BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHER VALLEY PRESS
DEMAREST, N.J.—The Borough Council reorganization on Jan. 2 was a night of firsts as a female majority council increased with the swearing in of its first-ever female mayor and two councilwomen.
With the election of Demarest’s first female mayor Melinda Iannuzzi, incumbent Daryl Ury Fox and newcomer Janice Kurys, five of the Demarest Borough Council’s seven members are now female, a rarity in the Northern or Pascack valleys. Previously, four council members were females.
Mayor’s years of service
Iannuzzi previously served as councilwoman for eight years, serving five years as finance committee chair.
She told Northern Valley Press that presenting five budgets on time and under the state’s 2 percent budget cap was an important achievement.
In addition, she cited updating the borough’s website, adding a local code enforcement official, and bringing Demarest Day back as accomplishments.
Councilwomen Mary Lynne Hamilton and Rebecca LaPira, whose terms expire in 2020, comprise previously elected members of the female majority.
Following swearing-in ceremonies that included state Sen. Gerald Cardinale, and county Freeholders Mary Amoroso and Tracy Zur, Iannuzzi thanked supporters and spoke of a former mayor’s passing.
Also, prior to swearing in newly elected officials, former councilman Bill Connelly was appointed and sworn in to fill out the final year of Iannuzzi’s 2019 term.
Mayor’s thanks
“I do want to thank everyone who’s here, everyone who voted for me, supported me. I have four years to look forward to and we have a lot of things we can get done. I’ve talked to a lot of residents and I think that the quality of life issues are important and we have a lot of things we can accomplish together in the next four years,” said Iannuzzi, who later noted her dad, who died in 2018, was a former mayor.
Iannuzzi said the recent death of former Mayor Joe Ringelstein touched her because the former mayor and her dad were both mayors and around the same age. She introduced former Demarest Mayor Dick Schooler, who provided a few vignettes from his years knowing Ringelstein and his positive impact on Demarest.
Certificates of achievement from Women Empowered Democratic Organization honored the newly elected female mayor and council members.
Donna Abene, of WEDO, read a proclamation celebrating their victories and said 70 percent of elected female candidates in Bergen County are WEDO members.
She likened the three-year-old organization to “a good-old young women’s network” offering seminars and boot camps for Democratic female candidates.
Two-term outgoing mayor
“I feel so very fortunate to have served Demarest and its residents. One door closes and it seems like half a dozen open up,” said former Mayor Ray Cywinski.
He wished Iannuzzi “great success and I hope you have as much fun as I had.”
Cywinski thanked the borough staff, community and civic volunteers and residents for contributing to local quality of life. He cited officiating at weddings and fighting the Council on Affordable Housing to prevent Gov. Christie from seizing municipal funds in affordable housing trusts.
He said one regret included the failed merger of local police with county police, which was blocked by a county freeholders’ vote against the merger.
Cywinski lauded a 24-year-old Eagle Scout, William Jones of North Haledon, who performed a Heimlich maneuver on him recently to dislodge a piece of food obstructing his airway at an Oct. 30 political event that both were attending.
Cywinski told residents that life-or-death event and getting a cancer-free diagnosis following a recent prostate cancer scare made 2018 a memorable year in his life.
Approximately 50 residents including family and friends filled council chambers to witness the official reorganization ceremonies, including civic leaders and municipal employees.