Paterson

PATERSON - Passaic County Sheriff Jerry Speziale jumped intoCouncilman Aslon Goow Paterson municipal politics over the weekend, publicly endorsing Ward 2 Councilman Aslon Goow, chair of the council's public safety committee and a vocal critic of Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres.

Speziale's picture and declaration of confidence appeared on a Goow mail piece that hits the streets in Ward 2.

"Goow is the only (council) candidate the sheriff is endorsing," said Goow campaign spokesman Ryan Yacco. 

Yacco says the endorsement is significant, particulalry in the Hillcrest section of the ward.

A two-term concilman, Goow is running against John Larko and Elizabeth Rosado.

Rosado has  the public support of Mayor Torres.   

Ward 5 Councilman Juan TorresPATERSON - In a bruising re-election battle, two-term Ward 5 Councilman Juan Torres personally went to the campaign headquarters of challenger Julio Tavarez over the weekend warning his rivals to stay away from his street signs.

"They must be scared," Torres said of the Tavarez campaign.

An ally of Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres, the councilman said that Tavarez partisans removed 14 of his signs in the competitive ward.

Tavarez today was gearing up for his campaign’s "victory rally," where the council candidate intends to prepare his troops to take to the streets tomorrow on Election Day.

ORANGE Candidates for mayor: At-Large Councilman Donald Page, North Ward Councilwoman Tency Eason, West Orange Patrolman Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., Zoning Board Chair Janice Morrell, activist Betty Brown, Planning Board Chair Dwight Holmes.

ORANGE - Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) has invested his time, name and $2,600 in Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., son of his former seat mate in the Assembly, who voted in his first Orange election just last year.

Codey’s political enemies will crow if his candidate fails to get anything short of a first place finish, but the former governor’s pick of a 28-year old with "it factor" potential could pay political dividends in the future.

PATERSON - As recently as last month, Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres wasMayor Jose "Joey" Torres coy about whether he would publicly get into the Elizabeth Rosadorace against his adversary, Ward Two Councilman Aslon Goow.

"I don't know if a mayor should endorse," the mayor mused, later threatening to get into the contest  if Goow continued his public assault against his record as mayor. 

Today, Torres officially got in the game, lending his voice in a robocall to the cause of Goow challenger Elizabeth Rosado, wife of longtime Torres ally, former Councilman Jerry Luis Rosado. 

Goow, a two-term incumbent, is trying to fend off challenges from both Rosado and mason contractor John Larko. 

 Ward 4 challenger Kisha Manning. 

PATERSON - Shrugged off by the incumbent as too aloof to feel the pain of the 4th Ward, Kisha Manning smiles and shakes her head.

She was born here and grew up here.

"I even get my hair done and my nails done here," she says with a laugh.

Her school record at William Paterson University and subsequent success as a revenue officer with the Internal Revenue Service don’t diminish the roots, or the lifelong street cred Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes claims Manning lacks to maneuver in a city that has been under state-control for 18 years.

PATERSON - Supporters of Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes give their reasons for helping to elect the 23-year veteran of the Paterson City Council.

Ward 4 Councilwoman Vera Ames Garnes with supporters, from left, Dwight Sutton, Samuel Groce and Al Barino 

PATERSON - A man on a cellphone behind the wheel of a car with New York plates turns a pair of red eyes toward the formidable-looking woman suddenly shouting at him and jabbing her index finger at him.

"Hey, home boy," bellows Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes. "Stay off my streets!"

The man floors it, and seconds later a Paterson patrol car streaks past in another direction.

"They’re going the wrong way," mutters Ames-Garnes, throwing her minivan in gear and tearing after the police. She pulls her vehicle up onto the sidewalk alongside the patrol car where it’s now idling in the middle of the road next to an unmarked car facing the opposite direction.

PATERSON - Spanish teacher Wilkin Santana, 27, hopes to unseat long-serving Ward 4 Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes.

Wilkin Santana in the 4th Ward. 

PATERSON - Wilkin Santana turns left on Rosa Parks Boulevard and hits the gas into the heart of the 4th Ward. He sees foreclosure signs on front doors and gangs standing on sidewalks who look at him when he drives past.

"You have open drug dealing going on here," says Santana, shaking his head as he guns the engine. "You’ve got crack houses. Abandoned buildings. This is her record. I believe if you have 23 years to try to fix the neighborhood, you’ve had enough."

His reference is to Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes. This is her neighborhood. It’s also Santana’s ward, which is why he’s running against Ames-Garnes.

PATERSON - The fight in the Fourth promises to be a suspensWard Four Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garneseful and potentially ward-altering showdown as several young upstarts hope to dislodge Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes, who’s owned the seat for 22 years.

A feisty Paterson product who will buy coats for needy children and take them to Disney World just as quickly as demolish someone at the microphone who stammers a protest in the direction of the City Council, Ames-Garnes said her youthful challengers are going to have to blow her out of there.

"I have no problem with anybody running, this is America," said Ames-Garnes, 60. "But my question is, ‘What is your track record?’"