North Brunswick Police Captain Brian Hoiberg was sworn in as acting Deputy Chief at the December 1 Township Council Meeting.

“As a third-generation kid growing up in this town, falling in love with the Police Department at an early age and then being able to live out this dream is a whirlwind, it is literally a dream come true,” he said.

Deputy Chief Hoiberg started with the Police Department in 1995, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who were also North Brunswick police officers. He served as a patrolman in the Patrol Division before being assigned to the Detective and Narcotics Bureau in 2000. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2002, Lieutenant in 2005 and Captain in 2012.

Congratulations Deputy Chief Hoiberg!

The holiday season officially kicked off in North Brunswick on Monday, December 1 with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Municipal Complex!

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus arrived from the North Pole to spread holiday cheer!

Great job by the North Brunswick Woman’s Club, NBTHS Choir and Jazz Band!

Special thanks to the North Brunswick Township Parks Division staff, CERT Team, North Brunswick Youth Municipal Alliance, Interact Club of North Brunswick and Girl Scouts!

At the November 17 Township Council, the Mayor and Council presented a proclamation to Bristol Myers Squibb, honoring their support for the P.O.W.E.R. (Proactively Orchestrating Ways to Empower and Restore) Youth Mentoring Program.

The Township Council approved a $20,000 grant from Bristol Myers Squibb for the P.O.W.E.R. initiative at the meeting.

Kenneth Freeman, Corporate Security Senior Manager at Bristol Myers Squibb, accepted the proclamation.

“I think the challenges for kids are really difficult so as long as we can we will continue to support the program,” he said.

Freeman was joined by Councilman Alvin Rich, who is a mentor at North Brunswick Township High School, North Brunswick Township Police Detective Adrian Ailey, P.O.W.E.R. facilitator Tangie Cobb and North Brunswick Township High School P.O.W.E.R. coordinator Altagracia Ruiz.

“P.O.W.E.R. is a great program for our school and beyond,” Councilman Rich said. “I look at the young people who entered in P.O.W.E.R. when we first started and looking at them now makes me smile so much just to see all the positive work that is being put in.”

Det. Ailey said that over the course of the program, P.O.W.E.R. has received a total of $75,000 from Bristol Myers Squibb.

The North Brunswick Township Police Department and North Brunswick Township Board of Education have partnered to facilitate the P.O.W.E.R. Initiative components: P.O.W.E.R ‘U’; P.O.W.E.R.: H2H – Hope2Heal and P.O.W.E.R. Afterschool at North Brunswick Township High School and North Brunswick Township Middle School.

The P.O.W.E.R ‘U’ Summer Program supports incoming high school Freshman and the P.O.W.E.R. H2H – Hope2Heal Program is dedicated to student diversion and restoration during the school year, and P.O.W.E.R. Afterschool is a bi-weekly club dedicated to continuous student engagement, leadership practice and community outreach.

Thank you Bristol Myers Squibb for your generous support to this important community program!

Department of Public Works Director Steve Bloyed joins Mayor Francis ‘Mac’ Womack on the podcast. Learn more about Director Bloyed as well as the operations at DPW.

An 8^th grade North Brunswick Township Middle School student was chosen as a top 10 winner out of thousands of entries nationwide in his grade division in a contest sponsored by CelebratingArt.com and Blick Art Materials.

Connor Chan submitted an acrylic painting titled, “Boat on a Beach” which earned him contest honors. His art was in the 6^th grade division as he was in that grade when he did the painting.

“I was not expecting it,” Connor said. “I thought the painting that I had entered in the contest looks better than the ones I sent in the past and was only expecting a high merit win but not the top 10 in the country.”

Art pieces are selected for their creativity, originality, self-expression, craftmanship and skill.

Connor’s dad, Steven, said this was Connor’s third submission to the contest and the last time he received an art of high merit recognition.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal until I saw the press release form letter that came with it,” Steven said. “Then I thought: He did good.”

Connor said his art teacher picked the topic for the contest, showing him some boats to paint.

“From those pictures, I sort of mold it around to see which angle would make it more dynamic and I slowly added more details to make it better,” he said.

Steven said Connor has been taking art classes and they have different mediums. Connor was strictly sketching about three years ago then a year later, his art teacher introduced him to acrylic painting.

Connor said acrylic painting is one of his favorite ways to paint.

“If you make a mistake, you can cover over it while if you do water colors, it tends to blend more and is harder to correct your painting,” he said. “Acrylics’ colors are also brighter colors and don’t fade as much as water colors.”

North Brunswick Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Marrissa Heyman was sworn in at the October 20 Township Council Meeting, becoming the first female municipal OEM coordinator in Middlesex County history.

“To the residents of North Brunswick, I promise to take what I have learned over the years and if the need arises to be there for each and every one of you in an emergency,” said Ms. Heyman.

She has served as the Deputy OEM Coordinator since 2012.

“We congratulate Marrissa on this historic achievement,” said Mayor Francis ‘Mac’ Womack. “Marrissa’s dedicated service and experience will ensure our community’s needs will be met during any emergency situation.”

Ms. Heyman succeeds former OEM Coordinator Mark Cafferty, who served at the position since 2011 before retiring in July.

She thanked Mr. Cafferty, “for seeing in me what I didn’t see all those years ago and teaching me again and again that what can go wrong will go wrong in this town and showing me how to navigate through it all.”

Under a beautiful sunny sky, a new sign was dedicated at Columbus Park (located at the corner of Nassau Street and Remsen Avenue) on Friday, October 17.

The new sign is a donation from North Brunswick PBA Local 160 as a gesture of appreciation and giving back to the community. Also, the PBA honored the members of the Italian-American Social Club of North Brunswick, who dedicated the park on October 7, 1984.

“We looked at this park and I said when you look at those names on this plaque, their legacy is still around,” said PBA president Fedor Salvador-Romero.

He said the dedication is a celebration of the diverse and caring spirit of North Brunswick, one that continues to grow stronger through cooperation, civic duty and pride.

Township Council President Amanda Guadagnino read a proclamation honoring the 1984 North Brunswick Italian-American Club officers and North Brunswick PBA Local 160 for their support and donation of the new park sign.

Nick Puleio, son of former Italian-American Social Club president Vito Puleio, delivered remarks and Rev. Michael Krull, pastor of Our Lady of Peace R.C. Church, said a blessing.

North Brunswick honored United States Army veteran Badawy Badawy by dedicating Wood Avenue as Badawy Way on Monday, October 6.

Badawy was born on June 22, 1983 in Edison New Jersey to his parents Maged and Mervat Badawy. He moved to North Brunswick in 2008.

Badawy joined the Army Reserves in June of 2001 at the age of seventeen, while he was still in High School. Since he was still a minor, his parents had to sign for him and they were willing to do so since our nation was at a time of peace.

Badawy graduated Basic Training that he attended in Fort Jackson South Carolina in September, 2001. This was just one week prior to the horrific attack on our nation September 11, 2001. He was an active reservist and was pulled out of Rutgers University and deployed to Mosul, Iraq in 2006 as a Sergeant. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shortly after arriving to Iraq, Badawy was named Assistant Convoy Commander where he led over 100 combat missions in the 13 months of combat deployment.

Badawy earned multiple medals, Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.

Badawy was sworn in as a Police Officer in 2008.

Badawy has a wonderful family, his wife Bianca and children Liana, Gia, and Olivia Badawy, Father Maged Badawy, Mother Mervat Badawy, Brother Kero Badawy, Sister Christina Badawy, Nephew Christian and Niece Celina. In his free time, Badawy and his wife Bianca, own and operate Bella Bianca Italian Deli located in Milltown, New Jersey. They also own and operate GarmaGuard which was featured on Shark Tank. Badawy and Bianca spend a lot of time with their 3 beautiful daughters Liana, Gia, and Olivia Badawy and their very large European Doberman.

We thank and honor Badawy Badawy for his service to our country and community!