Betty Brown

Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. 

ORANGE - There are no smiles cast across a cold ten feet of space where North Ward Councilwoman Tency Eason faces her rival At-Large Councilman Donald Page as the City Council considers giving the Berg Development Corp. a 20-year tax abatement to redevelop and occupy the old Berg Hat Factory in the valley.

The project was supposed to be completed in January, or a few months after Mayor Mims Hackett marched into federal court in handcuffs on a charge of taking a $5,000 bribe from a phoney insurance contractor.

But the old building with broken windows still juts over the neighborhood and question marks abound about the status of that project and others meant to kick-start this city at the edge of gangland crisis, and now staggered by the Hackett scandal.

"It’s been six years and no major projects are finished," resident Shirley Hendricks reminds the council. "At least five to six buildings should be done over there."

Another resident, Harold Johnson, wants to know if the city has planned appropriately for the impact of 600 condo units - 500 in the historic Valley section, and 100 on Main Street.

"We’re hoping they’re empty nesters," frets Johnson.

The candidates running for mayor in Orange are schedule toOrange Councilman Donald Page participate in a forum Thursday sponsored by the Rev. Reginald Jackson at St. Matthew’s AME Church.

Local clergy members will pose questions to the six invited candidates at the event, which begins at 7 p.m.

At-Large Councilman Donald Page plans to attend the forum.

"It’s a legitimate debate," said Page spokesman Michael Vieira.

Downtown Orange 

ORANGE - Five candidates for mayor not named Mims Hackett participated in a Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) forum at the Appian Way Restaurant here today in front of a crowd of 150 people.

"For a long time these elections have been Hackett against who?" said community activist Nicole Williams, referring to the mayor who ran Orange for 12 years before opting not to pursue re-election amid an imbroglio of federal corruption charges brought against him and ten other elected officials in a statewide sting last year.

"This forum at the very least lets us know we have a choice," Williams said.

Dwight HolmesORANGE - Dwight Holmes remembers the pride he felt playing football and running track for Orange High School. As mayor he would like to help restore that pride to a city reeling from scandal.

"I want Orange pride back in Orange," said the candidate. "When I was a kid it meant a lot to say you were an Orange Tornado."

His life-long history in Orange is important to the mayoral candidate. Forty-seven years old, he says he still holds the city schools' record for the 100-yard dash at 9.6 seconds.

 "Having a mayor who's actually from the town, that's something Orange hasn't had in a long time if ever," said Holmes. "I have a stake in this city. I've purchased a home. I plan on being here awhile."

Orange Mayor Mims HackettOrange Mayor Mims Hackett appeared in council chambers, among the first public officials to arrive, smiling broadly at the young baseball players and haggard clutch of City Hall gadflies alike.

"Happy New Year," he said, and proceeded to wade into the small crowd with a polished politician’s outstretched hand. A month away from standing trial to answer to corruption charges and already deposed from his office as 27th district assemblyman, Hackett carried no aura of the disgraced Roman senator on Wednesday evening. He was all dapper southern sweetness and light.

More bundled bodies floated in from the cold and by now Hackett was at the front of the room.

There would be a special presentation of the recreation league baseball team and the mayor smiled with the news and straightened in his chair. "These talented youngsters are an inspiration to everyone," he beamed, and proceeded to slowly read a full roster of the team’s players.