Hopatcong Seeks Grant For Walk Around Park
Council also OKs $35,000 to repair basketball courts.
The borough has applied for a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to construct a path around Modick Park.
Borough Administrator Robert Elia said last week the borough is seeking $17,500 from the DEP to fund 75 percent of the grant. The borough must contribute 25 percent of the cost, or $4,500.
The grant would be used to build a 600-foot path around the borough park, which is fronted on two sides by busy roads. The path would be five feet wide.
Mayor Sylvia Petillo said the path would give walkers and mothers pushing their children in strollers a safe place to walk.
This is the second time the borough has applied for the grant, she said.
The council also passed an ordinance to take $35,000 from the borough’s open space recreation trust to rebuild the municipal basketball courts.
Councilman Richard Bunce said the courts are in disrepair and it is hoped that once they are fixed some adult basketball programs that dropped away would be able to start again.
As it is, he said, “The court are always busy.”
Petillo said the open space trust funds can be used for the purchase of open space and the maintenance of public recreation facilities.
The borough collects about $10,000 annually through its municipal open space tax.
The recreation department is planning to hold the annual Easter Egg Hunt on March 17, said Councilman John Young. The rain date is March 23.
Young also said the department is planning to expand the hours of its summer program to 6 p.m. daily to accommodate working families.
Tammy
5:28 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Madam Mayor- WE ARE BROKE!!!!!! We do not have spare money for niceties. I do not care what percentage a grant will cover. We do not have two extra nickels to rub together for a "path". I see people walking at the park all the time. I even see parents pushing their children in strollers there. I have not once heard of anybody being injured because of it being "fronted on two busy roads". If the town were in better financial shape I'd say go for it, why not. It is RIDICULOUS to be spending almost $5,000.00 on anything that is not a necessity.
S. Coventry
8:09 am on Friday, March 1, 2013
@ Tammy agree with you whole hartedly I may be mistaken but isn't there already a path around the park? Isn't it bad enough we were taken in with the streetlights and the memorial park we couldn't afford? They were also passed off as "grants" they turned out to be expensive for the taxpayer. They just hired two people and now this. God help us all !
Observer
8:12 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
This is like polishing a junker car that’s been rusting away in your driveway for years. It’s an outrageous waste of extremely limited resources in a town that faces financial doom. Financial doom means falling real estate values, a substantial number of unsold/foreclosed homes, a documented drug distrubution/use problem, and a failing school system. How about dealing with the real problems?
S. Coventry
9:49 am on Sunday, March 3, 2013
@Observer what a great analogy!
Rich Smith
8:09 am on Friday, March 1, 2013
I thought that there is already a path around that park. It goes down from the picnic area to that little bridge and then runs up next to Hopatchung Rd. to Nariticong and across with links to the gazebo?? Oh wait, that’s not Modick, that the Maxim Glenns Park. Ok, so Modick has a path running through the middle and down to Maxim Glenn where one can cross a not very busy street and get on the path mentioned above.. Either way, is it needed?? Why do those two parks, so close together, have different names anyhow? It's really one park, isn't it?
The Watcher
6:02 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
Someone told me that the budget meeting is this week so I went to our expensive town website and I found this on the last agenda seems we are all mistaken it is NOT a path it is a "RECREATIONAL TRAIL" Resolution #2013-46 Recreational Trails Grant A motion is in order to adopt a resolution authorizing the submission of the Recreational Trail Grant.
tliberty
8:09 am on Friday, March 1, 2013
Hey Sylvia,,,,how about taking your head out of the sand and looking around you?
Not everybody has your money and can afford to ride the wave of financial freedom!!!!
This town is full of workingclass people trying to survive. The stay at home moms who might use this path are not the majority.....
The Watcher
4:20 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
@tliberty Don't pick on Sylvia I believe all but one of the council people owns their own business and they all would have voted (and probably all voted yes) to the path in the park
moving
10:38 am on Friday, March 1, 2013
I take my kids to horse shoe lake anyway, a path wouldn't change this and we are moving after the school ranking came out. At least we learned what red flags to look for in towns we are researching.
BeachBum
4:20 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
Wow what wasteful spending, you rarely see anybody walking the other park path - Will the new path allow dogs, have never seen a no dog policy in a park, ridiculous!
Michele Guttenberger
6:02 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
The reason for the Mayor & Co planning Park Improvements for these particular parks may be that they are used by the Borough’s favored church and their activities this is the quote from the church's website:
"As part of our mission to teach the Bible, love people and trust God we at Byram Bay Christian Church are committed to answering God’s call to share the gospel by living it in the community outside the walls of the church.One of the ways we do this is through our participation in town-sponsored events and church planned activities. All BBCC events are free and open to the public.SPRING CELEBRATIONS
SUMMER FUN
Ice Cream In the Park: Free ice cream distributed every Thursday at 6:30pm, weather permitting at Modick Park throughout the months of June, July and August
Friday Night Service in Modick Glen as part of Hopatcong Days town celebration Inter-Denominational Service: held on Sunday morning in Modick Glen as part of Hopatcong Days celebration and sponsored jointly by area churches
Crazy Days In the Park: 4 hot Summer Fridays of games, skits, prizes, crafts and other fun activities centered on sharing the love of Jesus with kids in Modick Park"
God Please the taxpayers for supporting the parks of the BBCC each and every one of you! :-)
The Watcher
12:30 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
@Michele do you know if the budget meeting is this Wednesday? Isn't posted on the website and as I said above "seems we are all mistaken it is NOT a path it is a "RECREATIONAL TRAIL" Resolution #2013-46 Recreational Trails Grant A motion is in order to adopt a resolution authorizing the submission of the Recreational Trail Grant."
Michele Guttenberger
9:49 am on Sunday, March 3, 2013
Sorry - I left out the word thank. "God Please thank the taxpayers". @ The Watcher - Wednesday is my Birthday and I can think of better ways of celebrating it than watching the dog and pony magic trick budget show on Wednesday complete with the amazing pie charts that adds a carrousel of color to Hopatcong's spending. Most likely they will find some student, volunteer or some charity group (that helps people living in Newton) to honor for their celebratory diversion tax funded cake occasion. I could attend it and pretend the cake is for my BD and for my contributions of publicly vocalizing the cause and effect of our current problems. But I think they get their cake at COSCO's and it's too sweet for my taste even though I am paying for it. Plus, I get all emotional over unjustifiable tax spending and may choke on the cake or have the Mayor yell at me again. And that's not cool to be mad on your B-day.
T Simms
6:02 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
I use and enjoy the path around lower Modick Park. I'm glad it's there, but I see no need to add another path to the upper park. I'd rather see if funding was available to help cover the cost of cleaning up downed trees and trash thrown in the vacant lots around town. They're such an eyesore.
JenniferB
10:37 am on Monday, March 4, 2013
I agree. More walkers use Modick Park and more kids use the basketball are. They have enough paths to get to the courts for the kids and for the walkers. The fence at the court needs to be fixed as well as trees in both parks. I wonder if insurance covers that.
I'd like to see more down in the community garden, skate park, softball field area. Many people walk their dogs there or walk in general.
John Pezzino
7:36 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
It took me a while but I'm glad to hear my call to improve the basketball court has been heard. Although my main concern was that it wasn't lit up at dusk for our youth to gather and share some wholesome healthy physical activity in the evening hours, when day light is gone, where are our teens suppose to go? so I hope lighting is included.
What troubles me is Bunce, right away he jumps on the band wagon to fix the courts up but wants to throw the kids out and hand it over to his grown up buddies. If he gets his way the teens will still be without a safe place to gather, And the tax payers will be out a good piece of change.
The next thing that concerns me is this path they want to put in, I think its a great idea, but if its going to be black top, its going to look cheep and ugly. Modick park is the center of our town and one of the first places potential home buyers will see, Modick should be improved with this in mind, if we cannot afford to do it right all at once lets get it done in stages and really give it the wow factor. if you visit New Jerseys more affluent communities they have beautiful town squares and parks.
Hopatcong residence work hard and deserve nice things
God Bless Hopatcong
John Pezzino
JenniferB
10:37 am on Monday, March 4, 2013
In addition to homeowners "seeing" the town, they do research online and I hate to say it but the bickering on the patch also looks cheap and ugly.
Michele Guttenberger
10:14 pm on Saturday, March 23, 2013
Is it true you are running for council as an independent ? Was this a campaign message? Guess if you do win a council spot you can have a debate with Bunce on how the budget money should be spent. Hope you know how to play nice with the other council members you will be working with. It won't be just the Mayor you will be sitting in the dugout bench with. You'll have to make room on the bench for Little Richard too. Do you think you can do that? Just saying ...
The Watcher
1:26 pm on Sunday, March 24, 2013
Really Michele, him running as an independent? He previously let everyone know he was a "lifelong true Democrat" who supported the mayor and council. Look it up it's on Patch.
S. Murray
10:42 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
It is QUITE the waste of money!
Jennifer
4:29 pm on Friday, March 22, 2013
The town needs roads fixed, trees planted, forget about a walk around park this is a joke!
Michele Guttenberger
10:14 pm on Saturday, March 23, 2013
Well, maybe it's a better use of money than a Hopatcong Senior dinner buffet at the Mt Arlington. At least everyone gets to use it not just INC. Club members.