Outgoing council members bid, are bid, fond farewells Four incumbent terms to expire Dec. 31 BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer EDISON - Edison Township said goodbye to four of its council members during their final meeting on Dec. 27. Flanked by balloons, various township personalities spoke words of praise for the outgoing council members, who gave their goodbye speeches before a packed audience. Resolutions recognizing the outgoing council members - Charles Tomaro, Sal Pizzi, Robert Karabinchak and Joan Kapitan - were read and unanimously approved. They included exhaustive biographical information about each of the members, as well as a full list of their volunteer and public service efforts in the town. Collectively, the four had about 31 years on the Edison Township Council. They had run against and lost to the fourcandidate slate endorsed by EdisonMayor Jun Choi during the Democratic primary this year. After beating their Republican opponents in November, the four newly elected members - Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad,AnnMarie Griffin-Ussak,Melissa Perilstein and Wayne Mascolaare - are set to take their place at the beginning of 2008. While the mayor and the council had had their share of disagreements over the years, Choi wanted people to know that there were no hard feelings, and during the public comment portion, he praised each one of them for their work in Edison. "Much has been said about the relationship between the council and the administration over the last few years, and while we have not always agreed, I do feel it important to recognize all those who have performed public service, in particular those council members who are here this evening," said Choi, who said he empathized with the demands elected office can bring. "Elected office, in the best of times, is tough. We have the public who often has competing demands and conflicting demands and demands that cannot be met over time, and we sometimes have a press that likes to highlight the conflicts but may not always provide the balanced picture of what is best for the community or not good for the community." He then proceeded to call each outgoing council member to the podium, where he talked about the positive experiences he shared with each one of them. The mayor then presented them with a large, blue mug that reads "Great Job" on one side and "In recognition of your outstanding service to Edison" on the other, an honor, the mayor said, that is given to those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. "People might have said a lot of things about our relationship, but now people can say I mugged you as well," said Choi. The remaining members of the council, also had many positive words for the outgoing members, each one making a thorough goodbye that recounted positive shared experiences. "Those of us who are residents of Edison Township understand the desire to serve our community, and my four council colleagues understand the true meaning of altruism and giving back to the community that has given so much to us," said Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano. Councilman Bob Diehl admired the time commitment each had made for the township. "One committee after the next, one service project after the next, decades of service, we're talking thousands of meetings and thousands of hours and phone calls … these four people are so wonderful, you couldn't find a better four people to serve this township, and they've done so, so well," said Diehl. "These are good human beings, every single one of them." Councilman Anthony Massaro said he felt the council members had been, among other things, very professional during their tenure. "I never witnessed any of them treat elected office as a blood sport. … While it is true that things continually change, I hope the qualities they bring … do not vanish from these chambers," said Massaro. Each of the outgoing council members then made their own goodbyes. Karabinchak, who replaced an outgoing Peter Barnes III, had only been in council for eight months, but thanked all the people who helped him during that time. "Stepping into this job wasn't as easy as it sounded … and government is a lot more complex than it seems," said Karabinchak. "Without [these people's] expertise, I would have never known what I know today." In a phone interview, Karabinchak said he hopes to still be involved in Edison politics. He advised the newcomers to keep an open mind and to thoroughly investigate the issues to make an intelligent decision. Pizzi called himself a "lucky man" to have had the opportunity to serve on the council and noted that he and his colleagues have always had the best interests of the town at heart. In a phone interview, he said he was proud of his work on the local pay-to-play ordinance, as well as his actions on paring last year's budget hike from 14 cents to 7 cents. He advised the new council members to read everything they received, and to listen to people. He plans to remain involved in local politics as well. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be around to help the council or any committee," said Pizzi. Kapitan said that she recognized that times had changed, but said that she will miss being a part of the council. She thanked her family for accommodating the demanding schedule of an elected official, saying that she would often need to leave family events early to attend functions such as parades. Other council members praised her for her friendly nature as well as her famous, to the council, cream puff recipe. "It has become a way of life, but nothing in life stays the same, and we must always move on," said Kapitan. Council President Charles Tomaro talked about how proud he was of all his achievements over the years, not just as a council member but as a volunteer with his church, the Boy Scouts and various poverty relief programs. He also apologized to those who may not have agreed with everything he did, "If there was a job description for what a council person does, I'd quit my job and stand in the line, because this is the best job in the world," said Tomaro, near tears. He went on to say that if he could take back one vote in his career on council, it would be his vote to condemn a property for private development, saying now that it was a mistake and thanked God that the courts felt that way. In a phone interview, Tomaro said he plans to still be involved in Edison politics, as well as various community service efforts throughout town, saying that the Hands of Hope organization has asked him to be part of its trustee board. He also said that the organization for the Edison Memorial Tower and the Edison Shelter Organization have also asked him to be involved. He said, though, that he will be glad he will finally be able to catch Giants games on Monday nights. He also had advice for the incoming council members. "Don't promise anything you can't deliver. … The one you [don't deliver], you never hear the end of it. You say 'I'll look to see if I can get it done, and if I can, I will.' … Also, I believe in what JFK once said: all you have to do is try, and you can make a difference. So, just try and make a difference. It's an honor, a privilege, and you should respect the office," said Tomaro. Members of the public also offered up their goodbyes to the outgoing council members. "While I have not always agreed with what the council has done … I thank you for all you have done," said Fred Wolke, a regular fixture at town meetings. Bill Stevens, a resident whose slate of candidates challenged both the incumbents and the Choi ticket during the Democratic primary, said that he, too, wished the outgoing council members the best. "I certainly haven't agreed with some of your methods.…But all of you had your hearts in the right place … and that's the place we have to start," said Stevens.