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.
Lexi Cubberley, a Lawrence High School senior, will perform as part of the All-Eastern Honors Mixed Chorus in April at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Conn.
Kyra Glover and Shea Patel will now compete in February at the state level of the annual Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Voice of Democracy contest.
Tomorrow, Jan. 10, Lawrence Township Public Schools will transition existing MyNutrikids.com accounts to the new service, mySchoolBucks.
The new “fulfillment center” in Robbinsville Township, from which Amazon employees will ship books, DVDs and other items to customers, will create “hundreds of fulltime jobs with benefits," the online retailer announced this morning.
Will Sandy reconstruction offset impact of federal tax hikes on NJ economy?
The Jan. 19 event at Lawrence High School will offer "one-stop shopping for information about area preschools and activities for young children in Mercer County."
The free workshop will be held at Lawrence High School on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.
The following arrest information was supplied by the police department of East Windsor Township. It does not indicate a conviction.
The following information was provided by Hightstown Borough Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
In 2012, pine beetle infestations claimed 6,200 acres, compared to 7,000 acres in 2011, bringing the total number of acres affected in New Jersey to 27,000 acres since 2010.
Applications must be submitted no later than March 8. Class size is limited to 16. A lottery will be held to place eight typically developing students in the class, while eight special needs students will be placed in the class according to state law.
While the best thing to do is to stay off the roads when they are snow-covered or icy, that is not always possible. So here is some advice to help you prepare for winter road hazards.
Funeral services for the former Lawrence Township resident will be held Thursday morning.
Lawrence Township is considering whether to privatize police/911 dispatching services. Cranbury-based iXP Corp. was the only company to respond to the township's request for proposals. iXP's offer, opened on Thursday, is for an annual cost of
Beginning today, Jan. 7, customers of New Jersey American Water may be affected as the company conducts maintenance work at its water treatment plants in Bridegwater and Somerset.
At their next meeting tomorrow evening, Tuesday, Jan. 8, members of Lawrence Township Council will decide whether or not to award a contract to privatize the township's police/911 emergency dispatching services.
Smoke spotted wafting over Princeton Pike on Saturday and Sunday was from a smoldering mulch pile at Lawrence Township’s Joseph H. Maher Jr. Ecological Center.
The walk will explore the section of the canal between Griggstown and East Millstone, a distance of 5.6 miles.
The Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton will host the lecture at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 8, in Peyton Hall on the Princeton University campus.
In observance of February as National Dental Health Month, Eastern Dental - a dental practice with 21 offices throughout New Jersey, including three in Mercer County - will participate in the “Give Kids a Smile" program.