Clinton Township Newsletter

2 2 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6 www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com T h e J u R y – A k e y C o m p o n e n T o f o u R J u s T i C e s y s T e m Jury duty – some people find it interesting; others dread it. Regardless of your reaction, you have a civic duty to serve if selected. On a State level, there are three types of jury service: • Petit Jury – Hears criminal and civil cases; if selected for a trial, you must report each day court is in session for the duration of the trial • Grand Jury – Determines if there is sufficient evidence to proceed with criminal charges; generally meets once a week for a specified number of weeks at the County courthouse • State Grand Jury – Same as a Grand Jury, but meets in Trenton. The Selection Process: • The jury selection list is compiled from voter registrations, driver's license records, personal State income tax returns and Homestead Rebate applications. To help ensure your name appears on the jury selection list only once, always use your legal name when filling out relevant forms and make sure all information, including address, is correct. • A random, computerized selection process is used, which can lead to some people being called for service more frequently than others. You can be excused if you have already served in the same county within the past three years; doesn't apply if previous service was as a federal juror. Juror Qualifications: • Jurors must be State residents, U.S. citizens, and physically and mentally able to carry out the duties of a juror. You cannot have been convicted of, or pled guilty to, an indictable offense. This doesn't apply to municipal offenses (e.g., traffic violations, shoplifting charges, DWI/DUI, juvenile offenses). Valid Reasons to Be Excused: • Age (You must be at least 18; those 75 or older may request to be excused.) • Primary caregiver for a minor, or sick or elderly dependent. (Service may be postponed so you can make alternate care arrangements.) • Active emergency services volunteer. (Applies to fire, rescue and first aid squad volunteers. Verification required. Also applies to active U.S. Military members.) • Compromised ability to support yourself or your family (Supporting documentation required.) Jurors are a key component of our justice system. The next time you're called to serve, consider the importance of your role. – Victor Rotolo LAW FIRM THE ROTOLO 502 U.S. 22 Lebanon, NJ 08833 908∙534∙7900 www.RotoloLawFirm.com Victor A. Rotolo, Esq. Former Police Officer, City of Elizabeth Mediation and Arbitration: Services and Venue Available Victor A. Rotolo is a long-time resident of Clinton Township and the founder of The Rotolo Law Firm. Call The Rotolo Law Firm today: 908.534.7900 to discuss any legal situation confronting you. Your half-hour consultation is free of charge! Their attorneys and staff are ready to serve your legal needs. The Rotolo Law Firm • 502 US 22 West, Lebanon, NJ 08833. www.RotoloLawFirm.com Getting to Know Your Township A H i s t o r i c a l P e r s p e c t i v e – Th e Va l u e o f H i s t o r y B y : B i l l B u r i a k www.ClintonTwpNJ.com Clinton Township has many unique and rich historical resources! They include, but are not limited to, buildings, historic districts, archeological sites, abandoned mines and farmstead ruins. Quite often the value preserving such historical items is questioned. What is the value to the community of historical assets? How does it benefit the community to protect and preserve such sites? How does it impact our township budgets? With tight municipal budgets and increasing pressure to do more with less, these are valid questions. During these challenging economic times, are these reasons enough to justify preserving historical resources? The most common answers of why to protect and preserve historical assets include educational value, social, aesthetic and cultural value. The cultural value of historical sites ties communities together and brands locations so that the historical sites become synonymous with the town. A great example is the Red Mill in Clinton. Everyone in the State of NJ knows the Red Mill in Clinton. Similarly, but to a lesser extent, the Vought House is tied to Clinton Township and it is becoming its premiere historical artifact. Even to this day, many historical resources are still closely associated with families who settled this area a century ago or even two. They are still tied to residents who live and work in the area. This gives the area a great local feel. All the above reasons are valid reasons for protecting and preserving our historical resources; however they ignore the economic value of historical resources. Numerous studies over the last decade have shown, with remarkable consistency, the economic value of historic preservation. Quite simply, historic preservation is good for the local economy. Historic preservation has positive impacts on employment, property values, tourism, environment and town revitalization. To illustrate, the Red Mill Haunted House Tours not only benefit The Mill, but also local merchants. The same is true for the music festivals. The Clinton Township Historical Preservation Committee's walking tours of Annandale bring people in from all areas of the state to review and appreciate the Victorian houses. Likewise, restoration talks given by skilled tradesmen at the Library draw much interest. Below are some more formal statistics on the value of preserving historic resources. From Rutgers: • Each year in New Jersey, preservation pours more than half a billion dollars into the economy, including $123 million in improving historic buildings, $432 million in heritage tourism spending and $25 million in spending by historic sites and organizations. This triggers a wealth of economic benefits. Preservation not only pays its own way but enriches our lives as it saves our past. In particular, public funding of historic preservation has a payback that both reduces taxpayer burden and increases benefits in numerous sectors of the economy. • Each $1 million spent on non-residential historic rehabilitation creates two jobs more than the same money spent on new construction. It also generates $79,000 more in income, $13,000 more in taxes and $111,000 more in wealth. For more information, go to: Partners in Prosperity: The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation in New Jersey Summary Report The Clinton Township Historic Preservation Commission looks forward to your involvement and feedback. The next installment of "A Historical Perspective" will feature some of the key historical houses of Clinton Township. If you know of a house that you feel is historically significant, please contact us. We'd love to hear from you! Visit: www.clintontwpnj.com and click on the "GOVERNMENT" section.

• Cover