Advance Robbinsville
FEBRUARY 2019
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Practice makes perfect
COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
New era for Route 130? Town officials hope new car dealer kicks off development on the highway By roB anthes
ranthes@communitynews.org
Groundbreakings are rarely much more than a photo op, but Robbinsville Township officials found more than the usual reasons to celebrate one such event recently. A Nov. 26 groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction for a 50,000-square
foot car dealership at 1153 Route 130 North, next to Lamp and Shade Studio. The dealership, scheduled to open this autumn, will sell Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles. While the dealer’s ownership has big plans for its new venture, the township sees something even bigger at work. The car dealership is the first new development on Robbinsville’s stretch of Route 130 in several years, and the township hopes the dealer sparks a new era for commercial development on the highway. “I don’t know if it’s related, but my office has been inun-
dated with folks that are interested in doing something on Route 130,” said Hal English, Robbinsville Township’s community planning director. “Probably not because of it, but coincidentally on the same timeline. I think in another five years you’re not going to recognize Route 130. It will be upgraded and clean and new and modern, and there’ll be some good commerce on there. Rather than driving 55 miles per hour and just zooming by, people will be stopping and shopping.” In the last decade, Route 130 See ROUTE 130, Page 11
Familiar face named Officer of Year Policing long a calling for Slininger By sCott morGan
Laura Bradley practices for her performance during the New Jersey Thespian Festival Jan. 20, 2019 at Robbinsville High School. For more photos, turn to Page 8. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.)
If you’re a fan of the police blotter, you’ve doubtless seen the words “Officer Michael Slininger” in Robbinsville’s traffic stop arrests. Probably a lot. In the almost five years Slininger has been in the Robbinsville Police’s traffic division, he’s made quite a name for himself collaring drunk drivers, traffickers of illegal substances, and others who should know better than to get behind the wheel. In 2018, he made such a name for himself that the RPD named Slininger its officer of the year. The award was announced in early December and given to him later in the month. It surprised him, though his boss doesn’t think it should have. “He’s everything we want our
officers to be,” Chief Chris Nitti said. “He’s not only a great officer when it comes to making arrests, he brings that into the realm of community policing.” It’s Slininger’s sense of empathy and compassion that makes him a great officer, Nitti said; the drive to part of a community solution. “I think that gets lost sometimes,” he said. “We all got into this job to help other people.” Nitti said Slininger needed to be recognized for more than just his record. Nevertheless, Slininger said it surprised him to get named officer of the year, if only because of the company he’s in. “There are a lot of great guys,” he said. “I’m sure it was a tough decision because there are so many great officers.” “Braggart” is definitely not a word that comes to mind speaking with Slininger. “Thoughtful,” though—that’s certainly something people
would say about him. Nitti did. “”He treats everyone with an air of respect,” Nitti said. So when it came time for the selection committee to vote on Slininger, it was a slam dunk. It was a unanimous decision, Nitti said. Surprised or not, Slininger said he’s come a long way as a police officer. And there’s still so much in front of him. Slininger is only 27 years old—and 8 in cop years. A native of Brick, he started his law enforcement career in 2012 in one of the most Jersey ways possible: in the bike unit down the shore, in Point Pleasant. He still lives in Brick, with his wife of three years—and high school sweetheart—Nicole. No kids yet, but they’re in the conversation, he said. In 2014, Slininger got hired for the Robbinsville Police, but as a dispatcher. He liked the area and had applied for a patrol slot, but the department wasn’t hiring for See POLICE, Page 9
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