Robbinsville Township Council appointed Harold “Hal” English to the governing body to fill the unexpired term of Mike Cipriano at a special meeting on Jan. 4.
English will serve on Council until an election can be held in November to fill the unexpired remaining year of Cipriano’s term, which was due to end on Jan. 15, 2026.
English, a Town Center resident, was the township’s director of economic and community development from 2017-2020.
He is also a former member of the Robbinsville Township Planning Board and the Economic Development Advisory Committee.
More recently, English served as president and CEO of the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce.
English was chosen from a list of candidates who applied to fill Cipriano’s vacancy.
“We are extremely grateful to the men and women who expressed their desire for the open Township Council position,” said Council President Debbie Blakely. “These are all residents who truly care about our community and want to give back. After reviewing all the applicants, we made the decision to appoint Hal English.”
“Hal has been active in our community for many years and knows Robbinsville very well,” she added. “He held a key position at the Township and has a plethora of experience in finance, planning, zoning and redevelopment. We know he will bring great ideas to the table and will work well with all of us. We are very much looking forward to him joining our team.”
In addition to a career steeped in local banking, English also served as business administrator, director of technology and economic development as well as acting mayor of Hamilton, where he played an integral role in the development of the Hamilton Marketplace and its 1 million square feet of retail space on Route 130 North.
English holds a degree in economics from Boston College and is the author of Behind Ivy Walls, a memoir that recounts his challenging, unhappy childhood in Trenton.
“Hal English has been a beacon in our community for many years,” said Council Vice President Mike Todd. “Through his finance, banking, municipal and economic development backgrounds, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the Council and the Township. We are excited to be working with Hal and look forward to continue doing great things throughout our community. We’d like to thank all the residents who expressed their interest in joining the Council.”
Cipriano announced his resignation on Nov. 17 and was effective Dec. 31.
Cipriano, a retired Cranbury Township police officer first elected in 2017, is relocating to South Jersey to be closer to family and to pursue other opportunities.
“This was not an easy decision,” he said. “I want to thank my fellow council members and Mayor Dave Fried, as well as all our Township employees, for their amazing work during my time on Council. It was truly an honor serving the public and working alongside so many dedicated public servants.”
Born in Trenton, Cipriano is a graduate of the Camden County Corrections Academy and the Trenton Police Academy.
He was a 20-year resident of Robbinsville Township when he was elected in 2017. He was re-elected by voters to a second four-year term in 2021, and was Council president in 2021 and vice president in 2020.
He also served as Council liaison to the CARE program, as well as the Plan Endorsement Citizen’s Advisory Committee.
Cipriano’s final meeting was December 28, and he was presented a “Key to the City” by Fried.
RHS seniors named 2024 National Merit Semifinalists
Six seniors at Robbinsville High School are among 16,000 semifinalists nationwide in the 69th-annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
These academically-talented students now have an opportunity to compete for 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.
The students from Robbinsville: Aidan Dinh, Nora Gray, Vedhanth V. Jayanthi, Asrith Katragadda, Arnav Ketineni and Pranav A. Ram.
“We are tremendously proud of the semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors,” said Robbinsville Schools Superintendent Brian Betze. “There were more than 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools who competed in this program. Our six seniors are among the highest-performing students in the country.”
The students, working with Robbinsville High School staff, submitted detailed scholarship applications with academic records, school and community activities, leadership initiatives, employment, and honors and awards. All six students have superb grades, strong recommendations from school staff, compelling essays and very high standardized test scores, Betze said.
The National Merit Scholarship Program, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955. Scholarships come from the program, as well as approximately 320 business organizations and higher education institutions.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2024 will be announced beginning in April and concluding in July. The scholarship recipients will join nearly 375,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
Pond Road to present ‘Frozen Jr.’ this month
The Pond Road Middle School Musical, Frozen Jr., will be presented on the stage of Robbinsville High School on Friday, Feb. at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb 3 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. This is an “all ages” show.
The annual production showcases the variety of talents of almost 100 7th and 8th graders, as well as high school volunteers as crew and technical members.
“The 7th and 8th graders have been working countless hours at bringing Arendelle to life right here in Robbinsville,” said Shelly King, 5th grade teacher and director of the musical. “The students never cease to amaze me with their talent, dedication and professionalism in the productions. They sing, dance and act beyond expectations.
“As the director of the musical, along with the entire production team, we set goals for the students, whether in cast or crew, to feel positive and proud of themselves for their accomplishments. We want the students to know that there is nothing they cannot do.”
For more information or to buy tickets on the performance, go to our.show/5k2dat6ivk
Redevelopment plan proposed for Route 130
Sharbell Development Corp. recently submitted to the township a fiscal impact analysis for the proposed Gordon Simpson Tract redevelopment plan on Route 130 North across from Wawa.
The data provided by Sharbell shows a population of approximately 545 persons, with an increase of 73 school-aged children (5 & over) for 306 proposed mixed-use units in the plan.
Approximately 20,000 square feet of this project would be commercial. Additionally, the total annual tax revenue is projected to be $1.2 million. The statistics were provided by Sharbell for informational purposes only and are not part of the project’s land use application.
The impact statement contains “relatively comparative information reflective of what we’ve seen in similar projects and unit types in town over the past 5-10 years,” Fried said.
If the project is approved by the Township’s Land Use Board, ground-breaking could take place in late spring with the first sale closings in the second quarter of 2025. The first school-aged children are not expected to join the school system until the 2025-2026 school year.
The 73-student estimate would offset the current 70-plus student decline in enrollment, which has been trending down since 2021. Replenishing enrollment is imperative, as the district risks further declines in state aid if those numbers continue trending down.
Sheriff’s Car seat check program to continue
Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler announced that on-site child seat safety checks would continue this year at the Colonial Fire Company on Kuser Road in Hamilton Township.
The free program, partially funded by a grant from the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, is part of the sheriff’s ongoing campaign to help parents, grandparents, expecting parents and others properly secure their children in an automobile.
Trained and certified sheriff’s officers will conduct each child seat check for proper installation. They will also help determine if your child is in the right seat for their age and size.
“No one ever wants to get it wrong when it comes to a child’s safety. It is important for parents, grandparents, and those expecting a child to know that a child will be secure in their car seat and are in the right seat for their size and age,” said Kemler.
The car seat safety check-ups will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month for 2024.
The dates are Feb. 27, March 26, April 30, May 28, June 25, July 30, Aug. 27, Sept. 24, Oct. 29 and Nov. 26 (there are no inspections in December due to the holiday season).
Inspections take place in a weather-protected area at the rear of the firehouse. Participants should install their car seats before arrival and follow all health-minded guidance while at the event.
For more information on the Sheriff’s Office Car Seat Safety Program, call (609) 209-2880 or 609-278-7159.
