Library Meet and Greet

Who knew that yesterday's trip to the Childrens' floor at the Hoboken Public Library would turn into a Meet and Greet with some of the brightest, twinkling stars in our city's political constellation.

LA (Little Avenger) and I practically tripped over Timmy Occhipinti as we walked onto the lively scene: young children, their parents, a face-painter, some library staff milling about, with a few of our local political aspirants schmoozing them up.

LA instinctively made a beeline for the furthest table from the hullabaloo, then lost herself in the aisles of books, with Mom in tow.  Next time I looked Timmy was gone; replaced by Carmelo Garcia (BoE candidate) and Peter Biancamano (BoE candidate).  Then in popped Joe Branco, who stayed briefly.

I had a chance to chat with  Carmelo and Peter.  They are both charming men, and both know I support Kids First. Not them.

But it's nice to know that we -folks on different 'teams'- can talk, like each other, get along,  Without animus, without aiming to destroy the other person, without hiring scum from Weehawken and Jersey City to taunt and harass them, or pulling strings to smear them on Washington PAC web sites.

It ain't personal. A principle Beth Mason and her posse will never understand.

So Carmelo was shooting a documentary (forgot the name), a worthy effort to promote the diverse and talented students of Hoboken's Public school system, and his photographer was there filming. I asked him if he would be using it in his campaign and he said no, it wouldn't be completed until at least May  (BoE election day is Wednesday, April 27).  So he handed LA a plastic ball filled with lollipos he was giving out to the kids (thanks, Carmelo) and me some campaign lit-- a nicely designed, full-color glossy card but missing the mandated "paid-for" verbiage. 

Unlike her mom, LA doesn't care for politics.  She loves books. We checked out 39- a record, we usually get 20 at a time.  LA reads through them like a buzzsaw... so we said good-bye to Carmelo and left.

Oh yes, forgot to mention but on the way into the library I heard a familiar voice booming from Church Square Park...  and turned my head to see the most glorious, softest, fluffiest, cleanest (washed daily with Fructis by Garnier) head of hair in all of Hoboken.

Can anybody guess whose it was?