Happy “almost” Spring! I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the work of a few of the departments I serve as the Commissioner Liaison. With warmer weather approaching, it is appropriate to start with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Monmouth County.
Recently the Master Gardeners of Monmouth County celebrated 25 years of service. I was honored to attend their reception to recognize their amazing efforts in supporting home gardeners, growing produce for food pantries, and planting and maintaining gardens throughout Monmouth County. At a recent Commissioner meeting, my fellow Commissioners and I had the opportunity to recognize Bill Errickson for receiving the 2024 New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association’s Distinguished Service Award, for all he has done to support and grow the horticulture industry in Monmouth County and beyond.
As the Commissioner Liaison to both the Board of Elections and the Superintendent of Elections, I am passionate about ensuring our elections in Monmouth County are run as smoothly, fairly, and efficiently as possible. Thank you to our County election officials who did an excellent job overseeing last November’s election. If you are interested in serving as a poll worker for the upcoming primary election, please call the Monmouth County Board of Elections at 732-431-7802, ext. 7150. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 10, with early in-person and vote by mail options available as well. For more information on voting, you can visit MonmouthCountyVotes.com.
The Monmouth County Historical Commission (MCHC) continues to preserve Monmouth County’s rich history for future generations. The MCHC offers its annual “Historic Preservation Awards” which recognizes residents, organizations, businesses, or municipalities who have preserved historic structures in Monmouth County. The deadline to apply this year is Friday, April 18, with Awards Night scheduled for Monday, June 2.
Recently, I was glad to join the MCHC in presenting the 36th annual Preservation Grants and the History Regrants recipients. The Preservation Grants are funded by Monmouth County and help support municipalities and nonprofit organizations by providing matching funds for restoration projects of historic structures. The History Regrant program supports local historical organizations and nonprofits with annual operations as well as special project funding.
Mark your calendars for Weekend in Old Monmouth! Th is annual event provides residents and visitors the opportunity to visit more than 50 historic sites throughout Monmouth County for free. Weekend in Old Monmouth will take place on Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 4 from noon to 5 p.m.
The Monmouth County Division of Consumer Affairs recently hosted the 28th annual Monmouth County Consumer Bowl, which Marlboro High School won for the fourth consecutive time. Best of luck to the Marlboro team as they advance to the Central Region Consumer Bowl and congratulations to the other high schools who participated: Freehold Township, Manalapan, Middletown North and Raritan.
It is always exciting to be able to attend different events around the County, such as Ocean Township’s Joe Palaia Day ceremony, Asbury Park’s Black History Month celebration, swearing-in the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce 2025 Board of Directors, speaking at Christian Brothers Academy for Career Day, and more. You can find me on Instagram @Erik_Andersonnj, on Facebook @Monmouth County Commissioner Erik Anderson and on X @ErikAndersonNJ.It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your County Commissioner. For more information, visit Monmouth County’s website, VisitMonmouth.com.
