Discussions of Nov. 8 general election matters
Republicans host
Evening with Candidates
Are you certain that the people you plan to vote for in November reflect your views on important local and regional issues?
The Hopewell Valley Republican Association invites you to find out on Oct. 26, when it hosts its annual Evening with the Candidates. The program will be held from 7-9 p.m. at H. I. Rib &Co., 145 Route 31, Pennington.
This is the perfect place to meet and speak informally with candidates as well as elected officials, to find out their views on issues that interest you, according to Republican Association President Ken Baker.
Light hors d’oeuvres will be served and a cash bar will be available. A donation of $5 will help cover costs. The public is cordially invited to attend.
Invited Republican candidates are Douglas Forrester, governor; and Thomas Mavis and Robert McCready, 15th District Assembly.
Catherine DiCostanzo, Mercer County clerk; Paul Lagana, Mercer County sheriff; Joe DAngelo and Sylvester Bobby Bryant, Mercer County freeholders.
Arlene Kemp and Robert Cacciabaudo, Hopewell Township Committee; and Robert Lewis and Schuyler Morehouse, Hopewell Borough Council.
For additional information or directions, call Ken Baker at609-737-8714.
A ‘public servant first’
To the editor:
My name is Vanessa Sandom and I respectfully ask for your vote on Nov. 8. I am a candidate for the Hopewell Township Committee with my running mate John Murphy.
Four and a half years ago when I joined the Hopewell Township Committee I promised my family, friends and neighbors that I would protect the interests of Hopewell Township residents by supporting low-impact development and controlled growth, expanding financial controls and accountability, and increasing open government and citizen participation.
My record shows that I stood by those promises both as a committee member and also when I had the privilege of serving Hopewell Township as mayor last year. I have consistently led efforts to reduce spending and increase revenues. I’ve been vigilant to make sure that residential and commercial development adhere to good planning principles. I have also promoted the efforts of community-wide coalitions to resolve long-standing community issues.
As a first time candidate I believed that good decisions could not be made in a vacuum and that common sense depends upon listening to all sides of the argument. I firmly held that the best politicians are public servants first, and that even without agreement on an issue there must be respect for different opinions. This is as true for me today, as it was then.
Living here in our beautiful Valley with my husband Carl and sons Alex and Ben, I am reminded everyday of my responsibility as a committee member to protect the quality of life and interests of our resident families. If re-elected, I will continue to put your issues and concerns first as we work together in guiding Hopewell Township’s future. John and I thank you for your support on Nov. 8
Vanessa Sandom
Democratic candidate
for Township Committee
Why did I choose to run?
To the editor:
My name is John Murphy and I ask for your vote on Nov. 8. I am running for the Hopewell Township Committee with Vanessa Sandom. In the weeks ahead Vanessa and I will do our best to tell you exactly how we’ll serve Hopewell Township. We believe that together, our experience, integrity and plan of action make us your best choice.
In the meantime, I’d like to share a conversation I had with my 7-year-old daughter Caelin about why I decided to be a candidate. My wife Jennifer, my son Riley and my mother (who lives with us) had already weighed in with their support, but Caelin is very protective of our time together and very smart. She asked how being on the Township Committee was more important than just being her daddy and spending time with her. I’m an attorney, Hopewell Township Planning Board member and also active in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, so Caelin is no stranger to my heavy schedule of meetings. I reassured her that nothing would ever be more important than she was, but she really made me think about why I wanted to run.
The next time I sat down with Caelin I told her that being her daddy was one of the main reasons I wanted to serve as a committee member. I said that I was very good at helping people because in my work it has always been important to me to do things for others, the same way Mommy and Daddy have taught her. And I told her that I wanted to help our town the same way I help my clients because where we live is very important to our family and to who she will become when she grows up. She looked at me sideways. I explained that although Mommy and Daddy "love her more than life itself," there are many others neighbors and friends, teachers, Brownie leaders, her gymnastic coach and religious education teacher who love her, too, and will help make her the best she can be. I told her that all of those people are part of our community, and that if Daddy can help make Hopewell the best it can be, everyone who lives here would be better off. She asked for specifics!
I told Caelin that it’s expensive to run government but that I could help make it better so that everyone keeps more money in their pockets to spend on their families and essentials like toys. She understood that explicitly. I also said that our town is a very beautiful place and we want to keep it that way. Caelin thought about it for a while, then told me she was proud that I was running for office but only "under one condition." She made me promise that when the two of us are together I wouldn’t think about anything else but her.
Now as a business professional and attorney with more than 20 years as an advisor in the government, corporate and consulting sectors you’d think I’d heard it all, but there is no greater truth than "from the mouth of babes". So, I smiled and told Caelin she was so special and so beautiful that when I’m with her she’s the only thing I could ever think about.
It’s often said that if you have an idea and it makes sense to a child, it’s a good idea. I’ve learned that lesson. As I told my daughter, I truly believe that I can protect our town and keep it a beautiful place to live. I can use my government and business skills to make sure we enjoy the services and amenities we need. And, given the chance, I can help our government operate cost-efficiently. I ask you for that chance. Let me put my experience to work for something that is truly important to all of us: our families and our town.
John Murphy,
Democratic candidate
for Township Committee
Kemp gets award
The Christine Todd Whitman Excellence in Public Service Series recently graduated its seventh class (Class of 2004-05).
Mayor Arlene A. Kemp of Hopewell Township was among the graduates, and delivered the class remarks. "As participants, we acquired essential knowledge about the great variety of resources and techniques that are available to help us more effectively serve the public in a leadership capacity on the local, state and federal levels. In the process, the graduates obtained a greater respect for diverse points of view and developed a new sense of political empowerment," said Ms. Kemp.
Each year, the Series selects approximately 20 women from a field of statewide applicants to participate in the nine-month program of panel presentations, workshops, and homework assignments. "The Whitman Series Scholars represent diverse backgrounds and interests, while sharing a commitment to public service in an appointed or elected capacity," added Ms. Kemp. Nearly 1000 women from across the nation have received training for public service through the Excellence in Public Service Series program, which was started in Indiana in 1990. The Whitman Series was organized in New Jersey in 1998.
Ms, Kemp served two years on the Hopewell Township Committee, prior to becoming mayor. As a civil engineer, who is also a professional engineer and professional planner, Ms. Kemp spent many years in consulting, served as municipal engineer for three municipalities, as director of public works for one, and as assistant county engineer for Hudson County. In addition to being president of her own civil engineering consulting firm for 16 years, she currently serves as the executive director for the Princeton-based nonprofit "Hands on Helpers," which is Mercer County’s volunteer clearinghouse. "It has been a great honor to have spent the major part of my adult life in public service," said Ms. Kemp. "The training from this program will better prepare me to serve the community in an elected, appointed or volunteer capacity."
A Republican, Ms. Kemp is seeking another three-year term on the Hopewell Township Committee. The election will be held Nov. 8.
The Christine Todd Whitman Excellence in Public Service Series is a not-for-profit organization funded and operated by the voluntary contributions of individuals and organizations committed to increasing the leadership of women in politics and government. The Excellence in Public Service Series does not take a position on issues, does not support or oppose candidates for public office, and does not select its scholars based on their positions on issues.