NEWARK - The door to Peter Pantoliano's headquarters swings open.

A pair of operatives sit inside and they're so intent on the work, they don't notice a visitor.  

They run down strategy.

"We're working very hard," confirms the East Ward candidate by cellphone.

He's at City Hall right now. Just left headquarters.

But he plans to be back at HQ. Pronto.

A lot of the merchants around Ferry Street support Pantoliano's challenge of veteran East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador. The local optometrist counts himself a part of the business community.

"The ones who don't have Peter Pantoliano signs in their windows are scared to put them up," says Pantoliano.

But Amador starts with a base of 2,600 to 3,000 votes in the core Portuguese community in a ward that usually maxes out municipally at around 5,000 votes. Allies of one of Amador's most solid backers, longtime East Ward operative Joe Parlavecchio say if Pantoliano - an Italian-American like himself - can beat Amador, it's time for Parlavecchio to rethink retirement.

Not happening, he says.

However, if the city as a whole lacks the edge of a major campaign contest - "quietist I can ever remember an election year at this time," observes one South Ward insider - Pantoliano, notwithstanding the odds, is undisputably making an enthusiastic effort to unseat incumbent Amador.

NEWARK - Former Councilman Charles Bell is generating considerable support in the Central Ward as Newarkers continue to jockey for position in the event that former Councilwoman Dana Rone loses her appeals and does not return to the governing body.

"I did pick up the petitions and I had more than enough as of last night's gathering," Bell told PolitickerNJ.com. "I am running, yes, but at the same time, I'm hoping Miss. Rone is successful in her appeals. That would solve my problems, but if she is not successful I am prepared."

In the community room of the New Hope Baptist Church on Tuesday night, Bell received the blessing of Central Ward Democratic Committee Chairman Dwight Brown.

She's called a special meeting, but will Council President Mildred Crump and the council take substantive action tomorrow?: Politicker photo 

NEWARK - They could end up coming out of their offices tomorrow and standing unified behind their fallen colleague with a statement of support, but a prospective City Council vote on whether or not to replace embattled former Councilwoman Dana Rone summons an inevitable question.

Who would vote to replace Rone, and who would replace her?

The fact that Council President Mildred Crump called a special meeting tomorrow at a time when East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador is on vacation may indicate that Mayor Cory Booker - an ally of Crump’s - wants the council to move on the vote as quickly as possible.

Some Newark sources say Crump - not Booker - has more of a stake in would-be replacement Nikea White; and that is was Crump acting alone, not the mayor, who pushed for tomorrow’s vote.