Monday, May 21, 2012
Council works on old and new business.
A resolution to amend the July 2011 contract for the installation of hi-tech equipment in police vehicles, as well as several other debt-related issues, dominated the conversation at last week's township council meeting. The council discussed modifying the electronic ticketing payment contract for the ten upgraded police cars so that the 809 tickets issued prior to December 31 could count toward the 10,000-ticket minimum for 2012. The topic was brought to the council by West Orange resident Mark Meyerowitz, who said he was “a bit concerned” about the ticketing resolution. What appeared to be at issue was the township's goal to issue a certain number of tickets. The police equipment, which includes state-of-the-art video cameras…
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Nineteen buses added to county's Special Transportation System to aid seniors and disabled.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. announced the addition of 19 new buses for the county’s Special Transportation System while unveiling the new arrivals at the Essex County Division of Senior Services in Verona Wednesday. Coinciding with May’s designation as Older Americans Month, buses will be added to the fleet run under the county’s Division of Senior Services, which provides free transportation to the county’s senior citizens and disabled residents. Ten buses arrived this month with an additional nine to be delivered next month. With the new buses, four of which were awarded to the county through a grant from the Federal Transit Administration, the county’s fleet will now number 46. Several of the buses were used to …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Mayor and governor have fun with their images
Just because they're the state's two most prominent politicians doesn't mean they don't have a sense of humor. The office of Gov. Chris Christie yesterday released a lighthearted video co-starring Newark Mayor Cory Booker as a peripatetic go-to guy, riffing off his now national-scale image as a man of action following his rescue of a neighbor from a burning building several weeks ago. As the Democratic mayor of the state's largest city is depicted doing everything from coming up with a spare guitar for Bruce Springsteen to catching a falling baby, a faux-frustrated Christie hisses "Booker!" The video was produced for the New Jersey Press Association's Legislative Correspondent's Club show. Click on the video above to see the Cory and Chris…
Two U.S. Congressman continue battle before election.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The West Orange Municipal Court handled these five criminal matters.
In State v. Shaun Ward, of Jersey City, the State charged defendant with driving while his license was suspended on March 20th. Defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. The Court sentenced defendant to 10 days in jail, suspended defendant’s driver’s license for one year, and imposed fines and costs totaling $1,039. In State v. Erik Winborne, of Orange, the State charged defendant with possession of drug paraphernalia on May 2nd. Defendant pleaded guilty to an amended charge of failure to give a controlled dangerous substance to the police. The Court sentenced defendant to one year probation, suspended defendant’s driver’s license for 6 months, and imposed fines and costs totaling $258. In State v. Compton Durant, of West Orange, the …
Election registration offices in Newark close at 9 p.m.
Today is your last chance to register to vote in the June 5 primary. If you would like to register, go to the Essex County Superintendent of Elections & County Commissioner of Registration & Commissioner of Registration's office in at the Hall of Records in Newark, 465 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Room 429. Registration will be open until 9 p.m. In order to register, you will need to enter a driver’s license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on the New Jersey Voter Registration form. In a rush? Save some time by downloading a copy of the New Jersey Voter Registration form, filling it out beforehand and taking it with you when you register. All U.S. citizens at least 18 years old by Primary Day, and not …
Councilman Sal Anderton talks about his four years on the township council.
Sal Anderton is moving on. After serving four years on the township council, he looks back on his term and reflects on the future of West Orange. Here’s what he said: What was your biggest accomplishment during your term? “I think the biggest accomplishment for the town in the last four years was the reduction in spending and the ability to stabilize the impact that municipal government has on our taxes,” Anderton said. “That was to me, the defining accomplishment of the last three to four years.” What specific examples made this possible that you’ve been apart of? “Well, it’s been about trying to hold the cost on health care and it’s been about some very difficult personnel decisions” he explained. “None of this was popular but it was …
Monday, May 14, 2012
Jerry Guarino says what he wants to bring to the council
A new councilman, Jerry Guarino, will take office in July. The Patch sat down and asked him now that his campaign is over what are his plans. Here’s what he said: What do you bring that is different to the council? “My goal is to bring my business experience because no one has business experience on the council,” he said. Guarino, professionally, works a senior financial analyst. “I handle a $200 million budget on my own, which is three times the town’s budget.” How will your experience in a corporation, which works for profit, benefit the town? “Making money for a corporation is just like making money for a township where you save money,” Guarino explained. “Because if you save money, then you build up your reserves and it is passed …
Saturday, May 12, 2012
President Barack Obama made big headlines with his announcement this week.
President Barack Obama made national headlines this week when he came out in support of gay marriage during an interview on ABC News. Obama said he has changed his stance on the issue and said, for him, personally, "I think same-sex couples should be able to get married." Reporters at ABC called the statement historical. Obama's remarks came just after North Carolina formally banned gay marriage. Some critics have said the president may have come out for gay marriage for politcal reasons, in anticipation of the upcoming presidential election, but others say his sentiments are sincere. Was it appropriate for President Obama to stand up in support of gay marriage? What do you think?
Friday, May 11, 2012
Conservatives are pleased, but one Democratic critic think the veto is just to "burnish his conservative credentials" for a possible VP run with Mitt Romney
After months of mulling his options, Gov. Chris Christie vetoed state legislation Thursday that would have established a health insurance exchange in New Jersey, a fundamental step in implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—known coloquially as "Obamacare"—in the state. Christie had until Thursday, May 10, to make a decision on Assembly Bill #2171, passed by the state Legislature in March, or the bill would have become law, with or without his signature. Christie said that because the U.S. Supreme Court [SCOTUS] decided to take on Obamacare in March, just 10 days after the New Jersey Assembly passed the health exchange bill, the Affordable Care Act "might not survive [legal] scrutiny." "Because it is not known whether …
Nose Wayne
11:14 pm on Sunday, May 20, 2012
Christie is also a seasoned professional. I bet he spent more time in a helicopter than Biden. more ›