IRVINGTON — Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Irvington police Director Tracy Bowers announced on Monday, Nov. 24, that the Irvington Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force are investigating a fatal shooting in Irvington.
On Sunday, nov. 23, at approximately 11:10 p.m., Timothy Anderson, Jr., 26, of Hillside was shot multiple times in the 800 block of Stuyvesant Avenue. He was pronounced dead at 11:33 p.m.

The incident is being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Irvington Police Department. The investigation is active and ongoing, according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly.

No arrests have been made. No suspects have been identified at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Task Force detectives at 877-847-7432.

IRVINGTON — An Irvington man was sentenced on Tuesday, Nov. 18, to 57 months in prison for using stolen identities to file false tax returns and obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax refund checks, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Hakeem Awe, 40, of Irvington, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to two counts of an indictment charging him with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Judge Linares imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Awe used stolen names, Social Security numbers and other personally identifying information to file false tax returns, using fictitious financial information to make it appear that the filer was entitled to a tax refund. Awe also listed the filer’s address as one of several post office boxes that he controlled in and around New Jersey. He received the checks at his post office boxes and then deposited them into bank accounts that he controlled.

In addition to the prison term, Linares sentenced Awe to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $1,242,047.
Fishman credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, with the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen in Newark, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the direction of Inspector in Charge Maria L. Kelokates, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew J. Bruck of the Organized Crime/Gang Unit and Jacques S. Pierre of the Special Prosecutions Division, both of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.

Mayor Tony Vauss, right, stands in front of tables of Irvington seniors who attended a Thanksgiving luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at the Irvington Senior Citizen Center. More than 150 seniors enjoyed the meal.

IRVINGTON — Mayor Tony Vauss and the Irvington Chamber of Commerce hosted more than 150 Irvington seniors for a luncheon at the Irvington Senior Citizen Center on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The mayor and Councilwoman Sandra Jones gave away a turkey, chicken or cornish hen to each of the attendees to take home.

“Seniors are an important part of our community and a focus of my administration.” said Vauss. “It was a pleasure watching them enjoy their meals and receive their turkeys and chickens to take home. I stayed the entire time and socialized with them.”

The president of the Irvington Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Thomas Panitch, greeted the seniors. Girls Scouts from Irvington and some of their leaders helped pass out the food, as did volunteers from the chamber.

“It is a blessing to see so many seniors eating and laughing. It is the goal of the mayor and Division on Senior Citizens to provide days and activities like this one, where our elders can enjoy themselves and be healthy,” said Dr. Stephanie R. Bush-Baskette, director of Health for the Township. The Division on Senior Services is part of the Department of Health.

IRVINGTON — Mayor Tony Vauss announced on Tuesday, Dec. 2, that noted attorney Michael Critchley Sr. of the law firm Critchley, Kinum and Vazquez in Roseland will handle his legal defense against the civil suit charging sexual harassment and hostile work environment recently filed in Newark Superior Court by Tamara Smith, a Public Works Department employee.

Vauss declined to comment on this news because he is directly involved in the ongoing lawsuit. Smith also named the township of Irvington as a defendant in her litigation, and township attorney Ramon Rivera will be handling the municipality’s defense until an outside attorney is retained.

According to the records on file at the Essex County Courthouse and the Hall of Records in downtown Newark, Smith’s lawsuit was filed on Monday, Oct. 20. The docket number for the case is L-7401-14 and, as of Tuesday, Oct. 21, Judge Michael J. Nelson has been assigned as the pretrial judge for the case.
Attorney Paul Castronovo of the Castronovo & McKinney law firm in Morristown is representing Smith. According to Castronovo’s secretary, he was not available for comment about either his client’s lawsuit or statements made by Critchley about the case as the Irvington Herald went to press this week.

Rivera said he has no public comment on the lawsuit because it is an ongoing legal matter. However, he has already gone on the record stating all municipal elected officials and employees are entitled to a legal defense at the township’s expense because New Jersey State law and local statute stipulate “any department head, elected official or any employee that is sued in their capacity as an employee is entitled to a defense which the township will provide.”
Rivera said there is not much more he could say on the record about the Smith case at this time.

“Yes I am aware that there was a lawsuit filed by Tamara Smith,” said Rivera on Monday, Nov. 10. “And, unfortunately, we cannot make a comment on this matter, as it is pending litigation. And we cannot comment as to anything or any other allegations made in the complaint.”

But Critchley described the lawsuit on Tuesday, Dec. 2, as “a completely baseless and fabricated shakedown filed as political retribution.”

“On May 13, 2014, Mayor Tony Vauss won a historical election,” said Critchley in a press release issued Tuesday, Dec. 2 by Stephanie Bush-Baskette, the Irvington Department of Health director and aide to the mayor. “Before Vauss’ victory, several of his opponent’s supporters, including Tamara Smith’s husband, Carl Brown, engaged in conduct apparently carried out in an effort to prevent Mayor Vauss from winning the election. These acts included, among other things, Carl Brown, husband of Tamara Smith, issuing a bogus summons to Mayor Vauss concerning placement of Mayor Vauss’ campaign signs.”
“This and other conduct gave rise to a lawsuit filed by Mayor Vauss in April 2014 against Carl Brown and others, charging them with defamation, negligence, civil conspiracy and breach of fair dealing,” said Critchley in the release.

“The lawsuit is still pending. Following Mayor Vauss’ victory, it appears that some of his opponent’s supporters, unhappy with the election results, have resorted to transparent retaliation. This retaliation includes Tamara Smith’s ridiculous sexual assault lawsuit filed against Mayor Vauss.”

“The allegations against Mayor Vauss are completely baseless,” said Critchley. “The fake charges should be seen for what they are, a plain and simple shakedown attempt filed and publicized as political retribution against Mayor Vauss. The false and malicious allegations will be vigorously and successfully defended.”

IRVINGTON — The Irvington Municipal Council members voted 7-0 to give themselves at least a $20,000 salary increase each on the ordinance’s second reading on Tuesday, Nov. 25, as it had done on the first reading Wednesday, Nov. 12.

A $30,000 pay raise for Mayor Tony Vauss was also approved on second reading on Tuesday, Nov. 25, also unanimously.
Township Clerk Harold Wiener said the last time the council approved a salary ordinance involving elected officials was Aug. 10, 2006 and, since then, their salaries had not changed.

“The previous salary was council member, $20,000; council first vice president and second vice president, $21,000; and council president, $22,000, and the mayor’s salary was $80,000,” said Wiener on Tuesday, Nov. 18. “In the current proposed salary ordinance, council members would make $40,000; council first vice president and second vice president would make $41,000; and council president, $42,000. And the mayor’s salary would be $116,400.”

Wiener said the council approved the 2006 salary increase for elected officials for former Mayor Wayne Smith with a $40,000 raise that took him from $40,000 to $80,000 annually.

“This time around, the increase was for $20,000 across the board,” said Wiener on Tuesday, Dec. 2. “It establishes new salaries for the mayor and council. It goes into effect after the final publication of the ordinance, which is Thursday, Dec. 4. It takes effect 20 days after that, which would be Dec. 24.”

North Ward Councilman David Lyons has been known for years as a staunch opponent of the old Team Irvington social and political organization, founded by D. Bilal Beasley, a former council president and former Essex County freeholder, and Essex County Freeholder-elect Lebby Jones, also a former councilwoman. Lyons was often the only dissenting vote on a council dominated by Team Irvington.

Beasley and Jones did not run for re-election earlier this year, and reportedly had eased out of politics, although Beasley is currently employed as an aide to Vauss, with an annual salary of $56,286, and Jones is set to be sworn in as one of the newest freeholders in January.

According to Wiener, Beasley’s salary was set by Vauss based on the municipal salary guide at the council’s reorganization meeting on July 1. Jones won her new office at the polls in the statewide General Election on Nov. 4.

Lyons has said on the record that he was one of the driving forces behind the recent push to increase the mayor’s and council’s salaries, and Council President Charnette Frederic credited Lyons for bringing the issue of the disparity in their compensation, relative to neighboring towns such as Newark and East Orange, to her attention.

“Council colleagues brought to my attention that the council members have not gotten a raise for the past 10 years,” said Frederic via text message on Tuesday, Nov. 18. “A comparison study was done to compare the council pay with neighboring towns. We found, even with the increase, the city of East Orange is still $8,000 more than Irvington. Based on this study and the projected revenue and saving by the administration, we can have this increase without a budget increase.”

Lyons did not back down from his support for the $20,000 pay raise on Tuesday, Nov. 25. When members of the public stood up to question the need for the salary increases for the council and mayor during the public participation at the meeting and prior to the second vote to approve and finalize, Lyons was the one who responded to them.

Lyons said he was particularly upset by the statement of Merrick Harris, a former Irvington Board of Education member and former Irvington Rotary Club president, that the council’s move to increase its and the mayor’s salaries had caused him to lose hope in the new administration.

“My thing is, I have a lot of hope in this particular council but, right now, I’m starting to doubt you,” Harris said on Tuesday, Nov. 25, during the public hearing on the salary increase ordinance. “I’m not against raises, because I like to get raises myself. But the taxes have gone up in town. My taxes are higher for the first and second quarter. How is all of this going to be added into the 2014 budget?”

Irvington recently switched to a calendar year budget format from the fiscal year format previously used. Calendar year budgets run annually from January to December, while fiscal year budgets run from July 1 of one year to June 29 of the next.

At the time the switch was made, Smith and the Municipal Council members in office said the change would benefit the town and taxpayers. Harris’ question referred to how increasing the council and mayor salaries before the 2014 calendar year budget was finished affected the overall municipal fiscal plan.

But Lyons said it was not relevant at all. He also said he was surprised people who once praised him for standing up for taxpayers when he was opposed to the old Team Irvington group now opposed him because he has managed to find some common ground with the new Team Irvington Strong organization, which includes Vauss and his recent running mates, Frederic, at large Councilwomen Renee Burgess and October Hudley, in addition to West Ward Councilman Vernal Cox and South Ward Councilwoman Sandra Jones.

East Ward Councilman Paul Inman was once a member of the old Team Irvington group, but does not appear to be affiliated with its Team Irvington Strong successor. Nevertheless, he supported the pay increase.

“I can’t believe how fast things turn,” said Lyons on Tuesday, Nov. 25, during the portion of the public hearing on the ordinance, where council members were allowed to speak to respond to citizens before it was put to a vote. “If you base hope on a salary, it’s going to be exceeded. You can talk out of line all that you want to. My vote is going to be ‘Yes.’ And if you don’t like it, oh well.”

However, after council unanimously voted to approve the ordinance, Lyons seemed to backtrack somewhat from the hardline comments he had made previously.

“I want to take back what I said about, ‘if you don’t like it, oh well,’” said Lyons. “I didn’t mean it that way. I was here through Sara Bost. Sometimes, you have to give credit where credit is due. If you can say you have been here and you have not seen a difference since the new mayor and his administration came in, then you have not been looking.”

IRVINGTON —  The tension was palpable at the Municipal Council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 25, as members of the Team Irvington Strong social and political organization, which supports Mayor Tony Vauss and his allies on the council, packed the Council Chamber in Town Hall and defend against any opposition to the $20,000 salary increases the mayor and council were voting to give themselves at the meeting.
The dissention on both sides became so heated that resident Robert Shaw stood up and pleaded for calm from Council President Charnette Frederic and the audience.

Shaw said he had only attended the meeting to find out if the tax break and refund he is due as a veteran was on the agenda, but concerns of citizens such as himself were drowned out by discussion about the proposed salary increases. Although two police officers were in attendance, heckling on both sides continued throughout the evening.

“It’s a shame how … people act in our municipal meeting,” said Shaw on Tuesday, Nov. 25. “But council president, you could control all of that. You have a police officer right over there. If people get out of hand, then eject them from the meeting.”
Shaw was shown where his item of concern was on the agenda.

“I’ve been an employee of the township for 10 years and the same way that I fought the Smith administration for a raise, guess what — I’m getting a raise in 2015,” said Audrey Lyons, a member of the Board of Education and Finance Department, on Tuesday, Nov. 25. “This is the worst crowd that I have ever seen in this place. That’s one of the reasons why your taxes are higher because, when you should have come out and been angry, you weren’t.”

Board of Education member Richard Williams, who is also a member of the old Team Irvington organization and the new Team Irvington Strong group, stood up at the meeting and implored the audience to ask where the money to pay for the salary increases was really coming from, saying that if they did know, they would not be so concerned about the $20,000 increase.

Melrose Bethea, a local business owner, and Irvington NAACP President Kathleen Witcher both stood and attacked the rationale for the pay raises Frederic and North Ward Councilman David Lyons had used to justify their actions.

Both Frederic and Lyons have said on the record they compared the salaries of elected officials from neighboring cities such as Newark and East Orange to what Irvington pays and found the local pay scale compensation wanting, despite being demographically identical, except for size. And it was the size differential that drew the next criticism.

“Let’s go through the facts,” said Alexis Southerland at the meeting. “Irvington is only 2.5 square miles. Newark and East Orange, that you are comparing your salaries to, are bigger than Irvington. Maplewood is right up the street and they’re 3.8 miles and they don’t make that much. And Mayor Jamel Holley of Roselle works for the Public Works Department and his council people don’t make as much money as you are about to give yourselves.”

Bethea said comparing the salaries of Irvington’s elected officials to Newark and East Orange was the same as comparing apples and oranges.
“Newark has a bigger population than Irvington does and more businesses that allow them to generate the revenue that they use to pay their elected officials and, usually, it’s after you produce that you get the rewards,” said Bethea on Tuesday, Nov. 25. “As a business owner in town, I know how much I’m paying in taxes and how that affects my business and other businesses in Irvington. Property taxes are increasing. It costs a lot more to run business than it did before.”

“People (are) saying that the mayor brought people to come to the council and make noise,” said Lyons on Tuesday, Nov. 25. “But you’re doing the complaining and you’re doing the same thing. The demographics that Irvington has is the same as Newark and East Orange, despite the landmass.

Irvington has more population than Maplewood and Roselle. You also said that this is not the time. Well, when is the time? The mayor has gone to Washington, D.C., and he’s gotten grants. We all need to bring it down a little bit, because we’re talking about salaries that people are going to get over the course of years.”

At the meeting, the council voted 7-0 to approve the $20,000 raises.

Photo by Chris Sykes
P.O.P. Chairman Larry Hamm, left, listens as Michelle Kamal addresses the crowd of protesters that came out to rally and march for justice in downtown Newark on Thursday, Dec. 4, following the decision by the grand jury not to indict the police officer accused of choking Eric Garner to death by a chokehold on a Staten Island street.

IRVINGTON — On Monday Nov. 24, the grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., decided not to indict Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teen.

A day later, Larry Hamm and the People’s Organization for Progress hosted a protest rally and march in downtown Newark to voice opposition to this decision. He said the group also rallied to cry out for justice for Brown and all other victims of police brutality and the overuse of force in mostly minority communities across the country.

Four days later, Wilson resigned from the Ferguson Police Department. On Wednesday, Dec. 3, a grand jury on Staten Island in New York City decided not to indict Daniel Pantaleo, the white police officer accused of killing Eric Garner with a chokehold after he and other officers sought to detain him for illegally selling loose cigarettes.

A day later, Hamm and People’s Organization for Progress again hosted a protest rally and march in downtown Newark to call for justice from legal authorities and the law enforcement establishment. He and hundreds of others who were upset the Garner grand jury decision could come so quickly on the heels of the Brown grand jury decision braved the cold winter temperatures Thursday, Dec. 4, to rally in front of the Lincoln statue outside of the Essex County Courthouse and march to City Hall and back for another closing rally.

On Saturday, Dec. 6, Hamm and People’s Organization for Progress planned to host a rally and march for Kashad Ashford at the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office at 10 Main St. in Hackensack — the third protest march concerning a young African-American man killed by police officers in Bergen County, according to Hamm, “just weeks ago under highly questionable circumstances.”

Ashford’s mother, Regina Ashford, was at the protest rally and march on Thursday, Dec. 4, along with Michelle Kamal and Amina Baraka. Michelle Kamal is the mother of Abdul Kamal, who was shot and killed by Irvington police last year during a domestic violence call in the town. She and his surviving family members are waiting for the outcome of the grand jury investigation the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has convened to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against the Irvington cops who shot and killed him in 2013.

Amina Baraka is the mother of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and the widow of revolutionary poet and Black Arts Movement founder Amiri Baraka, who died earlier this year.

Amina Baraka said she was at the protest rally and march as a mother, artist and activist, alongside Kamal and Ashford and in solidarity with all of the “other mothers that have lost sons like Michael Brown, Eric Garner and more to police violence.” She said that just because her son is now the mayor of Newark doesn’t mean she has to stop fighting for freedom, justice, equality and inclusion.

“It’s time for this to stop,” said Amina Baraka on Thursday, Dec. 4. “This has been going on too long. It’s time for us to stand up and say, ‘Enough is enough!’ ”

Several of the other protesters from Newark, Irvington, East Orange, Orange and other parts of Essex County echoed her sentiments and said they felt energized, motivated and, in some cases, compelled to let America know just how upset they were about the decision not to pursue criminal prosecutions in the Brown and Garner cases.

Hamm also said the establishment’s track record on prosecuting the people accused of persecuting the people they are supposed to be protecting is not good.
“I saw a video earlier this morning at the Early College at West Side High School and it was just sick how they did him, so I came out here because I thought it was wrong,” said George Hernandez, 18, on Thursday, Dec. 4, at the protest rally and march, regarding the Garner case. “He was only selling ‘loosies’ outside. He wasn’t doing anything major and they killed him for that. It was uncalled for. So I came out because we still need to go out and march, because that’s how change always happens — you protest.”

Mack Bonnet, 30, said that although he lives in Maplewood, that doesn’t mean what happened to Brown and Garner could not also happen to him, too. He was as the protest rally and march carrying a sign with pictures and captions of Brown, Garner and other African-American victims of police violence.

“We’re all we got, so even if I had to travel even further, I would still be here with my people fighting for justice,” said Bonnet on Thursday, Dec. 4. “As long as my skin is black, I’m a target. I’m a young black man. I grew up in the hip-hop culture and you might see me with a hoodie on, like I’m wearing now, but does that mean that I’m susceptible to die, just get killed for no reason?”

Bonnet added, “It doesn’t matter where you stay; whether you’re the highest of the high neighborhoods or the lowest of the low — if you’re black in America, you’re a target.” He said the recent cases involved Brown, Garner, Ashford and “too many others” are just the latest signs law enforcement has to change the way it does its job.

“Their job isn’t to kill us,” said Bonnet. “Their job is to protect and serve. Their job is to bring us to justice; bring us to the courts if we’re found for an offense, not to be the judge, the jury and the executioner.”

Charlene Gilliam of East Orange is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Beta Alpha Omega Chapter out of William Paterson University. She was at the protest rally and march on Thursday, Dec. 4, with her boyfriend, Justin Evans, a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity who also resides in East Orange.

Gilliam and Evans said they went to the protest because they are fed up. She said, “We’ve been watching the news, seeing people in the streets protesting, and we wanted to be a part of it.”

“I want everybody to know that AKA’s are for justice,” said Gilliam on Thursday, Dec. 4. “We always talk about how things are unfair and, ‘aww man, that’s messed up,’ but we wanted to make our statement known today that we’re not going to take it anymore. It starts right here in our communities. What’s going on in America right now is totally unfair.

“In 2014, things like this should not be going on. This feels like we’re back in the 1900s. It’s crazy.”

IRVINGTON — Ronald Alston, chief executive officer of “My Father Knows Best” Organization, conducted a turkey basket giveaway on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at Kay’s Lounge, 193 Western Parkway, Irvington, for families in need for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Alston has been uplifting the community for more than 30 years with back-to-school events, coat and toy drives, aid to seniors and much, much more.
The organization was able to feed more than 40 families with all the turkeys, stuffing mixes, can goods and rice, just to name a few of the items given out.

Among those involved was the Jerzee Hot Boyz Motorcycle Club, Pastor Quwan Ellis-Asbury, Carmen and the Newark Explorers, Omar Butler, Mayor Tony Vauss, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Edward Roberts of Prep Boyz and Buggin Out pest control, Youver Alston, Rock and Eli of Kay’s lounge, Madison Gilmore, Latecia Williams, Bunny of B2BE, police Chief Michael Chase of Irvington, Raqub Sakur Wheeler and Dream of Endless Curves Motorcycle club.

Alston is now a cancer survivor and he still continues to help the community. Alston has been working out of his own pocket for many years and is still under doctor’s care. Alston is looking to take his organization to the next level in 2015 and move on to the next chapter in his life.
Special thanks to the mayor and police chief.

IRVINGTON 一 Above left, Yasmeeyah Smith, left, is all smiles on Wednesday, Nov. 26, after receiving a free turkey from Mayor Tony Vauss on Thanksgiving eve. Above right, Cliff Humphrey, left, and his wife, Lenora Humphrey, right, are all smiles after getting a free turkey from Vauss when they stopped by Don’s Diner on Nye Avenue just off of Springfield Avenue to have dinner. Below left,  Irvington Board of Education member Glen Vick, right, shares a hug with Deborah Douglas, center, at Don’s Diner after he and Vauss gave her and her friend, Joe Johnson, left, a free turkey for the holidays.

Below right,  Elyse Ingram, left, said she never expected to get a free turkey from Vauss, right, when she stepped out from a long session of hair-braiding at a local hair salon to get a bite to eat at Don’s Diner, but that is what happened to her and a few other lucky patrons.

IRVINGTON — As the year nears its end, homicides in Irvington continue unabated.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray confirmed on Monday, Dec. 8, the official tally of Irvington homicides for the month of November had increased to six following the Saturday, Dec. 6 death of a township man from a gunshot wounded he sustained Nov. 28.

She added the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force is investigating his death as a homicide.
Quinzel Bellamy, 32, of Newark sustained multiple gunshot wounds Nov. 28, at approximately 9:34 p.m., in the vicinity of 16th Avenue and 20th Street in Irvington, said Murray in a press release on Monday, Dec. 8.

Bellamy was rushed to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6. At this time no arrests have been made.

Previously, police Chief Michael Chase had gone on the record stating there had officially been five homicides in four events in November.
He said the first was at 951 Clinton Ave; the second occurred at 70-72 Lincoln Place; and the third and fourth happened on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 685 Chancellor Ave.

“The fifth one happened on Nov. 24, at 854 Stuyvesant Ave.,” Chase said on Tuesday, Nov. 24. “We have 17 homicides to date.”
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, Chase revised those numbers.

“I think we now have 18 homicides to date this year,” said Chase said on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
“This is unfortunately another tragic event of violence. We’re trying to address the situation. We have taken some major initiatives to deal with some of these issues of violence.

“We’re going to deal with these violent crimes and these violent individuals that perpetrate them.”
Chase said the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force is investigating all of the homicides. He said it has jurisdiction regarding any and all homicides in the county, wherever they occur.

The police chief said, however, the Irvington Police Department is assisting with the investigation in every way possible, but helping to find the people responsible for the recent spate of shootings is not always as easy as it might seem to civilians, which can be frustrating.

“Witnesses are not coming forth to give us statements. You have to build a case on someone. We need evidence to do that,” said Chase.
Chase, Murray and Irvington police Director Tracy Bowers said anyone with information about any of homicides can call the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force detectives at 877-847-7432 or 973-621-4586.

IRVINGTON — The regular meeting of the Irvington Joint Block Association Coalition at First Bethel Baptist Church on Saturday, Nov. 8, was busy. State Sen. Ron Rice addressed the assemblage; news broke about the Department of Public Works employee who filed a sexual harassment and hostile work environment civil lawsuit against Mayor Tony Vauss; and former Mayor Wayne Smith returned to the township’s public stage for the first time.

“Contrary to popular belief I didn’t have a stroke; I didn’t die,” said Smith on Saturday, Nov. 8, to the audience that filled the church’s basement eating area to have a breakfast meeting. “I’m still here. I own a home. I pay taxes.”

The former mayor thanked Irvington Joint Block Association Coalition President Elouise McDaniel and her organization for inviting him to come out to speak to them at the regular meeting. He then urged everyone to make sure Vauss and his newly elected cohorts did everything they promised to do on the campaign trail, particularly balancing the budget for the remainder of the year, leading to adopting a 2015 budget, due New Year’s Day.

“It’s critical that, if we are to rescue this community, that we all come together,” said Smith. “They said they were going to cut taxes. We have to hold them accountable. The budget was not completed when I left office. They have promises to keep. We have to make sure that they keep their promises.”

Smith said that although he is no longer mayor, there are many pressing issues in Irvington that affect him as a resident, homeowner and taxpayer. A new administration doesn’t mean he or his fellow residents should stop speaking about issues that concern them, whatever their race or ethnic background, Smith said.

“We have to work across ethnic lines to bandage the gap between the African-American and Haitian communities,” said Smith.

While Smith admitted he was not perfect and wasn’t a perfect mayor during his time in office, he said he always tried to do the best he could for the town.
“The 12 years I served, I made some mistakes,” said Smith. “One of the most critical mistakes I made was I supported someone over Sen. Rice. I regret that.”
Rice said he understood why Smith supported D. Bilal Beasley’s bid to unseat him six years ago, but he said the past is the past and water under the bridge.

Rice said Smith, McDaniel and everyone in town has to come together and hold Vauss and his Team Irvington Strong teammates accountable for their words, deeds and actions or a lack thereof.

“Remind them on a daily basis that you are here because the people put you here,” said Rice on Saturday, Nov. 8. “Just because your candidates didn’t get into City Hall, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have a voice and that you shouldn’t go out to town and council meetings to let them know what’s going on and what you need them to do for you. You can’t have Elouise McDaniel going there by herself with four or five people. They have to know that when we call people respond so that when we call there are great expectations that you will show.

“You can’t spend all of your time fighting with this new mayor and council. Spend your time and energy holding them accountable.”

Photo by Chris Sykes

IRVINGTON —  One of the winners of the three toy-filled stockings that the Irvington Chamber of Commerce and the Springfield Avenue Business Improvement District donated to the annual holiday tree-lighting ceremony outside the Municipal Building in Civic Square on Wednesday, Dec. 10, stands with Santa, who arrived at the event courtesy of the Irvington Fire Department.

IRVINGTON — Equipment to demolish one of the 15 abandoned properties targeted for destruction sits in front of its next prey. The homes are expected to be demolished this month, before the new year rolls around.

IRVINGTON  — A few weeks ago, former Mayor Wayne Smith said he had an ax to grind with the current administration of Mayor Tony Vauss, due to the recent tax increase forced on to himself and many others.

But Vauss and Faheem RaOof, the township’s chief financial officer, said the former mayor was wrong and North Ward Councilman David Lyons put it even more bluntly.

“Wayne Smith is (wrong),” said Lyons on Tuesday, Nov. 18. “When these people got these tax increases, it was right after Wayne left office.”

But that’s not what Smith said on Saturday, Nov. 8, when he made his first public appearance since losing to Vauss on Tuesday, May 13, at the Irvington Joint Block Association Coalition’s monthly meeting. The meeting took place weeks before the members of the Municipal Council unanimously voted to give themselves and Vauss $20,000 and $30,000 pay raises, respectively.

“We have a critical problem with taxes,” said Smith on Saturday, Nov. 8.

“Insurance companies, bond-rating agencies and people looking to do business in town aren’t going to come to Irvington if the taxes are too high. There are two sides of the house, when it comes to taxes — private and commercial. The commercial side of the house is what staves off taxes.”

Smith said the businesses in town are the commercial side of the house in Irvington and he said taxes in town have increased disproportionately on that side of Irvington’s fiscal house because of the budget Vauss introduced at the Reorganization Meeting on Tuesday, July 1, where he was sworn in as mayor and the council majority he controls approved.

“The budget was not completed when I left office,” said Smith.
“Most people will tell you a bunch of stories about why the taxes have gone up. I personally know that there is a guy in Town Hall who can sign off on a budget or approve spending whenever he wants, so I know better than to believe it when people say that taxes haven’t gone up.”
Lyons said he is not buying it. He said he served on the council for all of the 12 years Smith was in office and he doesn’t know what the former mayor is talking about, now that he is out of power in town.

On Monday, Nov. 10, Vauss and RaOof fired back at Smith’s assertions about the taxes in town and the 2014 budget. Although Lyons made his remarks days after they made theirs, both agreed.

“The ex-mayor’s remarks were correct, in the sense that, when he left, the budget wasn’t finally adopted,” said RaOof on Monday, Nov. 10.
“It was finally adopted under this administration.

“There was no tax increase due to the budget. The only things that happened in reference around the budget or anyone having any increase in their taxes was from the revaluation, which was completed and done under the previous administration.”
RaOof said the property revaluation was completed in 2013.

“There was no tax increase per se due to the budget,” said RaOof. “It is not the case that taxes went up because of the budget or because of the new administration.”

Vauss confirmed what RaOof said, adding all the factors that contributed to the 2014 municipal budget had already occurred long before he took office.
“Most people know the taxes didn’t go up for everyone: some people’s taxes went down; some people’s taxes stayed the same; and some had a small increase,” said Vauss on Monday, Nov. 10.

“Most of the people that were impacted by it were the commercial property owners. It wasn’t the residential property owners.”
Vauss said he, RaOof and the other members of his administration who are involved in handling and managing the township’s finances have been meeting with people since they took office. He said, when you look at the whole scale and scope of the revaluation, that explains why some people’s taxes went up in town.

But Vauss said all this happened in 2013 on Smith’s watch as mayor and the former mayor is guilty of trying to put words into the new mayor’s mouth.
“We’ve been meeting with people since we took office on July 1 and we had to explain previously what happened with the revaluation and how the revaluation was done by a third party entity and they had until May to contest the valuation by filing a tax appeal,” said Vauss.

“I speak at every public session that we do and I never said that I’m going to lower taxes. I never have a conversation about lowering taxes. What I try to do is keep the taxes from going up.”

Vauss said his administration has been hard at work trying to find ways to generate revenue so they won’t ever have to increase taxes, which is why he said Smith is totally off the mark when it comes to the city budget, taxes in town and his administration’s plans to secure Irvington’s fiscal and financial future.
“What we’re looking to do come 2015 is generate revenue so that we can generate income from some of the properties that we’re going to have redeveloped. (We’ve got) parking meters that’re going in that will generate money.

“We’ve got CSO officers that will be out writing tickets, enforcing our ordinances for housing and keeping our storefront owners keeping it clean in front of their properties. And those are the types of things that we’re going to be doing to generate revenue so that you don’t constantly have to go back to the taxpayers and increase taxes,” said Vauss.

“We had a meeting this morning where we’re talking about we want our budgets to stay flat.
“And that’s what we’re looking at. And we’re trying to have our budget on time this year, as opposed to last year when, even when I took office, there were several notifications from the state of New Jersey that they were going to penalize us for not having a budget adopted.

“So we’ve been able to do that, adopt a budget and now we’re rolling into 2015 and making sure that we do some of the things that we need to do so that we don’t have to increase the budget.”

With holiday vacations coming, anyone traveling overseas should contact their local municipal health department for advice on what precautions should be taken to decrease the possibility of contracting a communicable disease.

Mike Fitzpatrick, the Bloomfield health officer who also oversees Glen Ridge and Caldwell, said the susceptibility to communicable diseases during trips abroad is constantly evolving. So health precautions taken nine months ago may be outdated for the present.

“Before people travel abroad, they should look at the Center for Disease Control website,” he said in a telephone interview earlier this week. “Essentially, you have to be always looking at the hot spots in the country where you plan to travel.”

Within the three communities covered by the Bloomfield Department of Health, there are a few communicable diseases reported every month, he said.
One consideration for Fitzpatrick when a disease is reported is that Bloomfield, Caldwell and Glen Ridge all have institutions with a concentrated populations. Bloomfield and Caldwell have colleges, and Mountainside Hospital is located in Glen Ridge. Fitzpatrick said anyone admitted to the hospital as a patient with a communicable disease would be reported to the Bloomfield Department of Health as being within Glen Ridge since the hospital straddles that municipality and Montclair. According to Fitzpatrick, these institutions affect the rate for residents.

Within the communities under his watch, Fitzpatrick said there are currently cases of malaria, a case dengue fever and a considerable number of hepatitis cases.

“Investigations for communicable diseases are common,” he said. “We’re just looking for exponential growth.”
Just a little south on the Parkway, Robert Roe, the local health officer for Maplewood said he had been notified during the last several months of three cases of communicable diseases.

“A lot of people go to the Caribbean Islands,” Roe said in a recent telephone interview. “There is a fairly new disease there in the last year that I’ve never heard of before and it is spread by mosquito.”

Roe said it is called “chikungunya,” and to his knowledge, some 50,000 people have become ill from it.

“It causes pain in the muscles and joints,” he said. “We had one case in Maplewood. You feel sick for a week or two.”
There are about 50 diseases that a doctor or laboratory must report to state health officials, according to Roe. This data is passed to the health department of the municipality where the stricken person resides. Once the disease is reported, Roe confirms the case with a physician.

“Chikungunya went from Africa to Asia and then to Italy and France, if you can believe it. Now it’s in South America. It seems a lot of these tropical diseases are only a plane ride away.”

One precaution for an overseas traveler may be a visit to a travel physician. This is a medical doctor specializing in vaccinations and tropical diseases. Roe said the family physician would not customarily be the doctor to visit for tropical disease.
v

Photo by Chris Sykes
LAST SUMMER — D. Bilal Beasley sits with his wife, A. Bilal Beasley, right, and daughter Jamilah Beasley-McCleod, left rear, on July 1, at the inauguration of his protege and handpicked successor, Mayor Tony Vauss.

IRVINGTON — Former Irvington Municipal Council President and Essex County Freeholder D. Bilal Beasley, 68, died Monday, Dec. 22, after being hospitalized for more than a month at Beth Israel Hospital on Lyons Avenue in Newark with an unspecified illness. Beasley organized the creation of the Team Irvington social and political organization that dominated the town for almost 20 years.

A Muslim and follower of Islam during his life, Beasley’s funeral and burial was in accordance with the traditions of his faith. The janazah, or funeral service, was scheduled for Friday, Dec. 26, at 10 a.m. at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark.
According to a family member on Wednesday, Dec. 9, Beasley had been in the hospital and was recovering from surgery at the time of his death.

“Bilal Beasley transitioned today at approximately 4 to 4:30 p.m., after battling illness and a long hospital stay,” said Leroy Jones, East Orange Municipal Democratic Committee Chairman and Essex County Democratic Committee Chairman on Dec. 22. “Naturally, I’m extremely saddened by it.”

Jones said Beasley’s friends, political allies and the Irvington and Essex County communities he loved and served would miss him, as would Beasley’s family.

“My condolences and blessings go out to his family from mine, because we were family friends,” said Jones.
“We weren’t just political friends. Bilal is someone who, when I first got into politics 25 years ago to run for Freeholder, Bilal was there as a friend, mentor and organizer. That relationship will continue with his family.”

“Bilal was a man’s man; a gentleman’s gentleman. He was the conscience of the Democratic Party.
“He was fair, evenhanded and an organizer extraordinaire. But, more importantly, he was fair with everyone and I hope that is the legacy that he leaves for all of us to follow.”

Jones said a giant such as Beasley dying at the end of the 2014 was the capper on a year of transitions, turnovers and change for the New Jersey Democratic Party and the Essex County Democratic Committee. He said his friend and mentor was a trailblazer in much the same way as Democratic leaders such as Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Rep. Donald Payne Sr. and former Essex County Democratic Committee Chairman Phil Thigpen, who had gone on before him in 2013 and 2014.
Jones said Beasley would be missed just as much, if not more.
“Those are tremendous losses,” said Jones.

“But what they’ve left is a legacy of service, respect and results. Far be it from us to ignore the teachings that they kind of carved out for myself and some of the younger ones. I myself will never forget the mentorship or leadership of Bilal, Sen. Lautenberg, Chairman Thigpen or Donald Payne Sr., for that matter.”

“Strong leaders have carved out a path for so many of us. Hopefully, they have laid a foundation and path that the rest of us can follow. This is the circle of life.”

IRVINGTON — Lt. Monique Smith of the Irvington Police Department was promoted to the rank of captain by Mayor Tony Vauss on Monday, Jan. 5, during a ceremony in the Council Chamber in the presence of her family, friends, fellow officers, police Director Tracy Bowers and police Chief Michael Chase.

While this day should have been the apex in an outstanding public service career for the U.S. Army veteran, which included a two-year stint in Afghanistan a few years ago, it instead proved the nadir in Smith’s career and life, based on reports from the Irvington and Newark police departments.

According to Chase, Smith’s longtime friend, mentor and commanding officer, she surrendered herself to the Newark Police Department on Monday, Jan. 5, in response to assault allegations related to a domestic violence incident involving Newark Councilman John “Sharpe” James that occurred in Newark sometime after she was promoted to captain in a dual ceremony with new fire Chief John Tierney earlier in the day. Chase said that, as of Tuesday, Jan. 6, Smith has been accused of a variety of charges, including aggravated assault with a weapon, in this case, her car.

Chase said Smith’s car would have to be impounded as evidence for the duration of the investigation into the allegations against her, which could take months.

Chase said Smith has been charged with illegal possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and, as a result, she had to be suspended from the Irvington Police Department, pending the outcome of her case.

“The world has caved in,” said Chase in the early morning hours on Tuesday, Jan. 6. “Right now, the Rev. Ron Christian contacted me and said that he was in communication with her and she wanted to surrender herself. He said that he was going to assist her with the authorities.”

“She has to be suspended because of the charges. The severity of the charges requires suspension. The statute only requires that she be suspended.”

Christian is the pastor of Christian Love Baptist Church on Lyons Avenue in Irvington and also serves as a chaplain for the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. He has a long track record of working with police and law enforcement, when it comes to facilitating the peaceful surrender and apprehension of wanted criminals and felons. In the recent past, he helped a young woman who was wanted for shooting and killing a Barringer High School graduate on graduation night during the victim’s graduation party.

Christian also helped the notorious bank robber known as the “Hat Bandit” surrender to authorities, once his identity became known. It turned out the robber was a South Orange resident who also happened to be a member of Christian Love Church at the same time that he was committing his crimes.

“I took her to 5th Precinct last night to surrender,” said Christian of Smith via text message on Tuesday, Jan. 6. “I am praying for both families, as they are both near and dear to my heart.”

The mayor was also available for comment about the unexpected turn of events involving Smith.
“Monique Smith has been a fine officer working for the Irvington Police Department for many years,” said Vauss on Tuesday, Jan. 7. “She served her country in the military. It’s just disheartening to hear about these allegations against such a fine and decorated officer. But she is entitled to due process, just like anyone else.”

Vauss said, as of Tuesday, Jan. 6, Smith’s case was an ongoing investigation which everyone own and nearby in Newark would have to run its course.

Chase said, “The system will weed out, sort out and be given an opportunity to determine the facts of the event. It’s not an Irvington investigation.”

“It’s an open case file. It is alleged that she was in a dating relationship with John ‘Sharpe’ James, the councilman from Newark, and apparently the allegations stem from that. The complaints were signed in Newark against Smith, where the incident allegedly took place. It was in Newark somewhere, near his father’s house on Wilbur Street.”

Chase said it is up to the Newark Police Department to handle the investigation into Smith’s case.
“The reports were done in Newark,” said Chase. “His reports were filed in Newark.”

According to the press release issued by the Newark Police Department, “An investigation into the circumstances that led to the assault on a city councilman and the arrest of an Irvington police captain who was charged with several domestic violence-related charges” is under way.

“Last night, just before 11p.m., Newark Councilman John M. James was at the intersection of Elizabeth and Pomona avenues, near his residence, when he was confronted by the suspect, 43-year-old Irvington resident and Irvington police Capt. Monique Smith,” said a release issued by Sgt. Glover of the Newark Police Department on Tuesday, Jan. 6. “As she approached James yelling, he got into his vehicle and drove off. The suspect got into her vehicle and followed James. She struck James’ car with hers several times before James responded to his parent’s home on Wilbur Street, where his father, ex-Mayor Sharpe James, intervened on his son’s behalf.”

The Newark Police Department stated Smith, “ultimately left the area and was not at the scene when a Newark Police unit arrived to assist. The suspect was eventually located and was arrested.”

“She has been charged with stalking, criminal mischief, harassment, possession of a weapon, possession of that weapon for an unlawful purpose and aggravated assault,” said the Newark Police Department. “Although an arrest has been made in this case, the arrestee may face additional charges, pending the outcome of this investigation which is being conducted jointly by the Newark Police Department and the Irvington Police Department.​”

Bowers confirmed that the Newark Police Department is handling the Smith case.

“The matter is being investigated by the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office,” said Bowers on Tuesday, Jan. 6. “The officer is entitled to the presumption of innocence that the law provides. We will be monitoring this matter closely.”

IRVINGTON — Mayor Tony Vauss has scheduled his first State of the City Address for Thursday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m. at Christian Pentecostal Church, 971 Clinton Ave.

Vauss said his inaugural State of the City Address would also include “a special tribute to the life and legacy of the late former Essex County Freeholder and Irvington Municipal Council President D. Bilal Beasley.”

Beasley was the founder of the former Team Irvington social and political organization, which dominated the township for more than 20 years, along with Essex County Freeholder Lebby C. Jones.

Jones said her longtime friend would always be missed, but said his legacy lives on in the form of his hand-picked successor, Vauss, and the Team Irvington Strong social and political organization that replaced its predecessor.

Jones said the 30th annual “Legacy of a Dream Commemorative Tribute to the Life and Work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” which will be Saturday, Jan. 17, at 2 p.m. in the Irvington High School Auditorium, was an example of the precedents set by Beasley. She said this year’s guest speaker is Pastor Delores Watson of First Congregational Christian United Church of Christ.

Adenah Bayoh, the owner and operator of the IHOP restaurant on Springfield Avenue, will be the recipient of the 2015 Dr. MLK Award, said Jones.

She said this year’s Legacy of a Dream event would feature performances by the Irvington High School band, Florence Avenue School Chorus, Thurgood Marshall School Chorus and the Irvington High School Dance Class.
Also, Craig Garner, Irvington’s poet laureate, is scheduled to do a reading at the event, said Jones.

“This is our 30th year and (Beasley) surely will be missed but I’m going to keep the dream alive,” said Jones on Monday, Jan. 5, at the promotion ceremony for Capt. Monique Smith of the Irvington Police Department and Fire Chief John Tierney of the Irvington Fire Department.

“I have got the program and it’s going to start the usual time at 2 p.m. on Jan. 17. And we’re going to make sure that our children get an opportunity to celebrate a beacon of light; a person who started the movement. And Bilal Beasley continued it in Irvington.”

Vauss said Jones was right on both counts, which was why he planned to honor Beasley at his first State of the City Address.

“I look forward to our residents, business owners and other interested stakeholders coming out to hear what my administration has accomplished in the last six months and what our goals are for 2015,” said Vauss on Tuesday, Jan. 6. “It is important for the people of Irvington to be informed about the state of our township. To accomplish our goals of a safer and cleaner Irvington, we need everyone aware of where we are and actively participating with us to achieve our goals.”

Vauss said anyone interested in getting more information about the State of the City Address could call Musa Malik, township business administrator, at 973-399-6621. For more information about the tribute, call 973-371-6954.

Photo by Chris Sykes

IRVINGTON, NJ — At right, Mayor Tony Vauss announces the promotions of Lt. Monique Smith of the Police Department to the rank of captain and Deputy Chief John Tierney of the Fire Department to the rank of fire chief during a ceremony outside of the Municipal Building in Civic Square on Monday, Jan. 5. He also announced that the Irvington Police Department has purchased a fleet of new vehicles for use in the ongoing struggle to protect and serve the township’s residents, taxpayers and citizens.

IRVINGTON, NJ — Former municipal Councilwoman at Large Lebby C. Jones was officially sworn in as one of the newest members of the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders on Thursday, Jan. 1, at the board’s reorganization meeting inside the Hall of Records at the Essex County Courthouse in downtown Newark.

“We were very honored,” said Jones on Monday, Jan. 5, at the dual promotion ceremony for Capt. Monique Smith of the Irvington Police Department and fire Chief John Tierney of the Irvington Fire Department. “I represent the 22 municipalities in Essex County. It was excellent because I’m dealing with more and I think by doing that I’ll be able to get things done under the connection to the municipality.”

Jones said she doesn’t have any worries about whether she will be as successful on the county level as she was at the municipal level as a part of the Team Irvington social and political organization. She helped co-found that group, along with her friend and political partner, D. Bilal Beasley, the former Municipal Council president and Essex County Freeholder who died a few days before Christmas.

Jones also helped Beasley shape the Team Irvington Strong group that currently serves in township politics as its Team Irvington progenitor once did. She said she will have her hands full, filling in for her friend and partner who has “gone on to glory,” leaving her and others including, Mayor Tony Vauss, to carry on without him.

Jones said she plans to keep Beasley’s memory and legacy alive by continuing the many good works he began in life but left unfinished with his death. She also said she believes she is more than up to the task at hand.

“The busier I am, the more people and the more services I’m going to demand for my constituents,” said Jones.
Jones made her successful run for countywide office on the same ticket as Democrat-backed Wayne Richardson, who was also sworn into office Thursday, Jan. 1. Irvington is part of District 2 in Essex County, which Richardson now represents.
Richardson said he believes Jones has the right idea when it comes to their new jobs.

“This isn’t my first elected office,” said Richardson on Monday, Jan. 5. “A long time ago, I was a district leader in Newark. So I’ve been around politics for many years and I’ve helped quite a few people get elected. So it’s kind of new. But it’s been a long time.”

“In my day job, I’m the president of Laborers Local 55 a branch of the Laborers International Union of North America, which is a residential construction local,” continued Richardson. “My jurisdiction is the whole state of New Jersey, the whole state of Delaware, the five boroughs and Long Island. So, by being a freeholder, there are many more opportunities that I can bring to my union brothers and sisters, in terms of work and work opportunities.”

Richardson said he also ran for the freeholder board because of “people who I represent who I see in the neighborhoods who need training and that kind of stuff.” He said now he is in a position to affect policy and enact legislation that will create jobs for the middle class, working class and low-income people who need them the most.

“What it does is open up more doors so that I can be more of assistance; it gives more opportunities,” said Richardson.
“I consider myself a 100-percent union guy. And I’m for the workers. That’s who I represent. I was one of them. Nobody just handed me anything. I worked my way up. I worked in the fields. I did all of the things that I had to do. And I want to bring that kind of leadership to the freeholder board.”

Richardson also said he believes his experience working in the trenches on behalf of his union brothers and sisters will help him make a positive difference as a freeholder.

He said anyone interested in knowing about his leadership style and ethos should take a look at his work track record, if they want to understand him and what he plans to do as a member of the freeholder board.

“One of the other things that I do as a union member is teach coalition building on an international level for my union,” said Richardson. “So I know what it is to build coalitions and I know how to do it. So I know how to work with folks who may have opposing views. I’m a bridge builder. I’m a builder. I’m in construction. That’s what we do — we put things together.”

Vauss said he believes Jones and Richardson are going to do a great job for Irvington and the rest of the county as freeholders.
“I think we have two fine representatives who have Irvington’s best interests at heart,” said Vauss on Monday, Jan. 5.
“And it will help us bring and direct resources from the county level to our township.

“So I couldn’t be prouder of those two individuals.”