Artificial turf and taxes may be the subject matter. But the subtext of the debate is even more interesting, especially for a town that for years embraced a one-party form of government just to avoid public rancor. At last night's meeting of the Glen Ridge Borough Council, opponents on the issue of whether to artificially turf two playing fields bared their teeth and barked at their neighbors, even in front of the rolling video cameras of Channel 36.
The highlight of the meeting came when Jim Grady, bullying Mayor Carl Bergmanson, barked loud enough to provoke Police Chief John Magnier, sitting behind the council, to shout "Order!"
Grady, an advocate of turfing, had just finished objecting to Bergmanson taking a strong stand against turfing Carteret Park, when he doesn't have a vote on the $6.9 million bond issue. The exchange went approximately like this:
Grady: I find it shocking that our mayor is what I would consider bullying the council and stirring up more troublle publicly when he doesn't have a vote on the issue. The council has met and they are four and two. And you are stirring up your opinion. And I don't think you're right.Bergmanson: The next time you post online, why don't you put your name on it?
Grady: Thank God you do not have a vote.
Bergmanson: There has not been a vote yet.
Grady: Do you have a vote on the issue? DO YOU HAVE A VOTE ON THE ISSUE? DO YOU HAVE A VOTE ON THE ISSUE?
Magnier: ORDER!
Bergmanson: That's your opinion, as wrong as it is.
Council members Peter Hughes and Elizabeth Brewster quickly jumped in to agree with Grady, and the especially acid-tongued Brewster accused Bergmanson of going behind the scenes and spreading "rampant misinformation."
Bergmanson, under attack, at points tightened his rein, reminding the council that he was still running the meeting and had a right to speak on the issues.
Hope for the anti-turf forces came at one point of the meeting when council president Ravi Mehrota interrupted Bergmanson, who was characterizing the council's split on the issue as 4-2, to point out that the vote hadn't yet happened.
"The time when we vote is when it counts," Mehrota said, leaving open the possibility that his vote might swing against turfing Carteret. Councilman Art Dawson, another supporter of field turfing, is also a possible swing. He expressed concern Monday night that council pass the bond without concensus.
Among the members of the public who spoke for about two hours, remarks ran about two to one against turfing.
"What is the rush to make these fields plastic?" asked Julia Gorton.
Bernard Brewster, speaking for turfing, pointed out that the fields throughout town were filled with kids playing football, lacrosse and soccer when he took a run on Saturday. "It's really magical," he said. "The people vote with their feet."
What does "The people vote with their feet" mean? If those resident had no problem playing on these fields, why in god's name spend millions of dollars to put turf down? sounds like the council caved to the teeth-baring wishes of the graa.