Trivia Question❓

Question: Cranberries are as much a part of Thanksgiving as the turkey, and New Jersey has been growing them since the 1800s. Which part of the state is home to the cranberry bogs: the Pinelands in the south, the Jersey Shore, or the Skylands up here in the northwest?

(Answer at the bottom of this newsletter)

Our Local News

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Sparta Board Agendas & Minutes

• Council Meetings
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• Planning Board Meetings
• Zoning Board Meetings

Sparta Education Foundation Turkey Trot Turns 20
The Sparta Education Foundation’s Turkey Trot celebrates its 20th year on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 26, at White Deer Plaza, presented by Krogh’s. A 1-mile Fun Run starts at 8:15 a.m., followed by the 5K at 8:45 a.m., and walkers are as welcome as runners. New this year are chip timing for results and no goodie bags. Proceeds support educational programs, technology upgrades and enrichment in the Sparta School District. Register at SEFTurkeyTrot.com, and sign up early if you want an adult long-sleeved shirt.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/sparta-education-foundation-turkey-trot-celebrates-20th-anniversary-LN6348805

The Headless Horseman Rides Through Lake Mohawk
Lake Mohawk families celebrated Halloween on Friday, Oct. 30, with a pumpkin parade of carved and decorated entries, costume festivities and treats, plus boardwalk trick-or-treating hosted by the lake’s beach and committees. The Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane rode in from Elysian Stables at Whispering Pines Farm in Sparta, stopping around White Deer Plaza so families could pose for photos with the horses.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/lake-mohawk-celebrates-halloween-with-pumpkin-parade-and-headless-horseman-BM6349065

Sussex County Community College Lands a $337,000 Career Education Grant
Sussex County Community College has received more than $337,000 through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education grant. The money will cover certification exams and training in fields like healthcare, public safety, HVAC and culinary arts, along with new equipment such as a medical simulation manikin, VR headsets and a 3D printer and scanner. It can also help eligible low-income students pay for courses, textbooks and supplies. College President Cory Homer called career and technical education essential to preparing students for jobs.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/sussex-county-community-college-receives-337k-career-education-grant-FX6347722

Free Childhood Trauma Workshops Offered in English and Spanish
Project Self-Sufficiency is hosting free “Connections Matter” workshops on Zoom, led by Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey. The English session is at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, and the Spanish session is at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18. They look at how adverse childhood experiences shape children’s development and at ways to prevent harm and build resilience. Call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500 to get the Zoom login.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/project-self-sufficiency-to-offer-childhood-trauma-workshops-in-english-spanish-XX6347671

Knights of Columbus Raise Funds for Deborah Heart and Lung Center
Members of Knights of Columbus Marquette Council 588 collected donations from passing motorists and neighbors on Oct. 17, armed with collection buckets and cocoa. The money benefits Deborah Heart and Lung Center, which provides medical care at no cost to patients. The council serves Our Lady of the Lake in Sparta, St. Thomas of Aquin in Ogdensburg and Immaculate Conception in Franklin.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/sparta-knights-of-columbus-raise-funds-for-deborah-heart-and-lung-center-GE6341019

Haunted Ghost Walks Give Sparta a Halloween Scare
Sparta Recreation and the Sparta High School Drama Department hosted Haunted Ghost Walks on Friday, Oct. 30, from 7 to 9 p.m., for residents in sixth grade and up. Guided walks after dark brought costumed performers, including a clown and a pair of fortune tellers, out along the route, and guests were advised to bring flashlights and insect repellent.
https://www.spartaindependent.com/news/local-news/sparta-recreation-and-high-school-drama-students-host-haunted-ghost-walks-NN6348971

Sussex County History Bite

Sparta’s Standing Soldier Has Kept Watch Since 1900

If you have driven down Main Street, you have passed him: a zinc soldier on a granite base, standing at parade rest in front of the First Presbyterian Church. Local businessman James B. Titman, who served with the 27th and 33rd New Jersey Volunteers, bought the monument, and it was dedicated on June 20, 1900.

Statues like this were often ordered from catalogues in the late 1800s. Zinc models ran from about $450 to $1,000, and buyers could pick details like hats and belt buckles to mark Northern or Southern origin. The front is inscribed “in memory of all the Brave Heroes who served on land and sea in defense of their country in any of the wars of the United States,” and the back reads, “These were valiant men of might in their generation.”

Jack Clark of the Van Kirk Homestead Museum wrote in 2019 that standing soldiers do not celebrate victory. Their blank, distant gaze speaks of loss. With Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, it is a good week to stop and take a long look.

Sources:
https://www.spartaindependent.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/glad-for-a-better-view-of-spartas-standing-soldier-DVSI20190613190619993
https://civilwarmonuments.org/omeka/items/show/3471
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=35068

Word of the Week

Cornucopia (kor-nuh-KOH-pee-uh) - noun

What does it mean?
A horn-shaped basket overflowing with fruit and vegetables, the classic symbol of the harvest. It also means a plentiful supply of something good, as in “a cornucopia of side dishes.”

Where does it come from?
From Late Latin cornu copiae, “horn of plenty.” In Greek myth, the horn belonged to the goat Amalthea, who nursed the infant Zeus. The word reached English in the 1500s.

Did you know?
The copiae half comes from Latin copia, “abundance,” which is also the root of the word copious.

Use it in a sentence:
Every Thanksgiving table in Sparta seems to hold a cornucopia of pies, and somehow there is always room for one more slice.

Our Local Weather

Day: Thursday
Date: November 5, 2026
High: 68°F
Low: 59°F
Description: 🌧️ Rain likely, mild, with patchy fog in the morning

Day: Friday
Date: November 6, 2026
High: 67°F
Low: 48°F
Description: 🌧️ Rain likely under mostly cloudy skies

Day: Saturday
Date: November 7, 2026
High: 62°F
Low: 41°F
Description: 🌤️ Mostly sunny, with a chance of showers after 1 PM

Day: Sunday
Date: November 8, 2026
High: 55°F
Low: 37°F
Description: ☀️ Mostly sunny and crisp

Day: Monday
Date: November 9, 2026
High: 55°F
Low: 35°F
Description: ☀️ Sunny and cool

Day: Tuesday
Date: November 10, 2026
High: 59°F
Low: 36°F
Description: ☀️ Sunny

Day: Wednesday
Date: November 11, 2026
High: 56°F
Low: 35°F
Description: 🌤️ Partly cloudy

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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: Cranberries are as much a part of Thanksgiving as the turkey, and New Jersey has been growing them since the 1800s. Which part of the state is home to the cranberry bogs: the Pinelands in the south, the Jersey Shore, or the Skylands up here in the northwest?

Answer: The Pinelands! Cranberries thrive in the sandy, acidic soil and high water table found there, and New Jersey’s cranberry farming began in Burlington County. A recent USDA estimate put the state’s crop at about 580,000 barrels.

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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.