GOP gains 4-2 majority
on South River council

BY Kathy Chang

SOUTH RIVER — The Republican Party will regain power on the Borough Council in January.
After voting polls closed at 8 p.m. and the numbers started trickling in, it became evident that incumbent John Trzeciak, 35, and former councilman John Krenzel, 51, were going to cruise to victory.
Krenzel, who lost his bid for re-election last year after serving from 1991-99 and 2004-08, received the most votes with 1,923. Trzeciak, who is council president this year, garnered 1,856 votes.
The Democratic challengers — Greg Palaski, 55, and Dr. Tom DeBari, 57 — came in with 1,484 votes and 1,371 votes respectively.
Palaski, who had served on the Board of Education for 12 years, was added to the ticket in August after Rodney Harris had to withdraw his name due to his position as an active guard and reserve member of the New Jersey Air National Guard.
With a few “Wahoos” and cheers, Trzeciak and Krenzel addressed a crowd of their supporters at the Republican headquarters, the Belarussian Hall on Whitehead Avenue.
“I have to confess, I didn’t write a victory speech,” Krenzel said.
“Well, you better make one quick,” Mayor Raymond T. Eppinger quipped, bringing laughter from the crowd.
“We worked very hard, we pulled it together, and everything was all positive,” said Krenzel. “I look forward to working with everyone for the future of South River...”
Trzeciak said winning his second three-year term on the council was for his mother, who passed away earlier this year.
“I have lived in South River all my life,” he said. “We’re doing a great thing for the town here; we don’t just rest on our laurels.”
Eppinger, also a Republican, congratulated the two winners, saying they had worked “awfully hard” on the campaign.
“I hope maybe now all the negative nonsense can be put to rest,” he said. “This win reaffirms the belief that the town has in us and that we make sense. We will continue to work together along with Councilman [Peter] Guindi and Councilman [Rui] Almeida.”
It was just last year when Democrats Guindi and Almeida won the two open council seats, ousting Krenzel and incumbent Councilwoman Suzanne Wisniewski-Buffalino. Their win evened the balance of power on the council. Prior to Almeida and Guindi’s win, Councilman Anthony Razzano was the lone Democrat on the council. Razzano did not seek re-election this year.
DeBari, surrounded by supporters at the Democrats’ headquarters on Obert Street, said the race came down to what was happening in the gubernatorial race, in which Republican challenger Chris Christie defeated Democratic incumbent Jon S. Corzine.
South River Democratic Chairman Tele Koukourdelis said the Christie factor ultimately did his party in.
“The results are unfortunate,” he said. “The top of the ticket affected us. Next year, more seats will open up and we hope to try again.”