ARCHIVAL PHOTOS LINK COUNTY EXECUTIVE,
N.J. STATE POLICE COLONEL
I recently caught up with New Jersey State Police Col. Patrick J. Callahan at the New Jersey State Police Museum and Learning Center in Ewing to view a few special archival photos on display there that coincidentally feature our respective fathers, who were notable figures in their own right.
The photo featuring my dad, Richard J. Hughes, former New Jersey Governor and Chief Justice of the N.J. Supreme Court, was taken at the Hollybush Summit in Glassboro, New Jersey in June 1967. In the photo, President Lyndon B. Johnson greets Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin, who was meeting the President to discuss Soviet-American relations. Looking on are my parents, Gov. Hughes and his wife -- my mother -- Betty Hughes, who during the summit hosted Mrs. Kosygin at the Governor's summer home on Island Beach.
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The photo related to Col. Callahan is that of his father, retired State Police Major Mick Callahan, who was a member of the police detail assigned to security during the Hollybush Summit and President Johnson's and Premier Kosygin's visit. Maj. Callahan went on to serve as Division Staff Section Commanding Officer under Col. Clinton Pagano, the 9th Superintendent of the State Police.
Col. Callahan and I forged a relationship during the global pandemic, where I was in regular direct contact with Gov. Phil Murphy, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, herself a Mercer County resident, and the Colonel.
Photos: County Executive Hughes and Col. Callahan; President Johnson greeting Soviet Premier Kosygin.
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Ropes course being installed at Mercer County Park
You may have noticed a unique structure under construction at Mercer County Park. What you’re seeing is the first leg of construction of our new ropes course and zip line area. Visitors will be able to take an aerial adventure crossing bridges, balancing on ropes, climbing through obstacles, and riding the zip line. This new, high-flying experience will offer fun for people of different ages and skill sets.
We are constantly looking for ways to attract new users to our park system and stay on the cutting edge of outdoor recreation offerings, so I’m excited that our Mercer County Park Commission under Executive Director Aaron T. Watson, advanced this project. I’m confident it will be well received and be another economic generator in our long list of active recreation amenities. Watch for its opening this summer.
Photo: Park Commission Executive Director Watson, County Executive Hughes and Park Commissioner Jim Schulz view the ropes course being built by Capela Construction Inc.
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Pilot program to support youth, families in Trenton
Mercer County has received a $1.9 million state grant to create a two-year pilot program to develop an innovative restorative and transformative justice continuum of care to support young people and their families in the City of Trenton. The grant funding is being made available by the State of New Jersey’s Juvenile Justice Commission.
The first component of the pilot program will include a restorative justice hub, which is a physical space where Trenton youth and families can heal, reconnect and build healthy relationships in the community. The aim is to resolve local conflicts through reflective dialogue rather than punitive measures, connect youth and families to a variety of services and programs, and coordinate delivery of services across the community. We will provide evidence-based training to community members in the healing practices of restorative justice so that throughout the community, these practices can be utilized to achieve a reduction in violent episodes.
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The second component will include community-based re-entry wraparound services to be provided within the restorative justice hub. These services will be designed as an emergency response for Trenton youth being released from juvenile facilities, and may also serve as a long-term program for Trenton youth released from a facility. Among the re-entry wraparound services and supports will be mental health services, substance use disorders treatment and recovery, education support, employment services, housing support and life skills support services.
This pilot program is being spearheaded in Mercer County by our Division of Youth Services, which will be partnering with the County’s Addiction Services, Mental Health and Housing divisions to provide wraparound services once the restorative justice hub is up and running. The program will augment efforts by Trenton and Mercer County to uplift youth in our Capital City, and you’ll be hearing more about it as it falls into place.
Hopewell Valley towns get ceremonial checks for project
I was pleased last week to present the three Hopewell Valley municipalities with ceremonial checks that represent their grant amounts to be supported under the County’s Community Investment Initiative. The $3 million set-aside from Mercer County’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation is aimed at assisting our municipalities with programs and services aimed at older adults, veterans and people with disabilities.
Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township and Pennington are using their total allocation of $60,000 for the design and planning of a senior/community center, and I thank Mayors Paul Anzano, Michael Ruger and James Davy for working together and proposing a project that meets the parameters and will benefit their communities.
Photo: County Executive Hughes with Hopewell Township Mayor Ruger.
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Mercer Correction Center passes state inspection
A recent annual inspection of the Mercer County Correction Center (MCCC) found the facility to be in full compliance with the requirements the “Manual of Standards for New Jersey Adult County Correctional Facilities.” The inspection was conducted in January by the New Jersey Department of Corrections, through its Office of County Services.
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I congratulate Warden Charles Ellis and his supervisors, officers, health care workers and other staff members on this achievement. The daily challenges they face in operating a century-old facility are enormous, and they are to be commended for ensuring the facility operates at a level that meets the state’s requirements.
Among the many areas covered by the inspection were planning and design; personnel; training and staff development; management information system and records; use and control of security equipment; food service; sanitation; medical, dental and health services; access to the courts; disciplinary procedures; fiscal management; visits; and inmate services and programs.
Grants support major programs in Mercer Public Health
LINCS and CEHA are acronyms that might not mean much to the general public, but they represent the Mercer County Division of Public Health’s two major programs -- Local Core Capacity for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program (formerly the Local Information Network Communication System) and the County Environmental Health Act program.
Why do these programs matter? They cover a lot of ground in the areas of emergency preparedness and response, and public and environmental health, all of which have an impact on community life.
Last week, my administration presented to the Board of Commissioners two resolutions related to LINCS and CEHA, both of which received board approval. One authorizes a one-year grant award from the New Jersey Department of Health to provide $711,244 in state funds for Mercer’s LINCS program. The other is a one-year grant renewal application to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the County’s fiscal year 2023 CEHA program. The grant would provide a total of $354,466, including $163,186 in county match funds, for the CEHA program.
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The LINCS grant supports the County’s preparedness for response to terrorism, pandemic influenza and public health emergencies, as well as the management and operation of the 24/7 Public Health Emergency Notification System. LINCS program responsibilities include communicable disease surveillance, mass prophylaxis planning, pandemic flu planning, education and risk communication, technical support with regard to bioterrorism training, and the dissemination of public health information and alerts to all County first responders and key public health stakeholders such as hospitals and local health departments. This grant award also enables the County to continue to coordinate and support jurisdictional COVID-19 public health response activities such as testing and epidemiology.
Services provided through the CEHA program include community education and enforcement of the Air, Noise, Safe Drinking Water, Solid Waste, Pesticide, Right to Know, Motor Vehicle Idling, and HAZMAT programs. Mercer County’s CEHA program helps keep the community safe in a variety of ways, such as making sure public and private employers comply with the Right to Know Act that requires them to provide information about hazardous substances they use on site; and conducting well-water inspections to ensure the safety of the potable water source.
Have a bike to donate? Mercer Bike Drive coming soon
If you have a bicycle you no longer use or that a child has outgrown, here’s a way to put it to good use. Mercer County and the Park Commission will be hosting our third annual Bike Drive in early April. The Bike Drive supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County Bike Exchange, a volunteer-run organization that repairs donated bikes and sells them at modest prices at its Ewing location at Capitol Plaza, with proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs.
To donate a bike, drop it off on Saturday, April 8, between 12 noon and 4 p.m. at one of two locations: Ranger Headquarters at Mercer County Park in West Windsor, or the Historic Hunt House at 197 Blackwell Road in Hopewell Township. The rain date is April 15.
Our first two Bike Drives were a big success, and we’re happy to help promote bike-riding for both transportation and pleasure while helping in the efforts to make low-cost bicycles available to low- and moderate-income families.
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