HADDONFIELD, N.J. -- Although officially founded in 1713, this historic town's roots are actually pre-historic -- dating back at least 73 million years to when dinosaurs roamed New Jersey. Now, almost 150 years after the discovery of the world's

	Illustration: Rebecca Fellerman-Lauer
	This perspective rendering was prepared by Alberto & Associates, the architectural firm providing pro bono services to the HATCH, the Haddonfield dinosaur sculpture committee. The illustration shows how the sculpture will be positioned at the Kings Highway end of Lantern Lane. Click to see larger image.

first nearly-complete dinosaur skeleton here, the Borough of Haddonfield plans to construct a large sculpture of its famous prehistoric beast, Hadrosaurus foulkii.

Sept. 19 Press Event
To celebrate its unique place in paleontology history, a group of volunteers has created H.A.T.C.H. -- Haddonfield Acts To Create Hadrosaurus foulkii -- a non-profit educational and fundraising organization dedicated to building a sculpture of this famous dinosaur. The official press conference to mark the announcement will be held on Thursday, September 19, at 11:00 a.m., on Kings Highway at Lantern Lane.

"This landmark will increase awareness and education of dinosaur paleontology, be the first piece of public art in downtown Haddonfield, provide a focal point where people can gather, and add to Haddonfield's unique history and character," said Mayor Letitia G. Colombi.

Installation scheduled for Oct., 2003
The sculpture will be a representative bronze work of art -- 8 feet in height, 14 feet in length, weighing more than one ton. It will be permanently located on Lantern Lane, the pedestrian walkway connecting historic Kings Highway and the PATCO Speedline train station. Installation is scheduled for October 2003, which will mark the 145th anniversary of the discovery.

"Although dinosaurs were widely believed to have roamed the earth in prehistoric times, there was no concrete evidence until the 1858 discovery of Hadrosaurus foulkii in Haddonfield," said Beverly Aldeghi, Co-Chair of the HATCH Steering Committee. "It was the first time anyone in the world was able to truly visualize a dinosaur. Ten years later, Hadrosaurus foulkii became the first dinosaur skeleton to ever be exhibited

	Photo: Hoag Levins
	The current Lantern Lane is a lushly gardened walk.

in a museum, at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, where the bones remain to this day."

In 1991, Hadrosaurus foulkii was officially designated as the New Jersey State Fossil. The location of the discovery was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

Sculpture John Giannotti
The selected sculptor, John Giannotti, is a Haddonfield resident whose work has been exhibited worldwide. His monumental bronze sculptures and other works are in public and private collections in the U.S., Italy, Switzerland, Venezuela, Australia, and Japan. Locally, Giannott's public art can be seen at the Children's Garden at the New Jersey State Aquarium, the Lakeland Fire Training Center in Blackwood, Harleigh Cemetery, Camden County Parks, Rutgers University, Cooper Hospital, and the Camden waterfront. He has most recently completed a national Police Memorial, and the new Victims of Terrorism Memorial, to be dedicated at Cooper River Park in Camden County on September 11, 2002. He is currently Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University, where he was a faculty member for 33 years and was Chairman of the Department of Fine Arts.

In addition to the sculpture itself, the site has been professionally designed to incorporate landscaping, lighting, a naturalistic water feature, seating, and bronze plaques for educational and acknowledgement purposes. The committee is seeking support from business and community leaders, corporations and foundations, as well as residents and other interested parties, in order to raise the approximately $100,000 that will be required.

Tax-deductible contributions
All contributions are tax-deductible through the Haddonfield Foundation, a non-profit 501(c) organization. Smaller contributions are being solicited through the sales of customized pins, T-shirts, and other items on the website, www.hadrosaurus.com. For more information, contributors may contact the Haddonfield Visitors' Center at 856-216-7253.