DeVico Begins Term in Middle; Clark Takes Oath as Mayor

COURT HOUSE – The place to be Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. was the Middle Township Municipal Building but you may have needed a reservation. The court room which also serves as the meeting room for Middle Township Committee was packed. All seats taken, all walls lined with those standing and the doorway area three rows deep.
The annual municipal reorganization meeting, an event occurring across the county, is usually a rather routine affair with an agenda crowned with renewed appointments and contracts. The administration of the oath of office to new municipal officials will often mean a turnout of family and friends but this reorganization produced a turnout that might have led a fire marshal to close the room down.
The occasion marked the swearing-in of newly-elected Jeffrey DeVico for his three-year term on the governing body and the selection of Michael Clark as mayor. Both are Democrats marking the return of that party to power in the township.
DeVico, a lifelong township resident, is a retired police officer. He saw a room filled with family and friends wishing him well.
Clark’s appointment as mayor, with DeVico as deputy mayor, accounted for a large part of the turnout as well. With Democrats in the majority on committee again, party supporters came to celebrate their second significant victory of the previous election, the first being the selection of Bruce Land for Assemblyman in the First District. Land, Assemblyman Robert Andrzejczak, and Sen. Jeff Van Drew (all D-1st) were all present.
With flags presented by the police honor guard, a stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful” by the Middle Township Middle Tones, and Benediction by Pastor Ted Osler of the First United Methodist Church of Court House, the agenda moved directly to the oaths of office. That allowed many in the overflow crowd to depart before more routine aspects were dealt with.
As each member of committee shared comments immediately following the oaths, DeVico struck a theme he had followed throughout his fall campaign. He spoke of his love for the township where he grew up and where he raised his family. 
“I have great emotion for this township,” he said. He expressed thanks to family and friends and singled out his uncle and former mayor Samuel DeVico, who had served on township committee for 20 years.  The Senior Center on Romney Place is named in his honor.
“I can’t wait to get started,” DeVico said.
Committee Remarks
Clark thanked outgoing mayor Timothy Donohue for his service as mayor. Thanking his family for support, he promised to maintain diligence in controlling the township’s spending and expressed enthusiasm for projects, including proposed enhancements at Okie Wisting Recreational Complex in Rio Grande and completion of the bike path connecting to Lower Township.
Donohue called the night a “celebration of the democratic process” and said he looked forward to “serving with Jeff and Mike.”
Donohue, now the lone Republican on committee, said that service meant “serving the people not a party.” He also mentioned that the evening event was the second such ceremony he attended that day. Earlier his brother Michael Donohue, former head of the county Republican organization and borough solicitor in Stone Harbor, was sworn as a judge of Superior Court.
After a brief recess committee settled down to business approving 43 resolutions, many routine that make appointments or approve contracts for the New Year.
Solicitor Changes
One appointment that demonstrated the partisan shift that had just occurred was a change in solicitor. Middle selected the firm of Barry, Corrado and Grassi as solicitor.
Marcus Karavan, who had come to the role with the shift from Democratic to Republican control in 2012, had moved to Republican-controlled Stone Harbor as a replacement for Donohue. Karavan was named interim GOP county chairman Jan. 3.
Karavan named Donohue as second vice-chair, a newly-created position. Donohue was recently appointed to a county position as acting roads supervisor.
Police Matters
The evening also saw the swearing-in of two police officers along with the appointment of two Class 2 officers. That prompted Donohue to remind the public that he and Police Chief Christopher Leusner would be holding a series of meetings with state agencies, such as the Parole Board and Probation, in order to get a better understanding of how those with criminal records are released and why such a concentration has occurred in Rio Grande.
Donohue called these meetings “leg work” in preparation for an eventual public meeting on the issue of crime in the Rio Grande area.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.