West Caldwell Republicans Commit to 'Going Green'

Editor's note: The following is a submission from West Caldwell Republican Candidates, Joe Tempesta for mayor, and Joe Cecere and Steve Wolsky for council, who are running in November's election, and is not the opinion of The Caldwells Patch.

West Caldwell Republican candidates, incumbent Mayor Joe Tempesta, incumbent Council President Joe Cecere and council candidate Steve Wolsky, plan to take advantage of a recent announcement of grant money availability to be utilized from the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

The Republican candidates all agreed the recent release of "Energy Efficiency Grants" will allow the Township of West Caldwell to move into an even more energy efficient and more environmentally friendly direction.

Such grants will provide $20,000 of funds at no additional cost to the local taxpayer and with no matching contribution necessary by the township. This will allow for the potential upgrade of township facilities and bring to West Caldwell the next generation of better efficiencies, such as new lighting, smarter recycling methods, and thermostat controls for example. These upgrades will decrease the cost of running township facilities thus lower costs to the taxpayers.

Council candidate Steve Wolsky stated that he and his running mates are "committed to 'going green' and to lowering operational costs in an effort to hold the line on taxes."

Council President Cecere added that he and his three young children enjoy discussing ways to help the environment, "whether it's an idea the kids bring home from school or something I have learned as chairman of the town's Environmental Commission."

 Mayor Joe Tempesta stated, "Throughout the years, West Caldwell has been a leader in energy efficient and environmentally friendly initiatives and has embarked on many opportunities. For example, a number of years ago we converted electric pumps at our main Water Pumping Station to a natural gas engine that proved to save taxpayers money over the years. West Caldwell was also the first community in West Essex to start a curbside recycling program some 25 years ago. We now have more opportunities to add more efficiency and further our various environmental endeavors. Council President Joe Cecere and I also welcome Steve Wolsky's fresh perspective on going green."

The Republican Team is excited to bring these and other plans to make the community of West Caldwell an even better place to live, work and raise a family.

Stay tuned for the coming weeks as candidates Mayor Joe Tempesta, Council President Joe Cecere and council candidate Steve Wolsky continue their campaign in a positive manner and point out the clear differences between them and their opponents.