OC celebrates 150^th birthday

What do you do when your planning a major birthday celebration and you want to invite the entire county? That was the question that Ocean County Freeholder John Bartlett and Historican Pauline Miller faced when they and their fellow committee members set out on the task of planning the county’s 150^th anniversary bash.

That party will begin in just two days when the first of a series of events will take place to commorate the county’s anniversary. At 5 p.m. on Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve an ice sculptor will fashion a replica of "Old Barney" the famous Barnegat Lighthouse.

The sculpture will be cut from afrozen block at Hooper Avenue and Washington Street. High school musicians will play an original musical composition that will be used throughout the county’s sesqicentennial events.

What would a party be without a cake? The first of several birthday cakes will be made by Camelot Baker and served during the Dec. 31 event. One of the main events of the year long anniversary will be on Feb. 15 when a 1,000-page history by County Historian Pauline Miller will be unveiled. The book will be sold throughout the year, one was on order as of two weeks ago during a special press conference held at the Ocean County Administration Building.

Miller is also the Chairwoman of the Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee. She joined Andy Berfond of the Toms River First Night Committee who said, "Utilizing First Night is a perfect way to kick off the festivities of the year."

Along with Berfond, Miller and Freeholder Bartlett, Jack Lamping spoke about the many Ocean County Library system’s hosting a number of book discussions by local authors about the county. Lamping was the coordinator for the county’s 100^th anniversary in 1950. "We have him signed up for our 200^th birthday as well," Freeholder Bartlett joked.

Linda Starzman spoke about a poetry and essay contest that will be held through the Cultural and Heritage Commission in the spring while Ocean County Superintendent of Schools Lucille Rielly spoke about the 5,000 coloring books which depict scenes and text concerning historical county landmarks which have been distributed free of charge to school systems throughout the county.

Cynthia Smith reported on the County Historic sites Art Contest while Carolyn Campbell spoke about how the Ocean County Historical Society would market Miller’s Ocean County History book. Two thousand copies of the book which will cover four centuries of Ocean County’s history (at its author’s insistence so as to give the true roots of the county and its complete history) will be sold by the organization.

Legislation that seperated Ocean County from Monmouth County came about in February of 1850. One of the six founding Ocean County communities was Plumsted Township. That measure was sponsored by Joel Haywood, a West Creek assemblyman. The legislation passed by only one vote.

"Haywood’s work has been overlook by history and its a shame," Miller said. That is bound to change as Miller plans to make sure that everyone knows Haywood as "the founding father of Ocean County" and intends to reunite some of Haywood’s current family who live in Ocean and Mounmouth counties and beyond to celebrate their famous ancestor. This will happen during the course of the year as part of the special birthday events.

Jan. 1 will also see the start of special blue and white flags flying over county buildings as well as red, white and blue bunting which will adorn the courthouse and other county structures.