BERKELEY – While the town is spending grant money to shore up the Manitou Park Schoolhouse, the Historical Society is raising funds to protect the exterior of their museum.
At a recent Township Council meeting, they awarded a contract to a company to stabilize the old schoolhouse in the amount of $326,000. “This is to do remedial work before the architect comes in,” township engineer Alan Dittenhofer said.
Mayor Carmen Amato said that a few years ago the town received a grant that is given to towns trying to preserve and update historical buildings and that’s where the money is coming from for this.
The grounds around the school are used by community groups and there are picnic areas and basketball courts there. The inside is off limits because it is unsafe. The residents want it converted into a community center.
Meanwhile, in another section of town, is another old building that is in need of some recuperation. The Berkeley Township Historical Society has a museum and offices in what used to be town hall and the police station. A lot of work has been done to make it resist the elements but more needs to be happen.
Josie Morey, publicity chair for the society, said her goal is to sell 1,000 shirts. All proceeds will go to repair the outside of the museum building, which needs more than just a coat of paint.
“The township has been very generous with us already,” but they wanted to do some fundraising of their own, she said.
Berkeley is made up of lots of different sections of town, from the waterfront to the forests. Back in the day, people made their living off the area, whether they were baymen, lumbermen, or cranberry farmers.
That’s why the shirts will come in “Bay Blue,” “Piney Green,” and “Cranberry/Central Regional Red.” That last color was to celebrate the local regional school district, too, for those who might not have a particular attachment to any specific location of town.
Or, you can just pick whatever color you like, Morey said. There will be numbers on the back based on how long you’ve been here, broken down in increments like “55+” years.
“Saturday is History Matters Day,” she said. If she sees you wearing that shirt, she’ll give you a gift certificate for a local shop.
They are $20 each for small through extra large, and $22 for XXL and XXXL. To order, you can visit the Vinyl Dinosaur store on Route 9. You can also email Morey at JosieMorey@Comcast.net or call at 732-604-4783.
You can also visit the Facebook pages for “Berkeley Township Historical Society” or “Bayville, NJ…Best Place On Earth.” Make sure when you order, you say what size, color, and number you want. The turnaround time is about a week. If you want a name added, that can be done for an additional $10 at Imagine Graphics on Route 9.
