f Ambrosio, Scott M init-ed prepare for battle The scene at the Lyndhurst see page2 Hillside Cemetery took us back to The Commercial Lower it the dark ages. Attendants found or lose it eight dead chickens and 144 red and see page 6 black candles. Such is the evidence of voodoo worship. It was attributed to hispanic santeria cult as just one more contribution from a religious H e a b e r group in Cuba. OF LYNDHURST P ublished a l 251 R id^e R oad, 1,v n d h u rs t, N.J. 25$ Second Class Postage I'aid At Rutherford, N.J. 07070 LYNDHURST'S OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER S u b scrip tio n SX.00 - P ublished W eekly I SI’ S I?*' 120 VOL. 75 NO. 45 THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1993 Lyndhurst aid m ay face another scrutiny Special prosecutor approved by Senate by Margaret Myre move which would almost certainly ship used it to reduce property taxes SCI probe a whitewash. With the Governor and a power­ kill the measure. Thursday’s vote rather than maintain school pro last April, the state school ful Democratic candidate for the was exactly the number needed to grams. Eventually, through board, in apparent disregard for the Legislature key figures in the mat­ override a veto. Ambrosio’s insistence and the lob­ SCI’s findings concerning ter, Republicans in the state Senate If it survives, the bill would bring bying of other Democratic legisla­ Lyndhurst, ordered that the school voted last Thursday to ask the New about the fourth investigation of tors, the Florio administration district return the second grant of Jersey Supreme Court to appoint a the politically charged controversy, arranged a transfer of $1.5 million $1.5 million to the township. special prosecutor to investigate which began in late 1990 when a from a state employee benefits how Lyndhurst came to receive computer error in the state Depart­ fund to the township. The township TTiat decision gave impetus to school aid that the state Board of ment of Education overestimated then turned the money over to the powerful Republicans in the Sen­ Education said it did not deserve. by $1.7 million the amount of aid school district. ate to call on Florio to appoint a The Senate squared off largely the township would receive under special prosecutor, and threaten to along party lines in the 27-10 vote, Florio’s Quality Education Act. The legal committee of the state impose one if the Governor refused taken just two days after the primar­ Board of Education investigated to act by May 6. Florio, conceding ies, and with only five months to go Lyndhurst eventually got $1.4 the circumstances surrounding the something “wrong” occurred in before the gubernatorial and legis­ million from a discretionary fund transfer of funds and called for a Lyndhurst, asked Attorney Gener­ CUB SCOUTS TOUR T ill: PO I.ICI. DEPARTMENT - Recently lative elections. State Sen. controlled by then state Commis­ probe by the State Commission of al Robert Del Tufo to conduct a Cub Scout Puck X6 Wolf Den 1 toured the Lyndhurst Police Raymond Zane (D-Gloucester) sioner of Education John Ellis, Investigation (SCI). The SCI blam­ grand jury investigation of the mat Department. Cub Scouts attending were Richard Jasinski, Jr., Cary was the only Democrat to vote for through the efforts of former state ed Ellis for bowing to political fter. Senate President Donald T. Erling, Joseph Molnar, John (iiordano, Richard Davis, Francis passage. Zane held out the possibil­ Sen. Gabe Ambrosio. pressure and exonerated DiFrancesco then introduced the Lanionica, Nicholas Lamonica, I-rank Vagueiro. Sj»t. Richard Jasinski ity he might vote to support Gov. The aid was rescinded in Novem­ 1 .yndhurst officials of any purpose­ bill, which now goes to the Assemb­ led the tour and Fred Ciordano, den leader, assisted. Jim Florio on a veto, however — a ber 199!, however, when the town­ ful wrongdoing. Ellis labeled the ly for a vote. G O P turns out strong in P rim ary by Margaret Myre turnout of Democrats by nearly 2 to although Whitman lost Bergen Lyndhurst, Florio got 402 votes in While Democrats in Lyndhurst 1. only by 4,102 votes, and Lyndhurst the Party’s primary, which brought and throughout Bergen County In percentages skewed slightly by just 67. out 579 persons. experienced a Primary Day mal­ by the inclusion of undeclared vot­ The final tally in Bergen County Two lyndhurst rivals, state Sen. aise, voters in the Republican prim­ ers casting ballots for either party, gave Edwards 19,777, Whitman John Scott and former Sen. Gabe ary, lured to the polls by an intense­ nearly 47 percent of Republicans 15,675, and former state Sen. James Ambrosio, will become combat­ ly fought campaign for the nomina­ county-wide showed up at the polls, ants once again in the 36th District, tion for governor, exceeded the compared with just 24 percent of as Ambrosio handily turned back a Democrats. primary challenge by Rutherford’s I ’he Democrats stayed away des­ Michael Matthews, 3,724 to 785. pite contests on the Democratic Scott, who was uncontested, gather­ side in four of the legislative dis­ ed 5,479 votes. I ’he vote in tricts, including Lyndhurst. In the Lyndhurst was Scott with 673, and township, approximately 41 per­ Ambrosio with 404. cent of registered Republicans and Scott had wrested the Senate 21 percent of Democrats voted. seat from incumbent Ambrosio in Christine Todd Whitman, a 1991, a defeat Ambrosio blames on former utilities regulator and an election-eve decision by the Shown from left are 1st Assistant Chief Bryan Hennig, Chief Somerset County freeholder, was state Commission of Education to Richard Pi//uti and 2nd Assistant Chief Thomas Lindsay. chosen by New Jersey Republicans take back $1.4 million in school aid to face Democratic Governor Jim the Senator had lobbied to receive. Florio in November. More on the battle brewing bet­ Her strongest opponent, former ween the two hometown candid­ L F D officers installed Attorney General Cary Edwards, a ates appears inside this issue. I he Lyndhurst Volunteer I ireAssistant Chiel Thomas 1 nulsay. resident of Bergen County, carried Another local candidate, James Christine Whitman Department held installation cere­ captains Keith Carroll, loin Nigro. Cary Edwards the county and Lyndhurst, Dombrowski, lost his bid to monies at l ire Headquarters lor the Paul Horvath and Boh l errara. Wallwork 8,022. Total voter tur­ become a Democratic nominee to newly elected lire officers on Nla> lieutenants Vincent Bello, Ldward nout for Republicans in the county the state Assembly. Marina Pema, N Y cop, m oonlighting as courier, 15. Rogers. Al Carrier and Dave Hoyt. was 45,710. In Lyndhurst, where who is the Mayor of Belleville, Treasurer Dave Hos t and Secretarv Richard I’l/zuii was installed as voter turnout for the GOP totaled polled 3,236 votes, and running- Paul Sco//ala\a is victim of arm ed robbery 859, it was Edwards with 381, follow­ mate Ozzie Maldonado, a Passaic the I OS th Chiel ot the lire ed closely by Whitman with 314. housing inspector, took 3,967 votes, Department, lie has been a member An off-duty New York police contained only receipts, the gun Wallwork trailed with 113 votes. ot I n*zine \ the Hill Company, tor lieutenant, moonlighting as a couri­ discharged, drilling a hole in the to turn back newcomer On the Democratic side, an 20 years and also scr\cd as depart er, became the victim of an armed car. The bullet ricocheted off of Dombrowski, who totaled 1,451 S t r a w b e r r y unopposed Gov. Florio garnered ment chiet in 1*1X7 XN robbery in broad daylight in another car. No one was injured by votes. 18,486 votes in the county. A total On the Republican side, Lyndhurst last week, according to the gunfire and nothing was stolen, of 27,638 voters cast ballots in the Installed u nh IV/uti weie I si Lyndhurst police reports. McSweeney said. Assemblymen John V. Kelly and F e s t i v a l Francis T. Borman, a messenger The assailants fled in a white and county Democratic primary. In Paul DeGaetano ran unopposed. Assistant Cluct Hi van llcning; 2nd for Joseph Betish Inc., was maroon Cadillac, which was later In honor of the 100th anniversary approached from in front and found at the Copper Ridge parking Lions install C errito p r e s i d e n t of Lyndhurst’s newly restored Lit­ behind in the company’s parking lot. The suspects had switched cars, tle Red Schoolhouse, organizers of lot at 1170 Valley Brook Ave. by two leaving the area in a black Mercury, The Lyndhurst Lions Club Mr. Cerrito presented a dona­ Association of Blind Athletes; Mur­ the annual Strawberry Festival, to men about 1 p.m. on June 8. At one according to police reports. installed Ralph Cerrito, tion to Rhoda Portugal, Lyndhurst ray House; Juvenile Diabetes be held on the schoolhouse point, one of the men held a gun to McSweeney said the Bergen Lyndhurst’s grantsman, as its presi­ librarian, for the purchase of des­ Association; August Hoehne grounds this Saturday, promise it Borman’s head while the other County Sheriffs Identification Bur­ dent for a second term at a dinner- criptive video cassettes for the visu­ Rehabilitation Center and many will be the biggest ever, with stellar handcuffed him to his vehicle, eau dusted the vehicles for fing­ dance celebrating the club’s 43rd ally handicapped.