Ellen Dickson

Lawton Johnson

RobertKopacz — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:00:51 +0000

Lawton Johnson faced many challenges even at a young age. When he was three, his mother contracted polio and she never walked again. He met his father for the first time when he was 12 years old, and only saw him twice in his life. After graduating from the Summit public school system, he stayed in Summit to teach, and became the Summit School District’s longest tenured faculty member, starting in 1956 and retiring in 2007, a 52-year teaching career. In 2004, the School District named the Summit Middle School after him in his honor. He passed away in 2009.

Ellen’s State of the City Address 2012

RobertKopacz — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:54:17 +0000

Watch the Mayor’s State of the City Address (just under twelve minutes).

Video courtesy of HomeTowneTV.

The Original Phoebe Snow

RobertKopacz — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:03 +0000

Phoebe Snow was a fictional advertising character for the Delaware, Lakawana and Western Railroad. The “Phoebe Snow” rail line ran from Buffalo to Hoboken through Summit. The character Phoebe Snow was dressed in white, symbolizing the lack of soot from the clean-burning coal used by the rail line, which assured passengers that their clothes wouldn’t be soiled with soot during the voyage.

The late singer, Pheobe Ann Laub, who grew up in New Jersey, later adopted the name of this fictional character as her stage name.

Source: Summit Historical Society; Wikipedia

Kent Place School

RobertKopacz — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:07:02 +0000

Kent Place School was founded in 1894 by a group of influential Summit gentlemen who wanted their daughter to enjoy the same intellectual opportunities their sons did when attending the prestigious small prep schools in New England. The rented William H. DeForest’s mansion on Kent Place Boulevard. Sixty students attended that first year and were taught by eight teachers.

Ellen Moves in as Mayor

RobertKopacz — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:44:34 +0000

Mayor Dickson settles in to her offices at City Hall, and considers having regular office hours there.The regular office hours would be an opportunity for residents to meet their Mayor and talk about issues of concern in a less formal setting. Stay tuned for details!

Ellen Dickson Takes the Oath as Summit’s Mayor

RobertKopacz — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:41:02 +0000

Ellen Dickson was sworn in as Summit’s Mayor this past Wednesday evening, to a standing-room-only crowd at City Hall.With her family at her side and State Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz administering the oath. In her State of the City address, she outlined several new initiatives that should push Summit forward in its use of technology and its assurance of public safety for its residents.

To get the full story, click here to read Summit Patch’s account of the evening.

Photo courtesy of Camilo Smith, Summit Patch

Ellen to Be Sworn in This Evening as Summit’s Mayor

RobertKopacz — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:35:49 +0000

Ellen Dickson will be sworn in as Mayor of Summit this evening at the Common Council Reorganization meeting. Stop by beforehand at the reception in City Hall (7:00 pm). The Reorganization Meeting starts at 7:30 pm. After being sworn in and taking her seat, Ellen will deliver her State of the City address.

To read a recent article about Ellen and her plans, click here.

Photo courtesy of Barbara Rybolt, Independent Press.

The French Ovens

RobertKopacz — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:51:31 +0000

In 1781, General Washington’s men built large ovens to feed 3,000 troops encamped on what is now the Summit Municipal Golf Course and the Short Hills Mall. They quickly left, though and tricked the British into thinking that they would attack New York City. Instead, they defeated them in Yorktown, Virginia in what was to to be the last mjor battle of the Revolutionary War.

Old Guard

RobertKopacz — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:47:09 +0000

Begun in the Depression, the club’s purpose was to help businessmen who had lost their jobs. The name came from Napoleon. When saying goodbye to his faithful troops he fondly called them his “old guard.”

Mabie Playground

RobertKopacz — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:40:52 +0000

The author of 28 books, Hamilton Wright Mabie was considered “the high priest of our American culture” in the early 1900s. An American essayist, editor, critic and lecturer, he spread his love of reading throughout America. Instrumental in starting Kent Place School, he also convinced Andrew Carnegie to finance the Public Library. Mabie Playground is named for him.