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Township honors Fellowship Village and AANHPI Heritage Month; residents urge action on sign vandalism and drug drop-off access
Summary
At the May 12 meeting Bernards Township recognized Fellowship Village's 30th anniversary and proclaimed Asian‑American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month; residents during public comment shared a personal story about the value of local cultural diversity and raised concerns about campaign sign vandalism and the accessibility of the municipal drug drop‑off box.
The Bernards Township Committee used part of its May 12 meeting to recognize two community milestones and to hear residents' concerns.
The body adopted Resolution 2026-260 to mark Fellowship Village's 30th anniversary. Mayor Dwarte McCarthy and other committee members shared personal stories about the organization's role in the community. Mark Aguilar, identified in the transcript as the executive director of Fellowship Village, thanked the committee and described the organization's outreach to older adults in the township. "For the past 30 years, Fellowship Village has been truly grateful for the support, our cooperation, and guidance we have received from Bernards Township," he said.
The committee also adopted Resolution 2026-261 recognizing May as Asian‑American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Representatives from local groups accepted the honor: Gotham Kupla of the Basking Ridge Indian Community thanked the township for recognizing the group's tenth anniversary, and Helen Zang of the Bernards Chinese American Association said the resolution affirmed members' sense of belonging in the township.
During the public comment period a resident, Nancy Dandrea, told a personal story about how local school and community cultural groups helped her son feel included and exposed him to language and traditions. "From having the diversity in our town ... he looked at Ridge and said I've got opportunities here that I didn't have before," she said, describing how her son joined cultural clubs and learned Mandarin.
At the second public comment, resident Todd Stein described repeated incidents of campaign sign vandalism in his neighborhood and said he would report anyone he observed damaging signs to police. He also recounted attending a scheduled drug take‑back event where he observed modest participation and an unattended collection box in the municipal lobby. He asked why the lobby can't be kept unlocked or why a protected indoor drop box could not be maintained so residents could dispose of medications more conveniently and safely.
Committee members acknowledged the concerns about signs and the drug drop‑off box and encouraged continued dialogue and appropriate enforcement. The mayor and clerk reiterated that public comment is the forum for raising civic issues and thanked residents for participating.
