October 2022

Flat Creek Desnagging Work To Begin
On or about the first week of November, work will begin to clear and de-snag the 1.8 mile Flat Creek waterway in Hazlet Township.

The goal is to remove accumulated debris from within the waterway to improve water flow for mosquito control and reduce the potential for flooding during rainstorms.
The work will be done by Monmouth County Public Works crews with the assistance of the Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division and is expected to take several days to complete.

Although a majority of the stream is behind private properties, the County will be able to access the creek via public land and rights-of-way.

“This is the first step in the process of addressing the flooding issues within the Flat Creek area," said Mayor Michael Sachs. "I would like to thank our Engineer and Monmouth County for working together on this project for Hazlet Township. Once this process is complete, we will then be able to survey the area to determine the next course of action.”

The 1,115-acre Flat Creek Watershed extends southerly from Route 36 in Hazlet to nearly the Garden State Parkway in Holmdel.

A report commissioned by the Township Committee in March 2022 identified several major areas as concern along the waterway in need of stream cleaning.

On Saturday, Oct. 29, the Raritan High School Marching Band heads to the Tournament of Bands State Championship. Excitement is high and the kids are ready, said Band Director Raymond Lahaye.

The competition takes place at Toms River East High School and their performance time is at 1:15 pm. Fans will be able to watch live and see updates on the Marching Band’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Awards will be announced around 2 p.m.

On October 23, the Marching Band won the Tournament of Bands Group 1A Region 7 Championship with an outstanding score of 92.76, two points above their highest score in their history. The group also received specialty awards for best music, percussion, visual and guard. On Sunday night, the buses were loudly welcomed back into Hazlet Township by a convoy of First Aid and Fire Trucks. Because of their special accomplishments, the band was also promoted to Open Class and currently the band is ranked 1st out of 50 bands in the Tournament of Bands Group 1A circuit.

The Band has 30 musicians and 12 Color Guard Members. Their 2022 field show “ImPRISMent” is student-conducted by Drum Major Jack Kobus. The show transports the viewer through Isaac Newton's experiment of creating color with the use of light traveling through a prism. They designed and executed their own props, movement and uniforms.

The show features an exceptional number of musical soloists this year: Morgan Lee, Stephan Craven, Aiden Lane, Sophia Lo Bue, Jakob Russo- Yanez and Willow Caverly. Many of their Color Guard members are new and have been working hard to match the level of their older members. The show also showcases two Color Guard soloists, Liana Perez and Kayla Marques.

Under the leadership of Mr. Lahaye, the RHS Marching Band has contributed a soundtrack to town events. Members have lent their talent to Memorial Day, the Tree Lighting ceremony, Bike with a Bunny Parade and 9/11 Candlelight Commemoration. They also are core members of the new Hazlet Pops Community Band, which provides free lawn concerts in July at Veterans Park.

The band has participated in the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade, Main Street Parade in Disney World, the Elk's Convention, Keansburg's St Patrick's and Memorial Day Parades and the NATO Parade of Nations in Norfolk, Virginia. The band was invited to play at the 80th Anniversary of D-Day in 2024 in Normandy, France.

“These young people bring out the excitement in our community, and I am so impressed how they exceed all my expectations,” said Lahaye. “We appreciate all the support we get from the school and Hazlet community. It gives us the motivation to be the best we can be.”

Find township government, board and committee meetings and more on the main township calendar.

OCTOBER

Oct. 31, Monday: Happy Halloween!

NOVEMBER

Nov. 8, Tuesday:

Election Day. Voters can cast their ballots on machines at their assigned polling locations. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and voters can find their polling locations at MonmouthCountyVotes.com.
On Veterans Day, Town Hall and the DPW Recycling Yard on Leocadia Court are closed.
Coffee with a Hazlet Cop at Chick-fil-A, 2819 Route 25, Hazlet. From 8 am to noon. Ask questions, get to know your officers.

Nov. 11, Friday: Veterans Day.

Hazlet VFW Post 4303 welcomes the public to its annual Veterans Day ceremonies of respect and remembrance for veterans and POW/MIAs.
- The veterans will begin at the Township Memorial at 10 a.m. to lay a wreath. The Memorial is located on the side of the Cullen Center at Veterans Park.
- Next, about 10:30 am, they will travel to the Shoreland Memorial Garden Cemetery at Highway 35 and Holmdel Road to lay a wreath in the Veterans section.
- Finally, the members hold a ceremony at 11 am outside the VFW Post 4303 hall at 18 Davern Ave., Hazlet.
Visit the Honor Hazlet Heroes Banner Display on view at Veterans Park, 1776 Union Avenue. Over 100 banners depict the faces, names and service of Hazlet residents. Walk or drive through.
On Veterans Day, Town Hall and the DPW Recycling Yard on Leocadia Court are closed.

Nov. 15, Tuesday: Bayshore Business Meet & Greet hosted by the nonprofit Hazlet Business Owners Association at the Cullen Center. From 6 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments. RSVP to the HBOA.

Nov. 22, Tuesday: Community Thanksgiving Dinner for all at the Cullen Center. Seating is at 5 p.m. Reservations required. Call Recreation: 732-217-8683 or register at Hazlet.Recdesk.com. View flyers (PDFs) about participating as a guest, donor or volunteer.

DECEMBER

December 10, Saturday: Hazlet Recreation hosts the annual Holly Jolly from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Cullen Center. Enjoy games and outdoor activities in Veterans Park.

December 10, Saturday: Hazlet Recreation bus trip to Hunterdon Hills Playhouse to see "Christmas at the Playhouse," a holiday spectacular holiday show. Flyer.

Bonfire & Howl-O-Ween Event Is Saturday Night

Hazlet's unique family-friendly outdoor Halloween event is back for a second year, bigger and hotter!

Costumes highly encouraged! Don't forget to bring portable chairs or a blanket to sit upon.

This event will also feature plenty of Instagram-worthy moments: a Doggie Costume Contest; a live band called The Monster Mash; a pumpkin carver; balloon animal artist; petting zoo; stilt walkers; a caricaturist; face painter; and several food trucks. Three portable restrooms with sinks will be on site.

Hazlet First Aid will also demonstrate a vehicle extrication in the front yard of the First Aid building, right across from the park.

The event is 4 to 9 pm. Saturday, Oct. 22 at Leocadia Park, off S. Laurel Avenue. (See important parking info below.)

4 pm to 6 pm - Variety of activities on site and live Music by the Monster Mash

4:30 to 5:30 pm - Doggie Costume Parade around the track. Winners and prizes announced on stage.

6:00 pm: Watch the First Aid car extrication

6:45 pm - The bonfire will be lit and burn bright until the event's end, under the supervision of Hazlet firefighters.

Get Comfy
Bring blankets and chairs to sit upon and relax in the autumn air with family and friends.

Parking
Parking will be unavailable on Leocadia Court, so please park at Lillian Drive School or Raritan High School nearby and hop on the shuttle bus. (You can park at the high school and walk up the hill to LDS.) The bus will circulate between the school and Leocadia Park from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Hazlet Police will be on duty to assist motorists and walkers. It will be easy and fun!

Amazing Hazlet Day 2022
Hundreds turned out for our annual town celebration, Hazlet Day, on October 16, 2022. It was once again an event both festive and relaxed, with lots of fun family activities, entertainers, food trucks, local merchants, service organizations, first responders and local businesses. Kids loved the rides, carnival games, and a petting zoo. The food court crowed loved the live music from the History of Rock n' Roll and Asbury Fever. Thank you to all the Hazlet Recreation volunteers.

Due to Hurricane Ian, Hazlet Day was moved from Saturday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 16. It was the day after another hugely successful Town-Wide Garage Sale, with over 130 participating households. Look for the next Town-Wide Garage Sale in April.

November Small Business Month Event
The nonprofit Hazlet Business Owners Association will host a free Autumn Get Together to promote networking on the Bayshore during Small Business month.

Enjoy light fare while sharing ideas and making connections with other business owners. Bring business cards, brochures and flyers for the Community Resource Table. The group's slogan is "Come Grow Your Business with Us."

The event is 6-8 pm Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, at the James J. Cullen Center, 1776 Union Avenue. Please RSVP via their social media pages, linked here.

Ready Go Bags
Residents who attended a session at the Cullen Community Center Thursday, Oct. 13 learned about Register Ready, a statewide program that helps local emergency coordinators assist people with access and functional needs in an evacuation. Eugene Hannafey of the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office explained how local emergency planners use the voluntary information to ensure safety for the most vulnerable. Residents who signed up for Register Ready received a free Ready Go Bag with local information and resources, provided by the county Office on Aging. Want to enroll? Visit the Register Ready page and learn how to sign up and receive a bag.

Showing the county OEM Ready Go Bags on Oct. 13, 2022, from left: Hazlet Recreation's Assistant Director Denise Bucciero, Monmouth County Sheriff's Department's Deputy OEM Coordinator Eugene Hannafey, Monmouth County Office on Aging Outreach Coordinator Joseph Corcione and Hazlet Recreation Director Chris McManus.

Hazlet Day 2022 Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022
Rides, food trucks, vendors, amusements and Hazlet friends await at the annual Hazlet Day celebration Sunday, Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free! Visit the event page to see the schedule of events.

Hazlet Day will be held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Veterans Park in Hazlet, 1776 Union Avenue. Please enter from Middle Road, to Green Acres Drive and park in the Swim Club lot. This event was rescheduled from a previous date due to Hurricane Ian.

Bethany Road Train Crossing Closure Nov. 3-11, 2022
Hazlet Police Facebook Post Oct. 13, 2022
NJ Transit will be replacing the double track at the Bethany Road Crossing. (Similar to the work that took place on Beers Street at the end of June earlier this year) Bethany Rd at the train tracks will be closed for construction on Thursday November 3rd, 2022 at 8:00AM and reopen in the morning at 8:00AM on Friday November 11th, 2022. The weekday work will be completed between 8AM to 4PM and the weekend work will be completed between 7AM to 5PM.

There will be detours with ample signage posted. You will NOT be able to cross over the tracks, even if you live "right there". Please follow the posted detour to reach your destination.

Residents of Garden Park and Sterling Meadows neighborhoods will ONLY be able to access their homes from the State Highway 35 side of Bethany Rd.

Residents of Craig St, Mark St, and those who need to reach Telegraph Hill Road can access those roads from the Holmdel Rd side of Bethany Rd.

Again- no vehicular traffic will be permitted to travel over the train tracks during this construction.

This will not be our last post about this road closure and a map of the detour will follow shortly. We are giving advanced and multiple notice of this closure due to Bethany Rd being a heavily traveled roadway.

Yes, the Board of Education Transportation Department was notified of this closure as it will affect bus routes for the first couple days of the construction.

Meet the Cub Scouts at Hazlet Day
Hazlet Cub Scout Pack 137 will have a Hazlet Day booth located by the Pool Club and an activities trailer near the fire trucks and rock wall. Whether you come to learn what Cub Scouting can offer to boys and girls (K-5 grade), have your children participate in some fun activities like an inflatable tomahawk throw or mini Pinewood Derby, or purchase one of our spooktacular tombstones, we hope you will stop by to say hi! www.HazletCubScouts.org

- Melissa Mendez-Brown

JCP&L Tree Trimming
JCP&L has informed the township it will be working on Line Road, Blair Road, Sophia Drive and Leitrim Lane. The utility company says it maintains wires on a scheduled basis and reviews vegetation for selective pruning and removal.

Residents can use the Report Tree Problem form if they believe a tree is growing too closely to a JCP&L power line. The company will assess the situation and decide if action needs to be taken. Residents are reminded to never work on a tree near a power line for their own safety.

Town-Wide Garage Sale Oct. 15
Check out the Oct. 15 Hazlet Town-Wide Garage Sale map with 70 locations for bargain hunters! Among items for sale: patio furniture, bikes, weights, vintage housewares, fire pits and a racecar bed. The sale is Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain date is Sunday.

On this day:

The Cub Scouts are selling wooden tombstones and popcorn as a fundraiser at the Middle Road Elementary School, 305 Middle Road.
There is also a Pumpkin Patch benefit for Juvenile Diabetes Research at a residence on 29 Winthrop Place, with the Wild Side Zoo.
The Hazlet Library Commission will also hold an indoor used book sale to raise funds from 9 am to 1 pm. at 251 Middle Road.
Absolute Music is hosting a Trunk or Treat, a bounce house, entertainment with studio and lesson tours at 3253 Route 35 North (Chelsea Plaza.)
Don't forget Hazlet Police are holding a Special Needs Open House at Headquarters. See the Facebook event page.

To host a garage sale of your own, just fill out the simple website form or call the Public Information Office at 732-217-8660. It's free! A garage sale is a great way to clean house, make a little cash and recycle useful items.

Shoppers can use the handy interactive map to plan their route. Copies of the locations will be posted at the Cullen Center exterior glass cases and Library the day before the sale.

Mobility Aid Collection
Retired West Keansburg Fire Chief John "JB" Beslanovitz is a volunteer with the 911 Fund. His group coordinates donations of used fire apparatus, ambulances and related equipment and provides it, with training, to organizations in need. The group also collects personal mobility equipment like walkers, wheelchairs, crutches and similar items for donation.

Over the years, the 911 Fund has delivered equipment to places like Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, South Africa and Paraguay.

Hazlet residents, if you are de-cluttering for the Town-Wide Garage Sale and would like to donate some used mobility aids, please contact JB at 7325-546-0615.

Rabies Clinic
Hazlet Township will be conducting a free Rabies Clinic for dogs and cats on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Dept. of Public Works building, located at 39 Leocadia Court, off Laurel Avenue, in Hazlet.

All animals must be on a leash or in a carrier. Any questions, please call 732-264-1700 ext. 8686

To license your pet in January 2023 the Rabies shot must be valid through October 31, 2023

If your pet is deceased, or no longer living at your residence, please advise Hazlet Health Services so we can update our records.