With the absence of Mayor Andy Skibitsky from this week’s Town Council meeting, someone had to fill his shoes. Skibitsky’s understudy, 3rd Ward Councilman Marc Ciarrocca, once again stepped into the lead role Tuesday night.
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| Councilman Sam Dell Fera |
But this time, the best supporting actor role was filled by Councilman Sam Della Fera. In defense of Mayor Skibitsky and Councilman Ciarrocca’s repeated claims that the location of the Pedestrian activated “HAWK” light on Central Ave. is located at the safest location, in light of the recent motor vehicle accident that took place on Monday, Councilman Della Fera asked Westfield resident Maria Carluccio if accidents happen at other intersections? Perhaps Councilman Della Fera has not been studying his lines. Or maybe, he is oblivious to the fact that the Pedestrian activated “HAWK” light is not at an intersection. Well it is, if you consider the driveway of Adina Enculescu’s residence a street. TFoTM is not going to let the Councilman off that easy.
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, an “Intersection is: in·ter·sec·tion
noun
\ˌin-tər-ˈsek-shən, especially in sense 2 ˈin-tər-ˌ\
\ˌin-tər-ˈsek-shən, especially in sense 2 ˈin-tər-ˌ\
Definition of INTERSECTION
1
: the act or process of intersecting
2
: a place or area where two or more things (as streets) intersect
3
a : the set of elements common to two or more sets; especially : the set of points common to two geometric configurations b : the operation of finding the intersection of two or more sets
It appears Councilman Della Fera attempts to minimize the occurrence of Monday’s motor vehicle accident by suggesting that accident’s happen at other intersections so therefore, what makes this accident so special?
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| Accident, Monday April 25th |
TFoTM asks Councilman Della Fera a few questions:
Have you not been paying attention to what has been debated the last eight months at Town Council meetings?
Does Councilman Della Fera understand what Mayor Skibitsky and Councilman Ciarrocca, and everyone else for that matter, mean when they describe this location as a “mid-block” crossing?
This accident highlights resident’s steadfast argument that this Pedestrian activated light is not in the safest location as the duo of Skibitsky and Ciarrocca vehemently insist.
Yes, Mr. Della Fera, accidents do happen at intersections. The difference here is that the Pedestrian activated light on Central Ave. is not located at an intersection. Will someone please advise Councilman Della Fera that Cambridge Rd. was cul-de-sac’d months ago. The Fact of The Matter is this Pedestrian activated traffic light is the only one in Westfield located mid-block. There are no other mid-block lights controlling pedestrians and traffic anywhere in Westfield.
Westfield’s own consulting engineer, Gordon Meth, authored a report titled “Traffic Calming and Safety Improvements for Eight (8) Locations. This report was authored in July of 2006 and submitted to the Town during the planning stages of the Pedestrian light. In that report it lists “Traffic Facts”. One fact listed is: “There were 10 motor vehicle collisions in 6 years” at the intersection of Central & Clover. Central & Clover is the original proposed location of this Pedestrian light until the Westfield Town Council made themselves the “experts” on traffic safety and had it moved away from the intersection. That statistic reveals that an accident occurred, on average, once every 7.2 months.
The Pedestrian activated light at the current mid-block location became operational on February 4th 20011. It has already surpassed that aforementioned average thus making the current “Skibitsky/Ciarrocca” backed location of the Pedestrian light less safe…and much more dangerous.
If you consider the amount of time that this light has been operational, the “accident occurrence rate average” at the current mid-block location would be one accident every 81 days or 4.6 accidents a year….or 27.03 accidents in the same time frame as the study done at the intersection of Central & Clover which revealed only 10 accidents. That is almost a 300% increase.
The Fact of The Matter is the location of this Pedestrian activated light at the current mid-block location , the location requested by certain members of the Westfield Town Council, contributed to the occurrence of the motor vehicle accident on Monday.
I feel that I have a better understanding of your mind set, now that I have read all the blogs and listened to your broadcasts. I am under the impression that you are a college graduate, and retired from the Westfield Police Dept. I am unsure whether you retired at 25 years or more of service.
ReplyDeleteI believe most of your issues can be solved were easily. First and foremost, I would hope the Mayor and council for Westfield have in their hearts to do the best job possible to benefit ALL the residends of Westfield. I know it is impossible to please everyone, just like when the Westfield PBA negotiates a contract,it has the best interest at heart for ALL the police officers in the union. Just remember back when the two "experts" negotiated using bully tactics to push through their agenda.
The main point is, you should not be confronting the mayor, police chief, or town administrator with any of these issues. You should be presenting them to whoever your councilman or woman is. If their answer to you is not satisfactory, you should immediatley file to run for the council seat in your district. Once elected, you can now voice all your concerns at the meetings. The wide range of topics would have to be discussed. Once you succesfully get on the Town Council, run for the school board as well. Once elected, you can address ALL the concerns and needs in this area. Remember, this is all volunteer. You will receive no compensation in the form of money. You will be very busy attending meetings, and think of the GREAT things you can acomplish as a member of the boards. I am sure noone will ever question your motives for trying to make Westfield a better community, and in the process save tax dollars from being wasted.
In addressing the issues of questioning how many times Capt Wayman needs a new office, or any monies expended for running the Police Dept., Fire Dept., or DPW, the heads of those departments have adsolutley NO obligation to answer to you. If you run for Mayor after becoming a councilman, you would have the right to ask where the monies are being spent, but remember, the Mayor does not run any of those departments. The Police Chief does not answer to you as to allocation of manpower. The director of Public works does not answer to you either. The Fire Chief does not answer to you. Remember, the town council does not tell you how to spend your household money.
In closing, I have no idea how much time you have spent bringing the blog online. I would like to think that with all the energy and time you have spent, the supporters will vote for you. Your supporters can make your dreams come true. Good luck.
Thank you for taking the time to post a comment.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree with some of your points, I do disagree with others.
It is a right of every taxpayer to question how their money is spent. In confronting all the individuals you say I should not, it puts the issue out there for the public to become more aware of what is going on.
The purpose of this blog and the Internet radio show is to reach the people that do not attend Council meetings, that do not watch the rebroadcast of Council meetings on TV36, that don't always get the "real story" when reading the local newspaper.
The fact of the matter is this blog site has grown through word of mouth and through what little "advertising" was done on NJ.com's Westfield forum. Those postings were deleted because anyone can report an inappropriate post and with the click of the button have anything deleted. There are those that don't want the information I disclose to reach the masses.
Town officials can't delete the content here, let alone the "facts" that are disseminated.
I have contacted my ward's Councilman, Councilman Haas. He is attempting to address many of the issues discussed here however, being the lone Democrat on the Town Council, he fights an uphill battle on as part of a partisan Town Council.
My other representative on the Town Council, Mark Ciarrocca is a lost cause. When Mark initially was looking to run for Council back when, I introduced him to friends of mine from the PD. I even voted for him in his first election. However, I don't like the "politician" he has become.
His arrogance and smug responses to Westfield residents at Council meetings, particularly those he has been able to identify as supporters of the Democratic party, is appalling.
I believe Councilman Ciarrocca's Council seat has become self-serving. He was elected to serve Westfield, not himself. The partisan politics he has supported has manifested itself in his unconditional support of Mayor Skibitsky.
If you don't believe the council is engaging in partisan politics, just ask Councilwoman Vicki Kimmins. Ask her what happened to her behind closed doors, out of earshot and sight of TV36 cameras after she questioned Mayor Skibitsky about having the Town's engineering consultant appear at a Council meeting to answer citizen's questions about the pedestrian traffic light on Central Ave.
A run for the Town Council would be something I am interested in and will explore that option in the future.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to express yourself here. I hope you continue to log into The Fact of The Matter and tune in to TFoTM on Internet Blog Talk Radio.
Also, one other note:
ReplyDeleteThe Town Council surely should not tell me how to spend my household money. Unless, of course, they are the ones putting it in my pocket. That is the difference between me paying the Town my money by way of taxes, and my employer paying my salary for which I spend as I see fit.
The first comment mentioned the Westfield PBA and goes on to say......."when the two "experts" negotiated using bully tactics to push through their agenda."
ReplyDeleteWhat, when and who are you referring to?
I personally feel that any council member who openly supports the absurd location of the mid-block crosswalk and hawk light on Central Avenue is doing so for one reason only, which is to advance their own political aspirations. We've seen what happens to a person when they boldly disagree with wannabe king Skibitsky, and it ain't pretty. Therefore in order to maintain their council membership in grand old party standing they better back the boss if they know what's good for them, and in this case that means agreeing that this mid-block crosswalk is in the absolutely safest location despite the obvious fact that it's unsafe and Monday's accident proved it quite clearly.
ReplyDeleteIt troubles me so deeply that anything along these lines could actually happen to someone except in a really bad dream. Everyone in the world knows this project never would have been approved at this location if that was mayor Andy Skibitsky's house or any member of the Westfield town councils house. This has absolutely nothing to do with "the safest location" mantra these political hacks keep putting forth at every council meeting. The fact of the matter is this is the only location they could get away with planting a pedestrian activated hawk light, therefore making it too bad on the unsuspecting homeowner. Don't you people understand? Mark Ciarrocca and his wife have to cross Central Avenue when they're taking their Sunday strolls and there is no reason on God's good earth that they should have to wait for a break in the traffic to be able to cross the street. Similarly the one and only resident who has shown up at any of the council meetings since last September in favor of the light and crosswalk is a jogger from Roger Avenue who also shouldn't have to wait to cross Central. How dare the homeowner whose life and property are now ruined stand in the way of Westfield progress so that Mr.Ciarrocca and resident X can now cross Central at there own whimsy? What is wrong with you Mrs. Enculescu? That's how the cookie crumbles when the members of the Westfield town council are spineless and feckless cowards who are more concerned with their own personal agenda than the well being of ALL the residents of the town they so generously represent with their volunteer positions. May I, Maria Carlucco, be the first to bow down at the great and almighty town councils feet. YEA RIGHT! I hope you council members come to your collective senses sans Skibitsky and Ciarrocca, they're just a lost cause, before another accident happens at this absurd location and the outcome is either tragic or fatal. This is not fear mongering either. This is the reality of the situation. I'd love to be a fly on the wall of each and every one of your homes just to hear what I suspect is table talk about this issue. If the data we've collected indicates the general consensus I'd have to believe your loved ones have been questioning your logic and allegiance in this matter. Maybe you should all heed your loved ones advice. I bet they too disagree with this ridiculous project. The data proves it.