Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • September 25, 2013 Waldwick Local author casts critical eye at government Richard Muti, a former Bergen County assistant pros- ecutor and former mayor of his hometown of Ramsey, will read and sign his fourth book, “Essays for My Father: A Legacy of Passion, Politics, and Patriotism in Small-town America,” on Oct. 3. This event will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Waldwick Library at 19 East Prospect Street. The event is, in part, a fundraiser for the library. After the presentation, copies of “Essays for My Father” will be sold to interested individuals and Muti will be available to sign the books. For each copy purchased at the signing, Muti will donate $5 to the library. “Essays for my Father” is a collection of essays not just about Governor Chris Christie and New Jersey politics, but also about the national political scene, unnecessary wars, rare displays of political courage, not-so-rare displays of political cowardice, an Italian-American heritage shared by Gold Award winner stirs citizens to vote Kimberly Marsden (center) with representatives from the League of Women Voters of New Jersey. Kimberly Marsden of Waldwick recently completed her Girl Scout Gold Award by giving presentations about the importance of voting to middle school classes and senior citizen groups. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn and requires the completion of a leadership project of at least 80 hours. Each girl must discover an issue in the community, connect with experts and community members, and take action to effect positive change. (continued on page 19) 17 million Americans, public employee unions, and other public policy issues that challenge state and federal govern- ment. No politician, regardless of political party, or govern- ment policy is safe from the author’s scrutiny. Governor Christie, whom the author has dubbed “The New Colossus of Trenton” for the way he has dominated national and New Jersey politics, has a whole section of this book devoted to him and his in-your-face style of govern- ment. Christie enjoys a 72% approval rating among voters, the highest level attained by any governor in the state’s his- tory, but he still evokes passionate feelings from supporters and foes alike. In the end, the author comes down on the side of a “yes” vote for Christie, but only after pointing out what he considers flaws Christie exhibited in his Cinder- ella-like rise to national prominence. “I look forward to once again doing a book presentation in Waldwick,” Muti said about his upcoming event. “The Waldwick Library hosted one of the best attended book lectures we did last year, which was especially gratifying, in that my mother was born and raised in that beautiful community.” The author appeared at the Waldwick Library in Novem- ber 2012 to discuss “The Charmer,” his true crime book about a famous Bergen County murder case. That book was an award finalist in the 2012 USA Book News Best Book competition. Muti spent 19 years as a successful trial prosecutor and has taught writing, American government and politics, criminal justice, and history at three New Jersey universi- ties. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Harvard Business School, and Rutgers Law School. He is a former Navy pilot. Visit www.richardmuti.com.