This Day in History: 1940-08-26
Nine Mahwah youths were reprimanded and fined $2 each court costs on charges of disorderly conduct by Recorder Frank Young. They had been congregating nightly in front of a chain store on Valley Road managed by Edward Bailey. Bailey finally summoned Chief Smith when the boys became boisterous and used offensive language to customers and passing motorists. Jack Reich, operator of a tavern next door tried to reason with the boys but got nowhere. The incident served to bring public attention to the lack of recreation facilities in the community. In a letter signed by “J. V. B.” which appeared in that week’s Ramsey Journal, the situation was a long standing one. If nothing can be done to provide “a place with a clean, wholesome environment” for such boys they will move on to further offenses, and perhaps reform school or state prison, the author maintained. If the churches and lodges cannot meet the need, he asserted, the community as a whole should create some sort of recreational program so that basically decent boys should not have to congregate on street corners. Recorder Young said that he sympathizes with the nine, all first offenders, but that local businessmen must be able to operate their establishments without crowds of people congregating outside their premises using loud and obscene language. (Bristow)