MANASQUAN — The Manasquan Borough Council held its reorganization meeting on Monday, when two council incumbents were officially sworn in for their new terms and Lori Triggiano was elected to serve as council president for the year.
Both Triggiano and Brian Holly were sworn in to full three-year terms after the pair ran uncontested in the November general election. Both council members were given the oath of office by Mayor Michael Mangan, who expressed his gratitude to have Triggiano and Holly returning to the dais.
Later, Triggiano was unanimously selected to serve as the council president for 2025, following a nomination from Holly. This will be Triggiano’s first time serving in the capacity of council president after sitting on the dais for the last three years.
“Thanks very much, thank you for choosing me,” Triggiano said to her fellow council members.
Committee chair and members for the year were also appointed at the annual reorganization meeting. Jay Bryant was appointed chair of the administration committee; the beach committee will again be chaired by Bresnahan; Triggiano was appointed chair of the land use committee; the public safety committee will be chaired by Gregg Olivera; Holly was appointed chair of the public property committee; and Sheila Vidreiro will chair the community services committee.
PROCLAMATIONS
The borough council honored a resident and volunteer groups that have dedicated their time and resources toward bettering Manasquan through three proclamations.
“We have several honorees on for tonight and this is a practice that the borough used to do at the reorganization meeting every year for many years and it fell by the wayside… this council and myself wanted to get back to the practice of recognizing a few select citizens and groups every year who have contributed to the borough of Manasquan,” Mangan said.
Resident John Muly was honored in a proclamation naming him the volunteer of the year in the Borough of Manasquan. Muly has been a part of the town community for over 40 years, the proclamation said, and throughout that time he has volunteered with the Manasquan First Aid Squad and the Manasquan Little League, and he served on the planning board for 25 years, under five mayors. Muly also worked at both Manasquan Elementary School and Manasquan High School, and continues to volunteer as an active member of the Manasquan Seniors.
“He has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to civic duty and a deep love for the Manasquan community in a friendly, helpful nature,” the proclamation said of Muly.
The proclamation recognized Muly for his dedication and commitment to Manasquan and pronounced that Jan. 6, 2025 is “John Muly Citizen of the Year Day.”
The council then honored the Friends of Manasquan Parks and Recreation, a volunteer group which has as its mission is “to enhance, expand, support and promote recreational activities to all residents and community members while inspiring inclusion, connection and solidarity.”
The group was founded in 2021 with the hopes to create a more vibrant Manasquan where residents have access to safe and engaging parks and recreation spaces, Mangan said.
The volunteer group includes Maureen McCartney-Anderson, Larry Schmidt, Patrick Ward, Erik Ertle, Ron Gaffney, Andrew Manser, Chris Muly, Anthony Nuzzolo and Theresa Reichey.
The proclamation states, “The renovation of Curtis Park serves as a shining example of the friend’s commitment to creating inclusive spaces that are accessible and enjoyable for all children and adults of all abilities.”
Both Mangan and Holly commended the volunteer group for its dedication and commitment.
Holly said, “I have the opportunity of being a grandfather, to relive little people again, and I take them over there to Curtis Park often. You can’t imagine on a daily basis how many people actually show up to the park. I want to commend Maureen and company for all the hard work they’ve put in, for raising the bar and bringing this to Manasquan, making Manasquan what it is, involvement for the community, by the community.”
The final proclamation honored the Manasquan Beautification Committee, a group of resident volunteers who have worked to bring the “spirit of the holidays” to Manasquan, Mangan said.
The proclamation commended the members of the committee for their efforts that have “made the town more vibrant and welcoming during the Christmas season.”
The idea of “beautifying Manasquan” was first introduced by Holly during his first year on the dais, in hopes of seeing the borough’s downtown return to the beauty he said it had when he was a child.
Holly’s idea resulted in the formation of the beautification committee that has since been comprised of residents dedicated towards making Manasquan magical during the holiday season and throughout the year.
Holly then commended the members of the committee for bringing back traditional ceremonies and decorations including the tree lighting in Curtis Park, the decorations throughout downtown, Main Street and Squan Plaza, to name a few.
To the committee members in the audience, Holly said, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making Manasquan a beautiful Christmas town.”
The next borough council meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. in Borough Hall, located at 201 E. Main St.
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