I would like to extend my sincerest thanks and appreciation to those individuals who assisted to make this ambitious film project a reality. Any project one pursues takes a team and this was no different. I was surrounded and supported by an amazing team of individuals who helped to make this possible. 

To the entire Historical Committee, both past and present, including but not limited to, Barbara Diem, Dorothy Addario, Betty Jean Aldrich, Betse Titus, Lynn Stahl, Lynn Franklin, Richard Stomber, Dave Mobus, Steve Black, Tim Logan, Ralph Diem, Amber Murad, Chris Blackadar, Mary Ann Weber, Seth Alexander, Stephen Pote, Fred Hayeck, Don Monetti, Maureen Greenbaum, Karen Jubin, Michael DeParto, Robert Mayers, Keli Leunes, Emily White, John Guzman, and Sue Tucker who have shared so much history over the years with so many people and now with us to create this film. They have been supportive through finding photos, fact checking our interviews, assisting in write ups for the films as well as guidance on how to best capture history. It has been a joy working with all of you in some way, shape, or form. None of this would be possible without your expertise, kindness and time! It is always humbling to work with people so knowledgeable about the history of the place I grew up.

Watchung residents including Dianna Beck Clemens, Ray Adams, Gary Greves, Paul Ost, Don Scotti, Sue Tucker, Dr. Richard Wellbrock, Bob Mayers, Rich Brown, Gil Legg, David Page, Jeff Taylor, Jack Valente, Rui Branco, Ali Diecke, Liana Sa, Denise Wilson, Justin and Cindy Scalara, The Erickson Family, Virginia “Ginna” Pratt Malcolm, Gary Greves, Russell and Dawn Shallieu, Hannah Kerwin, Paul Ost, Jane Reynolds, Lynda Goldschein, Bob Pittenger, Andrew Funcheon, Justin Scalara, Steve Black, the Mobus, Feldman, and Rose Families, Frank Bisignano, Pete Martino, and Christine Ead. 

Watchung’s Mayors, past and present including Anthony F. Addario, Albert Ellis, Stephen K. Pote, and, of course Gerald “Jerry” Mobus, nicknamed Mr. Watchung!

Township Organizations/Businesses, Watchung Rescue Squad, Watchung Chemical Engine Company, Boy Scout Troop 32, Borough Building, Tax and Zoning Offices and Michelle DeRocco, Reverend Barbara Peters of Wilson Memorial Union Church, Weichert Realtors of Watchung, Raymond Murray of  the Green Brook Flood Control Commission, the Watchung Library, and Watchung Hills Regional High School.  

My entire family for all of their support and patience throughout this process! To my friend Bobby Adams, who helped me organize/edit some of the vintage videos discovered.

A special thanks to Brian Erickson, the first of our main editors. Brian exceeded my expectations in his editing skills and attention to detail, especially in sound and transitions between interviews. He helped cut out “fluff” from interviews and added movement to photos which spark emotion and feeling to the stories. He had an incredible amount of patience throughout the tedious and grueling editing process, and I was more than pleased to work with him. This project would not be a reality without his expertise!

To Jake Feldman who joined the team as an editor on the second part of this journey. He has an incredible touch for film and editing and his expertise shows in the final product of many of the segments herein. He continues to push the envelope on his editing and filming capabilities. When we ran out of landscapes to film on the ground, we took to the air capturing some breathtaking views of Watchung. Jake also exceeded my expectations in his editing skills and attention to detail, especially in sound. As a musician himself, he has an ear for what is arguably the most important aspect of the film—what the viewer hears.  He had an incredible amount of patience and was more than pleased to work with him. 

Last, but most certainly not least, a special thanks to Susan Tucker. When she asked me in August of 2013 if I was interested in working on this project, I was not sure the direction we would take the film. After the first 1-hour interview we conducted with Ray Adams, I knew the stories of these longtime residents could not be captured in a general 15-minute video about Watchung as the Historical Committee originally proposed. She often inspired me to keep plugging when I would find myself overwhelmed scripting a challenging section.

There has been something very humbling about capturing oral history for future generations to learn from and I strived to make each section different in its own way. It was a joy to piece together history in a format that speaks to all ages. My greatest challenge—deciding what parts of the interviews to keep. I wanted the segments informative, yet direct, conveying the story of Watchung from multiple points of view. I think the format helps keep interest of the viewer!

Our primary goal for this project was to capture the voices and stories of longtime residents in Watchung to create a film archive for the future. This was first and foremost, even above the editing, the music or pictures that you will witness in this collection of videos. We hope that this video becomes more important with time, as it captures not only history, but the emotion of those who lived in the past trying to recreate it for us. These stories are the history you cannot place in a picture frame. Each story is unique and original to each person who tells it. They capture emotion from those who lived through the now distant memories and paint a vivid picture of what life was like years ago in Watchung. Some of our later work on the film project was not necessarily planned, there was a need to showcase the remaining vintage video footage, filmed ceremonies and efforts of volunteers. 

These videos were made possible by a collective effort from several volunteers that believe in the mission of the WHC. The God’s Acre Burial Ground Ceremony was a showcase of the extensive research efforts of Matt King’s Eagle Scout project. The sections on the library and Valley Furniture could only be developed following extensive phone interviews with two sisters from the Pratt family, Virginia “Ginna” Pratt Malcolm & Jane Reynolds. It was only appropriate to showcase the splendid photographs of Hannah Kerwin, who has documented, and continues to photograph so many of the ceremonies, events, and local Watchung landscapes. Paul Ost dug through the Watchung Chemical Engine Co.’s records to find newspaper articles and photos which became the basis for the segment on the Exempt Fireman’s Association. Seth Alexander opened his studio doors to allow us to record the extensive voiceovers that accompany many of the segments and help tell the stories. Kyle Finnegan, a North Plainfield native voluntarily followed, recorded, and filmed all removal and conservation efforts of the Legend of Watchung mural that served as the backbone of the Legend of Watchung Segment. 

Thank you all for your help and contributions, big or small!

-Christopher A. Vander Fliet