Mayor Hosts Congressman on Walk-and-Talk Tour of Downtown Somerville

SOMERVILLE, NJ - Mayor Brian Gallagher hosted a walk-and-talk with Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-7th) through Downtown Somerville on a busy Friday afternoon, stopping along the way to introduce the congressman to several Main Street store and restaurant owners.

Rather than meeting in the mayor's office at Borough Hall, Gallagher suggested they hit the streets instead after receiving a phone call from one of Kean's aides.

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Gallagher explained the walk-and-talk is his preferred method of meeting with visitors.

“Anytime I can promote Somerville, I will,” said Gallagher.

The first stop on the tour was to visit the Armed Forces Career Center on the corner of Main Street and Division Street, where Gallagher was more than happy to talk about his recent skydiving jump with the US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team at an airport in Gloucester County. He jumped from an altitude of 12,500 feet, harnessed to a member of the parachute team. He and 44 other invited guests joined the team over a three-day period to help raise awareness for recruitment and promote the opportunities afforded by career paths in the US Army.

“I would do it again with the Army in a heartbeat,” Gallagher replied when asked if he would jump again.

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The next stop was a visit to Cafe Picasso, a popular Italian restaurant where the pair ran into Lorenzo Deluca, co-owner with his brother Michael. Deluca, who has seen the impact of Gallagher's efforts for local businesses, invited the pair inside to show them around his establishment and offered them gelato. Gallagher declined, while Kean indulged, paying for the gelato despite DeLuca's insistence otherwise. The money wound up in the servers' tip jar.

“He’s someone who truly cares about the town,” Deluca said about Gallagher. “He cares about the town, people, and merchants.”

Kean and his host continued their tour and found themselves in front of Redelico’s Paint & Decorating Center. They met with Randy Redelico, who has owned the business with his wife for 48 years. He greeted the pair with a warm smile and talked with them about his years in business downtown and their shared love for the mural on the side of his three-story brick building.

They continued to walk when the two stopped in front of Cory Mathews Barbershop, where Gallagher noticed his barber at the entrance. He proudly introduced the congressman to his barber and congratulated the owner for coming up on the store's first anniversary in its Somerville location.

Finally, the walk concluded with the politicians stopping in for a quick visit to Discover Wine; owner Ken Rommel is a friend and neighbor of Gallagher. He shared how he is a fan of the congressman's father, Tom Kean Sr., former governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990.

“I am, too,” the congressman replied with a smile and a handshake.

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