Lakehurst Mayor Timothy Borsetti's borough update

Greetings. Unfortunately, this is a last minute advisory: beginning January 13th, and the second Thursday of the month thereafter, a Parkinson’s Support Group Meeting will be held at Manchester Manor Rehabilitation Center, 1770 Tobias Avenue, Manchester. Patients, caregivers, social workers, relatives and anyone interested are invited to attend.For more information or to register call Ms. Nancy Cruser, Director of Admissions at (732) 657-1800.

The winners of the Christmas Lighting Contest, and I must report it was a hard choiceaccording to our judges, were: 1st place Dominick Luna and James Santomen of 217 Church Street; 2nd place Leslie and Stephanie Conrad of 209 Rose Street, 3rd place Brianand Michele Dimeo of 300 Poplar Street. Best Mobile Home Bruce and Ann Margeson of 5 Geneva Road and Best Business Dimensional Design, 2 Locust Street, owner Rose Patterson. Congratulations to each and everyone for their Christmas spirit and the decorations they put up.

At our next meeting, January 20th, the first hearing on the Borough’s submission for the 2011 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) will be formally discussed. Our last project, in 2009 was the curbing and sidewalk, with drainage project on the south side of Hybernia Avenue. At that time we were still under the impression the proposed drug store at the former go-go bar was in the works and the north side wouldbe taken care of by the contractor. Fast forward to 2011 and the tanking of America, so preliminary discussion has placed the completion of Hybernia Avenue as a priority. We have been advised the funding available for the 2011 CDBG cycle is in the area of $ 35 –$40K; not a lot of money to cover plans and construction. One major point in its favor, is if we piggy-back the north side of Hybernia Avenue as this year’s project we can use the street survey data done for the 2009 project. This year we must try to save everywhere we can.

We have submitted to the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management paperwork on the costs incurred for the December 2010 snow removal operation, $ 6,921.30. This way, if indeed Washington declares us a disaster area, we will hopefully get a 75 percent reimbursement. Also hopefully, with this New Year, we won’t have a repeat of the excessive snowfall of 2010. It does seem Al Gore misspoke, most noticeably, if you had to drive outside of Lakehurst between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

In the next several months the Borough will be exploring the feasibility of a partnership with the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean County in establishing a fixed location forboth storage and distribution of food. Currently the mobile food bank is in Lakehurston the first Tuesday of the month in the parking lot of the Methodist Church at Pine andElm Streets. If we reach an agreement the site will be the former truck bays attached to the Community Center at 207 Center Street, and a more comprehensive selection of food stuffs will be available for distribution. I will be appointing a committee from the governing body and administration to meet with their representative to get this moving. One of the determining factors will be any municipal expenses necessary in the conversion.

This article was written by Lakehurst Mayor Timothy Borsetti and does not reflect the views of Manchester Patch.