Newton picked for school board; Will fill vacancy created by Eldridge resignation

By: Bill Greenwood
   JAMESBURG — The Board of Education has appointed Linda Newton to replace former board member James Eldridge, who resigned April 24.
   Ms. Newton, 56, of Sedgwick Street, is expected to take over for Mr. Eldridge at the board’s next meeting on June 28. She will be sworn in by school district Business Administrator Tom Reynolds prior to that meeting.
   "She’s very excited about being on the board and giving back to the town of Jamesburg," board President Don Peterson said. "We’re very excited to have her."
   Mr. Peterson said the board received two applications for the position, but one candidate did not meet the district’s residency requirements.
   Ms. Newton, who is married to Jamesburg Republican Committee Municipal Chairman Gregory Newton, will serve the first year of Mr. Eldridge’s unexpired two-year term, after which she will need to be elected to serve the rest, Mr. Peterson said.
   For Ms. Newton, that was the perfect arrangement.
   "I’ve been thinking about what I’d want to do to make a difference, but for a while, I had a lot of children at home," she said. "Now, I only have two boys at home. (This position) was just for a year, and I thought that was great."
   She said she is excited about serving, adding that she would consider running for the remaining year of Mr. Eldridge’s term if she liked the job.
   Ms. Newton began her career as a music teacher in Long Island, N.Y., and has served as a "teacher artist" for the National Endowment for the Arts. During that time, she visited various schools teaching music, performing concerts and helping students put together concerts of their own.
   Ms. Newton, who is blind, now volunteers to teach or help out in schools throughout Middlesex County. She said she often gives speeches about her guide dog and teaches Braille or music during these visits. She also has helped put together winter concerts at John F. Kennedy School.
   Ms. Newton said her top priority would be to use the board’s influence to try and save the Jamesburg Public Library from being shut down. The Borough Council is considering placing a referendum on the November ballot that would ask residents to close the library in order to bring the borough’s taxes below a new 4-percent tax levy cap that will take effect next year.
   "I feel, from my education, that the community library and the public school library work hand-in-hand together," she said.
   She added that she also would like to have an influence on both hiring staff and the board’s decision-making philosophy.
   "I’m a positive-thinking person, and I think my positive attitude may help sway someone’s opinion," she said.
   Mr. Eldridge, who had served on the board since 2003, said he left the board because he has been promoted to union organizer for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. He said he may be forced to work 50- to 60-hour weeks in his new position and would not be able to give 100 percent to the board.
   "I didn’t think it was fair to the rest of the board members to not be there for some of the meetings," he said. "It was a catch-22. It was either continue on the board or put this career move on the back burner."
   He said he enjoyed his time with the board and would consider running again in the future depending on his work situation.
   "It’s fun," he said. "It’s definitely something that I enjoyed, and I got quite the education of what goes into a school budget and how a school is run."
   Mr. Eldridge said he expected the board to continue providing excellent management for the district and a quality education for its children.
   "If I know the people that are on the board, I’m sure they’ll find new ways and better ways to fund projects and fund education," he said. "They’re a very good budget-minded board."
   Mr. Peterson said Mr. Eldridge would be missed.
   "He felt he did not want to serve in a capacity when he could not give 100 percent," he said. "He was a very conscientious board member."