MANCHESTER – While the weather looked a little questionable the day before, Manchester Day enjoyed a perfect day this year.
The annual event returned to Harry Wright Lake offering up a wide variety of entertainment. Recreation Director Tracey Lynch put together the event without a hitch. She confided though that she did a lot of praying for good weather. Just 24 hours earlier there was a prediction for rain and the chance of thunderstorms hitting the area but thankfully that forecast changed.
“I don’t think I slept at all this week,” Lynch told The Manchester Times. “Watching the weather was pretty nerve wracking. I was in the mayor’s office and said, I really don’t know if we’ll be able to pull off the event or if we’ll have to cancel the fireworks. Today though we have sunshine and no real wind. It is turning out to be a beautiful day.”
The band Kickin’ Wing performed on stage in the evening. “They are here the whole night with us. We have 29 craft vendors 14 food vendors, 21 non-profit and sponsor groups. We have children’s rides, inflatables, a rock climbing wall.”
There were also games for families. Prizes included gift baskets donated by various businesses in town and gift certificates. An obstacle course, a K-9 demo and Master Manny’s Kum Sum Martial Arts demonstration were part of the activities. A DWI simulation provided by law enforcement agencies was done where people put goggles on to mimic the sensation of being an impaired driver.
“The Sheriff’s Department is here with a SWAT truck. We have a police table, dispatch is going to be here as well. Whiting Fire Company will be joining us, our police, our career fire department is here as well. We have a lot going on,” Lynch said. That also included EMS representatives and members of the Mayor’s Veterans Advisory Board that was busy promoting the Hometown Heroes program.
A new feature was the decorated archway that attendees walked through which on the flip side thanked them for coming. “We had this for Christmas in the Pines so we decided to keep it up and decorate it for Manchester Day to make it a little festive here. We did a whole beach theme this year. We also have our summer concert series coming up including a Hawaiian Luau on August 8, the same group as last year. I will be posting everything that is coming up,” she added.
Early arrivals included the mother and daughter duo of Connie Dixon who is 91-years-young and has lived in the township for over 50 years and her daughter Frederica Warren.
“I live right down the street here in Whiting,” Dixon said. “It is a nice day here in Whiting. I live in one of the villages.”
“I live in Manchester proper but it’s all Manchester,” her daughter added.
The two set up their chairs under a tree to catch some shade and had a prime spot in front of the stage area where the first event included a hula hoop contest.
Dixon said the two were regulars to the event and enjoy the summer concert series provided by the Recreation Department. As for Manchester Day, they said what they enjoy best is the music.
“We’ve never been disappointed,” Warren added. “The weather has always been great. We get here early. We get here before anyone sets up.”
Confetti exploded out of devices held by Mayor Joseph Hankins, and Council members James Vaccaro, Craig Wallis and Sandy Drake to open up the event.
Lynch thanked the many sponsors for the day before the mayor and council shot out the colorful confetti into the air at the stage. A few had some minor problems launching their confetti but that was all part of the fun.
Among the many churches, businesses, civic organizations and political groups was the Navy League of the United States. Township resident Vincent Norman Robinson serves as the secretary for the New Jersey Council of the group. He joined Council President Daniel A. Dermer and Fernando Rivera at the organization’s table during the day.
This marked the first time the Navy League New Jersey Council was present for Manchester Day. The Navy League of the US was created by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1902 and has over 25,000 members across the country. The state council is the largest and most active of all the Navy League Councils and supports all of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutters and stations in central and northern New Jersey and seeks to extend that support to Cape May and Atlantic City in the immediate future.
The organization supports all U.S. sea services and has three missions: to enhance the morale of active-duty personnel and their families; to inform Congress and the American public on the importance of strong sea services; and to support youth through programs such as the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Junior ROTC and Young Marines.
Geri Oliverie was present with staff members of Oliverie Funeral Home to promote several upcoming events. She noted that a “Lunch and Learn Preneed Seminar” will be held from 1-3 p.m. at the Wisteria Jackson Township location, that will include a free lunch on August 5.
A Blood Drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oliverie Funeral Home in Manchester hosted by the American Red Cross. To schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org and use sponsor code: Oliverie or call 732-657-4900.
Part of the day’s entertainment included free swimming in the lake and children and adults enjoyed beating the heat with a cool swim during the day as lifeguards were on duty. The day wrapped up with fireworks.
