Hello! 

The election is just days away. Voting is a right and a privilege, and I urge you to join the blue wave and elect Democratic leadership up and down the ticket.  Here in Bernards Township fall is upon us, and there is an array of activities and programs that we can all participate in outdoors in this unprecedented warm weather!  One of my favorite activities is the Saturday morning dog walk at Lord Stirling Park. Slow dogs, or dogs with slower walkers, begin at 9am, and faster paced pups and walkers depart at 9:30am. A voluntary donation is welcome. Be sure to bring plenty of treats for your pet and their newly made friends.

I was happy to again join friends at the Basking Ridge Indian Community Dandiya Festival held Saturday, October 12th. The celebration was a wonderful way to convene with residents and enjoy food, music, dancing and fellowship. 

In the meantime, NJ released the affordable housing quotas for 2025-2035 on Monday, Oct. 21, including requirements for 218 income-restricted homes in Bernards Township. The next deadline will be January 31, 2025 for municipalities to adopt their obligation numbers via “Binding Resolution” with or without using the Department of Consumer Affairs published report. A municipality then has until February 28, 2025 to challenge obligation numbers. As I’ve previously shared, our township hired Kendra Leily, a planning expert, in anticipation of the fourth-round requirements. You can read the NJ Department of Community Affairs Fourth Round Obligations Methodology and Background here.

There have been several township events, including the Mayor’s Fall Festival on October 5th, which included a 5k race sponsored by the Bernards Parents of Exceptional Children (PEC). The PEC Walk/Run was a very good way to raise funding and awareness for Our House which has created five group homes in Basking Ridge with a sixth planned for 2025. As some of the children within the PEC community become adults with special needs, they may require housing options, and our House Foundation provides housing and vibrant living environments here within our community.

The Township also held two recognition events. They included a breakfast for Township Staff on October 11th, marking the anniversaries of staff who have achieved anywhere from five years to thirty-five years of service, and a dinner for residents, on Thursday, October 24, at the Liberty Corner Firehouse, for those who volunteer on the township subcommittees and boards.

Segueing to the boards I am liaison to, the Municipal Alliance is sponsoring the “Mind and Mingle” program, designed to provide high school students with activities and opportunities to convene. The program is funded through a competitive grant we received from the Somerset County Youth Services Commission. The programs are held at the Bernards Township library and will include future movie nights, therapy dog time, art therapy, music therapy, mindfulness sessions, and yoga workshops.

The Environmental Commission went on a field trip Monday, September 30th to the Somerset County Recycling Center. We enjoyed a presentation from Melissa Harvey, Manager of Solid Waste, and a Certified Recycling Professional, and learned a lot about what some of us are not doing currently, including removing the tops of plastic bottles and containers, which are not recyclable. More of these facts will be shared through our Commission where Nancy Cook serves as Deputy Chair.