May 13

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."

NUTLEY - Frank Turano is running for the Board of Commissioners a second time because he wants to apply common sense business practices to local government. As owner of his own kitchen design business for 30 years, he says he knows something about budgeting and delivering services.

"We have a lot of overhead in Nutley, and I want to consolidate resources while still maintaining the quality of life here," said the 72-year old Nutley native, owner of Kitchens by Turano.

Turano ran four years ago and finished in seventh place.

ORANGE – At-large Councilman Donald Page recently received an e-mail about an upcoming mayoral candidates’ forum from one of the event’s organizers letting his campaign know where and when the event was being held.

The problem is that the woman who sent the message is also working for one of his opponents in the mayor’s race.

Now Page wants to meet with former Councilman Ben Jones this weekend to hammer out the details of the forum sponsored by Jones' group, Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG).

Vineland mayoral candidate Robert RomanoVINELAND - A Superior Court judge’s decision today to invalidate Vineland’s master plan because the city violated the open public meetings law propelled mayoral challenger Robert Romano into attack mode against Mayor Perry Barse.

"The ruling today is evidence that Mayor Barse and his administration violated the public trust by cutting the community out of important discussions about the future of their city," Romano said in a statement. "The decision by Mayor Barse to leave the public in the dark about such significant decisions is disgraceful. Mayor Barse spent thousands and thousands of taxpayer dollars on a plan that now has to be redone because of the administration’s blatant disregard for the law."

Orange Mayor Mims Hackett did not file petitions today to run for another term as mayor, according to the city clerk's office.

Awaiting trial on federal corruption charges brought against him last year, Hackett gave up his 27th district Assembly seat. But he said that he would run for mayor again.

But the deadline for filing petitions came and went today and the 12-year mayor did not file, the clerk said.

Holding to old traditions, Nutley strives for new rateables

Candidates: Joanne Cocchiola-Oliver | Carmen Orechio | Mauro Tucci | Tom Evans | Joseph Scarpelli | Al Petracco | Sal Olivo

Tags: Nutley | Carmen Orechio | Joanne Cocchiola-Oliver

NUTLEY - Mayor of the town of Nutley and Commissioner of Public Affairs, 49-year old Joanne Cocchiola is seeking her third term on the Board of Commissioners. Four years ago, she was the top vote getter. That’s why she’s mayor, and the first woman to hold the office in Nutley’s 106-year history.

“All night on Election Night I was neck and neck with (Commissioner) Mauro Tucci,” Cocchiola recalled. “I thought he was going to be the mayor. When I won, my father came up to me and said, ‘You did what I could never do.’”

Her father, the late Frank Cocchiola, a first cousin of Carmen Orechio, served as commissioner for 28 years. So no one who knows Nutley was surprised when the younger Cocchiola followed him into local politics.

“I literally grew up playing shuffleboard at the Elks Club where the
politicians hung out,” said the mayor. “My father loved this town. He bled maroon and gray. Those are the Nutley colors.”

NUTLEY - Chiropractor Joseph Scarpelli, 49, a Nutley native and former Essex County Freeholder and School Board member, wants to serve on the Board of Commissioners in place of his father, Commissioner and former Mayor Peter Scarpelli.

“After seven elections and 25 years, I’ve decided it’s time to go hit the little white ball for a while,” the senior Scarpelli told PolitickerNJ.com.

But he’s not yet not in retirement mode. The 70-year old Commissioner of Public Works, who finished third in total votes last time, serves as his son’s campaign manager, and his son intends to run a full-blown campaign.

Former Senate President Carmen Orechio, 81, has served as a Nutley Commissioner since 1968NUTLEY - Commissioner Carmen Orechio, 81, is a former state Senate President, and a commissioner since 1968. For the last 25 years he has served as the Commissioner of Public Safety, overseeing the police, fire and ambulance services.

They call him the dean.

“Commissioner Orechio is a tremendous resource whenever we get into uncharted waters,” said his colleague Commissioner Mauro Tucci. “That’s because his answers are based not in theory but life experience. We are so lucky to have his wealth of knowledge.”

“I’ve lived in town all my life,” said Orechio, who plans to file his
petitions today to meet the deadline. “It’s been a great privilege to
serve, and I want to do my part to the keep the community safe.”

Under his direction, Nutley has maintained a hybrid fire department, which now consists of 38 career officers and 60 volunteers. The police department is 65-officers strong. Nutley furnishes a detox vehicle and the expertise to combat hazardous materials, which is the result of state and federal grants Orechio helped secure.