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Pine Lake Park Clubhouse Has Entertained Community Since 1927
By Lauren Puglisi
 | | --Photo By Lauren Puglisi The Pine Lake Park Clubhouse has been a home for fun community events since the 1920s. |
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During a time when some Manchester residents say they feel neglected when it comes to youth-focused events in the community, members of the Pine Lake Park Clubhouse say there's hope.
Since 1927, the Pine Lake Park Clubhouse has been a historical landmark in Manchester Township. In past years, residents of all ages have used the facility as a place to gather, socialize and have fun in their community.
But as time has passed, the number of people utilizing the clubhouse has dwindled, as has the support from neighbors who have filed complaints about noise from the facility.
Members of the Pine Lake Park Taxpayers' Improvement Association Grace Peck and Deidra Morales say that today, the clubhouse can be rented out for parties such as baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, sweet 16 parties and family reunions.
Since the clubhouse is a non-profit organization, Peck and Morales hold fundraising events to raise money for upkeeping the facility.
 | | --Photo Courtesy Of Grace Peck And Deidra Morales This vintage photograph shows what the clubhouse used to look like. |
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"We would like to fixa lot of things here, like the deck and the bar. Although we still hold a liquor license, the bar is currently closed, pending the completion of renovations," Peck said.
One popular and major fundraising event that the clubhouse hosted was allowing local musicians to rent out the facility for rock, punk, metal and ska shows.
"The shows were for kids 21 and older to come to a place free of drugs and alcohol to play local and underground music," Morales said.
"We always took precautions on who was allowed to play here. We listened to their music prior to the show and made sure that every band hired their own security to ensure that everyone was safe and under control," Peck added.
But in the past year, after approaching the Town Council and police officials, the shows have been shut down. The reason? Neighbors have called the police during the event, claiming the shows violate Manchester's noise ordinance.
"I don't know if the clubhouse was the only reason Manchester's noise violation has been changed because other people have been affected by it, but I think it had a lot to do with it," Morales said. "In the past, noise could be monitored until 10 p.m. and then after that point, all music and activity would be shut down, but now the noise violation is unlimited, which means that the police can be called at any time to shut down an event that they feel is too loud."
Peck said although the shows held at the clubhouse were one of their major sources of income, they have been forced to eliminate the events after being cited for noise on more than one occasion.
"At our last show in March, I was ticketed at 7 p.m. And at a past event, a sound check man working the show was also cited for breaking the township's noise violation code," Peck said. "We have held other events here with music. When people rent out the facility, they often bring DJ's and we never got complaints. I think one of the reasons that the shows have been shut down at such early times has to do with the fact that some of the neighbors think just because the kids attending look different, with piercings and unique clothing, that they are bad kids."
After holding monthly meetings with members of the clubhouse and speaking with the Town Council, Peck and Morales have decided to avoid holding events where music is the main focus.
"I can't rent my facility to people that wish to play music here until the matter is litigated because I don't know how to measure the perfect amount of noise that is allowed to be heard in this area," Peck said. "My son is a great musician, he has played many shows here and his group of friends have always been helpful with the clubhouse because they felt that it was their home too. So of course we are disappointed with the problems we've had here, but the clubhouse is so much more than that."
The clubhouse holds events throughout the entire year like bingo, Ladies Night's Out, Jazzercise classes and many weekend fundraising events.
Morales said by serving as a secretary of the Taxpayers' Improvement Association, she hopes to bring a sense of community back into Manchester Township.
"I think that Manchester has lost its sense of community, especially when it comes to the youth. Because really, what do kids have to do in this area when they are out of school? Today, events like Manchester Day have been changed and the township's skate park has been taken down without warning," Morales said. "So we want residents to know that the clubhouse can be a place to bring their families and have a fun-filled day."
The clubhouse's taxpayers' association meets each month to discuss upcoming events. Peck said she would like to hold concerts and other forms of entertainment at the clubhouse in the future.
"Currently, we have 60 paying members, and we would like that number to double and even triple in size because there are so many people in this area that don't participate in activities and community events," Peck said. "The clubhouse has a lot of rich history. People used to spend all of their time here swimming in the lake and attending barn dances with their families. I would really like to restore the sense of shared community here at the clubhouse."
For information on upcoming events and to learn how to become a member of the Pine Lake Park Clubhouse in Manchester, call 732-505-0074 or visit the Web site at http://plpclubhouse.com/default.aspx.
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