Terrence Love

July 1, 2009 - 7:04pm

Blanco sworn-in by Corzine, celebrated by Menendez

PASSAIC - Standing in the midst of a melting pot audience, with Latinos, Jews and African Americans dominant in a crowd that also contained a smattering of Italians and Indians, and probably sprinklings of just about everything else given Passaic and Passaic pride, School Board member Salim Patel requested a hand for the first Dominican-American mayor in the United States.

There was clapping.

Then Mayor Alex Blanco stood, and the School No. 6 auditorium erupted.

As usual at these big ticket events here in Passaic, the mayor had top-tier love in the room in the form of Gov. Jon Corzine and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), who both backed Blanco for mayor earlier this year.  

"If you truly love Passaic, you must help him succeed, because in his success, the people of Passaic succeed," Menendez said.

Child of immigrant parents Blanco went to the podium early, but not before Menendez spoke, wringing a laugh-line out of a setup created by the cheering section for Councilman-elect Terrance L. Love, the governing body's lone black. 

Read More >
Syndicate content