Ficarra tapped to replace Ehrlich
Ehrlich stepped down from council after 11 years of service
BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer

WOODBRIDGE - It was only his second time on the Township Council dais, but newly appointed Councilman Gregg Ficarra has made a smooth transition.

The Township Council unanimously voted for Ficarra, 51, of Woodbridge, to replace Councilwoman Caroline Ehrlich, who announced her resignation at the Nov. 21 Township Council meeting after serving the township for almost 11 years. She served on the council until Jan. 10, 2007.

Ficarra was sworn in on Jan. 16.

"I'm excited and I'm glad the council and the [Democratic] [P]arty had confidence in me and gave me a chance to represent Woodbridge," he said. "I decided that right now is the right time to give back to the township."

Ward 3 Councilman Greg Bedard, who has been the new face on the council since winning the election over former Ward 3 Councilman Vincent Martino in November 2005, finally got a chance to say "Gregg, you will just have to wait your turn."

Ehrlich cited part of the reason why she decided to resign was because she and Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac, who was elected mayor in November, became business partners of the McCormac Group, a consulting firm, on their last day serving the state on Jan. 17, 2006. McCormac served as state treasurer for four years and Ehrlich served as his chief of staff.

Ehrlich said in an interview with the Sentinel in December that she hopes her successor continues to work on projects that bring the community together, and continues the projects, specifically the Senior and Youth months, that she has already put in place.

Ficarra is doing just that and more.

He had the most items on his agenda - 20, to be exact - and spilled out with excitement a myriad of dates and events that the Senior and Youth months (May and April) would entail. Ficarra, who has been a Democratic committeeman in Woodbridge since 2001 and also sits on the Woodbridge Housing Authority Commission, grew up in the Colonia section of Woodbridge and is the supervisor of athletics, health and physical education for grades seven through 12 for the Perth Amboy school system.

"I have a wonderful job and family - wife Maritza, son Cole and daughters Casey and Michelle," he said.

When McCormac came to Ficarra recently and asked him to head up a wellness program, which entails developing and improving athletics in the schools, he was thrilled.

"Staying healthy and playing sports is what comes natural to me, it's the way I try to live," he said. "I was so excited because it's not work to me. Right now the program is in the developing stages."

The Democratic Party had nominated Ficarra along with Cory Spillar of Avenel and Francis DeCibus of Woodbridge.

Ficarra is planning to run for his own four-year term this coming November.