A growing tribute to former mayor

HARDYSTON — Family, friends and coworkers gathered in front of the Hardyston Township municipal building on Wheatsworth Road Saturday morning to dedicate two gardens in the memory of former township Mayor Kenneth Kievit.

Township officials wanted to honor Kievit, but at first, did not know how.

“He wanted to give but did not need the recognition that can go along with it,” said Mayor Carl Miller of Kievit, who died unexpectedly at age 64 on March 27, 2012. He was a council member at the time of his death.

“You could put a plaque on a building but that wasn’t Ken. If he saw a need he’d try to help.”

A garden to provide food for needy area residents was a perfect tribute to the man who had been involved in so many aspects of his hometown. The gardens were financed by a Sustainable New Jersey grant, along with donations from businesses and organizations.

“We remember my dad gardening when we were young,” said Janet Leiby of Blandon, Pa., one of Kievit’s six children, speaking for the family. “He was a successful gardener.”

Leiby remembers her father doing all the cultivating and planting, but the children also did their part. “We weeded and weeded and we weeded a little more.”

Two enclosed gardens are located close to the municipal building. The larger enclosure contains the community garden, where residents can rent a plot for $40 per year. The smaller area is the charity garden. Its produce will go to groups providing meals to the needy.

“Hardyston residents, side by side, volunteering their time to grow food for the needy,” said Miller, Hardyston mayor. “Perfect for Ken.”

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