Public hearing on $525K grant scheduled for April 8

PLUMSTED - Residents, property owners and business owners are invited to attend a public hearing onApril 8 at 7 p.m. in theWelcome Center, 31Main St., to provide comments on the $525,000 Neighborhood Preservation Program grant obtained by the Plumsted Township Committee in preparation of the 2008-09 Strategic Work Plan.

For further information contact Plumsted's NPP/Main Street Organization Executor Director Peter Ylvisaker at (609) 758-6990.

Residents are encouraged to mark their calendars and attend this year's observance of Earth Day, on April 19, at the Plumsted library, Evergreen Road, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information contact the library at (609) 758-7888.

Senior citizens who generally do not file a federal income tax return because their income (including Social Security) is below the financial threshold to do so, will not receive a check of $600 (married) or $300 (single) from the $168 billion economic stimulus program signed into law by President George W. Bush.

The Ocean County Office of Senior Services (1-800-668-4899) will help seniors fill out the one-page 1040A form to qualify them for the payments. For married couples, only $3,000 in annual income is needed to qualify for the $600 check.

Senior citizens in Plumsted who need assistance in completing and filing their federal and state income tax returns in advance of the April 15 deadline are encouraged to call toll free the Ocean County Office of Senior Services at 1-800-668-4899. An experienced and trained volunteer tax aide is available at the Plumsted library on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. by appointment.

Mayor Ron Dancer offered a bit of local history this week when he noted that Plumsted and neighboring Jackson share Civil War history and a hero.

David Southard died on May 4, 1895, and is buried at Plumsted's Old Zion Cemetery on Veterans Highway (Route 528), near Fischer Road.

On his grave, in commemoration of his bravery, is an engraving of the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, which is the highest award a soldier can receive for serving above and beyond the call of duty. Since the medal was authorized in 1862, there have been 3,445 soldiers awarded the honor, many posthumously to their families.

According to Dancer, when the Civil War started in 1861, Southard traveled from Jackson to Florence, Burlington County, to join the 1st N.J. Cavalry. By the time the unit fought in the Battle of Sailor's Creek, Va., on April 6, 1865, Sgt. Southard was only 19 years old.

At Sailor's Creek, his unit charged across an open field against Confederate soldiers who were protected in small trenches called rifle pits. Southard was in that attack and, according to the official Army report, he captured a battle flag and was thrown from his horse. For this distinguished action, Southard was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

More than 9,900 casualties were recorded during the Battle of Sailor's Creek.