Stars Out of Manville
November 27, 2019
Manville, a small town in the middle of New Jersey, not even 2.5 square miles. Its high school is listed as part of one of the most underfunded school districts in the state. It’s hard to imagine that many success stories could come out of this tiny town. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Manville has had 2 prominent stars, an NFL running back who is still currently playing and a voice actress who starred in one of the most iconic 90’s kids shows in history.
Cheryl Chase is an American voice actor who voiced the character Angelica Pickles in the famed kids show Rugrats. Rugrats was a 90’s kids TV show showing the world from a baby’s point of view. Angelica was the oldest of the group in the show and was usually depicted tormenting the other babies. Cheryl’s character became so popular among the community she was ranked #7 in TV Guides “50 greatest cartoon characters of all time.”
Cheryl also starred in other shows such as The Mr. Men Show, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and The Ren and Stimpy Show. Cheryl was born and raised in Manville, NJ and attended Manville High School for all 4 years, graduating in 1977. She then attended Brigham Young University where she graduated in 1981. A year later she made her professional debut in the 1982 movie Side by Side.
Manville also has a current NFL player who is a running back for the Detroit Lions: Theo Riddick. He lived in Manville while his parents lived in Somerville, NJ. He attended Manville High School for a year before transferring to Immaculata for the remainder of his high school career. In high school, he was ranked as a top 10 all purpose back in the nation as well as helping his team to a state championship in 2006.
After high school, he accepted his offer to Notre Dame over other schools, including Rutgers, Penn State, and Pittsburgh. In college he amassed over 1000 rushing yards. He played as a running back his freshman year and a slot receiver for the remainder of his collegiate career.
After college, Theo Riddick was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 6th round of the 2013 NFL draft. The Detroit Lions signed Riddick to a four year, $2.25 million contract that included a signing bonus of $91,000. The Lions use him as a running back, slot receiver, third down back, punt returner, and kick returner.
Manville has produced top tier talent at the highest levels in athletics and television. Cheryl Chase continues to voice act but hasn’t starred in anything since 2008. Theo Riddick is still playing the the NFL 6 years later as a running back.
Lisa Payne Manville Strong • Nov 29, 2019 at 7:21 pm
Famous Dr.Gerald Loeb writes a bit about growing up in Manville.
I remember hanging out at Blumberg Hardware, founded by my grandfather Jacob Blumberg and owned and operated by my father Louis Loeb for most of my life. It was then on the corner of Main St. and Camplain Rd., where we would play on the wine barrels that were on display outside the storefront. It was the kind of old-fashioned hardware store (bulk nails by the pound, glass cut to size, canning supplies, etc.) that I still look for wherever I live. I was waiting on customers and operating the cash register from about age 7, I think. The big treat was going to the Manville Diner or the Crystal Restaurant for lunch. With my brother in law school and me in medical research, it was obvious that the family line in hardware wasn’t continuing, so the store was sold gradually to the clerk, Richard Madjewski, a Manville native who has since retired. Like so many other retail businesses, the hardware business disappeared into the mall of Walmart.
We actually lived where I was born in Middlebush until I started high school. Most of my memories of MHS revolve around the school newspaper, Hoofprints, which I co edited with Steve Balint, whom I haven’t seen in decades. I road my bike everyday from Weston, the long way around because this was long before the 13th St. causeway over Royce Brook. We spent endless hours riding bikes and getting muddy around the brook, but I see few signs of kids hanging out that way these days.
My father was one of the founders of the Manville Library and a bank that since merged into a larger banking group. He was very involved in the Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce, so I know something of Manville’s political history. I occasionally hear a bit about the travails of Manville politics from my mother, Ruth Loeb, still living at 94 in the house she built with my father in Weston. Somewhere between over-gentrified and over-grown there should be a happy, small town worth preserving.
Best of luck,
Jerry