Trivia Question❓

Question: Along the Sussex County line near Sussex Borough, a river winds through a national wildlife refuge that Congress created in 1990. Rivers do not always run the way we expect, so which direction does the Wallkill River flow?

(Answer at the bottom of this newsletter)

Our Local News

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Sparta Board Agendas & Minutes

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Sparta Historical Society Celebrates America’s 250th With Exhibit and Lecture
The Sparta Historical Society is marking the nation’s 250th birthday with “Happy Birthday America - 250 Years,” an exhibit on Revolutionary-era life in Sussex County, including local trades and the tools people relied on every day. It is open 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays, Nov. 8 and Nov. 22, at the Van Kirk Homestead Museum, 336 Main St., with a final day on Dec. 13 and a talk at 2 p.m. On Thursday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m., Joel Farkas presents “Painting the American Revolution” at Sparta Presbyterian Church Hall, 32 Main St. - $10 for nonmembers, free for members and students.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/sparta-historical-society-marks-nation-s-250th-anniversary-with-exhibit-lecture-AA6310310

Pumpkins and Storytime Draw Families to the Lake Mohawk Boardwalk
Families gathered at the Lake Mohawk Boardwalk on Saturday, Oct. 17 for a Children’s Fall Event hosted by The Novak Real Estate Team and Coldwell Banker Realty. Local author Carrin Nexon Krushewsky read from her book “The Adventures of Hobo and His GoPro” and signed copies for the kids. Every child picked out a pumpkin and went home with popcorn and a lollipop.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/lake-mohawk-fall-event-combines-storytelling-pumpkin-picking-EJ6308116

Sparta Community Gardens Opens Sign-Ups for Seasonal Plots
Sparta residents can now reserve one of 42 raised beds at Sparta Community Gardens, which sits on the grounds of the Van Kirk Homestead Museum. Each bed measures 4 by 20 feet and rents for $60 per season, with livestock fencing, compost bins and well water on site. Plots go first come, first served - call 862-268-1411 or email spartacommunitygardens@gmail.com to sign up.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/sparta-community-gardens-opens-sign-ups-for-seasonal-plots-YA6310247

Sussex County Libraries to Join a 68-Library Network on December 9
The Sussex County Library System will join Pillar Libraries, a New Jersey alliance of 68 libraries, on Dec. 9. Cardholders will get a new online catalog, an updated app and a shared collection of more than 3 million items, and current library cards and PINs will keep working. Expect a short transition: holds pause Nov. 1, the current catalog goes offline Dec. 6, and the new one launches Dec. 9. Questions can go to 973-948-3660, option 4.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/sussex-county-libraries-to-join-68-library-network-in-december-BI6318762

Habitat for Humanity Eyes a Sussex County ReStore in 2027
Habitat for Humanity Northwest New Jersey told the county commissioners it is on track to finish its 50th home this year and is building a home in Wantage right now. CEO Ben Eskow also shared hopes to open a third ReStore, a shop that resells furniture, household goods and building materials at low prices, in Sussex County in 2027. Its two current ReStores are in Washington, Warren County, and proceeds help fund home building and repairs.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/habitat-for-humanity-eyes-sussex-county-restore-location-in-2027-YJ6319023

Harvest, Honey & Garlic Festival Returns to the Fairgrounds
The 15th annual Sussex County Harvest, Honey & Garlic Festival filled the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta on Saturday, Oct. 17. Visitors found regional produce, heirloom garlic, honey from the Sussex County Beekeepers Association, artisanal cheeses, jams and local wine. Kids enjoyed crafts, pumpkin painting, face painting and wagon rides, with live music all day.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/harvest-honey-garlic-festival-returns-to-sussex-county-fairgrounds-FE6305766

Sussex County History Bite

Sussex County Was Born in 1753 - and It Once Included Warren County, Too

On June 8, 1753, Sussex County was officially carved out of Morris County, which until then covered most of northwestern New Jersey. It was named for the county of Sussex in England, and at the start it stretched across what are now both Sussex and Warren Counties.

A county needs a courthouse, so in 1762 surveyor Jonathan Hampton of Elizabethtown picked a spot for one, along with a town green, where a military supply road from the French and Indian War crossed the King’s Highway (today’s Route 94). The courthouse was standing by 1765, and the village that grew up around it was known as Sussex Court House. We know it today as Newton.

The courthouse you see in Newton now is a Greek Revival building from 1847, built to replace the earlier one. It is still in use and handles court proceedings alongside the newer Sussex County Judicial Center, which opened in 1992.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sussex_County,_New_Jersey
https://www.insidernj.com/map-poi/town-of-newton/
https://www.achp.gov/node/9210
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sussex_County_Courthouse_(New_Jersey)

Word of the Week

Russet (RUSS-it) - noun, adjective

What does it mean?
A warm reddish brown, the color of oak leaves in late October. It is also the name of a rough-skinned apple and of a large baking potato, and it once meant a coarse homespun cloth.

Where does it come from?
It began in the 13th century as the name of a coarse woolen cloth, and the color later took the name. The word came into English from Old French, which got it from a Latin word for red.

Did you know?
That Latin root is shared by words like ruby and rust, so russet is a distant cousin of both. Because the cloth was plain and homespun, the word also came to suggest simple, rustic things.

Use it in a sentence:
By the end of October, the oaks along the Lake Mohawk shoreline have settled into deep russet, and the whole lake seems to glow at sunset.

Our Local Weather

Day: Tuesday
Date: October 27, 2026
High: 60°F
Low: 37°F
Description: ☀️ Sunny and crisp

Day: Wednesday
Date: October 28, 2026
High: 61°F
Low: 40°F
Description: 🌤️ Partly cloudy

Day: Thursday
Date: October 29, 2026
High: 68°F
Low: 47°F
Description: 🌤️ Mostly sunny and mild

Day: Friday
Date: October 30, 2026
High: 70°F
Low: 46°F
Description: ☀️ Mostly sunny and warm

Day: Saturday
Date: October 31, 2026
High: 61°F
Low: 43°F
Description: ☁️ Mostly cloudy

Day: Sunday
Date: November 1, 2026
High: 63°F
Low: 43°F
Description: ☁️ Mostly cloudy

Day: Monday
Date: November 2, 2026
High: 64°F
Low: 50°F
Description: 🌦️ Chance of showers

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Our Local Contacts

Emergency - Police, Fire & Ambulance Call

911

⚡ Utilities

• Jersey Central Power & Light — 888‑544‑4877

• Sparta Water & Sewer Utility — 973‑729‑7133

🏛️ Township Offices

• Department of Public Works — same number as Water & Sewer

• Building Department — 973‑729‑4471

• Planning & Zoning — 973‑729‑4471

• Township Clerk — 973‑729‑4471

• Township Manager’s Office — 973‑729‑4471

💰 Tax & Finance

• Tax Collector — 973‑729‑4903

🎾 Recreation & Community

• Recreation Department — 973‑729‑2383

• Sparta Senior Services — 973‑729‑2383

• Sparta Community Food Pantry — 862‑266‑0563

📚 Education & Library

• Sparta Public Library — 973‑729‑3101

• Board of Education — 973‑729‑2155

• Sparta High School — 973‑729‑6191

🏥 Health & Social Services

• Sparta Township Health Department — 973‑729‑8093

• Sussex County Division of Social Services (Newton) — 973‑383‑3600

🏢 Business & Commerce

• Chamber of Commerce — 973‑579‑1811

Answer to Trivia Question

Question: Along the Sussex County line near Sussex Borough, a river winds through a national wildlife refuge that Congress created in 1990. Rivers do not always run the way we expect, so which direction does the Wallkill River flow?

Answer: North! The Wallkill River flows northward, and the refuge follows about nine miles of it along the New Jersey-New York border. Its wetlands shelter migrating ducks, hawks and the endangered bog turtle.

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Note: We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of event details, business updates, and local news. However, plans can change! Please confirm with organizers or official sources before attending. We appreciate your understanding as we strive to keep our community informed and connected.