Middletown Mayor Tony Perry is doing one terrific job of reminding residents of the area how important Middletown and Monmouth County have always been in the history of the nation.
He’s also been pretty terrific in combining that history with all the modern events that are continuing to make this area so important in the United States.
All those proud banners the township’s Public Works department is hanging along Route 36 are a reminder that the nation’s third naval vessel named for the Garden State will be commissioned right here at the Leonardo pier next month.
It’s also another sign to Captain Steve Halle, the commanding officer of the nation’s newest submarine, that the Navy is truly welcome in Middletown. Captain Halle was honored at a recent Township Committee meeting when he came to visit the pier.
Mayor Perry noted that the banners going along the highway for the New Jersey (SSN-796) will showcase the patriotism and pride this township has for the military and every veteran who has ever served in any of the wars or is still active duty today.
He showed that same pride and patriotism once again this month when the Daughters of the American Revolution were celebrating the 200th anniversary of Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to America 200 years ago.
Lafayette was a young Frenchman who certainly aided the USA in the Revolution and helped us form a new nation; his tour around the country really did begin right here in Middletown.
But the mayor shows pride in history even before we became the United States as well, as is evidenced by his talk at Stories around the Campfire and learning more about native Americans, recalling the Lenni Lenape were the earliest settlers in and around the Bayshore.
Nor is Captain Halle the only nationally known personality who just visited Middletown. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was also the Mayor’s guest at a township meeting, and our own former State Senator Joe Kyrillos was right there with him.
Yet with all the pride and activity for the past, Mayor Perry keeps in mind all the folks who are keeping Middletown such a great township today.
What a great idea to honor all those school crossing guards before they get out on those street corners every morning and afternoon during the school year to ensure safety for all our kids. Congratulations also to Cheryl Amodio Wilson whom he honored for being on the job for 30 years. Cheryl is a popular and beloved figure in the Navesink school area and loves all those kids as much as they love and appreciate her.
