[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 155 (Monday, October 15, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2136]]
 IN HONOR OF JACK KURLANDER AND HIS LIFE OF SERVICE TO SUSSEX COUNTY, 
                               NEW JERSEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT GARRETT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 15, 2007

  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of 
the late Jack Kurlander, who spent a lifetime turning Sussex County, 
New Jersey into a destination for tourists and recreation-seekers. His 
vision truly transformed this picturesque region of the Garden State.
  Born in Rhode Island and raised in Nutley, New Jersey, Jack Kurlander 
had been New Jersey's boys tennis champ while at Nutley High School. 
But, his love of sports extended to golf and skiing, as well. Spurred 
by his love of outdoor sports and recreation, Jack Kurlander set about 
turning this quiet Highlands region into a popular destination for a 
variety of outdoor sporting activities.
  Jack Kurlander and his business partners, first the Fitzgerald Family 
and later the Mulvihill Family, were the force behind the development 
of ski resorts, tennis and swim clubs, picnic grounds, spa resorts, and 
major golf courses over the course of four decades. The Ballyowen Golf 
Course, in fact, is the top-rated public golf course in New Jersey.
  Long before his vision took hold, Jack Kurlander was an avid 
inventor. He manufactured the first nylon tennis nets with his friend 
John Fitzgerald in the basement of a Nutley bakery. He created a ski-
waxing machine, using his mother's disassembled washing machine to 
develop his invention.
  This evening, outdoor enthusiasts will join together to dedicate the 
Memorial Garden at the 7th Hole of the Black Bear Golf Course and to 
pay tribute to their friend and patron. Jack suffered a heart attack in 
1977, but it barely slowed him down from his mission to transform this 
beautiful region. Nearly thirty years later, a heart attack took his 
life in 2006 at the age of 76. It is said that Jack Kurlander was able 
to see things that were unapparent to anyone else. His gift for vision 
and his love of life are truly missed.

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