By Joseph Sapia
HOLMDEL – As Mayor Eric Hinds walked around Cross Farm Park during Community Day, he observed the township does not have a downtown and “everybody has this thing with a garage-door opener.”
Translated, townspeople drive into their garages, close the door and may not run into each other, because the township has no central gathering point. That is where the 25th annual Community Day – held Saturday, April 16, at Cross Farm Park – came into play.
“People love to come out, get to see each other, get together,” Hinds said. “We have a great park, we just need an event to get them together.”
So, there they were – townspeople, vendors, entertainment, children’s activities and food, along with the Holmdel Youth Athletic Association (HYAA) parade and sporting events. These two entities work together to run Community Day.
“It’s a cooperative effort between the two organizations,” said Bob Ward, the director of the township Parks and Recreation Department.
An estimated 2,600 people attended the event, according to Parks and Recreation.
Steven DeJesus, 7, plays baseball through the HYAA and participated in the HYAA Opening Day Parade for its baseball and softball teams. He was there with his parents, Steven and Xiomara, and his brother, David, 3.
“It’s a fun day, a fun time, sort of the beginning of spring and summer activities,” Xiomara DeJesus said.
She said the family has attended every year since moving to Holmdel about three years ago.
Holmdel Police were on hand, celebrating the department’s 50th anniversary. There, they unveiled a 1964 Ford Galaxy 500, restored as a police car – based on the police department’s first police car.
“We’re here to support the community, meet the people,” said Police Chief John Mioduszewski.
People can talk to officers about policing issues, Mioduszewski said. He said residents were leaving a lot of compliments, too.
“Everything’s nice, seems like a nice little park fair,” said Old Bridge’s Chris Danaher, whose son was refereeing a soccer game at the site. “Beautiful day, a good day for a fair.”
The fair was held in sunny, breezy weather with temperatures in the 50- to 60-degree range.
The Ayers-Pastena family were on hand, with Samantha Ayers, 7, a HYAA softball player participating in the parade. Her mom, Tammy Pastena, was enjoying a lemonade, while her dad, Michael Ayers, said the family was just out relaxing at Community Day.
Another group on hand was the township Green Team, which works on environmental initiatives.
“One of our recent successful projects, which we coordinate with other groups is Holmdel Community Garden,” said Sabrina Conlan, a Green Team member and co-chair of the garden.
The Community Garden rents gardening plots to residents at the municipal complex. There, they grow vegetables and flowers, while encouraged not to use chemicals, in an area fenced to protect the crops from deer
At Community Day, the Green Team was educating the public against using one-time plastic water bottles and encouraging the use of re-usable cloth bags – or, at least, re-using plastic bags.
“Americans use 100 billion plastic bags per year, most of which do not get recycled,” Conlan said. “(They) land up in our landfills and waterways.”
The township conducted a plastic foam recycling program Saturday and will do another one in October, according to Green Team members.
While Community Day was in its 25th year, it was only a few years ago that they merged with the HYAA parade.
“We’re coming together in all aspects of the town,” said Hinds, who complimented the township Board of Education, also, for being a partner in the community. “That’s what makes us work.”
“It’s a true community event,” Ward said. “Holmdel’s a small town. We want to make sure we’re all working together, so we’re not competing with one another.”
The HYAA handed out three awards Saturday: the Volunteer of the Year to Anthony Pesce, President’s Award to Joe Crowley and Lifetime Achievement to Joseph Ponisi, who is a Township Committee member.
“All recognized for their years and hours of volunteerism,” Hinds said.
