2009: MOTHERS' DAY AT SAYEN GARDENS

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
It's lovliness increases.
It will never pass into nothingness."

Keats

A very grateful tip of the hat to those Hamilton workers throughout the township who have worked so hard in all weather to make the many beautiful parks and recreation areas in Hamilton Township. Another tip of the hat to our former Mayors Maurice Perilli, who was responsible for the acquisition of the original "Hamilton Park," (today's Veterans' Park), and Jack Rafferty, who was instrumental in the acquisition of Kuser Farm and Sayen Gardens.

1994: SAYEN GARDENS TO OPEN IN MAY

Even as Maury Perilli was the Mayor who began the process of founding our beautiful Veterans' Park, so too was Jack Rafferty the Mayor to whom we should all be grateful for bringing two local treasures: Kuser Farm Park and Sayen Gardens. Kuser Farm was saved from the developer's bulldozer, thanks to the Rafferty administration's determined efforts to keep Hamilton as green as possible. Ms. Doris Rafferty and her corp of talented ladies brought back the ambiance that was the original Fred Sayen home, while the township Public Works employees restored the beautiful outdoor landscaping.
In recent years, the glory years of municipal financial responsibility has left us. Kuser Farm's one-of-a-kind Carriage house is falling into ruin. The rear of the building could soon be beyond salvaging. The old chicken house was set ablaze a few years ago by ignorant vandals, and the roof has been covered with a tarp for a year of two. The Kuser tennis court, acknowledged to have been among the finest clay courts in New Jersey, has become a weed infested eyesore which served as an animal display in recent Kuser Winter Wonderland affairs. All these historic treasures are victims of the financial crisis we are experiencing here in Hamilton Township.

1977: Mr. Harry Sayen

This portrait photo was borrowed from the following post wherein Mr. Sayen received a YMCA award from Jack Lacy and Bob Innocenzi. This is one of two photos I have of Mr. Sayen in the "NOTABLE PERSONS" folder.

FRED SAYEN ("SIGH-EN")

PLEASE.....THE LAST NAME IS SAYEN..."SIGH-EN." I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE CALL PRONOUNCE IT "SAY-EN," AND "SINE." HOW CAN I SPEAK SO AUTHORITATIVELY ON HOW THE LAST NAME IS PRONOUNCED? WELL, WHEN I WORKED FOR THE KUSERS BACK IN THE 40'S AND 50'S, A LOVELY LADY WAS A REGULAR VISITOR IN HER LITTLE 1947 FORD CLUB COUPE. HER NAME WAS JANE SAYEN AND YES, IT WAS PRONOUNCED, "SIGH-EN." PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU VISIT "SIGH-EN" GARDENS. JANE LOVED TO PAINT. SHE GAVE ONE OF HER PAINTINGS TO FRITZ AND EDNA KUSER. IT WAS A PAINTING OF A CORNER OF THE KUSER HOUSE. I BELIEVE IT IS STILL HANGING IN THE KUSER MAIN FRONT LIVING ROOM.