Organizers of the Women’s March on New Jersey –which brought thousands of activists to Morristown last weekend — brought more than thanks to Tuesday’s council meeting.
“We know it also costs a lot to do these kinds of things,” said Debbie McComber of the League of Women Voters of the Morristown Area, one of 11 groups that planned the event.
She promised a $10,000 contribution from march organizers to help defray the town’s security costs. Another $1,000 will help the Trustees of the Morristown Green repair damage from foot traffic on the historic square, McComber said.
“That is very much appreciated,” said Mayor Tim Dougherty, who described the event as unlike anything he’s seen this Revolutionary War town.
“You women put a great march together that will go down in history in Morristown, and I’m just glad I was a part of it and got to experience it,” he said.
The town incurred about $20,000 in expenses, largely for police overtime, according to town Administrator Jillian Barrick.
Alice Cutler, president of the Trustees of the Green, said she was excited to see Morristown in the national spotlight.
“Unfortunately, the lawns took a huge beating” Cutler said on Monday. “I expect you will see some fencing installed soon. The public will have to get used to seeing the lawns looking rather unsightly for the rest of the season. Hopefully, a light blanket of snow will improve the appearance.”
Nearly 40 police-, fire- and EMS agencies from across Morris County assisted Morristown police on Saturday.
“We have been so thrilled and so thankful for everybody working with us to make this happen,” said Winn Khuong, executive director of Action Together New Jersey, another of the organizers.
Morristown Police Chief Pete Demnitz was crucial in helping organizers secure a required permit in “record time,” Khuong told the council.
Dougherty added kudos for Demnitz.
“The Chief and I sometimes have differences, but when it comes to crowd control and putting stuff like this together, there’s no better guy to have in that place. He is nationally recognized for his ability to do crowd control … and we saw the results of it Saturday,” Dougherty said.
McComber also thanked the Mayor’s office , police department and business community, which “had a good day” by her reckoning.
“I’ve lived and worked in Morristown 30 years or so, and always thought it was an amazing place … and this just proved it more,” she said.
“We’re just really excited about what happened, and maybe we can do it again?”
