l942/43 - It is late at night, about midnight, when a trucker with a load of 5-gallon tin cans turns off Rt. 22, heads up the hill toward Warren and gets lost. He stops at the King George Inn [then the Mountain House] and asks for directions to Becker's place. Word gets out that there's an illegal still nearby and sooner rather than later the place is raided by the ATF. August 1964 - Harry E. Mundy of Washington Valley Rd., a cattle dealer and dairy operator, dies at age 62. A lifelong resident, he operated the Harry E. Mundy & Sons Slaughterhouse, a business owned by his family since 1881. April 1966 - Earl E. Ising, 77, a life-long resident, dies. From l928 to l931 he served on the Township Committee. A past president of the Republican Club, he broke with the GOP in l957 to campaign for Democrat Bob Meyner. August 1967 - lst Lt. John W. Beckley, a graduate of Watchung Hills Regional High, is awarded two valor citations and two DFCs for his service in Vietnam. February 1968 - Scarpellino's Restaurant opens under the ownership of Elizabeth Scarpellino Nawracaj. August 1969 - One of the worst thunderstorms to hit the area brought 7 inches of rain, leaving in its wake hundreds of flooded basements, piles of rubble and a destroyed bridge on Mountainview Rd. Electricity flickered on and off through the night. February 1970 - A 16-year-old youth wearing an American flag sewn on the seat of his dungarees is arrested and charged with desecrating the flag. February 1975 - A 67-year-old Brooklyn man remains in critical condition in Raritan Valley Hospital as police continue to investigate why the man was shot, run over and left for dead on Frontage Rd. (off Old Stirling near the high school). The gangland-style hit left the police puzzled as the victim, before lapsing into unconsciousness, murmured that the incident was "a personal matter." Warren police responded to the scene when resident John Farrell called to report hearing shots and smelling gun smoke. Warren Police Chief Leonard Visotski said the victim had been shot three times in the back of the head. May 1976 - The old Smalleytown schoolhouse is razed and portions are taken to Johnson Park in Piscataway. There, the school is rebuilt to become part of the East Jersey Olde Towne exhibit. December 1976 - Warren realtor Frank R. Freehauf is elected 60th president of the 13,000-member N.J. Assn. of Realtors. August 1980 - The Cannstatter Volksfest moves to the Chanticler Chateau for its 118th annual Labor Day festival. March 1981 - Warren Jannelli, a member of the township committee 1956-1962 and mayor for two years, dies. He was a past president of the Lions Club and charter member of Elks Lodge 2252. March 1981 - Margaret Van Deusen, an active member of the PTA, who served as president and delegate to the state convention, dies. l982 - There are still 150 farms in Warren Township. November 1985 - After 34 years serving Township schools, Harold Kedersha retires. Principal of Woodland School from l956 to l968, he served as Board of Ed secretary and business manager from l968 to l985. December 1992 - A plan to build a new library costing $1.5 million is approved by a slim margin of 26 votes (1479 to 1453). January 1993 - Outgoing mayor George Dealaman recalls being one of only 90 students at North Plainfield High School in the l930s, trudging down the Warrenville hill to attend classes there. January 1994 - David Ratner, 81, who lived in Warren until 1978, dies in Florida. Born in Brooklyn, he owned and operated Hilltop Poultry Farm from l947 to l965. August 1994 - John Suckoe, 72, formerly assistant chief of the Township Fire Dept. and a past president of the Mt. Bethel Fire Co. No. 1, dies. November 1994 - The Mt. Bethel Meeting House is the winner of one of four historic preservation awards presented by the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission. March 1995 - Jean Page, who served as president of the Republican Club, dies. Mrs. Page was an indefatigable volunteer in numerous Republican campaigns for township and county office. April 1995 - Construction begins on AT&T's corporate center at the intersection of King George Rd. and Rt. 78. Five four-story office buildings with 805,000 sq. ft. of space and four multi-level parking decks will rise on the 186.3 acre site. When completed, the center will be AT&T's second largest office complex in northern NJ. Originally, in 1987, AT&T had submitted plans for eight-story buildings with 1.5 million sq. ft. of office space. The Planning Board was not amused. June 1995 - Susie Boyce, who retired after 19 years on the Township Committee, is honored by the Republican Club at a champagne brunch held at Forest Lodge. August 1995 - New home buyers on Skyline Dr. file suit to rescind their purchase, claiming aircraft noise overhead is "horrible." December 1995 - John C. Ferguson, 87, a life-long resident, dies at the VA hospital in Lyons. An army veteran of WW II, he was a farmer. January 1996 -Elizabeth Canright, who lived here 30 years, dies at age 59. She was a founding member of the Friends of the Library and served for many years as its president. With her late husband, John, she operated Farmer John's Organic Produce on King George Rd. |