John G. McGackin award

[BrianSullivan]

The John G McGackin award is a prestigious award in Freehold Borough. Named after the former Mayor who died while in office, the annual award is given out to one or two individuals who have contributed to the betterment of Freehold Borough. Recipients are picked by a panel comprised of past winners.

This thread is being started and placed in the history section of this site as an archive and resource for readers. All articles are from the News Transcript, which has a very good archive feature. Not all recipients are found at this time because the award has been given out since before the NT had a web site. If anybody has further info to add, it would be a great help.

Articles will be in order from earlies to most present.

[BrianSullivan]

Carl Steinberg April 2000

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2000-04-28/Editorials/.html

Steinberg has record of dedication to town



Nobody in recent years has done more physically to preserve the history of Freehold Borough, the county seat of Monmouth County, than history buff Carl N. Steinberg.
Steinberg, now a Freehold Township resident, is a former member of the Freehold Borough Council.

Over the past two decades he has been a one-man gang when it comes to collecting memorabilia and launching projects aimed at ensuring that the borough’s rich history will be recalled in the future.




Whether it’s the renovation of a historic structure, the creation of memorials to commemorate landmark events, the resurrection of historic statues or the installation of signs, you can bet that Steinberg will play a major role in the project.

It was indeed fitting that Steinberg, who operates Freehold Furniture, was recently named the winner of the borough’s 11th annual John G. McGackin Award.

The award honors McGackin, the borough’s mayor who died while in office in April 1985.

The award is given to that person who has done the most to promote the renaissance of the county seat. While Steinberg has been very much involved with the town’s renaissance in the last 15 years, he is the first winner of the McGackin award to be so dedicated to the preservation of the borough’s history.

Steinberg’s commitment to saving the town’s history actually began when he restored the community’s first firehouse on Throckmorton Street. The structure, which dates back to 1874, was restored in 1984.

He still owns that building, which is a standing memorial to the first volunteer fire fighters in Freehold.

We suspect that Steinberg will launch many more historic preservation projects in the future.

We wish him the best of luck in these endeavors

[BrianSullivan]

Lillie Ham Hendry Ham 2001

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2001-07-17/Bulletin_Board/Freeholds_Hendry_honored_with_2001_McGackin_Award.html

Freehold’s Hendry honored with 2001 McGackin Award

Staff Writer
By dick metzgar
Freehold’s Hendry honored
with 2001 McGackin Award



Lillie Ham Hendry
FREEHOLD — For half a century, Lillie Ham Hendry has been an educator — and much more to the borough.

Although the 1947 Freehold High School graduate retired as a guidance counselor from that school in 1990, she has remained as involved as ever in community activities.

Hendry has been named the recipient of the John G. McGackin Award for this year. The award, which was initiated in 1986 in honor of the Freehold Borough mayor who died in office in April 1985, goes to that person deemed by the selection committee to have contributed most to the renaissance of the borough.

During the 1990s Hendry was one of the leaders of the effort that led to the restoration of the old Court Street School and the implementation of educational and community programs in that building. She is currently president of the board of trustees of the Court Street School Educa-tion Community Center, which oversees the programs in the restored school.

Hendry has also been a member of the borough’s Planning Board for a number of years. She has been a leader in her church, the Bethel AME Church. A year ago church officials honored her for her community activities. Hendry was honored by the Borough Council with a dinner at the American Hotel in recognition of her years of service in the field of education at the time of her retirement in 1990.

Even then she vowed to keep involved with the youth of the community, and she has continued to do so through the Court Street education facility and her church.

Hendry attended the Court Street School through the eighth grade.

"We have to get to the youngsters before the eighth grade," Hendry was quoted as saying at the time of her retirement. "We have to provide more direction and goal-setting. We must give them stronger family and community support in helping them find constructive alternatives."




Hendry was an outstanding student as well as an educator. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1951 from Trenton State Teachers College and then earned her master’s degree in education from the same school in 1955.

After starting at the nursery school level, Hendry received her first public school teaching assignment in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, in 1951. She came to Freehold High School as a guidance counselor in 1970 and spent the last 17 years before her retirement as the department’s supervisor.

She said one of the high points of her career came in 1956 as a teacher in Middlesex, England, under the auspices of an international exchange program.

"It was a wonderful experience," she said. "I have maintained my European contacts over the years, and I have continued to communicate with the European staff members I met there."

Hendry said serving on the borough’s Planning Board has been the continuation of the learning process for her.

"There is nothing like serving on the board to keep you in touch with what is happening in the borough," she said. "It gives you a feel of what direction the renaissance of the town is taking, one that the average resident doesn’t have. I try to impart this valuable information to the other boards on which I serve."

However, it’s easy to see that the old Court Street School and the new education center that it now houses is still uppermost in her heart.

"The black community in Freehold has always been a loving, accepting and progressive community," Hendry said. "At the center of that community stood the old Court Street School."

The McGackin Award signifies that she is still very much a part of her hometown’s renaissance.

"Receiving the award is very rewarding, humbling and enjoyable," Hendry said. "I am still learning, and I will continue to work with the youth of our town."

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2001-08-29/Letters/Winner_shares_honor_with_family_friends_associates.html

Winner shares honor with family, friends, associates


I wish to thank Freehold Borough Councilman Kevin Coyne and the previous winners of the Mayor John G. McGackin Freehold Renaissance Award for the honor given me on June 16.

This year’s presentation of the award recognizes not only an individual, but also the inspiration and the support of many.

The Freehold Borough Renaissance-Revival Initiatives, spearheaded by the mayor and Borough Council, the congregation of the Bethel A.M.E. Church, the Freehold Center Partnership, the News Transcript and the Court Street School Education Community Center Board of Trustees, alumni and volunteers, exemplify the true meaning of community. Together we foster leadership, teamwork, commitment, values and change.




To family, friends and associates, I extend my sincere appreciation for your kindness, generosity and valuable support. The award and recognition are an honor truly shared by all of us.

Lillie Ham Hendry

Freehold

[BrianSullivan]

Edna Carey Kelley

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2001-07-25/Front_Page/Kelleys_legacy_stands_as_board_member_teacher.html

In 1996, in recognition of her years of service in the field of education in the borough, Kelley received the John G. McGackin Award, which is given annually to the individual who contributes most to the renaissance of the borough.

FREEHOLD — Nobody who knew Edna Carey Kelley will ever forget her.

For some 60 years she was involved with the education of the borough’s children, both as a teacher and a member of the borough’s Board of Education. She became a legend in her own time, something few people accomplish.

Kelley spent 40 years teaching in the borough, from 1934 until her retirement in 1975. She would spend 33 years on the elementary school board, from 1963 until her defeat while seeking a 12th straight term in the 1996 election.




She began by teaching physical education in borough schools and later finished her career by teaching driver’s education in Freehold High School.

Kelley, 86, died on July 16 at Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood. At the time of her death, she was a member of the borough’s Planning Board.

"Edna was an institution," Freehold Borough Superintendent of Schools Janet Kalafat said. "I thought she was going to be around forever. I miss her already."

Kelley was the last member of the old guard who guided the borough school district into the modern era, including two new facilities on Park Avenue and Dutch Lane Road.

When she joined the board in 1963, the complex on Park Avenue was relatively new.

"I recall that I won the third and final open seat on the board that year with 550 votes," Kelley recalled in an interview with the News Transcript after leaving the board in 1996. "I was approached by some local teachers who wanted me to run for the board. That was during the days when teachers’ salaries were very low, not like they are today."

James Higgins, a 28-year member of the board, was a member of that old guard that guided the district through important transitional years, along with Kelley and others.

"Edna and I saw a lot of major changes in the district when we were on the board," Higgins said this week. "The Park Avenue complex was already opened when she joined the board, but she was here all through the time when the Freehold Learning Center on Dutch Lane Road was built and opened. We were on the board when the Hudson Street, Bennett Street and Broad Street schools were closed for good."

Kelley, who earned a reputation as a vigilant watchdog on school spending during her last years on the board, said during her 1996 interview with the News Transcript that she supported closing down the old schools in favor of constructing the Park Avenue complex and the learning center elementary school.

"Edna was an extremely vocal person," Higgins said. "She was very conscious about spending money. She was very conservative."

Higgins recalled that Kelley was already teaching when he was attending Freehold High School in 1937.

"I had gone to grammar school in Marlboro," Higgins said. "I entered Freehold High School from the sending district of Marlboro. Edna was already there teaching when I was a student."

Kelley, the daughter of a prominent local family doctor, Dr. David Carey, was a product of the borough’s public school system herself. She attended and then taught in educational facilities that she would later be involved in closing down when she was a board member.

"I attended the intermediate school when it was in the Bennett Street building that is now the borough’s police department," Kelley said during the 1996 interview. "I attended an elementary school that was located where Hudson Manor now stands. The high school on Robertsville Road, which I attended, was built in the mid-1920s while I was attending the lower grades."

In 1996, in recognition of her years of service in the field of education in the borough, Kelley received the John G. McGackin Award, which is given annually to the individual who contributes most to the renaissance of the borough.

Her 33 years on the school board were unparalleled.

"I’m still not over the shock that Edna’s not going to be on the board," then-board member James Piccarello, the panel’s president, said after winning a second term as Kelley lost in 1996. "She had become an institution and a legend for her many years of service to the board."

At the time, Kelley said she had no regrets about the decisions she made as a teacher and a board member.

"If I had to do it all over again, I would do it the same way," she said. "The years flew by so quickly. I just don’t know where they went. But it was a lot of fun."

[BrianSullivan]

Larry Metz 2002

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2002-06-05/Front_Page/Metz_selected_as_McGackin_winner_in_Freehold_Borou.html

Metz selected as McGackin winner in Freehold Borough

Correspondent
By dick metzgar


JERRY WOLKOWITZ Larry Metz, the owner of Capital Investment and Realty Co., Freehold, has been selected to be the recipient of this year’s John G. McGackin Award. Among his civic service, Metz has been a charter member of the Freehold Center Partnership since its creation in the early 1990s. He is a former chairman of the Freehold Gateway Association, a group of Throckmorton Street businessmen dedicated to improving the appearance and business atmosphere on that street.
FREEHOLD — Quietly and without fanfare, Larry Metz has been very involved with the renaissance of his hometown over the last decade in a variety of ways.

Metz, the owner of Capital Invest-ment and Realty Co., is a classic example of how action can speak louder than words.

For his participation in helping make the borough a better place in which to live and do business, Metz, 53, who lives in Colts Neck, but was raised in the borough, has been selected to be the recipient of this year’s John G. McGackin Award. He will receive the award at the June 17 meeting of the Borough Council.

Since 1986, the award has gone annually to the individual a selection committee, comprised of past award winners, believes has contributed most to the renaissance of the county seat.

For starters, Metz has been a charter member of the Freehold Center Partner-ship since its creation in the early 1990s. From 1990-98 he was chairman of the Freehold Gateway Association, made up of a group of Throckmorton Street businessmen dedicated to improving the appearance and business atmosphere on that street from South Street to the Route 9 overpass in Freehold Township.

Significantly, Metz was joined in both endeavors with former winners of the McGackin Award, William Mehr, local attorney, charter member and former chairman of the partnership, and Carl N. Steinberg, a Throckmorton Street furniture dealer and former borough councilman.

"In a quiet way, Larry has been a very active individual in the borough," Steinberg said. "He has been one of the most active members of the partnership, serving as treasurer. He was very helpful in the Freehold Gateway Association’s attempts to improve conditions on Throckmorton Street."

As well as serving as treasurer of the partnership since 1995, Metz has participated with several of its subcommittees, including as chairman of the Business Development Committee.




But Metz has been involved with much more in the borough.

Almost 10 years ago, Metz, Mehr and Bob Agel bought the McKelvey building, a longtime furniture dealing institution on West Main Street. Metz and Mehr converted the old building into the Freehold Antique Galley, which helped transform downtown Freehold into an antiques center in the mid-1990s.

The result has been the holding of antique festivals in downtown Freehold each year.

"Larry also rehabilitated the old S.B. King building at 54 W. Main St.," Steinberg said.

Metz bought that building in the mid-1980s from the borough, which had been using it as a garage to repair borough-owned vehicles.

For several years, the Monmouth Rehabilitation Center operated out of the building at 54 W. Main St. For the last couple of years the building has been the home of a bicycle museum operated by Metz’s father, David.

Metz also operates his real estate investment business out of the building.

Metz has served on the Board of Directors of the Freehold Savings and Loan Association (since 1990), the Freehold Rotary Club (1978 to present, president, 1991-92), Board of Directors of the YMCA of Monmouth County, Services Board Member of CentraState Medical Center (1990-93) and Founda-tion Board Member of CentraState Medical Center (from 2000).

Business-wise, Metz was president of Builders Block and Supply Co. and Major Tool and Equipment Co., both on Throckmorton Street, family owned businesses which were sold in 1993.

Metz and his wife, Paula, have two grown children, a daughter, Lauren, and a son, Daniel.

Growing up in the borough, Metz attended elementary school at the old Hudson Street School, where the Hudson Manor senior citizens apartment complex is now located, and the Freehold Inter-mediate School on Park Avenue. He attended high school at the Peddie School in Hightstown. He graduated from Babson College, near Boston, Mass.

Metz credits his father with instilling community spirit in him.

"I grew up on Broadway, where my father and mother still live," he said. "My father always talked to us when we were kids about community involvement. From the very beginning he instilled in us a sense of community."

Metz said winning the McGackin Award came as a pleasant surprise to him.

"I didn’t think I had done anything that outstanding," Metz said. "However, I am proud to be in such good company with the past award winners."


newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2002-07-17/Front_Page/Good_citizens_honored_for_work_in_Freehold.html

Good citizens honored for work in Freehold

By Clare Marie celano
Staff Writer
Good citizens honored
for work in Freehold
By Clare Marie celano
Staff Writer


FREEHOLD — Dick Metzgar walked up and down the streets of Freehold Borough for almost 20 years doing what he does best — reporting news and writing newspaper stories.

The veteran reporter, who has been reporting news for 50 years, spent 20 of those years with the News Transcript, writing about the history and happenings of the town he came to know quite possibly better than, or at least as well as anyone who was born here.

Metzgar retired from his full-time position with the News Transcript late in 2001, but he continues to compile the popular Yesteryear column and write articles on special assignment.




Borough Council members recognized the veteran journalist’s talent and accomplishments as well as his dedication to the town by honoring Metzgar with a proclamation acknowledging the work he’d done over the years.

At a recent meeting, Councilwoman Sharon Shutzer said Metzgar’s reporting of borough news was always "fair and thorough."

"He covered Freehold Borough for many years," Shutzer said. "Dick was always able to find a wealth of interesting stories, and he presented those stories in a very engaging way."

Shutzer commented on Metzgar’s excellent work on the Old House articles he wrote and Yesteryear columns he compiled over the years. The Old House series focused on historic homes in western Monmouth County. Metzgar wrote more than 500 of those features. The Yesteryear column is drawn from the pages of the old Freehold Transcript and is a look back at the issues that were making news in the area 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago.

"Dick made himself a very valuable treasury of local history," Shutzer commented, "especially as he covered the renaissance of Freehold Borough and wrote about plans which ultimately became a reality."

Metzgar was the inaugural winner of the John G. McGackin Award, a special honor given to an individual who has contributed the most to the renaissance of the town over the course of a year.

A man of many written words, Metzgar accepted his award from the council for his body of work with quiet thanks.

This year’s McGackin Award was presented at the meeting to Larry Metz. Previous winners Metzgar and Lillie Hendry were on hand to share in the presentation.

Councilman Kevin Coyne told the audience that nominees for the McGackin award were always chosen by previous winners.

The plaque was presented to Metz by the widow of the late Jack McGackin, Jane Maury. McGackin was the former mayor of the borough in the early 1980s and the person whom the award was designed to honor.

"This award is given to those people who have done a great deal for the town," Coyne said, "It’s even more meaningful because the recipient of the award is elected by people who have already won this award. Larry Metz was a unanimous selection."

Coyne also gave credit to Metz’s family members, who he said were also very involved with the revitalization of the borough.

Metz has been a charter member of the Freehold Center Partnership since its creation in the early 1990s. From 1990-98 he was chairman of the Freehold Gateway Association, made up of a group of Throckmorton Street business owners dedicated to improving the appearance and business atmosphere on that street from South Street to the Route 9 overpass in Freehold Township.

Metz has also participated with several of the partnership’s subcommittees as well as serving as treasurer since 1995. He purchased the McKelvey building on Main Street with William Mehr and Bob Agel and helped convert the building into the Freehold Antique Gallery, which helped transform downtown Freehold into an antiques center in the mid-1990s.

Metz, the owner of Capital Investments and Realty Co., has served on the board of directors of the Freehold Savings and Loan Association (since 1990), the Rotary Club (1978 to present, president, 1991-92), the board of directors of the YMCA of Western Monmouth County, Services Board Member of CentraState Medical Center (1990-93) and Foundation Board Member of CentraState Medical Center (from 2000).

"Whatever I’ve done to better the town of Freehold, I am grateful for," Metz said as he accepted his award. "It has been a joy and a privilege to watch as Jack McGackin’s vision of revitalization took shape. This is truly an honor."

The meeting also saw the presentation of the Policemen’s Benevolent Association scholarship. This year’s recipient, Adam Penetti, was presented with the scholarship by Patrolman Craig Dispenza.

The $1,000 scholarship was presented to the Freehold Borough High School senior for his work in many aspects of service and community involvement.

Dispenza said the high school was lucky to have had Adam for the last four years.

The young man accepted his scholarship, saying he "really enjoyed the work he had done with the police department."

Coyne said Penetti is "light years ahead of his age, his leadership is phenomenal and he is very deserving of that scholarship."

[BrianSullivan]

Sheryl Mott and George Kelder 2003

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2003-06-04/Front_Page/Mott_Kelder_picked_to_share_McGackin_award.html

Mott, Kelder picked to share McGackin award

Local volunteer,
former councilman
honored in Freehold
By clare marie celano
Staff Writer
Local volunteer,
former councilman
honored in Freehold
By clare marie celano
Staff Writer


Freehold Borough’s Sheryl Mott doesn’t do fanfare well. In fact, she’s spent a good part of her life avoiding the "hoopla" which surrounds many who engage in public service work.

Mott has managed to stay, in her own words, "behind the scenes" despite everything she’s done for the community, especially for the younger residents who live in the town she so loves.

Her actions have not gone unnoticed by borough officials.




George Kelder worked as a borough employee for many years and later served on the Borough Council. He is now retired.

In a first-time occurrence, Mott and Kelder have been selected to be co-recipients of the annual John G. McGackin Free-hold Renaissance Award. They are expected to receive the award at a council meeting in June.

The award, named after the late borough mayor who helped give the town’s renaissance its start in the early 1980s, is presented to a person deemed by a selection committee to have contributed most to the renaissance of the borough, according to Kevin Coyne, borough councilman and liaison from the council to the selection committee.

The award honors McGackin’s vision of what the town could one day be. The selection committee is made up of previous winners of the award.

"Wherever you turn, she’s there," Coyne said of Mott. "Whether it’s a senior holiday party or a function at the YMCA, Sheryl is always there. Many people don’t know her name, but they know she’s ‘that lady who’s always helping.’"

Mott, a lifelong resident of the borough, still lives on Institute Street.

She began her community involvement when she took a job as a counselor with the borough’s summer recreation program and has spent more than 20 years working for and supporting youth recreation programs.

Mott was appointed to the recreation commission in the early 1990s and two years ago she was named to chair that panel.

Although she has no children, Mott’s dedication to recreation opportunities for youngsters comes about because, she said, "I really love this town and the people."

"I saw a need for recreation," she said. "And, though I don’t have any of my own, I consider all borough kids my kids. People need to get involved in their town, especially with their children. They need to see what their children are doing."

Mott also became involved in the after-school program which began at the Freehold Intermediate School, under the auspices of the YMCA of Western Monmouth County.

Mott loves her hometown and though she has done a lot, she credits many others for the work she has been able to accom­plish, stating, "I couldn’t have done any of this on my own. I had a lot of help."

She is the former president of the Freehold Colonial Basketball League and a member of the Old Freehold Day com­mittee and the Halloween Spooktacular committee.

Mott works as a court representative of the Family Division of the Monmouth County court. She said she was honored and grateful to receive the McGackin award.

Kelder was born to parents who immi­grated from Ireland to Freehold in 1917. He grew up the borough and when he married his wife, Joan, they settled in the community and raised their three children, George Jr., Michele and Lisa.

Kelder worked as senior engineering aide, purchasing agent and administrative assistant to the borough administrator for a total of 20 years. According to members of the McGackin committee who chose Kelder as one of this year’s honorees, he was "the most exemplary public employee the borough has ever known."

Kelder also served as administrative of­ficer of the planning and zoning boards and was instrumental in revamping those offices by hiring a full-time board secre­tary. He was also involved with the Shade Tree Commission for more than 20 years, served on the Economic Development Committee, the Freehold Fire Department Engine Company No. 1 and was assistant deputy director and coordinator of the borough’s Office of Emergency Management.

Kelder served on the Borough Council from 1995 until he moved out of Freehold in 2000.

As a borough employee, Kelder played an integral role in overseeing the con­struction of the Triangle parking lot. As a member of the council, he had a hand in the redevelopment of Mechanic Street and the rug mill.

Kelder remains active in may areas, still devoted to the town he said he loves.

"There are always things to be done," he said.

Kelder said it is an honor to have been selected for the award and that he never expected it. He remembers McGackin with fondness and said, "Jack was a vi­sionary who planted the seeds of his vi­sion."

[BrianSullivan]

Former Mayor Roger Kane 2004

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2004-08-04/Front_Page/Former_mayor_receives_John_G_McGackin_award.html

Former mayor receives John G. McGackin award

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer




FREEHOLD — This year’s John G. McGackin Freehold Renaissance Award was presented to a man whom Borough Councilman Kevin Coyne has always considered "wise and stalwart."

Coyne announced former Councilman and Mayor Roger Kane as the recipient of the award at the Borough Council’s July 19 meeting. Members of the Kane family and several past winners of the award were in attendance.

Kane held public office from 1970-80.

The award is named for McGackin, who was mayor in the early 1980s when the community began what has come to be known as its renaissance. McGackin died while in office in 1985. The McGackin award is presented annually to a person deemed by a selection committee to have made important contributions to the borough.

Coyne is the council’s liaison to the selection committee, which is made up of the previous honorees. The award honors McGackin’s vision of what the town could one day be.

Kane, 63, has spent decades in numerous public service positions in the community. His son, Kevin, is a current member of the Borough Council.

Mayor Michael Wilson told the audience at the meeting that when he was growing up in the borough, "the Kanes and the McGackins were like the Kennedys to us. They were large families and always involved in the community."

Wilson recalled that he had worked on Kane’s campaign for mayor. He also noted Kane’s effort to provide housing for senior citizens, saying, "Roger was the impetus that got the Hudson Manor senior residence built."




"Staying involved is a credit to you and your family," the mayor said to Kane. "After you sit in this chair, when your work is done, some of us are done. Then there are others like Roger who love Freehold so much that they stay involved."

Kane has spent more than 60 years in the borough. His parents Dolly and John moved to Freehold when Kane was quite young. Dolly, 87, still lives in the family home on Hull Avenue.

Kane began his community involve-ment when his children became involved in sports.

Kane and his wife of 30 years, Barbara, blended their families and with Kane’s four children and Barbara’s three, the family was known around town as "The Brady Bunch."

He also maintained membership in the Freehold Fire Department for 23 years.

Kane said he considers the Hudson Manor senior residence the greatest achievement of his community work.

"We needed subsidized housing for our senior population, so we tore down the (Hudson Street) school and built the 164-unit apartment complex in 1979. It’s as needed today as it was then," Kane said.

Kane remains a member of the Hudson Manor board of directors and said the facility remains "very dear" to him.

Kane formed the Lake Topanemus Commission in 1977 as a joint effort be-tween Freehold Borough and Freehold Township to oversee and improve the lake which had lain dormant for years. The commission has completed numerous improvements at the Pond Road facility, including dredging the lake and completing a two-mile walking trail.

One of the rewards of the lake improvements is the revival of Olde Freehold Day, which saw a comeback last year for the first time in almost 20 years. This year’s edition of Olde Freehold Day is scheduled for Aug. 7 at the lake from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The last 10 years have seen Kane chairing the Spooktacular committee, a Halloween celebration in the borough that attracts children from all over the area.

More recently, Kane has been a member of the Human Relations Committee, which he considers very important at this time in the town’s history.

Kane said he has never thought about leaving the borough.

"It’s a great town, and it has everything I ever wanted. I like the small-town atmosphere," he said, adding, "If Norman Rockwell had spent his productive years in Freehold, he would have had a field day."

[richardkelsey]

Brian -- this is an excellent thread. Thanks. Another example of your right-wing, hate-filled, rascist, anti-Freehold, all negative posts. /sarcasm off

:-)

[BrianSullivan]

Jan 19, 2010 9:35:29 GMT -5 richardkelsey said:

Brian -- this is an excellent thread. Thanks. Another example of your right-wing, hate-filled, rascist, anti-Freehold, all negative posts. /sarcasm off

:-)

Thank you, Rich! Your sarcasm is noted. Though this is not the thread to get into those discussions, I have recently been tempted to open up a myth buster style thread addressing all of those baseless accusations that have been made.

For now, I will continue to do what I have always done, and post more about the great people in our town.

More McGackin award winners on the way after this post......

[BrianSullivan]

Joe Gilpin 2006

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2006-11-01/Front_Page/Gilpin_has_been_big_booster_of_Freehold_business_d.html

Gilpin has been big booster of Freehold business district

BY DICK METZGAR Staff Writer
BY DICK METZGAR
Staff Writer



Joe Gilpin FREEHOLD - If there was ever an example of local boy makes good, it's the story of Joe Gilpin's community involvement and business success.

Although Gilpin, 58, of the borough, was born in Minnesota, his family moved to Freehold when he was a teenager. For almost 30 years he has been an important cog in the development and improvement of the community's downtown area.

Gilpin, a 1966 graduate of Freehold High School, owns and operates Freehold Tire Center at the Center Street entrance to the Market Yard parking lot. He was recently selected as the 2005 recipient of the John G. McGackin Award.

The award has been presented annually since 1986 in honor of the late mayor who died in office in 1985. It is presented to a person who has contributed to the renaissance of the borough.

Since the early 1980s, whenever there has been a grassroots movement design to improve Freehold's downtown area and the business environment, Gilpin has been one of the first people to get on board.

He was president of the Freehold Area Chamber of Commerce in 1983-84 when that organization launched a campaign to spread its wings in a big way, which led to its current status as the Western Monmouth Chamber of Commerce. Gilpin is still an active member of the organization.

"At the time I became president, the chamber was still operating out of a very small office on South Street and represented only Freehold businesses," Gilpin said. "While I was president we moved our office to larger quarters in the Christopher House on East Main Street and began a big campaign to recruit members from beyond the borders of Freehold. We changed our name to the Western Monmouth Chamber of Commerce and hired a full-time executive director, Ann Marie Ruskin. We hired Joan Hepscher, who later became the executive director, as Ann Marie's assistant. The chamber has grown by leaps and bounds ever since."

When local businessmen John Ballew and Jeff Jones began recruiting an elite group of downtown business people as members of a partnership designed to improve the borough's business atmosphere at its core in early 1990, Gilpin was one of the first people to come aboard, putting up $1,000 to become a charter member.




That group quickly evolved into the Freehold Center Partnership, which became operational in 1992 with its own annual budget, and is responsible for activities

in Freehold's Special Improvement District (SID), which encompasses the downtown business area.

"I strongly believed in the concept of the partnership and the SID, and I still do," Gilpin said.

Jayne Carr, who is the present executive director of the Freehold Center Partnership, said, "Joe has been actively involved in all of the downtown area. He is still on the partnership's Board of Directors and has been active with many of our projects to improve Freehold Center. He has been involved with parking issues, especially the realignment of the Market Yard. I know that he has been very active with the Chamber of Commerce for many years."

Going back to the 1970s, Gilpin was also active with the Freehold Area YMCA (now the YMCA of Western Monmouth County), and the Junior Chamber of Commerce, which is no longer in existence.

Freehold Tire, a full-service auto repair garage, has been owned by Gilpin since 1976 and has operated out of its present location across from the Higgins Memorial Home since 1980.

"When I purchased the business in 1976 it was in part of the old American Hotel building," Gilpin said. "It had been there since 1938. The auto repair business has been my life ever since."

[BrianSullivan]

Nolan Higgins 2007

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007-12-05/Front_Page/Higgins_saluted_for_years_of_participation_in_Free.html

Higgins saluted for years of participation in Freehold

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

Nolan Higgins FREEHOLD - Many people in Freehold Borough are aware that Nolan Higgins wears many hats. He is a funeral director, a former chief of the Freehold Fire Department and a member of many civic organizations and committees.

In recognition of Higgins' service and contributions to the community he was recently named this year's recipient of the John G. McGackin award.

The award was presented to Higgins at a recent meeting of the Borough Council by Jane Maury, the widow of the late Mayor Jack McGackin, who died in office in 1985 as the borough was beginning what came to be known as its renaissance.

Councilman Michael DiBenedetto praised Higgins and said he does many things people are aware of and many more that are done behind the scenes.

"And in the end you always find out that Nolan has been a key figure in something important," DiBenedetto said. "Nolan is the glue that holds everything together."

Higgins, 50, is a lifelong resident of Freehold Borough and a descendent of generations of people who lived in Freehold, on both sides of his family.

After accepting the award from Maury and listening to what people said about the many things he has done for the community over the years, Higgins said, "If you live in Freehold, that's what you do. You have a role in your community, especially if you live in a town like Freehold Borough. Everyone contributes in some way to the community. I love this town."

Councilwoman Sharon Shutzer said Higgins was deserving of the award and noted that he served the town with distinction as chief of the fire department.




"Nolan was awarded this honor for all the things we know he's done," Shutzer said, "but it's the many things that people don't know about that makes him so deserving of this honor."

Shutzer thanked Higgins' wife, Chris, and their daughters, Jessica, 24, and Allison, 20. She said they provide the support and understanding Higgins needs in order to do the good work he does.

"Nolan is a gentleman and he cares about his town. He puts his money where his mouth is," the councilwoman said. "He wants no accolades, and that is humility. He loves his community."

Kerry Higgins, who is the borough attorney and is Higgins' cousin, said her family is very proud of him and his accomplishments and service to the town.

"His commitment to the fire department and to Freehold Borough, serving on numerous committees and boards, is a prime example of how one individual can make a difference. Nolan is a very deserving recipient of this award," she said.

Higgins learned about volunteerism and community involvement from his parents. His father, funeral director Jim Higgins, born in Colts Neck, and his late mother Angela Higgins, born in Manalapan,

were from what he called farm families and were involved with their communities. He said his parents' community service provided an example to their children that spoke louder than any words could have.

Higgins said his father was a member of the Freehold Borough Planning Board and his mother was involved in local history, serving as a member of the Monmouth County Historical Association and composing a history of St. Rose of Lima Church and cemetery.

Nolan Higgins attended St. Rose of Lima School in the borough and Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft. He graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a degree in business management and from the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York City.

In 1979, Higgins, then 22, joined the Freehold Fire Department. He worked his way up the ranks and became chief in June 2000. He said he always had an interest in the fire department.

He got involved with civic organizations at a young age, working with the Exchange Club in the mid-1980s. That service organization, which no longer meets, held events to benefit churches and hospitals.

Higgins joined the Knights of Columbus, a fraternal group that does good work for church and community, in the mid- 1980s and was made Grand Knight. He joined the Rotary Club in the late 1980s and is a past-president of that organization.

He has been involved with fundraising events for the benefit of the Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad, the YMCA of Western Monmouth County and the Monmouth County Historical Association.

A love of local history is a family trait and one that prompted Higgins to take on the task of researching the history of the Freehold Fire Department in 1994-95, which was then written by author and borough resident Kevin Coyne.

Higgins served on the Freehold Borough Zoning Board of Adjustment for 18 years. He is a member of the Professional Funeral Directors Group and a trustee of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association. Higgins is the manager of the family owned and operated Higgins Memorial Home on Center Street in the borough.

Freehold Voice Editors note:

I was present on the night Mr. Higgins accepted his award. There was a quote from him that to this day sticks out in my mind because it was so matter of fact and classy:

Higgins said, "If you live in Freehold, that's what you do. You have a role in your community, especially if you live in a town like Freehold Borough. Everyone contributes in some way to the community. I love this town."

[BrianSullivan]

Alice McCobb 2009

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2009-06-24/Front_Page/Parade_is_in_good_hands_with_McCobb.html

Parade is in good hands with McCobb

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

FREEHOLD — It has been said that Freehold Borough resident Alice McCobb, essentially, is the town's Memorial Day parade.

In recognition of McCobb's years of effort and dedication to the very special annual event, she was recently presented with the John G. McGackin Freehold Renaissance Award.

The award is named for the late mayor of Freehold who helped to get the borough's renaissance off the ground in the early 1980s.




McCobb was one of two residents who were honored with a McGackin award at a recent Borough Council meeting. Sidney Blacknall was also honored by municipal officials (see page 44).

Mayor Michael Wilson said he was happy to see McCobb receive the honor. He said it was "well deserved" and said Freehold is "very lucky" to have had Mc Cobb heading up the parade for 20 years.

"She works on it all year round," the mayor said. "We are very lucky to have a person who volunteers so much of her time and is so dedicated to the parade."

McCobb, who has chaired the parade since 1983, said she was thrilled and stunned when told she had been selected to receive the McGackin award.

The plaque already has a home — next to two proclamations she received for the parade: one from Gov. Christie Whitman on the 125th anniversary of the parade in 1999, and one from the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders.

McCobb said she started working on the parade when she joined the Freehold Borough Recreation Committee in the early 1980s.

In 1983 the parade committee was formed and McCobb was named its chairwoman. She has been running the show ever since.

Referring to the event as "my" parade, McCobb said the very special Memorial Day celebration has only been canceled twice.

"They called the parade once in the 1960s because of the racial unrest at that time," McCobb said. "The other time, I called it about 10 years ago because of dangerous lighting. We don't cancel the parade because of a quote I got from veterans years ago. They told me, 'We fought in rain and we'll march in rain.' No way I'm going to argue with that."

McCobb has been known to say, "It doesn't rain on my parade."

"Ask any of the cops," she said, remembering how Freehold Borough police Capt. Michael DiAiso and Lt. Phillip Ecks would wait on the steps of the Monmouth County Hall of Records on Main Street for her to make a decision about the parade if the weather looked threatening.

"Are you going to call the parade?" she said DiAiso would ask her at about 9:50 a.m., 10 minutes before the scheduled start of the event.

"It doesn't rain on my parade," she would tell him.

For the most part, according to McCobb, she has been right.

"Many times it has been raining and then, magically, it stops at 10 a.m.," she said with some amusement. "My window is between 10 a.m. and noon. It can rain after that."

The Memorial Day parade is not just an annual event for McCobb and her family. It is a part of their daily life for at least 11 months out of the year.

McCobb may be the head honcho, but she freely admits that she has a lot of help from all of her volunteers, which include members of her family and longtime friends. In addition to her 10 committee members, McCobb's husband, Patrick, their daughter, Amanda, McCobb's father, Bill Hakim, her sister, Jean Marie Story, and Story's daughter, Jaime Story, have all been instrumental in helping the parade get off the ground each year.

When she is not spending time planning the following year's parade, McCobb works as a cashier at Foodtown in Manalapan.

[BrianSullivan]

Sidney Blacknall 2009

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2009-06-24/Front_Page/Blacknall_saluted_for_public_service.html

Blacknall saluted for public service

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer


CLARE MARIE CELANO State and local officials present Sidney Blacknall and Alice McCobb, both of Freehold Borough, with the John G. McGackin Freehold Renaissance Award in recognition of their volunteer efforts on behalf of Freehold Borough.

FREEHOLD — Sidney Blacknall has been volunteering in the Freehold Borough community for almost half a century. In recognition of his volunteer efforts and dedication to his town, Blacknall has been presented with the John G. McGackin Freehold Renaissance Award.

He was one of two borough residents who were honored with a McGackin award at a recent Borough Council meeting. Alice Cobb was also honored by municipal officials (see story, page 46).

Blacknall has been involved with Freehold's Memorial Day parade since 1957. His responsibilities have included recruit- ing the drill teams who take part in the parade and come from all over New Jersey, as well as from Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Blacknall said he has worked on the parade for 52 years and hopes to attend many more. He said he has participated in parade activities every year since 1957, except for 1998 when he had hip replacement surgery. As it turned out, the 1998 parade was canceled by lightning.

Blacknall was presented with the Mc- Gackin award during a council meeting at which he was joined by his son, Chris, as well as by Van Lanes, who is the grand exalted ruler of the Walter J. Conley Elks Lodge, and other lodge members.

He said he is honored to have been selected to receive the award that is named for McGackin, who was Freehold's mayor in the 1980s when the town began what came to be known as its renaissance.

"When I opened up the letter informing me I had been given the award, I thought, 'Whoa, how about this?' " he said.B

lacknall has been involved in community outreach efforts for many years. His dedication to his family and to his community, as well as his membership with various church and civic organizations is known by many borough residents.




Blacknall is a native of Franklinton, N.C. He grew up wanting to become a professional baseball player and was one of the lucky people who achieved his childhood dream. After graduating from high school, he played baseball for the Negro National League in 1952 and was then drafted into the U.S. Army and served two years before being honorably discharged. He married Ruth Whitsett in 1955 and the couple moved north to Freehold.

Blacknall is a long-standing member of the Freehold Democratic Club and a past president of the Concerned Citizens of Freehold. He is also the longest serving member of the Memorial Day Parade Committee — 49 years.

His community involvement also includes the Western Monmouth Habitat for Humanity, the Human Relations Committee and the Court Street School Education Community Center.

He has been honored by the Elks of the Walter J. Conley Lodge No. 1379 in recognition of his 36 years of service to the organization. He was involved in the rebuilding of the lodge after a fire destroyed the association's Throckmorton Street building in 2003.

Blacknall is a member and supporter of the Bethel AME Church, Freehold Township.

Mayor Michael Wilson, who has known Blacknall for more than 30 years, said it was "very gratifying" to see Blacknall awarded the McGackin plaque.

"He has been heavily involved in borough community activities and community and civic organizations for many years," Wilson said. "He is an outstanding citizen.

The plaque contains a quote from Mc- Gackin that sums up the former mayor's dedication to Freehold Borough: "I hope they will remember I was the mayor when the Renaissance of Freehold started. That would make me very happy." - Nov. 18, 1984.

[BrianSullivan]

Done....for now. This is all the people I could find. I believe a thread like this is precious for so many reasons. This is a reflection of the people who are a part of our history and have made this town a better as a result of it. It is that much better because most of these people are still here with us, very much intertwined in making this a great town to live in.

The other good part of this is that this thread is not done. History is being made every day we live. We get to look forward and more names will be added to this prestigious roster in the coming years.

I also hope a thread like this can provide inspiration to others to get involved in the community. It is always worth taking the time to get to know the many great people this town has.