Photos
-
Firehouse 5K participants at the starting line. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Town of Newton Municipal Clerk, Lorraine Read, with son Brendon, age 10. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Participants stretch and gear up for the race. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Andy Ball, race organizer, fires the starting pistol. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Runners commence the 5K. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
A flock of runners at the start of the 5K. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Runners set the pace along lower Spring Street. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
More runners get their start on lower Spring Street. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Some runners pushing baby strollers in the 5K. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Walkers participating in the 5K. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Mike Fonder crosses the finish line at 15:58.5. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Andy Ball interviews Mike Fonder. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Third place winner Jeff Staple crosses the finish line. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Newton Robotics Team demonstrated their robot. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Julie Simms, and Toni Sabol greeting customers outside of Diva Designs Quality Consignments. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Members of Living Waters Fellowship give out water, pray with those who stop by, and entertain with music. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Danielle Ray of Living Waters Fellowship works on crafts with children. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Mikey Toepher, age 10, and siblings Emily, age 8, and Charlie, 12, hold dogs Disney and Tony, available for adoption through O.S.C.A.R. at Salon Di Panache. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Jana Robertson, and Kathy Czerhoniak of Salon Di Panache, stand in front of the chilis for their cook off to benefit O.S.C.A.R. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
The sign for the chili cook off draped on Salon Di Panache's front porch. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Members of the Town of Newton team, the Newton Road Runners, including Municipal Clerk Lorraine Read, looking over her shoulder. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Visitors to Spring Street enjoy grilled items, and items sold by vendors. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Newton High School Class of 2015 prepares hot dogs and burgers for the hungry crowd. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Karen Johnson of Color My World, and Patricia Vorhees of The Teacher's Edge. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Holiday Inn Express represented by Linda Zulus and Alicia Banta. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Members of the U.S. Army answer questions for visitors to their booth. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Sussex County resident Mary Adams, sings for the crowd. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Andy Ball interviews female winners Laura Gilson, Jenna Brock, and Meg Ogle. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Newton High School Team 3142 Aperture demonstrates their robots. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
O.S.C.A.R. at Salon Di Panache. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Elisa DeYoung of Newater Systems read to hand out waters to runners at the finish line. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Second place winner Dave DiCerbo, with third place Jeff Staple right behind. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Marguerite Gadel of Literacy Volunteers of Sussex County. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Andy Ball interviews Mike Fonder, Dave DiCerbo, and Jeff Staple. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
Crowds on Spring Street check out items for sale from vendors. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
-
The crowd quickly gathers on Spring Street. Credits: Jennifer Jean Miller
Town of Newton Celebrates Newton Day Festival
Monday, June 11, 2012 • 3:30pm
NEWTON, NJ – Festivities for the Newton Day Festival started with a bang, and ended with a bang yesterday, with a celebration-filled itinerary, beginning with the firing of the starting pistol for the Firehouse 5K run/walk, to the ending with last night’s fireworks display.
The day kicked off with the Firehouse 5K run/walk benefitting the Newton Fire Department. Click here to access the Firehouse 5K website. The race sponsors this year were Eastern Propane, Thorlabs, Fire & Safety Services, Ltd., Ivy Rehab, Boonton Tire, CJ Property Services, Pocono Mountains Corvette Club, Lakeland Bank, Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, PBA Local 138, The Mitchell Agency, Newton Medical Center, Juice Plus+, Newton Fire Museum, and the Newton Fire Department.
Teams assembled around 9am for check-in and pictures, and just before 10am the 250 participants assembled for the National Anthem, before waiting at the starting line.
“I think it’s great,” said Thomas S. Russo, Jr., Town Manager, who cheered on participants at the 5K, and then attended the Newton Day Festival along Spring Street. “They have more participants this year.”
Andy Ball, Events Manager for area 5K runs, fired the starting pistol, and the participants dashed up Halsted Street through the cemetery, then onto Merriam Avenue, continuing onto Paterson Avenue, passing the High Point Development, and onto Linmor Avenue in Newton, before returning to Pine Street, and through the cemetery gates for the final stretch.
“This is a very changing course,” Russo added.
The first participant to cross the finish line was Mike Fonder, with a time of just under 16 minutes (15:58.5). Fonder, who sported a Thorlabs shirt, came to the race from Tenafly, NJ.
The second and third place male participants were Dave DiCerbo, and Jeff Staple, following in closely behind DiCerbo.
The top three female winners of the race were: Laura Gilson, Jenna Brock, and Meg Ogle.
“It was a tough course,” Fonder remarked in an interview with Ball that was filmed by Service Electric Cable TV, Inc. “I didn’t realize this big hill existed.”
Fonder, like DiCerbo and Staple, chose not take water stops along the way, and instead headed right for the finish.
“This course is what I do all the time,” said DiCerbo, who indicated he has typically placed second in his races.
“It’s really a sprint,” Staple said.
“It was beautiful, it was for a great cause,” said Gilson of the run, during the ladies’ segment of the interview.
“It was a tough course, it was a perfect day for running,” Brock said.
“I thought it was really nice to have the people of the town come out and support us,” said Ogle, who indicated along the way residents watched the race from their properties, and encouraged runners.
Following the 5K run, celebrating took place on Spring Street for the Newton Day Festival, which was packed with vendors, and organization.
In addition to the Newton Day Festival festivities, Salon Di Panache hosted a Chili Cook Off to benefit O.S.C.A.R. (One Step Closer Animal Rescue). Representatives from O.S.C.A.R. were stationed in front of the salon, with dogs up for adoption.
Employees Jana Robertson, and Kathy Czerhoniak organized the Chili Cook Off.
“Kathy and I were talking about who makes the best chili,” said Robertson. And from there, she said, the event was conceptualized. Salon Di Panache chose O.S.C.A.R., because of the employees’ love of pets.
There were eight separate Crock Pots filled with steaming varieties of chili, and, tasters could give an optional donation, and then cast their vote.
The Newton Day Festival evening events concluded in Memory Park with the “Newton’s Got Talent”, “Just For Fun Dog Show”, DJ, games, live music, more shopping and food vendors, and then the firework display.
