U.F. recognizes Diecidue for community service
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

Sal Diecidue

UPPER FREEHOLD - In the calm before the storm of the Jan. 4 reorganization and business meeting, the township gave out awards for the annual holiday lighting contest and bid farewell to a committeeman.

Once again, the Reeder family, of Hill Road, and the Nevins family, of Route 524, took top honors in the lighting contest. The Stoecklin family, of Heritage Road, were also contest winners, with honorable mentions going to the Bullock family, of Emley's Hill Road, the Freiberger family, of Route 524, the Einstein family, of Michael Drive, the Kizis family, of Holmes Mill Road, and the Dowbnia family, of Zachary Drive.

While this year's winners were awarded plaques, Mayor Stephen Fleischacker said he plans to ask for next year's winners to receive gift certificates to Home Depot so they can start replacing some of their older decorations.

Following the awards for the lighting contest, Deputy Mayor William Miscoski presented outgoing committeeman Sal Diecidue, who was defeated for re-election in the June Republican primary and as an independent in the general election, with a plaque for his service to the township.

Miscoski said he has never seen a committeeman with the "tireless energy" of Diecidue.

"You never turned down any committee or job and never didn't do it to 100 percent of your energy level," he said.

Miscoski said he appreciated the work Diecidue did for the township's drug alliance and Recreation Committee, adding that he would miss him tremendously.

Diecidue thanked his wife and family, who were in the audience. He also thanked township professionals and employees and "all the residents who chipped in."

Diecidue said his work on the governing body kept him out four or five nights a week, but he still had time to coach his children in sports "and keep involved with them in that aspect."

Diecidue said he would continue work in the community with the drug alliance and the nonprofit GiveBack Foundation.

Gerald Nathanson, a resident of the Four Seasons active-adult community, thanked Diecidue for his "dedicated service to the community and our election district." He commended Diecidue's work on the westerly bypass issue and the drug alliance, as well as with township parks.

Fleischacker said Diecidue was the one responsible "for getting me involved in all this." He called him a "cheerleader for the community" for his efforts in influencing people's involvement in different areas of community service.