Mike is the editor of Lawrenceville Patch. A lifelong New Jersey resident who was raised in Metuchen (Middlesex County), he is a graduate of St. Joseph High School in Metuchen. Mike came to Lawrence Township in 1991 to attend what was then known as Rider College. He spent the first semester of his junior year attending Queen Mary and Westfield College in London, England, as part of Rider's Study Abroad program. Although he graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications in 1995 (by which time Rider had become a university), Mike chose to remain in Lawrence Township, having built strong ties to the community.
Mike spent 15 years working as a reporter and photographer for The Times of Trenton, specializing in covering the crime and breaking news beats. During his career with The Times, Mike was honored for his writing and photography with seven awards from the New Jersey Press Association, Garden State Journalists, the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the North Jersey Press Club. Mike has also worked as a freelance reporter and photographer for several other publications, and his work has appeared in The Trentonian, The Virginia-Pilot, The Tampa Tribune, Business Travel News and Firehouse Magazine.
In 1992, still in his freshman year at Rider, Mike joined Lawrence Road Fire Co., one of the three volunteer fire companies that protect Lawrence Township. Mike has been an active firefighter ever since and has held several fire-line and administrative positions over the years. Mike also served for a year as an emergency medical technician with Lawrence Township First Aid Squad, back when the township's ambulances were staffed by volunteers. Unable to commit the time necessary to remain active in both volunteer organizations, Mike gave up riding the ambulance.
Mike is a diehard New York Giants fan whose interests include photography, local history, and most British television shows. Mike and his wife Ann bought their home in Lawrence Township in 2003. Their son James was born in 2007.
<strong>Beliefs</strong>
At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.
<strong>Politics</strong>
How would you describe your political beliefs?
I understand the need for politics and political debate, and for political news coverage. But, truth be told, politics in not my favorite subject. I do vote, but I have no allegiance to any particular party.
<strong>Religion</strong>
How religious would you consider yourself? (casual, observant, devout, non religious)
I was raised Roman Catholic, but I have not been a regular church-goer in a very long time. I guess I would described myself as non-religious.
<strong>Local Hot-Button Issues</strong>
What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?
Property taxes are obviously one of the biggest issues facing Lawrence Township and the entire state of New Jersey. The amount in taxes that New Jersey residents pay is amazing in comparison to what those in other states pay. With the new 2 percent tax cap, Lawrence Township is going to have some difficult decisions to make in terms of what services are going to be cut. And everyone is going to have a different opinion of what should or can be cut.
New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Tom Considine urges New Jersey consumers to make smart choices, carefully review their coverage and shop around as they renew their auto insurance policies in the new year.
Students at Lawrence Township's Ben Franklin Elementary School donated the books to students at their "sister school," Jian Elementary School in New Taipei, Taiwan
According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Radon Tier Report, at least 25 percent of homes in Lawrence Township are predicted to be above the acceptable limits for radon.
January is dog license renewal month for Lawrence Township residents. Dog licenses are due by Jan. 31, 2012.
Washington Crossing State Park is among the New Jersey state parks taking part in the national America's State Parks First Day Hikes initiative.
Students and staff from Lawrence Township's Ben Franklin Elementary School sent Thanksgiving food baskets to eight local families, and collected winter coats, hats, scarves and mittens to benefit others.
Students at Lawrence Township's Lawrenceville Elementary School collected 1,293 pounds of donated food that went to 20 local families for the holidays.
Students from Lawrence Township's Slackwood Elementary School helped send holiday gift to 26 local families, and also sent supplies and cards to U.S. military personnel.
Lawrence Township students in kindergarten through sixth-grade created 700 holiday greeting cards for U.S. military personnel; and students at Lawrence's intermediate, middle and high schools held holiday collection drives to benefit local residents.
Students at Lawrence Township's Eldridge Park Elementary School collected shoes for children in Haiti, and also sent holiday food baskets and gifts to 18 local families.
Students at Slackwood Elementary School began a new holiday tradition on Dec. 19 by decorating new trees and shrubs on the school grounds.
Lawrence Township police are still working to identify and locate the driver of a car that crashed on Route 206 Saturday (Dec. 24), and are still investigating how a woman was cut with a knife during an unrelated domestic dispute a couple hours later.
The wire came down during Tuesday evening's rain storm.
Lawrence Historical Society will hold annual event at the Brearley House at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31.
Five Lawrence Township residents, three of whom are township public school students, were honored for their various contributions to the community during the Mercer County Freeholders' meeting on Dec. 8, 2011.
Scouts from Lawrence Township Troop 28 hiked through Village Park, Mercer Meadows and Rosedale Park.
John Fitton, Jamie Titus and Evan Halliday were honored during a ceremony held Dec. 18.
At its last meeting of 2011, Lawrence Township Council approved the demolition of the abandoned Craft Cleaners building on Brunswick Pike; at the same meeting, council honored third-grader Abigail “Abby” Crutchley, who recently won a national art contest.
We thank our readers and look back at some of the more memorable stories from the last year in Lawrence Township.
Lifelong Lawrence Township resident loved animals.
