State Aid to School Districts

.............................. Fiscal '97 ............ Fiscal '96 ........... Change
Prospect Park ............ 1,518,714 ......... 1,513,088 ............ + 5,626
Manchester H.S. ........ 1,918,837 ......... 1,889,468 .......... + 29,369
Haledon ..................... 1,454,195 ......... 1,448,284
North Haledon .............. 395,014 ............. 415,566
Hawthorne ................. 1,266,234 .......... 1,376,414
Paterson ................ 169,907,022 ...... 168,627,776

State Aid to Municipalities
............................. Fiscal '97 ......... Fiscal '96.................Change
Prospect Park .......... 438,226 ............. 443,211 ............. - 4,985
Haledon ................... 773,025 ............. 773,348
North Haledon ......... 792,186 ............. 793,644
Hawthorne ............ 1,771,182 .......... 1,774,858
Paterson ............. 36,548,074 ........ 36,563,502

How does the smallest police force in Passaic County increase its
productivity ny responding to more calls for service and writing more
tickets?

"It's a cooperative effort," says Police Chief George Faso, who receives
praise from elected officials for his leadership in turning around the
department.

Seven years ago, morale was so low and things were so bad that the Passaic
County Prosecutor's Office was brought in to manage the department.
Since Faso's arrival, several veteran officers have retired and the current
department is composed of young, aggressive police officers and according to
the chief, they go the extra mile in job performance.

Like the saying goes, the best way to lead is by example and Faso, as chief
of an 11-officer department, does just that. Unlike neighboring towns whose
departments have greater resources to share the managerial responsibilities,
Prospect Park's chief does his own reports, the department's public
relations, even answers the phone and deals with citizens when there's no one
else In headquarters.

Faso's positive attitude is evident in the constant praise he heaps upon
officers for their volunteer activities. In the recent blizzard, he noted,
five or six officers used their own four-wheel drive vehicles to patrol and
didn't ask to be reimbursed for gasoline. He also points to the involvement
in the DARE program. Safety Town and their off-duty participation in
recreation events hosted by the school district and the municipal alliance.

It's not just about issuing tickets," says Faso, even though statistics
show that Prospect Park police issued 93 DWI summonses last year, 75 more
than the year before and increased the number of moving violations four-fold,
from 739 in 1994 to 3300 tickets in 1995. Overall the department answered
6984 calls last year compared to 3915 in 1993.

"It's how the officers are performing," he says. While some policemen
receive extra training while on duty, others are continuing to take courses
at their own expense.

The chief says he's in constant communication with his officers updating
them daily about changes in the law and issues affecting the community.
He promotes Prospect Park as a full-service department. Besides their
patrols, an officer's typical work day can include duties such as the warrant
task force and community policing in the "park and walk" program.
In the warrant task force, two officers are trying to clear a backlog of
some 1000 unanswered court notices.

The "park and walk" program requires officers on patrol to get out of their
cars and walk around a neighborhood, logging a record of who they talked to
and what they observed.

The community policing aspect includes the dog census with officers going
door-to-door to check on those who haven't renewed their pets' licenses.
They issue warnings and summonses for ordinance violations related to garbage
collection, recycling and snow removal.

Instead of treating motor vehicle violations as a nuisance, Faso points out
that an aggressive policy with motorists improves the community's image as
one which is tough-minded and has an added benefit of crime prevention.
"Many motor vehicle steps result in drug and alcohol arrests," he says
about area residents who are travelling through Prospect Park to and from
Paterson to buy drugs. And last year's DWI arrests average almost two per
week in a town that doesn't even have one bar. The lessening of these
incidents results in an improved quality of life for all residents, he says.
The department doesn't perform in isolation. There's interaction between
the department and the council, the school system, municipal court and other
departments.

"We meet with the mayor and council so we understand their priorities on
improving the quality of life in the community," says Faso. "We work
hand-in-hand with other departments, for example, with the building
department, we target illegal housing.

With the school system, the police presence provides better traffic control
and discipline outside the public school. Municipal court personnel have
added extra sessions, now meeting up to five times a month to handle an
increase of tickets.

And revenues are up. The disposition of a greater number of tickets has
brought a windfall in unanticipated revenues for 1995. Last year's budget
estimated a total of $118,000 for court revenues but exceeded that amount by
$77,000 for a total of $195,000.

Councilman Joe Bridge, who is a member of the police committee, sees the
department, "not just as crime fighter."

"They're police officers in the true sense of the word," says Bridge noting
that as the community's demographics change, the authoritarian image of
police officer can be intimidating to the new families of differing ethnic
backgrounds.

"The officers portray a friendly image. They take the initiative to get to
know members of the community and to improve the neighborhood," says Bridge.
Mayor Al Marchitto says he receives few complaints about the police. "In
the past, I can remember complaints that some officers had a John Wayne
mentality," he says.

Marchitto credits Faso with the management skills that inspire the officers
to take pride in the community.

No increase in taxes is reflected in the 1996 municipal budget which was
introduced by the borough council on February 12th. The estimated tax rate
for municipal purposes is 72 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
"We're right on time," said Borough Auditor Gary Higgins about the state's
February 10th deadline which fell on the weekend.

Higgins said the $2,610,847 fiscal plan benefited from an additional
$113,687 in surplus over the prior year. Much of this money came from a
hike in municipal court revenues. $77,000 of the additional revenue was
generated from municipal court fines. $52,000 more in surplus was applied
to the 1996 budget to offset the amount to be raised in taxes.

The budget reflects a savings of $43,000 in insurance, due to the borough's
entry in a joint insurance program.

These decreases are offset by a loss of $1300 in state aid, $27,000 to be
paid in police pension and a significant increase in snow removal costs.
To date, the borough has already spent $50,500 to deal with the blizzard and
other 1996 storms.

Among the capital improvements to be made this year are: the extension of
North 13th Street to the DPW garage; the reconstruction of North 7th Street
from East Main Street to Haledon Avenue and the reconstruction of North 16th
Street and Fairview Avenue.

Summary of Appropriations ....................................................... Final
....................................................................... 1996 Budget ... 1995 Budget
1. Operating Expenses: Salaries & Wages .......1,000,355 .......... 963,295
................................. Other Expenses .............. 1,122,263 ........ 1,062,530
2. Deferred Charges & Other Appropriations ....... 118,073 ............. 77,256
3. Capital Improvements ........................................ 60,310 ............. 50,600
4. Debt Service
(include for School Purposes) .............................. 120,012 ........... 112,350
5. Reserve for Uncollected Taxes ....................... 189,834 ............ 188,822
Total General Appropriations ............................ 2,610,847 ......... 2,454,853
Total Number of Employees ......................................... 53 ..................... 53

Debt Information:

...................................... General .... Water Utility .... Sewer Utility .... Utility - Other
Interest .......................... 48,012 .......... N/A .................. N/A ................... N/A
Principal ........................ 72,000
Outstanding Balance,
... Dec.31, 1995 ........... 665,000

Dina Lawson has been hired as part-time police clerk in Prospect Park.
The appointment was approved at the February 19th meeting of the council.

Municipal property taxes would drop $10 to about $99 for homes assessed at
the average $150,000 under a $2.6 million budget the council has proposed.

But after figuring in taxes for the elementary school and Manchester
Regional High School, as well as for the county, most residents would have to
pay about $4,000 this year, officials said.

Mayor Alfred Marchitto said that the decline in municipal taxes would be so
small that it would be almost unnoticeable.

"We're saying that it's flat," he said. "It's essentially going to remain
the same."

The budget raises $1.4 million in municipal taxes. The rest of the money
will come from state aid, fees and other revenue sources.

Taxes will fund all local programs, including fire and police services,
and pay for road improvements and a new bucket loader to remove snow and
leaves.

A public hearing on the municipal budget proposal will be 8p.m., March 18,
at borough hall.

Crime pays. For municipal coffers, that is. Officials say a crackdown on
minor crimes and ordinance violations last year will pay off for property
owners, who won't be hit with a tax increase to support the new municipal
budget.

The proposed $2.6 million spending plan for 1996 is $156,000 above last
year's budget and maintains the same level of services, said Councilman Paul
Laman, head of the finance committee.

Laman said the Police Department wrote more tickets, increasing borough
revenues. In total, offenses ranging from moving traffic violations to
failing to abide by ordinances generated more than $77,000 in Municipal Court
fines last year. A big chunk of that money will be applied to offset taxes
in this year's budget.

Laman said the town's proposed budget seeks to raise $1.4 million in
property taxes to pay for municipal services. The tax rate is 72 cents
per $100 for a home assessed at $135,000, the borough average, or $972 in
taxes. The court revenue is the equivalent of about $50 in taxes from that
home.

Mayor Al Marchitto applauded the Police Department's initiative, which
continues this year. "Our tax rate is flat. This is a fringe benefit from
our enforcement. We are not turning our heads. We are getting violators of
all degrees ... from ones that we are taking off the street to those we are
hitting in the pocket," he said.

Marchitto says enforcement was not heavy-handed. "If you break the law,
you have to pay for it. I think the dollar bill is the universal language,"
he said.

Laman agrees. "There is a new attitude in the Police Department, and they
are doing a great job," he said. "They were understaffed several years ago,
but now they are back to a full level." Laman said the 11-person department
has generated more money for the town by "writing more tickets, from a broken
tail light to stopping a car that is swerving all over the road." "They are
keeping an eye out for moving violations - and in some cases, they'll find
people with drugs in the car," he said. Police are writing more tickets for
violations of ordinances regulating unlicensed pets, garbage collection,
recycling, and snow removal, Laman said. For those violations, residents are
first given a warning, and if they fail to correct it, they are then fined.

Said Marchitto: "We are going after the repeat offenders - the ones who
don't care about maintaining our quality of life."

In dealing with the extra snow removal and police pension costs, the
borough applied $52,000 from surplus to negate the need for a tax increase.
In addition, Laman said, the borough saved about $48,000 last year by joining
an insurance program with other municipalities - and it can expect
significant savings this year from that source, too.

Overcrowded classrooms, outdated textbooks and a lack of music, art and
vocational classes. These are the concerns of the borough school board
candidates.

Former board members Robert Stanaback, who moved out of town, and Caro
Cantinieri, who is in ill health, chose not to seek re-election, leaving
their three-year seats open. Four residents - Joseph Pepe, Craig Jolliffe,
Maisha Bayan, and Sana Haopshy - are vying to fill those two seats.

Along with selecting candidates April 16, residents will vote on the
1996-97 school budget, which raises $156,000 more than this school year.
Residents with homes assessed at the average $125,000 would pay $104 more in
school taxes.

Residents have voted down the school budget the past two years, forcing
school officials to cut art, music, shop and home economics classes.

Two candidates who could be reached said they would work to reinstate those
classes. Jolliffe, 43, proprietor of the Prospect Park Deli, who has two
children in the schools, said he would try to recruit volunteer teachers to
hold humanity and vocational classes after school. "I have a 12-year-old
daughter in seventh grade," Jolliffe said, "and I know she misses the art and
music classes." Jolliffe said that as owner of the deli, he has business
experience, and that he is in touch with both the young and the old. If
elected, he would try to balance their concerns, he said. He also said the
schools are overcrowded, leading to a high student-teacher ratio, and that
state aid has been stagnant. He said the schools should do a better job
checking that all of the registered students live in the borough. Jolliffe
graduated from Manchester Regional High School, Haledon.

Pepe, 35, a registered nurse for Barnert Hospital, Paterson, who has two
daughters in borough schools, also said he would work to see that the borough
receives more state aid. He, too, said he would like to see art and music
classes reinstated, and added that schools are using textbooks from the
early 1970's. "Some teachers don't even have textbooks," he said, "and they
have to teach from dittos. We don't have to raise taxes for these
necessities. " Pepe, who directs a borough girls softball league, said he"
would "look into ways of getting more state aid."

Prospect Park's budget, which will raise taxes $104 on the average. Two
newcomers were elected to the board: Joseph Pepe with 231 votes and Craig
Joliffe with 206. They beat out sisters, Maisha Bayan and Sana Haopshy,
who received 89 and 88 votes respectively.

As expected, the "no" votes in North Haledon spelled defeat for the
Manchester Regional High School budget. The measure lost 245-428 in
North Haledon, a spread which made up for approvals in Prospect Park and
Haledon. The regional budget won in Prospect Park, 156-128 and in Haledon,
251-144 for an overall result of 652 'yes' and 750 'no' votes. For the
Prospect Park seat, Al Demarest scored an upset defeating incumbent Anthony
Francin, the current board president, 212 to 85. Demarest is a member of
the Prospect Park Board of Education.

Prospect Park Councilman Paul Laman has resigned his seat effective
April 30th. The 29-year-old systems manager at W&H Systems said his family
is moving out of the area. He is getting married on May 10 and will reside
in Pompton Plains. A borough resident all his life, he is a graduate of the
public school and Manchester Regional High School. "I thank the town for
giving me a lot," said Laman, "and I was pleased to be able to serve the
community. " As finance chairman for two years, Laman said the council adopted"
budgets with no tax increase on the municipal level.

Among his accomplishments are the computerization of the local budget and
finance department and updates of penalties and fees on several ordinances.
The vacancy will be filled by the council after the GOP Municipal Committee
submits three names for consideration. The appointee will serve until
December 31st. In November, both Republicans and Democrats can field
candidates for a one-year unexpired seat.

Although voters last month readily approved the tax proposal for the school
district's $4.3 million 1996-97 budget, the spending plan still leaves the
district struggling.

The budget gives elementary district officials very little maneuvering room
to handle an increasing enrollment and lack of space in the 90-year-old school
building, or restore programs cut in previous years.

"This is a total maintenance budget," said Superintendent Tom Vannatta.
"The arts and music programs we had to cut last year because of budget reasons
are gone, and they are not coming back."

Vannatta said that during the past two years when the tax levy was voted
down, the district had to eliminate music, art, shop, and home economics
classes. Some of the rooms used for those classes were converted into
classrooms to meet a growing general enrollment and provide special education
classes. The district has 702 pupils this year, up from 672 last year.
Vannatta says the district's financial straits stem from being located in
a poor town. The 1996-1997 budget's $1.9 million tax levy was passed by
a 185 to 103 vote. That means a home assessed at the borough's average
of $125,000 will pay an additional $104 annually.

Vannatta said the new budget adds a full time teacher's position to create
a third eighth grade class. That class will have a new home in the former
shop class located in the school's basement. The eighth grade classes will
have about 29 students in each section.

The budget also provides for changing a special education position from
half-day to full-day. The district has 80 special education pupils.

Board of Education President Al Demarest says the 1996-97 budget is just
enough to make ends meet, but not enough to buy new books.

Demarest says under normal circumstances school districts purchase
textbooks every four to five years. But the financially strapped district
hasn't purchased new books since 1988. He said it is using books dated
from 1985 to 1988.

"I don't like it," Demarest says, "But you have to look at it from both
sides. The town doesn't have the money, and the state is not funding us.
So we are stuck with what we have."

Most mornings, Tyrene Charlock stands outside the fence of the borough's
K-8 public school and watches her son play with other boys before the doors
open at 8:40.

But on Friday, the horseplay turned dangerous - and potentially deadly -
when she spotted the glint of metal in the hand of one of the first-graders.
The 6-year old boy had pulled out a pocketknife with a 4-inch blade and
was swinging it back and forth. Charlock bolted into the playful fray and
snatched the brown-handled weapon away.

"He was playing with it in a slashing motion," Charlock said. "There were
three boys playing with him dodging the knife. Who knows what could have
happened?"

The boy was suspended for two days, and is expected to return to school on
Tuesday. School officials notified police, but no charges were filed. No one
was injured.

Principal James Barriale, who has worked in the district for 14 years, said
it was the first such incident at the school, although other youngsters have
brought knives to class that were confiscated by teachers.

"It disturbs me," said district Superintendent Thomas Vannatta. "We don't
believe any student should be carrying any type of weapon or device that
can harm another."

Charlock says she told the youngster, her son's classmate, to hand over the
knife. When he refused and continued to horse around, she took it away.
Then she brought the child and his knife to Barriale, who called the boy's
mother in from her job. She said she did not know where the knife came
from; her son said he found it at home.

"She was, of course, upset by this," Barriale said. "The boy felt bad, he
was upset when he realized that he did something wrong. I had to explain to
him that what he did, to bring in a knife to school, was against the law."
Charlock complained that the district should supervise the 65 first-graders,
but Barriale said it was not necessary. "Most of the kids are there for five
or 10 minutes before the doors open," he said.

Charlock's fears were not allayed. "With kids you never know," she said.
"They are a rowdy bunch of first-graders. I would like to see a paid adult
supervising them."

Only 253 out of 2633 registered voters went to the polls (9.6% turnout).
Most races were unchallenged, * = indicates the winner in contested races.

Race for Council (2 seats each):
Republican Waeil Dashoka - 135 votes; Joe Bridge - 135.
Democrat William Kubofcik - 86; Thomas F.X. Magura - 84.

Race for Passaic County Freeholder (2 seats each):
Republican Charles Delahanty - 133 votes; Walt Davison - 129.
Democrat Georgia Scott - 82; Peter Eagler - 77.

Race for Register of Deeds (1 seat each):
Republican Frank Sylvester - 126.
Democrat Gerard DiStefano - 85.

Race for Senate (1 seat each):
Republican Dick DuHaime - 134 votes; * Dick Zimmer - 5.
Democrat Bob Torricelli - 84.

Race for 8th Congressional House seat (1 seat each):
Republican Bill Martini - 140 votes.
Democrat Bill Pascrell - 90.

Race for President (1 seat each):
* Republican Bob Dole - 125 votes; Pat Buchanan - 11; Alan Keyes - 10.
Democrat Bill Clinton - 88.

Princess Reeves may be a little short on cash today, but the
Paterson Municipal Court clerk wasn't short on luck Wednesday
night in Prospect Park Municipal Court.

Judge Ralph E. Faasse set bail at $3,500 Wednesday night after
Reeves missed a Tuesday morning trial date on disorderly persons
charges filed against her. Reeves had already missed or been late
for two other court proceedings on the charges, and the judge could
have set a higher bail or refused her bail.

Reeves' attorney, Arthur N. Martin, said he did not know the basis
for the charges against Reeves, adding that he also did not know the four
people who filed them.

Reeves spent most of the afternoon in a Prospect Park jail cell after
missing Tuesday's trial because, she told the judge, she had been
hospitalized for stress. Faasse had previously set bail at $2,500, but
it was revoked with Reeves' failure to appear in court.

Martin told Faasse that Reeves missed Tuesday's 9 a.m. trial because
she had been hospitalized most of the morning and into the early
afternoon. But the judge was skeptical.

"What must the court do to prove to Ms. Reeves that we must handle this
matter?" Faasse asked.

An April 30 letter from Prospect Park Municipal Court instructed Reeves
to be present for Tuesday's trial, but Faasse said the court received no
notification when Reeves failed to appear.

Martin is the third attorney representing Reeves in the matter, and
stressed to Faasse that "mitigating circumstances" caused Reeves' absence.
Reeves told Faasse she was under "medical strain" and said she
was unable to notify the court because she was under medication.
"I was all wired up at the time," she said softly.

Reeves had faced disorderly persons charges filed by Nora and James
Hendricks, Pauline Cortez and Robert Feuchtbaum.

Faasse said he needed some assurance that Reeves would not miss
any more proceedings.

"I tried bail and that didn't work," he told Martin.

Martin asked Faasse if he had seen the "third strike" from his
client.

"At least," Faasse responded.

Between his appearances before the judge, Martin said he had
"no indication" why he was the third attorney to represent Reeves,
and added that Reeves has filed countercharges of harassment
against some of her complainants. But he could not say who.

After Martin and Reeves appeared before Faasse for the second time,
the judge indicated Reeves could credit her attorney for setting
bail at $3,500.

"But for you it (the bail) would have been much higher," Faasse
said.

A bandit on a bicycle robbed Chemical Bank of $1751 last Thursday
and borough police are circulating a composite sketch in hopes
of obtaining leads of this case.

At 11:24 a.m. on June 6, a young male, described as an Hispanic
or light-skinned Afro-American, came inside the bank and gave a
female teller a note. It stated, "give me your money." He also
told her that he had a gun in his waistband.

According to the police report, the teller handed over the
contents of her drawer which totalled over 1700. The suspect left
and the teller activated the alarm.

The robber walked out of the bank and fled on a bicycle west on
North 6th Street, then north on Haledon Avenue.

The suspect is believed to be in his early 20's, was wearing
sunglasses and a red bandanna on his head. He was attired in
dark-colored pants and a blue shirt.

Local police are working with the FBI and the Passaic County ID
Bureau on the investigation.

... in Passaic County, several agencies have already heeded the
call for increased enforcement, and none seem more dramatically
poised for the crackdown than Prospect Park.

Although it is the county's least populous municipality - with
just over 5,000 residents, encompassing less than half a square
mile - Prospect Park police nonetheless issue more tickets per
capita for moving violations than any other agency in the county.
In fact, twice as many moving violation tickets were given out by
police in Prospect Park in fiscal 1995 than were in Hawthorne, a
borough with three times the population.

The chief of police in Prospect Park refuses to apologize for his
department's vigorous approach, and instead champions the view that
enforcing traffic laws can aid in the suppression of crime.

"There are a lot of things that come out of motor-vehicle stops
that are more than traffic violations," Chief George Faso said in
an interview. "DWIs (driving while intoxicated), fraudulent
insurance cards, people wanted by the police. A DWI, for example
- that individual is just as harmful to society as someone breaking
into a house. They could injure or kill someone."

Faso said that while his jurisdiction has relatively few
residents and a low crime rate, the borough has a large volume of
traffic passing through because of its proximity to Paterson and
major highways. A rock quarry in town attracts many large trucks.

"Every town has its own unique problems," he said. "We do a lot
of traffic because of the low amount of (other) calls that we
have."

One Passaic County official wondered if Prospect Park's traffic
enforcement policies may be related to the tiny borough's
revenue needs.

"They take in a lot of money in their courts," said the official,
who did not want to be identified. "They make an awful lot of
traffic stops. Why they do that, I do not know."

Faso quickly dismisses criticism that his officers are working
hard to collect fines for the borough budget.

"We're out preventing crime, walking around or making motor
vehicle stops. We don't have any quotas. It's true that when you
write a summons there's revenue attached, but it's not the focus.
I don't think any officer out there is saying, "Here's the revenue
that's going to come to my town." We're out there to protect
people," Faso said.

Revenue derived from traffic and parking fines is an important
source of municipal income, sources said. In New Jersey,
municipalities share half the fines and penalties from most moving
traffic tickets with the county in which they are located. Parking
violation fines, however, go entirely to the city issuing them.

One high-ranking Passaic County official said many municipalities
have come to expect a certain level of revenue from traffic fines
and base their hopes on the past year's takings.

"They always anticipate what they get the previous years," said
the official, who requested anonymity. Without steady traffic fine
revenue, the official said, "it would put a big hole into the
budget."

In North Haledon, for example, the town has projected
that $80,000 in revenue will be generated by the municipal court
this year. The bulk of that money will come from traffic fines.
If the town were not to receive this anticipated revenue, the
average homeowner's property tax bill would increase by roughly $31
a year, officials said.

Prospect Park -
Moving Violations - 3,298
Moving Violations - .65
Moving Violations Fines -$111,702
Moving Violations Fines Per Capita - $22.11
Parking Violations - 2,092
Parking Violations Per Capita - 0.41
Parking Violations Fines - $34,370
Parking Violations Fines Per Capita - $6.80
Total Fines - $146,072
Total Fines Per Capita - $28.91

1994
Violent Crimes - 14
Non-violent crimes - 162
Crime rate per 1,000 - 34.8

------------------

Murder - 0
Rape - 2
Robbery - 3
Aggravated Assult - 9
Burglary - 36
Larceny - 112
Motor Vehicle Theft - 14
Arson - 4
Domestic Violence - 60
Bias Crime - 0
Police Officers - 12

1995
Violent Crimes - 15
Non-Violent Crimes - 183
Crime Rate Per 1,000 - 36.7

-------------------

Murder - 0
Rape - 2
Robbery - 6
Aggravated Assult - 7
Burglary - 29
Larceny - 132
Motor Vehicle Theft - 22
Arson - 0
Domestic Violence - 90
Bias Crime - 1
Police Officers - 11

1612 out of 2757 registered voters went to the polls (58.5% turnout).
* = indicates the overall winner in contested races.
I = incumbent

Race for Council:
* Democrat William Kubofcik - 737 votes
* Democrat Thomas F.X. Magura - 721 votes
Republican Joe Bridge (I) - 600 votes
Republican Waeil Dashoka (I) - 585 votes

Special Race for Council to fill Paul Laman's unexpired term:
* Democrat Khalil Kasht - 700 votes
Republican Daniel Hoffman (I) - 622 votes

How Prospect Park voters cast their ballots in other races:

Race for Passaic County Freeholder:
* Democrat Georgia Scott - 663 votes
* Democrat Peter Eagler - 634 votes
Republican Charles Delahanty (I) - 606 votes
Republican Walter Davison - 585 votes
NJ Conservative Party's Rhona Bluestein - 23 votes
Independent Sanjay Desai - 12 votes
Independent Giles Casaleggio - 5 votes

Race for Passaic County Register of Deeds:
* Democrat Gerard DiStefano - 662 votes
Republican Frank Sylvester (I) - 576 votes
Independent Gloria Kolodziej - 30 votes

Race for U.S. Senate:
* Democrat Bob Torricelli - 722 votes
Republican Dick Zimmer - 631 votes

Race for U.S. 8th Congressional House seat:
* Democrat Bill Pascrell - 752 votes
Republican Bill Martini (I) - 687 votes

Race for President:
* Democrat Bill Clinton (I) - 832 votes
Republican Bob Dole - 596 votes
Reform Party's Ross Perot - 141 votes

from November 6 - Bergen Record by Jennifer Van Doren
PROSPECT PARK ELECTIONS

Democrats celebrated a total victory Tuesday, snatching all
three seats from a borough council that had been completely
GOP-controlled. The victory was made sweeter because all
three winners had been defeated numerous times in other elections.

Democrats Thomas F.X. Magura, 53, and William Kubofcik, 30,
defeated incumbent Republicans Waeil Dashoka, 32, and Joseph
Bridge, 48, for two, three-year terms. Democrat Khalil O.
Kasht, 45, defeated Dan Hoffman, 25, for a two-year term.

By early counts, Kasht won by 78 votes and Kubofcik and
Magura won by more than 100 votes each. The Democrats' victory
evens the partisan makeup of the council 3-3, with a Republican
mayor, who has tie-breaking voting powers.

"We proved that persistence pays off," said Kubofcik, who
lost council bids in 1987, 1988, 1992, and 1995. Magura ran
unsuccessfully for mayor in the late 1970s and in 1994. Kasht
ran unsuccessfully for council in 1990 and 1991.

"When you believe in what you're doing, it pays off. We're
ready to work with the other council members and make a
difference in the town."

The Democrats said they would continue their efforts to boost
crime prevention and stamp out illegal apartments and shoddy
landlords. They all pledged to donate their council salary
to the borough.

Republicans called the victory a case of "Clinton coattails,"
suggesting that local Democratic candidates rode the popularity
of the presidential race.

Bridge said he respected the voters' choices and wished the
Democrats luck in achieving their goals.

"I thought I was doing a good job," said Bridge. "But I think
I got caught in a Clinton landslide."

Dashoka said he was surprised by the defeat and that he
thought he had more support. He pointed to Clinton and to a
big national election that brought out Democrats in droves.

He also didn't hesitate to jab one last time at his opponents
when asked what the future of the borough would be in Democratic
hands.

"None of the candidates attended council meetings," said
Dashoka, who added that he would remain active in the borough.
"I really don't think they have any idea of what's going on - it'll be tough."

A miniature melting pot is an accurate term to describe the culturally
diverse town of Prospect Park. Less than a mile square, the town is a
mere pinpoint on the map, but its ethnically-rich population of 5,200
reflects a global attitude. Founded in 1901, Prospect Park broke away
from a larger area known as Manchester Township, which included
Haledon and North Haledon. Although small, history did not pass over
the town. General George Washington marched down 8th Street, which was
once known as Cannonball Road, since it served as a supply route for
the delivery of cannonballs. The cannonballs were cast in forges around
the area. The French General, Lafayette, was also in the vicinity. He
and his troops camped in Goffle Brook Park.

The original residents of Prospect Park were mostly Dutch, with a
smattering of Scottish and Irish. These folks were primarily tradesmen:
carpenters, bricklayers, blacksmiths, etc. Many of the townspeople
worked in the Paterson mills. To this day, the community retains a
proud working class heritage. The most famous person to hail from
Prospect Park is Johnny Vandermeer, who pitched two back-to-back
no-hitters while with the Cincinnati Reds; the only man ever to
accomplish such a feat. Vandermeer still resides in the area. Heavily
patriotic, the town is proud of sending its sons and daughters to serve
in every major conflict in the 20th century. Many of them made the
ultimate sacrifice. The two major businesses in town are the Haband
Clothing Company and The Tilcon Quarry. Located on the northeastern
corner of town, the active quarry and asphalt plant takes up one-third
of the borough's land mass.

Mary Moore, Democratic Party president, has adopted Prospect Park as
her hometown. Originally from the Temple Hill section of Paterson, she
appreciates the convenience of the many small mom-and-pop stores in the
area, as well as the friendliness among neighbors. To her, and others,
this combination gives the town a small village appeal. Lifelong
resident and twice-elected Councilman William Kubofcik is eager to
'give back' to the community in which he was raised. Kubofcik studied
political science and urban studies at Rutgers University. In 1992,
he was first elected to town council, at which time he 'gave back' to
the town by donating his councilman's salary to build a children's
playground. The young councilman continues to serve energetically,
and maintains his pledge to the community and the kids. Councilman
Tom Magura is proud of his heritage. His family has been in town for
100 years. Civil service seems to be in Tom's blood; his
great-grandfather, Thomas Fraser, was Prospect Park's first town clerk.
Magura is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, and a Vietnam-era
Army veteran. During the Seven Day War between Egypt and Israel in 1967,
Magura worked for the United Nations as a security officer. He has
been in borough politics for 26 years.

Prospect Park's diversity extends to its school system, which,
according to Moore, is low in cost compared to surrounding towns. But
the quality of education is on the same level. Once called Eastern
Christian Academy, the building on 8th Street is now home to a Muslim
school that serves the town's Circassian community. The other two
schools are Prospect Park Elementary on Brown Avenue and St. Paul's
Elementary on Haledon Avenue. High School students attend Manchester
Regional High School, located in Haledon, which was built in 1960.
The many changes in the social fabric of the town pose a great challenge
to its political leaders, who themselves are a reflection of the
mosaic that is Prospect Park. Long-time residents, like Magura and
Kubokcik, have viewed the town's transformation with tolerance and
acceptance. In this era of tension, and often violence, between
members of different cultures, it is comforting to know that in one of
the smallest towns in the country - with a dense population - there
exists harmony within diversity. Perhaps this situation can serve as
a model for the way the world should be. In a tiny North Jersey town,
it is delightfully apparent that, yes, we can all get along.

The borough's new juvenile curfew ordinance is intended not to
clamp down on teenage loitering or to prevent crime but to
"get a feel of the population that is out late at night,"
officials said. Officials said the ordinance was not prompted
by unruly teenagers - though a few would be seen walking
around late at night - but by a desire to build a bridge of
"communication" between police and youths.
it's purpose is "to get a feel of the population that is
out late at night," to provide "another pair of eyes looking
out for kids" - not to prevent vandalism, graffiti or
violence, said Councilman Paul Jay Birch.

Juvenile crime comprises less than 1 percent of crime in
the borough, said Police Chief George Faso. The law would not
apply on weekends. The ordinance, unanimously adopted on
Monday, prohibits anyone 18 from being in a public place from
10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or
guardian. Exceptions are made if the youth is working, as
well as for medical emergencies, family errands and religious
or school activities.

Police will notify the parents of violators in person or by
certified mail. The violator may be fined up to $1,000: both
parent and child may be ordered to perform up to 90 days of
community service.

Without the ordinance, there is no "constitutional reason
(for a police officer) to pull up and say, 'Where're you
going?'" Birch said. "If someone's not carrying a tire iron
or TV set, on what grounds would you stop someone?"
Ed Martone, executive director of the American Civil
Liberties Union in Newark, a group that has been outspoken
against curfews, said, "they can't make it constitutional by"
passing an ordinance...Young people don't surrender their
constitutional rights" by being out late at night.

"Minors as well as adults have every reason to expect that
they will not be detained by the police without some
suspicion that they're involved in criminal activity,"
Martone said. If there are family problems, "making it
illegal won't solve the problem," Martone added, advocating
the intervention of social services instead. Legal battles
have ended inconclusively on the issue. Two-and-half-years
ago, in Tromans vs. North Arlington, the ACLU defended a mother
and son in state Superior Court, Hackensack, charged with
violating a 10 p.m. curfew. The ordinance was gutted in a
settlement when exceptions to the curfew were made to protect
"assembly" and "association" - which colloquially means
hanging out.

On the other hand, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
upheld a curfew less stringent than Prospect Park's a few
years ago, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an
appeal, Martone said. The curfew, effective 20 days from
its adoption date, is another step, borough officials said,
in getting youths off the street and interacting with
authority figures in a non antagonistic way.

The other major step was a "drop-in" started a few months
ago by the police department with the Drug Alliance and
Board of Recreation. Every Friday night, about 150 teenagers
gather at the borough's grammar school and play basketball
or volleyball. In addition to the police officer who is
assigned, one or two more officers drop by to play along,
officials said. There aren't many loiterers in the borough
now, Faso said, but the curfew is a safeguard for the future,
as surrounding boroughs adopt curfews. Youths might come
here if they thought Prospect Park didn't have a curfew,
Faso said.

Passaic has had a juvenile curfew since 1980. In November,
Paterson residents supported a curfew by a 3-to-1 margin in
a nonbinding referendum. For two years, Haledon has enforced
a 10:30 p.m. juvenile curfew that includes weekend nights.
that borough's mayor, James Van Sickle Jr., said the curfew
has worked well. The only significant problem, he said, was
that it took about three months to work out a procedure to
have minors adjudicated in the Passaic County Courthouse,
the only juvenile court in the county, instead of the
borough's Municipal Court.

Unlike Prospect Park's, Haledon's ordinance was prompted by
disruptive teenagers - a "disproportionate" number of which
came from out of town, from places like Paterson or Prospect
Park - who would linger on street corners and verbally harass
residents, Van Sickle said. Most other towns in the county
with similar development profiles as Prospect Park - including
Hawthorne, North Haledon, Pompton Lakes, Clifton, Little
Falls and Totowa - do not have juvenile curfews, according to
officials and police.

Of the 250 to 270 towns on file at the state's League of
Municipalties, about 100 have juvenile curfews, said Michael
Cerra, the league spokesman. There are 567 municipalities
in the state. A 1992 state law, amended in 1995, authorized
juvenile curfews extending from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.