Plans for state Senior Olympics fall through
BY COLLEEN LUTOLF
Staff Writer

WOODBRIDGE — For want of a brochure, the Olympics was lost.

The New Jersey Senior Olympics, that is.

Township officials announced last year that Woodbridge would host the New Jersey Senior Olympics this September.

“There was a glitch in the production booklet,” said Donna Jago, Mayor Frank G. Pelzman’s chief of staff. “There didn’t seem to be enough time to notify the participants. Since this year was a nonqualifying year [for the National Senior Olympics], we offered to host it next year.”

Mike Garamella, New Jersey Senior Olympics coordinator, organizes the yearly event. Jago said Garamella was responsible for having the registration brochure ready for distribution, but it was never printed.

“We were just going to host it,” she said. “It wasn’t on our end to do any publications.”

Garamella did not return calls for comment.

Councilman Charles Kenny offered to help organize the Senior Olympics after members of the Woodbridge Senior Billiards Club suggested to the council that Woodbridge host the three-day event.

Over $5,000 in advertising had been secured for the booklet, over twice what was necessary to pay for it. But the booklets were still not printed by July 6.

“By the time the application booklets went out, there would only be a week or two left to register,” Kenny said. “Mike’s going to return the checks and give the money back.”

Competitions in bowling, billiards, tennis, swimming and basketball were just a few of the events scheduled at several township locations on Sept. 9, 10 and 11.