The colorful history of Hazlet Township, from farms to airports to drive-ins and commuter trains, now stretches across the children’s section of the Hazlet Township Library.
The Hazlet Township Library mural, depicting the history of the township, was formally unveiled to an appreciative audience in a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Library on 251 Middle Road.
Freeholder Lillian Burry, liaison to the Monmouth County Library, and Monmouth County Library Commissioner Frank Wells attended the ceremony and lauded the hard work of the local artists.
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“This is an impressive undertaking by the artists and a wonderful, creative way to use the space here in the Library,” Freeholder Burry said. Wells, a Union Beach native, said it was like “a trip down memory lane” to see local landmarks memorialized on the mural.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Hazlet Library Committee members Michael DeAngelo, Diane Yorks and Sue Meyer, along with two Hazlet Township Committee members who are liaisons to the Hazlet Library, Joseph Belasco and James Brady.
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The $4,300 mural project was funded by the township Library Committee, a group of residents appointed by the Township Committee to oversee Library operations and act as a liaison between the Library and the town. The money for the project was raised through the Library Committee’s quarterly book sales.
The mural was created on a 34- by 4-foot wall in the children’s section of the Library by artists Prudence Brown and Amber DeGruttola of Manasquan, who were assisted by three Hazlet Township students: Tracy Vollbretch of MAST High School; Wilson Tang, a graduate of Raritan High School, currently at Rutgers University; and Morgan Hennessy of Communications High School.
Anchoring the mural is an image of the Blue Comet, a luxury coach train that linked New York City to Atlantic City from 1929 to 1941 and traveled through Hazlet. Scattered across the mural are the mascots of each of the township’s eight schools and other landmarks from the township – such as the once-popular drive-in movie theater and the old Walling airport.
The mural was drawn and painted over a period of several weeks this summer. Library Branch Manager Beth Henderson said she hoped the mural will inspire local school children to learn more about the area’s history.
Come see the mural! The Library’s hours are Monday and Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays during July and August. Saturday hours will return to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. after Labor Day.
See more photos at the Monmouth County Library Facebook page!
The Hazlet Library can be reached at 732-264-7164. For more information on programming and other services at all Monmouth County Library branches, please visit the Library’s website at www.monmouthcountylib.org
