preparing for the changing of a new guard

So it has been quite busy for me in City Hall just handling the past few elections in town and I must say it has been an enormous experience working for the Mayor and how much you learn when you work with such a political and also powerful figure for a small city. You have a new breed of press which includes the National & local media all the way to down to the local bloggers in town that now have also are coming up with the help of twitter and other social media tools.


(CSPAN bus)

From the ballot drawing to now a run-off election because everyone wants this thriving city that once was a neighborhood of mostly italians, dutch, and irish.


(ballot drawing for run-off election)

It will be quite interesting who will be the next leader of our city which we will find out next week and the candidates are hard at work as we speak rain or shine. I have been seeing flyers and tweets daily and folks wearing the color green and the color blue shirts flocking all throughout town like it's a celebration month for Earth day.

I mean earlier this week down in Edison, N.J. a 70 year old lady named Antonia Ricigliano ousted the former Mayor of Edison- Jun Choi, you can read it here: http://bit.ly/w9FT2

From what I heard she had the whole township's Democratic Committee backing her and Mayor Jun Choi had some tough decisions to make and had some issues with the Police Union. I respect Jun Choi and he is an inspiring person I look up to because I contacted him through Facebook, figured I would get some PR guy working behind him but it was him

On top we have Governor John Corzine who earlier this week had a special visit from Joe Biden endorsing him and supporting Corzine for the election for this coming November.

As you can see in the political world is quite busy in New Jersey, will keep you posted on how it turns out next week.

The Mayor asked me to take a few photos for his future memoirs....it's been great but we must move forward and establish a new guard for this city.




So don't forget to vote this Tuesday, this is a reminder to all poll workers to stay cool. Voting is for everyone and each one does count

Congrats to the new Graduating Class of 2008

Was able to take a trip down to memory lane today and was able to take photos of Hoboken High School's 2008 Graduating Class.

Congratulations to the Class of 2008, you have a long road ahead of you and sky's the limit.

I leave you with this poem that Mayor David Roberts quoted at the ceremony.

[IF]

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Congratulations to Kleber Vera and Anna Seguinot