Boulevard looking South from Glen Road

By ml100, April 30, 2010 6:26 pm

Planning for Mountain Lakes Centennial in 2011 has begun! The Steering Committee invites all residents – past and current – to participate in the events designed to celebrate the history and characteristics that make Mountain Lakes a great place to live for the last 100 years.

The events follow the history of Mountain Lakes through the decades.

• Kick off event – Celebrating the Century – Community Church – January 2011
• Birthday Party – Gala at the Mountain Lakes Club – March 2011
• Memorial Day and parade – followed by Mountain Lakes Day – followed by neighborhood picnics – May 2011
• Fourth of July – fireworks and 1950s band at the Main Lake – July 2011
• Taste of Mountain Lakes – Esplanade – September 2011
• Spirit 5K – October 2011
• Historic House Tour – December 2011
• Closing Luncheon – January 2012

The Kick-off event – “Celebrating the Century”- at the Community Church and park across the street in January 2011 recreates the simple outdoor pleasures that attracted many early residents to town in the 1910s. The March Gala celebrates the birthday of Mountain Lakes in 1920s style. Memorial Day remembers soldiers from World War I and II – and all the U.S. wars. We will also review our history with a parade of 100 years of cars and people, have some fun at Mountain Lakes Day, and conclude back in your own neighborhood with a picnic. The 4th of July celebration will feature a 1950s band floating on the lake during the annual fireworks. The Taste of Mountain Lakes at the newly refurbished Esplanade will recognize our long time residents, a few going back as far as the 1960s. The theatrical production, Laker Voices, will share stories throughout the century. The Historic House Tour in December shows how our town has combined the best of the old with the best of the new, and the closing luncheon will look to the future of Mountain Lakes as we bottle the last year and bury our time capsule.

We look forward to a year of fun, history, and friendship! The Mountain Lakes Centennial Steering Committee



Check out the details on:

http://ml100.org/

Centennial Countdown

Days	Hrs	Min	Sec
192	15	56	2

The picture is the Boulevard looking South. That's Wildwood Lake on the left. The trolley tracks are on the right but are hard to see. It was pretty deserted in those days.

The Pacific Mini-Series.

This info is repeated on the Other Lakers page, but there is a format problem that makes it hard to read so I repeated it here. Enjoy the story of an Infamous Laker . Thanks to Garr for the heads up!!
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A great link from Garr about a famous Laker you may not know about. Watch the Mini Series starting  next week

Also a link for a preview of the Series which stars this coming Sunday
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Robert Leckie - Mt. Lakes

The youtube link below is a profile of Robert Leckie taken from the new 14 part HBO series, "The Pacific",  produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.  The series airs on March 14.  
The series tells the story of the Marine war in WW II in the Pacicfic.It's told through the eyes of three marines, John Basilone, Gene Sledge and Robert Leckie and based on personal memoirs by the latter two and the well documented heroics of Basilone.

The miniseries is based in part on the books "Helmet for My Pillow," by Robert Leckie ( formerly of ML)  and "With the Old Breed," by Eugene B. Sledge, with additional material from "Red Blood, Black Sand," by Chuck Tatum, and "China Marine," by Eugene B. Sledge, as well as original interviews conducted by the filmmakers.

Leckie, known to some of us as the "old boot up the street" and his family lived in Mountain Lakes.
 
Vera Leckie and my Mom were good friends, as were Jeff Leckie and my brother Doug and Joan and my brothers Bob and Brad.
 
Garr


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HTGugdHpig

A few preview Clips of the series!

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/video/download/00010238/

 

Billy Joel before Christie

For those of us who fell asleep in History Class here's what you missed!!!

Whether you are a Billy Joel fan or not, you probably remember his great song, "We Didn't Start the Fire." Here it is, set to pictures... very, very cool. I never did know the words. Turn up volume, sit back and enjoy a review of 50 years of history in less than 3 minutes! Thanks to Billy Joel and some guy from the University of Chicago with a lot of spare time and Google. Top left gives you full screen....top right lets you pause.  Bottom left shows the year.  The older you are, the more pictures you will recognize.  Anyone over age 50 should remember over 90% of what they see. But it's great at any age. Oh yeah, if you want to know about any picture during the show just click on it and it will give you further history of that picure then you can press play and it will continue.....awesome.

Click on the link under this line.
http://yeli.us/Flash/Fire.html 

WTC attack on 9.11

Read about a ML Family which lost a loved one in the 9.11 attack on the World Trade Centers. Scroll down to the Bolded section if you want to skip the stories about the others
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December 26, 2009

9/11 memorials, special meanings

By LAURA BRUNO
STAFF WRITER

Shortly after 23-year-old Matthew Sellitto was killed in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, friends of the family established a scholarship foundation in his name.

They told his parents, Matt and Loreen Sellitto of Harding, that when the family was ready, they would want to accomplish something positive after such a tragic loss.

Their friends were right, said Loreen Sellitto, who said she receives a tremendous amount of satisfaction helping young people in need. The foundation, which began in 2002 with one scholarship, has now helped 50 students with financial needs attend high school, college or summer camp.

It's become a full-time job, Sellitto said, and it's a way of coping with their grief, as they still live with Sept. 11 every day.

"It allows me to stay focused on something positive," said Sellitto, who like some other Sept. 11 families have dealt with their own pain by trying to help others. "Reaching out and helping so many students has been satisfaction in itself."

The Sellittos and other Morris County families whose lives changed Sept. 11 due to the loss of a child, parent or spouse have become active politically or socially as a way to honor their loved ones.

The Sellittos were active in pushing for the Sept. 11 commission's investigation into what led to the attacks and lobbied Congress to implement the commission's recommendations. They also were active in a federal lawsuit filed against groups alleged to have funded terrorism. These proceedings no longer require the intensity they used to, so now the Sellittos are ready once again to expand on the foundation's work.

The foundation plans to institute a new grant program in time for the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

In conjunction with the federal designation of Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance, the foundation plans to offer Morris County schools grants for Sept. 11 service activities.

"We can never forget what happened that day," Sellitto said, "but that doesn't mean that we also can't remember the goodness, strength and tenacity of the American people on the 12th."

It's a challenging time for schools financially, Sellitto said, and they want to offer resources so that students can learn about becoming responsible citizens. They piloted the idea this year with their own school district, in which fifth-graders planted chrysanthemums on the school grounds.

Sellitto wants the foundation to be a lasting legacy for all the victims of Sept. 11, she said.

"I think of all the victims. . . . We lost 3,000 Americans that day."

Flight 93 fundraiser


Hilda Marcin would have been 88 years old Dec. 11. That day, her daughter, Betty Kemmerer, visited Mount Olive Middle School, where students raised money for the Flight 93 National Memorial.

Kemmerer, of Mount Olive, co-founded a group called Families of Flight 93 to raise money for a memorial. She also testified before Congress about the memorial and was active in the fundraising efforts. Marcin, her then 79-year-old mother, was on the flight when it was hijacked and turned around, apparently targeting the Capitol in
Washington, D.C., before some passengers rushed the cockpit. It crashed in Shanksville, Pa.

This November, there was a groundbreaking at the crash site for the memorial.

"It gives me satisfaction, seeing this through to fruition," Kemmerer said. "It makes me feel wonderful. They saved the Capitol. There would be a lot worse things going on in this country now if that plane hit its destination."

Now that her hard work has paid off in Shanksville, Kemmerer has turned her attentions closer to home to Liberty State Park, the site for the proposed New Jersey Sept. 11 Memorial, called "Empty Sky." She's the treasurer for the New Jersey 9/11
Memorial Foundation and is back at work raising money for the endeavor. This time it is more challenging, she said, due to the recession and some opposition to the memorial. Although the state has donated land at the park for the site, no funding has been promised to build the memorial.

"This keeps me focused. My life is dedicated to seeing the memorials built," Kemmerer said. "There were a lot of people from New Jersey, nearly 800, murdered that day. It's important for the state to honor its dead."

Kemmerer said she is tireless in this work because she wants future generations to know the history of Sept. 11. Without her and other family members pushing for these memorials, they could easily get pushed under the carpet, she said.

"I do this for my mom. She was such a wonderful person, and I don't want anybody to forget her," she said.

A book about grief

Julia Rathkey was faced with explaining to her three children that their father, David, was killed in the World Trade Center attacks. When the Mountain Lakes mom could not find a book to help guide her children through their grief, she wrote her own. It was published in 2004: "What Children Need When They Grieve."

She wrote about her own experience in navigating her children's grief, such as how to talk to children and when to give them privacy. She wrote about new routines she created to try to console her children — kissing each twice at bedtime, once for their father.

The book led to speaking engagements at colleges, hospitals and conferences. Now, Rathkey said she believes her book has helped others. She wishes she could add to the book, saying she has learned even more from her children about how they handle their grief.

"In hindsight, what I wrote was the tip of the iceberg," Rathkey said. "With kids, it's so complex and ongoing, and there were things that I didn't foresee. I wish I could warn people about the journey. It's something they'll have to deal with their whole life."

Although there is more Rathkey believes she could offer on the subject, she is wary of sharing more of her children's private journeys.

"I did what I could. It helps me to heal to think that I can help guide other people," Rathkey said.

Now she is seriously considering a different kind of book and hopes to have it published in time for the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

She wants to honor heroes related to the country's war on terrorism, including those from Sept. 11, but also from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I just want to honor American heroes," Rathkey said. "It is my intention not to make a profit — I would donate any profits to a children's charity. I just want to try to help other families."

ML Borough Logo

ML Borough Hall - Too Small??

　Mountain Lakes considers $4.3M cost for borough hall

 

By Peggy Ackermann/Statehouse Bureau

November 24, 2008, 11:53PM

Renovating the municipal hall in Mountain Lakes would cost about $4.3 million, according to analysis presented tonight to the public and council.

That expense would add about $70 a year to the tax bill of a home assessed at the borough average of $1,007,000, the analysis said.

The presentation came after initial discussions to provide more space and improve the current facility were discussed and the public asked for professional input on the issue. The borough hired architect Anthon Iovino of Little Ferry to draw up a proposal that would make the building larger and more efficient.

The amount needed to expand the building "is in today's dollars," Iovino said, adding "the timing of the project is good because it comes at a time when you will get 25 bids. That means you can get a better price than you would have a year or two ago when you could have gotten only two or three bidders."

The present borough hall, which contains everything from the police headquarters to court facilities and school board offices, "is used almost to 11 p.m. four days a week and is costing the borough $95,000 a year to operate," said borough manager Joseph Tenpesta. The proposed plan could expand the building to 16,240 square feet, compared with the 9,275 square feet it is today, he noted. Improvements to the structure, which was built in 1969, would also improve safety, security and building access.

Some residents thought the new hall might not be necessary if the town pursued other avenues.

"Did you ever look to see if we are running efficiently?" asked Bob Whelan.

Another resident suggested consolidating services by sharing them with other towns.

Although some residents would object to losing control of their services, "this is not something we want; this is something we need," said Joan Best. "I think we have to afford it."

"If you don't become effective, if you don't become efficient, you become bankrupt," said Michael Johns.

　

Mountain Lakes News Today

Would you pay $54,000 in Property Taxes for this House?

Some Lakers are NOT Happy with Property Taxes these days. A group of homeowners has started a petition. Apparently they think 20 Police cars and a new $5 mm Borough Hall are not all necessary

See the great series called Tax Crush done by the Star Ledger (below)

You'll be glad to know I have signed each or your names to the Petition referred to below and used your old address. They probably don't know you moved out 45 years ago.

Click the link here to read about the Highest Property Tax Counties

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Dear Lakers,
 
In recent years I have grown increasingly concerned about the level of Property Taxes in Mountain Lakes.  They are now among the highest in NJ ... and in the country.  Yes, there are some reasons for it:  very little commercial rate-ables, a top-quality school system, and one-third Borough owned land.  We want to maintain our great school system and quality of life ... but, we have to find ways to think creatively, use technology, and make tough decisions.  I believe that now is the time to get serious about bringing our expenses in line with what we can afford. 
 
A group of similarly-minded residents have now mobilized to try to constructively begin to change the mind-set of our Borough Council and our School Board.  LAKERS4LAKERS!  Our mission is to "Assist the residents of Mountain Lakes in reducing their tax burden while maintaining a high quality of life and a great education system." 
 
We would like to get residents -- YOU -- to join our contact list so that we can keep you informed about the issues coming before the Borough Council and School Board.  We'd also like to get residents to sign a petition to the Borough Council expressing our opposition to the construction of a new Borough Hall (at a cost of as much as $5 million).
 
If you are interested, and haven't already joined the effort, I need to know two things:  (1) would you like to be a part of LAKERS4LAKERS -- i.e., if you support our mission and would like to be on our e-mail/mailing list, and (2) would you like to sign the petition (copy attached)-- in which case I would be happy to stop by at a convenient time to get your signature on the petition.
 
Thanks for your consideration.  

Propert Tax in NJ and Morris County. A very serious problem

New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation. Gannett New Jersey takes a hard look at why property taxes are so high — and what can be done to fix them.

Read about why you may NOT want to live in New Jersey anymore.ML Property Taxes are a killer

ML Property Taxes 2008-Ouch
 

http://php.mycentraljersey.com/taxcrush/dayone.php

Read The Solutions


 

Water Problems in Town

Ironically, one Big Problem in Mountain Lakes is Water:

Water Usage -- What's the Problem?

Mountain Lakes uses wells to draw water from deep underground.  Historically, these have been able to provide plenty of water for our needs.  But this summer and in recent ones, Mountain Lakes has been drawing more water from the wells than we are permitted by the State of New Jersey, which is a major problem.

Mountain Lakes has three workable wells, a main well on Route 46, one near the Rockaway River Country Club and one on Tower Hill Road.  These tap an aquifer of considerable depth (about 200' - 300') running along Route 46 east of the Boulevard and nearly parallel to Pocono Road west of the Boulevard.  Near the western boundary of the Borough the channel forks, one fork running west toward St. Francis Life Care Center in Denville, and the other running north below the Rockaway River Country Club and up the Rockaway Valley. 

Our wells have plenty of pumping capacity for our needs but the removal of water from the aquifer must be controlled to preserve it as a long term source of water.  Aquifers are fed by water seeping down through the ground over years.  Although it's difficult to measure the exact amount, it's important for the future to not draw more from the aquifer than is being replaced.  Because several towns tap into the same aquifer, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection acts as a referee, setting an allocation for each town.  For Mountain Lakes, the allocation is 30 million gallons per month or 285 million per year.

That should be more than enough.  The standard rule of thumb by water engineers for a town like ours is 100-150 gallons per day per capita.  For Mountain Lakes with 4,300 residents, that's 13 million to 19 million gallons per month, well under our DEP allotment.  That's how much we should  be using.

However, in recent summers Mountain Lakes has been pumping at the rate of over 30 million gallons per month.  What's going on and where is all this water going?

Normally it's a complex problem.  There are many places for the water to go.  A few are:

• Household and commercial usage
• Outdoor watering of lawns and landscaping,
• Swimming pools,
• Unmetered connections,
• Fire fighting,
• Improperly calibrated pumping meters,
• Leakage in the distribution network under the streets,
• Leakage in lateral lines from the street to individual houses,
• Opened hydrants,
• Inaccurate or malfunctioning water meters.

However, in this case it is simpler.  Mountain Lakes' usage is well within bounds during the winter but spikes upward during the summer months.  The common-sense conclusion: the extra volume is caused by typical summer-time water usage, primarily outdoor watering.

This conclusion has been confirmed in audits by professional water engineers who say that leakage in the distribution network is within normal limits.  It's not considered possible to reduce leakage to zero in any town.  It is measured by comparing the amount pumped from the wells to the aggregate of all water meter readings.  Mountain Lakes has made considerable progress in upgrading its 80-year old pipes and is running at 18% leakage -- well within the acceptable range so this doesn't explain the discrepancy.

The availability of potable water in northern New Jersey is a serious concern.  It is irresponsible for Mountain Lakes to routinely draw more than its share and it may jeopardize future generations.  Beyond that, doing so may subject the Borough to DEP fines.

We must live within our hydrologic means.  That is why the Borough Council has announced watering restrictions and may require additional measures if they fail

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Mt. Lakes Rec Program

Mt. Lakes has always been known for having lots of activities for kids in the summer. Over the years since you left,  the list has grown considerably.
 
Remember the Hoey Rule: Wherever You Go Things Always Get Better Right After You Leave.

Check the Website below and see some of the activities offered to kids and adults today. The Rec Program provides activities to hundreds of kids as well as jobs for older kids as counselors.

http://www.mtnlakes.org/Recreation/

ML Statistics

Hub Lakes League

The Hub Lakes League has been in existence over 40 years. Hub Lakes encourages a sense of community among lake communities by mixing competition with friendship.

The League offers a range of sports that appeal to the diverse range of interests represented by each lake's membership.

Each summer, Mountain Lakes residents compete with neighboring lake communities in a variety of sports as members of the Hub Lakes League. It is a wonderful opportunity for residents of all ages to participate in a chosen sport and to get acquainted with people from other communities.

Recent Home Sales In ML

Sample recent home sales in MOUNTAIN LAKES, NJ (zip code 07046):

Any of Your Old Addresses listed here???

• 248 MORRIS AVE: $700,000 on 2008-06-04
• 40 RAINBOW TRL: $505,000 on 2008-06-03
• 33 BRIARCLIFF RD: $1,505,000 on 2008-06-02
• 34 W SHORE RD: $1,915,000 on 2008-05-09
• 37 RAINBOW TRL: $525,000 on 2008-04-30
• 324 MORRIS AVE: $1,365,000 on 2008-04-23
• 324 MORRIS AVE: $2,150,000 on 2008-04-23
• 12 BRIARCLIFF RD: $741,000 on 2008-02-14
• 70 POLLARD RD: $1,117,499 on 2007-07-18

Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses and condos in 2007 in this state: $420,316.

Median contract rent in 2007: $2,092 (lower quartile is $1,450, upper quartile is $2,391)

Median rent asked for vacant for-rent units in 2007: $1,515

Median gross rent in Mountain Lakes, NJ in 2007: $2,464

Housing units in Mountain Lakes with a mortgage: 935 (70 second mortgage
164 home equity loan
5 both second mortgage and home equity loan
Houses without a mortgage: 258
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Crime Statistics- Still Lower than most places

You Still Feel Safe in ML,  even when you don't lock your doors.

But there are more instances of Robbery because of the close access to major Highways like Rte 80 and 287

Seems like ML has a lot of policemen for the size of the town.

The Police Chief once told me if my Dog didn't get out of the yard every week or so, he wouldn't have anything to do.



Full-time Law Enforcement Employees in 2006: 18 (14 officers). How many are Women do you think?

Wanna guess how many Police there were in 1959???

Officers per 1,000 residents here:	3.28
US city average:	3.00

 

Crime in Mountain Lakes by Year
Type	2001		2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Murders	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
per 100,000	0.0		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Rapes	0		0	0	0	1	1	0
per 100,000	0.0		0.0	0.0	0.0	23.1	23.0	0.0
Robberies	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
per 100,000	0.0		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Assaults	9		2	2	1	0	1	3
per 100,000	209.7		46.0	46.5	23.1	0.0	23.0	69.4
Burglaries	11		9	12	21	23	22	22
per 100,000	256.4		207.1	278.8	484.2	530.8	507.0	508.8
Thefts	46		55	80	71	46	60	52
per 100,000	1072.0		1265.8	1858.7	1637.1	1061.6	1382.8	1202.6
Auto thefts	6		3	1	0	0	2	1
per 100,000	139.8		69.0	23.2	0.0	0.0	46.1	23.1
Arson	0		2	0	0	1	1	0
per 100,000	0.0		46.0	0.0	0.0	23.1	23.0	0.0
City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 320.9)	114.0		79.9	105.0	104.0	98.1	117.5	99.4

Birchwood Path in the Fall

Come Prepared-It can be Chilly in Oct but still beautiful!

Love the Seasons

Race Distribution in ML

Mt. Lakes- Still very much a Caucasoid town but with a growing Asian population.

As might be expected,  the Asian students seem to excel in academics

Races in Mountain Lakes:

• White Non-Hispanic (91.8%)
• Chinese (2.2%)
• Hispanic (1.7%)
• Asian Indian (1.1%)
• Korean (1.0%)
• Two or more races (0.8%)
• Other race (0.5%)

 Mountain Lakes compared to New Jersey state average:

• Median household income significantly above state average.
• Median house value significantly above state average.
• Unemployed percentage significantly below state average.
• Black race population percentage below state average.
• Foreign-born population percentage significantly above state average.
• Renting percentage significantly below state average.
• Number of rooms per house significantly above state average.
• Number of college students below state average.
• Percentage of population with a bachelor's degree or higher significantly above state average
  
   
• Average household size:
• 
  

  This borough:	3.2 people
  New Jersey:	2.7 people

  
  Percentage of family households:
  

  This borough:	89.2%
  Whole state:	70.3%

  
  Percentage of households with unmarried partners:
  

  This borough:	1.2%
  Whole state:	4.9%

  
  Likely homosexual households (counted as self-reported same-sex unmarried-partner households)
  • Lesbian couples: 0.2% of all households
  • Gay men: 0.2% of all households
  
  Residents with income below the poverty level in 2007:
  

  This borough:	2.0%
  Whole state:	8.5%

  
  Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level in 2007:
  

  This borough:	2.0%
  Whole state:	4.2%

  
  
  

  For population 25 years and over in Mountain Lakes

  • High school or higher: 98.4%
  • Bachelor's degree or higher: 76.1%
  • Graduate or professional degree: 35.2%
  • Unemployed: 1.0%
  • Mean travel time to work: 31.3 minutes

  
  Education and Marital Status
  

  For population 15 years and over in Mountain Lakes borough

  • Never married: 15.0%
  • Now married: 76.9%
  • Separated: 0.7%
  • Widowed: 3.9%
  • Divorced: 3.5%
  
  
   

Also Above the Average:

ML Badmington Club -73 Yrs Old

2008 – 2009 SEASON SCHEDULE -- Our 73rd Year!
MOUNTAIN LAKES BADMINTON CLUB
Briarcliff School, Briarcliff Road, Mountain Lakes, NJ

Do the Math-(Davidowski would be proud of you). They were there when you were!  Any one ever Play?

How much do you think these Cop Cars Cost? Didn't Castelucci drive a Rambler?

Even well to do ML is feeling the economic pinch. One solution-shared services with other towns