Creativity, ingenuity, and environmental concerns appear to be major motivators in Ken Marsh's life. In addition, he is so proud of his wife Claire, a personal trainer, and his three children-- Erika, Ken II, and Ethan--all of whom have done quite well following their individual talents. Pang and Susie can also be added to his list of loves--two adopted orphan cats who have captured the heart of this former dog owner/lover. Born and raised in Elizabeth (Thomas Jefferson High School) before moving to Roselle, then Westfield in the '80's, Ken was schooled at NJIT as a Civil Engineer with a Masters in Environmental Engineering. He became a major player in Westfield as the Town Engineer/Public Works Director. It was here where he initiated "Green/Sustainable" policies and implemented numerous projects related to the safe and sustainable environment for which he received numerous honors and awards. After spending 35 years on the Somerset-Union Soil Conservation District Board, his passion became one of promoting soil conservation. Ken is a state certified Licensed Professional Engineer, Licensed Professional Planner, and Certified Municipal Engineer. He has conducted seminar courses in environmental planning and storm water management for Rutgers University, Kean University and Union County College and has spoken before a diversity of public groups and service organizations. Six years ago, Ken started his own private practice, but found himself enjoying the exploration of unrelated activities he had always enjoyed doing--things related to nature, to fitness, to creativity--activities related to independence and satisfaction. Maybe his penchant for his current hobby, crafting walking sticks, relates back to his childhood when his father bought him a penknife, and he learned to whittle. Ken is a hiker, a major-league hiker, who lives near a park and goes off trail every day to enjoy the ambiance of nature, feeling the energy of the trees, the birds, and the local wildlife. It was here that he came upon a hobby that he thoroughly enjoys--finding sturdy fallen branches and making walking sticks out of them. He calls the process "harvesting sticks." He looks for form and function and maximizes each stick's potential, including specially designed natural grips. He attributes his passion for hiking to his Dad, William Marsh, who would seek out places to hike in the urban jungle and take him, his brother and other neighborhood kids on treks. Not having a workshop in his apartment, Ken removed the back seat of his Chrysler PT Cruiser and modified it to the extent that he now uses it as his workshop and display case. He gets great satisfaction out of finding useful "stuff" in the trash disposal sheds of his apartment complex. Much of what he finds are castoffs discarded by others, such as a table leaves with edges which, turned upside down, serves as a perfect-sized rack to hold his numerous walking sticks. Each stick Ken finds and refinishes is unique. He has sticks of different lengths and strengths, and he personalizes them either with a nickname he feels describes this stick or a person's name. One is named "Little Miss Sunshine" after a saleslady/turned friend in a furniture store who radiated sunshine and enthusiasm--the perfect name for her. After giving away over 100 sticks, Ken has decided to start selling them. If you are interested in seeing his collection or purchasing a stick for yourself or as a great gift, give him at call (908) 451-3977. When he recently gave a price to one potential customer, she responded, "Oh no, that is far too little to pay for that level of quality!" She was willing to pay far more for this beautifully handcrafted walking stick. No two sticks are the same; each is unique and all of them are just beautiful! In addition to hiking and creating walking sticks, Ken is passionate about writing. Engineers are not generally known for their writing skills, but one professor recognized early on that Ken did not fit the mold--he had a talent for written expression as well as his abilities as an engineer. Currently he is working on his autobiography because he feels strongly about sharing his experiences and passing along the lessons he has learned in life, and it gives him an opportunity to express himself through his gift for writing. Ken also loves local history, especially learning the little known details that are often overlooked or not widely known locally, and then being able to accurately compare the past to the present. He also has had a life-long interest in World War II, starting as a child when he built many model ships and airplanes of that era. These days Ken's travel interests are focused on visiting his children and grandchildren, whereas his earlier career-involvement with soil conservation had taken him to exotic and vacation-like locations for work-related conventions around the United States and Hawaii. When asked what advice he would give to those thinking about retirement, Ken advised folks to stay involved with people and projects that brought them joy throughout their lives, and to identify that something that they can be passionate about. He has certainly earned the right to offer that advice. Ken walks his talk. He does what he loves to do. He is able to use his creativity and ingenuity in the creation of his walking stick business and use his writing skills in writing his autobiography; and most important to him, continue to contribute to the sustainability of the environment. Ken offers the following quotation from Henry David Thoreau, one of the founding fathers of the environmental movement: "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to their graves with the song still in them." Ken says, "Don't be like most men. Sing your song loud and clear, and sing it now, even if it means 'choosing the road not taken.'" (Robert Frost) | 
