South Jersey county and local governments are largely limiting their observations of the National Day of Mourning declared today for deceased former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
Carter died at age 100 at his Georgia home on Dec. 29. Carter, who was the 39th president, is being given a state funeral today in Washington, D.C.
New Jersey government agencies have flown U.S. and state flags at half-staff since Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order to that effect Dec. 31. The order is in place until sunset Jan. 28. State offices, however, remain open.
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County governments also have also lowered their flags since news broke of Carter’s death.
New Jersey’s judiciary website said all state courts were staying open. Among municipal courts, only the shared municipal courts of Wildwood City and West Wildwood closed today.
All federal government executive departments and agencies are closed today. Flags at those sites also are at half-mast until Jan. 28.
The U.S. Postal Service said all offices are to be closed and regular mail will not be delivered. There will, however, be “limited package delivery service.”
Schools, banks and private businesses are not required to close for a National Day of Mourning.
The National Park Service parks and visitor centers are to “generally be open,” but administrative offices are closed.
Carter remembered for Habitat for Humanity, Navy career
Post-presidency, Carter was involved with Habitat for Humanity projects and that took him into New Jersey. The nonprofit and affiliates have published tributes to Carter.
In Toms River, the Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity branch is holding an in-person “remembrance event” at 9 a.m. Friday. That event is open to the public and is being held at the group’s ReStore site along Route 37.
Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity said it’s raising a wall for the community to sign in honor of Carter with a message or even just their name. The group also has posted online links to his memory book and memoriam video at https://www.habitat.org/honoringcarter/memory-book and https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EIuenLB0zsY.
Carter was a former submarine commander. The USS New Jersey (SSN 796) Commissioning Committee today posted a tribute to him. Commissioning committees are unique groups formed to honor the crews of ships and their families.
“His contributions to the Navy and our country were recognized when the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) was named in his honor — the third and final Seawolf-class submarine,” the committee posted on its Facebook page.
“Commissioned in 2005, it remains a testament to his enduring legacy as the only submarine to be named for a living president. President Carter’s remarkable journey, from a young officer qualifying on submarines to his tenure as the 39th president of the United States, exemplifies his life of service.”
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
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