The Stone Harbor Borough Council held a re-enactment of the Borough’s first-ever Council meeting on Friday, May 16th. Council conducted the actual meeting that was held by the first Stone Harbor Borough Council held on May 18th, 1914. The first meeting, along with the re-enactment, were both held at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor.
Stone Harbor Borough Council, Municipal Clerk, Borough Solicitor
“This re-enactment was a fun, informative way to kick off the Borough’s Centennial celebration”, said Stone Harbor Mayor Suzanne Walters. “Our Centennial Committee and Borough Clerk Suzanne Stanford did a tremendous job organizing the event and assembling the agenda from the first government meeting held 100 years ago”.In 1914, the Borough of Stone Harbor was represented by Mayor Howard S. Risley along with five members of Council: S.E. Herbert, J.W. Junkin, W.L. Turpin, William Schuck, and Henry Owens. Council was supported by the efforts of Borough Clerk C. O. Letzkus, Borough Solicitor Lewis Stevens, Borough Marshall Michael Lennon, Overseer of the Poor Miss M.L. VanThuyne, and Borough Recorder John Larsen. Current members of Borough Council were provided with hand-held signs with pictures of the first Borough Council members.
One of the first acts of the 1914 Stone Harbor Borough Council was to set up a finance committee to assess the assets and liabilities in the separation of the Borough from Middle Township. The amount due to the Borough was 35.92% of the total assets of the entire Township of Middle, which was $374.39; the amount of unpaid taxes was $601.29.
A motion was also by then Councilman Turpin that the Borough Seal “The Wonder City” be approved; that seal is still in use today. Council held the re-enactment of the first Council meeting at the same table that was used by Council during its first meeting in 1914. Various salaries of Borough officials were announced for 1914 which include Borough Clerk, $250; Borough Solicitor, $300; Collector of Garbage, $500; and Lifeguard, $350.
Council shares a light moment during the meeting
Stone Harbor’s Centennial Celebration will also include a special beach opening event on Thursday, May 22nd at 4:00pm and life performances this summer with the Jersey Shore Pops Orchestra.
