This Day in History: 1942-01-08
The Mahwah page of the Ramsey Journal contained a number of appeals to residents of the Township mostly related directly to the national defense emergency. As more and more men were drafted into the armed services there was an appeal for volunteers for the Fire Department, especially during the daylight hours. Mrs. Charles Hallenback, the Mahwah coordinator for the airplane observation post asked for more volunteers so that the post could be staffed 24 hours each day. Volunteers were to call her or the local Defense Board in the firehouse. The Defense Board asked that all residents return their defense questionnaires immediately. These would enable the board to enlist the help of all members of their community in the various defense committees then being formed. The local unit of the Red Cross Sewing group, which was meeting every Monday at the Reformed Church Chapel issued a call for sewers. Especially needed were those with portable sewing machines. The unit had a very large quota of garments and surgical bandages to meet and need as many volunteers as the building could hold.
(Bristow)