathamites to see how a rain garden is constructed. "Anyone who wants to mimic the rain garden in their own backyard can buy the plants and see key design pointers from the Rutgers Rain Garden Design manual on the Sprout House website," she said. Council President James Lonergan said, "Sprout House has funded up to $5,000" …

• Photos (1)

Memorial Park, Field to Open Early [VIDEO]

Trees and water feature have been installed in the field, pool.

Memorial Park is scheduled to open well before the Memorial Day weekend, according to Council Member James Lonergan. Engineer Vincent J. DeNave said the trees along the boundary of the park have been planted, and the water feature for the kiddie pool has been installed. "It looks great. It's almost done, it'll be ready to go and for play by May 1," Lonergan said at the Chatham Borough Council meeting Monday. Grass has been put down on the two baseball fields, and with the warm weather has helped it take root. Also, 26 trees were planted at the field to replace the 14 trees cut down in August in preparation of the project. New fencing has been installed, and the deck area around the Chatham Borough Municipal Pool is complete. Tiling in the …

• Photos (15)
• Videos (1)

9/11: 10 Years Later

A Look at Chathamites Lost in 9/11 Attacks

13 residents died when the Twin Towers collapsed.

After 13 Chatham residents died in the terrorist attacks on 9/11, a group of volunteers from Chatham Borough lobbied to get a memorial erected in the town. The 9-11 Memorial was dedicated on Sept. 11, 2008, with the names of the 13 residents engraved on plaques in a circle around two beams from the Twin Towers. Here, in the words of Chatham Borough Mayor Nelson Vaughan, is a look at the lives of those 13 Chathamites: Donald L. Adams, 28, was a vice president at Cantor Fitzgerald. He was the captain of his college football team and a new father of a daughter. He loved to stroll around Chatham with his wife and daughter. Dennis Buckley was 38 and a bond trader at Cantor Fitzgerald. In college, he had a full lacrosse scholarship. He was a …

• Photos (4)

9/11: 10 Years Later

PHOTOS: Chatham Remembers 9/11

A closer look at how the 13 residents who perished in the terrorist attacks are honored.

Chatham Borough and Chatham Township lost 13 members of the community when the Twin Towers collapsed on 9/11. Four memorials pay tribute to the lives lost. These photographs portray the four local memorials: One in Memorial Park in Chatham Borough, one in Reasoner Park, one at the Chatham NJ Transit station and one at the Chatham Township Municipal Building.   In the days leading up to Sept. 11, Chatham Patch will look at the lingering impact of 9/11 on the community.   Tuesday—A look at Chatham resident and Lance Corporal Vincent Sullivan, who joined the U.S. Marines after 9/11 and died in Iraq in 2004, through the eyes of his widow. Also, Patch will take a closer look at the 9/11 curriculum the school district will be launching. …

• Photos (45)

14 Trees Come Down at Memorial Park

Borough officials say 26 new trees will be planted in return, once park improvements are finished.

Crews from Tree King of Lansing, NJ cut down 14 trees from Memorial Park in Chatham Borough Friday. Borough Mayor Nelson Vaughan and Engineer Vincent J. DeNave said the tree cutting is the first necessary step to the planned improvements to Memorial Park and the Chatham Borough Municipal Pool. The project was awarded to Z-Tech Contracting Inc. for $840,224.50. It includes a new multi-purpose field between the two baseball fields, some grading and sodding and an additional 14 parking spaces. Changes to the pool include new decking, an elevated and enlarged kiddie pool and some retaining walls. Plans for the project, which are available for public viewing at the Chatham Borough Municipal Building, show that a total of 26 new trees will be …

• Photos (12)

Contract Awarded for Pool, Park Renovations

Summit-based Z-Tech Contracting Inc. submitted the lowest bid at about $840K for Memorial Park.

The Chatham Borough Council unanimously voted to award the contract for improvements to Memorial Pool, Memorial Park and the adjacent parking lot to the Summit-based Z-Tech Contracting Inc. Monday evening for the final fee of $840,224.50. The project includes piping and grounds improvement to the Chatham Borough Municipal Pool, changes to the decking around the pool, enlarging the kiddie pool to be about 40 percent bigger than it currently is, raising its elevation to the same level as the main pool, and some retaining walls to support the elevation. The total for this portion of the project is $387,262.50, the amount borough voters approved in the November 2010 election. Changes to the park include a new multi-purpose field put between …

• Photos (5)

Borough Applies for Sustainable Jersey Grant for Rain Garden

The Chatham Borough Council approved a resolution supporting the grant application through Sustainable Jersey

The Chatham Borough Council gave their support to a Sustainable Jersey grant application for a rain garden at Memorial Park. The grant, which is funded by Wal-Mart, totals $10,000. If the borough wins the grant, the money will go toward the installation of a rain garden at Memorial Park. Council Member Len Resto said that Cindy Steffens, the chair of the Green Intiatives Committee, has been working on the application as part of her efforts to gain Silver Certification in the Sustainable Jersey program this year. "We think we have a very good chance [of winning the grant]," Resto said, "and we've gotten some good cooperation from Stanley Church and Town & Country [Garden Club]." A rain garden is planted in a shallow or low-lying area, …

• Photos (1)