Announcements

Township Annual Memorial Day Celebration
    Mary Van Kirk was cited as Citizen of the Year, for over 30 years of service to the community. Quoted from the recognition speech: “Mary is blessed with incredible energy, wisdom, and strength, qualities which make her the obvious ‘go to person’ whenever a need or problem arises in any context. She gives generously of her time and talents and does so with grace, humility, and an absolute dedication to making this world better, kinder, and more equitable. There is no task too minor or too large for her to take on. Although she is a consummate team player, her leadership abilities are second to none.” She has taken the initiative in many different projects, including mobilizing Harding merchants and volunteers in support of the annual "Country Mile" shopping event benefiting Homeless Solutions. She has chaired the annual blood drive in Harding for the Red Cross for many years, and served several terms as Board member of Mt Kemble Lake Assn, the Harding Township Historical Society; and was a public member of the Morris District Attorney Ethics Committee, appointed by the NJ Supreme Court. She is also active in the Presbyterian Church activities and organization.
    Winners of the essay: “What personal traits or characteristics do you believe are most important for any candidate for President of the United States?” were:
    1st-2nd grades - Joey Feuerstein
    3rd-4th grades - Brandon Bernstein
    5th-6th grades - Emily Saulnier
    7th-8th grades - Emma Cotton 

Harding Township Municipal Offices Summer Hours Schedule
    Effective July 7th through August 29th, the Harding Township Municipal Offices will be open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. on Friday. 

From the Tax Collector
    Reminder: the last day for payment of real estate taxes in Harding Twp will be August 11, 2008 for 3rd Quarter.

THE LIBRARY
Summer Reading Program: Catch the Reading Bug!
    Come to the Library to enroll your children, ages 2 to 12, in our popular summer program designed to foster a love of reading. Each child will receive a folder to decorate and a packet with time log, incentive game, puzzles, and coloring pages. Completed time logs earn a prize and a bug sticker on the bulletin board. Don’t worry if your child can’t read yet—there is a program for children who are read to by their parents.
    Children with school reading lists should bring them to the Library, where we can help to request books online. Older children who can answer questions about the book they’ve completed (an oral book report) are eligible for a bonus prize! We have planned special events, including an end-of-summer Spelling Bee. So stop by the Library and Catch the Reading Bug—we think reading is a picnic!!
    Adult Book Group plans to continue through the summer. June’s selection, The Secret Lives and Many Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland, is a riveting historical novel about the early life of Josephine Bonaparte. For more details, call the Library: 973-267-8000 X 132.
    Are you clocking progress of the Library’s Enriching Our Community campaign at the corner of Blue Mill and Sand Spring Roads? We hope that you will be inspired to help us push the arrow to the top! Detailed information about the campaign is on the Library’s Web page: hardinglibrary.org. Also, numerous helpful links and direct access to the shared catalog of Morris County libraries are displayed. Keep current; keep checking!

HARDING TOWNSHIP HEALTH DEPARTMENT
    Help Line: 2-1-1 or www.nj211.org is New Jersey’s help line and connection to community services. The call is free, confidential, and service is available 24/7. The help line will connect residents with the most appropriate and available resources to find assistance for most problems.
    Medical Reserve Corps (MRC): The MRC was established by the Morris County Office of Health Management to recruit and organize medical volunteers to assist local health departments during a public health emergency. MRC units provide health professionals and others with a way to volunteer their time and skills to assist their community in a disaster. To become part of the Harding Township Health Department MRC team, register at www.njmrc.nj.gov. For further information, call Pat Russomano, RN at 973/267-8000, extension 148.
    Flu Clinic Hotline: The hotline will be activated September 1, 2008. The Health Department is planning to have two fall clinics, free of charge, for residents 65 years and older and those with a chronic illness that is documented by a note from a health care provider. Dates are yet to be determined. The hot line number is 973/267-8000, Extension 190.

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Black Bear Nuisance and Damage Prevention
    Various bear sightings have been reported during this spring in Harding. The following information is provided on how to deal with black bears. It is excerpted from leaflets issued by the NJ Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife. Prevention is the best method for controlling black bear damage. Keep garbage, pet feeding and bird feeding away from wildlife. Black bears should never be fed (Note: in New Jersey, it’s illegal to feed black bears, and violators face a penalty of up to $1,000 for each offense) or approached. If a bear comes into your yard, make the bear aware of your presence. Do not feed the bear! Make sure the bear has an escape route. Yell, bang pots and pans or use an air horn to scare the bear away.
    Aggressive and non-yielding bears should be reported to the Harding Police Department at (973) 455 0500. Bear sightings should be reported to the Fish, Game and Wildlife Division’s Wildlife Research Unit at (908) 735 8793 or to the DEP’s hotline -1 (877) 927 6337.
2008 Meeting Schedule of Wildlife Management Committee
    Meetings are scheduled for August 27 and December 4, 2008. The meetings take place at 5 p.m. in the Municipal Building. They are open to the public.

THE NEW VERNON FIRST AID SQUAD NEEDS YOU! 
    Last year our squad members gave more than 25,000 total hours of volunteer time, while on-duty during the week and responding to 911 calls. We are made up entirely of volunteers, who respond to emergency calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; we need to maintain a sufficient number of members to ensure a timely response. Our members represent the diversity of our community, from high school students to retirees, from busy professionals to stay-at-home moms. Many of our members work full time. The time commitment requires just one 12 hour shift "on-call" per week, with a rotating periodic weekend night and holiday shift. Volunteers on our evening shift sleep as usual and respond only to the very occasional middle-of-the-night call, perhaps once a month; volunteers on our day shift respond from home to day calls, three or four calls per month. You can "try us out" by joining a crew and riding along, and all necessary training is free. Please contact us and we will answer any questions you might have. Susan Godfrey, Captain 973-425-6491 or: godfreyssae@verizon.net, and Kate Crowley, President 973-656-0488 or: kkcrowley@verizon.net.

From the Harding Township Police, CELL PHONES AND 9-1-1
    What's unusual about calling 9-1-1 from a cell phone? Because of the way cellular telephone calls are routed, calls to 9-1-1 may not reach the proper dispatch operators. Generally, the police agency that receives a cellular 9-1-1 call is determined by the origination of the call in relation to a specific cellular tower. The Harding Police have received 9-1-1 calls from cellular users from many other townships. If you are reporting an emergency via cellular telephone, it's crucial to inform the 9-1-1 operator of your exact location. The appropriate and closest response can then be activated.

New Reports (see the Thumbnails and Reports page):
Flag Lot Ordinance
Commuter Parking
Highlands