Clinton Township Newsletter

E d i to r ' s C o l u m n At the end of my interview with Fred Keesing, the original owner of this Newsletter, Fred asked, "Do you have any questions?" "Just one," I replied. "Will I have to write a column? Because I really don't want to." "Oh no", he quickly said, "Don't worry – you'll never have to write a column." Well, it's funny how things work out, isn't it? I can honestly say that writing this column and working on this Newsletter (with the fantastic Keesings) has been one of the most fulfilling jobs of my career. The Clinton Township Newsletter has survived yet another year. We've not only survived, but we think we continue to get better and better. For that, we have all of you to thank– our readers, our contributors, the Township and our School District and, last but not least, our advertisers – a group of business people who keep US in business. We ask that you please shop in their stores and hire them for their services. Most of them are small, independent and local, just like this publication. Back in the day when I worked in advertising, the marketing department used to pose this question to new clients: "If your company was a car, what kind of car would it be?" The thought being that if your company is the embodiment of product, would you consider it high end  like a –  luxury sports car, low end – like a utilitarian no-frills truck, or one of the myriad choices in between. That question always baffled me, since it seemed to me as if they were comparing apples to oranges, but the exercise was interesting all the same. In consideration, if I were to define the apotheosis of this Newsletter, it is that of a community in a publication. Your Community. Our Mayor Kevin Cimei mentioned it first in his column, but it's important to reiterate: a good community is good thing and a great community is priceless. We in Clinton Township have a great community. Letters to t h e E d i to r "My Wife and I just wanted to thank you for an interesting Newsletter and for Ruth Keesing's writings. We both enjoy and relate to her stories. Keep up the good work." Sincerely, Joan & Warren Umholtz, Tewksbury, NJ "Dear Julie, I read your (December) editorial with a smile and a chuckle today. Although our kids have also gone past the point of believing the elves had come into the house while we were out on our annual trek to view the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve, they also believe the tradition of new pjs for Christmas must carry on. The screams of joy and surprise have been missing for a few years now, the anticipation on the part of the elves often gives way to the trudgery of preparing for yet another holiday season but... it always brings a smile and heartfelt pangs of years gone by when they were little and bewildered by the magic of Christmas. A gentle reminder that it is truly the simplest gifts of the heart that mean the most and that we have planted a seed for memories they will carry with them for a lifetime and hopefully one day pass to their children. The visits of the elves on Christmas Eve and The Great Pumpkin who continues to come on Halloween Eve and visits our daughter at college via the US postal service will continue well into the future. I've asked my children if they would be upset if "the elves" stopped and all three admit it wouldn't be the same without the tradition. Guess the elves better gear up for another year of surprises. I wish you a very happy and blessed holiday season. May the joy of Christmas be with you all now and throughout the year. Thank you for making me smile today." Take care, Patti McCutcheon At CTNL we always aspire to reflect all parts of our community  we –  count on you to let us know if we're not hitting the mark. Do you have a cause that you want to announce to the community? Does your club, church, or non-profit organization have an event you need posted? Do you have a question for the Township or the School District? Or, do you need to promote your business locally? We're here to help you. Please email us today at ctnl@comcast.net. Please let us know what you're thinking. We sincerely wish you and your families great health (wealth would be nice, right?) and much joy in the coming year. And, as always, thank you so much for reading us! –Julie Flynn email us at: CTNL @comcast.net J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4 3

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