Mayor Fred Henry prepares to deliver the State of the City at the Stevens Avenue Senior Center. *Photo by Carolyn Maxwell
By Katherine Massopust and Carolyn Maxwell
SOUTH AMBOY – Mayor Henry gave his State of the city Address at the Hoffman Community Center.
Business Administrator Camille Tooker thanked everyone in attendance before introducing Mayor Fred Henry. “Mayor Henry’s father was a Councilman. Mayor Henry continues in his family tradition of service to the community. He is in his fifth year as Mayor of South Amboy.” Tooker noted that Henry will be retiring from his job as a history teacher and therefore will be spending more time in City Hall.
Mayor Henry joked about the “interesting” elections winning the first one by only one vote and the last primary by 3 votes. He was pleased to return to the Hoffman Senior Building which was recently renovated with a fixed roof and paint job. “After an emergency alarm went off in the South Amboy YMCA we recommended moving the Senior Center back here.”
Henry added, “There will be an Open House here on April 25th. We refinanced with the City in order to make the move back here. The St. Patrick’s Day parade was great. Thank you with a special mention to Chair Mickey Gross for a successful parade. The Dowdell Library is celebrating 100 years. The Library joined the Middlesex County Consortium. They have an app that brings the library to your smart phone.”
“We are celebrating Independence Day with fireworks on July 2nd with Perth Amboy and Staten Island.” He recognized Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz and Staten Island Mayor James Oddo and Celebrate the Amboys Chair Barry Rosengarten whom South Amboy will partner with this year for the fireworks celebration. “This event could not be possible without sponsors.” Henry asked the public to please patronize these sponsors.
Henry continued, “It’s the 125th Anniversary of the South Amboy Fire Department. There are a number of events planned including a parade in September.” He recognized the Fire Chief, Assistant Chiefs and the outgoing Chief. We were able to purchase a brand new fire truck (a 2015 Pierce XLT). It’s two trucks for the price of one. They were able to procure a 9-11 Memorial located near the train station. We have upgraded our Police Department with two new marked and two new unmarked police cars.” He welcomed 6 new Patrol Officers and wished the best to the retirees. Mayor Henry thanked Police Chief Darren Lavigne for his service.
Henry mentioned a drill that the Emergency Responders participated in which was held out of state. This was in conjunction with NJ Transit which a simulated train wreck late last year. Those who participated were commended by NJ Transit for a job well done.
Henry spoke of redevelopment in South Amboy. “The old JCP&L Plant has been torn down. It’s positive for the City of South Amboy. We received a $3 million grant for the walkway at the Waterfront and $44,000 from the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) to build facades. We continue to protect City’s assets. The plans for the ferry are moving forward. We have a letter of intent from a well-known ferry operation. The Venetian Health Care is now open. It is a state of the art facility.”
Henry went on to announce, “We have finally seen an end to Amboy Aggregates. The structures have been disabled.”
Marty Dwyer gave a brief update of the Manhattan Beach Project during the State of the City Address.
*Photo by Carolyn Maxwell
Mayor Henry introduced Marty Dwyer of the Manhattan Beach Project. “I’m from Sherman Cognitive, an investment group headquartered in South Carolina. We have provided capital to move Amboy Aggregates forward. It took 16 months. We’ve invested approximately $40 million into the property. I’m very excited to be a part of your town. Although we closed on the property 4 months ago, you’ll be seeing magnificent changes. We want to open up the Waterfront so everyone gets to enjoy it. We became a part of the community. We anticipate a ground-breaking in approximately 12 months. We look forward to being a good citizen of this town. It may take 20 to 30 years for the completion of the entire project. ”
Mayor Fred Henry thanked Marty Dwyer and his group from the Manhattan Beach Project. He continued stating that there are free summer programs for the youth will continue and there will be more pool time for Seniors at the YMCA. He noted that there is free transportation for seniors if necessary within a 10 mile radius. He acknowledged retirees from City Hall including Kathy Vigilante and Linda Barret for their years of service and stated that he was pleased with the choices for their replacements. With that he introduced the Acting City Clerk Laura Kalantsis and the Business Administrator’s Secretary Stacy Kennedy and Public Works Superintendent Len Moffa. “They all are very dedicated to the people of our town.”
Henry then spoke about the financial situation of South Amboy, “We are in much better financial situation. We now have a Moody rating of A3 which reflects stabilization in the City’s finances thanks to B.A. Camille Tooker. “She has put together a lot of hard work. Our main resource is the people of this great City. They make it better.”
Henry concluded his speech with quoting JFK. “Change is the law of life,” He also stated, “We are making positive changes to South Amboy. Against the odds I persevered. There were some tough times. It’s never an easy task but we must do the right thing. I need and expect your support. I thank my mother, Anne, my brother, Bill, my daughters: Kristen and Erin and my stepsons Tom and Mike and especially my wife, Linda who witnessed how tough the last election was. She witnessed the trials, tribulations and court hearings and she endured through it all.” He thanked his brother again, “I could not have been successful in the election without Bill’s help.” He concluded by thanking the City of South Amboy for their support.
Mayor Fred Henry prepares to deliver the State of the City at the Stevens Avenue Senior Center
Marty Dwyer gave a brief update of the Manhattan Beach Project during the State of the City Address.
*Photos by Carolyn Maxwell
