As we pass into 2013, here are some leftover thoughts from the year just passed.
For a municipality of 40,000, there’s a community spirit in Hillsborough that often surprises. The latest reminder was the Christmas tree lighting on Dec. 14. Assemblywoman Donna Simon remarked as an aside that she had rarely seen as many people at a similar event in other towns.
It probably had more to do than the first-time attraction of small goats and calf at the Norz Farm petting zoo. The decorated and lighted trees, tagged by the community group that sponsored the tree and did the decorating, was an attractive addition.
Perhaps we just underestimate the draw of hot chocolate and Santa Claus, especially when he arrives on a firetruck.
Hillsborough Township Administrator Anthony Ferrera certainly had quite an introduction to his first 100 days in his new job. Two months after taking over for the retired Michael Merdinger, Mr. Ferrera nimbly manipulated the township through the Sandy Superstorm. He deployed his work force and resourcefully tapped into contacts from his days as a state Department of Labor employee. He did it all with care to keep communication open all around, and with admirable grace and patience. He had to be bone tired.
Mr. Ferrera, a former Township Committeeman with the members who chose him in August, was subject to initial rumblings that his was a blatant political appointment. But he’s worked hard, kept his comments at meetings limited to items within his purview and exudes continuous graciousness.
We’re haven’t seen the late-campaign political flyer that apparently besmirched Manville Councilman Rich Onderko so much that it might have made the difference in his falling short of re-election.
But he continues to impress with his attention to Manville’s flooding plight, and we hope he has the perseverance to keep at it. He raises good questions and is willing to put in the time and effort to plea for the borough’s cause. He appears to realize any remedy for Manville’s flooding will be a long time in the making and it will. Here’s hoping he and others have the energy to stay the fight.

