Leeann

Middle Township completes Whitesboro School project in time for community reunion

Painting of historic building was delayed during pandemic

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A piece of Whitesboro history is shining a little brighter, just in time for the spotlight of a major annual event.

Middle Township recently completed the exterior painting of the Historic Whitesboro School, which serves as the headquarters for the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro. The community group uses the Township-owned building through a partnership with the municipality, and will hold its 32nd Annual Whitesboro Reunion Festival from Sept. 3 to 5.

The building located on Main Street off Route 9 operated as a school from 1910 to 1967. Many alumni of the old school and their descendants return to Whitesboro for the reunion each year.

“We are pleased that the painting project could be completed in time for the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro reunion,” said Deputy Mayor Ike Gandy, who oversees the Public Works Department. “The school is a historic treasure for Middle Township, particularly the Whitesboro community, and we are committed to preserving the building for generations to come.”

The Township awarded a $26,750 contract for the repainting last October, and the work was completed in August following COVID-related delays.

The Whitesboro School, on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, is nearly as old as its community. Whitesboro was established in 1902 to provide Black residents with financial opportunities as well as a refuge from the discrimination they faced elsewhere. The planned community was named for former North Carolina Congressman George H. White, who was one of the primary investors.

Advertisements in Black publications promised one-sixth of an acre “for a down payment of $5 per lot and a promise to till the land,” according to the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro website. The town developed steadily and within several years, added two churches, a railroad station, a hotel and a post office.

Last year, the Township celebrated the preservation of another aspect of Whitesboro history with the opening of a brand-new post office, just down Main Street from the school. The Township approved a plan to lease property to the postal service, which helped ensure the continuity of a dedicated Whitesboro ZIP code.

In addition to the recent repainting, the Whitesboro School has received numerous upgrades over the years. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs awarded $1.2 million in grants in 2004 to repair the school’s windows, roof and heating system, remove lead and asbestos, and build new bathrooms. The Township’s Public Works Department contributed the labor to complete those projects.

The Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro maintain the town founders’ community-minded mission through a number of outreach programs held at the old school. The group runs a community food pantry, senior citizen programs, voter registration drives and children’s activities.

This weekend’s reunion at the Martin Luther King Community Center will include food, entertainment and guest speakers. For more information, go to facebook.com/ConcernedCWI

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Middle Township plans fall upgrades for MLK Community Center

Refresh opens the door to new possibilities

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Middle Township recently expanded its recreational basketball programs at Martin Luther King Community Center.
Upcoming improvements could help the center accommodate even more activities.

Middle Township’s Martin Luther King Community Center has seen a lot of sneaker traffic lately.

The Township’s Recreation Department held its first basketball day camps and a summer basketball league this year. The Township also ran a new travel AAU basketball program in partnership with Middle Township High School.

All the extra playtime took a toll on the indoor courts. Meanwhile, the outdoor basketball equipment, used for pickup games, is rusty and overdue for replacement.

In a big win for Township players and programs, the MLK Center will receive upgrades beginning this fall. The game lines on indoor basketball and volleyball courts will be repainted and the outdoor basketball backstops will be replaced. Also, new vinyl flooring will be installed inside the center lobby.

The improvements will be funded through the Township’s Capital Ordinance that was approved earlier this summer. Contracts to replace the basketball backstops and the vinyl flooring will be approved at the Sept. 8 Township Committee meeting.

“The courts have been through tremendous wear and tear from their constant use. These upgrades will be greatly appreciated in the community,” said Committeeman Jim Norris, who oversees the Recreation Department. “They will allow our new and existing basketball leagues to flourish and open the door to Middle Township hosting larger tournaments in our future as well once work is completed.”

Up to this point, all of the basketball programs and tournaments have been held inside the MLK Center gym, noted Superintendent of Recreation Dustin Sturm. The improvements will literally open the door to potential growth.

“To be able to go outside with programs and tournaments is huge. It allows us to say ‘yes’ to a lot of the things we couldn’t do prior to these upgrades,” Sturm said.

The upgrades contribute to a simple equation of “more basketball courts, more kids, more talent,” said Sturm, who added that the project will support the Recreation Department’s big-picture goal of serving as a feeder program for Middle Township High School. “It is very important that we become and maintain that feeder program mentality for our high school. Also, the high school teams use our facility as well. So, it’s a win-win for all.”

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Middle Township Trash and Recycling Service for the Labor Day Week (September 6th-10th, 2021) will Remain as Scheduled.

Reminder:  Trash receptacles are not to be larger than 50 gallon capacity.  Larger receptacles will not be picked up.

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Newly paved Central Avenue is one of many Middle Township roads to receive improvements.

Despite the challenges posed by pandemic restrictions and related constraints on construction supplies and timetables, Middle Township continues to pursue an ambitious schedule for road and drainage improvements, according to Deputy Mayor Ike Gandy.

“It’s been challenging the last few years to get large infrastructure projects completed,” Gandy said. “But we made progress, not excuses. A number of important road and drainage improvements were completed. “

Gandy, who oversees the Public Works Department, along with Engineering, Zoning and Construction, announced the following projects were accomplished as part of the recently completed Road and Drainage Program:

• 4th Street/Rio Grande – paving and sidewalks
• Teal Road – paving and drainage upgrades
• Linden Lane – road and drainage improvements
• Wildwood and Central Avenues – road paving
• Swainton Road Project (Birch/Dogwood/Cedar/Avocado/Aspen/Coconut Roads) – road paving
• Scallop Court/Jadens’s Run – final asphalt
• Avalon Manor/Stone Harbor Manor – bulkhead Improvements
• Carter Road – road reconstruction and drainage
• Main Street/Whitesboro – traffic calming project and upgrades to pedestrian crosswalk
• Gibbs Street – road paving
• West Atlantic Avenue – drainage and road improvements
• East Atlantic/East Pacific Avenues – drainage improvements
• Hand Avenue – sidewalk connector project
• Shellbay Avenue – striping and extension of No Passing Zone
• Route 9 resurfacing – Route 47 to Swainton (NJDOT Project)

“In a town of 72 square miles, there is always more work to be done,” Gandy said. “We recently approved a $1.5 million bond for continuing road and drainage improvements and we expect to award a contract for engineering services for drainage upgrades and paving on Secluded Lane in Rio Grande at our September 8 Township Committee meeting.”

Gandy said the Township would continue to seek grant funding through various state programs. Middle has been awarded several grants in the past few years to fund paving projects in Rio Grande and the sidewalk improvements on Hand Avenue.

Looking to 2022, the Township will again apply for state grants, seeking to fund drainage and road improvements on Main Street in Whitesboro, west of Pennsylvania Avenue.

“Along with these road and drainage projects, we have the pending Del Haven Water Project, the ongoing modernization of our sewer pump stations, the beginning of construction on the final phase of our bike path and pending applications for future Open Space Projects. There’s a lot of good work going on in Middle Township,” Gandy said. “We will continue to work to complete these projects on time and at the lowest possible cost to our taxpayers.”

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