Essex County will dedicate a Nutley athletic field today in honor of former Senate President Carmen Orechio. Orechio served in the State Senate from 1974 to 1992, and was a Nutley Commissioner (and sometimes Mayor) from 1968 until he lost his re-election bid in 2008. This allows Orechio, who along with his two brothers was among Essex County’s most powerful political leaders in the 1970’s and 1980’s, to achieve a bit of immortality. Of course, these tributes are not always forever. Today is Brendan Byrne’s 86th birthday, and the former two-term governor has lived long enough to see a major sports arena named after him, and then named after an airline.
