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2011: YEAR IN REVIEW

A look back at the year’s top stories

By Jen Samuel, Managing Editor
January
   On Jan. 1, Hightstown Mayor Steven Kirson, a Democrat, was sworn into office during a ceremonial reorganization meeting at Borough Hall.

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   On Jan. 3, Rosario DiGirolamo, formerly of Millstone, admitted to killing his mistress, Amy Giordano, with a hammer strike to the head in 2007.

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   On Jan. 4, the Princeton-based Church & Dwight, which manufactures Arm & Hammer products, donated $50,000 to the Rise food pantry in Hightstown.

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   On Jan. 6, East Windsor Township Council unanimously appointed council member Janice Mironov to her 16th consecutive term as mayor.

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   On Jan. 28, a state police survey ranked Hightstown among the most gang-riddled towns in Mercer County in which at least 23 different gangs with 119 members were listed as having a presence in the borough. The survey sparked controversy as residents and municipal leaders challenged the report for weeks and months to come.
February
   On Feb. 9, Rosario DiGirolamo, 36, was sentenced in Trenton to 25 years in state prison for killing his mistress, cutting up her body and dumping it in a New York pond. He plead guilty to an aggravated manslaughter charge in January. Later in 2011, Mr. DiGirolamo filed an appeal to have his conviction overturned, citing that the evidence used against in his trail was inadmissible.

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   Larry Regan, of New York-based Regan Development, announced he was interested in turning the vacant former Rug Mill property into housing for low-income seniors. However, the property remained in litigation between its owner, John Wolfington, of Greystone Capital Partners, and the Borough of Hightstown. Mr. Wolfington filed the suit in January 2008 in an effort to overturn the borough’s redevelopment ordinance over the mill, among other issues.

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   On Feb. 16, Super Fresh announced it would be closing its East Windsor store located in the Windsor Hights Shopping Center for being “underperforming and unprofitable.”

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   Andriy Makaruha, 47, was arrested on a third-degree indictable charge of practicing dentistry without a license in his East Windsor apartment of Brookwood Gardens on Hickory Corner Road. Mercer County later took over the case.

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   On Feb. 23, Mayor Steven Kirson and the Borough Council denounced the Police Department’s response to a state police survey on gang activity, calling it “data which appears to be without substance” in a written apology to the borough and its neighbors.
   "There is no criminal activity to handle . . . The amount of gang activity in Hightstown is nearly non-existent, with only one documented incident . . . There are no specific, documented gangs operating in Hightstown,” the press release said.
   In January, the state survey’s report stated that Hightstown, with a population of about 5,000 residents, had 119 hoodlums claiming membership to 23 gangs operating within the borough’s 1.2 square miles. That’s more gangs than any municipality in Mercer County, and second only to Trenton in terms of the number of gangsters. The same report said Newark’s 2,664 gang members were affiliated with 23 gangs.

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   On Feb. 24, Hightstown Police Chief James Eufemia struck back at the borough’s release stating, “It was premature for borough officials to issue a press release without having all the information regarding the survey . . . I have not acknowledged that the survey data was unreliable.”
March
   On March 1, Hightstown police said they arrested East Windsor Deputy mayor Walter Daniels Jr. at approximately 7:45 p.m. driving 37 mph in a 25 mph zone after stopping him on Davidson Road. Police said Mr. Daniels refused to offer a breath sample but that he failed a field sobriety test.

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   By March, New York developer Larry Regan said he was withdrawing his plans to create a low-income senior housing complex of the two vacant buildings of the old Rug Mill after his attorney received a letter from Hightstown’s attorney stating that the Borough Council disapproved of his proposal for the site.

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   On March 11, a bedroom fire on Outcalt Street displaced a family of seven, including five children. All seven occupants of the home escaped the fire before firefighters arrived. No one was injured in the blaze.

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   On March 21, New Jersey State Police backed the data presented in the 2011 survey on New Jersey gangs to the Hightstown Borough Council, however, officials and residents continued to criticize the survey and Police Chief James Eufemia.

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   On March 22, four adults and two children fled from a Twin Rivers townhouse on Fairfield Road unharmed after a treadmill caught fire in the basement.

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   On March 25, Deputy Mayor Walter Daniels Jr. resigned from the East Windsor Township Council after new details surfaced pertaining to his March 1 arrest in Hightstown on a driving-while-intoxicated charge.

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   On March 28, Hightstown Borough Council hired an attorney to deal with “police issues” during a closed meeting. Hightstown Police Chief James Eufemia hired a lawyer of his own. Borough Attorney Fred Raffetto said of the meeting, “all I can say is there was a discussion involving terms and conditions of his employment.”
April
   In April, the Herald reported that the East Windsor Regional School District announced it would cut 10 positions — including two elementary teachers, two high school teachers and a middle school physical education teacher.

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   On April 3, the Legislative Reapportionment Commission completed its task of realigning all 40 New Jersey legislative districts, an action required every decade to reflect population shifts document by the U.S. Census. East Windsor and Hightstown shifted to the 14th District from the 12th District in the reapportionment. The new legislative districts take effect Jan. 1.

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   On April 5, East Windsor Township tapped Peter Yeager to fill the council seat vacated by former Deputy Mayor Walter Daniels on March 25.

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   On April 12, Dimitri Musing resigned from the Hightstown Borough Council a week after protesting the council’s resistance to immediately enact a resolution that he claimed would protect its members from personal liability in lawsuits brought against them. Mr. Musing served nearly half of his first three-year term before resigning.

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   On April 15, a brazen bruin made a surprise visit to Exit 8 on the New Jersey Turnpike. Responders safely sedated the 297-pound bear, about three years old, and released him back to nature at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area near Roosevelt.

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   April marked an announcement by Republican Borough Council incumbent Councilwoman Skye Gilmartin, who stated that she and her running make, newcomer John Archer, were interested in forming an exploratory committee to assess the public opinion on the borough’s policy stating that municipal employees cannot question someone’s immigration status.
   "Unfortunately, the designation of being a ‘Sanctuary City’ has negatively impacted both real estate values and business potential,” Ms. Gilmartin said in the release. “John and I believe that while cultural diversity is one of Hightstown unique assets, respect for the law, code enforcement, and all aspects of public safety are necessary to enable Hightstown to reach a greater potential of both economic and community stability.”

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   In April, Hightstown High School sophomore Michelle Arias, 16, of East Windsor, won her 4th Title when she was awarded first place in New Jersey’s Senior and Junior Judo Championship. The event took place in Princeton.

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   On April 27, voters approved the East Windsor Regional School District’s $75.4 million budget, with 1,119 votes, or 54.6 percent of the ballots cast, in favor of the measure and 929 votes against it. The budget, approved by the school board in March before appearing on the ballot, called for a $15 decrease in taxes for the average Hightstown property owner but a tax hike of about $55 for their East Windsor counterparts. The budget also called for 10 staff layoffs, including five teachers.
   In the race for one East Windsor seat on the regional school board — one without any visible campaigning by either candidate — New Brunswick Middle School teacher Lisa Abel, a political novice, defeated three-term board member and President Alice Weisman by a vote of 773 to 579. Ms. Abel said she filed at the last minute for the election and never expected to win.
May
   May 2 marked the submission of a petition by Tavern on the Lake co-owner Fran Palumbo to move the annual downtown Farmers’ Market to Saturday mornings from Friday evenings.

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   Children from the First Presbyterian Church of Hightstown gathered sweets as a symbolic peace offering for youngsters living in Afghanistan. One of the volunteers, Danielle Devlin, 11, said, “It’s going to soldiers to give to the children . . . Kids love candy! The kids are scared of the soldiers so the soldiers can give a peace offering.”

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   On May 4, Cheryl Wilson reflected on pieces of her history destroyed by an accidental fire, which consumed her home on 122 William Street in Hightstown on May 2. “It’s hard to sit there and look and see your whole life is gone,” Ms. Wilson said, who live had lived in the home for 44 years along with her 90-year-old mother — who was rescued from the home by police officers prior to firefighters arriving to the scene.

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   On May 11, Mayor Steven Kirson of Hightstown announced that restrooms at Borough Hall be opened up to the pubic during Friday nights during the borough’s Farmers’ Market. The move was in response to a petition delivered the week before by Tavern on the Lake co-owner Fran Palumbo. The week prior, Ms. Palumbo delivered a petition to Borough Council to move the weekly market to Saturday mornings citing the event’s impact on her restaurant.

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   On May 14, the dogs ruled in Hightstown during the 5th Annual Paws Walk hosted by the borough’s Animal Welfare Committee. In addition to running a Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program for local stray felines, the committee educates the public on animal welfare while working to assist lost, homeless and injured pets.
   In 2011, the Paws Walk featured demonstrations by therapy dogs as well as highlighted local rescue groups including AFEW Pet Rescue, Pet Rescue of Mercer and EASEL Pet Rescue. More than 30 dog-friendly businesses, community organizations, and local businesses participated — as well as approximately 150 dogs.

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   May 15 marked the centennial celebration for members of the Beth El Synagogue at its current location on Maple Stream Road.

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   On May 16, the East Windsor Township Planning Board unanimously approved McGraw-Hill’s site plan to install a 46-acre solar panel array along Princeton-Hightstown Road. In attendance at the meeting were approximately 20 residents living along the southern side of the proposed field for the solar panel development project.

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   Hightstown was in full bloom as 146 baskets full of petunias were hung on lampposts and walkways through downtown marking the arrival of spring.

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   On May 17, East Windsor Volunteer Co. No. 1 repaid a grant to the township after the company received a check from the Federal Emergency Management Administration for $50,160. In 2010, the township granted the Fire Company those funds for the purchasing costs of needed protective equipment ahead of FEMA’s aid money arriving.

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   Sylvia Carole Genovese accepted the Sylvia Weiss Senior Citizen Award posthumously in honor of her husband Joseph Genovese. The award was presented to Ms. Genovese by East Windsor Township Mayor Janice Mironov on May 17. Mr. Genovese was recognized for 42 years of pubic service as a charter member of East Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1. He was the company’s former president and the township’s firefighter of the year in 2008 and 1981.

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   On May 24, East Windsor Township Police nabbed brothers Jason Boehm, 30, and Ryan Boehm, 28, fleeing a residential area of Edison Drive with stolen items, according to police. The brothers, of East Windsor, were charged with having committed multiple burglaries within town.

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   On May 21, more than 150 people attended a restaurant competition called Taste of Hightstown at Memorial Park. Attendance required the purchasing of a ticket, which went to benefit the Greenway Bridge Committee. The event brought in $3,000 for the fund.

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   May 30 featured the 92nd Annual Hightstown-East Windsor Memorial Day Parade. Grand Marshall of the parade was awarded to former East Windsor Mayor Leonard Millner.
June
   On June 6, Hightstown Borough Council unanimously approved the 2011 municipal budget of $6.3 million dollars. As part of the measure, residents earned a flat tax rate of .876 mirroring the 2010 rate.

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   Also on June 6, Hightstown Chief of Police James Eufemia announced his retirement after having served more than 30 years in police service. His retirement announcement arrived on the heels of a long-standing controversy, which began at the start of the year with the publication of a state gang survey listing Hightstown as second only to Trenton of Mercer County in its gang population. In response, the Borough Council and Mayor Steven Kirson issued an apology for the survey to Hightstown residents.

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   Additionally, at the Borough Council meeting on June 6, Councilwoman Isabel McGinty resigned as council president and also cast the only “no” vote against Hightstown Police Chief James Eufemia’s retirement.

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   On June 7, Republican and Democratic registered voters selected party nominees for the General Election on Nov. 8. In East Windsor, each party nominated four candidates for four vacant — and four-year-term, seats on Township Council. The Democratic nominated incumbents Mayor Janice Mironov, Deputy Mayor Marc Lippman and Councilman Peter Yeager as well as newcomer John Zoller. The Republicans nominated Thaddeus “T.J.” Berdzik, Steve Commer, Robert Ertel and John Guarniere.
   In Hightstown, Republican voters nominated incumbent Councilwoman Skye Gilmartin and newcomer John Archer for two three-year seats. The Democrats nominated Robert Thibault and Susan Bluth to oppose them on Election Day. Candidates for another race, the seat vacated by former Councilman Dimitri Musing, had an extended deadline to file for the General Election due to the nature of the special election.
   The Anthony Vincent Salon, of East Windsor, held its first ever CatSnip cut-a-thon fundraiser on June 12 to help local animals in need. A donation to the Animal Welfare Committee of Hightstown was made possible through the event.

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   The Perennial Home, 199 Ward Street, celebrated its 10th year in Hightstown Borough in June.

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   On June 13, Hightstown Borough Council passed 5 to 1 a $2.083 million ordinance to borrow bond money for sewer and water repairs and purchases. Councilwoman Isabel McGinty opposed the measure, stating that more research and discussion were needed.

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   On June 16, the Class of 2011 graduated from Hightstown High School in Trenton.

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   On June 20, at a Monday council meeting, social advocates decried a recent Republican “push poll” in which registered voters in Hightstown were called and asked ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions concerning illegal immigration policies of the borough.

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   Also on June 20, the Borough Council elected Larry Quattrone, a longtime council member, to become its council president. Mr. Quattrone was council president prior to Councilwoman Isabel McGinty, who resigned from the position earlier in June.

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   On June 28, East Windsor Township Council approved McGraw-Hill’s proposal to build a 47-acre, 14.1 megawatt solar panel array along the southside of Princeton-Hightstown Road. The energy from the field will be used to power McGraw-Hill’s data center, built in 2008.
July
   Darek Hahn, the Greenway Bridge Committee chairman, announced in July that the community had raised more than $50,000 in 2011 to restore the pedestrian bridge across the Peddie Lake dam.

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   Thousands witnessed the East Windsor annual fireworks display at Etra Lake Park on Independence Day.

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   The annual Twin Rivers Day was celebrated on July 10.

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   On July 11, the East Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1 gathered at the Peddie School golf course for its 7th annual golf outing.

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   Mannino’s Pizza was spared however, Cambio Express, Ayom Day Spa and Diamond Cleaners were damaged by a downtown blaze on July 11.

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   On July 16, representatives of East Windsor Township and the East Windsor Regional School District met to discuss working together, budgetary costs as well as other items.

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   While Hightstown Borough Council members held an ongoing discussion on the creation of a new public safety director position to replace outgoing Chief of Police James Eufemia, who was set to retire on Sept. 1, New Jersey police chiefs urged the council to keep the position of police chief intact at a Borough Council meeting on July 18.

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   On July 19, the Hightstown Democratic Municipal Committee announced it had selected physics school teacher Gail Doran to run for the one-year unexpired term on Borough Council on Nov. 8.

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   On July 16, the public was invited to attend the 90th birthday party of the Hightstown Memorial Library. The event included pieces of cake for all those in attendance.

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   Also in July, the East Windsor Thunder softball team attended the Eastern Region competition in Connecticut, having earlier won the New Jersey Championship.
August
   August marked the start of longtime East Windsor resident James McCann in his new position as the director of the Mercer County Fire Academy of Mercer County Community College. A firefighter since 1983, Mr. McCann oversees the programs for students, many of whom are rookies from across the region learning fire safety skills, and local fire and emergency service organizations. Mr. McCann is a member of East Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1.

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   On Aug. 1, East Windsor Township began road improvements on Twin Rivers Drive. The township received a $250,000 grant for the improvements from the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

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   Also on Aug. 1, Hightstown Borough Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance establishing a new civilian police director position in repeal of having a police chief.

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   On Aug. 2, East Windsor and Hightstown each held National Night Out events in conjunction with other towns across the country.

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   On Aug. 9 the Hightstown Republican Committee nominated and unanimously elected George Serrano to run for the one-year unexpired term vacated by Dimitri Musing in April.

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   The 10th annual Joshua Classic, sponsored by the Joshua Harr Shane Foundation, raised more than $25,000 on Aug. 9 at the Mercer Oaks Golf Course in West Windsor.

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   On Aug. 11, the Rise Summer Camp — also known as the Hightstown-East Windsor Learning Partners (HELP) camp —for camp participants to showcase their art and theatrics in a talent show at Grace N. Rogers Elementary School in Hightstown.

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   The Hightstown Borough Council passed the second reading of an ordinance to replace the chief of police position with a civilian safety director. The measure passed 3 to 2 after a public hearing on Aug. 15.

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   On Aug. 20, participants of America’s 9/11 Ride passed through Hightstown and East Windsor en route to New York City in honor of the victims of 9/11. Crowds cheered on the riders as they traveled through the region.

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   On Aug. 22, Allen “Keith” LePrevost became the new executive director of the Hightstown Housing Authority.

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   Gov. Chris Christie issued a Declaration of Emergency for New Jersey in anticipation of Hurricane Irene hitting the state over the weekend on Aug. 25.

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   On Aug. 26, the League of Women Voters of East Windsor-Hightstown celebrated Women’s Equality Day, marking the 91st anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in which women were granted the legal right to vote.

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   On the night of Aug. 27 rain from Hurricane Irene reached Mercer County — although the storm hit the area as tropical storm, it left devastation in its wake, including the death of East Windsor resident Michael Kenwood after he had attempted a swift water rescue mission in Princeton Township. For the full story, see Page 1.

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   On Aug. 29, the Hightstown Borough Council passes a Declaration of Emergency resulting from Hurricane Irene, which caused mayor damages from floodwaters overtaking Peddie Lake and area waterways.
September
   The Hightstown Borough Council unanimously approved an emergency resolution to add $800,000 to the 2011 budget to cover immediate expenses accrued during Hurricane Irene at a council meeting on Sept. 6. Hightstown’s Chief Financial Officer George Lang said at the meeting that insurance funds and FEMA aid were anticipated to be awarded to the borough in the future.

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   The East Windsor Township Council approved Ordinance No. 2011-19 on Sept. 6 which awarded American Traffic Solutions, a company based out of Scottsdale, Arizona, with a contract to install red light traffic camera at various intersections throughout town.

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   Michael Theokas, a former Borough Council member, was elected by council on Sept. 6 to become the new borough administrator. He started on Sept. 7.

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   The Hightstown Engine Co. No. 1 conducted a memorial service in honor of the people lost during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial service took place on Sept. 11 in front of the Hightstown Memorial Library.

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   East Windsor Township held a community-wide ceremony on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 to remember the events, the victims and the first responders. The ceremony took place Sunday morning on Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial in front of the East Windsor Township Municipal Building.
   Participants in the ceremony included East Windsor’s volunteer fire companies, rescue squads, police, as well as the East Windsor Regional School District; student organizations; the Windsor-Hightstown Ministerium; local veterans organizations; local Scout organizations; and East Windsor-Hightstown Chorale.

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   Mercer County Community College and the County of Mercer invited the community to observe the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 at a remembrance ceremony on Sept. 9. The event took place at the Memorial Garden outside the Student Center on the college’s West Windsor Campus on Old Trenton Road.

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   Leslie Rudnick, an East Windsor Township resident and founding member of the town’s District 2 Rescue Squad, was honored for 37 years of community service on Sept. 20.

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   In September, the Herald reported that the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association raised concerns that local streams in Hightstown and East Windsor were filling with sediment near the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s expansion at Exit 8.

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   The Herald published photos in September showcasing man-caused waves made on Aug. 28 during the flooding of Hightstown during Hurricane Irene. Residents told the Herald and also reported to Hightstown Borough Council that the New Jersey Department of Transportation had been plowing water off Route 33 and consequently — into people’s homes. Also, pointing to a five-foot high water mark, a resident living in an apartment on South Main Street told the Herald on Aug. 29 that similar trucks had plowed floodwaters along her street during the storm, which caused waves of water to fill several feet within her building’s stairwell. In the nearby coffee shop Molto Bene Caffe e Mercato Italiano — a popular business that has since relocated in Cranbury — floodwaters broke through glass and destroyed everything in its path.

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   Yet, Hightstown shined as hundreds of athletes — of all ages, gathered in the borough the last week of September for its highly anticipated and organized triathlon races. On Sept. 24, scores of youngsters participated in the 3rd Annual Kid’s Triathlon. The next day, approximately 240 adults competed in the Hightstown Triathlon. The best timed athletes were: first place winner Daniel Chawner, of Middletown; second place winner Dan Isleib; of the Village of Croton on Hudson, New York; and third place winner John Hirsch, of Block Island, Rhode Island. The annual competition is a sanctioned event of the USA Triathlon.

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   Additionally, the Hightstown borough-wide garage sale was in September.
October
   Election season was in full swing as candidates worked to win voters’ favor.

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   The Hometown Harvest Fair took place on Oct. 1 and drew crowds of people to the borough for a day full of music and activities.

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   The four candidates vying for two three-year seats on Borough Council and two additional candidates vying for the one-year seat participated in a public forum on Oct. 25. The League of Women Voters of East Windsor-Hightstown sponsored the event at the Twin Rivers Library.
   Democrats Susan Bluth and Rob Thibault running for the three-year seats against Republicans John Archer and incumbent Councilwoman Skye Gilmartin participated. Additionally, Democrat Gail Doran and Republican George Serrano, running against each other for the one-year seat, were participants of the forum.

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   The eight candidates running for four four-year seats on Township Council met after Hightstown candidates to discuss issues facing East Windsor at a public forum on Oct. 25 hosted by the League of Women Voters of East Windsor-Hightstown at the Twin Rivers Library.

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   Democratic candidates John Zoller, Mayor Janice Mironov, Deputy Mayor Marc Lippman and Councilman Peter Yeager answered audience questions along with Republican candidates T.J. Berdzik, Steve Commer, Robert Ertel and John Guarniere.

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   Nicole Plett, of the Lawrenceville League of Women Voters, was the moderator of the forum. In addition to separate time for opening and closing statements, candidates were given sixty seconds to answer the questions presented by Ms. Plett.
November
   Election Day was Nov. 8 — and Democrats dominated the polls in both East Windsor and Hightstown.

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   In East Windsor, the Democrats, featuring three incumbents and one newcomer, won nearly 64 percent of the vote Election Day. The four seats won were for four-year terms. Voters cast 11,006 votes for the Democratic candidates whereas voters cast 6,227 votes for the Republican candidates.
   Incumbent Mayor Janice Mironov was elected to her fifth term as a member of the Township Council. “We appreciate the trust placed in us by the East Windsor voters,” said Mayor Mironov after the election, who is serving her 16th consecutive year as mayor, which is an appointment position of the council.
   Voters opted for incumbents Deputy Mayor Marc Lippman and Councilman Peter Yeager as well as newcomer John Zoller. These Democrats, along with Mayor Mironov, faced off again Republicans T.J. Berdzik, Steve Commer, Robert Ertel and John Guarniere at the polls.
   Mayor Mironov garnered 3,032 votes, or 17.59 percent.
   Deputy Mayor Lippman, who was first elected to the Township Council in 1995, garnered 2,682 votes, or 15.56 percent.
   Mr. Yeager, who was appointed to the council in March, garnered 2,658 votes, or 15.42 percent.
   Mr. Zoller garnered 2,634 votes, or 15.28 percent, in his first run for public office.
   On the Republican end of the spectrum, Mr. Guarniere received 1,611 votes or 9.34 percent. Mr. Ertel received 1,597 votes or 9.26 percent. Mr. Commer received 1,479 votes or 8.58 percent. Mr. Berdzik received 1,540 votes or 8.93 percent.
   "One of my former rowing coaches use to say, win or lose, the day after the race, you begin preparing for the next one,” Mr. Berdzik said after the election. “If there is one thing that we’ve seen from the VanHandle family’s dealings with the council is the need for an independent voice to keep an eye on the local political machine.”
   As reported previously reported in the Herald, the VanHandle family, of Cedarville Farms, is in a dispute with the township regarding the family’s wish to sell the land to a solar panel company. However, a East Windsor Township Council resolution, passed June 24, prevents productive farmland from being turned into grid-supply solar facilities.
   Additionally, the farmland, which is composed of four family-owned properties, is zoned for rural agriculture usage as previously reported in the Herald.
   According to East Windsor’s zoning ordinance, the solar panel facility is not a permitted usage for the farmland under its agriculture zoning, Mayor Mironov as previously reported in November.

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   In Hightstown, voters chose three newcomers on the Democratic ticket to fill seats up for grabs on Borough Council this past Election Day. More than 3,000 votes were cast for the council candidates, including absentee voters. Approximately 1,084 votes were cast for the Democrats whereas 929 votes were cast for the Republicans.
   In the race for the two open three-year Hightstown Borough Council seats, Democrat Rob Thibault earned the majority with 568 votes, or 28.12 percent, cast in his favor. Democrat Susan Bluth garnered 516 votes, or 25.54 percent, in the race. Republican John Archer, who earned 466 votes, or 23.07 percent, was 50 votes behind Ms. Bluth. Incumbent Councilwoman Skye Gilmartin was unseated in the race with 463 votes, or 22.92 percent, cast in her favor.
   In the race for the one-year unexpired seat on Borough Council, high school physics teacher Gail Doran, a Democrat, defeated firefighter George Serrano, a Republican. Ms. Doran received 520 votes, or 51.08 percent, while Mr. Serrano received 496 votes, or 48.72 percent, according to a report by the Mercer County Clerk’s Office published Nov. 16.
   Ms. Doran was sworn in on the council after the election, replacing Mike Vanderbeck who was previously selected by Democrats and chosen by Borough Council to replace resigned Councilman Dimitri Musing in the spring. Mr. Vanderbeck did attempt to run in the General Election as an Independent, however, he missed the deadline, according to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office, as previously reported.

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   East Windsor Township Mayor Janice Mironov was elected first vice president of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities on Nov. 17.

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   The East Windsor Township Council approved an ordinance 5 to 0 to accept the land donation of 2.5 acres from the McGraw-Hill Companies at Nov. 29 council meeting. The land will be part of a project to acquire solar energy for the township’s police and court building at 80 One Mile Road. McGraw-Hill agreed to donate 2.5 acres of land to assist in the project. They have several parcels of land adjacent to the police and court building.

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   Also at the Nov. 29 meeting, the East Windsor Township Council approved with a 5-0 vote its consideration for the acquisition of approximately 84 acres on Cedarville Road for preservation. As previously reported, property owners of the 84 acres, Cedarville Farm, protested an earlier approval of the council to appraise the property.
   The family, which has farmed the land for four generations, has an extended contract to sell the land to a solar energy company, as previously reported.
December
   While many of the recent events in December were recently highlighted in newspaper editions of the Herald as well as online — one item to emphasize is the immensity of giving unto others this holiday season by community members, businesses and organizations. Through local, county and state groups, countless people of East Windsor and Hightstown celebrated the month with charitable giving and acts of kindness to those in need.

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   On Dec. 11, the Christmas Candlelight House Tour returned featuring a three-hour route into seven homes in Hightstown and East Windsor. Sponsored by the Hightstown Woman’s Club, the money raised from the tour was donated to charitable causes.
   The tour began at the Ely House, 164 North Main Street, which is also the headquarters of the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society. Prior to the tour, the Historical Society held its annual Christmas tea, featuring choral music and a holiday boutique. Rocky Brook Garden Club members sold fresh centerpieces at the boutique, located in the freight station of the property.
   At the start of the Christmas Tea, two choruses from the Hightstown High School under the direction of Kathy Anzuini performed. The First United Methodist Church, of 187 Stockton Street, provided musical entertainment by ringing hand bells at the end of the candlelight tour.

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   The Hightstown High School Music Department held an evening of live music at the third annual December Instrumental Concert at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The HHS Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble performed at the free concert opened to the public.

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   The holidays also marked the reason of annual toy drive run by the Hightstown PBA in conjunction with the K&B Tattooing in Hightstown. The drop-off locations were at the Hightstown Police Department — at its new location at 413 Mercer Street; First Constitutional Bank in Hightstown; Old Hights Print Shop in Hightstown; Tavern on the Lake in Hightstown; Cranberry Manor Exxon; Wells Fargo in Hightstown; the East Windsor Police Department on One Mile Road; and K&B Tattooing. Volunteers wrapped the toys Dec. 17.

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   Furthermore, Rise, a community organization of Hightstown, spearheaded a holiday gift drive for children in need which led to the donation of nearly 700 gifts by mid-December.