This is my first blog on Long Valley Patch so I'll start with some personal information. My wife Dorothy and I moved from Long Island, NY to Long Valley in 1974. We were not familiar with West Central NJ so we wound up here on the recommendation of a real estate agent based on what we could afford. Our home is just off Route 24, in one of the first developments in Washington Township. We were members of our Lady of the Mountain Parish until we were "transferred" to St. Luke's on West Mill Road when the new parish was established. Washington Township was more of a farming town when we first moved here and it seemed the majority of the population was named Beam, Burd, Lance, Ort, Naughright, and Taylor. Our children went to OFRS, L.V. Middle School and West Morris Central. One of our first winters here the Road Dept. removed ice from the road in front of our house with a road grader. The ice was 18-24 inches thick and reformed every night due to the lack of drainage in the road. I ran for the Township Committee and wound up serving for 27 years, serving all roles including Mayor, Vice Mayor, Police Commissioner, etc. I stepped down in 2009 when my son was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. In 2010, Mayor Ken Short appointed me to the Public Library Board of Directors and the Township Green Team. I plan to post blog articles on both issues facing our town now and where we came from over the years. I am running for a seat on the Township Committee in the November General Election.
