Three Boy scouts from Troop 22 were honored at their Court of Honor Saturday, January 6 and congratulated by approximately 100 guests on the occasion of their reception of the Eagle Scout Award, the highest award in Boy Scouting.
The three, Michael Marchetti, Kevin Connelly, Jr. and Anthony Martignetti are all graduates of Henry Hudson Regional School and had earned their Eagle awards during the Covid crisis but were unable to be honored because of Covid restrictions.
Two other Troop 22 scouts, Jack Foy and Kyle Otterbine, both of Middletown, also earned their Eagle awards several years ago. Neither was able to be honored at this week’s ceremony. Foy is employed by the Middletown Township Police Department and Otterbine is in the United States Marine Corps currently serving in California.
Kevin Connelly, Sr., the father one the Eagle receiving his award, gave the opening prayer at the Court of Honor held in Our Lady of Perpetual Help School auditorium, after the Senior Patrol leader Sean Weinperl and Color Corp presented the colors and formed an honor guard.
Dr. Michael Marchetti is troop master for Troop 22, and presented the award to his son, Michael. Assistant Troop Leader Thomas Welch, who is also Eagle Advisor and Order of the Arrow Troop advisor, presented the award to Connelly, and Alan Resch presented the award to his nephew, Anthony.
Each of the three Eagles gave presentations on their projects which had to be completed in order to achieve the Eagle honor. Assistant Scoutmaster Gerald Thompson outlined for the crowd gathered for the ceremony each level of scouting honor had to be achieved and held for a specific length of time before a scout could even attempt to achieve the highest honor.
In addition to letters of commendation from Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon, who was present for the ceremony along with Council President Joann Olszewski, the three Eagles at the ceremony also received presentations for the American Legion, the Third Degree Knights of Columbus of the Rev. Joseph Donnelly Council and the Knights’ 4th Degree Bishop McFaul Assembly 646.
Those awards were presented by Sir Knight Michael Napolitan and Sire Knight John Flynn, with Heath Bertini, vice commander of the American Legion Post 346 of Neptune presenting the Legion award. James DeRugeriis, R., Deputy Grand Knight of the Vincent T. Lombardi Council 6552 of the Knights of Columbus, New Monmouth also made a presentation to the honorees, along with Louise E. Welch, president of the Vincent T. Lombardi Columbiettes 6552. Mrs. Welch is also the mother of an Eagle Scout, the assistant scoutmaster.
The troop meets regularly at OLPH and at the Robert Wilson Community Center in Highlands and is sponsored by the Navesink Fire Hook and Ladder Company. The volunteer fire company also presented certificates of achievement to each of the Eagle Scouts with the presentation made by Scott Sieh
The troop consists of approximately 20 young men between the ages of 13 and 17 and is open for membership to local youths.
The Eagle Scout Committee for the event included Assistant Scoutmaster Welch, Mrs. Welch, Dr. Marchetti, Susan Marchetti and Tara Schneider.
Refreshments were served following the ceremony and retirement of colors.
Editor’s Note: Because each of the honorees has a fascinating history of his own, it was not possible to include each of their achievements in the Eagle Court of Honor story. Look for future articles on Marchetti, Connelly and Martignetti soon.)
You might say Arman Kaymakcian has had a taste of just about every kind of life possible. He was born in New Jersey, but his parents were Italian and Armenian. He had a terrific childhood filled with adventure, fun, and love…until he was ten.
That’s when the sexual abuse by someone close to the family began and his life changed.
First it was going through adolescence and teen years with ongoing abuse. Then it was trying to cut himself off from everybody. Then the solace in drugs, the need to sell them to use them. Then it was the problems in high school that made him drop out and look to make a living through odd jobs.
Arman found the talent as a carpet installer he had learned from his father could get him a job to let him pay the rent for his own apartment.
He found a place in Neptune, convenient to a crowd that would buy his drugs and enable him to try, and become addicted to prescription drugs, cocaine, PCP, ecstasy and then finally heroin.
From there it went to the hopeless times, the suicidal thoughts…and the coincidence that wasn’t really a coincidence. Everything happens for a reason.
Arman picked up a Bible and read Psalm 88. That was enough to get him, first down on his knees then in a psych ward at Monmouth Medial Center, help for his body and prayers on his lips to save his life.
That’s when the new chapters of his life began.
That Psalm 88 starts with “Lord, you are the God who saves me,” then admits, like Arman, “I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death.” It continues “ You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths…Your wrath lies heavily on me;….you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.” But it ends with “I call to you, Lord, every day…..I cry to you for help, Lord…
The full story of Arman is included in his biography and first book, “He Calls Me Redeemed,” in which he explores his past at the intersection of faith, addiction, abuse, family, culture, and death. The book is a blend of how the cultures of his heritage clashed with his Jersey Shore life style and how while he looked up to and revered his father, he had no idea of his father’s own tragic secret until he recognized how his father’s personal struggles were a precursor of his own life that hit rock bottom.
A heart wrenching story. Its excellence comes from the author’s ability to lay out the harsh cold facts as they were and are. The book ends on a happy note knowing Arman has overcome a past that will forever haunt him, a lifetime of struggling against the crime and wretchedness he had thrown himself into, and finally the joys and happiness, to say nothing of security and a future that he enjoys because of his own ability to fight his own evils.
Arman cleverly channels the various parts of his life into separate ‘rooms’ in his life house, each room filled with the horror, sadness, frustrations, grief, religion, history or love found in each corner of that particular room.
The book is truly one of hope, faith, and belief in one’s self. Now married with two children, Arman lives in the Colts Neck area and regularly attends the Community Church in the township, grateful he indeed has overcome demons. Finally achieved his high school diploma, attended Brookdale College and has a job he’s held down for more than ten years.
He’s also working on a couple more books, one a short novel, the other a book of poetry.
“He Calls Me Redeemed” by Arman Kaymakcian is available on Amazon and in local book stores.
“It’s very disappointing that we are all being put through this. We will keep moving forward keeping the community at the center of our work,” said Mayor Lori Hohenleitner today in response to questions concerning the action filed by Councilman James Murphy regarding the election results last November.
Murphy, the lone Republican on the governing body, who was defeated by Hohenleitner for the mayoral post by six votes following a recount last month, then filed action in Superior Court challenging the outcome of the election on the grounds of improper votes in some cases. Murphy questioned the addresses of some voters as well as other matters, according to the Monmouth County Board of Elections. Both Borough Clerk Michele Clark and Monmouth County Clerk Christine Hanlon are named in the litigation.
Hohenleitner and Forbes are being represented by Scott Salmon, with Jardim, Neisner & Susser, P.C who have officers in Tinton Falls and Florham Park. The firm has represented candidates running for political office as well as provided representation to elected officials surrounding political campaigns and the election process.
Hohenleitner noted that borough attorney Marguerite Schaffer is representing Ms. Clark at borough expense, and former borough attorney Jason Sena, who also serves on the Shrewsbury Borough Council and is a special attorney for Atlantic Highlands, is representing County Clerk Hanlon in the matter brought by Murphy.
Hohenleitner and Forbes, who with Crowley were on ActBlue Charities, Inc. for election campaign funds, also have a place on the fundraising platform for donations to raise funds for their attorney in this legal action.
According to Wikipedia, ActBlue Charities Inc. is an American political action committee and fundraising platform established serving left-leaning and Democratic nonprofits and politicians. Its Republican counterpart is WinRed.
Although not identifying it as a Go Fund Me page, the mayor confirmed “we have an Act Blue page for campaign fundraising that is now collecting funds to pay for this frivolous contest.” The mayor continued that the action was “brought against myself and Alyson Forbes by Jimmy Murphy and Ellen O’Dwyer.” Councilman Jon Cowley is not involved, she said, other than as an interested party.
Murphy was not immediately available for a comment for this story.
With no opposition at the polls last November, the first time in the history of the borough that has ever occurred, there was no opposition nor much fanfare at the swearing in of incumbents Donald Melnyk and Joann Olszewski to their new three-year terms on the borough council at Monday’s reorganization meeting in the new Borough Hall.
Councilwoman Olszewski was also continued as council president.
Mayor Carolyn Broullon swore the council members into their new terms, and also installed William Caizza as fire chief, Jay Terwillinger as First Aid Chief and Yanni Gouzouassis as a special police officer Class II.
The governing body also introduced an amendment to its flood plain ordinance, naming the construction official the flood plan official, a change from the previous flood plain official being the borough engineer. A public hearing on the proposed change will be at the January 7 council meeting.
Meetings will continue to be held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month except in July, August and November when there will only be one meeting each month.
Council approved the appointment of Brian Chabarek as borough attorney at a rate not to exceed $180,000 a year, along with bond, labor, redevelopment tax, affordable housing attorneys and an attorney for tax appeals. They also named Marazita Falcon as conflict attorney at the rate of $195 an hour and no more than $25,000 for the year.
Council also approved William Brunt as public officer, Heidi Pieluc as deputy borough clerk, Joseph Rafferty of Colliers Engineering as borough engineer, at a rate not to exceed $100,000 a year.
Congressman. Chris Smith expressed grave concerns over recent reports migrants from the US southern border are now being dropped off at New Jersey train stations:
“President Biden’s illegal open-border policies and failure to secure our southern border continue to seriously jeopardize our national security and the safety of American citizens,” the Congressman said, noting that hundreds of migrants are being bused to New Jersey and left at train stations throughout our state.
While New York grapples with a humanitarian disaster fueled by its failed sanctuary city policies, this crisis continues to spiral out of control while the Biden Administration refuses to act. Smith said the massive influx coming into the United States illegally is not only unsustainable but also seriously endangers women and children, who are especially vulnerable to sex and labor trafficking, and enables the smuggling of deadly drugs like Chinese-made fentanyl into our country.
At a Congressional hearing Smith chaired last year he had asked the Biden Administration’s top official tasked with combating human trafficking whether migrants were being screened for trafficking at our southern border. “She did not answer my question, and deferring to her colleagues, said ‘certainly it’s the perfect time to be asking the question,.’ He said, adding “that is unacceptable. That is why I strongly supported and voted for the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (HR 2) the border security legislation that passed the House last year. I call on the Senate to immediately pass this legislation to address the Biden Administration’s failed border policies and ensuing crisis.”
With no response from either Gateway National Recreation Area nor the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners, don’t be surprised if the $15 million plan for building a much- needed indoor drill and classroom complex for the NJROTC program at MAST, is put off once again.
Common sense would attribute yet another delay to lack of action by those in control, lack of planning by the architect, a distinct failure to learn from past mistakes and lack of communication between two public entities who contracted to build the facility in the historic district of Fort Hancock.
The National Park Service and the Monmouth County Vocational School Board of Education will most likely blame it on the osprey should construction not start as advertised.
A pre-planning meeting for the restoration of a former barracks facing Pershing Field in the historic Fort Hancock section of Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook scheduled for five days before Christmas was attended by only two possible prospective bidders to be construction manager for the project. That manager would then retain and oversee all the subcontractors for the partially collapsed two story covered porch building. Work would also include a two-story addition and an elevator for barrier-free access to all levels from the main entrance lobby and would create a dedicated facility to accommodate the NJROTC program for every student at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST).
Known as Building 23, the new facility would accommodate a shared faculty office, classrooms, a drill hall, gymnasium and locker rooms. The latest project description by Eric Wagner, the county’s architect with the firm of Kellenyi Johnson Wagner does not mention bathrooms or showers as an earlier description did.
Both the County school district and the Park Service have been this far before. The idea of converting and restoring more historic buildings for MAST to be used for academic and NJROTC programs was conceived in 2014.
Under a plan developed in 2019, $14 million was scheduled to restore Building 23 as well as the much smaller Building 56, a former mess hall built in 1905, 3000 square feet in size. New construction was designed for MAST to use as a storage facility for the more than $1 million in government issued uniforms and equipment for the NJROTC program. That building, though still needing some work, has been “substantially completed,” according to Wagner. It has enabled the NJROTC to move their equipment and uniforms from crowded unprotected trailers to the safer, more organized storage facility in the historic building.
In 2019, with both the county and the park service, as well as officers with the NJROTC Program lauding the plan for both historic and academic reasons, it was noted how the partially collapsed buildings would be restored and NJROTC cadets would not have to face frigid or extremely hot temperatures for their drills and other requirements.
However, that construction project was halted in March of that year when the ospreys returned to their nest atop Building 56 and environmental laws prohibit disturbing nesting ospreys.
In February 2020, the ospreys were gone, and deterrent devices were installed to ensure they would not return. A bid was awarded to begin work on Building 56, the smaller building. To ensure the ospreys could find safe locations to build nests in other areas of Fort Hancock, approximately 20 devices were installed on and around Building 23.
Bids were then sought and awarded for abatement work and osprey deterrents when 12 bids were received and work started immediately. Construction of the NJROTC facility was scheduled to be completed by 2022.
But once again bids were delayed, work was not done, the building continued to collapse and NJROTC cadets continued to drill in wintry weather or extreme heat. The ospreys returned, the deterrents either failed or were destroyed by weather, and an osprey nest still stands at the top of one wall of the collapsed building.
Ospreys are the exceptionally large raptors whose main diet is live fish. They are common sights soaring over shorelines or standing on their huge stick nests. They were once considered endangered but are sturdy and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT.
Ospreys frequently, if not always, return to their nest from the previous year and build it larger while preparing for another season of egg laying and chick raising until they once again migrate south, only to return the following year in an ages old pattern.
Wagner made mention of the migratory bird return at the pre-Christmas meeting, identifying the season as mid to late March when they are expected to return.
That’s precisely the same time the architect ‘s timeline for start of construction occurs.
When asked at the meeting about the conflict between the returning birds possibly returning to the nest atop Building 23, and the March 20 date he has set for mobilization of the project, he indicated he is “hopeful” that work and activity around the site will deter the birds and they will seek a quieter, more safe location for building a new nest and preparing for new eggs. No other action or deterrent was identified to be either planned or in place.
VeniVidiScripto sent letters to both the National Park Service and the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners Director Dec. 21 asking the same questions of both signers of the construction contract.
With permission, couldn’t the osprey nest that’s there now removed before mid-March?
In the alternative, couldn’t the County board be mandated to take immediate action either to ensure the ospreys do not come back to this nest if it’s left up there?
For that matter, why would the NPS allow the osprey nest to stand now, knowing that with the contract between the county and the NPS the ospreys won’t be able to nest there in the immediate future anyway?
If the NPS has granted permission to re-build #23, and since ospreys had been nesting on that site for years before the building contract was agreed upon, should the NPS take any action on its own to enable the ospreys to find another site without the trauma of revisiting and being disturbed in the future?
Speaking for the ospreys, if the NPS agreed to have the building reconstructed to its former magnificence, knew there was an osprey nest on top, and knowing ospreys generally return to their nests each migration, we would hope you would mandate, or take the action to remove a nest before we (the ospreys I’m speaking for) all come back, happy as ospreys, and set up our homes again so the poor couple, thinking they’re coming home, aren’t shocked at the last minute! That might be disturbing to the rest of us)
To date, there has been no acknowledgement of the questions, nor any response from either the Park Service or the Board of Commissioners. The empty nest still sits atop the building that is expected, if bids are received and accepted, to be under construction March 20.
There are other questions that should be asked and answered. Why would the National Park Service and/or the Monmouth County Vocational School District, pour thousands of dollars into setting up deterrents for a nest that has to be moved anyway if the building is to be restored? Would it not have been easier, cheaper, and more sensible to simply remove the nest during the cold winter months when the ospreys were enjoying warmer climes? What justifies spending thousands of dollars to put up deterrents when there are approved historic plans is to reconstruct the building, including the one wall atop which the nest is sitting anyway?
While environmental concerns and protection of wildlife are primary duties and obligations of the National Park Service, even for recreational areas such as Sandy Hook where millions of people are encouraged to use the beach and ocean, does not the National Park Service also have an obligation to preserve and restore historic structures and national history? One might ask, in the matter of Fort Hancock and the ospreys, which should have priority?
If you go to Henry Hudson’s gym tonight at 5:30, you’ll have the opportunity to see Coach Brian Kelly’s Admirals as a team that has beat all odds, and overcome teams with far more backup players. It is the team that took a 47-43 win in a nail biting finish against Shore Regional Shore/Middlesex tournament last month.
This team with nine on the rooster has a 6-1 season standing and is determined to give the community a team in which to be proud.
The Admirals, coming off four victories in its last five games, will meet College Achieve Central School of North Plainfield, coming off two losses.
In that tournament match with Shore last month, Admiral brothers Jack and Michael Fitzpatrick dominated on the court against the Blue Devils with Junior Jack Fitzpatrick scoring 18 points and sophomore, Michael scoring 10. While the game progressed neck and neck for a while, Hudson had created a 10 point lead in the third with the help of senior Jeremy Way, junior Kevin Pharo, freshman Joseph Newell and senior Damyon Sparks-Edwards all playing like a well-oiled machine. Shore fought back in the fourth period but with Michael Fitzpatrick at the line and making two free throws the Admirals held the lead at 46-43. With a time out with 2 seconds left in the game, it was Michael once again who returned to the line, made his first free throw and rebounded his second to hold the ball for the buzzer, leaving a 47-43 final score.
Hudson boys are determined to make their mark this season. Spectators say it may be too early to call a Cinderella story in the making, but then they add “they are all players to contend with and we are looking forward to seeing how they progress.”
It’s also a team with history and pride in the Admirals and Henry Hudson. It was Coach Kelly’s father, Larry who was a 1,000 point scorer for the Admirals in the 1970s, and it’s been said his son took over as head coach some five years ago to see how he could help a team which then had a 2-24 season.
When Jack Fitzpatrick graduated from Holy Cross School in Rumson, and signed on as a Hudson freshman to the basketball team, he ended that first season named one of the top ten freshman in New Jersey. When his brother Michael became a freshman the following year, the duo and the rest of the team finished the season with the 6-1 record, and that holiday tournament victory, the first since 2014.
Jack is now on track to score 1,000 points this season as a Junior and Michael is on track to do the same in spite of breaking his collarbone his freshman season.
For the first time in over a decade Henry Hudson is making waves on the basketball court. It is the behind the scenes work, enthusiasm and determination that has made a difference.
Living in the Gravelly Point section of Highlands, the Fitzpatrick brothers formed their own AAU team to help Henry Hudson develop in the off season; their teammates from AAU team “Gravelly Point” are also making an impact on the Admiral’s Varsity.
As a freshman Newell is playing varsity and scored 20 points his last game; sophomore Blakely Smith is also adding his own excellence to the team. The Fitzpatrick brothers are making a name for themselves in school and athletic history with their combined effort on a unified team.
Neighbors and spectators say this year’s basketball team’s passion for the sport has played a major role in bringing the community together and rallying behind a team that puts camaraderie, sportsmanship and hard work in the forefront of all their efforts.
The Admirals roster of nine is led by seniors Jeremy Way and Daymon Edward Sparks, juniors Kevin Pharo, Phinn Kozie and Jack Fitzpatrick, sophomores Billy Quinn, Blakely Smith and Michael Fitzpatrick, and freshman Joseph Newell.
The basketball program also has a junior varsity team preparing to keep up the tradition now building of an Admiral’s winning team. Marc Hutchinson is assistant varsity coach and Greg Altmaier is Junior varsity coach, with Jason Cavagnaro the coach for the middle school basketball team.
“The chemistry is undeniable and the support of each other and of Henry Hudson is heartwarming,” said one proud spectator. He said while he has no relatives on the team he attends the games for the sheer joy of seeing young athletes at their best and learning techniques and strategy from coaches who excel.
He is a junior at MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Sandy Hook, a three-season athlete at Henry Hudson Regional School, a member of the MAST Drill Team and Cadet Senior Chief Petty Officer, as well as an EMR on the Highlands Volunteer First Aid Squad.
But Russell Karshmer of Marina Bay Court in Highlands is also the artist whose creative design was designated the most appropriate among all high school students submitted from throughout New Jersey to be on the reverse side of the official commissioning coin for the nation’s newest submarine, SSN-796 the USS New Jersey.
The son of Jill and Gary Karshmer, Russell has lived in Highlands six years, when the family moved from Jersey City in search of a small community on the water with easy access to New York. He had lived in Manhattan until he was five and the family moved to Newport in Jersey City so he could attend Stevens Cooperative School. He opted to attend MAST primarily for the marine biology program, but now admits that “as soon as I took my first Naval Science class, I found my true calling.”
School is so terrific, the teen says, that the most difficult part of it is “having to leave school every day, I love it so much! Obviously,” he said, “the NJROTC program is my favorite part of MAST, but I also loved crewing on our 65-foot research vessel, the Blue Sea.” The boat is docked at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor and is an integral part of the school’s marine science program.
Russell’s coin design includes depictions of numerous facets of New Jersey, the Navy and the locale where the submarine will be commissioned, and is presented artfully most likely because he also has a background of study in design. As a student at Stevens Cooperative School, he designed many projects, ideas he carried through when he attended Highlands Elementary School.
At MAST, he credits Ms. Sam Moorzitz for teaching him computer aided design, and Ms. Wendy Green for drilling balance, color, movement and other design principles in his regular class work.
While he knew many facts about both the submarine and the state before creating his coin design, Russell said he also researched other facts to verify information he also wanted to include. He said in the naval science program as well as being part of the color guard at MAST, he had knowledge through “drilling year-long on all sorts of facts about the state, the country and the military.”
The coin depicts the view from Mount Mitchill, the highest point on the East Coast, a site chosen for the design, he said, because he had been at the Scenic Overlook for its 9.11 Memorial Service in September “I later realized the view was the perfect vantage point overlooking the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the oldest still operating lighthouse in the nation, the NWS Earle pier in Leonardo where the ship will be commissioned, and Sandy Hook Bay.”
He also wanted to incorporate the state bird, flower and tree in his design, as well as how THREE is important to New Jersey as the third state in the Union and the submarine being the third naval vessel named for the Garden State.
Nor is this the first time the student’s artwork has captured awards for its creativity, ingenuity and historic depiction. Russell won the James T. White Award as a sixth grader in Highlands in a contest sponsored by the Highlands Historical Society. For that contest, he designed a replica model of Veterans Memorial Park in Highlands and presented the design to a board of judges. It was later displayed at the Twin Lights Museum.
The win assures Karshmer of being able to attend the commissioning ceremony, which is open to the public on a limited basis, and he is grateful to the USS New Jersey (SSN796) Commissioning Committee for the opportunity. He’s also grateful to all his instructors at MAST, especially the NJROTC command, for their inspiration to learn on a daily basis and to encourage his honing his own skills.
Congressman Frank Pallone swore in Mayor Lori Hohenleitner as mayor, Councilman Jon Crowley to his second term and Alison Forbes to her first term on council at the noon reorganization of the Atlantic Highlands Borough Council New Year’s Day.
The standing room only meeting was filled with cheers, congratulations, applause, tears and hope for safe, peaceful and prosperous 2024 as Hohenleitner, who has served two years on council, tearfully and emotionally read her statement praising borough employees, volunteers, friends,, professionals and others for their work in the past, their presence at the reorganization and their dedication to the “Atlantic Highlands we all love.” She noted outgoing Mayor Loretta Gluckstein, who did not seek another term and was unable to be present for this meeting, will be honored at the Jan 11 regular meeting of the governing body.
Hohenleitner also noted the deaths of two former stalwarts of the borough during the past year, the late Councilman Walter Curry, whose family has been active in the borough for generations in numerous capacities, and the former Mayor Helen Marchetti, a native who served on numerous committees before becoming first a councilwoman then a mayor.
Hohenleitner predicted 2024 would a “year of accomplishments “welcome all new residents to the borough and an invitation to others noting “we have enough resources to share.” She noted attention to climate change will be a priority as well as promotion of the arts during the year. The borough’s newsletter, a popular publication in earlier years, will be renewed this year, both in print and online, she said. In recognizing the Rev. Nicole Hamilton of the United Methodist Church who gave the invocation, and the Rev. Brian Rawls of St. Paul’s Baptist Church, who offered the benediction at the end of the meeting, Hohenleitner also noted the borough is one with a strong faith community.
All the appointments and re-appointments were by unanimous vote, with Councilman James Murphy, the only Republican on the new governing body, objecting to the mayor failing to reappoint Ellen O’Dwyer to her position on the Green Team. O’Dwyer recently was commended throughout the state for her work in helping Atlantic Highlands achieve the Small-Town Champion Award from Sustainable Jersey and has led the borough to sustainable Jersy awards throughout her term on the Environmental Council.
At least one dozen attorneys were appointed to their positions in various capacities, with Marguerite Schaffer continuing as borough attorney, Jason Capizzi named bond counsel, David Minchello, labor attorney, Meghan Bennett, redevelopment counsel, Leslie London, special counsel for affordable housing, Gregory Cannon and Matthew Giacobbe, special counsels, Michael B., Steib special council, James Butler and William McGovern, prosecutors and Kevin Wigginton and Wendy Crowther, public defenders.
Robert Oliwa was named borough auditor, Robert Parisi, risk management consultant, Francis Reiner redevelopment planner and Richad Colangelo code enforcement officer.
Councilman Brian Dougherty was unanimously elected council president, drawing great applause and congratulations and was sworn into the position by the mayor.
Meetings will continue to start at 7 pm. with the exception of the Jan. 11 meeting which will begin at 7:15.
Meetings will be held the second and fourth Thursdays of January through May, as well as in September and October, with only one regular meeting scheduled for the months of June, July, August, November and December.
