New Jersey mayor to share economic success story with Bristol Boro
Advance correspondent
BRISTOL BOROUGH - cirst came the DsD entitled “Discover Us,” which highlighted Bristol Borough as a great place to live, work and start a business. At $5 each, the videos sold like hotcakes. Now the Bristol Borough Economic Development Initiative is reaching out to communities that have succeeded in reversing economic adversity, said Bill Pezza, facilitator of the project.
To that end, the organization has invited Collingswood, N.g. Mayor games Maley to speak at the Bristol Riverside Theatre at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 and local business representatives, community organizations, and members of the public are welcome to attend.
Pezza delivered the update on marketing Bristol at the council work session on Sept. 5.
Maley’s leadership was among the components that helped put Collingswood back on stable financial ground. And the town’s demographic and geographic similarities, its access to mass transit, its picturesque neighborhoods, and its once-untapped potential provides a good role model for Bristol to follow.
Once down and nearly out, Collingswood’s leaders, including Maley, shook the money trees and developers rained down, mostly in the form of restaurants and other businesses that helped rebuild and revitalize the shopping district. Bristol, with its proposed boat slips and docks, its already-inplace summer festivals, and its many restaurants, is poised to take a page from Collingswood’s book, Pezza said.
“We want to pick Mayor Maley’s brain to find out what he did” to breathe financial life back into his town, he said.
Admission to the event is $10 and includes a wine and cheese reception. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Mignoni gewelry, 200 Mill Street; Great IDs by Anne, Radcliffe and Mulberry streets; and the Bristol Borough Tax Office, Pond and Mulberry streets, all in Bristol Borough.
Councilman Patrick Sabatini, who conceived the idea of marketing the borough, praised the efforts of Pezza and his committee. “We’re really moving in a positive direction. So far, there are no nay-sayers. Everybody’s on the same page,” Sabatini said.
Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe assured Pezza that he and the committee can count on support from borough officials.
Besides Pezza, the town’s marketing committee members includeW Lauren Ivanchenko, Angelo nuattrocchi, Carl White gr., Ralph DiGuiseppe III, goanna Schneyder, Amy McIlvaine, Susan Corletto, Donna McCloskey, Amy Kaissar, Donna Boone, Mark Swift, Marygane Mannherz, and Ron Walker.