Clinton Township Newsletter

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 2015 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

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