Politics & Government

Borough Plans Park Celebration, Participates in WTC Steel Compilation

Borough will hold tenth anniversary Centennial Park celebration in July, while council plans to send photos, news clips to Port Authority for World Trade Center steel publication.

The tenth anniversary of the New Providence Centennial Park dedication is coming up on June 15 and in observance, the borough plans to host a celebration in conjunction with the

The series, which takes place every summer at Centennial Park, opens on July 5. Councilman Bob Robinson said he and several other community members are working to bring the celebration together for that day. Plans include securing talent for the event, which may be the country-western band, Tom Gillis Band.

“It was brought to my attention by [former] Mayor Al Morgan that we should do a ten year anniversary celebration and I think that’s a great idea,” Robinson said at the council meeting Monday night. “As the council representative for the New Providence Business and Professional Association, I have Mayor Morgan, [Borough Administrator] Doug Marvin, Cindy Reis, Joe and Pam Steiner, Michelle Brugger, [president of] the NPBPA, Jimmy Vardas from the — who is president of the Downtown Improvement District, Al Elefante [owner of ] is going to do the music, and Gary Kapner, Tsu-Lin Toner and Sue Peterson from the Community Activities Advisory Board.”

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Robinson said Mayor J. Brooke Hern, Morgan, and either Assemblyman Jon M. Bramnick or Congressman Leonard Lance would deliver speeches at the celebration.

“We want to try to keep it kind of simple and nice,” Robinson said.

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Vardas, co-owner of , has agreed to supply free food for the event, Robinson explained. The NPBPA and DID will also cover any costs associated with the event.

“The council may be asked to make some contributions related to the clean-up after the celebration and perhaps a little police overtime,” Robinson said. “At some point along the way, I may come to council and ask for approval for this. There should be no cost to the taxpayers, but there may be an expense to the town. But I think it will be well worth it for such an event.”

In other council business, Patrick J. Foye, Executive Director of The Port Authority of NY & NJ, sent a letter to council, thanking them for their commitment to , which was erected in Centennial Park just before the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and was .

“We are humbled by the enormous response received from all over the world requesting a portion of the World Trade Center steel,” Foye stated in his letter. “We are confident that the memorials will be an inspiration to all who visit them and a tribute to all whose lives were lost.”

Hern explained that the Port Authority is putting together a compilation of all the steel that was erected around the country.

“[They are] asking for a contribution from us in terms of photographs and any other kind of news articles or anything we have to show how the steel was used here in New Providence, how it impacted the community and how we’re remembering those we lost on Sept. 11, 2001,” Hern explained.

Foye stated that the deadline to send in photos and information is March 27.

Council members agreed the borough should participate and the information is already in the hands of Marvin, who will handle the request.


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