The Alternative Press

OGDENSBURG, NJ - In an historic conciliatory act, the Sterling Hill Mining Museum met with mayor Steven Ciasullo early last week to see how the town and the museum can help each other. 

After many years of no communication, museum managers Richard and Robert Hauck, board president Bill Croth, and marketing/advertising director Rob Hauck, Jr. put the past behind them in a one hour meeting, reported Ciasullo at Monday's Ogdensburg Borough Council meeting.  

“It was just a beginning,” said Ciasullo. “We covered old history and a little into the future. We discussed what the mine needs from the Borough, what the Borough needs from the mine. They [the museum] are a huge entity here, they bring many thousands of people through here.”

Rob Hauck, Jr., addressed the council on behalf of the museum.  “I am the son of one of the founders, and a few years ago, I started getting more involved with what they are doing. I think the Mayor and I are in the same boat, we don’t really care what happened in the past, we want to move forward. I run a warehouse for PSE&G by day, but I moonlight as an advertising/marketing guy for the museum, I’ve been pretty successful so far, and I’ve been looking at how we can work together with the town.” 

Hauck then mentioned several levels of support that the museum is willing to provide. “My uncle, my father and the board president agree that if the town wants to, our first olive branch will to have our designer redesign new signs as you come into town, which will be more eye-catching.”

He noted that the current signs are barely visible, shabby and rotting.

Ciasullo explained that they had also discussed the museum’s desire to be heavily involved in the 100^th anniversary in 2014, and in the Main Street Streetscapes project.  “They (museum) were asking ‘What can we do?’ I explained that we need lighting, but we can’t afford lighting.  They could put their logo on the lighting. They were interested.”

Hauck replied, “I think if you get the streetscaping project going and add a couple of lights, it would be really advantageous.  I’m trying to think of the town in more of a marketing sense. You get a lot of traffic through here, but there is nothing that really says ‘Get out of your car.’”

Hauck then suggested that the town consider a slogan. “Ogdensburg, historic mining district” was one example.  Ciasullo suggested getting the school involved, perhaps having the eighth graders provide ideas, with the winning choice receiving some recognition from the town and/or museum. 

Hauck posed several questions to the council that would have to be answered before the design phase could begin. Can the signs be larger than the present ones, what dimensions in square footage are allowed, are there town colors, would reflective lettering be desired, and most importantly, would the signs for Ogdensburg and the mine be incorporated into one sign or two separate signs?

Rob Hauck Jr., then explained that the Sterling Hill Mining Museum website gets a lot of traffic. He offered to create a town page on the website, dedicated to Ogdensburg, yesterday and today. 

Hauck explained, “On my own time, I’m going to research, our web designer will plan it, and the mine is going to pay for it. I’ll need help for the history page.  We can include pictures, links to the firehouse museum, and any of the bigger businesses, A-1 and Kuiken Brothers, for example.  I would want a list of the larger businesses in town that you'd want linked.”

Discussion next turned to a letter from Sussex County received by the A-1 Storage Company about the new sign just installed on the corner of County Road 517 and Brooks Flat Road. The letter states that the new sign must be removed, as it needs to be 33’ from the center line, which would require about another 20 feet away from the road.  After obtaining the letter, Ciasullo showed it to the Borough Attorney, Michael Garofalo, who suggested the A-1 Company and the Sterling Hill Mining Museum write a letter back to the county, asking that the county reconsider, which they had prepared for tonight’s meeting.  

The Mayor read this letter out loud. The letter pointed out the need for the sign to direct traffic to their businesses, and the fact that it was replacing a pre-existing sign.

There was discussion as to whether the sign blocked line of sight when leaving Brooks Flat Road, the mayor contended that it did not, having personally road-tested it.  He also pointed out that this sign had been singled out, since no other businesses had received one.

The council then made a resolution to support the sign, and sent a copy of the resolution along with the letter to the county.

In other business:

Global  Waste has passed along a $250 bill for printing stickers which residents must purchase for $2 if they have more than 2 containers.  This will be contested.

Andersen Farms has not signed a contract to date to move the shed to the old Edison House property. If not completed by the next meeting, new renters will be sought.

Contents of the demolished Edison House need to find a new home. They will be first offered to the Historical Society, offered to the Consignment Shop, put on Craigslist, or be discarded.

September 23 will be a Sports Equipment Swap Date. Residents can drop off gently used sports equipment to the old recycling center on Friday, September 21 and Saturday, September 22, and on Sunday, they can return to help themselves to needed equipment.

JanMar was selected to complete the electric work needed on the police station door being installed, a portable generator needs to be installed for the police department. Lights in the back parking lot need to be repaired, the old police car has been stripped and is ready for sale, it will be left in the firehouse parking lot with a for sale sign, anyone interested must submit a bid in writing to the town. The police chief is asking for a new computer, quotes will be obtained.

The council went into executive session to discuss contract issues.