CUSIMANO a New Voice
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A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and THE TIMES of Scotch Plains – Fanwood Thursday, October 29, 1998 Page B-1 Republicans Seek Three Seats on 9-0 Democratic Freeholder Board; Incumbents Run on Record; Sheriffs Race Pits Mr. Froehlich vs. Officer By JEANNE WHITNEY the idea of using at least some of that Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times for soccer fields, Mrs. Ruotolo said. After this Tuesday, the nine-mem- Freeholder Chairman Sullivan has ber Union County Board of Chosen said he led the way for the county to Freeholders will know whether they invest $3.5 million in improving ex- still hold a 9-0 Democratic majority isting county facilities as well. on the board. Republicans have not Republican challengers have said won a seat on the Freeholder board they want to downsize county gov- since 1994. Democrats picked up ernment and cut jobs. Mr. Gore em- five additional seats the past two phasized the need for an overall five- years. thus turning a 5-4 Republican to 10-year plan for county govern- edge into a 9-0 Democratic majority. ment that incorporates new technol- Democratic incumbents Lewis ogy, training for county employees Mingo, Jr., Mary Ruotolo and cur- and a closer look at how taxpayers rent Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. money is spent. Sullivan will be facing off against We can not continue to move with Republican challengers Andrew business as usual, Mr. Gore said MacDonald, George Gore and Juan through a written statement. Fernandez. Republican candidate and Freeholder Mingo said the boards current sheriffs officer Esther direction has actually been in provid- Daniel P. Sullivan* (D) Mary P. Ruotolo* (D) Lewis Mingo, Jr.* (D) Ralph G. Froehlich* (D) Guzman-Malcolm will seek to wrest ing human services to residents. the Union County Sheriffs title from My interest in this board has re- Democrat and 21-year veteran Sher- ally been senior [citizens] and chil- Esther iff Ralph G. Froehlich. dren, you know people, Mr. Guzman-Malcolm Over the past year, Democratic Mingo said. Freeholders sponsored a hugely popu- The county recently announced the Photo Not lar pocket park program that re- creation of a county child advocacy Available turned $1.5 million in tax dollars to office for families. Other projects county municipalities for use towards expanded services at the Center for new or existing parks. Hope Hospice and another aimed at However, former Fanwood Coun- getting computers into every class- cilman and Republican challenger room by the new millennium, a pro- Mr. MacDonald called the pocket gram known as Access 2000. park program a double dip into There is now a hotline telephone residents pockets saying it hit mu- number for residents seeking guid- nicipalities twice with its matching ance through the morass of county funds proviso. services. People are just fed up with high We want to make county services Incumbent* taxes, he said. For government to available, usable, user-friendly, Mr. George P. Gore (R) Juan Fernandez (R) Andrew MacDonald (R) ask people to dig deeper into their Mingo said. pockets each year is immoral. He stated that he also wants to Freeholder Democratic incumbents bring the countys presence to the County Freeholder Candidates Square Off on Issues say they invested over $5 million in western side of the county, for in- county funds to protect open space stance, to Plainfield, where he lives. from development without raising If Plainfield suffers, the county taxes at all. In fact, Freeholder will suffer, Mr. Mingo pointed out. During League of Women Voters Forum in Cranford Ruotolo explained that for the past The county was one of only 49 By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL sponsored by the Union County Freeholder Daniel P. Sullivan, a seniors in Union County who are not two years, county taxes were lowered recipients of grants nation-wide from Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times League of Women Voters. Democrat from Elizabeth, who cur- happy with the care they are cur- one-half a percent last year and 1 the federal governments Welfare to Three incumbent Democrats on Moderated by Renee Lane, from rently serves as Chairman of the all rently receiving. He stated that he felt percent this year. Work program. Union County re- the Union County Board of Chosen the West Orange League, the six Democrat, nine-member board, a responsibility to represent the se- Weve done this without a com- ceived $5 million. The program is Freeholders squared off last week candidates running for three seats on talked about the success of the niors and children in the county; promise of the services, she said. aimed at families who have long against their Republican opponents the Union County Board of Chosen countys Pocket Park program. those who are innocent and have no The county sponsored for the first been on welfare. Hudson County was during a forum focusing on issues Freeholders talked about such issues According to Freeholder Sullivan, voice. time a weekend jazz festival in the only other recipient of a grant in such as property taxes, economic as Project Pocket Parks, the cur- the program has provided $1.7 mil- Democratic Freeholder Mary P. Cranfords Nomahegan Park in Sep- New Jersey. development and county matching rent boards open space initiative; lion in funds to build or revitalize Ruotolo of Westfield introduced her- tember. Recently, Republicans charged that grant programs. Access 2000, a program by the parks and athletic fields and open self as a single parent of three chil- Under Democratic leadership, the the county-owned Runnels Hospital Approximately 50 Union County Democrats aimed at computerizing space in all 21 municipalities in the dren who has a strong commitment county purchased 10 acres of prop- was poorly run and over budget. They residents attended the October 15 all classrooms in the county by the county. Freeholder Sullivan praised to public education and child care. erty along the Elizabeth River across proposed to privatize the facility at a Know Your Candidates forum, year 2000, and property taxes. the efforts of each municipality to The widow of the late county Pros- from Kean University in Union with CONTINUED ON PAGE B-3 improve their recreational fields, ecutor Andrew K. Ruotolo talked to parks and playgrounds with the the audience about the countys Ac- matching funds program. cess 2000 program which is a county Mayor Connelly and Congressman Franks in Race Freeholder Lewis Mingo, Jr., a education program that will provide Democrat from Plainfield, addressed matching grants to all 21 school dis- the voters on what he termed people tricts to put new computers in every For Seventh District Seat Long Held by GOP issues. Freeholder Mingo, who was classroom by the quickly approach- appointed less than one year ago to ing 21st century. By SUZETTE F. STALKER Environmental and Housing and fill the seat of vacated by new Freeholder Ruotolo, who was ap- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times Historic Preservation Commissions, Plainfield City Administrator Walter pointed to the board earlier in the Voters in the Seventh District will and the Fanwood Memorial Library McNeil, serves as the boards liaison year to replace new Union County decide on Tuesday, November 3, Board of Trustees. to the countys Division on Aging. Counsel Carol Cohen of Westfield, whether to return Republican Con- Congressman Franks, a resident of He stated that there are a lot of CONTINUED ON PAGE B-14 gressman Bob Franks for a fourth Berkeley Heights, was first elected to term or to make Fanwood Mayor the House of Representatives in 1992, Maryanne S. Connelly the first Demo- succeeding former longtime Con- crat to hold that seat in three decades. gressman Matthew P. Rinaldo. ElectElect The Seventh District includes all Before that, he represented the 22nd or portions of 34 municipalities across Legislative District as a state Assem- Union, Middlesex, Somerset and blyman from 1979 to 1992. He served Essex Counties. In Union County, as Republican State Chairman from the district spans 17 towns, among 1988 to 1992. Tom them Westfield, Scotch Plains, Mayor Connelly said she learned Fanwood and Mountainside. during her campaign that district Mrs. Connelly, making her inau- residents are primarily concerned gural bid for Congress this year, has about the future of Social Security, as served as Mayor of Fanwood since well as school safety and quality edu- Congressman Bob Franks (R) Mayor Maryanne S. Connelly (D) CUSIMANOCUSIMANO 1995. She was previously a council- cation, and health maintenance or- Republican woman for nine years, during which ganization (HMO) reforms. time she was also Fanwoods Coun- As I go around door-to-door, this NOREEN cil President and Police Commis- is what they talk about, she re- 4th Ward Westfield sioner. vealed. Its time to get Congress The candidate, who retired earlier back to work for us. Town Council this year after 28 years with AT&T, is Mayor Connelly has advocated LUND the immediate Past President of the using 100 percent of the Federal bud- New Jersey Association of Elected get surplus to bolster Social Security; 3rd Generation, Lifelong Westfield Resident Women Officials. making pensions transferable if an While a member of Fanwoods individual changes a job, and ex- governing body, she has served as panding tax deductions for Individual PROACTIVE FOCUSED council Liaison to the Scotch Plains- Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Fanwood Board of Education, and as Mayor Connelly has called for a member of the Planning Board, the CONTINUED ON PAGE B-14 COMMITTED Arent You Glad You Live In Mountainside? VOTE REPUBLICAN NOVEMBER 3, 1998 COMMITTED Mountainside Council Candidates PROACTIVE FOCUSED Your Best Choice for Westfield Town Council Werner Schon & 3RD WARD REPUBLICAN NOREEN LUND Your Responsive 3rd Ward Voice Promote Focused Plan for Central Ave Revitalization A New Voice Glenn Mortimer Continuing a Lifelong Commitment to Westfield Paid for by the Committee to Elect Tom Cusimano, John Caravello, Treasurer.