On Tuesday, July 1, 2014, the city of Paterson celebrated its 222nd anniversary. That day was commemorated by the inauguration of a new Mayor, Joey Torres, who returned after a four-year hiatus.

Ken Morris, a veteran councilman and the addition of two new council members, Maritza Davila and Domingo “Alex” Mendez, were also inaugurated to start new terms.

I believe it’s important to point out that Paterson has always been a diverse city. Some would debate that there are 82 nationalities rather than 52 but it’s still one Paterson.

Paterson is indeed a melting pot of many cultures, diversities, languages and ethnicities. Paterson is a unique city that is densely populated and politically charged most of the time. It has its issues with crime, high taxes, high poverty, many challenges and plenty of potholes. Despite all of the issues we face daily as Patersonians, it’s still the place we call home.

During the reorganization of the municipal council many words were spoken to the public. “Move Paterson Forward” seemed to be the theme of the day. I must admit, I’ve used that theme on many occasions myself. However, as I stated that day during public comments: The words must become deeds which meet needs.

I hope the council heeds this.

We all know that Paterson is facing a crisis. We all know that there is so much work to be done as it relates to the revitalization and stabilization of the city in general. And while it is all too easy to point the finger and engage in the blame game – the reality is that we all must take some responsibility for where our city has landed economically. On May 13th we did.

So, where do we go from here? What will the next steps be? How will our newly elected municipal legislative and executive officials handle the looming crisis that awaits? I think that anyone who’s interested in finding the answers should be present at the next council session which is Tuesday July 8, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers, 155 Market Street, Paterson.

These are our elected representatives. Our leaders who have been given a mandate to get the city moving again.

However, if we don’t show up and make our voices heard, I fear that not much will happen. We, the residents of the city of Paterson, must make every effort to bring detailed awareness to the council as to the circumstances we face each day.

Corey Teague
School board member