Thomas bodall fills in seat on Borough Council.
By: Joseph Harvie
JAMESBURG Democrat Thomas Bodall was unanimously appointed Wednesday to fill the Borough Council seat left vacant when Carlos Morales resigned from the position in February.
Mr. Bodall, 22, will serve until the general election in November, when a special election will be held to fill out the final year of Mr. Morales’ three-year term.
Mr. Bodall, dressed in a black suit with a maroon shirt and black tie, said he would work with members of the community to help make Jamesburg a better place to live.
"I always look for ways to improve Jamesburg," Mr. Bodall, of East Church Street, said. "I will work with the revitalization committee and other groups to develop programs to improve Jamesburg any way I can."
His appointment was the first order of business for the Borough Council and after he was sworn in by borough Business Administrator Denise Jawidzik, he took a seat at the dais with his fellow council members.
Mr. Bodall has lived in Jamesburg since 1989 and is a senior history major and political science minor at Rowan University in Glassboro. He is also research and curatorial assistant for the Middlesex County Cultural Heritage Commission.
He is vice president of the Jamesburg Historical Association, a member of the Jamesburg Civic Association and an honorary member of the Jamesburg High School Alumni Association. He also runs several Web sites for the town, including www.jamesburg.org, www.jamesburg.net and www.jamesburg.info.
Since Mr. Morales is a Democrat, the Jamesburg Democratic Committee was responsible for naming three potential replacements. Mr. Morales resigned his seat Feb. 27 and the committee had 15 days from then to submit the names, and the council had April 13 to make a decision.
Councilman Otto Kostbar said the decision was tough because the other candidates, Daria Ludas, of Ridgeview Road, and Mike Principato, of Davison Avenue, were also highly qualified for the position.
Mr. Bodall said he was excited to work with the council in a different way than he has done in the past.
"It’s a very proud moment for me," Mr. Bodall said, "and I’m delighted to serve the people of Jamesburg in this capacity."

