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Happy holidays!
The holiday season is in full swing and I’d like to thank everyone who joined us at Town Hall on a frigid Dec. 5 evening for the Township’s Christmas tree and menorah lighting.
We laughed together, we welcomed the big man himself, Santa Claus, and we sang along to some holiday classics with our local Girl Scouts. Some of us, like myself and Committeemen Eric Hinds and Rocco Pascucci, may have been out of key, but credit to the girls who didn’t miss a beat.
Thank you to our local religious leaders for their blessings. Thank you to our emergency response teams for being on hand to watch over us. And a huge thank you to the Holmdel Township Recreation Department for coordinating such a wonderful event.
Speaking of the chilly holiday season, I’d like our residents to keep in mind JCP&L’s financial assistance programs that could help fund some of the expensive winter heating bills we accumulate. For more information or to see if you, a friend or family member qualify for aid, visit the municipal website.
Also on our website, residents can locate and download a copy of the Township’s 2019 Recycling Schedule. Our collective recycling efforts are integral because our community owes so much to the natural beauty and healthy public green spaces throughout the Township. All of us must continue to do our part.
The Township has also received an update on the Palmer Avenue Roadway & Drainage Improvements Project. Over the past two years the Township has worked with the County of Monmouth to reduce the frequency of the flooding in that area, and the project is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2019. Part of the project entails elevating the centerline of Palmer Avenue, and adding new curb along the edge of the roadway. For more details please visit the municipal website.
I would also like to highlight a second initiative we’ve entered into with the County. During the Township Committee’s Nov. 27 meeting, a presentation was made about a Land Swap Agreement, in which the Township would receive more than 13 acres of Holmdel Park located at the corner of Crawford’s Corner Road and Long Street Road, in exchange for 115 acres of Cross Farm Park located at the southern portion of the parcel abutting Colts Neck.
We are very excited about this land exchange and what it could mean for improvements to our traffic safety near the entrance of the high school, as well as the potential for development of new public green space. Turning over that portion of Cross Farm Park, and the historical structure on site, will also alleviate the Township of maintenance costs. This is a big win for our community. For more information and to view the full presentation, head here.
Let’s take the focus back to all the holiday fun we have ahead. Please join us on Dec. 13, Dec. 18 and Dec. 20 as our local musicians and vocalists from India Hill, Satz and Holmdel High Schools take the stage to perform all your favorite holiday classics. For more information visit our community calendar.
From my family to yours, I’d like to wish you all a merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays.
Sincerely,
Mayor Tom Critelli