Green Initiatives, Historic Preservation High on Resto's Agenda

Len Resto's parents came to the United States in Puerto Rico in 1946 hardly knowing any English. His mother had a third-grade education, and his father, over time, had to teach himself to read the New York Times.

They settled in Bayonne, where Resto grew up. And they instilled in him a volunteer ethic. Resto's father donated his time to lots of causes, and his son has done the same in becoming the chairperson of Chatham Green Initiative and being on the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers' board.

Tonight, he will become even more entrenched in his community work, when he and fellow incoming Republican councilman John Holman are sworn in to the Chatham Borough Council at the borough's reorganizational meeting at Borough Hall at 7:30pm.

"It's an incredible story," Resto said in an interview Sunday. "I just wish my parents were here to see it, but I know they're watching."

Resto has several priorities on council. For starters, he would like to see the borough keep people aware of ways in which they can reduce their energy costs.

If residents are actively taught ways in which they can do so—by providing better insulation for their homes, for example, or by modifying the way they light their house, Resto said—they might be more willing to make such changes.

"We need to keep that at the forefront with people and show them how they can save money," he said.

Resto also said he hopes to become involved with the borough's historic preservation commission to increase the inventory of historic buildings here.

"I want to also try to make open space more acceptable to the public," he said. "Right now we have open space that not too many people know about."

Some of that space, he said, includes Wuhala Woods—an area off North Passaic Avenue heading out of town toward Florham Park.

He also hopes to make the area along the Passaic River west of Shepard Kollock Park more publicly accessible.

Along with all that, Resto said he must make sure he's prepared for all the meetings he will need to attend as a member of the council. He is the director of risk management for Global Crossing, a telecomunnications company in Florham Park, and said he will need to make sure he does his homework before each official gathering he attends.

That could take some hard work. But Resto said he doesn't shy away from the potentially difficulties that will come with the territory.

"It's going to be a challenge in this economy to do a lot of things, but that's why I'm really excited about this opportunity," Resto said.