Howell VFW gets space in local building
BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer

HOWELL- Veterans of ForeignWars Post 9691 finally has some space in Howell to call its own.

Municipal officials announced last week that the VFW post will be provided space at the Howell Youth and Family Services building onAdelphia Road (Route 524).

The announcement will bring the veterans home. For the past decade the 95 men and 26 women of the Howell Memorial Post 9691 have been using the community center in neighboring Farmingdale as a home base.

In announcing that the VFW would be provided with space in Howell, Mayor Joseph DiBella said, "A tenant that once provided services for the township was able to move to a different location, creating a vacancy in the township. We designated the open office space to the VFW."

Plans that were discussed years ago called for the VFW post to be given Howell's former emergency management building on Squankum Road but that never materialized. The Township Council eventually directed the township manager to find space for the VFW.

Former VFW Post Commander Ben Novick, who has lobbied for a permanent home in Howell, said the first order of business once the post has settled in to its new location will be letting Howell residents know that the VFW has returned.

"We want to let people know we are back in Howell," Novick said, adding that the new office space will assist the VFW in its mission to "help all the young troops coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan make the transition back into civilian life."

In addition to providing a warm welcome home for the troops, other objectives the VFW is engaged in are the Voice of Democracy essay contest for high school students, and Patriots Pen, which both offer monetary rewards; trips to a veterans home inMenlo Park; and sending care packages to troops serving overseas.

Township Councilman Robert Walsh said he is glad to see the VFW is getting a place to call its own.

"I am thrilled that they finally have space. This has been dragged out for over three years. The simple fact is that we cannot give anyone or any organization a public building. By law it must go out to auction.We will see where things go in the future," Walsh said.