Municipalities slate reorganization meetings

Township has session tonight

By Ruth Luse
   The governing bodies of Hopewell Valley’s three municipalities will hold sessions during the next few days to reorganize for 2003.
   Hopewell Township Committee will be the first. It will meet at 7 p.m., tonight, Thursday, to swear in two members — Arlene Kemp and Vanessa Sandom — of the five-member governing body and to pick its mayor and deputy mayor for the year. The meeting will be held at the municipal building at Scotch Road and Route 546.
   Rejoining the committee will be incumbent Democrat Sandom, who was elected in November for the first time to serve her own three-year term. Ms. Sandom originally was appointed on Oct. 18, 2001, to take the place of Kathleen Bird, who had resigned.
   Ms. Sandom, a resident of Harbourton Ridge Drive, received a bachelor’s degree with honors in philosophy from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree from Yale University in public and private management.
   A 15-year resident, she has 16-plus years of executive experience with Fortune 100 companies and with founding, running and divesting her own health care communications business.
   She also has served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Mayors’ Task Force on Traffic and Trucking and the Dublin Road Task Force.
   Ms. Kemp will be the first Republican to serve on the Township Committee since the end of John Hart’s term — Dec. 31, 2000.
   Pennington Road resident Ms. Kemp has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Oklahoma, is a licensed professional engineer in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, and is a licensed professional planner in New Jersey.
   An eight-year resident of Hopewell Township, she served as assistant county engineer of Hudson County for three years and for eight years was the director of Public Works for the City of Orange. She has served as municipal engineer for several communities, including Orange, South Orange, and currently East Orange. For 14 years, she has been president of her own consulting company, which performs bridge inspection contracts for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority.
   Ms. Kemp takes the place of Robert Higgins (Democrat) who lost his bid for re-election in November.
   After tonight, the Hopewell Township Committee will be composed of four Democrats — Ms. Sandom, Francesca Bartlett, Jon Edwards and Marylou Ferrara — and one Republican — Ms. Kemp.
   In recent years, both Mr. Edwards and Ms. Ferrara have served as mayors. As of press time, no one could confirm who will be tapped to head the committee in 2003.
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   At 7 p.m. Monday, Pennington Borough Council will gather to reorganize. The session will be held at Borough Hall, 30 N. Main St.
   To be sworn in as members of the governing body are:
   • Incumbent Democrat James Lytle, who won re-election in November.
   A resident of Laning Avenue, Mr. Lytle received an associate’s degree from Suomi College in Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in wildlife conservation from Southwest Missouri State University. He has had a career spanning 25+ years in the environmental profession. Most recently, he worked for 16 years with the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association.
   In addition, he served with the Peace Corps, into which he was accepted in 1977, spending four years teaching aquaculture (fish farming) in Thailand. He also served two years in the U.S. Army, leaving with the rank of sergeant.
   As a member of council, he has acted as liaison to the Pennington Planning Board, the Recreation Commission, Shade Tree Commission and Environmental Commission. He also is a deacon at the Pennington Presbyterian Church.
   • Democrat Edwin "Weed" Tucker will rejoin the ranks of those who govern Pennington when he is sworn in to a three-year term on council Monday. Mr. Tucker, a resident of Reading Street, served a four-year term as mayor in the late 1970s.
   A resident of Pennington for 40+ years and a graduate of Hobart College, Mr. Tucker has served on the town’s Planning Board and Library Commission.
   Recently retired, he has been a fund-raising consultant, grant writer with The Canon Group and Edwin W. Tucker & Associates, and director of corporations and foundations/corporate communications for The Lawrenceville School’s capital campaign. He is a former executive secretary and general manager of the New Jersey Press Association (NJPA) and secretary of the New Jersey Press Foundation. Prior to his service with NJPA, Mr. Tucker was employed by The Princeton Packet, Inc. in a variety of positions.
   He is a member and volunteer with Preservation New Jersey in addition to doing pro bono work for other nonprofit organizations. He has served on the Vestry of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church and cochaired the Pennington Day Site Planning Committee for two years.
   • Incumbent Republican Kenneth Baker of North Main Street also will be sworn in to complete the term of former Councilwoman Diane Naffziger, who resigned. Mr. Baker was appointed to that seat upon Ms. Naffziger’s resignation and had to run for election in November to keep it. The term runs to Dec. 31, 2004.
   Mr. Baker is retired after 22 years of service with the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. He received an associate’s degree from Mercer County Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Roger Williams University. He is enrolled in a master’s degree program through the Army War College.
   After swearing-in ceremonies, council will pick a president for 2003 and take care of other reorganization and regular business. Council will be composed of five Democrats — Mr. Lytle, Mr. Tucker, Robert Di Falco, David Garber and Nancy Ross — and one Republican, Mr. Baker.
   Republican James Loper remains as mayor. In both Pennington Borough and Hopewell Borough, mayors are elected to four-year terms. They vote only when there is a tie vote among council members.
   ***
   Two Hopewell Borough residents, both Republicans — will be sworn in as members of Hopewell Borough Council at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 6 at Borough Hall, Columbia Avenue.
   They will replace longtime Councilman Thomas Dallessio and Councilman Henry Wittman III — both Republicans.
   They are:
   • Janice Leigh of Princeton Avenue. Mr. Leigh’s family has owned Leigh’s Service Station, Inc., in Hopewell Borough for 62 years.
   The mother of three children, Ms. Leigh is the current president of Hopewell Business Association. She also has been involved with the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance, the Hopewell Economic Development Committee, and the Holiday Decorating Committee of Hopewell Borough. She also has coached Hopewell Valley Pop Warner cheerleaders.
   • Schuyler Morehouse of East Prospect Street, a longtime resident of Hopewell, is a process automation engineer and founder and owner of Morehouse Engineering, Inc. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he served as a Hopewell Borough councilman during 1989-90, He also serves on the Hopewell Board of Fire Commissioners (chairman, 1992 to present), and as a member of the board for the Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority (since 1999).
   After the swearings-in, council will pick a president, a job held for several years by now former Councilman Dallessio, and handle other reorganization and regular business.
   Hopewell Borough Council will be composed of three Republicans — Ms. Leigh, Mr. Morehouse and David Knights, and three Democrats — Alice C. Huston, David Mackie and David Nettles.
   Republican George Padgett remains as mayor.