Borough Republicans pick restaurateur for council run

By: Vic Monaco
   HIGHTSTOWN — Mike Theokas, owner of Theo’s Lakeside Tavern on Main Street, is seeking the Republican nomination for one of two open seats on the Borough Council.
   Mr. Theokas filed his nominating petition by Monday’s 4 p.m. deadline, joining incumbent Democratic Councilman Walter Sikorski and Democratic businessman Jeff Bond, who both filed earlier for the June 5 primary.
   Democratic Councilman Patrick Thompson previously said he would not run for a second, four-year term, because of time constraints brought on by a new position with McGraw Hill.
   Mr. Theokas, 34, has been a borough resident since 2005 and this is his first run for political office.
   "I have my roots here now in the borough and I’ve had my business here almost six years. I just felt it was time (to run) and I felt confident in committing the time and effort for public service," he said.
   He said he can bring a well-rounded perspective to the council.
   "As a resident and business owner, I have unique interest in making our town both a better place in which to live and a thriving business community," he said.
   While preferring to wait to get into specifics of his positions on important local issues, Mr. Theokas acknowledged that the borough is in need of help.
   "Financially, Hightstown is in a difficult position and we need to explore every idea and possibility," he said.
   "We need to look at every possible resource within the borough and possibly reach out to other communities," he added.
   Mr. Theokas is a 1995 graduate of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, where he was named 1995 Senior Scholastic Athlete.
   Mr. Sikorski, 66, was first elected to the council to fill an unexpired term in 2003. Last year he lost out by 28 votes in his attempt to wrest the mayor’s position away from Republican Mayor Bob Patten.
   He has said his priorities are sharing services with other communities, continuing to work on the redevelopment of the former rug mill property on Bank Street and the development of the Stockton Street Historic District.
   Mr. Bond, 62, spent several years on the Planning Board in the late 1990s and in 2003 and currently sits on the local Economic Development Committee. He owns and manages several commercial and noncommercial properties downtown. He, too, said he sees shared services and the mill property as key issues along with continued downtown revitalization and the eventual revitalization of Franklin Street.
   While Mr. Bond and Mr. Sikorski are members of the same party, Mr. Bond has supported Mr. Patten is his last two election campaigns.
   Mayor Patten called Mr. Theokas a "great candidate."
   "As a resident at Wyckoff’s Mill Estates and a local businessman, he has invested himself in our town’s future," the mayor said. "Being the owner of Theo’s Lakeside Tavern affords Mike the opportunity to interact daily with many of our local residents and other business owners to give him knowledge of a cross section of our town that few people have."