Parking Dominates Council Meeting - The Westfield Leader

OUR 114th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 35-114 SIXTY CENTS (908) [email protected], May 6, 2004USPS 680020

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NEW POSTS…Accepting their new positions on the Westfield Board ofEducation, newly-elected President Anne Riegel, left, poses with Ginny Leiz,who was named Vice President.

PPPPPAAAAAGE INDEXGE INDEXGE INDEXGE INDEXGE INDEXRegional ........ 2-3Editorial ........ 4-5Community ... 6-7

Obituary ........ 10Education ...... 8-9Sports ............ 13-18

Real Estate .... 14-21Classifieds...........22A&E .............. 23-24

ErratumIn a front page article of the

April 29 edition on the UnionCounty Board of Chosen Freehold-ers’ meeting, the boy who sang“Little People” from LesMiserables was misidentified asJake Forrestal. Though Forrestalperformed during the show’s run atScotch Plains-Fanwood HighSchool, Daniel Pesin performedthe song at the freeholder meeting.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12


Checchio Had Prior ArrestBefore Kidnapping Charge

By LAUREN S. PASSSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

Scotch Plains resident JohnChecchio, the owner of Don’s TreeService, was arrested last week andcharged with first degree kidnapping.He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. MauroChecchio. The senior Mr. Checchiowas mayor of Scotch Plains in 1959.

Police allege that Checchio kid-napped a 34-year-old Plainfieldwoman and drove her to his resi-

dence, where he forced her to dis-robe and assaulted her.

Checchio was arrested for a similarincident in September 2000, for kid-napping a 24-year-old Plainfieldwoman. He was charged with kidnap-ping, criminal restraint, aggravatedassault and making terroristic threats.Checchio was accused of having ab-ducted the victim from RichmondStreet in Plainfield and driving her tohis Scotch Plains home, where hemade her disrobe. The police foundthe woman locked the basement.

Robert O’Leary from the UnionCounty Prosecutor’s Office could notrelease information as to whether ornot Checchio was convicted on his2000 charges.

According to the state Departmentof Corrections website, Checchio wassentenced in February of 2002 to amaximum of four years for posses-sion, which was connected to hisSeptember 2000 arrest.

The website says that he was re-leased on November 7, 2003.

Benjamin B. Corbin for The Westfield LeaderGONE FISHIN’...Adults and kids alike enjoy the annual fishing derby sponsored by the Policeman’s BenevolentAssociation at Mindowaskin Park on Saturday.

Benjamin B. Corbin for The Westfield LeaderEARNING HIS WINGS...Volunteers came out over the weekend to help Westfield resident Gregory Ryan with his EagleScout project. He is leading renovation of the playground at Memorial Park, which will be wheelchair accessible.

Friday’s Skate NightAt Armory Cancelled

The Family Skate Night inWestfield scheduled for this Fri-day night has been cancelled, asthe Armory will be used for theNational Guard troops being de-ployed. The next skate night willbe Friday, May 21, from 7 to 9p.m.

Tom Madaras of the WHS IceHockey Association has remindedeveryone, “Let’s remember thesacrifice these men and women,along with their families, aremaking on our behalf to maintainthe liberties and freedoms.”


Concept HearingHeld for RetailDevelopmentBy ELIZABETH CORRELL

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader

The members of the WestfieldPlanning Board heard a presentationon Monday night regarding conceptplans for constructing a three-story,mixed use building on property lo-cated at 21 East Broad Street.

Architect Barbara Vincentsen ofVincentsen Associates reviewed theblueprint plans and answered ques-tions regarding the proposed project.

The mixed use building wouldbe 91 percent residential and 9percent retail. There would beseven apartment units, includingsix two-bedroom units and a one-bedroom unit. The retail spacewould tally 12,000 square feet.

Plans call for a garage with 12parking spaces for residents, whichis one short of the required total.Entrance to the garage would befrom the rear only, with the exitdriveway emptying onto EastBroad Street.

Planning Board Chairman JayBoyle told Ms. Vincentsen that heknew parking would be a concernfor business owners and custom-ers. He requested that she specifi-cally analyze how many parkingspaces would be lost due to thebuilding, and how it would impactthe nearby bank.

In addition, Mr. Boyle instructedMs. Vincentsen to speak withWestfield fire and police officialsregarding accessibility to the build-ing, and concerns about making aleft-hand turn from the exit drive-way onto Broad Street.

A lengthy discussion was held

SUPERINTENDENT EXAMINES PROJECTEDELEMENTARY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

DeChristopher HonoredWith Philhower Award

By ED COONEYSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

The Westfield Board of Educationconvened at McKinley ElementarySchool on Tuesday to honor StacieDeChristopher, this year’s recipientof the Charles Philhower FellowshipAward. The presentation ceremonywas heavily attended by many of Ms.DeChristopher’s fellow teachers, aswell as a number of her former andcurrent students and their parents.

Ms. DeChristopher, a first-gradeteacher who joined the staff atMcKinley in 1997, was presentedwith a resolution from the boardhonoring her outstanding achieve-ments in education. The resolution,which was read by Board PresidentAnne Riegel, commended Ms.DeChristopher for “going beyondacademics and teaching life lessons.”

Following Mrs. Riegel’s presenta-tion, McKinley Principal ClaudiaAndreski addressed the gatheredcrowd. She praised the PhilhowerCommittee’s decision, saying, “Theycouldn’t have picked a better candi-date.”

Ms. Andreski spoke candidly aboutthe high standards which Ms.DeChristopher sets for herself andher students, and commended her“sunny” demeanor.

“She is magnificent,” said Ms.Andreski.

After Ms. Andreski’s speech andcomments from other community

members, a teary-eyed Ms.DeChristopher took the podium toraucous applause from the assembledonlookers. She thanked her friendsand her family for their support andthanked Principal Andreski for herguidance.

She added that, while receivingthe fellowship was an honor, “thereal privilege is being able to teach atMcKinley.”

Ms. DeChristopher, dabbing attears, professed her love of her pro-fession, saying, “I love it because thechildren I meet in September arecapable of so much more in June.”

The Charles Philhower FellowshipAward, first awarded in 1993, is pre-sented by the Westfield Rotary Clubin recognition of outstanding workby an elementary school teacher inthe Westfield school district. Theaward is named after CharlesPhilhower, who was Westfield’s Su-perintendent of Schools for 30 yearsin the early 20th century.

Following the award presentation,the board took a short recess andreturned to the week’s business athand. Superintendent of Schools Dr.William Foley made a presentationto the board concerning projectedenrollment at the elementary schoollevel for the 2004-2005 school year.

Dr. Foley expressed mild surprise

Town Council Remains UndecidedOn DWC Capital Budget Request


Following Tuesday evening’s pub-lic meeting, the Westfield Town Coun-cil discussed the capital improvementbudgets for the Downtown WestfieldCorporation (DWC) and the Recre-ation Commission, as well as the op-erating budget for the DWC.

The Recreation Commission hasrequested $1,060,000 for several

Teen InjuredAt Edison


After receiving several telephonecalls from concerned parents, TheWestfield Leader confirmed that onApril 23, a 13-year-old student wasinjured at Edison IntermediateSchool. The rescue squad and para-medics transported the student toUniversity Hospital in Newark, thestate trauma center.

Police were still investigatingwhether or not his injuries were theresult of an assault. “Whether or notan assault took place, we’re not 100percent sure,” Lieutenant JohnParizeau said.

He said that people were still linedup for interviews, including the vic-tim, and that because there are juve-niles involved, it is the parents’ deci-sion as to whether or not they comeforward to talk.

Lorre Korecky of the Office ofSchool and Community Relationsconfirmed that, “an incident betweenstudents did occur on Friday, April23, at Edison School resulting in theinjury of one of our students.”

She told The Leader that, “theinjured student is being treated andis recuperating. Edison PrincipalCheryl O’Brien credited the Edisonnursing staff and the first aid squadin their quick and accurate responseto the injured student.”

She declined further comment, cit-ing the students’ right to confidentiality.

projects, including a lighted syn-thetic turf field at Houlihan and SidFey Fields.

According to Town AdministratorJames Gildea, the commission willcontinue to look into a larger newturf field.

Fourth Ward Councilman LawrenceGoldman suggested that the commis-sion reach out to neighbors of the fieldin regards to the lights.

Third Ward Councilman AndrewSkibitsky said that the turf fielddoesn’t solve the long-term goal ofincreased inventory.

If the council approves the capitalrequests, construction could beginon the field in the fall and be readyfor Spring 2005 play.

Additionally, the lights at the ten-nis courts in Tamaques Park needreplacing and the courts need to beresurfaced.

The DWC is requesting a $370,000operating budget, which is up $20,000from last year, and over $1.5 million incapital improvements for downtown.

It had been discussed in previousmeetings that the DWC would pay aportion of the debt service for thecapital projects through its assess-ments.

Mr. Gildea said that the DWC hasbeen carrying over a surplus in itsbudget for the past couple of years, andby law that surplus has to be applied tothe following year’s budget.

Councilman Goldman suggestedcreating a line item in the DWCbudget for capital improvements.

Council members had differentopinions as to whether or not toappropriate the capital money forlighting, trees and sidewalk replace-ment in the downtown.

First Ward Councilman and Fi-nance Committee Chairman PeterEchausse said that he feels the capi-tal requests should be deferred. Hesaid that while he is in favor of theprojects, the timing is bad in light ofthe South Avenue circle project andthe possibility of the parking ga-rages.

First Ward Councilman SalCaruana said that it would only cost$75,000 a year for 15 years. He saidthat the project was proposed six

years ago and has been ignored.Third Ward Councilman Mark

Ciarrocca said that spending themoney would send the wrong mes-sage to the taxpayers. He said that hecannot see spending $800,000 to ripup sidewalks and install lights andtrees with this year’s tax increase.

The council will discuss the pro-posals again at next Tuesday’s con-ference session.

Parking DominatesCouncil Meeting


Tuesday night’s public portion ofthe Westfield Town Council meetingwas once again dominated by dis-cussion of parking. Residents bothfor and against the construction ofparking garages on South Avenueand Prospect and Elm Streets ad-dressed the mayor and council.

An ordinance to enforce and chargefor overnight parking, as well as thesale of daily permits in the SouthAvenue parking lot, was pulled offthe agenda earlier in the week. Ac-cording to Town Administrator JamesGildea, council members had someconcerns and wanted to work on itmore.

Downtown resident BeverlyMcGrath said that a fee for overnightparking would be unfair. She saidthere is not a lot of people looking forparking downtown at 2 a.m. She alsofeels it would be unfair that she wouldhave to move her car at night andagain in the morning.

Second Ward Councilman RafaelBetancourt said that residents shouldbe charged for using an asset thatbelongs to the town.

Cynthia Foulke said that when shelived in downtown Cranford, she paid$5 for a permit that allowed her topark in the municipal lots overnight.

“When you have a mall, you needparking,” said William Shepherd. Hesaid that the lack of parking is aserious problem and encouraged thecouncil to do something to solve it.

Robert Tart said, “If garages go up,I’ll stop shopping here.” He said thatwhen he worked at John Frank’s,where The Gap is now located, theowners made their employees parkon Orchard Street.

Robert Nehring spoke on behalf ofWE CARE (Westfielders ConcernedAbout Responsible Development)stating that the group has collectedover 1,200 signatures on a petitionagainst the redevelopment plans.

Warren Rorden said that a “viabledowntown benefits all residents.” Hesaid that the opposition to the park-ing garages is a “small vocal minor-ity.”

Jim Baker said that employeescurrently holding permits should allbe parking in lot 9, on North Avenue,and that the Elm Street lot should beused for shoppers.

James Abate said, “The residentsdo not want these parking structures.”He added that people feel the waitlist is being manipulated and he hasyet to hear a commuter at the meet-ings requesting more parking.

Mr. Abate said that, while hedoesn’t fault the business owners forwanting to increase parking, some ofthem are not residents and will not bepaying the taxes.

Councilman Betancourt said, “Allof us should share the additionalburden parking creates.”

“You do not know better than thepeople, you are representatives ofthe people,” Warren Victor said.

Westfield Area Chamber of Com-merce Executive Director AllisonO’Hara said that discounting theopinions of storeowners and threat-ening them concerns her. She saidthat the business owners volunteer inthe community and help make thedowntown beautiful.

Bob Haggerty said he would liketo see a smaller scale project pro-posed, with a non-binding referen-dum on the final plan.

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Nature of Call:CardiacCardiac ArrestMotor Vehicle AccidentMaternity/GYNDOALift AssistFireChoking/Airway ObstructionAllergic ReactionAmputationBleeding/HemorrhageChest InjuryDiabetic Related (potential)Gastro-Intestinal DistressIllness - OtherOther InjuryHead/Neck InjuryRespiratory DistressSpinal InjuryStrokeFracture (suspected)SyncopeUnconsciousBehavioral EmergencyPre-Arranged TransportTOTAL

WESTFIELD VOLUNTEERRESCUE SQUAD BLOTTER

Statistics for Week Ending Nov. 16, 2002

16311117317110251316713296697852

263

Statistics for April 2004

WESTFIELDPOLICE BLOTTER

FRIDAY, APRIL 30· Two cases of wine valued at $72

altogether were reported stolen byunknown persons from a loading dockat an Elm Street supermarket.

· Anthony Alves, 18, ofRahway was arrested onMadison Avenue and chargedwith possession of suspectedecstasy, described by policeas a single tablet, and withbeing under the influence ofa controlled dangerous sub-stance. Alves was later re-leased on his own recogni-zance.

MONDAY, MAY 3· Four assaults were re-

ported as the result of an al-tercation between two femalestudents, ages 14 and 15, at aWestfield Avenue highschool.

A female teacher who at-tempted to break up the fightalso was assaulted, allegedlyby a 17-year-old student whohad wanted the younger girlsto keep fighting.

The teacher claimed shewas struck in the face andthe left ear with a clenchedfist, had a fingernail rippedout, and sustained a cut onanother finger. She wastransported to Union Hospi-tal, where she was treatedand released.

A female school employeewho also tried to intercedewas bitten on the upper leftleg by one of the girls di-rectly involved in the alterca-tion. She was examined byWestfield Rescue Squad per-sonnel but opted to seek medi-cal attention on her own, au-thorities said.

The 17-year-old was taken

into custody following the incidentand subsequently released to hermother. No charges had been filedagainst any of the students involvedin the altercation as of press time.

Benjamin B. Corbin for The Westfield LeaderTAKING IT EASY...This father and son pair enjoyed the fishing at MindowaskinPark on Saturday morning.

regarding proposed elevation, whichwas recognized as a concern forWestfielders. Ms. Vincentsen is re-questing 43 feet, which she explainedwould include a gabled roof that wouldprovide a residential look for the build-ing, as well as an attractive screencovering for mechanical equipmentlocated on the roof.

In the regular session of the planningboard, two pieces of unfinished busi-ness were completed. Site plan ap-proval was given to Burgers R Us, LLCfor a burger restaurant named CheeBurger Chee Burger to occupy theformer premises of Great Harvest BreadCompany.

Applicants on Maryland Street hadtheir request approved to move the lotline 29 feet to the northeast to create amore uniform lot pattern on the street,with no new lot being created.

In addition, property owners onProspect Street were granted approvalto move the lot line between twoproperties by transferring approxi-mately 3,570 square feet from one lotto the other.

at the enrollment numbers at thekindergarten level, which are “waydown.”

He noted that the single kindergar-ten section at Washington Elemen-tary School has a projected class of25 students, which is at the highestlimit of the district’s class size policy.As a possible solution to alleviate theburden at Washington School, Dr.Foley suggested seeing if any par-ents of students projected to be inWashington’s kindergarten classwould be interested in having theirstudent attend class at nearby WilsonElementary School instead.

Class sizes in each of WilsonSchool’s three Kindergarten sectionsare projected to be approximately 19students. This plan was proposed asa less-controversial alternative to re-districting.

A similar situation exists atTamaques Elementary School,where first-grade class sizes are es-timated to be at 22 students persection. Dr. Foley suggested thatsome parents of Tamaques studentsmight consider sending their stu-dent to McKinley School instead,where class sizes are expected to beapproximately 15 pupils in each ofthe three sections.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Projected Elementary SchoolEnrollment Eyed by Dr. Foley

Additionally, Franklin ElementarySchool will have a new first gradesection, bringing that school’s totalup to six sections.

“We will have to take over the artroom at Franklin to fit in the sixthfirst grade section,” said Dr. Foley.

The projected numbers for the fifthgrade at Wilson Elementary Schoolindicate there will be four sections of24 students each. If that number in-creases, a trailer classroom might beneeded to house an additional sec-tion.

Dr. Foley called the enrollmentsituation at Wilson School “volatile”and told the board that he would notbe surprised “to see some changethere.”

The board approved a number ofpolicies on first reading, includingpolicies on health education andacademic freedom, which encour-ages “unbiased and professionally-directed study of controversial is-sues when such issues arise andrelate directly to the course curricu-lum.”

The board also approved on sec-ond reading a number of policiesinitially approved at a meeting inearly April. These policies, includ-ing policies on employee training,sexual harassment and family leave,are now official district policy.

At the board’s next public meetingon Tuesday, May 18, members willhear from Dr. Foley on both theproposal for a new track and artifi-cial turf field at Kehler Stadium andthe district’s new technology plan.

Wrongful TerminationSuit Filed by Former

S. Plains Police OfficerBy FRED ROSSI

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader

SCOTCH PLAINS -- A formermember of the Scotch Plains PoliceDepartment has filed suit against thedepartment, the township and otherindividuals, alleging that he had beenwrongly dismissed last year.

James Cassidy, a sergeant who wason the police force for approximately12 years, is alleging that township

officials had conspired to deprivehim of his civil rights when he wasterminated in March 2003 for con-duct unbecoming a police officer.His termination followed indepen-dent investigators conclusions thathe had engaged in sexual miscon-duct while on duty.

Mr. Cassidy had first been suspendedwith pay pending an investigation bya trio of outside experts because, ac-cording to Township Attorney Dou-glas Hansen, “these were serious alle-gations and we wanted to be sure thatthere would be no question” of impar-tiality. “We went out and got the bestpeople,” he told The Westfield Leader.

Elizabeth Gramigna, Esq., an ex-pert in sexual harassment and civilrights, conducted a confidential in-ternal investigation. Her report wasthen referred to Thomas Savage,Esq., an outside independent pros-ecutor and expert in police disci-pline and investigation, who re-viewed the report and suggestedcharges to township officials. After-wards, Hearing Officer Robert Czech,Esq. presided over eight hearings overthe course of three month, with Mr.Savage acting as prosecutor. Mr.Czech then wrote an opinion basedon his finding Mr. Cassidy guilty ofthe charges and forwarded his rec-ommendations to Township ManagerThomas Atkins, who then terminatedMr. Cassidy from his position 13months ago. Mr. Hansen termed thethree outside personnel “knowledge-able, thorough and bright.”

Mr. Cassidy is also currently in-volved in an appeal of his dischargebefore the Office of AdministrativeLaw in Newark.

Mr. Hansen described Mr.Cassidy’s complaint against thetownship as “rambling, frivolous andmalicious allegations that lack meritboth in law and in fact, and donewith the apparent attempt to embar-rass the township, its officials andinnocent individuals.”

Mr. Hansen told The Leader that “atall times, the township and its officialsacted pursuant to all civil rights re-quirements, discrimination law, po-lice procedures and followed due pro-cess required under state and federalconstitutions, which Cassidy nowwrongfully alleges were violated.”

Referring to Ms. Gramigna, Mr.Savage and Mr. Czech, he said that“the mere fact that outside experts,investigators, prosecutors and hear-ings officers who were independentattests to the lengths the townshipwent to protect the interests of notonly Mr. Cassidy, but the citizens ofthe township.”


ConceptHearing

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Parking Issue ContinuesTo Dominate Council Mtg.

SPECIALLY SELECTED…GovernorLivingston (GL) High School juniorand Mountainside resident FreddiMack has been accepted into the NewJersey All-State Choir. She has previ-ously been selected into the CentralJersey Regional Choir in 2003 and 2004.Freddi expressed her gratitude to JamesMusacchio, GL Choral Director, forhis “selfless support and help in pre-paring her for this great honor.”

Antoinette Monaco-Betman said,“We need to define what it is thepeople of Westfield are looking for.”She added that she is not happy withthe way Westfield is continuing toevolve.

Several residents also said that theywould like to see it be mandatory thatdowntown employees park on SouthAvenue on Saturdays so that morespaces would be freed up for shoppers.

“I care about the town,” MayorGregory McDermott told TheWestfield Leader. He said that hewants to see development on SouthAvenue, which would increase prop-erty values in the area and expand thedowntown. He would like to see re-tail that would complement the SouthAvenue businesses, fewer residen-tial units, and a structure under 40

feet high.He stated that the council is “not

going to raise taxes” to fund theproject. If tax support is needed, theplans that exist now will have to bethrown out and started over. Themayor said that if tax support isneeded to build parking structures,the issue would have to be addresseddifferently.

Last evening, the council wasscheduled to meet with developerRobert Powell in a closed sessionmeeting. According to MayorMcDermott, the council met withRedevelopment Attorney RobertGoldsmith two weeks ago so thatofficials could discuss what they wantto see in the two projects. The coun-cil will now try to communicate itsdesires to Mr. Powell.

WESTFIELD — David Muroff, asenior at Westfield High School(WHS), was recently honored by theWHS Ice Hockey Team as the 2004recipient of the Ben Arnold Award.

The Ben Arnold Award, in the formof a trophy, was presented to Davidat the team’s end-of-season banquetcelebration held at L’Affaire inMountainside.

Named in honor of the RooseveltIntermediate School student who losthis life in a tragic boating accident inthe summer before his freshman yearat WHS, the Ben Arnold Award ispresented each year by members ofthe Ice Hockey Team who vote on theplayer with the most team spirit.

Ben, who would have been amember of WHS’ first Ice HockeyTeam, embodied the enthusiasm andexuberance that the award honors.

David, who will be attendingKutztown University in Pennsylva-nia, where he will study mechanicalengineering, has been a member for

the past four years of the WHS IceHockey Team, where he plays cen-ter. He has been ice-skating since hewas two years old and playing icehockey since he was four.

“David is an ideal choice for theBen Arnold Award because he exhib-its enthusiasm and great attitude,”commented WHS Athletic DirectorEdward Tranchina.

“As a team member,” Mr.Tranchina added, “David always putthe team first.”

David Muroff HonoredBy WHS Ice Hockey Team

Joseph Kenny InductedInto Nat’l Honor Society

WESTFIELD – Joseph Kenny,a junior at Oratory Prep in Sum-mit, was recently inducted intothe Newman Chapter of the Na-tional Honor Society during aceremony at the school.

Joseph is the son of Mr. andMrs. Joseph Kenny of Westfield.

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[email protected] 46TH YEAR – ISSUE NO. 19-46 Published Every Thursday Since 1959www.goleader.com

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Thursday, May 6, 2004

SP-F BOE Opposes Senate Bills,Welcomes New Fanwood Member

By MICHELLE SCHACKMANSpecially Written for The Times

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Boardof Education welcomed newFanwood representative RobO’Connor to the board on Thursdaynight at a brief annual re-organiza-tion meeting.

Mr. O’Connor was the write-incandidate on the ballot after SeamusDolan withdrew from the race, andhe is taking the place of Pat Hoynes-O’Connor.

Craig Nowlin and Lance Porter,both from Scotch Plains, returned tothe board after running unopposed.The three men were sworn in andtook an oath to uphold the mission ofthe district.

The board voted to have boardvice president Linda Nelson move tothe role of president, as Mr. Porterfinished his two years as president.Longtime board member ThomasRusso was voted as vice presidentfor the upcoming term.

As part of the agenda for the an-nual re-organization meeting that oc-curs after the election and the pass-ing of the budget, the board voted onand passed the following: a motionto approve the official newspapers

for publication of board related no-tices; adoption of existing board poli-cies and curricula; setting of official

board meeting locations for regu-larly scheduled monthly meetings



Former Officer Cassidy FilesWrongful Termination Suit

By FRED ROSSISpecially Written for The Times

A former member of the ScotchPlains Police Department has filedsuit against the department, the town-ship and other individuals, allegingthat he had been wrongly dismissedlast year.

James Cassidy, a sergeant who wason the police force for approximately12 years, is alleging that townshipofficials had conspired to deprivehim of his civil rights when he wasterminated in March 2003 for con-duct unbecoming a police officer.His termination followed indepen-dent investigators’ conclusions thathe had engaged in sexual miscon-duct while on duty.

Mr. Cassidy had first been sus-pended with pay pending an investi-gation by a trio of outside expertsbecause, according to Township At-torney Douglas Hansen, “these wereserious allegations and we wanted tobe sure that there would be no ques-tion” of impartiality. “We went outand got the best people,” he told The

Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times.Elizabeth Gramigna, Esq., an ex-

pert in sexual harassment and civilrights, conducted a confidential in-ternal investigation. Her report wasthen referred to Thomas Savage, Esq.,an outside independent prosecutorand expert in police discipline andinvestigation, who reviewed the re-port and suggested charges to town-ship officials. Afterwards, HearingOfficer Robert Czech, Esq. presidedover eight hearings over the courseof three month, with Mr. Savageacting as prosecutor. Mr. Czech thenwrote an opinion based on his find-ing Mr. Cassidy guilty of the chargesand forwarded his recommendationsto Township Manager ThomasAtkins, who then terminated Mr.Cassidy from his position 13 monthsago. Mr. Hansen termed the threeoutside personnel “knowledgeable,thorough and bright.”

Mr. Cassidy is also currently in-volved in an appeal of his dischargebefore the Office of AdministrativeLaw in Newark.

Mr. Hansen described Mr.Cassidy’s complaint against the town-ship as “rambling, frivolous andmalicious allegations that lack meritboth in law and in fact, and done withthe apparent attempt to embarrass

Ben Solomon for The TimesSWEARING IN...Newly elected Board of Education member Rob O’Connor, right, and incumbent members LancePorter, left and Craig Nowlin were sworn in for three year terms last Thursday.

Ben Solomon for The TimesTAKING THE HELM...Linda Nelson, left, was elected President of the ScotchPlains-Fanwood Board of Education and Thomas Russo was elected Vice-President at Thursday night’s reorganizational meeting.

ErratumIn a front page article of the

April 29 edition on the UnionCounty Board of Chosen Free-holders meeting, the boy whosang “Little People” from LesMiserables was misidentified asJake Forrestal. Though Forrestalperformed during the show’s runat Scotch Plains-Fanwood HighSchool, Daniel Pesin performedthe song at the freeholder meet-ing.



Checchio Had Prior ArrestBefore Kidnapping Charge

By LAUREN S. PASSSpecially Written for The Times

Last week, Scotch Plains residentJohn Checchio, the owner of Don’sTree Service, was arrested andcharged with first degree kidnap-ping. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.Mauro Checchio. The senior Mr.Checchio was mayor of ScotchPlains in 1959.

Police allege that Checchio kid-napped a 34-year-old Plainfieldwoman and drove her to his resi-dence, where he forced her to dis-robe and assaulted her.

Checchio was arrested for a simi-lar incident in September 2000, forkidnapping a 24-year-old Plainfieldwoman. He was charged with kid-napping, criminal restraint, aggra-vated assault and making terroristic

threats. Checchio was accused ofhaving abducted the victim fromRichmond Street in Plainfield anddriving her to his Scotch Plainshome, where he made her disrobe.The police found the woman lockedthe basement.

Robert O’Leary from the UnionCounty Prosecutor’s Office couldnot release information as to whetheror not Checchio was convicted onhis 2000 charges.

According to the state Depart-ment of Corrections website,Checchio was sentenced in Febru-ary of 2002 to a maximum of fouryears for possession, which wasconnected to his September 2000arrest.

The website says that he was re-leased on November 7, 2003.

Twp. Council Looks at ImprovingLibrary and Town Hall Buildings

By FRED ROSSISpecially Written for The Times

With several township buildings inneed of significant repairs, ScotchPlains Mayor Martin Marks said thisweek that officials were “looking at alarge capital improvement bond ordi-nance” to finance the renovations.

The mayor made his remarks atthe Township Council’s conferencemeeting on Tuesday evening follow-

ing a presentation by Library DirectorMeg Kolaya that detailed what isestimated to be more than $500,000in needed roof repairs, plumbing up-grades and other renovations at the38-year-old library on Bartle Avenue.

Council members have been discuss-ing building conditions not only at thelibrary, but also at the municipal build-ing on Park Avenue and the publicworks building on Plainfield Avenue.

Mrs. Kolaya’s presentation thisweek offered the first clear indica-tion of the costs the township faces inrepairing some of its buildings.

Capital improvements “are longoverdue,” the mayor admitted. “It’stime to bite the bullet.”

Mrs. Kolaya, joined by JosephDuff, the President of the Library’sBoard of Trustees, spoke to the coun-cil for 45 minutes, during which sheoutlined some of the improvementsand upgrades made at the libraryduring the past 15 months, includingupgrades in the building’s lightingand electrical systems, additionalcomputers, the installation of a newbook drop, a refurbishing of the com-munity room and the reopening ofthe music room.

However, Mrs. Kolaya said certainareas are still in need of upgrades,saying that stairwell banisters arenot currently compliant with federaldisability regulations. She said cer-tain plumbing features were in poorcondition and in need of replace-ment and upgrade, adding that thelibrary’s existing windows were non-tempered and not insulated.

The building’s major problem,however, is its roof, which over theyears has deteriorated to a point wheremelting snow and heavy rains causenumerous leaks into the building’sinterior, threatening not only its book

collection but also the computersthat have been installed.

Mrs. Kolaya showed the council anumber of photographs detailing thecondition of the roof, which is basi-cally made up of strips of sheet metalthat were laid over the original slateroof without being adequately sealedto prevent leaks.

She also showed photographs ofthe numerous areas inside the librarywhere leaks are chronic and waterdamage is serious. The board of trust-ees, she said, is reluctant to moveahead with further improvements un-til the issue of the roof is addressed.

Mrs. Kolaya, who became LibraryDirector in late 2002, said the cost ofreplacing the roof would be in the$250,000 to $300,000 range whilethe cost of replacing the windowswith ones that are insulated and tem-pered would be close to $100,000.

She expressed her hope that someof the upgrades could be financedvia grants, but Mr. Duff told thecouncil that, at best, only about 10percent of the total repair costs wouldbe funded this way, making clear theneed for a capital ordinance.

The council is also looking at up-grades to the roof of the 32-year-oldMunicipal Building, which has alsobeen plagued by leaks in recent years.

During a brief discussion on Tues-day, Township Manager ThomasAtkins said one solution being dis-cussed by township officials wouldbe to temporarily seal the roof thisyear while considering more perma-nent solutions.

Officials are consulting with archi-tects about the roof but have not yetreleased details of the potential costs.And discussions are also expected inthe coming weeks about the condi-tion of the Public Works building.

Elizabeth Correll for The TimesA PLACE IN HISTORY…Mayor Colleen Mahr, left, and Dolores O’Brien, Chair-woman of Fanwood’s Historic Preservation Commission, in front of The Urner GibbsHouse in the Fanwood Park Historic District. The house was built in 1894 by BenjaminUrner as a wedding gift for his daughter, who married William Gibbs, a mechanicalengineer who worked with Thomas Edison on recording devices.

Fanwood District Receives Historic DesignationFrom State; Mayor Lauds Preservation Group

By ELIZABETH CORRELLSpecially Written for The Times

Its official: Fanwood has a place inhistory. The New Jersey Register ofHistoric Places has designated a sec-tion of the borough, known asFanwood Park Historic District, wor-thy of historic status.

Procuring the status has longbeen a goal for Fanwood’s His-toric Preservation Commission.Five years ago they hired archi-tectural historian Nancy Zerbe,of the consulting firm Arch² inMetuchen, and she has beenresearching the residences inthe area and compiling infor-mation for the application tothe state.

It was decided that the areawould include 79 homes, with58 designated as “contributing”and 21 as “non-contributing.”The designation was assignedbased on the year the structurewas built. The homes in thearea date from the late 19th andearly 20th centuries.

The parameters of the dis-trict are Martine Avenue fromNorth Avenue to Pleasant Av-enue, and North Avenue fromNichols Court to Farley Avenue.

The residents whose homesare on these streets were allnotified of the borough’s appli-cation for historic status, andwere able to provide opinionsand feedback to the commission.

In December, the state voted unani-mously to assign historic status tothe district. The status was awardedofficially on March 3, and letterswere mailed out to all residents in thedistrict in April.

The primary benefit of this status

is that that before the state, county ormunicipality can proceed with anytype of work or construction that willimpact any of the properties in thisarea, they must appear before thedepartment that oversees the Regis-ter of Historic Places, which is the

Department of Environmental Pro-tection.

The official wording of the letterreceived by residents is that the his-toric status “prevents the state, acounty, municipality or any of theiragencies or instrumentalities fromundertaking any project that will

encroach upon, damage or destroythe property listed without the ap-proval from the Commissioner of theDepartment of Environmental Pro-tection.”

Fanwood Park Historic District isalso currently being considered for

inclusion on the National Register ofHistoric Places.

Mayor Colleen Mahr commendedthe work of the commission in aninterview with The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times, “In the short timeI’ve been mayor, it is apparent howhard the historic commission works.

They deserve all our thanks and praisefor the long process of being put onthe New Jersey and then the NationalRegisters. The beauty of the archi-tecture and the homes is part of thecharm of Fanwood. It is obvious thecare the homeowners have taken.My hat is off to the Commission fordiligently pursuing this.”

Dolores O’Brien, Chairwoman ofFanwood’s Historic Preservation

Police CloserTo Building

Comm. TowerBy ELIZABETH CORRELL

Specially Written for The Times

The Fanwood Police Depart-ment is one step closer to gettingthe new communications towerthat it so desperately needs. It wasdecided at Tuesday’s agenda meet-ing of the mayor and council thatonly one more piece of informa-tion is required before a final de-cision will be made regarding thebest location for the tower.

A 120-foot lattice tower willreplace the current tower, locatedon borough property, which is lean-ing precariously. More impor-tantly, the police department re-quires a new tower immediatelyto protect the expensive new com-munication equipment that it re-ceived as the result of a grant. Ithas taken several months for re-search to be done at the site todetermine the proper location forthe tower, as well as which typeand size of tower would be neededby the borough.

Residents in the area have cometo public meetings and expressedtheir concerns about the view ofthe large tower from their homeslocated across the street from bor-ough hall, as well as the possibil-ity of many unsightly sheds thatwould be necessary to house theequipment of cellular companies.

The mayor and council will dis-cuss the number of cellular pro-viders that the borough would be

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WESTFIELD -- After receiv-ing several telephone calls fromconcerned parents, The ScotchPlains-Fanwood Times confirmedthat on April 23, a 13-year-oldstudent was injured at Edison In-termediate School in Westfield.The rescue squad and paramedicstransported the student to Univer-sity Hospital in Newark, the statetrauma center.

Police were still investigatingwhether or not his injuries werethe result of an assault. “Whetheror not an assault took place,we’re not 100 percent sure,” Lt.John Parizeau said.

He said that people were stilllined up for interviews, includingthe victim, and that because thereare juveniles involved, it is theparents’ decision as to whether ornot they come forward to talk.

Lorre Korecky of the Office ofSchool and Community Relationsconfirmed that, “an incident be-tween students did occur on Fri-day, April 23, at Edison Schoolresulting in the injury of one ofour students.”

She told The Times that, “theinjured student is being treated andis recuperating. Edison PrincipalCheryl O’Brien credited the Edisonnursing staff and the first aid squadin their quick and accurate responseto the injured student.”

She declined further comment,citing the students’ right to confi-dentiality.

(which are posted on the boardwebsite); motion to pass the distribu-tion of notices for meetings; adop-tion of resolution for auditing, legaland negotiating services; appoint-ment of treasurer of school monies;designation of official depositories(local banks); approval of monthlytax payments by municipalities; elec-tion of a board member to serve onthe Union County Educational Ser-vices Commission’s School Board(Mr. Nowlin); and election of a boardmember to serve as a delegate on theRepresentative Assembly (Mr.O’Connor).

In other matters, the board movedto pass a resolution opposing SenateBill 1298 that requires coordinatedtransportation service agencies. This


Board of Education WelcomesDolan, New Fanwood Member

bill basically eliminates competitionbetween private and public transpor-tation companies. Currently theScotch Plains-Fanwood school dis-trict can contract private transporta-tion companies directly, but underthe proposed senate bill the districtwould have to place bids under allthe circumstances which would in-evitably drive up costs for the districtat the benefit of the transportationcompanies, as explained by Busi-ness Administrator Anthony DelSordi. The board voted to oppose thebill, which other districts are doingas well.

The BOE will resume usual boardbusiness at their open agenda meet-ing on the Thursday, May 13.


DesignationCommission, told The Times that,“the whole reason for the historicstatus is to preserve the character andthe integrity of the borough. That’swhy we all decided to live here, be-cause of what Fanwood looks like.”

Mrs. O’Brien stated that her twofavorite words were “preserve andprotect.”

Meetings of the Fanwood HistoricPreservation Commission are held onthe third Tuesday of the month at 7:15p.m. at the Community House, lo-cated on the North Avenue side of theFanwood train station, and the publicis welcome to attend.


Fanwood Police Move CloserTo Building Comm. Tower

able to provide for in the future atlength. Mayor Colleen Mahr clari-fied that they are “not entertaininganyone specifically right now.”

Over several meetings it has beenmade clear that the borough willbenefit from the fee paid by a cellcarrier. Originally it was proposedthat there be room for two carriers,one inside the borough building, andanother outside, with its equipmentin an “aesthetically pleasing” shed.It was decided that only one carrierwould be allowed.

After much discussion, it was de-cided at Tuesday’s meeting that onemore soil-boring test would be donefor a possible location next to theborough building. If this test showsthat the location is not suitable for atower to be built there, then the origi-nal location for the new tower by thedetention basin will be chosen.

Parking problems continue atScotch Plains-Fanwood High School.The board of education, as well asthe Township of Scotch Plains andthe Borough of Fanwood, have beensearching for answers to the limitedamount of available parking. In re-sponse to residents’ complaints, park-ing has been prohibited on certainstreets in the area surrounding theschool. Mayor Mahr informed coun-cil members that as a result of this,many students are now parking onWatchung View Place and TillotsonRoad. Residents on those streets havevoiced complaints and concerns toMayor Mahr’s office, regarding stu-dents loitering after school hours andlittering on their properties. As aresult, Mayor Mahr is supporting anordinance that would limit parkingduring school hours on those streets.

Councilman Stuart Kline was con-cerned that this might not be a per-manent solution; that it might only“perpetuate the problem” becausethen parking problems would occuron other streets.

Mayor Mahr said that all possiblepermanent solutions were being re-searched, however the concerns ofthe residents, especially senior citi-zens, who were affected by the stu-dents on their properties, needed tobe addressed immediately.

In addition, Police Chief DonaldDomanowski emphasized a safetyissue: too many cars parked on thesestreets prevents fire trucks from get-ting down the road and also makes itdifficult for an ambulance or policecar.

Councilman Andrew Calamarasstated that the board of education haslooked at this issue extensively, andthat one possible solution of buildinga parking lot is not possible becausethere is no location to do so. Asliaison to the board of education,Councilwoman Donna Dolce saidthat the parents of students have ex-plained the need for high school stu-dents to have cars at school to be ableto drive to after school jobs andclasses.

The ordinance will be voted on atnext Tuesday’s council meeting.

Many residents have complainedabout loud trucks performing resi-dential garbage collection as early as4 a.m. on some streets. Council At-torney Dennis Estes informed themayor and council that they have thepower to set the hours for such ser-vice and that Westfield and Cranfordhave chosen to pass ordinances thatspecify hours. It was decided that aletter would be sent to the companiesthat service Fanwood, requesting ameeting to discuss hours of collec-tion.

Fanwood Liquor Store has re-quested that it be allowed to beginsale of alcohol at 12 p.m. on Sun-days, rather than the current ordi-nance, which prohibits the sale ofalcohol before 1 p.m. on that day.The mayor and council will researchthe issue, and determine if the busi-ness owner is being put to a disad-vantage due to other stores begin-ning sale of alcohol at an earliertime.

Private individuals will be sell-ing Mother’s Day flowers this Sun-day on the sidewalk in front ofFanwood Bagels & Deli on MartineAvenue. This has been allowed inpast years, with the council askingthe two florists in the area if theyobjected to it, with one florist ob-jecting to it and the other sayingthey did not mind.

Pastel Demonstration PlannedWith Parsippany Artist in FW

SCOTCH PLAINS – The ScotchPlains and Fanwood Arts Associa-tion will present a pastel demonstra-tion by Dannielle Mick followingtheir 7:30 p.m. business meeting atthe Fanwood Community House,North Avenue in Fanwood onWednesday, May 19.

The artist, who has studied in Cali-fornia and New York, has exhibited atgalleries throughout New Jersey, NewYork, the National Audubon Society,the Salmagundi Club and theCatherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club.

Ms. Mick, who has amassed a listof awards, honors and memberships,has been published in The New YorkTimes, New Jersey Countryside, Pas-tel Journal and other periodicals. Sheteaches at her studio, the SomersetArt Association in Bedminster and

the New Jersey School of Visual Artsin Summit.

Working in all mediums, Ms. Mickis inspired by the natural world ofsea, sky and landscapes, often start-ing with a plein air sketch and finish-ing in the studio.

She cites simplicity and balance aspriorities in all of her work, addingthat, “learning to see with depth andsensitivity, and to appreciate thesubtleties of color, light and change,”has had a profound impact on herwork.

The public is invited to join asso-ciation members at the meeting anddemonstration. Presided over by RuthGunther, this will be the association’slast meeting of the season.

For more information, please callThomas Yeager at (908) 322-5438.

the township, its officials and innocentindividuals.”

Mr. Hansen told The Times that “atall times, the township and its officialsacted pursuant to all civil rights re-quirements, discrimination law, policeprocedures and followed due processrequired under state and federal consti-tutions, which Cassidy now wrong-fully alleges were violated.”

Referring to Ms. Gramigna, Mr. Sav-age and Mr. Czech, he said that “themere fact that outside experts, investi-gators, prosecutors and hearings offic-ers who were independent attests to thelengths the township went to protect theinterests of not only Mr. Cassidy, but thecitizens of the township.”


Lawsuit

Brooks Crandall The TimesA WATCHFUL EYE…Scotch Plains police lend a watchful eye as children from the Magnet School in Scotch Plains enjoya fun run on Saturday.

Parking Continues to DominateWestfield Town Council Meeting


WESTFIELD -- Tuesday night’spublic portion of the Westfield TownCouncil was once again dominated bydiscussion of parking. Residents bothfor and against the construction of park-ing garages on South Avenue and Pros-pect and Elm Streets addressed themayor and council.

An ordinance to enforce and chargefor overnight parking, as well as thesale of daily permits in the South Av-enue parking lot was pulled off theagenda earlier in the week. Accordingto Town Administrator James Gildeacouncil members had some concernsand wanted to work on it more.

Downtown resident BeverlyMcGrath said that a fee for overnightparking would be unfair. She said thatlots of people are not looking for park-ing downtown at 2 a.m. She also feelsit would be unfair that she would haveto move her car at night and again in themorning.

Second Ward Councilman RafaelBetancourt said that residents shouldbe charged for using an asset that be-longs to the town.

Cynthia Foulke said that when shelived in downtown Cranford she paid$5 for a permit that allowed her to parkin the municipal lots overnight.

“When you have a mall, you needparking,” said William Shepherd. Hesaid that the lack of parking is a seriousproblem and encouraged the council todo something to solve it.

Robert Tart said that, “if garages goup, I’ll stop shopping here.” He saidthat when he worked at John Frank’s,where the Gap is now located, theowners made their employees park onOrchard Street.

Robert Nehring spoke on behalf of

WE CARE (Westfielders ConcernedAbout Responsible Development) stat-ing that the group has collected over1,200 signatures on a petition againstthe redevelopment plans.

Warren Rorden said that a “viabledowntown benefits all residents.” Hesaid that the opposition to the parkinggarages is a “small vocal minority.”

Jim Baker said that employees cur-rently holding permits should all beparking in lot 9, on North Avenue, andthat the Elm Street lot should be usedfor shoppers.

James Abate said, “The residents donot want these parking structures.” Headded that people feel the wait list isbeing manipulated and he has yet tohear a commuter at the meetings re-questing more parking.

Mr. Abate said that, while he doesn’tfault the business owners for wantingto increase parking, some of them arenot residents and will not pay the taxes.

Councilman Betancourt said, “Allof us should share the additional bur-den parking creates.”

“You do not know better than thepeople, you are representatives of thepeople,” Warren Victor said.

Westfield Area Chamber of Com-merce Executive Director AllisonO’Hara said that discounting the opin-ions of storeowners and threateningthem concerns her. She said that thebusiness owners volunteer in the com-munity and help make the downtownbeautiful.

Bob Haggerty said he would like tosee a smaller scale project proposed,

with a non-binding referendum on thefinal plan.

Antoinette Monaco-Betman said,“We need to define what it is the peopleof Westfield are looking for.” She addedthat she is not happy with the wayWestfield is continuing to evolve.

Several residents also said that theywould like to see it be mandatory thatdowntown employees park on SouthAvenue on Saturdays so that morespaces would be freed up for shoppers.

“I care about the town,” Mayor Gre-gory McDermott told The WestfieldLeader. He said that he wants to seedevelopment on South Avenue, whichwould increase property values in thearea, and expand the downtown. Hewould like to see retail that wouldcompliment the South Avenue busi-nesses, fewer residential units and astructure under 40 feet tall.

He stated that the council is “notgoing to raise taxes” to fund the project.If tax support is needed, the plans thatexist now will have to be thrown outand started over. The mayor said that iftax support is needed to build parkingstructures the issue would have to beaddressed differently.

On Wednesday evening, the councilmet with developer Robert Powell in aclosed session meeting.

According to Mayor McDermott, thecouncil met with Redevelopment At-torney Robert Goldsmith two weeksago so that the council could discusswhat they want to see in the two projects.The council will now try to communi-cate their desires to Mr. Powell.


Organic Lawn Care NeededTo Protect WF EnvironmentWESTFIELD – Karen Scribner,

and her team of volunteers of theFirst Congregational Church areleading a program to use organiclawn care methods and avoid theuse of chemicals and pesticides.

According to the church, the useof chemical pesticides and fertiliz-ers in lawn care has more thandoubled in the Westfield commu-nity over the past ten years. NewJersey Department of Environmen-tal Protection statistics show thatpesticides used on lawns in UnionCounty amounts to more than 19,000pounds of pesticides spread overgrass every year.

The church believes that the useof pesticides, herbicides, and chemi-cal fertilizers present a real dangerin that their use results in poisonedrainwater runoff entering ponds andrivers, as well as the contaminationof groundwater. Every day there ispotential for children to be exposedto lawn chemicals that are knowncarcinogens and nervous system poi-sons.

The church feels that some ofthese chemicals may be linked torecent increases in autism, asthma,brain cancer and learning disabili-ties in children, who are more sus-ceptible to poisons due to their smallsize.

The Reverend Keith Jones, In-terim Senior Minister and PamelaGilchrist, the Associate Ministerat First Congregational Churchpraise the work of those in thechurch intent on being better stew-ards of God’s creation. They agreethat, “Our earth home is a sacredplace and we have a sacred re-sponsibility to care for that whichGod has made.”

To learn more about organicmethods in lawn care or other en-vironmental issues, contact FirstCongregational Church, (908) 233-2494.

Additional information can befound on the Internet at sites such aso r g a n i c f e r t i l i z e r . c o m ;milkyspore.com; gluten.iastate.edu/daily and hound-dog.com.

SP-F Memorial Day ParadeTo Honor WW II Veterans

SCOTCH PLAINS – The 2004Scotch Plains-Fanwood MemorialDay Parade will be held on Mon-day, May 31, featuring the theme“The Greatest Generation – A Sa-lute to World War II Veterans.”

The theme recognizes the Na-tional World War II Memorial thatwill be dedicated in Washington,D.C. over Memorial Day weekend.

All Scotch Plains and Fanwoodveterans of World War II will behonored as the collective Grand

Marshal. The Parade Committeehas extended an invitation to alltownship and borough residentswho served during World War II toparticipate in the 2004 parade.

Interested veterans are asked toregister with the Parade Commit-tee by calling Toni Rollis at theScotch Plains Municipal Buildingat (908) 322-6700, extension no.314. Vehicles will be provided totransport the veterans along theparade route.

TOXIN FREE...Karen Scribner, Joe Liccese and Paula Storii from the FirstCongregational Church of Westfield are pictured using organic lawn caremethods on the church grounds.

WF Planning Board and Bd. Of Adjustment:Keeping Development Within Regulation

By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELLSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Look inside the courtroom in theWestfield Municipal Building on thefirst or second Monday evening ofany given month and you will seetwo very active volunteer boardsconducting their usual business.

The Westfield Planning Board, leadby Chairman Jay Boyle, meets everyfirst Monday of the month to heartestimony regarding the WestfieldMaster Plan and land use ordinances.Applications range from relief fromsite plan, or land use ordinances tomajor or minor sub-divisions. Appli-cants range from major corporations,to small business owners to Westfieldhomeowners.

According to Mr. Boyle, the roleof the Planning Board “is to makegood decisions for people in townbased on the Master Plan and theTown Use Ordinance.”

Mr. Boyle explained, “The boardtries to do what is best for everyoneand tries to be consistent on its rul-ings.”

In addition, he noted, “Every caseis different. We try hard to focus onone application at a time and con-sider each case based on its ownmerit.”

According to Mr. Boyle, membersof the Planning Board are appointedby the mayor to serve a full-term,which is four years or an alternatecan be appointed, which is a term oftwo years. These, he states, are allvolunteer positions. Other membersof the board include the mayor or amayor’s designee, a member of thetown council, a town official and theboard’s attorney.

This year’s members include: BrianPower, James Foerst, Bruce Long,Russell Finestein, Esq., Mr. Boyle,Vice-Chairman Jay McDonald, Mat-thew Nielsen, Richard Elbert, Rob-ert Newell and Town Engineer Ken-neth Marsh.

In addition to their monthly meet-ings, some members of the planningboard sit on a Site Plan Review Com-mittee, which according to Mr. Boyleis, “a committee that reviews appli-

cations that are coming down theroad to see if there is additionalinformation that the Planning Boardmight need so the applicant doesn’thave to wait another full month tohave their case heard.”

When asked about the develop-ment of Westfield Mr. Boyle com-mented, “Progress is not a bad thing,as long as it is done for the better-ment of a community and done withinthe law. There are a good number oftotally conforming sub-divisions thatare binded by the law. We may notlike all of the sub-divisions, but ifthey are within the law, then that iswhat we have to go by. It looks likethere is a lot of development goingon because it is so concentrated incertain areas and I think there is a lotmore development because of lowinterest rates. The biggest trend wehave seen in recent years is teardowns.They have increased in the last threeyears going from approximately 10in 2001, to 15 in 2002 to over 30 in2003.”

These teardowns, Mr. Boyle noted,are all conforming, but the town coun-cil is becoming increasingly con-cerned. He noted that the Town Plan-ner Blais Brancheau of Robert Catlinand Associates, is now looking atnew standards for this increasingtrend.

Mr. Boyle also stated that, “out-side of a few major developmentswith possible tear-towns, there is notmuch land left to develop inWestfield,” noting that Westfield is a200 year-old town.

In addition to these jobs, Mr. Boyle,as well as Town Engineer Mr. Marsh,stated that the Planning Board isresponsible for reviewing, updatingand adopting the Town’s Master Planevery six years, which both agree isa very tedious but important functionof this hard working board.

In concluding his interview, Mr.Boyle noted that members of theplanning board are good people andtake their jobs seriously. He notedthat they ask a lot of questions andthat they not only review all of thepaperwork for each case, but also

look at the sites to have a betterunderstanding of the applications.

Mr. Boyle also noted that, “peoplewho live in this town should be en-couraged to come and speak out aboutany application and ask questions ifthey need to. That’s what makes theprocess a democracy.”

On the second Monday of themonth the Westfield Board of Ad-justment can be seen working hardand hearing cases that have to dowith the zoning laws of Westfield.This board also works within thelaws of the Land Use Ordinance, butconcentrate on zoning issues for po-tential applicants.

Chairman Vince Wilt, who hasvoluntarily served the board for overeight years, notes that many appli-cants are looking to put additions,decks and porches onto their homesand that as of recent years, “haveslightly more lot coverage that wehave seen before.”

Looking at an average monthlyagenda it is not unusual for membersof the board, who according to Mr.Wilt, are also appointed by the mayorto hear approximately 20 cases. Boardmembers review all testimony abouteach case and also visit each sitebefore making a ruling.

Members of this year’s Board ofAdjustment include: Zoning OfficerKathleen Neville, Board of Adjust-ment Lawyer Vince Loughlin, Esq.,Lori Duffy, Chris Masciale, DonLane, Mr. Wilt, Vice Chairman Wil-liam Heinbokel, Frances Smith andLarry McDermott.

Mr. Wilt states that members ofthe Board of Adjustment look to seeif the applicant can prove a hardshipfor relief from variances to be granted.

Mr. Wilt did note that some casessuch as the recent Temple parking lotrequest are a very big issue. He statedthat the board takes all of the infor-mation presented into considerationas well as testimony from all resi-dents before making a decision. Hedid state that the temple is currentlyappealing the ruling.

Mr. Wilt said that of the past eightyears that he has served on the board,“requests haven’t really changed allthat much in the last few years, justsometimes the lot coverage.” He didnote however, that there have been afew very big applications as of recentmonths, such as the Caldora Project,whose owners are proposing to knockdown existing offices and apartmentsat 143 and 147 Elmer Street and 311Lenox Avenue to erect a three story,14-unit apartment complex. He didstate that the board has not yet heardthe application because the ownershave postponed their case.

When asked about his first ap-pointment to the board, Mr. Wiltexplained that he was first appointedby former Mayor Garland “Bud”Booth who told him “a big require-ment for serving on the board is theability to say ‘no,’ even if you knowthe people in front of you.”

Mr. Wilt concluded that the job formembers of the Board of Adjustmentis to rule for what is best for everyoneconcerned.

Stender to Host NJ FamilyCare Enrollment on May 12SCOTCH PLAINS – Participat-

ing in a statewide effort to providehealthcare to uninsured children,Assemblywoman Linda Stenderwill be opening her office as anapplication site for the New JerseyFamily Care program on Wednes-day, May 12.

This program assists eligibleNew Jersey families obtain healthinsurance for their children. Theprogram covers the costs of rou-tine doctor visits, prescriptiondrugs, hospitalizations, lab test,x-rays, eyeglasses and dental care.

“There are 1.7 million peopleliving in New Jersey without healthcoverage. 210,000 are children,”said Assemblywoman Stender. “Itis our responsibility to educateparents on the existence of thisprogram and to enroll as manyeligible residents as possible.”

New Jersey Family Care cur-rently has 99,000 children enrolledin the program, only an estimated60 percent of all children who areeligible for coverage. There is stillan estimated 70,000 uninsuredchildren living in New Jersey thatmeet the eligibility requirements.

Assemblywoman Stender’s dis-trict office is located at 1801 EastSecond Street in Scotch Plains,New Jersey. The office will beopen from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to anyinterested families. For additionalinformation, please call JenniferMancuso at (908) 668-1900.

See it all in Color!See it all on the Web!

www.goleader.com

A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, May 6, 2004 Page 3

Gov. McGreevey’s PropertyTax Proposal: Hit or Miss?

By Mayor Martin L. Marks

On Friday April 30, I traveled toTrenton to participate in a meeting ofNew Jersey mayors to discuss with Gov-ernor James McGreevey his latest pro-posal for property tax relief for NewJersey residents. New Jersey continuesto have the highest property taxes in thenation, and after much prodding fromthe New Jersey State League of Munici-palities, elected officials such as me,editorial boards across the state, andmost importantly angry and frustrated,property tax payers like you, the Gover-nor has been brought to the table forsome serious discussions. This is in-deed good news; however, after exam-ining the Governor’s proposal it ap-pears that we still have a long way to go.

The Governor’s proposal has threekey elements. First, he proposes in-creasing the state income tax by ap-proximately 2.5 percent on those earn-ing more than $500,000 per year. Thisrevenue would then be disbursed in theform of larger Homestead and NJ SaverRebates to a selected few New Jerseyresidents. I pointed out to the Governorthat with this proposal, at the end of theday, New Jersey would still have thedubious distinction of having the high-est property taxes in the nation. Nothingin this plan actually forces a reduction inproperty taxes. Ideally, any additionalincome tax should be returned to themunicipality from whence it came witha corresponding and mandatory reduc-tion in the property tax for everyone.This could be done with a credit on theproperty tax bill so residents wouldactually see their property taxes go down.If the Governor was insistent on send-ing out a check with his name on it,perhaps it could be in the form of avoucher that only could be redeemed atthe time that property taxes are paid.

The second aspect of the Governor’splan calls for a statewide referendum fora constitutional convention for long termproperty tax reform to be held in Novem-ber 2005. I applaud the governor forfinally warming to this concept as it takesaway the political burden from some-what less than courageous politicians in

Trenton and shifts it to the citizens of ourstate. As this concept has been discussedfor several years, my question is: Whywait until November 2005 when we cando it this year? The answer may be politi-cal in nature because the governor willstand for reelection in November 2005.If the convention referendum makes it tothe ballot this year then the recommenda-tions for reform, which may involveshifts to income and/or sales taxes, wouldhave to be considered by voter referen-dum on the November 2005 ballot. Some-how I suspect that the Governor wouldlike to distance himself from that as muchas possible.

Finally, the governor proposes tolower spending cap increases for mu-nicipal and Board of Education budgetsfrom 3 percent to 2.5 percent. On thesurface this sounds like a noble effort.However, the largest line items in anyschool or municipal budget are salaryand benefits for teachers and policeofficers. With health insurance premi-ums increasing by double digits everyyear, and these employees not makingany contributions toward these ever-increasing premiums, the idea of strictercaps is unrealistic, unless of course wereduce the number of teachers and po-lice officers in our communities. That isa proposition that nobody wants to en-tertain. Also, why are the counties ex-empt from these stricter caps?

While the Governor’s plan falls shortin many respects, I do want to commendhim for moving us in the right direction,albeit with a baby step. Perhaps the mostrefreshing aspect of the process is thebipartisan manner in which most of myfellow mayors are working. Mayor GaryPassanante (D-Somerdale) and I havebeen leading the effort with the help ofthe NJ State League of Municipalities tolobby our state leaders toward the goalof true and lasting property tax reform.I would caution those leaders, in boththe Republican and Democratic partiesto restrain themselves with the pre-gu-bernatorial election rhetoric that willpoison the bipartisan atmosphere nec-essary to solve the property tax crisis inthis state once and for all.

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED...Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks recentlyspoke at a meeting of New Jersey mayors with Governor James McGreevey onproperty taxes.

WF Rescue Squad StillShort Of Fund Drive Goal

WESTFIELD – The WestfieldVolunteer Rescue Squad has onlyreached 42 percent of their funddrive goal.

“The people of Westfield havebeen very generous, as always, butwe still have not reached our goal,”said Fund Drive Chairwoman andVice President Susan Butler.

A second mailing went out tohomes on April 29.

“We understand that the economyis not the best right now,” Ms. Butlerwent on to say. “We ask that yougive what you can to this vital orga-nization.”

The Westfield Rescue Squad isnow in its 53rd year as the emer-gency medical service to the Town ofWestfield. It is an all volunteer orga-nization and is solely funded by taxdeductible donations. Their motto is“We work for pride not pay.”

The Westfield Rescue Squad is anin house organization, meaning thatcrews are stationed in the building,allowing for faster response timesto emergency calls. Their building,located at 335 Watterson Street, justoff the South Avenue circle, ismanned 24 hours a day, seven daysa week, 365 days a year. In 2003 therescue squad handled more than2,400 calls.

“We are one of the busiest squadsin the area,” said Captain BobBarrett. “Our members are a fantas-tic group of truly dedicated volun-teers. Which is why the Departmentof Health in 2002 selected us as the

number one volunteer basic life sup-port agency.”

Tax-deductible contributions canbe sent to the Westfield VolunteerRescue Squad, P.O. Box 356Westfield, NJ 07091.

Westfield Rotary HelpsStudents at Midland School

WESTFIELD – Members of theWestfield Rotary are hitting thestreets selling books of raffle ticketsfor the all new 2004 Volvo S40 tobenefit the Midland School.

“Rotary District 7510 helps manycauses and we consider the MidlandSchool and the Volvo Midland Runone of our most noteworthy,” notesCarl Chaityn, district governor ofRotary District 7510. “By sellingraffle tickets, we are able to giveback to the community and providefinancial assistance to a school thatdoes a wonderful job teaching kidswith multiple disabilities. The stu-dents at the school come from all thecommunities of District 7510. It’s anatural partnership.”

“Support from Rotary District 7510has been more than we could imag-ine,” notes Margaret Ann Behrends,development director for the Mid-land Foundation. “Last year, almostall of the 45 clubs from District 7510participated and sold thousands of$5 tickets for a total of nearly $18,500.This year, we again have the supportof nearly all the clubs and I’m thank-ful they have returned to help us.”

Tickets are $5 each. The winningtickets for the new 2004 Volvo S40valued at $27,000 will be drawn at3:30 on Sunday, May 16, at the VolvoMidland Run being held on the pic-turesque Moorland Farms propertyin Far Hills, New Jersey. Raffle tick-ets can be purchased from a repre-sentative of your local Rotary Club,online at www.midlandrun.org andat the May 16 event.

Rotary District 7510 encompasses45 clubs in Hunterdon, Somerset,Mercer, Union and Middlesex Coun-ties. The District has over 1,500 mem-bers in Central New Jersey. The Dis-

trict has raised over $500,000 for thelocal community and more than$200,000 for international and edu-cational programs.

The Midland School is a nation-ally recognized “Blue Ribbon”school of excellence. It serves thespecial education needs of studentsages five to 21 with multiple dis-abilities. The school serves 245 stu-dents from 13 counties and 82 schooldistricts in central and northern NewJersey. Midland is recognized as oneof the nation’s leading schools forchildren with disabilities.

Registration OfferedFor Girl Scout RaceWESTFIELD — Registration

materials for the 5K Run/2 MileFun Walk to benefit the Girl Scoutsof Washington Rock Council(GSWRC) will be available from 5to 8 p.m. next Thursday, May 13,at the Council office, located at201 Grove Street, East, inWestfield.

The 5K run will take place onSaturday, May 15, at CedarbrookPark in Plainfield starting at 9 a.m.The Fun Walk will commence at10 a.m. Race day registration willbegin at 7:30 a.m.

The fee is $18. Registration formsmay also be printed online atwww.westfieldnj.com/girlscouts.For more information, please callTonya Hall, Director of Fund De-velopment, at (908) 232-3236, ex-tension no. 1206.

Westfielder Gibbs ElectedMember of Law Firm

PHILADELPHIA – CozenO’Connor announced that AndrewGibbs was recently elected to mem-bership in the firm.

“We are extremely proud to wel-come this highly qualified person tomembership in the firm,” said PatrickO’Connor, president and CEO ofCozen O’Connor. “Their individualand combined contributions reflectthe talent, diversity and strength of

our firm and practice groups.”Mr. Gibbs concentrates his prac-

tice in the areas of toxic and mass tortlitigation, pharmaceutical liability,commercial litigation and generalliability matters. A resident ofWestfield, Mr. Gibbs received hisundergraduate degree from The Uni-versity of Delaware and his law de-gree from Widener University Schoolof Law.


HUNG UP!!HUNG UP!!HUNG UP!!HUNG UP!!HUNG UP!!

By Milt Faith, Executive DirectorYouth and Family Counseling Service

Letters to the Editor

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Fred K. LecomteMARKETING DIRECTOR

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TIMESThe

— Established 1959—

Mayor Should HaveThe Courage to Put

Deck Decision to VoteI believe our mayor and council ought

to consider a brave decision made re-cently by Prime Minister Tony Blair ofBritain. Faced with clear signs that alarge part of his public opposed his de-termination to bring Britain more deeplyinto the European Union, he finally prom-ised a referendum on this matter. Henow will have to persuade voters that hisvision is the right one for Britain.

Parking decks may seem less weightymatters than a European constitution,but the ones proposed in Westfield wouldhave a fundamental effect on the qualityof life here. We do not expect directdemocracy on every little issue. Thisone, however, is clearly important andcontroversial enough to warrant a fullairing in public. Judging by the irritationhe showed at the latest council meeting,the mayor is weary of hearing com-plaints about the decks. He should re-member he was elected to serve us, notto dictate to us, and that means listening.If he wants to put this matter to rest, heshould show the political courage toplace it before the voters.

Lorraine Li HagertyWestfield

Tell the Truth AboutParking Decks, Says

Property OwnerFacts, and objectively evaluated facts,

are essential. When matters are subjec-tively determined, or can be objectivelyevaluated in different ways, identify themas such. When you “just don’t like some-thing or want to do something, even ifthat contradicts the facts,” have the cour-age to identify that matter as such andsay that’s your position.

Concerning the issue of parking andthe various alternatives, far too oftennouns, adverbs and adjectives such as:lying, false, misleading, deceitful, decep-tive, bias, prejudice, distortion, pre-judg-ment and the like seem to be reflective ofthe statements. If only they were underoath, perjury could be added to the list.

J.T. HarringtonMadison

Answers to last week’s arcane words.1. Anatreptic – Refuting; defeating2. Bezan – A cotton cloth from Bengal3. Chiragra – Gout in the hand4. Stirgine – Pertaining to an owl

BETTONG1. A nocturnal Australian marsupial.

Kangaroo rat2. A structure that projects over the

side of a ship or boat3. An outside staircase4. The striking part of a flail

RHIGOSIS1. The sensation of cold2. A nose cold3. A disease of the gums characterized

by bleeding or hemorraging4. Soreness in the eyes

TERGUM1. A wartlike lump or node2. The back of an animal3. Minced chicken or veal, mixed with

eggs and bread crumbs in the shape of aball

4. A light, rounded helmet with a visorTERTULIA

1. A small human forest denizen; anelf

2. A street vender; a seller of fruits andvegetables

3. A buoy attached to the end of aharpoon line

4. A social gathering

Below are four arcane words, eachwith four definitions – only one is cor-rect. The others are made up. Are yousharp enough to discern this deception ofdiction?

If you can guess one correctly – goodguess. If you get two – well-read indi-vidual. If you get three – word expert. Ifyou get all four – You must have a lot offree time!

All words and correct definitionscome from the board game DictionDeception.

A “Lover” Writes: Do you be-lieve in love at first sight? I met“Sean” (disguised name) at a danceand knew immediately that we couldhit it off and make a happy couple.We’ve known each other for twomonths now, and I know he’s theright man for me. Some of my friendsthink I’m crazy to rush into a rela-tionship too quickly. I don’t feel it. Iknow we’ll overcome obstacles ifthey arise. So I repeat, do you believein love at first sight?

Answer: Have you ever heard of ashow (and movie) called South Pa-cific? One of the main songs is “SomeEnchanted Evening” and the wordsinclude, “Some enchanted evening,you may see a stranger, you may see astranger across a crowded room,” etc.

The song continues that you know,even then, that this is your true love.Yes, I do believe that individuals canbe attracted to someone and, at thevery beginning, have strong feelingsof passion (physical and/or emo-tional), caring, and excitement to-wards that other person. And, if ap-propriate, I would encourage him/her to speak to that individual.

It is in the interaction between twopeople, the sharing of ideas, experi-ences, emotions, priorities, etc., thatwe build the framework of a trueloving relationship. It is a process.And as you indicate, sharing therelationship enables you to clarify ifthere are obstacles and, if so, decidehow to resolve them.

Take your time, use your heart andyour head as you continue this veryspecial relationship. And if it worksout well, you have experienced loveat first, and last, sight!

A Reader Writes: I can’t standlistening to today’s popular music,which consists of hip-hop and rapsongs. Whatever happened to goodmelodies and songs that speak oflove and caring relationships? I usedto hear songs that brought backmemories of the past, and gave me agood feeling about various incidentsin my life. You talk about one suchsong in some of your speeches. Couldyou please publish the name, anddon’t tell me it’s an Eminem orBritney Spears song!

Answer: Of all the current music,I recommend “Dance with my Fa-ther” by Luther Vandross, which re-cently won the Best Song of the YearAward at the Grammy Awards. Mr.Vandross (recovering from a stroke)sings about the warm relationshipshe had with his parents when he wasgrowing up, and one of the warmestmemories was that of seeing his par-ents lovingly dance together. A beau-tiful expression of a happy familylife. It is a song of loss and yearning.Listen to it.

Love at First Sight Can Be LastingIf Built Upon a Solid Framework

I also recommend several new CDsthat consist of old standards broughtback by current popular singers:Harry Connick, Jr.’s “Only You” andRod Stewart’s “The Great AmericanSongbook Vol. I and Vol. II.” Enjoyand reminisce.

A Betrayed Wife Writes: How doyou forgive an unfaithful spouse?“Glen” (disguised name) and I havebeen married for four years, and Ifound out recently that he has beenhaving an affair with someone atwork. This is not the first time thishas occurred; I’ve been aware ofanother (brief) situation in the past,and, I guess, I overlooked it or wantedto believe Glen when he said hewould never do it again.

Marriage counseling had littlevalue, since we stopped prematurely.My friends want me to rush into adivorce. I’m confused, and I’m notsure how to clarify my feelings. Ithink I want to forgive him, but I’mnot sure.

Answer: Since you are “confused,”I urge you to seek professional help.First, see a therapist, and then, ifyour therapist recommends it, havejoint marriage counseling.

Some individuals want to stay to-gether for unhealthy reasons: 1) I’mafraid to be alone; I avoid this byremaining married.” 2) “If we sepa-rate, it will be a sign that I’m inad-equate and a failure.” Not true. Itcould mean that you and your spouseare having unresolvable issues. 3)“It’s a tough world out there. I’llnever be able to meet someone.” It isdifficult to return to the single world,but there are support systems andfriends who can be very helpful. 4)“We will psychologically damageour children forever.”

Divorce, almost always, is one ofthe most traumatic events for anychild. They will need much supportand comfort from their parents. Atthe same time, children are trauma-tized by parents who argue, are com-bative and create power struggles athome, endlessly.

The healthy reasons to forgive in-clude: 1) A true mutual feeling, car-ing and sensitivity. 2) The spouse’srecognition and acceptance that his/her behavior is unhealthy, damagingand abusive. 3) The motivation torequest forgiveness by seeking pro-fessional help in order to resolve thisbehavior. 4) The determination tobuild an honest, trusting relation-ship, and 5) The expression of trueregret and sorrow re this behavior(which should never be repeatedagain).

Good luck and use good emotionaland intellectual judgment as you seekhelp to determine how you will resolvethis difficult and painful situation.

Immediate Simple Steps OfferedTo Improve Westfield Parking

The mayor and the town council owe thecommuters, downtown workers and shop-pers immediate action to improve the cur-rent parking situation. The list below out-lines simple recommendations that can beimplemented immediately at no expense tothe town and that will, in fact, becomeimmediate and recurring revenue streamsfor the town.

Issue 100 new annual outbound com-muter parking permits for the South Av-enue train station, lot three. This lot is notapproaching its capacity and the WatersonAvenue lot six can be used if there is everany overflow. This will generate $70,200 inrevenue immediately and annually. This

will bring the permits issued for lot three to700. Mayor McDermott’s recommenda-tion, on August 24, 2000, nearly four yearsago, was for 735 permits to have beenissued for this lot. We currently issue only600 permits for this lot.

2. Combine the inbound commuter per-mit parking for lot eight on Elm Street nearTrader Joe’s with lot nine at North andCentral Avenues. Lot nine is not approach-ing its capacity and can accommodate thetotal current inbound commuter parkingpermit holders from both lots eight andnine.

3. Make lot eight on Elm Street a cus-tomer only, two-hour parking lot. This is theclosest lot to the center of town and abso-lutely must be used only by shoppers. Thislot should be signed as such and be free toshoppers until a pay station and spot num-bering program can be completed. A new“state of the art” pay station system that willaccept cash, credit or debit cards or smartcards, will cost less than $10,000. This lotwill generate over $45,000 in parking feesannually.

Work cooperatively with the downtownbusinesses to make it mandatory that alldowntown employees use only the SouthAvenue train lot three on Saturdays andSundays.

While these actions would cost very littleand would be more than covered by the newoutbound commuter permit fees and hourlyparking fees, there are other actions that canbe taken as well. For example, all eight hourmeters should be converted to ten and onehalf hour meters that can be paid for once,beginning at 8:30 a.m., so that downtownworkers could utilize them and not have tofeed the meter an additional time each day.Beginning at 8:30 a.m. will deter commut-ers from using these spots. Perhaps then, thelong term meters on the Elm Street andOrchard grid will begin to be used bydowntown employees, freeing an additional40 short term meters for shoppers. Wemust, then, begin to enforce the “no meterfeeding” ordinance.

Once the town takes these actions, wewill have 100 new outbound commuterpermit holders, 85 new 2-hour shopperparking spots in the closest lot to the centerof town and 188 long term parking metersthat will have been made far more conve-nient for use by the downtown workers. Allthese benefits will be in addition to thegeneration of over $115,000 annually forthe town.

These actions will have no impact on theongoing debate as to whether to build ga-rages or how many garages to build. Butunlike that debate and the hiring of advisorycommittees and consultants, these actionswill bring immediate benefits to the down-town workers, commuters, shoppers andthe taxpayers of Westfield.

Jim BakerWestfield

Sale of Assets Should NotBe Used for Deck CostsDespite what seems like an extremely

high municipal tax increase (about 14percent), the mayor and town councilshould be commended for sticking to goodaccounting practices and not looking for a“quick fix” solution. As noted by Council-man Foerst in his e-mail newsletter, thecouncil refused to sell town assets and usethese funds to cover operating costs be-cause this practice, used regularly in thepast, fails to preserve Westfield’s assetsfor future generations.

However, this is EXACTLY what thecurrent redevelopment plan calls for. Weare selling town assets to the developer.The land that the condos will be on is beingsold and the proceeds from the sale ofthese assets are being used to offset thecost of the project. Even the retail andrental units are essentially assets beingsold, since they will be leased long-term(30+ years) to the developer. If the sale ofWestfield’s assets is not a good practicewhen working on the budget, it should notbe an acceptable practice for the developerto try and make the financials look good.

Cory MermerWestfield

BRAKES RecognizesCrossing Guards

May is Pedestrian Safety Month. Pleasejoin us in recognizing the stellar job ourtown’s crossing guards perform each year,protecting our children as they walk andbike to and from school each day.

In the weeks ahead, each elementaryschool will honor the crossing guards dur-ing a year-end awards ceremony. The chil-dren will participate in thanking these dedi-cated men and women who brave cold andheat and errant drivers to ensure their safepassage along the way. The crossing guardsdeserve our utmost respect and apprecia-tion, especially when we look back on thebrutal winter conditions they endured inorder to be there for the kids and otherpedestrians each day.

Whether you have children or not, pleasetake a moment to thank the crossing guardsin your neighborhood. And remember toshare the road, because Bikers, RunnersAnd Kids are Entitled to Safety!

Deirdre GelinneSara Strohecker

The BRAKES GroupWestfield

Watterson Should BeUsed for WHS Parking

The commuter parking lot alongWatterson Street is half empty everyday,about 40 spaces. It may be oversub-scribed, but the section that extends toRahway Avenue is empty. If the com-muters won’t use it, then it should be usedfor Westfield High School (WHS) park-ing. The town should offer 40 WattersonStreet parking permits to WHS studentsfor $5 a piece. This would get some carsoff the street and provide some off-streetparking to students. All the parking spacesat WHS are for teachers and staff, stu-dents are not provided any parking.

Mike NemethWestfield

More Letters onPages 5 and 20

Local Property Tax, ExpendituresAnd Public Debt Must Be CheckedAcknowledging that New Jersey is facing a prop-

erty tax crisis with a broken and unfair system,Governor James McGreevey removed one of themajor roadblocks, himself, to the possibility of truereform.

In his recent address to the State Legislature, thegovernor sounded as if he was borrowing some ofour thoughts on property tax reform that have ap-peared on this page over the past few years. Hecalled the system unfair, at best, and said it stiflesyoung couples struggling to start new families andvictimizes senior citizens on fixed incomes who arefinding it hard to keep their homes and pay ever-increasing property taxes.

In our view, the governor isn’t alone with theblame on how tax matters are out of control. Allpoliticians have been party to it, Republican andDemocrats alike. The special interests are part of italso – including insurers, teacher unions and law-yers – everyone that’s feeding off the public trough.

Once government entrenches a tax, they onlyknow how to increase it. When has a tax ever gonedown or been eliminated?

While we would like to see a convention referen-dum put before voters on this November’s ballot,rather than in 2005, the governor’s proposal is betterthan his previous stance, which was indifference, atbest. And his lack of interest certainly did little toadvance bills in Trenton in recent years that wouldhave put a ballot referendum before voters.

The State Assembly has passed such legislationbut the State Senate has always failed to even act.Now, with the governor’s backing, both houses ofthe Legislature need to take action on this matter,after getting input from the Citizens Task Force thatwill provide recommendations to lawmakers.

Support for and opposition to the convention

proposal has been bipartisan. Two of our localAssembly members, Democrats Linda Stender andJerry Green from the 22nd District, voted in favor oflegislation last summer that called for a ballot refer-endum while Assemblymen Eric Munoz and JonBramnick, both Republicans from the 21st District,voted against it.

While the Senate never took action, RepublicanSenator Thomas Kean, Jr. of the 21st District statedhis opposition last year to a constitutional conven-tion. Democrat Senator Nicholas Scutari of the 22ndsaid during his campaign last fall that he supportedthe idea.

We’ve long supported doing something to addressthe archaic and unfair property tax system in NewJersey. In our state, property taxes account for morethan 45 percent of total state and local tax revenuesversus a national average of 30 percent. The per capitaproperty tax burden in the Garden State is almostdouble the national average.

In addition to changing the property tax system, wesupport a system that holds government in check onexpenditures. For example as it stands now, if medicalinsurance costs for government workers go up 15-20percent per year, all that happens is that it’s added tothe tax bill. There is no challenge of the insurer’s priceor cost pass-through to the beneficiary.

Those in private industry and business must swal-low such costs increases of their own – battling theinsurer, changing carrier, reducing the coverage orincreasing the co-pay of workers.

Let’s change the property tax system and holdgovernment accountable for expenditures. Whilewe’re at it, let’s stop government from taking usdeeper and deeper into debt with public bonds. Thereare no absolutes in this enigma, but we think thependulum has swung too far. What do you think?

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Each Town Has Unique LettersAnd We Like Reading Them

We hear from you, and you say that you reallyenjoy the Letters to the Editor – so do we. You havebeen profuse. They’ll be many local matters for youto read and write about over the next several months.It pays to be informed. Each town has uniqueconcerns that can be gleamed from the letters. Therapid rise in property taxes is a universal topic.

Westfield readers have dominated the letter-writ-ing scene with the notorious and interrelated issuesbeing parking, parking decks, parking fines anddowntown development. It dwarfs “shoe-horning,”demolitions and the squeezing in of MacMansions.Speed humps and traffic calming have spawnedwriters’ cramp for some. Pedestrian safety and theproposed turf fields find some ink. For the first timein a long time, there is no municipal election – butletters will still flow.

Usually quiet Mountainside has been in the newsand letters more than normal this year overBeechwood School – and will it ever be finished?The school board and the superintendent have beenin a twirl for a couple of years. Now, Mayor RobertVigliante has Mountainside residents debating acommunity center.

Scotch Plains is contemplating a Special Im-provement District (SID) for downtown, which gen-erates letters pro and con. The mayoral race this yearwill send many to the quill.

Fanwood has quieted down in it’s writing for aspell after voters flipped the council and mayor last

fall over downtown development controversy. Therace for council this fall is heating up and the writerswill be back in action.

Matters at the county and with the freeholders arequiet now before the storm. The goose controversyand reactivation of abandoned county railroads seemto be on temporary hold from citizens’ comments.But elections are on the way with campaigns startingin earnest in June.

Four freeholder seats are up for election. In the lastdecade, the Democrats have drubbed the Republi-cans in the county races and maintain absolutecontrol.

Many think the GOP has given up, not willing tospend good money after bad. Rumors have it thoughthat former Cranford Mayor Phil Morin will takeover Union County GOP leadership next month. Hisfirst task will be to try to make the county racesappear competitive.

GOP Congressman Mike Ferguson is up for re-election this fall and his seat is generally consideredsafe. The DEMs stay away from this just as the GOPstays away from the county. But Westfielder SteveBrozak, a retired marine Lt. Colonel, has chosen tocontend for the seat as the Democrat nominee. It willbe interesting to see if he can get party support andmake a go of it.

These are some of the local issues we think youwill be writing about. We’re looking forward toreading it.


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GET STARTED – with a complimentary financial plan today.Call John Perrette at 973.285.2353 or stop by the officeat 302 East Broad Street in Westfield.

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Submitted by Lorre KoreckyBoard Trustee

The Needs of Today’s Society:Visiting Nurse and Health Services

This continues a series of articles spot-lighting the 22 community service agen-cies that are part of the United Fund ofWestfield. These agencies reflect theneeds of today’s society. Those whoseek help are provided with people-ori-ented services that are partially fundedthrough contributions to the United Fundof Westfield.

* * * * * * *Providing a long history of home

health care, the Visiting Nurse andHealth Services (VNHS) began in 1909as the Society of Elizabeth. Today, itsservices reach throughout UnionCounty as well as three other neigh-boring counties.

Currently, more than 1,200 clientsare being served. A full range of in-home health services – from supervi-sion of medical regimens and thera-pies to assistance with personal careneeds – are provided. Each profes-sional staff member is fully qualified,licensed and insured, and chosen forboth expertise and a caring, compas-sionate attitude.

According to VNHS, “studies showthat people recover more quickly whencared for in their own home.” VNHSprovides skilled nursing 24 hours aday, as well as certified home healthaides, rehabilitation services, socialworkers, nutritional counseling,wellness programs, case managementand specialty programs such as pediat-ric home care.

Through Trinity Hospice, physical,emotional, and spiritual support is avail-able in situations where there is no cure.Services are available to patients of anyage, religion, race or illness.

One of the programs offered byVNHS is the Healthy Families Pro-gram. Here is an example of how theprogram helped a suicidal high schoolstudent:

“JJ” had attempted suicide and dis-played unacceptable behavior in school.She had been diagnosed with emotionalproblems and depression for which shewas prescribed medicine. When VNHSfirst visited her, JJ acted uninterested.

Over time and with patience, theVNHS professional was able to en-courage JJ to confide in her. When itwas discovered that JJ was pregnant,she was screened, assessed and en-rolled into the Healthy Families Pro-gram. VNHS continued to work withJJ and invited the expectant father toparticipate in the home visit. The fa-ther obtained job training, GED andother services. JJ was instructed tostop her medication, due to her preg-nancy. Her family, school counselorand the Healthy Families SupportWorker closely watched and supportedher. The Healthy Families SupportWorker instructed “JJ” in areas of pre-natal and baby care.

Now JJ has a healthy baby girl. Shecompleted the 11th grade and had noepisode of suicide attempts during

pregnancy. The father was able to pro-cure employment and he and JJ arebeginning a new life together withtheir daughter and the continued sup-port of JJ’s family.

Visiting Nurse and Health Servicesis one of 22 agencies supported by theUnited Fund of Westfield. A non-profitorganization, VNHS receives part of itsfinancial support from the United Fund.

For more information about how tosupport these local service organiza-tions, please call Linda Maggio, Ex-ecutive Director of the United Fund ofWestfield, at (908) 233-2113. For in-formation about the services providedby the Visiting Nurse and Health Ser-vices, please call (908) 352-5694.

SP-F BOE Past President PorterThanks Residents for Their Support

As the out-going Board of EducationPresident, I wanted to take a moment tothank you for your support over the lasttwo years. Together with all the boardmembers, I worked hard to meet thedistrict goals of striving for excellence,providing an engaging and motivatinglearning environment for all our chil-dren through academic programs, fineart programming, in athletic endeavorsand in a variety of community and co-curricular activities.

I also wanted to express my sinceregratitude to the public for supporting thebond referendum, which funded neces-sary construction projects in all of ourschools.

I would also like to express a special

word of thanks to the voters for yourcontinued support of our students. Manypeople took the time to attend budgetpresentations to better understand andsupport the school budget. This year,1,576 voters said “yes” to the schoolbudget and we truly appreciate theirtaking the time to come out and cast theirballot for our kids.

The board of education will continueto focus on providing the best educa-tional program in a fiscally responsibleand child-centered way that guides andsupports our young people to be caringand confident life long learners.

Lance PorterPast President

SP-F Board of Education

Writer’s Intent Was NotTo Condone or Endorse

Same-Sex MarriageThank you for including my letter in

your April 29 edition. However, the firstsentence of my letter by email was omit-ted. It was “The purpose of this letter isneither to endorse nor condemn same-sex marriage.” I feel that this sentencewas central to my intent.

Unlike former Mayor Boothe, mypurpose in writing was not to debate theissues of same-sex marriage but ratherto point out the importance of such dis-cussion and to applaud those individualsand institutions with the courage andopen-mindedness to host them.

Marty SilvermanWestfield

WF Resident Says RedevelopmentProjects are a Screaming Disaster

The proposed Westfield parkingdeck/retail mixed use project is a to-tal screaming disaster. We are goingto lose our safety and our wallets.

As a long term Westfield resident,I have lived on Boulevard for fortyyears: I should not have to be taxedout of my own home by the proposedproject, that is exactly what will hap-pen when town residents realize theywill have to pay $60,000,000 of long-term dept load for this poorly thoughtout plan. That’s right, $60,000,000 ofyour taxpayer money. This will resultin huge tax increases to service thisdept: over $2,000,000 in annual deptservice.

Our streets will become even morecrowded when the parking decks areconstructed. Stop trying to turnWestfield into a big city. If you enjoyliving in a big city, live in New York. Iwant Westfield to remain a small town.

The only people who are guaran-teed to benefit from this project are

the bankers, lawyers and developers,who arrange the deal. They get paidup front and don’t care if the projectfails.

Please endorse the solution to thisvexing problem recommended by TheWestfield Leader. Buy the adjoiningAmoco property, tear down the exist-ing structure and pave the site forparking. This will create 75 new park-ing places, all of them visible, requir-ing no additional police presence andno additional monies spent on policeovertime to patrol. In contrast to theproposed five story parking garages,which will become a magnet for crime.

The addition of the Amoco prop-erty and it’s neighboring parcel wouldcreate at least 10 total accesses fromSouth Avenue that would continue toprovide easy parking. Let’s start rais-ing our IQ by razing the proposedparking deck project.

Dwight RichardsWestfield

Benjamin B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesTRUST FUND KICK OFF…Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr picked up theapplication for the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholder’s new KidsRecreation Trust Fund Initiative. The program will fund scholarships, equip-ment and field/recreation center improvements in county municipalities.


Miss Carolyn J. Ribardo and Mark J. Nester

Miss Carolyn J. RibardoTo Wed Mark J. Nester Miss Amanda W. Parker and Israel I. Morris

Miss Amanda W. ParkerTo Marry Israel I. Morris

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ribardo ofWestfield have announced the en-gagement of their daughter, MissCarolyn Jean Ribardo, to Mark Jo-seph Nester. He is the son of RichardNester of Wilmington, Del. and Mrs.Carolyn Crew of Kentfield, Md.

A graduate of Westfield HighSchool, the bride-to-be earned herBachelor of Arts degree in EnglishLiterature from Denison University.She is a special education teacher for

the South Orange-Maplewood schooldistrict.

The future bridegroom is a gradu-ate of Salesianum High School ofWilmington, Del. He received hisBachelor of Science degrees in bothMarketing and Finance from theUniversity of Delaware. Mr. Nesteris a Senior Account Executive at IDMedia in Manhattan.

A wedding is planned for Augustof this year.

Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Parker, Jr. ofWestfield have announced the en-gagement of their daughter, MissAmanda Wallace Parker, to IsraelIsaac Morris.

A Westfield High School alumna,Miss Parker recently graduated fromthe State University of New Yorkwith a bachelor’s degree in psychol-ogy.

She met her fiancé, a Californianative, the summer after her fresh-man year in college while working inJackson Hole, Wyo. Mr. Morris wasliving in Wyoming and working onhis third book of social commentary,the publication of which is pending.

Following the wedding this month,the couple plans to move to Portland,Ore., where the new bride will pur-

Historical Society to SponsorTrip to Trenton Landmarks

WESTFIELD – Some seats arestill available for a bus trip to Tren-ton on Saturday, May 15, sponsoredby the Westfield Historical Society.The bus will leave the Lord & Taylorparking lot (west end) on North Av-enue in Westfield at 8:30 a.m. and isexpected to return at 5 p.m.

The trip will include a visit to theState Museum, where the group willview several exhibits, including “Cul-tures in Competition: Indians andEuropeans in Colonial New Jersey.”

Afterwards, participants will visitThe Old Barracks Museum, built in1758 during the French and IndianWar. They will take a tour entitled“Meet the Past,” about life during theAmerican Revolution. There also will

be a stop at the William Trent House,a pre-Revolutionary Colonial Geor-gian residence restored and furnishedas it was in 1728.

The cost of the trip (including trans-portation and admission fees) is $24for Historical Society members and$29 for non-members. Participants willeat lunch on their own, and the price isnot included in the cost of the trip.

Checks are to be made payable tothe Westfield Historical Society andmailed to the society at P.O. Box613, Westfield 07091-0613.

The trip is limited to 52 people. Norefunds for cancellations will be madeafter 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 13.For more information, please callBob Miller at (908) 233-6360.

Alzheimer’s Support GroupMeets Monthly at Runnells

BERKELEY HEIGHTS — TheCaregiver and Alzheimer’s FamilySupport Group at Runnells Special-ized Hospital of Union County meets

on the third Thursday of each monthfrom 1 to 2 p.m.

Meetings, which are open to thecommunity, take place in the FamilyConference Room at Runnells, lo-cated at 40 Watchung Way in Berke-ley Heights.

The remaining meeting dates for2004 are as follows: May 20, June17, July 15, August 19, September16, October 21, November 18 andDecember 16.

Facilitated by Liz Carabuena, alicensed social worker with RunnellsHospital, the group is offered free ofcharge for all attendees. Participantsare provided with information on thedisease, updates on research, practi-cal care techniques and a list of com-munity resources.

They are also given an opportunityto discuss the frustrations individu-als feel in caring for those strickenwith Alzheimer’s disease.

Runnells Specialized Hospital ofUnion County sponsors these meet-ings in conjunction with theAlzheimer’s Association – GreaterNew Jersey Chapter.

Anyone interested in attending ameeting or in obtaining further infor-mation on this wheelchair-accessibleprogram may call (908) 771-5828.

Parkinson’s PatientTo Discuss SurgeryWESTFIELD — Individuals with

Parkinson’s disease and/or theircaregivers are invited to attend thenext meeting of the WestfieldParkinson’s Disease Support Groupon Monday, May 10, at 1:30 p.m.

The speaker will be Elena Tuero,who has Parkinson’s disease and un-derwent Deep Brain Stimulation(DBS) surgery last year. She will de-scribe her experience and the remark-able effects that DBS has had on herquality of life. Since her surgery, Ms.Tuero has taken up painting and willalso display some of her artwork.

The meeting, which is free ofcharge, will be held in the Lounge ofthe Parish House at The PresbyterianChurch in Westfield, located at 140Mountain Avenue. Light refresh-ments will be served. For more infor-mation, please call Barbara Ringk at(908) 322-9214 or the church officeat (908) 233-0301.

Karyczaks WelcomeBrendan Michael

Keith and Sandra Karyczak ofWestfield have announced the birth oftheir son, Brendan Michael Karyczak,at 9:14 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, atOverlook Hospital in Summit.

Brendan weighed 7 pounds and 9ounces and measured 20½ inches inlength at birth.

The baby’s maternal grandparentsare William O’Brien of Scotch Plainsand Barbara and Fred Chemidlin ofWestfield.

George and Glenna Karyczak ofNeptune are his paternal grandparents.

Sophie Karyczak of Toms River isBrendan’s paternal great-grandmother.

www.goleader.com

sue a doctoral degree in clinical psy-chology at Pacific University.


Illinois Pastor to Discuss‘Da Vinci Code’ at IHM

COMMUNITY SPIRIT…During a special presentation April 12 in Lea Hall ofthe All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Scotch Plains, the Fanwood Senior CitizensClub received a check representing a $500 donation from Independence Com-munity Bank in Fanwood. The funds are earmarked for the club’s plannedkitchen facilities at the Forest Road Park building. Pictured, from left to right,are: Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr; Art Badala, Past President of the FanwoodSenior Citizens; bank representatives Rosangela Martinho, Regional First VicePresident, and Charles Mancuso, First Vice President, and Helen Boguszewski,President of the Fanwood Senior Citizens. The club currently meets on thesecond and fourth Mondays of each month, September through June, at 11 a.m.at All Saints’ Church.

Quilt Show to Take PlaceAt FUMC in Westfield

Ministry Session to ConsiderEvidence of Life on Mars

SCOTCH PLAINS – On Friday,May 21, the Holy Name Society ofthe Immaculate Heart of Mary Ro-man Catholic Church in Scotch Plainswill sponsor a discussion entitled“Decoding the Da Vinci Code” at7:30 p.m. at the church.

The Reverend Britto Berchmansof the Archdiocese of Chicago willbe the guest speaker for the event. Aformer teacher of mass communica-tion at the Salesian Pontifical Uni-versity in Rome, he now serves asAssociate Pastor of St. Anne’s Ro-man Catholic Church in Barrington,Ill.

Reverend Berchmans will explorevarious issues raised by Dan Brown’sbest-selling thriller “The Da VinciCode,” such as whether the churchconcealed crucial details about thelife of Jesus Christ, as well as thedivinity of Christ, and His relation-ship with Mary Magdalene.

Tickets are $5 each and are avail-able after all weekend masses. Theymay also be obtained at the door onthe day of the program.

The Immaculate Heart of MaryChurch is located at 1571 SouthMartine Avenue. For more informa-tion, please call (908) 889-2100.

WESTFIELD — A Quilt Showwill be held on Saturday, May 15,from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the FirstUnited Methodist Church ofWestfield, located at One East BroadStreet.

Sponsored by the United Method-ist Women of the church, the event isexpected to feature more than 100handcrafted quilts in a variety of

traditional and contemporary styles.Attendees will be provided with a

booklet telling the story of each ofthe quilts, some of which are familyheirlooms.

Arts and crafts made by membersof the church will also be on display.The New Jersey Workshop for theArts Concert Band, sponsored byKids Hope USA, will provide livemusic during the event.

Guests will also be invited to visitthe church’s Tea Room between noonand 2 p.m., where a light lunch anddesserts will be available for a nomi-nal charge.

There is a suggested $5 admissiondonation for adults and $2.50 forchildren. Advance tickets may beobtained from the church office or atLancaster Ltd., 76 Elm Street, or TheAttic, located at 415 Westfield Av-enue.

All proceeds from the event willbe directed towards various missionprograms supported by the UnitedMethodist Women. For more infor-mation, please call the church officeat (908) 233-4211.

WESTFIELD – Members of thepublic are invited to a discussion re-garding the possibility of life on Marsand elsewhere in the universe on Tues-day, May 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the FirstCongregational Church of Westfield,located at 125 Elmer Street.

A project of the Wisdom’s Lightministry of the First CongregationalChurch of Closter, the session will befacilitated by the Reverend John A.Mills, Pastor of that church.

After a review of scientific evi-dence and efforts concerning life onother worlds, participants will havean opportunity to reflect on the theoryof biological determinism and onWhiteheadean Process Theology toexplore how the divine interacts withthe universe.

They will then have the opportu-nity to address such faith issues asecological stewardship of Mars,whether Christ came only for hu-mans, and whether some alien superintelligence could save the Earth.

Individuals of any faith, as well asthose who do not practice a faith, areinvited to attend. Participants will beencouraged to raise issues and ques-tions. For more information, pleasecall the First Congregational Churchat (908) 233-2494.

Holy Trinity SeniorsTo Gather on May 10WESTFIELD – The regular meet-

ing of the Senior Social Club of HolyTrinity will be held on Monday, May10, at 1:30 p.m. in the gymnasium ofthe interparochial school on FirstStreet in Westfield.

Guest speaker Alex Binder willdiscuss “Visiting Physicians,” an or-ganization set up to provide medicalcare in a patient’s home.

There will also be an opportunityto sign up for the luncheon that willtake place at the group’s final meet-ing of the season on Monday, June14.

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St. John’s Baptist Sets95th Year ObservanceSCOTCH PLAINS – St. John’s

Baptist Church in Scotch Plains willmark its 95th anniversary during the10 a.m. service on Sunday, May 16.The public is invited to attend.

The Reverend Jerry Carter of theCalvary Baptist Church in Morristownwill be the guest speaker.

Under its present leadership of theReverend Kelmo C. Porter, the churchcontinues to serve residents of the town-ship and surrounding communities. St.John’s Baptist Church is located at 2387Morse Avenue. For more information,please call (908) 232-6972.

Do You Have a Mission StatementThat Defines You and Your Goals?

By REVEREND JANE ROCKMAN

I have to confess, I was amongthe 27 million people who recentlywatched the grand finale of “TheApprentice.” I was among thosetrying to figure out who would bethe last person in the “board room”when Donald Trump stopped firingpeople and finally hired someone.

This was the culmination of athree-month obstacle course bywhich 16 men and women withvastly different backgrounds andpersonalities competed for thechance to have a very large dooropen for them through landing ajob with the Trump organization.

Actually, I watched many of theearlier episodes as well, and I wasnot alone. “The Apprentice” was aratings sensation. Putting aside theshow’s soap opera aspects, thebusiness world is inherently inter-esting, especially the activities ofa major tycoon. Then, too, I thinkpeople were grateful for a morelighthearted look at big business,given the demoralizing scandalsthat have wracked the corporateworld in recent years.

Although the show did not cam-paign for corporate ethics and goodbusiness practices, at least it didnot promote an “ends justify themeans” mentality either. Too bad,though, that the candidates werenot asked to write mission state-ments suggesting the kind of cor-porate leaders they might be.

Mission Statements have takenover the secular and religiousworlds alike. These days, from theFortune 500 to religious organiza-tions of all sizes, everyone under-stands how important it is to spellout where they are going and howthey plan to get there. And that’swhat a mission statement does. Agood one describes more than justultimate objectives. It tells youwho you are, and as a result, ithelps you map out a pathway, withappropriate behavior patterns, thatwill lead you to your goals andobjectives.

My parish first developed a mis-sion statement several years ago.It came about after long hours ofbrainstorming as we tried to putinto words – and not too manywords at that – what we see as theparish’s goals, and how we believewe should go about fulfilling them.

We used words like welcome,nurture and nourish, and we talkedabout gathering and sharing. Andsomehow, the whole collection ofthoughts and ideas evolved into astatement we all felt good about.The Mission Statement is framedand hangs on the wall as a constantreminder of who we are – a Chris-tian community trying to live aspeople of God – and it helps toreread it often.

Besides mission statements,have you noticed that everyone istalking about transparency? Trans-parent seems to be the new “in”word in all kinds of organizations,and it is surely a worthy goal. Theactivities and operations of reli-gious groups, as well as big corpo-rations, are supposed to be trans-parent – visible and definable, withpaper trails and decision-makingpaths that are easy to identify, andcan withstand close scrutiny.

In significant ways, we are alltalking the same language, andthat has to be a hopeful sign. Peopleof good will can always learn fromone another, and we can all dowith an extra measure of grace.

* * * * * * *Reverend Rockman serves as Rec-

tor of the All Saints’ EpiscopalChurch, located at 559 Park Avenuein Scotch Plains.

Chef Nabil Set to VisitScotch Plains LibrarySCOTCH PLAINS — On

Wednesday, May 12, at 6 p.m., theScotch Plains Public Library willpresent Chef Nabil Ayoub, theowner and chef of Salt and PepperFine Cuisine and Catering inScotch Plains.

Chef Nabil will demonstrate howto prepare authentic Middle East-ern dishes. Participants will beable to sample the cuisine.

Admission is free and no pre-registration is required. The ScotchPlains Library is located at 1927Bartle Avenue. For further infor-mation and directions, please call(908) 322-5007.

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UniversityUniversityUniversityUniversityUniversityNewsNewsNewsNewsNews

O’Connor and WicksNamed to Dean’s ListWESTFIELD – Bates College in

Lewiston, Me. has revealed thatWestfield residents Denise O’Connorand Valerie Wicks have been named tothe Dean’s List for the fall 2003 se-mester.

A junior psychology major, Deniseis a 2001 graduate of Westfield HighSchool She is the daughter of Mr. andMrs. William O’Connor of Westfield.

Valerie, a senior anthropology ma-jor and member of the field hockeyteam, studied in Ghana during thewinter 2003 term. She was named a2001 Dana Scholar for her excellencein academics and leadership.

A 2000 graduate of Westfield HighSchool, Valerie is the daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Bruce Wicks of Westfield.

SWORN IN…Westfield Board of Education Attorney Richard Kaplow swore innewly reelected board members Julia Walker, Richard Solomon, and GinnyLeiz for their three-year terms in office. The ceremony was conducted duringthe April 27 meeting of the school board.

Holy Trinity InterparochialHeld Informational Night

WESTFIELD — On April 26, HolyTrinity Interparochial School heldits inaugural “State of the School”evening for parents.

The informational night was hostedby the School Advisory Board andwas well attended by parents withchildren in both the Westfield andMountainside campuses.

Many topics were covered and the14-member board addressed the par-ents on a number of issues of interest.

Father John McCrone, Pastor ofOur Lady of Lourdes Church inMountainside, offered an openingreflection while Monsignor WilliamHarms of St. Helen’s Roman Catho-lic Church in Westfield discussed theArchdiocesan Strategic Plan forSchools and how this applies toschools at the local level.

Monsignor Joseph Masiello of TheCatholic Church of the Holy Trinityin Westfield thanked parents for theirparticipation in the evening.

“We are a family, a family inprogress, progressing towards radi-ating ever more to one another and toour children the love of our God,” hesaid.

Board member John Skinner ofMountainside moderated the pro-gram. Fellow Mountainside residentand Board President Paul Zavodnyand Joe Leegan of Westfield assistedMr. Skinner.

Karen Schmicker of Scotch Plainsexplained the school finances to par-ents; board member John Doyle ofWestfield also contributed to the fi-nancial analysis.

Trish Fitzpatrick of Westfieldspoke to parents about issues regard-ing development, while WestfielderSkip Williams addressed the most

recent technology plans that he for-mulated with Frank Campion ofFanwood. Patricia Gagliardi ofMountainside also participated in theprogram.

Holy Trinity Interparochial School,accredited by the Middle States Edu-cation Association, has doubled itsenrollment over the last 10 years andexpanded to a second campus.

The School Advisory Board, aspart of its commitment to institu-tional assessment, recently con-ducted a survey of parents, students,and faculty to determine the level ofsatisfaction with the school. Theboard also plans to embark on aphase of strategic planning over thenext year.

For more information about HolyTrinity Interparochial School or theadvisory board, please call (908) 233-0484.

ErratumThe Third Marking Period

Honor Roll at Park Middle Schoolin Scotch Plains was submittedwith the incorrect distinction forseventh grader Kristin Berger.She was named to the Distin-guished Honor Roll, not the Regu-lar Honor Roll.

Terri SpencerKindergarten Teacher,

Brunner Elementary School, Scotch Plains

WHS TV-36 to AirAdmissions ProgramWESTFIELD — Westfield High

School (WHS) TV-36 will broadcast“College Planning Evening for Juniors,”featuring guest speaker DonaldDickason, an experienced former col-lege admissions officer and president ofthe National Association of CollegeAdmission Counseling, who gives ad-vice on early planning to simplify thecollege admissions process.

For 33 years, Mr. Dickason held vari-ous positions in the admissions offices atsome of the country’s most prestigiouscolleges, including Dean of Admissionsand Financial Aid at Cornell University,Director of Admissions at PennsylvaniaState University, and Vice President forEnrollment Management at Drexel Uni-versity.

“College Planning Evening for Jun-iors” was held at WHS in April forjuniors and their parents. It is an annualevent arranged by the Guidance De-partment. This year, it was taped andwill be televised on TV-36 on Tuesdaysat 11:20 a.m. and 7:20 p.m.; Thursdaysat 2:20 p.m. and 10:20 p.m.; Saturdaysat 10:20 a.m. and 7:20 p.m.; and Sun-days at 4:20 p.m. through May 16.

Preceding this program at the top ofthe hour will be “Good MorningWestfield,” a new live television showbroadcast from Westfield High School.This show, which highlights topics ofinterest at the school, is directed, pro-duced and hosted by students in theTV2 class.

By MICHELLE HELEN Le POIDEVINSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Age: 36Hometown: Born in Plainfield,

Mrs. Spencer moved many times asa child and was raised primarily inCalifornia.

“I considered Scotch Plains as my“home base” since Icame here to visitmy grandparentsand cousins once ortwice a year,” shetold The WestfieldLeader and TheScotch Plains-Fanwood Times. “Imoved to ScotchPlains seven yearsago and am sothankful to workand live in thehometown of mychildhood dreams.”

Education: AtCalifornia StateUniversity at Sacramento (CSUS),she earned a Bachelor of Arts degreein Social Science, with a concentra-tion in Sociology and minors in An-thropology and Psychology.

“I received a New Jersey TeachingCertification from Kean University,and I am continuing to pursue mymaster’s in reading from WaldenUniversity this fall,” reported Mrs.Spencer.

She has been teaching kindergar-ten for three years, however she alsotaught fourth grade at Evergreen El-ementary School in Scotch Plains.

Previous Experience: After shegraduated CSUS in 1990, she beganworking for an insurance company.

“Upon having my first child I be-came a homemaker and continuedwith child-centric volunteer work,”said Mrs. Spencer. “I ran a localchurch nursery and organized a‘Moms and Tots’ playgroup for thesocialization of the mothers of youngchildren.”

“I knew when I returned to theworkforce that my passion was work-ing with children, so I elected toteach,” she said.

I Knew I Reached My StudentsWhen: “I appreciate each student asa unique person with his or her ownlearning style, and I strive to connectwith each on an individual basis,”she said.

“Seeing the light in a student’seyes or that ‘ah-ha’ moment is a greatreward in teaching! I have enjoyedletters, e-mails, phone calls, visitsand award nominations from former

Terri Spencer

students,” added Mrs. Spencer.What I Love About the School

District: “I feel so fortunate to workwith hardworking team players thatshare ideas and pull for each otherboth professionally and personallyin the Scotch Plains-Fanwood dis-trict,” she responded. “I admire how

the district and theparents unite andwork hard for thebetterment of thechildren. Living inthe district, I feelespecially lucky towatch former stu-dents grow up be-fore my eyes!”

Favorite Topicto Teach: Mrs.Spencer told TheLeader/Times thatshe prefers teach-ing reading/lan-guage arts because“reading and writ-

ing are fundamental to learning.”“The children are so proud of these

new skills,” she explained. “Witness-ing their discovery and realizing thisportion of their potential is very re-warding. In my opinion, helping topass along the love of reading is crucialbecause it is a gift that lasts forever.”

The Future of Education inAmerica: Mrs. Spencer noted, “Ibelieve that the education systemhere continues to improve. It is veryimportant that our country makes astrong commitment to our future,and I hope that the role of educationin preparing our country to competein the global economy is apparent.”

“I think issues related to educationthat are being addressed in the up-coming Presidential election are criti-cal,” she said.

My Goal As An Educator: Goingforward, Mrs. Spencer seeks to “in-still a love of learning in all studentsthat will carry out into their adultlives.”

“We are never done learning, grow-ing and discovering. My goal is tomake learning fun and exciting sothat each child will embrace the learn-ing process,” she said.

Home Life: “I am married to a saintand have two wonderful children whoattend McGinn Elementary School,”she shared. “We also have one dogand two cats. Soon, my father willmove in and wonder what hit him.”

“I get my strength and couragefrom my family and extended familyin the area,” she said. “Family iswhat Scotch Plains is all about.”

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Area Pingry Honor RollStudents AnnouncedBERNARDS TOWNSHIP – Head-

master John Neiswender of The PingrySchool in Bernards Township has an-nounced the names of students whowere recently appointed to the MiddleSchool’s third quarter Honor Roll.

The roster recognizes those stu-dents who have achieved a “B+”average or better with no individualgrade lower than a “B-”.

Westfielders Brendan Burgdorf,William Weldon, Elizabeth Lynch,Gordon Peeler, and Adrienne Speigelwere all named to the list.

In addition, Erik Moss ofMountainside joined BerkeleyHeights resident John Soo Hoo inbeing honored.

PICNIC FUNDRAISER…Scotch Plains resident Barbara Leighton workedhard to prepare Delbarton School’s annual spring fundraiser, “Picnic on theGreen,” as she was joined by the Delbarton Mothers’ Guild Moderator, theReverend Richard Cronin. The fundraiser was held on March 27 at theSheraton in Parsippany. Co-chairpersons Alicia Flath of Long Valley andMiriam Stenger of Morristown led the fundraiser committee. Silent and liveauctions were held, while guests enjoyed dinner and dancing. The fundraiserwill benefit technology enhancement at Delbarton.


AUTHOR VISIT…New Jersey author, Margie Palatini, entertained WilsonElementary School’s kindergarten through grade five pupils during her “Author’sDay” visit. Pictured, above, Mrs. Palatini signs copies of her books for the pupils,as Wilson Librarian Diane Smith and kindergarten and first graders from theclasses look on. Mrs. Palatini explained that the inspiration for her many storiescome from her family and life experiences. The children learned that the story“Bedhead” was inspired by Mrs. Palatini’s son, Jamie, who has unruly hair and“frequent bad hair days” — just like the character Oliver in “Bedhead.”

Brunner Students LearnImportance of Arbor Day

THANK YOU…Jason Acevedo, a Pre-K student at Brunner Elementary Schoolin Scotch Plains, gives a “thank you” hug to a tree on the school lawn.

SCOTCH PLAINS — Children inthe Pre-K classes at Brunner Elemen-tary School in Scotch Plains recentlyengaged in learning activities thatfocused on the beauty and impor-tance of trees.

Songs and stories stimulated dis-cussions about the many productsthat come from trees. The childrendiscovered that many of the thingsthey use everyday in their classroomcome from trees.

One school day, students munchedon tree snacks from plates, and they

enjoyed olives, apples, oranges, ba-nanas, dates, figs, coconut, maplesyrup and chocolate.

Later, on Arbor Day, the studentsgave thanks to the trees by huggingthem.

WF Public Schools ParticipatesIn Project Child Find ProgramWESTFIELD — The Westfield

Public School District recognizesthe importance of providing ser-vices to children withspecial needs through its ProjectChild Find efforts.

Project Child Find is a serviceestablished by the New Jersey De-partment of Education through theIndividuals with Disability Educa-tion Act (I.D.E.A.) funds from theU.S. Department of Education.

According to Dr. Ted Kozlik, As-sistant Superintendent for Pupil Ser-vices, “We provide evaluation ser-vices for resident children three to 21years of age who appear to haveproblems in communication, motor,social-emotional, or learning areas.Children found to be eligible forspecial education and related ser-vices are entitled to free and appro-priate special education program-ming and related services.”

Information is provided to par-ents of children from birth throughthree years of age regarding earlyintervention services. Parents ofchildren from birth through threeyears of age who suspect potentialdisabilities or have children withspecial needs may also call ProjectChild Find at (800) 322-8174, sevendays a week, 24 hours per day. Allcalls are confidential.

Individuals who know children agesthree to 21 years of age who appear tohave one or more of the following

signs, please ask their parent to callDr. Kozlik at 908-789-4442, via e-mail at [email protected] orwrite to 302 Elm Street, Westfield,07090.

• Significant delays in acquiringlanguage or significant speech prob-lems;

• Significant difficulty walking,running, or manipulating small ob-jects;

• Frequent health problems or birthhandicaps;

• Consistent trouble seeing or hear-ing;

• Tendency toward temper tan-trums or excessive anxiety or shy-ness;

• Significant difficulty playing ap-propriately with other children; and /or

• Significant problems paying at-tention and listening.

All information about such re-quests will be kept confidential.

Local Residents Team UpIn Pingry Scientific Model

BERNARDS TOWNSHIP —Pingry biology teacher TommieHata has successfully led a groupof local residents to become oneof the latest Students Modeling aResearch Topic (SMART) Teams.

Members include Cait l inJennings and Kelly Peeler, both ofWestfield. Rachel Van Wert ofScotch Plains.

As team members, the sopho-more students worked in a researchscience environment and used cut-t ing-edge technology (rapidprototyping technology) to designand build physical models of pro-teins and molecular structures. Thestudents gained a graduate level ofcomprehension while workingwith Dr. Tim Herman, director ofthe Center for Biomolecular Mod-eling, and Dr. Richard Ebright

from the Waksman Institute atRutgers University.

The pupils also spent April 1 to4 in Atlanta attending workshopsand seminars at the National Sci-ence Teacher’s Associat ion(NSTA) convention, where theirmodels were displayed to a scien-tific audience.

The culmination of the team’swork occurred on April 21, whenparents, administration, and fac-ulty members watched the SMARTTeam enthusiastically present amolecule to Dr. Ebright at Pingry’sUpper School campus.

Selected by Mr. Hata from theprevious year’s honors biologyclasses, the SMART Team begantheir project in September of 2003and worked together during theirfree time and free periods.

Baumwoll Will AttendLeadership Conference

SCOTCH PLAINS – MichaelBaumwoll, the son of Mr. and Mrs.Richard Baumwoll of Scotch Plains,has been selected to attend the Na-tional Student Leadership Confer-ence (NSLC), a leadership develop-ment program for outstanding highschool students.

While attending, Michael will havethe opportunity to study, experienceand develop the skills and traits thatdefine and identify a leader. He willjoin approximately 8,000 gifted highschool students from across the U.S.and from 45 countries at the NSLC.

During the conference, Michaelwill attend special workshops andclasses where he will study the dis-tinctions of leadership. He will lis-ten to guest speakers, who will offertheir advice and experience regard-ing leadership qualities.

Michael is a member of the Classof 2005 at Scotch Plains-FanwoodHigh School.

Nat’l Merit ScholarshipsAwarded to Area Pupils

AREA – The National Merit Schol-arship Corporation has posted thenames of area high school seniorswho earned $2,500 National MeritScholarships for 2004.

Westfield resident MeghanaLimaye, a Westfield High Schoolsenior, was among the scholarshiprecipients. She has not chosen a prob-able career field.

Eric Whitman of Westfield, a stu-dent at the Union County MagnetHigh School in Scotch Plains, wasalso awarded a grant. He has se-lected engineering as his probablecareer field.

Vani Kilakkathi, a resident ofScotch Plains, was also named agrant recipient. A student at theUnion County Magnet High School,Vani has selected medicine as a ca-reer path.

Scholarships were also awarded toBerkeley Heights residentsAlexandra Denby and Bryan Gartner,both students at Governor LivingstonHigh School. Alexandra plans to pur-sue a career in the biology field,while Bryan has selected financialengineering.

SPANISH ADVENTURE…Franklin Elementary School students from DianeEisen’s class savored their newly-acquired Spanish language skills when theyapplied them during a trip to the Spanish Tavern in Mountainside. Pictured, leftto right, are: John, Charlie, Matthew, Bong Soo, Elizabeth and Anna Liah.

Franklin Students SavorTaste of Spanish Culture

WESTFIELD – The students fromDiane Eisen’s class at Franklin El-ementary School in Westfield weregiven the opportunity to test theirnewly-acquired Spanish-speakingskills during their April 22 visit tothe Spanish Tavern inMountainside.

Mrs. Eisen, Spanish teacher SenorVasquez, and the Supervisor of theWorld Languages program, BobRoth, escorted the students. The pro-gram was introduced to all third grade

classes this year.The students were able to apply

their skills in the “real world,” asthey greeted restaurant staff mem-bers, placed their menu orders inSpanish, and experienced the flavorof Spanish cooking, as well as theSpanish dining experience.

The food consisted of several dif-ferent side orders of Spanish foodfrom the traditional menu, as well asthe more familiar children’s offer-ings of chicken fingers and pasta.

Collegiate ScholarsWelcomes DeMaio

SCOTCH PLAINS – AllisonDeMaio of Scotch Plains has acceptedmembership in the National Societyof Collegiate Scholars. She will beinducted into the society during acampus ceremony this fall at VillanovaUniversity. Allison is a 2002 graduateof Scotch Plains-Fanwood HighSchool. She is currently in her sopho-more year at Villanova.


– Obituaries –DEATH NOTICE

Oliver O. Deane, 77, Honored Teacher;Active in Sports, Camps and Church

Martin Nugent, 85, Active Parishioner;Former Salesman in Banking Industry

DEATH NOTICERobert F. Beese, 70, Local Accountant;

Had Been Master of Masonic Lodge

DEATH NOTICERuth Appleby Moore, 92, Was MemberOf Conservancy and Audubon Society

Oliver O. Deane, 77, of South Or-ange died on Thursday, April 22, atthe Garden Terrace Nursing Home inChatham.

Born in Orange, Mr. Deane livedin South Orange for most of his life.

Mr. Deane was a dedicated teacherin the Mountainside school systemfor 36 years. During those years, hetaught mathematics and coachedwrestling, boys’ and girls’ soccer,and girls’ softball before retiring in1987. Mr. Deane was also a soccerreferee with the NJISSA.

In 1986, he received Mountainside’sfirst Teacher of the Year Award of theState of New Jersey Governor’sTeacher Recognition Program.

He was ordained as both a Deacon

and Elder of the First PresbyterianChurch in Springfield, and also servedas Chairman of the church’s scholar-ship committee for many years.

A 1944 graduate of Columbia HighSchool, he served in the United StatesNavy during World War II as a radiogunner in the Grumman Avenger tor-pedo plane.

He graduated with a Bachelor ofArts degree from Lafayette Collegein Easton, Pa. in 1950. While there,Ollie played on both the college icehockey and soccer teams. He was amember of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Mr. Deane received his Master ofArts degree from New York Univer-sity in counseling and guidance, andcompleted his hours toward a Ph.D.in administration before deciding tofollow his true love of teaching sev-enth- and eighth-grade students bystaying in the classroom.

During the summers, he served asHead Counselor and Program Direc-tor of camps Calumet and DeWitt inNew Hampshire and campsMaranacook and Waganaki in Maine.For many years, he was an AlumniAdmissions representative forLafayette College.

Mr. Deane is survived by his wife of49 years, Mary Pat; his daughter,Patricia Parker, and her husband, Terry;daughter Kathy Deane; son Kennethand his wife, Michele, and four grand-children, Kristin and Matthew Parkerand Jessica and Jacob Deane.

A memorial service to celebratehis life will be held at 10 a.m. onMonday, May 17, at the First Presby-terian Church in Springfield. Visita-tion and a reception will follow in theFellowship Room.

Arrangements were by the Brad-ley, Smith & Smith Funeral Home inSpringfield.

Those planning an expression ofsympathy are asked to consider con-tributions to the First PresbyterianChurch to establish the endowmentof a Christian Education Chair, 37Church Mall, Springfield 07081 orLafayette College, Easton, Pa. 18042-1771. They would be appreciated.

May 6, 2004

Robert F. Beese, 70, of Westfielddied on Sunday, May 2, at theCranford Health and Extended CareCenter.

Born in West Chester, Pa., he hadlived in Verona and South Orangeprior to moving to Westfield in 1971.

Mr. Beese had worked as an ac-countant at various corporations be-fore starting and maintaining a pri-vate practice in Westfield for over 40years.

He earned a bachelor’s degree fromUpsala College and continued withgraduate studies at Seton Hall Uni-versity.

An active member of Nutley Ma-sonic Lodge No. 25, he served asMaster in 1981. He was also a mem-ber of the Union County DiabetesAssociation, serving as its Treasurerfor several years.

Mr. Beese was a member of ThePresbyterian Church in Westfield anda former member of the GarwoodPresbyterian Church, where he wasthe Sunday School Superintendentfor 27 years. He also acted as the

director of the Children’s Camp pro-gram, was chairman of the ushersand sang in the church choir.

Previously, he was a member ofthe First Presbyterian and TrinityChurch in South Orange, where heserved as a Deacon, Boy Scout leader,Sunday School teacher and was PastPresident of the Questers. He alsowas a proud member of the churchchoir.

Surviving are his wife, MildredBeese; his daughter, Michelle BeesePierce, and her husband, Thomas M.Pierce, of Westfield.

A service will be held at 11 a.m.today, Thursday, May 6, at The Pres-byterian Church in Westfield. Inter-ment will be at Fairview Cemetery inWestfield.

Arrangements are under the direc-tion of the Dooley Colonial Home,556 Westfield Avenue in Westfield.

Memorial donations may be madeto the Juvenile Diabetes ResearchFoundation, 560 Sylvan Avenue,Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 07632.

May 6, 2004

Martin F. Nugent, 85, of Westfielddied on Saturday, May 1, at FatherHudson House in Elizabeth.

Born in East Orange, he moved toWestfield in 1959.

Mr. Nugent had been a salesman inthe banking industry, retiring in 1992from Cunei-forms, Inc. in New YorkCity. He had also worked for manyyears at Todd Burroughs Corpora-tion in Bloomfield.

Mr. Nugent graduated from SetonHall University in 1941 with abachelor’s degree in business admin-istration.

He was a longtime communicantand eucharistic minister at the HolyTrinity Roman Catholic Church inWestfield.

He was predeceased by his wife,

Margaret Nugent, in 2000.Surviving are three sons, Martin F.

Nugent, Jr. of Woburn, Mass., Rich-ard T. Nugent of Westfield andMichael J. Nugent of Fanwood; threedaughters, Patricia A. Nugent ofWoodbridge, Ellen J. Lanza ofWestfield and Margaret J. Harcourtof Fanwood; a brother, Daniel P.Nugent of Morristown, and 10 grand-children.

A Mass of Christian Burial wasoffered on Tuesday, May 4, at theHoly Trinity Church. Interment tookplace at Fairview Cemetery inWestfield.

Arrangements were by the DooleyColonial Home, 556 Westfield Av-enue in Westfield.

May 6, 2004

Ruth Appleby Moore, 92, ofChester Township died on Sunday,May 2, at Morristown MemorialHospital in Morristown.

Born on January 1, 1912 in Chester,daughter of the late Alfred J. andCharlotte Elliot Appleby, she spentmost of her childhood in Mendham.She raised her family in Mountainsidebefore returning to the Chester areain 1978. She also spent much time ather home in West Rupert, Vt.

Mrs. Moore was a homemaker.She earned an Associate’s degree

from the Ambler School of Horticul-ture, which is now part of the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Moore had a lifelong love ofnature, particularly flowers and birds.She was a member of the NatureConservancy and the NationalAudubon Society.

She was predeceased by her hus-band, Harry F. Moore; her brothers,Todd, William and Robert Appleby,

and her sister, Violet DeCoster.Surviving are her daughters and

sons-in-law, Ruth Melchiorre ofTewksbury, Charlotte and ThomasGottlieb of Arvada, Colo. and Janetand Knute Seebohm of Chester Town-ship; her loving grandchildren,Michael Melchiorre, Theodor, An-drew, Susanna and Thien Gottlieb,Scott, Erik and Todd Seebohm, andher loving great-grandchildren, Sean,Tyler, Terrell, Cedrik and Jarrett.

The funeral service was held yes-terday, Wednesday, May 5, at theGrace Bible Chapel in Chester.

Arrangements were handled by theWilliam J. Leber Funeral Home inChester.

In lieu of flowers, memorial dona-tions may be made to the NatureConservancy, 200 Pottersville Road,Chester, N.J. 07930. The organiza-tion may be reached at (908) 879-7262.

May 6, 2004

•

Lillie Olsen Vignolo, 90Lillie Olsen Vignolo, 90, of

Westfield died on Saturday, May 1,at her home.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she livedin Westfield since 1962.

Mrs. Vignolo was a member ofThe Presbyterian Church in Westfieldand involved in its women’s groups.She also was a volunteer withChildren’s Specialized Hospital inMountainside.

She was predeceased by her hus-band, Robert L. Vignolo, in Januaryof 2001.

Surviving are a son, R. StephenVignolo of Short Hills; a daughter,Patricia L. Ranson of New York City;two sisters, Edith Christensen ofGlendale, Calif. and Elsie Hochschildof San Pedro, Calif.; five grandchil-dren and four great-grandchildren.

There will be no visitation. Allservices will be private at a time to bearranged by the family.

Arrangements are by the GrayFuneral Home, 318 East Broad Streetin Westfield.

In lieu of flowers, memorial do-nations may be made to The Presby-terian Church in Westfield, 140Mountain Avenue, Westfield 07090or to Children’s Specialized Hospi-tal, 150 New Providence Road,Mountainside 07092.

May 6, 2004

Jeanette Atkins, 81, Was SupervisorFor Visiting Nurses Association

Jeanette Atkins, 81, of theLutheran Community at Telford inTelford, Pa., formerly a 33-yearresident of Doylestown, Pa., diedon Saturday, May 1, at the Commu-nity.

Born in Westfield, she was thedaughter of the late J. Edward andHelen Griffiths Atkins.

Miss Atkins graduated fromMount Holyoke College in SouthHadley, Mass. She received hermaster’s degree from the Yale Uni-versity School of Nursing in NewHaven, Conn., Class of 1947.

She was a supervisor for the Vis-iting Nurses Association in NewHaven, New York City and Phila-delphia. Additionally, she was em-ployed by the Pennsylvania StateDepartment of Health as a publichealth nurse, and was director ofnursing for the Bucks County De-

partment of Health, retiring in 1968.Miss Atkins was a longtime mem-

ber of St. Paul’s Lutheran Churchin Doylestown, where she was amember of the choir. She also wasa member of the League of WomenVoters and the Bucks County Asso-ciation of University Women. Shewas active in the Bucks CountyNurses Association as well.

Surviving is her companion,Elizabeth V. Winpenny of Telford.

A memorial service will be cel-ebrated at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May11, in the chapel at the LutheranCommunity at Telford, 235 N.Washington Street in Telford. In-terment will be held privately atFairview Cemetery in Westfield.

Arrangements were by the Reed& Steinbach Funeral Home, Inc. ofDoylestown, Pa.

May 6, 2004

Jim & Susan Airey ALS FundSoftball Tournament Set

SCOTCH PLAINS – The FourthAnnual Jim and Susan Airey ALSFund Softball Tournament will beheld on Saturday, May 22. The raindate is Sunday, May 23.

Jim Airey, a longtime resident ofScotch Plains, died on March 27after a courageous battle with Amyo-trophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Thecondition, also known as LouGehrig’s Disease, not only has a poorprognosis, it involves the gradualloss of neuro-motor function and pro-gressively paralyzes the body. Thereis no known cause or cure.

Mr. Airey, who was diagnosed withALS in 1997, worked diligently tofocus attention on research for theALS Therapy Development Founda-tion (ALS-TDF), a non-profit bio-technology company dedicated toadvancing those therapies with thegreatest promise of curing or slow-ing ALS.

Prior to his illness, Mr. Airey wasan avid sports fan and played on threesoftball teams in Scotch Plains, upuntil 1999. It therefore seemed onlyfitting to use sports as a way to raisemoney for research and to raise publicawareness.

The tournament will be a singlegame elimination format beginningat 9 a.m., with games played simul-taneously at Brookside Park andJerseyland Field in Scotch Plains.The Championship Game will take

place at approximately 2:30 p.m. atBrookside Park. A brief memorialservice honoring Mr. Airey will beheld prior to the game. Trophies willbe awarded to the first and secondplace teams.

The tournament is made possiblethrough the generosity of local mer-chants and professional baseball teams,and will feature approximately 15 raffleprizes, including a $500 first prize,$250 second prize, New York Yankeestickets, a satellite dish and much more.

A silent auction will also be heldstarting at 10 a.m., featuring severalsports memorabilia prizes. Amongthese items will be three official NewYork Yankee autographed baseballssigned by Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguezand Mariano Rivera. Refreshmentswill be available, along with balloonsfor the kids, and admission will befree. All proceeds will be donated tothe ALS Therapy Development Foun-dation (ALS-TDF) in Cambridge,Mass.

Donations can be made at the eventor by sending a check directly to:ALS Therapy Foundation, 215 FirstStreet, Cambridge, Mass. 02142. Thecontact telephone number is (617)441-7200.

For additional information, indi-viduals may also log onto the ALS-TDF website at www.als.net and learnmore through the “Family & FriendsCommunity” link to the website.

Philoptochos SocietyPlans Fashion Show

WESTFIELD — The LadiesPhiloptochos Society of the HolyTrinity Greek Orthodox Church ofWestfield will host “Focus on Fash-ion,” a fashion show and dinner, onWednesday, May 12, at 6 p.m. at TheChanticler in Short Hills.

The event will benefit more than50 charities supported byPhiloptochos. Proceeds from theGrand Raffle will be donated to theLaine’s Angels Foundation, whichassists parents of children with can-cer; the Crohn’s and Colitis Founda-tion of America, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research.

Gift raffles will include themebaskets and individual items. Therewill also be door prizes. For moreinformation, please call the churchoffice at (908) 233-8533.

Kids Enjoy Egg HuntOn the Village GreenSCOTCH PLAINS — Despite the

chilly, wet weather, children ages one toeight turned out for the annual EasterEgg Hunt on April 3 on the VillageGreen adjacent to the Scotch PlainsMunicipal Building.

Sponsored by the Scotch Plains Jun-ior Woman’s Club and the Scotch PlainsRecreation Department, the event fea-tured a visit from the Easter Bunny andeggs filled with candy. Three luckyyoungsters found the “golden eggs”and received Easter Baskets.

There also was a lollipop and ajellybean guess, face painting, tattoosand a table of fresh baked goods. Allproceeds from the event will benefitlocal charities.

More Community News

Runnells Volunteer GuildPlans Home Products Sale

BERKELEY HEIGHTS — TheVolunteer Guild of Runnells Spe-cialized Hospital of Union Countywill hold a vendor sale featuringHome Products merchandise onThursday, June 10.

The sale will be held from 7:30a.m. to 4 p.m. in the multi-purposeroom of the facility, located at 40Watchung Way in BerkeleyHeights.

The Home Products will includefunctional household items such asglass cutting boards, trivets, snacktrays and ceiling fan pull chainsfeaturing reproductions of water-color paintings.

“We invite the public to attendour sales free of charge,” said UnionCounty Freeholder Mary Ruotolo,

Liaison to Runnells SpecializedHospital.

“A percentage of each purchasemade at these sales is given to theVolunteer Guild to obtain items forthe residents and patients that mayinclude televisions, VCRs andprizes for their bingo games,” shenoted.

The Guild also sponsors a holi-day party/gift distribution and asummer picnic, in cooperation withthe Berkeley Heights Lions Club.

The Volunteer Guild and the Of-fice of Volunteer Services ofRunnells Specialized Hospital arealways seeking volunteers. Flex-ible hours and a variety of opportu-nities exist with resident contact,as well as performing other tasks.For further information, please callthe Office of Volunteer Services at(908) 771-5847.


Rep. Ferguson AddressesHomeland Security, Tax Cuts

By MICHAEL POLLACKSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Congressman Mike Ferguson rep-resents New Jersey’s seventh districtin the U.S. House of Representa-tives. The Congressman discussedhow issues of homeland security andjob creation trickle down to NewJersey and its seventh district.

“The two biggest issues that we’refocused on for Westfield and UnionCounty are not all that different fromthe issues I’m working on for thedistrict and for the country,” Rep.Ferguson said. “They are, numberone, ensuring our homeland securityto make sure that we prevent thedevastation of another terrorist at-tack. And number two, to ensure wecan do everything possible in Wash-ington to help our economy to con-tinue to grow and create opportuni-ties for people around our area.”

Congressman Ferguson said thereare lots of different ways he is tryingto achieve both of these goals: First,Ferguson said homeland security andthe war on terror will be aided by afree and democratic Iraq followingthe eradication of terrorist cells thathave worked to destroy the U.S.

“The war on Iraq is a vital com-ponent to the war on terror,” Rep.Ferguson said. “The U.S.’s effortsto establish and maintain a stabledemocracy there is no small task,but is crucial to making sure wecontinue to destroy the terroristnetworks that have brought so muchdamage and harm to Americansand Spaniards and folks all aroundthe world.”

The federal budget, whichpassed last week, increased fund-ing for veteran’s benefits by 15percent, a huge increase. The bud-get included an increase in de-fense spending to support Ameri-can troops to make sure they havethe training, equipment, and pro-tection they need.

“We included a hefty increase inhomeland security spending, bor-der control, first responders for bioterrorism defense,” Rep. Fergusonsaid. “All of these are top prioritiesspecifically for us in New Jerseybecause we saw firsthand the de-struction and death caused by ter-rorists on our own soil. Homelandsecurity and the war on terror isclearly a top priority. I’ve beenstanding shoulder-to-shoulder withPresident Bush in his efforts tosecure our homeland and to keepour families and our communitiesand our kids safe from those whowould seek to do us harm.”

Increased Washington funding trans-

lates to increased fire safety, protec-tion and arms for police officers andtraining for bioterrorism on a locallevel in Union County and in Westfield.

“These additional grants, a numberof them in our district alone, have beenmade available to local fire depart-ments because we’ve increased thatfunding here in Washington. Our firefighters, our first responders, are on thefrontlines for securing our homelandand we need to support them. That’swhat we’re doing; we’re keeping thatcommitment here in Washington.”

The other initiative Rep. Fergusonis working to secure, which impactsthe seventh district, is the status andrecovery of an economy that was inrecession when Rep. Ferguson andPresident Bush came to office in 2000.

“The first thing we knew we neededto do was cut people’s taxes,” Rep.Ferguson said. We believe, and I be-lieve, that people can spend their ownmoney better than government can. Ithink the more money people have intheir own pockets they will be able tosave and invest and spend to care fortheir families, children, parents, grand-parents, education, or healthcare.

“That is one of the reasons why oureconomy is now growing. We are work-ing hard to get our companies and corpo-rations back on their feet so they can bein a position to hire more workers.”

Rep. Ferguson said his efforts tocut taxes and create an environmentmore conducive for companies tohire new workers have been mademore complicated by the “folks inTrenton who want to raise taxes.”Rep. Ferguson said that the seventhdistrict, in particular, benefits fromtax relief, which in turn stimulateseconomic growth and job creation.

Rep. Ferguson also spoke of taxrelief creating jobs and opportunitiesfor New Jersey’s families. Congress-man Ferguson voted to reduce incometax rates for every American who paysincome taxes and double the per-childtax credit to $1,000, which he feelswould directly impact the seventh dis-trict and many families in UnionCounty.

“It’s one of the best things we’vedone since I’ve been in Congress ($1000per child tax cut),” the congressmansaid. “We’ve doubled the per child taxcredit from $500 to $1000 per child.That has a huge impact on families. Ivisited with two families in our districtwith four children each. One familylived in Hillsborough and was in themidst of moving because they neededmore room and a bigger house. Theirrebate check last year was $1200 be-cause of the expansion of the per childtax credit.”

Lauren S. Pass for The Westfield Leader and The TimesFROM THE DAYS OF YORE…This home on Wychwood Road was built in1784 by Anza Ball, a relative of George Washington, in Maplewood, but waslater moved to Wychwood.

Nature Trail Ride to beOffered at Watchung Stable

MOUNTAINSIDE – The UnionCounty Board of Chosen Freehold-ers and the Union County Depart-ment of Parks and Recreation areproud to announce that theWatchung Stables and the TrailsideNature and Science Center are join-ing together to offer the county’sfirst “Nature Trailride” on Thurs-day evening, May 13, from 6 to7:30 p.m.

Participants, ages nine and older,are invited to explore the WatchungReservation in a new and excitingway – on horseback! A park natu-ralist from Trailside will point outthe sights and sounds of local wild-life and highlight interesting plantsand wildflowers along the way.The group will visit Lake Surpriseto search for local waterfowl, andmeander through the woods andfields to discover animals that areactive at dusk. Listen for a chorusof spring peeper frogs; learn toidentify poison ivy, and other floraand fauna along the trail.

“I’m pleased to announce thatUnion County is able to provideanother level of program experi-ence for our residents to enjoy,” saidFreeholder Chairman Angel Estrada.

No horseback riding experienceis necessary; the ride will takeplace at a walking pace only. Afterthe ride, light refreshments will beprovided by members of theWatchung Stables Auxiliary Club.

Pre-registration is required dueto space limitations. The fee forthe Nature Trailride is $30 perperson for Union County residentsand $40 per person for non-countyresidents. Registration is in-per-son only at the Watchung Stables,located at 1160 Summit Lane inMountainside.

For further information, pleasecall the Watchung Stables at (908)789-3665 or the Trailside Natureand Science Center at (908) 789-3670. Both facilities are operatedby the Union County Board ofChosen Freeholders.

Fanwood Planning BoardHears Devel. Aplication

By DEBORAH MADISONSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

An application for a major siteplan for a development on the cornerof South Avenue and First Street washeard before the Fanwood PlanningBoard at their April 28 meeting.

The proposed development in-cludes a Victorian-style, two andthree-story building, with commer-cial, retail and residential units. Theplan calls for the existing, single-family homes on two lots to be de-molished. The proposed buildingconforms to all ordinances, exceptadequate parking. The developers,the Messercola Brothers, are apply-ing for a parking variance.

Robert Kraus, of Lieb, Kraus,Grispin and Roth, of Scotch Plains,attorney for the developer, presentedartist’s renderings and site plans tothe board and the public as he de-scribed the development’s features.

The building, which is divided intotwo sections, includes one three-storysection and another two-story sec-tion. The sections are externally at-tached, with a contiguous roofline,but not internally connected. Thistype of construction was necessarydue to the natural slope of the land,Mr. Kraus explained.

The footprint of the building is3,500 sq. feet per floor with a maxi-mum roof height of 36.5 feet. The 12apartments range in size from 1,262sq. ft. to 1,922 sq. ft. There will becommercial renters on the groundfloor of the two-story section andretail establishments on the groundfloor of the three-story section. The12 apartments would be spread outover the second and third floors andwould be individually owned. Theplan would comply with all Councilon Affordable Housing (COAH) ob-ligations, if need be.

The plan proposes 48 parkingspaces, which Mr. Kraus arguedwould be adequate for any combina-tion of retail, commercial and resi-dential occupancy, although underthe number required by ordinance.The exact number of required spaceswould be contingent on the type offuture occupants. Mr. Kraus statedthat the builders did not have anyretail or commercial occupants lined

up, as of yet, however, the develop-ers would commit to no food estab-lishments. Deliveries would be madeby small trucks or vans, through rearentrances.

When asked about the lack of anygrassy, recreational areas, Mr. Krausexplained to the board that the unitswere designed to attract commuters,who could utilize nearby, public parksfor recreational use.

Testimony was heard from thebuilding’s architect, RoccoCampanella of Raritan. Mr.Campanella described the design ingreater detail and fielded questionsfrom the public. Several residentsfrom the neighborhood had ques-tions regarding the impact that theproposed development might haveon their privacy, on traffic and onpotential runoff and subsequentflooding in their yards.

Town engineer, Richard Marsdentold the residents that he would re-view the plans and recommend con-ditions that would mitigate any po-tential run-off caused by the additionof impervious areas, such as trenchesor other retention devices.

Board members asked the archi-tect to return with rear and side-viewrenderings, to enable the board andthe public a view of the developmentfrom the perspective of adjacenthomes. Ample landscape bufferingwould also be provided, Mr. Kraussaid.

Site Engineer Edward Dec ofKenilworth also testified. Questionsarose regarding which street thebuilding fronted onto as well as ques-tions regarding the incomplete trans-fer of the title and ownership of oneof the existing properties. At thesuggestion of the Board AttorneyRobert Mega, Board Chairman Gre-gory Cummings suspended Mr. Dec’stestimony until the matter of title andownership could be finalized.

Contingent on this matter beingresolved, the board will hear thecontinuation of the application attheir next scheduled meeting onWednesday, May 26. Testimony willalso be presented from a landscapearchitect, a traffic engineer and aprofessional planner at subsequentmeetings.

The Wychwood SectionOf WF, Rich With History

By LAUREN S. PASSSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Growing up in Kentucky, ArthurRule wanted to be an artist; theWychwood section of Westfield be-came his masterpiece according to abook about Wychwood.

Though the only copy of the bookThe Westfield Leader and The ScotchP l a i n s - Fa n w o o dTimes was able to ob-tain was a photocopy,and the author is un-known, it appears tobe the original salesbook for the develop-ment.

Though Mr. Rulewas the driving forcebehind the develop-ment of Wychwood,his son Arthur Rule, Jr.worked full time onthe project. The juniorRule directed the salesprogram and worked on the engi-neering aspects, turning architectBernhardt Müller’s designs into re-ality.

The senior Rule resided on Wood-land Avenue, while the junior Rulelived in the gatehouse.

Designed in the 1920s the idea ofWychwood was to have older archi-tecture, giving it a nostalgic feel.Properties were designed to be setapart from one another and a relax-ing atmosphere was desired.

Area residents recognize SouthGate for its two unique gatehouses.Built in 1928, the gatehouses werenot meant to be the architecturalkeynote of the development. Re-

search does not show a North Gateentrance, though markings on an oldaerial photograph show a west gateentrance at Woodland Avenue and aneast gate at Springfield Avenue.

Mr. Rule moved historic homesinto Wychwood. The oldest homesin the immediate area are 415 Wood-land Avenue, which was built 1771,

and 1011 WychwoodRoad, which was builtin 1785.

Claas Ariance Sipbuilt the Sip Manorhouse, now located onCherry Lane, in 1664.The house was movedpiece by piece fromwhat is now JerseyCity to Wychwood.

Gallows Hill got itsname on January 29,1782 when JamesMorgan was hung forthe assassination of

Reverend James Caldwell.Three homes were built for the

Bristol family at the highest part ofWychwood, nicknamed Bristol Hill,but better known as Kimball Circle.In clear weather, New York City’sskyline was visible from the proper-ties.

“So Wychwood is dedicated tofostering the daydreams of child-hood – fairy tales and legends; woodsand flowers; birds and little ani-mals; sunshine and rain; moon andstarlight; school and holidays;games, parties, birthdays – and thoseglamorous distant years when theseyoungsters will be grown up and dojust as they please!”

The gate house formerlyowned by Arthur Rule, Jr.

SAGE to Mark 50th YearWith Celebration May 15

SUMMIT — SAGE, a private, not-for-profit organization that has pro-vided eldercare services since 1954,will mark its 50th anniversary with acelebration on Saturday, May 15.

Entitled “At the Hop,” it will takeplace from 7 to 11 p.m. at the OratoryPrep School, located at 1 BeverlyRoad in Summit. The event will fea-ture a 1950s theme, including a his-torical display, disk jockey, dancing,

an Elvis impersonator, contests, prizes,a barbecue, silent auction and trickytray. Tickets are $60 each.

SAGE currently serves older citi-zens and their families in Union,Morris, Essex and Somerset counties.The organization is in the process ofbuilding a new, state-of-the-art facil-ity on Broad Street in Summit. Toorder tickets or for more information,please call (908) 273-5550.


THE WEEK IN SPORTSSee it all in color at!www.goleader.com

Sports Section Pages 13-18

GORSKI, WOODS SET POLE VAULT RECORD; GIRLS PLACE ‘ACROSS BOARD’

Blue Devil Girls Reach Goal Number 1,Capture UC Track & Field Relay Crown

By DAVID B. CORBINSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Five years in the making, but theWestfield High School (WHS) girlstrack and field team attained one ofits goals by capturing the UnionCounty Relay (UCR) crown at HubStine Field in Plainfield on May 1.The Blue Devil girls, with a total of80.5 points, placed in every event butthe team pole vault and won twoevents to beat out a highly improvedSummit team that placed second with57 points. Elizabeth won the boystitle with 66 points, GovernorLivingston tied for second withCranford at 48, Scotch Plains-Fanwood (SPF) placed fifth at 40 andWestfield finished eighth at 36.

In a preseason interview with TheLeader and The Times (April 1 edi-tion), Blue Devil girls Head CoachNancy Carpenter said, “The goal ofours is to develop each aspect of theteam. You can have all the runners inthe world, but if you don’t have anyrepresentation out there, jumping orthrowing, you will win some, butyou may not win it all. We’re lookingto win it all!”

That “across the board” talent madethe difference, since Summit per-formed very well in the middle andlong distance events but struggled inthe field.

Blue Devils Ja’net Tiller (200),Jennell Carter (200), Mika Cruz (400)and anchor Emily MacNeil (800)took top honors in the sprint medleyrelay, finishing in 4:21.1. MacNeilhad to make up a 30-meter deficit butdid so with 100 meters to go.

“We wanted to stay near the wholerace, which we did. Ja’net and Jennellgot out and Mika got herself outthere in the 400. I didn’t want to goout too hard. I tried to graduallycatch up. After I moved in second, Iused my kick to pass first,” MacNeildescribed.

Carter, Meg Driscoll, Annie Onishiand MacNeil put it together in the

4x400 to take first in 4:09. In theDistance Medley Relay (DMR),MacNeil (1200), Driscoll (400),Onishi (800) and Deenie Quinn(1600) placed second with a time of13:04.4 to Summit, anchored byfreshman running machine SamanthaLee, who crossed in 12:48.7. RaidersLaura Harrison, Samantha Gates, AjaBundy and Mary Shashaty placedfourth at 13:18.3. The Blue Devils

knew they had a formidable task athand since the Summit girls won theDMR at the Blue Devil Relays onApril 17.

“The only change we made whenwe ran 12:58 at Hillsborough wasthat Deenie ran the half and Annieran the mile,” said Blue Devil dis-tance coach Jen Buccino.

Blue Devils Miriam Becker-Cohen, Anne Wisler, Driscoll and

Onishi finished second to Summit inthe 4x800 with a time of 10:14.3.Summit finished in 10:00, one sec-ond off the course record.

“We just have to go out there andgive it all we can do,” commentedDriscoll. “We did well. The gap gota little big. We tried to close it. Wedid everything we could.”

Blue Devils Caroline Sheridan,Alison Petrow and Christina Henry

took second in the team shot put at94’7.75”; Sheridan, Nicole Simoneand Olena Borkowsky placed secondin the javelin at 265’6”; and AmandaNehring, Britany Mironovich andEmily Perry tied for fourth in thehigh jump at 14 feet– all WHSrecords. Sheridan shoved the shot apersonal best 33’6.75” and tossedthe javelin 94’9”. Led by Cruz, witha leap of 14’7”, Cruz, JoAnn Mathew

and Ali Rodino placed third in thelong jump at 43’4.25”. Westfield alsotook sixth in the discus at 236 feet.

Governor Livingston’s TeresaCavallaro, Laura Ronner, VeenaVenkatachalam and anchor Chris-tine McCurdy crossed first in theshuttle hurdles with a time of 1:06.9.Beginning one hurdle behindRahway, McCurdy looked smoothclearing the hurdles, using no wastedmovements, to make up the ground.Westfield placed fourth at 1:12.8.

“I felt faster than I usually feel. I

CIANCIOTTA RAPS 2-RUN TRIPLE; MAINS, 2 HITS, RBI

Lady Softball Raiders CoolOff Ridge Red Devils, 3-1


Showing progressively improvingcontrol and feeling more confidentwith her defense, Raider pitcherElaine Piniat permitted no walks,struck out three and yielded just fourhits en route to a, 3-1, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School softball vic-tory over 6-6 Ridge in Scotch Plainson April 30. Junior Taylor Cianciotta,with a convincing two-run triple, andfreshman Lauren Mains, with an RBIsingle, netted all three of the 8-3Raiders’ runs in the bottom of thethird inning.

Analyzing her and the team’sprogress, Piniat said, “I started off(this season) a little shaky but it allcame together. The team held strong.We’ve progressed a lot.”

The Raiders, who put togetherseven hits, were making contact withthe ball and recorded only onestrikeout. Mains finished with twohits, as did senior Laura Manzi whoalso added a walk and a run scored.Leadoff batter Kelli Kaskiw contrib-uted a single and Piniat provided aninfield single.

The Raiders’ middle infield wasdefensively stubborn and the speedof the outfielders made it difficult forthe Red Devils to find an opening.

Sophomore shortstop Melissa Settehad a hand in 10 of the 21 putouts,including a fine diving snag in thefirst inning. Second basemanCianciotta figured in four putouts,including fine coverage of first on abunt.

With such a strong infield, Piniatcommented, “It makes me feel veryconfident. I know they are behind meand I know they are going to doeverything they can. I just throw the

ball. They hit it and the fielders willget it.”

Centerfielder Kaskiw made a finerunning catch in the fourth inningand Manzi, with her speed in left,prevented Red Devil Katie Nock fromgetting more than a double.

“I know that all the outfielders aregoing to be there to catch the ball,”noted Piniat.

“We are very strong, left and cen-CONTINUED ON PAGE 15


RICCIUTI WINS 4TH, WICHOSKI WHACKS 3-RUN HR

Blue Devils Erupt to ToppleCardinal Nine, 11-8, in UCT

By FRED LECOMTESpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Realizing the potential of an upsetand Plainfield’s “came to play” atti-tude along with a 6-0 lead early in thegame, the third-seeded Westfield HighSchool baseball team kept focus androcked the Plainfield Cardinals, 11-8,in the first round of the Union CountyTournament in Westfield on May 1.Rightfielder Ken Wichoski shifted thetide for the Blue Devils by rocking anoutside fastball over the 352-sign inleftfield for a three-run homer in thethird inning.

“We had a little bit of an uneasi-ness in our stomachs, becausePlainfield had beaten us last time.They jumped right on us,” said BlueDevil Head coach Bob Brewster.“They got a couple of base hits rightaway and got ahead in the game. Lastyear we got wiped out badly by Lin-den in the first round, so this was awhole new situation for a lot of ourinexperienced kids and they had torise to the occasion. I think comingback from a, 6-0 deficit says a lot.They came right back and scored allthose runs and that helped them anawful lot. I think that will pay off forus later in the tournament.”

Starting pitcher Tom Ricciuti tossed108 pitches in six-plus innings to earnhis fourth victory. Additionally, he

accounted for three hits.“I don’t think I have ever seen him

get flustered. He was behind early,gave up five unearned runs in thesecond and just tells himself that he’sgot to buckle down and get the jobdone. He then goes out there andshuts them down allowing us to getback into the game. That was thekey,” said Brewster.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in

the top of the first inning on a single,a free pass and an RBI single byAaron Hale. It appeared as if theBlue Devils were going to blow thegame wide open in the second whenSam Kim worked a walk, Mike Diazsingled and Wichoski laid down asuper bunt to load the bases but threeforce plays slammed the door shut.

The Cardinals took advantage ofCONTINUED ON PAGE 16

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesBEGINNING THE FINAL LEG…Blue Devil Deenie Quinn, left, begins thefinal leg of the distance medley relay after receiving the baton from AnnieOnishi. The Blue Devils placed second in the event with a time of 13:04.4.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesSOARING LIKE A BIRD…Raider Lance Thomas gets a lot of elevation andcompletes this long jump with a leap of 19’4.5”.

Fred K. Lecomte for The Westfield Leader and The Times

NO STOPPING THIS GUY…Coming in hard to the plate and scoring is BlueDevil Ken Wichoski. Additionally, the Blue Devil rightfielder cracked a fastballover the 352-ft sign for a three-run homer.


KONCEN GOES 4-FOR-4, HAS 4 RBI

Viking Baseballers RapRoselle Rams, 16-2By DAVID B. CORBIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

No mercy, with the exception ofthe five-inning mercy rule, was of-fered by the 6-2 Union Catholic HighSchool baseball team in its, 16-2,thrashing of Roselle in the prelimi-nary round of the Union County Tour-nament on April 28 in Scotch Plains.Viking junior Andy Koncen led the16-hit assault, going 4-for-4 withtwo doubles and four RBI while scor-ing a run.

The Viking pitching trio of PeteRivera, Rich Gutierrez and BrandonGarcia, respectively, combined fornine strikeouts while yielding twosingles and three walks. Rivera satdown all six Rams he faced, strikingout four, before being relieved byGutierrez who pitched the third andfourth innings. Garcia walked to themound in the fifth and slammed thedoor, fanning two and walking one.

“We think our pitching staff is thestrongest part of our club. Defense issecond and offense is third,” ex-pressed Viking Head Coach JimReagan, Jr. “Koncen is our No. 1.He’s a 6’4” lefty. Peter Rivera is 3-1.He throws the ball real hard and isgoing to NJIT next year to play ball.Rick throws a lot of off-speed, a lotof curve balls to keep guys off-bal-ance. Garcia, who is probably ourmost complete player, throws theball pretty hard. We are always work-ing on consistency with him throw-ing strikes.”

“We have a pretty good pitchingstaff,” added Koncen, who is a finepitcher in his own right.

Defensively, freshman thirdbaseman Chris Whittemore displayedtwo fine fielding plays and speedsterSteve Farawell made a nice snag incenterfield.

“Chris did a real nice job,” notedReagan, who added, “He’s one of ourtop hitters.”

In addition to Koncen, Whittemorehad a hot bat with two singles and adouble, two RBI, two stolen basesand four runs scored. Farawell had atriple and a single and two runs scoredand Garcia rapped a double and asingle, scored three runs and had twoRBI. Mike Honeymar poked twosingles, stole two bases and scoredonce while Matt Oliveto had an RBIdouble, walked and scored three runs.

The Vikings took a 5-0 lead in thebottom of the first inning, highlightedby Farawell’s leadoff triple andRivera’s two-run single. In the sec-ond, three more Vikings plunderedhome plate. Oliveto walked and stolesecond, Whittemore reached on anerror and stole second, Rivera loftedan RBI sacrifice fly, Garcia drilledan RBI double and Koncen yankedan RBI single.

Eleven Vikings stepped to the platein the third and produced six runs tocommand a 14-2 lead. Oliveto con-tributed an RBI double, Whittemorewhacked a two-run double, Koncenlined an RBI double and ChrisMedina tapped an RBI single.

In the bottom of the fourth, theVikings added a two-run coating.Rob Downer walked, Whittemorehopped a single to right, Garcia hadan RBI groundout and Koncencracked an RBI single.

“I was hitting the ball pretty hardtoday,” explained Koncen modestly.“I like fastballs inside.”

Offensively, “We did a nice job.We wanted to get on them early. Wehit the ball pretty well today,” saidReagan.Roselle 002 00 2Union Catholic 536 2x 16

CHAPLA FANS 10, BELOTTA TAPS RBI

Softball Vikings Win 10th,Dry Up Bound Brook, 1-0


Junior pitcher Danielle Chaplaboosted her record and her team’srecord to 10-0 as the Union CatholicHigh School softball team nippedBound Brook, 1-0, in Scotch Plainson April 29. Chapla scored the win-ning run in the bottom of the secondinning when teammate AngelaBelotta slapped an RBI single toright centerfield.

Chapla, who notched 10 strikeouts,walked only one and yielded twosingles, allowed only two balls to reachthe outfield – one a pop fly to right thatwas mishandled and the other a loop-ing single over first base. The othersingle was a slow roller to short.

Crusader pitcher Christy Gianelladid a fine job also, fanning six Vi-kings, walking four and permittingfour singles. Her only jeopardy camein the second inning when she yieldedtwo singles and two walks. Chaplahopped a single past second. MeganSeamster walked, Chapla stole third,Elizabeth McGonigle walked andBelotta slapped her RBI single.

“It’s no secret, 10 games into theseason, we just have to hit the ballbetter,” said a concerned Viking HeadCoach Jim Revel. “We are gettinggood pitching. Our defense is okay,but you can’t keep going out thereand trying to win with just one or tworuns. We had a couple of gameswhere I thought we were breakingout. The top of the lineup has beenhitting well, so hopefully, it’s just aone game deal. Steiner, Whittemore,DePalma and Chapla have been ourmost consistent hitters, but they need

some help. Today, Belotta had the hitthat won the game. That’s a goodthing!”

The 5-3 Crusaders’ only threatcame in the top of the first, with oneout, when Maria Orellana walkedand sped to third when Gianella’spop fly was dropped. Chaplapromptly fanned the next two battersto douse the threat.

Chapla, who was a master at keep-ing the ball on the ground by throw-ing many low balls, said, “That’s theplan. That’s what Ashley(Whittemore) calls and that’s what Ithrow. Ashley calls a very good game.We work very well together. I workon my control. I go to my pitchingcoach, coach Mac (Jim MacDonald).He’s my pitching doctor.”

Viking Casey DePalma hopped asingle past second in the third inningand Michele Simpson got the fourthhit with a little looper into right fieldin the fifth inning. In the top of thefifth, Viking catcher Whittemoregunned down Crusader base runnerDorothy Jefferson on an attemptedsteal of second.

“We all give our best out here. It’sa team effort,” expressed Chapla.

Looking down the road, to theUnion County Tournament, the Vi-kings who received the fifth seedmay have the opportunity to meettop-seeded Roselle Park and pitch-ing ace Becky Riccitelli in the semi-finals.

“It’s going to be a very good game.We have a tough team this year,”Chapla predicted.Bound Brook 000 000 0 0Union Catholic 010 000 x 1

FLANNERY HOMERS; GOES 3-F0R-3

Patriot Softballers JoltLady Blue Devils, 6-1


Sophomore designated hitterMaryKate Flannery went 3-for-3, in-cluding a solo home run in the firstinning, unfortunately later costlymistakes and a Blue Devil hittingdrought led the Colonia High Schoolsoftball team to a 6-1 triumph overhost Westfield on April 29. Patriotpitcher Alison Tongo held the BlueDevils to five hits, struck out five anddid not issue a walk. Blue DevilLauren Gelmetti allowed 11 hits,struck out three and walked none.

“I’m disappointed with their of-fense effort. We looked at too manypitches that were good and when weput the ball in play, they made mis-takes and we got that one run out ofit,” said Blue Devil Head coach TaraPignoli. “I really thought coming outhere, it was going to be a, 1-0, 2-1game, but it wasn’t anything likethat. Defensively, I think we justpushed too much and we went for thelead runner when we shouldn’t have.They’re trying to make big playsinstead of keeping it simple andmaking the right play.”

The 7-3 Blue Devils jumped to a,1-0 lead in the bottom of the firstwhen Flannery rifled a two-one pitchinto centerfield. Capitalizing on herphenomenal speed, Flannery flewaround the base paths for an inside-the-park homer.

“They didn’t back up and they justkept overthrowing it,” said Flannery.“I just kept looking behind me andseeing that the ball was behind me. Ijust kept on running. I felt I wasrunning as fast as I ever did before. Itreally felt great.”

Westfield first baseman Jen Frost,Gelmetti and senior catcher LaurenMusacchia prevented additional Pa-triot runs with the three slick infield

putouts in the top of the third.“You must think one step ahead,”

said Musacchia of the mentality, func-tion and leadership behind the plate.“When you’re getting all that infor-mation, you need to process it. Youthen put it all together and hopefullyhave everything mesh and try to makeit come together. It’s a lot more funback there when you’re going afterthe girls, regardless whether you’rewinning or losing, although whenyou’re winning you just have thatextra oomph and confidence. I knowGelmetti is a lot more comfortable inher pitches with a nice size lead andit helps her being more consistent.Everything is flowing; you feel ev-erything coming together. Whenyou’re behind, it’s a lot harder to gainmomentum and you need to digdeep.”

The Patriots scored twice in thetop of the fourth on back-to-backsingles, Susan Gelesky’s RBI doubleand a sacrifice fly. Three additionalPatriot runs trampled the plate in thesixth on four hits, including a two-run double off the stick of TanyaSzczepansla, and an infield miscue.

One more Patriot scored in the ona bases-loaded RBI single by Eliza-beth Mahr.

“Gelmetti pitched great in the be-ginning of the game,” summarizedPignoli. “She really shut them downwhile our infield was sharp and tight.Then, when we got pressured, weshould have kept it simple. Insteadwe made aggressive mistakes. Wewere going to third, to second, andthe throws were a little too late.These are kids who have very highexpectations. They expect to makethe play and sometimes they try to dotoo much.”Colonia 000 203 1 6Westfield 100 000 0 1

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David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesDRILLING A GROUNDER TO THIRD…Viking Brittany Steiner drills agrounder to third in the third inning against Bound Brook.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesBIG DAY WITH THE “METAL STICK”…Viking Andy Koncen went 4-for-4with two doubles and four RBI in the Union County game against Roselle. TheVikings routed the Rams, 16-2, in five innings.

Fred K. Lecomte for The Westfield Leader and The Times

STORMING INTO THIRD…Blue Devil pitcher Lauren Gelmetti not onlypitched a great game, but made use of her ‘metal stick’ with a lead-off double.Despite her efforts, Westfield fell to Colonia, 6-1 on April 29.


Lady Softball Raiders CoolOff Ridge Red Devils, 3-1


ALI RYAN BURNS PINGRY NET WITH THREE GOALS

Pingry Lady Laxers RattleBlue Devils in 2nd Half, 14-7


The Westfield High School girls’lacrosse team demonstrated how farthey have come by out-dueling No.11-ranked Pingry in the first half atTamaques Park in Westfield on April28. Pingry raised their level of playin the second half, erupting witheight goals, to roll for a 14-7 victory.

Several Blue Devils assaulted thePingry goal in the first half. Juniorright attack winger Ali Ryan inflictedmost of the damage, firing in threegoals while adding an assist. Tri-Captain second home Laura Shelman(Lissie Trimble assist) and JessicaShor rattled the Pingry cage as each

flicked in one goal. Pingry receivedthree from Megan Hess, two goalsfrom Leslie Hynes and one fromAshley Platt in the first half.

First-year Blue Devil Head coachVivian Sahyoun commented, “I feelthis game was a confidence booster.They came into this game with ahigher level of play than I’ve everseen before. I knew they had it inthem and something brought it outtoday. Of course I’m not happy withthe result, but the girls played theirhearts out and despite the end result,the girls now realize their potential.”

“In the first half, I thought ourconnections were really working very

well. We were looking up for eachother and finding each other and thatsimply ended up in converting goals,”explained Ryan. “My first goal camewhen I just challenged their goalieone-on-one, rolled and flicked it pasther. The second one came on a pen-alty shot that found the lower righthand corner. Then, my third goal camesomewhat the same way, a lower righthand corner smash that stuck in therear of the net. We’re having a greatseason and we all just really enjoybeing with each other. We trust eachother and we really support each otheras much as we can.”

With 30 seconds remaining in thehalf, Pingry Big Blue scored to takea, 6-5 lead to the sideline.

“It was awesome. Our offense wasclicking with lots of connection in-side, people creating space and al-

lowing their teammates to challengeand really take it to goal,” saidSahyoun. “As far as midfield transi-tion, we dominated on ground ballsand draws. All the 50-50 balls werepretty much ours and that’s whatreally allowed us possession for capi-talizing and then scoring. Defen-sively, communication was up. Thegirls were talking, fighting for thedouble teams, not allowing the at-tack to get in there. Jackie Burns ingoal, played awesome.”

Westfield gained the initiative earlyin the second half when Sara Maselflicked an underhanded shot into thenet to tie the score, 6-6. Pingry Big

Blue came to life and, within threeminutes, struck with three unan-swered goals to take a, 9-6 lead.

Pingry’s defense became stingyand its double teams were successfulwhile Westfield gave up possession.Big Blue maintained the initiativeand netted five more goals, three byChristene DeNitzo.

With 31 seconds remaining, Blue DevilKatie Cole-Kelly scored a goal with asidearm flick from five-yards out.

Referring to the Blue Devil effort,Sahyoun said, “They need to play thegame for the entire 50 minutes, thatis the key. You need to be consistentthroughout the entire field, through-out the entire game. My expectationsof the team has risen and I’m excitedabout taking this entire program toanother level with a group of girlswho love to play the game.”

Devil Boy Laxers SlamRandolph Rams, 10-8The Westfield High School boys’

lacrosse team got back on the win-ning track with a 10-8 victory overNo. 20 Randolph in Westfield onApril 28. Jourdan Loffredo nettedtwo goals and three assists for the 3-5 Blue Devils.

Andrew Schott fired in three goalsand Brady Lau had two goals ad twoassists. Goalie Chris Zaffuto made12 saves.

ter. There are not too many balls thatget through them or over them,” statedRaider Head Coach Kelli Covert.“Today we had one out in left, but she(Manzi) will run like crazy to get thatball. They will not advance on her.Kelli picks up balls I don’t expect herto get. She gets there!”

Piniat retired the first eight RedDevils until Michelle Maher slappeda single to rightfield in the third.Raider catcher Shanayia Willis tookcare of that situation when she gunneddown Maher attempting to steal sec-ond. Sette made the tag.

“We have been working well to-gether,” said Piniat of Willis. “She’scalling the pitches. We work on howthe batters are standing. We knowwhere to throw it to get the batters offthe plate.”

“She definitely has the gun and thesound effects to go with it,” saidCovert. “The louder the sound, theharder the throw.”

In the bottom of the third, Kaskiwlooped a single over third and Settereached first on a force out. Sette then

pulled off a nifty delayed steal. Manziwalked and Cianciotta clobbered hertwo-run triple to remote center. Mainsfollowed with her RBI single to left.

“It was a little on the high side. Ijust kept my weight back and didwhat my batting coach taught me todo,” Cianciotta described.

In the fifth, Ridge’s Kiera Freyslashed a one-out single to right centerand Nock drilled a shot that nicked thetip of Manzi’s glove in left. Frey scored,but Manzi got to the ball quickly andfired to third to hold Nock at second.Sette caught a popup for out numbertwo then grabbed a grounder and firedto first to end the inning.

“We’re doing wonderfully well!Everyone is back and we are comingtogether as a team,” expressed Co-vert. “At any point in any of thegames, someone is doing somethingwell. I don’t think there’s one gamewhere someone didn’t add to what weare doing. We couldn’t do it withouteveryone out there, bench included.”Ridge 000 010 0 1Sc. Pl.-Fanwood 003 000 x 3

ERRATUM:In the sports story, “Raider Dia-

mond Boys Club Irvington BlueKnights, 17-7,” that appeared in theApril 29 edition of The Leader andThe Times, Raider Jared Montagna’stwo doubles, a hit-by-a-pitch and anRBI was inadvertently omitted. Also,the person in the picturemisidentified as James Scalfaro wasMarco Giasullo. We regret the er-rors but congratulate the Raiders forsuch an impressive win.

Union County High SchoolVarsity Baseball Results:

APRIL 27:Elizabeth 4, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 1

Minutemen Dave Seara and AndyTorres each blasted a two-run homer.Kevin Urban and John Maloneydoubled for the Raiders.

Immaculata 11, GovernorLivingston 3

Eric Feller had an RBI double forthe 7-5 Highlanders.Union Catholic 15, Montclair Im-maculate 5

Matt Oliveto had two singles and atwo-run triple for the 5-2 Vikings andMike Honeymar had three hits andtwo RBI.

APRIL 28:Westfield 16, Newark East Side 5

Mike Diaz went 3-for-3, includinga grand slam, and had six RBI for the8-3 Blue Devils and Billy Hearonsmacked a solo blast.Kearny 9, Scotch Plains-Fanwood4

Kyle Baker had two hits and anRBI for the 4-4 Raiders.

Governor Livingston 8, Caldwell 5Kevin Wyvratt poked a two-run

single and Chris Bergeski cracked asolo homer for 8-5 GL.Union 5, Linden 4

Tom Cruder ripped a two-run triplefor the Farmers.

Cranford 13, Elizabeth 1Jamar Ingram had two RBI, three

runs scored and four stolen bases for

9-3 Cranford.APRIL 29:

Union Catholic 8, Roselle Park 2Matt Oliveto smashed a solo home

run and had an RBI double for the 7-2 Vikings.

APRIL 30:Governor Livingston 15, Plainfield5

Chris Bergeski, Kevin Wyvratt andJim DeCastro each hammered two-run homers and Jason Hollowell hadthree hits and two RBI for 9-5 GL.

MAY 1:UC TOURNAMENT:

Scotch Plains-Fanwood 13, RosellePark 1

James Scalfaro pitched a five-in-ning two-hitter. Ed Zazzali, JohnMaloney and Jared Montagna eachhomered. Zazzali also thumped atwo-run triple.Union Catholic 8, Linden 6

Peter Rivera had three RBI andBrandon Garcia homered for the 8-2Vikings.

Cranford 10, Dayton 0New Providence 7, Summit 2Johnson 11, Governor Livingston 1Roselle Catholic 5, Elizabeth 1Union 5, Brearley 2

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David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesCLOSE PLAY AT THE PLATE…Ridge catcher Heather Mendez puts the tagon Raider Lauren Mains at the plate in the fifth inning. The Raiders defeatedthe Red Devils, 3-1.

Fred K. Lecomte for The Westfield Leader and The TimesOUT-DUELING EL PINGRY BLUES…Blue Devil junior attack winger AliRyan, No. 10, and Sara Masel, No. 9, outmaneuver a host of defenders. Ryanassaulted the Pingry net with three goals and Masel flicked in one.


Westfield HS Blue Devil Girls Reach Goal Number 1,Capture Union County Track & Field Relay Crown


Blue Devils Erupt to ToppleCardinal Nine, 11-8, in UCT


two mental lapses, added two singlesand a three-run homer by AlexAlvarez to take a 6-0 lead in the third.

“We make a bunch of errors and allof a sudden we’re down 6-0,” saidBrewster.

The Blue Devils responded dra-matically with five runs in the bot-tom of the third. Ricciuti and BryanPower rifled singles, Kim walkedand Diaz cracked and an RBI double.Up strutted Wichoski who launchedhis three-run homer.

“I told them ‘fellows, you can’t hita six-run homer,’ you have to go oneat a time, and that’s what they did. Itbecame a whole different ball gameat that point,” said Brewster.

The Blue Devils added two runs inthe fifth, making the score 7-6.Wichoski slapped a single to rightand Dan Clark pushed a bunt singlein front of the plate. Jan Cocozzielloblasted a two-run single but was sur-prised when his aggressiveness onthe bases got himself caught.

Plainfield evened the score with arun in the sixth on an RBI single byDon Jones. Brewster told his players,“Hey fellows, we’ve got the advan-tage. We have two bats to their one.”

The Blue Devils put up four in thesixth. Ricciuti banged a single, Powerreached on a force-out and Kimworked a bunt single. Thanks to thedistant Westfield backstop two run-ners scored on a wild pitch withouteven a play at the plate. Wichoskiwas issued a walk and advanced onan error. Clark whistled a single. ThePlainfield hurler threw a curve ballthat once again reached the back-stop. Two more runs crossed the dish.

“We love that backstop. That’s whyit’s here, said Brewster.”

The Cardinals scored a run in thetop of the seventh on a double and anRBI single by Gist Johnson. With thescore, 11-8, Mike Streaman came into relieve and shut out the lights.

“That was a great relief job. He’spitched great for us all year and theamazing thing is that he has juststarted to learn how to pitch. He’sgifted with a phenomenal arm and hejust keeps working at it. Whereverhe’s playing next year, they’ll begetting a top-notch pitcher,” notedBrewster who added, “We’re start-ing to swing the bats a little better;we’re still making a few mistakes,which really hurts us.”Plainfield 105 001 1 8Westfield 005 024 x 11

was really determined to get overthem (hurdles). It was pretty muchan adrenalin rush,” said McCurdy.

GL also placed second in the inter-mediate hurdles with a time of 3:38and Westfield placed fourth at 3:46.3.Westfield’s Tiller, Carter, EricaAmmermuller and Ali Fleder tookfourth in the 4x100 at 51.1 – a WHSrecord. Westfield also finished fourthin the 4x200 at 1:49.8 followed byRaiders Michelle Regg, Gates,Danielle Vena and Bundy at 1:51.1and fourth in the 4x1600 at 23:39.4.

Blue Devil juniors Mike Gorski(13’6”) and Mike Woods (13’6”) seta new UCR record in the boys polevault, capturing first by totaling 37feet. The old record of 36 feet was setin 1988 by Westfield.

“Those guys have a lot ahead ofthem and I think they are going to seta lot of records before it’s all over,”stated Blue Devil coach Greg Gorski.

In the DMR, Raiders ZackMcGuire, Kyle Robotham, SeanSmith and Brian Kopnicki placedsecond with a time of 10:43.7 fol-lowed by Blue Devils Rob Broadbent,Jake Brandman, Brendan Egan andJeff Perrella at 10:51.6. Kopnicki,running the anchor, received the ba-ton in third place, overtook Perrellaafter the third lap and, although gain-ing significant ground, could notcatch the Cranford anchorman. Hedid, however, run his leg in 4:23.9 –three seconds better than his previ-ous best.

“I ran as hard as I could. I wanted

to run a PR (personal record). Wehave come in second place everytime we ran here. We wanted to beatthem real bad. Unfortunately, wecame up short,” commentedKopnicki.

Anchored by superstar MikeCarmody, GL Highlanders GregBatejan, Joe Murphy and SeanCarmody crossed first in the sprintmedley with a time of 3:32 followedby Raiders James Alfano, Robotham,

Smith and Kopnicki at 3:38.Kopnicki, who will attend The Col-

lege of New Jersey in the fall, fin-ished in a PR 1:58.5. Westfield placedfourth at 3:40.9.

“We were looking at running theDM hard and this one hard,” saidRaider coach Jeff Koegel. “We knewBrian was going to be strong on theanchor and Sean on the 400. Thereisn’t any other relay in track whereone leg makes up half the distance ofthe race. We didn’t think we couldbeat GL with Carmody on the an-

chor. Brian will take him to task inthe 3200 or cross country, but no-body around here’s touchingCarmody.”

Koegel added, “Brian had a won-derful meet today. He’s been doingeverything we want him to do. He’san athletic kid, he’s not just a goodrunner.”

Blue Devils Kris Kagan, Egan,Scott Steinberg and Perrella crossedsecond in the 4x800 with a time of8:18.6. Westfield also came in sec-

ond in the 4x1600 at 19:49.3In the field events, Raiders Tim

Karis, Marc Fabiano and TeddyAcosta took second in the discuswith a distance of 366’7”. Sean Smith(6’2"), Iceberg Bryant (5’10") andLance Thomas (5’10") took secondin the high jump with a height of17’10”. Karis, Acosta and Fabianoplaced third in the shot put with adistance of 125’2.5”. Although theRaiders placed fifth in the javelin,Sean Smith had a personal best tossof 156’3”.

TOP BOYS TEAMS:1. Elizabeth 66, 2. Governor Livingstonand Cranford 48, 4. Union 43, 5. ScotchPlains-Fanwood 40, 6. Rahway andPlainfield 39, 8. Westfield 36

TOP GIRLS TEAMS:1. Westfield 80.5, 2. Summit 57, 3. Union54, 4. Elizabeth 36, 5. New Providence33, 6. Plainfield 30, 7. Rahway 29, 8.Governor Livingston 24.5.

Union County High SchoolVarsity Softball Results:

APRIL 27:Scotch Plains-Fanwood 20,Shabazz 0

Raider junior Jess Moore pitched afive-inning perfect game. KelliKaskiw, Lauren Benovengo andElaine Piniat each had three RBI.Scotch Plains-Fanwood 14,Shabazz 0

Piniat fired a no-hitter and fanned11 in five innings. Taylor Cianciottahad three runs scored and two RBI,Melissa Sette had two doubles, twoRBI and two runs scored andShanayia Willis whacked a solo homerun.Governor Livingston 3,Immaculata 2

Katie Moore scored the winningrun on a wild pitch in the bottom ofthe eighth for the 8-4 Highlanders.Danielle Pace and Kerry Havas eachhad an RBI.

APRIL 28:Scotch Plains-Fanwood 11, Kearny3

Melissa Sette had four hits, twoRBI and three runs scored while Tay-lor Cianciotta had two doubles andtwo RBI.

Cranford 13, Elizabeth 0Elena Morge fanned 13 and yielded

just one hit. Tara Scaramuzzi smasheda grand slam.

APRIL 29:Roselle Park 2, GovernorLivingston 0

Becky Riccitella recorded 15strikeouts and tossed a one-hitter forthe No. 11 Panthers. DanielleMcCann had the single for GL.

APRIL 30:Governor Livingston 3, Union 1

Jessica Garry tossed a two-hitterfor the Highlanders.

GL Boys Take 1st, Girls 3rdAt MVC Track Relays

The Governor Livingston (GL)High School boys, with a total of 90points, won the team title at theMountain Valley Conference Trackand Field Relays in Basking Ridgeon April 28 and the Highlander girlsplaced third, with 52 points, behindfirst place Ridge at 76 and secondplace North Plainfield at 67. TheUnion Catholic boys finished 12thwith four points and the Viking girlstied for 11th with 10 points.

The GL boys took top honors in

five events, placed second in twoevents and took third in three events.The GL girls won two events, placedsecond in two events and took thirdin two events.

In the field events, HighlandersTravis DeLeon and Greg Batejanwon the triple jump with a distanceof 73’11.5” and Anthony Abitanteand Matt Sharkey won the team polevault with a height of 25 feet. GLtook second in the long jump at38’11.75” and second in the javelinwith a distance of 403’2”. Theyplaced third in the shot put with adistance of 124’7” and third in thehigh jump with a height of 11’6”.

On the track, GL’s Batejan, JoeMurphy, Sean Carmody and MikeCarmody crossed first in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:28.1. S.Carmody, Chris Cavallaro, BrianCunningham and M. Carmody wonthe 4x800 with a time of 8:19.8. S.Carmody, Murphy, Batejan and M.Carmody took first in the sprint med-ley at 3:38.5. GL took third in the4x100 with a time of 46.2 seconds.

In the girls’ events, TeresaCavallaro, Laura Ronner, VeenaVenkatachalam and ChrissyMcCurdy captured first in theshuttle hurdles with a time of 1:09.4.McCurdy and Liz Iorio tied forfirst in the team high jump with aheight of 9’6”. Jess Ruedlsuelli andMegan Nord took first in the jav-elin with a distance of 250’6”. GLtook second in the distance medleyat 14:04.9, second in the interme-diate hurdles at 3:35 and third inthe 4x800 at 10:44.6.

PUBLIC NOTICETOWNSHIP OF SCOTCH PLAINS

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL

Take notice that application has beenmade to the Township of Scotch Plains fora Place-to-Place (expansion of premise)transfer to Shackamaxon Golf & CountryClub trading as Shackamaxon Golf & Coun-try Club Inc., for premise located at 1607Shackamaxon Drive, Scotch Plains, NewJersey the Plenary Retail Consumption Li-cense #2016-33-013-001 heretofore issuedto Shackamaxon Golf & Country Club trad-ing as Shackamaxon Golf & Country ClubInc. for premise located at 1607Shackamaxon Drive, Scotch Plains, NewJersey.

The persons who will hold an interest inthis license are:

Howard Gelman, President56 Schindler WayFairfield, New Jersey 07004

Leonard Selesner, Vice-President9 Stoneleigh DriveScotch Plains, New Jersey 07076

Objections, if any, should be made imme-diately in writing to: Ms. Barbara Riepe,Municipal Clerk, Township of Scotch Plains,430 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, New Jer-sey 070762 T - 5/6/04 & 5/13/04, The Times Fee: $56.10

Diamondbacks StrikeSP-F Dodgers, 10-4

On April 24, a shorthanded 3-0Diamondbacks baseball club scoredinning-after-inning to support anoutstanding one hit, 11 strikeout,four-inning outing by ace pitcherMitch McNamara. Connor Thomp-son followed with two solid inningsof relief, shutting down the heart ofthe Dodger hitting order twice.

Leadoff batter Alex Parker reachedbase three of four times up. In thethird inning, Will McColly contin-ued the run production with a gutsysacrifice. Todd Wiener, MitchMcNamara and Chris Gillman drilleddoubles. Sebastian Valdes andMichael Rizzo roped line drivesingles.

Golan Rozenberg smacked an RBIdouble in the fourth. The Diamond-backs then sealed the victory in thefifth with four more touches on theplate, that inning being highlightedby Thompson’s two-bagger.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesTOSSING A PERSONAL BEST…Raider Sean Smith had a personal-bestthrow of 156’3” in the javelin at the Union County Relays.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesSTARTING THE THIRD LEG…Blue Devil Scott Steinberg, left, starts thethird leg of the 4x800 as Brendan Egan tails off the track. The Blue Devils placedsecond in 8:18.6


Echo Lake Golf Pro DiscussesTension in Golf Swing Release

By DEREK MCDONALDSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

One of the most common prob-lems I see in many golf swings is toomuch tension in the hands. Tensionin the golf swing makes it difficultto strike the golf ball solidly, result-

ing in lack of distance and problemswith direction.

Many recreational players believethat they have to keep the clubfacesquare to the target through the hit-ting area to make the ball go to thetarget. But this will only cause youto grip the club tighter, subsequentlyresulting in an incorrect release ofthe club head. As a matter of fact,the clubface only has to be square tothe target at the moment of impactwith the golf ball.

Rotating the hands and armsthrough the forward swing willsquare the clubface at impact, andeliminating tension will allow youto do this. The best way to describehow much grip pressure should beapplied in the golf swing is; think ofa scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being thetightest you can hold the club, andone being the lightest. Hold the clubas tight as you can then lighten thepressure down to a four or less onthe scale.

Try taking the tension out of yourswing, and let the hands and armsrotate the club head through thehitting area of the swing. You’ll hitthe ball straighter and further withless effort. If you’re still havingproblems with direction, then checkyour grip position rather than mak-ing adjustments in your swing.

Derek McDonald is the HeadTeaching Professional at Echo LakeCountry Club. For information aboutlessons please call, (908) 232-4288.

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Union County Senior 50+Softball League Standings:

50+ A DIVISION:(As of May 1)

TEAM W L PctComcast Cable 2 0 1.000D&K Associates 1 1 .500Antone’s Pub & Grill 0 1 .000Irish Pub 0 1 .000

B DIVISION:TEAM W L PctAwnings Galore 1 0 1.000Union Center Nat Bank 1 0 1.000The Office 1 1 .500Crest Refrigeration 0 1 .000Northwestern Mutual 0 1 .000M&J Roofing 0 0 .000

Comcast 12, D&K Associates 6Comcast opened with a 22-hit at-

tack. Charles Lehman and LarryBerra had three hits each. KarlGrossmann contributed a triple,single and three RBI. Al Fiegenbaumhad four hits for D&K while PhilSpinelli and Len Yenish had threeeach.

The Office 12, Crest 5The Office sparkled defensively

by turning two crucial double playsand by throwing out two runners athome plate. Dennis Kosowicz, LarryRehak and Chip Weiss led the of-fense with two hits apiece.D&K Associates 10, Antone’s 9 (9innings)

D&K tied the game in the bottomof the seventh and added a run in theninth. Gerard McDermott providedthe game-winning hit with a bases-loaded single. Joe Salerno led D&Kwith three hits and some key hittingby Frank Ciampi and Tony Falzone.

Comcast 16, Irish Pub 1Al Betau made his pitching debut

in this league and threw a masterful7-hitter against one of the top offen-sive teams in the league. Comcastproduced 22-hits, including four fromBrian Williams and three apiece fromKarl Grossmann, Charles Lehmanand Bill Reichle. Tom Straniero con-tributed a homerun and four RBI.Grossmann also homered.

Union Center Nat’l Bank 14, TheOffice 8

Down 7-1 after three -innings, theBankers scored 13 runs in the lastfour-innings. Norm Albert, TomConnolly, Dave Goodman, SteveLemanowicz, Joe Mitarotonda andTyrone Sharpe each had three hits forthe Bankers. Sharpe’s hits included ahomerun.Awnings Galore 17, NorthwesternMutual 2

(No game-summary provided.)

Local High School BoysVarsity Tennis Results:

APRIL 28:Westfield 5, Union 0First singles: Alec Jaslow d. ChrisRoszkowski, 6-0, 6-0Second singles: Rich Moran d. Ej Aguas,6-0, 6-0Third singles: Lee Bernstein d. Nile So-lon, 6-0, 6-0First doubles: Alec Wasserman and BrianKender d. Steve Saulks and Oleen So-lon, 6-1, 6-0Second doubles: Adam Gerckens andAndrew Levy d. Brad Jacobson and TomDelguercio, 6-2, 6-0

Scotch Plains-Fanwood 4,Plainfield 1First singles: Jason Kruger (S) d. LeroyParker, 6-1, 6-1Second singles: Lyle Hickman (P) d. MikeThompson, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1Third singles: Adam Corbin (S) d. TerrellCaldwell, 6-3, 6-7, 7-3First doubles: Jeremy Sanders and BillyAlbizati (S) d. Tyrone Willis and MelvinReynoso, 6-0, 6-1Second doubles: Jon Altman and GregLeischer (S) won forfeit

APRIL 29:Westfield 5, Plainfield 0First singles: Alec Jaslow d. LeroyParker, 6-0, 6-2Second singles: Rich Moran d. LyleHickman, 6-1, 6-0Third singles: Lee Bernstein d. TerrellCaldwell, 7-5, 6-1First doubles: Andrew Levy and RobEvans d. Tyrone Willis and MelinReynoso, 6-4, 6-2Second doubles: Bennett Scorcia andJack Trimbele won forfeit

MAY 1:Westfield 4, Linden 1First singles: Jacob Wolski (L) d. AlecJaslow, 6-4, 6-2Second singles: Rich Moran (W) d. JimGregg, 6-0, 6-1Third singles: Lee Bernstein (W) d. DanKostner, 6-0, 6-0First doubles: Alec Wasserman and BrianKender (W) d. Tomasz Materac and MarkLuckasauage, 6-1, 6-0Second doubles: Andrew Levy and RobEvans (W) d. Chris Wisniewski andMaulfied Collado, 6-0, 6-0

Blue Thunder TopsMillburn, Ties EaglesThe Scotch Plains-Fanwood U13

boys’ soccer team came up large onMay 1 by defeating the MillburnCyclones, 3-1, then they tied theNorth Plainfield Eagles, 2-2, onMay 2 to up its record to 3-1-1.

Against Millburn, fine defensiveplay dominated as the only score ofthe first half was tallied by strikerJuan Castillo off a threaded passfrom Chris McManus. The BlueThunder hammered home the gamewinner early in the second half asDanny Gore aggressively chargedthe Cyclone goalkeeper as hefielded a shot off the foot of SteveYoung. McManus sealed victoryby booting a strong service passfrom Greg Bencivengo into theMillburn goal.

Againsth the Eagles, the BlueThunder led 2-1 late in the secondhalf on goals by Colin Grimm andPatrick Clancy when the Eaglestriker fired a missile into the Thun-der net for the tie. Marc Fusillo,Mark Koransky and Dan Rodriquezput forth a strong team effort.

Diamondbacks ShrinkSP-F Giants, 9-3

In Scotch Plains-Fanwood Youthbaseball play on May 1, the Dia-mondbacks improved to 4-0 with a9-3 win over the Giants with solidpitching by Mitch McNamara andConnor Thompson. Neither hurlerallowed a rally to develop, keepingthe Giants to just four hits.

The Diamondbacks took advantageof every opportunity with hits by GolandRozenberg, Thompson and McNamara.Alex Parker went 2-for-2 with a singleand a double to lead the offense.

Todd Weiner, Michael Kitts,Michael Rizzo and Sebastian Valdesled a flawless defense. Brian Kahnand Will McColly shored up the leftside of the infield in the last threeinnings. Smart base running by ChrisGilman and Chris Fortunato providedthe go ahead runs early in the game.

FSPY ‘C’ Gymnast CompleteSeason With Unbeaten Record

The Fanwood-Scotch PlainsYMCA “C” Division gymnastic teamcompleted its season undefeated byearning its highest score of the sea-son, 92.75, against Montclair (80.7)and South Mountain (77.35).

Kaitlyn Frey placed first in all fourevents and won the all-around in the9U age group. Katie Buchbinderplaced second in the all-around, theuneven bars and the balance beam.

Sarah VanBuskirk placed first inthe all-around in the age 10 group.She also took first on the unevens andbeam, and second on vault and floorexercises. Alivia DeMaria placed firston floor, second on unevens and beamand third on vault. Alexa Uvino placedfirst on vault. Lisa Matrale placedthird on beam and floor.

Hannah Kronick won the age 11all-around and placed first on unevensand bars, second on vault and thirdon beam. Tori Berman placed secondin the all-around and first on beam.Kelsey Herbig placed first on vaultand second on beam.

Kristen Schmicker placed second

in the all-around in the age 12 groupand earned first on vault and secondon unevens and floor.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesEcho Lake Golf Pro Derek McDonald


PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICETOWN OF WESTFIELD

The bond ordinance published herewith has been finally adopted on May 4, 2004 and thetwenty (20) day period of limitation within such suit, action or proceeding questioning thevalidity of such Ordinance can be commenced as provided in the local bond law has begunto run from the date of first publication of this statement.

Bernard A HeeneyTown Clerk

SPECIAL ORDINANCE NO. 2090

AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF CURBING ANDCONSTRUCTION OF NEW CURBING, AND RECONSTRUCTION OF ROAD-WAY ON VARIOUS STREETS AND THE APPROPRIATION OF MONIESNECESSARY THEREFOR.

BE IT ORDAINED by Town of Westfield in the County of Union as follows:SECTION I. That the following street be improved in the following manner:

1. Norman Place (Block 4401 – Lots 8 through 14, and Block 4402 - Lots 1 and26 through 31)Improvements:a. Construct new granite block curb or replace the existing curbing with

new granite block curbing, as applicable.b. Reconstruct roadway, where necessary.c. Install storm drainage facilities, where necessary.d. Repair sidewalks and driveways damaged as a result of the curbing

installation work.e. All work necessary and incidental thereto.

SECTION II. That all the said improvements shall be made and completed under thesupervision of the Town Engineer and in accordance with preliminary plans and specifica-tions, which are now on file in the office of the Town Engineer and are hereby made a partof this ordinance.

SECTION III. That one hundred (100%) percent of the final cost of the curb for NormanPlace, and sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the final cost for Lot 8, Block 4401and Lot 1, Block 4402, which are corner lots fronting on Shackamaxon Drive with side yardson Norman Place as certified by the Chief Financial Officer shall be assessed by the TaxAssessor on lands specially benefited by the improvement.

SECTION IV. It is hereby determined and declared that the number of annual installationsin which the special assessment to be levied on account of the said improvements may bepaid is five (5).

SECTION V. It is hereby determined and declared that the estimated amount of moniesnecessary to be raised from all sources for said purpose is $85,000.00 and that the estimatedamount of bonds or notes necessary to be issued for said purpose is $15,000.00. There ishereby appropriated to said purpose the sum of $70,000.00 from Capital ImprovementFunds available for said purpose.

SECTION VI. To finance said purposes, bonds of said Town of an aggregate principalamount not exceeding $15,000.00 are hereby authorized to be issued pursuant to the LocalBond Law (as hereinafter defined). Said bonds shall bear interest at a rate per annum asmay be hereafter determined within the limitations prescribed by law. All matters with respectto said bonds not determined by this ordinance shall be determined by resolutions to behereafter adopted.

SECTION VII. To finance such purpose there shall be issued pursuant to Chapter 2 ofTitle 40A of the New Jersey Statues, as amended (the “Local Bond Law”), in anticipation ofthe issuance of bonds, Bond Anticipation Notes of said Town not to exceed the aggregateprincipal amount the sum of $15,000.00. Said notes shall bear interest at a rate per annumas may hereafter be determined within the limitations prescribed by said law and may berenewed from time to time pursuant to, and within, the limitations prescribed by said law. Allmatters with respect to said notes not determined by this ordinance shall be determined byresolution of the Town to be hereafter adopted.

SECTION VIII. Not more than $1,000.00 of the sum to be raised by the issuance of saidnotes may be used to finance such purpose, whether temporary or permanent, or to financelegal expenses or to finance the cost of the issuance of such obligations as provided inSection 20 of the Local Bond Law.

SECTION IX. It is hereby determined and declared that the period of usefulness of saidpurpose for which said obligations are to be issued is a period of ten years (10) from the dateof said bonds.

SECTION X. It is hereby determined and declared that the Supplemental Debt Statementrequired by law has been duly made and filed in the office of the Town Clerk of said Townand that such statement so filed shows that the gross debt of the Town as defined in Section43 of the Local Bond Law is increased by this ordinance by $15,000.00, and that the bondsauthorized by this ordinance shall be within any debt limitations prescribed by said law.

SECTION XI. Any funds received from the County of Union, the State of New Jersey orany of their agencies or any funds received from the United States of America or any of itsagencies in aid of such purposes, shall be applied to the payment of the cost of suchpurposes, or if bond anticipation notes have been issued, to the payment of the bondanticipation notes, and the amount of bonds authorized for such purposes shall be reducedaccordingly.

SECTION XII. The Town intends to issue bonds or notes to finance the cost of theimprovements described in Section I of this bond ordinance. If the Town incurs such costsprior to the issuance of the bonds or notes, the Town herby states its reasonable expectationto reimburse itself for such expenditures with the proceeds of such bonds or notes in themaximum principal amount of bonds or notes authorized by this bond ordinance.

SECTION XIII. The full faith and credit of the Town are hereby pledge to the punctualpayment of the principal of the interest on the obligations authorized by this ordinance. Saidobligations shall be direct, unlimited and general obligations of the Town, and the Town shalllevy ad valorem taxes upon all the taxable real property within the Town for the payment ofthe principal of and interest on such bonds and notes, without limitation as to rate or amount.

SECTION XIV. The capital budget is hereby amended to conform with the provisions ofthis ordinance to the extent of any inconsistency therewith and the resolutions promulgatedby the Local Finance Board showing full detail of the amended capital budget and capitalprogram as approved by the Director, Division of Local Government Services, is on file withthe Town Clerk and is available for public inspection.

SECTION XV. This ordinance shall take effect twenty (20) days after first publicationthereof after final passage.1 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $151.98

MEN’S MASTERS DOUBLES 65+ CHAMPS…Howard Good, left, and War-ren Victor hold a racket up in triumph after defeating Bob Lipschulz andMarvin Rothman, in the WTA Men’s Masters Doubles 65+ finals, 6-2, 7-5, atTamaques Park courts in Westfield on May 2.

McPherson Wins BernsteinWTA Men’s Singles Title

The Westfield Tennis Associationheld its Annual Men’s Singles Tour-nament on May 1and 2 at TamaquesPark courts in Westfield. The tourna-ment was dedicated to the memoryof founding member Irwin Bernstein.

Kyle McPherson, a fireman fromEast Orange, won the men’s singlestitle, besting the runner-up, GaryWasserman of Westfield, in two sets,6-0, 6-3. The match was character-ized by two hard-hitters with a serveand volley style of play. The finalwas held at the Mountainside Indoorcourts due to rain.

McPherson had previously de-

feated Westfield residents AlexWinneker, John Mancini, and lastyear’s WTA singles ladder winner,Robert Errazo, 8-6, in a pro set.

Wasserman bested Westfield stu-dent Mike Manders after Mandersbested Don Dohm, then beat ChrisCamuto of Westfield, 8-6, to reachthe finals.

The “A” bracket third place finalbetween Errazo and Camuto and theB bracket singles final involving RichPardo and Alex Winneker are sched-uled for Saturday, May 8, at TamaquesCourts. Pardo had defeated AndrewRoss and John Mancini 8-3. Winneker

won over Andrew Ross and laterWestfielder Jim Oslislo, 8-5, whoearlier had defeated Mike Manders.

In the Men’s Masters Doubles(50+) Larry Demitas of Bayonne andWestfielder Mike McGlynn beat TimPowers of Westfield and JackMcCurdy of Maplewood, 6-2, 6-0.

Howard Good and Warren Victordefeated Bob Lipschulz and MarvinRothman, all of Westfield, in theMen’s Masters Doubles (65+) in twosets, 6-2, 7-5. The match was charac-terized by skilled play with manylong points.

These results will be updated withthe “B” Bracket and 3rd place resultswhen they become available.

SPF Youth 11s ConquerWarren Panthers, 8-2The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Youth

Baseball Association (SPFYBA) 11-year-old “A” team, playing in theDiamond X League, defeated the War-ren Panthers, 8-2, on April 25. RyanHaggerty led the way with threedoubles and three RBI. BrianDempsey contributed two hits whileJoe Carroll scored three runs.

Strong pitching by Ezra Klemow,Anthony Scalfaro and Dempsey keptWarren at bay until the fifth inning, whenWarren scored its two runs. Excellentdefense by Conner Thompson and JohnFoti contributed to the big victory.

Junior Rugby Mudturtles RapEast Islip Rugby Boys, 12-5

On April 25, the Union CountyRugby Football Club Boys HighSchool team, the Junior Mudturtles,traveled to East Hampton, Long Is-land to play East Islip in a Met NYDivision 2 match and returned witha 12-5 victory. East Islip, led byUSA U19 player Mike Bunce, pro-vided the Junior Mudturtles with astern test.

The 2-0 Mudturtles fought hardonly to find their defense splinteredby a series of four to five rucks andmauls and a score with 10 minutesleft in the game. The two teamsattacked and counterattacked withboth defenses stopping all attemptsto score.

The Mudturtles suffered injurieslosing wings Jason Salomon andJeff Meierdierck and were forced toplay flanker Eric Schafer on thewing during the second half. Thischange turned out to benefit theteam.

East Islip scored an unconvertedtry to take a 5-0 lead with less than10 minutes remaining. The Juniorskicked the ball long and good pres-sure forced a turnover. Off the scrum,the backs ran a beautiful doubledummy with fullback RichBrautigam breaking the defense.After the tackle, the ball was re-cycled to the weak side to Schafer,who passed to Tyler Maccubbin whohad followed the play from hisflyhalf position. Maccubbin was hitby three defenders but managed tostretch the ball over the goal line for

the try and the tie. Maccubbin con-verted to give the Junior Mudturtlesthe lead, 7-5, with 4 minutes left.

On the ensuing kick off, East Islipkicked deep and Joe Korfmacherfielded the kick near his own goalline. Korfmacher elected to run andwhat a run it was. He brushed offtwo would-be tacklers and thenheaded for the goal line to score aspectacular 80-meter try to seal thegame.

Team coach Chris Clark summa-rized, “The players moved to thenext level, as they made some ad-justments after a scrimmage againstMontclair, and refocused on quickball work, support and manning upon defense. The efficiency withwhich they played as a team pro-duced the victory.”

The team still seeks new playerswith more rugby left to play. Formore information regarding theUnion County Rugby FootballClub’s programs, please call ChrisClark at (201) 213-1952, [email protected] or visitwww.mudturtlerugby.com.

POSTERSThe Westfield Leader and The Timeshas the capability to make large colorposters (24x18 and smaller) of sportsphotos, or any photos you may wish tohave reproduced. Prices are reasonable.Call David Corbin at (908) 232-4407or e-mail Dave for information [email protected].

MEN’S MASTERS DOUBLES 50+ CHAMPS…Mike McGlynn, left, and LarryDemitus hold up a racket after winning the WTA Men’s Masters Doubles 50+finals at Tamaques Park courts in Westfield on May 2.

THE IRWIN BERNSTEIN AWARD….The Westfield Tennis Association dis-plays the award in memory of founding member Irwin Bernstein who passedaway in December.


PUBLIC NOTICESUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY

CHANCERY DIVISIONUNION COUNTY

DOCKET NO. F-16633-03FILE NO. 7570-03

NOTICE TO ABSENT DEFENDANT

(L.S.) STATE OF NEW JERSEY TO:LOUIS BARTEE, HIS HEIRSDEVISEES AND PERSONALREPRESENTATIVES ANDTHEIR OR ANY OF THEIRSUCCESSORS IN RIGHT,TITLE AND INTEREST; MRS.LOUIS BARTEE, WIFE OFLOUIS BARTEE; GERALDINERHODES;

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED ANDREQUIRED to serve upon CASALE &PELLEGRINO, LLC, plaintiff’s attorneys,whose address is GATEHALL 1,PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY 07054, anAnswer to the Complaint filed in a CivilAction, in which JEFFREY WHITTMANN,HIS HEIRS, REPRESENTATIVES ANDASSIGNS, ALL RIGHT, INTEREST,PROPERTY AND ESTATE is the plaintiffand LOUIS BARTEE, his heirs, ET ALS;are defendants, pending in the SuperiorCourt of New Jersey, Chancery Division,UNION County and bearing Docket No. F-16633-03 within thirty-five (35) days afterMay 6, 2004 exclusive of such date. If youfail to answer or appear in accordance withRule 4:4-6, Judgment by Default may berendered against you for relief demanded inthe Complaint. You shall file your Answerand Proof of Service in duplicate with theClerk of the Superior Court of New Jersey,Hughes Justice Complex - CN 971, Tren-ton, New Jersey 08625, in accordance withthe Rules of Civil Practice and Procedure.You are further advised that if you are unableto obtain an attorney you may communicatewith the Lawyer Referral Service of theCounty of Venue and that if you cannotafford an attorney, you may communicatewith the Legal Services Office of the Countyof Venue. The telephone number of suchagencies are as follows: Lawyer ReferralService 609-585-6200 - Legal ServicesOffice 609-695-6249.

THE ACTION has been instituted for thepurpose of foreclosing the following tax salecertificate(s): 1. A certain tax certificate 98-00110, recorded on 6/21/2002, made bySALLY ANN DI RINI, Collector of Taxes ofCITY OF RAHWAY, and State of NewJersey to CITY OF RAHWAY and subse-quently assigned to plaintiff, JEFFREYWHITTMANN, HIS HEIRS, REPRESEN-TATIVES AND ASSIGNS, ALL RIGHT,INTEREST, PROPERTY AND ESTATE.This covers real estate located in CITY OFRAHWAY, County of UNION, and State ofNew Jersey, known as LOT 7 BLOCK 292as shown on the Tax Assessment Map andTax Map duplicate of CITY OF RAHWAY.and concerns premises commonly knownas 822 LEESVILLE AVENUE, CITY OFRAHWAY, New Jersey.

YOU, LOUIS BARTEE, his heirs devi-sees and personal representatives and theiror any of their successors in right, title andinterest, are made party defendants to theabove foreclosure action because you arethe owners of a property which is the subjectof the above entitled action.

YOU, MRS. LOUIS BARTEE, WIFE OFLOUIS BARTEE, are made party defendantto the above foreclosure action becauseplaintiff has been unable to determinewhether defendant LOUIS BARTEE ismarried, and if married, the name of LOUISBARTEE’s spouse. If LOUIS BARTEE ismarried, the plaintiff joins MRS. LOUISBARTEE, WIFE OF LOUIS BARTEE as adefendant for any possessory or maritalrights you may have.

YOU, GERALDINE RHODES, are madeparty defendant to the above foreclosureaction because on December 21, 1988, ajudgment was entered in the Superior Courtof New Jersey, Union County, by GeraldineRhodes against Louis Bartee disclosing adebt in the amount of $75,000.00 with costs.Said judgment was entered as JudgmentNo. J-091252-1988. Said judgment is sub-ordinate to the Plaintiff’s lien.DATED: April 28, 2004

Donald F. PhelanClerk of the Superior Court

of New JerseyCASALE & PELLEGRINO, L.L.C.1 Gatehall DriveParsippany, New Jersey 070541 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $87.72

Westfield Westfield Westfield Westfield Westfield Recreation EventsRecreation EventsRecreation EventsRecreation EventsRecreation Events“Yoga For Life”: Come experi-

ence HATA Yoga, a unique mix ofstretching to release tension, elimi-nate stress, and increase tone. HeldThursday Evenings from 7:30 to8:30 p.m. in the Municipal Build-ing. Start date: Thursday, April 29.Call for session dates and fees.Bring your own mat.

“Total Toning”: Get in shape intime for summer with a total work-out that includes warm-up and cooldown exercises, mixed with somelight cardio kick boxing, Taebo andfloor work. Held Monday eveningsfrom 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Start date:Monday, April 26. Held in the Mu-nicipal Building. Call for sessiondates and fees. Bring your own mat.

Guys & Dolls: Come enjoy themythical world of zoot-suited gam-blers, dashing con men and the beau-tiful showgirls who love them. Friday,July 16, at the PaperMill Playhouse.Bus departs: 6:30 p.m. Cost $55.

Summer Camps: The Recre-ation Department offers a varietyof enjoyable summer camp pro-grams. Camps include but are notlimited to: bowling, tennis, base-ball, soccer, basketball, rollerhockey, wrestling, multi-sports,Sports Squirts and the SummerPlayground Program.

Summer Playground Programs:Held June 28 to August 12 Mondaythrough Friday 9-11:45 a.m. and 1-3:45 p.m. Registration begins Tues-day, June 1. (Proof of age requiredfor all programs).

The Junior Playground is for

resident children, grades complet-ing Kindergarten through complet-ing fifth grade. Held at all localElementary Schools. Fee: $15*. OurNew Teen Scene is for resident teenscompleting grades 6 through com-pleting 8 grades. Held in the relaxedatmosphere of Tamaques Park. Fee:$25*. The department also offers aC.I.T. Program for resident teensages 14 to 15. A C.I.T. applicationis required from each applicant.Space is limited. Fee: $25*

*(Additional fees will be chargedfor trips and events for all SummerPlayground Programs)

Teen Center: The Teen Center willbe open on select Friday eveningsduring the school year from 7 to 11p.m. for all high school students. Thecenter is a safe and enjoyable alterna-tive and we hope all high schoolstudents come check it out. Locatedin the Municipal Building.

The “Night Place”: This popularprogram is offered to all resident in-termediate school youths. Held atEdison Intermediate School from 7:30to 9:30 p.m. Activities include a discjockey, food, games, movies and danc-ing. The cost is $2 in advance and $3at the door. The final Night Placeevent will be Friday, May 7.

Please register for the above pro-grams in person at: The WestfieldRecreation Department, 425 EastBroad Street, Westfield. Office: (908)789-4080. Visit wwwwestfieldnj.net/townhall/recreation andw w w w e s t f i e l d t o d a y. c o m /ParksRecreation.

Junior Women’s Fashion ShowBenefits Needy and Disabled

HELPING WISHES COME TRUE…Event Chairwoman Patty Bromberg, left,and Nanette Loftus, right, of the Westfield Junior Woman’s Club present acheck for $5,300 to Sandra Reppert of the Special Wishes Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps individuals and families in need. The donation,resulting from the Junior Woman’s Club’s recent Children’s Fashion Show,was the largest Special Wishes has ever received.

WESTFIELD — On March 6, theWestfield Junior Woman’s Club heldits Second Annual Children’s Fash-ion Show at The Westwood inGarwood, a fundraiser that enabledthe club to present $5,300 to SandraReppert of the Special Wishes Foun-dation.

This was the largest donation everreceived by the foundation, a Union-based, non-profit organization thatprovides groceries, clothing andsmall household items to local indi-viduals and families in need.

The foundation also helps peoplewith specific “special wishes,” rang-ing from obtaining wheelchairs tonegotiating the maze of health insur-ance issues during medical crises.

As a result of the fashion show, theclub was also able to donate $850 toGregory Ryan, a local Eagle Scoutwho is building a playground atMemorial Park capable of accom-modating individuals with disabili-ties. This playground is scheduled toopen on Saturday, June 5.

Event Chairwoman PattyBromberg and the entire JuniorWoman’s Club extended apprecia-tion to the many local businesses andmerchants who contributed dona-tions, advertising and featured fash-ions for the fundraiser.

The Junior Woman’s Club ofWestfield is a group of approximately30 volunteer women who work to-

ward improving their community,state and the lives of others. The clubis a member of the New Jersey StateFederation of Women’s Clubs.

Over the past 22 years, theWestfield club has donated nearly$250,000 to local charitable organi-zations. For more information, or toinquire about joining the club, pleasecall Patty at (908) 301-0511.

A MASTER OF THE GARDEN…Longtime Union County Master GardenerLarry Verdicchio shows off the prized Martha Washington geraniums he hasbeen propagating for the Spring Garden Fair and Plant Sale, to be held onSunday, May 16, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Trailside Nature and Science Center,located at Coles Avenue and New Providence Road in Mountainside. Sponsoredby Rutgers Master Gardeners in cooperation with the Union County Board ofChosen Freeholders, this event will be free and open to the public. It will takeplace rain or shine.

The wThe wThe wThe wThe weekly column written beekly column written beekly column written beekly column written beekly column written by local high school studentsy local high school studentsy local high school studentsy local high school studentsy local high school students

THE STUDENT VIEWTHE STUDENT VIEWTHE STUDENT VIEWTHE STUDENT VIEWTHE STUDENT VIEW

Electoral College DeemedUndemocratic by Student

By MICHELLE KUPPERSMITHSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

The Constitution of the UnitedStates was supposed to create ademocratic system of governmentin this country. It provides for free-dom of speech and expression.

However, one critical system thatwas created by the Constitution, theElectoral College, is an inherentlyundemocratic mode of electing thepresident, which violates the funda-mental principles upon which theUnited States was created.

Voters in presidential electionscan easily have their votes dis-counted without their knowledgeunder the Electoral College sys-tem. Perhaps at one point the Elec-toral College was a reasonable wayto elect the president. It is nowwidely acknowledged as anti-quated. Obvious alternatives exist,but the trend towards democracyhas been resisted.

Many voters who vote in presi-dential elections believe that theyare voting directly for the presidentand vice-president. In reality, whencitizens vote, they are actually vot-ing for one of 538 national electorsthat are “pledged” to the candidatesthat they claim they will vote for.

Whichever ticket wins the mostvotes in a state wins all of thestate’s electors. The winner in theElectoral College must garner anabsolute majority (270) of elec-toral votes. If no candidate receivesan absolute majority of electoralvotes, the election is then decidedby the House of Representatives.The winner in the House is thendeclared the President of the UnitedStates.

Back in the day, or 1787 whenthe Constitution was written, theElectoral College as describedabove might have been a usefulsystem. Generally only the aristoc-

racy was well-educated; the labor-ing class was almost overwhelm-ing illiterate. Putting a buffer be-tween the people and the presidentwas probably a necessary caution.

Now, illiteracy in the United Stateshas almost been eradicated by pub-lic education and in general theelectorate is better informed aboutthe government and presidentialelections. There is currently no needfor the voters to be separated fromthe presidential candidates.

Unfortunately, the Electoral Col-lege has not just been an idle par-ticipant in presidential elections.Several times it has distorted thewill of the people when candidateswith the majority of the popularvote ended up losing the election.

The first such election was in1824. Andrew Jackson won thepopular vote against John QuincyAdams, but both failed to win amajority of electoral votes, and inthe House of RepresentativesAdams won the election.

The most recent election duringwhich this debacle ensued occurredin 2000; George W. Bush, the ulti-mate winner, lost the popular votebut, famously, won Florida and thusthe majority of the electoral votes.

The Bush administration hasproved that the presidential postholds great power and importance.Why can’t the people directly de-cide who will govern them? Theanswer is tough, for there have beenseveral attempts to change the elec-tion to a direct vote, but none haveultimately passed.

For example, in 1989 an amend-ment to abolish the Electoral Col-lege passed through the House ofRepresentatives, but was filibus-tered in the Senate, which is initself a bastion of unequal repre-sentation.

Hopefully at some point, theElectoral College will come to berecognized universally as undemo-cratic and in general a distorter ofelections. Until then, the Americanpeople will have to do their best tomake their will known by voting inlarge numbers so that their pres-ence is known, and small marginsof voters will not decide elections.

Holistic Moms ChapterTo Hold Open HouseMOUNTAINSIDE – A new chap-

ter of the Holistic Moms Networkwill hold an Open House on Tuesday,May 18, for mothers from UnionCounty.

The event will take place from 7 to9:30 p.m. at the Mountainside Mu-nicipal Building, located at 1385Route 22, East, in Mountainside.

A non-profit organization, theHolistic Moms Network offers sup-port to mothers with an interest innatural health and mindful parenting.

The chapter will hold monthlymeetings on a variety of topics, in-cluding organic food, breastfeeding,massage therapy and positive disci-pline in the months ahead.

For more information, please con-tact Chapter Co-Leader JenniferBrown at (908) 337-8465 or [email protected].


PUBLIC NOTICETOWN OF WESTFIELD

BOARD OF EDUCATION302 Elm Street

Westfield, New Jersey 07090

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDSB05-10

Public Notice is hereby given that sealedbids will be received by the The WestfieldBoard of Education in the Town of Westfieldin the County of Union for the furnishing ofall labor, materials and equipment for thenew construction and installation ofrelocatable trailer classroom unit, at WilsonElementary School on May 20, 2004 at2:00 P.M. Bids will be opened and read inpublic in the Board Room, 302 Elm Street,Town of Westfield, New Jersey.

Bids are being received for:New construction and installation ofrelocatable trailer classroom unit, at

Wilson Elementary School.Lump Sum Bid (All Work)

Work consists of the following but isnot necessarily limited to:

Contract #1:New construction and installation of

relocatable trailer classroom unit, atWilson Elementary School.

LUMP SUM BID FOR EACH CON-TRACT comprising all work, General Con-struction, deck, stairs, ramp, drainage, allutilities including hookup and trailers at theWilson Elementary School.

Drawings and Specifications for the projectmay be examined at the office of THEMUSIAL GROUP, p.a., Architecture-Plan-ning-Interior Design, 191 Mill Lane,Mountainside, New Jersey 07092 duringbusiness hours, 8:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Acopy thereof may be procured after 3:00P.M. on May 6, 2004 at the office of theArchitect, THE MUSIAL GROUP, p.a., 191Mill Lane, Mountainside, New Jersey 07092,phone 908-232-2860, for the purpose ofbidding. Form of Proposal and Specifica-tions may be obtained on application at theoffice of the Architect upon payment of$150. (PAYMENT FOR ANY AND ALLSETS IS NON-REFUNDABLE). Checkshall be made payable to the THE MUSIALGROUP, p.a. Extra drawings and/or speci-fications may be obtained from the Architectfor the cost of printing and handling, andpostage NON-REFUNDABLE.

All bids must be submitted in Tripli-cate and duly time stamped, in the Office ofthe Business Administrator not later thanthe “Bid Opening Date and Time” as statedin the Advertisement. Bids shall bear thename and address of the Bidder and shallbe endorsed “Temporary Trailer at WilsonSchool.”

Bids will be received by the Board throughthe designated person for the Board, RobertBerman, Business Administrator/BoardSecretary at the Town of Westfield Board ofEducation offices at 2:00 P.M. prevailingtime on May 20, 2004 and will be publiclyopened and read immediately thereafter.

Bidders shall leave their names, addresses,phone number and fax number at the officeof the Architect in order to have information oraddenda mailed to them if and when re-quired. The bidder shall provide a streetaddress and not a PO box number, sinceExpress Mail cannot be delivered to a PO boxnumber. The architect shall not be respon-sible for any such lack of information. It is thebidders responsibility to provide the appro-

priate and correct information.No bid shall be accepted that does not

conform to the specifications. Bids must bemade on standard proposal forms in themanner designated by the specifications,must be enclosed in sealed envelopes bear-ing the name and address of the Bidder andthe Contract being bid, on the outside thereof,addressed and delivered to the WestfieldBoard of Education Business Administra-tors Office, 302 Elm Street, Westfield, NewJersey 07090

Bidders shall not submit more than onebid for any single Contract.

If a bid exceeds twenty thousand dollars($20,000), the Bidder and all general con-struction and subcontractors must beprequalified by the New Jersey Departmentof Treasury, Division of Property Manage-ment and Construction, as required by lawand have a valid and current Notice of Clas-sification prior to the date that bids arereceived. Any bid submitted under the termsof the New Jersey statutes not including acopy of a valid and active prequalification/classification certificate may be rejected asnon-responsive to the bid requirements.

Bids must be submitted on the proposalforms in the manner designated, enclosedin a sealed envelope bearing the name andaddress of Bidder and proposal identifica-tion number on the outside, and must beaccompanied by certified check, cashierscheck or bid bond drawn to the Order of theTown of Westfield Board of Education, fornot less than ten percent (10%) of the amountof the bid, but in no case in excess of twentythousand dollars ($20,000); and must bedelivered to the Business Administrator atthe above place, by the hour named. TheBoard and the Board’s Architect or Engi-neer assume no responsibility for bidsmismailed or misdirected.

Each Bidder shall submit with its bid, aBid Bond and Certificate of Consent ofSurety as per N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-25 from aSurety company stating that it will providethe Bidder and all subcontractors, if suc-cessful, with a performance/payment bondin the full amount of the contract. If Biddersare not providing Surety for sub-contrac-tors, then the sub-contractor must providetheir own surety and proof of same at thetime of the bid submission.

In the case of projects for any PublicBody, a list submitted by corporate andpartnership bidders of the names and ad-dresses of all stockholders owning 10% ormore of their stock or 10%or more of thestock of their corporate stockholders, or inthe case of a partnership, the names andaddresses of those partners owning a 10%or greater interest therein.

If one or more of such stockholders orpartnership is itself a corporation or partner-ship, the stockholders holding 10% or moreof that corporation or the individual partnersowning 10% or greater interest in that part-nership, as the case may be, shall also belisted. These statements of names andaddresses must be submitted prior to thereceipt of the bid or must accompany thebid. No award of contract or agreemententered into may be made if there is a failureto comply with the provisions of this law.

No bid may be withdrawn for a period ofsixty (60) days after the date set for theopening thereof. The Westfield Board ofEducation reserves the right to reject anyand all bids or to waive informality in thebidding if it is in the interest of the Board todo so. The contract(s) will be awarded to the

lowest responsible Bidder(s).Bidding shall be in conformance with the

applicable requirements of N.J.S.A.18A:18A-1 et. seq. Pertaining to the “PublicSchool Contract Laws.”

The Bidder’s attention is directed to thefact that all applicable federal, state, andmunicipal laws, and ordinances, rules andregulations, including P.L. 1975, c. 127,(N.J.A.C. 17:27) regarding Affirmative Ac-tion of all authorities having jurisdiction overconstruction work in the locality of the project,shall apply to the contract throughout, andthey will be deemed to be included in thecontract, the same as if set forth therein atlength, including, but not limited to, thoselaws identified in the INSTRUCTIONS TOBIDDERS.

Pursuant to “The Public Works Contrac-tor Registration Act” (P.L. 199, c239), bid-ders and their subcontractors are requiredto be registered with the New Jersey De-partment of Labor and to possess a currentcertificate by said Department indicatingcompliance with the Act. Bidders are noti-fied of this requirement for their compliance.If, at the time of the bid opening, the Bidderhas not yet received the certificate from theDepartment, proof of application along withthe canceled check, if available, for theapplication fee shall be provided to the Boardin lieu of such certificate. Once the certifi-cate is received, a copy of same shall bedelivered forthwith to the Westfield Board ofEducation.

Bids must be enclosed in sealed, opaqueenvelopes bearing the names and addressof the bidder, the Contract name being bid,on the outside thereof and addressed inaccordance with Advertisement for Bids.No bid may be withdrawn after the day ofreceipt. Only one bid shall be in eachenvelope.

Bidders are notified as follows:Addenda may be issued by the Ar-

chitect in accordance with the specifica-tions up to seven (7) days prior to receipt ofbids and the bidders are obliged on theirown initiative to make inquiry for and exam-ine such addenda, if any.

Bidders are notified that they must complywith the provisions of N.J.S. 34:11-56.25,et. Seq. (Wages on Public Works) and thatthe contract to be awarded in this case shallcontain a stipulation that the wage rate mustbe paid to workmen employed in the perfor-mance of the contracts and shall not be lessthan the prevailing wage rate as determinedby the Commissioner of the Department ofLabor and Industry of the State of NewJersey.

Bidders are notified that they must complywith N.J.A. 52:32-1 to 52:33-4, the statueson the use of domestic materials on publicwork.

Bidders are put on notice that the WestfieldBoard of Education is an exempt organiza-tion under the provisions of the New JerseyState Sales and Use Tax Act (N.J.S. 54:32B-1 et. Seq.) and is not required to pay salestax.

Bidders are notified that the project mustbe complete by August 20, 2004.

By order of Westfield Board of Education,Town of Westfield in the County of Union,New Jersey

Mr. Robert BermanAssistant Superintendent/Business

AdministratorWestfield Board of Education

302 Elm StreetWestfield, New Jersey 07090

1 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $199.92

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE

Parking Needs to Be Improved in WF,But Redevelopment is Questionable

New WF BOE President Opens DoorsOf Communication With Residents

I’m very excited and honored to be-come the new President of the WestfieldBoard of Education. I’ve always takenmy role on the board very seriously, andI promise to continue to work hard in thisnew position. I really appreciate the sup-port and confidence of my fellow boardmembers in electing me as president.

I’d like to congratulate Ginny Leizon being elected Vice President and onher re-election to the board; I lookforward to working closely with her inthe coming year. I also want to con-gratulate Rich Solomon and JuliaWalker, who were reelected to serveadditional three-year terms. I believethat the current members on the boardwant the best for our children and bringmany strengths and skills to their rolesas board members.

Looking towards the future, I hopemy efforts as board president will helpWestfield continue to be a district that

strives for excellence. Our new strate-gic plan has laid out a road map for thefuture, to help us address needs andmake improvements in many areasacross the district.

Since I joined the board four and ahalf years ago, one of the most impor-tant things I’ve learned is the value ofworking with good people. We’re re-ally fortunate that we have an abun-dance of talented people who serve thedistrict, whether as staff members, vol-unteers in community and school orga-nizations or board members.

Both in the classroom and “behind-the-scenes,” the high caliber of our staffis a critical component to making theWestfield schools such a success. I hopeto continue the board’s excellent rela-tionships with all of our staff, from ouradministrators and teachers, to our secre-taries, custodians and paraprofessionals.

Another key to our district’s successis the high level of volunteerism shownby our community members. I lookforward to working cooperatively withour parents through the PTC and thePTA/O’s, and with community organi-zations and the town’s leaders to ac-complish great things for our students.

Good, two-way communication withthe community is vital for the board tooperate effectively. I view the steps inthe strategic plan, which addresses com-munication, such as improving our dis-trict website, as a high priority. I alsoencourage community members to sharetheir feedback about district issues byattending our meetings and contactingus by e-mail at [email protected].

I am truly honored to serve our stu-dents and community as board presidentand anticipate a very productive year.

Anne RiegelPresident, Westfield Board of

Education

Whoever put up the large sign out-side of the storefront next to The LeaderStore on Broad should be commended.For those of you who have not seen thisdisplay of civic pride, it reads “Improv-ing Parking Improves Our Town.” WhileI couldn’t agree with that sentimentmore, as a person involved in thegrassroots organization, WestfieldersConcerned About Responsible Devel-opment (WE CARE), I have two ques-tions. How much will improved park-ing really improve Westfield? And, howmuch will improving parking really costus?

Those advocating for the $30 millionfive-level decks (over 30 years of abond this cost exceeds $50 million),along with their 100 or so apartments,and retail spaces at the South Avenueand Prospect Street locations, don’tseem to address either question. In-creased parking spaces for commutersmight bring in more revenue, but atcurrent rates, hundreds of permit spacesgo unused each week even though weare supposedly operating in a parkingcrisis. In terms of cost, the most opti-mistic financial models show this rede-velopment plan is a losing propositionfor nearly a decade. With ever-increas-ing property taxes for Westfield citi-zens, why will we be further burdenedby picking up the costs for operatingand subsidizing the redevelopments?

Simple and far less costly solutionslike better parking management andgreater support from the business com-munity and the Downtown WestfieldCorporation (DWC) may actually im-prove parking, and improve Westfield,at little or no expense. For example,culling the wait list for people no longer

interested in permits, overselling thepermit lots to previous levels, and sell-ing weekly or monthly permits costvirtually nothing to implement. Simi-larly, having employers and employ-ees park at the train station at off peaktimes and weekends, for free, so thereare more spaces downtown for shop-pers, costs nothing either. The beliefthat customers will flock to the trainstation to walk to downtown Westfield,spend money, and then take their pur-chases back to their cars in a garage atthe train station should be tested againstwhether employers and employees arewilling to do this first. Shouldn’t theseinexpensive suggestions be tried firstto improve parking and improveWestfield before spending this hugesum of money and building these gi-gantic structures?

While WE CARE is not opposed toredevelopment per se, the current rede-velopment plans are a losing proposi-tion for citizens, taxpayers, and thecommunity at large. We urgeWestfielders to learn more about theredevelopment projects and make aninformed commitment in favor of, oropposed to, these multi-use projects.Copies of complete traffic studies,school impact studies, financial analy-ses, etc. are available on our website atwestfieldredevelopment.com alongwith our downloadable petition. If youare not already a supporter of WE CARE,become one and join more than 1,200 ofyour neighbors in signing the petitionsagainst this redevelopment plan.

Kenneth SumnerWE CARE

Westfield

Resident Expresses Strong OppositionTo South Avenue Redevelopment

I would like to express my strongopposition to the redevelopment planproposed for the south side train sta-tion. I seriously question the need formore commuter parking in Westfield.As noted by others before me, there arevacant spaces in the train lot everyday.And, there has not been a definitivereview of the waiting list to confirmthat all those on the list still want per-mits. However, if there is a legitimateneed for commuter parking, the rede-velopment plan is certainly not the op-timum solution.

Some of my neighbors in town whohave parking permits have said the newfees being proposed are so expensive,that they would rather give up theirpermits and go to other towns to maketheir commute. Linden, for example,has ample parking, and all of it is sur-face parking, a solution Westfield offi-cials should have considered much moreseriously than they have.

Westfield is a mature communitythat is already fully developed. In fact,Westfield has gone beyond full devel-opment to the point where the town isbecoming overdeveloped. In additionto the increased traffic from commut-ers, congestion and speeding on ourroads will be made worse because of theaddition of the proposed retail and resi-dential units on the south side.

There are also safety issues associ-ated with the project as it is presentlyproposed. I, for one, will not use anenclosed parking deck if I am alone atnight. It is going to be costly and diffi-cult, if not impossible, to provide secu-rity for a parking structure of this type.

The town must also now deal with theissue of affordable housing. I find itdisturbing, but not surprising, that theplans call for all of the affordable hous-ing to be located on the south side. And,if affordable housing requirements arenot met, the town faces potential law-suits. If the solution to a parking prob-lem had been additional parking, this

would never have become an issue.But, since residential units have beenincluded in the redevelopment plan,affordable housing must now be ad-dressed. And certainly, the addition ofresidential units of any type is going tobring additional school children to analready over-crowded school system,in an already over-taxed community.We, the taxpayers, will be bearing theburden for this.

None of this addresses the fact thatthe proposed structure will overpowerthe area and effectively cut the southside off from the north side of town. Ihave long believed that the concerns ofsouth side residents were given shortshrift by the mayor and council. If thisplan goes through, I feel there nowreally will be a “wrong” side of thetracks in Westfield.

And finally, I would like to addressthe suggestion by some town councilmembers that rather than building twodecks simultaneously, the town shouldonly build the deck on the south side to“see how it goes”. The only parking thatwill help all town residents is additionalparking for shoppers and patrons ofdowntown businesses. If we are going toexperiment and build only one deck, itmakes much more sense to start with thesmaller project which has the likelihoodof benefiting everyone – not just com-muters and, of course, the developer.

It is amazing to me that the “solu-tion” to a parking problem in Westfieldhas been transformed into such a night-mare. If these plans go forward, we willhave created blight on our beautifultown that we will never be able to undo.

Marian RomanoWestfield

Westfielder Doesn’t Want Noisy,Overcrowded Downtown Area

I find it very troublesome that theDWC knows what is best for the resi-dents of Westfield. At the recent meet-ing on the redevelopment, they said theviability of downtown was at risk if thegarages were not built. The garages wererequired to keep the town breathing.

Is the downtown business district notdoing well? Using their logic it is doingso well we need additional parking.What would Vicki’s Diner do with morecustomers? Have me wait even longerto get a table. The Leader Store is so fullof merchandise there is no room tomove now.

The downtown district appears tohave struck a balance between provid-ing good services and enough parking.If you want to park exactly in front ofthe store you are going to, good luck.But there is parking. And if you arewilling to park at the south side parkinglot you can invite your entire familyplus some. NJ Transit built that tunnel

to be used. Commuters not people want-ing to shop downtown use it.

Any additional building on the southside parking area will die a miserabledeath. What genius thinks a better se-lection of stores along South Avenuewould revitalize that area? The reasonThe Gap and Banana Republic chosetheir current locations is because that is“downtown.” It is the center ofWestfield. South Avenue is a road withsmall businesses on it. If you have agreat business model plus a good prod-uct and luck you will do well inWestfield.

If those select shop owners think thedowntown district will shrivel up andblow away if a four-story garages isn’tbuilt, then move. Find a town that hasgarages, condos and whatever else theythink they need to support their busi-ness. If these shop owners think theresidents of Westfield want an overcrowded, noisy downtown they arewrong. If that were the case then therewould be a shuttle to Newark everyhour on the hour.

Richard DobraWestfield

Chamber of Commerce Says NetOperating Loss Needs to Be Kept

It is Important for Women to VoteIn the Upcoming Presidential ElectionOn April 25, I had the privilege of

joining 46 other local residents who tooka chartered bus from Westfield to Wash-ington, D.C. to be part of a rally insupport of a woman’s right to choose.There, we were joined by close to onemillion men and women from across thenation of all ages and backgrounds, whocame together to peacefully express theirsupport for this issue. It was there inWashington, D.C. that I learned just howtenuous the Supreme Court decision ofRoe verses Wade currently is. A woman’sright to choose is apparently only onevote shy, in the current Supreme Court,of being overturned.

More than one Supreme Court judgemay be retiring during the next fewyears, leaving that appointment(s) up tothe next elected president. In addition,very recent legislation, supported andsigned by President Bush, is a major stepin the direction of abolishing a woman’sright to choose. The implications, for all

Americans, are profound.I also learned that, in our last presi-

dential election, 50 million women ofvoting age did not vote. One lesson weall certainly learned from this election isthat every single vote cast, whateveryour party affiliation can and does makea difference.

With such important issues for oursociety at hand, my hope is that we alluse the power that is our right, and ourresponsibility, and vote in the 2004 presi-dential election. As a society we need tolearn from the past and move forward,not backwards.

Roberta FalligWestfield

For the last two years, New Jerseyhas been one of three states to dis-courage job growth by suspending theNet Operating Loss (NOL) provisionwithin the state’s tax code. Now, thestate is threatening to renege on itspromise to reinstate the NOL provi-sion, seeking another suspension. Thiscould have a devastating impact onthe state’s economy. If the suspen-sion continues, the Garden State willbe the only state not to offer job pro-viders NOL access.

New companies, high-tech startups,or established companies introducingnew lines usually experience lossesbefore their ventures prove profitable.The NOL provision allows businessesto stay afloat, creating jobs and im-proving the economy.

Suspension of the NOL dispropor-tionately hurts small businesses that

depend on the provision in their criti-cal early years. As a result, many ofthem will have to think twice beforehiring or expanding, and others maygo out of business altogether. Entre-preneurs may refrain from startingtheir businesses here and instead bringtheir ideas to states that encourageinnovation and risk taking. By sus-pending the NOL we may be forcingtomorrow’s Microsoft or Starbucks tocreate jobs and ratables elsewhere.

When the NOL suspension wasoriginally proposed, business peoplewere assured that it would only be fortwo years. Legislators need to remem-ber that there’s honor in promiseskept, dishonor in promises broken.

Joan VerplanckPresident, New Jersey Chamber of

Commerce

More Letters to the EditorCONTINUED FROM PAGES 4 & 5

See it all on the Web!www.goleader.com

SPBPA President Responds to RecentEditorial on Business Associations

I appreciate the recent editorial encour-aging local business people to become moreactive in their local business association.The Scotch Plains Business and Profes-sional Association (SPBPA) is in its 10thyear serving the business community. Iknow that many business owners do nothave a great deal of time to be involved withthe association on a day to day basis, but Iencourage all of our members to come toone of our many social/business eventsthroughout the year. Between our springdinner-dance, various network nights, andour holiday party, we provide many oppor-tunities for local business people to networkwith their business neighbors.

I also see some joint events with theFanwood Business and Professional Asso-ciation in the near future. I frequently com-municate with their president, PeterChemidlin, to coordinate our major events.We expect to have a networking event forboth organizations some time within thenext six months and look forward to contin-ued cooperation between the two groups.

In your editorial you touch upon thedifferences between business associationsand Special Improvement Districts (SIDs).I agree that the two organizations havedifferent directions, but I strongly disagreewith your portrayal of a SID being an armof local government composed of peoplechosen by local government with a mis-sion as directed by government. A SID, if

it is created for Scotch Plains, will be anorganization of local business people whowill set the direction of the SID. Localbusiness people will serve on the board ofdirectors with only one member of localgovernment on the board. The only re-sponsibilities of our local government willbe to pass the SID ordinance, approve thebudget, and collect the additional assess-ment from local commercial propertyowners within the SID area. The SID as anadvocacy group for the business commu-nity would work in partnership with localgovernment. It will be a group run bybusiness people for the benefit of the busi-ness community as well as the communityof Scotch Plains as a whole. It would not beanother level of government bureaucracy.

The SID ordinance will be introduced atthe Scotch Plains open council meeting onMay 11 with the open hearing on May 25.I encourage everyone to come to the meet-ing or at least watch on TV-34 to learn moreabout what a SID is and what it can do forour business community and our township.

I also encourage our residents to pa-tronize our local businesses wheneverpossible. A strong and successful busi-ness community and an improved down-town is a benefit to our entire community.

Steve GoldbergPresident SPBPA and Chairman

Scotch Plains SID Steering Committee

PUBLIC NOTICEBOROUGH OF FANWOOD

PLANNING BOARD

Notice is hereby given that the PLAN-NING BOARD OF THE BOROUGH OFFANWOOD after public hearing on March24, 2004 granted approval to John andKaren Kern for a deck on the property at 3Brohm Place, Fanwood, New Jersey beingBlock 78 Lot 8.

Documents pertaining to this applicationare available for public inspection at Bor-ough Hall during normal business hours.

John and Karen Kern3 Brohm Place

Fanwood, New Jersey 070231 T - 5/6/04, The Times Fee: $14.79

Mr. Lack Responds ToRecent Temple LettersIn response to the recent letters con-

cerning Temple Emanu-El’s rejectedvariance application, Mess’rs Finesteinand Barcan of course accurately pointout every citizen’s access to the courts.This misses the point.

The temple’s application was evalu-ated by the Westfield Board of Adjust-ment, which represents our community.The temple’s case was heard, by repre-sentatives of its neighbors, and was re-jected. So now the temple has chosen tosue Westfield, and by extension its neigh-bors. This is its right. Just don’t expectthe rest of us to applaud while we financethe temple’s exercise of its constitu-tional right. As I said…nice neighbors.

Simon LackWestfield



Poignantly expressing the charm and craftsmanship of a by gone era, this radiant Westfield Colonial brims with classic style. A shining jewel, the many rooms glow with gleaming hardwood floors, superb moldings and framed windows. A front-to-back living room with fireplace and formal dining room with chair rail is enhanced by a sun-lit family room and updated eat-in kitchen. Nice sized bedrooms, an updated full bath, and walk-up third floor with two more bedrooms craft marvelous private spaces. A new powder room, wonderful basement rec room & expansive backyard with pavestone patio add to the allure this home possesses. Presented for $685,500.

For additional information or your private tour call…

Lois E. Berger, CRS Broker/Sales Associate

NJAR Circle of Excellence Award 1981 – 2003 NJAR Distinguished Sales Club

908-233-6366, Direct Dial

Westfield Office · 600 North Avenue, West · 908-233-0065

Artfully orchestrated this captivating 3BRM, 1.5BTH Westfield Colonial perpetuates classic architecture w/moldings, built-ins & hardwood floors, The cordial living room w/fireplace & dining room w/bay window are accompanied by an updated eat-in kitchen with adjoining family room. A delightfully updated full bath crowns a second floor that is graced with nice sized bedrooms. A basement w/newer powder room & rec room, a private backyard w/deck & hot tub & a great location: close to town, transportation & schools, adds to the comfort that this home displays. Presented for $499,900.

For additional information or your private tour call…

Anne Weber, Sales Associate 908-518-5285, Direct Dial

NJAR Circle of Excellence 1999 – 2003 Burgdorff President’s Club 1999 - 2003

Westfield Office · 600 North Avenue, West · 908-233-0065

Center Announces ActivitiesFor Older Americans Month

Local Legislators to OfferFamily Care Applications

AN EVENING WITH DAD…Girl Scouts at Tamaques Elementary School inWestfield recently enjoyed the Second Annual Scout/Dad Dance entitled “Reachfor the Stars.” Joined by their “dates,” Daisy, Brownie and Junior scouts dancedand enjoyed games under the direction of disk jockey John DePalma. Senior scoutJessica Lipschutz coordinated refreshments as part of her Gold Award. Fifth-grade scouts and their dads are pictured above during a break from the festivities.

Postal Carriers CollectingFor Stamp Out Hunger

‘Y’ Reveals ScreeningsTo Test Bone DensityWESTFIELD — Representatives

of Overlook Hospital will be at theWestfield “Y” on Tuesday, May 11,from 10 a.m. to noon to conduct bonedensity screenings. The “Y” is lo-cated at 220 Clark Street.

The cost is $10 per person, and $8for those over age 60. To schedule anappointment, please call (800) 247-9580. For more information, pleasecall the “Y” at (908) 233-2700, ex-tension no. 251.

WESTFIELD – The WestfieldCommunity Center, located at 558West Broad Street, is celebrating OlderAmericans Month in May with a se-ries of special activities and programsthat the public is invited to attend.

A Mother’s Day Tea will be held at12:30 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, May 7.Additionally, a Monthly BirthdayParty and Open House will take placeon Tuesday, May 25, beginning at12:30 p.m.

Overlook Hospital personnel willperform free screenings at the centerthis month. They include an EyeScreening on Thursday, May 13, andBone Density screening on Thursday,

May 20, both from 10 a.m. to noon.There also will be a program May

20 on memory loss, from noon to 1p.m., presented by Visiting PhysicianServices.

On Wednesday, May 12, RuthAdelmen will discuss “As the BodyGets Older” from 12:30 to 1 p.m.

Additionally, the Westfield Art As-sociation will present art sessions onTuesdays this month. They will in-clude “Print Making” on May 11;“Watercolor Painting” on May 18,and “Acrylic Painting” on May 25.

Finally, a plant sale will be held atthe center between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.on Friday, May 21.

SCOTCH PLAINS – PostmasterGeorge Caswell announced that ScotchPlains letter carriers will be collectingnon-perishable food along their routeson Saturday, May 8, as part of the Na-tional Association of Letter Carriers(NALC) 12th annual “Stamp Out Hun-ger!” food drive. “Stamp Out Hunger!”is a nationwide effort to help providefood to local food banks and pantries thathelp feed the hungry on a daily basis.

“Simply leave a sturdy bag con-taining non-perishable foods, likecanned soup, canned vegetables, pasta,rice or cereal, next to your mailboxbefore the time of regular mail deliv-ery and our carriers will do the rest,”said Postmaster Caswell.

The NACL’s annual food drive hascollected more than 585 millionpounds of food over the last 11 years,including over 60 million pounds lastyear alone, making it the largest single-day food drive in the nation.

“I’m really proud of our employeesfor participating in the NACL’s ‘StampOut Hunger!’ food drive,” the ScotchPlains Postmaster emphasized. “Their

collecting food for the needy, reallydemonstrates that postal employeesdo more than just deliver mail.”

According to America’s SecondHarvest, the nation’s largest hungerrelief organization, 23 million people,including 9 million children, live inhouseholds that experience hunger orthe risk of hunger. This represents onein 10 households in the United States.

To find out more about “Stamp OutHunger!” visit www.nalc.org.

WESTFIELD – Senator ThomasKean, Jr. and Assemblymen EricMunoz and Jon Bramnick an-nounced that they have joined anational campaign aimed at cover-ing the uninsured.

On Wednesday, May 12, the leg-islators will join other New Jerseylawmakers and open their districtoffices from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. asapplication sites for New JerseyFamily Care, a program which helpsfinancially eligible families obtainhealth insurance for their childrento cover the cost of routine physi-cian visits, prescriptions, hospital-izations, lab tests, x-rays, eye-glasses and dental care. The 21stDistrict representatives efforts willbe part of a statewide effort tocover uninsured children.

In New Jersey alone there are 1.7million uninsured people, 210,000are children. Currently, New Jer-

sey Family Care has enrolled 99,000children. However, it is estimatedthat New Jersey is only covering 60percent of those children who maybe eligible. It is reported that thereare 70,000 uninsured children liv-ing in New Jersey that meet theeligibility requirements for FamilyCare, but have not enrolled.

Parents may visit the followinglocations on May 12 to receiveFamily Care applications and toinquire more about how they mayprovide health insurance for theirchi ldren: 203 Elm Street ,Westfield or 57 Union Place, Suite310, Summit.

Librarian Carol Wilson ServesOn Newbery Medal Committee

books for marketing purposes.“The award is the award,” she ex-

plained, regarding the secrecy sur-rounding the selection process. “Wewant to be sure that the award standsfor itself and that one Newbery win-ner is not better than another becausethe title received more votes.”

The same notion holds true for thehonor books, which are also consid-ered worthy of distinction. “Honorbooks are just that: distinguished lit-erature in its own right, not runners-up,” Mrs. Wilson stated.

This year’s Newbery Medal winneris “The Tale of Despereaux: Being thestory of a Mouse, a Princess, SomeSoup, and a Spool of Thread,” by KateDiCamillo.

The 2004 Newbery Honor Booksare “Olive’s Ocean” by Kevin Henkesand “An American Plague: The Trueand Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fe-ver Epidemic of 1793” by Jim Murphy.

The Westfield Library’s children’scollection contains over 30,000 books,including a special shelf dedicated toNewbery Medal winners. Mrs. Wil-son donated all 481 books she re-ceived for review, a collection valuedat approximately $8,150, to the li-brary. For more information, pleasecall (908) 789-4090 or visit thelibrary’s website at www.wmlnj.org.

WESTFIELD — Carol Ann Wil-son, Assistant Director and Children’sHead Librarian at the Westfield Me-morial Library, recently participatedin the 2004 Newbery Award selectionprocess.

The Newbery Medal is the oldestand considered the most prestigiouschildren’s literature award in the na-tion. It is administered by the Associa-tion for Library Service to Children, adivision of the American Library As-sociation.

“It’s the Holy Grail for children’slibrarians,” Mrs. Wilson remarked lastyear when she was first elected toserve on the Newbery Selection Com-mittee together with 14 other librar-ians nationwide.

After a year of intense reading andscrutiny, through emails and meet-ings with other committee members,Mrs. Wilson narrowed the original480 Newbery submissions to six fa-vorite books.

Prior to making the final selection,she and fellow committee membersmet for two days in a San Diego hotel,with a security guard posted outsidethe meeting area to ensure privacy.The element of secrecy was to avoidhaving someone, such as a publisher,gain access to the meeting in hopes ofhearing the “pros” and “cons” of their

PUBLIC NOTICECOUNTY OF UNION

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

The County of Union Department of Hu-man Services Paratransit System will hold aPublic Hearing on Tuesday, June 15th 2004at 7:00 p.m. at the Union County, Adminis-tration Building, 6th Floor Freeholder’s Meet-ing Room, Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth,New Jersey. This hearing is held every yearin order to gather information and com-ments from interested parties concerningfunding received by the county from theSenior Citizen and Disabled Resident Trans-portation Assistance Program (Casino Rev-enue) for transportation of senior citizensand disabled residents of Union County.The public is invited to attend and partici-pate. The application will be available for thepublic to review in the Elizabeth Main PublicLibrary at 11 South Broad Street in Eliza-beth from June 8th through June 22nd.1 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $19.89


PLANNING BOARD

Notice is hereby given that the WestfieldPlanning Board at its meeting on MondayMay 3, 2004 memorialized the followingBoard action taken the same night of Mon-day, May 3, 2004:

04-07 MARK S. DOW, 253 PROSPECTSTREET, (BLOCK 2504, LOT 3)AND MARK & JANE BELL, 259PROSPECT STREET, (BLOCK2504, LOT 4), SEEKING MINORSUBDIVISION. APPLICANTSSEEKING TO MOVE THE LOTLINE BETWEEN LOTS 3 & 4 INBLOCK 2504 BY TRANSFER-RING APPROXIMATELY 3,570SQUARE FEET FROM LOT 4 TOLOT 3, CREATING NEW LOTS3.01 AND 4.01. – Approved withconditions.

Kenneth B. MarshSecretary

1 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $21.93




SPECIAL ORDINANCE NO. 2088NOTICE OF PENDING BOND ORDINANCE AND SUMMARY

The bond ordinance, the summary terms of which are included herein, has been finallyadopted by the Town Council of the Town of Westfield, in the County of Union, State of NewJersey, on May 4, 2004, and the 20-day period of limitation within which a suit, action orproceeding questioning the validity of such ordinance can be commenced, as provided in theLocal Bond Law, has begun to run from the date of the first publication of this statement.Copies of the full ordinance are available, at no cost and during regular business hours, atthe Clerk’s office for members of the general public who request the same. The summaryof the terms of such bond ordinance follows:

TITLE: BOND ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE THE MAKING OF VARIOUSPUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND THE ACQUISITION OF NEW ADDITIONALOR REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY, NEW ADDITIONALFURNISHINGS, NEW COMMUNICATION AND SIGNAL SYSTEMS EQUIP-MENT AND NEW AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, INCLUDING ORIGINAL APPA-RATUS AND EQUIPMENT, IN, BY AND FOR THE TOWN OF WESTFIELD, INTHE COUNTY OF UNION, STATE OF NEW JERSEY, TO APPROPRIATETHE SUM OF $2,759,000 TO PAY THE COST THEREOF, TO APPROPRIATEA STATE GRANT, TO MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT OR FULLY FUNDAPPROPRIATIONS FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, TO AU-THORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS TO FINANCE SUCH APPROPRIA-TION, TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF BOND ANTICIPATION NOTESIN ANTICIPATION OF THE ISSUANCE OF SUCH BONDS AND TO AMENDBOND ORDINANCE NO. 2044 ADOPTED ON MAY 21, 2002.

I. The purposes, appropriations, bonds/notes authorized and grants appropriatedin this multipurpose bond ordinance are as follows:

SCHEDULE OF IMPROVEMENTS, PURPOSES AND AMOUNTS

A. Undertaking of the following road improvements: (i) resurfacing of Rahway Avenue(from Grove Street to the Clark border), (ii) improvement of Elm Street (from Dudley Avenueto Newton Place), including roadway reconstruction, reconstruction of curbs and sidewalks,and drainage improvements, where necessary, (iii) undertaking of engineering studies fortraffic calming improvements at various locations in the Town and the undertaking of suchimprovements, (iv) undertaking of the engineering design phase for improvements toParking Lot No. 2 and (v) resurfacing or reconstruction of various roads (including curbconstruction or replacement, where necessary), as set forth on a list prepared by the TownEngineer on file or to be placed on file with the Town Clerk, and hereby approved as if setforth herein in full. Depending upon the contract price and other exigent circumstances, andupon approval by the Town Council, there may be additions to or deletions from the listreferred to in clause (v) of the preceding sentence. It is hereby determined and stated thatthe streets being improved are of “Class B” or equivalent construction as defined in Section22 of the Local Bond Law (Chapter 2 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes Annotated, asamended; the “Local Bond Law”).

Appropriation and Estimated Cost $1,480,500State Grant Appropriated $ 180,000Down Payment Appropriated $ 62,000Bonds and Notes Authorized $1,238,500Period of Usefulness 10 years

B. Undertaking of storm water drainage and sanitary sewer improvements at variouslocations.

Appropriation and Estimated Cost $ 262,500Down Payment Appropriated $ 12,500Bonds and Notes Authorized $ 250,000Period of Usefulness 40 years

C. Undertaking of various improvements to the Municipal Building and the Public WorksComplex. It is hereby determined and stated that the public buildings being improved are of“Class B” or equivalent construction as defined in Section 22 of the Local Bond Law.


D. Acquisition of new additional or replacement equipment and machinery for the useof the Engineering Department consisting of computer equipment for a geographic informa-tion system (GIS) for Town data.

Appropriation and Estimated Cost $ 10,500Down Payment Appropriated $ 500Bonds and Notes Authorized $ 10,000Period of Usefulness 10 years

E. Acquisition of new automotive vehicles, including original apparatus and equipment,for the use of the Department of Public Works (“DPW”) consisting of (i) a roll-off truck withcontainers and (ii) two dump trucks with plows.


F. Undertaking of the Town-wide Tree Planting Program.

Appropriation and Estimated Cost $ 10,500Down Payment Appropriated $ 500Bonds and Notes Authorized $ 10,000Period of Usefulness 15 years

G. Undertaking of lighting improvements and roof replacement at the Free Public Library.It is hereby determined and stated that (a) the Trustees of the Free Public Library of the Townhave requested, pursuant to Section 40:54-25 of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey, asamended, that the Town raise the sum of $83,700 in order to finance the aforesaidimprovement and (b) the Trustees of the Free Public Library are hereby authorized andempowered to expend said sum of $83,700 to pay for the aforesaid improvement.


H. Undertaking of various renovations and improvements to Fire House Nos. 1 and 2and the acquisition of new additional or replacement equipment and machinery for the useof the Fire Department consisting of self-contained breathing apparatus equipment andvarious items of fire fighting and safety equipment.

Appropriation and Estimated Cost $ 73,500Capital Improvement Fund Appropriated $ 73,500Period of Usefulness 5 years

I. Upgrading of the 9-1-1 communications center in the Municipal Building and theacquisition of new additional or replacement equipment and machinery and new communi-cation and signal systems equipment for the use of the Police Department consisting of (i)a breathalyzer machine, (ii) paystations for municipal parking lots, (iii) radio repeaterequipment, (iv) emergency light bars, (v) security cameras and (vi) video cameras.


J. Acquisition of new additional or replacement equipment and machinery and newcommunication and signal systems equipment consisting of telephone, computer and otherinformation technology equipment and improvements for the use of various Town depart-ments, offices and agencies.


K. Acquisition of new additional furnishings consisting of office furniture for the use ofvarious Town departments, offices and agencies.

Appropriation and Estimated Cost $ 15,400Capital Improvement Fund Appropriated $ 15,400Period of Usefulness 5 years

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Aggregate Appropriation and Estimated Cost $ 2,759,000State Grant Appropriated $ 180,000Aggregate Capital Improvement Fund Appropriated either as a Down Payment or to Fully Fund Appropriations $ 350,000Aggregate Amount of Bonds and Notes Authorized $ 2,229,000

Section 20 Costs: $ 232,979Useful Life: 13.22 years

II. The ordinance also amends Section 4.C. of Bond Ordinance No. 2044 adopted on May21, 2002 (the “Prior Ordinance”) to change the DPW equipment and machinery acquisitionauthorized from (i) a lawn tractor and (ii) a riding lawn mower/sweeper to (i) an asphalt heaterand (ii) athletic field maintenance equipment. Revised Section 4.C. of the Prior Ordinanceshall hereafter read as follows:

“[Section 4.]C. Acquisition of new additional or replacement equipment and machinery forthe use of the Department of Public Works (“DPW”) consisting of (i) an asphalt heater and(ii) athletic field maintenance equipment.


This Notice is published pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:2-17.Bernard A Heeney

Town ClerkTown of Westfield

County of UnionState of New Jersey

1 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $264.18

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE



DOCKET NO. F-16107-03FILE NO. 7532-03

NOTICE TO ABSENT DEFENDANT

(L.S.) STATE OF NEW JERSEY TO:HOWARD K. BAILEY; MARY I.BAILEY, HIS WIFE;

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED ANDREQUIRED to serve upon CASALE &PELLEGRINO, LLC, plaintiff’s attorneys,whose address is GATEHALL 1,PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY 07054, anAnswer to the Complaint filed in a CivilAction, in which JEFFREY WITTMANN,his heirs, representatives, and assigns, allright, title, interest, property and estate is theplaintiff and HOWARD K. BAILEY , ETALS; are defendants, pending in the Supe-rior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Divi-sion, UNION County and bearing DocketNo. F-16107-03 within thirty-five (35) daysafter May 6, 2004 exclusive of such date. Ifyou fail to answer or appear in accordancewith Rule 4:4-6, Judgment by Default maybe rendered against you for relief demandedin the Complaint. You shall file your Answerand Proof of Service in duplicate with theClerk of the Superior Court of New Jersey,Hughes Justice Complex - CN 971, Tren-ton, New Jersey 08625, in accordance withthe Rules of Civil Practice and Procedure.You are further advised that if you are unableto obtain an attorney you may communicatewith the Lawyer Referral Service of theCounty of Venue and that if you cannotafford an attorney, you may communicatewith the Legal Services Office of the Countyof Venue. The telephone number of suchagencies are as follows: Lawyer ReferralService 908-353-4715 - Legal ServicesOffice 908-354-4340.

THE ACTION has been instituted for thepurpose of foreclosing the following tax salecertificate: 1. A certain tax certificate 96-44,recorded on 8/21/2002, made by SALLYANN DI RINI, Collector of Taxes of CITYOF RAHWAY, and State of New Jersey toCITY OF RAHWAY and subsequently as-signed to plaintiff, JEFFREY WITTMANN,his heirs, representatives, and assigns, allright, title, interest, property and estate. Thiscovers real estate located in CITY OFRAHWAY, County of UNION, and State ofNew Jersey, known as LOT 00035 BLOCK00349 as shown on the Tax AssessmentMap and Tax Map duplicate of CITY OFRAHWAY and concerns premises com-monly known as 1424 WITHERSPOONSTREET, CITY OF RAHWAY, New Jer-sey.

YOU, HOWARD K. BAILEY and MARYI. BAILEY, HIS WIFE, are made party de-fendants to the above foreclosure actionbecause you are the owners of a propertywhich is the subject of the above entitledaction.DATED: April 28, 2004

Donald F. PhelanClerk of the Superior Court

of New JerseyCASALE & PELLEGRINO, L.L.C.1 Gatehall DriveParsippany, New Jersey 070541 - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $63.75



DOCKET NO. F-3418-03File No. 4476-01

NOTICE TO REDEEM

CHERRYSTONE BAY, LLC.,PLAINTIFF VS. ROBERT L.DAVIS, HIS HEIRS, DEVISEESAND PERSONAL REPRESEN-TATIVES AND THEIR OR ANYOF THEIR SUCCESSORS INRIGHT, TITLE AND INTER-EST;

TO: ROBERT L. DAVIS, HIS HEIRS,DEVISEES AND PERSONAL REPRE-SENTATIVES AND THEIR OR ANY OFTHEIR SUCCESSORS IN RIGHT, TITLEAND INTEREST; MRS. ROBERT L.DAVIS , WIFE OF ROBERT L. DAVIS;JULIA L. WILMORE, HER HEIRS, DEVI-SEES AND PERSONAL REPRESENTA-TIVES AND THEIR OR ANY OF THEIRSUCCESSORS IN RIGHT, TITLE ANDINTEREST; JOHN DOE HUSBAND OFJULIA L. WILMORE, SAID NAME JOHNDOE BEING FICTITIOUS; CAPITAL RE-SOURCES CORPORATION; BRENDADAVIS; JUDY L. DAVIS; YVINS DEZAN;JACQUELINE DAVIS;

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that an ordermade on April 22, 2004, the Superior CourtFixed June 16, 2004 between the hours ofnine o’clock in the forenoon and four o’clockin the afternoon, prevailing time, at the officeof the Tax Collector of the CITY OFPLAINFIELD, located at 515 WatchungAvenue, Plainfield, New Jersey 07061,as the time and place when and where youmay pay to the plaintiff the amount so founddue for principal and interest on its certifi-cate of tax sale as follows:

LOT 20 BLOCK 443 on the tax duplicateof the CITY OF PLAINFIELD. Total amountrequired to redeem is $ 21, 659.39, togetherwith interest from March 30, 2004 andcosts.

And that unless, at the same time andplace, you or one of you redeem by payingthe aforesaid sum so found due to plaintiff,then you, and each of you shall be debarredand foreclosed of and from all right andequity of redemption of, in and to the landsand premises above set out and describedin the complaint and every part thereof, andthat the plaintiff be vested with an absoluteand indefeasible estate of inheritance in feesimple in said lands and premises.

Anything to the contrary notwithstanding,redemption shall be permitted up until theentry of final judgment including the whole ofthe last date upon which judgment is en-tered.

MICHAEL G. PELLEGRINO, ESQ.Attorney for Plaintiff

CASALE & PELLEGRINO, L.L.C.One Gatehall DriveParsippany, New Jersey 070541 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $58.14


The bond ordinance published herewith has been finally adopted on May 4, 2004 and thetwenty (20) day period of limitation within such suit, action or proceeding questioning thevalidity of such Ordinance can be commenced as provided in the local bond law has begunto run from the date of first publication of this statement.

Bernard A HeeneyTown Clerk

SPECIAL ORDINANCE NO. 2089

AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF SIDEWALKAND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SIDEWALK AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS INTHE TOWN AND THE APPROPRIATION OF MONIES NECESSARY THERE-FOR.

BE IT ORDAINED by the Town of Westfield in the County of Union as follows:SECTION I. That the Town of Westfield will be replacing existing sidewalk with new

sidewalk and constructing new sidewalk where none exists at various locations and all worknecessary and incidental thereto.

SECTION II. That all of the said improvements shall be made and completed under thesupervision of the Town Engineer and in accordance with preliminary plans and specifica-tions on file in the office of the Town Engineer and are hereby made a part of this ordinance.

SECTION III. That not more than fifty (50%) percent of the final cost of the project ascertified by the Chief Financial Officer shall be assessed by the Tax Assessor on landsspecially benefited by the improvement.

SECTION IV. It is hereby determined and declared that the number of annual installationsin which the special assessment to be levied on account of the said improvements may bepaid is three (3).

SECTION V. It is hereby determined and declared that the estimated amount of moneyto be raised from all sources to said purpose is $100,000.00, and that the estimated amountof bonds or notes necessary to be issued for said purpose is $95,000.00. There is herebyappropriated for said purpose the sum of $5,000.00 from Capital Improvement Fundsavailable for said purpose.

SECTION VI. To finance said purposes, bonds of said Town of an aggregate principalamount not exceeding $95,000.00 are hereby authorized to be issued pursuant to the LocalBond Law (as hereinafter defined). Said bonds shall bear interest at a rate per annum asmay be hereafter determined within the limitations prescribed by law. All matters with respectto said bonds not determined by this ordinance shall be determined by resolutions to behereafter adopted.

SECTION VII. To finance such purpose there shall be issued pursuant to Chapter 2 ofTitle 40A of the New Jersey Statues, as amended (the “Local Bond Law”), in anticipation ofthe issuance of bonds, Bond Anticipation Notes of said Town not to exceed the aggregateprincipal amount the sum of $95,000.00. Said notes shall bear interest at a rate per annumas may hereafter be determined within the limitations prescribed by said law and may berenewed from time to time pursuant to, and within, the limitations prescribed by said law. Allmatters with respect to said notes not determined by this ordinance shall be determined byresolution of the Town to be hereafter adopted.

SECTION VIII. Not more than $500.00 of the sum to be raised by the issuance of saidnotes may be used to finance interest on obligation issued to finance such purpose, whethertemporary or permanent, or to finance legal expenses or to finance the cost of the issuanceof such obligations as provided in Section 20 of the Local Bond Law.

SECTION IX. It is hereby determined and declared that the period of usefulness for thefinancing of which said obligations are to be issued is a period of ten (10) years from the dateof said bonds.

SECTION X. It is hereby determined and declared that the Supplemental Debt Statementrequired by law has been duly made and filed in the office of the Town Clerk of said Townand that such statement so filed shows that the gross debt of the Town as defined in Section43 of the Local Bond Law is increased by this ordinance by $95,000.00, and that the bondsauthorized by this ordinance shall be within any debt limitations prescribed by said law.

SECTION XI. Any funds received from the County of Union, the State of New Jersey orany of their agencies or any funds received from the United States of America or any of itsagencies in aid of such purposes, shall be applied to the payment of the cost of suchpurposes, or if bond anticipation notes have been issued, to the payment of the bondanticipation notes, and the amount of bonds authorized for such purposes shall be reducedaccordingly.

SECTION XII. The Town intends to issue bonds or notes to finance the cost of theimprovements described in Section I of this bond ordinance. If the Town incurs such costsprior to the issuance of the bonds or notes, the Town herby states its reasonable expectationto reimburse itself for such expenditures with the proceeds of such bonds or notes in themaximum principal amount of bonds or notes authorized by this bond ordinance.

SECTION XIII. The full faith and credit of the Town are hereby pledge to the punctualpayment of the principal of the interest on the obligations authorized by this ordinance. Saidobligations shall be direct, unlimited and general obligations of the Town, and the Town shalllevy ad valorem taxes upon all the taxable real property within the Town for the payment ofthe principal of and interest on such bonds and notes, without limitation as to rate or amount.

SECTION XIV. The capital budget is hereby amended to conform with the provisions ofthis ordinance to the extent of any inconsistency therewith and the resolutions promulgatedby the Local Finance Board showing full detail of the amended capital budget and capitalprogram as approved by the Director, Division of Local Government Services, is on file withthe Town Clerk and is available for public inspection.

SECTION XV. This ordinance shall take effect twenty (20) days after first publicationthereof after final passage.1 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $134.64

CLASSIFIEDS

PT SUMMER CAREGIVER

Experienced baby sitter neededfor 7-year old girl this summer inmy Westfield home. 15-30 hoursper week. Must have referencesand valid drivers license. Callduring day at (212) 526-5460.

CUSTOMER SERVICEREPRESENTATIVE

for State Farm Agency inMountainside. P&C Licenserequired. Excellent people

skills. Fax resume to Carole(908) 233-6655

INSURANCE

CHILDCARE

So sad but we must leave ournanny. She is honest, dependableand a great caregiver in herWestfield home. Call me (Beth) fora reference (908) 654-6201 homeor work (212) 941-2098 or callSherry directly at (908) 654-5809.

DOG SITTING SERVICES

Will come to your hometo feed, walk and play

while you’re away.Call (908) 232-9491

WANTED TO RENT

Single / MaleNon-smoker - No Pets

Looking for Small Apartment(908) 964-9422After 6:00 PM

RECEPTIONISTSWITCHBOARD OPERATOR

At Morgan Stanley, one of thenation’s premier financial servicesfirms, you can make the most ofyour potential in our Westfield, NJbranch.Responsibilities will include a va-riety of clerical functions. Relatedbusiness experience, superiorcommunications and clerical skillsare required.We offer a salary commensuratewith experience and an excellentbenefits package. For consider-ation, please fax your resume to(908) 301-8080 or call, LisaJacobs, @ (908) 301-8005.

Morgan StanleyOne Client at a time.

EOE committed to diversifyingits workforce.

M/F/D/V

PIANO LESSONS

TEACHING SINCE 1970(908) 889-4095

FOR RENT

WESTFIELDOVERSIZED 2 CAR GARAGE

IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY,SAFE, SECURE LOCATION,

IDEAL FOR STORAGE$250.00/M

Call Lori (973) 397-3541

AUTO FOR SALE

91 Buick Skylark - GREATcommuter car! Working AC, PS,PW, PD, AM/FM Cassette, NEWBrakes, NEW Muffler/Pipes, NEWInspection good for TWO years!!!

Please email Jim at :[email protected] call (732) - 801-3200

95 Pontiac Grand AMPWR, 4-Door

Excellent Condition.Best Offer

Call (908) 665-2527 eves

AUTO FOR SALE

NANNY WANTED

Experienced nanny needed for athree year old child. Monday thruThursday, live in or out. Must havereferences and valid NJ driverslicense. Car will be provided.

Call (908) 928-1181

ADVERTISING SALES-LOCAL

Ad sales for local maps anddirectories. Well-regardedcompany est. 1956. Full/part time.Ideal for retired sales pros.Outgoing personality a must.

Call Matt Holmes(800) 524-9055 or

fax resume (800) 618-7244.OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

WESTFIELD1,000 sq. ft. Office Space$3,200/mo All Inclusive

Good Location, Ground Floor.(908) 928-9608

CERTIFIEDPERSONAL TRAINERWILL COME TO YOUR

HOME WITH EQUIPMENTFREE EVALUATION

REFERENCES FROMCURRENT CLIENTSCALL: MIKE BROWN

(908) 313-7799

WANT TO LOSE WEIGHTAND GET INTO SHAPE?

APARTMENT FOR RENT

Westfield - Newly painted onebedroom, 2nd floor, $900 permonth includes water, parking.Central Avenue location. Call forappointment and information.

(908) 232-1111

SUMMER RENTAL

Long Beach Island4 Bedrooms,

1 house from OceanCall (908) 233-6751

evenings only

4 ROOMS FOR RENT

KENILWORTH - 4Rms, All Util.,Use of Laundry Rm., No Smkg,No Pets, 1-1/2 mos. security,$975, Avail 5/1. (908) 272-2562

GARDEN CENTER STAFF

Parker Gardens in Scotch Plainsis hiring general garden centerstaff for the summer season.Garden Center duties includesome of the following: customerassistance/sales; loading/unloading merchandise; weeding,stocking, cashier, etc. Applicationsare being taken at:1325 Terrill Rd, Scotch Plains.

[email protected] (877) 623-8873

EOE/MF

APARTMENT FOR RENT

Westfield-Northside. Attractive5RM Duplex. Walk to town & NYCTransp. CAC, W/D, DW,HdWdFlrs. $1500 + Utils. Pleasereply to (908) 322-1238. No Fee.

LBI SUMMER RENTAL

BEACH HAVEN GARDENSOceanblock Pristine, Cape CodBeach house, 5 houses from theocean, Best location! 1 block toAcme, movies, Skipper DippersIce Cream. 5 bedroom/2bath,Sleeps 10 (new beds) & toddlerfriendly w/1 crib. C/Air, Cable,VCR, Grill, Great backyard forBBQ’s and R&R, new everything.Will e-mail pictures on request.Availability June/July/Aug/Sept.Contact John at (908) 803-2290

HOUSE CLEANING

Sit back and relax!Let me do the cleaning for you!

Ref, 8 years exp, Englishspeaking. Call Christine at

(908) 527-6261.

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICESCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD BOARD OF EDUCATION

2004-2005ANNUAL NOTICE OF REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS

(N.J.S.A. 10:4-8d)

ALL MEETINGS HELD AT:Administration Building

Evergreen Avenue and Cedar StreetScotch Plains, New Jersey 07076

OPEN AGENDA MEETINGS - 7:30 p.m.(8:00 p.m. Public Participation)

Thursday, May 13, 2004 Thursday, January 13, 2005Thursday, June 10, 2004 (7:00 p.m. start) Thursday, February 10, 2005Thursday, September 9, 2004 Thursday, March 10, 2005Thursday, October 14, 2004 Thursday, April 14, 2005Thursday, November 11, 2004 Thursday, May 12, 2005Thursday, December 9, 2004

The Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. to recess into executive session, and will return to thepublic meeting at 8:00 p.m. at which time action may be taken.

REGULAR PUBLIC MEETINGS - 7:30 p.m.(8:00 p.m. Public Participation)

Thursday, May 27, 2004 (7:00 p.m. start) Tuesday, November 23, 2004Tuesday, June 29, 2004 Tuesday, December 21, 2004Thursday, July 29, 2004 Thursday, January 27, 2005Thursday, August 26, 2004 Thursday, February 24, 2005Thursday, September 23, 2004 Tuesday, March 29, 2005Thursday, October 28, 2004 Tuesday, May 24, 2005

The Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. to recess into executive session, and will return to thepublic meeting at 8:00 p.m. at which time action will be taken.

Tuesday, May 3, 2005 - Annual Organization Meeting

Approved: April 29, 20041 T - 5/6/04, The Times Fee: $61.20

HELP WANTED

REAL ESTATE, Agents atBurgdorff ERA are breaking allrecords. ERA’s #1 Real Estatefirm has training classes startingsoon. Scholarships available.

Call 1-866-BURGDORFF orwww.burgdorff.com\careers

HELP WANTED

Do you enjoy Fun, Fitness, andFlexibility? An established children’sFUN fitness program seeks per-sons who possess leadership &admin skills, and enjoys workingwith children 2-7 yrs. old. Don’tmiss this FUN opportunity, jumpaboard and join our team! ChildCare Center experience is a plus.

(732) 578-1BUS (1287)fax: (732) 389-7824

email: [email protected]

HELP WANTED

Waitstaff and kitchen staff for localrestaurant. Flexible hours,competitive salary. Experiencerequired. Ask for Tim 10:00am-3:00pm (908) 232-7320

MATH TUTOR

Ivy-level mathematics degree.SAT, calculus, trigonmetry,algebra, writing, study skills.

Joe (908) 781-0888

EDUCATION

CAREGIVERSFT/PT for day care center in

Westfield location. Experiencepreferred. Call Cheryl

(908) 518-0900 TAROT CARDPSYCHIC READINGS

BY MRS. DStressed, Confused

Broken HeartedGuaranteed Help and Advisor

in one visitFree Question by Phone

(908) 789-3043


PLANNING BOARD

Notice is hereby given that the WestfieldPlanning Board at its meeting on MondayMay 3, 2004 memorialized the followingBoard action of Monday, April 5, 2004:

04-05 MICHAEL & ROBIN INCE, 221MARYLAND STREET, ANDGUSTAVE & JOANNEBUONANNO, 229 MARYLANDSTREET, BLOCK 5711, LOTS 7 &8, SEEKING MINOR SUBDIVI-SION (LOT LINE ADJUSTMENT).APPLICANTS SEEKING TOMOVE THE LOT LINE BETWEENLOTS 7 & 8 IN BLOCK 5711, 29FEET TO THE NORTH EAST TOCREATE A MORE UNIFORM LOTPATTERN ON THE STREET. NONEW LOT WILL BE CREATED. –Approved with conditions.


1 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $21.93


PLANNING BOARD

Notice is hereby given that the WestfieldPlanning Board at its meeting on MondayApril 5, 2004 memorialized the followingBoard action of Monday, May 3, 2004:

04-06(V) BURGER R US, LLC, 251NORTH AVENUE, BLOCK3103, LOT 8, PROPOSES TOOCCUPY THE PREMISESFORMERLY OCCUPIED BYGREAT HARVEST BREADCOMPANY FOR CHEEBURGER CHEE BURGERRESTAURANT. THE SEAT-ING CAPACITY IS PROPOSEDTO INCREASE BY 47 SEATS.THE APPLICATION IS A MODI-FICATION OF UTILIZATIONREQUIRING PRELIMINARYAND FINAL MAJOR SITE PLANAPPROVAL. – Approved withconditions.


1 T - 5/6/04, The Leader Fee: $23.46

See it all on the Web!See it all in Color!

www.goleader.com


Local StarsLocal StarsLocal StarsLocal StarsLocal StarsSASASASASAGE, NJCVGE, NJCVGE, NJCVGE, NJCVGE, NJCVA CollaborateA CollaborateA CollaborateA CollaborateA Collaborate

FFFFFor ‘or ‘or ‘or ‘or ‘ArArArArArt frt frt frt frt from the Hom the Hom the Hom the Hom the Hearearearearearttttt’’’’’

BUDDING ARTIST…BUDDING ARTIST…BUDDING ARTIST…BUDDING ARTIST…BUDDING ARTIST…Bertha Youngstrom of Westfield participated in the “ArtBertha Youngstrom of Westfield participated in the “ArtBertha Youngstrom of Westfield participated in the “ArtBertha Youngstrom of Westfield participated in the “ArtBertha Youngstrom of Westfield participated in the “Artfrom the Heart” program. Some of the featured artwork is pictured behind her.from the Heart” program. Some of the featured artwork is pictured behind her.from the Heart” program. Some of the featured artwork is pictured behind her.from the Heart” program. Some of the featured artwork is pictured behind her.from the Heart” program. Some of the featured artwork is pictured behind her.

SUMMIT SUMMIT SUMMIT SUMMIT SUMMIT — — — — — SAGE, a commu-nity resource for eldercare, and theNew Jersey Center for Visual Arts(NJCVA), recently created notecardswith a special story.

Two years ago the non-profit or-ganizations launched an art programfor the seniors at SAGE’s adult dayhealthcare center, Spend-A-Day(SPAD). With the help of fundingfrom the Summit Area Public Foun-dation, the program, “Art from theHeart” provides a weekly creativeoutlet for SPAD clients to explore avariety of media including painting,crafts, ceramics and jewelry-making.

NJCVA instructors lead the classesand since its inception, the programhas provided seniors the opportu-nity for personal growth and a senseof accomplishment and expressionthrough their artwork.

S. K. Duff, a former art instructorfor the program said, “The ‘Art fromthe Heart’ program proves the old

adage that one is never too old tolearn. As an art educator, friend andvolunteer, I have cherished my in-volvement with the folks at SAGE’sSpend-A-Day. It is always rewardingto see that flicker of recognitionwhen someone grasps an art conceptor medium; and truly gratifying tosee folks who have not labeled them-selves as artistic, finding self-expres-sion and creativity within themselves– especially in their senior years.”

In April, SAGE and NJCVA pro-duced notecards to share some of theartwork that seniors at Spend-A-Daycreated. Each package contains fourdifferent notecards featuring printsof brightly-colored paintings. Thenotecards are blank inside to allowpersonal messages.

To obtain a pack of four notecardsfor a donation of $5 to either of theorganizations, please call SAGE at(908) 273-5550 or the NJCVA at(908) 273-9121.

NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ YYYYYouth South South South South SymphonyymphonyymphonyymphonyymphonyConcerConcerConcerConcerConcert t t t t WWWWWillillillillill I I I I IncludencludencludencludencludeRRRRResidentsesidentsesidentsesidentsesidents fr fr fr fr from Arom Arom Arom Arom Areaeaeaeaea

SSSSSt. Pt. Pt. Pt. Pt. Peter beter beter beter beter by the Sy the Sy the Sy the Sy the Sea Concerea Concerea Concerea Concerea ConcertttttWWWWWill Aid Counseling Sill Aid Counseling Sill Aid Counseling Sill Aid Counseling Sill Aid Counseling Sererererervicevicevicevicevice

PROMOTING THE CONCERT…Trustees of Youth and Family CounselingPROMOTING THE CONCERT…Trustees of Youth and Family CounselingPROMOTING THE CONCERT…Trustees of Youth and Family CounselingPROMOTING THE CONCERT…Trustees of Youth and Family CounselingPROMOTING THE CONCERT…Trustees of Youth and Family CounselingService (YFCS) deliver posters announcing the benefit concert by the ReverendService (YFCS) deliver posters announcing the benefit concert by the ReverendService (YFCS) deliver posters announcing the benefit concert by the ReverendService (YFCS) deliver posters announcing the benefit concert by the ReverendService (YFCS) deliver posters announcing the benefit concert by the ReverendAlphonse Stephenson and his Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea to David Sutter ofAlphonse Stephenson and his Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea to David Sutter ofAlphonse Stephenson and his Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea to David Sutter ofAlphonse Stephenson and his Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea to David Sutter ofAlphonse Stephenson and his Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea to David Sutter ofLancaster, Ltd. in Westfield. Pictured, left to right, are: front row; Ann Robinson,Lancaster, Ltd. in Westfield. Pictured, left to right, are: front row; Ann Robinson,Lancaster, Ltd. in Westfield. Pictured, left to right, are: front row; Ann Robinson,Lancaster, Ltd. in Westfield. Pictured, left to right, are: front row; Ann Robinson,Lancaster, Ltd. in Westfield. Pictured, left to right, are: front row; Ann Robinson,Concert Chairman Jim Slabe, Arlene Peterson, Elizabeth Hertherington, and backConcert Chairman Jim Slabe, Arlene Peterson, Elizabeth Hertherington, and backConcert Chairman Jim Slabe, Arlene Peterson, Elizabeth Hertherington, and backConcert Chairman Jim Slabe, Arlene Peterson, Elizabeth Hertherington, and backConcert Chairman Jim Slabe, Arlene Peterson, Elizabeth Hertherington, and backrow; Barbara Nelson, David Roth, YFCS Board of Trustees President Dick Ripperow; Barbara Nelson, David Roth, YFCS Board of Trustees President Dick Ripperow; Barbara Nelson, David Roth, YFCS Board of Trustees President Dick Ripperow; Barbara Nelson, David Roth, YFCS Board of Trustees President Dick Ripperow; Barbara Nelson, David Roth, YFCS Board of Trustees President Dick Rippeand Mr. Sutter.and Mr. Sutter.and Mr. Sutter.and Mr. Sutter.and Mr. Sutter.

WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD – The 14th AnnualConcert presented by FatherAlphonse Stephenson and his Or-chestra of St. Peter by the Sea tobenefit the Youth and Family Coun-seling Service (YFCS) will be heldon Saturday, May 22, at 8 p.m. atThe Presbyterian Church ofWestfield.

Father Alphonse and his 45-mem-ber orchestra of professional musi-cians have performed for audiencesfor the past 18 years, both on tourand at their summer concert series,the Festival of the Atlantic at PointPleasant Beach.

The May 22 program will includea diverse blend of classical, popularand patriotic music, enhanced bywitty, educational introductions byFather Alphonse.

Posters announcing the concerthave been distributed in all commu-nities served by YFCS. Tickets are

now available at the following out-lets: Lancaster, Ltd. and St Helen’sRoman Catholic Church, both ofWestfield; Shawn’s West MountainAuto Center in Mountainside; Irma’sHallmark in Fanwood; Michelle’sHallmark in Cranford, and CountrySquire Men’s Shop in Clark.

Tickets are $25 for general admis-sion, $20 for senior citizens over 65years old, and $10 for students 18and under. Patron seating is avail-able for $60. Sponsorship listing inthe evening’s program, which in-cludes two patron tickets to the con-cert, are available for a $300 contri-bution.

For more information about theconcert or to purchase tickets, pleasecall YFCS at (908) 233-2042.

By MICHAEL S. GOLDBERGERBy MICHAEL S. GOLDBERGERBy MICHAEL S. GOLDBERGERBy MICHAEL S. GOLDBERGERBy MICHAEL S. GOLDBERGER2 POPCORNS

At the beginning of Man on Fire, anoverlong but eventually absorbing tale ofrevenge starring Denzel Washington, weare made privy to a statistic: There is akidnapping in Latin America every 64minutes.

Now, they don’t break that up intocountries or regions. For instance, is itonly every 30 minutes in Colombia, letus say, but a full two hours and 13minutes between snatchings in Bolivia?Also, we wonder, when you say kidnap-ping, do you really mean just kids, or areyou including grownups, as in rich ex-ecutives? After all, empty nesters maynot want to let this bad news get in theway of their wanderlust if it’s just totsthey’re abducting.

But more important, we’re not reallysure just what constitutes Latin America.By that, do you mean just predomi-nantly Spanish-speaking countries Southof the border? If so, are there individualnumbers for Brazil? And last, as well asprobably least, did you figure Surinaminto the count? You remember Surinamfrom grammar school…it’s also knownas Dutch Guiana. Psst…is there still aSurinam?

The sarcasm is put forward just tokeep things honest. To punch a few holesin the premise that’s about to shame-lessly manipulate us nevertheless. We getthe idea. Bottom line, specious or other-wise, for director Tony Scott’s purposesthe message is clear. Poor countries, mean-ing countries where the disparity be-tween rich and poor is overwhelming,may give the outward appearance of ci-vility. The modern technological trap-pings in downtown Third World mayfool you. Said sovereign may have tradeagreements with the world leaders. Maybethey even contain a burg that’s a sistercity to your own snug and secure prov-ince. But if there is no worker bee middleclass to ensure the society’s morals, so-cially as well as legally, then you haveproblems.

Case in point: Mexico City, home tocute little Pita (Dakota Fanning). HerMexican father (Marc Anthony), obvi-ously of Patrician background, and herbeautiful American mother (RadhaMitchell) realize the importance of ob-taining an insurance policy. Insurancethat will pay her ransom in the case thattragic need arises.

However, the firm issuing said policydemands that the insured take steps toprevent the unthinkable. And thus tothat end Sam and Lisa are required tohire a bodyguard. Enter Denzel Wash-ington, who will heretofore be re-ferred to only as Creasy. He’s the body-guard.

He’s a real bargain. That’s a goodthing, because business isn’t going sowell for Sam. The downside is thatCreasy comes at a discount for areason…his drinking problem. It’s allabout cheap labor and how best to ex-ploit it. It’ll attract every carpetbaggeron the globe. Consider Creasy the film’sheroic symbol of that unfortunate func-tion.

By the way, something’s going onhere. If you’ve seen more than a coupleof movies in your day, you’ll note di-rector Scott’s sending us a telegram. Itinforms that the padrone is desperatelytrying to cut some sort of deal withGM. That’s well and good. But what’sgot our antennae at full staff is theroom full of candles he’s counting onto land that contract. Not exactly whatthey teach you at Wharton. Is he justreal religious? Seems a bit spooky forour tastes.

It could be I’m just reading a lot intothings. But then screenwriter Brian

Helgeland’s sometimes painfully plod-ding script leaves you with a little toomuch time on your hands…time to con-template all the possibilities.

Truth is, while there are some twistsand turns along the way, for the mostpart Man on Fire is to kidnapping whatTraffic (2000) is to the drug trade. Onlynowhere near as good. Multi-layeredconspiracy abounds. Even the cinema-tography emulates director StevenSoderbergh’s jagged style, purposelybleached out at times to represent theoppressive climate, literally as well associologically.

So, let’s just do a sub-total. There’sthis tiresomely derivative nature. Andthe exposition leading to the plot’s cen-tral crisis takes up nearly half of thefilm’s 146 minutes. But aha, there arestill two attributes that say, “OK, so I’mnot worth paying $8 at the Cineplex.But you might want to consider rentingme when I become available at thevideo store…that is, if nothing betterstrikes your fancy.” And those factorsare Fanning as the rather endearing Pitain search of a hero, and Mr. Washingtonas the tarnished angel most likely to fillthat bill.

Granted, if any instructions aboutoriginality came with the screenplay,filmmaker Scott misplaced them. Still,in its limited way, the cliché works. It’sthat second chance stuff. Our betterinstincts make us suckers for it. Themovies has always served to correct reallife…to patch up our inhumane defi-ciencies. Redemption abounds. Notlike in real life.

What offers us hope in Man on Fire isCreasy’s quest for grace. Of course hedoesn’t seem to care about anything butthe bottle at first. Which calls for somebackground. We learn from his talkswith old pal Rayburn (ChristopherWalken) that the two did their share ofmurder and mayhem whilst carrying outall manner of covert, anti-terrorist mis-sions with the Marines.

Rayburn, who suggests our man forthe bodyguard job, has settled into anuneasy but lucrative life protecting big-wigs in Mexico City. Unfortunately,Creasy hasn’t quite found his post-kill-ing machine self.

Then, in a bit of dour irony, theopportunity arises. Not right away,though. The bodyguard job is just thefirst step. It allows Creasy a very brief,Platonistic glimpse of himself via theadoring little girl’s eyes…the perfectCreasy, a knight in shining armor. It’swhen things go awry that the ex-Marinesettles on his true purpose… his sealeddestiny, if you will. Creasy is about tomove from the on-deck circle to thebatter’s box.

Delivered from lesser lips, we mightcringe when Christopher Walken’shighfalutin mercenary explains hisfriend’s reactions thusly: “She showedhim it was OK to live.” But we buy inanyway. It’s our moviegoer conditioning.Plus, we’ve put so much time in already.Might as well stick around for the fire-works.

But just to further set the mood beforesending us on our bloodthirsty, retaliat-ing way, the movie, with the enthusiasmof a waiter announcing the specials, sug-gests: Revenge is a meal best eaten cold.Which is just dandy if you’re hungry fora helping of Rambo meets Death Wish(1974). Those with more discriminatingtastes will prefer to dine elsewhere.

* * * * * * *MMMMMan on Fan on Fan on Fan on Fan on Fiririririreeeee, rated R, is a 20th

Century Fox Pictures release directed byTony Scott and stars Denzel Washing-ton, Dakota Fanning and RadhaMitchell. Running time: 146 minutes.

POPCORNPOPCORNPOPCORNPOPCORNPOPCORN™

One Popcorn, Poor • Two Popcorns, Fair • Three Popcorns, Good • Four Popcorns, Excellent

MMMMMan on Fan on Fan on Fan on Fan on Fiririririre: e: e: e: e: NNNNNot Sot Sot Sot Sot So Ho Ho Ho Ho Hototototot

‘‘‘‘‘ArArArArArt in t in t in t in t in WWWWWestfieldestfieldestfieldestfieldestfield’ S’ S’ S’ S’ Shohohohohowwwww, S, S, S, S, SalealealealealeTTTTTo Fo Fo Fo Fo Fill Dill Dill Dill Dill Dooooowntowntowntowntowntown on Mwn on Mwn on Mwn on Mwn on May 8ay 8ay 8ay 8ay 8

WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD – Westfield Art As-sociation (WAA) artists will exhibittheir talents and artwork during the“Art in Westfield” Sidewalk Art Showand Sale on Saturday, May 8, from10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtownWestfield. The raindate is Saturday,May 15.

For over 60 years, WAA artistshave exhibited in Westfield for thecommunity. The fine art show is oneof the few outdoor art shows in thestate that features original art.

Over 65 artists will display theiroil, watercolor, acrylic and pastelpaintings, as well as sculpture, draw-ings, prints and photography. Theartists will explain their work, thecreative process and the media thatthey employ.

The show will be judged and over$1,500 in prizes will be awarded. Arteligible in all categories will be hon-ored with Awards of Excellences,Awards of Merit, and HonorableMention.

The Purchase Award for theWestfield Scene will be permanentlydisplayed in the art collection of theDowntown Westfield Corporation(DWC) at 105 Elm Street.

The family of the late DorothySplinter, a longtime Westfield resi-dent and devoted WAA member, willsponsor a special award, the DorothySplinter Memorial Award for StillLife Painting.

The prize-winning art for thesetwo awards will be on display at theinformation booth at the corner ofElm and East Broad Streets follow-

ing the selection.The Honorable Mention awards

will be Westfield Gift Coins, spon-sored by the Westfield Area Cham-ber of Commerce (WACC).

Corresponding colored balloonswill mark the locations of the prize-winners. Those individuals who can-not attend the show may view theaward-winning art selection atWestfield Interiors during May.

Peter Bocour of Montclair, aprominent New Jersey/New Yorkartist, will judge the show.

Chips the Clown, who will repre-sent the Humpty Dumpty SafetyFoundation and present some safetytips, will be stationed in the front ofBombay. The Dixie All-Stars fromthe Westfield Community Band willperform in front of PNC Bank at1:30 p.m. Alphorn playing with Dr.Theodore Schlosberg will begin at 3p.m. in the front of the New JerseyWorkshop for the Arts.

Artist demonstrations will be heldduring the show. Stephen D’Amatowill instruct portraiture from 10 to11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 3 p.m. in thefront of Children’s Place. James Clarkwill feature head sketches andstreetscapes in color pencil and char-coal in front of Kaybee Toys, whileGlen Howard will demonstrateprintmaking near Wachovia Bank.

The “Art in Westfield” Show andSale is cosponsored by the DWCand WACC. For more information,please call the WACC at (908) 233-3021 or the WAA at (908) 232-7058.

County Announces Line-UCounty Announces Line-UCounty Announces Line-UCounty Announces Line-UCounty Announces Line-UpppppFFFFFor Sor Sor Sor Sor Summer Concerummer Concerummer Concerummer Concerummer Concert St St St St Serieserieserieserieseries

COUNTCOUNTCOUNTCOUNTCOUNTY Y Y Y Y — The Union CountyBoard of Chosen Freeholders has un-veiled its schedule for this year’s freeSummer Arts Festival Concert Series.

“I am eagerly anticipating one ofthe best concert series in the area thissummer,” said Freeholder ChairmanAngel Estrada. “We have many of ourmost popular acts returning but havealso added some new talent I’m sureeveryone will enjoy.”

Concerts are scheduled eachWednesday evening from 7:30 p.m.in the natural amphitheater area ofEcho Lake Park, conveniently locatedoff of Route 22 on the border ofMountainside and Westfield.

The lineup for this summer’s seriesis:

• June 30 – The New Jersey Sym-phony Orchestra;

• July 7 – “Mustang Sally”;• July 14 – “De Sol”;• July 21 – “The Brass Tacks Big

Band”;• July 28 – “Verdict”;• August 4 – “The Sensational Soul

Cruisers”;• August 11 – “Ed Palermo Big

Band” with Rob Paparozzi;• August 18 – “Jobonanno & The

Godsons of Soul” and “CaptainHawker & The All Stars”;

• August 25 – “The Party Dolls”“Each summer for the past 44 years,

thousands of area residents have en-joyed a variety of musical perfor-mances,” said Freeholder Estrada.

“It is through the generous supportof area businesses, organizations, andindividuals, that we are able to pro-vide a full season of free entertain-ment,” added Freeholder MaryRuotolo, Liaison to the Union CountyParks and Recreation Advisory Board.“This is an opportunity for local com-panies to reach a large audience at aspecific concert or a number of con-certs. Several levels of donations areavailable, and all contributors will beincluded in our Summer Arts Festivalprogram book, which is distributedto thousands of concert patrons ateach of the nine concerts.”

Sponsorships can be acknowledgedincluding concert programs, adver-tising in media press releases andrecognition on stage. To participatein the donors program, please call theUnion County Department of Parksand Recreation, before Friday, May14, at (908) 527-4900.

MURRAMURRAMURRAMURRAMURRAY HILLY HILLY HILLY HILLY HILL – The NewJersey Youth Symphony, Inc. willcontinue to celebrate its 25th An-niversary Concert Season with aSunday, May 9, concert perfor-mance, which will include localresidents.

Slated for 4 p.m. at ImmaculateConception Church inAnnandale, the performance willbe presented by the New JerseyYouth Orchestra and led by Artis-tic Director Barbara Barstow.

Participating musicians fromWestfield include bassoonist BenBaron, cellist Caroline Cariste,and violinists Caroline Leung andJennifer Zhu. Violinist DyogiHyacinth and violist MelissaLoewinger, both of Scotch Plains,will perform. Berkeley Heightsmusicians include violinists LindaChang, Michael Fang, AndrewLee, and Justin Yeh, as well astrumpeter Eric Michael Wolf.

For more information, pleasecall (908) 771-5544 or visitwww.njys.org.

Michelle H. Le Poidevin for The Leader/The Times“Dan,” by Steve Tomczyk, oil, not for“Dan,” by Steve Tomczyk, oil, not for“Dan,” by Steve Tomczyk, oil, not for“Dan,” by Steve Tomczyk, oil, not for“Dan,” by Steve Tomczyk, oil, not forsale.sale.sale.sale.sale.


SP-F Art Show

Michelle H. Le Poidevin for The Leader/The Times“Potpourri of Blossoms,” by Betsy Ruff,“Potpourri of Blossoms,” by Betsy Ruff,“Potpourri of Blossoms,” by Betsy Ruff,“Potpourri of Blossoms,” by Betsy Ruff,“Potpourri of Blossoms,” by Betsy Ruff,watercolor, $150.watercolor, $150.watercolor, $150.watercolor, $150.watercolor, $150.

oil portrait, “Dan.” He certainly has agrasp on presenting captivating sub-ject matter with profound accuracy,emotion and detail.

Regrettably, photography was notthis exhibition’s strong suit. Perhapsthis is something the association mightlook to improve in future demonstra-tions, as the six entries were not asimpressive as those seen in WAA ex-hibits or others shared locally.

Former Westfield Art AssociationPresident Jean McCullough, an artteacher and painter, judged the show,awarding a gold ribbon for “Best inShow,” blue ribbons for First Place,red ribbons for Second Place, yellowribbons for Third Place, and greenribbons for Honorable Mention.

During the Awards Presentation onMay 1, ribbons were given to thefollowing individuals for their respec-tive works:

FIRST PLACE – BLUE RIBBONSFIRST PLACE – BLUE RIBBONSFIRST PLACE – BLUE RIBBONSFIRST PLACE – BLUE RIBBONSFIRST PLACE – BLUE RIBBONSMarie Gerus: “Flower Fantasy”Marie Gerus: “Flower Fantasy”Marie Gerus: “Flower Fantasy”Marie Gerus: “Flower Fantasy”Marie Gerus: “Flower Fantasy”

Roman Gerus: “Sea Fantasy”Roman Gerus: “Sea Fantasy”Roman Gerus: “Sea Fantasy”Roman Gerus: “Sea Fantasy”Roman Gerus: “Sea Fantasy”Ruth Obeid: “Fall”Ruth Obeid: “Fall”Ruth Obeid: “Fall”Ruth Obeid: “Fall”Ruth Obeid: “Fall”Steve Tomczyk: “Dan”Steve Tomczyk: “Dan”Steve Tomczyk: “Dan”Steve Tomczyk: “Dan”Steve Tomczyk: “Dan”Joan Westernik: “Carousel Horse”Joan Westernik: “Carousel Horse”Joan Westernik: “Carousel Horse”Joan Westernik: “Carousel Horse”Joan Westernik: “Carousel Horse”Peter Hovanec: “Up of Michigan”Peter Hovanec: “Up of Michigan”Peter Hovanec: “Up of Michigan”Peter Hovanec: “Up of Michigan”Peter Hovanec: “Up of Michigan”

SECOND PLACE – RED RIBBONSSECOND PLACE – RED RIBBONSSECOND PLACE – RED RIBBONSSECOND PLACE – RED RIBBONSSECOND PLACE – RED RIBBONSKen Malpas: “Danielle Nicole”Ken Malpas: “Danielle Nicole”Ken Malpas: “Danielle Nicole”Ken Malpas: “Danielle Nicole”Ken Malpas: “Danielle Nicole”Phil Kass: “Halloween Eve”Phil Kass: “Halloween Eve”Phil Kass: “Halloween Eve”Phil Kass: “Halloween Eve”Phil Kass: “Halloween Eve”Robert Hahn: “Rutgers Museum”Robert Hahn: “Rutgers Museum”Robert Hahn: “Rutgers Museum”Robert Hahn: “Rutgers Museum”Robert Hahn: “Rutgers Museum”

THIRD PLACE – YELLOW RIBBONSTHIRD PLACE – YELLOW RIBBONSTHIRD PLACE – YELLOW RIBBONSTHIRD PLACE – YELLOW RIBBONSTHIRD PLACE – YELLOW RIBBONSAnne Gibbons: “A Moment of Silence”Anne Gibbons: “A Moment of Silence”Anne Gibbons: “A Moment of Silence”Anne Gibbons: “A Moment of Silence”Anne Gibbons: “A Moment of Silence”Grace McDonald: “Victorian Beauty”Grace McDonald: “Victorian Beauty”Grace McDonald: “Victorian Beauty”Grace McDonald: “Victorian Beauty”Grace McDonald: “Victorian Beauty”

HONORABLE MENTION –HONORABLE MENTION –HONORABLE MENTION –HONORABLE MENTION –HONORABLE MENTION –GREEN RIBBONSGREEN RIBBONSGREEN RIBBONSGREEN RIBBONSGREEN RIBBONS

Mary Hovanec: “So Lonely”Mary Hovanec: “So Lonely”Mary Hovanec: “So Lonely”Mary Hovanec: “So Lonely”Mary Hovanec: “So Lonely”Ruth Grabner: “Portrait of Beth & Hat”Ruth Grabner: “Portrait of Beth & Hat”Ruth Grabner: “Portrait of Beth & Hat”Ruth Grabner: “Portrait of Beth & Hat”Ruth Grabner: “Portrait of Beth & Hat”Christine Scott: “Bright Vista”Christine Scott: “Bright Vista”Christine Scott: “Bright Vista”Christine Scott: “Bright Vista”Christine Scott: “Bright Vista”Betsy Ruff: “Potpourri of Blossoms”Betsy Ruff: “Potpourri of Blossoms”Betsy Ruff: “Potpourri of Blossoms”Betsy Ruff: “Potpourri of Blossoms”Betsy Ruff: “Potpourri of Blossoms”Rita Hahn: “Shannon’s Pet Peeves”Rita Hahn: “Shannon’s Pet Peeves”Rita Hahn: “Shannon’s Pet Peeves”Rita Hahn: “Shannon’s Pet Peeves”Rita Hahn: “Shannon’s Pet Peeves”Marjorie McConnell: “Symphocarpus Foetidus”Marjorie McConnell: “Symphocarpus Foetidus”Marjorie McConnell: “Symphocarpus Foetidus”Marjorie McConnell: “Symphocarpus Foetidus”Marjorie McConnell: “Symphocarpus Foetidus”

BEST IN SHOW – GOLD RIBBONBEST IN SHOW – GOLD RIBBONBEST IN SHOW – GOLD RIBBONBEST IN SHOW – GOLD RIBBONBEST IN SHOW – GOLD RIBBON

Arline Melchior: “Grey Wolf”Arline Melchior: “Grey Wolf”Arline Melchior: “Grey Wolf”Arline Melchior: “Grey Wolf”Arline Melchior: “Grey Wolf”

May 8, with new publications on men-tal health. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.,local author Dorothy Cantor will pro-mote FFFFFinding inding inding inding inding YYYYYour our our our our VVVVVoice : Aoice : Aoice : Aoice : Aoice : AWWWWWomanomanomanomanoman’’’’’s Gs Gs Gs Gs Guide to Uuide to Uuide to Uuide to Uuide to Using Ssing Ssing Ssing Ssing Self elf elf elf elf TTTTTalkalkalkalkalkfor Ffor Ffor Ffor Ffor Fulfilling Rulfilling Rulfilling Rulfilling Rulfilling Relationships, elationships, elationships, elationships, elationships, WWWWWorororororkkkkkand Lifeand Lifeand Lifeand Lifeand Life. This groundbreaking book,compiled by a group of mentalhealthcare professionals, may just helpyou uncover what you want and needin order to create a more fulfilling,happier life, as the authors explore thepopularly promoted image of the mod-ern woman and tackle all the issuesthat challenge us today. This will befollowed by Joseph Colichio’s novel,The The The The The TTTTTrrrrrouble witb Mouble witb Mouble witb Mouble witb Mouble witb Mental ental ental ental ental WWWWWellnessellnessellnessellnessellnessfrom 2 to 4 p.m. In this story, a client’ssuicide almost spells disaster for a hap-less therapist in his Jersey City prac-tice.


GGGGGet Oet Oet Oet Oet Outta the Hutta the Hutta the Hutta the Hutta the Houseouseouseouseouse

BBBBBrrrrreeeeeznitsky Pznitsky Pznitsky Pznitsky Pznitsky PublishesublishesublishesublishesublishesEssay inEssay inEssay inEssay inEssay in Riv Riv Riv Riv RivererererercraftcraftcraftcraftcraftSCOSCOSCOSCOSCOTTTTTCH PLCH PLCH PLCH PLCH PLAINSAINSAINSAINSAINS – Erin

Breznitsky of Scotch Plains haspublished the nonfiction essay,“The Mystery of the Nancy DrewStories” and the poems “Memo-rial Service” and “Boardwalk atNight Ocean City” through edu-cational competition in the 2004edition of Rivercraft, the on-cam-pus literary magazine atSusquehanna University inSelinsgrove, Pa.

Erin, the daughter of Mr. andMrs. Thomas Breznitsky of ScotchPlains, is a sophomore writingmajor. She graduated ScotchPlains-Fanwood High School in2002.

See It All in Color:www.goleader.com

County ECounty ECounty ECounty ECounty Emplomplomplomplomployyyyyees, Fees, Fees, Fees, Fees, FamiliesamiliesamiliesamiliesamiliesIIIIInvited to Envited to Envited to Envited to Envited to Exhibit Arxhibit Arxhibit Arxhibit Arxhibit Artwortwortwortwortworkkkkk

COUNTCOUNTCOUNTCOUNTCOUNTY Y Y Y Y – The Union CountyBoard of Chosen Freeholders willpresent its second annual program, inpartnership with the National ArtsProgram, to offer county employeesand their families an opportunity toexhibit their artwork.

“Artistic and creative talent resides ineveryone,” commended Freeholder MaryRuotolo, Liaison to the Cultural andHeritage Program Advisory Board. “It isour intention to continue to give UnionCounty employees and their families aforum to showcase their talent.”

Entries will be accepted in the cat-egories of painting, photography, art-works on paper, sculpture and crafts.Recognized artists and art profession-als will serve as judges, selecting en-trants for cash rewards, scholarshipsand honorable mention in theexhibition’s five artistic classifications:amateur (little or no experience); in-termediate (some experience); ad-vanced (extensive art training); youth

ages 12 to 18; and youth under 12 years.In the adult classifications, each first

place winner will receive $300; secondplace will earn $200, and third placewill receive $100 each. There is one$300 prize for “Best in Show.” In eachyouth classification, $75 will beawarded to first place winners, $50 tosecond place winners, and $25 to thirdplace winners. The National Arts Pro-gram will provide the prizes.

“The Freeholders share the goal ofthe National Arts Program to reach asmany people as possible of all ages,offering them a chance to display theirartistic talents in a public exhibition,”added Freeholder Ruotolo.

The National Arts Program, whichreaches 150 cities and communitiesthroughout the United States, was es-tablished by Leonard Andrews, an artcollector, publisher, business executiveand journalist, “for the encouragementand development of artistic expression.”

Pre-registration is required byWednesday, May 5. Early registrationis encouraged. To request a registra-tion form and further information,please contact the Union County Di-vision of Cultural and Heritage Af-fairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth,07207, by calling (908) 558-2550, orby e-mailing [email protected].


Michelle H. Le Poidevin for The Leader/The Times“Victor ian Beauty,” by Grace“Victor ian Beauty,” by Grace“Victor ian Beauty,” by Grace“Victor ian Beauty,” by Grace“Victor ian Beauty,” by GraceMcDonald, oil, $400.McDonald, oil, $400.McDonald, oil, $400.McDonald, oil, $400.McDonald, oil, $400.

WF WF WF WF WF VVVVViolinist Giolinist Giolinist Giolinist Giolinist Gaskill:askill:askill:askill:askill:SSSSShorhorhorhorhort on t on t on t on t on WWWWWororororords, Bds, Bds, Bds, Bds, ButututututEEEEExtensivxtensivxtensivxtensivxtensive on e on e on e on e on TTTTTalentalentalentalentalentBy SUSAN M. DOUGHERTYBy SUSAN M. DOUGHERTYBy SUSAN M. DOUGHERTYBy SUSAN M. DOUGHERTYBy SUSAN M. DOUGHERTY


WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD — Where does avirtuoso go after having studied atJulliard, having been the Concertmas-ter at the American Philharmonic atCarnegie Hall, and having performedviolin at Lincoln Center for ten yearswith the Joffrey Ballet and MusicaSacrs?

If you are James Gaskill, you moveto Westfield, and become a masterteacher of the violin and viola, sharingyour passion for music and the instru-ment to scores of students.

His students have included the

Concertmasters of the New JerseyYouth Orchestra, the Newark YouthSymphony and students in the NewJersey Youth Symphony.

“I have had some extraordinary stu-dents,” he told The Westfield Leaderand The Scotch Plains-FanwoodTimes, as he looked back over the 15years he and his family have been inthis area.

After teaching private lessons on theviolin and viola for 30 years, lessons,one might expect he would have somestellar students to remember.

The violin teacher of Matthew

Leong, a Westfield High School sopho-more, was quick to tell of Matthew’sachievements.

“Last year, he was one of the fewfreshmen to ever make the RegionalHigh School Orchestra,” said Gaskill.This pupil was Concertmaster of theWestfield Elementary School Orches-tra and the Edison Middle SchoolOrchestra. He was also Principal Sec-ond of the New Jersey Youth Orches-tra and will be a member of the NewJersey Youth Symphony this year.

But Matthew Leong is only one ofmany success stories. In fact, 13 ofGaskill’s students have made it to the

New Jersey Youth Symphony this yearalone.

One of his former students, Chris-topher Fyhr, was Concertmaster of theCranford High School Orchestra, andwent on to major in violin at RutgersUniversity. When Fyhr was assistantConcertmaster at New Jersey Perform-ing Arts Center (NJPAC), Gaskill at-tended a concert.

“It was quite a thrill to see himthere,” he said, beaming like a proudparent.

Some of his students have beenwith him for half of their lifetime. Hespoke wistfully of one high schoolstudent who has been with him sincethe age of five who is moving out ofthe state.

“It breaks my heart to see this stu-dent go,” he shared.

“It’s remarkable to see talent de-velop,” he said. “And you really can’tpredict who will be dedicated anddisciplined to stick with it.”

When he sees talent, he said he justknows it right away. “Oh sometimesthere are surprises. In two or threemonths of not progressing, all of asudden they just take off and really getinto it,” he explained.

Although Gaskill thinks that five isthe best age to start the violin, peoplecan pick it up at any age.

“If they aren’t ready — sometimeskids are pushed by the parents — itdoesn’t work,” said Gaskill, who alsodiscussed the delicacy of walking a“tightrope” in pushing children orletting them develop at their ownpace.

Gaskill is a man passionate aboutmusic and teaching. In fact, he teachessix days a week. Although his 45 stu-dents ranging from age five to adultkeep him busy, from time to time hestill finds time to work in LincolnCenter.

He noted that he came to Westfieldfor the tranquility, after living in Man-hattan for most of his professional life.

According to Gaskill, one of theonly negative aspects of teaching vio-lin in Westfield is the competition forthe students’ time.

“We’re in constant competition withswim team, soccer…it’s a fight fortheir time,” he said.

It is difficult to do recitals with lotsof students because of the schedulingconflicts.

“They are usually just too busy,” hesaid of his students.

Before audition time rolls around,however, he will schedule a recital inhis house with a few students to getthem used to playing for a small audi-ence. Maybe that is why they do sowell in competition. And perhaps it isjust that his passion for music has beenpassed from teacher to student.

UUUUUnique Raffle Bnique Raffle Bnique Raffle Bnique Raffle Bnique Raffle Baskets to Easkets to Easkets to Easkets to Easkets to EnticenticenticenticenticeAAAAAttendees of ttendees of ttendees of ttendees of ttendees of WSO FWSO FWSO FWSO FWSO Friends riends riends riends riends TTTTTourourourourour

WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD — The WestfieldSymphony Orchestra (WSO)Friends will celebrate the landmark20th Anniversary of their Tour ofNotables Homes on Saturday, May8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., as theyshowcase five Westfield area resi-dences.

This Mother’s Day weekend, visi-tors can explore some of the dis-tinctly different yet equally beauti-ful design views on display as theyfollow the tour map through someof the town’s most endearing neigh-borhoods.

While the houses cover many de-sign spectrums — from the ornateand neo-classical to the folklore —and history-inspired, from the for-mality of sedate elegance to theyouthful assuredness of Americanand European eclecticism, all are

standard-bearers of good taste.Renee Trabert, Friends President,

noted that 26 luxurious themed giftbaskets will be featured in a rafflethat includes: a breakfast basket fromWilliams-Sonoma; Baby Layettefrom Bloomingdale’s; an all aboutgolf basket and other enticing itemslike a crystal pitcher from La JolieMaison in Summit; signature child-sized pedal powered BMW fromJMK BMW of Springfield; a HelenFrank print from Juxtapose Galleryin Westfield; a year’s supply of past-ries from Bakeshop Val of Garwood;one-of-a-kind spring handbag withaccessories from Bittersweet De-signs, Westfield; hand-painted cakeserver and matching dessert platesby Many Clever Hands; Italian ce-

ramic from Casabella and diningcertificates from Restaurant 89,Robert’s Steakhouse and The BrickOven, and many others.

During the tour, Joe Regan willplay standards from the classicAmerican songbook. Trader Joe’s willprovide free refreshments. There willalso be a plant sale.

All profits benefit the WSO,whose repertoire places it amongthe top New Jersey symphonies andthe state’s most precious artistic re-sources. The WSO also conductseducational outreach programs thattouch the lives of more than 2,000students through special concertsand master classes.

Tickets for Tour 2004 are $25 inadvance and $30 day of tour and areavailable for purchase at the follow-ing Westfield businesses and mer-

chants: Burgdorff Realtors, WeichertRealtors, Coldwell Banker Realtors,Baron’s Drug Store, Gift Monkey,Lancaster, Ltd., Poppyfields and theTown Bank of Westfield.

They are also available at Irma’sHallmark in Fanwood, Martin’s Jew-elers in Cranford and La Jolie Maisonin Summit. The tour is self-guidedand addresses for the homes on vieware printed on the tickets. A WSOHome Tour map is also provided.

For more information on the touror a schedule of WSO, please call(908) 232-9400 or visitwww.westfieldsymphony.com.

The award-winning WSO, com-prised of professional musicians ledby Maestro David Wroe, is the Resi-dent Orchestra of Union County.

BASKETS FULL OF GOODIES…During the Westfield Symphony Orches-BASKETS FULL OF GOODIES…During the Westfield Symphony Orches-BASKETS FULL OF GOODIES…During the Westfield Symphony Orches-BASKETS FULL OF GOODIES…During the Westfield Symphony Orches-BASKETS FULL OF GOODIES…During the Westfield Symphony Orches-tra Friends’ Annual Home Tour on Saturday, May 8, raffle baskets full of high-tra Friends’ Annual Home Tour on Saturday, May 8, raffle baskets full of high-tra Friends’ Annual Home Tour on Saturday, May 8, raffle baskets full of high-tra Friends’ Annual Home Tour on Saturday, May 8, raffle baskets full of high-tra Friends’ Annual Home Tour on Saturday, May 8, raffle baskets full of high-end, specialty goodies will be auctioned off. Pictured, left to right, holding twoend, specialty goodies will be auctioned off. Pictured, left to right, holding twoend, specialty goodies will be auctioned off. Pictured, left to right, holding twoend, specialty goodies will be auctioned off. Pictured, left to right, holding twoend, specialty goodies will be auctioned off. Pictured, left to right, holding twoof the 26 baskets included in the raffle, are: Deirdre Malacrea and Siobhanof the 26 baskets included in the raffle, are: Deirdre Malacrea and Siobhanof the 26 baskets included in the raffle, are: Deirdre Malacrea and Siobhanof the 26 baskets included in the raffle, are: Deirdre Malacrea and Siobhanof the 26 baskets included in the raffle, are: Deirdre Malacrea and SiobhanDavey.Davey.Davey.Davey.Davey.

Michelle H. Le Poidevin for The Leader/The Times“Danielle Nicole,” by Ken Malpas, oil,“Danielle Nicole,” by Ken Malpas, oil,“Danielle Nicole,” by Ken Malpas, oil,“Danielle Nicole,” by Ken Malpas, oil,“Danielle Nicole,” by Ken Malpas, oil,not for sale.not for sale.not for sale.not for sale.not for sale.

Michelle H. Le Poidevin for The Leader/The TimesPictured, top, “A Moment of Silence”Pictured, top, “A Moment of Silence”Pictured, top, “A Moment of Silence”Pictured, top, “A Moment of Silence”Pictured, top, “A Moment of Silence”by Anne Gibbons and “Russian Cottageby Anne Gibbons and “Russian Cottageby Anne Gibbons and “Russian Cottageby Anne Gibbons and “Russian Cottageby Anne Gibbons and “Russian CottageWindow” by Phil Kass.Window” by Phil Kass.Window” by Phil Kass.Window” by Phil Kass.Window” by Phil Kass.

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Get OuttaThe House

By CAROL F. DAVISBy CAROL F. DAVISBy CAROL F. DAVISBy CAROL F. DAVISBy CAROL F. DAVISSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

DDDDDinner inner inner inner inner WWWWWith Fith Fith Fith Fith Friendsriendsriendsriendsriends beginson Friday, May 7, at the SummitPlayhouse. The Pulitzer Prize-win-ning play highlights the lives oftwo couples who seem like aver-age, happy people, until they startto ask some of the tough ques-tions. There are performances allmonth, and tickets are $10 to$15. Call the Box Office at (908)273-2192 or visitwww.summitplayhouse.org. Theplayhouse is located just offSpringfield Avenue, at 10 NewEngland Avenue.

* * * * * * *Here is another opportunity to

sing and compete with theHHHHHickorickorickorickorickory y y y y TTTTTrrrrr ee Choree Choree Choree Choree Choru su su su su s, anacappella women’s group that wonthe Greater New York Region 15Competition last year. Come tothe NJYS/Suburban Music Cen-ter, 570 Central Avenue in NewProvidence on Wednesday, May19, and Wednesday, May 26, at7:15 p.m. If you make the grade,you’ll be on your way to the Octo-ber 2004 competition of the SweetAdelines in Indianapolis. For in-formation and directions, call(908) 522-1954.

* * * * * * *Folk music enthusiasts will en-

joy Saturday, May 8th’s perfor-mance of SSSSSongwriters in theongwriters in theongwriters in theongwriters in theongwriters in theRRRRRoundoundoundoundound, featuring NoamWeinstein and folk-duo, Too Hu-man. Admission is $12 for thisshow of the Coffee With Con-science Concert Series of Spring-field, at the Springfield EmanuelUnited Methodist Church, 40Church Mall (off Morris Avenue).Call (908) 232-8723.

* * * * * * *The CThe CThe CThe CThe Cranforranforranforranforranford Dd Dd Dd Dd Dramatic Clubramatic Clubramatic Clubramatic Clubramatic Club

is bringing Cole Porter’s showwithin a show, Kiss MKiss MKiss MKiss MKiss Me Kate,e Kate,e Kate,e Kate,e Kate, tothe stage for three weekends be-ginning Friday, May 7. This time-less musical version ofShakespeare’s The The The The The TTTTTaming of theaming of theaming of theaming of theaming of theSSSSShrhrhrhrhreeeeewwwww will delight theater fans ofall ages, with memorable tunesand a story filled with fun. Perfor-mances are Fridays and Saturdaysat 8 p.m. on May 7, 8, 14, 15, 21,and 22, and a Mother’s Day mati-nee on Sunday the 9th at 3 p.m.Tickets are $18 on a reserved seatbasis, and can be obtained bycalling the box office at (908)276-7611 or through the theater’swebsite at www.cdctheatre.org.The Club is located at 76 WinansAvenue.

* * * * * * *The Town Book Store of

Westfield will feature their MMMMMeeteeteeteeteet& G& G& G& G& Grrrrreeteeteeteeteet author appearances on

SP-F ArSP-F ArSP-F ArSP-F ArSP-F Art Assoc. Mt Assoc. Mt Assoc. Mt Assoc. Mt Assoc. Members Pembers Pembers Pembers Pembers Put But But But But BestestestestestOOOOOils, ils, ils, ils, ils, WWWWWaterateraterateratercolors Fcolors Fcolors Fcolors Fcolors Forororororwarwarwarwarward at Sd at Sd at Sd at Sd at ShohohohohowwwwwBy MICHELLE HELEN Le POIDEVINBy MICHELLE HELEN Le POIDEVINBy MICHELLE HELEN Le POIDEVINBy MICHELLE HELEN Le POIDEVINBy MICHELLE HELEN Le POIDEVIN


SCOSCOSCOSCOSCOTTTTTCH PLCH PLCH PLCH PLCH PLAINSAINSAINSAINSAINS – ThroughMay 1, the downstairs gallery of theScotch Plains Public Library was thebackdrop for the Scotch Plains andFanwood Arts Association’s AnnualMembers’ Show.

Approximately 36 pieces of artworkwere submitted, representing thegenres of watercolor, photography,acrylic and oil painting, crafts, mixed

media and pastels. An estimated 20artists participated in this year’s exhi-bition.

“Best in Show” was awarded toKenilworth artist Arline Melchior foranother the incomparable oil tech-niques she employed in “Grey Wolf,”which appeared ready to pounce off ofthe canvas. She presented another oilpainting, “The Girls,” which depictedtwo Amish women.

Ken Malpas’ articulated a younggirl’s innocence and beauty in the oilportrait, “Danielle Nicole,” which washung near Marie Gerus’ abstract mixedmedia piece, “Flower Fantasy.” Knownfor her mastery of the abstract genre,Gerus recently won over audienceswith her acrylic entry, “Spontaneous#5” during the Westfield ArtAssociation’s (WAA) 80th AnnualMembers’ Exhibition, Salon 2004 inlate March.

While Ruth Grabner offered thepastel “The Roseberry Barn,” her workof the same medium, “Portrait of Beth& Hat” actually captured the Honor-able Mention distinction. With careand meticulous detail, Grabnersketched a dignified woman seem-

ingly as proud as a peacock in herchapeau.

Mary Hovanec’s watercolor, “SoLonely,” was an outstandingentry, depicting a serenefigure lounging on thebeach. Later in theexhibition, the art-ist applied thesame mediumwith a differentimpact in “SpringGarden.” Thispiece, which ap-peared to be sten-ciled with vibrantpaints to create abouquet of flowers,did not flow as well asthe first piece.

Few artists canmanipulate water-color with as muchmastery as ScotchPlains resident Anne Gibbons – espe-cially when it comes to capturing alandscape with intricate detail. Hersole entry, “A Moment of Silence,” wasdeserving of more honor than ThirdPlace.

Nearly as astounding in watercolormastery, Phil Kass impressed audienceswith his depiction of the formerWestfield shop, Marylou’s Memorabiliaenough to earn a Second Place ribbon.Unfortunately, however, he did notreceive a nod for his equally inspiringwatercolor “Russian Cottage Window.”

Watercolorist Betsy Ruff has achieveda new level of capturing still life objects,such as the traditional vase of flowersand fruits, but with added flair. “Pot-pourri of Flowers,” “Ivy and Fruit,” and“Bottle Reflecting Apples” all extendedbeyond the normal “kitchen wall art”one might expect. Kudos to Ruff.

Additionally, young Roman Gerusshould be applauded for his abstractmixed media “Sea Fantasy,” whichboasted colorful creatures from thedeep in a playful composition. Hisefforts earned him a blue ribbon.

Ruth Obeid’s watercolors, “Fall” and“Flowering Spring,” were striking inscale and composition. Golden flow-ers demanded the attention of viewersin “Fall,” while the branches of a treecarrying fuchsia blossoms delightedthe eye.

Using acrylics, Marie Gerus poppedup later in the exhibition with thethoughtful, sensual “Flamenco, Olé,”featuring dancing brush strokes andprovocative red and orange hues.While, more muted and less detailed,Christine Scott’s “Bright Vista” land-

scape painting drew an HonorableMention for its gorgeous range of col-ors and composition.

One of the sole craft entriesin the exhibition, “Shanon’s

Pet Peeves” came in theform of a mobile filledwith dangling multi-colored origami struc-tures. Maybe it wouldhave drawn the eye abit more if it hadn’tbeen displayed in acorner.

Stained glass guruJoan Westernik crafted a

carousel horse with lilac/pink and pastel-colored glass

in her First Place entry.She broke the leadedbarriers of the oval piece,extending her designinto other parts of theglass canvas.

Grace McDonald’s “VictorianBeauty” oil painting was the exhibit’spièce de résistance. The artist seemedto toss aside some of her older tech-niques and embrace a more intriguingsubject matter with improved tech-nique. Whatever she is doing, she’sdoing it right.

Steve Tomczyk entered ArlineMelchior Territory with his stunning

Michelle H. Le Poidevin for The Leader/The Times“Flamenco, Ole!” by Marie Gerus, mixed“Flamenco, Ole!” by Marie Gerus, mixed“Flamenco, Ole!” by Marie Gerus, mixed“Flamenco, Ole!” by Marie Gerus, mixed“Flamenco, Ole!” by Marie Gerus, mixedmedia, not for sale.media, not for sale.media, not for sale.media, not for sale.media, not for sale.

Michelle H. Le Poidevin for The Leader/The Times“Carouse l Horse ,” by Joan“Carouse l Horse ,” by Joan“Carouse l Horse ,” by Joan“Carouse l Horse ,” by Joan“Carouse l Horse ,” by JoanWesternik, stained glass/crafts, notWesternik, stained glass/crafts, notWesternik, stained glass/crafts, notWesternik, stained glass/crafts, notWesternik, stained glass/crafts, notfor sale.for sale.for sale.for sale.for sale.

Susan M. Dougherty for The Westfield Leader and The TimesELBOWS UP!...“Now just bring your elbow up a bit,” suggests Westfield resident JamesELBOWS UP!...“Now just bring your elbow up a bit,” suggests Westfield resident JamesELBOWS UP!...“Now just bring your elbow up a bit,” suggests Westfield resident JamesELBOWS UP!...“Now just bring your elbow up a bit,” suggests Westfield resident JamesELBOWS UP!...“Now just bring your elbow up a bit,” suggests Westfield resident JamesGaskill to a first grader at her weekly violin lesson. Gaskill is known for producing aGaskill to a first grader at her weekly violin lesson. Gaskill is known for producing aGaskill to a first grader at her weekly violin lesson. Gaskill is known for producing aGaskill to a first grader at her weekly violin lesson. Gaskill is known for producing aGaskill to a first grader at her weekly violin lesson. Gaskill is known for producing arecord number of students in the Westfield area, who make it to the New Jersey Youthrecord number of students in the Westfield area, who make it to the New Jersey Youthrecord number of students in the Westfield area, who make it to the New Jersey Youthrecord number of students in the Westfield area, who make it to the New Jersey Youthrecord number of students in the Westfield area, who make it to the New Jersey YouthOrchestra and the New Jersey Symphony, as well as regional and state groups.Orchestra and the New Jersey Symphony, as well as regional and state groups.Orchestra and the New Jersey Symphony, as well as regional and state groups.Orchestra and the New Jersey Symphony, as well as regional and state groups.Orchestra and the New Jersey Symphony, as well as regional and state groups.

BROADWAY-BOUND...Scotch Plains-BROADWAY-BOUND...Scotch Plains-BROADWAY-BOUND...Scotch Plains-BROADWAY-BOUND...Scotch Plains-BROADWAY-BOUND...Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School graduate and formerFanwood High School graduate and formerFanwood High School graduate and formerFanwood High School graduate and formerFanwood High School graduate and formertownship resident Meryl Bezrutczyk willtownship resident Meryl Bezrutczyk willtownship resident Meryl Bezrutczyk willtownship resident Meryl Bezrutczyk willtownship resident Meryl Bezrutczyk willperform in “Twenty Actors in 60 Min-perform in “Twenty Actors in 60 Min-perform in “Twenty Actors in 60 Min-perform in “Twenty Actors in 60 Min-perform in “Twenty Actors in 60 Min-utes,” a musical theatre showcase spon-utes,” a musical theatre showcase spon-utes,” a musical theatre showcase spon-utes,” a musical theatre showcase spon-utes,” a musical theatre showcase spon-sored by Wagner College Theatre. A mem-sored by Wagner College Theatre. A mem-sored by Wagner College Theatre. A mem-sored by Wagner College Theatre. A mem-sored by Wagner College Theatre. A mem-ber of Wagner’s Class of 2004, Meryl willber of Wagner’s Class of 2004, Meryl willber of Wagner’s Class of 2004, Meryl willber of Wagner’s Class of 2004, Meryl willber of Wagner’s Class of 2004, Meryl willperform in the production slated on Mon-perform in the production slated on Mon-perform in the production slated on Mon-perform in the production slated on Mon-perform in the production slated on Mon-day, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Peter Jayday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Peter Jayday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Peter Jayday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Peter Jayday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Peter JaySharpe Theatre at Playwrights Horizons,Sharpe Theatre at Playwrights Horizons,Sharpe Theatre at Playwrights Horizons,Sharpe Theatre at Playwrights Horizons,Sharpe Theatre at Playwrights Horizons,416 West 42nd Street, between Ninth416 West 42nd Street, between Ninth416 West 42nd Street, between Ninth416 West 42nd Street, between Ninth416 West 42nd Street, between Ninthand 10th Avenues in Manhattan. Meryland 10th Avenues in Manhattan. Meryland 10th Avenues in Manhattan. Meryland 10th Avenues in Manhattan. Meryland 10th Avenues in Manhattan. Merylrecently moved to Manhattan. To attend,recently moved to Manhattan. To attend,recently moved to Manhattan. To attend,recently moved to Manhattan. To attend,recently moved to Manhattan. To attend,please call (718) 390-3223. A receptionplease call (718) 390-3223. A receptionplease call (718) 390-3223. A receptionplease call (718) 390-3223. A receptionplease call (718) 390-3223. A receptionwill follow.will follow.will follow.will follow.will follow.

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WF PWF PWF PWF PWF Public School Dublic School Dublic School Dublic School Dublic School DistrictistrictistrictistrictistrictTTTTTo Ho Ho Ho Ho Hold Arold Arold Arold Arold Art St St St St Shohohohohow Nw Nw Nw Nw Next ext ext ext ext Wk.Wk.Wk.Wk.Wk.WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD WESTFIELD — The 20th An-

nual Westfield Public School District’sFine Arts Show will be held in theWestfield High School varsity gymna-sium from May 11 to 13.

A sampling of artwork by studentsrepresenting all nine public schoolsand grades ranging from kindergartenthrough 12th will be on display at theannual show.

On Tuesday, May 11 and Wednes-day, May 12, the artwork can be viewedfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and in theevening from 7 to 9 p.m. Visitors are

also welcomed on Thursday, May 13,from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Paintings, two-dimensional work,ceramic, crafts, computerized art andother work of Westfield Public Schoolstudents will be exhibited.

Linda King, Supervisor of Fine Arts,noted that the annual exhibit has be-come “an outstanding cultural eventin this community. The Art Show is awonderful opportunity to exhibit hun-dreds of various art media created byour talented students under the direc-tion of dedicated art educators.”

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