Registered voters will soon have to make a choice between candidates.
By: Josh Appelbaum
With the calendar creeping closer to November, registered Cranbury voters will have to make a choice about for whom they’ll pull the lever.
Voters who want to hear what candidates for Township Committee have to say can attend Candidates Night on Oct. 11, sponsored by the Public Affairs and Social Services Department of the Woman’s Club of Cranbury. All members of the public are invited to the event, which will start at 7 p.m. in the Cranbury School cafeteria.
Democrat Angie Cook and Republican Wayne Wittman are vying for one, three-year seat on the Township Committee. Election Day is Nov. 8.
Mr. Wittman served on the Township Committee for two terms from 1993 to 1999 and served as mayor in 1999.
This is the first time Ms. Cook, who is a committee coordinator for the Cranbury School Parent Teacher Organization, a member of the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society and a former member of the Municipal Alliance on Drug Abuse and Alcoholism, has run for public office.
Candidates Night is a pre-election forum for Township Committee candidates to present their positions and answer questions from the public, said event organizer Bobbie Marlowe.
Ms. Marlowe said she is sure topics such as open space land purchases, affordable housing and school issues will come up.
She said the format will give the candidates the opportunity to introduce themselves to the public and let residents ask important questions.
"They will have a five-minute introduction, then take questions and answer them," Ms. Marlowe said. "At the end, they will have time to give a conclusion."
Ms. Marlowe said the Woman’s Club always encourages residents to come out and learn about the candidates. She said the forum is intended for voters, but is informative to all residents.
"I’ve noticed in the past that people have brought their teenage children," Ms. Marlowe said. "I guess it’s an exercise in local government. Democracy in action."
Woman’s Club member and former school board member Katherine Jani will moderate the forum. For more information contact Ms. Marlowe at (609) 655-3493.