GUEST OPINION: Residents asked to ‘make a difference’

Pam Mount, Mayor
Editor’s note: The Lawrence Ledger traditionally publishes the remarks of the mayor during the township reorganization meeting each year. Following is this year’s speech, given on Jan. 1.
    Happy New Year. Thank you for coming today, Jan. 1, 2009. It is my honor to serve again as mayor. I want to thank my family for their support of my habit of public service – Gary, Reuwai and Tannwen and their wonderful families.
    Lawrence is a wonderful town. You, the residents, have made it so. As a country, state and town, we all face unprecedented challenges. With such staggering difficulties come opportunities.
    When Gary and I bought our first farm, I heard a Hawkin of Smith and Hawkin talk about how he had built his national retail business. His theory was money is not the answer. Businesses, he said, think if they throw money at the problem it will be solved. Use all of your resources, be creative, plan it out. Money is part, but the most important is how you manage the resources.
    “What do we do and how do we manage it” is the question Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun asks when putting together a budget. This year, we have to believe Mr. Hawkin because we will not have money to solve our problems.
    All of us, together, will have to pitch in, do our part, be creative, think differently. You might say, “How can I make a difference?” Let’s just look at the budget and see if we can find some ideas to save money, help the town, work together, be more sustainable.
    Lots of your money is spent taking trash to the landfill. A few years ago when we decided we could no longer pick up the grass clippings, that year we saved $100,000. This year, let’s make a goal of recycling twice as much. Every time you put something in the trash, think of your tax bill and recycle instead.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    The fire companies, manned by volunteers and paid staff, answer an average of 600 calls a year. Over half are false alarms because the alarms are not functioning properly. The slogan, “Change your clock, change your batteries” is important. Everyone who did not change their batteries this past fall, go home and do it. Check your water heaters and furnaces and make sure they are not leaking carbon monoxide, which sets off the alarm.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Be the eyes and ears of the police. If you see something suspicious, call.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Clean up after yourselves and others. We take great pride in the beauty of our town, parks and schools. Pick up the trash, mow the vacant lot in your neighborhood, adopt a park or the side of a roadway. This year, let’s make the Mayor’s Cleanup Day a town-wide event.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Take an extra can of food to the food bank at the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center. Get to know your neighbor, ask for help or offer to help. Think about having fun right here in town — block parties, potluck suppers, attend the town-wide events like Diversity Day, the Jubilee, the Bike Rodeo and the Fourth of July fireworks. Volunteer to make these things happen, sponsor an event.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Save money by saving energy. Have an energy audit. Sustainable Lawrence is organizing an energy-saving program. Funding is available. Attend the Green Expo in March and find out other ways to be more sustainable, save money and help the environment. The town has received a grant to have all our public buildings audited. We will fix the energy leaks, save fuel, be sustainable, help the environment, go green.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Come to the town-wide community conversation sponsored by the Lawrence Township Conservation Foundation. Share what you need, what you can do, join together with others.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Frequent our small businesses. The Community Foundation, Sustainable Lawrence, the Mercer Chamber, and the Growth & Redevelopment Committee are working to put together a business directory so we will all know about the 900-plus businesses in town and be able to support them.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Laura Waters, the school board president, and I will again meet frequently. The school board and Township Council will have joint budget meetings. I will take the council on the road again this year. Every other month, we will meet in different locations around town. Come out and let us hear from you.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Ride the bus, walk to the store, ride a bike to work, leave your car at home one day a week, allow your children to walk to school or ride the bus.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Construction may be slower in town because of the economy, but this gives us time to plan and focus on redevelopment. I will refocus on Business Route 1, bring together the committee I started the first time I was mayor, and the residents and the businesses. The Heritage Village development will open in January — a huge accomplishment.
    I want to thank publicly state Sen. Shirley Turner and state Assemblyman Reed Gusciora and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman for helping us to secure funding from the state Department of Transportation for the redesign of Business Route 1 that we have been working on for years and that will be built in 2011.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    Councilman Michael Powers has been helping the Eldridge Park residents with their redevelopment plans, starting with the vision plan that the town received a grant to fund. And on Spruce Street, the redevelopment project is moving forward with the collaboration of Trenton, Ewing and Lawrence, with Mercer County taking the lead. Richard and I have been going to meetings for four years. Progress is being made.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    A core of residents has been tackling the truck and traffic problems in town with me this year. We are collaborating with Princeton Township and Princeton Borough. Our voices are being heard.
    With your help, it will make a difference.
    So let’s hear from you. Volunteer with your energy and ideas. You are this town. This town is you. Thank you so much.