Mural at post office unveiled

MANALAPAN - On June 27, postal officials, community leaders, local historians and educators unveiled a 4- by 5-foot mural in the lobby of the Manalapan-Eng-lishtown Post Office.

The large colorful mural was painted and donated by aspiring 24-year-old local artist April Kuhn.

Kuhn, a Jackson resident and former interior design major at Brookdale Com-munity College, illustrated four historic scenes from the history of the Manalapan-Englishtown area, according to a press release.

In addition to Kuhn, the ceremony participants included Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas, Manalapan Deputy Mayor Michelle Roth, Englishtown Borough Council President Cindy Robilotti, Brookdale Community College Professor and Monmouth County historical expert Jess Levine, United States Postal Service Central New Jersey District Manager Vito Cetta, Englishtown Postmaster Mary Weis, Somerset- Franklin Park Rural Letter Carrier Allen Harrell, and two local students, Starlett Hartley and Kristen Lapi, who sang "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The center of the large canvas mural features the Manalapan municipal seal with four historic scenes radiating from the middle. Of the four scenes, the most famous is the depiction of the Battle of Monmouth. Generally considered to be one of the turning points in the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Monmouth was fought in June 1778 in the Manalapan-English-town area.

The idea for the historic mural was sparked by postal employees participating in the local USPS Central New Jersey Quality of Work Life-Employee Involve-ment Team. The effort echoes the spirit of the WPA-era murals painted by artists working for the government's Section of Fine Arts, which was run by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department, according to the press release.

Approximately 1,200 murals and 300 sculptures were commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts during the nine years of its existence from 1934 to 1943.