Fall, 2023
Somerdale Voice
5
THE MAYOR’S CORNER As fall approaches, I would like to remind you to refer to your calendar and most recent Service Guide (Purple Cover) for information pertaining to leaf and vegetative waste pickup as the new season progresses. Regular leaf collection will begin in late October and will continue until mid-December. Beginning November through March, vegetative waste collection will be once per month on the LAST Monday of each month. The 2023 Somerstock event and Summer Concert Series at our new amphitheater were incredibly successful, drawing crowds in excess of 1000 people for a single event! In this issue you will see some highlights of the concerts which I hope you were able to attend and enjoy. I want to thank our concert series sponsors The Thirsty Hound & South Jersey Billiards, Modutec Engineering, Jefferson Heath System, Pepco Manufacturing, Comcast and Bowman & Company. Without their financial support, we could not have delivered the highquality performers in our lineup! We continue to make enhancements to the facility with the addition of fencing, solar lighting, picnic tables, and we are working on playground upgrades in the future. Construction of a permanent restroom facility is underway through the generosity of many local contractors. I would like to thank Kaiser Electric, Panetta Plumbing, Becksted Masonry, All Serve Concrete, A&E Construction, Home Depot and Seamless Flooring for their incredible generosity in donating labor and much of the materials. Next year will be bigger and better than ever as we know how much you love our concert series! By the way, if you missed any or all of the concerts, you can watch them on our YouTube channel by searching “Borough of Somerdale”. Each concert has been recorded with multiple cameras by our local multimedia company, Letter 8 Media. On a different note, it is with mixed emotions that I write this article as it will be my last “Mayor’s Corner” in our newsletter. I have decided to retire at the end of 2023 and this is our last issue of the year. Where do I begin (and how)????
The last 28 years for me have been an incredible and extremely humbling experience. Never did I imagine (or plan) to still be here after over quarter a century! As I look back, I can honestly say that I would not have traded it for the world. I have had the unique privilege to proudly represent our community far and wide. Through the years, I have been invited to participate in statewide initiatives for Governor’s Administrations, legislatures and other statewide organizations which have led to the crafting of new laws and policies that hopefully made life in New Jersey a bit more rewarding for you, our constituents. Along the way, I have met thousands of wonderful people that work to serve the public in our great state. There have been tremendous challenges but together with my family, staff, council, professionals and volunteers, we have overcome them all and we are better for it. I have always viewed my elected position as a privilege, a duty and an opportunity to touch thousands of lives in our own community, as well as our county and state in a very special way. My goal from the first day I was sworn in that crisp winter night in January 1996 was to better the lives of Somerdale residents in any way possible. I turn this chapter of my life feeling immensely fulfilled that I did just that with the help and support of those around me. I could write a book on my experience as your mayor and I would need the entire newsletter to thank those that were instrumental in our success. While that is not possible, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere love and appreciation for those that played the most instrumental roles in my elected career. First and foremost is the love of my life, my wife Jeanne. We are celebrating our 41st year of marriage this fall and a half century together! Her love and total support during this chapter of our lives is incomparable and I could not have done it without her. My two sons, Steven and Tyler both of which sacrificed most of their childhoods with an absentee father who had commitments to the public which kept me from many life experiences dads & sons share in a typical household. I only hope they realize that their loss and
sacrifice as children growing up with a dad as mayor positively impacted thousands of people through our accomplishments in the community and throughout the state. My siblings and their spouses, especially my brother Mike, his wife Joanne and oldest son Michael who campaigned with and for me in the early days and ran our business when I was away serving all of you. My closest and lifelong friends, who I am blessed to still share time with on a daily basis, that got used to me being on the phone or in meetings all hours of the day and night, whether golfing, hanging out locally or being on vacation together. Current and former council members, Nick Ianetta, Ed Kain, George Ehrmann, Dave Alexander, Frank Sabatini and Larry Sefchick and their spouses who started this journey with me 29 years ago and are still by my side today. My other council partners who have shown unwavering support and respect since they took office during my administration. The many volunteers on our Planning & Zoning Board that accepted my offer to serve our community and have been a constant source of wisdom and thoughtfulness in their duties to the residents of our community. Our volunteer organizations, especially our fire and EMS that unselfishly serve us day in and day out. My tremendous staff including our police department, public works and the administration. Most importantly my department managers who manage the day-to-day operations and make sure we deliver the best service possible to every household and business in town. My professionals, some of which have served this town longer than I! Of them, a special thanks to our solicitor, John Kearney who always was my voice of reason, my political advisor and ally as I navigated my way through the world of politics. I would be remiss if I did not thank the many business owners and operators in Somerdale that I could always count on. One standout individual and business owner that I must recognize is Jack Kennedy, the owner of Pepco Manufacturing who built his business in our community over 60 years ago and is still here today. I am proud to call Jack a friend and it was the relationship we forged from the day I was elected that made the widespread economic redevelopment in Somerdale a reality.
www.somerdale-nj.com
Finally, a mayor’s most important asset, my clerk and Chief of Staff, Michele Miller, otherwise referred to as my “work wife”. Michele and her husband Phil have been by my side for many, many years! Their devotion and friendship cannot be overstated and I cannot thank them enough for going the extra mile, many, many times for me. Michele has made my work world more tolerable, more rewarding and more effective through her talent and dedication to our community and to me. She has served the community in many capacities and has been my clerk for half of my elected career. I will truly miss our daily interaction, solving problems, planning events and managing the staff. My term ends this December 31st and I will leave knowing the town is in good hands and the hard work my administration has endured for over a quarter a century will leave a legacy and open the door for even greater achievements in the future. I will sincerely miss the interaction with all of you and mostly those just mentioned. I have spent the majority of my life these past 28 years with the aforementioned and I can’t imagine what it will be like without them. But the time has come for me to turn over the leadership of our community and to enjoy the fruits of my family’s labor. It sure will be different but I hope equally as satisfying. I cannot thank you enough for your continued confidence in me over these may years. The impact you have made on my life is immeasurable! I will not say farewell but instead look forward to seeing you at our local Somerdale events in the future. As always, please do not hesitate to say hello. Maybe we can reminisce a bit and share some fond memories? The time as your mayor has been a blessing for me and it will always be a cherished memory. God bless you and your family and may God bless Somerdale, now and forever.
Gary J. Passanante
