MOUNT OLIVE (11/13/06) – Newly elected Mayor David Scapicchio was in the mayor’s office in the municipal building "ready to go" the morning after election last week.

"It was interesting," he said, "I wasn’t sure what to expect. I just came in, looked around and was a bit surprised that the office had been completely cleaned out."

The office, once filled with professional type photographs of township scenes were now stark. Scapicchio’s wife, Betsy, he and his four daughters will be going through family pictures and discussing what will hang on the walls. There’s liable to be some dog and puppyb pictures if his wife, Betsy, has a say. She’s a dog breeder and runs a dog obedience school, Top Dog Obedience in Flanders. There won’t be any new drapes or furnishings…all he says he thinks he’ll do is move an American flag to another corner.

He was sworn in a few hours later by long time friend, US Attorney Chris Christie, made a moving acceptance speech to about 150 family, friends and Morris and Sussex county political figures, made a round of handshaking, shared a buffet, made some phone calls and on Thursday was again in the office.

Business Administrator Rick Prill, a mayor’s appointee whose term ends with the mayor’s term, was on the job Thursday and Scapicchio found the first unpleasant duty was to remind Prill that his contract with the township called for him serving "at the pleasure of the mayor."

He said he softened the blow explaining that there was no hard feelings and worked out an agreement with Prill to serve in a consulting capacity for a week’s transition period for the new business administrator

Scapicchio has named former Councilman Bill Sohl as his choice to replace Prill and he was to have started work this morning.

Personnel changes? Nothing beyond Prill at present. The mayor’s office has three workers, Debbie Getchius, receptionist, clerk typist and Christie Stahnick, the benefits coordinator, will remain in their positions. The former mayor’s secretary, Marilyn Ryan, has been out on disability leave. "I haven’t made any decisions yet," he said, "I’ll have to find out what the situation is with Marilyn."

Board appointments? He didn’t know except that there are many vacancies on many boards and he will look to fill them all expeditiously. His first appointment was to the planning board, John Mania, his Democratic opponent in the election and Mania’s campaign manager, Chris Kenny, a Morristown school executive and the former municipal Democratic chairman. He will be the mayor’s alternative on the Library Board.

"I hope that anyone wishing to serve in this administration contact me," he said, "send a resume and their interests. I’m looking for committed, dedicated and knowledgeable residents wishing to serve the township.

He plans to meet with the members of the Library Board which has had simmering and on going disagreements with the Township Council. "I’m confident we’ll be able to work things out," Scapicchio said, "there is nothing that can’t be worked out and that’s high on my list of priorities. I know how hard many people worked to make that library possible and a building the entire community is proud of. I want to put an end to the bickering and I’m confident that will be done."

He says he’s going to be a "hands on" mayor meeting with township department heads and the union leaders. "They and all the township employees will know I have an "open door" policy and even if we run into situations where we disagree I will always respect differences of opinion as long as the primary interest an improvement to benefit Mount Olive are served.

He said he also knows there are "fires" in some areas and he’ll be moving quickly to put them out, he said.