Committee hopefuls talk at Candidates' Night

[news]

Candidates meet the public

Township residents and committee candidates both got a chance to speak at Candidates' Night on Tuesday.

This year's candidates for Township Committee include incumbent Democrats Thomas Panconi and Pari Stave, and Republicans Robert Smithers and Diane Stasi. The four are vying for two, three-year seats on the Township Committee.

The four presented their plans for the future of Cranbury and answered questions from township residents, who nearly filled the Cranbury School Cafeteria. The event was sponsored by the Woman's Club.

The event gave the four candidates a chance to speak for eight to 10 minutes before a question-and-answer period began, which was followed by a short closing statement from each candidate.

Mr. Panconi spoke about some of the decisions he has been a part of since joining the committee in 2004 and while serving as township mayor in 2006. He talked about his belief in open and transparent communication, in which residents have easy access to township information. He also spoke about Cranbury Crawl, an effort to stop speeding in the township, and the opening of the township's new police station.

...

(more)