Orange

Council President Ed Marable, Jr.

The Orange City Council last night elected South Ward Councilman Ed Marable, Jr., council president.

The vote was 5-0-2, with only Marable and West Ward Councilman Hassan Abul-Rasheed abstaining.

"I'm motivated to make a difference," said Marable.

An attorney and Orange native, the new council president succeeds Councilwoman Lisa Perkins in the local governing body's command chair.

An unsuccessful off-the-line candidate two years ago for the 27th District Assembly seat occupied by jailed former Assemblyman/Mayor Mims Hackett, Marable later considered running for mayor of Orange.

Ultimately, the independent Democrat decided to back the man who would become that contest's eventual winner.

MCKEON\JASEY WELCOME 'GREENING' OF SCHOOLS, POTENTIAL ENERGY SAVINGS IN MILLIONS

NJ Lawmakers Commend Governor Corzine for Stimulating Economy, Providing Pro-Environment Setting for Children

(ORANGE) - Assemblyman John F. McKeon and Assemblywoman Mila M. Jasey today welcomed Governor Jon S. Corzine's announcement of green elements in the planned construction of the Park Avenue Elementary School in the City of Orange.

Mayor Eldridge Hawkins: Politicker file photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - Orange Mayor Eldridge Hawkins today said he has no intention of backing down from his promise to deliver televised meetings to the people of his city, despite a majority on the city council refusing to participate in live televised meetings.

"They paralyzed the progress of the city, and left the meeting with no quorum last night," said Hawkins, who took office in July to succeed Mims Hackett, who was busted by the FBI last year and convicted of public corruption.

"First, I need no special authority from the council to record the meetings," said Hawkins. "It’s a public right to record those meetings. But second, though I needed no extra authority, I intentionally sought out the council president."

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.

ORANGE - Two days after Election Day, At Large Councilman Donald Page said he has not yet conceded victory to West Orange Patrolman Eldridge Hawkins in their Orange At-Large Councilman Donald Page on Election Daymayoral contest.

Hawkins beat Page on Tuesday night by a margin of 30-27%, but Page said he’s not so sure.

"We have some questions about what happened on Election Day," said the candidate, who huddled today with lawyers to examine the results.

"I’m not at liberty to say right now exactly how we’re going to pursue this," Page added.

ORANGE - With Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) planning a swing through Zoning Board Chair Janice MorrellOrange on Tuesday, Zoning Board Chair and mayoral candidate Janice Morrell prepared to take him on a tour of several of the city’s senior high-rises.

When Andrews, a candidate for U.S. Senate in next month’s Democratic Primary, abruptly canceled his walk with Morrell, his campaign cited a scheduling conflict.

But Morrell, who came in fourth in a field of six on Election Day in her quest to be the next mayor of Orange, said she still wants Andrews to come to her city.

"I want someone to do something about those seniors living in those buildings," said Morrell. "They’ve been ignored for so long."

Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., and his sister, Hillary, moments after they learned of victory. 

ORANGE - A few Orange city blocks separate the campaign headquarters of Donald Page and Eldridge Hawkins, but a wide gulf of emotion opened up after 9 p.m. when the results of the mayor’s race came down from City Hall and Hawkins won.

In a six-way race, Hawkins defeated Page by a margin of 30-27%, or 1,061 to 942 votes, to deal a heartbreaking loss to the forces of the long-serving councilman.

"We did it," said a jubilant Hawkins, surrounded by family and supporters, including state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) in his campaign headquarters behind Sandwiches Unlimited on Center Street.

"He was a great candidate," said Codey, an Orange native who backed the 28-year old West Orange patrolman amid controversy about the candidate’s short-time residency in Orange.

Orange Mayor-elect Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. will replace Mims HackettORANGE -Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., a West Orange police officer, defeated At-Large Councilman Donald Page and a field of four other candidates to become the new mayor of Orange.

Hawkins earned 1,061 votes or 30% of the votes, compared to 942 or 27% for Page.

Coming in third was North Ward Councilwoman Tency Eason with 564 votes, followed by Zoning Board Chair Janice Morrell with 417 votes, activist Betty Brown with 285 votes, and Planning Board Chair Dwight Holmes, 212 votes.

Morrell campaign manager Peter Learmont, left, and Morrell supporter Royland Cain 

ORANGE - In front of the Love of Jesus Church, Peter Learmont, campaign manager for Janice Morrell, urges a Donald Page supporter to abandon her backing of the long-serving councilman and side with the Morrell campaign.

He meets resistance.

"When they tried to raise my taxes, Donald Page voted 'no,'" Ollie Marshall-Rico says.

Eldridge Hawkins and campaign volunteers 

ORANGE - Standing in front of the Oakwood Avenue School with his orange t-shirted supporters, Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., says he's taking nothing for granted.

"While the other candidates were driving their caravans around this weekend, six cars deep, I was out there knocking on doors," says Hawkins.

Last night, state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) sent out a robocall for Hawkins.