Youth Council thankful for a place to call their own

By vincent todaro
Staff Writer

Youth Council thankful for
a place to call their own
By vincent todaro
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — The local Youth Council has gotten the home its members have been pining for since the group’s inception last year.

The council, which was founded in May 2001, will use the nature center at the Crystal Springs Aquatic Center, Dunhams Corner Road, as its new meeting place. The announcement was made at the Sept. 23 Township Council meeting, when several of the youths spoke about their mission and presented a slide show.

Youth council members, which have been renting space for meetings and events, have been publicly asking township officials to provide them with a meeting place and also urged Mayor William Neary to keep them in mind when he began discussing the construction of a new multipurpose facility at Crystal Springs. While talk of the multiuse facility has died down at least for the time being, the youth council has continued its quest, and is happy to finally have a place to call home.

Youth Council member Christine Mansour thanked the township council for providing the group with a home.

"We’ll use the nature center as our headquarters," said Youth Council President Karen Theer. "It needs painting and cleaning, but nothing major."

The group meets once a month, she said, though it has subcommittees that meet more often.

"There’s something going on almost every week, though not everyone is involved every week," she said.

The group currently has 57 members, but that figure was expected to increase because school has just started. The group is open to all East Brunswick residents in ninth through 12th grade. New ninth-graders are being invited to join now.

"The council is instrumental in creating bonds between members," said Brianne Katz.

Youth Council member Minyoung Jang told the mayor and Township Council that the group provides a safe environment for children to interact away from the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Member Ilana Keller said the group is also involved in community service. For example, the group sold bumper stickers to remember the victims of Sept. 11 and to raise money for a 9/11 fund, and the members held a candlelight vigil.

Member Shanna Keller said the group has also held food drives for Middlesex County food pantries, and raised money for T.C. Pearson, an East Brunswick teenager with a kidney disorder.

Pearson, who was at the meeting, is also a member of the Youth Council. He spoke at the meeting, thanking the township for its role in a charity softball game held last weekend. The game, which pitted the township police against firefighters, raised over $4,000 to help pay T.C.’s medical bills, according to Fran Pearson, his legal guardian.

The game, nicknamed Guns vs. Hoses, also featured members of the township’s rescue squad, who were represented on each team.

Neary umpired part of the game, which was held Sept. 19 at the East Brunswick Baseball Managers Complex on Dunhams Corner Road.