In what naturally is a proud day for Al Donst, his family and all of Belvidere, NJ, I would like to take a second to say thanks. These are the precious moments when blogging becomes so worthwhile. With a population our size, it normally would take a lifetime to get the amount of material our great citizens provide in a single year. Belvidere, New Jersey, You Are The Best!

Al Donst, of Belvidere, NJ., waits in the early morning of Feb. 2, 2012 on Gobbler’s Knob for weather prognosticating groundhog Punxsutawney Phil to appear, during the 126th celebration of Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Softball and Baseball Sign-Ups Begin

At long last the smell of spring is in the air. Well, at least the dreams of spring, because the BYAA is announcing that sign-ups for the 2012 Softball and Baseball seasons has started. (See forms after the jump)

There is a lot to get excited about for this upcoming season. With the goal of giving a better value for the dollar while at the same time raising the level of fun, authentic Belvidere baseball will see incremental changes over the next three seasons as to the way it will be operated. This year will be just a first step towards that goal.

First off, the Belvidere Youth Athletic Association has implemented a new uniform policy. Instead of renting, like it has been done in the past, our young players will now own them. (Hint: get them a little large and maybe, just maybe, you will get an extra year out of them.) With their names proudly displayed on the back, children can now wear their Belvidere Jersey’s all year round. Over time, sponsors will be recruited to continually help lower costs. Once again team BG², better known as The Beaney Group & BelvidereGreen.com will be leading the way in this endeavour, as they are the first to step-up to the plate (a little baseball pun). I predict many more will follow.

Also this year, the BYAA will attempt to have a pre and post season celebration. Plus for those who wish, ballplayers can march in full uniform during the Memorial Day parade. So as you can tell, this is looking to be one fun season.

As many of you already know from your own youth, baseball & softball are great sports filled with personal moments that kids and parents remember for a lifetime. Want to make sure you keep from missing out on all of this season’s memories? Just see the sign-up forms below.

(Special thanks to Tim Tiedemann for that wonderful photo above. He does such excellent work behind a camera. Come to think of  it, I also never heard a complaint when he is in front of one either.)

Download (PDF, 189.8KB)

Download (PDF, 169.67KB)

One of the wonderful things about living in our digital world is that education is free and in abundance.  Those who are close to BelvidereGreen have often heard me claim that we no longer have an education problem in America. What we have is a desire problem.

If you seek knowledge, the world has never been a better place to live in than today. Oh sure, there is a lot of junk out there pretending to be factual information. But that doesn’t mean for the true explorer who really wants to grow in understanding of the things around them that this has to be a fatal impediment. So why do we have all this noise that get’s bandied about? Because for certain arguments, alluring sound bites from people who will fight for a discredited viewpoint keep being reintroduced to a whole new crop of people. Did you know that there still is a Flat Earth Society? I kid you not.

Think about it. When confronted with strong opposing evidence or inconsistency to a long beloved idea one can either simply change their point of view or they can start building a defense to protect what they already thought. Sadly, human nature tends to favor the latter. However, those seeking wisdom adapt to the policy of John Locke who believed that “To love truth for truth’s sake is the principal part of human perfection in this world, and the seed-plot of all other virtues.”

Personally one of the greatest freeing experiences to be celebrated is that of the destruction of some long-held belief. For at that very moment I realize some personal growth has taken place.

Town of Belvidere Game of Life

Below is 14 sheets of paper representing a starting point for those who wish to play a game with BelvidereGreen. Here is the problem. For the Budget year 2012, Kathleen Reinalda, our town treasurer has informed council that even after a “moderate” increase in taxes we will still be short around $350,000. I will help better define what “moderate” means in a future post. For now though, let’s just say it will most likely be above the 2% cap.

But wait, there’s more! Because it is still unofficial, this number does not take into account the affect of the pending BASF settlement. If all goes as planned, Belvidere will owe BASF some $800,000 plus and will receive lower property taxes from them going forward. This double whammy could bump us well north of a $400,000 short fall when interest for the inevitable Bond Anticipation Note or Serial Bond comes into play. This mixed with lower revenue from reduced tax collections is enough to make the Good Humor man cry.

Now here is the goal of the game. Without more taxes or borrowing, find a combination of revenue and less expenditures that will somehow equal more than $400,000.  Use the sheets below as your guide. Also, as in all good games there is a time penalty. The amount needed can go up or down depending on how fast you solve the puzzle. Ms. Reinalda estimates each day is worth about $1,000. So clearly there is bonus points for speed. Also, keep in mind this is real dollars for this year. A yearly budget can only balance if there is a strong degree of certainty that any cuts or revenue generation will happen in the time frame required. So if something takes too long to implement, suggest it now, but you will only get credit for our 2013 edition of the Town of Belvidere Game of Life.

Lastly, as you move council members around the board, please remember to be gentle with the pieces. While we may be frustrated with our spin, it is the number we landed on. We can’t just quit and go home to sulk. The reality is, taking BASF into account the Town of Belvidere will be just shy of 3 million dollars in debt. Using the 2010 census, that would mean for each man, woman and child living in this town we owe approximately $1,100 each for buildings, trucks and services which were purchased in the past. The citizens and council members of those days created today. Just like the citizens and council members of today will be responsible to those in the future.

“On the day you cease to change you cease to live.”

- Anothony de Mello, SJ

Please use the comment section below to help build our budget and good luck.

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Belvidere Baseball is about to Change

Authentic Belvidere Baseball for our youth is back and will be getting a whole lot better over the next few years. The Belvidere Youth Athletic Association (BYAA) has a new baseball coordinator and you are never going to believe who it really is.

For the past couple of decades Guy Bunn has been the father of youth baseball for our town. His dedication and contributions to the game is to be applauded. Time has a way of changing though and Guy decided it was best to move on in order to contribute in other ways. He is currently president of the Warren County Baseball Association, Coaching Senior division ball in White Township and is also assistant Scout Master for Belvidere Troop #141.  This however left a hole, one in which hasn’t been around for well over twenty years.

“A Name is Easy to Change” – fan in the above video

So with sign-ups just around the corner for the BYAA you may be wondering, just who is our new baseball coordinator? Well, for a short while there, BYAA president Pete Measso was left wondering the same thing. Just who can we get to volunteer? Then he contacted Doug Beaney…….   My advice if you like baseball, join this league and keep watching.

10 Lucky Organizations Get a Gift Ticket for Lions Raffle

The yearly Chicken BBQ Party and 50/50 cash raffle put on by the Belvidere Lions Club is upon us. Only 250 tickets can be sold, so that means if demand is higher, sadly some deserved people can be left out.

However, thanks to the quick thinking efforts of The Beaney Group and the fast communication ability of www.BelvidereGreen.com these unsuspecting humanitarians are in for a nice surprise.

The Recipients are ….

It should be noted that while the above entity’s have little love for gambling, team BG² do enjoy supporting our community and the people who dedicate their time in making Belvidere a great place to live. Also know that our universe of those deserved is bigger than the amount of tickets given. My apologies to those missed.

All that being said, without further ado, below is our lucky recipients. Each is entitled to 1 diner on Saturday evening and a chance to win some cold cash for their organization. Good Luck to All!

#1) The Town of Belvidere (see ticket above) or should I say the Taxpayer. With upcoming budget talks looming, I can think of no one who needs the money more.

The Belvidere Youth Athletic Association. I can assure you that the new Baseball Coordinator is top notch and ready to GO! Of course, BelvidereGreen has every reason to be biased, so take the comment with a grain of salt.

The Belvidere Ambulance Corps

The Good Will Fire Company

The Belvidere PTO

The Women’s Club of Belvidere

The Moms Club of Belvidere Area

The Belvidere Barracudas Swim Team

The Belvidere Boy Scout Troop #141

The Belvidere American Legion Post #131

Thanks to a misprinted 1955 Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement which gave out the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) phone number instead of Santa’s, the world now has one of the greatest Christmas Eve traditions that only grows better with time.

The telephone number in question may have missed the mark in reaching Santa Claus, but it did get to some of the only people on earth who had a legitimate chance of finding the jolly man. Kids who called were accidentally put through to the  CONAD Commander-in-Chief’s operations “hotline.” The surprised, but quick thinking Colonel Harry Shoup who was Director of Operations at the time, “had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.”

In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa.

Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world. In addition, we now track Santa using the Internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa’s whereabouts now visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website.

Here in the year 2011, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide updates on Santa’s journey, including your truly at www.BelvidereGreen.com, Belvidere, NJ’s Community Gathering Place. Have a very Merry Christmas!

“I have the greatest admiration for Col. Shoup and found delight in his remarkable humor with taking the first-ever call regarding Santa’s whereabouts back in 1955. His kind and thoughtful gesture will forever be a legacy at NORAD, and with the millions of people around the world who follow the NORAD Tracks Santa program each year. Truly, forever in the minds of millions he will be fondly remembered as the “Santa Colonel” and his legend will live on forever.”Retired General Victor Renaurt, Jr.
Former Commander, NORAD
Former Commander, USNORTHCOM

Belvidere Neighborhood Watch is looking for volunteers

Our Mission is Simple:

The Belvidere Neighborhood Watch is organized to educate and unify residents and businesses in the Belvidere community. We are Neighbors helping Neighbors. We will work to make our neighborhood as safe as possible by encouraging the residents to be observant, to report all crime incidents, to make all pertinent crime related information available to the proper authorities, to maintain communication and work toward our goal of zero crime in our neighborhood. Belvidere Neighborhood Watch will also support disaster recovery efforts.

The type of support we are looking for is really no different than being neighborly and looking out for one another. We are a low pressure organization.
In 2012 we plan on organizing several events and will require support in organizing and staffing.

• Block Parties
• Scavenger Hunt
• Soap Box Derby
• Emergency Response Assistance Training
• Junior BNW Program Kick-off

Belvidere Neighborhood Watch (BNW) has big plans for the future and we are hoping to get some help achieving a more harmonious neighborhood.

If this sounds like a good time and something you might be interested in come-on down to the meeting on Tuesday, December 20th at 6:45 PM. We meet at the Belvidere Town Hall (between the Fire Hall and Police Station).
If you can’t make the meeting but want to sign-up anyway, please find the attached form. You can drop-off the filled out form with Belvidere Police Departmen or bring it to the next meeting (we get together the 3rd Tuesday of every month).

See You There.

Download (PDF, 48.08KB)

Download (PDF, 687.23KB)

Fire Company Sparks Good Will

On Saturday, December 17, 2011, the Good Will Fire Company will be blowing their sirens, flashing their lights and clearing the way so that the Big Man himself can wave and visit with all the children of Belvidere, NJ. So keep your eyes & ears open between the hours of 1:00 to 3:00 pm and join in on the fun, as Santa Claus makes his way through town.

Being such a huge fan of Saint Nicholas you can image the gratitude I have for the Good Will Ladies’ Auxiliary & the Good Will Fire Company. These brave and honorable people are at times tasked with very difficult and on some occasions even impossible situations. Those are the days when we all feel the desire to do some much needed pouting and crying.

Father Christmas understands this feeling all too well. The world has always had it’s times of unfairness. Santa, as many of us older people know, has also had moments which were impossible, even with all his magic, to overcome. Which is preciously why the good saint came in the first place. You see, his arrival is a reminder to us of another more important coming with whom all things are possible.

Spreading Good Will is Santa Claus claim to fame. So it would seem then our area’s Fire Company and Ladies Auxiliary have a lot in common with the Big Man. It is little wonder that Saint Nicholas choose the fine volunteers of the Good Will Fire Company to help him in his very important mission.

“You better watch out!  You better not cry! You better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is Coming to Town!” – Santa Claus

A flyer arrived at my door today informing our family about a missing cat named Zeke. Possibly you got one as well, but in case you haven’t, please read on.

It would seem this “grey striped domestic short hair” was last seen on Hardwick Street over by Garret D. Wall Park (a.k.a. The Belvidere Green).  According to the flyer, Zeke is 6 to 7 years old, very fit, athletic even, with celery-colored eyes and a dark pink nose. He is slim, active and very friendly, but can be skittish. If you find this incredibly well described feline please contact it’s concerned owner at kchior@me.com or call (321) 662-2620. A reward is being offered.

Zeke the cat, has been lost since Thursday, December 8, 2011. As we are all very much aware, news travels faster in cyberspace. So, I would like to encourage our incredible, but sizable amount of visitors to share this post with their many friends.

Good Luck Zeke!

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Free Holiday Concerts

Of all the many wonderful things which separates Advent Season from Ordinary Time, music is among the most cherished. Which is why I am excited to announce that the Stone Soup Symphony Orchestra is performing two free concerts this upcoming weekend.

• 1st concert date: 7:00 pm, Saturday, December 17, 2011 at the First Presbyterian Church (298 Main Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840).
• 2nd concert date: 4:00 pm, Sunday, December 18, 2011, at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church (59 Spring Lane, Long Valley, NJ 07853).

Belvidere Players to Perform

Sue Ann Kintis (violin), Lois Hampshire (violin), Kathy Magnusson (violin) and Katherine Kolibas (viola) are Belvidere’s contribution to Stone Soup Symphony.  These outstanding women have been performing with the group for some time now (even though they are all quite youthful) and are just a pleasure to listen to.  So, if you are looking to make your holiday special this year, what better way than to take in the fullness of the spirit of the season with a good old-fashioned timpani banging, violin stroking, horn blowing,Christmas concert.

Remember, all are welcome and it is absolutely free. This is truly a gift you will be happy you accepted.

WRNJ20111201 by Stone Soup Symphony