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-- Winter 2005 Edition --
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Behind The Most Contested Election in Radburn's 75 Year History
When they first got the letter from the Radburn Association's Board of Trustees, many Radburn residents were outraged. Without seeking the highest bid and without notifying the residents first, the letter announced Radburn's sale of Daly Field (five acres of open space on Plaza Road near Route 208) to a residential developer.
Quickly,
Radburn residents began to organize in opposition.
They jump started a new group, Citizen's Concerned for Radburn's
Future (CCRF). The group
included lawyers, architects, planners, a former Board member, housewives,
new residents and second generation Radburn residents. This
grassroots organization would make any politician envious.
They distributed fliers in both English and Russian.
They sent representatives to council meetings and planning board
meetings. They set up a web
site (www.savedalyfield.org)
and circulated a petition that garnered over 2,000 signatures.
In preparation for a big vote, volunteers distributed fliers and
offered to baby-sit and drive voters to Radburn's Grange Hall.
They even had a rapid response team -- 24 hours after a mailing was
sent out in favor of the Daly Field development, CCRF issued and
distributed a point-by-point rebuttal to every single Radburn resident. The opponents of the Daly Field development wanted a voice on the Radburn Association's Board of Trustees. They knew it would be difficult, since the Board meets behind closed doors, does not publish minutes, and even selects the nominees who will run for open Board seats. So, CCRF focused their efforts on this past November's election for the leadership positions in Radburn Citizen's Association.
The Citizen's Association's main role in recent years has been to organize Radburn's numerous and popular social events. But, the Radburn Association's by-laws stipulate that the Citizen's Association represents Radburn residents on the nine member Board of Trustees. CCRF coveted the position of Citizen's Association President because the President of the Citizen's Association is a voting member of the Board of Trustees.
Both parties had a lot at stake at November Citizen's Association. For the Radburn Board of Trustees it was a chance to show that the majority of residents supported their stewardship of the Radburn Association. Speaking on behalf of the development, the manager of the Radburn Association, told people that CCRF represented only a 'small vocal group of opponents'.
For
the Concerned Citizens of Radburn’s Future, the election was their
opportunity to demonstrate what they had been claiming for months -- that
an overwhelming majority of people were not pleased with the actions of
the Board of Trustees and the manager. "Normally no more than five people attend a Citizen's Assocation meeting", according to Ellen Glassett. "The first time I ran for a Citizen's Association office, I was the fourth person in the room, so I became the secretary. Usually we don’t even get a quorum." November's Citizens Association election "probably had the biggest turnout in Radburn's history - 450 or more voted", according to Fair Lawn's borough historian. The line to vote snaked outside the Grange Hall's gym, down the stairs, along the corridors, down the outside steps, and onto the sidewalk. Approximately 75% of the votes were for the CCRF slate of candidates.
Radburn residents told Fair Lawn News that the Citizen's Association vote was only partly about Daly Field, it was also about having a greater role in the management of their community.
In this edition: read these two articles: Five Different Perspectives On This Issue The Radburn Association Perspective: An Inteview With Steve Kiel.
From the last edition, see these two articles: Radburn: One of the Seven Wonders of Fair Lawn
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