The first time I met Frank Gambatese I wasn’t particularly impressed. He was running for a seat on the newly formed South Brunswick Township Council and had come to our office for an endorsement interview.
By our offices, I mean the South Brunswick Post, the paper that served the township for about 57 years before it was shuttered by its parent company — The Princeton Packet — in 2015.
First impressions rarely do anyone justice. During that first meeting, Gambatese came off as willing but not particularly knowledgeable, and we opted not to offer our endorsement — not the only time we withheld our support.
Over time, through his tireless efforts on behalf of South Brunswick, Gambatese proved himself to be a strong leader. Not that he needed to prove anything. He was sure of who he was and what he wanted to do and, in the end, he was exactly what he told us he would be: the man to steer the township through a difficult period. Gambatese was mayor when several local residents were killed in the attack on the World Trade Center. He was mayor during the several unsuccessful efforts at state tax reform that shifted the pain for bad state decisions down to local governments. He helped the township weather a recession.
While I did not agree with every decision — as the chief editorial writer for the Post, I was often critical of the council — I think it’s fair to say he deserves high marks for his overall effort, the work he did, and the things he accomplished — proving my initial judgments wrong.
In the end, I considered Gambatese,who died last night, more than just an acquaintance made during my time as a reporter and editor. He was a friend, and he’ll be missed — by me and by the 45,000 residents of my hometown, whether they knew him in person or only by name.
Send me an e-mail.
Hank Kalet 