Grbelja to serve as mayor of Millstone again in '08
Beck, Casagrande, O'Scanlon attend reorg., pledge to help township
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

MILLSTONE- For the third year in a row, Nancy Grbelja will serve as mayor of the township and Robert Kinsey will serve as deputy mayor.

The two were unanimously elected to continue their posts at the Jan. 2 Township Committee reorganization meeting, which was attended by a small audience including newly elected Sen. Jennifer Beck and Assembly members Carolyn Casagrande and Declan O'Scanlon.

During the committee's first meeting of 2008, Kinsey took oath for his second term in office.Michael Kuczinski was also sworn in to replace former Committeeman Ray Dilfanian, who resigned last month.

Kinsey said Grbelja had tried to persuade himto take themayoral position this year but that it takes a great deal of involvement to serve on the governing body and evenmore to lead it. He said he considers Grbelja's leadership "second to none" and that he could not measure up at this time due to the additional hours and commitment the position requires.

"I am proud to serve under you and call you my mayor," he said to Grbelja.

The mayor responded that Kinsey has always been accessible and there for her and also said that she couldn't do her job without him.

"He is part of every single decision made," she said.

Committeeman Steven Sico said the leadership that both Grbelja and Kinsey provide to the community is "unparalleled."

Grbelja said she appreciates the opportunity to serve as mayor again.

"It's great working with the Township Committee," she said.

Grbelja continued, "It's not 'I,' it's 'we.' " Everything done in themunicipality is 'we.' The Township Committee, professionals and volunteers all work together."

She also noted the work volunteers in the community do for open space preservation, recreation, the environment and other quality-of-life issues in the township. She said all the volunteers are focused on keeping the town rural and a place of high-quality living.

"The Planning Board, Zoning Board, engineer, the planner - they're all talking about the same thing," she said. "Howdowe want to live in Millstone? What are the things we need?"

Grbelja said that people such as Beck, who served as an assemblywoman before her November election to the Senate, have worked with the township on a county and state level.

Beck, who had also appeared at several Township Committee meetings last year, said she could not have overcome the 7-1 dollar advantage her opponent Ellen Karcher had in the recent election if it had not been for the support she received from Millstone residents.

"I won't let you down," she said. "I'm going to Trenton to fight for you."

O'Scanlon agreed that the election could not have been won withoutMillstone's support.

"We know the issues in Millstone and will keepMillstone the great place it is," he said. "We will hit the ground running."

Committeeman Elias Abilheira called the officials in attendance "more soldiers to fight the battle in Trenton." He added that people in Monmouth County matter and that if politicians ignore the people, "they're gone."