Piscataway farm family packs bags
Deadline passes, but clan planned to stay the night
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
BY AMISHA PADNANI
Star-Ledger Staff
Clara Halper had been franti cally packing her family's belong ings yesterday when 3 p.m. rolled around and she suddenly broke down, her hands rushing to wipe the tears as they streamed down her face.
Neighbor and good friend Lisa Valle pulled Halper into a tight embrace, offering soothing words.
"My heart is always with you, okay?" she said.
Valle, 42, was one of many friends and neighbors who spent the weekend at the Piscataway farm to show support for family members, who were given until 3 p.m. yesterday by the courts to leave the farm.
Piscataway took ownership of the farm nearly two years ago with the intention of preserving it for open space, but the family won numerous delays from the courts allowing them to remain on the property at South Washington Avenue and Metlars Lane.
A small group of protesters began gathering at the farm Sunday and stayed with the Halpers, helping the Halpers pack and holding signs along the side of the road indicating their displeasure with Piscataway's use of eminent do main to seize the 75-acre property.
"The government has been the biggest thief," said Logan Darrow Clements, executive producer for California-based Freestar Media, which organized the protest. "It's losing its moral legitimacy everyday."
Clements said he's working on a documentary about eminent do main abuse, and the Halpers were important to include to help spread awareness.
"I know that in the end, we're going to win," he said.
But the mood at the 75-acre farm yesterday was one of resignation as family members packed their belongings and tossed them into a trailer.
For seven years, the Halpers battled with the township to keep their property from being condemned through eminent domain. Their case received attention nationwide and even sparked a federal investigation into an extortion scheme involving a top fundraiser for former Gov. James McGreevey.
Despite fighting for years, the family finally accepted that it was over.
"Today feels like a funeral, that's what it feels like," said Scott Raiman, Halper's brother-in-law, during a small rally on the farm Sunday.
Raiman spent hours on the farm with several family members Sunday as they filmed the land as part of a family documentary on the farm's history.
"This is a time for reflection," said Ron Halper, who lived on the farm for 20 years but now lives in Manhattan. "I've been speaking to my siblings and it runs the gamut from anger to reflectiveness to sad ness."
Halper, who has been working on the documentary for nine months, said the film is mostly about his mother, Helen, whom he said was thrown off her farm in Hungary by Nazis. With his family's battle with the township in mind, Halper referred to his documentary as "a story of history repeating it self."
As he spoke, Halper picked up an empty carton of chocolate milk that had been made on the property when his father, Norman, ran a dairy farm. Right away, he remembered his father's secret recipe and how thick, smooth and cold the milk was.
"We worked for this," he said of the farm. "This is ours. For somebody to come in like this and take it arbitrarily -- it's wrong."
Valle, also at the rally on Sunday, said she was angered by how the family was not only losing its home, but its livelihood as well since the farm was their business.
"At the end of the day, this is what they have," she said, bending down and grabbing a handful of dirt. "And it's gone."
Many on the farm yesterday said they did not know what to ex pect come 3 p.m. after a letter from the Halpers' lawyer warned the family that armed personnel would forcibly remove the family unless they vacated in advance of the deadline.
But by as late as 7 p.m., family and neighbors stood by with no word from township or the Middlesex County Sheriff's office, which would be responsible for evicting the family.
With nowhere else to go, Clara Halper said the family planned to spend the night at the house. Protesters said they intended to return to the farm by noon today.
Middlesex County Sheriff Jo seph Spicuzzo could not be reached for comment late yesterday.
Earlier in the day, Anne Gor don, Piscataway spokeswoman, said there are no immediate plans for the property.
First, she said the township must complete an assessment of how much the environmental cleanup of the land would cost. Eventually, the township will construct a park with walking paths and gardens on the land, she said.
In the meantime, she said there is still a lot to be resolved with the case still active in court.
"It's in court. It's not over yet," she said.
One issue to be determined is the amount of money the township will compensate the Halpers for the property. The township is appealing the jury's decision to award the family nearly $18 million. Until a decision is made, the family will not receive anymore money than the $4.3 million the township gave them in 2004, which was divided among the farm's fourteen owners.
