16 JULY 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
Fair Haven Tree Wins
Third Place in New
Jersey Big Tree Hunt
On a rainy June morning, six members of Rumson Garden Club’s
conservation book club gathered to cheer on fellow RGC member
Wendy Murphy as she and the Fair Haven Borough – on behalf of
a tulip tree – received a third-place award from Joseph C. Bennett, New
Jersey Forestry’s Big and Heritage Tree Coordinator, Division of Parks
and Forestry, Community Forestry Program.
The genesis of this deep interest in trees arose when the pandemic
hit last year. Rumson Garden Club, a member club of The Garden Club
of America, formed a virtual book club focusing on conservation topics.
Meeting through Zoom, they discussed topics ranging from how to positively
affect local communities and the environment to how they could
raise awareness about the value of native plants, trees and the healing
power of spending time in nature, even if in one’s own backyard.
When Rumson’s Environmental Council promoted a new statewide
Big Tree Hunt, RGC members grabbed their measuring tapes and
went in search of the largest tree. Three RGC members, all of whom reside
in Fair Haven, contacted the Borough’s Shade Tree Commission to
encourage participation. The trio spent a full day searching for trees to
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Albert and Robards Park on DeNormandie Avenue, which is estimated
to be more than 100 years old.
“The tree looks like it wants to tell you its story, of what it has witnessed
on the banks of the Navesink River,” Murphy said.
The tree sits on the site of the former home of Charles Williams
and his family. According to a plaque at the park, Williams was a free
black man, who was in charge of maintaining horses at Rohallion Estate
in Rumson and was gifted the land by his employer as a wedding
present. The house that formerly stood on the property was constructed
in 1853 by Williams, and the property remained in the family for more
than 150 years. Over those years, the family allowed all who came to
the property’s shore to utilize their beach. It is in that spirit that the
land was preserved and protected to allow free and open access to the
beautiful Navesink River.
As a result of Murphy’s efforts, the tulip tree now is recognized as
a Signature Tree on the New Jersey Big Tree Registry.
From left: Bonnie Torcivia, Fair Haven Councilwoman Laline Neff, Fair Haven Parks and
Recreation Director D.J. Breckenridge, Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli, Wendy Murphy, Diana
Landreth, Sarah Fleming, Fair Haven Shade Tree Committee Member Andrea Reid, Robbyn
O'Neill, Heather Robinson and Fair Haven Councilwoman Elizabeth Koch
Healthcare
Scholarship Awarded
to Holmdel High
School Senior
Newman Springs Dental Care awarded Andrew Kim the $500 scholarship
for a Holmdel High School graduating senior planning a
career in healthcare. This included medicine, nursing, dentistry,
chiropractic, physical therapy and other areas of healthcare.
Kim will be attending Franklin and Marshall College in the fall
where his course of study will
be pre-med.
The award was presented
by the Guidance Department
on behalf of Dr. Mitchel Friedman
of Newman Springs
Dental Care on June 14 at
the school’s Senior Awards
Assembly. This is the 12th
year that the scholarship has
been awarded.
“There were several excellent
students who were
worthy of the scholarship.
Andrew just stood out from
the other candidates,” said
Dr. Mitchel Friedman, whose three children are products of the Holmdel
school system.
Newman Springs Dental Care is located at 539 Newman Springs
Rd. in Lincroft. For more information, call 732-741-6444 or visit NewmanSpringsDentalCare.
com.
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