(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 29, 2010)
PERTH AMBOY — The City Council voted last week to authorize submission of a
$110,635 grant application to the N.J. Historic Preservation Trust for rehabilitation and conversion of the Surveyor General’s Office, adjacent to City Hall, High Street, into an archaeological museum, and to authorize execution of contract documents if the city is awarded a grant. The Resolution was moved as a late-starter by Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez,seconded by Councilman William Petrick and adopted 4-0. The Resolution was moved by Petrick, seconded by Gonzalez and adopted 4-0. Council President
Kenneth Balut was absent. At the request of Mayor Wilda Diaz, Historic Preservation Commission
Chairman William Pavlovsky has prepared “A Proposal for Conversion to an
Historic & Archaeological Museum of the City of Perth Amboy,” which will form the
basis of the grant application. Pavlovsky, a former City Historian, discussed his proposal briefly at the
Commission’s August meeting. The Surveyor General’s Office was turned-over to the city in 1998 after the
East Jersey Board of Proprietors dissolved itself following 313 years of corporate existence.
Pavlovsky is proposing that two collections of Perth Amboy artifacts, totalling well-over 10,000 pieces, be exhibited within the two-room building, which would make it only the second public artifact gallery in the U.S.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
FUNNEL-CLOUD’ HITS PERTH AMBOY
Mayor Declares Emergency For Southern Waterfront Area
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 22, 2010)
PERTH AMBOY — A funnel-shaped cloud that the National Weather Service (NWS) has refused to acknowledge as a tornado cut a swath through the city’s southern Waterfront shortly after 5 p.m. last Thursday, leaving a torn-off roof, fallen trees and damaged cars in its wake. Mayor Wilda Diaz declared a State of Emergency as of 5:15 p.m., as a result of the damages and power-outages caused by the storm. Emergency protective measures put-into-place by her order restricted travel on roadways to emergency and essential reasons only, in-order to clear the roadways of debris and trees. The restrictions were imposed to protect the safety of city residents. “If wires are down, stay-away and treat them as being live,” Diaz said in
a prepared statement. “They can be dangerous, and if you come-into-contact with them, they may cause electrical shock that could result in death. “Call and report all downed wires to the Police Department at 9-1-1,” she added. “If emergency conditions continue, please stay-tuned to your local radio-stations for additional updates.” Power was restored, and the State of Emergency was lifted Friday morning.
Work-crews from the city’s Public Works Department worked through the night, assisted by the Woodbridge Township Parks Department’s Tree Service in clearing the streets of fallen trees, limbs and branches. Diaz had telephoned Township Mayor John McCormac and requested assistance
from the Service, which deployed over a dozen workers and seven trucks to the scene.
The next day, the sun shone brightly as the sounds of chain-saws and branch-grinders filled the air.
Walking the waterfront with her husband Greg, Diaz said that while she felt badly for those who suffered damages, she was happy that “it wasn’t like this in the whole city.”They watched from the parking-lot across Front Street as workers began cutting limbs from a 125-year-old Dutch elm tree, which had provided shade for the summer Concerts by the Bay series, that the storm had uprooted and tossed over the railing. The Mayor said she was still working in her second-floor office in City Hall, High Street, when the storm hit.
“The sky turned dark, there was a downpour of rain, and then it stopped,” Diaz said. “There was a noise that I couldn’t describe.” Several witnesses to the storm said they observed a dark funnel-shaped cloud and “the sound of a freight train roaring through” when it struck. Slavko Petric, owner/operator of Harborside Walk, a lunch-wagon on the Waterfront, said that he heard “noises I never heard before” for only two or
three minutes as he quickly put-away inside his trailer everything that he could.Seabra’s Armory, Front Street, which had sustained severe damages from the nor’easter earlier this season, suffered minor physical damage this time around — except for about 30 bottles of liquor in the new tiki bar that broke from the wind.
“I guess I’ll have to tell the owner that there’s going to be a big liquor bill this month,” said waiter Dean Minelli, who also reported seeing a funnel-cloud. One home on Patterson Street received structural damage when a small roof over its front doorway was detached, lifted over the home and deposited in the backyard of the home behind it. But that did not stop Board of Education member Mark Carvajal from attending the regular monthly Board meeting that evening, which also happened to be his birthday — as well as the 200th Anniversary of Mexican Independence. His parents own Carvajal Mexican Restaurant, Goodwin Street.
The Mexican flag-raising scheduled to be held at City Hall Circle had to be postponed until the following day because of the weather. “A chimney collapsed, a brick garage was leveled, and so-forth,” High Street resident Kathleen DePow, the Curator of the city’s Ferry Slip Museum, said. “I didn’t mind the tree on my car nearly-as-much as the power-lines. Many of the streets in the southern section were closed. “Although the Mayor declared a State of Emergency, we were able to get-down to the Waterfront to check-on the Museum,” she added. “The Ferry Slip is fine. We lost part of the tree in front of the Slip, but there’s no damage to the building. When we saw Bayview Park, we realized how lucky we were.” Fire Chief David Volk estimated that less than 20 buildings had sustained any kind of damage, mostly-caused by flying debris.
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 22, 2010)
PERTH AMBOY — A funnel-shaped cloud that the National Weather Service (NWS) has refused to acknowledge as a tornado cut a swath through the city’s southern Waterfront shortly after 5 p.m. last Thursday, leaving a torn-off roof, fallen trees and damaged cars in its wake. Mayor Wilda Diaz declared a State of Emergency as of 5:15 p.m., as a result of the damages and power-outages caused by the storm. Emergency protective measures put-into-place by her order restricted travel on roadways to emergency and essential reasons only, in-order to clear the roadways of debris and trees. The restrictions were imposed to protect the safety of city residents. “If wires are down, stay-away and treat them as being live,” Diaz said in
a prepared statement. “They can be dangerous, and if you come-into-contact with them, they may cause electrical shock that could result in death. “Call and report all downed wires to the Police Department at 9-1-1,” she added. “If emergency conditions continue, please stay-tuned to your local radio-stations for additional updates.” Power was restored, and the State of Emergency was lifted Friday morning.
Work-crews from the city’s Public Works Department worked through the night, assisted by the Woodbridge Township Parks Department’s Tree Service in clearing the streets of fallen trees, limbs and branches. Diaz had telephoned Township Mayor John McCormac and requested assistance
from the Service, which deployed over a dozen workers and seven trucks to the scene.
The next day, the sun shone brightly as the sounds of chain-saws and branch-grinders filled the air.
Walking the waterfront with her husband Greg, Diaz said that while she felt badly for those who suffered damages, she was happy that “it wasn’t like this in the whole city.”They watched from the parking-lot across Front Street as workers began cutting limbs from a 125-year-old Dutch elm tree, which had provided shade for the summer Concerts by the Bay series, that the storm had uprooted and tossed over the railing. The Mayor said she was still working in her second-floor office in City Hall, High Street, when the storm hit.
“The sky turned dark, there was a downpour of rain, and then it stopped,” Diaz said. “There was a noise that I couldn’t describe.” Several witnesses to the storm said they observed a dark funnel-shaped cloud and “the sound of a freight train roaring through” when it struck. Slavko Petric, owner/operator of Harborside Walk, a lunch-wagon on the Waterfront, said that he heard “noises I never heard before” for only two or
three minutes as he quickly put-away inside his trailer everything that he could.Seabra’s Armory, Front Street, which had sustained severe damages from the nor’easter earlier this season, suffered minor physical damage this time around — except for about 30 bottles of liquor in the new tiki bar that broke from the wind.
“I guess I’ll have to tell the owner that there’s going to be a big liquor bill this month,” said waiter Dean Minelli, who also reported seeing a funnel-cloud. One home on Patterson Street received structural damage when a small roof over its front doorway was detached, lifted over the home and deposited in the backyard of the home behind it. But that did not stop Board of Education member Mark Carvajal from attending the regular monthly Board meeting that evening, which also happened to be his birthday — as well as the 200th Anniversary of Mexican Independence. His parents own Carvajal Mexican Restaurant, Goodwin Street.
The Mexican flag-raising scheduled to be held at City Hall Circle had to be postponed until the following day because of the weather. “A chimney collapsed, a brick garage was leveled, and so-forth,” High Street resident Kathleen DePow, the Curator of the city’s Ferry Slip Museum, said. “I didn’t mind the tree on my car nearly-as-much as the power-lines. Many of the streets in the southern section were closed. “Although the Mayor declared a State of Emergency, we were able to get-down to the Waterfront to check-on the Museum,” she added. “The Ferry Slip is fine. We lost part of the tree in front of the Slip, but there’s no damage to the building. When we saw Bayview Park, we realized how lucky we were.” Fire Chief David Volk estimated that less than 20 buildings had sustained any kind of damage, mostly-caused by flying debris.
Federal Trial Begins For Vas, Ramos
By Jim Shea (Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 22, 2010)
NEWARK — U.S. District Court Judge Susan Wigenton formally opened the case
of U.S. vs. Joseph Vas and Melvin Ramos in Room 5C of the King Building and
U.S. District Courthouse promptly at 9:30 a.m. early last week. Judge Wigenton introduced Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Howe and Jennifer Kramer and defense counsels Jerome Ballarotto, representing Ramos, and Alan Zegas and Edward Byrne, representing Vas. Jury selection began, with the government having 11 challenges and the defense 15.“The trial will take five to six weeks, and will close around Oct. 22.”
the Judge said. “Each daily session will run from 9:30 to 2:30, and today, we’ll go all day.” Wigenton welcomed the potential jurors, proclaiming that “our system works because of the jury system.” Both defendants are “charged with fraud and with violating campaign laws, and making false statements to campaign officials,” Wigenton said. After a brief start at jury-selection, that included sidebars, recessed, Wigenton called both sides into her chambers to set up a new jury-selection procedure. Upon returning, she asked jurors in the jury-box to return to their pre-jury seats, then the clerk called potential jurors, one-by-one, to the jury room for jury-selection. At the end of the following day, the jury was found acceptable to both sides, and Wigenton announced that two motions would be heard at 10 a.m., and the trial would open at 12:30 p.m. following the swearing-in of the jurors. “Do not read about the case, and you are not to Google the case,” she told the jurors. The jury consists of 10 women, six of whom are minorities, and five white men. Kathleen Mikclinchi of the state Council On Affordable Housing (COAH), first to testify on Thursday. She said that COAH is not a funding source, but that towns can transfer up to 50-percent of their obligations to other towns, and Perth Amboy was a recipient in the 1990s. Howe asked about the DeKalb Avenue project, and Mikclinchi said that it “appeared to be a hurried project. That was my take on it. It was a scattered site. It didn’t require COAH approval before it was approved. “In my opinion, it could have been put-together a little cleaner,” she added. Howe then called former Councilman Frank Sinatra to the stand. Sinatra’s testimony took most of Thursday to complete. Confidential Secretary Debbie Palmer took the stand, and was questioned by Kramer about signing a check for $ 1,500 to “Vas for Congress” for her
boyfriend, Carlos Serrano, and also about drafting a letter, signed by Vas, appointing Personnel Director David Benyola as Acting Business Administrator. The Judge asked the jury to leave the courtroom when the prosecution called City Clerk Elaine Jasko. “This witness is so inflammatory that she should not be allowed to make any of the inflammatory remarks,” Zegas said. “If she does, in no way can Mr. Vas be given a fair trial.” The Judge overruled Zegas. During this break, Ramos’s wife Carmen handed her husband a power bar, then turned to this reporter and said, “He has diabetes, and must snack during the day.” The jury returned, and Jasko entered the courtroom, and was questioned briefly about the Council’s Resolution on DeKalb Avenue.The trial does not continue on Fridays, and was adjourned to pick-up with a continuation of Jasko’s testimony early this week, beginning on Monday at 12:30 p.m. A motion was filed by Ballarotto to limit the scope of the government’s cross-examination of character-witnesses on Ramos’s behalf as to their knowledge of alleged criminal activity by Ramos as charged in the indictment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a response, and the Judge is expected to make a ruling on this motion. Wigenton announced that there will be no trial Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 due to “other work.”
NEWARK — U.S. District Court Judge Susan Wigenton formally opened the case
of U.S. vs. Joseph Vas and Melvin Ramos in Room 5C of the King Building and
U.S. District Courthouse promptly at 9:30 a.m. early last week. Judge Wigenton introduced Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Howe and Jennifer Kramer and defense counsels Jerome Ballarotto, representing Ramos, and Alan Zegas and Edward Byrne, representing Vas. Jury selection began, with the government having 11 challenges and the defense 15.“The trial will take five to six weeks, and will close around Oct. 22.”
the Judge said. “Each daily session will run from 9:30 to 2:30, and today, we’ll go all day.” Wigenton welcomed the potential jurors, proclaiming that “our system works because of the jury system.” Both defendants are “charged with fraud and with violating campaign laws, and making false statements to campaign officials,” Wigenton said. After a brief start at jury-selection, that included sidebars, recessed, Wigenton called both sides into her chambers to set up a new jury-selection procedure. Upon returning, she asked jurors in the jury-box to return to their pre-jury seats, then the clerk called potential jurors, one-by-one, to the jury room for jury-selection. At the end of the following day, the jury was found acceptable to both sides, and Wigenton announced that two motions would be heard at 10 a.m., and the trial would open at 12:30 p.m. following the swearing-in of the jurors. “Do not read about the case, and you are not to Google the case,” she told the jurors. The jury consists of 10 women, six of whom are minorities, and five white men. Kathleen Mikclinchi of the state Council On Affordable Housing (COAH), first to testify on Thursday. She said that COAH is not a funding source, but that towns can transfer up to 50-percent of their obligations to other towns, and Perth Amboy was a recipient in the 1990s. Howe asked about the DeKalb Avenue project, and Mikclinchi said that it “appeared to be a hurried project. That was my take on it. It was a scattered site. It didn’t require COAH approval before it was approved. “In my opinion, it could have been put-together a little cleaner,” she added. Howe then called former Councilman Frank Sinatra to the stand. Sinatra’s testimony took most of Thursday to complete. Confidential Secretary Debbie Palmer took the stand, and was questioned by Kramer about signing a check for $ 1,500 to “Vas for Congress” for her
boyfriend, Carlos Serrano, and also about drafting a letter, signed by Vas, appointing Personnel Director David Benyola as Acting Business Administrator. The Judge asked the jury to leave the courtroom when the prosecution called City Clerk Elaine Jasko. “This witness is so inflammatory that she should not be allowed to make any of the inflammatory remarks,” Zegas said. “If she does, in no way can Mr. Vas be given a fair trial.” The Judge overruled Zegas. During this break, Ramos’s wife Carmen handed her husband a power bar, then turned to this reporter and said, “He has diabetes, and must snack during the day.” The jury returned, and Jasko entered the courtroom, and was questioned briefly about the Council’s Resolution on DeKalb Avenue.The trial does not continue on Fridays, and was adjourned to pick-up with a continuation of Jasko’s testimony early this week, beginning on Monday at 12:30 p.m. A motion was filed by Ballarotto to limit the scope of the government’s cross-examination of character-witnesses on Ramos’s behalf as to their knowledge of alleged criminal activity by Ramos as charged in the indictment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a response, and the Judge is expected to make a ruling on this motion. Wigenton announced that there will be no trial Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 due to “other work.”
Sinatra: The ‘Door-Opener’
By Jim Shea (Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 22, 2010)
NEWARK — Former Councilman Frank Sinatra was called to the stand last week by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Howe in the corruption trial of former Mayor Joseph Vas and his longtime Mayor’s Aide Melvin Ramos before U.S. District Court Judge Susan Wigenton.
Excerpts of Sinatra’s testimony follow.
Sinatra said that he was 80 years old and lived in Perth Amboy all of his life, except for 10 years in Freehold, that he’s a graduate of Perth Amboy High School and has three degrees from Rutgers, and that he started teaching in the Perth Amboy Public Schools in 1952. After serving in the U. S. Army from 1952 to 1954, he returned to the Perth Amboy Public Schools, where he
was employed in various capacities from 1954 until he retired in 1991. He was elected a Councilman, serving from 1992 until 2008, always running on the “Perth Amboy First” ticket with Vas — who became Mayor in 1990, following a recall — at the head of the ticket. “I was a liaison with the Planning Board,” Sinatra said. “In 2002, I was recruited by Hyland Associates to perform architectural consulting. The firm was located in Pennsylvania and New York City, and it had a small office in New Jersey. My employment ended in 2006.
“I was a developer for potential engineering work in the field of education,” Sinatra added. “I went-on to high-rise buildings.” Sinatra described his work as being “a door-opener. I had a retainer, with
out-of-pocket expenses. Evan Samouhos was the owner. I met him through Harry Jones, a member of the Board of Education.” Howe asked Sinatra about Samouhos. “Evan wanted residential property in
excess of six units that needed rehabilitation,” Sinatra said. “He was looking for property eligible for funding. I assisted him and introduced him to Vas. “An appointment was arranged with Evan Samouhos and Vas on Aug. 4, arranged through (Vas Confidential Secretary) Debbie Palmer,” Sinatra said. “What did Vas say at the August 4 meeting? Did Vas direct you to anyone?”Howe asked. “Vas said talk to (Urban Enterprise Zone Chief Administrator) Robert McCoy and Melvin Ramos regarding housing property,” Sinatra replied.
“What did Vas say about the availability of funding? Did Vas direct you to anyone?” Howe asked. “Robert McCoy and Melvin Ramos,” Sinatra responded. “The relationship between Ramos and Vas was very-close.” “Do you see Ramos here?” Howe asked. Sinatra indicated where Ramos was seated. “I knew them to be very-close since Vas’s elections,” he said. “I asked if there were properties that needed to be upgraded.” “When did Ramos give you a list?” Howe asked. “In eight to 10 days,” Sinatra replied. “On Sept. 23, I first showed Evan Samouhos the DeKalb property. We visited the DeKalb property because it was a potential site that needs rehabilitation, because it is on the list.” “Did Evan Samouhos express interest in the DeKalb 12-family-unit property?” Howe asked Sinatra. “What happened with the DeKalb property?”
“The Mayor asked me to work through Ramos,” Sinatra replied. “I arranged an inspection. Mr. Ramos showed the property to Evan Samouhos. It was in the afternoon, during business-hours. We toured the building. Mr. Samouhos did check the entire property that day. To my knowledge, Mr. Samouhos never
met Mr. Ramos before that day.” “I continued working with Evan Samouhos on the purchase of the property,” Sinatra said “I assisted in the inspection of the property.” “Are you aware of the word ‘appraisal?’” Howe asked Sinatra. Howe submitted “Government Exhibit 104, Appraisal of Property for DeKalb,” as evidence. “Mr. Ramos gave me the appraisal,” Sinatra told Howe. “What was your reaction, did you draw a conclusion?” Howe asked. “Mr. Sinatra was not an appraiser,” a defense attorney said.
“I thought that it was of high value,” Sinatra said, noting that “Evan Samouhos is still interested in the property, and Evans’ son was interested in doing work for Perth Amboy.” Howe then asked Sinatra about an entry that he had made in the Call Report (Exhibit 405), that Sinatra prepared for February 2006.
“Harry Jones retired, and was now working with Evan Samouhos,” Sinatra said. “Harry will be working on the property. Regarding a Feb. 28, 2006 meeting, I met with Ramos. Harry wanted to know what had to be done with the property in-order for it to qualify for funds. If certain renovations were performed, it would qualify for funds. It was the first time Mr. Jones met with Mr. Ramos. If a proper application was made, certain funding would be made available. Once property was purchased, funds would be made available.”
Howe also asked about the March Call Report (Exhibit 406). Sinatra responded that “the DeKalb property was proceeding, and that funding will be available.” In the May 2008 Call Report (Exhibit 408), he said, “Evan has closed on the property. Evan was actually the owner and was actually making the drawings. Mr. Jones was sent to City Hall to pick up the check. “Harry Jones asked me to go with him to Jeff Gumbs, since Jones didn’t know Jeff Gumbs,” Sinatra said. “Gumbs handled the fund money. Jones filled-out the application to get the necessary funds after the meeting.” “How did you feel, after the meeting, when you learned that funds were not immediately-available; was there a Resolution on the agenda regarding the
DeKalb property?” Howe asked Sinatra.“I abstained on the vote,” Sinatra said.“What did Vas and Ramos say about the Mayor just selling the property?” Howe asked. “Based on your experience, is this type of information important in considering, based on your experience as a City Councilman?” “Nobody on the Council ever asked the question about the previous ownership of the property,” Sinatra replied. “Should the members of the Council know this information when voting on a Resolution?” Howe asked. “$360,000 (in COAH funds) was never received,” Sinatra told Howe. “(Former Gov. Jon) Corzine put a freeze on it. Rehabilitation did commence, so Mr. Samouhos evidently used his own money.” The defense objected. “Evan was proceeding with his work.” “Did you speak with anyone regarding whether work was proceeding?” Howe asked Sinatra. “I told Ramos and Vas that Evan was completing the work and needed the money,” Sinatra responded. “$90,000 was authorized by the Mayor in the early part of January 2007.”
“Did you give to the Vas campaign for Congress from the 13th District?” Howe asked. “(Former Vas political advisor Raymond) Geneske said he’d give me $4,200 in cash if my wife and I would make-out checks to Vas’s campaign,” Sinatra said. “My wife and I talked about the matter. I gave Geneske back $2,100 and said that I would make out a check for $2,100 (507 in evidence). I took the $2,100 check, dated June 1, for ‘Vas for Congress,’ to City Hall and gave it to Mr. Ramos. Mr. Geneske advised me to give the check to Ramos.” “Were you aware that giving cash under campaign law was illegal?” Howe
asked. “Yes,” Sinatra replied. “You were a ‘door-opener’ for Mr. Samouhos. Were you paid a retainer?”
Zegas asked Sinatra. “I was doing consulting work for Hyland Associates.” Sinatra replied.
“Do you have any business degree or architectural degree?” Zegas asked. “No,” Sinatra replied. “Hyland Associates paid me $1,500 monthly to open-doors, then paid me $4,000-a-month. I got $3,000-a-month, then it changed to $100-an-hour.” “It was in your interest to provide affordable housing for Perth Amboy?”
Zegas asked. “It was in your interest to have RCA funding in Perth Amboy? Did Mr. Jones have any interest in funding? Harry Jones is your friend. Your friend, Harry Jones, stood to gain. Mr. Jones was acting as an agent for Mr. Samouhos. You were ‘opening-doors,’ and Hyland Associates would draw the plans.”
“Mr. Ramos told you that the Mayor had an interest in the property. Did you have an executive meeting before the regular meeting?” Ballarotto asked. “You didn’t think it important?” “No,” Sinatra replied.
“Mr. Ramos told you that the Mayor owned the property?” Ballarotto asked. “Yes,” Sinatra replied.
“Why didn’t you think to tell the Council that the Mayor owned the property?” Ballarotto asked.
“Upon reflection today, I feel differently,” Sinatra stated.
NEWARK — Former Councilman Frank Sinatra was called to the stand last week by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Howe in the corruption trial of former Mayor Joseph Vas and his longtime Mayor’s Aide Melvin Ramos before U.S. District Court Judge Susan Wigenton.
Excerpts of Sinatra’s testimony follow.
Sinatra said that he was 80 years old and lived in Perth Amboy all of his life, except for 10 years in Freehold, that he’s a graduate of Perth Amboy High School and has three degrees from Rutgers, and that he started teaching in the Perth Amboy Public Schools in 1952. After serving in the U. S. Army from 1952 to 1954, he returned to the Perth Amboy Public Schools, where he
was employed in various capacities from 1954 until he retired in 1991. He was elected a Councilman, serving from 1992 until 2008, always running on the “Perth Amboy First” ticket with Vas — who became Mayor in 1990, following a recall — at the head of the ticket. “I was a liaison with the Planning Board,” Sinatra said. “In 2002, I was recruited by Hyland Associates to perform architectural consulting. The firm was located in Pennsylvania and New York City, and it had a small office in New Jersey. My employment ended in 2006.
“I was a developer for potential engineering work in the field of education,” Sinatra added. “I went-on to high-rise buildings.” Sinatra described his work as being “a door-opener. I had a retainer, with
out-of-pocket expenses. Evan Samouhos was the owner. I met him through Harry Jones, a member of the Board of Education.” Howe asked Sinatra about Samouhos. “Evan wanted residential property in
excess of six units that needed rehabilitation,” Sinatra said. “He was looking for property eligible for funding. I assisted him and introduced him to Vas. “An appointment was arranged with Evan Samouhos and Vas on Aug. 4, arranged through (Vas Confidential Secretary) Debbie Palmer,” Sinatra said. “What did Vas say at the August 4 meeting? Did Vas direct you to anyone?”Howe asked. “Vas said talk to (Urban Enterprise Zone Chief Administrator) Robert McCoy and Melvin Ramos regarding housing property,” Sinatra replied.
“What did Vas say about the availability of funding? Did Vas direct you to anyone?” Howe asked. “Robert McCoy and Melvin Ramos,” Sinatra responded. “The relationship between Ramos and Vas was very-close.” “Do you see Ramos here?” Howe asked. Sinatra indicated where Ramos was seated. “I knew them to be very-close since Vas’s elections,” he said. “I asked if there were properties that needed to be upgraded.” “When did Ramos give you a list?” Howe asked. “In eight to 10 days,” Sinatra replied. “On Sept. 23, I first showed Evan Samouhos the DeKalb property. We visited the DeKalb property because it was a potential site that needs rehabilitation, because it is on the list.” “Did Evan Samouhos express interest in the DeKalb 12-family-unit property?” Howe asked Sinatra. “What happened with the DeKalb property?”
“The Mayor asked me to work through Ramos,” Sinatra replied. “I arranged an inspection. Mr. Ramos showed the property to Evan Samouhos. It was in the afternoon, during business-hours. We toured the building. Mr. Samouhos did check the entire property that day. To my knowledge, Mr. Samouhos never
met Mr. Ramos before that day.” “I continued working with Evan Samouhos on the purchase of the property,” Sinatra said “I assisted in the inspection of the property.” “Are you aware of the word ‘appraisal?’” Howe asked Sinatra. Howe submitted “Government Exhibit 104, Appraisal of Property for DeKalb,” as evidence. “Mr. Ramos gave me the appraisal,” Sinatra told Howe. “What was your reaction, did you draw a conclusion?” Howe asked. “Mr. Sinatra was not an appraiser,” a defense attorney said.
“I thought that it was of high value,” Sinatra said, noting that “Evan Samouhos is still interested in the property, and Evans’ son was interested in doing work for Perth Amboy.” Howe then asked Sinatra about an entry that he had made in the Call Report (Exhibit 405), that Sinatra prepared for February 2006.
“Harry Jones retired, and was now working with Evan Samouhos,” Sinatra said. “Harry will be working on the property. Regarding a Feb. 28, 2006 meeting, I met with Ramos. Harry wanted to know what had to be done with the property in-order for it to qualify for funds. If certain renovations were performed, it would qualify for funds. It was the first time Mr. Jones met with Mr. Ramos. If a proper application was made, certain funding would be made available. Once property was purchased, funds would be made available.”
Howe also asked about the March Call Report (Exhibit 406). Sinatra responded that “the DeKalb property was proceeding, and that funding will be available.” In the May 2008 Call Report (Exhibit 408), he said, “Evan has closed on the property. Evan was actually the owner and was actually making the drawings. Mr. Jones was sent to City Hall to pick up the check. “Harry Jones asked me to go with him to Jeff Gumbs, since Jones didn’t know Jeff Gumbs,” Sinatra said. “Gumbs handled the fund money. Jones filled-out the application to get the necessary funds after the meeting.” “How did you feel, after the meeting, when you learned that funds were not immediately-available; was there a Resolution on the agenda regarding the
DeKalb property?” Howe asked Sinatra.“I abstained on the vote,” Sinatra said.“What did Vas and Ramos say about the Mayor just selling the property?” Howe asked. “Based on your experience, is this type of information important in considering, based on your experience as a City Councilman?” “Nobody on the Council ever asked the question about the previous ownership of the property,” Sinatra replied. “Should the members of the Council know this information when voting on a Resolution?” Howe asked. “$360,000 (in COAH funds) was never received,” Sinatra told Howe. “(Former Gov. Jon) Corzine put a freeze on it. Rehabilitation did commence, so Mr. Samouhos evidently used his own money.” The defense objected. “Evan was proceeding with his work.” “Did you speak with anyone regarding whether work was proceeding?” Howe asked Sinatra. “I told Ramos and Vas that Evan was completing the work and needed the money,” Sinatra responded. “$90,000 was authorized by the Mayor in the early part of January 2007.”
“Did you give to the Vas campaign for Congress from the 13th District?” Howe asked. “(Former Vas political advisor Raymond) Geneske said he’d give me $4,200 in cash if my wife and I would make-out checks to Vas’s campaign,” Sinatra said. “My wife and I talked about the matter. I gave Geneske back $2,100 and said that I would make out a check for $2,100 (507 in evidence). I took the $2,100 check, dated June 1, for ‘Vas for Congress,’ to City Hall and gave it to Mr. Ramos. Mr. Geneske advised me to give the check to Ramos.” “Were you aware that giving cash under campaign law was illegal?” Howe
asked. “Yes,” Sinatra replied. “You were a ‘door-opener’ for Mr. Samouhos. Were you paid a retainer?”
Zegas asked Sinatra. “I was doing consulting work for Hyland Associates.” Sinatra replied.
“Do you have any business degree or architectural degree?” Zegas asked. “No,” Sinatra replied. “Hyland Associates paid me $1,500 monthly to open-doors, then paid me $4,000-a-month. I got $3,000-a-month, then it changed to $100-an-hour.” “It was in your interest to provide affordable housing for Perth Amboy?”
Zegas asked. “It was in your interest to have RCA funding in Perth Amboy? Did Mr. Jones have any interest in funding? Harry Jones is your friend. Your friend, Harry Jones, stood to gain. Mr. Jones was acting as an agent for Mr. Samouhos. You were ‘opening-doors,’ and Hyland Associates would draw the plans.”
“Mr. Ramos told you that the Mayor had an interest in the property. Did you have an executive meeting before the regular meeting?” Ballarotto asked. “You didn’t think it important?” “No,” Sinatra replied.
“Mr. Ramos told you that the Mayor owned the property?” Ballarotto asked. “Yes,” Sinatra replied.
“Why didn’t you think to tell the Council that the Mayor owned the property?” Ballarotto asked.
“Upon reflection today, I feel differently,” Sinatra stated.
S. Amboy Taxes Rising $722,576 More
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 22, 2010)
SOUTH AMBOY — The City Council voted unanimously last week to introduce amendments to the Calendar Year 2010 Budget which would increase local taxes by $722,576 and to schedule a public hearing at a Special Meeting to be held yesterday at 6 p.m. at City Hall, N. Broadway. The Resolution was moved by Councilman William Schwarick, seconded by Councilman Mark Noble and adopted 5-0. The amendments as introduced would increase the total amount of the CY 2010 Budget by $1,553,543, from $13,993,033 to $15,546,576, and the amount to be raised by local taxes by $722,576, from $7,129,425 to $7,852,001. The new tax-increase would be on top of the $39 hike previously-announced by the Administration and the Council on a home assessed at $266,000, the average in South Amboy. Using the numbers provided with the CY 2010 Budget as introduced, the new tax-increase would result in a $268 tax-hike on the average home.
According to the amendments introduced last week, 38 of 49 line-item accounts would be increased, while only 11 line-item accounts would be decreased. A Special Meeting was scheduled despite the fact that Council President Fred Henry announced at the Sept. 1 meeting that a public hearing would be held
on amendments to the Calendar Year 2010 Budget at the Council’s Sept. 15 meeting. The calling of a Special Meeting to adopt amendments to the Calendar Year 2010 Budget was specifically rejected when it was suggested at the Sept. 1 meeting by former Councilman Stanley Jankowski, now a Board of Education
member. “You can’t pass it (the Budget) that night,” Jankowski insisted at that time. “You have to have two readings.” “They can do it the same night,” attorney Thomas Lanza, sitting-in for his brother, City Law Director John Lanza, stated.“Why not just have a Special Meeting on the Budget?” Jankowski asked. “You
could be sitting here for hours.” “Hopefully, that’s not going to happen,” Henry said, before moving-on to
another subect and then adjourning the Sept. 1 meeting. Holding a Special Meeting yesterday would preclude most of the public from knowing about the hearing and about the coming increase in local taxes
because the reporters for the two out-of-county daily newspapers that cover the meetings were absent from last week’s Council meeting and the reporters for the two weekly newspapers that cover the meetings do not publish on Tuesdays. A final CY 2010 Budget must be approved by the Mayor and Council no later
than tomorrow. At the Sept. 1 meeting, resident Eileen Ryan disputed city officials’accounts of why approval of the CY 2010 Budget by the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has been delayed for several months. Ryan said she spoke with a woman named “Amelia,” who she said told her that she was overseeing DCA’s review of South Amboy’s spending plan. “According to the information she gave me — and I don’t think she’s wrong— she told me that DCA made several requests to the City of South Amboy about items in the Budget that they needed more information about, and there was no response whatsoever from the City of South Amboy,” Ryan said. But Business Administrator Camille Tooker denied Ryan’s information,
including the identity of the person reviewing the CY 2010 Budget. “The person who’s reviewing our Budget is a male,” Tooker said. However, at last week’s Council meeting, Tooker said the DCA person doing
the review is named “Tina.” Henry said at last week’s meeting that the information given by Tooker was
correct, implying that Ryan’s statements were incorrect. “I called, and DCA did confirm what Camille said,” he stated. A short time later, Henry said that “some of it (what Ryan had said) was correct, yes, but the timeline wasn’t.” “I will make that call (to DCA) tomorrow (Sept. 16),” Ryan declared.
SOUTH AMBOY — The City Council voted unanimously last week to introduce amendments to the Calendar Year 2010 Budget which would increase local taxes by $722,576 and to schedule a public hearing at a Special Meeting to be held yesterday at 6 p.m. at City Hall, N. Broadway. The Resolution was moved by Councilman William Schwarick, seconded by Councilman Mark Noble and adopted 5-0. The amendments as introduced would increase the total amount of the CY 2010 Budget by $1,553,543, from $13,993,033 to $15,546,576, and the amount to be raised by local taxes by $722,576, from $7,129,425 to $7,852,001. The new tax-increase would be on top of the $39 hike previously-announced by the Administration and the Council on a home assessed at $266,000, the average in South Amboy. Using the numbers provided with the CY 2010 Budget as introduced, the new tax-increase would result in a $268 tax-hike on the average home.
According to the amendments introduced last week, 38 of 49 line-item accounts would be increased, while only 11 line-item accounts would be decreased. A Special Meeting was scheduled despite the fact that Council President Fred Henry announced at the Sept. 1 meeting that a public hearing would be held
on amendments to the Calendar Year 2010 Budget at the Council’s Sept. 15 meeting. The calling of a Special Meeting to adopt amendments to the Calendar Year 2010 Budget was specifically rejected when it was suggested at the Sept. 1 meeting by former Councilman Stanley Jankowski, now a Board of Education
member. “You can’t pass it (the Budget) that night,” Jankowski insisted at that time. “You have to have two readings.” “They can do it the same night,” attorney Thomas Lanza, sitting-in for his brother, City Law Director John Lanza, stated.“Why not just have a Special Meeting on the Budget?” Jankowski asked. “You
could be sitting here for hours.” “Hopefully, that’s not going to happen,” Henry said, before moving-on to
another subect and then adjourning the Sept. 1 meeting. Holding a Special Meeting yesterday would preclude most of the public from knowing about the hearing and about the coming increase in local taxes
because the reporters for the two out-of-county daily newspapers that cover the meetings were absent from last week’s Council meeting and the reporters for the two weekly newspapers that cover the meetings do not publish on Tuesdays. A final CY 2010 Budget must be approved by the Mayor and Council no later
than tomorrow. At the Sept. 1 meeting, resident Eileen Ryan disputed city officials’accounts of why approval of the CY 2010 Budget by the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has been delayed for several months. Ryan said she spoke with a woman named “Amelia,” who she said told her that she was overseeing DCA’s review of South Amboy’s spending plan. “According to the information she gave me — and I don’t think she’s wrong— she told me that DCA made several requests to the City of South Amboy about items in the Budget that they needed more information about, and there was no response whatsoever from the City of South Amboy,” Ryan said. But Business Administrator Camille Tooker denied Ryan’s information,
including the identity of the person reviewing the CY 2010 Budget. “The person who’s reviewing our Budget is a male,” Tooker said. However, at last week’s Council meeting, Tooker said the DCA person doing
the review is named “Tina.” Henry said at last week’s meeting that the information given by Tooker was
correct, implying that Ryan’s statements were incorrect. “I called, and DCA did confirm what Camille said,” he stated. A short time later, Henry said that “some of it (what Ryan had said) was correct, yes, but the timeline wasn’t.” “I will make that call (to DCA) tomorrow (Sept. 16),” Ryan declared.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Perth School Board Approves High School Uniforms For Next Year
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 11, 2010)
PERTH AMBOY — Following a public hearing, the Board of Education voted to institute a mandatory school uniform policy starting next September at Perth Amboy High School, Eagle Avenue. The Resolution was moved by Milady Tejeda, seconded by Armando Tamargo and adopted 7-0. Members Obdulia “Obi” Gonzalez and Eric Rodgers were absent. Tejeda, who was appointed by the Board in June to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Board President Austin Gumbs, and Tamargo, who was appointed by the Board in August to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Board President Kenneth Gonzalez, are the Board’s newest members. Before the public hearing was opened, Board Attorney Victor Medina advised Board members that they had three options: to vote against implementing any uniform policy, to vote to implement the policy starting next September, or to vote to implement the policy starting in January. The district’s elementary and middle schools already have such policies. Principal Rozalia Czaban reported that a survey showed 35 percent of parents favoring starting in January, 30 percent favoring starting next September, and 20 percent opposing uniforms. The remaining 15 percent chose more than
one option and weren’t counted. She also informed the Board that a student committee had designed a logo
for the uniforms. Member Israel Varela, a strong proponent of mandatory uniforms, chastised
school administrators for not having their required documents ready to begin the program this September.
“Why didn’t we have this in-place?” he declared. “Someone dropped the ball. We should have had this ready when we hit-the-ground this school-year.” “At the June Board meeting, I did speak on uniforms,” Czaban retorted. “It was my understanding we were going to implement it.” “I know the Board, as presently-constituted, was expecting uniforms at the high school,” Superintendent of Schools John Rodecker said. “We never committed as an Administration to implement this for the 2010-11 School Year. If
there was a misunderstanding, I apologize.” Both parents and students at the hearing were split on the issue.
Parent Donna Stewart raised the cost issue, which most of the parents questioned, but Varela responded that the savings is about half. “My wife actually purchases them, but I love it because she takes less-money out of my wallet,” he said. Calling uniforms “a major expense,” Stewart said the Board and parents “need to be more-concerned about their education.” Besides, she said, the existing dress code is not being enforced.
Jack Toussaint said the students should wear jackets-and-ties once- or twice-a-week.
PERTH AMBOY — Following a public hearing, the Board of Education voted to institute a mandatory school uniform policy starting next September at Perth Amboy High School, Eagle Avenue. The Resolution was moved by Milady Tejeda, seconded by Armando Tamargo and adopted 7-0. Members Obdulia “Obi” Gonzalez and Eric Rodgers were absent. Tejeda, who was appointed by the Board in June to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Board President Austin Gumbs, and Tamargo, who was appointed by the Board in August to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Board President Kenneth Gonzalez, are the Board’s newest members. Before the public hearing was opened, Board Attorney Victor Medina advised Board members that they had three options: to vote against implementing any uniform policy, to vote to implement the policy starting next September, or to vote to implement the policy starting in January. The district’s elementary and middle schools already have such policies. Principal Rozalia Czaban reported that a survey showed 35 percent of parents favoring starting in January, 30 percent favoring starting next September, and 20 percent opposing uniforms. The remaining 15 percent chose more than
one option and weren’t counted. She also informed the Board that a student committee had designed a logo
for the uniforms. Member Israel Varela, a strong proponent of mandatory uniforms, chastised
school administrators for not having their required documents ready to begin the program this September.
“Why didn’t we have this in-place?” he declared. “Someone dropped the ball. We should have had this ready when we hit-the-ground this school-year.” “At the June Board meeting, I did speak on uniforms,” Czaban retorted. “It was my understanding we were going to implement it.” “I know the Board, as presently-constituted, was expecting uniforms at the high school,” Superintendent of Schools John Rodecker said. “We never committed as an Administration to implement this for the 2010-11 School Year. If
there was a misunderstanding, I apologize.” Both parents and students at the hearing were split on the issue.
Parent Donna Stewart raised the cost issue, which most of the parents questioned, but Varela responded that the savings is about half. “My wife actually purchases them, but I love it because she takes less-money out of my wallet,” he said. Calling uniforms “a major expense,” Stewart said the Board and parents “need to be more-concerned about their education.” Besides, she said, the existing dress code is not being enforced.
Jack Toussaint said the students should wear jackets-and-ties once- or twice-a-week.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
RECALL FLOUNDERS
Petitioners Fail To Collect 5,546 Signatures (Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 15, 2010) PERTH AMBOY
The recall of Mayor Wilda Diaz is over. Public Works Department worker Anthony Bonilla and Police Department worker Miguel Morales failed to obtain the valid signatures of 25 percent of the city’s registered voters, a minimum of 5,546, in 160 days. The deadline to do so was last Tuesday, and Morales said they had collected only 2,800 — about half the number of signatures needed. Bonilla and Morales did not bother to turn-over those signatures to City Clerk Elaine Jasko, so there is no way of knowing exactly how-many of them were valid. “I believe this effort failed because the people of this city realized that it had no merit,” Diaz said in reaction to the drive’s failure to gain traction. “I was confident that the people understood what’s going-on throughout the country and that Perth Amboy is part of this. “I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances, and the people realize that,” she added. In March, Jasko reviewed and approved as to form a Notice of Intent to recall Diaz, the city’s first female Chief Executive, and hand-delivered a copy to the Mayor to begin the process of setting-into-motion a special election to determine whether Diaz would complete the remainder of the four-year term-of-office she was elected to in May 2008. Diaz had until Friday, March 26, to file a response of 200 words or less to the Notice, which she did. The two city employees who headed the recall drive began collecting signatures on March 31 for a recall election under a little-known change to the original statute which previously-mandated a minimum of two years in-office for an elected official to be subjected to recall. The new language in NJSA 19:27A-4 permits recall elections “after the officeholder shall have served one year of the term of office from which the person is sought to be recalled,” provided that a recall election is not “held after the date occurring six months prior to the general election or regular election for that office, as appropriate, in the final year of the official’s term.” Under the current law in-effect, which was applicable to this recall effort because of the date the Notice was filed, the six-month restriction would give petition-gatherers until November 2011 to complete their efforts, rather than March 2012 once the change is enacted into law. In the meantime, they had to obtain the valid signatures of 25 percent of the city’s registered voters, a minimum of 5,546, in 160 days, and Diaz would then have the option of deciding to resign. Jasko’s approval of the Notice set-in-motion the possibility of the city’s third mayoral recall initiated over the past two decades. In 1990, a recall election was held after Mayor George Otlowski Sr. resigned from office, following a recall drive led by his successor, former Mayor Joseph Vas.
Ironically, in 1996, a recall effort was led by the elder Otlowski’s son, George Otlowski Jr., against Vas before his own unsuccessful mayoral election campaign. Morales, who has said that he supported Diaz in her 2008 election campaign against Vas, maintained that the Mayor “has relinquished too-much of her authority to the Business Administrator, who’s really running the town.” Other issues he cited were her alleged failures to stabilize municipal taxes and encourage redevelopment in the city. At the Council’s last meeting before the petition drive began, resident Richard Piatkowski pointed out that “exactly one year ago today (March 10), former Mayor Vas was indicted,” and “most of the people who are part of this recall effort swore that the former Mayor did nothing wrong, and still swear that he did nothing wrong.” The same day that he and Bonilla turned-in the Notice, Morales was temporarily transferred from his regular assignment of creating traffic signs in the Police Department’s Traffic Maintenance Division to picking garbage in the Public Works Department’s Sanitation Division. Over his eight years of city employment, Morales has worked in various positions. “I’m not saying that it’s vindictive, but it sure looks that way,” he said at the time. Diaz, who easily-defeated Vas, an 18-year incumbent who has since been indicted on state and federal corruption charges, declined to comment. However, Motales’ allegation was denied then by Business Administrator Jane Feigenbaum, Acting Police Chief E.J. McDonald and Public Works Director Paul Wnek. “It’s a coincidence,” Feigenbaum said. “There’s no direct correlation. In fact, I didn’t know that he was planning to recall the Mayor before his transfer.” McDonald said that Morales’ position had been planned to be transferred to Public Works “for months.” Wnek said it was his understanding that sign-making materials were on-order and that “instead of having him do nothing,” Morales was transferred to Sanitation. “He’ll be returned to his former duties just as soon as that shipment arrives,” Wnek added.
The recall of Mayor Wilda Diaz is over. Public Works Department worker Anthony Bonilla and Police Department worker Miguel Morales failed to obtain the valid signatures of 25 percent of the city’s registered voters, a minimum of 5,546, in 160 days. The deadline to do so was last Tuesday, and Morales said they had collected only 2,800 — about half the number of signatures needed. Bonilla and Morales did not bother to turn-over those signatures to City Clerk Elaine Jasko, so there is no way of knowing exactly how-many of them were valid. “I believe this effort failed because the people of this city realized that it had no merit,” Diaz said in reaction to the drive’s failure to gain traction. “I was confident that the people understood what’s going-on throughout the country and that Perth Amboy is part of this. “I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances, and the people realize that,” she added. In March, Jasko reviewed and approved as to form a Notice of Intent to recall Diaz, the city’s first female Chief Executive, and hand-delivered a copy to the Mayor to begin the process of setting-into-motion a special election to determine whether Diaz would complete the remainder of the four-year term-of-office she was elected to in May 2008. Diaz had until Friday, March 26, to file a response of 200 words or less to the Notice, which she did. The two city employees who headed the recall drive began collecting signatures on March 31 for a recall election under a little-known change to the original statute which previously-mandated a minimum of two years in-office for an elected official to be subjected to recall. The new language in NJSA 19:27A-4 permits recall elections “after the officeholder shall have served one year of the term of office from which the person is sought to be recalled,” provided that a recall election is not “held after the date occurring six months prior to the general election or regular election for that office, as appropriate, in the final year of the official’s term.” Under the current law in-effect, which was applicable to this recall effort because of the date the Notice was filed, the six-month restriction would give petition-gatherers until November 2011 to complete their efforts, rather than March 2012 once the change is enacted into law. In the meantime, they had to obtain the valid signatures of 25 percent of the city’s registered voters, a minimum of 5,546, in 160 days, and Diaz would then have the option of deciding to resign. Jasko’s approval of the Notice set-in-motion the possibility of the city’s third mayoral recall initiated over the past two decades. In 1990, a recall election was held after Mayor George Otlowski Sr. resigned from office, following a recall drive led by his successor, former Mayor Joseph Vas.
Ironically, in 1996, a recall effort was led by the elder Otlowski’s son, George Otlowski Jr., against Vas before his own unsuccessful mayoral election campaign. Morales, who has said that he supported Diaz in her 2008 election campaign against Vas, maintained that the Mayor “has relinquished too-much of her authority to the Business Administrator, who’s really running the town.” Other issues he cited were her alleged failures to stabilize municipal taxes and encourage redevelopment in the city. At the Council’s last meeting before the petition drive began, resident Richard Piatkowski pointed out that “exactly one year ago today (March 10), former Mayor Vas was indicted,” and “most of the people who are part of this recall effort swore that the former Mayor did nothing wrong, and still swear that he did nothing wrong.” The same day that he and Bonilla turned-in the Notice, Morales was temporarily transferred from his regular assignment of creating traffic signs in the Police Department’s Traffic Maintenance Division to picking garbage in the Public Works Department’s Sanitation Division. Over his eight years of city employment, Morales has worked in various positions. “I’m not saying that it’s vindictive, but it sure looks that way,” he said at the time. Diaz, who easily-defeated Vas, an 18-year incumbent who has since been indicted on state and federal corruption charges, declined to comment. However, Motales’ allegation was denied then by Business Administrator Jane Feigenbaum, Acting Police Chief E.J. McDonald and Public Works Director Paul Wnek. “It’s a coincidence,” Feigenbaum said. “There’s no direct correlation. In fact, I didn’t know that he was planning to recall the Mayor before his transfer.” McDonald said that Morales’ position had been planned to be transferred to Public Works “for months.” Wnek said it was his understanding that sign-making materials were on-order and that “instead of having him do nothing,” Morales was transferred to Sanitation. “He’ll be returned to his former duties just as soon as that shipment arrives,” Wnek added.
Animal Shelter Operation Resolved
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 15, 2010)
PERTH AMBOY — The current operators of the Perth Amboy Animal Shelter, foot of Fayette Street, have agreed to partner with a group of volunteers headed by local businesswoman Wilma Matey to provide animal-control services to the city. Licensed Animal Control Officers (ACOs) Richard and Michal Cielesz, a husband-and-wife team, are now running the Shelter under Police Department supervision. Richard works from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, while Michal works from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. three-days-a-week. There also is a 10-hour per-diem employee. Richard Cielesz met late last week at City Hall, High Street, with Matey, Mayor Wilda Diaz and Councilmen Kenneth Gonzalez and William Petrick to see if an arrangement could be worked-out incorporating both proposals submitted to city officials. The group emerged from a closed-door meeting in a conference room to pose for photographs and meet with media representatives to announce that a tentative agreement had been reached. The agreement is expected to be finalized at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. at City Hall with a vote by the full Council. Council President Kenneth Balut, who has raised many questions about the Shelter’s future for the past seven months, did not attend the private session.“Council President Balut didn’t attend the meeting because Council President Balut had to work,” he said after that meeting. Balut said the two proposals were similar, even down to the dollar-amounts of the proposed contracts. “Richard and Michal Cielesz wanted $88,000, and Wilma Matey wanted $90,000.” he said. Interviewed separately, Matey and Richard Cielesz agreed that it was time to bring the matter to a close and to move-forward on behalf of both the taxpayers and the animals. “We’re coming to an agreement for the betterment of Perth Amboy and the betterment of the animals,” Matey said. “At the next City Council meeting, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to get-started on the Perth Amboy Happy Home Animal Shelter. “We’re working on our dog park, and we want to educate the public on how to properly care-for animals,” she said. “A veterinarian will be checking on the animals weekly, and we’ll have certified trainers and dog-walkers.” “We’re trying to get this finalized real-quickly,” Cielesz said. “City ACOs and rescue workers can team-up, get this done and move-forward very-quickly. “It’s a hard job to begin-with, and it’s not my job to make it any-harder,” he added. Matey said she expects the Council to approve the same three-year lease with the Perth Amboy Happy Home Animal Shelter that was withdrawn from the C ouncil’s meeting-agenda twice, and to keep the existing facility in-operation. Council members had previously voted to table a proposed agreement with neighboring Woodbridge Township after Matey and others had expressed concerns that the township’s facility would be too-small to house additional animals because of other municipalities’ contracts.
PERTH AMBOY — The current operators of the Perth Amboy Animal Shelter, foot of Fayette Street, have agreed to partner with a group of volunteers headed by local businesswoman Wilma Matey to provide animal-control services to the city. Licensed Animal Control Officers (ACOs) Richard and Michal Cielesz, a husband-and-wife team, are now running the Shelter under Police Department supervision. Richard works from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, while Michal works from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. three-days-a-week. There also is a 10-hour per-diem employee. Richard Cielesz met late last week at City Hall, High Street, with Matey, Mayor Wilda Diaz and Councilmen Kenneth Gonzalez and William Petrick to see if an arrangement could be worked-out incorporating both proposals submitted to city officials. The group emerged from a closed-door meeting in a conference room to pose for photographs and meet with media representatives to announce that a tentative agreement had been reached. The agreement is expected to be finalized at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. at City Hall with a vote by the full Council. Council President Kenneth Balut, who has raised many questions about the Shelter’s future for the past seven months, did not attend the private session.“Council President Balut didn’t attend the meeting because Council President Balut had to work,” he said after that meeting. Balut said the two proposals were similar, even down to the dollar-amounts of the proposed contracts. “Richard and Michal Cielesz wanted $88,000, and Wilma Matey wanted $90,000.” he said. Interviewed separately, Matey and Richard Cielesz agreed that it was time to bring the matter to a close and to move-forward on behalf of both the taxpayers and the animals. “We’re coming to an agreement for the betterment of Perth Amboy and the betterment of the animals,” Matey said. “At the next City Council meeting, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to get-started on the Perth Amboy Happy Home Animal Shelter. “We’re working on our dog park, and we want to educate the public on how to properly care-for animals,” she said. “A veterinarian will be checking on the animals weekly, and we’ll have certified trainers and dog-walkers.” “We’re trying to get this finalized real-quickly,” Cielesz said. “City ACOs and rescue workers can team-up, get this done and move-forward very-quickly. “It’s a hard job to begin-with, and it’s not my job to make it any-harder,” he added. Matey said she expects the Council to approve the same three-year lease with the Perth Amboy Happy Home Animal Shelter that was withdrawn from the C ouncil’s meeting-agenda twice, and to keep the existing facility in-operation. Council members had previously voted to table a proposed agreement with neighboring Woodbridge Township after Matey and others had expressed concerns that the township’s facility would be too-small to house additional animals because of other municipalities’ contracts.
Jury-Picking Scheduled
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 15, 2010)
PERTH AMBOY — Jury-selection was scheduled to get underway in U.S. District Court in Newark early this week in the federal corruption trial against former Mayor Joseph Vas and his longtime Mayor’s Aide Melvin Ramos. Once a jury has been seated, Vas political advisor Raymond Geneske, his former high school History teacher, and former Human Services Director Jeffrey Gumbs are expected to testify against Vas before Judge Susan Wigenton under plea-agreements dropping some of the charges against them. Attorney Alan Zegas, representing Vas, told Wigenton that he strongly-opposed any references to pending state charges in the federal trial as being prejudicial to his client, but Wigenton ruled in-favor of the prosecution on that issue. Before the actual trial begins, Wigenton is expected to rule on a similar request by the U.S. Attorney’s Office that testimony by former Business Administrator Donald Perlee, who has not been charged, but is cooperating in the investigation, be admissible, according to the state Attorney General’s Office. Wigenton has said that she expects the trial to last until Friday, Oct. 22. Geneske was sentenced in June in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick to three years probation after admitting accepting a substantial contribution from local developer Eddie Trujillo, who has not been charged, and funneling that money into the Vas Congressional campaign coffers through an elaborate “straw-donor” procedure allegedly used to obscure the money’s origin. In the same venue, Gumbs was sentenced to up to 364 days in jail, a probationary term and 100 hours of community service after admitting that he conspired with Vas to steal some of the $6,235 in misspent City of Perth Amboy funds used to pay for personal purchases and expenses for Vas and himself, including $1,200 in city funds to pay for his son and the former Mayor’s son to attend basketball camp.Under their plea-agreements, Geneske and Gumbs are required to testify truthfully against Vas in both his federal and state trials.
PERTH AMBOY — Jury-selection was scheduled to get underway in U.S. District Court in Newark early this week in the federal corruption trial against former Mayor Joseph Vas and his longtime Mayor’s Aide Melvin Ramos. Once a jury has been seated, Vas political advisor Raymond Geneske, his former high school History teacher, and former Human Services Director Jeffrey Gumbs are expected to testify against Vas before Judge Susan Wigenton under plea-agreements dropping some of the charges against them. Attorney Alan Zegas, representing Vas, told Wigenton that he strongly-opposed any references to pending state charges in the federal trial as being prejudicial to his client, but Wigenton ruled in-favor of the prosecution on that issue. Before the actual trial begins, Wigenton is expected to rule on a similar request by the U.S. Attorney’s Office that testimony by former Business Administrator Donald Perlee, who has not been charged, but is cooperating in the investigation, be admissible, according to the state Attorney General’s Office. Wigenton has said that she expects the trial to last until Friday, Oct. 22. Geneske was sentenced in June in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick to three years probation after admitting accepting a substantial contribution from local developer Eddie Trujillo, who has not been charged, and funneling that money into the Vas Congressional campaign coffers through an elaborate “straw-donor” procedure allegedly used to obscure the money’s origin. In the same venue, Gumbs was sentenced to up to 364 days in jail, a probationary term and 100 hours of community service after admitting that he conspired with Vas to steal some of the $6,235 in misspent City of Perth Amboy funds used to pay for personal purchases and expenses for Vas and himself, including $1,200 in city funds to pay for his son and the former Mayor’s son to attend basketball camp.Under their plea-agreements, Geneske and Gumbs are required to testify truthfully against Vas in both his federal and state trials.
City In The Dark
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 15, 2010) PERTH AMBOY
PERTH AMBOY — With all the streetlights out in Perth Amboy, the city reminds one City Council member of “The Twilight Zone.” “I almost expect to see Rod Serling coming-out of the shadows,” Councilman Fernando Gonzalez told his colleagues last week. Gonzalez brought-up the subject of “Public Lighting” as a “Topic For Discussion.” “Last night (Tuesday, Sept. 7) on Smith Street, 27 lights were out, from Convery Boulevard to High Street,” he said. “Interestingly, only one light was out on the Port Authority’s property, but at Seabra’s (Armory Restaurant, Front Street), nine lights out of 12 were out. Along the Waterfront, 13 lights were out.” Gonzalez asked what the procedure is for reporting outages to PSE&G. “You have to document your complaint,” Public Works Director Paul Wnek told Gonzalez. “A form is sent to PSE&G, and a picture must be taken to send-out with that report. “The Waterfront? We’ve been in-touch with them a number of times,” Wnek continued. “PSE&G trucks are running throughout the city, but the lights on Sadowski Parkway were turned-out five years ago when decorative lights were installed, but they were never contacted by the prior Administration to turn the lights back-on.” “One (light-fixture) in front of my house has been down about a year, and there’s a live-wire exposed,” Gonzalez said. “Are we paying our bills? How do we force PSE&G to service us? “Maybe we should escrow our accounts with the courts until we get the service,” he suggested. “Spikes are sticking-out with wires attached, and covers are being stolen to sell for scrap,” Wnek said. “We cannot continue to live in this situation,” Gonzalez declared
PERTH AMBOY — With all the streetlights out in Perth Amboy, the city reminds one City Council member of “The Twilight Zone.” “I almost expect to see Rod Serling coming-out of the shadows,” Councilman Fernando Gonzalez told his colleagues last week. Gonzalez brought-up the subject of “Public Lighting” as a “Topic For Discussion.” “Last night (Tuesday, Sept. 7) on Smith Street, 27 lights were out, from Convery Boulevard to High Street,” he said. “Interestingly, only one light was out on the Port Authority’s property, but at Seabra’s (Armory Restaurant, Front Street), nine lights out of 12 were out. Along the Waterfront, 13 lights were out.” Gonzalez asked what the procedure is for reporting outages to PSE&G. “You have to document your complaint,” Public Works Director Paul Wnek told Gonzalez. “A form is sent to PSE&G, and a picture must be taken to send-out with that report. “The Waterfront? We’ve been in-touch with them a number of times,” Wnek continued. “PSE&G trucks are running throughout the city, but the lights on Sadowski Parkway were turned-out five years ago when decorative lights were installed, but they were never contacted by the prior Administration to turn the lights back-on.” “One (light-fixture) in front of my house has been down about a year, and there’s a live-wire exposed,” Gonzalez said. “Are we paying our bills? How do we force PSE&G to service us? “Maybe we should escrow our accounts with the courts until we get the service,” he suggested. “Spikes are sticking-out with wires attached, and covers are being stolen to sell for scrap,” Wnek said. “We cannot continue to live in this situation,” Gonzalez declared
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
MUNICIPAL FINANCE 101
Fehrenbach: City Fiscally On Life-Support (Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 8, 2010)
PERTH AMBOY — At the City Council’s Special Meeting last week, advertised as being “a session on budgeting in New Jersey local government,” former Acting Business Administrator Gregory Fehrenbach — who may be back at his old job before this month is out — was the professor.Council members — none of them in-office for more than 26 months — were the students, and what they heard probably was enough to make some of them privately have second-thoughts about whether they should have run for their positions.
Business Administrator Jane Feigenbaum and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jill Goldy — the people whom local officials depend-upon for their financial advice — did not attend the two-hour afternoon session, nor did City Law Director Mark Blunda.In their stead, Fehrenbach — who has enough experience under his belt with much-larger municipalities to know of what he speaks — dominated the meeting, painting a somber picture of city finances.At one point, Fehrenbach stated, “The city is in horrific financial condition” because “you’re about 2.6- to 2.7-percent in debt in your current fund alone.”He also raised more than a few eyebrows and caused some audible gasps when he declared, “The city is in critical condition. If the city were a patient in a hospital, it would be in ICU (Intensive Care Unit).”On the bright side, if there was one, Fehrenbach noted that “Camden may be worse, but there aren’t very-many like you.”As Perth Amboy prepares to return to calendar-year budgeting in 2011, local officials “are looking-at a $5.7 million deficit,” and taxpayers can look-forward to a certain tax-increase which the Administration and the Council, working-together, may be able to “temper” but not eliminate altogether “so you don’t nail people in subsequent years,” he said.“You essentially have no surplus, and the state is not going to be able to provide an annual transfusion,” Fehrenbach told Mayor Wilda Diaz and Council members, who listened intently and held-off asking questions or making comments as the session proceeded.Newly-seated Councilman William Petrick gingerly ventured-forth with a personnel question, which Fehrenbach quickly brushed-aside with the reply, “That’s something for closed-session.”City Clerk Elaine Jasko confirmed that the Public Notice for the meeting contained no provision for a closed-session discussion.Fehrenbach went-on to advise local officials that they must “anticipate the revenues conservatively” in-order to lead the city out of its fiscal crisis. “$7.5 or $8 million used to fund the previous year’s (2008) Budget is non-recurring revenues,” he added.Fehrenbach explained that what got Perth Amboy into its financial bind was the philosophy of the previous Administration (led by indicted former Mayor Joseph Vas) that tax-increases of any size should be avoided at-all-costs.
“There was constantly a desire to generate revenues from other sources to keep the tax-rate down,” he said. “A portion of everybody’s water-bill today is paying for costs incurred between 1998 and 2007, and you’re going to continue paying those costs from years ago.”“We’re still paying eight-percent interest to Middlesex Water (Co., the city’s private partner in operating the Water/Wastewater Utility),” Council President Kenneth Balut said. “That’s in the agreement, but the city has to reopen that agreement,” Fehrenbach said. “If we go-bankrupt, they don’t get-paid.” In fairness, he said, “they (Middlesex Water) took it on-the-chin, too.” But “we need to go back to them,” Fehrenbach said. “Many banks are renegotiating agreements.”He urged city officials to “creatively think-about ways in which to appropriately come-up with new alternative revenue-sources,” not by increasing homeowners’ property taxes, because “they’re already paying enough.”
Turning to labor costs — the topic brought-up by Petrick, but in the abstract — Fehrenbach cautioned that reducing the city’s workforce any further is not the answer to improving its finances.“There really aren’t a lot of people here,” he said. “The city is now at or near a bare-minimum. The Fire Department has just-enough people to staff its equipment, so I don’t know if the city can afford-to drop its rolls by one firefighter.
“The Police Department is tight, too, and the Sanitation Department is taking people from other units to pick-up garbage,” Fehrenbach said. “People are retiring from Public Works, and these positions must be filled or you can’t continue to service the community.”The city is running “a very-shallow operation” in many of its departments, he noted. “For example, in the Fire Department, the lowest number of firefighters-per-population and the lowest number of firefighters-per-square-mile is Perth Amboy.“There’s not a lot of ‘fat’ left,” Fehrenbach declared. “You can’t assume in the future that you can save money by reducing the number of city employees.”One way of enhancing revenues is “to increase fees-for-services where it seems appropriate,” he said.Councilman Fernando Gonzalez proposed that a fee be established for removing newspaper-boxes which have been turned-onto their sides and dumped-into the roadways, thereby creating a safety-hazard.“It’s costing us money,” Gonzalez declared.Fehrenbach noted that cases involving newspaper-boxes have been thrown-out in court as infringements upon the First Amendment.“Maybe we can approach it as a recycling-fee.” Petrick suggested. “It’s a quality-of-life issue.”Fehrenbach countered that with finding ways of “reducing the cost- per-employee,” to be discussed privately in the near-future.
“The Mayor is going to enunciate a series of budgetary priorities in the next two to three weeks,” he said. “The primary objective is that she doesn’t want to see the (tax) levy increased during the 2010 Transitional Budget (which runs from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2010).” “A lot of things have been cleaned-up in the last two years, but a lot of things still need to be cleaned-up,” Fehrenbach said. He closed his presentation by raising the spectre of continued collapses of the city’s infrastructure — particularly its combined sewer and sanitary-sewer lines, many of which date-back centuries, and are made of clay or brick.“When you look at a Budget, you don’t want to focus-on paper-clips; you want to focus-on policy,” Fehrenbach said. “The best public officials are those who don’t give two-hoots about what’s going to happen in the next election.”At the same time, he warned that local officials “have to comply with those regulations issued by the (state) Division of Local Government Services and also the Office of the Comptroller.“The last Administration didn’t,” Fehrenbach declared.
PERTH AMBOY — At the City Council’s Special Meeting last week, advertised as being “a session on budgeting in New Jersey local government,” former Acting Business Administrator Gregory Fehrenbach — who may be back at his old job before this month is out — was the professor.Council members — none of them in-office for more than 26 months — were the students, and what they heard probably was enough to make some of them privately have second-thoughts about whether they should have run for their positions.
Business Administrator Jane Feigenbaum and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jill Goldy — the people whom local officials depend-upon for their financial advice — did not attend the two-hour afternoon session, nor did City Law Director Mark Blunda.In their stead, Fehrenbach — who has enough experience under his belt with much-larger municipalities to know of what he speaks — dominated the meeting, painting a somber picture of city finances.At one point, Fehrenbach stated, “The city is in horrific financial condition” because “you’re about 2.6- to 2.7-percent in debt in your current fund alone.”He also raised more than a few eyebrows and caused some audible gasps when he declared, “The city is in critical condition. If the city were a patient in a hospital, it would be in ICU (Intensive Care Unit).”On the bright side, if there was one, Fehrenbach noted that “Camden may be worse, but there aren’t very-many like you.”As Perth Amboy prepares to return to calendar-year budgeting in 2011, local officials “are looking-at a $5.7 million deficit,” and taxpayers can look-forward to a certain tax-increase which the Administration and the Council, working-together, may be able to “temper” but not eliminate altogether “so you don’t nail people in subsequent years,” he said.“You essentially have no surplus, and the state is not going to be able to provide an annual transfusion,” Fehrenbach told Mayor Wilda Diaz and Council members, who listened intently and held-off asking questions or making comments as the session proceeded.Newly-seated Councilman William Petrick gingerly ventured-forth with a personnel question, which Fehrenbach quickly brushed-aside with the reply, “That’s something for closed-session.”City Clerk Elaine Jasko confirmed that the Public Notice for the meeting contained no provision for a closed-session discussion.Fehrenbach went-on to advise local officials that they must “anticipate the revenues conservatively” in-order to lead the city out of its fiscal crisis. “$7.5 or $8 million used to fund the previous year’s (2008) Budget is non-recurring revenues,” he added.Fehrenbach explained that what got Perth Amboy into its financial bind was the philosophy of the previous Administration (led by indicted former Mayor Joseph Vas) that tax-increases of any size should be avoided at-all-costs.
“There was constantly a desire to generate revenues from other sources to keep the tax-rate down,” he said. “A portion of everybody’s water-bill today is paying for costs incurred between 1998 and 2007, and you’re going to continue paying those costs from years ago.”“We’re still paying eight-percent interest to Middlesex Water (Co., the city’s private partner in operating the Water/Wastewater Utility),” Council President Kenneth Balut said. “That’s in the agreement, but the city has to reopen that agreement,” Fehrenbach said. “If we go-bankrupt, they don’t get-paid.” In fairness, he said, “they (Middlesex Water) took it on-the-chin, too.” But “we need to go back to them,” Fehrenbach said. “Many banks are renegotiating agreements.”He urged city officials to “creatively think-about ways in which to appropriately come-up with new alternative revenue-sources,” not by increasing homeowners’ property taxes, because “they’re already paying enough.”
Turning to labor costs — the topic brought-up by Petrick, but in the abstract — Fehrenbach cautioned that reducing the city’s workforce any further is not the answer to improving its finances.“There really aren’t a lot of people here,” he said. “The city is now at or near a bare-minimum. The Fire Department has just-enough people to staff its equipment, so I don’t know if the city can afford-to drop its rolls by one firefighter.
“The Police Department is tight, too, and the Sanitation Department is taking people from other units to pick-up garbage,” Fehrenbach said. “People are retiring from Public Works, and these positions must be filled or you can’t continue to service the community.”The city is running “a very-shallow operation” in many of its departments, he noted. “For example, in the Fire Department, the lowest number of firefighters-per-population and the lowest number of firefighters-per-square-mile is Perth Amboy.“There’s not a lot of ‘fat’ left,” Fehrenbach declared. “You can’t assume in the future that you can save money by reducing the number of city employees.”One way of enhancing revenues is “to increase fees-for-services where it seems appropriate,” he said.Councilman Fernando Gonzalez proposed that a fee be established for removing newspaper-boxes which have been turned-onto their sides and dumped-into the roadways, thereby creating a safety-hazard.“It’s costing us money,” Gonzalez declared.Fehrenbach noted that cases involving newspaper-boxes have been thrown-out in court as infringements upon the First Amendment.“Maybe we can approach it as a recycling-fee.” Petrick suggested. “It’s a quality-of-life issue.”Fehrenbach countered that with finding ways of “reducing the cost- per-employee,” to be discussed privately in the near-future.
“The Mayor is going to enunciate a series of budgetary priorities in the next two to three weeks,” he said. “The primary objective is that she doesn’t want to see the (tax) levy increased during the 2010 Transitional Budget (which runs from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2010).” “A lot of things have been cleaned-up in the last two years, but a lot of things still need to be cleaned-up,” Fehrenbach said. He closed his presentation by raising the spectre of continued collapses of the city’s infrastructure — particularly its combined sewer and sanitary-sewer lines, many of which date-back centuries, and are made of clay or brick.“When you look at a Budget, you don’t want to focus-on paper-clips; you want to focus-on policy,” Fehrenbach said. “The best public officials are those who don’t give two-hoots about what’s going to happen in the next election.”At the same time, he warned that local officials “have to comply with those regulations issued by the (state) Division of Local Government Services and also the Office of the Comptroller.“The last Administration didn’t,” Fehrenbach declared.
Dudas Resigns As City Historian
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 8, 2010)
PERTH AMBOY — Embattled City Historian Jack Dudas last week resigned the unpaid position to which he was appointed by Mayor Wilda Diaz on Jan. 30, 2009, “effective immediately.”“With the retirement of (Community Decelopment Director) Michael Keller, I feel that I can no-longer accomplish anything of note through the new bureaucracy,” Dudas, a former Councilman, wrote in a two-page letter to Diaz dated Aug. 27. “It seems that no one understands their role with regard to historic properties, with the exception of Mr. (Public Works Director) Paul Wnek, who is attending to the problem of the broken Town Clock (on the Simpson United Methodist Church steeple, High Street), through the work of Mr. Danny Cleaver.”
The City Historian is responsible for carrying-out historical programs, storing historical materials to ensure their preservation, providing an annual report of work accomplished each year, researching and publishing historical materials, and assisting in projects of commemoration, including installation of monuments, historic markers and guide-signs.Dudas, an attorney whose family has lived in the city for four generations, had aspired to the post while serving as Assistant City Historian while William Pavlovsky was City Historian during the Administration of former Mayor George Otlowski.Retired City Clerk Harold Augustine, widely-known as “Mr. Perth Amboy,” who later served as President of the Library Board of Trustees, held the post of City Historian before his death in 2005.Dudas, who holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in History, has been involved in efforts over the past 30 years to save several historic city structures from being razed — most-notably, the former Majestic Theater, now the Cathedral International, on Madison Avenue — and carried his enthusiasm for that role into his official position.However, he cited “frustration and disrespect” in what he believed was lack of cooperation from other city officials in protecting historic buildings.
PERTH AMBOY — Embattled City Historian Jack Dudas last week resigned the unpaid position to which he was appointed by Mayor Wilda Diaz on Jan. 30, 2009, “effective immediately.”“With the retirement of (Community Decelopment Director) Michael Keller, I feel that I can no-longer accomplish anything of note through the new bureaucracy,” Dudas, a former Councilman, wrote in a two-page letter to Diaz dated Aug. 27. “It seems that no one understands their role with regard to historic properties, with the exception of Mr. (Public Works Director) Paul Wnek, who is attending to the problem of the broken Town Clock (on the Simpson United Methodist Church steeple, High Street), through the work of Mr. Danny Cleaver.”
The City Historian is responsible for carrying-out historical programs, storing historical materials to ensure their preservation, providing an annual report of work accomplished each year, researching and publishing historical materials, and assisting in projects of commemoration, including installation of monuments, historic markers and guide-signs.Dudas, an attorney whose family has lived in the city for four generations, had aspired to the post while serving as Assistant City Historian while William Pavlovsky was City Historian during the Administration of former Mayor George Otlowski.Retired City Clerk Harold Augustine, widely-known as “Mr. Perth Amboy,” who later served as President of the Library Board of Trustees, held the post of City Historian before his death in 2005.Dudas, who holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in History, has been involved in efforts over the past 30 years to save several historic city structures from being razed — most-notably, the former Majestic Theater, now the Cathedral International, on Madison Avenue — and carried his enthusiasm for that role into his official position.However, he cited “frustration and disrespect” in what he believed was lack of cooperation from other city officials in protecting historic buildings.
Ryan: State Official Blames City For Budget Delay
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 8, 2010)
SOUTH AMBOY — After City Council President Fred Henry announced last week that a public hearing will be held on amendments to the Calendar Year 2010 Budget at the Council’s Sept. 15 meeting, he apparently did not anticipate the firestorm that followed.“The DCA (state Department of Community Affairs) had a couple of questions, but we’ve taken-care of it,” Henry said, matter-of-factly.That did not sit well with resident Eileen Ryan, however.“I called someone at DCA,” she said. “If everything-else has been approved, why are we at the bottom of the ladder?“According to the information she gave me — and I don’t think she’s wrong — she told me that DCA made several requests to the City of South Amboy about items in the Budget that they needed more information about, and there was no response whatsoever from the City of South Amboy,” Ryan said.“For two months, we’ve been told about the Budget, and I wanted to believe that you guys really-knew,” she added. “Can you tell me if she’s right? Mrs. (Business Administrator Camille) Tooker and Mr. (Chief Financial OfficerTerance) O’Neill should personally-answer, or be fired.”
“What’s this person’s name?” asked attorney Thomas Lanza, sitting-in for his brother, City Law Director John Lanza.“I can’t tell you that,” Ryan replied before going-on.“Everybody’s been told it’s been ready, and I just wish to get this resolved,” she said. “What should I tell Amelia?”Ryan moved-forward to hand a document up to Henry when Lanza barked-out, “Stay back!”“I don’t have a gun or knife,” Ryan said as she retreated back to her seat in the audience. “I don’t want to get-arrested.”“She’s not the one in-charge,” Tooker said of the woman Ryan referred-to.“You’re correct,” Tooker went-on. “If either myself or Terry was giving false information, we should be fired.”But she insisted that she had been keeping Mayor John O’Leary and the Council members informed about what was really going-on.“Today is Wednesday,” Tooker noted. “We’re in the process of getting a final document to them.“We reviewed everything we sent them, but they still said they needed this, this and that,” she explained. “I can show you.”“I’m not the person you should be answerable-to,” Ryan said. “If Trenton isn’t telling the truth, we shouldn’t have egg on our face. She’s asking for supportive data. She said she never received that supportive data."“The person who’s reviewing our Budget is a male,” Tooker said.“You may think so,” Ryan responded.“By Sept. 24, it (the Budget) must be approved (by the Council),” she stated. “Here it is the first, and we don’t have it yet.”
“We responded, and they came-back and wanted additional information on two or three items,” O’Leary said.The Mayor noted that “the water revenues from Middlesex Water (Co., Iselin) were one.”“If we’re paying Mr. O’Neill, he’s the one who should be here and be accountable,” Ryan declared.“This was just a little miscommunication,” Henry said. “They did ask for a little bit of additional information.”“We gave them the original comments,” Tooker said.“They’re not asking about that,” Ryan said. “They said they asked for more information, and you didn’t supply it.”“I don’t appreciate your saying that I’m lying,” Tooker told Ryan.
“I never said ANYONE is lying,” Ryan countered. “If this just happened Thursday, I can appreciate that.”
Former Councilman Stanley Jankowski, now a Board of Education member, asked if the Budget will be “passed in two weeks.”“Three,” Lanza shot back.“It will be done before then,” Henry said.“You can’t pass it (the Budget) that night,” Jankowski insisted. “You have to have two readings,”“They can do it the same night,” Lanza stated.“Why not just have a special meeting on the Budget?” Jankowski asked. “You could be sitting here for hours.”“Hopefully, that’s not going to happen,” Henry said, before moving-on to another subect and then adjourning the meeting.
SOUTH AMBOY — After City Council President Fred Henry announced last week that a public hearing will be held on amendments to the Calendar Year 2010 Budget at the Council’s Sept. 15 meeting, he apparently did not anticipate the firestorm that followed.“The DCA (state Department of Community Affairs) had a couple of questions, but we’ve taken-care of it,” Henry said, matter-of-factly.That did not sit well with resident Eileen Ryan, however.“I called someone at DCA,” she said. “If everything-else has been approved, why are we at the bottom of the ladder?“According to the information she gave me — and I don’t think she’s wrong — she told me that DCA made several requests to the City of South Amboy about items in the Budget that they needed more information about, and there was no response whatsoever from the City of South Amboy,” Ryan said.“For two months, we’ve been told about the Budget, and I wanted to believe that you guys really-knew,” she added. “Can you tell me if she’s right? Mrs. (Business Administrator Camille) Tooker and Mr. (Chief Financial OfficerTerance) O’Neill should personally-answer, or be fired.”
“What’s this person’s name?” asked attorney Thomas Lanza, sitting-in for his brother, City Law Director John Lanza.“I can’t tell you that,” Ryan replied before going-on.“Everybody’s been told it’s been ready, and I just wish to get this resolved,” she said. “What should I tell Amelia?”Ryan moved-forward to hand a document up to Henry when Lanza barked-out, “Stay back!”“I don’t have a gun or knife,” Ryan said as she retreated back to her seat in the audience. “I don’t want to get-arrested.”“She’s not the one in-charge,” Tooker said of the woman Ryan referred-to.“You’re correct,” Tooker went-on. “If either myself or Terry was giving false information, we should be fired.”But she insisted that she had been keeping Mayor John O’Leary and the Council members informed about what was really going-on.“Today is Wednesday,” Tooker noted. “We’re in the process of getting a final document to them.“We reviewed everything we sent them, but they still said they needed this, this and that,” she explained. “I can show you.”“I’m not the person you should be answerable-to,” Ryan said. “If Trenton isn’t telling the truth, we shouldn’t have egg on our face. She’s asking for supportive data. She said she never received that supportive data."“The person who’s reviewing our Budget is a male,” Tooker said.“You may think so,” Ryan responded.“By Sept. 24, it (the Budget) must be approved (by the Council),” she stated. “Here it is the first, and we don’t have it yet.”
“We responded, and they came-back and wanted additional information on two or three items,” O’Leary said.The Mayor noted that “the water revenues from Middlesex Water (Co., Iselin) were one.”“If we’re paying Mr. O’Neill, he’s the one who should be here and be accountable,” Ryan declared.“This was just a little miscommunication,” Henry said. “They did ask for a little bit of additional information.”“We gave them the original comments,” Tooker said.“They’re not asking about that,” Ryan said. “They said they asked for more information, and you didn’t supply it.”“I don’t appreciate your saying that I’m lying,” Tooker told Ryan.
“I never said ANYONE is lying,” Ryan countered. “If this just happened Thursday, I can appreciate that.”
Former Councilman Stanley Jankowski, now a Board of Education member, asked if the Budget will be “passed in two weeks.”“Three,” Lanza shot back.“It will be done before then,” Henry said.“You can’t pass it (the Budget) that night,” Jankowski insisted. “You have to have two readings,”“They can do it the same night,” Lanza stated.“Why not just have a special meeting on the Budget?” Jankowski asked. “You could be sitting here for hours.”“Hopefully, that’s not going to happen,” Henry said, before moving-on to another subect and then adjourning the meeting.
From The Editor’s Desk, Sept. 8, 2010
(Editorial, Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 8, 2010)
The President of a Kearny contractor that did paving, curbs and other infrastructure work for the City of Perth Amboy has admitted before Superior Court Judge Anthony Mellaci Jr., sitting in Freehold, that her firm performed $25,000 worth of free paving and masonry work in 2002 at the High Street home of indicted former Mayor Joseph Vas.Through its President Helena Godinho, Jenicar Builders Contractors Co. Inc.
pleaded guilty to Conspiracy To Commit Official Misconduct, a third-degree offense. Mrs. Godinho succeeded her husband, Fernando Godinho, who died in November 2004.If the company, which was charged in a May 21, 2009 indictment along with Mr. Vas and longtime Mayor’s Aide Melvin Ramos, were convicted at-trial, it faced a fine of up to $150,000 and permanent debarment from public contracts. Under a plea agreement struck by state Deputy Attorneys General Diane Deal and Pearl Minato, Jenicar must pay a $45,000 fine, and its principals must cooperate in the ongoing investigation of Mr. Vas and Mr. Ramos, according to a prepared statement released by the state Attorney General’s Office. Jenicar’s sentencing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18.This latest turn of events carries particular significance for the Amboy Beacon, which was lambasted by Mr. Vas after publishing information — including photographs — about his alleged dealings with Jenicar concerning the work done at his home. At that time, Mr. Vas produced what he said was a “paid bill” from another contractor whom he said had actually done the work with Jenicar’s equipment. Now, with Jenicar coming-forward, that so-called “paid bill” is thrown-into question.Mr. Vas, who also is a former 19th Legislative District Assemblyman, faces multiple second-degree counts of Conspiracy and Official Misconduct, among other charges, and other state and federal charges are pending against both Mr. Vas and Mr. Ramos.Conferencing on charges contained in the two state indictments is planned to get started on Monday, Nov. 4, while jury-selection already is underway for a trial scheduled for Monday, Sept. 13, in U.S. District Court, Newark, on a federal indictment charging other offenses.
Recently, two officials whose firm oversaw construction on the still-unfinished $89 million Public Safety/Municipal Court/Community Center Complex, New Brunswick and Amboy Avenues, President Frank Dominguez and Vice President Richard Briggs of the Imperial Construction Group Inc., Elizabeth, pleaded guilty in Superior Court to Submitting A False Government Contract.Mr. Dominguez and Mr. Briggs admitted before Judge Mellaci that they padded Imperial’s billing by $58,006 to pay for a catering job in conjunction with a “Grand Opening” celebration on behalf of Mr. Vas at the incomplete Complex as a way to enhance the former Mayor’s 2008 campaign for re-election, which he lost to political newcomer Wilda Diaz by almost 1,200 votes.In its coverage of that April 18, 2008 event, which glossy, full-color mailings were used to draw over 1,000 people to the Complex parking-lot, the Beacon raised a number of questions about its propriety, while other news organizations remained silent.“According to sources familiar with the construction, the Complex was opened for tours by the general public without having a Certificate of Occupancy (CO), thereby exposing city taxpayers to significant litigation if anyone had sustained any injuries,” we wrote in our April 23, 2008 edition.Mr. Dominguez said that Mr. Ramos and then-Business Administrator Donald Perlee suggested in a telephone call in April 2008 that the ceremony’s cost could be recouped by Imperial by inflating its billings for inspections. Mr. Perlee, who has not been charged, is cooperating in the investigation, according to Deputy Attorney General Deal. We’re planning to send someone to cover Jenicar’s sentencing and as-much of the former Mayor’s trials as we’re able-to with our limited resources.Of course, the Attorney General’s Office also has (rightly) noted that “indictments are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Stay-tuned for more on this.
The President of a Kearny contractor that did paving, curbs and other infrastructure work for the City of Perth Amboy has admitted before Superior Court Judge Anthony Mellaci Jr., sitting in Freehold, that her firm performed $25,000 worth of free paving and masonry work in 2002 at the High Street home of indicted former Mayor Joseph Vas.Through its President Helena Godinho, Jenicar Builders Contractors Co. Inc.
pleaded guilty to Conspiracy To Commit Official Misconduct, a third-degree offense. Mrs. Godinho succeeded her husband, Fernando Godinho, who died in November 2004.If the company, which was charged in a May 21, 2009 indictment along with Mr. Vas and longtime Mayor’s Aide Melvin Ramos, were convicted at-trial, it faced a fine of up to $150,000 and permanent debarment from public contracts. Under a plea agreement struck by state Deputy Attorneys General Diane Deal and Pearl Minato, Jenicar must pay a $45,000 fine, and its principals must cooperate in the ongoing investigation of Mr. Vas and Mr. Ramos, according to a prepared statement released by the state Attorney General’s Office. Jenicar’s sentencing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18.This latest turn of events carries particular significance for the Amboy Beacon, which was lambasted by Mr. Vas after publishing information — including photographs — about his alleged dealings with Jenicar concerning the work done at his home. At that time, Mr. Vas produced what he said was a “paid bill” from another contractor whom he said had actually done the work with Jenicar’s equipment. Now, with Jenicar coming-forward, that so-called “paid bill” is thrown-into question.Mr. Vas, who also is a former 19th Legislative District Assemblyman, faces multiple second-degree counts of Conspiracy and Official Misconduct, among other charges, and other state and federal charges are pending against both Mr. Vas and Mr. Ramos.Conferencing on charges contained in the two state indictments is planned to get started on Monday, Nov. 4, while jury-selection already is underway for a trial scheduled for Monday, Sept. 13, in U.S. District Court, Newark, on a federal indictment charging other offenses.
Recently, two officials whose firm oversaw construction on the still-unfinished $89 million Public Safety/Municipal Court/Community Center Complex, New Brunswick and Amboy Avenues, President Frank Dominguez and Vice President Richard Briggs of the Imperial Construction Group Inc., Elizabeth, pleaded guilty in Superior Court to Submitting A False Government Contract.Mr. Dominguez and Mr. Briggs admitted before Judge Mellaci that they padded Imperial’s billing by $58,006 to pay for a catering job in conjunction with a “Grand Opening” celebration on behalf of Mr. Vas at the incomplete Complex as a way to enhance the former Mayor’s 2008 campaign for re-election, which he lost to political newcomer Wilda Diaz by almost 1,200 votes.In its coverage of that April 18, 2008 event, which glossy, full-color mailings were used to draw over 1,000 people to the Complex parking-lot, the Beacon raised a number of questions about its propriety, while other news organizations remained silent.“According to sources familiar with the construction, the Complex was opened for tours by the general public without having a Certificate of Occupancy (CO), thereby exposing city taxpayers to significant litigation if anyone had sustained any injuries,” we wrote in our April 23, 2008 edition.Mr. Dominguez said that Mr. Ramos and then-Business Administrator Donald Perlee suggested in a telephone call in April 2008 that the ceremony’s cost could be recouped by Imperial by inflating its billings for inspections. Mr. Perlee, who has not been charged, is cooperating in the investigation, according to Deputy Attorney General Deal. We’re planning to send someone to cover Jenicar’s sentencing and as-much of the former Mayor’s trials as we’re able-to with our limited resources.Of course, the Attorney General’s Office also has (rightly) noted that “indictments are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Stay-tuned for more on this.
Parking Changes Raise Safety Concerns
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 8, 2010)
SOUTH AMBOY — Several residents raised issues of pedestrian safety during public hearings held at last week’s City Council meeting on three Ordinances to convert parking along portions of Augusta, David and John Streets into perpendicular-parking areas.However, Council members seemed satisfied about receiving state Department of Transportation (DOT) approval for the changes and voted unanimously to adopt all three measures.The Ordinance to convert a portion of Augusta Street was moved by Councilman William Schwarick, seconded by Councilman Mark Noble; the Ordinance to convert a portion of David Street was moved by Noble, seconded by Schwarick, and the Ordinance to convert a portion of John Street was moved by Councilman Joseph Connors, seconded by Schwarick. All were adopted 5-0.Former Councilman Stanley Jankowski, now a Board of Education member, noted that crews had closed the streets involved and were “doing the work already” before the Ordinances were finally-adopted.“Is that legal?” he asked.
“The city is not acquiring property; it’s just improving it,” attorney Thomas Lanza, sitting-in for his brother, City Law Director John Lanza, responded.“These plans were submitted to DOT and approved,” Mayor John O’Leary said. “We want to lower the mile-per-hour cartway through that area and create parking so it can be enforced.”The Mayor said that after getting input from City Engineer Mark Rasimowicz, it was decided to go to “straight-in parking, not angular parking.”Jankowski called the new parking configuration “an accident waiting to happen,” and cited the school down the street.“God forbid some child getting run-over by a car backing-up,” he said.“A child doesn’t belong on the street,” O’Leary declared.James Kopysyecky Jr., owner of the former Dot’s Luncheonette building at Broadway and David Street, complained that a 40-foot apron for his parking-lot behind the building was reduced to 18 feet.
“That’s not grandfathered?” he asked. “Why weren’t we notified?”“I don’t think anyone can grandfather that,” O’Leary stated. “You’ve still got the same amount of parking and the city picked-up two parking-spaces for the public.”“The new apron centers on your property,” Rasimowicz said.“It’s not a driveway; it’s a parking-lot,” Kopysyecky countered.“You can still park six cars if they go-in on a different angle,” Rasimowi cz noted.“I’ll provide the six cars, and YOU park them,” Kopysyecky stated. “Was it worth all that work just to pick-up two parking-spaces?”“The total bid-price was $190,000,” O’Leary said. “That’s an extremely-cost-effective way of creating downtown parking.”
SOUTH AMBOY — Several residents raised issues of pedestrian safety during public hearings held at last week’s City Council meeting on three Ordinances to convert parking along portions of Augusta, David and John Streets into perpendicular-parking areas.However, Council members seemed satisfied about receiving state Department of Transportation (DOT) approval for the changes and voted unanimously to adopt all three measures.The Ordinance to convert a portion of Augusta Street was moved by Councilman William Schwarick, seconded by Councilman Mark Noble; the Ordinance to convert a portion of David Street was moved by Noble, seconded by Schwarick, and the Ordinance to convert a portion of John Street was moved by Councilman Joseph Connors, seconded by Schwarick. All were adopted 5-0.Former Councilman Stanley Jankowski, now a Board of Education member, noted that crews had closed the streets involved and were “doing the work already” before the Ordinances were finally-adopted.“Is that legal?” he asked.
“The city is not acquiring property; it’s just improving it,” attorney Thomas Lanza, sitting-in for his brother, City Law Director John Lanza, responded.“These plans were submitted to DOT and approved,” Mayor John O’Leary said. “We want to lower the mile-per-hour cartway through that area and create parking so it can be enforced.”The Mayor said that after getting input from City Engineer Mark Rasimowicz, it was decided to go to “straight-in parking, not angular parking.”Jankowski called the new parking configuration “an accident waiting to happen,” and cited the school down the street.“God forbid some child getting run-over by a car backing-up,” he said.“A child doesn’t belong on the street,” O’Leary declared.James Kopysyecky Jr., owner of the former Dot’s Luncheonette building at Broadway and David Street, complained that a 40-foot apron for his parking-lot behind the building was reduced to 18 feet.
“That’s not grandfathered?” he asked. “Why weren’t we notified?”“I don’t think anyone can grandfather that,” O’Leary stated. “You’ve still got the same amount of parking and the city picked-up two parking-spaces for the public.”“The new apron centers on your property,” Rasimowicz said.“It’s not a driveway; it’s a parking-lot,” Kopysyecky countered.“You can still park six cars if they go-in on a different angle,” Rasimowi cz noted.“I’ll provide the six cars, and YOU park them,” Kopysyecky stated. “Was it worth all that work just to pick-up two parking-spaces?”“The total bid-price was $190,000,” O’Leary said. “That’s an extremely-cost-effective way of creating downtown parking.”
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
VENDOR: VAS HOUSE FIXED FREE
Jenicar Owner Admits $25G Driveway, Masonry Work By Jim Shea (Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 1, 2010)
FREEHOLD — The President of a Kearny contractor that did paving, curbs and other infrastructure work for the City of Perth Amboy admitted last week before Superior Court Judge Anthony Mellaci Jr. that her firm performed $25,000 worth of free paving and masonry work in 2002 at the High Street home of indicted former Mayor Joseph Vas. Through its President Helena Godinho, Jenicar Builders Contractors Co. Inc.
pleaded guilty to Conspiracy To Commit Official Misconduct, a third-degree offense. Godinho succeeded her husband, Fernando Godinho, who died in November 2004. If the company, which was charged in a May 21, 2009 indictment along with Vas and longtime Mayor’s Aide Melvin Ramos, were convicted at-trial, it faced a fine of up to $150,000 and permanent debarment from public contracts. Under a plea agreement struck by state Deputy Attorneys General Diane Deal and Pearl Minato, Jenicar must pay a $45,000 fine, and its principals must cooperate in the ongoing investigation of Vas and Ramos, according to a prepared statement released by the state Attorney General’s Office. Jenicar’s sentencing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18. Other state charges are pending against Vas and Ramos. Vas, who also is a former 19th Legislative District Assemblyman, faces multiple second-degree counts of Conspiracy and Official Misconduct, among other charges. The Attorney General’s Office noted that the same indictment including Jenicar charges Vas with four distinct criminal schemes. Conferencing on charges contained in the two state indictments against Vas and Ramos is planned to get started on Monday, Nov. 4. Recently, two officials whose firm oversaw construction on the still-unfinished $89 million Public Safety/Municipal Court/Community Center Complex, New Brunswick and Amboy Avenues, President Frank Dominguez and Vice President Richard Briggs of the Imperial Construction Group Inc., Elizabeth, which oversaw construction on the building, pleaded guilty in Superior Court to Submitting A False Government Contract. Dominguez and Briggs admitted before Mellaci that they padded Imperial’s billing by $58,006 to pay for a catering job in conjunction with a “Grand Opening” celebration on behalf of Vas at the incomplete Complex as a way to enhance the former Mayor’s 2008 campaign for re-election, which he lost to political newcomer Wilda Diaz by almost 1,200 votes. Dominguez said that Ramos and then-Business Administrator Donald Perlee suggested in a telephone call in April 2008 that the ceremony’s cost could be recouped by Imperial by inflating its billings for inspections. Perlee, who has not been charged, is cooperating in the investigation, according to Deal. The state’s cases against Vas and Ramos have been transferred to Monmouth County from Middlesex County because Ramos is related to Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves, sitting in New Brunswick, through marriage.
According to the same indictment, between January and July 2006, Vas and Ramos allegedly solicited city employees and others to make fraudulent contributions to Vas’ 2006 campaign for the Democratic nomination for the 13th Congressional District. Ramos allegedly paid cash to the people he solicited to reimburse them for writing personal checks payable to “Vas For Congress.” The Attorney General’s Office explained that Vas and Ramos are charged with Money-Laundering because by structuring funds into the campaign through people who falsely appeared to be making personal contributions, they allegedly sought to avoid applicable state and federal currency-transaction reporting requirements in connection with deposits into the campaign account at Commerce Bank. Banks are required to report cash deposits of $10,000 or more under federal reporting requirements. Vas and Ramos allegedly requested city employees to solicit contributions during work-hours, solicited city employees and others during work-hours, and used city facilities and property for campaign activities, the Attorney General’s Office said. According to the same indictment, between November 2004 and July 20, 2005, Vas allegedly stole $5,926 from the city by unlawfully-authorizing the submission to the city and approval of payment of a personal medical bill for
$5,322 he received from the Mayo Clinic of Jacksonville, FL, and a personal eyeglasses bill for $604 he received from Lenscrafters, the Attorney General’s Office said. Deal and Minato are assigned to the state’s cases, and the investigation was conducted by Deal, Sgt. Dino Dettorre and Det. Benjamin Kukis, assisted by Lt. Daniel O’Brien, Sgt. Robert McGrath, Dets. Lee Bailey, Melissa Calkin, Lisa Cawley, Shaun Egan, Kiersten Pentony and Robert Stemmer, and Civil Investigator Joseph Salvatore. In March 2009, the Division of Criminal Justice obtained an indictment charging Vas and city employees with conspiring from 2003 to 2007 to fraudulently-obtain payment of $6,235 from the Perth Amboy Recreation Department for his and their personal expenses, the Attorney General’s Office said. Also, Vas and his driver, Anthony Jones, were charged in a scheme in which Vas allegedly rigged a public lottery so that Jones won the opportunity to buy an affordable home through the Perth Amboy HOME Program, the Attorney General’s Office said. Those charges are also pending. The Attorney General’s Office noted that “indictments are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.” Hearings are scheduled to get underway in U.S. District Court on Monday, Sept. 13, with Vas political advisor Raymond Geneske, his former high school History teacher, and former Human Services Director Jeffrey Gumbs scheduled to testify against Vas under plea-agreements dropping some of the charges against them. Geneske was sentenced in June in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick to three years probation after admitting accepting a substantial contribution from local developer Eddie Trujillo, who has not been charged, and funneling that money into the Vas Congressional campaign coffers through an elaborate “straw-donor” procedure allegedly used to obscure the money’s origin. In the same venue, Gumbs was sentenced to up to 364 days in jail, a probationary term and 100 hours of community service after admitting that he conspired with Vas to steal some of the $6,235 in misspent City of Perth Amboy funds used to pay for personal purchases and expenses for Vas and himself, including $1,200 in city funds to pay for his son and the former Mayor’s son to attend basketball camp. After attorney Alan Zegas, representing Vas, told U.S. District Court Judge Susan Wigenton that he strongly-opposes any references to pending state charges in the federal trial as being prejudicial to his client, Wigenton agreed to hold a separate hearing on that issue. Under their plea-agreements, Geneske and Gumbs are required to testify truthfully against Vas in both his federal and state trials.
FREEHOLD — The President of a Kearny contractor that did paving, curbs and other infrastructure work for the City of Perth Amboy admitted last week before Superior Court Judge Anthony Mellaci Jr. that her firm performed $25,000 worth of free paving and masonry work in 2002 at the High Street home of indicted former Mayor Joseph Vas. Through its President Helena Godinho, Jenicar Builders Contractors Co. Inc.
pleaded guilty to Conspiracy To Commit Official Misconduct, a third-degree offense. Godinho succeeded her husband, Fernando Godinho, who died in November 2004. If the company, which was charged in a May 21, 2009 indictment along with Vas and longtime Mayor’s Aide Melvin Ramos, were convicted at-trial, it faced a fine of up to $150,000 and permanent debarment from public contracts. Under a plea agreement struck by state Deputy Attorneys General Diane Deal and Pearl Minato, Jenicar must pay a $45,000 fine, and its principals must cooperate in the ongoing investigation of Vas and Ramos, according to a prepared statement released by the state Attorney General’s Office. Jenicar’s sentencing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18. Other state charges are pending against Vas and Ramos. Vas, who also is a former 19th Legislative District Assemblyman, faces multiple second-degree counts of Conspiracy and Official Misconduct, among other charges. The Attorney General’s Office noted that the same indictment including Jenicar charges Vas with four distinct criminal schemes. Conferencing on charges contained in the two state indictments against Vas and Ramos is planned to get started on Monday, Nov. 4. Recently, two officials whose firm oversaw construction on the still-unfinished $89 million Public Safety/Municipal Court/Community Center Complex, New Brunswick and Amboy Avenues, President Frank Dominguez and Vice President Richard Briggs of the Imperial Construction Group Inc., Elizabeth, which oversaw construction on the building, pleaded guilty in Superior Court to Submitting A False Government Contract. Dominguez and Briggs admitted before Mellaci that they padded Imperial’s billing by $58,006 to pay for a catering job in conjunction with a “Grand Opening” celebration on behalf of Vas at the incomplete Complex as a way to enhance the former Mayor’s 2008 campaign for re-election, which he lost to political newcomer Wilda Diaz by almost 1,200 votes. Dominguez said that Ramos and then-Business Administrator Donald Perlee suggested in a telephone call in April 2008 that the ceremony’s cost could be recouped by Imperial by inflating its billings for inspections. Perlee, who has not been charged, is cooperating in the investigation, according to Deal. The state’s cases against Vas and Ramos have been transferred to Monmouth County from Middlesex County because Ramos is related to Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves, sitting in New Brunswick, through marriage.
According to the same indictment, between January and July 2006, Vas and Ramos allegedly solicited city employees and others to make fraudulent contributions to Vas’ 2006 campaign for the Democratic nomination for the 13th Congressional District. Ramos allegedly paid cash to the people he solicited to reimburse them for writing personal checks payable to “Vas For Congress.” The Attorney General’s Office explained that Vas and Ramos are charged with Money-Laundering because by structuring funds into the campaign through people who falsely appeared to be making personal contributions, they allegedly sought to avoid applicable state and federal currency-transaction reporting requirements in connection with deposits into the campaign account at Commerce Bank. Banks are required to report cash deposits of $10,000 or more under federal reporting requirements. Vas and Ramos allegedly requested city employees to solicit contributions during work-hours, solicited city employees and others during work-hours, and used city facilities and property for campaign activities, the Attorney General’s Office said. According to the same indictment, between November 2004 and July 20, 2005, Vas allegedly stole $5,926 from the city by unlawfully-authorizing the submission to the city and approval of payment of a personal medical bill for
$5,322 he received from the Mayo Clinic of Jacksonville, FL, and a personal eyeglasses bill for $604 he received from Lenscrafters, the Attorney General’s Office said. Deal and Minato are assigned to the state’s cases, and the investigation was conducted by Deal, Sgt. Dino Dettorre and Det. Benjamin Kukis, assisted by Lt. Daniel O’Brien, Sgt. Robert McGrath, Dets. Lee Bailey, Melissa Calkin, Lisa Cawley, Shaun Egan, Kiersten Pentony and Robert Stemmer, and Civil Investigator Joseph Salvatore. In March 2009, the Division of Criminal Justice obtained an indictment charging Vas and city employees with conspiring from 2003 to 2007 to fraudulently-obtain payment of $6,235 from the Perth Amboy Recreation Department for his and their personal expenses, the Attorney General’s Office said. Also, Vas and his driver, Anthony Jones, were charged in a scheme in which Vas allegedly rigged a public lottery so that Jones won the opportunity to buy an affordable home through the Perth Amboy HOME Program, the Attorney General’s Office said. Those charges are also pending. The Attorney General’s Office noted that “indictments are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.” Hearings are scheduled to get underway in U.S. District Court on Monday, Sept. 13, with Vas political advisor Raymond Geneske, his former high school History teacher, and former Human Services Director Jeffrey Gumbs scheduled to testify against Vas under plea-agreements dropping some of the charges against them. Geneske was sentenced in June in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick to three years probation after admitting accepting a substantial contribution from local developer Eddie Trujillo, who has not been charged, and funneling that money into the Vas Congressional campaign coffers through an elaborate “straw-donor” procedure allegedly used to obscure the money’s origin. In the same venue, Gumbs was sentenced to up to 364 days in jail, a probationary term and 100 hours of community service after admitting that he conspired with Vas to steal some of the $6,235 in misspent City of Perth Amboy funds used to pay for personal purchases and expenses for Vas and himself, including $1,200 in city funds to pay for his son and the former Mayor’s son to attend basketball camp. After attorney Alan Zegas, representing Vas, told U.S. District Court Judge Susan Wigenton that he strongly-opposes any references to pending state charges in the federal trial as being prejudicial to his client, Wigenton agreed to hold a separate hearing on that issue. Under their plea-agreements, Geneske and Gumbs are required to testify truthfully against Vas in both his federal and state trials.
South Amboy Y Readies For Sept. 7 Opening
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Sept. 1, 2010)
SOUTH AMBOY — The new 35,000sq.ft. South Amboy Community Center/YMCA, located on O’Leary Boulevard in the Southern Waterfront Redevelopment Area between Broadway and Portia Street on land donated to the Redevelopment Agency by Peron Development, is scheduled to open its doors to the public on Tuesday, Sept. 7 — the day after Labor Day. “This very-exciting project will bring a new dimension of recreational activities to South Amboy and the surrounding communities,” South Amboy Branch YMCA Director Katie McAdoo said, while guiding the Amboy Beacon on an exclusive pre-opening tour. “What we’re planning to do is to serve the communities of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge, South Amboy, Perth Amboy and Piscataway in the most-comprehensive way we can.” The Metuchen-Edison YMCA, which has signed a 20-year lease to operate the facility, with two options for renewal, will provide the programming while maintaining the building. McAdoo said the long-awaited YMCA will offer a “substantial discount” to South Amboy residents who join early, but to out-of-towners who find its location convenient, the cost will still be a bargain. Family memberships are expected to be around $40-a-month for residents and around $50-a-month for non-residents, while individual memberships for those between Ages 18 and 26 — the age-group traditionally targeted by the YMCA — are expected to be around $20-a-month for residents and around $25-a-month for non-residents, she said. “At this time, the South Amboy Community Center/YMCA is in the very-final stages of construction,” McAdoo said. “We anticipate opening the first week of September as-planned.” As of Wednesday, July 13, there has been water in the 25-yard, six-lane pool, which is very-inviting. Other facilities include a babysitting room, locker-rooms with private showers, family changing-rooms, a full-court gymnasium, a group-exercise studio and a 6,000sq.ft. wellness center. At the Sept. 7 opening, McAdoo plans to announce the process for registration and a selection of available programming, which she expects to begin to offer to the public on Monday, Sept. 13. “We’ll be providing focused activities, such as swim-lessons, group-exercise classes and parent-child enrichment classes, in-addition to our general membership use of the building’s facilities,” McAdoo said. The South Amboy Community Center/YMCA also will be a new home to the city’s Recreation Department, cable-television studio and Senior Citizen Resource Center. “Senior facilities will include a kitchen, a youth activity room and offices for the city’s Senior/Recreation Director,” McAdoo said. “We look-forward to serving the recreational needs of all ages.” The existing Senior Citizen Resource Center, S. Stevens Avenue, formerly the Marathon Bus Co. terminal, is expected to be sold to a private developer. Middlesex County has given $3 million grant toward the $11 million cost associated with the building’s construction. Added to that are $5 million from the Redevelopment Agency and $3 million bonded by the city.
(NOTE: Exclusive Photos of the South Amboy YMCA by Carolyn Maxwell are available for purchase by calling 732-442-1900)
SOUTH AMBOY — The new 35,000sq.ft. South Amboy Community Center/YMCA, located on O’Leary Boulevard in the Southern Waterfront Redevelopment Area between Broadway and Portia Street on land donated to the Redevelopment Agency by Peron Development, is scheduled to open its doors to the public on Tuesday, Sept. 7 — the day after Labor Day. “This very-exciting project will bring a new dimension of recreational activities to South Amboy and the surrounding communities,” South Amboy Branch YMCA Director Katie McAdoo said, while guiding the Amboy Beacon on an exclusive pre-opening tour. “What we’re planning to do is to serve the communities of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge, South Amboy, Perth Amboy and Piscataway in the most-comprehensive way we can.” The Metuchen-Edison YMCA, which has signed a 20-year lease to operate the facility, with two options for renewal, will provide the programming while maintaining the building. McAdoo said the long-awaited YMCA will offer a “substantial discount” to South Amboy residents who join early, but to out-of-towners who find its location convenient, the cost will still be a bargain. Family memberships are expected to be around $40-a-month for residents and around $50-a-month for non-residents, while individual memberships for those between Ages 18 and 26 — the age-group traditionally targeted by the YMCA — are expected to be around $20-a-month for residents and around $25-a-month for non-residents, she said. “At this time, the South Amboy Community Center/YMCA is in the very-final stages of construction,” McAdoo said. “We anticipate opening the first week of September as-planned.” As of Wednesday, July 13, there has been water in the 25-yard, six-lane pool, which is very-inviting. Other facilities include a babysitting room, locker-rooms with private showers, family changing-rooms, a full-court gymnasium, a group-exercise studio and a 6,000sq.ft. wellness center. At the Sept. 7 opening, McAdoo plans to announce the process for registration and a selection of available programming, which she expects to begin to offer to the public on Monday, Sept. 13. “We’ll be providing focused activities, such as swim-lessons, group-exercise classes and parent-child enrichment classes, in-addition to our general membership use of the building’s facilities,” McAdoo said. The South Amboy Community Center/YMCA also will be a new home to the city’s Recreation Department, cable-television studio and Senior Citizen Resource Center. “Senior facilities will include a kitchen, a youth activity room and offices for the city’s Senior/Recreation Director,” McAdoo said. “We look-forward to serving the recreational needs of all ages.” The existing Senior Citizen Resource Center, S. Stevens Avenue, formerly the Marathon Bus Co. terminal, is expected to be sold to a private developer. Middlesex County has given $3 million grant toward the $11 million cost associated with the building’s construction. Added to that are $5 million from the Redevelopment Agency and $3 million bonded by the city.
(NOTE: Exclusive Photos of the South Amboy YMCA by Carolyn Maxwell are available for purchase by calling 732-442-1900)
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