MANCHESTER – A recent Township Council meeting began with a proclamation for National Library Week, the honoring of four police officers and recognition of Vietnam Veterans Day.
“It is a night of various proclamations,” Township Clerk Sabina Martin said. The first was for Library week that began on April 3 and ran through April 9. Manchester Library and Whiting Reading Center Branch Manager Erin DeLucia accepted a copy of the proclamation.
“Libraries are accessible and inclusive places that foster a sense of belonging in the community. Libraries connect people to technology, providing access to broad base internet, computers and training that are critical to accessing education and employment opportunities,” the mayor read.
The proclamation added, that libraries “connect people with new ideas through access through multi-media content and programs in addition to books and their services extend far beyond the four walls of their building and everyone is welcome to use their resources.”
“Libraries transform lives. I want to thank you. My kids love the library and they use it quite often,” the mayor told the branch manager. “It is a valuable resource and people forget that in this day and age as they think the internet is the only access for information. It is a valuable tool in our community.”
Lifesaving
Police Chief Robert Dolan accepted the proclamations for each of the four police officers who received them as those officers work the midnight shift and were unavailable to be present.
The officers recently responded to “an accident on Route 571 and during the course of cleaning up from the accident the tow truck operator collapsed. He was having a heart attack and with their training on a defibrillator along with our emergency medical staff they were able to revive him,” the chief said.
“A couple days later he came in to visit us and provided us some snacks and while he has a little ways to go to recover, he suffered something that would have killed him if not for the officers,” he said.
Chief Dolan said a defibrillator is standard equipment in each township police car. The officers included Brendan Brush, Kyle Rickvalsky, Julian Meaney and Michael Steffen.
“The Manchester Township Police officers did what they did what they needed to do. I dedicate this to them. I congratulate them on a job well done,” the mayor said.
Thank You Veterans
Members in the audience who served in the armed forces during the Vietnam War were summoned up to the dais as the mayor read a proclamation honoring Vietnam Veterans Day. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day was observed on March 29.
“Thank you for your service,” the mayor told the assembled veterans. He noted that Vietnam veterans who returned from the conflict didn’t get the proper thank you for that service at the time. The conflict was fought from 1961 to 1975 and on March 29, 1973 the United States Armed Forces completed withdrawal of all combat troops from Vietnam.
The town’s proclamation added, “the Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue about the people of the United States and the members of the United States Armed Forces who served, served bravely and faithfully.”
“Caught between the debate of the involvement of the United States in the war and more than 50,000 members of the US Armed forces were killed or missing in action in Vietnam and thousands wounded, we pay homage to Vietnam War veterans,” Mayor Hudak added.
In related news, Township Council supported Assembly Bill A-736 and Senate Bill S-163 which “is for reimbursement from the state to municipalities of cost of disabled veterans’ total property tax exemption,” Martin explained.
The state requires that 100% disabled veterans don’t pay property taxes. However, that creates a hole in the tax revenue for towns, particularly ones with many veterans, such as Manchester. The clerk said it is more than a million dollars annually.
The bill would require the state to reimburse the towns for the exempt taxes. The bill was sponsored by 9th District Senator Chris Connors and 6th District Senator James Beach. 9th District Assemblymembers DiAnne Gove and Brian Rumpf are the primary sponsors of its Assembly counterpart.
In other news, contracts were authorized with Seashore Amusements for rides and attractions for Manchester Day and with Blue Raven Entertainment for $4,000 for a July 27 Recreation Department concert.
Additional contracts were authorized: Ultra Artists LLC for concerts, a lease agreement with Moiblease Modular Space Inc., and Paradise Island Entertainment for an August 5 concert for $6,500.
