Good Wishes For Buontempo, Others At Holmdel Holiday Meeting

HOLMDEL, NJ — The Township Committee's last meeting of the year was one of reflection and good spirits, as the public acknowledged its work in preserving Crawford Hill, site of the Horn antenna, and as it named its annual Veteran of the Year.

But the highlight of the meeting had to be the farewell to Greg Buontempo, a four-term committeeman and a mayor four times - including three consecutive years in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Buontempo chose not to run for re-election this year.

Buontempo was presented with a proclamation of appreciation by the full committee, speaking both for the governing body, the staff of the township and the residents. It read in part:

"All residents benefitted from Greg Buontempo's many years of service in the township. Sincere thanks are given to him for his years of service. The Township Committee, staff, employees and all the residents bid a fond farewell to Committeeman Greg Buontempo and wish him good health, happiness and success in all of his future endeavors."

The words were met with a standing ovation for Buontempo from the many members of the public gathered at the meeting.

Then he presented comments of his own as he reflected on his tenure in office. And you can hear all of Buontempo's comments at a link to the meeting here.

His thanks to his family came first, followed by thanks to the residents of Holmdel:

"In reflecting upon the past 12 years of dedicated public service to the people of Holmdel, I wish to express my heartfelt sincere and unwavering commitment to the pursuit of our community's betterment.

"Before proceeding, I extend my sincere gratitude to my family - my wife Ann Marie and children, Amanda, Michael, and Peter - for their support throughout this journey," he said.

"I am immensely thankful to you, the voters of Holmdel who, over four consecutive terms, have granted me the privilege to serve the people of this extraordinary town. Your faith and confidence in my capabilities are genuinely appreciated," he said.

He mentioned several areas that he, along with the committee, focused on, including one of his top priorities, the Holmdel Library:

"Upon entering my tenure on the Holmdel Township Committee, I embarked with a vision, one that some may have considered lofty. An eye-opening article on town rankings in a major magazine underscored Holmdel's excellence in various categories, except for our township library. Immediately, my focus was set on improving our library.

"After exhaustive deliberations and numerous meetings, a transformative partnership with Bell Works emerged. This initiative relocated our library from the basement of Town Hall to a spacious 18,000-square-foot facility inside Bell Works—a 30-year rent-free lease, coupled with a $1 million donation from Ralph Zucker.

"Six years since its grand opening, our library remains a beacon, attracting an increasing number of patrons each quarter. In my opinion, Holmdel now boasts the state's finest library within one of New Jersey's most remarkable buildings." He added that this year initiated the successful Author Talk program at the library.

He then cited such initiatives as redevelopment of Bell Works from a "vacant 2-million-square-foot building" to a revitalized structure that "has generated millions in PILOT revenue, created hundreds of jobs, and hosted numerous community events, solidifying Holmdel as an increasingly sought-after community," he said.

He cited significant investments made in the township police fire and first aid departments, including a new centrally located firehouse and two fire trucks.

There were the challenges of the pandemic in 2020/2021, and he said the township "vaccine accommodation program, in collaboration with the VNA and Bayshore Medical Center, received accolades from the state Department of Community Affairs for its effectiveness."

A renewed dedication to Holmdel's veterans has been an important development in the township, Buontempo said, with veterans' roundtables offered and an annual recognition award established.

For 2023, Robert Bliss was honored with the Veteran of the Year Award on Tuesday night. He served in the New York and New Jersey National Guard, and was a computer science and electrical engineer at Bell Labs, officials said.

For years, Bliss had volunteered 40 hours a week with the Holmdel First Aid Squad and is a former chief, Mayor DJ Luccarelli noted, and "at 86 years young he is still on call." He is also the communications officer for the squad, keeping it up to date in technology.

"Thank you. You have contributed to the township and to this nation," Luccarelli told Bliss.

Bliss used the opportunity of receiving the award to not only thank the committee and those who nominated him, but to urge other veterans to volunteer for first aid or fire department roles.

"Maybe you'll be the next 2024 nominee," he said with a laugh.

So gratitude, humor, and a lot of municipal pride was the order of the evening.

And Ann Marie Buontempo added her own note of appreciation for her husband, speaking at the end of the meeting:

"From being the woman behind the love of my life, his 12 years on this committee have been some of the most inspirational times of his life and challenging times of his life," she said.

But she said her husband always looked to do what served the people of Holmdel - "That was always my husband's guiding light."

"It's not always the popular choice to make the right choice, but that's a moral that we live by in our home and we practice," she said.

"So I want to say to my husband, 'Great job, hon. Love you!' "