Resident praises Fink for successful grant writing Holmdel Township Committee members Serena DiMaso and Terence Wall recently published a letter lauding township personnel for working hard on grant applications that bring in funding for community planning and open space preservation. What they failed to mention is the primary author for the Smart Growth Grant application was our mayor, Larry Fink. So, allow me to thank you, Mayor Fink, for your success in recently bringing $25,000 for doing planning and zoning to preserve open space. Wall and DiMaso also neglected to thank Mayor Fink for his role in enabling Holmdel to qualify for funding to preserve the F & F Nurseries property. Holmdel could not apply for the special "Planning for Incentive Grants" if it did not have Open Space and Farmland Preservation plans identifying parcels targeted for preservation. It was Larry Fink, as chairman of the Holmdel Environmental Commission, who fours ago was the primary author of Holmdel’s Open Space Plan. Using this plan, he led the effort to apply for the Green Acres Planning Incentive Grant. Then, last year as chairman of the Open Space Advisory Council, he wrote the Farmland Preservation Plan, which qualified Holmdel to apply for the Farmland Preservation Planning Incentive Grant. These two important grants will greatly increase the funding that comes to Holmdel for preservation projects. Larry’s work represents a lot of planning, writing and meetings with state officials Holmdel gets the reward — significant state aid for buying and protecting open space and farmland. Larry Fink receives my gratitude — for his foresight, tireless planning and successful grant writing. April Margolin Holmdel