By Dave Fried
By anyone’s standards, this has been a brutal winter for all of us in Robbinsville and throughout the Northeast.
The seemingly relentless string of snowstorms and frigid temperatures has tested our patience, our resolve and our resources in the township. The Department of Public Works has worked many long and often thankless hours keeping our roads clear, while adjusting a trash and recycling schedule that has been disrupted, to say the very least.
Looking on the bright side, we are approaching one of the more exciting times of the year in Robbinsville.
On March 15, the 5th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will wind its way through Foxmoor and Town Center. This year’s parade is highlighted by the recent announcement of Sgt. Tom Lee as parade “Grand Marshal’’ and Windsor Farm co-owner Paul Keris as the 2014 “Irish Person of the Year.’’
Mr. Keris has been a fixture in the Robbinsville community for many years, so we are thrilled to honor him for all of his business contributions and charity work.
What else is there to say about Sgt. Lee? I have come to know this genuine and caring man very well over the past year, and our town could not possibly have a better ambassador.
Sgt. Lee, also a Robbinsville resident, served in both Afghanistan and Iraq and lost his leg when an improvised explosive device killed two of his fellow servicemen near Camp Taji, Iraq. Rather than let his disability haunt him, Tom is not only an advocate for fellow amputees and veteran’s rights since his medical retirement from the armed forces, but he is also one of the top Paratriathletes in the nation and is vying for a spot on the 2016 Paralympics team in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Less than two weeks after our parade, on March 27, is the 2014 State of the Township address at one of the numerous success stories of the Matrix Business Park, Ritchie & Page, located at 175 New Canton Way.
Last year was difficult to top in terms of big announcements with the birth of Amazon, McKesson Corporation and the new Walgreen’s pharmacy at the gateway to Town Center—three giants of the Fortune 500—and a tax cut for our residents. But we are just as excited to see these projects all come to fruition in 2014, and we look forward to holding the line on taxes. In addition, Robbinsville’s first hotel, The Hampton Inn & Suites on Route 526/Robbinsville-Allentown Road, is another key piece to our economic development puzzle. We also will be welcoming Falken Tire and Taco Bell to town in the near future.
Once the weather breaks, we will officially open the Foxmoor Community Park on Washington Boulevard, in addition to the long-awaited cross country course near Robbinsville High School.
I just want to take a moment and thank all of you for your patience, perseverance and for being a good neighbor this winter. Only a few more days until spring!
Dave Fried is the Mayor of Robbinsville.
