Police Officers Sworn In and Three Athletic Teams Recognized at Middletown Township Committee Meeting

Mayor Tony Perry swore in six police officers at the Middletown Township Committee Regular Meeting on Monday, July 19^th. Police Chief Craig Weber and Deputy Chiefs Robert Stefanski, John Kaiser, and Paul Bailey welcomed new officers Robert J. Headden, Ryan Bruno, Shane Hosler, Dominick Librie, John Mania, and Sean Macdonald to the Middletown Township Police Department while their family members and fellow officers proudly supported them in the courtroom.

Congratulations Officers Headden, Bruno, Hosler, Librie, Mania, and Macdonald!
Stay safe and thank you for protecting our community.

Click HERE to read about our six new officers.
Click HERE to see photos from the swearing-in ceremony.

Mayor Perry and the Middletown Township Committee also presented certificates to three Middletown teams for championships they won this year. Monmouth United Soccer Club Riptide Team won the 14U NJYS 2021 Challenge Cup, Middletown High School North Girls Track and Field Team won the NJSIAA North II Group III State Sectional Championship, and Middletown High School South Eagles Baseball Team won the NJSIAA Group IV State Championship. 

Congratulations to these Middletown teams on their victories!

Click HERE to watch the Monday, July 19^th Regular Meeting on the Township's YouTube channel or catch it on our TV channel (Verizon FIOS Channel 26/Comcast Cable Channel 20) every night at 5:00 PM and 8:30 PM through August 3^rd.

Congratulations to the Newest Middletown Township Police Youth Week Graduates!

Middletown Township Police Department just held its second Police Youth Week Camp of the summer! There were 59 children, between the ages of 8 to 11, who participated in this program that gave them their first exposure to law enforcement at the recruit phase.

The Police Youth Week program is a combination of classroom style learning and physical training. Participants learned firsthand about a wide variety of law enforcement training and techniques including officer safety, crime scene investigations, traffic enforcement, the K-9 unit, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard’s role in law enforcement. The program also emphasized the importance of citizenship and community policing.

The week concluded with a graduation ceremony on Friday, July 23^rd at the Brookdale Student Life Center. Each graduate received a certificate and a well-earned cadet badge. Deputy Mayor Rick Hibell, along with Police Chief Craig Weber and Deputy Chiefs Bob Stefanski, John Kaiser, and Paul Bailey, congratulated each child. Kudos to our Police Youth Week graduates and the dedicated officers who run this amazing program! 

Three Middletown Police Explorers Complete NJ Law Enforcement Explorers Academy!

Three Middletown Police Explorers from Post 102 recently completed the New Jersey Law Enforcement Explorers Academy at Georgian Court University. Police Explorers Braden Gillick, Jake Patel, and Thea Rowland participated in the week-long academy to learn the basics of law enforcement. They also competed in areas like report writing and physical fitness, and gained an understanding of the various types of calls police officers go on.
 
Police Explorer Braden took home 2^nd place in Academic Achievement and Police Explorer Thea took home 3^rd place in Academic Achievement and 1^st place in Physical Fitness. Congratulations to Police Explorers Braden, Jake, and Thea!

Township Celebrates Completion of
Normandy Park Improvements Project

Earlier this week, members of the Township Committee, Recreation Department, Department of Public Works, and Colliers Engineering & Design celebrated the grand re-opening of Normandy Park with a ribbon cutting.

The Normandy Park Improvements Project was announced in December 2019 when the Middletown Township Committee approved a $5.15 million bond ordinance to install multi-use turf fields at Normandy Park and to convert a grass field at Nut Swamp School to synthetic turf. The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders helped fund the project with a $250,000 grant in February 2020. The project broke ground on July 15, 2020 and was celebrated on July 19^th this year. 

The Normandy Park Improvements Project:
- installed four youth-size synthetic turf playing fields at Normandy Park for soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball
- converted a grass field at Nut Swamp School to synthetic turf and created a multi-sport full-size field and three youth-sized fields

- upgraded the lighting at Normandy Park

We look forward to seeing our athletes enjoy this state-of-the-art facility!

Middletown New Jersey Task Force One Members Return from Champlain Towers South Recovery Effort in Florida

New Jersey Task Force One (NJ-TF1) is one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search and Rescue teams that assisted with the rescue and recovery efforts at Champlain Towers South, the beachfront condominium that collapsed in Surfside, Florida on June 24^th. NJ-TF1 consists of a variety of first responders, such as firefighters, law enforcement officers, and doctors. Middletown resident Kevin Morrissey spearheaded the recovery effort as the task force's project manager. Three other Middletown residents, Ground Support Specialist Beau Marois, Planning Manager Daniel Kelly, and Technical Information Specialist Meghan Fisher were also part of this heroic task force that completed this mission. 

We welcome NJ-TF1 home and thank them for their strength and dedication to helping others. 

Girl Scout Troop 127 Participates in Clean Communities Mini Grant Program by Cleaning Up Leonardo Beach

Last weekend, Girl Scout Troop 127 out of Leonardo participated in the Clean Communities Mini Grant Program by picking up litter on Leonardo Beach. All together, the troop picked up more than 250 lbs of trash that had been polluting our oceans. Mayor Tony Perry participated in the cleanup and spoke to the girls about the importance of the "Carry In, Carry Out" program and how our small choices make a big difference! Thanks Troop 127 for making a difference on both a local and global level!

Click HERE if you are interested in participating in the Clean Communities Mini Grant Program and for more information.

Participating in your own cleanup? Whether you are working in a group or going solo, you can track your cleanup on Ocean Conservancy's Clean Swell app.

Click HERE for more information about Clean Swell.

Pick up or Purchase Your 9/11 Remembrance Yard Sign at ShopRite This Weekend from 9 AM to 12 PM

The Middletown Township World Trade Center Memorial Gardens Committee is selling 20^th anniversary 9/11 remembrance yard signs and personalized street banners to raise money that will go toward renovations and improvements to our WTC Memorial Gardens (36 Church Street). The committee will be selling signs and taking orders for banners at ShopRite (1361 NJ-35 South) this weekend from 9 AM to 12 PM. More signs will be available next weekend. Bring your order confirmation number if you already placed an order. Yard signs will be available for $40. Personalized street banners that feature your business or family name will be available for $500. Middletown will line the streets leading up to the memorial with these beautiful remembrance banners. Once taken down, the banner will be given to you as a keepsake. 

Click HERE to order a remembrance yard sign or street banner.

Visit www.middletownremembers911.com for more information or call (732) 615-2287 if you have any questions.

Bulk Collection Update

Middletown’s garbage contractor, Solterra, has resumed bulk collection on the regularly scheduled collection days. South Zone bulk was picked up today and  North Zone bulk will be collected on Thursday, July 29^th.
 
Please be aware of the following rules regarding what is and is not accepted in
bulk collection:

For more information or to view your collection schedule, download the
Recycle Coach app  or visit www.middletownnj.org/bulk.

Look Out for Your Tax Bill!

Upcoming Holland Road Closure Dates

The MAC Musical Theatre Academy Summer Series Begins This Weekend with Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka Kids!

The MAC’s Musical Theater Academy, helmed by Theater Education Director Kathy Connolly, is excited to bring four Summer Camp student productions to the stage at Middletown Arts Center (36 Church Street)! Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka Kids will take place on Friday, July 23^rd at 7 PM and Saturday, July 24^th at 2 PM and 7 PM. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for seniors/students. Performances are indoors at the MAC theatre. The MAC strongly encourages audience members to wear masks during the show, but does not require them.

Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka Kids:
Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the world-famous candy man and his quest to find an heir is a golden ticket to adventure. Featuring the enchanting songs from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, in addition to a host of fun new songs, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDS is a scrumdidilyumptious musical guaranteed to delight everyone’s sweet tooth. 

Click  HERE  for more information and to purchase tickets!

Listen to Live Music at the MAC's Outdoor Music Café on Sunday, 7/25 from 4 - 6 PM

Join MTPL at Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Trivia on Wednesday, 7/28 at 3:30 PM

Study your Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbooks and join MTPL for trivia on Wednesday, July 28^th from 3:30 - 4:30 PM. This free event will be held in the community room at the Middletown Township Public Library (55 New Monmouth Road). Library visitors must follow current health and safety protocols.
Registration is required.

Click  HERE  to register and for more information.

Submit Artwork to DPW and MAC's Trash & Recycling Sculpture Art Contest by Friday, 8/6 at 4 PM

The Middletown Department of Public Works and the Middletown Arts Center are seeking trash sculptures to display at the Township's new outdoor Ecological Garden at DPW (52 Kanes Lane). Winners will receive a gift bag that includes a MAC gift certificate and they will also have their artwork showcased at Middletown Day as an example of a creative way to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Please see contest rules in the flyer above.

Click HERE for more information.

Click HERE to download the contest's entry form.

Register For This Summer's Snapology Camp!

This year, Middletown Recreation is offering half-day camps at Poricy Park – Nature Center. Kids will have a blast making new friends and tackling S.T.E.A.M. projects with Snapology this summer. Camps will be smaller socially-distanced groups in accordance with state COVID-19 guidelines.

Registration is now open! Click  HERE to sign up.

Middletown Municipal Alliance and Hope for Children Foundation Present 1^st Annual Overdose Awareness 5K on Saturday, 8/28 from 8 - 9:30 AM

 Middletown Municipal Alliance is partnering with the Hope for Children Foundation to host the first annual Overdose Awareness 5K on Saturday, August 28^th at Poricy Park (345 Oak Hill Road). In addition to the 5K, there is also a 1 mile run/walk, as well as the option to the complete the 5K virtually. Participants can register in advance or the day of the fundraiser. The Prevention Coalition of Monmouth County will also be there to speak at the finish line and provide runners/walkers with purple flags. 

All proceeds from this event will benefit the Middletown Municipal Alliance. Participants are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food donation for Middletown Social Services. 

Click HERE  to register and for more information about the 5K.
Click  HERE  for more information about Middletown Municipal Alliance.

Latest U.S. State Department Passport Processing Times 

As of June 17^th, the U.S. State Department has announced that expedited shipping for passports has increased from 10 to 12 weeks. Please see the graphic above for the latest passport service times.

For information about the Middletown Town Hall Passport Acceptance Agency, visit www.middletownnj.org/Passports.

Click HERE to access hi-res photos from this
e-newsletter. 

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