Clinton Township Newsletter

Since 1982 C L I N TO N TOW N S H I P N ews l e t t e r ® J u l i e F ly n n , E d i t o r J a n ua ry 2014 "Nothing is worth more than this day." – Goethe MAYOR'S COLUMN "The Greeter" by M ayo r Ruth Keesing by Kevin Cimei of C l i n t o n T ow n s h i p GET INVOLVED– SPEAK OUT– CONTRIBUTE! 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 parking 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 possible 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! J a n u a r y 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 infrastructure; 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 opportunities (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 another 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 leadership 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 outspoken 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 2 0 1 4 1

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