Welcome to Township of South Brunswick

For further information, contact:

Jennifer Poppy

   South Brunswick Township

Public Affairs

    732-329-4000, ext. 7275

SOUTH BRUNSWICK HONORS KOREAN WAR VETERAN JOHN MORGAN HARDING JR. WITH STREET DEDICATION

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Oct. 16)—

South Brunswick Township dedicated Harding Court at the intersection of Old Beekman Road and Joye Lane in honor of Private First Class John Morgan Harding Jr., a decorated Korean War veteran and longtime Monmouth Junction resident.

PFC Harding’s family—including his wife, Phyllis; daughter, Tracey, with her son Brian; and son, John Morgan Harding III “Duke,” with his wife Karen and daughter Riley—joined Mayor Charlie Carley, Deputy Mayor Ken Bierman, Councilmembers Jo Hochman, Archana “Ann” Grover, and Patty Germain, Township Manager Bryan Bidlack, Deputy Township Manager Julie Trammell, representatives of local veterans’ organizations including the VFW and American Legion, members of the South Brunswick Police Department and Honor Guard, and community residents for the ceremony honoring his military service and legacy.

The commemorative street sign was unveiled as part of the Township’s Veteran Street Sign Program, which inscribes the names of wartime veterans on secondary street signs along existing municipal roads to ensure their service and sacrifice inspire future generations.

Born in New Brunswick in 1932, Harding entered the United States Army on February 1, 1950. During the Korean War, he served with distinction in Headquarters & Service Company, 151st Engineer Combat Battalion, carrying out vital combat engineering operations on the front lines. He was honorably discharged on January 31, 1953.

For his exemplary and courageous service, Private First Class Harding was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Badge, and the State of New Jersey Korean War Commemorative Medal.

Following his military discharge, Harding became a long-time resident of Monmouth Junction on Old Beekman Road, living a life grounded in devotion to his family, community, and fellow service members as a member of the American Legion.

“To Phyllis, to Tracey, to Duke and Karen, to Brian, Jack and Riley, and to the family: thank you for sharing Morgan with this township, in uniform and out of it. On behalf of South Brunswick Township, it is our honor to dedicate this sign in his memory.” Mayor Charlie Carley said.

The ceremony featured opening remarks from Public Affairs Coordinator Jennifer Poppy, the Pledge of Allegiance and military history presented by VFW Post Commander Scott Weyd, and the official council resolution reading by Deputy Mayor Ken Bierman. Remarks were shared by Harding’s daughter, Tracey, and son, Duke, before the family unveiled the new street sign. Tracey Harding nominated her father for the program.

For more information about South Brunswick Township’s Veteran Street Sign Program, visit southbrunswicknj.gov/public-relations/veteran-street-sign/

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For further information, contact:

Jennifer Poppy

   South Brunswick Township

Public Affairs

    732-329-4000, ext. 7275

SOUTH BRUNSWICK HONORS KOREAN WAR VETERAN
AND FORMER POLICE OFFICER CHARLES WIGGS WITH STREET DEDICATION

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Sept. 28)— South Brunswick Township on Saturday dedicated Wiggs Way at Roberts Street and Williams Road in Kendall Park in honor of Charles Arthur Wiggs, 95, a Korean War Navy veteran, former township police officer and longtime Kendall Park resident.

Wiggs and his family joined Mayor Charlie Carley, Councilwoman Jo Hochman, Councilwoman Archana “Ann” Grover, Councilwoman Patty Germain, Township Manager Bryan Bidlack, Deputy Township Manager Julie Trammell, representatives of veterans organizations, members of the South Brunswick Police Department, including Chief Jim Ryan and the department’s honor guard, and residents for the ceremony, held under the township’s Veteran Street Sign Program.

“He revived a neighbor’s child, he patrolled these streets at night, he built a church’s pulpit in his garage, he built that church where it stands today, and he learned the tango with Jean,” Mayor Carley said, “In those years Kendall Park was houses and streets. Neighbors like Jack Wiggs made it a town.”

Wiggs was born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1931 and enlisted in the Navy in Chicago on October 12, 1948. He trained as a metalsmith and served aboard the battleship USS New Jersey during its 1951 deployment to Korea. He was honorably discharged October 3, 1952. His decorations include the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and Korean Presidential Unit Citation.

Wiggs and his wife, Jean, settled in Kendall Park in 1957, on Palmer Road and later on Roberts Street, where the family lived until 1995. Known to his neighbors as Jack, he was one of eight special police officers appointed when the township formed a part-time night police force in January 1960, and he served on the force through the 1960s. In 1959 he revived a neighbor’s 18-month-old daughter after the child nearly drowned, and in 1960 he helped build the pulpit for Christ the King Lutheran Church in his garage. Wiggs and Jean were married 72 years; she passed in 2023. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren attended the ceremony.

The ceremony included remarks from Scott Weyd, commander of VFW Post 9111, on Wiggs’ naval service.  Police Chief Jim Ryan also spoke and presented Wiggs with an official South Brunswick Police retirement badge in recognition of his service to the department.  Councilwoman Germain read the resolution, and Wiggs and members of his family unveiled the sign. His grandson Michael Treiber nominated him for the program.

The Veteran Street Sign Program honors South Brunswick residents who served in wartime with commemorative signs on existing municipal roads. For more information, visit southbrunswicknj.gov/public-relations/veteran-street-sign/.

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For further information, contact:

Jennifer Poppy

   South Brunswick Township

Public Affairs

    732-329-4000, ext. 7275

SOUTH BRUNSWICK DEDICATES KORNACIVICH PLACE IN HONOR OF VIETNAM WAR VETERAN

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Sept. 21)— South Brunswick Township dedicated Kornacivich Place on Saturday in honor of Ronald John Kornacivich, a Vietnam War veteran and longtime South Brunswick resident who served in the United States Army.

Specialist Four Kornacivich’s wife, Cheryl, joined Mayor Charlie Carley, Deputy Mayor Ken Bierman, Councilwoman Jo Hochman, Councilwoman Archana “Ann” Grover, Township Manager Bryan Bidlack, representatives of local veterans organizations, members of the South Brunswick Police Department and Honor Guard, and residents for the ceremony honoring his military service and legacy.

The commemorative street sign was unveiled at the intersection of Ridge Road and Marc Drive, closest to Georges Road, as part of the Township’s Veteran Street Sign Program. The sign honors Kornacivich’s military service and his years as a member of the South Brunswick community.

Kornacivich was born in 1950 in Somerville and grew up in Manville. He entered the U.S. Army on Feb. 18, 1969, during the Vietnam War and served with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He served as a Radio Teletypewriter Operator, Wireman and Sniper before continuing his service with the U.S. Army in Germany and later the Army Reserve. He was honorably discharged in 1975.

For his military service, Kornacivich received the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Parachute Badge.

Following his military service, Kornacivich made South Brunswick his home for more than 30 years. He worked for Verizon for more than 30 years as a Maintenance Cable Splicer and was a member of IBEW Local 827 and the Telephone Pioneers. He was also active in local veterans organizations and the Super Highway Buck Club of Monmouth Junction.

“From the people who knew him, if you needed help, Ron showed up. He kept his word. He lent his tools, his time and his knowledge without being asked twice,” Mayor Charlie Carley said. “Today, here, we make sure his name stays part of this town. Every person who drives past Kornacivich Place will see it… Now it is written into the streets he lived on.”

The ceremony included remarks from VFW Post 9111 Commander Scott Weyd, who spoke about Kornacivich’s military service and sacrifice. Cheryl Kornacivich accepted the tribute on behalf of the family.

Kornacivich passed away in 2012 at age 62. The Veteran Street Sign Program provides a lasting tribute to South Brunswick residents who served as wartime veterans, with commemorative signs installed along existing municipal roads.

“Every time someone passes Kornacivich Place, they will see the name of a soldier who put his life on the line for this country,” Weyd said during the ceremony.

The ceremony concluded with Taps played by Paul G. Feldman of Taps for Veterans.

For more information about South Brunswick Township’s Veteran Street Sign Program, visit southbrunswicknj.gov/public-relations/veteran-street-sign/.

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For further information, contact:

Jennifer Poppy

   South Brunswick Township

Public Affairs

    732-329-4000, ext. 7275

STATEMENT OF MAYOR CHARLIE CARLEY ON THE PASSING OF BUDDY THOMAS

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Sept. 17)— We learned today that Buddy Thomas has passed away. He was 88. South Brunswick has lost a Marine, a husband, a father and a friend, and our hearts are with his family.

I have directed that flags at all municipal buildings fly at half-staff in his memory through the next week.

Buddy was born in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1938, in the very hard years of the Great Depression. He joined the Marines in 1959 and served with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. Marines called that battalion “The Walking Dead” for the men it lost in Vietnam. At Da Nang, Buddy took a bullet to the abdomen. He earned the Purple Heart and came home a sergeant in 1965.

He made his home here, among us, and he met Christine. They were married 56 years. Few of us will be so lucky.

South Brunswick is Christine’s town. She worked for more than 25 years as a paraprofessional in our schools, and a generation of our children knew her. I knew her for the joy she brought each morning when I walked my own children to Brunswick Acres School. I was, of course, much younger then and in memory, every day the sun shone, and Mrs. Thomas had a smile and a hug. In their way, a real way, she and Buddy taught me and my wife to love this town.

They worshiped at St. Cecilia’s. Anyone who knew them will tell you the same thing: they met you with a hug and a smile, and you left feeling better than when you came.

Buddy and Christine raised three children in this town: Joseph, Constance and Michael. Joseph followed his father into the Marines. Buddy and Christine lost Joseph and Constance before their time.

Christine passed in 2022. Buddy, a Marine after all, carried his grief and kept serving. He worked the Marine Toys for Tots drive each holiday season. He fought to raise the POW/MIA flag at every public school and township building, and it flies there today. It flies at the schools where Christine worked.

In 2019 our town named Buddy a South Brunswick Living Local Legend. On Veterans Day 2024 we put his name on the street sign at Hillside Avenue and New Road in Monmouth Junction. That sign will stand long after all of us. Everyone who stops at that corner will read the name of a man who gave his country his blood and gave this town the work of his life.

Buddy is with Christine, Constance and Joseph again. To his son Michael and daughter-in-law Natalie, his granddaughters Constance and Kandace, his great-grandson Ryder and all who loved him: South Brunswick remembers, and we will not forget him.

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For further information, contact:

Jennifer Poppy

   South Brunswick Township

Public Affairs

    732-329-4000, ext. 7275

MAYOR CARLEY PROCLAIMS SEPTEMBER 13–19, 2026, AS DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION WEEK IN SOUTH BRUNSWICK

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Sept. 16)— Mayor Charlie Carley has officially issued a proclamation designating September 13 through September 19, 2026, as Direct Support Professional Recognition Week in the Township of South Brunswick.

The proclamation honors the dedication, compassionate care, and vital contributions of more than 30,000 Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) across New Jersey—including those serving locally through The Arc Middlesex County—who support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Direct Support Professionals provide essential day-to-day services that empower children and adults with developmental disabilities to live fulfilling, independent lives within their communities. Their support spans personal care, learning key life skills, and facilitating participation in school, work, home, religious, and recreational activities.

“Direct Support Professionals build strong, trusting relationships that enrich the lives of both the individuals they assist and our community as a whole,” said Mayor Carley. “South Brunswick is proud to recognize the invaluable workers at The Arc Middlesex County and across our region whose unwavering commitment strengthens our community and supports our residents.”

The Township of South Brunswick extends its sincere gratitude and deepest admiration to all Direct Support Professionals for their daily impact and tireless dedication.

About Direct Support Professional Recognition Week

Celebrated nationally and statewide, Direct Support Professional Recognition Week highlights the essential workforce that enables individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to fully participate in community life and exercise full citizenship.

About The Arc Middlesex County

The Arc Middlesex County is dedicated to providing advocacy, services, and support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, fostering inclusion and personal growth throughout Middlesex County.

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For further information, contact:

Jennifer Poppy

   South Brunswick Township

Public Affairs

    732-329-4000, ext. 7275

SOUTH BRUNSWICK MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11 WITH MEMORIAL CEREMONY

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Sept. 11)— South Brunswick Township gathered Friday at the Remembrance Fountain to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, honoring those who lost their lives, those who have since died from the lasting effects of that day and the firefighters, police officers, paramedics and other first responders who answered the call.

The ceremony began with an Honor Guard processional accompanied by bagpipes and included an invocation and closing prayer by Rev. Charles T. O’Connor of St. Cecilia Catholic Church and chaplain for the South Brunswick Police Department. The South Brunswick High School Viking Marching Band performed the National Anthem, Taps and God Bless America.

Mayor Charlie Carley reflected on the lasting impact of September 11 and the importance of passing its memory to future generations.

“Twenty-five years on, memory becomes inheritance,” Mayor Carley said. “It falls to us to carry this day to those who have no memory of their own: to tell our children not only what happened, but what it asked of us, and what it asks of us still. Courage, like the firefighters and police officers and paramedics who climbed those endless stairs. They knew what was above them. They went anyway.”

Deputy Mayor Ken Bierman read the names of four South Brunswick-area residents who were killed in the attacks: Mukul K. Agarwal of Kendall Park, Kenneth Charles Ledee of Monmouth Junction, Jeffrey Robinson of Monmouth Junction and Toyena C. Skinner of Kingston. The ceremony also remembered all those who have since been lost to the lasting effects of September 11.

South Brunswick’s fire, police, EMS and rescue personnel laid four wreaths in honor of those lost, followed by a moment of silence. Lt. William Merkler performed bagpipes during the wreath-laying.

“Twenty-five years have passed, but the courage and sacrifice of September 11th remain forever etched in our hearts,” said Chief Chris Perez of the Kendall Park Fire Company. “We remember the firefighters and first responders who gave everything, the families who were left behind, and the countless acts of courage that followed. As firefighters, we carry their memory with us every time we put on the uniform and answer the call. We will never forget.”

Also participating in the ceremony were Mayor Carley, Deputy Mayor Bierman, Sen. Andrew Zwicker, Assemblyman Roy Freiman and Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis. Representatives from the offices of Gov. Mikie Sherrill and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim were also in attendance, along with members of the South Brunswick Fire Department, Police Department, EMS and rescue organizations, veterans organizations and the community.

Twenty-five years later, South Brunswick gathered once again to remember those lost and honor the courage and sacrifice of all who responded.

“We will never forget.”

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