BERKELEY – The creation of a walkway around Veterans Park took another step forward now that the township has received a grant from the State Department of Community Affairs for $81,000.
Earlier this year, township officials applied for $125,000. The award of $81,000 was recently reported.
Mayor Carmen Amato said that the township had applied for the grant for a few years but won it this year.
People walk along the roadways and that’s not as safe as if they had a designated trail. He estimated that 100,000 people or more visit the park every year.
“We want to get people off the road,” he said. Part of the payment will come from the grant and some of it will be from the township’s bonding ordinance, where they borrow large sums of money to do various projects.
Councilman Angelo Guadagno said he was happy to hear about this coming to fruition. A few years back, he and other officials walked the park to figure out where the path would go.
He said he would also like to see it have solar-powered lighting.
Councilman James Byrnes said that another town built a walkway that had sections donated to the military. He suggested that there could be areas dedicated to local police officers who have passed away.
New Clerk
In other news, Karen Stallings was appointed to the position of Township Clerk and Registrar of Vital Statistics for a three-year term ending June 30, 2026. She was promoted from her position as deputy clerk.
Former clerk Beverly Carle retired this year after 28 years of service, 21 of them as township clerk.
Generator And Elevator
The township awarded a contract to Scalfo Electric for $77,000 to install a generator at the Holiday City Community Center. It was one of two larger-ticket items at a recent Township Council meeting.
The township will also be rehabilitating the elevator in Town Hall for $133,786.
Amato said the elevator is from the 1970s.
Byrnes, who is a member of the State’s Elevator, Escalator And Moving Walkway Mechanics Licensing Board, helped negotiate this project.
Township Engineer John LeCompte said Byrnes’ help probably saved the township $100,000.
