Wednesday, 6 December 2023 n www.TheObserver.com n Volume CXXXVI, Issue No. 31
UNDER THE COVER A relic of St. Jude — a bone from his arm — will soon make its way to Kearny See Page 7
BELLEVILLE n BLOOMFIELD n EAST NEWARK n HARRISON n KEARNY n LYNDHURST n NORTH ARLINGTON n NUTLEY
JOY@CHRISTMAS
T
he Town of Kearny hosted its annual holiday Tree Lighting Festival on Nov. 30 at Town Hall. There was singing, dancing and a most festive atmosphere. The main photo and bottom inset is of dancers who performed. The top inset photo includes Mayor Carol Jean Doyle with the Town Council and Santa . Photos by Barbara B. Goldberg
Kearny Democrats unite ... for about 5 minutes last week By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
A
kc@theobserver.com
s quick as the Kearny Democratic Party appeared to call for unity in the coming year and election — one that will determine who occupies the White House for the next four years thereafter — it all collapsed within moments after the first sign things might actually get better for them all — and it could all turn into a long, long vacancy on the Town Council. In what can only be described as a
disjointed meeting, the Dems’ county committee met Monday, Nov. 27, behind closed doors at the American Legion Post 99 on Belgrove Drive, after the former chairwoman of the party, Susan J. McCurrie, who oversaw the mayoral election in 2023 where the party’s chosen nominee finished third of three candidates, resigned her position. The Democrats then chose Mayor Carol Jean Doyle to become the party’s new chairwoman, something that was hardly out of the ordinary — the mayor is generally her party’s chair. They also voted to
@ KEARNY TOWN HALL put Doyle back on the county committee, after unceremoniously removing her just a few months earlier, in what was a clear failed election stunt. But then things got funny again pretty fast — and all signs of potential unity went right out the window. At that point, the committee nominated three people — Fred Esteves, the
brother-in-law of former Mayor Alberto G. Santos; Christopher Kayak, the grandson of the-late former Councilwoman Barbara Cifelli-Sherry and great-nephew of Hudson County Commissioner Albert J. Cifelli; and resident Renato DaSilva, of whom little is known — as the party’s three possible choices to replace Doyle as the Third Ward council representative. The Observer has learned the vote to choose that slate passed by a slim twovote majority. See DEMS, Page 19