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Crime & Safety

The Rocky Hill Fire Department seeks to grow volunteer base with four-year campaign funded through a SAFER grant provided by FEMA.

The Communication Solutions Group, Community Contributor

|Updated Mon, Sep 25, 2023 at 3:25 pm ET

For over 120 years, Rocky Hill Fire Department has protected the lives and property of the residents of Rocky Hill and the surrounding communities. Now, it seeks to grow its base of volunteers within the community. Rocky Hill Fire Department is happy to unveil the launch of its federally-funded recruitment campaign, aimed at expanding the volunteer firefighter base and increasing community involvement via JoinRockyHillFire.org.

Averaging well over 200 emergency calls a year, Rocky Hill Fire is seeking eager, dedicated members of the community, ready to learn and deliver life-saving emergency services to those in need. Firefighters respond to emergencies ranging from structural fires to vehicular accidents to swift water rescue operations. No experience is required to join, and training and gear will be provided at no cost.

To kick off the recruitment campaign, volunteers participated in the brand development process, which led to the tagline “Tradition. Community. Pride.” The tagline, representing the guiding principles of a Rocky Hill volunteer, will be incorporated into all print and digital marketing materials, striving to inspire residents within the community to volunteer with the fire department.

“Being a member of the Rocky Hill Fire Department brings a sense of honor that is hard to describe. We are a dependable and efficient firefighting family that supports our neighbors and each other. We hope our recruitment campaign encourages members of our community to join us,” said Fire Chief Todd Harris.

To field inquiries and provide a centralized location for interested individuals to gather information about the fire department, Rocky Hill launched a recruitment website, JoinRockyHillFire.org.

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The website provides a volunteer inquiry form for interested individuals. Upon completion, a member from the fire department will reach out, answer any possible questions and schedule a time for the individual to tour the station. In addition to the volunteer inquiry form, the website includes volunteer testimonials, volunteer opportunities, FAQ and photos.

The launch of the website is the first step of the four-year recruitment effort. The endeavor encompasses a 30-second commercial, promotional social media content, video testimonials, media relations with local news outlets and publications, tangible marketing materials and recruitment outreach at community events and festivals.

In order to fund this four-year recruitment campaign, without imposing a tax burden on residents, Rocky Hill obtained a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

How to Join Rocky Hill Fire Department

There are plenty of opportunities available for those interested in volunteering. The following volunteer roles are offered at Rocky Hill:

Firefighter– Volunteer firefighters, ages 18 or older, respond to emergencies ranging from structural fires to vehicular accidents to swift water rescue operations. Rocky Hill Fire Department will support new volunteers in completing the NJ State Certified Firefighter I training.

Junior Firefighter– High school students, between ages 14 and 17, can join Rocky Hill Fire Department’s Junior Program. Teenagers have the opportunity to learn fire safety skills from experienced and knowledgeable firefighters. Once the junior firefighter turns 18, he or she can pursue the Firefighter I Course necessary to become a firefighter.

Administrative Volunteers– Associate members can assist the department with fundraising, social media, website and IT maintenance, representing the fire department at community events and more!

“I have personally benefited from my volunteer experience by learning many important life lessons, as well as becoming more connected with my community. There is no better feeling than being there for your community and making a direct impact,” said firefighter Paul Romano.

Learn more about the Rocky Hill Fire Department by visiting www.JoinRockyHillFire.org

Editor’s note: To set up an interview with a volunteer, please contact the Communication Solutions Group at 215-884-6499.

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Following an executive session that lasted almost 80 minutes, Rocky Hill Borough Council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday, September 18 to pursue legal action against the Mary Jacobs Foundation (MJF).

The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, September 26, in Somerset County Superior Court-Chancery Division, representing the following plaintiffs: The Borough of Rocky Hill; the SavetheMJL nonprofit corporation; Helen Morris; Walter J. Bradhering; Adele Batchelder; William K. Hallman; and Thomas D. Bremner.

MJF was formerly known as the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library Foundation, but changed its name and mission in May 2022.

The suit seeks removal of the current six-member board of trustees and the seating of a new board. It claims the current board of directors of the MJF has “breached its statutory and fiduciary obligations to establish, equip, and maintain a free public library open to the public in Rocky Hill, pursuant to the terms, conditions and restrictions set forth by a trust established in the will of Harold Jacobs.”

The suit further claims the current MJF trustees amended the corporate purpose and mission statement of MJF without seeking the approval of the court, which is in violation of the cy pres doctrine—a principle of law that courts use to save a charitable trust from failing when a charitable objective is originally or later becomes impossible or impracticable to fulfill according to the IRS.

The current board of trustees changed the mission from providing a library in the town Rocky Hill, specifically on Washington Street, to providing “support for projects that promote creativity, sustainability, and engagement.” The new mission supports projects that “ensure the environmental and physical sustainability of the area, and promote peace, understanding, and generosity,” according to a MJF press release dated May 16, 2022.

The new mission would “continue to benefit the community by providing funding for community-based projects that enhance the [geographic] areas in and around Rocky Hill,” according to the MJF press release.

The MJF also listed the building on Washington Street for sale. The plaintiffs seek an injunction to the stop the sale of the building and property.

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The Mary Jacobs Memorial Library was founded in May 1971 as a result of a generous gift from Harold Jacobs in order to honor his wife’s memory and provide benefit to the community of Rocky Hill—the town where she grew up. They are buried in the Rocky Hill Cemetery.

The plaintiffs argue that it is clear from the plain and specific language of the Jacobs Trust that the intent of the trust was to provide a library for the benefit of the residents of Rocky Hill, and no other purpose.

Harold Jacobs purchased the property located at 64 Washington Street, Rocky Hill and funded the erection of the current library building on that site. The purpose for which the corporation is formed is to establish, equip and maintain a free library open to the public in the Borough of Rocky Hill, which library shall be known as the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, and by no other name.

This corporate purpose remained unchanged from 1972 until January 28, 2022, when the current board filed a certificate of amendment of its certificate of formation.

According to the complaint, MJF’s financial documents show that the original endowment from the Jacobs estate of $800,000 has grown to the present amount of approximately $3.4 million (plus approximately $200,000 in cash). The annual investment income earned is approximately $100,000. Further, the value of the library building was appraised at $3.5 million in April of 2019.

Since 2011, Montgomery Township and the Rocky Hill both voluntarily contributed funds for the operation of the library, Rocky Hill has further directed its mandatory library tax to the SCLC in addition to voluntary municipal contributions to the library.

The Mary Jacobs Foundation

Cary Dawson of Rocky Hill, who became president of the foundation in 2018, and MJF Trustee Michelle Jacob responded to an email from The Montgomery News, saying that they could not comment because they had not yet been served with the lawsuit as of September 26.

According to the MJF website, the current board is comprised of six people: Cary Dawson;

Michelle Jacob; Smitha Parakkal; Crissy Blanos; Phil Kartsonis; and Rasheeda Pretto.

As The Montgomery News went to press on September 26, it received the following statement from MJF by email.

“The Mary Jacobs Foundation has heard rumors for months about a potential lawsuit brought by the governing body of the Borough of Rocky Hill. We are saddened by this development, but we have not seen a copy of any lawsuit and therefore cannot comment on it.

“The [MJF] board has been working to build community by voluntarily providing a location for the library branch when no one else was willing to, and working with the Somerset County Library Commission to ensure that it would provide some level of library services in the borough for at least two years after the Montgomery Library opened.

“The Mary Jacobs Neighborhood Library, a branch of the Somerset County Library System, has been beautifully renovated and is open Mondays from 10 am to 2 pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2 pm to 6 pm; and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm (hours set by SCLS).”

“The Mary Jacobs Foundation was established to honor Mary Jacobs’s memory and enhance the community. The [MJF] trustees of the foundation intend to continue this mission and defend itself against the attempt to stop its efforts to benefit the community.”

Kevin Hart, from the Stark & Stark firm based in Hamilton Township, has a retainer agreement to provide legal services to the borough related to MJF. ■

[This article was updated on September 30, 2023. The MJF has six trustees (not five). A clarification was also made regarding the appraisal of the MJF building.]

The Rocky Hill-based foundation formerly known as The Mary Jacobs Memorial Library Foundation, which holds about a $3.4 million endowment plus a building appraised at $3.5 million, filed a 362-page document in New Jersey Superior Court on November 20 stating it is not legally bound nor are they under any obligation to use their assets to provide a library in the borough.

Mary Jacobs, the namesake of the Rocky Hill library.

The foundation stated in the legal documents that it “reasonably believes it can honor [the late Harold Jacobs’] intent to honor his late wife, Mary Jacobs, by amending the foundation’s initial purpose.” The foundation, which now calls itself the Mary Jacobs Foundation (MJF) concludes that a library is no longer needed in Rocky Hill, in its court documents.

“With the advent of the Internet, a physical library is no longer needed as a gathering place and a place to access information,” according to MJF legal documents. “In fact, society has access to infinitely more information which may be found in a library, instantly on cellular phones and computers.”

Also, the MJF says Rocky Hill citizens “are not without access to a library ... because a new ... library was established two miles ... [away] in Montgomery.”

Rocky Hill Borough Council had filed a lawsuit on September 26, in Somerset County Superior Court-Chancery Division, representing the following plaintiffs: The Borough of Rocky Hill; the SavetheMJL nonprofit corporation; Helen Morris; Walter J. Bradhering; Adele Batchelder; William K. Hallman; and Thomas D. Bremner.

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The suit claims the current board of directors of the MJF has “breached its statutory and fiduciary obligations to establish, equip, and maintain a free public library open to the public in Rocky Hill, pursuant to the terms, conditions and restrictions set forth by a trust established in the will of Harold Jacobs.”

The MJF board of trustees had changed the mission from providing a library in the town Rocky Hill. It now plans to fund “projects that promote creativity, sustainability, and community engagement.”

Specifically, the MJF says it now supports projects that “ensure the environmental and physical sustainability of the area, and promote peace, understanding, and generosity,” according to a MJF press release dated May 16, 2022.

The new mission would “continue to benefit the community by providing funding for community-based projects that enhance the [geographic] areas in and around Rocky Hill,” according to the MJF press release. The MJF also listed the building on Washington Street for sale. Rocky Hill Borough Council, along with citizens and a nonprofit group, are seeking an injunction to the stop the sale of the building and property.

The suit further claims the MJF trustees improperly amended its mission statement without seeking the approval of the court, which is in violation of the cy pres doctrine—a principle of law that courts use to save a charitable trust from failing when a charitable objective becomes impossible or impracticable to fulfill according to the IRS.

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The Countersuit

The MJF claims that Rocky Hill Borough officials and certain citizens have “damaged the library building’s value, the reputation of the foundation and of the individual board members.” The MJF also says “the foundation’s standing in the community with all of its partners including other community organization, harmed the foundation’s ability to fundraise, and caused other losses and damages to the foundation.” The MJF also cites specific citizens in a third-party complaint. They also argue that what they did in changing the mission and name of the foundation was appropriate and legal.

Background

The Mary Jacobs Memorial Library was founded in May 1971 as a result of a generous gift from Harold Jacobs in order to honor his wife’s memory and provide benefit to the community of Rocky Hill—the town where she grew up. Harold and Mary Jacobs are now buried in the Rocky Hill Cemetery. The Rocky Hill Borough Council lawsuit argues that it is clear from the plain and specific language of the Jacobs Trust that the intent of the trust was to provide a library for the benefit of the residents of Rocky Hill, and no other purpose. Harold Jacobs purchased the property located at 64 Washington Street, Rocky Hill and funded the erection of the current library building on that site. The purpose for which the corporation is formed is to establish, equip and maintain a free library open to the public in the Borough of Rocky Hill, which library shall be known as the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, and by no other name.

This corporate purpose remained unchanged from 1972 until January 28, 2022, when the current board filed a certificate of amendment of its certificate of formation. According to the complaint, MJF’s financial documents show that the original endowment from the Jacobs estate of $800,000 has grown to approximately $3.4 million (plus approximately $200,000 in cash). The annual investment income earned is approximately $100,000. Further, the value of the library building was appraised at $3.5 million in April of 2019.

Conclusion

The MJF concludes that it has made every possible attempt to carry out Harold Jacobs’ intent. The library is no longer needed and has “seen a significant reduction in visitors.” “In June 2023, the MJF was told by the [Somerset County Library System] that the number of visitors to the library has decreased and is less than anticipated,” according to the MJF legal documents. It remains to be seen what will happen in court.

The Pacific Southern (PS) Model Railroad Show in Rocky Hill will once again be open to the public on October 14 and 15.

The display, which is the size of a basketball court, is a labor of love for the PS members who have hand laid its 10 miles of HO-gauge track, built most of the scenery and many of the buildings, and even written software to help with operations during the club’s six decades.

The HO model railroad display in Rocky Hill.

The abbreviation “HO” stands for “half-O.” The smaller trains were less expensive and took up less space than their larger O-scale cousins, which became popular with people who were moving into small homes and apartments in the 1940s

Member Jim Agallaco says, “There’s a lot of creativity. People who visit the show are amazed by the artistry.”

One example of this is the saw mill that Rocky Hill resident Carl Pate built. He visited saw mills and factories in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine to come up with its design. Its frame, with timbers the size of matchsticks, was constructed from one six-foot by five-inch by three-inch piece of basswood.

Pate used a miniature table saw to cut the width of each board. He says, “Half of the wood was lost in the sawdust during the first cut to create the thickness of miniature lumber board needed to build the building.”

The HO model railroad display in Rocky Hill.

The artistry applies to most of the trains as well. Agallaco states, “Some trains are purchased, but a lot of them are scratch built, or hand made.”

Pate’s circus train took two years to build. Initially 23 cars, the train was later expanded to 35 cars. Pate’s wife Anne recalls, “He’d build things while watching television. Our children knew, ‘Don’t touch Daddy’s stuff!’” The longest train in the show is 75 cars.

The Pate Brothers Circus Tent is modeled after the Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus that Pate saw in Greenwich, Connecticut 50 years ago. Watching the tent as it was raised and later taken down allowed Pate to build his tent like the real thing. After Pate and his family collected sand from a playground in Cos Cob, Connecticut, he sifted it many times before carefully spreading it on the circus floor.

In the last few years, PS members have been constructing a large modular freight yard. It is modeled after New York City’s 28th Street railyard in the 1940’s, and includes a wharf and a container dock area. Agallaco notes, “Before there were interstate highways, this is how New York City was fed.”

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Some of the buildings are kits but others are scratch built. Agallaco explains, “The backdrops are photos that were purchased. But the mountains, bridges, and rivers were all hand built.” Some scenes in the PS display are true to life, such as the Port of Montreal and the Tunkhannock Viaduct with the mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania as a backdrop. Others combine the builder’s imagination with actual places. These include Harper’s Ferry, with a ferry boat built by PS founder, Bob Latham; Spike’s Peak; and a small town with a court house, town hall, diner, and hotel.

There is a model of the Rocky Hill train depot, circa 1915. Latham built it from a picture he received from the daughter of a man who worked at the depot. A plaque in front of it explains, “Inside the station is a waiting room, ticket window, and trainmaster office. To the right of the station is a water tower to fill passing steam engines. If you listen carefully, you may hear the water fill ups of some steam engine tenders and workers talking in the background.”

The PS members are currently constructing a train connection that runs below the existing tracks. Agallaco points out, “It’s a simple idea, but a massive amount of work. They’re working from below the display.”

Front and center: Carl Pate of Rocky Hill with members of The Pacific Southern (PS) Model Railroad club.

Recent software updates include those by member Jeff Bernardis to the dispatcher software. The code was originally written by member Geoff Green over several decades. It assists in assigning train routes and controlling their speed and setting switches and signals. It also allows members to see where the trains are via a monitor.

Agallaco says people love finding the “Easter egg” surprises in the display including zip liners, mountain climbers, art students painting inside a building, campers with their tent and campfire, and a forest fire that lights up.

The members of the PS invite the public to come and enjoy this unique 4,000 square foot display which showcases their artistic skills in combination with their electronic and software expertise.

The PS railroad train shows will be held October 14 and 15 at 10 am, 11 am, noon, 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm at 26 Washington Street in Rocky Hill.

Admission is $10 per person (age 5 and under are free), paid via cash, credit card, or personal check, at the door. Parking is on the street, so arrive early. Each 45-minute show is limited to 50 guests.

Please note that masks are required for all visitors.

Somerset County officials have declared a state of emergency due to severe wind, heavy rains, and localized flooding, according to a press release issued at 11 pm on January 9.

The State of Emergency will last for the duration of the storm. All non-essential travel should be curtailed, and only essential vehicles should be on the road, according to Somerset County Spokesperson Nathan Rudy.

For those who are already on the roads or who may be required to travel, the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management cautions drivers to respect road closures and never to drive into standing water.

"Even seemingly low waters could be masking damaged roads that may disable a vehicle, and rising waters could result in severe injuries and possibly death," according to the Emergency Management Office.

Residents may sign up to receive email and text messages regarding this and future emergency situation by visiting https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/about/emergency-alerts.

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As of 10:15 pm tonight (Tuesday), the Millstone River flood stage was 6.4 feet, according to the Somerset County Public Safety Office.

The Griggstown Causeway closes due to flooding at 6 feet. At 7 feet, several more causeways are closed due to flooding.

At 9 feet, flood stage reached with flooding now along River Road in Blackwells Mills and S. River Street in Millstone. Base of Route 533 bridge floods. River Road between Yorktown and Amsterdam is subject to closure. Canal Road near Suydam Road floods.

At 10 feet, The D&R Canal is flooded by the Millstone River. At 13 feet, Washington Street and several businesses in Rocky Hill are flooded.

The river is expected to rise above flood stage just after midnight tonight (Tuesday) to a crest of 13.2 feet tomorrow evening. It will then fall below flood stage Thursday evening.

Flood History—This crest compares to a previous crest of 13.2 feet on 12/21/1973. Visit http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood for more information.

River Road (County Route 605 in Montgomery Township at the Princeton border) was closed Tuesday night due to flooding.

Governor Phil Murphy declared that New Jersey entered a State of Emergency effective at 5 pm on Tuesday, January 9 because of severe storms causing hazardous weather conditions including heavy rain, high winds, and flash flooding.

Executive Order No. 350declares a State of Emergency across all 21 counties in New Jersey, basically allowing resources to be deployed throughout the state during the duration of the storm.

“Continuing through Wednesday morning, we are expecting one to four inches of heavy rain, strong winds, and potential inland and coastal flooding,” said Governor Murphy. “This storm will exacerbate the effects of the inclement conditions we experienced in December and this past weekend and may precede another storm Friday night. As always, I urge all New Jerseyans to follow all safety protocols and remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary.”