HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP: Mayor thanks Johnson for service

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   A stranger passing through Hopewell Township, seeing what a picturesque and peaceful-looking place so much of the township is, might assume that local politics must be uninterruptedly calm and harmonious.
   Kim Johnson, Republican, who will finish a three-year term on the Township Committee Dec. 31, is one of the many present and former members of township government who knows otherwise.
   Township government, for years, has dealt with many intensely controversial issues — sometimes, with several such issues simultaneously.
   During Ms .Johnson’s three-year term on the committee, for example, those issues included the Jacobs Creek Bridge, whether to bring more sewer service to the township, the speed limit in front of Bear Tavern Elementary School, the performance of JCP&L during outages, and others.
   It seems clear that any observer of township government would readily agree that being a Township Committee member is an arduous task requiring much patience, preparation and the willingness to be between people and groups of people who are disagreeing with one another with tremendous intensity. This is not a job for the faint of heart.
   Ms. Johnson, an Orchard Avenue resident who did not seek a second term, was thanked for her service on township government by Mayor Michael Markulec during the Dec. 10 committee meeting.
   ”I want to thank Kim Johnson for her service to our township,” he said. “Her passion and caring for our community and her neighborhood, her diligence and preparation, set an example I try to follow. Kim exemplifies ‘service before self.’ We wish her all of the best.”
   Ms. Johnson will be replaced on the committee by Democrat Harvey Lester, who landed a three-year term at the November general election.