As we come to the end of 2023 and look forward to the new year, the Hillsborough Beacon looks back at the top three stories that stood out this year in the township.
On the mat
In his first year as head coach of his alma mater during the 2021-22 season, Rhys Weinberger led the Hillsborough High School wrestling team to its first Somerset County Tournament team championship since 2010.
Winning a second straight county championship was a prime target of Weinberger and his Raiders coming into the 2022-23 season, especially since the Somerset County Tournament (SCT) was going to be held on their home turf at Hillsborough High School.
On Jan. 7 in Hillsborough, the Raiders shined bright on their home mat to win their second straight SCT title and fifth county championship in program history.
“We knew we could do it together again this year,” said Weinberger on Hillsborough winning its second straight SCT championship. “There was no reason we couldn’t get it done. It really excited us to do it in our house.”
Hillsborough had nine medal winners and three first place finishers to lead them to a team points total of 173 points to beat out Watchung Hills (160 points) for the top spot in the team standings.
Tommy Kester (113), Jack Miller (165) and Joey Witcoski (190) were each crowned county champions after impressive individual performances during the SCT, said Weinberger.
The winter on the mat served as a fond memory for Weinberger in his coaching career. When the Hillsborough alum started coaching in the school district at the middle school level in 2017, the senior class of wrestlers on the team were in seventh grade at the time.
Weinberger called this year’s senior class a “special group” and has enjoyed being able to watch their careers unfold on the mat in Hillsborough.
“Seeing (the seniors) grow as wrestlers on the mat and people off the mat has been awesome,” Weinberger said. “It’s an honor to coach them in their final rodeo.”
Hillsborough Police Department holds its first National Night Out
The Hillsborough Township Police Department decided to essentially jump on the band wagon and hold its own National Night Out event on Aug. 1.
National Night Out is a nationwide observance on the first Tuesday of August each year that enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement and fosters a sense of community. It began 40 years ago.
“It’s just one of those things that has been done in neighboring towns and throughout the state and we felt it was time we took part in that,” Police Lt. Stephen Nowacki said.
Nowacki and Police Cpl. Christopher Giraldi were two members of a committee that formed the National Night Out held at Mountainview Park.
“Over the past few years, the police department and the township have tried to put more of a focus on community policing and community relations,” Giraldi noted. “So it’s just another way to build those relationships. We do Coffee with a Cop. We do Coloring with a Cop. We do a ton of other community events, but nothing on this scale.”
The night included a Black Hawk helicopter landing by the New Jersey Army National Guard, police vehicles and equipment were on display and there were police motorcycle demonstrations. Officers provided handouts spreading awareness on township programs, and there were CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and K-9 demonstrations.
In addition, the Hillsborough Fire Departments and Department of Public Works had their vehicles and equipment on display.
People of all ages were also able to enjoy free ice cream, a game of corn hole, were able to dunk some of the police officers in a dunk tank and play a game of kick ball with officers.
“Ultimately it is a big community conglomerate,” Giraldi explained of the night, which came together through community partners including food vendors, companies and nonprofits in town. “We had a little bit of everything.”
Historic cupola symbolizes Hillsborough’s ‘rich heritage’
The restored historic cupola that was on the original Hillsborough Municipal building now sits outside the current municipal building on South Branch Road for all to see.
“It’s not for only our children to view, but for our children’s children to see how this all started,” said Hillsborough Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Rich Resevy.
The original municipal building hasn’t been used in 30 years and is scheduled for demolition. Though the building couldn’t be saved, employees from the DPW were able to retrieve and restore the oxidized dome from the top of the building. The cupola is now a permanent display at the front entrance of the municipal complex.
“… This reconstructed piece was all that was left … you can imagine the condition it was in,” Resevy said, crediting DPW employees and local companies for restoring the cupola as well as funding from the community members.
Township officials held a ribbon cutting of the restored cupola on Nov. 1.
“Today marks a remarkable moment as we celebrate a restoration of a little bit of Hillsborough history,” Mayor Shawn Lipani said. “Obviously this has been something we have been talking about for a long time through efforts of many talented employees who are with us today. We are proud to unveil the restored cupola from the old municipal building symbolizing a seamless blend of our rich heritage with a promise of a vibrant future.”
Greg Gillette, a member of the Historic Preservation Committee, shared the history of the municipal building.
The original municipal building was dedicated on Saturday, Sept. 22, 1934. Prior to that, the three-member Township Committee met once a year at the Neshanic Hotel, or in earlier times, in a committee member’s home.
The original municipal building was in use as the seat of government until 1991, when the current Municipal Complex was erected.
Gillette noted the original municipal building, which stemmed from an idea from former Township Clerk Clement Clawson, Jr. Clawson suggested that if the township secured land and paid for an architect, the federal government would pay all the labor costs to construct Hillsborough’s first municipal building.
“The catch was time was of the essence … Clawson knew the program might be halted at any time,” Gillette said, noting local government did not make a move until the last minute.
The Township Committee had to find the property and make a sale rather quickly. But in the end, thy were able to find the property on East Mountain Road that currently houses the Department of Public Works, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The idea for the current municipal building, which houses the township administrative offices, the library, police department and board of education, was an idea attributed to longtime Hillsborough Mayor and Assemblyman Pete Biondi, who passed away in 2011. The building was rededicated in his honor in 2012.
