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Health & Fitness

Men On A Mission To Maintain Historic Cemeteries

     The all-volunteer Middletown Community Affairs Council (MCAC) has just completed a clean-up of the cemetery located on the property of the Middletown Reformed Church, a 175-year old house-of-worship located at 121 Kings Highway. Wednesday July 24 marked the second cemetery the council has helped to restore, according to MCAC Member Mitch Gotesky, who proposed the idea for the project to the township and is managing the restoration work in conjunction with fellow MCAC Member John Giordano. Gotesky, who envisions a clean-up of all township cemeteries in preparation for the 350th year celebration beginning in 2014, is also working with the Monmouth County Sheriff's Department Inmate Labor Program, which has provided inmates to help with weeding, trimming and the removal of debris at no charge to the Township. "Everything is working out very well," Gotesky said, adding that local businesses have also become involved by providing lunch to the workers and assisting with debris removal. He recognized Jay Patel of the Belford 7-11 in Campbell's Junction, who provided sandwiches free-of-charge, and Mario Schito of M & S Waste Services for providing a large dumpster for all the branches, logs and tree clippings. MCAC Council Member Craig Finnegan, the owner of Finnegan Land Surveying, has also been involved with the project and has worked steadily at both clean-ups, according to Gotesky. The Finnegan family has deep roots in Belford and has lived in the Township for several generations. 
     MCAC members bring their own lawn mowers and other tools like hedge clippers, saws and even garbage bags to perform maintenance tasks at the cemeteries, which eliminates cost to the Township and taxpayers while improving overall appearance of the land. While at Middletown Reformed Church, Gotesky, Giordano and Finnegan even helped to secure some headstones which were leaning and in danger of falling. Finnegan was proud of that and feels strongly that preservation of these precious parcels of history are important to the community. "We need to do whatever we can to preserve and protect the history and the memory of generations past," Finnegan said.
     Gotesky, a longtime member of the MCAC, is a proactive volunteer and a staunch advocate for the valuable work done by volunteers in the Township. He wants other municipalities to take notice of the high standards set in Middletown and to see how much can be accomplished with volunteers and collaborative partnerships.
     Gotesky and Giordano enlisted the assistance, approval and expertise of the Middletown Landmarks Commission when undertaking the project. Local genealogist and historian Ray Veth, who sits on the commission and also owns Beacon Awards & Signs, has been working hand-in-hand with the MCAC to provide relevant historical facts and information on the individuals and families buried in the cemetery plots. According to Veth, there is a wealth of history in the cemeteries which contain the remains of prominent people who had notable roles in society. Veth, who possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of  local history, noted that he will be compiling a story in the future and sharing some historical facts and genealogical information on each cemetery as the project continues. 
     Members of the Middletown Community Affairs Council include Chairman Andy Zapcic, Vice-Chairman John Giordano, Secretary Michael Vitkansas, Craig Finnegan, Mitch Gotesky, Larry Caminiti, Peggy Flanagan, and Lori Anne Oliwa. The MCAC hosts several events each year including the Youth Job Fair at Middletown High School North and the Business-To-Business Networking Night at the Middletown Arts Center and serves as an advisory body to the Middletown Township Committee. More information is available by viewing the Township website at www.middletownnj.org.
     
    

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