How local State and County and Twp politics work

 If you are a politician; create memorial statements and get your photo before the public. Does it matter if you do a good job? Just get yourself out there and people will think; Isn't he or she nice?

The Margaret E. Heggan Library of the Township of Washington celebrated the 50^th birthday on Saturday March 5, 2016. A wonderful organization serving the Township of Washington.

Former staff and the founders were deservedly celebrated. It was a Very Deserving tribute to the history and staff that have worked over the years to foster the Library’s Growth. The Township of Washington had no library until the Whitman Square Women’s Club collected books and donations. A series of locations housed the library over the next forty years. Even the distinguished “Russian House” was the popular residence of the library’s early days. The Russian House was an advertising prop of a home builder / developer involved in the transformation of the Township from a farming community to its present day bedroom status. 

At the celebration of the birthday some shoes were not dropped.

The first shoe was misinforming the public as to where the Library exists, A proclamation was read by the Township’s NJ Senator, Fred Madden. The New Jersey Senate’s proclamation, as read, referred to the Library serving Gloucester County.
 Is the Township of Washington not the financier and mainstay of the Heggan facility?

Later a County Freeholder proclamation was read honoring the Library’s service. The proclamation of the County, as signed by the Freeholders Robert M. Damminger and others recalls to mind a Damminger who pressed for Washington Township to join the County system. 
In 2010 this author responded to Damminger's letter in the South Jersey  times asking why should we,TWP residents drive across county. 

The proclamations were like claps of thunder to a person that worked and pressed for the evolution of the Township’s Library from and undersized facility to its present day technologically in step service hall. The reading from the Senate mentioned the Library a service to Gloucester County. Was the Township of Washington not the home and financier of the Library’s success? Who would think the screws of Politics would look to Proclaim "We did this".

It is easy to remember the snubbing the library, Its Director, the Friends of the Library, the Library Board Members, received from the bench of then 2006 through 2010 Township Committee, and Mayor. 

The Library's break came when the County had a property they chose to drop from their rolls. The Township was pressured into taking the structure for library use or otherwise see a voter revolt.The perseverance of the parties working toward the Library’s current status deserve a well done congratulation. This person remembers the snubs and rejections of the Mayor Moriarty, and Council with, Timmons, LaPierre. Scarpati, Martin, and Fratali, Dems all