Spring Has Sprung.
Don't miss the Mothers Day Pancakes notice, or the two local Plant & Bake Sales posted on our Recreation Page. We also have this month's TAA Update, as well as information about Hunterdon Huskies Football/Cheerleading,

If you're a Mac® enthusiast, you'll want to learn aboutApple's iWeb, at the May 9^th MACNJ meeting.

Other events to look forward to include the Anderson House Golf Outing, the Fairmount Country Festival, and the Pottersville Town Garage Sale.

Our Environment/Health page has the latest About Your Health column, details about the Township's Community Well Testing program, and information about the Hunterdon County Master Gardeners'
Garden Helpline.

Our Library Page has the latest News From Your Library, and Friends of the Library Update.

On our Planning & Land Use Page, learn how the HLTA Acquired a Key Property.

Also of interest is the Used Clothing Drive, in Califon.

Riders will want to know about the new Equestrian Facility to Open, plus, there are other bits of useful information throughout the site. Take a look and see what strikes your interest. And, don't forget to let us know What You Have to Say!
Barn Dance in May!
The Tewksbury Education Foundation’s (TEF) 14^th Annual Barn Dance and Auction will take place on Saturday, May 16^th, at the Brady Life Camp, on McCann Mill Road, beginning at 6:00PM. This year’s Barn Dance, will have a hot & spicy Latin theme, featuring sangria and margarita bars, tapas catered by Ross & Owren of Oldwick, silent and live auctions, dancing to the outrageous live music of MamaLuke.

New this year is a 50/50 raffle. The drawing will take place at the Dance, but tickets, which are $10 each, can be purchased beforehand from TEF directors and at a TEF ticket table that will be at the Oldwick General Store from 9:00AM–1:00PM, on the Saturday, May 2^nd and May 9^th, as well as at the event itself.

This year’s auction promises to be a memorable one, thanks to the creative and generous contributions of local businesses, individuals and Tewksbury Schools’ dedicated faculty and staff. From romantic hot air balloon rides to family museum memberships, one of a kind paintings by talented local artists, to the opportunity for a child to be principal for a day at Tewksbury Elementary School (TES) and have a “business lunch” out with real TES principal Jim Miller, golf for three at Trump National Golf Club, to a cup of coffee a day for one whole year at The Oldwick General Store, there will be something for everyone!

The children of Tewksbury have been hard at work making thousands of brightly colored tissue paper flowers, to create a festive setting for the May 16th fiesta. Each grade will also contribute a special live auction item. The second grade will once again create a quilt which each and every second grader will have a hand in making.

Barn Dance tickets will cost $100 each/per person. For information, e-mail the Barn Dance Committee. And… watch for Barn Dance updates on the TEF’s new Facebook site.
County Clerk's Corner-May
PRIMARY ELECTIONS
June 2^nd is Primary Day in New Jersey. This year’s ballot will offer 6 Republican choices and 3 Democratic choices for Governor. If you are not registered, you still have time. The deadline to register to vote in the Primary is Tuesday, May 12^th.

No time to get to the polls? Vote via Absentee Ballot (no excuse is necessary). In addition to our normal 8:30AM-4:30PM hours, we will remain open until 7:00PM on Thursday, May 28^th, and from 9:00AM–1:00PM, on Saturday, May 30^th, so you may vote onsite.

You can download a registration form online, or phone the Clerk’s office, at 788-1221, to request a form by mail. To obtain an absentee ballot, contact the County Clerk’s office, at 908-788-1378 for an application or download one online.

TROUBLE GETTING TO THE POLLS?
Take advantage of voting via an absentee ballot. Contact the County Clerk’s office at 908-788-1378 for an absentee ballot application, or download one online.

PASSPORT SERVICES
Planning to drive to Canada or cruise the Caribbean this summer? Requirements have changed. Effective June 1, 2009, ALL U.S. citizens must present a passport book, passport card or other travel document approved by the U.S. government to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, at all land borders and seaports of entry. Our knowledgeable staff is here to process your passport application. We NEVER require an appointment, take the best passport pictures in the county, and offer passport-friendly hours. No appointment is necessary. In addition to our normal Monday-Friday business hours of 8:30AM–4:30PM, we offer Thursday evening and Saturday hours for your convenience. For more information, contact the County Clerk’s office, at 908-788-1221.

If you have a group of 10 or more traveling that needs passports, we would be happy to come to you. Please phone me, at 908-788-1214, to schedule an appointment.

My staff and I are here to serve you. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any comments, questions, concerns or suggestions.

Mary H. Melfi, County Clerk
TDC Endorses Jerkovich, Weber
The Tewksbury Democratic Committee (TDC) voted on Sunday, April 5^th, to endorse Kelly Harris Jerkovich and Joseph Weber in their bid to become the first Democrats on the Tewksbury Township Committee in years.

Jerkovich and Weber filed their petitions with the Township Clerk on Monday, April 6.

Kelly is a corporate lawyer for Daiichi Sankyo, a global Japanese pharmaceutical company. Prior to joining Daiichi Sankyo, she was in private practice, specializing in white-collar criminal defense and healthcare law. In five years of marriage, Kelly and her husband, Matt, a bond broker with the inter-dealer broker, ICAP, have lived in Manhattan and Hoboken before starting their family and settling in Tewksbury Township approximately 18 months ago. However, they are not really new to Tewksbury. "Matt grew up on Hell Mountain and attended Tewksbury public schools. His parents built their home on Pruner Farm Road in 1978 and lived there for over 20 years. When we decided to start a family, Matt did not think twice about moving back."

"We love the beautiful rural setting, the wonderful people and the quality of life that is unsurpassed by any place we have ever lived."

They have a one-year-old daughter, Kate.

Kelly grew up in New Jersey in a warm, hard working family. She attended Rutgers University and later Seton Hall Law School. She paid for school and living expenses herself by holding as many as three jobs during the academic year and summer break. As a result, she is very wary of debt and committed to fiscal discipline. "I am running for a seat on the Tewksbury Township Committee because I have the commitment and ability to work with people to help do the right thing by our Town and our citizen neighbors and friends. I think we have to look at new and creative ways to share the cost of local services with other municipalities if we are going to keep our local taxes under control."

Joe Weber and his wife, Janan, moved to Tewksbury two and a half years ago from Morris County. He has three children and three grandchildren, living in Brooklyn, N.Y., Pittsburgh, PA, and Missoula, MT. Joe graduated with engineering degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and George Washington University. He served for three years as a commissioned office in the US Navy. Most of his career was spent as an engineer and executive at Bell Labs and AT&T. After leaving AT&T, he spent a number of years as a partner at Strategic Policy Research, a consulting firm specializing in telecommunications policy and regulation.

Joe was a member of the Holmdel Township Board of Education and, more recently, he was a member of and chairman of the Morris Township Planning Board for 15 years. He is currently a member of the Hunterdon County Democratic Committee. He is also a volunteer at Channel Thirteen, conducting tours of the facility, and a member of the Leadership Council for the Association of Public Television Stations. His wife Janan, was until recently a member of the board of the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, and is currently a board member of the Community Theater at the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown, where she is curator for the theatre’s Art Upstairs Gallery, a venue for regional artists. Joe is a member of the Finance Committee for the Community Theatre.

Joe brings a great deal of land use experience to the ticket. "When I was chairman of the Planning Board we tackled many of the issues, such as COAH and land conservation, that Tewksbury faces. Indeed, Morris Township is much more heavily developed than Tewksbury, and the development pressures have been more intense, but we managed to maintain the character of the town over a period of many years. I am confident I can help do the same thing here in Tewksbury. Land use matters, some of which need to be addressed in the context of confusing and ever-changing state regulations, can have a huge impact on the character of the Town as well as its financial health. It is critical that public officials understand these complex issues."

Dominick DePinto, the chairman of the Tewksbury Democratic Committee, stated after the Committee's vote, "I am delighted that the Committee has endorsed two excellent candidates. I think they will bring a fresh perspective to the issues facing the Township. This is the third year in a row that there will be Democratic candidates on the ballot and I'm hoping that we can build on the progress that we have made in the last two elections.

The TDC was formed in 2006 to encourage and support local candidates as well as Democrats running for office in NJ. The group meets on the third Thursday of each month. For more information, e-mail Dominick DePinto, or visit the TDC web site.
New Affordable Housing
See our Affordable Housing page for information about Tewksbury Township's New Apartments For Rent!
News From Fairmount Presbyterian Church
Fairmount Presbyterian Church (FPC) has a couple of exciting announcements for this year.

WELCOME
First a welcome to Student Pastor, Sarah Killelea, who will be joining the church community for the next year. Sarah she looks forward to working with the church youth group and Sunday school classes. She hails from California and is presently working toward her Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary.

SUNDAYS @ 6
On the first Sunday of every month at 6:00PM, FPC offers three additional Sunday worship experiences. These contemporary services taken together are called Sundays @6.

Re:Generations is a casual, interactive, family friendly, contemporary worship experience, with live acoustic music and dynamic visuals. It is held in the Community House, 247 Old Turnpike Road.

On the second Sunday of every month is a Pieced Together Prayer Service. A welcoming, casual service with conversation, faithful support and prayer meeting in the Church Sanctuary, 253 Old Turnpike Rd.

Taize, a contemplative worship experience, meets in the Sanctuary on the third Sunday of every month. This service includes quiet meditative prayer, music and scripture readings.

Traditional service is still held every Sunday at 10:00AM in the Sanctuary; Sunday School meets in the Community House, also at 10:00AM. Nursery care is available each Sunday morning.

Pastor Rich Gelson can be reached through the church office: 832-2154.

For more information visit the church website.
Oldwick Fire Co. Serves You
Established in 1938, the Oldwick Fire Company (OFC) currently responds to 150 calls per year. This volunteer organization of thirty-five members relies on its two pumper trucks, a tanker/ pumper, and a brush truck to serve Tewksbury Township.

Monthly meetings are held the first Monday of the month at 8:00PM at the firehouse, on James Street. Their office phone number is 439-2448 (dial 911 for emergencies). New Members are always welcome.

BANQUET HALL OPEN
The Oldwick Fire Company’s new banquet hall is now available to host your next event. The facility can handle events up to 100 people. The banquet hall is suitable for weddings, business meetings, organization or club meetings, birthday parties, instructional seminars, or classes such as karate, dance etc.

The banquet hall is in the lower level of the Oldwick Fire House, at the intersection of Routes 517 and 523, and offers beautiful woodland views in its surprisingly secluded setting.

For more information, or to book your event, phone 439-2448, or drop a note to:
Oldwick Fire Company
attn Banquet Hall Committee
PO Box 83
Oldwick, NJ 08858.
Letters to the Editor
Editor's Note: We welcome your letters. Please see our Letters Policy for guidelines.

Dear Editor:
The June 2 Republican primary election in Tewksbury will offer voters an opportunity to make an important decision with long-lasting impact on the environmental future of the township. In these challenging economic times, the short-term appeal of federal stimulus money for so-called shovel-ready projects may be almost irresistible to candidates without a long-term vision. However, if Tewksbury must agree to relinquish control of its infrastructure as a condition of receiving stimulus money and accept wider roads and bridges that will encourage development and traffic growth, the results will be contrary to the township’s master plan and disastrous for the residents.

Lou Dimare and Dana Desiderio are already well aware of this risk through their experience with current road and bridge projects in the township, and they have demonstrated their willingness to look infrastructure-related gift horses in the mouth. Moreover, both these candidates helped to craft the well-wrought master plan revision in 2003 that established the township’s long-term vision for planning in the clearest and most unambiguous terms. That’s why I will vote for Lou and Dana for Township Committee on June 2.
George Cassa
Guinea Hollow Road

Dear Editor:
I am disappointed to learn that Peter Melick has entered the June Republican primary race for the Township Committee. What is his motivation for seeking office? His sole experience entails agriculture and farming operations. His surname alone cannot foist the mantle of political credibility upon the voters. Sure, he is a lifelong resident of Tewksbury. Yet he has never participated in or served on any of the many municipal boards, committees and commissions which provide invaluable services to township residents. What does he know about governing a town?

This candidate has been a vocal opponent of the state Highlands Act. He has characterized the law as a “swindle” that allegedly robs farmers’ equity in their land. Mr. Melick also fought against the 2004 municipal “down zoning” which requires larger lot sizes for new development projects, generating fewer McMansions to blight our bucolic landscapes. Fortunately, this lone voice in the wilderness has failed to sway lawmakers. These laws have proven to be effective to arrest runaway development, prevent the destruction of Tewksbury’s remaining fragile ecosystems, and stabilize property taxes. Where has this candidate been during critical public meetings that debated the “round three” low income housing obligations with which COAH has saddled Tewksbury?

In all the challenges and development pressures that have threatened our way of life over the years, such as the wireless communications tower project, Toll Brothers and Hovnanian developments, and the JCP&L substation, candidate Melick has not once been seen or heard to participate in any opposition. Again, why now the sudden interest in being elected to govern this town? One can only wonder if his agenda is to turn back the clock to a day where numerous houses and town homes can be shoe-horned onto small lots. Perhaps he looks longingly to a day where his apple orchards can be sold and subdivided into hundreds of building lots. Why roll the dice on electing another self-serving politician who only has his own pecuniary interests in mind? Why, in the throes of an economic downturn, would we want an inexperienced individual deciding how to budget and spend our tax dollars? These are disturbing questions which offer no satisfactory answers. Tewksbury now stands at a historic crossroads. I, for one, will NOT vote for Peter Melick.
Mario Colitti
Bissell Road

Dear Editor:
The upcoming June 2^nd Republican Primary offers Tewksbury Township voters an opportunity to support two outstanding candidates – Lou DiMare and Dana Desiderio.

Dana Desiderio is a tireless public servant, dedicated to improving the quality of government and protecting our quality of live. She served on the Township Board of Education from 1997-2003, the Planning Board from 2001-07, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Land Use Board and Chair of the Equestrian Committee. Dana has not been afraid to take on the issues that are critical to the preservation of our community’s rural character. As a Planning Board member, she supported the 2003 Master Plan that put into place 12 acre zoning to protect our water resources. As Vice Chair of the Land Use Board, Dana defended our Master Plan by denying the JCP&L request to site a substation in an historic neighborhood on Fox Hill Road.

Lou DiMare has served on the Township Council since 2007 and has a proven record of fiscal responsibility. Currently serving as mayor, Lou has been instrumental in cutting costs and adding efficiencies to our local government operations -- resulting in our tax rate remaining flat in 2009. Lou has a long record of service to the community, having served on the Planning Board, where he participated in the development of the 2003 Master Plan, and on our Parks Committee and Scenic Roads Commission. Lou supports the preservation of open space and farmland to maintain our rural heritage and quality of life.

On June 2^nd, please join us in voting for two dedicated and highly-qualified candidates for Township Council – Dana Desiderio and Lou DiMare.
Jonathan and Angela Holt
Fox Hill Road

Dear Editor:
As the former Chair of the Scenic Roads Commission, an active coach for my children’s athletic teams and a property owner in Tewksbury I submit the following unqualified endorsement of both Lou DiMare and Dana Desiderio, Republican candidates for the Tewksbury Township Committee.

I have known both Lou and Dana for over four years. I know Dana to be passionate and dedicated. Lou is equally visionary and committed.

I served with Lou, the current Tewksbury Mayor, on the Scenic Roads Commission. Lou also served on The Township Planning Board and, as a trained and practicing attorney, always sees both sides of every argument. He chooses his battles meticulously and remains focused like no other public servant I have ever known.

Dana, likewise, has lent her voice to those who have been unable to stand up publicly to do so. Dana is Chairperson of the Equestrian Committee, also served on the Tewksbury Township Planning Board. In that capacity, and in others, she has shown herself to be formidable and conciliatory.

The basis for my support, for Lou and Dana, is their relentless support for preserving the bucolic nature of Tewksbury Township. Where others drape themselves in the banner of “green,” Lou and Dana have actively pursued the policies that will preserve and enhance Tewksbury for those who chose to live here and for all that Tewksbury has to offer. Theirs is a vision of a Tewksbury for Tewksbury residents.

Lou and Dana are aware of the constant pressures to develop and mindful of the necessity of balancing those pressures with the need to preserve the character that renders Tewksbury unique and that drew us here in the first place. It is this character of Tewksbury that enhances the property values for all of us and makes Tewksbury inimitable in every way.

In short, Lou and Dana “get it.” I strongly urge your readers, and all other eligible voters with vision, to join me in voting for Lou and Dana in the upcoming Republican primary.
Niles Lang
Burrell Road

Dear Editor:
On June 2^nd registered Republicans and unaffiliated voters who wish to declare Republican, will have the opportunity to choose TWO candidates from a field of four. The two candidates with the highest qualifications to serve on the Township Committee are incumbent Mayor Lou DiMare and current Land Use Board Vice-Chairman Dana Desiderio. I have had the opportunity to serve with both of them in various capacities for the past several years and both have the knowledge, dedication, commitment and intellect to do the best job for the residents of Tewksbury.

Mayor DiMare is in the 3^rd year of his first term and is seeking re-election to a 2^nd term. One of his first acts when joining the Township Committee in 2007 was to review our legal costs and seek proposals for legal services. The result was a new legal firm was appointed to represent Tewksbury with quicker response to the issues that arise for a substantially lower cost; this has saved the taxpayer thousands of dollars. Lou has been a strong advocate for the environment. Prior to his election to the Township Committee he served on the Land Use Board where he argued against development that would harm the environment and negatively impact our quality of life. He is working now to ensure Tewksbury finds the right answer with regard to “opting in” to the Highlands Regional Master Plan.

Dana Desiderio has served on the Land Use Board, formerly the Planning Board, since 2001. During the past 7 years she has become well versed in the areas of planning and zoning, having sat on numerous hearings for site plans, subdivisions, and variance applications. She voted in favor of the 2003 Master Plan which changed Tewksbury’s landscape in a positive direction for the future, slowing our rate of growth. And she argued against the JCP&L substation. She was chosen by her colleagues to serve as Vice-Chair and she was appointed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders 2 years ago to serve on the Hunterdon County Planning Board. Tewksbury needs a representative at the County level to look after our interests. Whenever projects arise that may adversely affect our township, she speaks up without hesitation. She chairs the Equestrian Committee where she has served since 2005. She previously served two 3-year terms on the Tewksbury Board of Education.

Lou and Dana will continue to build on the good, solid base that has preserved and protected the township in the past and will keep moving forward in a positive direction for the benefit of all Tewksbury residents.

I urge voters to scrutinize the backgrounds and qualifications of all the candidates and choose the TWO who will best represent your views.
Shaun C. Van Doren
Main Street, Oldwick
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