Vera Ames-Garnes

 Ward 4 challenger Kisha Manning. 

PATERSON - Shrugged off by the incumbent as too aloof to feel the pain of the 4th Ward, Kisha Manning smiles and shakes her head.

She was born here and grew up here.

"I even get my hair done and my nails done here," she says with a laugh.

Her school record at William Paterson University and subsequent success as a revenue officer with the Internal Revenue Service don’t diminish the roots, or the lifelong street cred Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes claims Manning lacks to maneuver in a city that has been under state-control for 18 years.

PATERSON - Supporters of Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes give their reasons for helping to elect the 23-year veteran of the Paterson City Council.

Ward 4 Councilwoman Vera Ames Garnes with supporters, from left, Dwight Sutton, Samuel Groce and Al Barino 

PATERSON - A man on a cellphone behind the wheel of a car with New York plates turns a pair of red eyes toward the formidable-looking woman suddenly shouting at him and jabbing her index finger at him.

"Hey, home boy," bellows Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes. "Stay off my streets!"

The man floors it, and seconds later a Paterson patrol car streaks past in another direction.

"They’re going the wrong way," mutters Ames-Garnes, throwing her minivan in gear and tearing after the police. She pulls her vehicle up onto the sidewalk alongside the patrol car where it’s now idling in the middle of the road next to an unmarked car facing the opposite direction.

PATERSON - Spanish teacher Wilkin Santana, 27, hopes to unseat long-serving Ward 4 Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes.

Wilkin Santana in the 4th Ward. 

PATERSON - Wilkin Santana turns left on Rosa Parks Boulevard and hits the gas into the heart of the 4th Ward. He sees foreclosure signs on front doors and gangs standing on sidewalks who look at him when he drives past.

"You have open drug dealing going on here," says Santana, shaking his head as he guns the engine. "You’ve got crack houses. Abandoned buildings. This is her record. I believe if you have 23 years to try to fix the neighborhood, you’ve had enough."

His reference is to Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes. This is her neighborhood. It’s also Santana’s ward, which is why he’s running against Ames-Garnes.

Fifth Ward Councilman Juan Torres

PATERSON - He's been in some tough Paterson scraps, but this year's could be the toughest for Fifth Ward Councilman Juan Torres.

The winner against Virtudes Sanchez in 2000 and 2004, Torres now faces a challenge from Julio Tavarez, a 31-year old Dominican immigrant who teaches technology at Public School 15 and is the founder of patersononline.net.

PATERSON - The fight in the Fourth promises to be a suspensWard Four Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garneseful and potentially ward-altering showdown as several young upstarts hope to dislodge Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes, who’s owned the seat for 22 years.

A feisty Paterson product who will buy coats for needy children and take them to Disney World just as quickly as demolish someone at the microphone who stammers a protest in the direction of the City Council, Ames-Garnes said her youthful challengers are going to have to blow her out of there.

"I have no problem with anybody running, this is America," said Ames-Garnes, 60. "But my question is, ‘What is your track record?’"

PATERSON - Both sides chargCouncilman Aslon Goowe that election year politics are behind a full-blown contract talks stand off here between the mayor and fire department on one side, and the City Council on the other.

Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres said he delivered the city’s $26 million contract with the 217-hard-hat strong Paterson Fire Department to the council in November, but has since received nothing but stall tactics and excuses from the governing body. Torres said he believes council members fear getting blamed for the five-year contract come election time on May 13th, and so are attempting to distance themselves.

Not a good tactic, in his view.

"This contract emulates the police contract they already adopted," said Torres. "It’s consistent with the 4% cap that the governor wants.