Jennings, Grimes share goals of revitalization
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

JAMESBURG - A mixture of youth and experience was sworn in to the Jamesburg Borough Council during its reorganization meeting Wednesday.

Joseph Jennings, a councilman since 2000, took the oath of office for a new three-year term while fellow Democrat Brian Grimes began his first term. The two ran unopposed in November. Grimes replaced the council's lone Republican, Christopher Maloney, who served for three years.

During the meeting, Jennings thanked residents for giving him the "privilege" of serving once again. A Vietnam War veteran, Jennings, 60, is a business representative with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 456. He has lived in Jamesburg for nine years.

Jennings took a moment during the meeting to thank Maloney for his efforts over the past three years.

"He was a worthy councilman, and brought a lot to the council," Jennings said of Maloney.

The council also formally thanked Maloney in a resolution during the meeting.

Afterward, Grimes told the Sentinel it feels great to be elected to his first term in public office and that it will be nice to have a greater voice in the way things are run.

Grimes, 26, is a high school history teacher who serves with the borough's Civic Association, Democratic Club and Revitalization Coalition. He moved to Jamesburg in 2005.

Jennings told the Sentinel he plans to continue working with the Revitalization Coalition to improve and bring more business to downtown Jamesburg.

"I'm looking to continue to make improvements to the borough," he said.

Grimes also said the revitalization efforts are very important to him. In fact, graduate students from Rutgers University have become involved and will do a study on the redevelopment idea, and then draw up plans based on input from residents and businesses, he noted.

"We're trying to bring more business to Jamesburg," he said.

Jennings said the coalition has been meeting over the past year and getting "some good responses from residents."

Grimes said one focus of the effort is to bring new businesses to vacant properties and increase the borough's commercial base.

Also included, he said, will be an effort to remake the town in a certain, historic image. The aim will be for business to have a "nice, old look" in order to make the downtown area more "quaint."

Grimes noted that the borough will not use eminent domain to acquire any properties as part of the process.

"It's the policy of the borough to not use eminent domain," he said.