Dear Editor:

Bergenfield’s Family Fun Day began with rain and more rain, with staff and attendees huddled under the pavilion at Memorial Park.

After a short period of sky-watching — and a lot of silent prayers — we were treated to brilliant sunshine.

The crowd grew to approximately 3,000 people. Families strolling, children enjoying the rides, the cotton candy and the snow cones, all listening to the music, and tasting the array of specialty foods from the vendors.

The grand finale of fireworks was accompanied by the oohs and aahs of an appreciative audience.

An event of this magnitude could not have been put together without the concerted efforts of many.

Special thanks to the Borough administrator and all the administrative departments, the police department, the fire department, the volunteer ambulance corps, EMS, the Bergenfield Department of Public Works and the recreation department.

Additional thanks to all the volunteers from many of our borough departments and organizations.

Lastly, thank you to all the many donors without whose financial contributions this day could not have occurred.

I hope everyone who attended enjoyed themselves, and I look forward to a bigger and better celebration next year.

Councilman Rob Gillman

Bergenfield

 

Hiring of clerk sparks ‘déjà vu’

Dear Editor:

With another headline about further theft by our former tax clerk, it made me wonder what steps were taken in the hiring of a replacement tax clerk.

So, at the June 24 council meeting, I asked if the new tax clerk was bonded. I was informed by the mayor that the new clerk was covered under a bond from the town in which she had worked previously, but that had run out.

Then the mayor informed me that, in trying to get the person bonded to insure the safety of our tax money, it was discovered that the new person had bad credit and could not be bonded.

As Yogi Berra said, "déjà vu all over again."

So I asked about the fate of this tax clerk. The mayor assured me she is not in the tax office anymore. In fact, a new job was created for her.

Now let’s add up the score — $2 million in new spending since January, and now we create a new job where none was before.

Gee, did anyone consider doing a background check before hiring this person. And once burned, why keep them?

Sincerely,

Diana Flagg

Bergenfield

 

Friendly ‘hands’ a political ploy

Dear Editor:

Following their victory in the June 3 Democratic primary, the two successful candidates published a letter in your Sounding Off column.

They thanked voters for their support, and went on to attack me for what they called unfair policies and fiscal irresponsibility, which they left undefined.

I thought it a bit strange that they would attack a sitting Democratic mayor who presides over a complete and total Democratic council.

Regardless, I was happy to read the following paragraph from their letter, and I quote in its entirety.

"Despite the major differences within our party, we would like to extend our hands in friendship to the ‘Real Democrats’ in an effort to unify the party for the general election. Just like our national party, it is time to repair the wounds of a contentious primary battle."

On June 12, I responded to what I thought was a sincere effort to resolve differences. I pointed out some of the problems I had when I tried to a similar thing last year in the following paragraphs of my letter.

I’m sure Carlos [Aquasvivas] remembers the incident. It happened at a meeting held at Cooper’s Pond following last year’s primary. All members of the municipal committee and elected officials received letter invitations and most attended.

At that meeting, we asked for cooperation and unity for the coming November election, and essentially were told emphatically by the municipal chairman, Elaine Rabbitt, that she, or none of those she controlled, would ever do anything to help us in November election.

In addition, with encouragement from Kevin Clancy and Elaine, a sitting Democratic councilman, Dennis Mulligan, ran a write-in campaign for mayor in an effort to siphon off our supporters. Clancy made a point of working with Dennis when he passed out fliers at the post office on Saturday mornings, which certainly did nothing for party unity.

I hoped that we had gotten beyond all this with some new faces and ideas, but found that I was sadly mistaken.

Through phone calls with Mr. Tully, I soon discovered that neither of the candidates was sincere in their "hands in friendship" comment, and that is was only a ploy to appear magnanimous in victory.

According to Mr. Tully, they will not meet with me except in the presence of others, who apparently tell them what they are allowed to say.

Unfortunately for Bergenfield, Boss Clancy seems to be pulling their strings.

Sincerely,

Mayor Timothy J Driscoll

Bergenfield

 

Family Fun Day-1, Mother Nature-0

Dear Editor:

Persistence paid off!

No rain was going to make Bergenfield’s first annual Family Fun Day a washout.

Though the skies opened up and dropped a river of water for a while, the skies turned blue and sunny for the remainder of the day as the event was not to be missed.

All smiles were accounted for, and the glory of the evening ended the day with a fantastic fireworks display to light up our hearts, showing all of Bergenfield’s "pride in our town: once again.

Congratulations to all the committees, volunteers, local clubs, food vendors and entertainment who made this first annual Family Fun Day such a wonderful event and success.

Jeanne Benestante

Bergenfield

Theft questions go unanswered

Dear Editor:

I was appalled to read that Bergenfield’s former tax clerk had stolen an additional $40,000 from the taxpayers, on top of the $196,000 previously reported.

But I am outraged that our town’s officials have not been forthcoming with information about this crime.

Thanks to the Bergen County prosecutor and the press we know of the thefts, but the mayor and council remain stoically silent, despite numerous pleas at their meetings.

Although Bergenfield residents may not yet be entitled to know how the thefts were accomplished, the taxpayers have an absolute right to know what steps our governing body has taken to ensure that this never happens again.

Have the mayor and council insisted that all Borough employees who handle our money be bonded? No comment.

Have they made sure that the new tax clerk is bonded? No comment.

Have they mandated that borough cash receipts be audited on a daily or weekly basis? No comment.

Where did the failures occur in the oversight of the disgraced tax clerk? No comment.

These vital questions have no bearing on the criminal case, but our elected officials hide behind a veil of secrecy and refuse to answer them, denying taxpayers the confidence they need in Bergenfield’s government. Why?

Alfred Roberts

Bergenfield

 

Power of ballot will never fail us

Dear Editor:

The previous clarification point of Theresa Morris [Twin-Boro News, June 18] is well taken.

Apparently, there are those aspiring to be public servants who carried themselves to the extreme insulting others with stultifying shibboleths and degrading names with the intent to humiliate or character assassinate with utter lack of respect when reason has failed, an anathema in any civilized society, let alone in a model one like ours.

Politics is beautiful, but it is dirty.

Politicians try to make their rivals look undesirable compared to them. They have a ready bagful of dirty tricks and a cocktail of intrigues; and they promise virtually anything we want to hear just to gain our votes. They even easily change their colors just to look favorable to the voting milieu for selfish motivations.

These politicians insult our intelligence; they think we are stupid.

Now that we know how they really look like, their real personalities, judging from their past performances and track records, it is now our turn to make a strong statement without saying a word.

Come voting time, let us remember the importance of that very private little voting booth. Therein lies our greatest power, the power of the ballot, the power to decide.

But again, as a great Uncle once said, from great power comes great responsibility.

Responsibility also means the ability to respond to any given situation, to the needs and relevant issues of the times. Responsibility to ourselves, our conscience and to the other people in our society, so let us not fail them and ourselves.

It is time to be the judge, the jury and executioner, so to speak.

For those who did not perform well during their tenure after being elected, "Adios,"

By now we should be able to discern the insincere and the hypocrites.

To be effective voters, we need to be well-informed and educated to make the right choice.

Let the past be a warning. We will stay away from the candidates whom we know to have previously lined their pockets or their cronies’ with the taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

We will shun the candidate who does not understand the basic theory of budgeting, that if we spend more than we earn or spend what we have not yet earned, there is going to be big-time overdraft and chaos.

And we will not abstain from voting either, because if we do so, someone else will win anyway. That is not the right thing to do because we refuse to exercise our fundamental right.

If we are in a dilemma, in the worst case, when we are confronted with unfavorable choices, we will vote for him who gives us fewer problems.

Human nature is such that perfection is always something to be desired. Be that as it may, between two evils, choosing the lesser evil is always the better philosophy.

We are rest assured though that there will always be good candidates — not perfect perhaps, but good.

Finally, let us remember that we live in an imperfect world, within an imperfect society.

Some candidates fooled us before; shame on them. If they can do it again, shame on us.

We are proud to be Americans, living with the blessings of our Founding Fathers and all the lives sacrificed for our freedom.

Let us not fail them, and we can say so without uttering a word.

Rome R. Ibera

Dumont