August 30, 2018 Hawthorne Press
Prospect
Park Revisions To Trash Collection Rules Are Ill-advised
Dear editor,
Prospect Park is currently a municipality where the budget was passed
months lat€e; borough employees and police officers are forced to take
unpaid furloughs due to budget constraints. Its taxes are some of the
highest in the state. With all these problems, the Mayor and Borough
Council choose to turn their focus towards "garbage", literally. I
speak about ordinance 2018-08, a draconian law which will affect every
resident in the Borough of Prospect Park. It is a law which seeks to
control how residents store their garbage cans. the size of said cans,
and much more. The problem is that the Mayor and Council members did
not research receptacle sizes, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or
the fact that one of their requirements may actually aid in the
burglary of residents' homes.
The ordinance states that garbage cans must not exceed 30 gallons. The
problem with this is that any resident who has a garbage can on wheels
will be breaking the law, as wheeled cans generally range from 32-35
gallons, depending upon the manufacturer. And. blue wheeled recycling
cans with attached lids are generally 33-40 gallons. Does this mean
that any resident with a wheeled garbage or recycling can will have to
spend their hard earned money to replace their existing containers? The
ordinance further states that garbage cans must be stored on a
resident's property, where they cannot be seen from the street. That
means that residents may no longer store their cans in their driveways
or alley ways. This is a problem in so many ways. What are residents of
corner properties to do? Their back yards are visible from the street.
Are they supposed to keep their garbage in their basements or kitchens.
The result will be that residents must bear the expense of adding sheds
or fences. (By the way, there are two other ordinances up for a vote
which, if passed, will double the price of these permits).
Having to hide garbage cans is also a safety and health hazard to
residents with small backyards. Do the Mayor and Council really want
our children to play next to smelly trash cans or to require families
to barbecue within three-four feet of a garbage can. Many of the homes
in Prospect Park are on lots that are very deep in length. Having to
store garbage and recycling containers at the back of the property will
be detrimental to those who have trouble walking, use canes or walkers.
Now these residents will be required to walk 80 to 120 feet simply to
take out the trash. This shows a complete lack of compassion for the
elderly or disabled. Many seniors and disabled persons place their cans
in a manner which enables them to be self sufficient. Additionally, the
inability to no longer use large plastic bags will create a hardship
when someone needs to clean out a flooded basement or garage. Passage
of this new law will require borough residents to purchase extra
garbage cans, which may be used only once or twice. I believe the Mayor
and Council should get over their garbage fetish. Garbage and garbage
cans are a fact of life. As long as the property is clean and neat,
there should be no problem. For the few residents that do create
problems, ticket them. Having to pay fines will help instruct them
about keeping their properties clean. The Mayor and Council would do
better concentrating their efforts on things which help our community.
They should not waste their efforts on passing an ordinance that can
create a safety risk to seniors and the disabled, as well as cause them
to become less self sufficient. They should not pass a law that will
create financial burdens to already stressed residents. The Borough
Council will be meeting on Monday, September 10, at 6:30pm at Borough
Hall. I urge residents to come out and let their voices be heard. That
is the only way to stop this unnecessary and ridiculous law.
Ilene Potoak
June 9, 2016 Hawthorne Press Editorial
Why
no mayor should be his/her party's municipal leader
Tuesday's results in the Prospect Park Democratic Primary demonstrate
why no mayor should also be his party's municipal leader. In every
community, there are thousands of residents who are registered voters
in the Democratic and the Republican Parties. One of them has to have
the required leadership skills to shepherd the rank and file. We think
it's unseemly for the mayor to be the party leader. When a resident of
the opposite political affrliation comes to Town Hall with a problem,
there's a perception that regulars in the mayor's party will get
quicker and better resolution to their issues.
There are 1822 registered Democrats in Prospect Park and 979 voters
went to the polls in that party's Primary Election. The statistics
record 54% participation but what these numbers don't show is how many
of these participants were previously unaffiliated voters. Councilwoman
Cristina Peralta and her runningmate Danny Cabrera did an outstanding
job of getting out the vote. They had the backing of Councilman Rich
Esquiche, Councilwoman Felicia Ortiz and School Board President
Luz Batista. When the machine totals were tallied, the insurgents were
ahead by 34 votes. These unofficial results were printed in the daily
newspaper.
Then the mail-in ballots were added and the balance was tipped to
Councilman Adnan Zakana and newcomer Anand Shah. They had the backing
of Mayor Mohamed Khairullah and were running on the regular Democratic
Parly line headed by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The
Zakaia-Shah team had some 140 absentee ballots and won 557, 545 to 497,
467 for Peralta-Cabrera. A mere 48 votes made the difference.
The results show that the Democrats in Prospect Park, who have been the
dominant party for decades, are severely fractured. This split has
already had an effect on the Borough Council where three of them can
oppose any effort proposed by the mayor. This trio only needs to
persuade one more council member to get four negative votes and block
Khairullah's initiatives for the remainder of the year. So while Mayor
Khairullah is fending off attacks or lobbying to get resolutions
passed, Borough Democratic Leader Khairullah will be tasked with
getting out the vote for Hillary Clinton in the hotly contested
November presidential race.
Mayor/Borough Leader Khairullah has already purged the county committee
of any of the Democrats aligned with Peralta-Cabrera. Unifying the
party will be an enormous challenge.
June 4, 2015 Hawthorne Press
Prospect
Park Incumbants Prevail In Primary
In Prospect Park, where four of the eight county committee seats were
challenged on Tuesday, Illene Potoak and Mark Snyder each received 15
votes, beating Thomas Jefferson, six and Scott Smith, five.
Emma Anderson and Belkis Drexler garnered two votes each; their
opponent, Nelson Perez III, zero. Lois Hubbard and Ford Hubbard
received 15 and 14 votes respectively beating Carmen Rose Cruz who got
two votes. Joe and Lois Bridge were uncontested with five and four
votes respectively.
This is the second time the Republican municipal committee members have
had a contested race.
September 10, 2009 Hawthorne Press
Appalled
by Khairullah's comments
Dear editor,
As a resident of Prospect Park for 36 years, I was appalled to read
comments by Mayor Mohamed Khairullah about the August 17th Borough
Council meeting. When confronted by concerned citizens on the future
plans for the Tilcon Quarry site, the mayor retorted with accusations
instead of answers. Members of the public were accused of spreading
false rumors and/or of having a political agenda. As for his allegation
that Republicans don't want a Democrat administration to succeed, I
remind him that Democrats have had total control of Prospect Park since
1998 so success or failure rests totally on their shoulders.
After proclaiming himself as "mayor for all," where was Mayor
Khairullah's respect and courtesy towards the citizens? This rudeness
and arrogance mirrors other politicians at Town Hall meetings across
the country. When questioned by dissenters to health care reform, they
cry foul or accuse the protesters of being operatives for the insurance
industry or some other lobbying group.
It's obvious that Mayor Khairullah has stacked the deck in his favor by
creating a Municipal Land Use Board and appointing his minions to give
him the votes to pass any zoning/planning initiative. This fact and
this administration's track record are what is fueling public concern
over the quarry issue. Compounding this are other issues facing the
taxpayers like rising municipal debt, high taxes, an overcrowded public
school, the Manchester funding and a stagnantt business district.
Too many unanswered questions exist about the proposed quarry
development which will be like a second city. What will the impact be
on the borough and surrounding communities. How much traffic will
generated. How much school expansion, increase in services, police,
fire, DPW and existing infrastructure will be required. Will the
projected millions in ratables cover these needs? Will the residents of
"old Prospect Park" be left holding the bag if this project fails? All
that glitters is not gold.
Joe Bridge
Prospect Park
July
17, 2008 Hawthorne Press
Editorial
$1000 tax hike is outrageous.. . We hear a lot of grumbling this time
of year when the property tax bills arrive in the mail. In Prospect
Park, residents are getting an estimated bill and with it came a letter
informing property owners that their 2008-09 tax hit is projected to be
a whopping $1000 increase on the average property ($146,000
assessment). Do the math. For a property assessed at $300,000, the
beleaguered taxpayer is facing a $2000 boost.
Last week, the municipality received the news that it will be receiving
$325,000 in extraordinary aid which should soften the blow somewhat.
The letter by Mayor Mohamed Khairullah explains that $325 of the
increase is due to the loss in state aid; while $169 is to support
municipal operations for a total of $494 in the borough budget.
Another $440.76 is for the increase in the Manchester High School
budget, again due to the state which has adjusted the regional school
formula so Prospect Park pays more of its fair share.
County taxes are going up $152 and the local school taxes will account
for a $6.73 decrease.
For nearly 100 years, the smallest municipality in Passaic County was
the model of fiscal conservatism. That's because when the predominantly
Dutch Republicans were in power, they watched every penny. Many of the
town's leaders volunteered their time to run recreation programs, serve
in emergency services, and even drive
the snow plow to save a buck.
The all-Democrat Borough Council speaks in platitudes about controlling
costs but look at the facts. At last Monday's worksession, the
governing body was informed that its summer camp is facing an $8000
deficit for a program that serves 27 kids. We also heard about the
purchase of $1600 for a hot dog cart and the expenditure of $395 for
signs to publicize a July 4th block party. These are just the latest
examples showing that the seven members of the governing body are
clueless about finances.
A $1000 tax hike to live in a town like Prospect Park, with minimal
municipal services, is an outrage. By August 1 when taxpayers are going
to Borough Hall to pay their bills, we'll be able to hear the screaming
all the way into Hawthorne.
|
February 28, 1008 Hawthorne Press
Two
sets of rules used at Prospect Park Council meetings
Dear editor,
At the February 19th meeting of the Prospect Park Council, the public
witnessed the real personality of Mayor Mohamed Khairullah. Unable and
unwilling to have an open man-to-man discussion, the mayor had me
forcibly removed from the council chambers, even as the audience and
council members openly appealed for me to stay. I left peacefully, not
with respect to the mayor's demands, but for Chief Frank Franco's sake.
I would not think of adding further embarrassment to him or his
position. He is the borough's police chief and a professional.
When Mayor Khairullah opened the public portion of the meeting, he
stated that the public could ask questions of the mayor and council,
but that the governing body does not have to respond. In my opinion,
this tactic is reserved for members of a governing body incapable of
answering or whose self importance deems them above the questioner.
Shouldn't all public officials be open and accountable to the citizens
they represent? This is the root problem with all levels of government
today - no accountability to those who pay the salaries and health
benefits of elected officials, (the taxpayers). As a former councilman,
I never held such contempt for the public. It was my duty to answer all
public questions in a fair and respectful manner. No time limit was
placed on any citizen who came before the council with a concern. No
ridiculous egg timer was needed.
From what I witnessed last week, there are two sets of rules at
Prospect Park Council meetings, one for the mayor and his allies;
another for those who question the mayor's decisions. If one of the
mayor's dissenters whispers, it's met with a bang of the gavel. Yet,
when one of the mayor's followers was having an open conversation
audible to the entire room, the mayor's gavel was silent.
At a previous Council meeting, the mayor's allies were blatantly out of
order and disrespectful to a council member. The mayor sat back and
reveled in this display of public discourse because that particular
council member is known to question the mayor's authority.
This discrimination toward a portion of the public and select council
members has prompted an outcry for an investigation into the actions of
the mayor and some of his followers. Trust me, the public's questions
will not be answered on these issues.
Total control of Prospect Park is Mayor Khairullah's goal. He should
understand that there are no dictators in America. This is a nation of
and for the people, all the people. It may be hard for the mayor's ego
to understand that everyone has a right to express his/her opinion in
America. Political support shouldn't be used as the measure to
determine who can speak and for how long.
Cable TV coverage of Prospect Park Council meetings has been promised
for two years. It can't get fast-tracked like the proposed quarry
development. In the meantime, I urge all the people of Prospect Park to
attend Borough Council meetings. Residents should present their
concerns and demand answers. No one should be afraid to speak up. Nor
should they be intimidated by public officials. It is not only the
right but the responsibility of Americans to do so.
Joseph J. Bridge
Prospect Park
October 4, 2007 Hawthorne Press
Emergency
appropriation sought for $50,000 to cover legal fees
Legal fees in Prospect Park for 2007 are expected to be double the
amount budgeted and an emergency appropriation is required to cover
mounting attorney's bills.
At Monday night's worksession, Borough Treasurer Steve Sanzari asked
for a $50,000 emergency appropriation because legal fees, budgeted at
$60,000,
already exceed that amount.
"How much has been spent," asked Councilman Amer Haobsh. The answer
given was $63,000.
"The bills will exceed $60,000," said Sanzari, estimating $50,000
additional was needed.
"I thought we had an agreement with the attorney not to overspend,"
said Haobsh, who said the Borough Council had agreed to the $60,000
figure in the budget.
Borough Attorney Denis Murphy said much of the litigation was due to
the Manchester funding dispute involving the state Commissioner of
Education. He noted that instead of costing Prospect Park $500,000
additional for two years, the borough is getting $237,000 from the
state to cover the mistake in appropriation discovered by North Haledon.
"The monetary, value of that far exceeds the cost of Manchester to
Prospect Park," said Murphy. "The funding formula litigation is
ongoing. We're also defending against North Haledon which is looking
for more money."
"The bill is double," countered Haobsh. "We don't even know what these
bills are about."
"We do the work we're asked to do," answered Murphy. He said his
$50,000 contract for general representation doesn't include litigation
for Manchester.
Council President Hassan Fahmy offered the following break down of
billing paid to date; $36,000 general; $16,000 Manchester litigation,
$6800 for issues involving Tilcon Quarry.
"Why don't we get an understanding in advance, a proposal indicating an
estimate of the cost," said Haobsh. He said the Borough Council should
be given the opportunity to pass a resolution authorizing the expense
before the money is spent.
The borough attorney responded, "I don't have a problem with that as
long as it's understood ....if I get a phone call to look into
something, it will have to wait for a resolution."
"We should have some ability to foresee the cost and to cap it
somewhere," answered Haobsh. He said the governing body should be able
to decide whether to stop the litigation or to continue. "It could end
up costing $500,000," he said.
Fahmy said the finance committee would meet on Saturday to discuss the
matter and make a recommendation to the full council.
November 30, 2006 Hawthorne Press
Prospect
Park Needs Tax Cut
Dear editor,
The election is over and I congratulate the winners. Now is the time
for the mayor and the Prospect Park Council to make good on their
promises to lower taxes.
At the November 20th meeting, I heard a lot of talk about pledges to
stabilize taxes, even lower them. I recommend elected officials start
by freezing runaway salaries and instituting a 10% across-the
board cut.
Some will say this cannot be done. Not so. A few years ago, there was a
proposal to lower taxes in New Jersey, a 30% cut in less than three
years. It worked.
If this municipality would have done so, it wouldn't be in the mess
it's in now with almost $4 million in debt.
Something has to be done and it has to be done now. The Borough Council
needs to get started on the budget process to make meaningful changes.
If it's status quo when the 2007 budget is introduced, then the wrong
people would have been elected. A lot of promises were made "for a
better Prospect Park" and the elected officials should live up to them
or resign.
The people are watching and they're putting the Borough Council on
notice to live up to their responsibilities.
Don White
November 2, 2006 Hawthorne Press
Time to change course in
Prospect Park ... Mayor Mohamed Khairullah was appointed to that
position last November when then-Mayor Will Kubofcik stepped down. The
timing was crafted so Prospect Park voters wouldn't get a chance to
elect a mayor until this November. At the time, Khairullah invited the
media to a press conference, on the premise that he was going to
explain the controversy about his personal life generated by an
anonymous flyer that had been distributed in the community.
Instead, the media event was an opportunity to herald the fact that
Khairullah was about to become the first Muslim mayor in Prospect Park
history.
Mayor Khairullah survived a Democrat Primary fight in June and then had
the perfect opportunity to rebuild party unity when another councilman
resigned this summer. He could have brought former Councilman Herb
Perez and Thomas Jefferson back into the fold by considering these
seasoned officials for the vacancy. Neither one was nominated for the
post. The mayor was one of the council members who voted to remove
Perez and Jefferson from office last year while both were on active
duty in the military. One of the "unintended consequences" of that vote
was Khairullah's subsequent ascendancy to the mayor's position.
After 10 months in office, Mayor Khairullah's most significant
achievement is that the Borough Council has not increased the
municipality's bonded indebtedness.
Yet, a $12,500 position has been created for recreation director. We
see special events being planned but no sports programming such as
baseball, softball or soccer leagues.
Now that his opponent, Tom Magura, has made an issue of paid health
benefits for council members, Khairullah says the Borough Council will
reconsider this expense during next year's budget talks. Yet he has not
been forthcoming on how many council members receive this perk and how
much it's costing the borough.
At a time when Prospect Park is struggling to meet its tax burden and
faces a higher percentage of Manchester funding, every dollar counts.
We also find it disturbing that no council minutes were approved for
over a year, an omission that came to light in the 2005 audit. Nor has
the municipal codebook been brought up to date. It makes us question
whether the mayor has the managerial skills necessary to ensure that
the borough runs efficiently.
Khairullah has not articulated a vision for the future and neither has
his opponent. Mr. Magura seems to be structuring his campaign on the
fact that he's not Mayor Khairullah. What Magura lacks as a campaigner,
he makes up for with maturity. He is a lifelong Prospect Park resident
with a strong family legacy of community service. He is a former
councilman, who knows that the role of the governing body is to work
through committees to achieve meaningful legislation and initiatives.
He has experience on the school board and a background in business. He
understands the value of mobilizing volunteers in a small community
with limited resources.
Voters have a chance to steer their government in a new direction, away
from oneparty rule where the councilmembers, most of whom were
appointed to those positions, rubberstamp what the mayor wants. We know
Mr. Magura will also restore the town hall format at meetings where
residents can ask a question and have a public dialogue with their
elected representatives.
|
October 27, 2006 Hawthorne Press
No
mayoral debate in Prospect Park
Dear editor,
Last night was supposed to have been the first mayoral debate in
Prospect Park. The Friends of Prospect Park, a non-political
organization which is trying to better the town, made the arrangements
and raised money to pay for someone from the League of Women Voters to
conduct the debate.
Both Mayor Mohamed Khairunah and Republican candidate Tom Magura signed
an agreement to debate.
First, the debate had to be moved from the public school to Horizons on
North 6th Street. Then the Horizon venue was withdrawn and an effort
was made to secure borough hall. The mayor has the authority to approve
the use of town hall, but has not done so. The last obstacle was to
await an opinion from the borough attorney while the clock ran out.
To me, the powers-that-be are saying "no" to the debate. I feel the
event has been sabotaged. My question to Mayor Khairullah is: what is
he afraid of.
This is America ... not a dictatorship. Prospect Park needs new
leadership which will follow the wishes of its citizens.
Don White
Prospect Park
|
June 29, 2006 Hawthorne Press
Mayor
should stay out of BOE
Dear editor,
After working at the polls for the annual school election, I arrived
home at 11 pm to a message on my answering machine. It was Mayor
Mohamed Khairullah urging me to vote for Anthony Morales, Jose Pantoja
and Mohsin Mahmood.
I wondered why. Have these three lived in the borough longer or are
they better educated. Have they attended more school board meetings.
Then I thought ... the answer is that all three are Democrats.
As a Paterson school teacher, the mayor should know that school board
membership is non-partisan. The school district educates all children
regardless of whether their parents are Republican or Democrats.
I am very disappointed that the mayor is getting involved in school
elections.
I am also upset that I sent this letter to the mayor and council and
asked that it be read at the May 8th meeting. When I asked for a
response at the June 19th meeting, one council member questioned "what
letter." Communications from the public should be treated with more
respect.
Betty Van Eeuwen
Prospect Park
|
April 20, 2006 Hawthorne Press
Destroying
Prospect Park's Values
Dear editor,
Prospect Park residents have little say in the running of their
community. Borough officials, who turn deaf ears to the electorate,
eagerly act upon the dictates of outside committees and party headers.
These politicians have taken the values upon which Prospect Park was
founded (truth, honor, integrity, a belief in God and country) and cast
them aside along with the community's traditions. An ethical code
helped build this community. Now the lack of these ethics is destroying
it.
As I watch my town being torn apart, it is not friction among diverse
ethnic groups, difference of religious beliefs or any resident disputes
that is the cause. It is occurring due to the behaviors and actions of
the officials in town government.
The governing body in Prospect Park has little respect for the law or
procedures. The latest example deals with the upcoming Primary Election
in June.
Former Councilmen Herb Perez and Thomas Jefferson submitted letters of
intent to the Municipal Democrat Leader Esther Perez, who is also a
councilwoman. Mayor Mohamed Khairullah did not. When Esther Perez
announced the party line had been given to "Team H. Perez," the mayor
apparently made numerous phone calls to Arab and Muslim community
leaders throughout north Jersey to pressure the Democrat Country
Committee. County Democrat Leader John Currie, on the heels of the Sami
Merhi fiasco, seized on a quick fix and reversed course, giving Mohamed
Khairullah and Adnan Zakaria the party line.
Mayor Khairullah did not turn in a letter of intent but then complained
about the screening process set for the selection of candidates on the
local level. While I do not agree with Councilwoman Perez most of the
time, I applaud her for recognizing a problem and now attempting to
remedy it by a set of by laws.
I remind Prospect Park residents of this phrase from the Declaration of
Independence. "That to secure these rights, governments are instituted
among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
... but when a long train of abuses and usurping pursuing invariably
despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such
government and to provide new guards for their future security.
This is America, no one person or group of people are above the law of
the land. It is time for borough residents to look at the candidates
and back those, of any party, whose morals, values and ethics are in
keeping with what parents try to teach their children.
Ilene Potoak
Prospect Park
|
October 27, 2005 Hawthorne Press
Three
Dem Councilmen Un-elected
Dear editor,
In a recent newspaper interview with the Prospect Park candidates, the
three un-elected Democratic councilmen indicated that they will
continue to "spend, spend and spend." These nice young men, who had
never attended meetings over the years, have no concept of the millions
of dollars of waste and debt in this town.
They recently voted to spend $300,000 to repair tennis courts that have
hardly been used in the 30 years. Councilman Hassan Fahmy was the only
member to vote against the Hofstra Park expenditure, while these three
unelected members acted as puppets for the former mayor, who has
left town.
Prospect Park is a small town of 5700 people and it is sad to see these
inexperienced people, due to their poor judgment and lack of
responsibility, planning to keep raising taxes.
All three Democrat candidates have lived here for a short period of
time. All three were appointed to the council, serving in that
unelected capacity for less than six months, if and when they show up
for meetings.
Helen S. Donohue
Prospect Park
|
October 27, 2005 Hawthorne Press
Black/Orange
Signs Appropriately Scary
Dear editor,
The THD (Tax Happy Democrat) Party has election signs up in Prospect
Park. The black letters on an orange background are appropriate. After
all, orange is the next highest level of alert, under red, for the
country's national warning system. Are the Democrats giving voters a
warning signal that if elected taxes will go up again.
Everytime property taxes go up, so do the mortgage payments for most
home buyers. Then landlords raise the rent on their tenants to pass
along the increase.
When Prospect Park residents go to the voting booth, they should think
of whether they want to pay more. It's time to get these Tax Happy
Democrats out of office. The Prospect Park Council needs competent
people, who know the town and will make the right decisions.
I see Mayor Will Kubofcik finally did the right thing and resigned. ..
better late than never. Maybe the Prospect Park Democrat Party will
finally get out from under his spell and give the town back to the
people.
Don White
Prospect Park
|
October 13, 2005 Hawthorne Press Editor
Moving On Up to Mayor
Emeritus. .. Prospect Park Mayor Will Kubofcik finally stepped
down Tuesday night, more than two months since he publicly acknowledged
that his family was moving to Bloomingdale. His resignation letter was
signed "Mayor Emeritus" a very telling aspect of his character. That
title is not one an official bestows upon him or herself. Colleagues in
Hawthorne designated former Mayor Louis Bay 2nd "mayor emeritus" after
40 years of service. Kubofcik's predecessor, former Mayor Al Marchitto,
was given it after decades in public office.
When the mayor was elected to this office in 1998 after a mere two
years on the Borough Council, we were optimistic that this new, younger
mayor would bring vigor and growth to this sedate community. Instead
the result was immaturity and a lack of direction.
As we look back at his seven-year tenure, we see a community divided.
The people whose families built Prospect Park and who spent countless
hours volunteering their time to,the community, for the most part, feel
disenfranchised.
It is good politics for a leader to reach out among ethnically diverse
residents who are populating a community. Mayor Kubofcik has done that
bringing in former Councilman Thomas Jefferson as the borough's first
Black official and Councilman Herb Perez to represent the Hispanic
community. Councilman Mohammed Khairullah and Hassan Fahmy give voice
to the Arabic residents.
We have watched as the mayor decided, this summer, that Councilman
Perez and Jefferson were disposable because both are on active duty in
the military. He secured the necessary four votes to oust these two
patriotic citizens from office and brought in two replacements. They
were dubbed "puppets" by some of the citizens.
Mayor Kubofcik made a big spectacle of his departure complete with kind
words from Senator John Girgenti and a reception afterwards. He leaves
a legacy of some accomplishments resolving the issue with Tilcon Quarry
and projects underway to rehabilitate North 8th Street and Hofstra Park.
On first impression, Will Kubofcik is a very personable and gregarious
individual. This has led to his success in the real estate field. We've
also seen his darker side when he's lost his temper at council meetings
and argues publicly with citizens who disagree with his decisions.
The mayor had the opportunity to do the right thing by stepping down
before September 1 and giving the people the chance to elect their
interim mayor this November. He didn't. So Prospect Park now proves the
axiom - Elections are too important to be left to the voters.
When the mayor's successor is appointed, a majority of the Borough
Council - four members - will be comprised of officials who were never
elected by the people of Prospect Park. To those who champion the
democratic process, that is a travesty. Mayor Will Kubofcik may have
left office but his hand-picked council members will have control of
Prospect Park's destiny for the next 14 months. Mr. Kubofcik, from his
real estate office on North 8th Street, has promised to remain involved
in the community. We bet he will.
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September 22, 2005 Hawthorne Press
Kubofcik
Can Afford $900,000 House; but Not His Own Health Insurance
Dear editor,
Prospect Park Mayor Will Kubofcik just bought a $900,000 house in
Bloomingdale and I give him a lot of credit for his success. But I have
to question why the taxpayers of the community are now paying for the
mayor's health benefits at a cost of some $12,000 a year.
The residents of Prospect Park are struggling to pay their taxes. Some,
have no paid benefits; others have to contribute toward their health
insurance.
If someone can afford a house for almost a million dollars, why do the
retirees, low income earners and those holding down two jobs have to
provide the mayor with paid health insurance.
What a ripoff.
Albert Demarest
Prospect Park
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September 8, 2005 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor
Mayor
dissolved any shred of respect
Dear editor,
After seeing Mayor Will Kubofcik's performance on The Daily Show, I ran
into the mayor on August 26 and told him that I had lost all respect
for him.
I had a lot of respect for the mayor when he first sought this office.
I voted for him and in my own way, helped to get him elected.
I lost respect for Mayor Kubofcik when the council majority did his
dirty work and removed Councilman Herb Perez and Thomas Jefferson from
their elected positions. Both men are on active duty serving their
country. Whatever shred of respect was left dissolved with his antics
on Comedy Central.
In my encounter with Mr. Kubofcik, the mayor told me "to get a life." I
have a life but now I've decided to use it to get rid of incompetent
people. The mayor is at the top of my list. I will be happy to talk to
him and discuss any topic but I will not stand for his bullying. I will
not have him or anyone else scream and criticize me because I don't
agree with him. Bullies use these tactics to get out of uncomfortable
situations when they are in the wrong.
Don White
Prospect Park
|
September 8, 2005 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor
Kubofcik's
Performance Was Repugnant
Dear editor,
General of the Army William Tecumseh Sherman of Civil War fame and a
veteran of three wars, said "War is Hell," because of the terrible and
horrible things that happen.
Mayor William Kubofcik of Prospect Park, who never served in the
military, must be saying, "War is Hilarious" by his performance on TV's
The Daily Show. The show dealt with the dismissal of two active duty
soldiers from the Prospect Park Council.
I guess the next time 3000 innocent civilians are killed in an attack,
Mayor Kubofcik will `dance in the streets' because he is "ecstatic."
In the past, the mayor has insulted the country with an anti-American
resolution against the soldiers and disgraced the American flag. Now
his hysterical screechings make the grossest insult to some two million
soldiers on active duty and the 25 million veterans in the nation, not
to mention those who have made the supreme sacrifice.
The spectacle of Prospect Park's gleeful mayor dancing in his office to
"She Bangs" was repugnant, vulgar and crude.
Thomas F. X. Magura
Prospect Park
|
September 1, 2005 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor
Mayor
presented in a good light?
Dear editor,
It has become evident that not only does Mayor Will Kubofcik not care
about the future of Prospect Park, he also takes no consideration in
humiliating the borough once again. After his appearance on The Daily
Show, which spoofed the removal of two councilmen that were called up
for active duty, the mayor was quoted as saying, "They portrayed me in
a good light." Is he insane or does he think that anytime he is on
camera, he's portrayed in a good light?
Does the mayor feel that removing Councilmen Herb Perez and Thomas
Jefferson, two elected officials who are protecting America's freedom,
puts him in a good light. It is appalling that Mayor Kubofcik feels
this issue is a laughing matter. I wonder if he'll laugh if either of
them becomes a war casualty.
I remember words the mayor once uttered to me "Perception is reality."
The perception is that if there's a TV camera around, the mayor feels
it's OK to act like a fool. It is also perception that the majority of
the Borough Council does not support our troops. After all, the message
that "the Mayor and Borough Council supports the troops" was taken down
from the digital bulletin board after the councilmen's removal. The
mayor is perceived as cold and ruthless who would do anything to get
his way.
"Life is too short if you can't laugh," was the mayor's assessment of
The Daily Show. Well, I'd like to tell Mayor Kubofcik that people are
laughing ... only at him and the town he helped destroy.
Pat Tirri
Former Prospect Park Councilman
|
September 1, 2005 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor
TV
satire and council antics bring shame to Prospect Park
Dear editor,
Prospect Park, under its current governing body, is becoming known for
absurd actions, irony and oxymorons - a place where governmental
reasoning has vanished and sound logic is locked away in a drawer.
Residents, once teased over its Blue Laws, are now shamed by the
constant media coverage of the antics of that same governing body.
A resident asks the Borough Council about the municipality's nearly $3
million debt and is told that we can go as high as $8 million. That is
immature thinking which can lead to bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Prospect
Park's seniors are forced to sell their homes of 50 years which they
can no longer afford.
Improvements already begun in Hofstra Park remain unfinished while the
Council plans even more park work. Public officials should remember the
lessons taught by their parents and teachers: finish one job at a time
and do it well. There are no working bathrooms or water fountains in
the park, or the funds for them, but the Council is allocating $400,000
for new tennis courts.
There are streets within town that have not had major work or repairs
done to them in well over 20 years and trees, marked to come down eight
years ago because of the danger they might cause to electric lines and
property, still remain untouched. Yet North 8th Street has been
refurbished twice in a short time.
In the past, people circulating petitions were harassed. Now a woman
circulating a petition against apartments on North 8th Street has been
threatened with a lawsuit.
As Americans, the Bill of Rights gives that right. Anyone who thinks
for himself/herself, should ask one's own questions to sort the truth
from lies.
The recent treatment of Councilman Herb Perez and Thomas Jefferson is
an outrage. While Councilman Perez was seeking re-election last
November, he made it very clear that his unit had activated. The people
voted to return him to office. That speaks highly of him. How dare the
Borough Council add to the burden and hardship of these two famalies
while their husbands and fathers are overseas, serving on active duty.
If that were not enough, last week Mayor Will Kubofcik appeared on a
comedy show in a satire of these councilmen's situation. Residents, who
did not see the show, were exposed to the mayor's smiling face on the
front page of The Herald News. As the mayor sang the praises of the
song "She Bangs," I wondered whether he even paid attention to the
words.
Councilman Perez and Jefferson have been forced out of office and have
been replaced by party-appointed people. Residents did not elect
these new councilmen to speak for them.
To add insult to injury, Mayor Kubofcik announces that he is moving,
yet has not yet stepped down. When asked when he will leave, Mayor
Kubofcik refuses to give an answer. By not stepping down before today
(September 1), the taxpayers won't have a say in their own government.
Election Day is coming. It wouldn't have cost one extra cent to hold a
special election in November for the unexpired mayor's term.
When local government forgets who it services, people are left with
politics. "Poli" means many and "Tics" are bloodsucking creatures.
Enough said.
Ilene Potoak
Prospect Park
|
August 25, 2005 Hawthorne Press Letters To The Editor
Making
Prospect Park a joke on Comedy Central's Daily Show
Dear editor,
In Tuesday's daily newspaper, I read that Mayor Will Kubofcik is going
to star on television about the disgraceful act of ousting two
councilmen from their seats while they are on active duty in the
military. The political satire was scheduled to be on last night's
segment of The Daily Show on Comedy Central.
It's not bad enough that Mayor Kubofcik has made Prospect Park the
laughing stock of north Jersey. Now he has to ridicule our town before
the entire country.
What I'd like to know is why the mayor hates Prospect Park so much.
What happened that made him act this way.
In the same article, Kubofcik says he was "the class clown" in high
school. Maybe he was but that's no reason to now be the political joke
of the entire area.
As mayor, Mr. Kubofcik did not do any good for the town except to put
it deeper in debt. Residents just need to look at their tax bills.
In my opinion, Mayor Kubofcik is a "legend in his own mind." I feel he
is slowly destroying the borough.
If Mayor Kubofcik has any decency, he will do the people of Prospect
Park the courtesy of resigning now while there's still a town left.
Maybe then, the people of this borough can get their town back and
repair the damage done by this administration and the council majority.
Don White
Prospect Park
|
August 25, 2005 Hawthorne Press Letters To The Editor
"La
Farce" - Mayor Will Kubofcik's Display At Zoning Board Meeting
Dear editor,
Prospect Park's Mayor Kubofcik continued his foolish show and
ridiculous sham at the public hearing last Thursday before the Board of
Adjustment.
"La Farce" featured a display of the mayor's well-known temper tantrum
as Mr. Kubofcik claimed to be hurt by frivolous remarks in a newspaper
article. Someone questioned whether the mayor was profiting from his
development because he had, at one time, been the real estate agent for
the sale of the subject property.
In his machismo-tough guy style, the mayor wildly gestured and
threatened to sue anyone and everyone, pointing a finger at the woman
in the audience who was spearheading a petition drive against the
project.
Mr. Kubofcik's lack of emotional control, on top of the fact that he is
moving out of town, just reinforces the call for him to resign the
mayor's position immediately.
It was curious that the mayor gave his real estate office and his
parents' home as his addresses at the meeting.
This is a man who ousted two councilmen while they are serving
their country on active duty. Add that to missteps like the Hofstra
Park bike path, the wasted funds for North 8th Street brickpavers, the
lack of recreational facilities, increased debt and Mayor Kubofcik's
legacy will leave the town in turmoil.
I recall a statement he once made at a public meeting about his
leadership style ... "If it is not broke, break it:" The mayor has
lived up to that type of distorted thinking. When he finally leaves
Prospect Park, the community will be in worse shape than when he found
it.
Thomas F.X. Magura
|
August 11, 2005 Hawthorne Press
Ousting Perez And Jefferson Was A Most UnAmerican Act
Dear editor,
After reading the August 4th issue of The Press, I agree with Prospect
Park resident Al Demarest, removing two active duty servicemen from
their council seats is the most un-American thing I've ever witnessed.
If Herb Perez and Thomas Jefferson are to be accused of anything, it is
that they are willing to fulfill their duty as loyal Americans. For
doing their patriotic duty, their reward was to oust them from their
elected positions.
It may be true that the two councilmen were not excused from missing
council meetings. They should have been. I think it was a deliberate
act on the part of the council majority. The councilmembers who voted
to replace Councilmen Perez and Jefferson are the ones who should be
ousted. Councilmembers were elected to serve the people, not themselves
and their own selfish interests.
I read that there was no quorum in July. Well, I know where two of the
councilmembers were. Councilmen Perez and Jefferson were on active duty
serving their country so other Americans could enjoy their vacations.
The real reason there was no quorum is because the remaining five
couldn't or wouldn't adjust their schedules. It's unbelievable that the
other five members couldn't find the time to spare a few hours for a
public meeting.
As a combat vet, I know what Herb Perez and Thomas Jefferson are going
through. I'm proud to call them my friends.
As for the rest of the council, I say: November will be here soon. The
people can make their voices heard and and right this wrong.
Don Maxfield
Prospect Park
|
August 4 Hawthorne Press
Two
councilmen named to replace servicemen
After the seats of Councilmen Herb Perez and Thomas
Jefferson, two National Guardsmen on active duty, were declared vacan,.
the Prospect Park Council named replacements Monday night. Appointed to
these positions are Richard Esquiche, a Democrat candidate in the
November race and Radhames Capellan, who ran unsuccessfully for the
school board in April.
Esquiche's appointment was approved 4-1 with Councilman Hassan Fahmy
casting the only dissenting vote, saying "I never met the gentleman."
Fahmy, also a Democrat, abstained on Capellan's appointment.
The action, engineered by Mayor Will Kubofcik, drew strong reaction
from the soldiers' families and constituents.
Kubofcik told The Press last week that he declared the seats vacant
because he either had "to let government shut down or shut down these
seats."
During the month of July, no public meeting was held due to the lack of
a quorum.
Cathy Jefferson, the wife of Thomas Jefferson, was accompanied by their
five children and her mother.
"I brought my children here to show them how government is not supposed
to work. It's hard to explain to them why their father was removed from
office. Our whole family is hurt and disgusted," she said.
Councilman Jefferson has been stationed in Iraq since January driving a
truck for a water purification outfit. His unit is scheduled to return
home in November.
Abigal Perez, wife of Herb Perez, targeted council members who had
promised to make sure her husband would not be removed from office.
Speaking to Council President Esther Perez, who is not related to her
husband; Abigail Perez said the council president was "a disgrace to
the Hispanic community."
To Councilman Mohammed Khairullah, Herb Perez's running mate last
November, Mrs. Perez said, "You were my husband's running mate ... He
backed you up ... you didn't do the same."
"Our husbands are fighting for each and everyone of you," she stated.
Jasmine Perez, the couple's younger daughter, read a statement saying
she was very sad to hear the mayor and council are taking my Dad's and
Councilman Thomas Jefferson's seats away from them.They're fighting for
you and me and for our country."
Lizette Perez, the older daughter, reminded Councilman Khairullah that
while she was campaigning with her father last fall, "You said youu
would support my father. Where is the support."
To Councilwoman Perez, she stated, "You told my dad, Herb, don't
worry about your seat."
"Yes, I did," Councilwoman Perez responded.
"So why did you do this," asked Lizette Perez. "You're plotting against
mr father."
Councilwoman Perez said the borough attorney would speak for her.
The older Perez daughter also chastised Mayor Will Kubofcik, who had
been called out of the meeting on a family emergency.
"The mayor said, `Don't worry, Herb, your seat will be here when you
come back.' It's a disgrace and I'm very upset to see this," Lizette
Perez concluded.
Former Councilman Pat Tirri questioned Councilwoman Perez about her
role as Democrat Borough Leader.
"Why did you put Herb (Perez) up as a candidate last November if you
were going to take him down," he asked.
The council president defended herself saying Councilman Perez had not
been called up for duty at that time.
"Yes he did," responded Abigail Perez from the audience. She said that
her husband received his orders last fall and and gave the mayor a copy
of them. Herb Perez was re-elected last November and sworn in while on
leave in January.
He is serving with a military police unit in Germany
Tirri questioned why, when Alan Susen was borough clerk, he used to say
that Perez and Jefferson were "absent with notification."
Accusing the council majority of "a political ploy," Tirri said,
"Hopefully the people can muster enough support in November to tell
these people where to go."
Another confrontation erupted between BOE President Al Demarest and
Councilwoman Perez.
"This is the most un-American thing I ever experienced in my life," he
said. "It wouldn't bother me if they (Councilmen Perez and Jefferson)
were here. Instead they're defending our right to be free."
Demarest criticized council members for calling him "a dirty
Republican" challenging them to "tell me to my face."
"Don't look at me," Councilwoman Perez responded, "It's disgusting."
"I always spoke well of you", she said to Demarest prompting someone
from the audience to yell "Liar. You ran the meeting to take him out."
Prospect Park GOP Leader Thomas Magura said Kubofcik, who has purchased
a home in Bloomingdale and is planning to move "should resign right
now."
Magura is running for council in November with Lois Hubbard. She noted
that both regularly attend council meetings.
"Where were these two men at council meetings," asked Hubbard.
"I was at several," responded Esquiche. "You were there once," retorted
Hubbard.
"This is America not Kubofcik Town," she stated. "What's best for
Prospect Park is for Mayor Kubofcik to resign right now." If the mayor
responds before September 1, a special election will be held in
November for the mayor's seat. If he resigns after September l, the
council president will become temporary mayor. Then the Democrat County
Committee can submit three names and the council can choose a successor
to complete Kubofcik's term.
Borough resident John Witham, who is a fixture at council meetings,
said he's never seen either of the two new councilmen at a public
meeting.
He also criticized the make-up of the county committee saying, "The
mayor's family is the county committee. We don't want puppets and yes
people."
Witham said there are serious tax consequences facing Prospect Park and
neither of the new councilmen had any background in the workings of
local government or how to reduce the budget.
Cathy Martinez said she had come to the meeting "to support great
American soldiers, two excellent councilmen."
"I hope the person next to you doesn't do what you're doing to them,"
she warned the council members.
Geraldine Rayfield, Councilman Jefferson's mother-in-law, said,
"There's a state statute that says soldiers on active duty can't be
dismissed from their jobs .. . They're making the ultimate sacrifice
for your families ... It's totally out of this world that you can sit
there, clap and have your pictures taken."
Both Rayfield and Abigail Perez said they were outraged that the
National Guardsmen had been notified by e-mail of their removal.
Perez and Jefferson have retained former Borough Prosecutor Harley
Breite to represent their interests. Briete contends that the seats
could be filled on a temporary basis until the soldiers return.
Borough Attorney Denis Murphy refuted that saying there was no provision
in the law for a temporary replacement.
He said the mayor was legally allowed to declare Perez's and
Jefferson's seats vacant after they went eight consecutive weeks
without being excused by a majority of the governing body. He read case
law which said elected officials have to give proper representation to
the public.
|
August 4, 2005 Hawthorne Press
Cronyism
in Prospect Park as Perez, Jefferson are ousted
Dear editor,
It seems clear to me that Mayor Will Kubofcik will stop at nothing to
ensure that his successor is left with a new bunch of puppets who can
continue bringing the decline of Prospect Park. The mayor, along with
his three cronies, have now removed two of the most honorable members
of the existing council. This, for a lack of better words, is utterly
ridiculous. I don't know if the mayor and his mindless Muppets actually
believe that the public buys into the reason why this is being done,
and I pray to God the people speak come election time.
Sure it has been tough for the five members of the Borough Council to
meet a quorum with Councilmen Herb Perez and Thomas Jefferson fighting
overseas with the armed forces. However, if everyone was working as a
team for the betterment of the borough, the remaining members would
pick up the slack.
The mayor claims that it's been tough to form a quorum because it's
summer and members are taking vacations. Did the mayor or his selfish
counterparts consider once while they were vacationing with their
families that Councilmen Perez and Jefferson haven't seen their
families in several months.
These two men are making the ultimate sacrifice, putting their lives on
the line so when vacationers are at the beach or an amusement park,
they don't have to fear a terrorist's attack.
Actions speak louder than words. The action by the mayor - declaring
these two seats vacant - is the payment these two councilmen receive
for first serving their community and now their country.
I guess it's best that Mayor Kubofcik is leaving Prospect Park, seeing
that he's made more and more political enemies. The people of this
community have been fooled by him once. Now it is clear the mayor is
trying to fool them again so his successor can follow in the same
careless footsteps.
The people can speak at the ballot box in November about the future
direction of the community.
Pat Tirri
Former Councilman, Prospect Park
|
July 28, 2005 Hawthorne Press
Kubofcik's
Comment On Eminent Domain Sounds Like A Joke
Dear editor,
After reading the article about eminent domain in Sunday's Record, I
was surprised at the comment by Mayor Will Kubofcik that he is
considering using this process to take some houses on North 8th Street
to create a parking lot. Is the mayor of Prospect Park out of his
cotton-pickin' mind.
How can the mayor justify tearing down tax-producing properties for a
non-tax generating parking lot?
Prospect Park has about a $4 million shortfall due to the current
administration. In less than a decade, the Borough Council has put the
town so deep in debt, the taxpayers have to dig up to the sewer drains
to see sunlight.
It is pathetic. Besides the loss of tax revenue, I question the need
for a parking lot. North 8th Street has maybe a half dozen or so
stores. This town does not and will never have a thriving business
district like a city.
Is a parking lot needed to accommodate a rush of cars coming to shop in
Prospect Park's downtown? What a joke.
Unfortunately, the joke is on the borough's taxpayers and property
owners. I have lived in Prospect Park for 67 years and have never seen
such mismanagement.
Voting time is coming near. I say forget what party a person
represents: get these wasters out of office. Put some one on the
council who has the welfare of Prospect Park in mind; not those who are
putting the citizens on welfare.
Don White
Prospect Park
|
July 21, 2005 Hawthorne Press
Prospect
Park Gets Extra State Aid But Can't Adopt Budget
Prospect Park has received word from the state that the municipality
was awarded $50,000 in extraordinary aid. Now the Borough Council must
amend the 2005 budget and adopt it.
When that will happen is anybody's guess. Monday night, the
rescheduled monthly meeting for July couldn't be held because of quorum
was lacking. Both Mayor Will Kubofcik and Councilman Mohamed Khairullah
were absent. With two Councilmen, Herb Perez and Thomas Jefferson, on
active duty in the military, that left only three members in
attendance, one short of the number for a quorum.
An attempt to reschedule this meeting to July 25th was
unsuccessful, according to Acting Borough Clerk Yancy Wazirmas, "Some
council members will be away," she stated.
The next available date is August 1, which is the scheduled night
for the monthly worksession.
Besides not taking action on the municipal budget, the governing
body has had to defer adoption of the cable TV franchise ordinance.
A bond ordinance appropriating $399,000 for tennis and basketball
court improvements at Hofstra Park has also been delayed.
|
July 21, 2005 Hawthorne Press
Lack
Of Quorum Becoming A
Common Event In Prospect Park
Dear editor,
In what is becoming a common occurrence, Prospect Park residents
witnessed another council meeting (July 5th) that couldn't be held
because a quorum was lacking.
Mayor Will Kubofcik's hand-picked Councilman Randall Lassiter was
the newest addition to the missing.
The July 5th worksession was rescheduled to July 11th. That
necessitated changing the regular monthly meeting to July 18. Only
Monday's meeting also could not be held because four members were not
present.
Numerous times in the past year, the borough has been unable to
conduct business. This is a travesty that public officials don't take
their responsibilities seriously.
However, the governing body still managed to produce $4 million
in debt, the worse tax increase in Passaic County over the last five
years, a declining quality of life and a lack of recreational
opportunities.
I believe residents are starting to realize the disaster that is
occurring at Borough Hall.
Thomas F.X. Magura
|
May 19, 2005 Hawthore Press
Two
Resolutions Pulled; Two-Thirds Vote Lacking
One ordinance and a resolution, both requiring a two-thirds vote,
couldn't be passed at the May 9th meeting of the Prospect Park Council.
The Ordinance, no. 2005-5, is the one establishing a cap bank for the
municipal budget. Resolution no. 2005-93 establishing an emergency
temporary budget appropriation was also pulled from the agenda.
On the seven-member council, five votes are needed for a
two-thirds
majority. With Councilmembers Herb Perez and Thomas Jefferson on active
duty in the service, and with Councilman Hassan Fahmy absent, there
were only four members in attendance.
"We can put these on an agenda for a special meeting." said Mayor
Will
Kubofcik, noting that the council also had to meet soon to take action
on the defeated Manchester school budget.
|
July 22, 2004 Hawthorne Press
Multi-use/bike
Path Devastation is an Issue of Credibility
Dear editor,
Reaction over the renovation of Hofstra Park appears to be
confusing Mayor Will Kubofcik and the Borough Council. They fail to
understand why town residents as well as North Haledon homeowners,
whose properties border the park, should be upset. Officials seem to
still believe that the multi-function path is the sole issue. It is not.
There is the issue of credibility. Mayor Kubofcik keeps pointing
out that the artist's conception of the park has been hanging in
Borough Hall. The Borough Engineer has admitted, (with witnesses), that
he has twice deviated from the original plans of the path. They still
say that the path will be about 16 feet wide, and that no area cleared
is 30 to 40 feet wide. The mayor tells residents that they mismeasured.
All agree that dead, rotting or sick trees should be cut down.
That was a good thing. Mature, healthy trees 18 inches in diameter, or
greater, should never have been touched. Other towns have done this by
either splitting the path or by having it snake around them. Those
paths are shaded, cool and beautiful.
At the last council meeting, the mayor also stated that nothing
has been done in Hofstra Park since 1981. That is a half truth. Perhaps
the borough has done nothing in the park since that time but youth
groups and other town residents have. The youth in this town worked
over a 12 year period to plant over 150 trees and ground fauna that
were dying off in the park. During times of drought, the children would
have adults drive them up with gallons of water to keep the trees
alive. These same children built the nature trails which are totally
being destroyed. The Boy and Cub Scouts had sanded and painted all
bleachers and tables. In 1984, Richard Esteves, Joe Bridge and others
built tire gyms and horseshoe pitch areas. The town government has done
nothing to maintain any of this.
Even more disturbing is the fact that, "An Inventory Of The Flora
and Fauna Of Hofstra Park", was conducted by Wander Ecological
Consultants, (WEC) and "Pathway for the Garden State, A Planning
Guide", published by the Environmental Commissioners of NJ are on file
at the borough. The mayor did not follow the advice in either
publication.
No one involved outright in this project had an environmental
impact study done.
The WEC states: "We observed 83 species of vascular plants, many
mature, with diameter of 18 to 24 inches, 14 species of birds and one
mammal." It went on to say, "With further study, the total list may
yield a high of 120 vascular plants, 100 birds, 15 mammals, 30 species
of butterflies, 10 of dragonflies, perhaps 12 of reptiles and numerous
invertebrates. Although not seen at this time, the habitat of the
upland forest, could support the threatened Cooper's Hawk." WEC's
conclusion " The deciduous forest in the northern half of the the park
is an excellent example of the type of forest that once occupied most
of the Watchung Mountains but that has been mostly destroyed by
development. The high quality of this forest is due in part to the lack
of human disturbance through most of the forest".
In short, the construction of this multi-use path is destroying
the very thing that would pull people to the park. If existing
facilities were to be upgraded, these same people would stay longer and
come again.
It is not necessary to destroy in order to create. Municipal
officials could choose to work with nature to create the best park of
all. If Prospect Park had followed the suggestion of experts to form an
environmental commission; to seek public input through various methods,
they would not be in this state.
If town leaders had ordered an environmental impact study, they
wouldn't have to worry about what to do about illegal dumping and they
would know what impact the trees had on the quality of air from the
quarry.
I urge everyone to let their feelings be known on this issue.
Call the mayor's office 973-956-8332, send a message to the Borough
Council, write a letter to the editor or sign a petition. Tell Mayor
Will Kubofcik and the Borough Council: "Halt work on Phase 2 and cut
down no more trees until a compromise can be found."
Ilene Potoak
Prospect Park
|
July 22, 2004 Hawthorne Press
Hofstra
Project Should Be Stopped; In Favor Of A More Reasonable One
Dear editor,
As an ecologist and a resident of Hawthorne, I occasionally went
to Hofstra Park and walked through its forested area. On reading about
the recent ecological devastation in Hofstra Park, I returned to the
park and walked along the proposed bike path where the trees were cut
and removed. It is an ecological disaster that was avoidable and never
should have happened. Many large and small hardwood trees were cleared
to create open areas that in some locations are 30-50 feet wide. I
understand that the purpose is to develop a bike path, or multi-use
path, that will have an unnatural surface. However, the trade-off will
be too great for the residents of Prospect Park and surrounding
municipalities who benefitted from the natural forest ecosystem that
existed until the path area was clear cut. Granted some percentage of
park users would benefit from a bike path, but the percentage that
benefitted from the forested ecosystem is overwhelmingly larger. In an
urban park that has mature trees, the objective should be to maintain
the forested ecosystem, not eliminate it.
What can be done to salvage the forest? I think that the bike
path proposal should be rescinded before any further damage is done,
and that a new proposal to restore the destroyed forest with native
trees and shrubs should be developed and enacted. The residents of
Prospect Park could form a committee to help develop the restoration
plan. An ecological consultant should be hired to work with the
committee and council representatives to develop a reasonable plan to
put the park back together. Regrowth will take time, but it can be
done, and future generations will be most grateful. The citizens of
Prospect Park can do this if they act now. A mistake has been made.
It's not too late to make it right.
Michael J. Sebetich
Editor's Note: The writer is a professor of biology at William Paterson
University, chairman of the Passaic County Open Space Committee, and a
member of both the Hawthorne Environmental Commission and the Hawthorne
Shade Tree Commission.
|
July 15, 2004 Hawthorne Press
Public
Complains About The Devastation Of Hofstra Park
A News 12 New Jersey film crew was at the Prospect Park Council
meeting Monday night as several residents protested the "mayhem" in
Hofstra Park. At issue is the volume of trees being removed for the
construction of a multi-use path.
"Please stop killing the trees," said Nicole Aupperlee speaking
for the younger generation. "The children were never asked what we
wanted up there. We played baseball and the trees, that used to be our
shade, are gone."
In Aupperlee's opinion, the kids won't be using the bike path
because there's too steep a grade in the park. She suggested
improvements to the playground and the installation of grills for
cooking.
Ilene Potoak presented a display of photographs depicting the
devastation resulting from the tree removal. "The mayhem in the park is
horrible," she said.
"I requested an environmental impact study," she said. "It
doesn't seem one was done." Potoak said a great deal of illegal dumping
had gone on in the park and "they're building the path over that
debris."
"Cutting down 79 to 200 year old trees is unconscionable," said
Potoak. "One of them had a nest for a gold-tailed hawk. Another was
home to a peregrine falcon. They're gone. The deer had their own path.
I haven't seen one in two weeks."
North Haledon residents, Kristen Robinson and Charles Baratta,
live on Dietrich Lane adjacent to the park.
"My property borders the park," said Baratta, "I think the bike
path may be good but I'm concerned that the natural buffer zone is
gone."
Robinson, who said she grew up in Prospect Park, questioned why
the path couldn't go around the majestic trees as she's seen in other
bike paths.
"I'm really upset. I think they ripped out too many trees. I
think it was poorly designed," she said.
Dennis Schvejda, also of North Haledon, conservation director for
the NJ Sierra Club, stated, "This is serious ... What you did, you did
out of ignorance. All across New Jersey, urban parks are being
devastated. The forests are gone. The only piece of nature left (in
Prospect Park) was that park ... It's a damn shame. You can't replace
the trees."
Several local residents complained about the current condition of
the park.
"This bike path is one of the worse engineering feats I've ever
seen. You're building a road and not a path. Where's the common sense,"
said council candidate Tom Magura.
"I went up to the park and looked at the bike path," said former
Councilman Joe Bridge. "Quite a few trees were cut down for such a
small area. I think we went overboard."
Bill Reitsma said it was ironic that at the same meeting, the
council was giving out awards for beautification of properties.
"I've lived here for 25 years. I'm devastated," he said, "I
walked through the park 10 times a week."
"I was up at the hayfields," said Don White. "I took pictures of
the rape and destruction." He presented copies to the mayor and council.
Referring to the $340,000 grant for the Hofstra Park multi-use
path, John Witham stated, "I think there should be a moratorium on
grants."
"There is no consensus on how much use the bike path will get
from Prospect Park residents," he said. "Now you want to build a pool.
Who will maintain it?
"Many trees have been cut down in a small park," said Howard
Goldman, whose property abuts the park. "I'm not comfortable with this
project proceeding. I'm against it. The trees are cut and the animals
displaced."
When the public portion of the meeting was closed, Mayor Will
Kubofcik responded to the comments.
"First of all, the term bike path is a misnomer. The design
rendering has been hanging in the hallway for months. The design has
been in the works for years," he said. "This is a pedestrian/bike path
designed to interconnect all the facilities in the park so pedestrians
could go from one section to another safely."
Noting that no work had been done on the park since 1981,
Kubofcik said his administration was concerned about the deplorable
condition of the ballfields, playground and the bathrooms and the lack
of a water fountain and benches. we recognized the problem. When we do
nothing, people complain; when we do something, they complain."
"I've loved this park," said Kubofcik, "When I was seven, I
buried my pet rabbit there."
The mayor disagreed with those who say the bike path won't be
used. Recalling that there had been several public hearings before this
project commenced, he said, "I don't think we had one objector," a
statement contradicted by both Witham and Magura. "I wish we had this
level of concern beforehand."
In the scope of the project, the park totals 21 acres. The
multi-use path will take up 1.7 acres, about 7.5% for a total
disturbance of 2.5 acres.
Pledging to take all comments seriously, Kubofcik said he
welcomed input from the Sierra Club admitting, "Maybe we were blinded.
Maybe we had blinders on."
"I think we'll take the guidance of the Sierra Club and others to
move forward. We have the opportunity to do something positive," said
the mayor. "It's easy to criticize in midstream. It'd like baking a
cake. It looks like mumbo jumbo."
The finished project will include new plantings of all types of
flora and trees. According to Kubofcik, a significant number of the
removed trees were diseased while admitting, "some were in very good
condition."
Kubofcik said the contractor would continue with the work.
"On paper, it look beautiful. People need to look at the finished
product before they condemn it," said the mayor.
"The biggest issue is the bike path," said Councilman Mohammed
Khairullah, who is a science teacher. "I'd be concerned about the
animals but I'd also be concerned about the kids who try to ride their
bikes on North 8th Street. I think the bike path will be used. Yes, it
will cost. We're doing our best by applying for grants."
|
July 3, 2004 Herald News
Hundreds
Of Trees Cleared For Bike Path
by Suzanne Travers
Most everyone agrees that, on paper, plans for a new bike path in
Hofstra Park looked good.
But since buzz saws began cutting a 30-foot-wide swath through the
woods this week to make room for a 10-foot-wide asphalt path - some of
the felled trees were more than a century old - outraged residents and
environmentalists have been calling the path's design a hazard to
nature and humans alike.
The bike path, which is being funded through a $340,000 state
Department of Transportation grant, is composed of six intersecting
loops through the woods and around the park's ball fields. Borough
officials hope the path will spark a renaissance in park use and say
borough children can't wait to use it.
Long-time park goers question not only the destruction of trees and
wildlife, but the path's route. They note that it passes behind the
Police Department's shooting range and lies at the edge of a 250-foot
cliff that drops into a quarry.
"I honestly can't say anything good about this particular project,"
said Dennis Schvejda of North Haledon, conservation director for the
New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club. He visited the park Friday after
residents reported that 25- to 30-foot-wide trails were being cleared.
"It's just an abuse of public funding," he said.
Three-and-a-half of the park's 20 acres of woods are being cleared for
the project, said Ransford Lodge of H2M, the borough's engineering
firm. Hundreds of trees have been taken down this week, including 50 to
100 that have trunks thicker than 18 inches, said Frank De Carlo, owner
of De Carlo Tree Masters of Cresskill. De Carlo is the subcontractor
cutting down and removing the trees before the path is graded and
paved.
"In a town that's as densely populated and developed as Prospect Park,
the rarest thing there is is a patch of woods," Schvejda said. "This is
not a bike path, it's a road."
He noted that bicyclists can already ride on a little-used road in the
park.
"The size of this thing is a surprise," said Ilene Potoak of Prospect
Park, who often takes her Cub Scout troop on wildlife walks through the
woods. She said trees and brush that were home to hawks, deer, and
other wildlife are gone, along with the animals. On Friday morning, she
tied hand-lettered signs to trees and tree stumps.
"I stood tall and strong for 150 years till a saw took my life - why?"
read one.
Kristen Robertson, whose driveway on Dietrich Lane in North Haledon
borders the park and the bike path's route, expressed concern about its
safety.
"The planning was a little screwy," she said. "They put a walking path
right where the police practice shooting. ... [The quarry does]
blasting on a fairly regular basis in that middle section, which is
right where they're putting the path."
Last year, a blast from the quarry dumped football-size rocks onto
houses and cars in the borough. In 1997, a 21-year-old man who had been
drinking with friends in the park fell off the cliff into the quarry
and died.
Lodge, whose firm designed the path, said that every effort was made to
spare trees, but that the wide trail was necessary to accommodate
three-foot buffers on either side of the path and to allow for proper
grading and site work.
"We're losing trees, but you'll get the benefit of the bikeway," Lodge
said at the park Thursday. "In order to create, you have to destroy."
Bike paths funded by the state Department of Transportation are
required to be at least 10 feet wide, he said, a requirement confirmed
by agency spokesman Marc La Vorgna.
"We're minimizing the taking [of trees] as much as possible," Lodge
said. "That is priority Number One."
He did not return a call Friday seeking comment on the path's proximity
to the quarry and shooting range.
Mayor Will Kubofcik did not return two calls seeking comment Friday.
Councilman Pat Tirri and Councilwoman Esther Perez also did not return
calls. Attempts over two days to reach Councilmen Hassan Fahmy, Thomas
Jefferson, Mohamed Khairullah, and Herb Perez also were unsuccessful.
|
June 10, 2004 Hawthorne Press & June 13 The Record Letter To
The Editor
Streetscape
Plan Is Too Costly
Dear editor,
After reading in the newspaper that work will begin on Prospect
Park's
Streetscape plan, it seems to me that the mayor and borough council
can't spend taxpayers' money fast enough. The groundbreaking ceremony
just happened to be held in front of the Prospect Real Estate office,
which is owned by mayor Will Kubofcik.
Prospect Park is nearly broke, thanks to an administration that
has no
idea how to run a small town. In the past few years, taxes have gone
out of sight.
Spending over $1,000,000 for less than a two block area on North
8th
Street is wasteful. It will not do anyone any good, in my personal
opinion.
Why didn't the mayor and council bring this up for a public vote?
Of
all the people I talk to, I have not yet met anyone who agrees with
this plan to waste taxpayers' money.
I voted and campaigned for this mayor but I think residents
should vote these council members out of office.
Don White
Prospect Park
|
June 10, 2004 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor
Why
Consider Flying Ethnic Flag
Dear editor,
This is in reference to the article (May 20th issue of The Press)
about the effort to fly the Circassian flag over the Prospect Park
Borough Hall. I was outraged that Mayor Will Kubofcik, a Circassian,
and the Circassians wanted to place their ethnic flag under the stars
and stripes.
I came from Europe many years ago with the understanding that
America
welcomed immigrants so they can have an opportunity to make a better
life. My family left there and settled in Prospect Park.
As the years went by, we worked hard together, became American
citizens, purchased houses, started a business, paid taxes and never
asked for a handout.
I proudly fly my flag - the one with the 13 stripes and 50 stars.
It
signifies the sacrifices many American citizens made and the freedom
many soldiers fought for. That's what makes it so upsetting to propose
flying another flag under our country's flag.
If the Circassians feel so strongly about their flag, why did
they
come to this country. Surely no one forced them to come to America. If
this country is not to their liking, I'm sure no one would stop them
from leaving.
What has happened in the Borough of Prospect Park where, just a
few
years ago, something like this would never have been considered.
I say shame on Mayor Will Kubofcik.
I came to this country and I thank God that I'm here in America
and have the freedom to express my opinion like this.
Dieter Schmidt
Hawthorne
|
May 27, 2004 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor
Protest
Over American Flag Took On a Life Of It's Own
Dear editor,
Isn't it odd how events often take on a life of their own? the
perfect example of this was played out this past Friday in Prospect
Park.
Thursday afternoon residents noticed "Emergency No Parking" signs
being put up on Brown Avenue. When a worker was asked about it, the
reply was that they were for the ceremonies due to take place the
following afternoon.
The ceremony was to honor Circassian Memorial Day and would be
held in front of the Municipal Building. When someone went to find out
what was going on, he was told that it was to be a simple ceremony
including the raising of the Circassian flag beneath the American flag.
As one resident after
another heard of the intent to raise the Circassian flag beneath that
of the flag of the United States, residents began to question how to
set this right. There was no plan or action implied. A few residents
tried to speak with borough officials but neither the mayor nor any
council members were reachable.
Flag protocol mandates a specific order when other flags are to
be flown from the same pole. The American flag is to be raised first,
beneath that the POW/MIA flag, then a nationally sanctioned flag such
as a state, township or veterans' flag can be hoisted. All other flags
are to be flown from their own pole. This alone was the issue.
On Friday, people with American flags, military and veterans'
post flags or those designating an ethnic background (France, Spain,
Lithuania, Puerto Rico and Cuba) began to arrive. One hour before the
ceremony was to begin, the borough flag was lowered and a POW/MIA one
raised.
Then the ceremony was moved from Brown Avenue to the Tenth Street
side of town hall. Next the Sheriff's Department was called in. The
final insult was that as residents peacefully walked to North Tenth
Street and stood quietly in protest, someone looked up to see a sniper
on the roof of the Prospect Park Municipal Building. If the residents
and law officers were not peaceful and cool headed, this could have
ended in disaster.
The Circassian community was never an issue. They are our
co-workers, our friends and our neighbors. Any other flag (Italian,
Polish, German, etc.) being raised beneath the American flag would have
received the same response.
It was reported, in another newspaper, that the residents turned
their backs to our Circassian neighbors. While it is true that backs
were turned, it was not toward them, but rather to a town official.
There was also concern for the children dressed in heavy costumes
who became ill from standing in the heat for so long.
It is time for Mayor Will Kubofcik to rethink his actions. There
never was a violent intent. There never was a threat to our neighbors.
there was never a need to call for so many law officers. Overkill can
often bring about the direct opposite of the desired result. The mayor
should rethink the issue of a single ethnic ceremony, planning instead
one day when all Prospect Park residents can celebrate their heritage's
together.
Many of our families have had someone who fled persecution and
sought freedom in this country. We cannot change our heritage but we
can celebrate that we are all part of the great melting pot called
America.
Ilene Potoak
Prospect Park
|
|
May 6,
2004
Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor
Why
Create $18,000 slush fund in Prospect Park Budget
Dear editor,
Those who
missed the April meeting of the Prospect Park
Council had the honor of hearing the all-Democratic governing body
introduce a Day of Infamy budget with its jumbo sized 15% increase.
This factors into higher property taxes and even higher rents.
Since
Mayor
Will Kubofcik and his cohorts took over a
few years ago, spending has increased by more than 43%. Property taxes
are up 70%, legal fees are up 433% and municipal debt is up by 2600%
(yes, that's two thousand six hundred).
The icing
on
the cake for the 2004 budget is an $18,000
slush fund for the mayor and council to approve small expenditures for
each committee. Could this money be spent for trips, dinners, etc?
Not too
many
years ago, Prospect Park used to set the
standard in Passaic County for efficiency and low taxes. The borough
was admired for being well-run. Now it has become a symbol of
incompetence, a laughing stock.
Thomas F.X.
Magura
|
|
January 8,
2004
Hawthorne Press Letter To The
Editor
PROJECTS
SUCCEED DESPITE
KUBOFCIK
Dear editor,
I would
like to
thank Valley National Bank of North
Haledon, Prospect Park Deli, Northern New Jersey Council of the B.S.A.,
The Hawthorne Press and all of the people who helped Prospect Park Club
Pack 2 provide for 47 children and their families this holiday. The
scouts have once again shown how much can be done when concerned
communities and their businesses join together and extend a helping
hand.
It is
with
mixed feelings, however, that I write this.
It is amazing the good which a few like minded people can do. Sadly, it
is equally amazing the damage which one or two people can cause.
In early
November, this scout unit ran its 25th food
drive. It is a shame that within five days of announcing our 2003
drive, Mayor Will Kubofcik announced one of his own. The Scouts of Pack
2 still managed to collect 1,282 items of food for local pantries.
One week
after
Pack 2 announced, "Wish Tree 2003,"
Mayor Kubofcik again decided to run his own. My repeated telephone
calls to him were never answered.
Now, I
understand that one of the woman at Borough
Hall, who has worked both hard and tirelessly for the people of
Prospect Park, was not reappointed to her position on January 1.
It is
shameful
and speaks poorly of a man when he
interferes with the good turns which children do, or when he takes
credit for the work of others. Therefore, I would like to give back the
credit to those who have done the work; the offices of the Borough
Clerk and Court Administrator, Councilman Herb Perez, Hose Co. 701, the
boys of Cub Scout Pack 2 and Sue Amoresano.
The
scouts
could not have done these projects without
their help.
As for
Mayor
Will Kubofcik, shame on him.
Ilene Potoak
Cubmaster Cub
Pack 2
Prospect Park
|
|
November 4, 2003 Campaign Literature
PROSPECT PARK - "READY FOR
CHANGE"
ELECT COUNCIL
BELKIS M. DREXLER
& THOMAS F.X. MAGURA
STOP THE WASTE!!
$2 MILLION IN DEBT IN FOUR YEARS/ $300,000 IN EXCESSIVE
LEGAL
FEES
WORSE TAX INCREASES IN HISTORY,
40 POINTS - $600 ON A HOUSE VALUED AT $150,000
HIGH TAXES MEANS HIGH RENTS
$300,000 LOST IN COURT FINES
$10,000 FEE FOR LAWYER TO WRITE ONE ORDINANCE
PROSPERTY VALUES DROP $1 MILLION UNDER THE DEMOCRATS.
- STOP MAYOR KUBOFCIK FROM USING POLICE VEHICLE FOR
PERSONAL
USE.
- MAYOR & COUNCIL DID NOT SUPPORT OUR "TROOPS" IN
THE
MIDDLE EAST AND MANY ARE FROM TOWN.
- ONLY TOWN IN NEW JERSEY THAT DOES NOT MAKE NEW
POLICEMEN
TAKE AN EXAM FOR A $70,000 A YEAR SALARY.
- MAJOR TAX PAYERS LEAVE TOWN - HABAND, CHASE BANK AND
COMPANIES ON EIGHTH STREET.
- WE WILL NOT BE "PUPPETS" FOR THE MAYOR. SEND THEM A
MESSAGE!
VOTE REPUBLICAN - ROW B
YOU DESERVE BETTER!
Paid For By Prospect Park Republicans 2003
|
|
October 30,
2003 Hawthorne Press Letter To The
Editor
THE
RIGHT TO MY OPINION
Dear
Editor,
It seems
that
the Prospect Park Democrats don't like
anyone to disagree with them. On my property, I had campaign signs for
the local Democratic candidates and Senator John Girgenti. In between
them, I put my own sign "For Higher Taxes."
In the
middle
of the night on October 20th, they were
stolen. I have the right to express my opinion that the Democrats have
never seen a tax they didn't like.
If
someone
didn't like my signs, they should have had
the guts to say something to my face, not sneak around in the dark and
tear them down.
Don
White
Prospect Park
|
September 18,
2003 Hawthorne Press Editorial
Prospect
Park Should Take
A Lesson From Hawthorne
... When
Hawthorne
first began televising its council meetings, our
community used to be a laughing stock among surrounding towns for the
political in-fighting. There's still controversy at Hawthorne Council
meetings and while we sometimes grow frustrated at the nitpicking or
lack of action, we are proud to say that municipal sessions are well
run. That goes for all the meetings we cover before the Borough
Council, our community Planning Board, Board of Adjustment and School
Board.
Decorum
at the
Prospect Park council sessions, on the
other hand, is eroding. Monday night, the mayor, who is the presiding
officer in their council form of government, got up from the podium and
left the room twice during the public meeting. Ditto for the borough
attorney and the acting borough clerk. One time, the meeting was
interrupted by a loud cellphone ringing on the podium. Another time, we
heard the acting clerk call out to some man in the audience "Wake up
George."
The
agenda
called for the reading of the audit, which
as one resident pointed out, had 14 serious recommendations telling
what's wrong with the borough's finance office. Neither the audit
recommendations nor the corrective action plan ever got read into the
record as is customary in Hawthorne when the municipal audit is
received. The municipality now has a new treasurer who has to tackle
these issues and residents would like to know how he plans to do so.
But we
did
learn more than we wanted about Mayor Will
Kubofcik's honeymoon to Jamaica and his death-defying dive off the
cliffs at Rick's Cafe. The meetings need a good dose of professionalism.
|
September 11,
2003 Hawthorne Press Letter To The
Editor
Kubofcik
Lawsuits Show The Joke Is On Prospect Park Taxpayers
Dear editor,
I see
that
Mayor Will Kubofcik is being sued, yet
again, for his conduct as a borough official. This time it's the former
police chief who is seeking punitive damages.
I found
it
interesting that the suit alleges that the
mayor took a police vehicle for his personal use. That's on top of
$200,000 to $300,000 in legal fees that's been spent by this
administration since Mayor Kubofcik took office in 1998.
And look
at
what the mayor has done to the police
department. In September 2000, two months before an election, Mayor
Kubofcik initiated a racial profiling study pertaining to the Prospect
Park Police Department.
Some
people
wonder whether these charges were
manufactured to get out the minority vote for Democratic Council
candidates, Hassam Fahmy and Esther Perez.
To date,
no
evidence has ever been found to prove that
any racial profiling existed. Nor did the state attorney general's
office uncover anything.
The mayor
appointed Councilman Thomas Jefferson to
chair a committee to review alleged letters, phone calls and to contact
potential witnesses. Four years later, there has been no report.
The
Borough
Council also hired special counsel at
$10,000 to address this issue. All he ever did was write an ordinance
that made the mayor head of all police operations.
Mayor
Kubofcik
called these latest charges "comical"
but I guess the joke is on the Prospect Park taxpayers who have to foot
the bill.
One day
residents will wake up and see what's happening
at Borough Hall.
Thomas F.X.
Magura
Prospect Park
|
August 7,
2003
Hawthorne Press Letter To The
Editor
Realtor's Use
Of American
Flags Shows Lack Of Proper Respect
Dear
editor,
The 4th
of July
should be a very proud day for
Americans. Independence Day could be the most important day in modern
world history.
As many
residents in Prospect Park proudly displayed
their flags, I noticed that plastic flags were put up all over town by
Prospect Realty. These flags bear the inscription "God Bless America,"
with a business card advertisement attached from Bill Kubofcik, also
the mayor of Prospect Park. Flags were placed all over town and put on
lawns without their property owners' permission. By day's end, the
flags lay drooping on the ground, tangled in shrubs and discarded in
gutters.
The US
Flag
Code says, "The flag should never have
placed upon it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design,
picture or drawing of any nature." It also states, "The flag should
never touch the ground." This is a misdemeanor.
Besides
his
failure to show proper respect for the
flag, Mayor Kubofcik supported a resolution against the War in Iraq. I,
like many others, saw this as an expression of anti-Americanism.
Using a
flag
for a commercial advertisement is just
profane. Mayor Kubofcik again shows a lack of judgment. I think these
actions border on patriotic hypocrisy.
Thomas
F.X.
Magura
|
December 05,
2002
Hawthorne Press Letters To The
Editor
Prospect
Park Council Plays Santa With 16% Raise For Boro
Administrator
Dear editor,
I would
like to
recommend to anyone looking for a job,
whether they are qualified or not, to go to the Borough of Prospect
Park.
The town
just
gave a whopping $5000 (yes, five thousand
dollars) raise to the Borough Administrator, which amounts to 16%.
The
individual,
who seems to be a very nice person, is
not state certified, does not have the education to qualify for the
position, and is on the job for less than a year.
The
average
raise in the current economic climate in
the State
of New Jersey is 1.8%. I have seen reports of public employees getting
amounts
in the 4% to 5% range, but not 16%!
I realize
that
1006 people, out of a population of 5700
residents voted on November 5 to endorse the fiscal mismanagement and
lack of accountability of the current administration. However the day
is coming when the bottom will
fall out and the people of this town will be left holding the perennial
empty
bag.
I guess
Christmas came early for one borough employee.
Anyway, life goes on. Happy holidays to all.
Thomas F.X.
Magura
|
November 6, 2002 Hawthorne Press
Tilcon
Quarry Licensing Hearing Continues On November
13
The continuation of the quarry licensing hearing in Prospect Park
is scheduled for Wednesday, November 13 at 7pm.
The review will focus on additional engineering reports and other
studies which the Tilcon Quarry must provide a part of the licensing
process.
Since the October hearing, the Prospect Park Council has voted
to hire a consultant to do a feasibility study on whether the quarry
can
be designated as an area in need of redevelopment.
Concerning the move, Joyce Watson, public relations director for
Tilcon, issued this statement.
"We were surprised and disappointed to learn about the proposal.
We are now in the review process and don't see any legitimate basis for
the redevelopment / condemnation proposal. Tilcon is deeply concerned
about
this new action by the mayor to shutdown the quarry and we will oppose
it.
We have complied with previous ordinances and have worked diligently
with
the town under the new ordinance, at great expense, to meet the
conditions.
We have been acting in good faith and are disappointed that the Borough
would take such an action even though we have voluntarily supplied them
with their requests including additional escrow funds and a blasting
expert. It would appear that the mayor's personal agenda has taken
precedence over public
interest. Tilcon's intention is to remain in Prospect Park with asphalt
and
recycling operations long after the quarry reserves have been exhausted
and
we will fight vigorously any attempt to take our property and business
away."
|
10/24/02 Hawthorne Press
Letters To The Editor
PROSPECT
PARK NO BETTER OFF AFTER KUBOFCIK'S FIRST TERM
Dear Editor,
As a 30-year
resident
of my community, I have witnessed many
changes in Prospect Park. All my old Dutch neighbors are gone and the
borough
is now a multicultural neighborhood of hardworking people of all races
and religions. The good people who live here are seeking a better life
for their families and themselves. Unfortunately those good people are
being misled.
Greater
than
the change in the population has been the
change in Prospect Park's government. The borough used to be governed
by elected officials who placed the people and the community first in
all decisions.
Four
years ago,
that all stopped. A new group of
officials took office with an impressive list of campaign promises and
voters took the bait. Now all Prospect Park residents are paying for
that mistake
with higher taxes and a depleted surplus.
Mayor
Will
Kubofcik's Faith/Family/Future campaign
flyer
in 1998 listed 30 pledges. His legacy is empty promises on a sheet of
paper.
The
current
administration inherited an efficiently-run
town from Mayor Al Marchitto. Unnecessary meddling into the Municipal
Court and the Police Department has led to lawyers' fees, lawsuits and
county intervention into our court, once one of the best-respected in
the county.
Then
there was
the bogus racial profiling issue
promoted
by the mayor, Councilman Thomas Jefferson and former Councilman Len
Lembo.
Neither the mayor's special police consultant attorney nor his
self-appointed
committee have produced any reports on the racial profiling charges
against
the Prospect Park Police Department. The final outcome was the
departure
of the police chief and another lawsuit against the town. This is how
Mayor
Kubofcik kept his campaign promise to support the police department.
Stabilizing
taxes was an important Kubofcik goal. Taxes
were stable when the mayor took office. There had not been a tax
increase
in six years. Since taking office, the current administration has
raised
taxes 30 points. That's $450 more on a home assessed at $150,000.
Open
government, another promise, was supposed to bring
meetings televised on cable TV and Internet postings of council agendas
and minutes. Instead the people get flyers stuck to their cars every
week for the
latest special meeting or promotion. Prospect Park used to have open
government. Now there is back room politics, executive sessions that
last for hours while the public gets shutout. Minutes aren't even made
available.
As for
resolving issues with the quarry, all I see is
more consultants, more lawsuits and now a pipe dream that tiny Prospect
Park will take over the quarry, one of the largest companies on the
east coast.
Where is
the
money going to come from? The town is
broke. Bills are not being paid on time. This is what happens when
competent, knowledgeable workers in municipal government are replaced
by political allies and cronies.
Mayor
Kubofcik
was able to fool the people who are busy
with their day-to-day lives. Prospect Park is not better off than it
was four years ago. I urge the voters to look at the record and not
make the same mistake in 2002 than they did in 1998.
Joe Bridge
|
October 24,
2002
Hawthorne Press
Counter
Complaints Vs. Kubofcik Over Referendum
Shenanigans
Counter
charges have been filed against Prospect Park
Mayor Will Kubofcik related to campaign shenanigans in the September
24th Manchester referendum.
On
Monday, North Haledon resident Stephen Orsini filed
four motor vehicle complaints and three criminal complaints against
Kubofcik. The motor vehicle complaints include improper use of
emergency lights,
having tinted windows on a vehicle, obstruction of the passage of
another
vehicle and reckless driving. The criminal complaints are criminal
obstruction (blocking public passage), harassment and false swearing.
On
October 1, Kubofcik filed five complaints against
Orsini. The matter was referred to Wayne Municipal Court where that
jurisdiction determined that probable cause existed. The same procedure
has to be followed for Kubofcik before the charges are certified.
All
the complaints stem from an altercation on Sunday,
September 22, two days before the referendum, when Orsini encountered
Kubofcik
and Haledon Councilman Aman Mamkej on Keiller Court. The officials,
along
with Prospect Park Councilman Mohamed Khairullah and Haledon Councilman
Ben Guzman were distributing campaign literature against the referendum
in North Haledon.
North
Haledon Court Administrator, Karen Lomascola
said
charges and counter-charges are usually scheduled to be heard at the
same
time.
|
10/23/02 Shopper News Letters To The Editor
FISCAL
RESPONSIBILITY AND LEADERSHIP
Four
years ago, when I served Prospect Park as a
councilman, the borough was economically stable. We balanced the budget
and made sure there were enough surplus funds available for
emergencies. We hired employees based on their qualifications rather
than their political affiliations. We did not raise taxes. Nor did we
use borough money to fund political vendettas like duplicating
investigations by the attorney general or hiring incompetent
prosecutors. In the past, we accomplished a lot. I don't deserve all
the credit and I don't attempt to take it. I worked with Republicans
and Democrats to get things done.
On
November 5,
the future of Prospect Park may have new
hope. If I am elected mayor, I will balance the budget and eliminate
unnecessary and costly consultants. My goal will be to increase
communication and make the administration accountable to the voters.
Not only will I establish financial and political stability, I will
modernize the police department with federal grants and increase the
integrity of the judicial system. And finally, I plan to focus my
attention on improving community service.
If the
residents of Prospect Park give me their trust,
I will
honor it. And if they give me the opportunity to lead, I will lead. I
hope
the voters of Prospect Park share my vision. I ask that they give my
team
the opportunity to serve them by voting. Dashoka, Magura, Drexler on
November
5.
Waeil
Dashoka
Candidate for
Mayor
Prospect Park
|
10/06/02 Bergen Record Letters To The Editor
WHAT
PROSPECT PARK REALLY WANTS?
As a North Haledon resident, I was pleased to see the quote
from Prospect Park Mayor Will Kubofcik Sept. 27 after the referendum
that "there has been a clear mandate from Prospect Park residents to
request North Haledon to stay" even though North Haledon residents want
to leave Manchester Regional High School.
("Losers in Manchester voted aren't giving up yet," Page L-1,
Sept. 27).
Would this Prospect Park be the same Prospect Park that
contains Hofstra Park where I went to walk my dog and was given two
tickets by Prospect Park Police because I live in North Haledon and am
not a resident? It was only because I contacted the ACLU and they
stepped in that these tickets were dropped.
That ordinance is unconstitutional, but Prospect Park will
not repeal
it.
Obviously what Kubofcik really wants is North Haledon
property taxes
- not residents.
Steve Wallis
North Haledon, Oct.1
|
05-23-02 Hawthorne Press pg. 14
Few
Questions About Municipal Budget At Prospect Park
Hearing
With
no increase in taxes for the 2002 municipal
budget, there was minimal discussion about the fiscal plan at the May
13th public hearing.
Borough
resident Helen Donohue had specific questions about
several line accounts including one on pensions which are budgeted at
$910 compared to $25,000 last year.
Municipal
Auditor Jim Cerullo said the pension fund had been
overvalued so only minimal funding was required this year.
"Next
year we'll probably have to charge that account," he
said.
Jack
Witham questioned how residents could comment about the
budget when they weren't even familiar with it. The budget was
introduced at a special meeting on March 25th.
"We
only have to advertise a summary," said Cerullo about
the legal
notice in the newspaper. "Whoever wants a copy of the budget can get it
free
from the clerk."
Witham
suggested the budget be put on the website and that
the council make a concerted effort to inform the public about it.
"I
feel slighted," said Witham also complaining that he had
not been notified about a town meeting on the quarry held earlier that
day. "I'm here every month and I didn't know about the budget."
After
approving an amendment, the 2002 budget was adopted
4-0. The tax levy totals $2,016,784.
|
05-23-02 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor pg.
4
Jose Panjota Refutes Mendoza
Dear editor,
Statements by Emma Mendoza, printed in recent area
newspaper accounts of a press conference held by Democratic Vice
Chairman Len
Lembo, needs to be refuted. She alleges that she was signing a petition
for me to run for school board when it was actually a petition for Jay
Birch's primary challenge. I was already on the ballot in the school
board
race. I did not mislead anyone nor did I put a sign for Birch on her
lawn.
This type of unethical behavior will not be tolerated and may
result in action to recover damages. Clearly Ms. Mendoza was
ill-advised by someone.
Her statements damaged my name, a name of integrity, honesty
and pride that supporters can count on.
The statement of Donna Matarrese at the same press conference
was irrelevant. Her signature and the signature of Angel Pegan were
crossed off Jay Birch's petition before it was submitted. Therefore
they have no relevant interest in the validity of Mr. Birch's petition.
In order to prevent future occurrences like this, I intend to
create a Hispanic Organization so Prospect Park's Hispanic community
can be better represented.
Jose Pantoja
Prospect Park |
05-16-02 Hawthorne Press
Faso Suing Borough For Back
Pay
The Borough of Prospect Park and Mayor Kubofcik are facing
another lawsuit. Former Police Chief George Faso is suing for more than
$100,000 in unused sick leave, vacation days and salary and benefits
owed to
him.
Faso, left last June after 11 years as head of the Prospect
Park Police Department. As of the effective date of his retirement
(September 1), the chief contends that he had accumulated 180 sick
days, 162 vacation days, 51 personal days and 13 holidays.
The suit charges that "the borough and Kubofcik have
improperly and without basis, failed and refused to recognize Chief
Faso's entitlement to compensation" for these unused days.
Kubofcik's line item veto of Faso's salary and longevity
was motivated "by a personal animosity held by Defendant Kubofcik
towards Chief Faso and is based solely on political harassment, malice
and
recklessness on the part of the Defendant Kubofcik," states Faso's
complaint.
|
05-16-02 Hawthorne Press - Editor's Notebook pg. 4
Prospect
Park lawsuit against mayoral challenger ... what
an outrage ...
The
lawsuit initiated by the Borough of Prospect Park
against Democrat challenger for mayor Jay Birch, paid for with tax
dollars, involving the borough attorney and deputy borough clerk for
blatant
political purpose, was an outrage.
Even after the
municipality withdrew the suit just before
last
Thursday's hearing in Superior Court, the Democratic Party's vice chair
Len
Lembo held a press conference at Borough Hall to try to spin it into a
victory.
We can just
imagine
what voters in Hawthorne would have said
or done last year had Mayor Fred Criscitelli and two incumbent council
members tried to use the borough clerk and the borough attorney to
keep mayoral challenger, former Councilman John Lane, and his HERO
slate
off the GOP Primary ballot. You would have heard the screams all the
way to Prospect Park.
Yet, in our
neighboring community, this ploy has been
perpetrated on a public that seems unconcerned about paying for a
lawsuit that
should properly have been filed by the Prospect Park Democratic Party.
Mayor Will
Kubofcik,
who wears another hat as the Borough
Democratic Leader, blurs the lines between municipal government and
partisan
politics and his followers can't tell the difference.
In Hawthorne,
North
Haledon and Haledon, the municipal clerks
know their jobs and would never be pressured into attempting to
challenge any candidate in Superior Court. In the true non-partisan
fashion, they treat all candidates fairly while making sure that the
petitions are
filed properly.
The attempt to
keep
Birch off the ballot has again made the
Borough of Prospect Park a laughing stock within Passaic County.
Since the
departure
of the borough clerk on January 15, the
operations of municipal business have suffered a setback. For weeks,
the recording in the clerk's office just kept taking our unanswered
calls until one day the message said the voice mailbox was full. We
haven't heard the Borough Council approve a single set of minutes for
the first quarter
of 2002 who's taking care of the records for the past four months.
A modicum of
professionalism has been restored by the new
acting borough clerk but even his appointment has been called into
question. State law allows an uncertified person to be appointed
provided that appointment is made within 90 days of the municipal
clerk's departure. We were told by Mayor Kubofcik that former Clerk
Wanda Santiago left
on January 15; her replacement was appointed on April 26.
Anyone who has
seen
the brief filed by Birch's attorney, John
Carbone, an expert in election law, can conclude Prospect Park's suit
was withdrawn because it had no merit.
What we still
can't
understand is how this lawsuit got filed
in the first place. It sure makes the incumbent mayor look like he's
afraid to face a challenge for his party's nomination.
|
05-16-02 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor pg.
4
Quarry Is Not The Bogey Man
Dear editor,
A ploy used by politicians, come election time, is to
create a bogey man. I'm not talking about the one, that as children,
was
thought to be hidden in the closet or under the bed. No, this bogey
man is the person or thing that the politicians must save the voters
from. Mayor Will Kubofcik has created his in the form of Tilcon Quarry,
a business that has been in Prospect Park for 100 years.
I attended a staged "town meeting" on May v13 at the
municipal
building. The mayor was there accompanied by Dick Cushing, the attorney
representing the borough against the quarry.
Also in attendance was the borough engineer with an assistant
and two councilmen along with some 40 hand selected residents. No
representative from Tilcon was present.
The mayor monopolized the meeting, displaying charts and
pictures of the quarry; warning the public of future blastings that
would rock their world. He again told the story of how he almost single
handedly defeated legislation that would have placed mining and quarry
control
in the hands of the state rather than under the municipalities. At the
moment I thought I saw the bogey man in the room.
Councilman Hassan Fahmy, the self-proclaimed "money man" of
the borough, along with the mayor, gave a presentation on quarry taxes
compared to residential taxes which made no sense at all.
Next came Counselor Cushing claiming that the borough was not
trying to close the quarry down. Maybe he should read the April 12th
edition of The Record with an account of how the borough lost
its lawsuit to do just that. Counselor Cushing advised residents to
keep
personal records of their complaints with the quarry operations: dust,
blasting, cracks in walls.
Finally, the meeting was opened to the public for a limited
time. Concerns about noise, dust, blasting and truck traffic were
voiced. Some residents were concerned about health issues claiming
their children suffer from asthma. As the mayor promised he would
address all these
concerns, I thought I saw the bogey man smile.
Some of the most vocal complaints were about the way the
meeting was publicized. One man questioned why he had a flyer stuffed
in his mailbox that day for a 5:30pm meeting. Another woman echoed his
complaint.
The mayor said the borough was trying to reach residents
around the quarry who had prior complaints. The mayor said he was
trying
to save money on mailings.
I have issues with the way this meeting was advertised. No
flyer was hand delivered to my house. No messages were posted on the
municipal bulletin board. The hand out letter is dated May 1st. Why the
delay
in notifying the public? What good is a meeting on the quarry without
a representative from the quarry present to answer citizens concerns.
If the borough is willing to spend thousands of dollars on
lawyers and engineers to fight the quarry, why don't the borough
administration sit down with the quarry and address the complaints of
the residents.
The quarry is not the bogey man. It is a business and nothing
more. Mayor Will Kubofcik ill serves the public by promoting fear of
the
quarry. Only open dialogue between municipal officials and the quarry
will bring a resolution to this problem.
The impact of the quarry's operations is of major importance
to the entire community. The mayor called it a town meeting and
neglected to invite the whole town.
Joseph Bridge
Prospect Park
|
05-16-02 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor pg.
4
Prospect
Park Citizens Did Not Consent To Lawsuit Vs
Birch
Dear
editor,
The
manner by which the administration of Prospect Park has
conducted itself continues to blossom into an unadulterated
embarrassment. Most recently, those representing the borough initiated
legal action to disenfranchise the voting citizens by seeking to
exclude Paul 'Jay' Birch from the primary ballot. Although Birch had
rectified certain procedural anomalies effiently and thoroughly, the
borough still sought to revoke the constitutional rights of the voters
to make their own choices.
The
government has no right to interfere with strictly
political matters.
There
is a big difference between political theory and the
governmental institution. Politics involves all the activity relating
to a campaign which ideally ceases once a candidate is positioned in a
role of authority or otherwise.
By
pursuing a court order, the borough assumed the
responsiblity of representing all the citizens in an political action
by which not everyone had consented to. Resembling Passaic County
government from the last few years, we now see a situation where
government resources are
being utilized to gain an unfair advantage. Personal political agendas
need to be settled outside of the realm of government since it is a
personal matter and not a municipal one.
If
there is a challenge to a political process, it needs to
come from an individual, political party or organization. It should
never derive from an impartial goverment body.
Mark
Snyder
Prospect
Park
|
04-18-02 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor pg.
4
Accountability
From
The Quarry Is Crucial; So Is Direct
Communication
Dear
editor,
I was surprised
to
hear that the Borough of Prospect Park has
filed suit seeking to shut down Tilcon Quarry. Let me begin by
commending Mayor Will Kubofcik for bringing the issue of accountability
by the quarry to the forefront. It is well that Prospect Park focuses
on the future
of that unique property. I am alarmed, however, at the direction the
mayor has taken in this matter. Shutting the quarry down, levying daily
fines
and withholding operating permits does not seem prudent or realistic. I
was particularly appalled to read that the borough has severed direct
communications with Tilcon. As a Democratic candidate for mayor, here
is my view.
1. It is never
prudent to stop talking. Direct communication
builds trust and confidence. It is also less expensive than paying
lawyers to talk on behalf of the municipality.
2. Initiating
litigation to stop the quarry from operating is
not in the best interest of Prospect Park. Local property taxes will
increase at a time when the community is ill-equipped to cover the loss
of its biggest taxpayer ($187,000 per year). Daily fines appear
punitive and counterproductive.
3. Considering
the
fragile state of the economy in north
Jersey what is the sense of closing down an operation that keeps
thousands of road crews, construction companies, truck drivers and
others at work. Consider the ripple effect this would have on housing
and local businesses.
4. If it will
cost
tens of millions to reclaim the Tilcon
Quarry when the rock is all gone, why would the mayor want to put them
out of business.
While I was a
councilman and a member of the Planning Board,
I always
found Tilcon Quarry to be a responsible taxpayer and a good neighbor.
The
company's mission statements encompasses the ideal "to give back to our
communities"
and there is ample evidence of that.
I challenge the
quarry's leadership to meet their commitment
"to enhance quality of life" through negotiations. I propose that the
community immediately resume direct communications, working
hand-in-hand with the quarry, engineers and entrepreneurs to find a
solution.
I see the
eventual
slowdown of the quarry as a potential
opportunity for Prospect Park to prosper. There are numerous industrial
or recreational opportunities that could be attracted to the site.
Accountability
from
the quarry is extremely important to
Prospect Park. I simply see a different path, one that nourishes a
can-do approach instead of non-productive threats.
Paul
"Jay"
Birch
|
04-18-02 Hawthorne Press Letter To The Editor pg.
4
Prospect
Park
Officials Meddle In BOE Election;
Ignore The Budget
Dear
editor,
I
find it ironic, laughable, but, for the most part, a
sorry state of borough affairs when Mayor Will Kubofcik and council
members strongly support school board candidates. They think it is more
important to instruct voters on how to vote their choice of candidates
into office, yet they disregard the budget questions.
That's
right. Candidates Samira Kat, Kathy Esquiche and Jose
Panoja distributed Sample Voting Machine Ballots that instructed voters
to "Vote by the numbers, follow steps: 1 through 6." They took care to
number and highlight the steps to record a vote for a write-in
candidate for Manchester along with how to cast ballots for Esquiche
and Pantoja, but failed to highlight and remind the voters about two
very important questions, the regional and local school budgets. This
demonstrates where their priorities (or lack of) are.
I
voted for Pamela Eruhow, Craig Jolliffe and Al
Demarest who have, for many years, demonstrated that their priorities
are for the benefit of the students and the community. Their countless
number of hours of dedication and work have resulted in the building
addition consisting of more classrooms, a new media center, a new full
size gymnasium and the expanded curriculum.
All
of this was accomplished while maintaining a stable
school budget and without increasing property taxes to the homeowners.
Those are the priorities that I am thankful for, and they got my vote.
Thomas
Spencer
Prospect Park
|
02-28-02 Hawthorne Press Letter To The
Editor pg. 4
Self Promotion In P.P.
Community
Calendar Shows Poor
Judgment
Dear Editor,
I wholeheartedly agree with Tom Magura's letter to the
editor, "Prospect Park 2002 calendar missing its "community element,"
(Hawthorne Press, February 14), pointing out Mayor Will Kubofcik's use
of the Prospect Park 2002 Calendar for his personal agenda, instead of
its intended purpose: as an informational source for the promotion and
benefit of all the people and groups residing in Prospect Park, not
just the mayor's chosen few.
I was very disappointed when I viewed the calendar and
saw the array of photographs featuring the mayor, his political pals
and many non-borough events. The overwhelming number of photographs of
himself is evidence of Mayor Kubofcik's use of the borough's 2002
calendar for self-promotion. Of the 17 pages in the calendar with
photos, the mayor is featured on 12 of them, and he also takes photo
credit
for one in which he does not appear: "Picture by Mayor William
Kubofcik."
His decision to include his Ground Zero photo on the
last page of the calendar shows poor judgment, and makes me wonder if
the mayor understands the adage; It is not how far you go in life that
matters. Its is how you get there.
Thomas H. Spencer
Prospect Park
|
02-21-02 Hawthorne Press
$31,407 TRANSFERRED INTO LEGAL FEES
A budget transfer resolution moved $31,407 from
various accounts in the 2001 into the lone account to cover legal fees.
|
02-21-02 Hawthorne Press
FENCE HEIGHTS CAN NOW BE SIX FEET IN PROSPECT PARK
At it's February 11th meeting, the Prospect Park
Council adopted new rules regulating fence heights over the objection
of Board of Adjustment Chairman George Aupperlee.
The new rules allow fences to be six foot high at the rear
or side
of a property.
"If you allow everyone to put up six foot fences, the town's
going to look like a stockade," said Aupperlee. "Is this being done for
the convenience of one person or does it affect everyone."
Councilman Pasquale Tirri replied that a fence would
still have to be four feet in the front and could not exceed that
height on a corner lot.
"I understand that," said Aupperlee reiterating his
objection.
"There are other changes, mainly aesthetic," said
Mayor Will
Kubofcik.
"The fence must be one color. The height is regulated
and the maintenance is regulated.
|
02-20-02 The Shopper News Letter to the Editor
pg. H-17
RESIDENT ASSAILS MAYOR'S RECORD
Dear Editor:
The last few weeks in Prospect Park have probably
been some
of the darkest moments in borough history. What is happening under the
mayorship
of Bill Kubofcik? Financial ruin! Scandal! The destruction of the
infrastructure
of the administrative functions of the local government and losses in
the
hundreds of thousands of dollars by our court.
Mayor Billy Kubofcik has produced an ever-growing
debt that
has exceeded a million dollars, the largest tax increases in history
and
spending on legal services.
Now we have his latest fiasco with the borough clerk
resigning and his failure to reappoint Ms. Judy Critchley as a
consultant.
This means that paper work is not being done, phones not
answered, deadlines missed, bills go unpaid and the daily business of
government is not being performed.
Also, we have a council with five of the six members
with one year experience or less. The sixth member has two years in
office.
We are in serious trouble!
Mayor Billy Kubofcik had better wake up and realize that he
is in over his head and consider moving on and getting along with his
life's work.
The borough is in a perilous situation and if it continues
we may
be moving in the direction where the state comes in and takes over the
town.
The borough has a weak mayor, strong council form of
government under New Jersey statutes. However, it looks like we have a
mayor and muppets structure instead.
I have lived my whole life in Prospect Park, except
for my Army and college years, and have never seen anything like these
current conditions.
The people of the town should be very alarmed
and begin to take an interest in what is happening.
Thomas F.X. Magura
Prospect Park |
02-14-02 Hawthorne Press Letter to the Editor
PROSPECT PARK 2002 CALENDAR
MISSING IT'S "COMMUNITY" ELEMENT
Dear editor,
The 2002 Prospect Park Community Calendar should be
renamed the Bill Kubofcik and Friends Re-election Campaign Calendar. It
had 12 pictures of Mayor Kubofcik, from his opening of the Egyptian
Museum in Paterson to a handshake with former President Bill Clinton. I
counted three pictures of Sheriff Jerry Speziale, seven each of
Councilman Hassan Fahmy and Councilwoman Esther Perez, along with other
well-known Democrats, Congressman Bill Pascrell, Senator Jon Corzine,
Democrat County Chairman John Currie.
Last year was Prospect Park's Centennial Year.
Numerous photos were taken of these celebrations. 2001 also marked the
start of a new school construction project, the delivery of a new fire
truck, picnics, youth events and other activities involving the
citizens who live here.
Instead of photos related to hometown happenings, I
see Paterson parades, New York's former police commissioner and other
out-of-town events.
The calendar lists Islamic holidays, Passover and
Christmas. That is inclusive but there's no mention of board of
education meetings, either for Prospect Park or Manchester
Regional.
Memorial Day, one of America's most significant
patriotic holidays, was also omitted as was St. Patrick's Day.
I did not think it was appropriate to feature Mayor
Kubofcik at Ground Zero on the back cover. These photo-ops appear to be
for political reasons, as the mayor is up for re-election this year.
The only photo missing was one of Mayor Kubofcik greeting
extraterrestrials.
The spirit of the "community" calendar was violated
by turning
it into a Democratic political propaganda piece. It says a great deal
about
the character of the people who hold public office in Prospect Park.
Thomas F.X. Magura
Prospect Park
|
August 31,
2000
Hawthorne Press Letter To The
Editor
Joe Pepe
responds to
Kubofcik
Dear
editor,
I feel that I
must
respond to the allegations that Mayor Will
Kubofcik
made about me and my family at a Monday night's council meeting. He
again
twisted the meaning. The point of the e-mail that be read was to remind
the
mayor that he is to work for all the people of Prospect Park, no matter
what
their ethnic background. This includes the whites. Afro-Americans,
Hispanics
and Muslims. A public official needs to represent all the people. For
years,
my wife Muriel and I have worked with local families and their ,
children
in recreation programs and the Municipal Alliance Committee. Our
volunteer
record speaks for itself. We welcome all children regardless of their
ethnic
background.
When we collect
food
or toys for needy families, we don't ask
about
the heritage of the recipient. When parents were having a difficult
time
with their children, Muriel and I have taken those kids into our home,
not
Mayor Kubofcik or Councilman Jefferson. Since the mayor has previously
praised
the work that we do, I know that his decision to read this e-mail out
of
context, was nothing more than a political ploy to attempt to destroy
our
reputations in anticipation of the next election. Mayor Kubofcik knows
that
we have done more for the people of Prospect Park than he will ever do.
By
selecting candidates for office because of their ethnicity, Mayor
Kubofcik
is demonstrating that he made a racial decision. What he should be
doing
as a leader in the community is picking the best qualified person for
the
job; someone who will help the town regardless of that person's race.
People
of all races and backgrounds will catch on to the mayor's game when hs
gets
the higher office he craves and forgets about the people of Prospect
Park.
The mayor insults the intelligence of every resident by promising so
much
and not delivering.
Joe Pepe
|
|
