Candidates to be Interviewed for Board Seat Tomorrow Night

Since my post of November 2nd, when I reported that six candidates had filed for an open seat on the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education, seven other candidates have since filed their petitions to be considered for this post. 

Board Members Arthur Mathur and Anne Marie Mead enjoy a
light moment at a meeting in September. (Dick Bergeron Image)

The opening is the result of the resignation of Anda Cytroen who was up for election to another 3-year term in the April, 2012, School Board/Budget Election.  Whoever is appointed to the post will need to run again for the job in April.

In addition to those who filed on November 2^nd; namely, Jacqueline M. Barlow, John Chang, Michelle Moore, Joan L. Muldoon, Daniel M. Petrozelli, and Terri B. Yessman, seven other aspirants have submitted their paperwork.  Filing for the job was closed on November 9^th.

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, November 15^th,  at a Special Board Meeting, and following a one-hour closed-door meeting on another topic which will begin at 6:30 pm in the Wade Administration Building in Martinsville, the Board will reconvene in open public session  at 7:30 pm to interview candidates for this vacancy.

The names of the additional seven candidates are listed below in alphabetical order:

Penn State at Halftime

Both teams pause in a pre-game prayer for victims of sex abuse.
(TV Screenshot/Dick Bergeron)

The second quarter between the Nittany Lions and Nebraska’s Cornhuskers has just ended as I am writing this post. 

But it’s halftime for more than just a football team today.  The leadership of Penn State University, as well as that of its athletic program is also in the midst of its own halftime. 

Both are losing badly.  Maybe we should put the kids in charge. 

It’s hard to find the right words to categorize the shameless acts which are alleged to have been committed on the campus of Penn State University by people entrusted with the welfare of young people. 

Bridgewater Township Election Results: Republicans Win Mayoral and Council Seats

The Great Seal of Bridgewater Township, NJ (Image/Dick Bergeron)

The contest for the Bridgewater Township Mayor's post and the two Council seats is over.

Dan Hayes garnered 3,815 votes for the Mayor's job, defeating Jim Ventantonio and George E. Jones who tallied 2,552 and 1,613 votes, respectively. Hayes will succeed current Mayor Patricia Flannery who declined to run for another term.

Similarly, Republican incumbents on the Bridgewater Township Council, Matthew Moench and Christine Henderson-Rose garnered 4,679 and 4,567 votes, respectively, defeating Democrat challengers Mary Pranzatelli and John Rooney who won 3,068 and 2,927 votes, respectively.

Bridgewater to Select New Mayor on Tuesday

Initially, Bridgewater officials did not expect such a large turnout for the debate between the three mayoral candidates which took place on Thursday evening, November 3^rd, at the Bridgewater Municipal Complex. 

However, the world of politics in Bridgewater is still vibrant, and that means that high-profile local contests usually attract large gatherings.  Bridgewater residents had already filled a relatively small conference room to overflow capacity, even as other citizens began to fill the corridors.

Dan Hayes, Council Member and mayoral candidate.  (Image/Dick Bergeron)

Nonetheless, contingency plans had already been made by the League of Women Voters and the Township – the venue was quickly changed to the much larger public meeting room just a few feet away. 

The Township Council had already been in closed session, but it graciously gave up the larger room, and a swap was quickly made.

Running for the mayor’s office are three very qualified candidates, all of which have experience in the affairs of Bridgewater, and some of whom know this town like the back of their hand.  This race was prompted by the announcement by current Bridgewater Mayor Patricia Flannery that she would not run for another term of office.

In alphabetical order:

Six Candidates Apply for School Board Vacancy

Much of the attention in the local Bridgewater political realm is currently focused on the general election that will be held on November 8, 2011, for candidates hoping to fill the empty mayoral spot created by Mayor Patricia Flannery, who decided not to run for a third term, prompting a three-way race for that seat. 

The ballot for next Tuesday’s election  also includes contests for two seats on the Bridgewater Township Council; two on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders; and, in the 23^rd District, one seat for State Senate and two for the Assembly. 

Anda Cytroen, far left, with Board colleagues, 5/17/2011. (Image/Dick Bergeron)

However, there is another open seat for which you won’t get to vote for until April 2012, but which is also a critical post:  A vacancy occurred as the result of the resignation by Anda Cytroen, who, until recently, was a member of the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education.

Ms. Cytroen’s 3-year term was scheduled to expire next April, at which time, in the normal course of events, she would have decided whether or not to run again.

But Cytroen’s in-term resignation means that the B-R BOE must fill her position with a person who, after appointment to the Board of Education, will occupy that post until next April, when the seat will be up for grabs again in the School Board/Budget election.