Youths working on ways to improve town for teens
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO - A committee of local teenagers that tries to make things better in town may become an official municipal body when Mayor-elect Jonathan Hornik takes office in January.

In October, a group of about 50 teenagers met at the Marlboro Recreation Community Center to take part in the initial meeting of the Marlboro Youth Advisory Committee.

Formed by parents Larry Rosen, Natalie Loeb and Gordon Loeb, the group hopes to provide an opportunity for Marlboro teenagers to develop their leadership skills, as well as to develop ways to improve the town for teens.

Rosen describedMarlboro teenagers as the "forgotten group." He said the town has a lot of activities for young children, but limited opportunities for teens.

The members of the advisory committee have started to talk about ways in which Marlboro could become a better place for teens. Some of the issues discussed include searching for part-time employment and transportation to get teens around town.

Reflecting on how Marlboro has changed over the years, Rosen said he used to ride his bicycle along streets like Gordons Corner Road, but said he would never allow his son to do that now because of an increase in traffic along the road.

The members of the committee have suggested using a van, similar to the type of vehicle that is used to transport senior citizens, to help them get around town.

Rosen said other municipalities have received grants from the county for this type of van.

Searching for a summer job would be easier if there was a job-posting database, according to the members of the advisory panel.

One idea generated from the group is the addition of a security protected database on Marlboro's Internet Web site where they may log on to search listings posted by area merchants and business owners. The young people have also expressed their desire for a teen center where they could spend time.

Those people diligently working on the committee had previously been told they would receive a certificate and a letter from Hornik to acknowledge their contributions to the township.

Involvement in this type of committee is something that will be notable on a college application, Rosen said.

Hornik attended the group's initial meeting to give the teenagers a lesson on how local government works.

At the committee's Dec. 5 meeting the teenagers received a surprise fromHornik. Although he was unable to attend the meeting, themayor-elect sent a letter to be read by Councilman-elect Frank LaRocca.

Hornik's letter said one of the first recommendations he will make upon taking office in January is to have the Youth Advisory Committee become an official committee of Marlboro.

"Upon taking office I will present a resolution to the Township Council in this regard, and fully expect that it will be approved," he wrote.

In a telephone interview Hornik said, "I think the youth in Marlboro are an untapped resource."

The mayor-elect noted the progress the committee has made in such a short time.

Rosen said if the committee does receive official municipal recognition its name would probably be changed to the Teen Advisory Committee.

In January a few of the committee members are planning to present their ideas to the council.

The members of the committee have now been given a new challenge: to develop ways in which they can help tomakeMarlboro a better place for others.

Rosen spoke about the youths visiting older residents at locations such as the Greenbriar adult community and nursing homes. He said the teens would teach the seniors about computers so that the seniors would be able to stay in touch with family members who live in other states.

"This group has a lot of energy. They're a good group of kids and they are all good students. If they stick with it, this group can do a lot for the town," Rosen said.

With more than 50 members at present, Rosen hopes to have the group grow to about 150 members. Once the group is larger, the advisers plan to divide the teens into smaller groups with different focuses to generate more ideas.

At the moment, Rosen said, the group is all young men, so they would like to have some young women join and offer their thoughts and ideas. The group is open to anyone between the ages of 13 and 19. Formore information, contact Rosen at lrosen@lrjlaw.com.