SERVING THE VALLEY’S COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS SINCE 1956
TIMEOFF
COMMUNITY
He does want to go home
A call for holiday photos
Steven Van Zandt wraps the ‘Soulfire’ tour at the Count Basie Theatre. Plus: Review of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at McCarter.
Does your family decorate for the holidays? E-mail photos to amartins@centraljersey.com by 12/19 to be featured.
VOL. 62, NO. 50
Published every Friday
Friday, December 15, 2017
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Murphy nominates Muoio for state treasurer role By Lea Kahn Staff Writer
Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio, who lives in Pennington and is a former Pennington Borough Council member, has been nominated to serve as State Treasurer by Governor-elect Phil Murphy. Muoio, a Democrat, began her political career on the Pennington Borough Council, where she served from 1997 to 2001. During that time, she was also elected to the Mercer County Board of Cho-
sen Freeholders in 2000 and was re-elected in 2003 and 2006. She left the Freeholder board in 2008 - before her third term had expired - when Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes appointed her to the post of director of Economic Development for Mercer County. Muoio was appointed to the State Assembly in 2015, filling a vacancy created when then-Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the 12th Congressional District.
Murphy’s nomination of Muoio was praised by several Democratic Party political leaders, including Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto and state Senators Richard J. Codey and Paul Sarlo. The incoming governor “has picked a rising star who has worked in economic development, but who also has a passion for serving her constituents,” Gusciora, who serves alongside of Muoio in the 15th Legislative District, said. “[Muoio] has displayed a deft
understanding of complex fiscal matters while serving on the Assembly Budget Committee for the past several years,” Prieto said. “It is that experience which will serve her well, coupled with her extensive economic background.” Muoio will be missed by her colleagues in the State Assembly, Prieto said, but “we all wish Assemblywoman Muoio all the best in this new role.” Codey characterized Murphy’s selection of Muoio for State Treasurer as a “fantastic” choice, positing that she brings “integrity,
a deep knowledge of proven practices to spur economic development and a keen understanding of state government.” “Liz’s ability to forge friendships on both sides of the aisle over the years shows her commitment to sound policy over partisanship. I have no doubt New Jersey will be in good hands,” Codey said. Sarlo, who chairs the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, said Muoio “possesses a
See MUOIO, Page 3A
Lewis commended for years of service on borough council By Lea Kahn Staff Writer
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When Hopewell Borough Councilman Robert Lewis walked into the meeting room for the final borough council meeting of the year, he expected the agenda would list the usual routine matters that every governing body must handle. What Lewis did not expect was a resolution, signed by Mayor Paul Anzano and council members, expressing their appreciation for his 12 years of service. The meeting last Thursday marked the last one that he would attend as an elected official. He did not seek reelection. The resolution noted that during Lewis’ four terms on the council, he served as the town’s volunteer information technology professional as it built new or improved websites. He managed its computer infrastructure and served as a trouble-shooter. The resolution also praised Lewis for his “devoted service (that) embodies the spirit of every good municipal official, every good leader and every good citizen in our democratic republic, which is to strive every day in every way to be a good neighbor.” Mayor Anzano teased Lewis after he read the resolution into the public record, joking that he “also [gets] to take your nameplate home.” Councilman David Mackie told Lewis that he “always appreciated your perspective. We don‘t all have the same point of view. You are a thoughtful and honorable person.” Lewis replied that serving on
the borough council represented a shift for him. He became interested in history, and began studying the U.S. Constitution and the New Jersey Constitution. “One thing I noticed is the difference between negotiations and debate,” Lewis said. “Here, we are more likely to debate and come up with the best solution for the community.“ “[You read] in the media, more about negotiation - giving up something. There is a valuable lesson. You should do more deliberation and less from the perspective of negotiation,” he said. Lewis, whose term expires Dec. 31, had planned to run for a fifth term, along with Borough Councilman Schuyler “Sky” Morehouse, but opted against it because of the town’s changing demographics. Registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by about a 2-1 margin in Hopewell Borough. Lewis, like Morehouse, is a Republican. Since a Democrat had already signed up to run for Borough Council, that candidate was more likely to win one of the two seats, rather than two Republicans, Lewis said. “It became a matter of which one of us would survive - Sky or me. If I won, Sky would be ‘out.’ I just think Sky has so much more experience and so much to offer that I felt it was more important for him to continue to serve,” Lewis said. Reflecting on his tenure on Borough Council after the meeting, Lewis said “it seems like yesterday” that he took his seat on the dais. The 12 years went by “real
Photo by Scott Jacobs
‘Tis the season The Hopewell Valley Train Station hosted its Childrens Holiday Gift Shop on Dec 8, where volunteers guided the kids as they shopped for their family and friends. While her parents got to enjoy the holiday music, Abigail Hogan, 10, got to shop for holiday gifts with a volunteer.
New assistant director of science at Stony Brook Millstone Watershed By Lea Kahn Staff Writer
Erin Stretz is focused on water quality issues on a day-to-day basis in her position as the assistant director of Science and Stewarship at the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association. But soon, Stretz will find out about other, equally pressing issues confronting New Jersey as she takes part in a series of “Lead New Jersey” seminars next year. She has been accepted into Lead New Jersey’s Class of 2018 as a fellow. See LEWIS, Page 3A Lead New Jersey offers a
year’s worth of monthly seminars that examine the problems and possible solutions facing the state. The goal is to sharpen the knowledge and responses of the participants through discussions with current leaders. The sessions are held around the state, including the State House, a maximum security prison, the Pinelands and Jersey City’s port. The fellows, as the Lead New Jersey participants are called, will gain new perspectives on the issues. They will have a chance to debate, review case studies and talk with policy and leadership ex-
See STRETZ, Page 3A
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perts from around the state. The program heightens the fellows’ awareness of the breadth and depth of the issues facing New Jersey, with the goal of developing the next generation of leaders who are willing to tackle the issues. Stretz is the third staffer from the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association to be named a fellow in Lead New Jersey. Development Director Jenny-Ann Kershner and Municipal Policy Specialist Ed DiFiglia also are Lead New Jersey alumni. Stretz, who oversees a water
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