After a year filled with nine official resignations, an attempt to recall a former mayor and a heated election cycle, Mansfield Township Committee calls for unity and community involvement.
By: William Wichert
MANSFIELD With a Republican sitting in each of the Township Committee seats, township officials called for unity and community involvement at their Jan. 5 reorganization meeting.
After a year filled with nine official resignations, an attempt to recall a former mayor and a heated election cycle, the Township Committee held its first meeting of 2005, but made very few changes to the makeup of the municipal government.
Republican Arthur Puglia, who was appointed mayor after former Mayor Patrick DeLorenzo resigned in September, was renamed the head of the governing body, and LaVerne Cholewa was named deputy mayor.
Ms. Cholewa, Jaime Devereaux, and Bruce Waite, all of whom were elected last fall as Republicans to fill the unexpired terms of the three committeemen who resigned, had already been sworn into office in November.
The only visible change in the face of the township from the last few months is the addition of Republican Terri Tallon-Hammill, who was sworn in at a special meeting on Jan. 3 for the start of her three-year term. She replaces former Independent Township Committeeman Ray Stupienski, whose term expired last month.
"I’d like to challenge all of us here and charge us to be proactive in the community," said Ms. Tallon-Hammill near the end of the meeting. "We need to be at the board meetings. We must stay involved. This is our home and we need to start taking care of our home."
Mr. Waite said residents should expect to see less political bickering at Township Committee meetings. "I think we’re all gonna work in harmony here, no fighting, no animosity," he said.
Mr. Devereaux added to his colleague’s remarks. "We look forward to having a unified committee," he told the residents at the meeting. "I’m here for you. I’m here to serve you."
Mr. Devereaux and Ms. Cholewa were named as co-liaisons of Recreation and Parks and the Sanitation departments. Mr. Devereaux, who is now the liaison of Insurance, will also serve alongside Ms. Tallon-Hammill as the co-liaison of Personnel and the Safety Committee.
Mr. Waite and Mayor Puglia will serve as the co-liaisons of buildings and grounds, engineering services, and streets and roads. Mayor Puglia will also serve as the police commissioner.
Aside from their own duties, the new Township Committee members also approved the appointment of several township professionals and of residents to different municipal boards.
The Township Committee unanimously approved the reappointment of Remington, Vernick & Arango Engineers as the township’s engineering firm and of John Gillespie from the Marlton-based law firm of Parker, McCay & Criscuolo as the township attorney. Louis Glass Associates was appointed to be the township planner.
On the township’s Planning Board, Mayor Puglia and LaVerne Cholewa were appointed to one-year terms. Frederick Wainwright was selected to be the mayoral designee in the mayor’s absence and Dalpat Patel was appointed to a four-year term.
Kenneth Denti, who ran as an Independent in last fall’s election and lost to Mr. Waite, was appointed to be an alternate member of the Planning Board for a two-year term.
Mr. Denti was also named as a member of the township’s Environmental Commission for a three-year term. Dorothy Wirth and Mr. Devereaux were both appointed to three-year terms on the commission.
One township entity that has been given a facelift is the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, a group that was established several years ago, but never met. With a slate of at least six new members, the committee is expected to hold monthly meetings and discuss issues relating to senior citizens in the township.
"You have a lot more seniors now that need service, attention and a voice to be heard," said Mr. Devereaux, who will serve as the liaison to the committee, in a phone interview on Monday.
The new members on the committee are Myra Dickert, Marion Reeves, Lois Robertson, Carmella DeMarco, Howard Dickert and Linton Elliott, but Mr. Devereaux said the township wants to have a representative from every section of Mansfield on the committee.
The areas that still need a representative include Hedding, Georgetown and the Mapleton development, he said.

