By Nicholas J. Veliky
December 14, 2007

Everyone is an expert, everyone knows exactly what they would have done and how they would have acted had it been up to them. Whether it is a football game or a police shooting everyone is an authority, able to act out the perfect scenario and determine exactly the strategy that should have taken place. Just one thing, all these Monday morning quarterbacks have one distinct advantage, they can pontificate from the comfort of their easy chair, at their computer keyboard or surrounded by friendly faces in a local coffee shop. The fact is it's always easier to make judgments after the fact when you have time to sort things out leisurely. Our Police Officers aren't given that luxury, they have to act in a split second and their decisions change lives forever. Unfortunately their decisions often become the fodder for public discussions in public forums. Regardless, until the investigations are complete, making any kind of judgment is just wrong. Clifton's Police Officers act to save lives including their own, they put their lives on the line every day they are on the job. Police Officers are killed, all too often and in recent history more have been killed by cars not guns. Clifton Police Officer John Samra and Fair Lawn Police Officer Maryanne Collura were both killed in the line of duty; they were fatally assaulted by automobiles. This past week Clifton Police Officers were once again in a situation where deadly force was necessary. While the perpetrator was not killed, neither was the officer who was assaulted with an automobile. Regardless of the type of weapon, Police Officers have the right to defend themselves and the public they are sworn to protect.

Hold on to your wallets. . . Here we go again, the Board Of Education (BOE) has hired a consulting firm to conduct a nationwide search for a new superintendent of schools. We all know what happened the last time the BOE searched for someone to head the school system. Isn’t the firm which was hired the same firm the board used when they hired Dr. Michael Rice. Do I need say anymore? What is interesting is the fact that the man chosen as interim Superintendent was from our district and was one of those overlooked while the group went in search of Rice. Now I’m not saying we must hire from within, but perhaps before we entered into a contract to search far and wide, we should have looked to our own for potential. The City of Clifton has not had much luck searching nationwide for CEO level positions. For example, Clifton had Albert Greco as an interim City Manager but they didn’t want to hire him full time so they went out and found Barbara Sacks who was hired as City Manager and left a legacy that includes the Quinn Road debacle. Where did the City go when they need things done right, they went back and hired Albert Greco who still serves in the position today. The moral of the story is lets really do our homework this time we can’t afford to make the same mistake twice.

To listen to the Board of Education meeting one would think that all the environmental studies and tests were being done solely for the "bureaucratic" requirements of building a school. While there is much bureaucracy, one thing for sure, we need to make sure our schools are safe for our children who will spend perhaps more time in the school building than they do at home. When it comes to the well being of our students, bureaucracy doesn’t matter and there is no compromise, we need to do the right thing.

There was a tour of 290 Brighton Road and those in attendance were amazed at the method of demolition used by the contractors hired by the BOE. They must have been doing demolition, after all that’s what the permits were issued for. It seems the contractor chose to install new pipe and cut the concrete floors and dig trenches seems like a funny way to demolish a building.

Some may call it "Misconceptions" however it’s more like a level of accountability. When it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, chances are it is a duck. Therefore it will be questioned.

Sam and Sal the owners of Paulison Hand Car Wash are not happy business owners these days, it seems their quest to add an oil change component to their new facility had once again hit a roadblock. It’s hard to believe that a businessman could hit so much resistance as he attempts to add a component to his business that is standard throughout the industry. Car wash and oil changes go hand in hand and should be allowed to exist as a single use. The Paulison Car Wash has made a substantial investment in the community and has been a good corporate neighbor. How can we expect business to settle into Clifton and become a part of the community if the community doesn’t allow them to grow and develop in ways natural to their industry?

Looking for that last minute stocking stuffer? Pay a visit the Hamilton House Museum located on Valley Road and purchase a Hamilton House cookbook. The book is filled with favorites from local residents and even some from city officials noted for their culinary expertise.

Our local economy must be more fragile than anyone thought. When competitors feel the need to check up on other businesses customers to see if purchases such as advertising were "authorized", it just makes you wonder where this is going.

Ed Welsh is walking on air, his oldest daughter Kristen, a recent law school graduate has passed her New Jersey and New York bar exams the first time out. Congratulations.

Mayor James Anzaldi held his annual holiday party at the Valley Regency this past Monday and as usual the whole city turned out, well it only seemed like the whole city. This has got to be one of the most popular events on the Clifton social calendar. The Valley Regency was packed and all had a good time, the problem is a few seemed to have too much of a good time. The merlot and apple martinis flowed and what usually follows at such an occasion, were the announcements of candidacy for City Council in 2010 and proclamations of doom for the City of Clifton. Most probably woke with a headache and will be back next year for another helping of holiday cheer.

Somehow a parody of the Night Before Christmas, adapting the poem to Clifton might seem appropriate at this point but that’s been overdone, how many times can you hear about Santa’s sled landing on the city hall roof with such a clatter that Mayor Anzaldi listened to his scanner to hear what was the matter. And the city council members all tucked tightly in their beds with visions of a balanced budget dancing in their heads. And the department budget cuts hung by the fire with care in the hopes that State aid might soon be there. Like I said, overdone. Instead, this might be a good point to wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Joyous holiday season.