As some of you may already know, I will be stepping down from the Township Committee and as Mayor effective the end of this month. I can do this with no concerns whatsoever regarding the continued excellence that you will get from Deputy Mayor Sean Gray and the members of the Township Committee. Their experience and determination to keep Shamong a great place to live has been demonstrated time and again. It has been an honor and privilege for me to have served with them. I am also very excited about the addition of Michael DiCroce who is running for my seat this year. Mike has been in Shamong for as long as I can remember (back when I used to coach his son) and will be a terrific addition to the Township Committee. Just recently Mike volunteered his time and provided legal council to the residents of Packenah Trail in their dispute with PSE&G over its intention to clear cut the trees under the power lines. He negotiated a great settlement for the residents.
In addition, Shamong has been fortunate to have such an amazingly dedicated group of employees. When I first took office I was immediately faced with the retirement of Township Administrator Lynn Heinold who had been the heart of this town for over 30 years. For many towns, recovery from losing this type of strong leader often creates numerous difficulties. In our case, we were fortunate to find Sue Onorato under whose leadership we haven’t skipped a beat. Combined with Snooky and Gary in the Public Works Department, the township has always been able to provide our residents with the support and services needed to keep us safe and secure.
I have also been blessed with overwhelming support from our community during the past eight and a half years. We’ve been able to do some great things together and we’ve weathered some pretty rough seas. From gypsy moths to losing our state police protection there have been more than enough challenges along the way. Through each of those critical situations, our residents have shown their support and it’s those types of efforts which make Shamong such a unique community.
I have been criticized from time to time for placing so much emphasis on the township’s support of youth activities. I’d be happy if that ends up as my epitaph. Growing up in New York City, I was fortunate to have had a very active community center. There was never a doubt in my mind that without that, there would have been lots of not so good stuff that I would’ve got mixed up with. Here in Shamong, providing activities for our kids is critical. You know what they say about idle hands. In today’s world I also worry about those hands spending too much time on video game controls.
In our connected world where human interaction is rapidly being replaced by social media and text messages, getting our kids outside and into organized activities is critical for their social development. The township has the best resources and can provide the greatest opportunity for that to happen. When I see groups of kids hanging around the back of the WaWa parking lot, I know that we still have more work to do. If there is one thing I wanted to accomplish but couldn’t make happen with the constant budgetary pressures it was the development of a community center. A place with something for everyone. Meeting rooms for community groups, recreation rooms for kids to hang out and gym facilities that could be available for public use. I still hope that someone picks up that ball and runs with it.
As a libertarian, I have pointed to Shamong many times as an example of how limited government can actually work. We are the perfect example of a community that doesn’t look to the township to solve all our problems. On the other hand, the township government has a leadership role to play to help facilitate the volunteer efforts of the residents to get projects done which the community decides are worth doing. That’s the correct use of government and the members of our community have real ownership and a vested interest in the outcome.
My family and I are in the process of moving to York County, Pennsylvania where we have a home on 10 acres overlooking the Susquehanna River. I have been promising for years to slow down a bit and with my son graduating from Seneca this was the right time. We have spent 22 wonderful years in Shamong, raised our three children here and have made many lifelong friends. The Shamong Sun has graciously offered to allow me to continue submitting articles periodically and I will certainly take them up on that so don’t be surprised if I stir the pot a bit from time to time.
Once again, thank you all for allowing me the privilege to serve the community for all these years.
