Fried And Council Members Bid Adieu

Tuesday night's Township Council meeting started out short and sweet—but got tangled up during a hearing on the renewal of the Park Sports Bar's liquor license, a matter discussed over nearly three hours.

In the end, though, the council members—who leave office on June 30—had a chance to say their goodbyes.

The new council, headed by mayor-elect Robert Jackson, will take office following a swearing-in ceremony at noon on Sunday, July 1.

"We've all put in our community service hours, that's for sure," joked Mayor Jerry Fried.

He said there were literally hundreds of people who are not as visible to the public as he is that do a lot for the town but rarely get noticed.

"People often say this to me ... that this is a thankless job .. but that's not really true," he said. "You do get thanks."

Councilor Renee Baskerville, who is also part of the new council, thanked Fried for his service.

"We've become something of a family. I want to give you a special thanks Jerry. Most people, if they have a problem, go to the mayor," she said. "You have to have a tough skin to do this."

Baskerville said she's grown to think of Deputy Mayor Kathryn Weller-Demming as a sister.

For her part, Weller-Demming said that the last four years had certainly been difficult, "but they've also been worthwhile."

Councilor Nick Lewis said that in some ways he'd miss the council and, in other ways, he wouldn't.

"It's too much of a challenge to get elected right in the beginning of a recession," he said. "I learned the frustrating fact that some problems ... you just can't solve, at least not at the municipal level.

"I gained a much deeper appreciation of this town and what a special place it is," he said.

Councilor Rich Murnick wished Jackson and the new council well.

"It's been an absolute pleasure serving this township," he said.

Among its final acts Tuesday night, the council approved a resolution to pay an engineering firm an additional $19,200 for the 30 extra days of work that are needed for inspection and construction support services related to the South Park Street redevelopment project.

The council also approved a resolution permitting Safe Routes To School Workshops in the public schools.

And the council unanimously approved a resolution to plant at least 300 shade trees a year, with the cost of each planted tree estimated at about $350.

Bid your own farewell to the current council in the comments section below.