By Matt Chiappardi, Staff Writer
EAST WINDSOR — The Twin Rivers Homeowners’ Association will be holding elections Dec. 13 for three open seats on its board of directors.
Three challengers — horseshoeing business owner Steven Commer, horticulturist Gus Elsworth and retired merchandising manager Al Wally — are vying to unseat three incumbents —Roger Frey, Joseph Molinari and Lori Vono.
As for the challengers, Mr. Commer is a Brooklyn, N.Y., native and has been a Twin Rivers resident for more than 20 years. He says his experience as a general manager for a 60-store shopping mall in Westchester, N.Y., makes him a good choice to sit on the board. He also vaunts the fact that he has attended “as many meetings as possible” over the past two years.
Mr. Commer, 63, said he’ll change the direction of the board if elected and remove what he called “the political animosity on the board toward (township mayor) Janice Mironov and the (township) council.” He added that he believed association President Scott Pohl has a personal issue with Mayor Mironov that is “not productive,” but declined to comment any further.
Mr. Pohl and Ms. Mironov have publicly crossed swords in the past, most recently over a letter Mr. Pohl sent to the Township Council asking it to stop promoting township events during Twin Rivers events.
Mr. Elsworth, 51, is an Accord, N.Y., native and has been living in Twin Rivers since the early 1970s. He says his experience as a horticulturist and as the owner of a landscaping business will help him make good decisions about facility maintenance. He also said he would like to see the trust purchase materials for home improvements in bulk and sell them to senior citizens in the community at the wholesale discount.
”Some of these people live on fixed incomes and could use a little help keeping their houses fixed up,” he said.
He also said he would be in favor of what he called a “big car ban” in the community, barring residents from owning large pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles that he said, “take up too much space.”
He added that one of the best reasons to vote for him was that he, “is not a politician.”
”I fly by the seat of my pants,” he said.
Mr. Wally, 66, has been an outspoken critic of the board for a number of years. He is a Brooklyn, N.Y., native and has been living in Twin Rivers since 1972. While Mr. Wally acknowledges that he doesn’t expect to win, he said he believes his knowledge and experience “can help keep (the association) out of legal trouble.”
Mr. Wally pointed toward his master’s of business administration degree he received from The City University of New York, Baruch College and that he “attends all of the board meetings.”
”I have a lot of business experience and am able to spot the things that others can’t,” he said.
”They don’t have the foggiest idea about tax status or legal issues,” he added.
Mr. Wally also said he’d support televising all of the open board meetings on the public access channel on local cable.
”Somebody has to bring reason back, and I’m the well-rounded, well-read person to do it,” he said.
As for the incumbents, Mr. Frey has been a Twin Rivers resident for seven years and a member of the board for three years. In his biography in the monthly community newsletter Twin Rivers Today, he stated that if he is re-elected he will “continue to control costs and spending … and strengthen Twin Rivers’ position as a community that caters to families.”
Mr. Frey has served on the Parking, Budget, and Nominating committees of the association, according to the bio.
Mr. Molinari has been living in Twin Rivers for the past 16 years and has been a member of the board six years. For the past two years he’s been the vice president of the association.
According to his Twin Rivers Today bio, Mr. Molinari states that his experience as the shop steward for Teamsters who drive for Maryland-based WR Grace Construction Products has, “assisted (him) in decision-making aspects and the development in policies for the good of the community.”
Mr. Molinari has chaired the Budget and Finance, Newspaper, Agricultural Control, and Parking committees. He’s also co-chaired the Recreation Committee.
Ms. Vono has been living in Twin Rivers for the past seven years and was appointed to the board in 2003. Community residents elected her to the post in 2004, according to her Twin Rivers Today bio.
Ms. Vono stated in that publication that she intends to “keep maintenance fees low, and continue to make the necessary changes that our development needs to continue to be a vibrant and growing community,”
Ms. Vono has chaired the Newspaper, Welcoming, and Swimming Pool committees. She’s also served on the Recreation Committee.
None of the incumbents returned calls this week seeking further comment.
The winning candidates will be elected to three-year terms on the nine-person board. Unlike municipal elections, votes are weighed by the assessed value of the home from which the votes come instead of a one-person, one-vote system.
A candidates forum was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. last night (Thursday) in the Twin Rivers community room.
