Many to be honored at State of the Township Address

IRVINGTON, NJ — Mayor Tony Vauss said he will be ready to roll out the Police Division’s new Tactical Emergency Response Team at his annual State of the Township Address at Christian Pentecostal Church on Thursday, Jan. 28.
“They’ve got new all black uniforms and weapons,” Vauss said of the team during an interview at Don’s Diner on Saturday, Jan. 16. “They’re going to look real sharp.”

Vauss also plans to unveil his administration’s new partnership with the federal government and the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the address, adding it is all part of the overall plan to continue making Irvington safe and clean.
“The FBI will be there, too, on Thursday, as we announce our new partnership with them,” Vauss said on Tuesday, Jan. 26. “I want people to be there to listen to them and be a part of it. It’s going to be a star-studded night. I think a lot of elected officials will be there. We want to show the direction that Irvington is moving in. Making our streets clean and safe are the No. 1 priorities.”

Vauss also said this year’s State of the Township Address would include special tributes to fallen local trail-blazers.
“We’re going to be honoring three people,” Vauss said on Sunday, Dec. 20. “We’re going to be honoring, of course, my mentor, D. Bilal Beasley. I’ll be presenting something to his family. Also, we’ll be presenting something to Ron Christian’s family, on behalf of the tremendous job he has done here and the following and the people he served when he was in this community. And also another legend, Carl Sharif. We will be honoring him as well and giving something to his family as well.”

Vauss said he wanted to use this year’s State of the Township Address to “give something back to the pioneers and keep their legacy going.” He said the tributes would be the cherry on top of the sundae of his administration’s many successes.

“We want to honor the pioneers because it was devastating to the community to lose such an influence in such a short period of time in 2014 and 2015,” Vauss said. “Within a year’s time, we lost all three of these gentlemen, not to mention Ray Durkin, the father of Essex County Clerk Chris Durkin, as well as Essex County Democratic Committee Chairman Phil Thigpen over a year ago. It was just such a big loss, with all of these pioneers that paved the way for people like myself and others to be in the position that we are in now.”

“At the State of the Township Address … we’re going to be doing a special tribute to Rev. Ronald B. Christian,” Vauss said on Monday, Nov. 23. “Rev. Ron has touched so many in the Irvington community, but not only Irvington but the (United States), so we wanted to do something as representing his hometown, to give him the proper sendoff, so to speak. We also want to give him the proper acknowledgement that he has earned.”