2 local women honored as Hometown Heroes

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5, honored life-saving first-responders, veterans, volunteers, community leaders and residents during his Fifth District Hometown Heroes Ceremony, held July 26 at the Hackensack Performing Arts Center.

He honored more than 25 residents for their dedication to helping improve the lives of their neighbors, families and communities.

Among them were Gene Crawford and Toni Smith, both of Montague.

From 2013 to 2021, Crawford served on the Montague Township Committee. She also served on the Montague Township Land Use Board for more than 10 years, the Sussex County Planning Board for five years and the Sussex County Republican Committee for six years.

Crawford was chairwoman for the Montague Township Firehouse Committee, and because of her dedicated service and tireless efforts, the town was able to design and construct a new Firehouse and Community Center for the volunteer firefighters.

She was one of the founding members of the Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History (M.A.R.C.H) and served as the president for six years. She remains a trustee of the association.

Smith is Sussex Borough’s administrator/clerk.

“We are lucky to have so many unsung heroes in our communities here today, whose quiet power of service goes on every day without the recognition they truly deserve. They just do it because they care,” Gottheimer said.

“Without the people we are recognizing today, our communities would not be as strong as they are, and North Jersey would not be the great place that it is.

“In a time fueled by hyper-partisan cable news and social media, our Hometown Heroes don’t get caught up in fiery tweets seeking to divide us. We all need to put our country and communities first, and that’s exactly what our Hometown Heroes do. We have to remember that we are all Americans - our enemy isn’t one another.”