Police Lend Support to TR Fishing Derby

The Somerset County Association of Chiefs of Police have once again sponsored the Somerset County Park Commission Therapeutic Recreation Camp Okee Sunokee annual Fishing Derby.

Each summer, chiefs and officers from Somerset County municipalities and the the Sheriff’s Department team up with the campers to assist them as they fish at Pleasant Valley Park in Basking Ridge. The day also includes a barbeque lunch, a visit from an ice cream truck, and the landing of a State Police Helicopter.

Camp Okee Sunokee is a six-week day camp for children ages 6-14 with learning disabilities or Asperger’s Syndrome. The summer activities at Okee Sunokee encourage the development of recreation and social skills and enhance self-confidence and educational growth through the participation in a variety of activities including arts & crafts, sports & games, music, cooking, trips, and swimming.

Information on all Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org. Like us on Facebook and Twitter.

Lord Stirling Stable Celebrates Multiple Anniversaries

Somerset County Park Commission Lord Stirling Stable and the Friends of Lord Stirling Stable celebrated anniversaries this past weekend with the Stable commemorating its 45th year and the Friends honoring their 30 years of service to the Stable.

A beautiful night at the Stable attracted dozens of fans and supporters of Lord Stirling Stable for hayrides, hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks, and cakes commemorating both anniversaries.

Lord Stirling Stable is located within Lord Stirling Park in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, and is nestled within 450 acres of the western portion of the Great Swamp Basin of the Passaic River. The Stable features a large indoor ring, three outdoor rings, daily Lead Line pony rides, and 18 miles of beautiful trails.

The Friends of Lord Stirling Stable, the very active volunteer organization provides support and financial assistance for many programs at the Stable including driving events, hunter paces, weekly dog walks, Dog Days, Salute to Horsepower Car & Motorcycle Show, Mother’s and Father’s Day Trail Rides, Nature Rides, Dressage Shows, and various clinics.

For information on Stable programs and activities, please contact the Stable office at 908-766-5955 or NJ Relay 711 for individuals with hearing impairments. Information on Friends activities is available at www.flssnj.org.

Information on this and other Somerset County Park Commission events can be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org.  

Environmental Education Center "Adopts" Lord Stirling Road

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER

“ADOPTS” LORD STIRLING ROAD

BASKING RIDGE, NJ – The “Adopt A Highway” application submitted by the Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center (EEC), located at 190 Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, has been approved by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Joining with Bernards Township’s “Adopt A Highway” programs, staff from the EEC will police the section of Lord Stirling Road between South Maple Avenue and White Bridge Road four times a year, maintaining a clean and litter-free roadway. 

The initial clean up in the program took place on Friday, May 30, 2014. Among the items removed from the roadway were 1 car motor, 4 cans of paint, 1 bed frame, 4 bags of trash, and 5 bags of recyclables.

“Lord Stirling Road is our home and we feel an obligation to maintain it in the best condition possible,” commented Shawn McCrohan, Manager, Environmental Science for the Park Commission. “The Adopt A Highway Program provides us the opportunity to keep the road clean while participating in a much larger initiative keeping our roads and highways litter-free across the state.”

Information on Somerset County Park Commission programs and activities is available at www.somersetcountyparks.org or by calling the Park Commission Headquarters at 908-722-1200 or the Environmental Education Center at 908-766-2489.

Spooky Brook Earns Environmerntal Stewardship Award

Somerset County Park Commission Spooky Brook Golf Course, located at 582 Elizabeth Avenue at Colonial Park in Somerset, has earned Environmental Stewardship Recognition from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

In the letter to the golf course, NJDEP states that the agency “formally recognize(s) the voluntary and proactive measures you have taken in an effort to improve the environment.” Spooky Brook was cited for Hazardous Material Reduction; Water Use Reduction; Transportation Energy Use Reduction, and Enhancement Projects.

Spooky Brook joins Neshanic Valley Golf Course at 2301 South Branch Road in Neshanic Station, Green Knoll Golf Course at 587 Garretson Road in Bridgewater, and Quail Brook Golf Course at 625 New Brunswick Road in Somerset, all having previously received the Environmental Stewardship Certification.

In addition, the four courses have been designated Groundwater Guardians by the Groundwater Foundation and River Friendly by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority. Neshanic Valley has also been recognized an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International and as a Sustainable Business by the South Branch Watershed Association.

“The entire Park Commission golf staff maintains the highest level of awareness of environmental 

issues,” stated Darrell Marcinek, Director of Golf Maintenance. “Billy Martin, superintendent at 

Spooky Brook and his staff are representative of the intense commitment to protecting the 

environment while making certain that our golfers enjoy golf courses in the best condition possible.” 

Information on all Park Commission activities and program is available online at www.somersetcountyparks.org or by calling 908-722-1200.

Howe Athletic Complex at Colonial Park Now Open

The Somerset County Park Commission, State and County officials, representatives from the Somerset County Park Commission, and members of Gymkhana Cricket Club, Somerset Cavaliers Cricket Club, and Dutch Total Soccer officially opened the Howe Athletic Complex at Colonial Park in Somerset, New Jersey.

The Howe Complex, off Colonial Drive at the northeastern corner of the park near Elizabeth Avenue, includes two adult soccer fields, three youth soccer fields, and a full sized cricket pitch.

“We have been waiting a long time for a pitch like this,” commented Aslam Khan of the Cavaliers. Added Rana Aftab of Gymkhana, “It’s a beautiful pitch, perfectly flat as it should be.”

“It’s a great location and a rare thing to have so many fields in the same place,” commented Jordi Meijer of Dutch Total Soccer. “We often find ourselves spread out at many school fields but here adult and children’s games can be played at the same time.”

The facility was constructed on the former homestead of Dr. Eugene and Lois Howe. The Howe’s placed the funds received from the sale of the property to the County in a trust account to be returned to the Somerset County Park Commission upon their passing. Mrs. Howe passed away in 1995 and Dr. Howe passed in 2008. A significant portion of the trust’s assets were used to construct the complex, a generous gift to the people of Somerset County.

Dr. Howe was well known in Franklin for volunteer work that included co-founding the Meadows Foundation that continues today to serve as stewards of early Dutch and American Heritage. His passion for reading, poetry and preservation drove him to also become a volunteer at the former Franklin Inn in East Millstone, a structure that also served as a used bookstore.

Dr. Howe was employed as a scientist and researcher at MERCK & Co. where he was awarded 18 patents for his work in isolating and synthesizing amino acids.

Reservations for use of the soccer fields and cricket pitch may be made by online at http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/applications/applications.pdf or by calling the Park Commission at 908-722-1200, ext. 225.

Green Knoll Golf Course Earns Environmental Sustainability Award

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP RECOGNITION ADDS TO SOMERSET COUNTY GOLF SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS

BRIDGEWATER, NJ – Somerset County Park Commission Green Knoll Golf Course, located at 587 Garretson Road in Bridgewater, has earned Environmental Stewardship Recognition from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

In the letter to the golf course, NJDEP states that the agency “formally recognize(s) the voluntary and proactive measures you have taken in an effort to improve the environment.” Green Knoll was cited for Hazardous Material Reduction; Water Use Reduction; Transportation Energy Use Reduction, and Enhancement Projects.

Neshanic Valley Golf Course at 2301 South Branch Road in Neshanic Station and Quail Brook Golf Course at 625 New Brunswick Road in Somerset have previously received the Environmental Stewardship Certification.

In addition Neshanic Valley, Green Knoll, Quail Brook, and Spooky Brook, located at 582 Elizabeth Avenue in Somerset have been designated as Groundwater Guardians by the Groundwater Foundation and River Friendly by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority. Neshanic Valley has also been recognized as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International and as a Sustainable Business by the South Branch Watershed Association.

“Protection of our environment and our natural resources are of primary concern throughout the Park Commission,” stated Darrell Marcinek, Director of Golf Maintenance. “John  Zujkowski, supterintentdent at Green Knoll and the staff at all of our golf courses fully understand the importance of these programs and strives every day to assure compliance with the responsibilities set forth and assure that we are doing everything in our power to provide world class golfing venues while remaining environmentally responsible.”

Park Commission Helps Restore the American Chestnut Tree

SOMERSET COUNTY PARK COMMISSION HELPS

RESTORE THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT

The First Orchard of Its Kind Planted at Lord Stirling Park

BASKING RIDGE, NJ – The Pennsylvania/New Jersey Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) recently planted a progeny test orchard of 250 of the most advanced, potentially blight-resistant American chestnut seedlings at the Somerset County Park Commission, Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. The seedlings, called Restoration Chestnuts 1.0, are part of a unique breeding program led by TACF to restore the American chestnut to the eastern forests of America.

Corporate volunteers from Verizon and Johnson & Johnson helped prepare the area for the planting. Goldman Sachs employees provided labor and funding through the New Jersey Land Conservancy’s Partners for Parks corporate volunteer program.

Once the giants of the eastern forests, American chestnuts stood up to 100 feet tall and numbered in the billions. They were a vital part of the forest ecology, a key food source for wildlife, and an essential component of the human economy. In the beginning of the 20th century the fungal pathogen responsible for chestnut blight was accidentally imported from Asia and spread rapidly through the American chestnut population, killing an estimated four billion mature trees from Maine to Georgia by 1950. Several attempts to breed blight-resistant trees in the mid-1900s were unsuccessful.

In 1983, a group of scientists formed The American Chestnut Foundation with a mission to develop blight-resistant American chestnut trees. Now assisted by nearly 6,000 members, volunteers, and partners, the organization is undertaking the planting of potentially blight-resistant trees in select locations throughout the eastern US.

“The Pennsylvania/New Jersey Chapter’s partnership with Somerset County Parks represents a huge step in our chestnut restoration program,” said TACF Regional Science Coordinator Sara Fitzsimmons. “This orchard is the first of its kind in New Jersey, enabling us to test and evaluate our Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 for blight resistance and growth characteristics.”

Jane Parks, Environmental Education Center, Environmental Events Specialist stated, “The Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center started working with TACF in 2006 by planting a test site of American and Chinese Chestnuts. We are very pleased that our location has been selected for the first Restoration Chestnut 1.0 planting in New Jersey.  The planting aligns with our mission to educate the public about the importance of preserving our fragile environment.”