It was rumored that Union City Mayor and State Sen. Brian Stack was heavily involved in the Guttenberg board battle, an attempt to take more power in that town while Mayor David Delle Donna endures a corruption trial.There were also reports that Stack was actively campaigning at the Guttenberg senior citizen complex last week, but Stack denied the rumors.
"I have enough on my plate to worry about taking over Guttenberg," Stack said. "It's absolutely not true. I do offer free income tax service to seniors, and I had people handing out Easter candy there. But as far as me getting involved in a school board election or a municipal election, it's absolutely not true."
However, three of the people on the ballot in this year's Guttenberg Board of Education election were aligned with Stack in last year's contentious Democratic primary that saw Stack's Democrats for Hudson County take nine of the 12 seats on the Hudson County Democratic committee.
The three running for a three-year berth on the Guttenberg Board of Education are Placido Hernandez, Margarita Batista, and Gonzalo E. Perez.
Their flyers have described Hernandez as "the next mayor of Guttenberg."
The only incumbent running for re-election is John Haberman, whom Mayor Delle Donna supports. Delle Donna also supports candidate Michael Baruch.
Former Board of Education members Vasilios "Bill" Scoullos and Maria Gonzalez have decided not to seek re-election.
Stack's involvement
"I will support those from the county committee that supported me in the last election," Stack said. "But I'm not going to get involved in a local election. It doesn't make sense for me to do so. I actually wish Mayor Delle Donna success in his trial."
Stack, as the State Senator in the 33rd District that represents Guttenberg, West New York and Weehawken, said that he offers constituent services to the people of his district.
Familiar faces in North Bergen
In North Bergen, incumbents Luis Diaz, Elaine Nicoliello and Kanaiyalal Patel are facing challenges from three people who have run unsuccessfully before: Herb Shaw, William Koehler, and Imran Hosein.
Diaz and Nicoliello are long-time members of the Board of Education. Patel was appointed to the Board 18 months ago after the death of long-time member Elizabeth LaBode and Patel won a one-year term in last year's election.
This election is for three seats with three-year terms.
Incumbent comments
Incumbent Nicoliello is also a long-time Democratic committeewoman who has served with the Board of Education since 1993.
"I was born and raised in North Bergen," Nicoliello said. "I absolutely love my town and do everything possible, on a volunteer basis, to help in any way and in any field. The North Bergen Board of Education is just one of my loves. Wherever my town needs me, I will be there."
Nicoliello enjoys the relationship that the Board of Education has with both the teachers and the administration.
"I like when there is a representative from the teachers at meetings," Nicoliello said. "We can solve their problems as soon as possible. Of course, I also love working with the students as well. I try to get involved in many different things."
The challengers
Shaw, a political gadfly who expresses his opinions at most of the North Bergen Board of Commissioners' meetings, has run for public office approximately 30 times over the last two decades and has never won.
"I don't keep track as to how many times I lost," said Shaw, a retired laborer. "I never lost an election. The people do. If a seat is open, I'm going to run for it, because without me, there wouldn't be a choice. I only run because somebody has to say 'No' to the administration. It's bad for the morale of the entire district if there's patronage."
Shaw was asked about his chances in this election.
"I have no chance of getting elected, no chance at all," Shaw said. "It all goes back to the people of this town. They don't pay attention to politics."
Koehler, a machine design business owner and father of seven home-schooled children, is also running for a seat on the Board for the 12th time in the last 14 years.
"If I kept count, it would be extremely frustrating," Koehler said. "I'm giving the people of North Bergen the opportunity to voice their displeasure. I'd love to be elected and love to serve the people of North Bergen. I would do what's best for the taxpayers. But unless you're involved politically, it's next to hopeless to get elected. I submit my name, speak out about what's going on."
Hosein is a Marine who served in Operation Desert Storm.
The polls will be open April 15 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Both towns will also vote on school budgets that will reflect slight tax increases, less than the 4 percent cap that was imposed by Gov. Jon Corzine last year.
Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at either OGSMAR@aol.com or jhague@hudsonreporter.com
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