Clinton Township Newsletter

2 0 j a n u a r y 2 0 2 5 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M 1 JANUARY 2004 January 2004 F r e d K e e s i n g , E d i t o r A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E M A Y O R by Tom Borkowski Let me begin by thanking Fred Keesing for giving me this opportunity to address you. One of the best aspects of being Mayor is that I get an opportunity to meet and listen to so many people. Many residents often tell me that Clinton Township is a wonderful place to live. I couldn't agree more. Being Mayor is a challenging and rewarding experience and I am honored to serve as your Mayor. As a Township, we have had many significant accom- plishments during the last year and we have much to look forward to in 2004. Our all-volunteer fire department dedicated their new firehouse on Beaver Avenue. We thank them and wish them continued success. Bundt Park was also dedicated this year, which kept the Recreation Commission busier than usual. The skate park, basketball courts, soccer and baseball fields and walking path have all opened to positive and enthusiastic reviews by Township residents. Some of our accomplishments in 2003 were recog- nized with awards. Clinton Township received an award from the NJ Planning Officials Association for our Design Standards ordinances. The Township, Planning Board and Environmental Commission were recognized by the Association of NJ Environmental Commissioners for our Natural Resources Inventory. These two very important planning tools will help us to shape the way our community is developed and protect our natural resources. The proposed Windy Acres development will contin- ue to occupy a substantial amount of the Council's time and resources. One very important development was NJDEP's reclassification of the Rockaway Creek to C-1 status. As a result, any discharge into the stream will have to meet more stringent water quality standards. Another development was Pulte Homes' recent lawsuit against the Readington-Lebanon Sew- erage Authority for sewer capacity. In that lawsuit, Pulte argued that the Windy Acres sewer plant is economically unfeasible to build. Also, a decision is expected soon in the Planning Board's litigation with Pulte Homes. The Council continues to engage in settlement negotiations with the parties. (Continued on Page 2) Happy New Year As always, we are pleased to welcome the Mayor back to Page One - a great way to start a new year. I would also like to take this time to thank the many people who have enabled me to make this Newsletter so successful: Frank Curcio for History; Dorie Barker for Health & Safety; Ruth, who not only picks up my grammatical mistakes but also contributes a popular column; Janice Mulligan, Associate Editor, who not only replaces my impaired eyes and ears but also fills in where needed. The support of the Township, Board of Education and full complement of advertisers, including the latest one, Holiday Inn Select of Clinton, who starts this month. Merck & Co., our printers, Associated Mailing Services and the Postal Carriers who deliver this Newsletter to YOU, our faithful readers. Wishing all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2004. Photo E D I T O R ' S C O L U M N 1 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4 I grew up as a bossy only child. I told my playmates where to go, when to go and how to go. Mom used to lament "Why do these boys and girls want to play with such a bossy person?" (I knew why in the Wintertime. My Dad froze most of the backyard into a neighborhood ice skating rink!) Even I was puzzled when friends continued to play with me off-season. I knew better than to boss my college roommates or my two husbands. Imagine my intense joy when, as a volunteer at Hunterdon Medical Center, I was assigned to the front lobby as a "Greeter". My day is devoted to telling people WHERE TO GO! I sit behind a podium and direct patients and visitors to their destinations. You'd be surprised to know how many folks don't know our blood lab is now in the Doctors' Office Building. Over the years I've directed literally hundreds of men and women to the first floor restrooms. That is most certainly telling them WHERE TO GO. So far I've resisted a barely controllable urge to send people to the wrong location. Where is the X-ray Department? "Over the park- ing garage." Maternity? "We don't do babies anymore." Human Resources? "Ran out of resources last month." However, as we well know, it is a hospital and nobody goes there for fun and frolic. When someone says "ICU" please, I want to say "ICU, too". But I don't. If and when the urge takes control my sweet boss has assured me that it will most definitely be my LAST DAY as a volunteer. Last year during flu season we had to screen all visitors for pos- sible flu symptoms. I felt quite like a TSA Agent at Newark Airport. Some were OK with the questions regarding their sore throats and stuffy noses. Others took it quite personally and I had to remind them "not to kill the messenger". On whole, 99% of the visitors are appreciative and often tell me so. I've made a whole bunch of new friends – Roy, Bruce, Mike, Steve, Tony, Larry, Alan, Florence, etc. It's not unlike having a different family around one day a week. I'm proud to be a volunteer at HMC. It is a caring, competent, compassionate hospital for patients, and I've been doing my thing there for over 24 years – starting when I retired from Bellcore. The simplest way to express it is that I get so much more than I give. Maybe some of our readers might like to give volunteering a try? According to a recent magazine article, adults ages 51 to 91 who volunteered for 200 hours per year (about 3 hours per week) lowered their blood pressure by 40 percent. That's cheaper than meds–try it! "The Greeter" b y R u t h K e e s i n g Since 1982 MAYOR'S COLUMN by Kevin Cimei M ayo R o f C l i n t o n t ow n s h i p GET INVOLVED– SPEAK OUT– CONTRIBUTE! Clinton Township has so much to offer. Great schools, safe streets, beautiful countrysides. But more than that, it has caring residents. A community is more than just its infra- structure; at its core are the people who make up the community. There are many ways to get involved in your community through activities such as schools, religious organizations or volunteering. A big Thank You to the many Clinton Township residents who do donate their time, skills or resources. If you want to get involved, we do have opportunities available. Committees and commissions have openings from time-to-time for those willing to donate some of their time and effort Check our Township website and contact me or Town Hall if you are interested. Speak out--come to a council meeting! We meet the second and fourth Wednesdays of most months and always have ample public comment op- portunities (at least twice a meeting). If you don't want to come out to a meeting, contact your elected officials. All of your council members and I enjoy hearing from you. What do you like, what do you dislike, what ideas do you have? We represent you, and we want to hear from you! Contributing your time, skills and resources helps make Clinton Township a better place. It builds a sense of community and gets more accomplished. Now for a quick update on the Township. The Township had an- other good year in 2013! Thanks to all our employees and volunteers, we have continued to provide the services our residents want, while keeping spending and taxes in check. Highlights include another very successful Community Day in the Spring, continuing our road repair plan (Lilac Drive completed), surviving the Transco Pipeline install, transitioning leader- ship of our Police Department from Director Bob Manney to OIC Lt. Doug Higgins, and a successful leaf pickup with new vacuums this year. Your Council and I are very aware of the need to limit taxes while still providing the services you desire. Finally, it is fitting to recognize some who are moving on. Police Director Bob Manney has done a great job leading the police department for the past 6 years. He improved the professionalism of the department through improved hiring practices and becoming the first police department in the County to be accredited. He also oversaw a unique partnership with the DEA to train our officers. We look forward to continued progress with OIC Higgins. On the Council, we have two members leaving this term: Harmen Vos and John Lazarus. Harmen has been a passionate and out- spoken member who led the creation of the Clinton Township Community Garden. John worked tirelessly on many projects, from the Annandale Train Station upgrade, to the upcoming website enhancements, to being a key driver of our budgeting process. We will miss them both and welcome our newest council members, Brian Mullay and Amy Switlyk. With best wishes for a Happy Holiday and a Great New Year, Kevin Cimei, Mayor, Clinton Township "Nothing is worth more than this day." – Goethe J u l i e f ly n n, e d i t o R J a n ua Ry 2014 C L I N T O N T O W N S H I P N e w s l e t t e r ® Since 1982 1 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 5 Happy New Year! –Julie Fl�nn In our last issue we asked you, our readers, to email us and let us know what you think and, boy, so many of you did! Not only were we flooded with emails but we received quite a few phone calls as well! As if in a scene from "It's a Wonderful Life," a lot of our readers told us how much they love us – even though we weren't really asking for compliments. (At least, we didn't think we were.) It's a New Year... can you believe it? Is it just me or are the years flying by? We dedicate this, our biggest issue ever, to one of our loyal readers, Rae Baldinger. Rae, who just turned 90 this year, called us to say, "I look forward to your paper so much. I read your and Ruth's columns each month. Your articles don't go unnoticed – they keep me alive!" Well, Rae, we couldn't think of a higher compliment. We are here for you and we hope that 2015 is your best year yet! Keep reading us! A lot of people were happy to see the words "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Hannukah" on our December 2014 cover – with no votes against them (and, really, what's not to like?) so we will continue to do so each December. While a reader named "A.J." loved that cover, she was dismayed that we left out "Happy New Year." And why?!! Perhaps that phrase is now also politically incorrect? Nope, we were just saving it for our January issue–please see above! To reader Bern Nelson – we hear you about running a North Sports calendar in our Newsletter! However, having had three kids who've attended NHHS, I know the high school has a ton of sports and their schedules are always changing. Perhaps in the future we can try an abbreviated version? We also got a call this month from Glenn Coats (of Lebanon Door Company) who told us to "Keep up the good work!" He and his wife are avid readers of this publication as well as relatively new advertisers so, for both reasons we say "thank you!" to the Coatses. And one of our most touching emails was from Werner Strohmaier who simply said, "Thank you. Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah to you too!" Speaking of appreciation, I owe a big thank you to the women who did so much for our Crime Stoppers of Hunterdon County 2014 Fund- raiser Dinner: Linda Lauchaire, Ellie Voorhees, Jeannine Gorman, Lisa Verniero, Lisa Maul, Wendy Brancaccio, Julie Trinity, Karen Brooks, Kathleen DeAngellis and Jamie Capezzuto. You're all amaz- ing and you should go into the event planning business together. We honestly couldn't have pulled it off without you! So – it's time to celebrate new beginnings and to let go of everything that vexed us in 2014. I know some of you suffered your share of adversity this past year – I hope that 2015 brings you peace, pleasure and prosper- ity. As we at CTNL say over and over, thank you so much for reading us and supporting us. And please, support our advertisers who keep us in business, so that we all can all be here to celebrate 2016! EDITOR'S COLUMN b y J u l i e F ly n n O W N S H C L I N T O N T O W N S H I P N e w s l e t t e r ® H appy N e w Y e a r ! Ju 2014 Jie Fly, Edit "New Year's Day is Every Man's Birthday." ~Charles Lamb Changes of Life b y R u t h K e e s i n g Status quo is comfortable. Status quo suits me quite well. I'm not a big fan of change, as inevitable as it is. I still mourn the loss of the Easy Spirit store at Bridgewater Com- mons. It just up and disappeared one day, never to return. I used to buy the neatest shoes there. Many other favorite items of clothing that were clearly designed for my size 8 top/14 bottom body have left Macy's shelves – no longer being made. The choices left seem to be manufactured for much younger, much slimmer, much less discriminating buyers. Restaurants I used to love (New Orleans in Branchburg, for one) have gone out of business. And just when I find a menu item that makes my stomach sing with joy the restaurant chooses to discontinue it. The guy who used to put air in my Honda's tires at Tim's Sunoco was a treasure. Kenny and I would socialize while he used his little tire pressure thingy. Eventually I met his Mother and we still do lunch together. Kenny retired and I can't find a comparable replacement for him. I miss a few favorite checkers at King's as well. Topping the list of unwanted changes is when you have a "change of address". Heaven knows you must notify half the population of North America. And several decades later mail will still be delivered to your former address. Tons of catalogs, however, will find their way to your new mailbox – especially before Christmas and Easter. I don't like it when the shape or color of my prescription pills changes. I wonder if the pharmacist has screwed up. And when a pill goes from 10mg to 20mg I know that's not a good change. Changes in the shape of a mole or the size of a lump bode possible disaster. When the weather forecast changes from a "tropical storm" to a "category 3 hurricane" I recall the horrors of Hurricane Sandy and prepare for the worst. When the lovely fall foliage ends it's for sure time for zero temperatures and blizzards. Most of the changes to my body are less than appealing. Naturally blonde hair has changed to a drab grey. My body does not respond the way it used to when my brain issues an order. I keep forgetting names. I'll close with a short list of positive changes that are either good or necessary or, at least, seem pleasing to me. Changes of diapers, for instance. Change of bed linens (who doesn't love clean sheets?). Change of auto oil/filters. Change of Social Security benefits each January. Change to Daylight Savings Time. Change to remove do-nothing incumbents from political offices. Change of Life? It was good for me. Changes of Life? Not so much. Since 1982 CLINTON TOWNSHIP Newsletter ® Since 1982 Since 1982 "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." – Winston Churchill "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." – Winston Churchill January 2017 Jie Fly, Edit Julie Flynn, Editor 2025 CLINTON TOWNSHIP Newsletter ® Since 1982 1 December 2009 E D I T O R ' S C O L U M N C L I N T O N T O W N S H I P N e w s l e t t e r ® F r e d K e e s i n g , E d i t o r D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 C h r i s t m a s G r e e t i n g s ! by Ruth Keesing Don't you just hate those syrupy "My family had a perfect year!" Christmas letters? Here is one I'll bet you will never receive: "What a year we've had here in East Podunk. Harry won't be spending the holidays with us this year since he is in 'Federal Housing' until 2019. The plants he culti- vated in our garden last summer were not exactly legal, you see. Considering how poorly the green peppers and pole beans have done in recent years I think his attempt to be a gentleman farmer caused an over-reaction by local law enforcement. Our eldest, Luther, also had a brush with the law. Who knew the car he passed (over a solid line) was a State Trooper with absolutely no sense of humor. Must have been open season on high school dropouts. Little Betsy is in the second grade again; apparently quite fond of that teacher. We are hoping she makes the third grade before reaching puberty. Taylor's scar is healing nicely after his brief foray trying to take off and fly from the garage roof. Alice was 14 in August and has named the baby Manuel after the father who seems to have fled to Mexico. We don't expect she'll receive any child support payments. Ha! Ha! A perfectly innocent event in Shop Rite and wouldn't you know a pesky lawsuit resulted. My umbrel- la accidentally clipped the head of a woman in front of me in the 10 items or less line. She clearly had 11 items because I counted them. We hope to settle out of court. We are proud to say our 6 year old grandson, Bradley, was chosen to play Joseph in the kindergarten nativity play. What a surprise when, after a nearby shepherd poked him inappropriately with his staff, Bradley lifted the baby Jesus from the manger and swung him di- rectly into that sorry shepherd's head. Isn't he the little dickens? Finally, Ralph's budding business selling Rolex watches from a card table on the front lawn has ended. It's not easy to be an entrepreneur–especially in this economy. We look forward to an even more activity packed 2010 when all our lucky friends will receive another holiday update. Your friends, The Kalakacks." P.S. How was your year? We are approaching a holiday season unlike any most of the younger generations have seen. The older gen- eration remembers the thirties–the depression years. Money was the scarce commodity but we got by on less and survived. Then came the war years, from the forties to the seventies, when so many families had someone in uniform overseas. Once more we survived and overcame fear. FDR said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." This is a time for remembrance. We try to remember the happy times of the past, and also try to make happy memories for our children and grandchildren. The recent Thanksgiving holiday may have brought to mind the many advantages we enjoy by living in this area. Two great reservoirs, a lush hilly countryside, and in nearby Clinton the South branch of the Raritan flows past the Old Red Mill it once powered, which houses the Hunterdon Historical Museum and across the river, the Hunterdon Art Museum. Just 15 minutes east of Clinton Township is Raritan Valley Community College and its first class theater. We live in the center of all of this in Clinton Township, still one of the most affluent municipalities in the State (as well as one of the most affluent in the US.) We have a very highly rated school system which reports to all residents. We have a healthy Seniors Club that offers companionship, entertainment, and information on all concerns of people age 60 and older. Forgive my lack of modesty if I mention the Clinton Township Newsletter. Let's spur the economy and make this a great holiday season! I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah and a healthy and prosperous 2010. 1 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 2 L o o k i n g t o t h e F u t u r e As we start the New Year, it's a good time to think ahead and make our plans for the year. First, a quick look at the past year and an update of the status of the Township. Let me start by saying that Clinton Township is in good shape. We are strong, safe and efficient. We have many dedi- cated volunteers for which we are thankful. We have worked hard to keep municipal taxes down, control spending and increase non-tax revenues. It's not easy. The state mandated 2% tax levy cap really is forcing fundamental changes to all municipalities. No longer can towns continue as is, with State Pension costs, insurance, energy and even some labor costs increasing more than the cap. It's not hard to see that with many uncontrollable expenses rising more than the 2% cap, municipalities will have to cut costs and services or generate non tax revenues just to survive. Clinton Township is fiscally sound. Through years of pru- dent management we are better positioned than many other towns in the state and county. Given our size and capacity relative to these towns, I believe this positioning will provide us opportunities to share as other towns face difficult finan- cial pressures before we do. Looking forward, we need to keep in place the unique elements that make us a top town in which to live, work and raise a family. As we navigate the path to the future, we need to think of societal changes around us and keep our town well placed to prosper. We are facing big changes—high cost of energy/gasoline, migration of population back to cit- ies/inner suburbs, employers moving out/abroad, systemic State and Federal government budget deficits and the need to cut spending. All of these will impact the Clinton Township of the future. Our job is to be sure we have the policies and strategies in place to prosper in the changing world. Invest- ing in and maintaining our great schools is a top priority. The quality of our educational system is a key element in maintaining a strong and vibrant township and differentiates us from other communities. Preserving our dwindling open space helps us maintain our unique rural character with- out morphing into just 'another sprawl-burg'. Yet, fostering economic development and supporting local businesses to maintain a strong economy is also vital. Finally, ensuring our zoning and planning policies are focused on maintaining Clinton Township as the desirable place to live and work well into the future is very important. I welcome your comments and input—please come to Town- ship meetings or contact me at mayor@clintontwpnj.com. Finally, I wish you and your families a Healthy and Happy New Year. Kevin Cimei, Mayor A recent encounter with my cell phone service provider (AT&T Mobility) left me grimly disillusioned with communications technology and, more importantly, manners. An item kept reappearing on my monthly statement for a service I not only did not subscribe to, but also had no idea what it was. Something called "cellfish" cost me $10.69 extra; it mentioned purchases and downloads. Since my cell phone hadn't been used – had not even been turned on – since a trip to Cape Cod in July, I certainly had not purchased or downloaded a freaking thing. Simple, you're thinking. Call AT&T and explain their error and have the charges removed at once. In total, I made seven calls to my former employer (Ma Bell's offspring) and got absolutely nowhere. Each respondent asked me for my password and insisted nothing could be done without it. To my knowledge I have never had a cell phone password. I surely would have written it down in my growing list of passwords. (At this rate we will need passwords to check out at the supermarket). Sorry, they all said; it's a matter of privacy. (What isn't, these days?) I would have to appear in person at an AT&T facil- ity with adequate identification before any action would be taken on my invoices. Remember, this was THEIR error in the first place. I patiently explained to the various men and women who answered my call that I was almost 84 years old and a trip to an AT&T facility in mid-winter was not a realistic option. Couldn't I just get a Q-tip and swab the inside of my cheek and then send a DNA sample in the mail? They all had heavy accents and I kept asking them to please repeat and could they talk a little slower. No doubt they thought they were dealing with a hearing-impaired imbecile. Finally, on call number eight, a nice lady named Ann informed me she would cancel my old password (which she no way would inform me what it was) and issue me a new one of my choice. I selected five numbers and was instantly the proud owner of a brand new password. It was exhilarating, to say the very least. She assured me I would receive credit for the erroneous charges on my next statement. My joy knew no bounds! I have an appointment to have those five numbers tattooed on my left thigh to avoid any future memory lapses. Am I being unreasonable? Please don't e-mail me to say "Yes, I am!" I expect to be quite busy protesting against big corporations and banks and the plight of the middle class in America. So, give me a break. P.S. I did make a personal appearance at an AT&T store, presented identification and showed the clerk my incorrect invoices. He said it didn't say "cellfish" but "cellflirt." It was a Singles HOT LINE. He took a good look at me... and cancelled the charges on the spot. Happy Ending! MAYOR'S COLUMN by Kevin Cimei C L I N T O N T O W N S H I P N e w s l e t t e r ® J u l i e F l y n n , E d i t o r J a n u a r y 2 0 1 2 "Reach Out, But Don't Touch" by Ruth Keesing 1 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 K e v i n C i m e i , m a y o r J a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 M A Y O R ' S C O L U M N b y r u t h K e e s i n g "Giving Thanks for BFF's" C L I N T O N T O W N S H I P N e w s l e t t e r ® "It was my kind of film for my kind of people .... A film to tell the weary, the disheartened, and the disillusioned... that no man is a failure! ...that each man's life touches so many other lives. And that if he isn't around it would leave an awful hole. A film that said, 'Heads up, fella. No man is poor who has one friend. Three friends and you're filthy rich.' ... I wanted to shout, "You are the salt of the earth... 'It's a Wonderful Life' is my memorial to you!' " – Frank Capra As we start the New Year, it's always nice to look back on last year and the challenges and accomplishments we faced before looking ahead to the ones in the coming year. As I think back on 2012, I am grateful for our volunteers and our Township employees, particularly during Superstorm Sandy. We should be proud and thankful for the tire- less efforts of all who helped through that demanding period – our police, fire, EMS, Department of Public Works, CERT, OEM, County and State Government, our Regional and Township Schools, our many businesses who helped residents, the neighbors helping neighbors, even the utilities and the out of state workers who came here to help our Township. I heard and saw many instances of selfless behavior during this trying period. We should be thankful that we were spared worse devastation and help and pray for those who lost so much more. At the same time, we did learn some things that we and others could do to improve, if we ever have future events of this type. Clearly, for our part of rural New Jersey, we need better communication and support from our utility companies. Another future objective is to review our communication and backup processes. As we move past Superstorm Sandy, we're making a special effort to collect brush as well as our Annual Fall Leaf Pickup. Please be patient, as we have a lot of work to do, but no more time! We have implemented some overtime and added shifts to get this done, but we will likely take longer than last year in getting all leaves and brush collected. In 2012, the Council continued to provide the services our resi- dents want and expect, while keeping the tax levy well under cap. The Council is very focused on keeping taxes down and has been so for years. We also are financially sound in all respects. Importantly, we added two more Towns to our Court – Clinton and High Bridge. This is a real validation of the past decision and model we built, one based on private sector concepts like short term fixed cost contracts, mutually beneficial incentives, simplified governance (ie, not everyone votes on everything). I am pleased with the success of our court and the rec- ognition that we can save other towns significant costs by joining our court, while being a net positive to our taxpayers. In fact, we are the State-Approved Custodian for all the old NH Court cases and files. We continue to improve our Township roads. In 2012, we began the rebuilding of Lilac Drive from Twin Oaks to the Township line at Readington. This should be completed soon, weather permitting. Next year we will continue with our road plans. Looking ahead to 2013, we continue to face a challenging economy and the need to watch our taxes and spending. We'll be looking to make more progress on our Affordable Housing plans and possibly the Highlands. We're working on improvements to our Township website ensure easier electronic interaction with the Township and its depart- ments. We promise to do our best to make Clinton Township excep- tional. I wish you and your families a Healthy and Happy New Year, I don't know why I've waited over 30 years to write a column about one of the most important things in my life. FRIENDS! Maybe I've taken them for granted over the years. Friends from high school, college, friends who became brides- maids and maids of honor at my two weddings, friends whom I met in the most unpredictable circumstances. (I met Vivian while doing a morning walk-a-bout on Haytown Road decades ago.) I've known Caroline since kindergarten and, although her legs failed to support me while doing a "flying an- gel" in a high school gym class (resulting in a bro- ken collar bone!)she has remained a supportive friend for over 80 years. Other friends were from breast cancer support groups, former business colleagues, church, couples' clubs, volunteer groups and so many as a bonus from writing and publish- ing the Clinton Township Newsletter and from publishing my book. Some are many years younger than I am and I learn a lot from them. We share our trials and tribulations. We share books, movies, new restaurants and meat markets and where to get the best Jersey corn with the sweetest kernels. I even remain good friends with several former lovers! Who needs a psychologist's couch when I can share triumphs and problems with men and women who listen to me when I wail or win. I make notes on my calendar when they are on vacation, their birth- days and surgeries. We "do" lunch together and send e-mails and telephone each other regularly lest some noteworthy event should occur without my knowledge. Our friendships are on a level playing field so we interact comfortably talking, listening, sharing, laughing and crying. I try not to stay in touch with folks who make me sad. I once had a neighbor who complained constantly about her plight in life (which, all things considered, was 99 % better than most). She groaned each morning about having to face another day. Needless to say, our friend- ship was short-lived. As it turned out, so was she. No one slogs through life without turmoil. And, at my age, we've all faced assorted illnesses, deaths of loved ones, aching joints and sagging body parts. But my friends and I are in it together and we get older at the same pace for the most part. I believe we all live longer with proper diet, exercise, vitamin supple- ments, good books and social interactions. I value my wonderful friends more than a winning lottery ticket. You know who you are. May our social interactions continue to be happy highlights in our lives... of course, I wouldn't say no to a winning lottery ticket. K e v i n C i m e i , Mayor, Clinton See page 7 of this Newsletter for Christmas Tree Disposal information and to find out how to sign up for Clinton Township Web News. "The beginning is the most important part of the work." ~ Plato

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