Producer/director/organizer and Good Samaritan, Charlie Zetterstrom, is putting his all into this production and it still remains to be seen if he will personally be running on empty the day of the event after all this hard work. Regardless, Charlie promises that the proceeds from Peggy’s Run will once again be going to the Peggy Zetterstrom Memorial Music Scholarship, which will benefit seniors at Belvidere High School who have been involved in the music program. As someone who is fond of those who assist youngsters in getting a good education, you can be sure BelvidereGreen will be rooting for a big turnout. In fact, it is my understanding that Mrs. BelvidereGreen may be making an appearance. If she does beware to all participants, this woman knows how to move. How do you think she caught me?

Details for Joining in on the Fun

• Day: Saturday, May 12, 2012
• Time: 10:00 am for runners, 10:15 am for walkers (rain or shine)
• Place: Belvidere High School, 809 Oxford Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823
• Registration Time: 8:30 to 9:45 am at football field
• Entry Fee: $20
• Awards: 1st and 2nd place winners in 5K run overall. Plus 1st and 2nd place Male/Female finisher in each age group
• Age Groups: 10 & under, 11-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70& up
• Course: Belvidere High School
• Amenities: Shirts to pre-registrants and to post registrants while supplies last; Light refreshments after the run/walk.

PEGGY’S RUN-MAY 14, 2011-BELVIDERE HIGH SCHOOL

RESULTS

1^st Place Overall-Jim Bronico-21:25

2^nd Place Overall-Ralph Polcari-21:30

3^rd Place Overall-Adam Divine-21:46

10 and under:

Amanda Lauziere and Matthew Bronico-25:40

Larson Grogan and Christopher Bonamo-41:29

Ethan Divine-41:33

Lori Pursell-54:07

11-14:

Amanda Smith-30:45

Nicole Williams and Kristy Harrison-47:38

15-19:

David Marconi-22:46

Alison Bancroft-24:00

Nick Tatarian-24:19

Andrea Hornbaker-24:28

Renee Anderson-25:24

Alex DiCairano-26:55

Tara Soto-27:36

Brittany Sweigert-27:41

Emily Lauziere-27:44

Mary Angus-28:02

Andrew Beck-28:28

Michael Abramo-30:18

Jennifer Mangnall-30:56

Angela Hubert-31:18

Stephanie Unangst-32:39

Hillary Sadlon-34:39

Kendra Peeples-36:27

Hannah Lucas-37:56

Autumn Snyder-40:49

Cavan Mulligan-50:52

20-29:

Abbey Francisco-22:51

Marie Chiara-23:32

Ellen Hoyt-24:41

Sam DeAlba-26:19

Rebekah Unangst-25:17

Romozan Scott-28:26

Josh Hemus-29:01

Robert Welles-30:55

Michael Gratacos-30:55

Jason Leh-32:53

Maria DiGilio-57:56

Stephanie Golda-59:09

Mike Gingles

30-39:

Sarah Stover-24:24

Ralph Polcari-21:30

Adam Divine-21:46

Beth Franceshino-28:36

Mindy Wells-30:19

Kim Barnes-31:47

Katie Specht-33:18

Ara Fisher-33:41

Adam Zmigudski-33:58

Cristina Polcari-36:10

40-49:

Deborah Bonamo-28:09

Mark Francisco-28:35

Jim Bronico-21:25

Jeffrey Wieder-32:53

Heather Smith-34:53

50-59:

Paul Mulligan-25:29

Sue Francisco-30:05

Michael Monczka-31:52

Sally Fisher-34:56

Hal Halvorsen-37:31

Bob Pursell and Trish Purcell-40:46

Bob Riday-42:59

Chuck Beyer-50:42

Laura Murphy-50:53

Sara Mislan-Lotter-50:54

Dawn Shevac-52:35

Ed Shevac-52:37

Donna Golda-59:12

60-69:

Gene Hoffman-26:41

Dennis Raab-28:19

MaryEllen Cramer-28:45

Richard Cramer-29:40

Maria Calderone-40:01

Barbara Call-46:51

Lucille Raab-50:57

Fran Leh-54:08

Share The Lions Strength

Thanks to your outstanding support last year, The Belvidere Lions Club is once again sponsoring a Great American Bake Sale. The funds raised by this sweet event goes towards the noble and completely doable goal of ending childhood hunger in America by the year 2015.

As Belviderians, you are very much aware that our local Lion and Leo Clubs have long cared about the well-being of children everywhere on the planet. However, what was seriously misunderstood until last year, was just how much childhood hunger still exists in this, the richest country in the world. Well, as you can imagine this is totally unacceptable to  these action orientated members. So, just in time for Mother’s Day, on Saturday, May 12, 2012, the Lions & Leos will be selling  a delicious assortment of baked goods, with the proceeds going to the Share Our Strength organization, whose mission it is end this problem once and for all.

For those of you with both a sweet tooth and heart, the Great American Bake Sale is truly a sweet deal. Oh, and don’t forget to pick something up for mom, because childhood hunger was always her number one concern.

• Date: Saturday, May 12, 2012
• Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Place: Flowerland Growers, County Road 519 North, White Township, NJ 07823
• Contributions can also be sent to: Belvidere Lions Club c/o Brad Day, 325 Front Street, Blevidere, NJ 07823

All Information Below Is Taken From the Share Our Strength Website

Understanding Childhood Hunger

Every Child Deserves To Thrive

HUNGRY CHILDREN CANNOT THRIVE. YET MILLIONS OF KIDS IN AMERICA ARE AT RISK OF GOING HUNGRY. SHARE OUR STRENGTH IS CHANGING THAT.

Every parent knows that a hungry child is a disadvantaged child. He can’t grow, develop and learn like other kids. She has trouble focusing and getting along. They complain often of headaches, stomachaches and other ailments. They fall behind in virtually every way.

It doesn’t have to be this way. There is plenty of nutritious food in America to make sure every child grows up healthy and thrives. What’s missing is access to this food. If families don’t have reliable access to healthy, affordable food, they can’t possibly feed their children well.

Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry^® strategy provides that access to families all across the nation, so that every child, regardless of circumstances, can get the healthy food they need to thrive.

Join us in making No Kid Hungry the reality in America. Take the No Kid Hungry Pledge today »

Childhood Hunger in America

Nearly one in five children in America can’t count on having enough to eat. Their bodies may not be rail thin, nor their bellies bloated like their counterparts in other countries, but they’re at risk of hunger all the same. They lack the energy to learn, grow and thrive. Download the 2011 Childhood Hunger Factsheet.

• More than 16 million children in America are at risk of hunger. That’s more than 1 in 5.
• 15.7 million children in America live in poverty.
• 18.6 million children benefit from SNAP (food stamps).
• Over 20 million children get a free or reduced-price school lunch on an average school day.
• Only 10.5 million children get a free or reduced-price school breakfast on an average school day.
• 6 out of 7 children who qualify for a free or reduced-price school lunch do not currently access free summer meals.

Sources: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; U.S. Census Bureau; Food Research and Action Center. For more statistics, please visit our Hunger Facts Page.

The Belvidere Police Department is once again accepting unused Prescription Drugs.

This Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM the Belvidere Police Department will accept your unused prescription drugs. They would prefer that the drugs are provided in the original packaging, but it is not mandatory.

Why is it important to properly discard of unused prescription drugs? There are several reasons:

•  Old drugs are dangerous to children and pets
•  Flushed drugs can enter our water supply
•  Expired drug can be dangerous to those that take them

Thanks for your cooperation as we work to keep our community safe for all.

Good Will Fire Company Knows Beef

Since tickets for the Good Will Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary roast beef dinner will be on sale only until Tuesday, May 1, 2012, I strongly recommend you put a fire under yourself and get burning on over to The Belvidere Food Mart in order to purchase a few, before it is too late.  For those trapped in an office chair, like yours truly, Becky is also available for ticket orders by phone at (908) 475-5058.

The dinner is on Sunday, May 6, 2012 and tickets will be unavailable at the door.

Being a person who rather enjoys a good Roast Beef dinner it was refreshing to hear from a couple of giggly women that they own a particular calendar and can assure me that Firemen know an awful lot about beef. So much so so, they even eat have it for desert, because they talked about some sort of beef cake. So my guess is the Ladies Auxiliary is getting their recipes from the men. Regardless, after this bit of news, I am now confident it will be delicious, so pull up a chair and dig in.

All The Yummy Details

• Ticket Sale Date Till: Tuesday, May 1, 2012
• How to Purchase: Belvidere Food Mart or Becky at (908) 475-5058
• Event Date: Sunday, May 6, 2012
• Dinner Time: 4-6:30 pm
• Place: Belvidere Manor (689 Water Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823) behind firehouse
• Cost: $12 for adults & $6 for children (5-12 years young)
• Sorry, only advance purchases at the door. Those without advance tickets will only be able to take in the outstanding aroma from the air coming from within. However, the good news is that smelling is just half price.

Local boys and girls ages 7 to 14, it is time to get excited, because on Saturday, April 14, 2012 at Hrizak Field, the Belvidere Youth Athletic Association will be hosting a Pitch, Hit & Run competition. This free event sponsored by Aquafina® is the official skills competition of Major League Baseball®.

Youngsters from all over the country will be participating  in their respective local competition with the hopes of advancing all the way to the National Finals to be held at this year’s Major League All-Star Game in Kansas City. The BYAA is proud to say that Belvidere, New Jersey is an official local host location. Which means that along side all of our wonderful Authentic Belvidere Baseball and Softball players, anyone who shows up and meets the age criteria is welcome to join in on the fun. So, you may want to spread the word about this great event to all your friends and family, because both BelvidereGreen & the Belvidere Youth Athletic Association believes it would be sad to see any child miss out on such a great opportunity.

Some Important Details to Remember

Participants must fill out a registration/waiver form (available below & at event)  plus provide a copy of a valid birth certificate for age verification.

• Age Groups: 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14 with boys and girls competing separately (age is determined as of July 17, 2012)
• Registration Cost: Free
• Date: Saturday, April 14, 2012
• Time: 10:00 am
• Place: Hrizak Fields, 691 Water Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823 (across from Town Hall and Fire Department)

Please see registration form embedded below

Download (PDF, 261.09KB)

In a widely unexpected move, the lovable little stink bug has officially been named to the endangered species list and is now protected from those who wish to do it harm. A fine of $50.00 per insect along with a maximum prison term of  up to 30 days will begin today.

Belvidere To Embrace Ruling

Local officials upon first being notified were a little stunned to say the least. According to one council member who wished to remain anonymous, they were taken completely by surprise . “One minute we were looking into the legalities of evacuating the entire town for a weekend, so that we could carpet the area with pesticide bombs and finally rid ourselves of these annoying creatures and then this happens. Our advisers  were completely blindsided. Council is now looking into whether we can tack on an extra $25 per fine to help fix our budget. If all goes well, we will be having our final 4 to 3 vote on this matter within the next 3 years.”

However, others took the news with great pride. In an interview from home, a person only wishing to be identified as VoteMeIn bellowed out the following.

“We are obviously the stink bug capital of New Jersey, so we should be proud of how the population of these important creatures have grown over the years. It is amazing to me that these idiots on the council can’t see this.  If it wasn’t for our Town Council and in particular one female member who has been known to kill them whenever they seek shelter from the cold in her corrupt and ugly home, we would have a lot more. Personally, I am proud to say my house is swamped with them. Which is one more reason you should vote for me”

While that rhetoric may seem a little harsh to most people and stink bugs alike, VoteMeIn is obviously not alone in thinking this way. WarrenCountyWatchDog, Mountain22, Usedfurcoat, Usedcostumejewelry, Oldcoachbag, IWantMyJaguarBack and Washedupjudge mentioned virtually identical comments.

Another concerned citizen, identified only as belvyball seems to think our school system has handled stink bugs all wrong and believes it is time for a change.

“It is my understanding that the entire sports program would have been renamed. If it wasn’t for certain individuals we would happily already be known as The County Stinkers for our Varsity teams and The Little Stinkers for our JV teams, but because the stupid Board of Education spent too much money in 2011 on a mean, rotten, horrible, stink bug hating wrestling coach we couldn’t afford the new uniforms. Personally I think all students who harm these innocent creatures should be flushed down the toilet to see how they like it. These kids need to learn some respect.”

Where do you stand on this issue? As always your comments would be greatly appreciated below. Please though remember to keep it clean, because this is a family gathering place.  I will not tolerate any of the above named citizens to have their highly regarded reputations falsely slandered. Just like VoteMeIn and belvyball, you should only take the high road and refrain from personal assaults and stick with friendly courteous debate on important issues.

BHS Music Department Fundraiser

When you wake up tomorrow, get dressed, grab an umbrella and get yourself some Pancakes at Applebee’s in Hackettstown. Think about it, what better way to start a potentially rainy weekend than to have someone cook you a nice breakfast.

Between the hours of 8:00 and 10:00 am this Saturday, March 31, 2012, the Belvidere High School Music Department is hosting a delicious fundraiser at Applebees in Hackettstown, NJ. As previously mentioned, these wonderful and talented students are working hard to fund their noble quest of traveling to the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland this April so they can perform for our country’s wounded warriors. From Bethesda this enthusiastic bunch will then journey to Williamsburg, Virgina and compete in a music festival.

As you can imagine, all this traveling could stack up to a good deal of money. However, the good news is, all we have to do is enjoy a hearty breakfast and then wobble out looking like the caring bunch of philanthropists we are. Now that is what I call a deal. Tickets are only $10.00 and can be purchased at the door.

Oh and if you happen to bump into Charlie Zetterstrom, tell him BelvidereGreen thinks the odds of a good turn out is “stacked” in his favor, because Belviderians are known for two important things, generosity and good taste.

Applebee’s

View Larger Map

All The Eggcellent Details

• Ages: 1-9 years
• Date: Saturday, March 31, 2012
• Place: Garrett D Wall Park (a.k.a. The Green) by the courthouse
• 12:30 pm (Bunny and Friends welcome the children)
• 1:00 pm (The Easter Egg Hunt begins)
• Prizes will be given

Town Creates Official Website

Like most Sunday afternoons, yesterday I found myself pondering over a deep and important philosophical question. What is more disturbing, that well into the 21st century our little town has yet to create an official website or songs from the Lemonheads, like the one above? Well, thankfully this is one mystery which has been answered by the elimination of the question. Belvidere, NJ now has an official website.

David M Gill, CTA, Belvidere’s Tax Assessor is the administrator charged with its ultimate creation and ongoing maintenance.  So if your initial assessment of it is unfavorable you can always re-assess it at a latter date. Of course, a site of this nature should be judged on its content and not design. To this end I am excited about the possibilities. A big thanks to those who helped with getting our town into the digital age.

Tonight’s Meeting Agenda

This bit of information was found on Belvidere’s shiny new official website.

Download (PDF, 13.71KB)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 15, 2012 Contact: Joe Donnelly
Phone: (215) 862-7693

MARCH 20 OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULED ON IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PLANS FOR COMMISSION’S PORTION OF WATER STREET IN BELVIDERE
Construction Expected to Take Place between August and October

BELVIDERE, N.J. – The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission today announced it will host an open house next week on plans for a summer-fall improvement project along the 700-foot segment of Water Street that the bridge agency owns in Belvidere, N.J.

The open house is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, at Belvidere Town Hall, 691 Water Street, Belvidere, N.J.

The public session will consist of viewing stations where residents, motorists, local business owners and other interested parties can get a sense of the project’s scope, ask questions of the project design/engineering team and submit comments on the project. The viewing stations will feature visual displays of the project limits, work objectives, existing conditions, proposed improvements, key issues, and anticipated planning and construction schedules.

“This may not be a large-scale project, but the work is likely to impact residents along the street, motorists who use our nearby bridge, and local businesses,” said Frank G. McCartney, the Commission’s executive director. “This open house will afford everyone an opportunity to learn about this project and comment on the work, the schedule and any issues we may not have considered.”

The open house is part of a public involvement program the Commission is conducting before planning goes into the final design phase. In addition to the open house, the Commission will establish a project-specific webpage, distribute press release, contact local stakeholders and disseminate posters in an effort to raise public awareness of the project and gather public comments. The Commission regularly conducts public involvement programs with projects that pose significant travel or community impacts.

The Commission is currently working on a timeline to carry out construction activities for this multi-element construction project in August, September and October. The Commission plans to conduct the project in a manner that will allow motorists to use the roadway with short, periodic traffic stoppages controlled either by flaggers or temporary traffic lights.

The need for the project is based on several factors, namely to address deficiencies cited in recent inspection and maintenance reports. Also, the Warren County-owned portions of Water Street east of the Commission’s boundary line were improved and repaved under local and county projects conducted during the past six years. The completion of the Commission’s portion of the street will further enhance the roadway’s driving conditions and overall appearance.

The main project elements are as follows:

• Crack sealing, repair and overlay of the existing concrete roadway;
• Repair and/or replace the existing sidewalk along the roadway’s north side;
• Install handicapped accessible ramps;
• Replace damaged curbs;
• Provide drainage repairs as necessary;
• Upgrade guide rail to meet current standards within the project limits;
• Install functional and period lighting consistent with earlier improvements to the Water Street streetscape

The road project’s current estimated program cost is about $700,000, which includes everything from inspections to concept plans to final design through construction. The project is being conducted under the Commission’s $1.2 billion capital improvement program, which was initiated 10 years ago to rehabilitate, modernize and/or expand the agency’s network of 20 bridge crossings; improve security, safety and customer service; and reduce congestion.

Water Street is the arterial roadway in Belvidere that carries traffic to and from the Commission’s 107-year-old Riverton-Belvidere Toll-Supported Bridge. A daily average of 4,300 vehicles used the bridge in 2011.

About the Commission

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission was formed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey in 1934. It operates seven toll bridges and 13 toll-supported bridges, two of which are pedestrian-only spans. The Commission is a self-supporting public-service agency that receives neither federal nor state tax dollars to finance its projects or operations. Funding for the operations, maintenance and upkeep of its bridges and related transportation facilities is solely derived from revenues collected at its toll bridges. The Commission’s jurisdiction extends along the Delaware River from the Philadelphia-Bucks County line north to the New Jersey/New York border. The bridges carried more than 137.4 million cars and trucks in 2011. For more information about the Commission and its various initiatives to deliver safer and more convenient bridge travel for its customers, please see: www.drjtbc.org.