< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > <From:> John K. < Date: 05-Jul-99 >
This
y2k web-site is a total waste of money.
Unfortunately it sounds like the money is
already allocated for this project. Does
anyone know for sure? BBC?
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>Another Gem from Mr.
Ellenport < Date: 05-Jul-99 >
In
the Home News Tribune (Year 2000 article)
Ellenport said:
He's
advised residents to have sufficient funds
available before the new year as a
precautionary measure.
It's
too bad he didn't take his own advice for
the last many years. He never had sufficient
funds available for the basics: TAXES and
MORTGAGE.
As
I write this, I think I know what
Ellenport's master plan really is. He's
waiting for the millennium and the many date
problems that will result from it. He's
hoping that computer systems all over the
world will think he was born on July 25th,
1849 and that they will presume he is dead
and thus wipe out all of his debts.
Hang
on Mr. Mayor - Less than six months to go.
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>Lutz Tank Litigation? < Date: 05-Jul-99 >
THE
PHONY Law suit COST THIS TOWN OVER
250,000.00 our money thanks to MAYOR
Ellenport JUST BECAUSE HE SAID WE COULD WIN
. This guy never won . So you pay.
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>To: Roy < Date: 05-Jul-99 >
Sal
B's vote on the school budget shouldn't have
been bi-partisan. He showed that he could
care less about the residents of Clark just
like the Democrats. A small cut doesn't help
anyone. If he wants to be bi-partisan he
should pick a different time to do this.
It
sounds as if a consultant is being greased
to put together a needness forum. The
township can offer tips to residents either
through local cable (but the number of
people reached is small) or with press
releases and advertisements (at modest
costs) in our community newspapers. This is
a definite grease job. Council should not
support it. BBC
Well,
Ellenport, the reincarnation of Goebbels,
strikes again. Using Taxpayer money, he
wants to set up a site in an attempt to draw
readership away from this site, and thus
spread his lies and innuendoes via the
Internet. Of course, it will be an Ellenport
PR site, lauding him and his lackeys for
everything they do, and attacking the
opposition at every opportunity.
The
only way to stop this travesty is for
taxpayers to attend the next council meeting
and let the Council and Ellenport know
that you are AGAINST this useless waste of
your tax dollars, the way the people from
the Picton Park area came out and forced the
Council to do a turnaround on their
Ellenport-decreed stance against fencing
their park in.
Roy
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>To Roy < Date: 07-Jul-99 >
If
what you say is true, and you have been
right on the money about many issues over
the past few months, it's just one more
selfishly lame thing that Ellenport has
attempted to do.
If
he is planning to use this Web Site as a
Public Relations site for himself and his
party, then the citizens of Clark should not
have to pay for it. I agree with all of the
prior postings - Y2K Information can easily
be passed on to residents using Clark's
cable channel. The $55,000 figure also seems
excessively high; a Web Site like this could
easily be created and maintained at no cost
to the taxpayers.
LOOKS
LIKE CHUCK IS IN FOR SOME COMPETITION.
YOU'LL HAVE A CHOICE OF ONE RAG OR THE
OTHER.
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>To: Charles Ramshaw < Date: 07-Jul-99 >
Your
site will never have any competition the
democrats will never tell the people the
truth about any of the issues in Clark that
the Republicans bring into the light. They
never have on this site. All they know how
to do is trash people. All they are
interested in is public relations and
kissing up to the residents of Clark for
votes. The residents will never know about
the issues though. All you can do with the
people that write on this site is to
discredit them on their actions and that
will surely be enough. They have lost
elections because of this site and will lose
more in the future. The truth hurts.
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>Ellenport's New Scandal Page < Date: 07-Jul-99 >
All
of the information that anyone could ever
need about Clark is found right here on the
Clark Report. Ellenport wants his own rag
page so that he can compete with this page.
But, this page tells the truth without any
political butt kissing or lies. Ellenport's
rag will be as sickening as his T.V. show
and it will be as sugar coated as the staged
questions posed to him by Kuchar and Soyka
during their love-ins at the Council
Meetings.
During
the most recent Council Meeting, Mr.
Mandrone, Ellenport's newest volunteer (unelected
lackey) made a remark about Dawn Drive which
was totally inaccurate and completely
ridiclous. It would benefit everyone if Mr
Mandrone would become informed about Dawn
Drive before he mentions it again. Mr.
Mandrone and probably many others in Clark
have a real misconception about the rotten
situation that exists on that street thanks
to Mandrone's good buddy, Bob Ellenport.
Mr.
Mandrone was very upset because he was not
invited to attend a meeting about Picton
Park. He announced his discontent to the
entire Council. He felt he should have been
included in the Picton Park meeting because
his imput was very valuable. For some
reason, Marty Ferrara was very explicit in
explaining why Mandrone was excluded. Mr.
Mandrone made the grand announcement that he
did not want to be excluded again. He stated
" All of the Dawn Drive residents are
invited to every meeting that the mayor has
and I want the same treatment for
myself."
Understand
something Mr. Mandrone, Picton Park and Dawn
Drive are radically different situations.
Many of the Councilmembers are in favor of
building Picton Park; you are against it.
You are a thorn in their side and Ferrara
told you that he would not tolerate trouble
making from you over Picton Park. The Picton
Park meetings are held to serve a purpose;
the attendees want to accomplish something
so those meetings are worthwhile.
In
contrast, the very few meetings that Dawn
Drive has had with Ellenport and his group
of thugs have been set-ups and scandals. The
residents are tormented by Dr Ortenzio over
very old encroachments which have nothing to
do with anything and yet, Ortenzio never
mentions the illegal parking lot that he
allows Ellenport to run. Harry Applegate
talks about his five year old parking lot
diagrams that Ellenport made him sketch and
which will never be implemented because
Ellenport has his own ideas for a parking
lot and he would never reveal his true plans
until the bull dozer arrives at Town Hall.
Ellenport
has spoken at some of these meetings and he
is the biggest liar on earth. Mr. Mandrone
has some sort of distorted notion that the
Dawn Drive meetings are productive ones
which accomplish a goal and nothing could be
further from the truth. All the Dawn Drive
meetings do is prove what deceitful, lying
scoundrels Ellenport and Ortenzio truly are.
The Picton Park meetings are upfront and
honest while the Dawn Drive meetings are a
showcase for Clark's den of Democratic
vipers.
Don't
worry Mr. Mandrone, no one on Dawn Drive is
being treated better than you.
Mandrone
is the biggest bore in Clark. I fall asleep
when he starts talking.
The
Council has to put an end to idiots who get
up at these meetings and just ramble on
about nothing. Helen Rokosny's "black
man" credit card scam was such
bullshit. Everytime she gets up there to
speak, we learn a little more about the
health problems of Mr. Rokosny. I feel bad
for her, but this is not the time and place
for such matters.
Would
you like some cheese and crackers with your
wine?
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>T A X - M A P S < Date: 08-Jul-99 >
Clark
uncertain about future of tax maps
07/08/99
By
Christopher M. Loder STAFF WRITER
Just
where are Clark's new tax maps?
Nearly
five years after a contract was awarded for
the development of computerized tax maps,
the project is far from being completed, and
the cost is expected to exceed the $161,700
Clark initially earmarked.
Sena
Industries Inc., the South River-based
company awarded the contract, is no longer
in business.
Its
corporate charter was revoked by the state
on Dec. 8, 1995, for failing to file annual
reports for two consecutive years, according
to the state Department of Treasury,
Division of Revenue.
To
date, the township has paid more than
$145,400 to Sena.
Yet
the firm only submitted one-third of the tax
map materials to the state for review,
according to Township Business Administrator
Sanford Kaplan.
Part
of the completed portion of the project was
sent back to Clark by the state for
revisions, said Kaplan, who was not employed
by Clark when the contract was first signed.
"Two-thirds
are outstanding," Kaplan said.
He
added that Mayor Robert Ellenport's
administration will make a recommendation to
the council on how the project will be
completed.
"Within
the next 30 to 60 days, it should be placed
on the agenda," Kaplan said.
What
is known is that Clark will need additional
funds in order to complete the project.
The
township can go after Sena or put the
contract up for new bids. Township Attorney
Rocco Labella said he is recommending Clark
do the latter.
"The
council could decide to pursue the original
contractor legally, but my recommendation is
that you're throwing good money after bad
money," he said.
One
councilman said the tax map issue is another
example of financial incompetence in
Ellenport's administration.
"It
is another instance where the taxpayers of
Clark were burned for big dollars and
received nothing for their money,"
Councilman Sal Bonaccorso said.
"He
(the mayor) didn't check out who the town
was doing business with and did not make
sure that Clark's investment was
secure."
But
Ellenport dismissed the charge, saying the
amount of the contract that Sena bid was
"significantly lower" than
comparable quotes from the other companies
that bid on the project.
"The
town desperately needs new tax maps and has
needed them for nearly a decade," the
mayor said.
"I
signed the contract, but it was the council
who approved the contractor, and the
contractor works with the tax assessor and
the township engineer."
Clark
has not had new tax maps since 1982, even
though much has changed in the Union County
community.
New
developments like Barnes & Noble, the
Bally's Fitness Center and the ShopRite
supermarket near the Garden State Parkway
are not reflected on current maps.
The
council voted to award the contract to Sena
on Aug. 1, 1994.
Under
the terms of the deal, Sena was supposed to
provide aerial photography, digitialized
data and hard-copy drawings.
Sena
was required to make partial payment to all
subcontractors and subconsultants.
In
a Sept. 10, 1997, memo to former
Councilwoman Liz Hudak, Kaplan said Clark to
date had paid $145,433 to Sena for the
project.
That
included aerial photography, computerization
of the tax map and engineering services.
Bonaccorso
said taxpayers will now have to pay for this
"fiscal incompetence."
But
Ellenport claims he did not sign the
contract on his own and only would do so at
the council's request.
"It
is going to cost more than the contract to
get the job completed, but the initial
contract was a low-ball figure that none of
the other competitors could meet," the
mayor said.
Why
is that people are attacked constantly for
their views and opinions? It seems that
people on these threads can only name call
and attack like a bunch of first graders in
a lame attempt to skirt around the issues.
Get the real facts from all sides and let's
here some real debate.
say
something brilliant, and let's debate it.
What do think about this Tax Maps stuff?
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>Settle it < Date: 08-Jul-99 >
Settle
the Dawn drive issue soon. This is such a
waste of time. Either fence, pave and shrub
the area or put down grass. This issue is so
stupid to waste time on. I think there are
more important issues at hand. Maybe taxes
and the school system to start with?
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>Blame Ellenport for Dawn
Drive < Date: 08-Jul-99 >
He
started it and he intensified it.
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>To Writer about misconception
of Dawn Dr. < Date: 08-Jul-99 >
Can
you please list what the misconceptions are
about Dawn Dive to set the record straight.
It seems that whenever anyone mentions that
area, they are always criticized that they
do not know what they are talking about.
There are so many threads about this issue,
and you feel that you know everything that
is going on in town, let's hear your version
of the events in brief. Let's get it right
once and for all.
If
you're going to all the meetings, which
council person are you? Obviously if you are
not a councilperson then you are just as
badly informed as the rest of us, scraping
up what you can of misinformation,
distorting and aligning it to meet your
needs.
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>Don't believe the hype < Date: 08-Jul-99 >
That
doesn't matter. Councilpeople lie to you
anyway. You can ask 2 different people the
same question and get 2 different answers
with both swearing their not lying. Too bad
some people you can read and others you
can't. But then they don't know that you
talk to people who they don't know you know,
catching him in a lie. Too bad it's all
going to get thrown back in his face
eventually. They all do it. No one said
politics is a clean game. It's all a
"game."
Tax
map Stuff? Stuff?? I can't stop laughing.
Stuff? That's all you can call it? Stuff? I
give up. I still can't stop laughing. It's
better to watch people ramble on with their
distortions then to try and discuss STUFF.
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>How old are you? < Date: 08-Jul-99 >
Good
one. "He started it...." Good
answer for a five year old. You've got to do
better than that to be taken anywhere near
seriously or credible. Stop wasting our time
with such drivel. And you wonder why nothing
gets done with comments like that. He
started it and what are you doing about it?
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>Where is the Clark Report?? < Date: 08-Jul-99 >
I
can't find this website - can someone please
post the URL? Thanks.
You
people amaze me. You would rather post one
silly message after another rather than
confront Ellenport's detractors with real
debate. The posts from Today are pathetic.
Please try defending him. Try telling us why
he is good for this town, if you can.
Instead of calling Roy Pitta derogatory
names, explain to us why it's good to have a
bankrupt mayor.
A
meeting was called July 1 for Clark Township
Council members to amend the municipal
budget with $200,000 worth of changes prior
to the July 8 public hearing and vote.
Instead,
elected officials sparred back and forth
about the net nine point tax increase that
the $15-million municipal budget reflects.
"I
would have liked for department heads to
take 10 percent off their budgets,"
said Councilwoman Dolores Memmer, over and
beyond what decreases and adjustments the
three-member Finance Committee came back to
the council with.
The
final nine point municipal spending
increase, which worked out to approximately
$630,000, had originally been even higher.
Councilman
Sal Bonaccorso said the budget worked out by
Mayor Robert Ellenport and Township
Administrator Sanford Kaplan had climbed 16
points over the 1998 figures. But part of
that 16 points had been slashed by a
windfall "extraordinary aid" grant
of $375,000 from the state Department of
Community Affairs. Clark was one of 79
municipalities statewide to receive the
funding, out of approximately 150 that
applied.
The
township received the money, which replaced
the old discretionary aid program, because
of the "severe and unusual financial
hardship" taxpayers suffered from
school deregionalization, a DCA spokesman
said. And despite the municipal increases, a
combination of declines in both the county
and school portion of 1999 property tax
bills conspired to cause a net decrease in
the entire property tax bill for township
residents.
Both
Memmer and Bonaccorso, the two lone
Republicans on the Democrat-controlled
council, said they wouldn't support the
municipal budget as it now stands.
Bill
Takacs, the township's chief financial
officer, tried to explain that the municipal
budget didn't contain the fat Bonaccorso
believed was in it.
These
were "exceptional items" of
expense in the budget that accounted for the
municipal increases, Takacs said.
Those
areas included a $115,000 payment to the
Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority, $224,000
in debt service, and extra money that had to
be allotted for increases in a deal recently
struck with municipal unions.
Kaplan
said he had budgeted a 3-percent increase,
when the final figure came in at 3.6
percent, an adjustment that will add
approximately $28,000 to the budget.
There
also was an extra $60,000 Kaplan had moved
from other accounts to $65,000 the township
had already allotted for a full,
townshipwide bulky waste cleanup, a measure
that enjoyed bipartisan support on the
council.
According
to Takacs, the budget reflected
"$700,000 in extraordinary
increases." If the Republicans won in
their battle to cut the budget, he warned,
they would "have to lay people off to
make up for" it.
Memmer
didn't seem to believe there wasn't any
place left to cut, especially since the
township hadn't anticipated such a large DCA
aid grant.
"Now
you're telling me there's no fat? I'm not
buying it," she said, adding that she
wanted to cut the nine point hike down to
six or seven points.
It
was too much for Kaplan, who said in the
meeting that he had gone over the same
details the day before with Memmer.
"I'm
giving you $200,000 off" the operations
budget. "That's three points right
there," Kaplan said. "The majority
of these adjustments are at the council's
discretion." He offered to take another
tax point off the increase by slashing money
for the bulky waste cleanup, a move that no
one rushed to approve. Bonaccorso was angry
because council members didn't have the
opportunity to vote on the budget section by
section, as they had in previous years. That
procedure allowed governing body members the
ability to veto those parts of the budget
with which they disagreed, while still
enabling them to approve those portions they
supported.
He
believed cuts could have been discovered if
the council had met with the administration
before the budget was presented. A list of
merit raises and the increases obtained in
the union negotiations caught Bonaccorso's
eye. "We voted on it, but you people
negotiated it," Bonaccorso said of the
union contracts. Councilwoman Marie Soyka,
who had chaired the Finance Committee, said
she couldn't recall one telephone call from
Bonaccorso, asking for a breakdown of budget
details.
Soyhka
had changed the format of the committee
meetings to make the meetings more
efficient, but she said she had no
difficulty reverting to their former
structure.
"It's
fine with me. I didn't hear any concerns
coming from you," she said to
Bonaccorso. The two battled further when
Soyka said she thought Bonaccorso had been
"undermining" the budget process
because he didn't believe the township would
receive DCA aid. "I said I'd be shocked
if we got that," Bonaccorso said. He
noted that it was Republican state
legislators who had helped the township
obtain the funding. "We got our fair
share. Everyone's happy," he said.
Earlier,
Councilwoman Michele Cislo had
"challenged" the two Republicans
to show her where the fat they believed was
in the budget was hidden.
"It's
not their budget. It's our budget,"
Bonaccorso said. "Once they hand it to
us, it's ours. You can say the administrator
is the expert, but we control the purse
strings." Bonaccorso said it was the
council's duty to scrutinize all budget
items put forward by the administration.
The
township administrator "put the budget
together. You're going to ask him where the
fat is?" Bonaccorso said to Cislo.
"I've never heard anyone ever say there
was fat in their budget."
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>Laura re Those Tax Maps < Date: 09-Jul-99 >
Rocco
LaBella's advice about... 'throwing good
money after bad...' should not be taken
lightly.
Apply
it to the funds required for Ellenports new
PROPAGANDA PAGE.
Which
relative of which administration official is
in line for the useless paid position of
maintaining this useless page?
The
MAP situation is TYPTCAL Ellenport. The mice
are scurrying! The Mayor did the best he
could for the PRICE?? It seems the mayor was
always absent when finances were taught in
law school. Sanford Kaplan was quick to
announce that THIS particular fraud took
place prior to his joining this team of
financial fools.
Where
else would our city engineer be found
working except in Clark.
Most
amazing is that Shoprite, Bally and Barnes
and Noble managed to build in spite of the
fact that we had NO TAX MAPS.
Anyway,
who needs tax maps. Certain people don't pay
their taxes whether we have the maps or not.
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>the A student at harvard < Date: 09-Jul-99 >
i
would lyk to applye fore the job of
konsultent to the web payge of the mayor.
evin
tho i am worth much mor monee i kno that i
will be issenchal to the mayors teem an kin
woik gud wit administerashun mines like mr
koochar and them others.
i
also need monee and wud like somethin to do
on my sumer vacayshun.
i
cee this as a gud job fore a brite boy lyke
me.
p.s.
i ain't got no relashuns an no konnekshuns
to nobodee in the mayors awfice.
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>To Laura < Date: 09-Jul-99 >
It
is quite amazing that we allowed Barnes
& Noble, Chilies(?), Ballys, Rite-Aid,
and the huge Shoprite to be built without
updated Tax Maps. How can we be building the
golf course?
Can
someone explain what the Tax Maps are and
how they work? Are we loosing tax money
because of this?
< Subject: RE:
Clark Politics > < From:>clare re new website < Date: 10-Jul-99 >
How
exciting! Spare no expense. Clark NEEDS this
latest financial fiasco.
Although
it might prove more enlightening to Clark
residents than anything on this site.
Any
article written by Mr Kuchar, our orator in
residence at the town council might prove to
residents that he writes as nastily as he
speaks.
Marty
Ferrara could edit the Religion and Ethics
part. Ms.Soyka could ruminate and complain
in writing and Ms.Cislo could just sign on
and then ABSTAIN from writing anything.
ATTENTION
ADMINISTRATION : YOU will have to SIGN your
posts in order for them to be taken
seriously (?) and justifying (?) town
funding for this newest madness.
Paid
POLITICAL WRITERS SHOULD BE NOTED as such
and salaries made public. "Guest"
appearances by town Hired Help i.e. Planning
Board or B of E should be FREE or
preferably, kept to a minimum .
NO
FREE ADVERTISING ! Mr Timoni, please note.
Also,there should be no solicitation of
defense funds for lawsuits .
This
$55,000 folly should give us the key to
success in Y2K via the internet.
The
Clark residents who don't have internet
access, well tough luck ! At least you know
YOUR tax money went for a good cause.
By Deborah Cannonie, Managing Editor
Nearly five years after the township hired a
now-defunct company to create new tax maps
it never finished, Clark may have to spend
another $120,000 to get the job done.
That money will be in addition to $145,433
of bond money already paid to Sena
Industries Inc., the South River firm which
won the contract in 1995.
The additional $120,000 was the amount Mayor
Robert Ellenport calculated it would cost to
hire a company to finish the project Sena
Industries abandoned.
“This company really low-balled it. The
total we spend to finish it might turn out
to be what we would have spent” if the
township initially had gone with another
firm, Ellenport said.
The mayor said the township desperately
needed to update its tax maps, which have
been untouched since 1983. Ellenport gave
the order for new maps in 1994 to
then-Business Administrator Frank DeRosa,
who gathered proposals from contractors.
“I didn’t have anything to do with it,
aside from signing the contract,”
Ellenport said. “The council approved the
contract.”
According to the mayor, that tax map effort
was handled by the business administrator,
with help from the township engineer and the
tax assessor.
“I didn’t recommend anyone to do the
job,” he said.
The loss of so much money has many people,
including current and former officials in
the township, pointing the finger about who
was to blame in the hiring of Sena.
According to Philip Duchesneau, who worked
in Clark in 1994 for a year as an interim
assessor, Ellenport was involved in the tax
map project.
It’s not unusual, he said, for a mayor and
governing body to take an active role in
decisions to redraw tax maps and in the
awarding of the bids.
One thing Duchesneau does know is that he
was not kept informed of the project’s
progress. “I discovered the contract was
awarded by reading it in the newspaper,”
he said.
Duchesneau wasn’t invited to the
demonstration Sena directed of its
computerized software approach to mapmaking,
held at a council meeting. “We were hired
and told what to do,” he said, and no one
in the Ellenport administration was
interested in his input on the maps or the
contractor.
DeRosa has worked in Edison since he gave up
his Clark job shortly before Sena was
awarded the bid. He said he doesn’t
remember any of the tax map details.
He does believe, though, that he didn’t
have anything to do with Sena obtaining the
contract.
Ellenport “has said that I recommended
that he sign the contract. I left April 10.
The contract was signed after I left,”
DeRosa said.
Others have complained that Sena and its
principle, Mahmood “Mike” Saeedi, were
not investigated before the bid was awarded.
Sena Industries was incorporated in March
1993, but its incorporation papers were
revoked because Saeedi never filed an annual
report or filled out a form listing company
officers, according to Glenn Holland, a
state Division of Commercial Recording
spokesman.
Saeedi is listed as the company’s
registered agent, and in letters to various
township officials, he referred to himself
as the firm’s president.
Frank Capece, who served as township
attorney in 1994, said he would review
contracts provided by the mayor or council
president. “No contract was ever provided
for my review. Not every agreement comes
before the municipal attorney,” Capece
said.
Ellenport said he signed the contract with
Sena in April 1995, the year after the
council’s approval of the project in
August 1994. But the contract signed by
Ellenport and Saeedi, and stamped by the
township clerk’s office was dated July 29,
1994 — several days before the council
voted to go with Sena as the contractor.
Ellenport was at a loss to explain the July
29 contract, but thought it “might have
been an original contract that couldn’t be
located. That would account for it. That’s
not the date of the signing.”
The mayor explained that sometimes contracts
are prepared in advance and anticipation of
council approval. Even so, he said, “I
would never sign a contract before the
council passed a resolution approving it.”
The Sena disappearance isn’t a total
disaster, the mayor added. “We did receive
aerial maps which cost roughly $75,000. We
also received our deed research, and we got
about a third of the tax maps that were due
us,” Ellenport said.
Republican Councilman Sal Bonaccorso said
the mayor was avoiding reponsibility for the
loss of the money. “It happened on his
watch. He was the township’s chief
executive officer. There’s no way out of
that.”
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Ellenport Strikes Again < Date: 15-Jul-99 >
Ellenport
strikes again. How soon before he's out?
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>fix font < Date: 15-Jul-99 >
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>one more fix < Date: 15-Jul-99 >
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>one more fix < Date: 15-Jul-99 >
This
is a test
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>one more fix < Date: 15-Jul-99 >
There
is bad news and good news for township
taxpayers with the recent approval of a
$14.6 million township budget.
The
bad news is municipal taxes are going up
$1.03 per $100 for a home assessed at
$115,000, the township average. The good
news, however, is that, when municipal taxes
are combined with county and school taxes,
average homeowners will pay $92 less this
year.
During
a special meeting last week, Township
Council members adopted the 1999 budget,
which totals $14,604,637, by a 5-2 vote
along party lines. Republicans Sal
Bonaccorso and Dolores Memmer voted against
the budget.
Bonaccorso
said he would have preferred a municipal
budget that offered a tax decrease, because
next year school taxes, which are spread
over portions of two calendar years, will
increase. He added he's upset the
administration awarded $16,000 in merit
raises. Many of the raises were given to key
Democrats, some in part-time positions,
while some full-time employees were
overlooked, he said.
He
added he would have preferred to see an
increase to about $50,000, for the
township's shade tree department because
it's a service residents continually
request.
Mayor
Robert S. Ellenport said the budget is
$94,000 less than the 1998 budget.
Under
the budget, the municipal tax rate will
increase 9 cents to $1.30 per $100 of
assessed value.
The
increase is mostly because Clark received
$1.6 million last year in discretionary
state aid to offset a 17 cent tax hike as a
result of the breakup of the regional high
school district. This year the township
received $375,000 in discretionary aid.
Ellenport
said the township made up 8 cents of last
year's 17-cent rate hike through decreasing
expenses and increasing revenues.
"We've
put together what we believe is a fairly
lean budget," said Ellenport, adding
that the adopted budget includes salary
increases of 3.6 percent for township
employees.
To
help keep taxes low, when employees leave,
some are not being replaced, while others
only will be replaced later in the year,
Ellenport said. He added that department
heads have been asked to cut back on
overtime.
Ellenport
said the township was helped in its
cost-saving efforts by the increase in
nontax revenues, not including state aid.
This year the township has $5.1 million in
nontax revenues, up from last year's $4.07
million.
July
16, 1999
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Dawn Drive & Picton Park < Date: 17-Jul-99 >
The
Council and Mayor screwed these residents
royaly. It's so obvious that Ellenport has
ulterior motives for the land near Picton
Park. It's also obvious that he is using Fun
Time Junction as a tool to get a parking lot
right behind the Dawn Drive homeowners.
Ellenport
should worry about his own finances as much
as he worries aout finding ways to screw
good hard working taxpayers.
The
Internal Revenue Service has subpoenaed
documents from the township regarding an
environmental cleanup project that sparked
controversy in the mid-1990s, according to
Mayor Robert Ellenport.
A
special agent from the IRS on Thursday
served Township Business Administrator
Sanford Kaplan with subpoenas for documents
from 1992 to the present involving payments,
bids, contracts, invoices and other written
records concerning any environmental cleanup
of township property, removal of oil-storage
tanks from township property and the
production of township zoning and tax maps,
Ellenport said.
The
IRS is seeking documents concerning eight
identified individuals and business
entities, the mayor said. Township officials
could immediately identify having contracts
with only four of the named individuals or
businesses without further investigation of
older township records, Ellenport said. He
did not reveal the names of the individuals
and businesses about whom the IRS requested
documents.
Spokesmen
for the IRS and the U.S. Attorney's Office
in Newark would neither confirm or deny the
existence of an investigation or who the
target of any possible probe is.
"I
have directed all department directors and
town employees to fully cooperate with the
document requests made of us,"
Ellenport said. "I pledged to the
government the full cooperation of Clark
Township in producing the records that it
has requested."
Ellenport,
a Democrat, noted the request for documents
involves matters that were examined by
Clark's outside auditors as well as an audit
team from the state Department of Community
Affairs.
Former
Township Councilman Lyle Hatch, who left
office at the end of last year, said he
requested the audit of the township's
affairs by the Department of Community
Affairs in 1995 after becoming concerned
that the township had not received full
documentation of work performed -- with
bills amounting to $1.6 million -- on the
removal of about six underground oil-storage
tanks on township property. The state audit
results, released in early 1996, found 32
areas in which the township was not adhering
to accounting procedures adequately, Hatch
said.
Ellenport
said the contract for removal of the tanks
was the subject of recent litigation that
resulted in a settlement of $260,000 paid to
the township.
Another
great employee of the township public works.
a Giordano supporter?
A
former Clark volunteer firefighter was
sentenced yesterday to two years' probation
and 100 hours of community service for
stealing $7,116 from an aluminum-can
recycling program, the proceeds of which
were to be donated to the children's burn
unit at St. Barnabas Medical Center in
Livingston.
The
attorney for James Castello, 29, of School
Street, said his client, who now works as a
self-employed landscaper, already has met
his restitution requirement by repaying all
the money before being sentenced by Superior
Court Judge John Triarsi, sitting in
Elizabeth.
"I'm
sorry for what has happened," Castello
said during sentencing. "It's changed
my life around. I get along with everyone in
the community, and I want to keep it that
way."
In
April, Castello pleaded guilty to
third-degree theft charges. As a result of
the plea, he forfeited his job as a laborer
with the Clark Department of Public Works.
He had already resigned as a volunteer with
the Clark and Westfield fire departments.
Russell
Woods of Cranford, Castello's attorney, said
prior to the theft his client had spent his
entire life serving the community.
He
described Castello as a "valued public
works employee" who volunteered on the
fire departments in two communities.
Around
1996, however, his client built up about
$40,000 in "consumer debt," Woods
said. "He did the unforgivable. He used
money from the firemen's fund to pay that
debt. He thought he'd repay it."
Castello
was a member of the Clark Volunteer Fire
Department between January 1997 and August
1998 and was responsible for the recycling
program run by the Clark Volunteer Firemen's
Association, a social branch of the fire
department.
Castello
was responsible for collecting the cans from
trailers at the Broadway and Raritan Road
firehouses, taking them to a salvage yard
for recycling, getting a check for the cans'
value and delivering the check to St.
Barnabas.
When
members of the firemen's association didn't
receive a letter from the hospital thanking
them for their donations in 1997 and early
1998, they learned the hospital hadn't
received the money. Police investigated and
found Castello had gotten the salvage
company to make the check out for cash.
Woods
said Castello had sent a letter of apology
to the fire department before he was charged
and had, with the help of family and
friends, raised more than $3,000 to pay
back. Woods said Castello sold his car and
worked two jobs to raise the $4,000 balance.
In addition, he said his client has turned
over his credit problems to an agency to
help him.
"He's
done everything he can to make amends,"
Woods said.
Triarsi
said compared to Carlos Batista, 28, of
Elizabeth, who was sentenced on official
misconduct and embezzlement charges
yesterday, Castello had done everything to
make restitution.
Batista,
a former accountant with the probation
office in Elizabeth, was sentenced yesterday
to three years in state prison for taking
money from probation accounts between
October 1998 and January 1999 and using it
for his personal financial debts.
While
Candido Rodriquez Jr. of Elizabeth,
Batista's attorney, said the theft amounts
to about $10,000, the Union County
Prosecutor's Office said the figure is
closer to about $38,000. A restitution
hearing will be held by Triarsi on Sept. 10
to determine the true amount Batista has to
repay.
Batista
told Triarsi he was sorry for his actions.
"What
you did was reprehensible," Triarsi
said. "You're going in (the prison
system) and that's where you belong."
Assistant
Prosecutor Thomas K. Isenhour said Batista
forfeits his job and any further public
employment.
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Board of Ed letter to
Ellenport < Date: 21-Jul-99 >
Timoni
and the Board of Ed are trying to fool Clark
residents; read the letter the Board sent to
Ellenport, and see for yourself: Board
Letter to Ellenport
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>How good of him! < Date: 21-Jul-99 >
Ellenport
"instructed" municipal employees
to fully cooperate with the Federal
Government with regard to the subpoenaed
records…gee, what a guy! How noble!!!
I
read an editorial in the July 15, 1999 Eagle
written by Mayor Ellenport saying that he
was never for deregionalization and that he
even tried to get the council to vote for
money to be put aside for a letter to be
mailed to all residents telling them to vote
against deregionalization. He also stated
that Liz Hudak and Lyle Hatch voted against
it. If I remember correctly the democrats
had control of council at that time. Why
couldn't the mayor make sure that the
democrats supported this. If he could not
pass the vote why was the mayor not handing
out flyers educating the residents as to how
detrimental deregionalization was going to
be to Clark?He had plenty of time to do this
like the mayor of Garwood did. One has to
wonder if the lack of activity by the mayor
really meant that he wanted
deregionalization.
The
best word I can use to describe Mr. Nevargic
and Mr. Pitta is disingenious. Finally, an
individual with the ability to understand a
situation, who takes a proactive stance on
behalf of the residents of Dawn Drive, takes
action and you have the audacity to
criticize him. Shame on you both! Mr. Timoni
had the courage and the will to take on both
Ellenport and Ortenzio on the Dawn Drive
issue - the first person in authority to do
anything like this - and you go after him.
You have to be blind with your own ambitions
and/or your desire to build yourselves up at
someone's expense. Timoni did something FOR
the Dawn Drive residents. Nevargic and Pitta
only sit on the sidelines and snipe. Timoni
should be commended for his courage and
willingness to go against the Ellenport
grain. Hopefully, Mr. Timoni will not be
daunted in his desire to help the Dawn Drive
families by your selfish, self-serving
posts. Obviously, he is interested in what's
best for Dawn Drive, and not solely in his
political ambitions, as Nevargic obviously
is.
The
Dawn Drive residents have been lied to
before. Ellenport was supposed to remove the
gravel years ago - and he did. Then he put
it right back.
I
can not blame Mr. Pitta for his cautious
"wait and see" attitude. Hopefully
Timoni truely wants to help this situation,
but Ellenport's track record on this Dawn
Drive issue is filled with lies and threats.
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>RFA to Beef < Date: 24-Jul-99 >
There
is only ONE answer for Dawn Drive
residents--- NO
PARKING
LOT GRAVEL COMPROMISE NONSENSE EXCUSES
NEGOTIATION
Ellenport
and his shills should go elsewhere to find
other victims and/or locations to harass.
Cease the Dawn Drive exploitation entirely.
The
B of E MUST get out of the real estate
business. Ellenport should find land in a
developing nation.
Near
the tennis courts might be a step in the
right direction ......
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>question for BBC < Date: 25-Jul-99 >
What
is your opinion on the Federal Investigation
that is going on in Clark?
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Please BBC < Date: 25-Jul-99 >
STOP
requesting your own opinion.
WE
know nobody else asked for it.
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Cutting through the red tape < Date: 25-Jul-99 >
Q:
Was Bill Kuchar using his big pair of
scissors this weekend to cut up any
documents relating to the current scandal
that the Feds are investigating?
A:
We don't know for sure, but check his hands
for callouses tomorrow night.
If
you read the letter Timoni sent to the
mayor, you'll see that it merely gives the
mayor his stamp of approval for that
unecessary parking lot; for he asks the
mayor to EITHER replace remove the gravel
and the grass OR ELSE place a barrier
between the lot and the homes on Dawn
Drive...which is EXACTLY what Ellenport and
his eunuchs on the council wanted and voted
for! Had Timoni demanded he REMOVE the
gravel and replace the grass, PERIOD, then I
would have lauded his
actions...unfortunately, that was NOT the
case, he was merely supporting the mayor's
decision to keep that lot close to the
municipal offices, and meanwhile, there are
DOZENS of EMPTY PAVED PARKING SPACES on the
other side of the building...to which
municipal employees are, I suppose, to
infirm, out of shape, or tired to walk to
after work...
YOU
are the one who is being disingenuous. This
is yet another sneaky ploy to support
Ellenport's persecution of the residents on
Dawn Drive against whom he has a grudge.
To
Please BBC above - I don't need the pretense
of asking for my own opinion. Isn't my
arrogance something you distain about me?
Since I truly was asked, here is my opinion:
if the Feds shake the tree hard enough,
Ellenport could fall out. BBC
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Judgment day is coming < Date: 26-Jul-99 >
A
shake of the tree will cause many
irregularities to come tumbling out. Council
has always been willing to dismiss past
irregularities as innocent mistakes. It will
be interesting to see if the FEDs come to a
different conclusion.
Just
to set the record straight, please take
notice that there is a legitimate first and
last name following the word, < From:>in the above format.
Ok,to
BOEF or whom ever you are, or what ever your
hiding behind, for what ever reason,I would
like to bring your attention to the
following facts, (please try to pay
attention if you can); (1) Prior to Mr.
Timoni writing his letter to Mayor
Ellenport, he was fully aware that the
Resolution passed by the Democrat controlled
Municipal Council, that authorized the
building of a parking lot at the rear of the
private homes on Dawn Drive., contained
language that mandated the erection of a
berm separating the lot from the property
line of the homes. (Keep paying attention
now BOEF) (2) Knowing this, Mr. Timoni
write's a letter to the Mayor that starts
out very brave hearted and macho. (Now hear
is the hard part BOEF) (3) Click on the
letter from Mr. Timoni to Mayor Ellenport
and direct your attention to the wording
just after, "IN THE ALTERNATIVE,"
(see it,.. your getting better). I am not
going to type the rest of the letter, you
can read. Now, knowing what Mr. Timoni knew,
do you honestly feel Mike Timoni did
something for the people of the
neighborhood, or for the Mayor? I really
dislike using pseudonyms, but if you prefer
to hide behind one for what ever reason,I
have no choice but to refer to yours BOEF,
and leave you with this. Irregardless of my
political aspirations, I am a resident of
Dawn Drive and have all the right in the
world to make my feelings known about my
interpretations of Mr. Timoni's letter.
What's your reason? As for you refering to
me as "disingenuous," I believe my
presentation of the facts above are about as
straightforward as I can possibaly be. There
is nothing crafty in my statement and as for
candid, I refer you to the Resolution, its
available at the Clerk's office you can
obtain a copy the same way I did.
If
you read the article in the Home News
Tribune (7/30/99), you will see Ellenport
and Cislo taking some credit for getting the
fence and additional funding for Picton
Park. I have no problem with Mrs. Cislo's
statements, as she was not a part of the
original lynch mob that screwed these
residents. However, Ellenport was the leader
of this mob. He only changed his direction
regarding Picton Park after the negative
publicity that was generated by the horrible
and insensitive votes of his council
members.
Never
forget that it was Bonacorso and Memmer
(excuse any misspellings) that originally
voted in favor of the needs of the
residents. Ellenport's crew voted against
helping these residents and they only
changed their minds after they realized what
a terrible Public Relations Nightmare
Picton Park was turning into.
See
the story below.
County
to pay for park's fencing
Published
in the Home News Tribune
Playground
project may get under way this fall
By
SUZANNE C. RUSSELL STAFF WRITER
Plans
for Picton Park, a neighborhood playground,
initially got off to a rocky start. But now
with additional Union County funds for a
safety fence around the property, the
project could get under way this fall,
officials said yesterday.
Councilwoman
Michele Cislo said the Board of Freeholders
has given the township an additional $15,000
in Project Pocket Park funds to construct a
400-foot fence at Picton Park, a vacant 2nd
Ward site along the Conrail and Lehigh
Valley railroad tracks.
"I
think it's good news. It helps to get the
project under way rapidly," said Cislo,
who represents the 2nd Ward. "Now we
have the money for play equipment and the
fence."
Freeholder
Chairman Nicholas Scutari of Linden said the
8- to 10-foot-high fence will separate the
park's play area from the neighboring
freight rail line, keeping children safe and
giving parents a sense of security.
"With
the rail line so close, parents have been
very concerned about the safety of children
playing there. The fence will benefit
residents of Clark and neighboring
communities, as the park is located near the
Clark-Westfield-Cranford border," said
Freeholder Linda Stender of Fanwood.
Clark
Mayor Robert S. Ellenport said the type of
playground equipment the residents requested
costs about $45,000. The Township Council
has allocated $29,000 for the park and
playground equipment.
With
the county now providing $15,000 for the
fence, Township Engineer Harry Applegate has
told officials a park playground can be
created within the budgeted $29,000 and
completed by early fall, Ellenport said.
"It's
a great benefit," Ellenport said.
Ellenport
said the township expects to seek public
contract bids on the fence and playground
equipment soon.
He
said the equipment will be in the center of
the park, which will allow the township to
maintain the existing trees and shrubs.
The
fence will extend about 400 feet, around the
length of the railroad side of the property
and along both ends. In addition, the fence
will be designed so children can't get their
feet inside and attempt to climb over.
Earlier
this year, the council transferred $24,000
earmarked for Picton Park to the Fun Time
Junction playground, slated for Westfield
Avenue near the Municipal Building. The move
upset parents of young children who had
asked officials for playground equipment in
Picton Park.
Former
2nd Ward Councilman Greg Nozza and his
family were harassed after Nozza voted with
with his Democratic majority colleagues on
the money transfer. Nozza later resigned
after only three months in office, citing
business obligations. Cislo, also a
Democrat, replaced him.
July
30, 1999
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Parking Lot < Date: 30-Jul-99 >
Well,another
summer is passing us by and the field behind
Dawn Drive looks worse than ever. The weight
of all that gravel and the constant vehicles
parking has caused that piece of land to
sink. There is nothing like driving b Town
Hall on a summer day and looking at the
sunlight as it shines down on all those cars
parked behind the homes. Many have said it
earlier and I agree; whoever parks behind
Dawn Drive is just an inconsiderate pig and
an uncaring slob who is lacking in simple
manners. Those who park behind the homes
inflict their vehicles upon the residents
all day. You then return home to where it is
clean and quiet. How would you like having
to view cars, trucks and jeeps all day long.
We
see the same cars everyday. So ithas to be
the same slobs parking there everyday. Just
remember, some of the taxes that Dawn Drive
residents pay go towards your salaries. Each
time you park there, you are sticking it to
the residents who contribute to your pay
checks.
Instead
of Ellenport the Liar conning Clark's
residents into believing that a $50,000.00
new parking lot is needed at Town Hall, he
should do something worthwhile with all of
that money. For instance, the Emergency
Squad would greatly benefit from that type
of money. How could Ellenport The Top Slob
in town tell people he needs a new lot when
we see empty paved spaces at the tennis
courts each day and yet the Fire Dep't and
Ambulance Squad has to perform fundraisers
all of the time. These groups clearly need
that money. They should not have to endure
the burden of having to raise funds for
their services when Ellenport has more than
$50,000.00 laying around for a needless
parking lot. Ellenport and Kaplan can easily
walk a few steps from the tennis courts
According to Mr. Kaplan, the reasn why the
gravel was placed was because " we were
getting mud and dirt all over our shoes and
pants from walking on the grass and we were
tracking mud into the building whenever it
rained and we parked on the grass."
Idiots like Kaplan and Ellenport are the
major reason why people on Dawn Drive
continue to suffer with that parking lot.
You
really have to ask why the employees (who
know that parking on the gravel and grass is
offensive and hideous continue to engage in
that disrespectful behavior. Are they stupid
or just inconsiderate? It is a combination
of the two. They are truly stupid clods who
do not care about the ill-effects that
parking behind Dawn Drive has on the
residents. If they had any consideration,
they would not be behind the homes each day.
You would think that after all these years,
the employees who own the mint green Ford
Taurus and that smaller green Ford would
have had a change of heart or at least tried
to act with some consideration and help the
residents out by parking in their reserved
paved spaces. But, no, they are behind Dawn
Drive constantly.
What
kind of people could care so little about
the area they work in that they dump their
cars behind homes without feeling terrible
about it. These winners would complain first
and loudly if they lived with a pigpen next
to their backyards. Most slovenly,
inconsiderate people have the biggest mouths
when the slightest discomfort happens to
them. The people who park behind Dawn Drive
entertain their own philosophy as they
continue to make the neighborhood a ghetto.
They sit in their cars and say: "This
is Ellenport's personal slum. He made it a
ghetto and we like it this way. The hell
with the residents who have to look at our
cars and trucks. They can move out if they
dislike it so much."
You
are correct as usual. Also, I have to take
offence with the last paragraph in the
article. Nozza's harassment claims were
never proved. He most certainly lied about
his family being harassed on these threads
and this puts a cloud over anything that he
claimed.
Ellenport
and Co. should be ashamed to take any credit
for Picton Park. We - the residents of the
area - persevered and were not deterred by
the tactics of the local Democrats. We
should be proud of our solidarity - despite
the many attempts by Ellenport to break us
apart.
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Amy to picton < Date: 30-Jul-99 >
Yes
you should be proud. Picton People
Prevailed.
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>About those slobs < Date: 30-Jul-99 >
Yes,
the employees and others who continue to
defame Dawn Drive and all of Clark truly are
slobs who really should know better. They
live and work in a nice town and they are
hellbent on destroying the local area
because of their laziness. The sad part is
that while the violators who park on that
gravel do not live on Dawn Drive, some of
them do live in Clark. What does this say
about the lack of respect that their actions
show to Dawn Drive residents and Clark in
general. The gravel lot at Town Hall is a
snakepit and anyone who parks there slaps
the restof this town in the face because
those cars really detract from the
cleanliness and beauty of Clark.
Something
is really wrong with the people who park
back there. How little self respect do they
have for themselves when they continue to
offend the local community? Even pigs and
other animals always keep their own areas
clean.
Ellenport
will never solve this problem. Eventually,
the moron will rip up the gravel and the
grass and he will build a brick wall between
a paved lot and those homes. For a mayor who
wants to now save trees, he could not care
less about Clark's Limited Open Green
Spaces. His administration sould be fighting
to save those areas but this clown wants to
plow them down for a paved lot. Someone
should tell the Environmental Agency about
Ellenport's abuses of this piece of public
land. I do not mean the local environmental
commission headed by Nancy Sheridan, another
of Ellenport's Stepford wife robots. I refer
to the main agency in Trenton.
It
is high time that Ellenport's egregious
abuses of public property shoud be brought
to the attention of state officials who may
finally step in and put an end to his
parking lot. Christie Whitman, is a great
proponent of preserving Open Spaces, even
small ones like the field at Town Hall.
Maybe she should be made aware of this
problem so that her office can breathe down
Ellenport's neck for a while. She would
probably be interested in finding out why
Dr. Ortenzio and Mr. Timoni, the landlords
of that field have enabled Ellenport to
violate land use laws for so long. Ellenport
will rapidly lose all of his puppet friends
once they have to start answering questions
to non-Ellenport-biased and unsympathetic
law-makers outside of Clark. While Ellenport
has many lackeys in Clark who are willing to
keep his secrets in town (the list is
endless); they will not be so supportive of
him when they have to talk to outsiders. Do
you think Dr. Ortenzio would dare snarl and
growl at an Environmental Commission member
the way he does to citizens at Board of
Education meetings? He will politely sell
Ellenport down the river.
And
for all of the Dawn Drive residents who hate
the gravel and the traffic remember this:
Ellenport will not end this. He wants to
make you all even more miserable. If you
continue to speak out, he will make that
gravel lot into an outhouse for the people
who park there. Quit while you're ahead.
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>To the above < Date: 30-Jul-99 >
You
are right. Ellenport lives (for free) in
Clark and who could have less regard and
respect for this town as he does? I guess
the "S" in his middle name stands
for slob.
What
ever happened to the web site that the
democrats were getting? I guess that once
the Feds were on their backs that it was
forgotten about. What was the result of the
July 27th court date with the Feds?
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Out of Towner < Date: 30-Jul-99 >
You
people are wildmen. Where do you think up
these names?
Dolanijac
Pitta Picton Fun Time Junction Timoni Sal B.
Scatari Nozza P.Nevargic Ramshaw Bill Kuchar
and
the list goes on....... This can't be for
real
AAAAHHHH!!!!
I read Carmine Giordano's editorial and it
brought tears to my eyes the poor man, works
soooooo hard what would the town be without
him? Sorry, but I just can not understand
why he would work for such low pay in a job
that is just a kick back since, he is not
even qualified for the job and the town has
to pay Frank Mazzarella to be the
"certified" (or is that
certifiable) head of DPW.
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>To: Out of Towner < Date: 31-Jul-99 >
I'll
see you at Tarantella's tomorrow evening.
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Nefarius X. Jones < Date: 31-Jul-99 >
Me
and my family are thinking about moving to
Clark. Can anyone recommend any properties
or suitable dwellings?
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>More BS from Ellenport < Date: 31-Jul-99 >
I
see Ellenport has lied again; he apparently
has the Home News Tribune believing he is
behind the fencing in of Picton Park,
something he has in reality always been
opposed to, as others have pointed out.
He
also continues to pile the BS higher and
deeper about Nozza and his family being
"harrassed". When constituents
call their so-called, supposed
representative to express their wishes and
opinions, that is not harrassment. It is
their right, and anyone in public office has
a duty to listen to what their constituents
are saying…they are also supposed to do
what is in the best interests of the
majority of their constituency, something
Nozza did NOT do. Instead of doing what was
right, "No mas" Nozza
turned tail and fled.
After
all his "tough guy" rhetoric,
seems Nozza didn't have the stomach for the
job. Sort of shows a lack of decorum, too…
Roy
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Laura re Mr Nozza AGAIN < Date: 31-Jul-99 >
The
opportunity for ex-councilmember Nozza to
file his criminal charges of threats is now
since Federal Agents of some sort are in
Clark at present.
FILE
THOSE CHARGES MR.NOZZA. Here is your chance
to 'put up or shut up'.
The
Clark Rept.called for police investigation
but Mr.Nozza NEVER responded when it was
suggested that authorities investigate his
charges. Why the hesitation ? We had PUBLIC
PRONOUNCEMENTS by the mayor supporting all
these allegations. As an officer of the
court the mayor has a responsibility to
ensure that wrongdoings are investigated. As
a friend and political ally the mayor should
have INSISTED on police intervention.
Was
there an investigation? If not,the mayor is
remiss. If there was an investigation we
have the right to know about it---we are
paying for it.
If
the allegations are FALSE, then, once and
for all, EX-councilmember,learn another song
! Better yet, DONT SING AT ALL !
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>TO MR. X Jones < Date: 31-Jul-99 >
The
Mayors house will become avialable soon .
its on lake ave.
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>Ellenport & Dawn Drive < Date: 03-Aug-99 >
While
I agree that Ellenport will not stop
persecuting the Dawn Drive residents who
stood up to him years ago until he has his
UNECESSARY parking lot permanently in place,
I disagree that they should give up the
fight. While Ellenport may not want to give
up his despicable crusade against these
people, fighting it tooth and nail is the
only way they might be able to stop
it.
As
for municipal employees who park on the
gravel and grass: yes, they are
inconsiderate. But the fact that they are
municipal bureaucrats - whose Job
Performance is, unfortunately, not necessary
to keep one's job, as it is in the Private
Sector - is in itself an indication of the
character of these people. Selfish,
self-centered, petty and small-minded
followers whose only real consideration is
for themselves. These are the same people
who, when they are forced to deal with
citizens in the course of their
"jobs", make people feel as though
they are doing the citizens a
"favor".
Bureaucrats
are the worst kind of people to have to deal
with, and they are, for the most part,
almost impossible to reason with.
Roy
<
Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From:>To Laura < Date: 03-Aug-99 >
Laura:
If
Nozza indeed claimed he and his family were
"harrassed" (and that wasn't some
invention of Ellenport's), he is a liar, but
even he knows Perjury is nothing to fool
with. THAT'S why he won't file phony
charges. I'm certain all those Picton Park
residents who called him identified
themselves before expressing their feelings,
so identifying his "harrassers"
would not be much of a problem. His problem
is he doesn't like the fact that the First
Amendment gives them the Right to express
their opinions, and that as a councilman he
had a DUTY to LISTEN.
…about the
rest of you, but I'm tired of that disgruntled,
exiled-from-the-party republican who keeps posting
pro-Ellenport propaganda on these threads. His arguments are
without merit, and their main thrust is to attack the local
GOP. He belittles the residents of Dawn Drive who have had to
endure that illegal, ugly, unnecessary parking lot behind
their homes, puts down anyone who defends those residents and
attacks the mayor and his puppets for what they are doing. We
already know you're an Ellenport ass-kisser, as well as a
total jerk, Dave…no need for you to keep confirming it.
And enough with
this nonsense about the Ellenport dems having won in the last
election: as has been pointed out - many times - they won by
scant handfuls of votes, because voters have been duped by the
Ellenport propaganda machine for years.
Roy Pitta
PS Here's a
POSITIVE COMMENT: Ellenport will not be mayor forever.
Want another
positive comment? The Federal Investigation has him running
scared.
I guess your
name should be included too! for the feds
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Call me crazy, but .... < Date: 07-Oct-99 >
Wouldn't the
piece of land that housed the old Howard Johnson Motel have
been a perfect choice for Senior Housing in Clark?
Did we really
need another ShopRite there instead?
Please! If the
other hotel in Clark ever closes up shop, let's not be greedy
and give that land away to the highest bidder. Let's finally
do something because it's the right thing to do, not because
it puts money in politicians pockets. JR
Keep in mind
that Pitta was already arrested once for destroying an
opponents signs in a past election.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >OH NO < Date: 08-Oct-99 >
NOT AGAIN PLEASE
! Roy, don't encourage this. It's been regurgitated so many
times. Even a hopeless mental case should be tired of
rehashing it by now and nobody cares anyway. N O B O D Y ! !
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >OH NO < Date: 08-Oct-99 >
NOT AGAIN PLEASE
! Roy, don't encourage this. It's been regurgitated so many
times. Even a hopeless mental case should be tired of
rehashing it by now and nobody cares anyway. N O B O D Y ! !
You're
absolutely right. I have been open about the sign incident;
and the fathead who continually bring this non-issue up can't
even get his facts straight: I tore the sign down off a
wall, I did not "destroy" it.
Whoever he is -
and I have a feeling I know exactly who the jerk is - is a big
mouth asswipe who hasn't even got the guts to sign his name to
these ridiculous posts.
All I have to
say to that fool on the matter is: come the day I run for
office in Clark again, feel free to bring this stupid incident
up again, if it'll make you happy, you simple-minded, pitiful
idiot. And if a torn-down sign causes you to become so
incensed...why aren't youjumping up and down and screaming
about what Ellenport and his puppets are doing to the
residents of Dawn Drive? Could it be you can' because your
lips are stuck to the mayor's ass?
Roy
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Dear Roy < Date: 08-Oct-99 >
Do you see how
sick ad demented the Ellenport Lover Assholes are around here?
They would rather repeat over and over something stupid that
happened to you one hundred years ago instead of admiting to
and focusing upon the criminal activities that Ellenport is
engaged in now. Ellenport should be in jail for at least
thirty-five things. Tax fraud and evasion are good places to
start and when they finish there, they could discuss his
torment and endless harassment of Dawn Drive residents. These
ignorant Democrats kiss up to Ellenport as though he is really
worth something; however, Ellenport, the skunk always screws
his demented followers. Look at what Ellenport did to the
arrogant Nozza. Of course, Nozza was such a tremendous F----
who deserved all the abuse Ellenport could think of but it
makes you wonder why the other Democatic Clones on Council
never realize what a pail of garbage Ellenport is.
Imagine what
awaits Cislo if she loses the election and how bad thigs will
be for her if she somehow manages to win.
You can ignore
these dopes Roy and be grateful that you do not have to live
with them.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Parkless in Clark to park where you like < Date: 09-Oct-99 >
How about in
front of the mayors house ? Or in front of or behind your
house ? Don't you realize how DUMB you are? We do. Your life
is nothing but parking.
You would be
amazed to find out that so many people in Clark have an
obsession over parking. Ellenport started this trend and it
rapidly spread to the Township employees, Softball teams and
most every other event that goes on at Town Hall. They have
plenty of empty spaces at the tennis courts but no one wants
to park there anymore. The field is the first and only choice
thanks to Ellenport and now he is going to spend $80,000.00 of
yor tax money to build a lot that is not needed and if it
truly was essential, it could be placed far away from the
homes. The thing with Ellenport now is that he wants the lot
behind the homes, as close to them as possible. He has to
prove that he is in charge even though he has destroyed all
quality of life for Dawn Drive.
For people who
do not live on Dawn Drive, remember Ellenport is tormenting
your neighbors. Imagine if he were doing something like this
on your street?
How can you
malcontents criticize one who is an avid watcher of Star Trek
(NG).
May your cup
runeth over with asphalt.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Ellenport's an idiot < Date: 10-Oct-99 >
With all his
troubles, you would think Ellenport would take care of Dawn
Drive the right way. Does it really matter? Front of the
building? Side of the building?
Why doesn't he
just do what's right for those people that are affected the
most and end this damn problem once and for all. Lord knows
Ellenport has so many other problems.
Obviously,he
doesn't have any at all. As long as there are enablers and
sufficient donations to whatever fund relieves him of his real
or phony problems, he can do what he does best, plan his next
Clark crisis.
Ellenport is
determined to have his lot behind Dawn Drive and he will get
it. He has enough puppets on Council and enough robots on the
Board of Education who are there purposely to make sure that
Ellenport gets whatever he wants.
Even if the
money is not adequate enough for him to have the paved lot of
his dreams, he will keep the gravel and eyesore parking lot
that he currently maintains which is all he really wants
anyway. He had plans drawn up to make himself llok good. He
couldn't give a shit about giving the residents a berm. If he
cared about the view that Dawn Drive residents endure, he
never would have allowed parking behind their homes to begin
with.
As for Fun Time
Junction, Ellenport wishes all those parents woud just go away
and give up. Then, he could dump his gravel all over the field
and make the entire lawn a parking lot.
Someone showed
me this week’s Clark Patriot. On the cover was an article
titled “Cislo, Freeholders Did The Right Thing For Picton
Families.” Well, maybe the author of this article truly
believes that Cislo was directly responsible for getting
Picton Park additional money for the Park and fence. That’s
fine; I just happen to think differently.
But how can the
Patriot go out and slam Councilman Bonaccorso in the manner
that they did. Councilman Bonaccorso and Councilwoman Memmer
were the only members of Council that voted for the safety
fence at Picton Park back in February. It was Ellenport’s
Democrats that turned their backs on these residents.
One more item on
the Patriot – Why do Clark Patriot articles have no authors
attached to them? People criticize the Local Source threads
because most people post anonymously; isn’t the Patriot
doing the same thing? Maybe Ellenport wrote this lead story,
or maybe it was Cislo. The Patriot is purposely trying to fool
Clark residents.
Page three of
this rag tells us that James J. Devine is the publisher of the
Patriot. Anyone want to bet that he and Ellenport are great
friends?
Charles
Ramshaw
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Chuck get over it < Date: 13-Oct-99 >
The Patriot
bashes the republicans and the eagle bashes the democrats and
Devine is a friend of the mayors.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >To get over it < Date: 13-Oct-99 >
The Eagle has
much more integrity. The two papers can not even be compared.
The Patriot is an absolute joke.
Why is there
such a secret about the authors?
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Devine and the Clark Patriot < Date: 13-Oct-99 >
James Devine is
a stauch Democrat, closely connected to Rahway mayor Jim
Kennedy. His paper does not try to be objective anymore.
The "Clark
Patriot" (aka "Pravda") is simply an
advertiser-financed Democrat newsletter.
the article must
have struck a nerve ahh chuckie. the girl reporter is a stauch
republican, closely connected to evil bonacaruso. her paper
does not try to be objective anymore.
The "Clark
Eagle" (aka "Pravda Republican") is simply an
advertiser-financed republican newsletter. If you can't take
the heat get out of the kitchen and crawl back under the rock
where you came from
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Amy to Clark 'Polly want a thought?' < Date: 13-Oct-99 >
Surprise us just
once. If you can ever have anything that resembles a thought
(original) please post it. You have taken plagiarism to new
heights. Or Depths. EVERY word and thought of Ramshaws', you
simply (as a simpleton) said the opposite. How did you live
your life without inspiration from Chas. Ramshaw ? Alex,the
world famous parrot is known for his intelligence . We have
Clark the parrot, not known for ANY intelligence .
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >I'm missing something here < Date: 13-Oct-99 >
The Eagle
accurately reports news that's happening in Clark. I've been
reading the paper for many years and I always remember reading
about good and bad events surrounding both political parties.
If you're going
to call the Eagle a Republican paper then give us some
examples like Charles did.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >To Charles < Date: 13-Oct-99 >
I was highly
offended by the rude comments put forth by the Patriot against
Concilman Bonnacorso. To start with, Bonnacorso supported
Picton Park before anyone. When it comes to children and
activities for them, no one comes close to meeting
Bonnacorso's interests in trying to find funding and to create
things that will appeal to children. He is much more
pro-recreation than the Democrats who only seek to use
children as political tools. The Patriot insulted everyone's
intelligence by printing their cheap shots against Bonnacorso.
They asserted that the Democrats are the party that gets
things done in Clark. What things? All they accomplish is
lying, losing vast amounts of tax dollars ad doing whatever
Ellenport orders. I have to hope that Ellenport wrote that
article because it is difficult to fathom that a newspaper
would create such dribble by itself.
We all know by
now that the entire Picton Park episode was a charade created
by Ellenport to cover up for the blunders initiated by Nozza.
It is very sad that Ellenport has so much power over the
Freeholders that he can tell them when to distribute funding.
If Ellenport truly wanted to see Picton Park built, he would
have ordered the Freeholders to put up the funding long ago.
Instead, he used the situation as a political opportunity to
make one of his robots look good. Of course, Ellenport had to
set up Bonnacorso with a really cheap shot. That is the type
of thing the Democrats in Clark do.
Do yourselves
and Clark a favor and show Ellenport that his tricks are
failing. Do not vote for Cislo.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >One reader to missing something < Date: 13-Oct-99 >
Ramshaw will
state facts . That parrot poster Clark can't give facts. The
parrot only posts when CR posts,and as someone has already
said,the posts are childlike pick ups meant only to distort
and distract from Ramshaws FACTS.
I was at
yesterday's zoning board meeting regarding the car wash and I
have never seen such a disorganized and unprofessional
chairperson in my life. Is this woman Lisa for real? She
should be asking do you want fries with that hamburger instead
of deciding the direction of the towns building. She does not
have a clue on what the issues are nor does she support the
citizens. She continually sided with the builder and against
her board members. Does anyone have any idea who appointed
her? I bet I know.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Athene re : WHO appoints < Date: 14-Oct-99 >
EVERYBODY and
doesn't it show? These 'appointees' are there to 'do or die
and never wonder why '...
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >About Devine & the Patriot < Date: 15-Oct-99 >
Chuck is right. Of
course the Patriot will laud Cislo as the heroine
of Picton Park. That weekly is an anti-Republican propaganda
tool for Ellenport and his cadre. Unabashedly so.
I learned some
years ago, soon after he bought the Patriot, that Mr.
Devine is a staunch liberal Democrat…about the same time, I
heard rumors about a Democratic State Senator from Elizabeth
having been behind Devine being able to purchase the Patriot.
The Patriot's bias towards Ellenport and all Dems
offers some credence to those rumors. Admittedly, I have seen
no proof, but I wonder if I were to look at public records in
Trenton, or on the county level, if those records would
dispel, or substantiate, said rumors…
As for
"clark"…I agree with Amy that "clark" is
an idiot…as well as a liar. The Eagle may have an
editor sympathetic to Republicans, but her reporting has been unbiased
and more than fair. She has even written "good"
things about Ellenport, which has incensed some Republicans.
"Clark's" untrue accusation of her being biased, and
his lie about Sal Bonnacorso being "behind" her, is
another attempt by either Ellenport, or one of his puppets, to
smear someone who has brought truths to the surface which
Ellenport would rather keep buried.
Personally, I
think "clark" is that disgruntled,
exiled-by-the-Republicans sucker-puncher and Ellenport puppet
who attacks Sal at every opportunity. His posts reek of that
worthy's cowardliness, dishonesty, and stupidity.
They critized
Sal B. because he questioned Cislo's role in obtaining extra
money for Picton Park. Many people have questioned this and
it's really very clear that Ellenport was behind it all. HE'S
PURPOSELY DECEIVING THE PUBLIC TO MAKE CISLO LOOK GOOD JUST
BEFORE THE ELECTION.
Sal has been
behind the Picton residents from the very beginning, not just
when it became the politically correct thing to do.
I hope that
everyone who follows the Picton Park saga realizes that
Freeholder Scutari is just another politician in Ellenport's
hip pocket. All Ellenport needed to do was contact Scutari and
tell him to give the funding to Cislo just to make the
Democrats look good at the Republicans expense. This is of
course after all the time Ellenport spent telling Scutari NOT
to give the funding for Picton Park. As soon as Ellenport saw
a way to make himself and that twisted party of his look good,
Scutari received his marching orders. Do not vote for Cislo.
She is such an Ellenport clone that it is pathetic.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Thank God for Sal < Date: 22-Oct-99 >
He's the only
member of council with the guts to stand up to Ellenport. I
love what he did at the last Council meeting by questioning
the Mayor about the budget and some missing or
misappropriation of money.
Ellenport got so
scared that he just about choked on his words with his lame
response. We need more people on Council like Sal.
John K
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Robert T. < Date: 22-Oct-99 >
I work in Union
County. Without getting into the politics of Clark, I can
share with you that Mayor Ellenport had no influence over
Chairman Scutari's decision to help the Picton Park residents.
There were two employees of Union County, one was a mother
from Picton, Jean Foley, and another guy who went and spoke
with the Chairman on the matter. Scutari has no idea of the
political battles in Clark. The two parents from Clark
convinced Scutari, not Ellenport or Cislo. Cislo deserves no
credit, nor does Ellenport.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Robert T. < Date: 22-Oct-99 >
I work in Union
County. Without getting into the politics of Clark, I can
share with you that Mayor Ellenport had no influence over
Chairman Scutari's decision to help the Picton Park residents.
There were two employees of Union County, one was a mother
from Picton, Jean Foley, and another guy who went and spoke
with the Chairman on the matter. Scutari has no idea of the
political battles in Clark. The two parents from Clark
convinced Scutari, not Ellenport or Cislo. Cislo deserves no
credit, nor does Ellenport.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >To Robert T. < Date: 22-Oct-99 >
This is very
interesting. It certainly does contradict the Ellenport and
Scutari friendship angle. Either way one thing is very clear.
Cislo received false praise.
The quality of
people that we have on the current Council is scary. If Jean
Foley ever decided to run for public office in this town, she
would get my vote.
Clark's
residents, although didvided, do have one thing in common :
ignorance.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >To Name Witheld < Date: 22-Oct-99 >
You are correct.
There is no other explaination for allowing Ellenport to have
two terms a Mayor.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Athene to name witheld < Date: 23-Oct-99 >
Clark residents
are not ignorant. They are comfortable with their status quo
so they find it easier to live with a mistake then to affect
changes. Admitting mistakes is difficult for an entire voting
bloc. It's much easier for voters to defend this
administration then it is to acknowledge that it was their
blunder that resulted in Ellenports power. Maybe the voters
hoped he would exonerate not only himself but also their
judgement the second time around.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Athene to name witheld < Date: 23-Oct-99 >
Clark residents
are not ignorant. They are comfortable with their status quo
so they find it easier to live with a mistake then to affect
changes. Admitting mistakes is difficult for an entire voting
bloc. It's much easier for voters to defend this
administration then it is to acknowledge that it was their
blunder that resulted in Ellenports power. Maybe the voters
hoped he would exonerate not only himself but also their
judgement the second time around.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Ignorant to click twice < Date: 23-Oct-99 >
You need only
click once for these threads to be posted! You must be one of
the people who constantly presses the elevator button thinking
it will come faster. Be PATIENT- Just click once, and your
silly message dosen't get repeated.
I read Cislo's
campaign article in the current issue of the Clark Eagle and I
really can not believe that she did not mention the plight of
the Dawn Drive homeowners. This has been one of the biggest
problems in the second ward for close to six years now.
Her silence on
this issue is most disturbing. It makes everything else that
she said seem very superficial. It lets us all know that she
will only do what Ellenport permits her to do, and this is not
the type of person that we want on Council.
- Chuck
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >CLARK IN THE NEWS < Date: 24-Oct-99 >
UNION COUNTY:
Plan for ball fields draws opposition
Published in the
Home News Tribune 10/09/99
By SUZANNE C.
RUSSELL
STAFF WRITER
A coalition of
environmental groups hopes the Union County Board of
Freeholders rejects Scotch Plains' plan to build ball fields
and a parking lot on a portion of a wooded and wetland
reservation bordered by the township, Clark, Westfield and
Edison.
The Arthur Kill
Coalition is concerned the development would compact soil and
increase storm-water runoff, further exacerbating flooding
conditions during storms along Pumpkin Patch Brook in Clark
and the Robinson Branch of the Rahway River in Scotch Plains
and Rahway.
"It's just
nuts they want to go in there," said Jim Lynch, president
of the Rahway River Association, one of several organizations
that comprise the Arthur Kill Coalition, a group whose members
yesterday walked through the Ashbrook Reservation in Scotch
Plains where the development is planned.
Michael J.
Murray, Union County director of public information, said the
freeholder board agreed to enter in a lease agreement, but no
lease for the project has been signed with Scotch Plains.
"It has to
be carefully evaluated," Murray said, adding the
freeholders want to balance quality of life and preservation
of space.
According to
Murray, Scotch Plains recently came before the freeholder
board to request leasing 25 of the 616 acres of the
reservation. Scotch Plains plans to use the property to build
a baseball field, a Little League field, two soccer fields, a
jogging trail and walkway, restrooms, a parking lot and
50-foot buffer along the Martine Avenue extension, he said.
Lynch said
Scotch Plains would pay $1 to lease the property for 99 years.
In return, the
county would take ownership of property on the other side of
Martine Avenue that is not large enough for the sports fields,
Murray said.
Lynch said the
reservation property - mostly wetlands and swamp, and filled
with bats and mosquitoes - shouldn't be developed.
"It's the
biggest wet area left in Union County," said Lynch. He
said endangered species of hawks and owls live in the
reservation along with fox, deer, frogs and turtles.
"The Union
County Ashbrook Reservation is not right for ballfields and a
parking lot," Lynch said.
He said the
developed area would not hold water, and the construction
would require the elimination of about 25,000 trees.
"It's the wrong spot. We understand their situation, but
they need to look somewhere else," Lynch added.
Clark Mayor
Robert S. Ellenport agreed.
Ellenport said
he's concerned the development will create runoff in Clark
along Pumpkin Patch Brook. Residents of areas along the brook
suffer flooding during most major storms.
While Ellenport
supports building sports fields in any community, the
development shouldn't be done in an area that will increase
flood hazards in Clark, he said.
Lynch said
members of the Arthur Kill Coalition plan to discuss their
opposition with the freeholders at their Oct. 28 meeting.
Murray said no date has been set for final freeholder action.
October 9, 1999
Clark dam
project wins award
Published in the
Home News Tribune 10/09/99
By SUZANNE C.
RUSSELL
STAFF WRITER
Clark Township
will receive the 1999 Mid-Atlantic Regional Award of Merit on
Tuesday from the national Association of State Dam Safety
Officials. Also receiving the award is its partner in the
project, Schnabel Engineering Associates of New Brunswick.
The award, to be
presented at the Association of State Dam Safety Officials'
annual conference awards banquet in St. Louis, is given to
individuals or organizations working in the dam-safety field
that have made outstanding contributions On a regional level.
During the
awards ceremony, slides highlighting Clark's Robinson Branch
Dam rehabilitation project will be shown.
The township and
Schnabel were nominated by John Moyle, chief of the dam-safety
section of the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Clark's
selection was based on the rehabilitation of the high-hazard
dam along the Robinson's Branch Reservoir and the state grant
and loans from the state DEP Clark received to pay for the
project, without cost to local taxpayers. The township will
repay the state loan from donations by the New Jersey
Conservation Foundation.
Saving the
reservoir and rehabilitating the dam became an issue in 1993,
when Woodbridge-based Middlesex Water Co. announced it no
longer needed the reservoir for drinking water.
Rather than
upgrade the dam to meet federal and state safety standards,
the water company planned to drain the reservoir. Clark
acquired it for $10 to prevent the 146-acre reservoir, built
in 1907, from being drained and left as a mud flat.
Mayor Robert S.
Ellenport said the acquisition involved a cooperative effort
between active citizens, town government, state officials,
state legislative representatives, the Middlesex Water Co.,
the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, engineering
consultants and the township engineer.
The township
hired Schnabel Engineering Associates Inc. to design
rehabilitation measures for the dam that would meet the state
dam-safety requirements. Work was completed in April.
The upgraded dam
provides safety for downstream residents and preserves the
reservoir's open space and wildlife in a nature preserve known
as the Clark Wildlife Preserve and Habitat.
October 9, 1999
CLARK:
Schedule of bulk pickup becomes political issue
Published in the
Home News Tribune 10/20/99
By SUZANNE C.
RUSSELL
STAFF WRITER
As homeowners
put out materials this month for the township's annual bulk
pickup, some Republicans are suggesting the cleanup be held
more often.
GOP Township
Council members Sal Bonaccorso and Dolores Memmer, along with
Republican council candidate Pete Nevargic, this week
announced plans for a monthly bulky cleanup.
Democratic
Councilwoman Michele Cislo, vying against Nevargic for the
three-year unexpired council term in the 2nd Ward, questions
how the plan would result in any cost-savings for the
township, especially when some of the services already are
done by municipal workers.
Under the
Republicans' plan, residents would be permitted to remove
bulky wood, metal and concrete materials on a monthly basis
from April to September 2000. In October 2000, during the
annual bulky cleanup, residents would be able to dispose of
all other refuse.
Because wood,
metal and concrete are recyclable, monthly disposal is
expected to cost pennies per ton. The annual bulk cleanup in
October 2000 would be limited to nonrecyclable materials,
according to the Republicans.
While the bulky
cleanup costs more per ton, the October 2000 cleanup is
expected to be cheaper than Clark's current cost because it
will be free of recyclable materials.
"Good
government is all about providing services to the residents of
Clark at an affordable price. Anytime the citizens can get
additional services without an increase in cost, government is
doing its job," Bonaccorso said.
"This is a
win-win for Clark. I have waited a long time for a service
like this and I am not alone," said Nevargic, adding
residents raised the bulky cleanup issue during election
campaigns last year and now. "If I am elected in
November, I will support this type of plan."
Bonaccorso and
Nevargic met with Roselle Park Borough Engineer Donald
Guariello, who explained how a similar program works in that
borough.
"Roselle
Park is actively running this type of program right now and it
works. It appears there is no reasons it would not work here
in Clark," Nevargic said.
Cislo said
Roselle Park, at 1.3 square miles in size, is smaller than
Clark's 4.5 square miles.
"That makes
the amount of debris more in Clark," she said. In
addition, she said Roselle Park uses one hauler for the entire
borough. In Clark, each homeowner contracts with a private
hauler, with as many as seven now serving residents.
Cislo said she
brought up the idea of using one hauler in Clark at the
Township Council's executive session earlier this month.
Cislo said she's
not sure the labor costs for a monthly bulk pickup will result
in cost-savings.
"How is it
cost-effective to do it on a monthly basis? The tipping
tonnage is less, but the labor charge would have to be paid
every month," she said.
Democratic Mayor
Robert S. Ellenport said labor alone is costing the township
$94,860 for the annual bulk pickup being done this month by
Great Northern Recycling in Newark, the lowest of two contract
bidders.
He added that
township public works employees now pick up metal items, such
as refrigerators, stoves, air conditioners, and wood for
recycling.
October 20, 1999
CLARK: Bus
for elderly, disabled available on Election Day
Published in the
Home News Tribune 10/21/99
CLARK -- The
Clark Senior Citizen bus will be available on Election Day,
Nov. 2, to transport senior citizens and disabled township
residents to and from polling places.
Polls are open
from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The senior bus
will be available from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.; 10:30 a.m. to 12:30
p.m.; and 2 to 6 p.m.
Any Clark
resident requiring transportation by the senior citizen bus
must call Town Hall at (732) 388-3600, Ext. 3001, no later
than 3 p.m. on Nov. 1 to reserve a seat.
No political
literature may be distributed or displayed on the bus.
-- Suzanne C.
Russell
October 21, 1999
CLARK:
Pocket-parks money to refurbish playgrounds
Published in the
Home News Tribune 10/21/99
CLARK --
Playgrounds at Hehnly and Valley Road schools are being
improved with $30,000 from the Union County pocket-parks
funds.
The money,
recently received by the Board of Education, is the result of
a combined effort by parents, PTAs, the Board of Education and
township government.
"It shows
how parents can work from the ground up and eventually attract
$30,000 from a bureaucracy (the freeholders)," said
Michael Timoni, school board president.
The project
started when parents voiced concerns about their children's
safety on the playground because of a rock-and-stone surface
and old play equipment. In response, the PTAs began to raise
money.
Sheila Whiting,
Hehnly's former PTA president, said the improvements were
envisioned as a two-year, $75,000 project. The Hehnly PTA
raised about $20,000 and Valley Road's PTA raised $3,000.
Valley Road's improvements are less costly because its
playground has a different type of surface.
After realizing
the extent of the work, Whiting contacted the Board of
Education, which presented the issue to the Township Council's
Park and Recreation Committee.
The panel,
chaired by Councilman Martin Ferrera, reviewed the schools'
requests last February and recommended $15,000 for each
playground be placed in the pocket-parks application to the
county. Ferrara received the checks for the projects last
week.
Beside the
Hehnly and Valley Road school playgrounds, other Clark
recreational areas receiving money from the pocket-park funds
are Fun Time Junction, $10,000; Pop Warner's Curry Field,
$15,000; Girls Softball at Brewer Field, $20,000; the
"pit" at Veterans Field, $13,000; and lights at
Brewer tennis courts, $12,000.
"It's
beneficial to the children of Clark to have a safe place to
play. These playgrounds are used by the children of the
community as well as the schoolchildren," Whiting said.
Hehnly will
continue its fund-raising with a walk-a-thon this month to
upgrade the playground. Donna Kircher, PTA president, said all
funds raised from the walk-a-thon will be put into a separate
account for the playground.
This is a
reprint from my comments under the Picton Park thread. After
reading the above news, the comments belong here...
In reference to
Roy Pitta's comment that the funds are diverted from the
playgrounds .... the mayor along with the Board of education
have actually convinced the PTA (at least at Henhly) that they
should raise money to refurbish the playground. In turn
removing the responsibilty for the maintenance of these
physical assets away from the BOE.
Why couldn't the
BOE have the decency to acknowledge the PTAs good intentions
but step up to their responsibility.
It's another
example of a TAX on the community but disguised as a
"Fund Raiser" by the PTA. The ultimate outcome is
that the BOE and Mayor can take credit for keeping up with
their responsibilities, and I might add not having to allocate
OUR money for for this purpose instead use the money for their
own political purposes; and the "CHILDREN" lose out
on a special program or service that they should have
benefitted from if the funds were appropriately used.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Fun time junction??? < Date: 25-Oct-99 >
Why is money
given to Fun Time Junction when the school fields are in very
POOR shape, it's a disgrace and a shame that simple
maintenance of existing property is not addressed.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >A Senior Bus on Election Day? < Date: 26-Oct-99 >
Both parties
should have representation on that bus to make sure that there
is no political motivation for this bus. After all the bus is
for everyone in the town and should not be politically marked.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Election Time grows near... < Date: 27-Oct-99 >
...and so
Ellenport and his hoods have made an about-face on several
issues. All of a sudden, pocket parks have become important
enough to warrant fund-raising. Prior to the Picton Park
residents rising up against the Administration, the pocket
parks were totally ignored by Ellenport and his lackeys: now
that Cislo is up for election, all of a sudden the
Administration and it's puppets are in favor of refurbishing
them.
And all of a
sudden Senior Citizens are being offered a Free Bus to come
out and vote - I guess Ellenport feels that having Cislo
distribute water among the seniors has won her enough votes
that they will make a dfference come November.
As for the
writer who said Clark voters are ignorant - if voters swallow
these and other ploys by the Ellenport political machine, yes,
they are ignorant, and gullible. Voters were ignorant about
the Truth about Ellenport when they voted him into a second
term, because the Ellenport propaganda machine has always LIED
to residents, and made this sneak of a mayor out to be what he
is not. He is naught but a vengeful, petty man, whose personal
ambitions far outweigh the needs of the people of Clark.
Thanks to Chuck Ramshaw, the truth started to leak out, and
has become a torrent. Hopefully, enough people will hear these
truths and start cutting Ellenport's power, beginning with the
election of Pete Nevargic, rather than placing Cislo the New
Puppet in office.
Roy
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Is This Ironic, Or What? < Date: 27-Oct-99 >
CLARK:
Freedom route for slaves proven
Published in the
Home News Tribune 10/27/99
By SUZANNE C.
RUSSELL STAFF WRITER
Local historians
long-suspected the Petersen house was one of three Clark homes
in the local Underground Railroad, a network of stops that led
slaves from the Old South to freedom in the Free States and
Canada.
They got their
proof yesterday when a developer, building five luxury homes
on the Lake Avenue site of the former house, unearthed a wall
from a subbasement used to hide slaves.
"We have
the evidence," said Brian Toal, municipal historian, who
jumped into the ditch next to the fieldstone wall of the
subbasement discovered by Fernando Messercola of Messercola
Brothers Building Co., the Westfield firm constructing the
homes. "We wanted to find the subbasement."
And none too
soon. The sub-basement, after being photographed and having
some stones preserved, is slated for demolition today. The
house was razed in the summer. Together, the house and its
land provided insight into local history, from Colonial days
to the Civil War.
Toal said the
house was built around 1778 by a Colonial slave-trader, a
Capt. Smith. He reportedly had the sub-basement built under
the main cellar to carry on slave trading. The house at one
time is believed to have had wooden beams with iron rings to
chain slaves until they were delivered to the buyer.
Historians, however, found no evidence of the iron rings.
Toal said Capt.
Jesse E. Brown, a sea captain, later owned the house and
supported the slaves' quest for freedom.
Local folklore
says the house was used as part of the Underground Railroad in
which slaves were brought by boat up the Atlantic Coast from
the Carolinas to Perth Amboy, and then taken by carriage to
the Rahway/Clark area at night and kept in churches before
being moved to Pennsylvania and the Ohio Valley, and then
freed out West, Toal said.
Quaker
abolitionists were involved in the Underground Railroad, and
Lake Avenue was known as Quaker Road, Toal said.
Besides the
Petersen house, the Lake Avenue home owned by Mayor Robert S.
Ellenport also is believed to have been used in the
Underground Railroad. The third house, also on Lake Avenue,
has been destroyed.
"The town
has a present reputation of anti-whatever," said Toal.
"But it helped people to freedom."
Ellenport called
it "an exciting find" that "ties together a lot
of the oral history we had."
About a year
ago, Messercola Brothers bought the Petersen home and the
3-acre property for construction of five homes that will sell
for about $450,000 each. One house already has been framed and
should be ready for occupancy by Sam Malfatto, father-in-law
of Fernando Messercola, by early next year.
Toal said the
Clark Historical Society was unaware of the building plans
until the spring. The society approached the former owners and
the Messercola Brothers about doing a historical review of the
site that would include digging for artifacts. That work was
done through the late spring and early summer, and the society
discovered old belt buckles, bottles, scissors and spoons.
In September,
society members found a large stone in the yard that had the
dates 1775, 1875 and 1907 each in the different forms
characteristic of the writing of that period. The upstairs
Holy Grail type doors, featuring the double cross to keep out
witches, also have been preserved. Toal said artifacts will be
displayed in the history room of the Municipal Building.
But today the
subbasement wall will come tumbling down.
"It's
destined to be a road," Malfatto said.
From the Home
News Tribune
Published:
October 27, 1999
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >More on this amazing discovery < Date: 27-Oct-99 >
Clark dig
reveals stop on road to freedom
10/27/99
By Jennifer
Golson STAFF WRITER
Beneath a
Lake Avenue development of luxury homes being built in Clark,
a developer yesterday unearthed what appears to be a part of
the Underground Railroad.
Local
historians suspect the subcellar, which was found beneath the
221-year-old house at 1100 Lake Ave., hid dozens of slaves
trying to make their way to freedom.
"The
developer called us this morning and said 'Guess what we've
found,'" said Municipal Historian Brian Toal.
Toal was
elated by the discovery. He said the rumors of Clark's
participation in the Underground Railroad had been discussed
for years but no proof was ever available.
The 3-acre
site that housed the two-story farmhouse, known as the
Petersen House, was sold to the Westfield-based Messercola
Brothers Building Co. last spring. A skeleton of one of the
new houses -- priced at more than $400,000 -- is just feet
from where the hidden cellar was discovered.
"When we
heard about it, the property had changed hands already,"
Toal said of the Clark Historical Society.
The site is
not listed on the state or national historic registers, and
rather than get embroiled in a court battle the society
couldn't afford, members decided to work with the developer to
salvage any remains, Toal said.
"We've
vowed to never let this happen again," he added.
In the
meantime, the Messercola Brothers have agreed to work with the
township, allowing local historians to try to confirm the
legends of the house.
According to
a 1949 report by former historian Frank Hehnly, a slave-trader
named Captain Smith built the house in 1778 with a subcellar
under the main cellar to carry on a slave trade amid
opposition to slavery by the local Colonists.
The house
later went to a family of Quakers, who were part of a
community sympathetic to the plight of slaves. Lake Avenue was
once known as Quaker Road, according to William Fidurski, a
member of the township environmental commission.
But there was
never any proof. "It wasn't publicized, and any history
of the Underground Railroad tends to be very sketchy,"
Fidurski said.
Members of
the Clark Historical Society originally went to the Petersen
house looking for Revolutionary War artifacts, and Underground
Railroad lore was less of a priority, he said.
The developer
has agreed to turn over any artifacts that are not of a
significant monetary value, but may be rich in history,
Fidurski said.
To resolve
the local folklore about the township's involvement in the
Underground Railroad, historians searched for pieces of the
house's original architecture to prove that it was built in
Colonial times.
Earlier this
year they found an original railing made in the mid- to
late-1700s and parts of the upstairs doors with a "Holy
Grail-type design" that was thought to keep out witches
in the early 19th century.
The final
piece of the puzzle was the subcellar, which is about 9 feet
wide and about 40 feet long, Toal said. "For weeks, we've
been agonizing," he said.
It can be
difficult to prove whether a site was actually part of the
Underground Railroad, according to Giles Wright, director of
the Afro-American History Program, New Jersey Historical
Commission .
Wright said
he developed a criteria that seems to help determine whether
the facts are true, including written documentation, such as a
diary entries, oral tradition, proof that former owners were
abolitionists or Quakers and whether the site is within a
community identified with Underground Railroad activity.
"We have
some sense of the communities that were involved," Wright
said. "The interesting thing is that Clark lies between
Rahway and Elizabeth. Both of those places are communities
that have been identified as part of a particular route."
But Wright
acknowledged that the guidelines are strictly his own and
there is no rule that says a state agency must be contacted
about a potential Underground Railroad Station.
"The
state would get involved if there was an attempt to have this
site placed on the state and national registers of historic
places," Wright said. "As a part of that nomination,
the state would have to affirm their belief that this was the
basis for making the site a national and historic place."
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Amy re: Irony ? or Skullduggery ? < Date: 27-Oct-99 >
When the
residence of the ruler of the Evil Empire is declared a
monument does he get to live in it tax free and in perpetuity
? These surprising historical finds prompt a question
regarding the Brewer Property. Is any investigation being
conducted to determine if this land is of historical
significance? Some of those sea captains roaming around Clark
might have buried treasure (when not involved in slave
traffic) near the muni bldg. or maybe the Brewer property
might be the site of former Indian Burial Grounds.
By the way, has
anyone heard anything further about those 'lost' tax maps?
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Who is coming to Clark next? < Date: 27-Oct-99 >
National
Geographic or Disney? See what a waste FTJ and Picton are ?
UNION COUNTY:
Officials seek way to move dirt for golf course
Published in the
Home News Tribune 10/28/99
By SUZANNE C.
RUSSELL STAFF WRITER
Middlesex County
dirt won't have to be trucked to a golf course under
construction in Union County if area officials have their way.
Hyatt Hills Golf
Course in Clark requires about 200,000 more cubic yards of
dirt by Monday to maintain its schedule.
But with a
recent change in control of Conrail lines, dirt may not come
via rail as originally planned. Instead, about 300 trucks per
day, over an eight-week period, may bring dirt from Jamesburg
to Clark.
That has
officials worried about safety and truck traffic. And they are
trying to fight the change from rail to truck.
Clark Councilman
Michele Cislo is appealing to the U.S. Surface Transportation
Board to continue the delivery by rail. The panel regulates
Norfolk Southern Railway Co. which, along with CSX, acquired
and divided the Conrail rail lines last summer.
Union County
Freeholder Dan Sullivan tonight will seek freeholder approval
for a resolution calling for Norfolk Southern to continue
delivering the dirt by rail. So far, about 300,000 cubic yards
has made it to the nine-hole golf course site.
"We'll do
whatever we can to put pressure on them," Sullivan said
yesterday. ""To go back to trucks at this point is
ridiculous."
But a
spokeswoman for General Motors Corp. - owner of the former
Hyatt Clark Roller Bearing property on Raritan Road, where the
golf course, driving range and miniature golf course are being
built - said if the dirt can't be brought in by rail, truck is
the lone alternative. The site straddles the Clark-Cranford
boundary.
Marcia Magee, GM
director of media relations, said arrangements have been made
for 200,000 cubic yards to be trucked in immediately from a
quarry in Jamesburg. For eight weeks, about 300 trucks a day
will haul the dirt on the New Jersey Turnpike to Interchange
13 in Elizabeth and then through Linden, a small section of
Clark, Cranford, and finally to the site.
Rudy Husband,
Norfolk Southern spokesman, said the company is reviewing the
rail-shipping request by Conti Environmental Inc. of South
Plainfield, the general contractor hired to grade the GM
property.
"Now that
things are worked out integrating Conrail, we may be able to
provide service," Husband said. Though the rail company
is aware of the schedule to get the dirt to the golf course by
next week, Husband did not know when a decision would be made.
He said if Conti
had made a shipping commitment in May or June before the
Conrail lines were acquired, the dirt shipment would not be
problem. He said several shippers held out from making a
commitment in hopes of getting a better rate. Husband said
Norfolk Southern is committed to serving customers who signed
agreements beforehand.
Officials from
Conti, which has an $11 million contract for the golf course
grading, deferred all comment to GM.
Clark Mayor
Robert S. Ellenport said Conti officials were notified over
the summer that Norfolk would not be able to haul the dirt by
rail, but he just learned about the decision last month.
"Everyone
is trying to get the rail company to change their mind. At the
same time, we don't want to see the project delayed,"
Ellenport said.
The driving
range and miniature golf, expected to generate $500,000 in net
profits shared by Clark and Cranford, are scheduled to open in
the spring.
"It's a
lose-lose situation unless the rail company comes
through," Ellenport said.
That
anonymous newspaper - The Clark Patriot - is at it once again.
Here is just some of what they said, most of which Cislo used
in a recent campaign flyer.
The Patriot
said Nozza "quit soon after taking office as Second
Ward Councilman due to the outright hostility of Clark's local
political community."
The Patriot
said Cislo won county funds for Picton Park.
The Patriot
said Nevargic seems motivated to stop Mayor Ellenport from
doing his job. They fear that Nevargic is an obstructionist.
Ellenport
believes that anybody who has differing opinions from his own
is an obstructionist. Ellenport has proven himself to be a
failure in politics and in his personal life. He has harassed
homeowners with nasty blackmail attempts and he had to file
for bankruptcy last year after many years of financial
trouble.
Cislo has
been nothing more than an Ellenport Stepford wife. Ellenport
has used every opportunity he has had to drum up false praise
for Cislo. Cislo got nothing for Picton Park. The hard working
people who live in the area are solely responsible for "winning
county funds." Why does the Patriot fail to mention
that it was Ellenport's Council who failed these residents in
the first place?
As far as
Nozza goes, what else can be said that has not been said
already. It was Nozza who was most outspoken about not wanting
to help the Picton residents. If any hostility was generated,
it was generated by Nozza's absurd comments about the Picton
Park and Dawn Drive situations. To blame Nozza's problems on
anyone other than himself is totally wrong.
I'm sorry. I
wanted to give Cislo a chance, but Ellenport has totally
consumed her and he has branded her with his selfish agenda.
Pete Nevargic
is the clear cut choice.
Charles
Ramshaw - 1999
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Amy Will someone explain < Date: 30-Oct-99 >
what is meant by
....the hostility of the political community..... ? I thought
he received threats which were never investigated. Who
comprises the political community ? The mayor and the Council
? I know it's not the voters. Does this imply that the mayor
had Ms. Cislo waiting in the wings while Mr Nozza successfully
discredited himself with the assistance of his political
allies on council?
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Amy Will someone explain < Date: 30-Oct-99 >
what is meant by
....the hostility of the political community..... ? I thought
he received threats which were never investigated. Who
comprises the political community ? The mayor and the Council
? I know it's not the voters. Does this imply that the mayor
had Ms. Cislo waiting in the wings while Mr Nozza successfully
discredited himself with the assistance of his political
allies on council?
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >About the Freeholders < Date: 30-Oct-99 >
Mayor
Ellenport's poltical corruption and patronage is not limited
to the Democrats in Clark. Ellenport's dishonest ways extend
to the Union County Freeholders. Freeholder Chairman Nicholas
P. Scutari is another Ellenport robot. Scutari is so deep in
Ellenport's hip pocket that Ellenport has even more corrupt
political power. The only way to put an end to Ellenport's
dishonest reign of tyranny is by first voting for Pete
Nevargic instead of Cislo who is just another pathetic
Ellenport robot. Next, DO NOT reelect Nicholas P. Scutari.
Scutari makes political life for Ellenport just too easy AND
Scutari is a major part of the Ellenport problem. Scutari is a
major reason why Ellenport has had complete control over the
Dawn Drive parking lot.
On many
occassion, Scutari has voiced his desire to preserve Open
Space in Union County. In the Fall 1999 Issue of Union County
Directions, Scutari details why Open Space is essential. He
states " We live in a County that is 90% developed. This
makes our remaining open space and our parklands all the more
precious both for ourselves and for future generations."
These are nice words but when it came to helping Dawn Drive
residents to preserve the field at Town Hall, Scutari was
nowhere to be found. He was well aware of the problems because
the suffering residents wrote to him many times. They never
received a reply or an acknowledgement of any type from
Scutari.
It is very sad
that Scutari claims to be such a strong proponent for saving
Open Space and yet when he is confronted with a situation
where his influence could really save an Open Space from
perishing so that a useless parking lot can be constructed,
Scutari turned his back on the field and on the residents. Why
the silence from Scutari? This is an issue that he feels very
strongly about and his assistance could help to save a very
large green field, one of the last remaining Open Spaces in
Clark from destruction and overdevelopment into a parking lot.
Is Scutari just so politically aligned with Ellenport that he
prefers to ignore this serious problem, rather than telling
Ellenport that the field should be left alone? Obviously,
Scutari's political alliance with Ellenport means much more to
Scutari than protecting our very limited Open Space.
The parking lot
troubles at Dawn Drive have proven that Scutari will work to
protect Open Space only when another politician does not have
an interest in developing or in Ellenport's case, destroying a
limited Open Space. If Open Space is so "precious"
to Scutari and the other Freeholders, why aren't they
contacting Ellenport to have him remove that parking lot? Why
aren't the Freeholders asking the landowner of the field, the
Board of Education about why they are enabling Ellenport to
continually degrade the field at Town Hall?
Scutari's words
are just empty poltical promises. If he truly wanted to
preserve Open Space, he would have interceded to protect the
field at Dawn Drive. Scutari's silence and protracted inaction
proves that he will hust stand by and silently watch Ellenport
bulldoze the grass and place blacktop down on that once
beautiful field.
Even if you do
not live on Dawn Drive, you must be aware that Ellenport's
illegal parking lot is a tremendous issue for all of Clark. It
proves that Ellenport is just a creep who has a great deal of
political power. Ellenport's harmful attacks upon the local
residents and his abuses of public land cleary demonstrate
that he is cruel and vindictive and certainly not suitable to
serve in Public Office. The parking lot problem further proves
that Ellenport has too many political friends all over
government who allow him to rule Clark with lies and
dishonesty. Scutari should have stepped in long ago to put an
end to the parking lot tyranny but he gave Ellenport total
control. If Scutari truly worked to preserve Open Space and
was not just another Ellenport Drone, he would have embraced
the the Dawn Drive problem as a mission and his efforts would
have demonstrated that he really is a genuine supporter of
preserving Open Space and protecting land from unscrupulous
and illegal overdevelopment. Instead, Scutari hid and Ellnport
has his parking lot. Is everyone afraid of Ellenport or do
they just owe him favors?
Scutari is fully
aware that the parking lot is in violation of numerous laws
and yet he turns his back on the problem, letting Ellenport
have his mad way. Cislo is an Ellenport door mat who will
never do anything against Ellenport's orders. We do not need a
government that is established and maintained to only serve
the wishes of Ellenport. Neither Scutari or Cislo deserve your
vote because all you will be doing is voting to give even more
corrupt power to the Ellenport Dictatorship.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Before you vote... < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
Before you pull
that lever on Nov. 2nd and vote for Mr. Nevargic maybe you
should ask a few of his long time neighbors about how he tried
to ruin his next door neighbors life back during the 80s.
Apparently Mr. Nevargic got into a dispute with his neighbor.
When his neighbor stood up to him Mr. Nevargic said he was a
cop and that he would ruin him. A short time later the Clark
police were apparently called to Mr. Nevargic's house and
showed in force with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Mr.
Nevargic was seen standing out on the front lawn of his house
waving a handgun and claiming that his neighbor had threatened
him with a gun. Police officers pointed their guns at Nevargic
and had to repeatedly order him to drop his gun. The neighbor
was terrified and adamantly denied that he had a gun, but of
course the cops checked everywhere to find the neighbors gun,
which Nevargic claimed had been tossed on the ground. The cops
searched all over the property and didn't find any gun. One of
the cops stated that the facts seem to indicate that Nevargic
was setting up his neighbor and that Nevargic was the one who
had made the threats. The next day the cops came back to his
house because Nevargic said he found the neighbors gun. The
cops said they recovered a handgun from Nevargics property,
which one cop said was the type that inner city cops usually
carry for throwdowns to plant on unuarmed crooks they shoot by
accident. Interesting coincidence that Mr. Nevargic was a
Newark police officer at that time. Mr. Nevargic's neighbor,
who was a nice young man, was so traumatized by the incident
that he sold his house and moved. He told some of the neibors
that he believed Nevargic would kill him if he didn't move.
One cop later confided that the only reason that charges
weren't brought against Nevargic was because of the fact that
he was a Newark cop, and that they felt they had to cover for
him. Seems like what we have here is another example of
someone trying to get into a public office with some serious
questions looming over him about past criminal behavior.
How low can you
get? The Ellenport crew must be real desperate!
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >On the Inside < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
WE HOPE A
CERTAIN CLARK POLICE LT. DIDN'T THROW AWAY HIS SERGEANT'S
STRIPES!!!!!!
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >To: Before You Vote < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
Proof is very
important. Somehow the democrats never have proof or backup
for anything they say. They are just desperate attacks that no
one can believer. Nice try.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Me think me smells a rat < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
Is it just a
coincidence that the bullshit above (Before You Vote), and
Michele Cislo's last flyer (Before You Vote), use the exact
same heading? Come on Carmine you can do better than that!
Want to print something, maybe you should ask Michele what'she
knows about a certain bomb scare.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >The Democrats Will Lose < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
THE DEMOCRATS
WILL LOSE THIS ELECTION BECAUSE THEY NEVER HAVE PROOF OF WHAT
THEY SAY OR FACTS.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >To: Me Thinks Me Smell A Rat < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
What does Cislo
know about the bomb scare at the middle school that could have
threatened lives of children?
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Politcs as usual < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
Election eve and
suddenly trashy rumors are spread about one of the candidates.
Yes, this is what makes Clark politics what they are. As for
Nozza, the greatest hostility will always be reserved for the
Benedict Arnold's in our midst. Come on, the man put the
wishes of his political boss ahead of the interests of his own
constituents. In olden days, he would have been tarred and
feather. Should the voters elect another Democrat, they run
the risk of seeing history repeat itself.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Cislo and Ellenport, a conversation < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
CISLO: UM AH,
Mayor Ellenport UM, can I ask a question?
Mayor Ellenport:
You don't have to ever ask me questions. I will tell you what
I want you to know.
CISLO: Well
um,um, just this once tensy,wensy, time. I just want to know
what the people on Dawn Drive want from you and me?
Mayor Ellenport:
Who knows and more importantly who care about them?
CISLO: Well, um
ah um er oh boy well, it just, ah you see well, it just seems
like they want me to do something and I don't understand
anything. Mayor Ellenport: I told you Michelle, who cares? In
this town, you do not have to ever care or think about what
the people want. You just lie to them and promise them things
and they vote for you. After the election, if they ask you
about the crap you promised them, make up some excuses.
They're all stupid around here anyway. Hey, they continue to
vote for me right?
CISLO: UM, AH,
Mayor, you really do know everything and UM you make it all so
easy to understand. So, I should just ignore those people on
Dawn Drive right?
Mayor Ellenport:
Those idiots on Dawn Drive are nothing but trouble making,
malicious, malcontents. I agree with Marie Soyka when she
calls those people mean. If they don't like my parking lot,
they could either move or drop dead. I will never change my
mind about letting the traffic park all around the grass.
Anyway, I even helped those idiots out. I put down the gravel
one early morning without even bothering the other Council
members about my decision and I even placed those big orange
barricades you see around the gravel. I did more for those
lowlife residents than anyone else would have done. Like my
good friend Carmine Giordano told them, "you eight
homeowners count for nothing." I always keep the right
kind of people around me. So you see Michelle, you have to
ignore the trashy people like the Dawn Drive residents who
continue to live in Clark. If they really hate the parking
lot, my answer is MOVE. There will never be any discussion or
negotiation about that parking lot. Do not make any comments
ever about that parking lot except to tell these jerks around
here that we need it. I keep a copy of the Dawn Drive Parking
Lot Speech in Mr. Kaplan's office along with the Twenty
Different Harrassment Threats Speech to be used by all
Democrats whenever Dawn Drive residents get out of line. All
of the Democrats have memorized these speeches and with a lot
of practice, you will learn it by heart too.
CISLO: Oh UM ER
gosh UM, oh my goodness Mayor, you make it all so clear. I
don't have to do anything for anyone. As long as I listen to
you and follow your advice, my life as an elected official
will be wonderful.
MAYOR ELLENPORT:
Yes, Michelle, that's why I selected you from among all those
other pretty PTA mommys. I knew you would cach on to the Rules
of being a Democrat in Clark very quickly.
CISLO: UM, UM,
ER, DUH, AH, UM, PUH I do have one more tensy wensy question
that has been troubling me deeply. If you say we don't have to
listen to anyone or do anything for them, why did we give in
to the Picton Park gang? Why didn't we ignore them, especially
that Mrs. Jean Foley?
MAYOR ELLENPORT:
That is a brillant question Michelle, you are doing so well.
Picton Park was a special problem. We had a trouble maker on
Council, an upstart, young man who failed to follow my lead. I
had a wonderful underhanded sneaky scheme planned for cheating
those nasty residents out of Picton Park but Greg Nozza
stupidly acted on his own and ruined it all for me. Those
people at Picton Park had to be silenced and I had to make it
look good. That's why I found you. You will never cause me any
problems, Nozza just did too much thinking on his own and look
at the trouble he caused me. But never fear, those people
won't ever see a bench or a even a swing. We really hooked
them this time.
CISLO: Oh Mayor,
you are just so smart. I will do anything you say.
MAYOR ELLENPORT:
Just stick with me Michelle, I will always make you look good.
Just follow the scripts I plan.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >To: Before You Vote < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
After reading
your post I would say that we are not safe with the Clark
Police.
More Clark
Patriot Nonsense CISLO,NOT NEVARGIC, IS THE CLEAR CHOICE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Charlles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That anonymous newspaper - The Clark Patriot - is at it once
again telling the plain truth. Here is just some of what they
said, most of which Cislo used in a recent campaign flyer.
The Patriot said
Nozza "quit soon after taking office as Second Ward
Councilman due to the outright hostility of Clark's local
political community." That would be truethanks to the
rep.
The Patriot said
Cislo won county funds for Picton Park.(I didn't see the rep.
stepping in )
The Patriot said
Nevargic seems motivated to stop Mayor Ellenport from doing
his job.(I haven't seen him do anything) They fear that Bill
is an obstructionist. (True)
Ellenport has
proven himself to be a failure in politics and in his personal
life. He has harassed homeowners with nasty blackmail attempts
and he had to file for bankruptcy last year after many years
of financial trouble.(But this election is not for mayor its
for 2nd ward .lets stick to one thing)
Cislo has been
nothing more than good help to the second ward considering no
one else stepped in. Ellenport has used every opportunity he
has had to help Cislo. Cislo has done every thing for Picton
Park.
As far as Nozza
goes, what else can be said that has not been said already. It
was Nozza who was most outspoken about not wanting to have
children get killed crossing Central Ave, he didn't want to
have that on his back if a child gets hurt or killed. If any
hostility was generated, it was generated by Picton Park
residents. To blame Nozza's problems on anyone other than the
Rep. is totally wrong.
I'm sorry. I
wanted to give Nevergic a chance
Pete Nevargic is
not the clear cut choice. Nov 2nd vote Cislo
A very weak
half-assed try on your part. Couldn't you write your own
sentences? Charles is 100% right. As for Ellenport not playing
a part in this election, you must be kidding, or delusional.
Cislo can not walk, talk, or breathe without Ellenport's
permission.
I urge you,
whether you are a Democrat, Independent or Republican to vote
for Michele Cislo on November 2nd because she will do the
right things for all the right reasons.
PLEASE VOTE FOR
MICHELE CISLO FOR COUNCILWOMAN!
Government is
not a game! Good government is about putting the people of
Clark first!
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >VOTE NO TO LOSAP < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
STOP FUNDING
BEER GUZZLING FIREFIGHTERS DRINKING HABITS AND VOTE NO TO
LOSAP
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Putting Ellenport First < Date: 31-Oct-99 >
Cislo puts
Ellenport first. She has proven that.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >What Chuck really wrote < Date: 01-Nov-99 >
And he's is
right on the money.
More Clark
Patriot Nonsense
NEVARGIC, NOT
CISLO, IS THE CLEAR CHOICE
by Charles Ramshaw
That
anonymous newspaper - The Clark Patriot - is at it once again.
Here is just some of what they said, most of which Cislo used
in a recent campaign flyer.
The Patriot
said Nozza "quit soon after taking office as Second
Ward Councilman due to the outright hostility of Clark's local
political community."
The Patriot
said Cislo won county funds for Picton Park.
The Patriot
said Nevargic seems motivated to stop Mayor Ellenport from
doing his job. They fear that Nevargic is an obstructionist.
Ellenport
believes that anybody who has differing opinions from his own
is an obstructionist. Ellenport has proven himself to be a
failure in politics and in his personal life. He has harassed
homeowners with nasty blackmail attempts and he had to file
for bankruptcy last year after many years of financial
trouble.
Cislo has
been nothing more than an Ellenport Stepford wife. Ellenport
has used every opportunity he has had to drum up false praise
for Cislo. Cislo got nothing for Picton Park. The hard working
people who live in the area are solely responsible for "winning
county funds." Why does the Patriot fail to mention
that it was Ellenport's Council who failed these residents in
the first place?
As far as
Nozza goes, what else can be said that has not been said
already. It was Nozza who was most outspoken about not wanting
to help the Picton residents. If any hostility was generated,
it was generated by Nozza's absurd comments about the Picton
Park and Dawn Drive situations. To blame Nozza's problems on
anyone other than himself is totally wrong.
I'm sorry. I
wanted to give Cislo a chance, but Ellenport has totally
consumed her and he has branded her with his selfish agenda.
She probably
feels the same way about all the rumors circulating around
regarding the Bloods and Crips coming into town. It's just
another silly rumor, perpetuated by a few gossiping parents.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >An Observer to above < Date: 01-Nov-99 >
WHO CARES how
Cislo feels about Bloods and Crips and BOMB SCARES ? I am
interested in what the Police Dept. has discovered AFTER
investigating these rumors. The investigation being undertaken
at the order of the Mayor who puts CHILDREN first .
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >to LOL post Oct 31 < Date: 01-Nov-99 >
Speaking of
immature postings yours was one of the MOST ! Aside from being
pointless, yours was irksomely condescending in view of the
fact that you offered NOTHING not even humor,let alone
'hilarity'.
I had the same
reaction before I fell asleep reading your 'charlles' flop .
Always the copier-- NEVER the ORIGINATOR . We'll take the Real
Ramshaw everytime. A N D , jerk-- since when is any election
NOT about the leader of a party ? In this case, the Mayor.
Everybody can't be original and clever like Ramshaw. Stop
trying .
Major Hurricane
Billy headed to Clark in mid NOV
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Major Hurricane
Billy headed to Clark in mid NOV
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Sarah Bellum to Cluck or storm warning < Date: 03-Nov-99 >
Your progress
from zzzz's to ????'s shows improvement. BUT-- your posts are
not nice-- -----------------SO---------------------------
DON'T POST TWICE !
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >A reader re 10/31 conversation between < Date: 03-Nov-99 >
Ms. Cislo and
the Mayor. Was that post fact or ficton? I think the voters
decided it was fact. The writer has a good ear for Clark's
version of 'political discourse'.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >A reader re 10/31 conversation between < Date: 03-Nov-99 >
Ms. Cislo and
the Mayor. Was that post fact or ficton? I think the voters
decided it was fact. The writer has a good ear for Clark's
version of 'political discourse'.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >No Poet to clark storm warning < Date: 03-Nov-99 >
Since your posts
are those of a dunce, please just post once .
I truly believe
that the dialogue between Cislo and Ellenport pretty much
matches the one that appeared in the Clark Report. Ellenport
would never hand choose a drone with half a brain. This is how
he talks to all of the Democrats. That's why Ellenport is able
to successfully screw so many people and swindle so much money
from us. I am very glad Cislo was defeated by such a huge
landslide. Ellenport should be getting the idea that we do not
want him or his robots having any authority in Clark anymore.
Nevargic
ousts Cislo in 2nd Ward sweep; LOSAP referendum passes
By Deborah
Cannonie, Managing Editor
Last year, Pete
Nevargic lost his bid for the 2nd Ward council seat by a mere
14 votes. He more than made up for that loss Tuesday night,
when Nevargic defeated Councilwoman Michele Cislo with 648
votes to Cislo’s 424.
The 224-vote
difference, an unofficial tally, represented an almost
one-third plurality for Nevargic.
“I’m
elated,” said the slightly dazed councilman-elect at the
Republican’s victory celebration at the Hungarian American
Club in Clark.
The LOSAP
referendum, which will reward firefighters and First Aid Squad
members with a tax-deferred income incentives, easily passed
in the election, with 1,774 voters approving it to 694 against
the measure.
Officials have
estimated the program will cost taxpayers approximately
$50,000 to $60,000 annually, but will save as much as $1.5
million if taxpayers don’t have to fund full-time paid
employees for those slots.
He was
surrounded by dozens of well-wishers, many of whom had been
out stumping for the former Newark police captain in his
second try for the council seat.
“With Pete’s
election, we’re bringing responsible government back to
Clark,” said Councilman Sal Bonaccorso, who managed
Nevargic’s campaign. “He deserved to win, and the people
deserve to get a man like him in office.”
The Republicans
believed it was the issues of taxes, land use, development,
traffic and overall responsivness — or lack thereof — of
government officials that helped Nevargic to victory.
Cislo, a
Democrat, could not be reached for comment, nor could
Democratic Chairman Carmine Giordano, who also serves as the
township’s public works director.
At Casual Times,
a Central Avenue restaurant where the Democrats had hoped to
celebrate Cislo’s election, Mayor Robert Ellenport said he
thought the inclement weather might have had something to do
with the defeat.
“It was an
extremely low turnout. I am disappointed in her loss,”
Ellenport said.
Approximately 41
percent of the ward’s 2,600 voters cast ballots in the
Tuesday election.
That, Bonaccorso
said, is about the same percentage of voters who went to the
polls last year when Nevargic was defeated, and at least 11
points higher than county Republicans predicted would show up
to vote this election. “They told us it would be a good
turnout if 30 percent voted. I’m thrilled we got 41
percent,” Nevargic said.
Nevargic said he
believed his win was the equivalent of a mandate by the
voters. Last year’s close election, he said, had a profound
impact on him.
“After you
lose by a few votes, you feel like there was something that
was left unsaid. We did everything we could to get the word
out this year,” Nevargic said. “It obviously worked. The
voters heard me and they responded.” Former 1st Ward
Councilman Ernie Spies said Nevargic won “a stunning
victory.”
“There are
four districts in the 2nd Ward. By the time the vote was
counted in the second and third districts, I just knew he had
done it,” Spies said. “We were thrilled with how many
votes Pete won by.”
Nevargic lost in
1998 to Democrat Greg Nozza, who held the seat only a few
months before resigning earlier this year. He was replaced by
Cislo, a political newcomer appointed by Ellenport to fill the
slot.
The issue of the
parking lot Ellenport is close to permanently paving between
the Municipal Building and the backyards of Dawn Drive
residents — 2nd Ward residents themselves — was an
important issue to Nevargic. Although he lives on Dawn Drive,
Nevargic’s home wasn’t affected by the placement of the
parking lot.
Ellenport has
said the parking lot was needed, even though the building, a
former school, has a parking lot on the other side of the
structure.
The parking lot
was voted on at the meeting at which Cislo was appointed
earlier this year. She abstained on the measure, because she
said she didn’t feel it was right of the governing body to
vote on changes to a property still owned by the township’s
Board of Education. No other council member abstained on that
vote that night. The Republicans saw Nevargic’s overwhelming
sweep as a referendum on the Ellenport administration.
“This was a
devastating defeat for the Democrats and for Ellenport,”
said Bob Kobryn, who coordinated Nevargic’s 2nd Ward
campaign effort. “Ellenport’s a goner.”
Nevargic’s win
is significant in that it will deprive the mayor of the easy
majority he’s had in the council when he wanted spending
projects approved.
“Now he’s
going to have to negotiate. Now he will have to listen if he
wants something done,” Bonaccorso said. “With Pete’s
win, the people of Clark now have a voice.” Taxes, traffic
problems, and development are all projects the Republicans are
hoping to attack now that the campaign is over.
They won’t
have to wait until January, either; because Nozza left just a
few months into his term, Nevargic, the winner of this
election, will finish out 1999 in Nozza’s place, plus
fulfill the three-year term he won Tuesday. He said he
believed he would be sworn in at the Nov. 15 council meeting.
Ellenport said
he wished Nevargic well in his three-year term.
“The campaign
was pretty above-board and dealt with the issues,” said
Ellenport, whose own seat is up for election next year.
“Hopefully everyone will pull together for the benefit of
the town.”
On Nov 15, at
the B.O.E. MEETING Councilweoman Soyka and Councilmen Jock
head Uncle Marty will lead the town JOCKS TO Kill any chance
for the seniors to have a place to build a seniors citizen
Housing Building . lets all remenber that next Nov when they
run.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Letter to the Eagle < Date: 05-Nov-99 >
I checked with
the Clark Eagle and the letter allegedly from Carmine Giordano
was typed and not written in crayon, Carmine's favorite
writing instrument, so I do not believe he wrote it. It was
probably the chief memo writer the mayor
Would someone
provide a quick description on the Senior Citizen Housing
Building Project.
< Subject: RE: Clark Politics > < From: >Eileen N. re: Town of Clark WOW < Date: 05-Nov-99 >
I have found
this website recently and want to say that Clark voters are a
tough sell . Very savvy. Despite the worst weather, political
ploys, photo ops and candidate merchandising by an entrenched
party, its obvious you voted the way you thought you had to.
Since you voted opposite the national winners you could also
be trendsetters. W O W ! !