Post by richardkelsey on Jan 3, 2008 11:00:55 GMT -5
I learned some interesting triva in this article. I did not know that Mr. Schnurr bought the old McGakin house. I Just found a fun picture taken in the basement of that house -- Circa 1984.
I also think Bill Anderson would have made an excellent selection too.
Here is the "official" story from the transcript.
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/0102/Front_page/008.html
Schnurr named to seat on Freehold Borough council
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
FREEHOLD - George Schnurr has been involved in volunteering with his community for years. Now he will have a chance to be involved in the law-making process of Freehold Borough as well.
On Dec. 27, Schnurr, who has lived in town for 20 years, was appointed to a seat on the Borough Council. He replaces Robert Crawford, who moved out of the borough.
Schnurr will serve the remainder of Crawford's term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2008.
Because Crawford was a Democrat, local Democrats had the right to nominate three members of their party to the governing body. All six council members and Mayor Michael Wilson are Democrats. In addition to Schnurr, the other two residents who were presented to the council for consideration were Bill Anderson and Annette Jordan.
Wilson said Schnurr "brings a great deal of business and technology experience to the table as well as his experience volunteering on the Planning Board and with the Freehold Little League. We look forward to working with him on council. He shares our vision and our optimism for the future of Freehold. He is smart and is not afraid to voice his opinion or to offer his insights on issues. He will help us to continue to develop new and innovative ideas for the betterment of our town."
Schnurr, 50, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology and is an IBM Certified Systems Expert and a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. He works as the director of information technology of the Howard Press Division of FedEx Kinko's and has 28 years of technology experience.
After living in Chicago and Boston, Schnurr moved to Freehold Borough in 1987.
When he and his soon-to-be-wife Diane were looking for a home in New Jersey, Freehold Borough was the home they chose. Schnurr said he had family members in the area and said the borough was exactly the type of community he was looking for to settle down and raise children in.
"The first time we drove though Freehold Borough we saw them doing the brickwork downtown. I remember saying to Diane, 'I don't know who is running this town, but it must be someone who is really on the ball,' " he said.
Schnurr said he saw the borough as a town where things were happening.
"We saw the effort made to improve the infrastructure in the downtown area and that continues to this day," he said.
The Schnurrs live in the Park Avenue home that was once the residence of the late mayor John. G. McGackin, the individual credited with initiating the renaissance of the downtown area.
Schnurr volunteered as an umpire with the Freehold Little League when his children were involved in the league. His travels allowed him to see the Little League facilities other municipalities had and he said, "I remember thinking we should really do something about our fields."
Schnurr was appointed to the Freehold Little League's Board of Directors and helped guide an effort to refurbish the league's facilities.
As president of the league he had a chance to meet with Wilson and discuss his ideas for fixing up the baseball fields.
"The mayor didn't talk much. He wanted to know my thoughts. He wanted to know what I had to say and to see what my vision was for the fields," he recalled. "One thing about our mayor, he doesn't over-promise or under-deliver, and when he tells you something you can take it to the bank.My work with the rehabilitation of the fields was the start of my relationship with the governing body."
Schnurr said he helped to organize and participated in a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) request for the redevelopment of the Little League complex on Otterson Road and was the catalyst for the development of Community Park. He was instrumental in obtaining almost $400,000 in funding from the CDBG, state funds and private donations.
Schnurr said his work on the Little League project helped him to learn about things such as building plans and building codes. He later received an appointment to the Planning Board and has served for three years.
The new councilman said he considers himself to be a "middle of the road person."
"I also feel that most borough residents find themselves middle-of-the-road people as well," he said. "I think being in the political center makes good politics and good public policy as well. Coming from the outside, I am not here to suggest any ordinances or any policies.
"I would like to be able to cleanse the partisan atmosphere that's begun to take hold in Freehold Borough. I would like to put the last few months behind us and move forward in a bipartisan effort to improve the quality of life in the borough. It's important that we all listen to each other more closely and without the baggage that is associated with party affiliation or group identification," he said. "We need good people and good will to rise above any differences we have and need to cherry-pick the good ideas, regardless of where they come from."
I also think Bill Anderson would have made an excellent selection too.
Here is the "official" story from the transcript.
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/0102/Front_page/008.html
Schnurr named to seat on Freehold Borough council
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
FREEHOLD - George Schnurr has been involved in volunteering with his community for years. Now he will have a chance to be involved in the law-making process of Freehold Borough as well.
On Dec. 27, Schnurr, who has lived in town for 20 years, was appointed to a seat on the Borough Council. He replaces Robert Crawford, who moved out of the borough.
Schnurr will serve the remainder of Crawford's term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2008.
Because Crawford was a Democrat, local Democrats had the right to nominate three members of their party to the governing body. All six council members and Mayor Michael Wilson are Democrats. In addition to Schnurr, the other two residents who were presented to the council for consideration were Bill Anderson and Annette Jordan.
Wilson said Schnurr "brings a great deal of business and technology experience to the table as well as his experience volunteering on the Planning Board and with the Freehold Little League. We look forward to working with him on council. He shares our vision and our optimism for the future of Freehold. He is smart and is not afraid to voice his opinion or to offer his insights on issues. He will help us to continue to develop new and innovative ideas for the betterment of our town."
Schnurr, 50, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology and is an IBM Certified Systems Expert and a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. He works as the director of information technology of the Howard Press Division of FedEx Kinko's and has 28 years of technology experience.
After living in Chicago and Boston, Schnurr moved to Freehold Borough in 1987.
When he and his soon-to-be-wife Diane were looking for a home in New Jersey, Freehold Borough was the home they chose. Schnurr said he had family members in the area and said the borough was exactly the type of community he was looking for to settle down and raise children in.
"The first time we drove though Freehold Borough we saw them doing the brickwork downtown. I remember saying to Diane, 'I don't know who is running this town, but it must be someone who is really on the ball,' " he said.
Schnurr said he saw the borough as a town where things were happening.
"We saw the effort made to improve the infrastructure in the downtown area and that continues to this day," he said.
The Schnurrs live in the Park Avenue home that was once the residence of the late mayor John. G. McGackin, the individual credited with initiating the renaissance of the downtown area.
Schnurr volunteered as an umpire with the Freehold Little League when his children were involved in the league. His travels allowed him to see the Little League facilities other municipalities had and he said, "I remember thinking we should really do something about our fields."
Schnurr was appointed to the Freehold Little League's Board of Directors and helped guide an effort to refurbish the league's facilities.
As president of the league he had a chance to meet with Wilson and discuss his ideas for fixing up the baseball fields.
"The mayor didn't talk much. He wanted to know my thoughts. He wanted to know what I had to say and to see what my vision was for the fields," he recalled. "One thing about our mayor, he doesn't over-promise or under-deliver, and when he tells you something you can take it to the bank.My work with the rehabilitation of the fields was the start of my relationship with the governing body."
Schnurr said he helped to organize and participated in a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) request for the redevelopment of the Little League complex on Otterson Road and was the catalyst for the development of Community Park. He was instrumental in obtaining almost $400,000 in funding from the CDBG, state funds and private donations.
Schnurr said his work on the Little League project helped him to learn about things such as building plans and building codes. He later received an appointment to the Planning Board and has served for three years.
The new councilman said he considers himself to be a "middle of the road person."
"I also feel that most borough residents find themselves middle-of-the-road people as well," he said. "I think being in the political center makes good politics and good public policy as well. Coming from the outside, I am not here to suggest any ordinances or any policies.
"I would like to be able to cleanse the partisan atmosphere that's begun to take hold in Freehold Borough. I would like to put the last few months behind us and move forward in a bipartisan effort to improve the quality of life in the borough. It's important that we all listen to each other more closely and without the baggage that is associated with party affiliation or group identification," he said. "We need good people and good will to rise above any differences we have and need to cherry-pick the good ideas, regardless of where they come from."