About Me

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My name is Joseph Paltjon, but around town I’m known as “Joe” or even “Coach Joe.”

I’m originally from Green Brook and growing up only knew of Dunellen thanks to our sports rivalry. Little did I know that I would end marrying former Dunellen cheerleading captain Melissa Mastrian and raise three little Destroyers in our house on Whittier Ave. 

It was clear early on that this town was something special. The more my wife and I got involved in town the more we felt a sense of community and a feeling that everyone knew each other—kind of like Mayberry.

Community involvement has always been important to me and my wife. Before we had children, I would work with Zupko’s to help organize benefit comedy shows at the Cinema Café and run the local Christmas tree fundraiser providing medical expense assistance to local families. My wife and mother-in-law would work with local businesses to support town fundraisers, volunteer to wrap gifts for the PTO Tricky Tray, or volunteer for events supporting the Carol Fund. If there was an opportunity to assist with a local, worthwhile event, you could always count on the Paltjons to help out. 

As we settled into town and started our family, we were blessed with three daughters (in hockey terms this would be called a Daughter Hat Trick). Being a “girl dad” has been really special to me and opened up a whole other side of Dunellen to us—one that included more events, activities, teams, and a wider circle of friends. 

I knew I found my place in town the moment I signed my oldest daughter up for T-ball and volunteered to coach. In addition to spending quality time with my daughters on a variety of sports teams, I found a tremendous sense of satisfaction in working with kids of all ages and abilities on the mechanics of each sport, teaching them the importance of teamwork and most importantly making sure they had fun.  

Our commitment to town continues to grow each year. In addition to my wife working with the PTO and Dunellen Recreation Department, I am also a member of the Dunellen American Legion, the Parade Committee, and was asked to be a member of the Faber School Pandemic Response Team, a position that I gladly accepted in order to help all students—not just my daughters—remain healthy and safe during these unprecedented times. 

As a Dunellen Borough Council candidate, my platform includes:

• Bringing in new businesses to downtown Dunellen to continue with the revitalization
• Continuing to drive infrastructure, making road improvements a priority
• Increasing program choices in town—from recreational to arts and more—to allow our children more opportunities to explore their talents and interests
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This is an exciting time to be part of this great community. We are welcoming new families, new businesses and new developments. I am running for Dunellen Borough Council because I want to be an active part of Dunellen’s future. I feel that the skills I’ve acquired as a teammate and coach will only benefit me in this position. I understand the importance of effective communication, utilizing each individual’s strengths, and know when to lead and when to assist. 

I appreciate you taking the time to get to know me and I look forward to seeing you around town.