County Employee Pleads Guilty to Fraud by Cheryl Hehl Prior to Handing in His Resignation Sept
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County employee pleads guilty to fraud By Cheryl Hehl prior to handing in his resignation Sept. 30. The former to the case. Palmieri also has to reimburse the county Staff Writer county employee could lose a portion of his pension, but $100,000. A former Union County director of facilities manage not all of it. On Monday county sources indicated the entire scheme, ment pled guilty in federal court last week to charges he New Jersey State statutes indicate anyone holding a which took place between 2006 and 2010, involved one conspired with a vendor, cheating the county out of as public office or public employment that is convicted of a vendor, Frank Vicendese, owner of the Viva Group of War much as $200,000 in revenue. crime has to forfeit the pension money earned during the ren, who gave Palmieri kickbacks in cash, gift cards, expen Aniello “Niel” Palmieri, 56, of Toms River, resigned just time the crime was committed. sive appliances and gym equipment in order to continue days before he appeared in Newark federal couri, pleading The former county employee faces up to 56 months in doing business with the county. The Viva Group deals in guilty to mail fraud. The former employee worked for the jail for this crime and is expected to be sentenced in Janu building maintenance and repair, commercial and industri- county for 23 years, earning $111,800 a year, plus benefits, ary, according to information obtained from sources close See PALMIERI, Page 15 Union candidates forum set for Oct. 10 canceled Rumors spread about cause, but League of Women Voters takes the blame, apologizes By Cheryl Hehl Staff Writer UNION - For the first time in 30 years there will not be a candidates forum so residents can see exactly where township committee incumbents and challengers stand on the issues. Although initially it appeared that the Democrat incumbents backed out of the annual forum where challengers meet head-to-head with incumbent candidates, that was not the case at all. In fact, it appeared there was a miscommunication somewhere early on and incumbent candidates Mayor Clifton People Jr. and Suzette Cavadas were never notified about The challenging candidates the final date for the forum. are vying fo r two open seats Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, on the township committee the forum was supposed to take place tonight at and without a forum their the high school, but it was abruptly canceled concern is residents will be Monday by the league. in the dark about who they Republican challengers Jack Hackett and Ron Wilburn admitted they were completely are or what they stand for baffled by the canceled annual event, pointing in the election. out that they personally received notification from the league about the forum over two months ago. The challenging candidates are vying for two open seats on the township committee and without a forum their concern is residents will be in the dark about who they are or what they stand for in the election. Photo By David VanDeventer Hackett said there are many issues in the township that need addressing, including In Clark, pink ribbons wrap around trees in recognition of Breast Cancer “nepotism, escalating taxes, and the fact the township is paying almost $7,000 a year to Awareness Month. The ribbons can be found all over Union County, pro mow the grass around town hall when there are 72 Department of Public Works employees viding support for an important cause dear to many residents. To learn who could be tapped to do the job.” more, visit the American Cancer Society’s website at www.cancer.org. See, CANDIDATES, Page 12 SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY • SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY Are You Disabled & Unable to Work? Y ou M a y Be GAIL A. 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Manzella said he UNION - Thanks to a partnership liked what he heard and between the township and the Veteran’s thought the governing body Alliance Committee, a long awaited war might feel the same way, memorial befitting the bravery and valor of which they did. all Union servicemen and women is coming After that things moved to fruition. quickly. Johnsen was The park, Tom Mahoney Military Park, appointed as a liaison is being built on a plot of township-owned between the newly formed land on Chestnut Street, just down the road Veterans Alliance Commit from Honor Roll Park. As construction and tee and the Township Com landscapers hurry to put the finishing mittee while plans for this touches on the memorial set into trees and new memorial began in beautiful serene landscaping, there is still earnest. time to ensure all veterans are a part of this “I thought it was time lasting tribute scheduled to be dedicated the township had a lasting early next month. memorial where all veter The park will have three walkways lead ans could be recognized,” ing to a circular center, where bricks pur said Johnsen in an inter chased by families to honor a veteran in view last week, adding that their life will be placed. The bricks, $100 he worked closely with gov each, will be engraved with the name of the erning body member Man- veteran, branch of service, rank and years nuel Figueiredo, who was of service, then placed in the honorary cir just as determined to see cle at the memorial. The only requirement the project move forward. f1!!£nZ?ARI( UH!ON TOWNSHIP NJ is the person being honored served in the Helping to kick off the SPCWSOBED BY VETEflAMS ALLIANCE OOMGEPT military and lived in the township for a financial end of the project minimum of 20 years. were seven unknown For decades residents and veterans alike donors who each con questioned why the township only honored tributed $5,000 so ground veterans who were residents of Union could be broken and the Photo By Cheryl Hehl when they entered the service. Veterans of project could be moved A developer’s rendering displays the plans for the Tom Mahoney Military Park in Union to be Foreign War member Bob Johnsen, who along. But in the back of his dedicated in Mahoney’s honor in November. served his country for nine years in the U.S. mind, Johnsen was think Army, including a stint in Vietnam, admit ing about Mahoney, a World War II Navy ese bombed Pearl Harbor, survived even another ship and continued to fight the war ted he pondered this also but felt there was veteran, who worked day and night to though a plane the crew shot down plum non-stop from Australia to Tokyo. Of the 12 a way to honor all veterans who moved to ensure no one ever forgot those who served meted 10,000 feet to the deck and explod destroyers in his squadron, only three were Union, not just those bom and raised their country in the military. ed. Later a bomb exploded four decks down left at the end of the war but the Navy gave there. “We knew that this park had to be and almost simultaneously a nearby sub them the honor of escorting the fleet into Eventually he sat down with Township named in honor of Tom because he was the marine released a torpedo that sank the Tokyo Bay. Administrator Ron Manzella and present ultimate veteran,” said the VFW member. destroyer. Still, Mahoney survived to tell of This Navy hero sailed 3,000 miles of ed what he believed would be a very special Mahoney, who joined the Navy in 1940 his harrowing escape. ocean waters and fought 1,100 days, even- memorial honoring all veterans living in and was on the USS Curtis when the Japan- The war hero was transferred in 1943 to See BRICKS, Page 7 Kenilworth pleasantly surprised by Merck move By Cheryl Hehl “Merck knows what their taxes will be for the next two Staff Writer N o one w as m ore surprised than years,” Joho said, explaining that the borough will still get KENILWORTH - Borough officials are putting up the that $9.8 million for 2011, but for 2012 they will pay $8.7 K enilw orth’s elected officials welcome banner for Merck, who announced last week they million, or 25 percent of the tax base, and for 2013, $7.7 will be moving out of Summit and planting the flag of their when the announcem ent came million, or 22 percent of the tax base.