[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7858]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING MAYOR PETER A. CANTU'S 40TH YEAR IN PUBLIC SERVICE

                                  _____
                                 

                             HON. RUSH HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 2014

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career and 
accomplishments of Mayor Peter A. Cantu, who has served with 
distinction as a member of the governing body of Plainsboro, New Jersey 
for the past 40 years and has been a leader in municipal governance for 
the entire state of New Jersey.
  Peter Cantu was a teenager when his family relocated to Plainsboro 
over 50 years ago. At the time, the small farming community in central 
New Jersey was renowned for its agricultural produce and for the 
Walker-Gordon dairy, home of the famous Elsie, the Borden Cow. Peter 
met the love of his life, Gale Thompson, in high school and they were 
married and settled down in the neighboring community of Princeton 
where their two children, Peter and Patricia were born.
  The Cantus moved back to Plainsboro and Peter, who was then beginning 
a long career with the IBM Corporation, became involved in the 
Township, as a member of the Volunteer Fire Company, Lions Club and 
several other organizations as well as serving on the Town Council, an 
advisory body to the Township Committee.
  In the 1970's, some of the farms became available for development, 
and the town government approved thousands of housing units without any 
master plan or overall growth management plan. Outraged by this lack of 
vision, Peter Cantu decided to run for local office. He won, and the 
rest is history, a history he helped write.
  And it is a different history than it could have been without Peter 
Cantu. Under his leadership over the past 40 years, Plainsboro today is 
a thriving, diverse community of over 22,000, honored for its planning 
and smart growth and for having 50 percent of the township land 
permanently dedicated as open space, parks, and nature preserves, a 
notable feature for a town in the most densely populated state in 
America. It has a variety of housing options--rental apartments, 
condominiums, and private houses for those with low and moderate 
incomes and higher. It is home to the University Medical Center of 
Princeton at Plainsboro, the national headquarters of one of the 
world's leading pharmaceutical companies, and other corporations and 
businesses. When the town developed a new town center, Mayor Cantu and 
the planners put at its center not a shopping mall or an office park, 
but a modern, active public library. Is it any wonder that New Jersey 
Monthly Magazine recognized Plainsboro as ``One of the Ten Best Places 
to Live in New Jersey''.
  Mayor Peter Cantu would never claim that Plainsboro's success was all 
his doing. He would say that without the input and hard work of all the 
members of the Township Committee and the support of the residents of 
Plainsboro, this would not have happened. And I would agree. But it is 
his style of leadership that has made this happen. Peter Cantu is a 
patient builder of consensus. He listens attentively to other points of 
view and takes the time to explain the rationale for decisions. Public 
hearings are open and neighborhoods are kept aware of what is planned.
  And perhaps the best indicator of his talent to lead can be found in 
his ability to remain Mayor for so many years. Plainsboro's Township 
form of government calls for an election of some members each year, who 
select which one will be Mayor for a year each January. Peter's fellow 
Township Committee members have chosen him to be Mayor 34 times.
  Peter Cantu's long career in local government is an inspiration to 
those who follow. I ask that you join me in recognizing his significant 
contributions to the well-being of his community and state, and thank 
him for his lifetime of service.

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