Eldridge Hawkins

Congratulations to Newark City Councilwoman Dana Rone, who has emerged as the early front runner for the 2008 Zulima Farber Award. She seems to be running ahead of Annette Lartigue, a City Councilwoman from Trenton, and former Jersey City Municipal Court Judge Wanda Molina.

And newly-elected Orange Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. is now a candidate for the 2008 Oink! Oink! Wayne Bryant Award – a category that always has considerable competition in New Jersey.

Eldridge Hawkins Jr., the newly-elected 28-year-old Mayor of Orange who succeeded Mims Hackett, took just fifteen days to essentially give himself a $79,700 pay raise.  Hawkins, on leave from his job as a West Orange police officer, will now make $104,700.  Hawkins has named himself to serve as Orange’s Fire Director (which pays $76,000) and will make $3,700 more as the Emergency Management Coordinator.

The two possible ’09 gubernatorial candidates were on the campaign trail yesterday, both attending the swearing in of the recently elected members of the Jackson Township Council.  Governor Jon Corzine administered the oath of office to Michael Kafton, and U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie swore in Michael Reina.  While Jackson holds non-partisan elections, Kafton is a Democrat and Reina is a Republican.

Judge Michelle Hollar-Gregory swears in Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, left, as Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) looks on. 

ORANGE - The son of a former beauty queen and crusading Civil Rights attorney, Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., took the oath of office today as Mayor of the City of Orange in a well-attended and star-studded ceremony in the Middle School auditorium.

"On Day One of our new administration, I don’t say to you, 'Just watch what I can do in City Hall,'" the new mayor challenged the crowd. "Instead, I say, 'Get involved in every way that you can.' Together we will create new ways for you to participate in the building of a better and more prosperous Orange.

"And I say, 'Come with me to City Hall, and together, we’re going to turn our city around!' The future is now!"

Elected two months ago to replace the now convicted Mayor Mims Hackett, Hawkins literally walked up a red carpet rolled out onto the concrete in front of the school, and faced a sea of Orange residents and luminaries that included singing star Dionne Warwick.

Hawkins Chief of Staff Tai Cooper confers with Codey Chief A.J. Sabath 

ORANGE - In a packed auditorium at the Middle School this afternoon, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) saluted the newly sworn-in Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., and said he couldn’t go wrong with Tahirah "Tai" Cooper as his chief-of-staff.

Formerly Lautenberg’s Cooper senior project specialist out of the senator’s Newark office, Cooper is now officially with the Hawkins administration as the new mayor takes charge of Orange today.

One of the stars on stage paying tribute to the 29-year old Hawkins, Lautenberg sat in between Gov. Jon Corzine and Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex). In the audience were Newark Mayor Cory Booker and East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser.

Several new mayors will take office today after winning the May 13 non-partisan municipal elections, including Wilda Diaz in Perth Amboy, Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. in Orange, Jerry Fried in Montclair, Robert Romano in Vineland, and Edward Mahaney in Cape May City.

Mayor-elect Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., tonight defeated CouncilwomanEldridge Hawkins, Jr. Tency Eason for Democratic Party  chair of Orange.

Hawkins won 15 to Eason's 14 votes to succeed former Mayor Mims Hackett, who served as chairman in addition to his duties as mayor. Hackett relinquished his mayor's seat last month after pleading guilty to attempted extortion.

Eason, who unsuccessfully opposed Hawkins in the mayor's contest last month, said she means to challenge the outcome of tonight's chairman's race.

ORANGE - The City Council last night voted 5-2 to retain Council President Lisa Perkins as the city’s acting mayor.

Councilmen Ed Marable, Jr. and Hassan Abdul-Rasheed voted to replace Perkins with Mayor-elect Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., due to her close relations with former Mayor Mims Hackett, who left office on the day he pleaded guilty to attempted extortion.

ORANGE - City Council allies of Mayor-Elect Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., intend to try to vote him into office as acting mayor at a special meeting tonight, a month prior to his swearing-in ceremony.