Clinton Township Newsletter

C L I N TO N TOW N S H I P N ews l e t t e r ® "Welcome to Clinton Township, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."– paraphrased, with all due respect, from Garrison Keillor A P R I L 2013 J U L I E F LY N N , E D I T O R "Mental Floss" BY EDITOR'S COLUMN RUTH KEESING For the last decade or two my primary focus has been on the physical aspect of aging. Do my feet still hurt? Does that tooth pain signal a need for root canal? Is that a lump? But the need for monitoring my brain functions has taken a back seat. Lately, a number of folks I know are showing signs of (what I suspect is) dementia. It scares the gray matter out of me! I'm trying to slow down the loss of cognitive power by per for ming little tricks to discourage memory loss. My cell phone is ALWAYS in one of three places... the inside pocket of my purse, charging on the kitchen counter or doing its designated job in my ear. My car keys are ALWAYS in the zipped section of my purse or in Harold's ignition. My Kindle remains comfortably and reliably on the table next to my rocking chair. My cabinets are well organized and pretty much clutter-less. (A friend assures me she'd prefer to have surgery on my kitchen floor rather than on an operating table in a hospital.) The point is – it's hard to lose stuff with such a system. Remembering names is not quite as foolproof. I read an article that advocated "association" with an appropriate subject would trigger the desired name when forgetfulness sets in. When I was introduced to Dr. and Mrs. Leland Beach at a cocktail party, I proceeded to introduce them to another couple as Dr. and Mrs. Leland Shore. Close, but no cigar. However, I am really good at remembering the names of dogs in the neighborhood where I walk every morning. I know Ru (I associate with Ruth), Desi (looks like Lucy) and Ralph (spitting image of a Ralph I once knew). When I get into my Honda I always know where I am headed. I can't always get there because my sense of direction has been lousy forever, but that isn't dementia, is it? I shop with a well-planned grocery list so I seldom forget stuff. However, I also purchase a dozen or more items that are not on the list, but look tempting because I haven't eaten since breakfast. "The infectiousness of crime is like that of the plague." –Napoleon I (1769-1821) Napoleon Bonaparte. French General. I spent the first few years of our life in Clinton Township pretty much oblivious to local crime. The worst crimes my family experienced here would definitely be considered "petty": a lightbulb broken in our outdoor lamp, our plastic outdoor jungle gym moved to the next door neighbor's lawn and one or two ding-dong-ditches. Annoying? Yes, but we figured the average age of the perpetrators was about twelve. When our oldest child became a teenager, I began to read the local police blotter regularly. Suddenly, it became much more important to me to know what crime, if any, was taking place in this pastoral setting. Now that I have three teenagers, I'm even more interested. Luckily, here in Clinton Township, we don't have a large amount of crime, but it does exist in Hunterdon County, nevertheless. It breaks my heart when I see local teenagers' names in the police blotter, especially those whom I've know since they were innocent little kids. Luckily, a large amount of our local teens are on the right track and I have high hopes for the futures of those who currently aren't. We all know adults who screwed up a bit in their youth but are now successfully navigating their adulthood. Thank goodness for second acts. Perhaps you're one of these older-but-wiser adults yourself. I'm honored to be on the board of the new Crime Stoppers of Hunterdon County, a not-for-profit program which has already been proven to be highly effective in other parts of the country. At our first meeting, Prosecutor Anthony Kearns told us that, although we're lucky to have a low amount of crime here, we are not a crime-free county by any stretch. Kearn's mission is to 'bring the 'crime-free-bubble' back to Hunterdon County," That crime-free-bubble sounds excellent to me. Basically, the idea of CrimeStoppers is this: you report a crime anonymously, you get a reward (in the form of cash) once an arrest or indictment is made. How do you get the cash while keeping your anonymity? We have a system in place for that. Trust me on this – anonymity is the heart of what allows this program to work. Our local law enforcementment agencies are dedicated to ensuring your safety and anonymity if you report a crime. A beautiful thing about this program is that you can now text in a tip about a crime. Text HCTIPS plus your tip to: 274637 (CRIMES). It's an option that's particularly useful for teenagers, who may have witnessed a crime that's weighing on their conscience, but are afraid to call it in. If we allow them to stay in their comfort zone, they'll be much more likely to help out. (Or, submit a tip through our website.) I note every daily activity on a huge calendar hanging on the fridge and keep a pocket calendar to carry with me as well. I NEVER forget a restaurant date when someone else is treating. These are only a few of the techniques I employ to stave off the onset of Alzheimer's. All of which are probably useless if the dreaded disease decides to have its way with me. What's the benefit to you the taxpayer, www.crimestoppershunterdon.com aside from a safer county? CrimeStoppers lessens the financial burden on our local law enforcement agencies, thus allowing our tax dollars to stretch further. Lower crime rates, in my opinion, allow our property values to rise and make our county that much more desirable. I think it's win-win. "My mind to me a kingdom is; Such present joys therein I find, That it excels all other bliss That earth affords or grows by kind." Thanks, John Dyer (circa 1714). I'm with you! Want to help? Questions? Email: help@crimetipinfo.com or visit online: www.crimestoppershunterdon.com. Thank you! A P R I L Happy Earth Day! 2 0 1 3 1

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