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Sunday, December 26, 2010

Henry Leading By Three Votes

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 22, 2010)

SOUTH AMBOY — At a hearing last week before Superior Court Judge Phillip

Paley, sitting in New Brunswick, it was ordered by the Judge that six

“misplaced” provisional ballots from the disputed Nov. 2 South Amboy mayoral

election be opened and counted.

This was done at the Middlesex County Board of Elections Headquarters on

Jersey Avenue, New Brunswick, with the determination that three votes were

cast for City Council President Fred Henry, the Democratic nominee for Mayor,

and three votes were cast for Independent candidate for Mayor Vincent Mackiel.

In the tie-vote contest between Henry and Independent candidate Mary

O’Connor, that left Henry with a three-vote lead prior to individual ballot

challenges, which were scheduled for Monday, Jan. 10, at 8:30 a.m. before Paley

after a telephone conference with the Judge two days after the hearing.

Attorneys Michael Baker represented Henry, and Christopher Struben

represented O’Connor at the hearing. Representing the Board of Elections was Deputy

Attorney General Donna Kelly.

Struben had asked that the six ballots, which were discovered following a

recount requested and paid-for by O’Connor, not be counted because “the

security and integrity of the ballot procedures were not followed” in that all

of the “affirmations” were torn from the envelopes which held the ballots.

Kelly said the Board had kept the ballots locked inside a room in its

Jersey Avenue offices within an envelope.

“The question is, ‘Were the ballots compromised during the past 6

weeks?’” Paley said.

Turning to the lawyers, the Judge asked, “What if there was solid-proof of

security? Would you accept the ballots?”

Kelly replied that she directed the Board to put the opened ballots inside

another envelope, and “they were put in a box and locked in a closet.” She

went-on to explain the process of maintaining a provisional ballot.

There were 22 provisional ballots submitted, three of which were voided by

the Board’s staff after painstaking research of the registration rolls. But

of the 19 remaining ballots that should have been put-through the scanner,

there were only 13 the day they were counted by the Board.

Kelly maintained that everything was “done according-to procedure,” and

that there was “no indication that any unauthorized person had access to the

ballots.”

Thus, she said, there were “six valid votes that need to be counted.”

Baker agreed with Kelly. He also stated that “no one slipped-in any

ballots.”

Struben disagreed and stated, “The problem here is security of the ballots.”

He maintained that the “chain-of-custody” was broken when the six ballots

were lost, and again when they were found and opened.

Struben went-on to cite the law, which states that if there is any

discrepancy and the ballots in-question would change the result, the court has to

hear them.

Paley said he wanted “all the votes to be counted” and so-ordered.

Following that, Struben “will have the right to challenge the results” of the

counting.

The Judge set Thursday, Dec. 16, at 4 p.m. as the date and time for a

conference call with the attorneys regarding any challenges and another court

date.

With that, O’Connor, members of her team and her attorney went to Jersey

Avenue for the opening and counting of the six “misplaced” provisional

ballots, while the only person from Henry’s team who attended the counting was

Baker. Henry and his team were in court, but they did not go to Jersey Avenue.

At the Board’s office, the ballots were opened and counted.

After the Council meeting which followed the the opening and counting of

the six ballots but was before the conference call, Henry explained that he

left without going to Jersey Avenue because “I was happy to get out of there.

“The ballots weren’t counted the first time, and they should have,” he

said. “I don’t think they were tampered-with in any way. I think they got the

count right this time.”

Henry said that “it’s the American way of doing things that all the votes

are counted,” and “to suppress them as she (O’Connor) wanted to do is

wrong.”

Asked if he was ready to be sworn-in at the Council Reorganization, which

City Clerk Kathleen Vigilante said will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 5, Henry

replied, “At this point, yes.”

After the conference call, Paley scheduled another hearing on votes that

were cast and not counted, votes that were not cast, and allegations that some

of the voters do not live in South Amboy.

Ruiz Sworn-In As Deputy Chief

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 22, 2010)

PERTH AMBOY — Mayor Wilda Diaz late last week swore-in Capt. Benjamin Ruiz

as Deputy Chief, the first Hispanic senior uniformed commander of the Police

Department, at an emotional afternoon ceremony which was moved to the

McGinnis School, State Street, to accommodate a larger-than-originally-expected

crowd.

Some longtime city residents, who came to the U.S. mainland from San

Sebastian and other Puerto Rican cities, openly wept during the ceremony.

“They never expected that this day would ever come,” Diaz explained

afterward at a crowded reception held at ZPA Hall, Grace Street.

There was a standing-ovation after Diaz pinned the Deputy Chief’s badge on

Ruiz.

A member of the of the Department for the past 22 years, Ruiz joined in

1988 and rose through the ranks to Captain in July 2004.

“I’ve already heard him mention his plans to develop more

community-policing, and I’m certain that Deputy Chief Ruiz will take our Department in bold

new directions that we can all be proud-of,” Diaz said at the ceremony.

“He’s a long-time community leader in Perth Amboy, and it’s an honor to swear

him in as Deputy Chief. On behalf of the City of Perth Amboy, I thank him

for taking-on this new endeavor.”

The Department, which was accredited in June 2009, has established a table

of organization of 132 uniformed officers supplemented by 10 part-time

Special Class I officers and 50 volunteer Auxiliary officers, as well as civilian

911 dispatchers and report-takers and other non-uniformed civilian support

personnel.

The Department maintains an Investigative Division, a Traffic Division, a

Juvenile Bureau, a Domestic Violence Response Team and a public relations

office, and operates a centralized 911 Dispatch Communication Center for all

emergency services, housed in the Public Safety Complex.

“I do best when I speak from the heart, but to make the Mayor happy, I did

write a speech,” Ruiz said after his swearing-in, evoking laughter.

“It has not only been a pleasure of mine to be a resident of this city, but

to now serve as Deputy Chief, I am privileged to serve this community,”

Ruiz declared. “I look-forward to the success of our Department and our city.”

After initially serving as patrolman in the Uniformed Patrol Unit in 1988,

Ruiz was promoted to Detective of the Narcotics Unit and thereafter to the

Juvenile Division in 1991. After being appointed as Sergeant in the Community

Service Bureau, he was elevated to Lieutenant in May 2001, finally serving

as Captain for the past six years, most-recently in the Uniformed Patrol

Division.

Throughout his career, Ruiz has attended numerous advanced training classes

and schools, including Domestic & International Terrorism School

administered by the FBI, Narcotics & Dangerous Drug Law Enforcement administered by

the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Middlesex County Police Instructors Course.

Ruiz also was a 14-year veteran of the Middlesex County Special Operations

& Response Team (SORT), which he headed.

Aside from his 25 years of law enforcement experience, Ruiz also has been

heavily involved in the community as a resident, serving as a former member

of the Housing Authority and Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Ruiz coached several recreational basketball and softball leagues in Perth

Amboy.

Charity Group Gets Its Start

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 22, 2010)

“David’s Touch,” a non-profit organization that started last year in

memory of David, the first-born son of Jenny Perez-Rosado, who passed-away five

years ago at Age 9, held its first-ever benefit night at The Shannon Rose,

St. Georges Road, Woodbridge.

This was followed six days later by a bowling benefit at Majestic Lanes,

Route 9, Hopelawn.

David, who was born in Perth Amboy and then resided in Hopelawn, touched

many lives. He was born with a congenital heart disease, after which he was

diagnosed with cancer at Age 8. David was full of life and spirit.

Throughout his short life, he was interviewed by Fox5 News several times, given an

award by the City of Perth Amboy and had many celebrations aboard the

Cornocopia Princess.

At the end of his journey, his mother hired a white, horsedrawn carriage to

lay David to rest at Alpine Cemetery. She started a foundation in his

memory named “David’s Touch,” whose purpose is to keep David’s memory alive by

providing toys for kids in hospitals during the Christmas season.

Last year, “David’s Touch” was blessed with over 150 toys, and this year,

with the help of the community, it is pushing to spread David’s contagious

smile to as many youngsters as possible.

“As we approach Christmas to celebrate Baby Jesus — who IS the reason for

the season — and we prepare to buy gifts for our family and friends, I’d

like to invite everyone to be part of something special started last year by

in loving memory of little David, and donate a gift for a sick child,”

Roxana Troche, Jenny’s aunt, said. “People say that sometimes children achieve

much-more in a few years than many of us in our lifetime. In his nine short

years on this earth, little David had many achievements, but what will always

be in my mind and heart is that little David touched many lives with his

smile, with his good sense of humor, and with his love.”

“In his short years here on earth, David endured obstacles that many of us

never face in a lifetime: he underwent multiple open-heart surgeries and a

heart transplant,” Jenny said. “Through it all, he was blessed with a love

for life and a great spirit. Since David passed-away, I’ve traveled an

extremely-difficult road, but I’ve noticed that being able to put smiles on other

children facing the trials that my son endured brings me solace. This is

something that I know will keep his memory alive.

“David and other children like him should never be forgotten,” she

continued. “My mission in forming this organization is to spread David’s

contagious smile by providing toys for children who are in hospitals during the

holiday season.”

For more information about future events, call (732) 896-0656.

Monday, December 20, 2010

BULLETIN (12/19/10): HARBORTOWN FIRE

Initial reports of a structure fire at Harbortown, a private 32-unit housing complex in Perth Amboy indicate that it started today around 6:30 p.m.

Residents have been relocated with friends and families and to vacant rentalunits. Upon arrival, Perth Amboy Fire Department found one structure with a heavy volume of fire. Reports indicate that PAFD had no engines to respond, with all 3 vehicles damaged (see AB story, 12/15/10 issue) after last remaining engine was struck by another vehicle, so outside agencies had to be called in to help. Ten civilians received minor injuries and were treated; no fatalities reported. The Jankowski Community Center , Olive St., was opened as a shelter for displaced families.City officials are working closely with Harbortown management along with the Red Cross to relocate those families who were affected by the fire. City safety personnel, fire and police are on-site and are managing the current situation, according to Mayor Wilda Diaz. The fire is under investigation, and further details are expected to follow.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

B.A. APPOINTMENT CONFIRMED

Fehrenbach Drops ‘Interim’ From Title

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 15, 2010)

PERTH AMBOY — If you have the opportunity to hire the top person to whom

other city Business Administrators and the N.J. League of Municipalities turn

for advice for under $200,000, and not have to pay any benefits whatsoever,

is that a “no-brainer”?

Four members of Perth Amboy’s City Council thought-so when they voted last

week to confirm the appointment of Gregory Fehrenbach as Business

Administrator by Mayor Wilda Diaz.

The Resolution was moved by Councilman William Petrick, seconded by

Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez and adopted 4-1.

“I’m completely-in-favor of getting-rid-of the ‘Interim,’” Gonzalez

declared.

The lone holdout was Councilman Fernando Gonzalez, who explained that he

voted “no” on the confirmation because Fehrenbach would be granted a waiver

from the city’s residency requirement as part of his employment package.

“Due to the residency, I do not waive it,” Fernando Gonzalez declared. “I

vote ‘no.’”

Fehrenbach’s experience spans nearly four decades and includes numerous

stints as Sussex County Administrator and work for Dover Township, Edison,

Lakewood, New Brunswick, Ocean Township and Piscataway, and consulting in Bergen

and Union Counties.

“His knowledge-base is such that he’s acknowledged as one of the

most-recognized municipal-government people in the State of New Jersey,” said City

Law Director Mark Blunda, who was called-upon by Diaz to do independent

research on Fehrenbach.

“He has frequently testified before the State Legislature on

local-government matters as well as the League of Municipalities,” Blunda went-on. “When

he telephones state officials, they call him back and they listen.”

The Council’s vote on Fehrenbach followed a report by Middlesex Water Co.

updating its public-private partnership with the City of Perth Amboy under

which the city’s water and wastewater systems and Runyon Watershed in Old

Bridge are being operated by the privately-owned water-provider.

As-always, Fehrenbach came to the table fully-prepared to go toe-to-toe

with the firm’s three top administrators, which he did — laying at their

doorstep the documented responsibility for causing nearly 52 percent of Perth

Amboy’s potholes during the course of laying the groundwork for a renegotiation

of the terms under which former Mayor Joseph Vas agreed to privatize the

delivery of water and wastewater services to the city’s residents and

businesses.

Fehrenbach’s ability to understand and analyze complex financial matters

such as “the water contract,” as it is called by Council members, and to

explain them to laymen is often cited by city officials in dealing with the man

referred to by Blunda as “the Derek Jeter of the profession.”

“He announced a tax-increase on July 1, and he got a standing-ovation,”

Council President Kenneth Balut said of Fehrenbach, who was first

brought-aboard in an “acting” capacity — along with Blunda — by Diaz, a newcomer to

elective public office, at her first Council Reorganization on July 1, 2008,

following her defeat of 18 year-incumbent Vas by about 1,200 votes less than

two months earlier.

Fehrenbach served as Interim Business Administrator through Jan. 5, 2009,

when former Trenton Business Administrator Jane Feigenbaum was appointed as

Business Administrator by Diaz at a $130,000 salary, plus the usual benefits

that go with that job.

Fehrenbach continued to work on an “as-needed” basis as a consultant on

various projects requiring his expertise, returning as Interim Business Admi

nistrator on Sept. 22, following his presentation of “a session on budgeting

in New Jersey local government” at a Council Special Meeting to get

newly-elected Councilmen Kenneth Gonzalez, Joel Pabon Sr. and Petrick up-to-speed on

financial issues they would be facing.

As predicted in the Amboy Beacon’s Sept. 8 edition, Feigenbaum resigned,

and the Council voted to confirm the Mayor’s appointment of Fehrenbach on a

90-day contract through Government Management Advisors LLC at the monthly rate

of $17,500 and to waive the residency requirement on 3-1 vote, with

Fernando Gonzalez again opposed and Balut absent.

Under his newest contract with Perth Amboy, Fehrenbach is to be paid for

the next six months at the hourly rate of $125 “for no more than an average of

133 hours per month.”

That amount would work-out to a maximum of $199,500 in one year, which all

five Council members acknowledged as “a lot of money.”

However, Blunda explained that Fehrenbach’s contract also specifically

waives all of the benefits to which he would be entitled as Business

Administrator, which is “less than the city would pay anyone not nearly as-qualified.”

Blunda said that Fehrenbach will receive no health insurance

(hospitalization, prescription or vision), no pension, no sick-leave, no vacation-days, no

paid-holidays, no professional dues, no conference-reimbursements, no

travel-expenses, no cellphone and no longevity-pay.

Fehrenbach “will be paid only for the hours that he works,” Blunda said.

“In all my years of experience, I’ve never seen anyone who’s

more-knowledgable about government, more-efficient or more-hardworking,” he added. “We

strongly-recommend this to the Council.”

After the Council voted, Diaz thanked the governing body for confirming her

appointment of Fehrenbach.

“Thank you for doing the right thing,” she said. “He’s been the voice of

reason.”

Praising both Fehrenbach and Blunda, Diaz said that “their expertise and

their experience is committed to the City of Perth Amboy.

“It’s not about just earning a paycheck; it’s caring-about what’s

going-on in our city,” she said. “They came-in and gave Perth Amboy a fresh start.”

Resident Alan Silber applauded Fehrenbach and Blunda as “the A-Team” of

municipal government.

“It’s not a matter of whether someone lives in Perth Amboy, although I

invite Mr. Fehrenbach to move here,” he said. “We had people who lived here,

and they’re going to jail. Living here doesn’t make you a good person.”

Silber’s remark was a reference to Vas and his longtime Mayor’s Aide

Melvin Ramos, who are awaiting sentencing on federal corruption convictions.

Two Used Firetrucks Alleviate Perth Emergency

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 15, 2010)

PERTH AMBOY — Responding to an alarming report of vulnerability by Fire

Chief David Volk early last week at its Caucus, the City Council voted

unanimously two days later to authorize the purchase of two used firetrucks from the

Borough of Bound Brook for $45,000.

In a timely covergence of mutual interests, the Resolution was moved by

Councilman William Petrick, a former Volunteer Fire Chief, seconded by

Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez and adopted 5-0.

“Absolutely yes,” Gonzalez exclaimed during the roll-call vote on the

measure.

A visibly-concerned Volk reported to Council members at their Monday

afternoon work-session that the Fire Department’s fleet, consisting of “three

engines and two ladder-trucks,” plus a rescue-vehicle, was dangerously-depleted

because of extensive — and expensive — repairs which would be needed to

put two of the engines back-on-line as fully-operational.

He told the governing body that one of the engines was down and “in-need of

repair” with “two cracked cylinders” at an estimated cost of $25,000 to

fix.

Volk said a second engine — a 1987 model with 88,000 miles — was being

“kept-in-reserve” because of “mechanical problems and body-corrosion,” and

“only being used for structure-fires.”

He said the latter vehicle “is continuing to develop problems” because

“the passenger-seat broke and part of the body came-off” due to the extensive

corrosion.

“Both ladders and the rescue are in-service,” Volk added.

Business Administrator Gregory Fehrenbach told the Council that, because

“two of the city’s three engines are in bad shape, and to repair them would be

as-expensive or more as to purchase replacements,” it would be his

recommendation to “declare as surplus and retire” the first engine “and use the

money to purchase the better of two Bound Brook engines.

“If we can identify an appropriate funding-source, we should use it to

purchase the second Bound Brook vehicle for our reserve vehicle,” he added.

Fehrenbach said the city needs “vehicles you can count-on,” and the

purchase of Bound Brook’s surplus engines for $45,000 “could postpone for a year

(until 2012) our own purchase of two new vehicles for 2011.”

He told the Council that the serious condition resulted from the previous

city Administration having “no capital-improvement program for the past five

or six years,” and thus, “this equipment was being utilized too-long.

“The Chief and his staff believe it would be a much-better use of our

money” to purchase the two engines from Bound Brook than to put the two engines

back-on-line as fully-operational, Fehrenbach stated.

Council President Kenneth Balut, a retired Perth Amboy police officer,

suggested that the city “borrow” the $45,000 needed to purchase the two

firetrucks “from the $193,000 we have sitting-in the Police Forfeiture Fund,”

which is overseen by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

“This IS ‘public safety,’” he declared.

“There’s been an enormous amount of debate over this,” Fehrenbach noted.

“I’m not saying that we should use the money for this,” Balut explained.

“I’m saying we should borrow it and put it back. I believe the Prosecutor’s

Office is totally off-the-wall in what they approve for the use of this

Fund.

“It can be used to rent vehicles, but not to purchase them,” he said.

“That makes absolutely-no-sense.”

Volk passed-out copies of reports on the two Bound Brook engines, which are

being replaced with two new vehicles. one id a 1988 model with 19,000

miles, while the other is a 1984 model with 22,000 miles.

“Bound Brook has 150 responses in a year,” the Chief noted. “Our Engine 1

did more than that last month.

“They’re asking $45,000 for both of them,” he said. “Both of these

vehicles were declared ‘surplus’ last week. They were going to put them on-line,

and I asked them to hold-off and give us a chance to purchase them.”

“We would be crazy not to take them,” Gonzalez declared.

“It’s a fortuitous turn-of-events,” Fehrenbach said.

Questioned by Petrick about the two engines’ condition, Volk responded that

“both underwent pump-tests that they passed annually at 25-percent

above-capacity.”

The Chief also pointed out that “one engine would give us a higher

pump-capacity than we have now.”

The Council also voted unanimously to accept the bid and award the 2011

annual contract for fire engine repairs to Absolute Fire Protection for $73,500.

That Resolution also was moved by Petrick, seconded by Kenneth Gonzalez and

adopted 5-0.

Volk explained that this contract would cover minor repairs throughout the

year, “nothing like” the previously-discussed engine overhaul.

Ruiz Swear-In

Set For Friday

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 15, 2010)

PERTH AMBOY — Capt. Benjamin Ruiz will officially take the Oath of Office

as the city’s first Hispanic Deputy Police Chief in a ceremony scheduled for

Friday, Dec. 17, at 4 p.m. at City Hall, High Street.

Ruiz, a 1979 graduate of Perth Amboy High School, Eagle Avenue, is the

Police Department’s senior Captain, having served in that position since 2004.

His appointment by Mayor Wilda Diaz, which took-effect early this week, was

listed on the City Council’s meeting-agenda last week for discussion at a

closed-door executive session.

Unlike many of his recent predecessors, including retiring Deputy Chief

E.J. McDonald, whom he succeeds, Ruiz continues to live in Perth Amboy.

McDonald’s retirement is effective on Friday, Dec. 31, but his last day of

work was last Friday, as he uses-up accumulated sick-leave and vacation-days.

Resident Questions Role

Played By Backyard Party

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 15, 2010)

PERTH AMBOY — Whether a backyard barbecue was a Cinco de Mayo celebration

or a 2010 political campaign event may determine the future of the Perth

Amboy Animal Shelter, Fayette Street.

Resident Alan Silber told the City Council last week he has evidence that

the party was identified as a “campaign rally” on the website of Moving

Forward Together, a campaign ticket in the May election consisting of Council

candidates Maria Garcia, Kenneth Gonzalez and William Petrick.

A potential problem may arise because of the city’s strict “pay-to-play”

regulations which are applicable to Gonzalez and Petrick, who are now Council

members.

The two Councilmen may have to decide whether they can vote on a contract

with the Perth Amboy Happy Home Shelter, whose Acting Director is local

businesswoman Wilma Matey, owner of the Water Street home where the party was

held.

Matey has been seeking to take-over operation of the city’s Shelter from

retired police officer Richard Cielesz and his wife, Michal, both certified

Animal Control Officers (ACOs), for almost a year, but the Council has taken

no action.

“There were people drinking, signs with candidates’ names, and people

walking-around with clipboards and pens,” Silber said. “It was more than just a

pig-roast for sharing with friends.”

As for Matey’s reported contention that the event cost only $150, Silber

said that if others brought food to the event, those donations should be

counted as “in-kind contributions” to the Moving Forward Together campaign.

“You can’t just bring things,” he said.

Matey, who spoke before Silber, read a prepared statement responding to

charges about the event which have been raised by others.

In her statement, Matey contended that “there are a few chosen city

officials who seem to feel that things should stay the way they are.

“These officials have stopped at nothing to prevent me from taking-over,

even-though it would benefit our city and the animals in many ways,” she said.

“I’ve complied with their entire request; now, they’re even pressuring

several Council members by telling them they can’t vote due to it being a

‘conflict-of-interest.’ ”

Matey also charged that Council President Kenneth Balut, a retired Perth

Amboy police officer and a friend of Cielesz, and Councilman Fernando

Gonzalez, who ran with Balut in 2008, should abstain from voting on “the licensing

for police-towing, taxicabs and bars that come in front of them” because

those interest-groups “gave contributions — and pig roasts — for their

campaigns.”

She went-on to say that “it’s sad that the same mentality of vengence and

protection-of-friends has poisoned the Council Chamber again, and that

instead of getting what’s good for all the citizens of Perth Amboy, we’re back

to what’s good for a few.”

Saturday, December 11, 2010

TIE-VOTE FOR MAYOR?

County Miscount Gave Henry Lead

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 8, 2010)

SOUTH AMBOY — Florida had its hanging-chads in 2000, and South Amboy’s

2010 election-outcome may hinge-upon an “identifiable ballot.”

The Middlesex County Board of Elections apparently miscounted the

provisional ballots cast in the city’s hotly-contested race for Mayor on Nov. 2,

leading to the strong likelihood of a special election on Tuesday, Jan. 18, with

the city’s voters asked to choose between the two tied candidates to

succeed Mayor John O’Leary, who decided in March not to seek an unprecedented

seventh four-year term as Chief Executive of the “Pleasant Little City.”

Despite a recount held three weeks ago which reaffirmed a one-vote lead by

Democratic City Council President Fred Henry over Independent mayoral

candidate Mary O’Connor, it now appears that the election resulted in a a tie

between O’Connor and Henry, with 1,127 votes each.

As of early this week, O’Connor and her attorney, Christopher Struben, were

still awaiting a response to a request filed a week earlier with Superior

Court Judge Philip Paley, sitting in New Brunswick, for a hearing on alleged

discrepancies in the counting of ballots in the city election.

On Monday, attorneys for the Board met with lawyers representing both her

and Henry and suggested that the Board, too, may file its own petition with

Paley to seek permission to count six provisional ballots which were

“misplaced” during the initial counting on Nov. 5 at the Board’s headquarters on

Jersey Avenue in New Brunswick.

However, O’Connor said after the meeting that she and Struben question the

integrity of those additional ballots in light of alleged “mishandling”

that led to their being opened by the Board’s staff after they were discovered

the day before Thanksgiving.

Citing ongoing investigations by the FBI Field Office in Somerset and the

state Attorney General’s Office concerning the conduct of elections at the

county level, the Board prevented O’Connor’s researchers from obtaining

access to documents needed for her court presentation until Nov. 23.

“The Board and the (Middlesex County) Clerk’s Office have lawyered-up, and

they weren’t allowing anyone to look at any documents,” O’Connor said

last week.

“When I finally got to physically-see the provisional ballots, I saw that

they made a mistake in counting a vote for Henry that shouldn’t have been

counted,” O’Connor stated early this week. “We put that into our petition to

the court, but the Board of Elections admitted today (Monday) that they made

a mistake, and it’s a tied election.”

The recount approved previously by Paley — which cost O’Connor $248 — was

conducted by the Board of Elections at its Edison voting-machine warehouse

on Friday, Nov. 19, and — as-expected — resulted in an identical outcome.

“The Board certified an election that was incorrect not once, but twice,”

O’Connor said early this week. “Meanwhile, I feel like they’ve done nothing

but put-up roadblocks.”

In the recount, Henry again received 1,075 votes to 1,061 for O’Connor on

the city’s nine voting-machines, based in various public buildings throughout

the one-square-mile municipality, for a slender 14-vote lead. This was

shaven to three votes after O’Connor received 59 Mail-In Ballots (MIBs),

formerly known as “absentee votes,” to 48 for Henry.

This is where one point where questions are expected to be raised by

Struben.

The counting of MIBs increased Henry’s unofficial vote-total to 1,106 to

1,098 for O’Connor on Election Night — a spread of eight — but that

difference was reduced to just three the following day, when a bag containing more

MIBs, reportedly from the city’s First Ward, was discovered in New Brunswick

and immediately added to the count.

O’Connor questions how the additional MIBs became separated and how they

were found.

O’Connor also received seven of the 12 provisional (challenged) ballots

counted by the Board to five for Henry, further reducing his margin to one vote.

Although 22 provisional ballots were reported to have been cast, only 12 of

them were counted by the Board at its Jersey Avenue headquarters after

eight ballots reportedly were voided by its staff, and the Board voted

unanimously to accept seven of the ballots challenged by O’Connor, rejecting only one

of them. Those seven went back into the mix with five unchallenged ballots,

and were pumped-through a counting machine, after the rest of the county’s

provisionals were counted by that device.

The counting of one of those seven is where another question was expected

to be raised by Struben.

Following the insistence of Board member Donald Katz that a vote cast by a

city employee who lives in neighboring Sayreville be counted for

non-municipal candidates only, given the fact that both South Amboy and Sayreville are

in the same Congressional District, the Board voted unanimously to allow the

counting of that ballot.

However, the law identifies such a ballot as an “identifiable ballot” that

cannot be counted, according to an informed source.

After being able to examine the ballot at Jersey Avenue, O’Connor said her

researchers noticed that “there was a sticker over his Council votes, but no

sticker over his vote for Fred Henry,” and thus the vote apparently was

counted as a vote for Henry by the Board on both Nov. 5 and Nov. 19.

At that time, the Board also left a mysterious 10th uncounted provisional

ballot — reportedly cast by a woman who voted for O’Connor, but which was

not examined by the Board — unaccounted-for.

That ballot — discovered by O’Connor’s researchers before she filed her

request for a recount — was voided reportedly because no records were found to

show that the voter had registered in-time to vote on Nov. 2. However, the

woman has insisted that she registered to vote through the state Motor

Vehicle Commission (MVC).

If her ballot had been counted, that, too, would have resulted in a tie

between O’Connor and Henry with 1,128 votes each, thereby forcing a special

election.

But if Paley rules in-favor of accepting that ballot, O’Connor would win

the election by one vote.

Another MIB, also reportedly for O’Connor, was found in the Board’s office

one week after the election, but this one was rejected unanimously by the

four-member Board because the voter allegedly did not comply with proper

procedure.

At that emergency meeting, Administrator James Vokral explained that the

ballot was “put in the wrong pile” because the outer envelope in which it was

supposed-to be mailed was not used, but was replaced with a regular brown

envelope.

The voter placed his MIB inside the proper inner envelope and sealed it,

but failed to attach his signed certificate to the inner envelope.

“This ballot would have been voided even if it had been put in the proper

pile,” Vokral said.

However, that voter is believed to have signed an affidavit claiming that

he followed the Board’s instructions before he mailed his ballot.

O’Connor and her attorney were informed by the Board more than three weeks

after the election that five more provisional ballots were discovered at its

Jersey Avenue headquarters.

O’Connor told the Amboy Beacon that she received a telephone-call at 3:15

p.m. that day: “The Board of Elections found five provisional ballots.”

In what had been believed to have been “empty envelopes” when her

researchers were at the building, five additional uncounted ballots were discovered,

she said.

“I’ve been down-there for days, asking for provisional ballots, and I was

told there were none,” O’Connor said. “The Board said they didn’t exist.

“The FBI was down-there a week before, scouring the place, and I’m sure

they didn’t find them.”

When O’Connor and Struben arrived, she said they were told by Vokral that

it was “more like six” ballots that were found.

The ballots were found to have been from the South Amboy election after one

envelope was opened, and the five others were opened as-well, O’Connor said.

“After they opened one South Amboy envelope, why did they open more of

them?” she asked. “Is this the accepted practice, or did they vary from normal

procedure?”

O’Connor said the Board’s actions raise questions about whether their

actions were “inept” or if they constitute “gross negligence” because “these

ballots were mishandled four times.

“They were mishandled at the intial opening; the Board wouldn’t let me see

them before the recount; they wouldn’t let me see them at the recount, and

I asked for a copy of the questionable ballot, and they wouldn’t give it to

me,” she said. “Since then, I’ve learned that I am allowed to have a

copy.”

O’Connor’s request to go further, if approved by Paley, could include an

examination of any heretofore uncounted MIBs and provisional ballots, as

well as challenges of specific individual ballots which were counted.

At-least one business-owner who was openly registered to vote in South

Amboy while actually living in Sayreville and as many as three police officers

who live out-of-town but may have participated in South Amboy’s 2010 election

remain unresolved issues.

Meanwhile, Henry has said that he believed the contest “is finally over,”

so he intended to appoint a transition team to “work with Mayor O’Leary to

make this change as-smooth-as-possible and move-forward.”

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

BULLETIN:

CAPT. BENJAMIN RUIZ IS EXPECTED TO BE SWORN-IN AS PERTH AMBOY’S


FIRST HISPANIC POLICE CHIEF AT WEDNESDAY’S CITY COUNCIL MEETING!

5 MORE BALLOTS FOUND

Court-Date Awaited For S. Amboy Election Challenge

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 1, 2010)

SOUTH AMBOY — When everyone following the 2010 election-results for Mayor

of South Amboy thought they had heard everything, something unbelievable

happened last Wednesday.

Five more election-ballots were discovered on Thanksgiving Eve at the

Middlesex County Board of Elections headquarters on Jersey Avenue in New

Brunswick.

Independent mayoral candidate Mary O’Connor told the Amboy Beacon that she

received a telephone-call at 3:15 p.m. that day: “The Board of Elections

found five provisional ballots.”

In what had been believed to have been “empty envelopes” when her

investigative team was at the building, five additional uncounted ballots were

discovered, she said.

“I’ve been down-there for days, asking for provisional ballots, and I was

told there were none,” O’Connor said. “The FBI was down-there a week ago,

scouring the place, and I’m sure they didn’t find them.”

Despite a recount held two weeks ago, it appears that the election of a new

Mayor is not over yet.

A request by O’Connor for a recount of the Nov. 2 city election’s votes in

her contest with Democratic City Council President Fred Henry and two

others — with only one vote separating her and Henry — was approved by Superior

Court Judge Philip Paley, sitting in New Brunswick.

Two days later, the recount — which cost O’Connor $248 — was conducted by

the Board of Elections at its Edison voting-machine warehouse, resulting in

an identical outcome.

Henry again received 1,075 votes to 1,061 for O’Connor on the city’s nine

voting-machines, based in various public buildings throughout the

one-square-mile municipality, for a slender 14-vote lead. This was shaven to three

votes after O’Connor received 59 Mail-In Ballots (MIBs), formerly known as

“absentee votes,” to 48 for Henry.

O’Connor also received seven of the 12 provisional (challenged) ballots

counted by the Board to five for Henry, further reducing his margin to one

vote. As Board member Donald Katz read-off the names, staffers with count-sheets

called-out “Five” each time five votes were tallied.

On Election Night, the 2010 campaign for two at-large Council seats and one

Ward Council seat resulted in the Democratic Council nominees easily

defeating their opponents, newcomer Gross leading with 1,135 unofficial votes,

followed by incumbent Councilman Joseph Connors with 1,014, Republican nominee

Saverio Sagliocco with 982, Independent Eugene “Gene” Reagan with 751 and

GOP nominee David Longenhagen with 680. Recently-appointed First Ward

Councilman Donald Applegate, running unopposed, received 463 unofficial votes.

Those numbers have changed slightly since then, but the margins were

sufficiently-wide to assure the Council winners of their victories.

Although there were 22 provisional ballots reported cast, only 12 of them

were counted by the Board after eight ballots were voided by the staff, and

the Board voted unanimously to accept seven of the ballots challenged by

O’Connor, rejecting only one of them. Those seven went back into the mix with

five unchallenged ballots, and were pumped-through a counting machine, after

the rest of the county’s provisionals were counted by that device.

That left a mysterious 10th uncounted provisional ballot — cast by a woman

who voted for O’Connor, but which was not examined by the Board —

unaccounted-for.

That ballot — discovered by the Independent’s researchers before she filed

her request for a recount — was voided reportedly because no records were

found to show that the voter had registered in-time to vote on Nov. 2.

However, the woman insisted that she registered to vote through the state Motor

Vehicle Commission (MVC).

If her ballot had been counted, there would have been a tie between

O’Connor and Henry with 1,128 votes each, thereby forcing a special election on

Tuesday, Jan. 18, with the city’s voters asked to choose between the two tied

candidates to succeed Mayor John O’Leary, who decided in March not to seek an

unprecedented seventh four-year term as Chief Executive of the “Pleasant

Little City.”

Another MIB, also reportedly for O’Connor, was found in the Board’s office

one week after the election, and this was rejected unanimously by the four

-member Board because the voter allegedly did not comply with proper

procedure.

At that emergency meeting, Administrator James Vokral explained that the

ballot was “put in the wrong pile” because the outer envelope in which it

was supposed-to be mailed was not used, but was replaced with a regular brown

envelope.

The voter placed his MIB inside the proper inner envelope and sealed it,

but failed to attach his signed certificate to the inner envelope.

“This ballot would have been voided even if it had been put in the proper

pile,” Vokral said.

However, that voter is believed to have signed an affidavit claiming that

he followed the Board’s instructions before he mailed his ballot.

O’Connor’s request to go further, if it is approved by Paley, would

include an examination of any heretofore uncounted MIBs and provisional ballots,

as well as challenges of specific individual ballots.

At-least one business-owner who lives in neighboring Sayreville and as many

as three police officers who live out-of-town may have participated in

South Amboy’s 2010 election, following a contentious campaign which was branded

by many observers as the city’s “dirtiest.”

In addition to the usual rash of reports of campaign-signs being torn-down

or put-up without authorization, this year’s local contest saw the

resurrection on a weekly basis of a bimonthly community newspaper which was defunct

for about 10 years, now unabashedly promoting the Democratic ticket; the

anonymous distribution of one flier depicting an O’Connor supporter in a Nazi

uniform, and another flier attacking O’Connor as a “terrorist,” and an

alleged “endorsement” of Mackiel’s candidacy by a non-existent “South Amboy Tea

Party.”

During Election Day itself, numerous complaints reportedly were made to the

Police Department, the Board of Elections and the state Attorney General’s

Office, which is believed to have sent an observer to the city to monitor

the voting.

One Council candidate was accused of “electioneering” at the Senior

Resource Center, S. Stevens Avenue, and was asked to leave; a photographer from an

out-of-county daily newspaper allegedly took random photos at a

polling-place and was escorted out, and eggs were said to have been thrown at an

O’Connor supporter’s car by Henry supporters, leading to a heated confrontation

involving the driver’s brother which police officers broke-up. There were

unconfirmed reports that off-duty police were called-out by Police Chief Darren

LaVigne to maintain order.

Because of suspected irregularities, FBI agents who raided the Board’s New

Brunswick headquarters and the County Clerk’s Office to investigate the June

8 Democratic primary election in the county seat are now believed to have

expanded the scope of their probe to other elections, possibly including

South Amboy’s.

The local race followed back-to-back municipal tax-increases of 38 percent

last year and 12 percent this year, plus an increase of over five percent in

school taxes approved in-between by the incumbent Council.

An Amendment to the Calendar Year 2010 Budget adopted by the Council is

expected to increase local taxes by another $722,576, 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, from the unamended spending plan.

Using the numbers provided with the CY 2010 Budget as introduced, the

amended Budget is expected to increase the municipal portion of taxes on the

average home by $268.

During the campaign, the challengers criticized the tax-hikes, pledging to

encourage more commercial tax-ratables to replace revenues now drawn from

residential property taxes, while the Democratic incumbents blamed the

tax-hikes on Republican Gov. Christopher Christie.

Perth Amboy: ‘City Of Giving’

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 1, 2010)

PERTH AMBOY — For Thanksgiving 2010, the City of Perth Amboy

transformed-into the “City of Giving,” as some 2,000 traditional Thanksgiving turkey

dinners were served to those less-fortunate.

The Trujillo family and friends, Supremo Food Market, White Rose Foods and

St. Vincent dePaul Food Pantry sponsored the largest mass-feeding of the

season, the 2010 Thanksgiving Friendship Feast honoring the memory of Andrea

Trujillo, at St. Demetrios’ Greek Orthodox Church Hall, Wisteria Street.

Andrea Trujillo, who lived in Perth Amboy for almost 40 years, came from

very-humble beginnings but always gave to those less-fortunate than her.

Andrea Trujillo’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, so in her memory, dozens of

volunteers joined together to share this Thanksgiving meal and the gift of

giving that she so-enjoyed with a crowd of almost 600, accommodated with two

seatings.

The Thanksgiving Friendship Feast featured roast turkey, stuffing, mashed

potatoes and gravy, and a wide array of salads and cooked vegetables, plus

such Hispanic favorites as arroz con gandules, yucca and pernil, and an

assortment of desserts. Also, over 100 prizes were given-out to those

in-attendance, including major appliances and electronics, in an outpouring of

charitable giving.

The outpouring of giving actually got-started on Friday, Nov. 19, when the

Perth Amboy Merchants Association (PAMA) held a community outreach program

providing FREE turkey dinners for senior citizens at the Hanson Apartments,

Fayette Street, open to residents of the Hanson and Stack Apartments.

That same day, the Salvation Army Perth Amboy Corps, State Street,

distributed 100 turkeys to needy families.

At the Perth Amboy Knights of Columbus Council 299 “Feed the Needy”

Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday, Nov. 21, over 300 people from the local community

were served a free meal.

The city’s Office on Aging invited Perth Amboy senior citizens to a

complimentary Thanksgiving Eve Luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the Jankowski

Community Center, Olive Street.

Faith Community Worship Center, Renovation House and Abundant Life Worship

Center teamed-up the next day — Thanksgiving Day — to serve meals at the

Jankowski Community Center, Olive Street, to over 200 families, including the

hard-core homeless. The menu included turkey, corn, peas, beans,

stringbeans, macaroni & cheese, apple and sweet potato pies, juices and sodas.

Vida Church, formerly Mount St. Carmel, at Maple and Fayette Streets,

served 400 turkey dinners to visitors to the Church Hall.

After the holiday, Copa de Oro Tavern, Smith Street, offered FREE turkey

dinners “for those with no place to go” on Saturday, Nov. 27.

ABOVE & BEYOND

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 1, 2010)

PERTH AMBOY — Five Firefighters were commended at the City Council’s last

meeting for action above-and-beyond the call-of-duty in three separate

incidents.

Each Firefighter was presented with a framed Proclamation and a framed Coun

cil Resolution by Mayor Wilda Diaz and Fire Chief David Volk.

At 9:50 a.m. on Oct. 7, Engine No. 1, with Firefighters John DeNardo and

Eric Wilhelm, was driving on Smith Street when they witnessed a vehicle

driving erratically proceeding west on Smith Street. The vehicle ran-through the

red-light at Smith and Oak Streets, running-into a parked vehicle.

After approaching the vehicle, the Firefighters found an unconscious male

driver in the locked vehicle. After requesting EMS Assistance, DeNardo and

Wilhelm broke a rear window on the vehicle to gain access to the elderly male,

whom they found to be in full cardiac-arrest.

After securing the still-running vehicle, DeNardo and Wilhelm removed the

driver, initiated CPR, and connected a defibrillator unit. Upon arrival of

the Paramedics & EMS Unit from Raritan Bay Medical Center, they assisted

those units with further patient care and eventual transportation to the

hospital.

Although the patient unfortunately passed-away after being admitted to the

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) later that morning, the actions taken by the

Firefighters were credited with reviving the driver of the vehicle and preserving

his life, providing the opportunity of receiving advanced care within RBMC.

Had these two not acted in the timely-manner that they did, all available

means of saving his life would not have been able to be undertaken.

Firefighter Eric Wilhelm has been a member of the Career Division since

Jan. 16, 1995, and Firefighter John DeNardo has been a member of the Career Divi

sion since Feb. 23, 1996.

At 2:09 a.m. on Oct. 22, the Fire and Police Departments and Paramedics &

EMS Unit from RBMC were dispatched to a reported truck fire on Route 440 at

Amboy Avenue.

Upon arrival, members found a tractor-trailer adjacent to the eastbound

entrance ramp of the highway from Amboy Avenue and Grove Street fully-involved

in fire.

After setting-up initial extinguishing operations on the truck, members

were made-aware of a second motor vehicle about 300 feet west, under the Amboy

Avenue overpass, with an unconscious male driver.

While firefighters continued extinguishing the truck fire; Lt. Edward

Mullen and Firefighter Eric Kayser approached the second vehicle, along with RBMC

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) Gary Batista and Matt Redding, to

extricate and treat the unconscious male occupant from the severely-damaged

vehicle.

As these members arrived at the vehicle, a mixture of diesel fuel and water

from the burning tractor-trailer ignited and began flowing down the

shoulder of the highway toward the vehicle and emergency responders.

Faced with a seriously-dangerous situation for not only the trapped vehicle

occupant, but also their own safety, Lt. Mullen and Firefighter Kayser

utilized a fire extinguisher and dry absorbent in an attempt to prevent the

quickly-advancing fire from reaching the vehicle.

At the same time, EMTs Batista and Redding, through physical force and

sheer determination, were able to gain-access to the passenger-compartment of

the vehicle and extricate the driver, who was partially-entrapped under the

dashboard.

Less than a minute after the members were able to move the victim away from

the vehicle, it became totally-engulfed in flames.

The victim was treated by EMS and transported to Robert Wood Johnson

University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was admitted with

non-life-threatening injuries.

After the removal of the victim, the Department continued to be faced with

a serious situation, where there were now two vehicles fully-involved in

fire, with the possibility of the burning fuel continuing westerly on the

shoulder towards stopped highway traffic and a catch-basin. With the assistance

of a foam unit operated by the Port Authority Police Department, the flowing

flammable liquid was rapidly-extinguished by members of the Department

before any additional damage or adverse impact to the storm-sewer system and

environment occurred.

Had it not been for the extraordinary and heroic actions of the emergency

responders, there certainly would have been one if not two fatalities as a

result of this accident. The entire contingent of emergency responders that

responded to this incident are to be commended for their actions. Emergency

responders, including the Fire Department, under the Command of Capt. Abraham

Pitre, Port Authority Police, Perth Amboy Police and Paramedics & EMS Unit

from RBMC insured that this extremely-serious incident was brought to a

successful conclusion with no loss of life and no injuries other than to the

drivers of both vehicles.

Lt. Edward Mullen has been a member of the Career Division since April 22,

2002 He was promoted to Lieutenant on June 11, 2010, and Firefighter Eric

Kayser has been a member of the Career Division since Sept. 14, 2004.

On Oct. 23, Volunteer Lieutenant/Training Officer Anton Massopust Jr. was

attending a church dinner at the Ukrainian Assumption Parish, Jacques Street.

During the event, a gentleman in-attendance went into cardiac-arrest.

Lt. Massopust went to his aid and found him to be in full cardiac-arrest,

breathless, and with no pulse. Lt. Massopust immediately initiated CPR on the

victim while 9-1-1 was being called for advanced medical assistance. Upon

arrival of members of the Fire Department and Paramedics & EMS Unit from

RBMC, the victim had regained a pulse and his breathing function. The victim

was placed on oxygen and transported to RBMC for further treatment.

Since then, the patient has fully-recovered and was in fact discharged from

RBMC on Oct. 26.

Had it not been for the quick life-saving actions of Lt. Massopust within a

minute of the gentleman entering into cardiac-arrest, the successful

outcome of this incident most-assuredly would have been quite different.

Lt. Anton Massopust Jr. has been a member of the Volunteer Division for

over 40 years, having previously served as Volunteer Chief of the Department

from 1986 to 1987. He is currently a state-certified EMT instructor, as well

as a CPR Instructor certified by both the American Heart Association and the

American Red Cross.

Amboy Eats: Antojito Latino

(Restaurant Review, Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 1, 2010)
By Bill George
Antojito Latino, 236 New Brunswick Ave., Perth Amboy. Open six days,
Tues.-Sun., 9 a.m.-11 p.m.; Mon., closed. Call (732) 442-0064. Rating: ****.
Antojito Latino, which translates literally as “Latin craving,” opened on
March 20 in a storefront that used-to be Parnes Bakery before it was
turned-into a Dominican cafeteria-style eatery.
Owners Alvarro, Smirna, Maria and Tino have transformed the previous food
operation into a comfortable dining experience incorporating the best in
Central American, South American and Caribbean cuisine, with a self-serve
all-you-can-eat buffet as its centerpiece.
The theme here is “Conserving Our Roots,” with the goal of offerring the
dining public a choice in authentic Latin dishes spanning a wide variety of
tastes.
The buffet, which is available Tuesday through Saturday between 11 a.m. and
7 p.m., features a soup kettle, 10 hot entrees and a salad bar, with coffee
or tea and dessert included, for an incredible $8.50. A sit-down breakfast
is served between 9 and 11 a.m., and sit-down service is offered all-day
Sundays and as an option when the buffet is open.
The buffet comes with at-least two varieties of rice — white and another —
and red beans, but what brings many local diners back here is the
perfectly-seasoned Pernil (baked pork shoulder), almost-always presented on the
buffet in one piece, ready for slicing, with a crusty skin and tender and juicy
interior. Sometimes, the Pernil is cut-up and cooked with tomatoes and onions
for a taste-sensation. Alvarro says it’s not uncommon for Antojito Latino
to go-through three pork shoulders in one day.
Running a close second to the Pernil in popularity is the Flat Iron Steak
($12.50), which arrives at your table sizzling in a black iron pan, covered
with mushroom slices and garlic cloves, along with an oval platter of white
rice and red beans, joined with a green salad. The meat is so-tender it melts
in your mouth.
Mofongo & Shrimp ($10.50) is a huge oval platter with a mound of smooth
mashed plantain covered with grilled medium shrimp in a garlicky sauce, also
joined with a green salad.
Those who enjoy the flavor of shrimp also will love Shrimp In Garlic Sauce
(also $10.50), featuring 10 extra-large pink beauties in bowl with a
flavorful sauce, accompanied by arepa, a large cornmeal cake covered with white
cheese.
A delicacy for particular tastes, Grilled Red Snapper ($12.50), turned-out
to be a culinary masterpiece at a bargain price. It was only my second
snapper because of the usually-prohibitive price. The entire fish arrives on a
huge colorful oval platter with lime wedges, and the flavorful beige flesh
strips cleanly off the bones. Casamiento — formed brown rice with black and
brown beans — and golden-brown fried yucca, crispy outside and soft inside,
complete the feast.  
Grilled Chicken Breast & Garlic Shrimp ($12.50) is a boneless breast topped
with five large garlicky shrimp, with casamiento and  tostones (fried green
plantain slices) and a bowl of pink dipping-sauce.
Baked Chicken Breast Stuffed with Crabmeat ($12.50) is exactly-that. The
flaky crabmeat-and-parsley filling is NOT the usual breadcrumb lump that’s
CALLED “crabmeat stuffing.” The boneless breast, topped with two jumbo shrimp,
sits-upon a bed of spaghetti and a tomatoey reddish-orange sauce, with
mushroom slices and onion strands.
Carne Asada ($9) is a perfectly-grilled flat steak topped with pico de
gallo (similar to bruschetta), accompanied by casamiento and a green salad.
Served that way is Grilled Chicken Breast ($8.50).
BBQ Ribs ($8) are four large meaty pork ribs, covered with a slightly-sweet
reddish-brown sauce, tender down to the bone, with arepa and a green salad.
Returning to the buffet, I found many dishes that I really-enjoyed. The
variety of offerings is astounding, given the reasonable price charged for what
can be considered gourmet dining.
In the buffet, on any given day, one might find: Chicken Stew, large white
meat and potato chunks in an orange-colored broth; Chicken Fingers, breaded
white meat strips; Chicken Nuggets, unbreaded pieces of white meat; Lemon
Chicken, breaded boneless white meat pieces in a luscious lemon sauce; Chicken
& Stringbeans, white meat chunks sauteed with fresh stringbeans; Grilled
Chicken, charcoal-grilled wings or drumsticks; Chicken Teriyaki, white meat
chunks sauteed with fresh peppers and onions in a slightly-sweet sauce; Fried
Chicken, crispy-coated pieces; BBQ Chicken, pieces coated with a
slightly-sweet sauce; Dominican-Style Spaghetti, pasta with chicken and peppers in an
orange-colored sauce; Empanadas, crispy doughy pockets with beef or chicken
fillings; Tacos Dorados, rolled tortillas filled with a chicken paste; Pork
Feet & Chickpeas, a great dish over white rice, and Steak, Tomato & Fries, a
one-pan meal. I hope I got them all!
Also, sold a la carte: Burrito ($7 each), large and filling, in beef or
chicken varieties; Pupusas ($1.50 each), filled dough cakes, and Tostadas
(three for $4), Guatemalan tortillas with toppings.
Breakfast ($7.25) can be various starch-meat-egg combinations, such as
Pancakes, Chicharron and Scrambled Eggs (the Pancakes are soft but crispy around
the edges, as they’re supposed-to be, and the Chicharron is hard, smokey
and salty, as it’s supposed-to be), or French Toast, Chorizo and Colombian
Omelette (the soft, cinnamony French Toast and smokey, thick-skinned Chorizo
are a contrast in textures and tastes, but the Colombian Omelette, with sliced
scallions and diced tomatoes, is a REAL treat!).
Beverages include the usual bottled sodas at $1.50 each. To be adventurous,
try the Passion Fruit Shake ($2.50), Salvadorean Fruit Juice ($1.75) or
Raspberry Iced Tea ($1.50). What a difference!
The homemade cakes at Antojito Latino  (carrot is my favorite!) aren’t
overly-sweet, but they stand-up to the freshly-brewed coffee.
In evaluating food, atmosphere, service and value, Antojito Latino easily
earns our highest rating of FOUR STARS.