By: centraljersey.com
The Lambertville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors would like to thank the people who made sure our city shone brightly with holiday lights this year.
The Chamber provides 26 holiday light fixtures that must be readied for installation each year. This involves fixing the wiring and replacing hundreds of light bulbs. For the past two years Don Hart has taken the time from his busy schedule to perform this important and time-consuming job. Thank you Don!
Many thanks to Foreman Dan Pasciullo and his crew at the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission for once again putting the lights up and removing them at the end of the season for storage.
Special thanks to Mayor David DelVecchio and the members of City Council who agreed to have the city pay the electric bill for this year’s holiday lights.
A sudden change in billing policy by JCP&L caused a dramatic increase in the cost of holiday lighting, making it prohibitively expensive for a nonprofit organization like the Chamber of Commerce. In the past, The Lambertville Area Chamber of Commerce was the only non-municipal organization paying the holiday lighting bill in the entire state of New Jersey.
Our best wishes to everyone for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2011.
Amy Coss, Heather Caroline co-chairwomen Lambertville Area Chamber of Commerce
Let’s Live United
To the editor:
We are fortunate to live in Hunterdon County. The natural beauty, quality of life, and general affluence are undeniable here.
However, also undeniable are the increased needs of many of our neighbors right here in the Hunterdon community. About a quarter of Hunterdon households struggle to afford basic living necessities, such as housing, food, and transportation. About 7 percent (almost 6,000 individuals) lack health insurance, another crucial component toward stability and self-sufficiency.
The United Way of Hunterdon County (UWHC) is your United Way and we are totally focused on the local needs and solutions for Hunterdon County residents. UWHC is partnered with 22 member agencies that provide needed services to Hunterdon residents in your community. Your United Way of Hunterdon County, in collaboration with member agencies, touched people in our community in countless ways through innovative and effective initiatives. Together we are committed to causing a positive and lasting community impact in Hunterdon County through effectively targeting fundamental underlying corrosive issues in education, health and income.
Here are but a few great examples of programs provided by your UWHC at work: the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program has helped over 80 families in our area avoid homelessness in the past year; the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, by providing tax preparation at no charge, returned over $130,000 to 90 local households; Tools 4 Schools helped 1,100 Hunterdon County school children start the academic year with basic back to school supplies; during this past holiday season the Holiday Hands program supported more than 1,650 individuals in our county, including hundreds of children who needed a new coat, clothes, or shoes.
As the New Year begins, we’d like to invite you to join us (please visit www.uwhunterdon.org or call 908-782-3414) to harness the Hunterdon spirit and ingenuity to work toward a common goal of ensuring all residents can access resources to stabilize households and to be self-sufficient.
To the many hundreds of you who contributed your time, treasures and talents to United Way in 2010. Thank you. The need is real and it exists every day in our community, but the possibilities are endless – collectively we can help improve the lives of those in need in Hunterdon County and together Live United.
Casey Koller, president, board of trustees United Way of Hunterdon County

