Wednesday, 13 December 2023 n www.TheObserver.com n Volume CXXXVI, Issue No. 32
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COUNCILMANWHO? BELLEVILLE n BLOOMFIELD n EAST NEWARK n HARRISON n KEARNY n LYNDHURST n NORTH ARLINGTON n NUTLEY
Kearny’s own ‘Fab 5’ choose candidate about whom little to nothing is known By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
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kc@theobserver.com
n what can only be described as a head-scratching act of utter incompetence, five members of the Kearny Town Council voted to send a man no one seems to know anything about onto the governing body on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 — all on the heels of the very same people who were severely crushed in the voting booth just three weeks earlier having supported a mayoral candidate, Peter P. Santana, who was the lastplace finisher among the three
candidates. In fact, when he was asked by Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Ficeto what was known about new Third Ward Councilman Renato DaSilva, Second Ward Councilman Richard Konopka, who nominated DaSilva, fell deadly silent and could or would not offer an answer for several moments. “I’ll have to Google it,” Konopka suggested, before failing to ever do so. And that was just the beginning. In an even more stunning admission, among most of the
people who voted in favor of DaSilva — “The Fab 5,” that includes Konopka, Eileen Eckel and freshmen representatives Stathis Theodoropoulos, George Zapata and Dennis Solano — the consensus statement was that most of them knew nothing about DaSilva nor so much had ever met him before that night. However, Eckel tersely listed DaSilva being a homeowner and a parent who raised his children in Kearny as principal rationales for choosing him. Some in the audience
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See COUNCIL, Page 19
Kearny’s newest Councilman is Renato DaSilva, who will represent the Third Ward. Very little is known about him, however.
Essex exec unveils plans for major Belleville ball field upgrades
PBA honors Cappelluti’s service
By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
P The Kearny PBA’s Rich Carbone, left, and John Donovan, right, present Jim Cappelluti with a plaque thanking him for his support of the union’s annual Breakfast with Santa. Cappelluti, the longtime proprietor of Cappelluti’s Deli on the Belleville Pike in Kearny has played the role for many years.
kc@theobserver.com
lans to modernize two Little League baseball/softball fields and create a soccer field in Essex County Belleville Park were unveiled by County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. and various other dignitaries last week. The project is part of the county executive’s ongoing initiative to revitalize the Essex County Parks System and provide up-to-date recreation facilities to meet the needs of the community. “We are continually looking for ways to improve our recreation facilities and make visits
to our parks more enjoyable for the public. Our parks have become the focal points in the community and residents rely on our open spaces for recreation, respite and rejuvenation. The improvements we are making in Belleville Park will enhance playing conditions and meet the long-range athletic needs of the community,” DiVincenzo said. Belleville Mayor Michael A. Melham says he’s thrilled his town will be the beneficiaries of the project. “I grew up playing soccer in this park; it is where I scored my first goal,” Melham said. “Essex County has been great. When we asked See FIELDS, Page 18