Hello 07728! Can you believe it’s that time of year again – school in session and ALL things Fall? I definitely can’t, but here we are! I am excited for you to check out our Fall edition magazine dedicated to the lifestyle and community of Freehold.
Did you happen to check out the Half Mile of Horse Art Walk and the Freehold Halloween Spooktacular? All we can say is “Wow.” These two free events unify the local community with help from volunteers, business owners, government officials and borough em- ployees alike. The Half Mile of Horse Art Walk showcased 18 artists this year and the chain of spooktacular shindigs had something for everyone. Find out all about the “local community affair” on page 7.
Stephanie Nicole Parze’s story is all too familiar. During the summer of 2019, she became involved with a young man. During this time she had been extremely sick and he was very attentive; however, what started out as an apparently caring relationship turned into violent physical, sexual and emotional abuse during their on-again off-again relationship. Stephanie disappeared on Oct. 30, 2019. Her body was found Jan. 26, 2020. Stephanie was just shy of her 26th birthday when she was murdered in an act of domestic violence. Since her tragic death, the Parze family established the Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation to establish safety laws to protect victims of domestic violence and much more. Learn about the foundation on page 10.
From domestic violence to making a difference. Freehold has a number of organizations that seek out to help people. The Neighborhood Connection to Health is one of them. It is an organization that looks to break down barriers to make a difference in the health of the community. Neighborhood Connections focuses on a number of pillars from healthy food to biking/walking to lead poisoning prevention. In recent years, they’ve added pillars, such as healthcare access, vaccine access, and disability in- cluding in health care. Neighborhood connect on page 12.
We round this issue with a feature on the annual Latino Festival of Monmouth County. Every year since its inception in 2005, the Latino Festival has aimed to showcase and spotlight the rich traditions, art, music and cuisine of the Latino community in Monmouth County. And boy does it! Even Gov. Phil Murphy has stopped by to enjoy. Learn how it all started and who is involved on page 17.
Also check out Following Freehold for future community events on page 18. All of this and more awaits on the pages ahead! Enjoy!
