Fair Lawn Democrats Select 2013 Borough Council Nominees

Cristina Cutrone and Joan Goldstein have earned the Democratic party's endorsement in the upcoming municipal election, the Fair Lawn Democratic Organization announced Friday.

The two women join Republican nominees Dan Dunay and Amy Lefkowitz in the 2013 race for two open borough council seats. Only one of the women need prevail in November for the Democrats to wrest control of the council majority from the Republicans.

Cutrone, who has lived in Fair Lawn with her husband for about three years, gave birth last month to the couple's first child. She said she knew from the time she set foot in the borough that it was where she wanted to raise her family. 

"From the first time I visited Fair Lawn I was amazed by the sense of community and great pride residents took in their town," Cutrone said in a statement. "By serving on the borough council I will help ensure Fair Lawn continues to be a great place to live and raise our family.”

Cutrone, a Tenafly High School teacher who has served on the Fair Lawn Planning Board and ADA Committee, said if elected she would work to protect services for residents, expand recreational opportunities and secure the community's safety for Fair Lawn's next generation. 

She ran with current council members Lisa Swain and Kurt Peluso in the 2011 borough council race, but was not elected, finishing fourth and losing out on a council seat by under 200 votes. 

Comments she made at the 2011 candidate forum ruffled the feathers of rank-and-file police officers who interpreted them as a knock against officers who had filed lawsuits against the chief and captain.

Following the debate, then-PBA president David Boone fired off an op-ed calling Cutrone's comment that "[the borough] can't let two or three workers tarnish the reputation of an effective police force," an example of dishonest "anti-police rhetoric."

Cutrone, who called the exchange a big misunderstanding, responded to Boone saying she thought the officers were doing an admirable job keeping borough residents safe while working at reduced staff levels, and welcomed the chance to sit down and speak with the detective.

Joan Goldstein, a lifelong resident who served as the 2011 Democratic slate's treasurer, will run for a council seat alongside Cutrone in 2013. She is one of three generations of Goldsteins living in the borough.

A graduate of Fair Lawn High School and the University of Massachusetts, Goldstein chairs the Fair Lawn Green Team and volunteers on a variety of local committees, including the Fair Lawn Jewish Community Council, Open Space Committee and Fair Lawn Parks and Recreation Committee.

“Volunteerism is an integral part of my life," Goldstein said in a statement. "By serving as a member of the borough council I hope to have the opportunity to give back to this community that has given so much to me."

As a councilwoman, Goldstein said she would fight to keep taxes stable, end wasteful spending and protect open space.

Democratic council members Swain and Peluso issued a joint statement coming out in support of Cutrone and Goldstein.

“Joan and Cristina are talented leaders who understand what it means to be a homeowner, taxpayer and parent in Fair Lawn," the statement reads. "Each of them have planted roots in our community, and we are looking forward to working on their campaign for an even better Fair Lawn."

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