The Alternative Press

HOPATCONG, NJ -  The hot weather was tempered by a breeze off Lake Hopatcong Saturday, July 14, while Hopatcong Borough celebrated Hopatcong Day and Emergency Services Day.

“This is a combination of the borough, the Hopatcong Business League, the PTO, Little League, all borough organizations” Mayor Sylvia Petillo said.

The day started with a parade and the honoring of a local soldier who was chosen Medical Corps Soldier of the Year for the Northern Region, which encompasses from North Carolina to Maine and across the country to Michigan.

Clint Robinson, 24, who was recently promoted to sergeant, competed in 12 events for the honor, he said. Robinson was originally from Roxbury Township, but moved to Hopatcong in 2008, the same year he enlisted. He is considering making the military his career.

Robinson’s home station is Picatinny Arsenal, but he is presently at Fort Dix. He was enjoying the festivities with his girlfriend, Jessica Chipko of Roxbury  a junior majoring in Anthropology and Education at William Paterson University.

Modick Park was full of vendors and exhibitors, mostly borough organizations.

The Byram Bay Christian Church had its traditional tub of candy. Attendees were invited to guess how many pieces of candy were in the plastic box.

Co-pastors Kenneth and Karen Adams are non-denominational ministers who used to be chaplains on Norwegian Cruise Lines.

The church was the oldest active church in the borough when it closed six years ago. The Adamses had moved to the borough and felt God called them to take over the church. They filled the tiny building for two services a Sunday until they struck a deal with the Lake Hopatcong Jewish Center to use their building for their 9:30 a.m. service.

Boy Scout Troop 91 of Stanhope was also represented. The troop is about 75 percent Hopatcong boys. There are 34 scouts and 11 leaders and volunteers. The troop was selling flags, flag kits and car magnets to raise money for their activities.

The Full Life Assembly of God was giving out free water, lemonade and ice pops, and publicizing its unique Vacation Bible School planned for August.

Barbara Anderson explained rather than holding VBS for five mornings in a week, they are using a weekend program. She said the publishing house, Group, has had success with thy weekend program. It will from Aug. 10 through 12. Parents can drop off their children from kindergarten through fifth grade at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 10. The VBS continues from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 11, and a closing ceremony for parents and children will be at 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 12, Anderson said.

“This church hasn’t done VBS in a while,” she said. “We’re a small church and we’re all busy.”

She said the children will be in mixed aged groups for music, story time, projects, games and discussion.

Another booth displayed the work of the borough environmental commission. Commission Chairman Jerry Scanlan said “we’re a doing commission, not just a meeting commission.”

He said the commission has instituted a new electronic waste collection program in a pole barn at the recycling center. They also held a paper shredding day. They work with the Musconetcong Watershed Association to test the river water just below the Lake Hopatcong dam. The commission also held a hike and Earth Day and Arbor Day activities, Scanlan said.

Children played on slides and bouncy structures and did a number of projects such as sand art, spin art, and painting bricks for the Community Garden.