By MELISSA BEVERIDGE
Freeholder Tom Arnone attended the Neptune City Council Meeting this week to congratulate officials for their efforts towards getting a traffic light at Memorial Drive and Evergreen Avenue.
Mayor Robert Brown and the Borough Council also thanked Arnone and the rest of the Freeholders for their support. The Council has been working on establishing the light at the Memorial Drive and Evergreen Avenue intersection since 2007. The project involved Port Authority, NJ Transit, State Department, and Neptune City as well as neighboring Bradley Beach.
“I pulled up to 5th avenue the other day and there was an accident,” Brown said. “This light is an asset to Memorial Drive.”
The mayor noted that the streetlight would slow down traffic from both directions creating a safer street.
The light will be activated on Fri., Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. with an activation ceremony.
In addition, the Council also accepted a donation of a 18 seat Ford bus from Monmouth County that will allow Neptune City to drive seniors from Neptune City and Avon to food and retail stores as well as school children to events. The town had previously used a 1972 bus for many years. But the bus needed too many repairs and since January the borough has been using the services of the SCAT buses.
“SCAT has been fantastic,” Brown said,“but the schedule is very regimented. With our own bus we can move around more freely.”
The bus is expected to be delivered within the next few weeks.
Arnone, who is a resident and former borough mayor, also announced his appreciation for the passing of the Neptune City school budget. He said that Councilman Rick Pryor attends all of the meetings and that without the support of the Council and the community, the budget wouldn’t have passed.
Arnone also announced the success of the First Annual Pound the Pavement for Purple 5k race, created by Neptune Township and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, on November 1. The event, which raises funds for the Lustgaren Foundation, raised over $33,000, which will go directly to research for pancreatic cancer.
“Councilwoman Susan Mitchelland myself ran in the race,” Arnone said. “We’re going to make this an annual event.”
In a gesture of appreciation, Brown invited Arnone and the Board of Freeholders to attend Neptune City’s December 8 council meeting to celebrate their accomplishments and thank them for their assistance and dedication.