Conshohocken

Embattled Conshohocken Borough Councilman Peter Cianci has refused to let his criminal record stop him from attending regular monthly meetings and voting on issues. And that has upset those who believe Cianci's repeated refusal to step down from his second four-year term impedes council business. "There's a heavy cloud over the whole council at this point," new member Jack Coll said yesterday. "Every vote we're taking is under protest. I'd like to see the guy gone at this point.

Give the folks at Totaro's credit for being ahead of the pack in believing that Conshohocken could be a destination for sophisticated diners. And while you're at it, give the community itself a pat on the back for its support of this tiny, upscale Italian restaurant in one of its working-class neighborhoods. Five years ago - when the area's impressive downtown restoration was still on the drawing boards - Totaro's went from being a neighborhood bar to a full- fledged restaurant with wine list, linens, candles and flowers.

Borough Council vice president Donald Lozzi, who has been widely credited with opening up the council to community input, intends to step down from the office in October. Lozzi said he would be leaving because he and his family plan to move to Lansdale, where he recently inherited a home. His decision, which comes with more than two years left in his first term, was personal, he said, and had nothing to do with the politics of the council. "I love Conshohocken," Lozzi said this week.

The high school stars have gone home, and the Fellowship House of Conshohocken's annual two-week run as destination for college basketball coaches is over. But the hoop action is far from finished. For two weeks beginning tonight, college graduates and seniors take over the court for the third annual Gold Medal Tournament. Last year's tournament was moved to the Fellowship House to take advantage of the intense interest in the Donofrio Classic, and tournament director Bill Campo couldn't have asked for a better championship game.

Yo, Chefs! Could you find me a recipe for the lamb stew served at Conshohocken's Spring Mill Cafe? It seems like a perfect dish for a chilly spring evening. M. Nardone, Philadelphia Customers have been loving the Moroccan lamb tajine, called tajine tafraout after a beautiful Berber town in southern Morocco, served at the Spring Mill Cafe for a long time. A tajine is a special ceramic serving bowl that has a matching conical cover. Any dish served in the tajine is, by extension, also called a tajine.

December 6, something must be up, tremendous firing from both sides all night long and into daybreak. No one slept all night as firing began on both sides. Never knew we could take such a pounding and still be here. I've been shivering all night and with an earache, but right now I'm thankful I'm alive. God's got to be on our side. I'm sure most everyone prayed some during the night. December 7, still very much firing from both sides. But not as bad as last night. Our infantry is having a hard time trying to dislodge Jerry (the slang term for German soldiers)

The factory employees take a 15-minute break at 9:30 a.m. On the dot. But a few of the employees, the new ones from Southeast Asia, leave their machines at 9:25 a.m. to take their rice to the microwave in the cafeteria. Then they return to work. In a few minutes, their food is hot. The other employees complain to the general manager. Hey, they're getting an early break! And what about the laboring crew? Just a handful of rotating employees who unload trucks, work in the storeroom and clean bathrooms.

Last month, Borough Manager William Saunders recommended eliminating his own job as a budget-balancing measure. The Borough Council rejected the idea, but Saunders is leaving anyway. Borough Solicitor Edmund Campbell announced Saunders' departure after a closed council session Tuesday night. He instructed council members not to talk about the terms of severance and refused to comment on whether Saunders had resigned or been fired. Saunders, who had been hired in late 1995, was only the second manager in the borough's history.

In a stunning bipartisan election, Democrat Gerald McTamney has been elected by a 5-1 vote as president of the seven-member Conshohocken Borough Council. The vote came Monday as Republicans Lucius Carter and newcomer Donald Lozzi joined Democrats McTamney, James Mullen and newcomer Joseph Collins in support of McTamney. Past president Armond Boccella, a Democrat, was noticeably absent for the swearing-in ceremony of the 1992 version of the board - and, indeed, he turned in his letter of resignation late Tuesday, citing personal reasons and pressing business concerns.

The parents of 2-year-old Morgan Lee Pena, killed by a cellphone-dialing driver in Hilltown Township last year, have settled a lawsuit against the motorist, a lawyer for the parents said last night. Attorney Christopher C. Fallon Jr. said he could not comment on terms of the settlement because of a confidentiality agreement. "I can tell you it was resolved to the satisfaction of the parties," he said. The settlement was reached on Monday, 11 months to the day after Hilltown became the second municipality in the United States to outlaw cellphone use while driving.