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People On The Move: Dave Cohen
11/01/2007 - By Tobi Tesoriero
Dave Cohen
Dave Cohen - Crusader For Honest Government, dedicated to helping mankind
Former Holmdel mayor Dave Cohen has dedicated himself to a life of service to the community and to civic involvement. He was, of course, involved in Holmdel at a high level, but his activism did not stop there. He is also a humanitarian, very involved with issues of tolerance, and dedicated to reducing bigotry throughout the world. He is a leader in this cause and is actively involved in many organizations.
His involvement in causes and in politics began when, after moving to Holmdel from Red Bank in 1964, Cohen quickly became involved in the community. He noticed what he felt to be a conflict of interest in the town’s government, and shared his concerns and misgivings at a public meeting. He felt the “powers-that-be” at the time were not receptive to his concerns, so he decided to run for office.
Cohen mounted an old-fashioned, grass-roots campaign. He went door-to-door, meeting with fellow residents, talking with them about his concerns and listening to theirs. He was elected to his first of two 3-year terms on the council, serving from 1969 through 1974. He is happy to say that he never succumbed to offers made to him while in public service.
One accomplishment that Dave is particularly proud of is his involvement with creating a first-aid squad in town. As the population in Holmdel grew, he realized there was a pressing need to service residents in this capacity. He had heard the story of a resident who fell off a ladder and needed immediate assistance, but at that time Holmdel had no service of its own and had to rely on the neighboring towns of Lincroft, Hazlet, or Keyport; obviously, response time could not be as it should have been. Just three people showed up to the first meeting. Cohen quickly realized that they needed more volunteers if they were to effectively institute a squad. He went to various civic and religious organizations to spread the word in hopes of recruiting more members. It worked – they were able to train 22 people as Red Cross Certified First-Aid team members. Since that time the squad has answered hundreds of calls every year.
Cohen has also served on Holmdel’s Planning Board, the Board of Health, and has been a representative to the Bayshore Regional Sewer Authority. One of the ways in which he has directed his dedication to human rights issues was to become a member of the Center for Holocaust Studies. He is also involved with the Monmouth County Human Relations Commission and the NCCJ (National Conference for Community and Justice), formerly known as the National Conference of Christian and Jews. The latter group’s mission of “fighting bias, bigotry, and racism in America” echoes Cohen’s personal beliefs. He strongly feels diversity is the strength of America. Unfortunately, as with any political stance, people have contrary views, and Cohen has had to deal with hate mail; however, he remains undaunted in his mission.
Originally born in Red Bank, Dave has seen the area grow and change. “When we first moved to Holmdel it had a population of maybe 4,000 people,” stated Cohen. “The residents were mostly farmers and it had a very rural feel. We chose to move here as we felt it would be a good environment in which to raise our children.”
Cohen met his wife, Mildred, when they were both just 13 years old. Apparently, in this case, young love had great wisdom, as they have been married for 60 years. They raised their two daughters in Holmdel; one is a former teacher and the other is an attorney. Twenty-five years ago Mildred was a member of the educational committee that worked for the accreditation of Holmdel schools. Before retiring in 1986, Cohen worked as a chemical engineer.
Dave Cohen continues to work for the causes close to his heart and feels strongly about ethics and honesty in government. He does not want to see citizens lose faith in government, and feels that elected officials should never violate the public trust.
–by Tobi Tesoriero
Are you or someone you know in Holmdel a “Person on the Move”? If you have a story to tell this could be you! E-mail us a brief description to info@livinginmedia.com and let us know who you are.
STATS
Favorite restaurants: whatever my wife says! Charlie Brown’s or the Chinese Buffet in Hazlet
Favorite musician: Itzhak Perlman
Favorite Movie: I really don’t have a favorite movie
Pet peeve: dishonesty in government; it is so wrong to violate the public trust
Three people you would like to have dinner with: along with my wife, our friends Mary and Ed, Marlene and David, and Shirley
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