OUR 120th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 12-2010 SIXTY CENTS (908) 232-4407press@goleader.comThursday, March 25, 2010USPS 680020

Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J.Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890

www.goleader.com

Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus

PAGE INDEXRegional ........ 2-3Editorial ........ 4-5,18-20Community ... 6-7, 17

Obituary ........ 8Education ...... 9Sports ............ 11-16

Real Estate .... 10-17Classifieds .... 20A&E .............. 21-22

Police Blotter...6

Michael J. Pollack for The Westfield LeaderOVATION...Performers return to the stage to receive a warm ovation from thesell-out crowd at the Oratorio Singers of Westfield’s 30th Anniversary concert onSunday afternoon at the First United Methodist Church. See story on page 22.

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Governor Christie Urges BOEs and Teacher Unions to Freeze Salaries (page 4)

Mayor Skibitsky Deems State-AidCuts ‘Significant’ for WestfieldBy LAUREN S. BARR

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader

WESTFIELD — Tuesday night’sWestfield Town Council meeting cen-tered on the recent announcement byGovernor Chris Christie that state aid tothe town will be cut by $941,000, withMayor Andrew Skibitsky saying thatthe cuts are “significantly more than weanticipated.”

According to Finance CommitteeChairman Mark Ciarrocca, the townwas already facing an approximately$1-million shortfall in revenue, andthat this announcement is a “gamechanger.” He added that this year’s ap-propriations will be “considerably less”than last year’s $40-million budget.

“This is beyond anything I’ve everseen in my years on council. (But) it’sthe same process. We’re going to get asense of what reductions we need tomake and go back to the departmentheads and unions and see what optionswe have,” Councilman Ciarrocca toldThe Westfield Leader. “It will not be

without pain, but we will get it done.We understand what the governor isdoing. We, too, have been making thetough decisions at the municipal levelfor years. It’s nice to see the folks inTrenton joining us. There is a lot ofwork ahead.”

Both Councilman Ciarrocca andMayor Skibitsky spoke about trying toavoid layoffs and maintain services,but said that there will be reductions inexpenses.

Third Ward Democrat Councilmanand Finance Committee member DavidHaas pointed out that several years agonearly 50 percent of the revenue in thebudget was coming from non-taxsources, and that number has been re-duced to 25 percent.

The council approved an amendedtemporary budget totaling over $20million. This temporary budget allowsthe town to pay bills and operate whilethe final budget is being completed.Included in Tuesday night’s approvalwere payments for $2.25 million in

group insurance costs, over $2 millionin contributions to the Police and FireRetirement System (PFRS) and over$600,000 to the Public Employee Re-tirement System (PERS).

In other business, the council passeda resolution urging an amendment tothe Open Public Records Act. At lastweek’s council meeting, Town ClerkClaire Grey said that clarification isneeded on how much the town cancharge for requests, given the laborinvolved. Councilman Jim Foerst saidthat commercial entities are abusingthe system for financial gain.

The council also passed resolutionsapproving the demolition of homes at114 Florence Avenue, 211 South Av-enue East, 528 Cumberland Street, 839Walberg Avenue and 254 Seneca Place.

Prior to adjourning, the council wentinto closed session to discuss litigationregarding Sunnyside Senior Housing.

*****Michael J. Pollack contributed to

this article.

After Aid Slashed, MS BOEWarns of Staffing Cuts

By ERIC D. WILDSTEINSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

MOUNTAINSIDE — The board ofeducation (BOE) on Monday presenteda $14.2 million budget for the 2010-2011 school year, $13.1 million of whichwould be raised through local propertytaxes, an increase of $171 for the aver-age assessed home in the borough. Thebudget has been forwarded to the countysuperintendent for approval and willgo before voters on Tuesday, April 20.

The district’s aid was slashed by$722,000, leaving $38,000 for this year.Business Administrator RodericMcLaughlin said the district had beenanticipating a cut in aid between 5 and15 percent, but the borough is consid-ered to be an “affluent” district.

Chief School Administrator JeanetteBaubles lamented, “Being given twoschool days to balance our budget aftera massive loss in anticipated revenuefrom the state has created an extremelyintense and unhealthy amount of stressfor members of the administrative teamwho have been agonizing over the mostdifficult, unconscionable and distress-ing decisions.”

She continued, “To work so incred-ibly hard for so long to come up shortinitially left us feeling defeated.”

The Mountainside school district alsofaces an increase of $665,938 in tuitioncharges for sending students to Gover-nor Livingston High School in Berke-ley Heights. Additionally, the state re-duced aid to Mountainside for the cur-rent school year by $273,000 to dealwith the state deficit.

All these considerations, the boardsaid, amount to $1.6 million. Portionswill be recouped by dipping into ex-traordinary aid, miscellaneous revenue,savings in transportation and decreasedout-of-district enrollments.

Salaries were reduced $440,000,which could displace 6.75 percent ofpart-time and full-time staff members,Mr. McLaughlin said. In reconstruct-ing the budget, he said the BOE “optedto make internal changes rather thanplacing the burden on taxpayers.”

Mr. McLaughlin said he hopes therewill be an option to reinstate some or all

of these positions if the final budgetsupports it.

Mrs. Baubles said enrollment in-creases could swell class sizes from 15to 23 students per classroom in kinder-garten to grade 4 and from 23 to 27students in fifth to eighth grades, whichshe said is “too big.”

“Our students deserve better,” Mrs.Baubles said. “Which we were able todo before state cuts last week.”Mountainside will be shrinking school-funded athletic programs down to justboys and girls soccer and basketball, aswell as baseball and softball.

BOE President Mary BethSchaumberg said the existence ofmiddle school sports “is a credit initself” to Mountainside, with similarprograms already on the decline acrossNew Jersey.

Trisha Keene of Mountainsideurged the board to explore havingparents pay to have their childrenparticipate in the program.

Summer school and enrichmentprograms will also be eliminated asof July. Board member Cathy Jakositzresponded that, “There’s not a boardmember here who wants to see any ofthese programs cut.”

Mr. McLaughlin said special educa-tion will still have funding for 102students and that 238 students will beable to attend Governor Livingston HighSchool. He said there have been no cutsto school activities and clubs, with theexception of certain sports programs.

“We will maintain instructionalpractices in technology. We will con-tinue bussing and our five-year uni-form replacement plan for athleticteams, and we will continue presentlanguage-arts programs, and the bud-get provides for curriculum mappingand textbooks,” Mr. McLaughlin said.

“We’re hoping the public will makea plea to their legislators for fundingand public education that is appropri-ate, and not just bring down the levelof public education,” Mr. McLaughlinsaid.

Tuesday’s budget presentation canbe viewed at mountainsideschools.org.

Westfield BOE Approves $88.8-Mil.Tentative 2010-2011 School Budget

By MICHAEL J. POLLACKSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

WESTFIELD – While bemoaningboth the circumstances surrounding thestate-aid cuts to school districts and thetiming it had to come up with $4.2million in savings, the Westfield Boardof Education (BOE) unanimously ap-proved its tentative 2010-2011 budgetof $88.75 million on Tuesday nightbefore a full house in the high schoolcafeteria. Last year’s total expenditureamounted to $89.89 million.

Governor Chris Christie, last week,announced that as part of his effort toreduce $11 billion in state debt, hewould slash $820 million in school aid.In Westfield’s case, the town received a90.4-percent cut in assistance.

All told, the millions of dollars lost inaid will result in a pared-down budgetthat could – unless changes occur –cost 12 teachers, 10 paraprofessionals,three librarians and two counselors their

jobs. One open administration positionalso will not be filled.

When asked after the meeting tospecify which administration positionwould not be filled, Superintendent ofSchools Margaret Dolan told TheWestfield Leader, “We are going tomanage the guidance department dif-ferently.” She said the department wouldbe “redesigned” and that someone willpull “double duty” to fulfill the respon-sibilities of former Guidance DirectorColleen White, who resigned unex-pectedly last month.

In order to restructure the budget tocontend with the state now funding lessthan 1 percent of public-education costsin Westfield, Superintendent Dolanunveiled a budget that features $1.975million in non-personnel and $2.247million in personnel reductions, to ac-count for the loss of $4.2 million in aid.

After-school programs such as highschool and middle school intramurals,

as well as eighth-grade sports, will bechopped. The fall drama program atboth middle schools will be discontin-ued, as will the spring high schooldrama competition. All told, $80,000 inafter-school programs will be lost.

To mitigate the loss of certain activi-ties, the school is proposing a student-activity fee, which would amount to$125,000 in funding returning.Westfield will witness a savings of$202,000 by not purchasing any newlibrary books next year. School sup-plies will drop by $221,000.

Westfield was spared from furthercuts due to the redistribution of $428,000in unused federal stimulus dollars thatthe board will spend during this “cri-sis,” the superintendent said.

The 12 teachers who could be let goare broken down into six elementaryeducators and two fine-arts teachers, aswell as one each in the following disci-plines: basic skills, kindergarten, highschool special-education and highschool mathematics. Substitute teach-ers will also experience a 10-percentpay cut.

Reached via phone on Wednesdaymorning, Kim Schumacher, WestfieldEducation Association (WEA) presi-dent, told The Leader that while therewill be teacher losses, the numberswill not be as stark in the end, onceretirements are factored in. She saidshe knows of 10 impending retireesin the district, and some of thosemembers were referred to during Su-perintendent Dolan’s presentation aspersonnel cuts.

At its March 16 meeting, the BOEaccepted five staff members’ retire-ment notices, including those of afourth-grade teacher, second-gradeteacher, music teacher, intermediateschool guidance counselor and schoolpsychologist.

On the non-personnel side of theequation, $180,000 will be savedthrough insurance concessions. Also,24 administrators have agreed togivebacks; in total, they amount to$55,000. Superintendent Dolan told TheLeader that all gave roughly an equalamount. The district’s calendar, whichhas traditionally been disseminated inhard copy, will be published on thetown’s website, saving $7,000.

In her budget presentation, the super-intendent said Westfield was told inmid-February that an executive orderwould lead to a cut of $196,000 in aidto Westfield. On March 2, EducationCommissioner Bret Schundler, at a pre-sentation in Summit, told Westfield toprepare for a further cut that, in a worst-case scenario, would amount to an-other 15 percent ($750,000) loss.

“Instead of that worst-case scenario,we got $4.2 million [chopped]... To saythe rules changed would be an under-statement,” the superintendent said.

“I don’t think we’ve ever done any-thing so hard,” BOE Vice-PresidentJulia Walker said. “This is our momentof truth.” While she said Westfield wasready to meet the budgetary challenges,she added that, “to do this right,” theBOE needed Governor Christie andEducation Commissioner Schundler“not to lie to us.”

Ms. Walker said, “If we only faced[the $750,000 reduction], therewouldn’t be more than six people in theaudience.” Hitting her podium repeat-edly for emphasis, she said, “We werelied to.”

Highlighting how dire the situationis, Ms. Walker said that if all Westfieldeducators gave back “every single dol-lar” of an increase agreed to earlier thismonth, before aid figures were released,it would only amount to half of thetown’s lost funding. Cutting every singleafter-school activity would only amountto $1 million.

Before Superintendent Dolan’s pre-sentation, the recently-agreed-uponcontracts with the teachers and supportstaff were referenced in public com-ment. The new three-year teachers’ dealcalls for an annual 3.9-percent increase(cumulatively 12 percent) in salary.

John Blake of Carleton Road asked,“What was the rush? Why did you haveto sign two contracts you couldn’t af-

ford?”Jim Baker of Lincoln Road criticized

BOE member Richard Solomon forsaying in a letter published in last week’sLeader that he was “proud” of his in-volvement in contract negotiations thatwill “hold the total cost of salaries andbenefits for all our employees to only2.67 percent.”

Mr. Baker said, “2.67 percent? That’svery high for today, when the standardis 0 [percent].” As the majority of thosepresent began to clap, Mr. Baker con-tinued, “People are lucky to have a raiseat all. They’re lucky to have a job.”

Superintendent Dolan said shewished to clarify some of what shecalled “misinformation” about theteachers’ contract. She said sincehealthcare costs for the BOE have risen103 percent over the last eight years,“not surprisingly, it was a high priorityto manage our healthcare costs... In thenew contracts with the teachers, secre-taries and paraprofessionals, for thefirst time, it’s a reality.”

She said with members leaving tra-ditional plans for more cost-effectiveones and paying higher co-pays forprescription drugs, it would save theboard $4 million over the life of thethree-year contract.

Responding to Mr. Baker, Mr.Solomon said that the town “would nothave [successfully] negotiatedhealthcare savings if increases [to staff]remained at 0 percent... If we offered 0percent, we would have gotten nowhere.Without the teachers’ contract we agreedto, the 2.67-percent increase would havebeen higher.”

In a heated moment towards the endof the meeting, Anastasia Harrison ofHighland Avenue said to the board, “Idon’t understand why you are you so(expletive deleted) thick about theseassociations (unions). And if teachers

would just stand up and say, ‘we standnext to our teachers and do not want tolose the [12]’… and all agreed to take apay cut to keep our schools the waythey are, we’d all be fine.”

Ms. Schumacher told The Leader byphone that she “is open to discussionswith the board” and is “not opposed toa conversation [about further conces-sions], but I can’t say what we could orcould not do.” Ms. Schumacher, whowas to meet Wednesday with the 550members of the WEA, also noted thatshe cannot unilaterally make a deci-sion. “I certainly understand the pre-dicament we’re in,” she said.

Ms. Schumacher said the energy thatemanated from Tuesday night’s meet-ing needs to be “rerouted” to Trenton.

“It’s not the boards against the asso-ciations. It’s the boards and the associa-tions against Trenton,” she said. “Theproblem is the funding formula.” Shesaid she also understands the public’sperception of teachers as the “bad guys”in the equation after Governor Christie,whom she called a “schoolyard bully,”referred to school boards as an “em-pire” in his budgetary address.

Ms. Schumacher also said, “Therumor is that we’re gonna get some ofthe money back… The governor isputting pressure on the assemblymenand senators to vote a certain way. ‘Ifyou show support, we will rewardyou.’ That’s the word I’m hearing.”

During the public comment por-tion of the meeting, Denis McMorrow,a sixth-grade language arts teacher,spoke. A self-described “non-ardentunion person,” Mr. McMorrow im-plored all sides to come together.

Westfield Board of Education (continued)

“I think there’s an opportunity forintelligent people to come together,”he said. “But the NJEA and ChrisChristie have to get past the rhetoric.”He said the “800-pound gorilla,” theschool-funding formula, must be ad-dressed.

“My biggest fear is if we do nothing,we’ll be back here in three years, andit’ll be worse,” he said. “This is anopportunity for real, legitimate change.”

Board member Ann Cary asked As-semblyman Jon Bramnick during themeeting what the penalty would be fornot submitting a budget to the countyoffice by Tuesday, March 30.

“Bret Schundler comes back and yellsat you?” Mr. Bramnick quipped. “Theycertainly can’t take any more of yourstate aid.” With the audience laughingat this point, Mr. Bramnick said, “Idon’t know what they can possibly doto you now… I apologize for what youhave to go through.”

In a tense moment, Mr. Solomon,with finger pointed at Mr. Bramnick,said, “You said you didn’t agree withthe previous administration’s schoolformula. You said it was ‘unfair.’ Well,what do you think of this one?” Thisprompted loud cheers.

Later, Mr. Solomon said, “We’re(school board) working 24/7 for thenext six days… You’re (New Jerseylegislators) not meeting again untilMay.”

Mr. Bramnick said, “If I could bringthe legislature back, I would. I thinkyou should have more time. I feel yourpain. I don’t disagree with you.”

“We’re being thrown under the bus,”Mr. Solomon said.

Michael J. Pollack for The Westfield LeaderCOMING TO THEIR AID...A filled-to-capacity Cafeteria B at Westfield High School provides the setting for the WestfieldBoard of Education’s latest meeting Tuesday night. The board voted unanimously to pass an $88.8-million budget aftercutting $4.2 million to account for a significant loss in state aid.

SIXTY CENTS(908) 232-4407press@goleader.comOUR 51st YEAR – ISSUE NO. 12-2010 Published Every Thursday Since 1959

www.timesnj.comUSPS 485200

Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J.Thursday, March 25, 2010

PTA AnnouncesBudget Sessions

SCOTCH PLAINS — The ScotchPlains-Fanwood PTA Council hasannounced upcoming events.

Candidates Night will be held onTuesday, April 6, 7:30 p.m., at theboard of education (BOE) offices,located on Evergreen Avenue andCedar Street behind Evergreen El-ementary School.

BOE incumbents Nancy Bauer andDavid Gorbunoff are unopposed fortwo Scotch Plains seats, while MichaelLewis, Christopher Pflaum and BOEincumbent Amy Winkler are runningfor a full three-year term for oneFanwood seat. BOE incumbent RobO’Connor is unopposed in his questfor the remaining year on the Fanwoodseat previously held by Sasha Slocum.

Budget presentations are scheduledfor the following dates:

Monday, April 5, 7:30 p.m., ScotchPlains-Fanwood High School audi-torium; Wednesday, April 7, 7 p.m.,Evergreen School; Thursday, April 8,6:30 p.m., Coles School, and 7 p.m.,McGinn School; Tuesday, April 13,7:30 p.m., Terrill Middle School andPark Middle School; Wednesday,April 14, 7 p.m., Brunner School, and7:30 p.m., School One.

Susan M. Dougherty for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood TimesIN THE SAME BOAT...Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School thespians perform a singing-and-dancing number, called “Inthe Same Boat,” from Saturday’s rendition of Rupert Holmes’ Curtains. See overview on page 22.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage: The Market Leader for Westfield, Scotch Plains, Mountainside, Fanwood, and Cranford*

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SP Leaf Pick UpBegins Mon., April 26SCOTCH PLAINS — Leaf, brush

and gumball pick up begins Monday,April 26. Residents may place theseitems at the curb no sooner than Fri-day, April 16.

BOE Proposes $81-Mil. Budget;SPFEA Contract Defeated, 4-4-1

By JESSICA E. JASKULASpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

SCOTCH PLAINS – The ScotchPlains-Fanwood Board of Education(SP-F BOE) adopted a tentative 2010-2011 school budget on Monday total-ing $80,958,048, with a tax levy of$74,967,662. The budget follows a$3,847,136 cut in state aid or 84 per-cent over last year. (A detailed legaladvertisement on the budget appearson page 19). Voters approved a taxlevy of $71 million last April in sup-port of a total budget of $80.8 mil-lion.

Business Administrator AnthonyDel Sordi said Monday, as a result ofthe state aid cut, the board has pro-

posed to increase taxes by $1 million.He said taxes would increase by anaverage of $299 per home in ScotchPlains and $440 in Fanwood underthe revised tax levy.

The spending plan includes a gen-eral fund of $77,194,054, a specialrevenue fund of $1,420,000, and debtservice of $2,343,994. The tentativebudget has been submitted to theUnion County superintendent ofschools for approval.

Mr. Del Sordi said $1 million hasbeen cut from various line itemswithin the budget, and $1.2 millionwas slashed from salaries/benefits,which would include 25 staff posi-tions. Mr. Del Sordi said that $1.2

million could be the equivalent to areduction of 25 teachers. This cut is inaddition to 10 non-teaching positionsincluding two administrators, fourdistrict staffers and four secretaries.

Other cuts in the tentative budget,he said, would be done in the areas ofmaintenance repairs, supplies, equip-ment, and, the largest amount, in ad-ditional salary cuts.

“This was an unheard of, astound-ing reduction with no warning,” saidboard member Betty Anne Woernerof the state aid cut. “It is unbelievablethat a $3.4-million reduction isdropped in our lap days before it isdue to the county and up for the vote.”

“The process that we have to gothrough is nothing short of moronic,”said board member Don Parisi. “Theseare weighty decisions we have tomake, and we will be thoughtful andwe will be levelheaded, as we alwaysare.”

Parents said their main concern wasclass size. Mr. Whitehouse respondedthat board members would like tokeep class sizes as low as possible.

The SP-F BOE will meet again onWednesday, March 31, for a regularpublic meeting/public hearing on the2010-2011 school budget, and theboard will vote to adopt the finalbudget.

Also on Monday, the SP-F BOEdefeated a two-year teachers’ agree-ment with the Scotch Plains-FanwoodEducation Association (SPFEA) by a4-4-1 vote. Voting against the con-tract were Karen Kulikowski, RobO’Connor, Amy Winkler and Mr.Whitehouse, with Ms. Woerner, DavidGorbunoff, Mr. Parisi and NancyBauer voting in favor of the measure.Warren McFall abstained.

The defeated proposal included a3.9-percent salary increase in the firstyear, and a 3.5-percent raise in thesecond year. The contract would havebeen retroactive from July 1, 2009,and continuing to June 30, 2011.Members would have had to pay $250annually toward their healthcare pre-miums.

The agreement also would haveeliminated Aetna HMO coverage asan option. The SP-F BOE and theSPFEA will go back to the negotia-tion process where they will begin the“super-conciliation” phase.

In discussions prior to the vote, Mr.Parisi, a member of the NegotiationsCommittee, said an agreement wasreached prior to the large aid cut.“The salary agreed to was fair giventhe environment at the time,” he said.

Mr. O’Connor said his childrenhave had many great young, untenuredteachers in the district and that hecould not “in good conscience” votein favor of the agreement because he“might as well be the one passing outpink slips.”

SPFEA President DominickGiordano said, “The governor cre-ated this mess for the public schoolsof New Jersey and a ‘no’ vote tonight,on this agreement, would be a hugesetback, eroding two years of hardwork by the association and theboard.”

“The real painful part is that itwould punish the teachers, secretar-ies and aides of the district for aproblem that we did not create,” Mr.Giordano added.

SPFHS Baseball Player ParentsQuestion Condition of Field

By JESSICA E. JASKULASpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

SCOTCH PLAINS – Scotch Plains-Fanwood (SP-F) Superintendent ofSchools Margaret Hayes said Mon-day night that she met with BusinessAdministrator Anthony Del Sordi,Assistant Principal of Athletics RobHarmer, Scotch Plains-Fanwood HighSchool Principal David Heisey, Base-ball Coach Tom Baylock and Direc-tor of Building and Grounds AnthonyMiranda to discuss the timeline of thebaseball-field project and the com-munication process that was taken.

SP-F Board of Education PresidentTrip Whitehouse had requested themeeting after parents of baseball play-ers voiced their concerns that theproject began too closely to the startof the season and that they believedathletic personnel were not properlyconsulted by Mr. Del Sordi. Theproject included digging up the in-field and installing new drainage.

“Communication processes can al-ways be improved,” said Superinten-dent Hayes. She said that Mr. Miranda,Mr. Baylock and Mr. Harmer didspeak during the process, but it wasdelayed due to the recent snowstorm.She said if necessary, early “home”games could be played “away.”

At Thursday’s meeting, Mr. DelSordi said while the heavy rainfall lastweek delayed the project, he expected

that the work would be completed bythe end of March, which was the origi-nal anticipated completion timeline.

He said the project was able to startthis past January. Prior to that thedistrict had to go through a state pro-cess before the work could com-mence. The district was unable tofind where the problem with the fieldwas coming from at first.

Parent Doreen Binkiewicz said thefield is unplayable and that the boyshave no good place to practice. Shesaid that Mr. Del Sordi has not con-tacted any athletic personnel regard-ing the project and its timeline.

“We need a business administratorwho does not micromanage,” she said.“I will be happy to serve as a searchmember to find a new business ad-ministrator.”

Mr. Del Sordi said Mr. Harmer hadbeen “involved since day one” of theproject.

Mr. Harmer called out from theback of the room, stating that he“couldn’t listen to this anymore.”

“I think we have a lack of commu-nication, and I think that we’ve had alack of communication for manyyears,” Mr. Harmer said. He said hewas not consulted about the project.

Also on Thursday, Supervisor ofInstruction and Technology Joan Mastgave a technology update, which fo-cused on the use of technology in thecurriculum and how it will be used inthe district moving forward to im-prove teaching and learning, as partof the district’s strategic plan.

Actions taken to move the planalong included identifying and imple-

menting technology applications thatenrich the curriculum, providingteachers with current technology tofoster professional collaboration andproviding multi-media carts for grades3 to 5. The carts allow teachers toutilize a range of resources, she said.Each cart is shared by two teachers.

Giving more examples of the use oftechnology in classrooms, Ms. Mastsaid students used SKYPE to visit acivil-rights activist in his Brooklyn resi-dence and students made podcasts tohelp their peers with mathematics.

“The instruction needs to drive thetechnology we purchase,” she said ofthe district’s 2010-2013 technologyplan. Stating there is a need for rolesand not individuals, she said, “Wecan accomplish all the roles with thecurrent staff that we have.”

Mr. Whitehouse asked what the gap isbetween teachers and students when itcomes to their knowledge of technology.

“Teachers certainly receive ideas fromstudents,” Ms. Mast said. “It reinforcesthat we can learn from each other.”

During the public comment portionof the meeting, Rona Goldberg ofScotch Plains read a letter from herbrother-in-law, David Rien of ScotchPlains. As a school bus driver who ridesthrough the town every day, Mr. Rienwrote that he notices, “Some of theselarge buses, which can accommodateup to 54 students, are half full.”

Mr. Whitehouse said that this oc-curs because state law requires allstudents who take the bus to have aseat, but there are days when somestudents do not take the bus, and canleave empty spots.

Jessica Jaskula for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood TimesBACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD...Members of the Scotch Plains-FanwoodEducation Association (SPFEA) attended Monday’s board of education meeting,during which a new teachers’ contract was defeated by a 4-4-1 tally. The defeatfollows a $3.8-million or 84-percent cut in state aid in the school district.

Cooper Resident Seeks HelpIn Runoff From Subdivision

By FRED T. ROSSISpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

SCOTCH PLAINS — A CooperRoad homeowner pleaded with theplanning board on Monday to pro-vide him with assistance in dealingwith heavy stormwater runoff andmud onto his property from an adja-cent subdivision that the board hadgiven approval to two years ago.

“I desperately need help,” CooperRoad resident Vincent DeLisi toldthe board.

In April 2008, despite Mr. DeLisi’sopposition, the board approved a ma-jor subdivision application allowingAnthony D’Amore to subdivide therear portions of adjoining properties at1240 and 1250 Cooper Road and con-vert those rear lots into two conform-ing lots that would front on an exten-sion of the Eton Row cul-de-sac.

Mr. D’Amore is presently buildinga large house on one of the two newlots that abuts the rear of the DeLisiproperty.

Mr. DeLisi had sent two letters tothe board in January and Februarycomplaining about excessive mud andsilt runoff from the construction siteonto his property. He also said that Mr.D’Amore’s removal of trees and veg-etation had “radically altered the ex-isting terrain” and questioned whetheror not township zoning and other offi-cials should have been more alert tothese and other problems as the con-struction project moved forward.

Prior to Monday’s meeting, Mr.DeLisi showed a reporter a large glassjar filled with dark brown muddywater he had collected from the run-off. He told the board that his back-yard had been turned to mud from therunoff. Mr. DeLisi said the SomersetUnion Soil Conservation District hasfailed to enforce regulations regard-ing soil erosion and the limiting ofstormwater runoff.

“There has got to be some way”that the board can enforce the termsof its April 2008 approval of Mr.D’Amore’s application, Mr. DeLisisaid, and “force Mr. D’Amore to thetable” to better comply with regula-

tions and the board’s resolution ofapproval. Mr. DeLisi said a detentionsystem installed on the D’Amoreproperty is not operating properlybecause it is situated too high.

He distributed to board membersphotographs of his property and theD’Amore construction site. Sayingthat Mr. D’Amore had not been help-ful in addressing his concerns, Mr.DeLisi asked that someone from somelevel of government “shut the projectdown” until those issues are resolved.

While the board reviews Mr.DeLisi’s photographs and two let-ters, board member Joseph Doylesuggested to Mr. DeLisi that he con-tact the stormwater management di-vision in the state Department of En-vironmental Protection for assistance.

In other business, the board grantedfinal site plan approval to Beam ReachProperties for its lot at the corner ofPlainfield Avenue and Waldheim Av-enue. The lot will be used to storeequipment and supplies for the Scape-abilities landscaping firm. Up to eightconcrete block storage bins will beerected to hold mulch, gravel, sandand other materials used in the land-scaping business. Company ownerStephen Costalos told the board thathis company vehicles will also beparked there during off hours.

The planning board in May is ex-pected to open hearings on an appli-cation by Temple Sholom for ap-proval of its plan to construct a newhouse of worship at 1925 Lake Av-enue. Based in Plainfield until 2003,the congregation has been using thefacilities at the Fanwood Presbyte-rian Church on Martine Avenue. Itpurchased the five-acre Lake Avenueproperty, which is situated in a resi-dential neighborhood, in 2007.

Governor Christie Urges BOEs and Teacher Unions to Freeze Salaries (page 4)

PAGE INDEXRegional ........ 2-3Editorial ........ 4-5,18-20Community ... 6-7, 17

Obituary ........ 8Education ...... 9Sports ............ 11-16

Real Estate .... 10-17Classifieds .... 20A&E .............. 21-22

Police Blotter...6

David B. Corbin for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood TimesDUG OUT...The Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School baseball field, plagued withdrainage problems, is undergoing extensive repairs and may delay its use for theseason.

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Page 2 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

NJSBA Urges DistrictsTo Reopen Talks

TRENTON — The New JerseySchool Boards Association (NJSBA)has called on Governor Chris Christie,the State Legislature, and schoolemployee unions to support five strat-egies that will help local school dis-tricts preserve education programs inlight of $819.5 million in aid cuts.

They recommend districts reopencontracts to freeze wages; extensionof millionaires’ surcharge for moreone more year; enactment of S-3/A-2460 to implement employee contri-butions to health coverage; immedi-ate approval of the proposed pension/health benefits reform package; S-3/A-2460 to require school employeescontribute 1.5 percent of their sala-ries to the cost of health benefits;enactment of S-3/A-2460 to requiresuch contributions in many schooldistricts, starting next year, and thatthe state begin to address the cost ofpost-retirement medical benefits. Thelegislative package was signed Mon-day by the governor.

The NJSBA also has called for asuspension of the Tuesday, April 20school budget election for 2010 toallow more time for school districtsto prepare state budgets. Currently,all districts must have their budgetsfinalized for placement on the schoolelection ballot by April 3.

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Westfield Senior HousingProposes Complex In GW

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

GARWOOD — Last Thursdaynight the Westfield Senior CitizensHousing Corporation (WSCH) held acommunity meeting announcing theirplans to build a 72-unit apartmentcomplex for people age 62 and overon the former St. Anne’s School prop-erty in Garwood.

WSCH Board President RobertConroy said that WSCH is signingpaperwork this week to purchase theproperty from St. Anne’s Church. Theschool, located along Cedar Streetbetween Second and Third Avenues,was closed in 1986. While the schoolbuilding and an adjacent convent wererented out at one time they are cur-rently vacant.

The proposed development callsfor 71 one-bedroom apartments andone two-bedroom apartment for a livein caretaker. There would be 41 park-ing spaces with access to the parkinglot from both Cedar Street and ThirdAvenue. The three-story building isproposed at 38 feet from the firstfloor to the top with a brick and stuccofaçade. While the project would haveto gain planning board approval, Mr.Conroy said WSCH hopes to breakground in 2011 and expect the projectto take 12 months to complete.

WSCH will be putting together acommunity committee to continuallyget input from residents and intendsto have members of the Garwoodcommunity on their board. Mr.Conroy said WSCH is “not here toshove anything down anybody’s throat(because) that sort of developmentdoesn’t work.”

Because the property is currentlyowned by St. Anne’s no property taxesare paid to the borough. WSCH wouldmake Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PI-LOT), and Mr. Conroy made com-mitments to donate to local organiza-tions such as the volunteer first aidsquad and fire department.

WSCH is a not-for-profit corpora-tion and currently owns and operatestwo buildings on Boynton Avenue inWestfield. They intend to apply forfunding from the United States De-partment of Housing and Urban De-velopment (HUD), which will subsi-dize rent for its residents.

According to WSCH ExecutiveDirector Ruth Smith, the average rentin the Westfield building is $350 amonth, including utilities. She ex-plained that the amount of rent eachperson is charged is based on theirgross income, less medical expenses.That net number is then multiplied by30 percent and divided by 12 in order

to reach the monthly rent amount.She said that the market rate rent on aWestfield apartment is $1,200 amonth.

During the two-hour meeting thecrowd gathered asked questions rang-ing from aesthetics to waiting lists forapartments. The apartments will notbe limited to Garwood residents, butMr. Conroy said that, from his expe-rience in Westfield, most of the appli-cants either are or were residents, orhave family nearby.

Board of Education member LindaKoenig questioned the possible im-pact on school enrollment if all of theresidents of the new complex soldtheir homes in Garwood and youngfamilies moved in.

While they cannot begin acceptingapplications for the apartments untilafter construction is completed,WSCH staff members took the namesof interested parties at the end of themeeting for a mailing list to remaininformed about the project.

State Cuts Include $10 Mil.For County OperationsBy PAUL J. PEYTON

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

ELIZABETH — Union County islooking at cuts of $12 million in statefunding in this year’s proposed $469-million budget. Among the programscut are Welfare-to-Work money usedto transport Rahway residents to theirjobs at the Watchung Square Mall onRoute 22 and the Public Archives andRecords Infrastructure Support(PARIS) Program.

County Manager George Devanneysaid the county would lose $4 millionfrom the Prisoner Rehabilitation Pro-gram for the county jail, $16 millionin “previously awarded” funds forthe redevelopment of Oakwood Plazain Elizabeth, a payment of $4 million,which, he said, would now fall on thebacks of Union County and Elizabethtaxpayers this year. He said thecounty’s Vocational-Technical Schoolfaces a $1-million cut in the 2010-2011 budget on top of having its“surplus funds raided” earlier thisyear.

“It’s becoming clear to many thatthe proposed cuts are no more than apass-along burden to county andmunicipal governments, as well asboards of educations,” County Man-ager George Devanney said. “Thewrecking ball taken to government,education and transportation pro-grams will fall largely on the backs ofcommuters, soccer moms, dads, singleparents, seniors with drug prescrip-tions, and may ultimately impact ourchildren’s future and quality of life.”

“The state cuts are going to placenew pressures on county govern-ment,” he said. “Make no mistake,some of these cuts are going to resultin service reductions and some ofthese cannot be passed onto taxpay-ers.”

In a letter to newspapers, Free-holder Clerk Nicole DiRado said thePARIS grant was “a successfulRecords Management Grant Programaimed at prioritizing projects, whichachieved greater records accessibil-ity to the public.” The county re-ceived $1.01 million in 2005, $1.05million in 2006, $739,700 in 2007,$184,000 in 2008, and $333,000 in2009 in PARIS grant money.

Director of Finance Larry Carosellisaid the county’s surplus has grown30 percent to $28.5 million over thepast year, $24 million of which wasplaced in this year’s budget to offsettaxes. Last year, the county put $18.5million of its $22-million surplus inthe budget as a revenue item. Mr.Caroselli said the county tradition-ally uses 80 to 84 percent of its sur-

plus in the budget.“I would love to be able to keep

half of the surplus (out of the budget)but that is really not fair to the taxpay-ers,” he said.

He said the county was able to gainadditional revenues from RunnellsSpecialized Hospital, from rentingout beds at the juvenile detentioncenter in Linden to the federal gov-ernment, by picking up an additionalhalf-million dollars from the Sheriff’sDepartment, and additional insurancereimbursements.

“Basically, what we were able todo is come in with $14 million ofadditional revenues over what wasanticipated in 2009,” Mr. Carosellisaid.

He said the county’s deficit de-clined from $24 million at the start ofbudget discussions in 2009 to $18million this year.

Freeholder Angel Estrada ex-plained that the county “relies” onremaining surplus monies for its op-erations “otherwise we would have togo out and bond some money.”

Director of Corrections (DOC)Brian Riordan said the EducationServices Program cut in the state bud-get helps fund education in the area ofalcoholism, substance abuse and an-ger management at a facility in New-ark for some 150 inmates to helpthem avoid being returned to jail inthe future. He said the county funded$6.2 million last year for the programbut only utilized $4 million, all fundedthrough the state budget.

“That was one of the drastic cutsfrom the governor’s budget and weare going to have to live with that,”Mr. Riordan said. He said by “scalingthat program back” the county’s in-mate population at the county jail inElizabeth would increase.

He said the jail’s kitchen will un-dergo a renovation this summerwhereby the county will usefoodservice operations at the Essexand Hudson County jails.Foodservice represents $1.5 millionof the DOC’s $13-million budget(excluding salaries) for 2,700 mealsper day at a cost between $1.12 and$1.33 per meal. Mr. Riordan said therenovation would be completed infour months. Another $6.1 million isbudgeted for overtime for correc-tions officers, down $300,000 fromlast year, in addition to $24.2 millionin salaries for a total DOC budget of$43.4 million.

The budget meetings conclude to-night from 4-7 p.m. in the FreeholdersMeeting room in the Union CountyAdministration Building in Elizabeth.

www.goleader.com

CF Lauds Police, Fire,DPW for Storm Efforts

By FRED T. ROSSISpecially Written for The Westfiield Leader and The Times

CRANFORD — Mayor Mark Smithand members of the township commit-tee lauded the efforts of local emer-gency services personnel and othermunicipal departments for their effortsduring the March 13 to 14 rainstormthat the mayor said dumped nearlyseven inches of rain on Cranford.

At Tuesday’s committee meeting,the mayor said the township was “veryfortunate” in that at the height of whathe described as a “very unpredict-able” storm the Rahway River crested“at the very top of the dikes.” Afterthanking the Police and Fire Depart-ments and the Public Works Depart-ment for their efforts, the mayorthanked the Red Cross and the Or-ange Avenue School, where a shelterwas set up for several residents forcedfrom their homes.

Commissioner David Robinsonsaid the police and fire departments,as well as public works personnel,“worked very hard to keep us safe”during the two-day storm. He saidpolice had answered 282 calls, per-formed eight rescues and evacuatedhomes in town. The fire departmentresponded to 153 calls and also per-formed a “swift water rescue in theriver.” Public works personnel put in212 man-hours during the weekend,Mr. Robinson said. He added that 850to 1,000 homes were affected by thestorm and said that federal and stateemergency management officialswere in Cranford this week “gather-ing information” to help determinewhether or not the town will be eli-gible for emergency funding relatedto expenses incurred during the storm.

In other business, CommissionerMark Dugan said the committee wascontinuing its meetings on the munici-pal budget, which he expects to befinalized in “coming weeks.” The com-mittee will take into account a 20.4-percent cut in state aid announced lastweek. The $3.646 million that Cranfordreceived in 2009 will be cut by nearly$746,000 this year, to $2.9 million.

Mr. Dugan also introduced fourordinances that will repeal four spe-cific personnel management-relatedordinances. The ordinances deal withholidays of the township, municipaloffice closings on holidays, obser-vances of religious holidays and thecelebration of holidays while an em-ployee is on vacation. Public hear-ings on the four ordinances will beheld on April 27.

Mayor Smith noted that last week-end the police department had escorteda military serviceman returning fromthe Middle East to his home inCranford, and he called it a “greathomecoming.” Police met the service-man at the border and guided him tohis home, the mayor said. Mayor Smithadded that he is interested in compil-ing a list of others from Cranford whoare serving in Iraq or Afghanistan sothat similar homecomings can be or-ganized, when appropriate.

Commissioner Robinson con-gratulated police chief Eric Masonfor his presidency of the New JerseyState Association of Chiefs of Policein June. Mr. Robinson also an-nounced that the municipal court’ssession will shift to Wednesdays at5:30 p.m. starting on June 1. Drivingwhile intoxicated sessions will beheld at noon on Tuesdays.

ALMOST THERE…Westfield United Fund campaign co-chairs Charlie Weidmanand Jennifer Jaruzelski take the fundraising thermometer up to 95 percent ofgoal. The agency hopes to reach its $650,000 mark by April 30. The funddistribution committee is currently meeting to review grant requests from its 19member agencies. To contribute, call (908) 233-2113 or see westfieldunitedfund.org.

A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 3

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TOWN OF WESTFIELD2010 BULK WASTE COLLECTION SCHEDULE

A permit is required at a cost of $80.00. The amount of material placed at thecurbside cannot exceed 750 pounds per permit. More than one permit can beobtained. The permit fees must be paid for at the time of registration. Eachregistrant will be issued a sticker to be placed on the most prominent object placedat the curbside. Neighbors may share a permit, but all material must be placed atthe address of the designated permit holder. Permit fees shall be non-refundable.

HOW TO OBTAIN A PERMITPlease fill the registration form out and either use the mail or in personregistration as described below. The registration form can also be downloadedfrom the Town website at www.westfieldnj.gov.

Registration by MailPermits may be obtained through the mail and are to be postmarked no later thanthe following schedule:

Postmarked no later thanWard 1 May 21, 2010Ward 2 May 28, 2010Ward 3 June 4, 2010Ward 4 June 11, 2010

Residents are to mail the completed registration form with a check payable to“Town of Westfield” to the Department of Public Works, 959 North AvenueWest, Westfield, NJ 07090, Attention: Residential cleanup. DO NOT SENDCASH. Permits will be mailed back to the resident. Registrants should have ageneral idea of what they will be placing at curbside when they purchase thepermit to determine whether they will need to purchase more than one permit.

In Person RegistrationPermits may also be obtained in person at the Westfield Public Works Center, 959North Avenue, West. Residents are to complete the attached registration applicationand bring it to the above address along with a check or money order payable tothe Town of Westfield. Cash will not be accepted. Permits will be sold inaccordance with, and not after, the following schedule:

Wards 1, 2, 3 & 4Mon. - Fri. May 3 - 7 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Mon. - Fri. May 10 - 14 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Mon. - Fri. May 17 - 21 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Mon. - Fri. May 24 - 28 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Tues. – Thurs. June 1 - 3 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Wards 2, 3 & 4 onlyMon. – Thurs. June 7 – 10 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Wards 3 & 4 onlyMon. - Thurs. June 14 - 17 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Ward 4 onlyMon. - Thurs. June 21 - 24 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Collection of materials will be made BY WARD according to the following scheduleduring the month of June. If you are unsure what ward you reside in, please callthe DPW at 908-789-4100 ext. 4600. For more information on the Town’s permitbased cleanup program, please call: 908-789-4100 extension 4600 or visit theTown Website at www.westfieldnj.gov

Ward 1 June 7 - 11Ward 2 June 14 - 18Ward 3 June 21 - 25Ward 4 June 28 - July 2

Collection of material will be random within each ward; therefore, materialmust be out at curbside by 6:00 a.m. on the Monday of your designatedweek but no sooner than the Saturday before. Please be neat! This isimportant because collection moves quickly and you will not be pickedup if you do not have the materials at curbside by 6:00 a.m.

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America’s Energy Dependence is aPrivate Property Rights Issue

By Lon HosfordRepublican Candidate for Congress

Government private property in-fringements are tethering America toinescapable foreign energy depen-dence. These infringements are per-petrated by presidents and federaladministrators exceeding laws passedby Congress and placing internationaltreaties ahead of national needs.

The 1906 Antiquities Act is a primeexample. The Department of Interior,under President Obama’s Ken Salazar,plans to use the act to seize 10,000,000acres of land. When this happens,current use of the land will be undergovernment control, jeopardizing pri-vate forestry, mining and energy jobs.

American energy independence re-quires innovative use of our abundantnatural resources. Unbridled propertyright infringements limit this potential.

The Antiquities Act’s intended usewas for small historic sites. The Actstates it’s for “... the protection of ob-jects of historic and scientific interest.”The president at the time, TheodoreRoosevelt, immediately used the act toacquire large two tracks of land:Wyoming’s Devils Tower and the GrandCanyon National Monument.

However, the merits of protectingsuch areas are not the issue. The assur-ance that property rights are protectedis the issue. Roosevelt was considereda Progressive movement leader com-mitted to “changing and reforming thecountry.” This should sound familiar totoday’s “hope and change” mantra.Roosevelt took the Antiquities Act’sintended grant of limited authority andextended its scope.

Subsequent Presidents, such asDwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carterand Bill Clinton, followed this Antiq-uities Act overreach precedence. Theiractions prompted Congress to counter

the Act’s unintended consequences.Similarly, Salazar plans to use theAntiquities Act at a time when Ameri-cans face high unemployment and adangerous dependence on foreignenergy.

This type of government overreachthrough the Antiquities Act is like theHighlands Act in New Jersey. Theyconfiscate private property withoutdue recourse and fair compensation.They abrogate private property pro-tection to the administrative func-tions of government limiting anindividual’s power over their prop-erty if they get to keep it at all.

The danger goes much further.Through treaties, the United Statessubjugates American property rightsto world control. The Grand Canyon,Great Smokey Mountains, FloridaEverglades, Statute of Liberty andIndependence Hall all share the im-position of world control. The 1972“Preservation of the World Culturaland Natural Heritage Treaty” gives a21-member United Nations WorldHeritage Committee powers over ouruse of these national resources.

World Heritage Committee requiresthe U.S. to protect “cultural heritage,”sites including monuments and build-ings. It goes further to include “areaswhich constitute the habitat of threat-ened species of animals and plants ofoutstanding universal value” and“natural areas of outstanding univer-sal value from the point of view ofscience, conservation or naturalbeauty.” Universal value is nebulouscriteria open to abuse of property rights.

These American and World Govern-ment private property infringementsare unexpected under the U.S. Consti-tution and place America in an energydependence trap inextricable by indi-vidual initiative and innovation.

March 30 Deadline toRegister for ElectionAREA — The last day to register to

vote for the school election is Tues-day, March 30 with Tuesday, April 13the deadline to apply by mail forabsentee ballots. The school electionwill be held on Tuesday, April 20.

Towns Seek Cost EstimatesOn RVSA Billing StudyBy WAYNE BAKER

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

RAHWAY — The Rahway ValleySewerage Authority (RVSA) has re-ceived responses from its membermunicipalities regarding anotherstudy to consider alternative billingmethodologies for sewage flow.

Christina Ariemma, Garwood’s bor-ough administrator/clerk, asked for anestimate of the cost of the study andwhat savings would result to the bor-ough. Westfield Mayor AndrewSkibitsky also asked for an estimatewhile Woodbridge Mayor JohnMcCormac responded in favor of thestudy.

Kenilworth Mayor Kathi Fiamingosaid the borough “[does] not believeanother study is warranted. We be-lieve member municipalities wouldbe better served if the authority wouldmake a specific recommendationbased on the information already onhand.”

In other business, Robert Valent,RVSA’s supervisor, described therainstorm of March 12 - 15 as thefirst major test of capacity since the

plant’s recent expansion. He said theplant was, at times, processing sew-age at a rate exceeding 130 milliongallons per day. The plant normallyprocesses under 40 million gallonsper day. Mr. Valent also said that itwas unnecessary to bypass anything,meaning that the emergency line wasnot needed to prevent damage to theplant due to the extraordinary flow.

In other business, John Buonocore,who had done significant work for theauthority while an employee of Con-solidated Construction ManagementServices (CCMS) during the construc-tion process, has joined RVSA as astaff engineer as of February 22. Inaddition, forensic accountant JosephCipolla of Cipolla & Co. has beenworking for the authority to identifycosts related to the problems in theauthority’s cogeneration facility.

The board also had an extendedclosed executive session. Some em-ployees speculated that this was re-lated to hiring a replacement forMichael Brinker, the authority’s ex-ecutive director who recently retiredfor medical reasons.

Lance: Health Care PlanRaises Taxes, Cuts Medicare

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep.Leonard Lance (R-7th) issued thefollowing statement hours beforeSunday’s House of Representativesscheduled vote on the Democratichealth care reform proposal:

“My constituents are overwhelm-ingly opposed to this proposal. We allfavor health care reform, but this is notreal health care reform with more thana half a trillion dollars taken out of theMedicare and with more than a half atrillion dollars in new taxes. New Jer-sey residents already pay among thehighest taxes in the nation.

“I support reform. I support emi-nently sensible health care reformput forth by House Republicans,which includes medical liability re-form, small business insurance pool-ing, and letting New Jersey’s familiesand small businesses buy insuranceacross state lines. These are the issueswe should be addressing. Yet, none ofthese provisions are in the Demo-cratic proposal.

“We have a terrible problem withthe debt and annual deficits in thiscountry and this ill-fated measure willmake that situation much worse byincreasing deficits by $59 billion via$1.2 trillion in federal spending.

“America simply cannot afford thisfiscally-irresponsible Democratichealth care proposal. I believe thislegislation fails the American people

and future generations who will besaddled with higher taxes and an evergrowing federal debt – in large partbecause of the irresponsible actionsin the current Congress.”

Stender Bill AddressesWater Advisories

TRENTON – AssemblywomanLinda Stender (LD-21, Fanwood) isintroducing legislation to require wa-ter companies to notify customersofwater advisories . The legislationwould require a water company tonotify its customers via home phone,cell phone, text messaging or e-mail.

Peek at the Week

By Paul Peyton of The Leader/Times

In Politics

Peyton's

President Signs Health Care BillFollowing Passage by HouseThe House of Representatives

passed health care reform Sundaynight, 219-212, three votes more thanwas needed for approval. PresidentBarack Obama signed the bill, whatproponents are calling “landmark”legislation, into law on Tuesday at theWhite House without waiting for theSenate to vote on a package of revi-sions approved by the House lateSunday.

Republicans have said they wouldfocus on repealing the legislation astheir main campaign theme in themid-term elections as they try to cap-ture a gain of 40 seats to regain theHouse majority for the first time since2006.

Seven of New Jersey’s eight Demo-crats in the House voted for the billwith Rep. John Adler (D) as the lonedissenter. All five Republicans, in-cluding Rep. Leonard Lance, opposedthe legislation.

Tea Party Activists CanProceed on Recall Effort

A state Appellate Court has ruledthat New Jersey Tea Party activistscan proceed in their effort to recallDemocratic U.S. Senator RobertMenendez (D), Politico has reported.New Jersey is one of 18 states thatallows for recalls of statewide offi-cials.

The Sussex County Tea Party,which launched the effort, must turnin 1.3 million signatures from sup-porters in order to put a recall of Mr.Menendez up for a vote.

Robert Asaro-Angelo, executivedirector of the New Jersey Demo-cratic State Committee, said the TeaParty is “on a crusade to underminethe U.S. Constitution and to discredithuman evolution” by trying to recallthe Senator.

Ex-Football Player, PublisherRunning for House Seats

Two Republican self-funded can-didates are seeking election to Con-gress. Monmouth County newspaperDiane Gooch, publisher of the RedBank-based Two River Times has an-nounced her candidacy against in-cumbent Rep. Frank Pallone (D-LongBranch) in the Sixth District. Ms.Gooch and her Wall Street billionairehusband, Mickey Gooch, acquiredthe newspaper in 2004 from GeraldoRivera, the Star Ledger has reported.

In the Third District, ex-Philadel-phia Eagles offensive lineman JonRunyan has announced his run againstfreshman Rep. John Adler (D-CherryHill). Democrats currently hold eightof the state’s 13 Congressional seats.

Goodwin Replaces BaroniIn New Jersey Senate

Former Hamilton Township Coun-cil President Tom Goodwin, a Re-publican, has been sworn-in as thenew representative of the 14th Legis-lative District in the state Senate. Mr.Goodwin succeeds former GOP Sena-tor Bill Baroni, who was recentlyappointed by Governor Chris Christieto serve as the deputy executive di-rector of the Port Authority of NewYork and New Jersey.

Doctors Group ChallengesHealth Care Legislation

NJ Physicians, a non-profit groupwith 1,600 members, has filed a law-suit challenging the new federal healthcare law as undermining states’ sov-ereignty and violates citizens’ Con-stitutional rights by forcing them tobuy insurance.

Page 4 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

Letters to the EditorABCDICTIONOPQRSTDECEPTIONUVWXYZ

TM

DDDDDiction Deception

Letters tothe Editor

Your State Legislators---LD-21---

Sen. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R)425 North Ave. E.Westfield, N.J. 07090(908) 232-3673

Asm. Jon Bramnick (R)251 North Ave. WestWestfield, N.J. 07090(908) 232-2073

Asm. Nancy Munoz (R)57 Union Place, Suite 310Summit, N.J. 07901(908) 918-0414

---LD-22---Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D)

1514 E. Saint Georges Ave.Linden, N.J. 07036(908) 587-0404

Asw. Linda Stender (D)1801 East Second St.Scotch Plains, N.J. 07076(908) 668-1900

Asm. Jerry Green (D)17 Watchung Ave.Plainfield, N.J. 07060(908) 561-5757

LD-21 includes Westfield, Mountainside,Garwood, Summit and Cranford.

LD-22 includes Scotch Plains, Fanwood,Plainfield, Clark and Linden.

E-mailsenkean@njleg.orgsenscutari@njleg.orgasmbramnick@njleg.orgaswmunoz@njleg.orgaswstender@njleg.orgasmgreen@njleg.org

7th Congressional DistrictRepresentative Leonard Lance, 425 North Avenue E., Westfield, NJ 07090 (908) 518-7733

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Answers to last week’s arcane words.1. Hipparch – An ancient Greek cal-

vary commander2. Hilus – In anatomy, a small notch or

opening where vessels and nerves enteran organ

3. Luetic – Syphilitic4. Yurt – A Siberian hut

GOLADAR1. In East India, one who has charge of

a storehouse2. An agnostic or non believer3. A looking glass, small telescope4. A green vegetable pigment

FERDNESS1. Sharpness; eagerness2. Self-assuredness; certainty3. The state of being afraid4. A state of awkwardness; clumsiness

FELO-DE-SE1. Excessive grief; very sad2. Suicide3. Care free; relaxed4. A fencing master

CULVERIN1. A receptacle for archery implements2. A large vat to hold cloth for bleach-

ing3. A small tub4. A musket or cannon used in the

Middle Ages

Below are four arcane words, eachwith four definitions – only one is correct.The others are made up. Are you sharpenough to discern this deception of dic-tion?

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.

‘It’s About Time’ New Jersey’sGovernor Faces Budget ‘Squarely’

‘Shudder To Think’ of $4.2-MillionCut To Our School Budget

School Budget Problems;WF Self-Inflicted Wound

Westfield Teacher Unions HaveCleverly Distilled A Beverage

In Westfield, if you Google the word“chutzpah”, you will be sent to the boardof education’s site. How else can youdescribe the actions of the board? It ig-nored every signal that government musteconomize, rushed to sign two contracts,which would exceed any fully-fundedbudget, expressed shock that the gover-nor delivered on his threats and now seeksrelief from its own profligacy.

The town has closed storefronts. Everyconversation eventually touches on thebad economy. The mayor and council aretrying various plans to help save money.How could the board be so oblivious?

The teacher unions have cleverly dis-tilled a beverage, which makes one be-lieve that the unions are there “for thekids” and if you oppose their hikes youare anti-children and anti-education. TheBd. of Ed. has obviously sipped this po-tion and professes that their actions are“for the kids”. If you sip this liquid, youcan tell the bankruptcy judge “you did itfor the kids”.

We must educate the children ofWestfield. Let’s start by teaching themone can’t spend more than he has.

A. John BlakeWestfield

Every great society throughout historyhas had a shelf life. The USA is no excep-tion.

As I write this, our country is at atipping point. The reason being for gen-erations our elected officials, mainly atthe federal and state level, have spentwithout any regard for fiscal responsibil-ity. As one our greatest leaders once said,“Government is like a baby: An alimen-tary canal with a big appetite at one endand no sense of responsibility at the other.”

What has this continuous recklessnessmeant to New Jersey? Our most challeng-ing fiscal crisis ever.

Like our federal government, New Jer-sey officials have just kicked the candown the road, all the while increasingspending year in and year out. And the taxburden being put on us by our ever-ex-panding government has become impos-sible.

My children attend Westfield Public

Schools, so this new budget being pro-posed by Governor Christie will impactmy family front and center. But what arethe options given that we have no moremoney? Repeat: We have no money.

So, I commend our brave new gover-nor for facing this matter squarely. It’sabout time. And I wish that PresidentObama would take note of what he isdoing here in New Jersey. But as I writethis, Obamacare is on the cusp of beingpassed. This is a massive 2,700-pagemore-of-the-same budget burden that,when the history books are written, willbe seen as the point of no return for thisonce great nation.

Can Governor Christie lead by exampleand have the rest of the nation follow hisplan to stop the spending, debt and bor-rowing ways that are destroying us? Weall should hope so.

Frank ArenaWestfield Councilman

The town owes a debt of gratitude toThe Westfield Leader and board of educa-tion candidate [Micth] Slater for pointingout the bizarre decision by the board tounnecessarily vote on the teachers’ con-tract just before finding out what Gover-nor Christie would propose to deal with acatastrophic state fiscal situation. Whatdid they think – that the governor wasgoing to be Santa Claus?

Any private business that made an un-necessary, key decision without waitingfor relevant information coming soon,and which had a serious result for theorganization, would see those respon-sible in danger of losing their jobs.

Budgeting for a reasonable expecta-tion of no more than a 15-percent cut instate aid is an irrelevant excuse whenthere was no need to make any decision atall on the teachers’ contract before Gov-ernor Christie laid out his plans. In myopinion, anyone who voted for this con-tract under these circumstances has dem-onstrated they lack the fiscal skills neces-sary for these difficult times.

Now, the board faces about a $3.5million shortfall in the new budget be-yond the 15 percent cut in $4.2 million instate aid they were prepared for. Thatcould be a big additional increase in prop-erty taxes or a major cut in services ofpossibly 35 teachers. On top of this, if thestate will have 2.5 percent budget caps inthe future, three years of 3.9 percent an-nual increases in teacher salaries in thenew contract will likely mean that cuts inteachers, programs, and increases in classsizes will be issues for the future as well.

There would clearly be an impact onthe children of laying off many teachers.The obvious solution is to reopen theteacher’s contract and renegotiate some-thing consistent with the new realities –such as a salary freeze for at least a year.If the union refuses, then we will knowwithout a doubt exactly how much theyreally care about their students or theirpeers who could otherwise lose their jobs.

Jeff BashWestfield

My family moved to Westfield fiveyears ago from Long Island, N.Y. Wechose to live here because the schoolsystem was rated one of the top in NewJersey. We were pleasantly surprised tolearn that Westfield’s school district waslooking to create a centralized kindergar-ten and our son just entered LincolnSchool’s kindergarten class of 2010.

Westfield’s centralized kindergartenconcept has been in place for two yearsand is also the home of Early ChildhoodSpecial Education programs. This type ofearly childhood educational center hasbenefited young children in many ways.Everyone working in this school has acommon purpose: working together toshare best practices and ideas on the kin-dergarten curriculum and programs. Thefaculty and administration exhibit a strongcommitment to creating a stimulatinglearning environment for our children,developing all of the programs and as-semblies with a focus on kindergartenersand their developmental stages.

I believe this innovative early child-hood learning approach sets Westfieldapart from most districts. The idea inpractice creates a springboard for theyoungest of students to transition into aschool with children their own age, all ofthem adjusting to the public school set-

ting for the first time. From the momentthey walk through the doors (by them-selves), they learn how to walk hallways,have recess in a gym, have a locker oftheir own, have a classroom and partici-pate in after-school programs. All thisbefore they enter the next phase of theirlives: first through fifth grade at the el-ementary school.

The benefit my son has received fromhis initial school experience has proven tobe invaluable. I shudder to think how a$4.2-million cut to our budget could pos-sibly allow this type of educational excel-lence to continue. I know that the board ofeducation is working hard to minimizethe damage that will be done to our schooldistrict, our children, and our town’s repu-tation for providing a first-rate education,by such a huge cut.

The Westfield community cares aboutour children’s education. That is why wemoved here. We have not been disap-pointed. I urge fellow Westfield taxpay-ers to support the board of education as ittries to do what it takes to keep the valueof the Westfield education intact. It’simportant to the community and criticalto our children’s future.

Rena BaretzWestfield

Asking Astronomers toPay UCC to Volunteer‘Doesn’t Make Sense’I would like to thank Dr. [John] Farrell

and Mr. [Victor] Richel [of Union CountyCollege] for their reply regarding the mat-ter of Amateur Astronomers, Inc. (AAI)and Union County College (UCC). Theyseem, however, to have an inaccuratepicture of who we are and what we do.

They described AAI as “a private not-for-profit organization interested in as-tronomy.” While we are “private” in thesense of not being part of the UCC fac-ulty, I want it to be clear that membershipis open to everyone. UCC faculty andstudents are among our members. Butmembership is not required to attend ourfree public meetings and programs. Weare not “private” in the sense of being anexclusive group.

The distinction is made that “AAI mem-bers, many of whom are not Union Countyresidents, have enjoyed the virtual exclu-sive use of the Observatory.”

UCC has a particular responsibility toserve Union County residents. The vastmajority of our members and visitors arefrom Union County – including myself.What county our members are from, how-ever, is of no more consequence to serv-ing Union County than where the UCCfaculty or administration may reside. Weall serve the people of Union County.

AAI almost never uses the buildingbetween 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., leaving it freefor use by UCC’s classes. We conduct ourregular public programs on Fridays, be-tween 7:30 and 10:30 p.m., when thecollege is virtually empty. All other uses,by the club as a whole or by individualmembers, have always been scheduledaround the needs of UCC’s classes, whichtake precedence.

In 2006, UCC unilaterally installed anew swipe card lock system that severelylimited AAI’s access to the observatory.UCC’s security department controls howmany swipe cards AAI receives despitethe fact some 97 percent of the equipmentand materials within Sperry are AAI’sproperty.

Under these circumstances, it seemsinaccurate to describe AAI’s use of SperryObservatory as “exclusive” – virtual orotherwise.

We are sensitive to the fact that budgetcuts and increased enrollments haveplaced additional burdens on UCC. Thisis why we take pride in the fact that oursupport of UCC’s faculty and students areall free of charge. Indeed, that UCC canboast an observatory with not one, buttwo, research-quality instruments isthanks to the original financial gift of oneof our members.

Sperry Observatory is UCC’s as-tronomy lab, and our volunteers havebeen available, on demand, to operate thetelescopes whenever UCC’s astronomyclasses have needed them. I’m sure theywould never think of gutting their chem-istry lab or their biology lab. Especiallyone that is staffed for free.

Particularly in the present economicclimate, it is worth looking again at thenumbers. Based upon average salaries forthe kinds of services we perform, it wouldcost UCC – conservatively – an extra$90,000 a year to operate Sperry Observa-tory and run programs for Union County.

For over 40 years, in accordance withour agreements, AAI has provided free,in-kind services in return for UCC’s main-tenance of the property. Asking AAI topay UCC to be allowed to volunteer ourtime and expertise doesn’t make sense.

The truth is, AAI and UCC share – andhave shared for a generation – the samegoals of education and service. I under-stand we are just one of many concernsthe UCC administration must deal with inhard times. Perhaps they have simply lostsight of the fact AAI is more than merelya “private” club of outsiders that onlyuses their building.

We have a long and mutually-benefi-cial relationship. I sincerely hope that Dr.Farrell and Mr. Richel see that the mis-sion that brought our two institutions to-gether remains stronger than what maynow divide us.

Gordon Bond, PresidentAmateur Astronomers, Inc.

The County of Union OpposesNJ Senate Bill 201

I would like to take this opportunity tocomment on proposed legislation NJ Sen-ate Number 201 sponsored by Senator[Jim] Whelan (Northfield) and co-spon-sored by Senator [Loretta] Weinberg(Teaneck). The legislation would requireall local government entities to post allpublic documents to the website. Whilethe legislation is well intended, it wouldplace an enormous burden on local gov-ernment entities by imposing a non-fundedstate mandate. Many local governmentshave neither the technology nor the staffto implement this program and lack thefunds to acquire same.

Unfortunately, Governor Christieeliminated the PARIS grant program for2010-2011, which was a successfulrecords management grant program aimedat prioritizing projects, which achieved

greater records accessibility to the public.This grant would have helped alleviatethe financial burden by providing eitherstaff, improvements to technological in-frastructure or even both to local govern-ment agencies to make this legislationfeasible.

The County of Union supports opengovernment and accessibility of recordsto the public through its implementationof the Open Public Records Act.

Unless significant funding is providedby the State to local government entitiesto achieve the task set forth in Senate No.201, the County of Union is opposed tothe legislation.

Nicole DiRadoClerk of the Board

Union County Freeholder Bd.

County Budget Forum Hopes to BeInformative, Not A Witch Hunt

This newspaper was asked to moderate a discus-sion on the Union County budget later this month inCranford sponsored by the Union County WatchdogAssociation. The county spending plan, $470 mil-lion, represents 20 percent of local tax bills and totals$276 million in property taxes.

A county spokesman has criticized our participa-tion in this discussion, saying the Watchdog group isnot a legitimate organization.

We agreed to moderate this discussion as part ofour examination of the entire property-tax issueduring the current fiscal crisis. We think the publicshould be informed. There are operations losingmoney such as the Watchung Stables. And we don’t

know the fiscal status of the Trailside Nature andScience Center, nor do we know whether or notMusicFest and the Summer Arts Festival breakseven.

The governor has some say over school and mu-nicipal budgets by providing aid. School budgetsalso must be approved by county superintendentsand then by voters. Who does the county answer to?Can the county spend as it pleases?

Officials throughout the county, as well as privatecitizens, are expected to attend this budget forum, tobe held Wednesday, March 31, from 7 to 9 p.m. at theCranford Municipal Building. It will be televised. Itis our hope that the county will participate.

Governor Christie Calls for BOEs andUnions to Work Together

“While the budget challenges forschool districts across the state aresignificant, they are not insurmount-able. Achieving the needed savingsand finding budgetary stability willrequire all parties to step up, pitch in,and work toward the common goal ofprotecting our educational priorities.

I’m confident this middle road canbe found if school districts and localeducation associations come to thetable, find common ground, and actquickly to find the difficult, but neededsavings in these budgets.

In these difficult economic times,we cannot afford to overlook savingsthat can be achieved through reduc-tions in administrative and non-educa-tional spending. The Executive CountySuperintendents, in cooperation withCommissioner [Bret] Schundler, willbe working with school districts toachieve savings in those areas first.”

Governor Christie called on schoolboards and local education associa-tions to act on the following cost-savings intitiatives prior to April 3, thefinal date by which all school boardsmust have their budgets adopted:

1. Implementing a salary freeze forfiscal year 2011 in all collective bar-gaining agreements;

2. Requiring that school district em-ployees make contributions to theirhealth benefits that equal those requiredof State employees under the New Jer-sey State Health Benefits Program.

These are the types of concessionsand shared sacrifice being asked of all

public employees. Senate Bill 3, signedinto law yesterday, requires a mini-mum contribution to health benefits nolater than upon the expiration of allpublic employee contracts. The newlaw will save local taxpayers an esti-mated $314 million in the coming fis-cal year. By extending a similar contri-bution requirement to all public em-ployees, including those covered byexisting contracts, additional savingscan be achieved and, together with aone year salary freeze, mitigate anyanticipated property tax increases andavert cuts to classroom instruction.

Governor Christie has instructedEducation Commissioner Schundlerto issue guidelines to each school dis-trict to implement this call to action.These guidelines will provide a frame-work for districts and bargaining unitsto work together, find common ground,and identify the needed reform andsavings to protect the quality of educa-tion for New Jersey children.

See More Letters and CandidateReleases on pages 5, 18, 19 and 20

Union County Manager Comments on BudgetChallenges As a Result of State Aid Reductions

Union County is currently examininghow the governor’s budget will effect ouroperations and services. We are lookingat ways of tightening our belts, whilebeing able to provide important servicesand remaining under the state cap.

Ultimately, we are in the same boat aseveryone else, as we are impacted byapproximately $12 million in cuts.

School districts are grappling with theprospect of widespread layoffs and pro-gram cuts. The county is not exempt, asour Vocational Technical School, con-sidered to be one of the finest institutionsof its type in the nation, had $1 million ofits surplus funds raided by the state andnow have been informed it will suffer anadditional $1-million loss in state aid.Union County College, likewise, will suf-fer a $1-million loss in state aid.

The County of Union has learned $4million was taken out of a prisoner reha-bilitation program, which has been provento reduce recidivism.

The state also raided previouslyawarded funds for the redevelopment ofOakwood Plaza in Elizabeth, leavingElizabeth and Union County taxpayerson the hook for $16 million. As it stands,the county and Elizabeth taxpayers will

owe $4 million alone this year thanks tothe state raid. The redevelopment wouldhave provided a safe neighborhood andnew housing for those who need it most.

The county will also endure additionalcuts that will impact Human Servicesprograms into the community, and alsomore than $300,000 from the PARIS ar-chives and records management grant,and $300,000 in shared services funding.

In light of this, Union County tooksteps last year to close our budget gap andput county government in a better posi-tion for this year’s budget. However, thesecuts will place new pressures on countygovernment.

The types of programs the governorwants cut and the county provides, areintegral to our residents, and we will workhard to mitigate wherever feasible.

Make no mistake, there will be some

service reductions and eliminations thatcan’t be passed on to taxpayers — andresidents should be prepared to under-stand these were state-funded cuts.

Through our budget hearings, our di-rectors will identify these cuts and theconstituencies — our residents — whowill be impacted.

Finally, it should be noted that Gover-nor Christie has promised to give us thetools to rein in costs for contracts, pensionbenefits, and civil service guidelines. Weeagerly await these details, and we hopethese tools arrive in time for this budget-ary process. We are ready to evaluatethese proposals and use them to makegovernment more efficient and cost ef-fective.

George DevanneyUnion County Manager

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Union County Freeholders10 Elizabethtown Plaza

Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207(908) 527-4000

Dan Sullivan, Bd. Chairdsullivan@ucnj.org

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A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 5

This Is Westfield 201038th Annual EditionComing in May – Make your advertising reservations now – (908) 232-4407 – sales@goleader.com – Details are online at www.goleader.com/tiw

A must for businesses and organizations in the region.

Total Debt, Liabilities, $280School Bonds, 28

**County Bonds, 28Town, 18

**RVSA Bonds, 28Pensions, 180 est.

Total Current Input, $180 MMSchool Tax, 79.3

School State Aid, 5.3School Fed. Aid, 2.0

School Other, 3.4Town Tax, 23.4

Town State Aid, 4.0Town Other, 12.6**County Tax, 27

**County Other, 18

For the model, 10 percent of countyoperations and 14 percent of the RahwayValley Sewerage Authority are assignedto the model. Units = $millions

Celebrating 20 Years of Dentistry in Westfield Thomas C. Streko D.M.D.

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Anne M. Hale Speaker Series Made possible by a grant from

The Thomas Glasser Foundationand The Anne and Lee Hale Fund

Hosted by the Friendsof the Westfield Memorial Library

Jon BramnickNJ Assembly Conference Leader and

Westfield Resident

“Trenton: An Inside Look at State

Government Decision Making”

Thursday, April 87:30 pm At the Town HallCommunity Room

Learn about the inner workings of New Jersey State government from an insider. Mr. Bram-nick discusses taxes, pensions, the death pen-alty, same-sex marriage and gun control. This promises to be a compelling evening.

Open to the public. Register on the Library’s website at www.wmlnj.organd click Online Calendar, or call 908.789.4090 x 4140.

Christine Cosenza, Agent2 Elm Street

Westfield, NJ 07090-2148Bus: 908-233-9100

www.christinecosenza.net

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Point - Counterpoint

A Governor’s Failure to Bring ChangeWhile in the Majority Party

Update on the EnterpriseBy HORACE CORBIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

By Sal CaruanaFormer Westfield Councilman

Tuesday a week ago, Chris Christie,the new governor of one of the most tax-burdened states in the nation, introduceda bold $28.3-billion budget balanced withbroad spending cuts instead of new taxincreases. So begins the Fiscal Revolu-tion, a battle to save the state of NewJersey from further insolvency and itscitizens from spiraling taxes and govern-ment costs. Revolutions are not foughtwithout sacrifices, losses and hardshipsand their purpose is to bring changes thatoffer the hope of better days and betterlives.

The changes we yearn for is a NewJersey that offers a promise of prosperityfor our children, affordability for our ag-ing population, opportunity for businessesof all sizes and effective improvements inthe delivery of social services and educa-tion to the neediest amongst us.

Governor Jon Corzine understood theneed for change, and he came to Trentonin 2006 with a sharp private sector men-tality that many of us hoped would alsobegin a period of focus on the poor finan-cial health of the state. Instead of chang-ing government, quite sadly governmentchanged him. Obstructionists of both par-ties who were heavily invested in thestatus quo torpedoed Corzine’s innova-tive ideas.

The governor, a Democrat, was clearlydemoralized when elected officials of hisown party (in addition to Republicans)organized protests to Turnpikeprivatization at his Town Hall meetings.What happened to the assertive governorwho held the Legislature in sessionthrough the Fourth of July 2006 to de-mand budget action and avoid a govern-ment shutdown? From that divisive andcontentious moment forward, GovernorCorzine increasingly became a politicalhostage of his party’s bosses and theiragendas of bigger government and highertaxes.

The outstanding leadership and man-agement skills of a Chief Executive Of-ficer who was a titan in private industry atGoldman Sachs slowly faded in publicservice. Were they no match for a systemruled by so many powerful politiciansand their vested interests?

In the election of 2009 and a nationalera of ongoing political change, NewJersey voters sent an unambiguous mes-sage: Corzine was not the answer to ourproblems. The truth is it was the Demo-cratic majority in Trenton that squan-dered his term and any prospects he of-fered for change. In the years to come itwill be hard to remember Jon Corzine andnot dial up the deer-in-the-headlights vis-

age he frequently wore during the ’09campaign, which perhaps reflected manyof his unexpected experiences, personalfrustrations and unfulfilled ambitions asgovernor.

Goldman Sachs can fix all sorts ofglobal financial and economic dysfunc-tion, but apparently not the kind thatexists in Trenton or our political culture.Can anyone? We are about to find out.

Next Week: Governor Christie and TheFiscal Revolution - Can a minority Gov-ernor with a popular mandate for changeget the job done?

What do you think?

Since last week when the WestfieldEnterprise fiscal model was presenteddescribing this year, state aid figures wereannounced for next year. The State ofNew Jersey and most public school sys-tems have their fiscal years beginningJuly 1. The town and county follow thecalendar year.

For Westfield Schools, state aid is todrop $4.2 million (from $5 million to $0.8million next year). Westfield Schoolsadjusted their numbers and propose abudget of $89 million, essentially thesame as the current year, generally con-strained by the governor’s decree of amaximum school property tax increase of4 percent. The schools are proposing in-creasing the Westfield property tax from$78.2 million to $81.9 million (4.7 per-cent). See the school budget legal noticesubmitted to the state on Monday pub-lished on page 18.

State aid announced for the Town ofWestfield is to drop by $0.94 (from $4.1to $3.1 million). The town is beginning itsbudget deliberations for the next calendaryear. This process is expected to take afew months. Last year, the town collected$16.3 million in property taxes to supportits $40-million budget that included pay-ment of about $3.6 million to the RahwayValley Sewerage Authority.

The county is proposing a $470-mil-lion budget for next year to be introducedin April, passed in June. The budget pro-posed is an increase of $28 million (4.4percent). Of the $470 million, the planincreases property taxes to towns from$265 million to $276 million. Westfieldis to be assessed $28 million in propertytaxes from the county (compared to $26million this year – an increase of 7.7percent). It’s not known whether thecounty and allowable property taxes arein anyway constrained by the governor’sdecree. These questions have been askedand the responses, will be published nextweek.

A preliminary assessment: given the

state aid figures just released, the taxincreases intended by the county andschools with all other factors consideredconstant, the Westfield Enterprise is fac-ing a property tax increase of about $6.6million ($3.7 million from schools, $0.9million from the town and $2.0 millionfrom the county). The situation though isnot this simple as several cost factors arelikely to rise, cash reserves are low andrevenues other than taxes may fall.

In any of the categories (schools, townand county), it is not known what theimpact on services, employment and unioncontracts may be. Per practice of the past,the schools, county and town operateindependently and do not collaborate onpriorities or adjust resources accordingly.

Questions have been asked of the unionsand comments have not yet been received.

From Westfield MayorAndy Skibitsky

After years of unprecedented growthin the state budget and mismanagementover the state’s financial affairs, includ-ing raiding dedicated funds and increas-ing debt load to pay for current operatingexpenses, it is no surprise that state gov-ernment now finds itself in a fiscal crisisof an almost inconceivable magnitude.While all municipalities, includingWestfield, will be impacted by thegovernor’s recommended actions, so toowould they be impacted if no action wastaken to stop the perpetual bleeding of thetaxpayer.

I am working very closely with theFinance Committee and the town’s pro-fessionals to find the right balance be-tween meeting the mandatory cap on thetax levy, reducing expenditures, and seek-ing revenue enhancements while preserv-ing as many services as possible. In thiscrisis, it’s hard to imagine there could bea silver lining. For Westfield, though, thesilver lining is that beginning in 2006, westarted the process of “reinventing gov-ernment” by responsibly reducing stafflevels, controlling operating budgets, se-curing grant moneys and limiting debt.

Consequently, we are in a much betterposition to cope with this crisis than most.To be sure, there are many tough deci-sions yet to come and everyone will nodoubt have to make sacrifices, but all thatmakes Westfield the unique and wonder-ful town that it is will certainly persevere.

The Enterprise

By HORACE CORBINSAL CARUANA and PETER ECHAUSSE

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Part Two

www.goleader.com/planet

SP-F SuperintendentMargaret Hayes Says:Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools

will see a reduction in state aid of$3,847,136 for the 2010-2011 school year.We were prepared for a 10-percent to 15-percent reduction, but the reality of an84.4-percent reduction will have a sub-stantial impact on our district’s opera-tions, the towns that support our schools,and the teachers and staff we value.

On March 22, our board of educationdid not ratify the proposed contract withthe Scotch Plains-Fanwood EducationAssociation after bargaining in good faithfor many months. We have worked toabsorb the impact of this state aid reduc-tion in a tight timeframe, spreading thesecuts across staff and district operations toconstrain the impact on local propertytaxes.

State aid figures were released on March17, and our board met on March 22 toapprove a tentative budget for submis-sion to the Union County Executive Su-perintendent on March 23. Our final bud-get is scheduled for a public hearing andvote on March 31. This process has beenunreasonably time constrained and un-dermines sound planning.

The shift in the funding platform con-tinues to harm some districts more thanothers. Even in difficult financial times, amore prudent process needs to come fromTrenton.

It is Imperative that the Budget VoteFor Schools be Rescheduled

Editor’s note: This letter of Superin-tendent Margaret Dolan was distributedby the Westfield High School ParentTeacher Student Association (WHSPTSO)and copied to the newspaper.

*****A directive from Trenton on March 17

cut state aid to Westfield schools by 90percent. This completely contradictedwhat the commissioner of education hadtold boards of education and superinten-dents less than a week before. NewJersey’s Constitution provides for publiceducation for all. With this cut, the statewill provide less than 1 percent of the costof public education in Westfield. Follow-ing is the text of the message that Super-intendent of Schools, Dr. Margaret Dolan,sent to Westfield’s representatives in Tren-ton.

“From Superintendent Dolan: PostponeApril School Election, The students in thepublic schools in Westfield deserve bet-ter.

The taxpayers in Westfield deservebetter. The state has given us six days tocut $4,222,000 from the cost of educating6,275 students. The governor and com-missioner have promised a tool kit tomake these cuts. The tool kit is empty.

The state Legislature will have almost

four months to debate and make well-reasoned decisions about the Governor’sproposed budget. All school districts havebeen directed to make cuts in six days notknowing what the legislature will change.

It is imperative that the budget vote berescheduled. Ballots have not been printed.Boards of education will then be able toutilize the promised tools and make in-formed cuts to their budgets. The 6,275students in public schools in Westfielddeserve better.

Margaret DolanWestfield Schools Superintendent

Westfield is a Very Friendly Town

While I was Ill, My EmployeesOperated the Store; Thank You

Many of you have seen me walking indowntown Westfield with my rollatorwalker. I would like to thank all the won-derful people who have shown me kind-ness by jumping to help me with doors,walking me across the street or holdingtraffic for me.

Many people have asked me if I neededany help. One kind lady noticed that myshoelace was undone and bent down to tieit for me. Several strangers were kind

enough to help me up the front stairs ofmy building to save me the walk down thedriveway and parking lot to my garagewhere I can enter without stairs.

I also thank the Downtown WestfieldCorporation for the welcome blackbenches. Westfield is a very friendly town,and I commend all the good people whohave reached out to me.

Joy KraussWestfield

One of the greatest fears facing a smallbusiness owner is to be hospitalized andunable to run your business. In February,I suffered a ruptured appendix and spentmore than two weeks in Overlook Hospi-tal. This was followed by several weeksof recovery at home, where I continued toworry about my store, my customers andthe work to be done.

I didn’t need to worry. My two part-time workers, Mike and Jon, took it uponthemselves to operate the store for the full

12-hour workday. They completed thejobs that I left in progress and took goodcare of our customers, new and old. Theyeven exceeded the budget for the month.

My thanks to them and to all of mygreat customers for their patience duringmy absence — and especially for all theirgood wishes during my convalescence.

Thomas Pizor, Boxer ExpressWestfield

This is the second in a series ofarticles where public participation issought. See goleader.com/planet.

Analyzing the fiscal emergency us-ing Westfield as a model – Facingreality with all options open; rethink-ing the schools, municipality andcounty government.

Last week, a fiscal model for theenterprise was presented totaling $180million per year currently plus debt at$280 million.

Letters to the Editor

Editor’s CommentaryWe believe the best outcome is one

where an equal sharing of the burden isborne by all; where job losses are avoidedand curtailment of services is minimized.

The question is, do we as a society havethe mettle for this, or is it every man forhimself? This is true, whether it beWestfield, Elizabeth, Union County orthe State of New Jersey.

And yes, it is imperative to purge thesystem of the scalawags.

Reading is good for you

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Page 6 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

POLICE BLOTTER

IHM to Welcome EveryoneTo Easter Sunrise Service

SCOTCH PLAINS – The Immacu-late Heart of Mary Roman CatholicChurch, located at 1571 SouthMartine Avenue in Scotch Plains,invites members of the communityto attend its Sunrise Celebration onEaster Sunday, April 4, at 5:30 a.m.

This event, which has become atradition in the parish over the lastseveral years, acknowledges and in-corporates elements of two religiouscultures represented in its community– those of Italy and the Philippines.

The celebration will open with aMass in the Main Church celebrat-ing the Resurrection with accompa-niment provided by a children’s“Angel Choir.”

A breakfast buffet will follow

downstairs in the Father Byrne Au-ditorium. There also will be EasterEgg Hunts designed to challengeboth toddlers and older children.“Simon,” the parish’s Black Labra-dor mascot, also will be on hand.The festivities are expected to con-clude by 7:30 a.m.

The celebration is free and open toall. Those with children wishing tosing in the “Angel Choir” are espe-cially invited to call the church’s di-rector of Religious Education, JeanneFox, for additional details and practiceinformation. For information on thecelebration or for the rest of the EasterMass schedule, call the Parish Officeat (908) 889-2100 or visit the parishwebsite: ihmparish.net.

UCVTS’ Relay For Life GetsUnderway Tomorrow NightSCOTCH PLAINS – Hundreds of

students at the Union County Voca-tional-Technical Schools (UCVTS)will walk an overnight, 12-hour mara-thon to raise funds for cancer re-search tomorrow and Saturday, March26 and 27. The drive will be part ofthe American Cancer Society’s na-tional Relay for Life campaign.

“So far, more than 780 studentshave signed up to join Relay for Life,which is over 75 percent of the entirestudent body,” said Union County Free-holder Chairman Daniel Sullivan. “Thefreeholder board is very proud of Vo-Tech and we wish them all the best intheir efforts to help fight cancer.”

In the national Relay for Life cam-paign, teams camp out overnight andtake turns walking or running arounda track or path continuously. Sponsordonations benefit the American Can-cer Society.

Students at UCVTS’ Magnet HighSchool and the Academy for AlliedHealth Sciences began participatingin Relay for Life in 2007 and raised$42,000 that year. Last year, 450 stu-dents from all five schools at Vo-Tech

joined in. Together they raised$115,000 and won the American Can-cer Society’s 2009 Youth Gordy Klatt1 Per Capita Award as the number oneper capita youth event in the countrybased on net income and enrollmentpopulation. The schools also won theirsecond nationwide per capita awardin the high school category.

“At Vo-Tech, we believe in build-ing strong relationships among peersand with the community,” saidUCVTS Superintendent ThomasBistocchi. “I am very proud of ourstudents, and grateful for all of thesupport they have received.”

The UCVTS Relay for Life willstart at 7 p.m. tomorrow and continuenonstop all night, ending at 7 a.m. onSaturday.

To donate to the UCVTS Relay forLife event, call the American CancerSociety at (908) 629-0386, extensionno. 210, or visit the UCVTS Relay forLife webpage, relayforlife.org/ucvtsNJ. The UCVTS campus is lo-cated at 1776 Raritan Road in ScotchPlains. For more information, visitucvts.tec.nj.us/ucvts/.

SP Police Arrest ManOn Assault Charge

SCOTCH PLAINS — ScotchPlains police last Saturday arrestedJody Cooley, a 36-year-old malefrom Somerset, on charges of aggra-vated assault, possession of aweapon for unlawful purpose andunlawful possession of a weapon.The investigation is still ongoingand additional charges may be filedafter further review by the UnionCounty Prosecutor’s Office.

At approximately 2:20 a.m., whileon routine patrol, Officer UrbanoAlvarez-Diaz found the victim, a22-year-old male out of Bridgewater,lying in the street at the intersectionof Route 22, East, and WestfieldRoad. The victim was semi-con-scious with loss of blood from mul-tiple stab wounds to his chest, stom-ach and arms. Before the victim lostconsciousness, Officer Diaz was ableto obtain the defendant’s vehicle in-formation. The Scotch Plains Res-cue Squad then took the victim toUniversity Hospital, where he islisted in serious but stable condition.

Springfield police stopped Cooleyand observed blood inside his ve-hicle; he was detained until theScotch Plains Police Detective Bu-reau responded to take custody ofhim and his vehicle.

The detective bureau processedthe crime scene at Route 22 andWestfield Road. They also processedCooley’s vehicle. Cooley is beingheld at the Union County jail on$80,000 cash bail.

Local Libraries to Kick OffJoint Museum Pass Program

SCOTCH PLAINS – Museum Pass,a new program sponsored jointly bythe Friends of the Fanwood Memo-rial and Scotch Plains Public Librar-ies, will begin on Monday, March 29.

This program will allow cardholdersand Friends of both libraries to visitarea museums for free or at a minimalcost. Museum passes will be availablefor 12 sites in New Jersey and NewYork, including the American Mu-seum of Natural History, Museum ofthe City of New York, Montclair ArtMuseum, New Jersey Children’s Mu-seum, The Stickley Museum, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum,American Folk Art Museum, GardenState Discovery Museum, Frick Col-lection, Children’s Museum of Man-hattan, the Guggenheim Museum andthe New York Historical Society.

Most provide free admission andoften a discount at the museum giftshop and café, but rules differ for each.

All passes may be checked out forthree days at the Scotch Plains Libraryfront desk. The complete rules for bor-rowing the passes and details on eachmuseum program are available online

at thejointlibrary.org/museumpass.Both libraries’ Friends groups are

contributors and volunteers who workto foster interest in the libraries, makethe public aware of the libraries’ ser-vices and needs and help the librariesprovide special programs for indi-viduals or groups in the community.

The Friends also support the librar-ies with funds for the purchase of equip-ment, programs and materials. Theirannual book sales provide funding formany of their gifts back to the libraries.

For more information, call or visiteither library. The Scotch Plains Pub-lic Library is located at 1927 BartleAvenue and may be reached at (908)322-5007, while the Fanwood Me-morial Library is located at NorthAvenue and Tillotson Road and maybe reached at (908) 322-6400. Infor-mation also is available atthejointlibrary.org/museumpass.

Willow Grove AnnouncesHoly Week-Easter Events

SCOTCH PLAINS – The WillowGrove Presbyterian Church invitesthe community to join in its events forHoly Week and the celebration ofEaster. Children and youth, as well asadults, are encouraged to participatein the services.

Palm Sunday will be observed onMarch 28 with a 10 a.m. service fo-cusing on Jesus’ triumphant arrival inJerusalem. The Reverend CynthiaCochran-Carney will conclude herLenten sermon series with a sermonon “Wrath and Anger: Get Mad, GetEven or Get A Grip?” The servicewill include a children’s processionof palms and special music.

The Maundy Thursday TenebraeService will take place on April 1 at7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. It willinclude scripture readings about thelast days of Jesus’ life and his deathon the cross. The choir will presentspecial music, including “In Remem-brance” and “Ave Verum” by Mozart.Guest musician Larry Garges willplay the flute. The Lord’s Supper willbe celebrated and all are invited toparticipate.

The service will culminate with thecongregation being invited to comeforward to nail their own prayers to alarge wooden cross. As the solemnservice progresses, lighted candleswill gradually be extinguished and,finally, the congregation will exit insilence and darkness. A special offer-ing will be taken during the servicefor the Deacons’ Fund, to help the

church minister to people in needthroughout the year.

Easter Sunday, commemoratingChrist’s resurrection, will be cel-ebrated April 4 at 10 a.m. This servicewill include jubilant music and joyfulworship. Guest trumpet player JohnUrspruch will be featured. The choirwill sing a special anthem entitled“The Tomb is Open Wide” and thechildren’s choir will present a piece.

All children will be invited to takepart in a special Easter Egg Hunt andwill receive an Easter Joy bag. A spe-cial offering for One Great Hour ofSharing will be taken, which providesfunding for disaster response and refu-gee assistance and resettlement.

Reverend Cochran-Carney willpreach on “Rolling Away the Stoneand Seeing with Easter Eyes.” At-tendees will be invited for coffee andrefreshments after worship. Nurserycare will be available throughout themorning.

For more information about theWillow Grove Church, call the churchoffice Monday through Friday at (908)232-5678, e-mailinfo@willowgrovechurch.org or visitwillowgrovechurch.org.

The Willow Grove PresbyterianChurch is located at 1961 RaritanRoad in Scotch Plains, near the cor-ner of South Martine Avenue. Allfacilities are handicap-accessible.Large-print bulletins and hymnbooksare available, as are headsets for thehearing-impaired.

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First Baptist Reveals DetailsOf Holy Week Activities

WESTFIELD – The First BaptistChurch, located at 170 Elm Street inWestfield, has announced its sched-ule of Holy Week services.

Maundy Thursday will be observedon April 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctu-ary of the church. A communion ser-vice will focus on Christ’s journey tothe cross, using art slides, symbolicobjects, readings, scripture and song.The Chancel Choir will sing “Onceupon the Tree,” the Praise Singerswill lead “Lamb of God” and a com-munion song, and the congregationwill sing popular hymns.

Individuals are invited to reflect onsymbols and art slides the next day,Good Friday, April 2, anytime be-tween 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., when thechurch sanctuary will be open formeditation. Attendees may come andgo as they wish and move among thestations that will be set up to provide

a hands-on experience.On Easter Sunday, April 4, at 10:15

a.m., trumpets, organ, piano and voiceswill celebrate the resurrection. SeniorPastor Dee Dee Turlington will preachon the empty tomb. Children will at-tend part of the service before they aredismissed for an Easter Egg Hunt onthe church lawn.

The children who participate regu-larly in First Baptist Sunday schoolare planting spring flowers in deco-rated pots and will deliver them toresidents of Westfield Center Gen-esis ElderCare on Sunday, April 11.The children and their gifts will bededicated during the Easter worshipservice.

The Thursday and Sunday serviceswill have childcare provided. For moreinformation, call (908) 233-2278, e-mail firstbaptist.westfield@verizon.netor visit fbcwestfield.org.

St. John’s ServicesTo Begin Good FridaySCOTCH PLAINS – St. John’s Bap-

tist Church, located at 2387 MorseAvenue in Scotch Plains, will begin itsLenten services on Good Friday, April2, at 11:30 a.m. with “The Seven LastWords of Christ on the Cross.” HolyCommunion will be distributed. A lun-cheon will be served.

The Easter Sunrise Service will be-gin April 4 at 6 a.m. at the Metropoli-tan Baptist Church, located at JohnStreet and Jerusalem Road in ScotchPlains. The Reverend Kelmo Porter,pastor of St. John’s Baptist, and hiscongregation will join with the Rever-end Clement Griffin, pastor of Metro-politan Baptist, and his congregation.

The Hospitality Ministry will servethe annual Easter Breakfast at 7:15a.m. at St. John’s. At 8:30 a.m., theSunday Church School will present its“Annual Easter Program.” Pastor Por-ter will deliver the Easter sermon at the10 a.m. service.

The public is invited to all events.For more details, call (908) 232-6972.

Goods-Services AuctionOn Tap at SynagogueSCOTCH PLAINS – Congrega-

tion Beth Israel will hold a Goods andServices Auction and “Spring Fling”social event on Saturday, April 10, at8:30 p.m. at the synagogue.

Open to the community, the eventwill include a dessert buffet and openbar, live and silent auctions, plusraffles. More than 100 auction itemswill be available, including ticketsto shows, museums and sportingevents; gift certificates to New Jer-sey and New York restaurants andautographed memorabilia.

To register or obtain more informa-tion, call the synagogue office at (908)889-1830. Congregation Beth Israel islocated at 18 Shalom Way, at the cornerof Martine Avenue, in Scotch Plains.

Azure Chapter 87Names New OfficersCRANFORD – Azure Chapter 87

Order of the Eastern Star will begin its2010-2011 year in April with a newslate of officers. Leading the chapterinto the new year will be the electedofficers: Susan A. Foster, WorthyMatron; James R. Foster, Worthy Pa-tron; Marie J. Donnelly; AssociateMatron; Marion Puglisi, Secretary, andHettie McKinney, Treasurer.

In addition, the following are theappointed officers for the ensuingyear: Cheryl Vroom, KatherineAnderson, Kathryn Melnick, PatriciaLedger, Judith Burlew, Patricia Zatko,Anita Erickson, Dorothy Johnson,Debra Persing, Terry Zahorchak, RuthMega, Genevieve Yachnik, CarolMacFadyen and Raul Wong.

The Order of the Eastern Star is oneof the largest fraternal organizationsin the world and is open to men andwomen. The Eastern Star is a chari-table and educational association thatprovides support to both members andnon-members. The Star Chapter is lo-cated at the AzureMasada MasonicLodge, located at 478 South Avenue inCranford, and has over 100 members.

The Cranford chapter sponsorsmultiple fund-raising events to sup-port its various charitable projects,including its Eastern Star Home inBridgewater. The chapter meets thefirst and third Fridays of each monthat the AzureMasada Masonic Lodge.For more information about the Or-der of the Eastern Star and member-ship, contact Marie J. Donnelly, As-sociate Matron, at (908) 789-0813 oroesazure87@gmail.com.

WestfieldTuesday, March 16, a business on the 500

block of Springfield Avenue reported thetheft of jewelry, valued at $169.99, from adisplay case. The theft occurred that daybetween 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The matter wasturned over to the Westfield PoliceDepartment’s detective bureau.

Wednesday, March 17, Mariella Amjady,26, of Westfield was arrested and chargedwith driving while intoxicated (DWI) pur-suant to a motor vehicle stop at Boynton andRoger Avenues. She was transported toWestfield police headquarters, processedand released with summonses to a respon-sible adult.

Wednesday, March 17, a burglary wasreported at an apartment on the 200 block ofEast Broad Street, during which computerequipment was taken. The incident is be-lieved to have occurred between 9:30 a.m.and 2 p.m. that day. Reported stolen were alaptop computer, valued at $3,000, and aweb camera, valued at $40. The incident isunder investigation by the Westfield PoliceDepartment’s detective bureau.

Wednesday, March 17, Bertha Pajares,28, of Elizabeth was arrested on charges ofshoplifting and possession of burglary toolsat a business located on the 600 block ofWest North Avenue. She was transported toWestfield police headquarters, processedand released with summonses for both of-fenses.

Thursday, March 18, Pierre R. Crumpler,41, of Piscataway was arrested on outstand-ing warrants from Linden and East Orange,in the amounts of $849 and $106, respec-tively. The arrest followed a motor vehiclestop in the area of South Avenue andLivingston Street. Crumpler was processedand turned over to the Linden Police Depart-ment.

Thursday, March 18, Martin Diaz, 30, ofRoselle Park was arrested at Roselle Parkpolice headquarters on an outstandingWestfield traffic warrant in the amount of$278. He was processed and released afterposting bail.

Thursday, March 18, Christopher Mack,22, of Plainfield was arrested following amotor vehicle stop at South Avenue andCrossway Place on an outstanding Watchungwarrant in the amount of $624. He wasturned over to the Watchung Police Depart-ment.

Friday, March 19, Robert Kalkus, Jr., 54,of Maplewood was arrested pursuant to amotor vehicle stop at the intersection ofCentral and Lenox Avenues on an outstand-ing Newark warrant in the amount of $2,500.He was transported to Westfield police head-quarters, processed and released on his ownrecognizance.

Friday, March 19, Jermaine Wright, 24,of Carteret was arrested at Westfield policeheadquarters on an outstanding Westfieldwarrant in the amount of $99. He was pro-cessed and released after posting bail.

Sunday, March 21, Kelly Anger, 32, ofClark was arrested and charged with drivingwhile under the influence pursuant to amotor vehicle stop at the intersection ofCentral Avenue and Quimby Street. Angerwas transported to Westfield police head-quarters, processed and released with sum-monses to a responsible adult.

MountainsideWednesday, March 17, Bobby Johns, 49,

of Flushing, N.Y. was turned over by theNew Jersey State Police for an outstandingwarrant out of Mountainside in the amountof $622. He posted bail and was released.

Wednesday, March 17, an officer re-sponded to a report of possible damage to amotor vehicle caused by a pothole. Accord-ing to police, the victim was changing laneson Route 22 when his left front tire struck alarge pothole. The victim was unsure ifthere was any damage to his vehicle at thistime, but has experienced this type of dam-age before, and his insurance will not payunless he has made a police report.

Wednesday, March 17, an officer re-sponded to a theater on Route 22 on a reportthat a child could not find her mother. Ac-cording to police, a young girl on crutchesreported that her mother had left the theatershortly after the movie started, stating thatshe was going to use the restroom. When themovie ended and the woman had not re-turned to the theater, police were called,authorities said. The woman was later foundasleep in her vehicle. She told police she hadused the restroom and went to her car tosmoke a cigarette and had accidentally fallenasleep, police reported. No charges werefiled.

Thursday, March 18, Joseph A. Cardone,Jr., 49, of Staten Island, N.Y. was arrestedfollowing a motor vehicle stop for allegedlydriving with a suspended license. He wastransported to police headquarters, processedand released.

Thursday, March 18, a victim came intopolice headquarters to report that somethingstrange had happened while he was travel-ing on Route 22. According to police, hewas traveling west when he heard a loudbang and his car shook like something hadhit it. After inspecting the car, the victimfound a large hole in the front driver’s sideof his vehicle, which he thought was madeby a bullet, police said. However, the holewas too large to have been made by a bullet.Police suspect it was caused by a rock thatwas kicked up by the wheel, causing thedamage, authorities said.

Friday, March 19, a woman traveling onRoute 22 reported that when she stopped ata red traffic light, a white male, approxi-mately 60 years of age, exited his motorvehicle and kicked her vehicle before driv-ing off.

Friday, March 19, Mandel D. Sly, Jr., 21,of Scotch Plains was arrested following amotor vehicle stop on an outstanding war-rant out of Clark. He was transported topolice headquarters, processed and released.

Friday, March 19, Amanda K. Hudziak,26, of Clark was arrested and charged withDWI after being stopped for driving east-bound on Route 22 in the westbound lane.According to police, an officer travelingwestbound on Route 22 observed Hudziakas she came towards him, at which point hehad to swerve onto the shoulder. After shepassed, the officer made a U-turn and initi-ated a traffic stop, authorities reported. Thesuspect failed multiple sobriety tests at thescene, at which point she was taken to policeheadquarters to be given the Alcotest andcharged with DWI.

Friday, March 19, Antonio C. Da Silva,38, of Union was arrested and charged withpossession of suspected marijuana after amotor vehicle stop. According to police, DaSilva was stopped for failure to display abusiness name on a commercial vehicle, atwhich time the strong odor of burnt mari-juana was detected coming from the interiorof the vehicle. A subsequent search of thevehicle uncovered less than 50 grams ofsuspected marijuana, according to police.The suspect was transported to police head-quarters, processed and released, police said.

Friday, March 19, Joseph L. Garramone,19, Jordan A. Perez, 19, and Aneil O. Badri,18, all of Bloomfield, were arrested follow-ing a motor vehicle stop and charged withpossession of suspected marijuana. Accord-ing to police, Garramone, the driver of thevehicle, was stopped for failure to wear a

seatbelt and subsequently charged with pos-session of suspected marijuana after theofficer smelled the odor of burnt marijuanaon his clothing. Perez, a passenger in thevehicle, was found to be in possession of 17bags of suspected marijuana, and Badri,also a passenger, was found to be in posses-sion of nine bags of suspected marijuana,according to police. All three suspects weretransported to police headquarters, processedand released.

Saturday, March 20, Todd Carnucci, 35,of Westfield was charged with DWI afterbeing involved in a motor vehicle accidentwith injuries. According to police, Carnucciwas observed traveling at speeds estimatedin excess of 80 mph on Route 22. The officerwho observed Carnucci pass at a high rate ofspeed received a radio transmission that thevehicle had been involved in a motor ve-hicle accident at Globe Avenue, police re-ported.

The suspect’s car had hit a utility pole andwas engulfed in flames when police arrived.Subsequent sobriety tests performed at thescene determined Carnucci to be intoxi-cated, authorities said. He was transportedto police headquarters, processed and re-leased. A passenger in the vehicle was trans-ported to Morristown Memorial Hospital,treated and released.

Saturday, March 20, a woman observedand was able to secure the license plate of amotor vehicle from which someone wasillegally dumping debris in the driveway ofthe community pool. According to police,the owner of the vehicle was located andsaid he was having work done on his resi-dence and that he believed a worker wasresponsible for the dumping. He did notwish to identify the individual, however,and was issued a summons for illegal dump-ing.

Saturday, March 20, Frantisek Volf, 36,of Springfield was arrested after a motorvehicle stop on Central Avenue for alleg-edly driving with a suspended license.

Sunday, March 21, Geoffrey Pridgeon,50, of South Plainfield was arrested follow-ing a motor vehicle stop on outstandingwarrants out of Clinton and MiddlesexCounty. He was transported to police head-quarters, processed and turned over to theMiddlesex County jail for failure to postbail.

FanwoodSunday, March 14, Patricia Conacchia,

46, of Scotch Plains was arrested and chargedwith public intoxication after police re-sponded to a dispute in a business parkinglot on the 200 block of South Avenue. Shewas transported to police headquarters, pro-cessed and released to a responsible adult.

Tuesday, March 16, Jesse Mariani, 30, ofElizabeth was arrested on an outstandingwarrant out of Union after a field investiga-tion on the 70 block of Martine Avenue. Hewas transported to police headquarters, pro-cessed and released.

Wednesday, March 17, NicholasKochmann, 57, of Scotch Plains was ar-rested for failure to stop, reckless drivingand second degree eluding after police at-tempted a motor vehicle stop, with lightsand sirens, and Kochmann refused to com-ply. According to police, the stop was initi-ated on South Avenue at Hetfield Avenue.The officer followed the suspect to his resi-dence on the 2000 block of MeadowviewRoad, at which time he exited the vehicleand ran into his residence. Kochmann wastransported to police headquarters. Bail wasset at $25,000.

Thursday, March 18, Darrell McKoy, 27,of Linden was arrested on an outstandingLinden warrant after a motor vehicle stop onthe 200 block of Terrill Road. He was trans-ported to police headquarters, processedand released.

Friday, March 19, Jose Rodas-Maldonado, 41, of Plainfield was arrestedafter a motor vehicle stop, in which he wasthe passenger, for a body warrant issued byImmigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE). According to authorities, he was trans-ported to police headquarters, where he wasprocessed and turned over to ICE pendingdeportation.

Saturday, March 20, an officer on routinepatrol discovered trash had been dumped inForest Road Park by the basketball court.According to police, the department of pub-lic works was notified and the trash wasremoved.

Saturday, March 20, Leigh Mitchell, 42,of Plainfield was arrested following a reportof a shoplifter at a business on the 500 blockof South Avenue. According to police, 11packs of gum were found in the suspect’spossession and she was arrested. Mitchellwas transported to police headquarters, pro-cessed and released.

Sunday, March 21, Andrew Francis, 21,of Staten Island, N.Y. was arrested andcharged with DWI and refusal to submit toa breath test, following a motor vehicle stopon South Avenue, at which time the officersmelled the strong odor of alcohol. Franciswas transported to police headquarters, pro-cessed and released to a responsible adult.

Monday, March 22, a resident came intopolice headquarters to report that she wasthe victim of credit card fraud. According topolice, Bank of America notified the victimregarding fraudulent activity on her accounttotaling $1,329. The incident is part of anongoing investigation with the MountainsidePolice Department.

Scotch PlainsTuesday, March 16, Kevin Anderson of

Westfield was arrested on an outstandingwarrant after a motor vehicle stop. He wastransported to police headquarters, processedand released.

Thursday, March 18, Kelly Zavala, 24, ofNorth Plainfield was arrested and chargedwith DWI after a motor vehicle stop, atwhich time the officer smelled the strongodor of alcohol. She was transported topolice headquarters, processed and released.

Thursday, March 18, Andrew Crawford,22, of Plainfield was arrested on an out-standing warrant after a motor vehicle stop.He was transported to police headquarters,processed and released.

Thursday, March 18, a resident of MuirTerrace reported that someone made sev-eral thousand dollars worth of unauthorizedpurchases on her credit card.

Friday, March 19, a resident of HavenAvenue reported that someone has calledhim multiple times to harass him by tellinghim he is a criminal and will go to jail.

Friday, March 19, a resident of BirthStreet reported that someone withdrew sev-eral thousand dollars from his bank accountwithout authorization.

Friday, March 19, a resident of FarleyAvenue reported that someone spray paintedthe side of her house.

Friday, March 19, William Harris, 19, ofPlainfield was arrested and charged witheluding. According to police, an officerattempted to stop Harris for a motor vehicleviolation, but he fled onto Route 22 andcontinued to drive at a high rate of speed. Hewas transported to police headquarters, pro-cessed and released after posting bail.

See it all on the Web!www.goleader.com

PURIM TIME…Second-grade students in Ms. Avital’s class at Temple Emanu-El in Westfield prepare for the celebration of Purim last month by making theirown masks.

A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 7

Celebrating a Great Coach:It’s Not All About Winning

By RABBI DOUGLAS SAGAL

This past winter, my son had agreat coach. Like many boys andgirls in our towns, my sixth-gradeson enjoys taking part in organizedteam sports.

I am usually quite impressed withthe caliber of parents who chooseto coach in our youth leagues; theyare dedicated, selfless, generouswith their time and create the rightatmosphere of fun, learning andgentle competition.

My son’s basketball coach thispast “season” was an outstandingexample of the best our town canoffer. Usually when I attend thegames, I watch the players and thescore. This year, I found myselfmore often than not watching thecoach and how he interacted withthe kids on his team.

First of all, he told the boys toignore the score. Play to learn, tohave fun and to be respectful ofone another, and the score wouldtake care of itself, he would tellthem. He was right – more oftenthan not, they won – and this coachnever watched the scoreboard.

He treated every boy on the teamexactly the same – as a student ofthe game who was there to learn.He spent as much time workingwith the less skilled players as withthe gifted boys, and never gave thegifted athletes more “playing time”– even if it meant losing a closegame. He praised everyone when

they did well, and made sure tocongratulate an opposing player ifthey made a particularly good play.It was clear that he had exactly thesame expectations for every playeron his team – to play to the best oftheir ability.

He insisted that the players re-spect the coaches, the officials andthe other players – and demandedfairness. Indeed, after the firstgame, in which my son’s team“blew out” their opponents, thecoach sent a letter to the parentsapologizing for allowing their kidsto win by such a lopsided measure– that, after all, was not the point ofthe youth league.

We often criticize, and justifi-ably so, what youth sports has be-come. We all know of coaches whothrow tantrums, who toss a playeroff a team for missing a singlepractice, for coaches and parentswho condone cheating, and forparents who curse or brawl on thesidelines or work to get rid of acoach who won’t “play” their childto their liking. It is nice to knowthat there are coaches out therewho exemplify the best that teamsports can offer our children.

“March Madness?” – You cankeep it. I’ll honor a good youthleague coach anytime.

* * * * * * *

Rabbi Sagal is senior rabbi atTemple Emanu-El, located at 756East Broad Street in Westfield.

Frank Caragher to Be FetedAt The Arc Candlelight Ball

Frank Caragher

MOUNTAINSIDE – James Lape,senior vice-president at Trinitas Re-gional Medical Center and presidentof the board of directors of The Arc ofUnion County, has announced thatFrank X. Caragher will be honored atThe Arc’s 46th Annual CandlelightBall on Saturday, April 17.

The event will takeplace at L’Affaire FineCatering, located at 1099Route 22, East, inMountainside. A cocktailreception will begin at 6p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m.

Mr. Caragher’s 20th an-niversary as The Arc’s ex-ecutive director will be rec-ognized and celebrated.During his two decades atthe helm, The Arc’s bud-get has grown from $7million to $20 million, enabling it tooffer more than 30 programs and ser-vices to children and adults with devel-opmental disabilities.

Under Mr. Caragher’s leadership, TheArc has thrived in its delivery of ser-vices to individuals with developmen-tal disabilities, enhancing their qualityof life, while supporting the needs ofthe family. Thanks to his vision andcommitment to growth and develop-ment, a variety of new programs havebeen added to The Arc’s menu of ser-vices. In particular, community-hous-ing programs have increased by 70percent, providing a total of 23 residen-tial programs, short-term respite careand supervised apartment options.

Mr. Caragher, a resident of Somerset,has been instrumental in guiding TheArc’s growth of educational opportu-nities for children with developmentaldisabilities, including the opening ofan inclusive preschool, Bright Begin-nings Child Development Center inCranford, and moving The Arc KohlerSchool into a state-of-the-art facilityin Mountainside. This specializedschool provides a range of therapiesblended into an education programserving children ages 3 to 9 from 21

New Jersey school districts.In addition to Mr. Caragher, four

award recipients will be honored atthe Candlelight Ball. The evening willfeature cocktails, fine dining, a silentauction, music and dancing. Ticketsare available for purchase at

arcunioncandlelight2010.eventbrite.com/. Event sponsors includeInvestors Savings Bank, J.G. Pettrucci Company,L’Oreal USA, Trinitas Re-gional Medical Center andPrinciple Advisors. Formore information, contactNatalie Krauser McCarthyat (973) 315-0020 ornmccarthy@arcunion.org.

More information aboutThe Arc or volunteeringis available by contactingDebbie Dreher at (973)

315-0060 or ddreher@arcunion.org.

Liam’s Room Reveals DateFor Third Benefit Games

WESTFIELD – Liam’s Room, Inc.will hold its third annual benefit eventon Saturday, April 10, from noon to5 p.m. at Gumbert Park in Westfield.

Open to all ages, this year’s eventwill be a Mini-Olympics and HomerunDerby that will raise funds for Liam’sRoom, a not-for-profit organizationfounded by Peter and Lisa McNamaraof Westfield in memory of their son,Liam. Activities will include a 30-YardDash; Long Jump; Football Throw;Baseball Throw with Radar Device;Home Run Derby; Lacrosse Throw;Soccer Target Goal; Mechanical BullRide; Moonbounce and Giant Slide.

Pre-registration can be done onlineby visiting liamsroom.org. Check-inwill begin at noon, with the gamesstarting at approximately 1 p.m. Therain date for the event is the followingday, Sunday, April 11. Food, games andentertainment will be featured, plus anappearance by New York Jets players.

Liam’s Room seeks to provide pedi-atric palliative care in area hospitals.Its goals include creation of an inpa-tient room for families whose childrenhave been diagnosed with a chronic,potentially life-limiting illness.

These rooms will be equipped withall of the amenities that a child’s roomtypically offers and also will be de-signed to provide comfort to the entirefamily. Additionally, Liam’s Room will

assist in providing the necessary re-sources to help families in navigatingtheir child’s care. Liam’s Room cur-rently operates at Overlook Hospitalin Summit as the first location. Theorganization hopes it will serve as themodel for others. For more informa-tion regarding the April 10 event,contact lisa at liamsroom.org.

To register to volunteer, register forthe Home Run Derby or become asponsor, visit liamsroom.org. Volun-teers are asked to note in the “Com-ments” section the timeframe theyare available, as volunteers are neededthroughout the day from 11 a.m. to4:30 p.m.

HERBS TO CORDIALS…During a recent general meeting of the Woman’s Clubof Westfield (WCW), held at the Masonic Lodge in Westfield, certified herbalistGertrude Coleman, left, presented a program on “Making Cordials from Herbs.”Ms. Coleman also is an associate professor of English at Middlesex County Collegein Edison. She is pictured with WCW Program Chairman Jean Murphy. Formore information on the WCW, call (908) 233-2339.

Celebrate EasterMAUNDY THURSDAY

Thursday, April 1Choral Eucharist at 8:00 P.M.

GOOD FRIDAY

Friday, April 2Good Friday Liturgy at 12:00 P.M.

with Homily & St. Paul’s Parish & Treble Choirs

Children’s Service at 3:30 P.M.

THE GREAT VIGIL OF EASTER

Saturday, April 3Holy Eucharist at 8:00 P.M.

EASTER DAY

Sunday, April 4Holy Eucharist (Rite I) at 7:45 A.M.

Children’s Holy Eucharist at 9:00 A.M.

with Children’s Choirs, Members of The Parish Choir, Brass & Percussion

Holy Eucharist (Rite II) at 11:15 A.M.

with Sermon by the Rector,The St. Paul’s Parish & Treble Choirs

Brass Quintet & PercussionFeaturing works of Handel, Haydn, Nestor & Proulx

The Rev’d Andrew C. Hamersley, RectorCharles M. Banks, Director of Music

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church414 East Broad Street - Westfield, New Jersey

Information: 908-232-8506, EXT. 10

at St. Paul’s

ATTEND A FREE SEMINAR

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO

KNOW ABOUT DIVORCE

The Law Firm of Dughi & Hewit, P.C. is pleased to announce that Mario C. Gurrieri, Esq., Chair of its Family Law Department, Richard A. Outhwaite, Esq., Kristin M. Capalbo, Esq. and Andrew J. Economos, Esq. will present to the public a free seminar entitled “Everything You Need to Know about Divorce” onThursday, April 8, 2010 at Ferraro’s South (Catering Hall) in Westfield, NewJersey and Saturday, April 10, 2010 at The Grand Summit Hotel in Summit, New Jersey. Mr. Gurrieri, who has specialized in matrimonial law for over 37 years, and his group of other well-experienced attorneys, will review the law, explain the legal process and answer your questions concerning premarital agreements,separation, divorce, custody and parenting time, division of assets, alimony, child support, domestic violence, post-divorce Court review of changed financial and child related circumstances, how the current economic climate will impact

divorce and post-divorce matters, as well as the law governing civil unions.

Information will also be provided on Divorce Mediation, an alternative to the traditional contested proceeding. Divorce Mediation offers the potential for significant financial savings, while assuring that your rights are fully protected by avoiding the expense, stress and delay involved in Court proceedings.

If you are experiencing marital difficulties and contemplating divorce, or if you are simply curious about your rights in a separation or divorce, this free Seminar will be of value to you. If you are already divorced, the Seminar may be of value in explaining post divorce rights and obligations of former spouses.

A Free Personal Consultation will be offered to All Attendees.

Reservations Required (no names needed)

Call: (908) 272-0200

Refreshments will be served

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2010

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

FERRARO’S SOUTH (Catering Hall)

425 South Elmer St.

Westfield, New Jersey 07090

908-233-9777

www.ferrarossouth.com

THE GRAND SUMMIT HOTEL

570 Springfield Ave.

Summit, New Jersey 07901

908-273-3000

www.grandsummit.com

Richard J. Kaplow, Esq.“25 Years Experience”

Civil & Criminal Trial Lawyer

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· DWI · Criminal Defense· Business Disputes Commercial Litigation

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Former Assistant Union County Prosecutor

Egg Hunt to Be HeldOn Saturday MorningFANWOOD – Forest Road Park will

once again play host to Fanwood’s an-nual Easter Egg Hunt this Saturday,March 27, beginning at 10 a.m. sharp.The rain date is the following Saturday,April 3, at the same time and place.

All children age 10 and under areinvited to participate in the egg huntand meet the Easter Bunny. More than1,000 eggs filled with various goodies– including hundreds of prize tickets –will be hidden around the park.

Additionally, even more prizes willbe given out for the following con-tests: Guess the number of jellybeans;guess the number of chocolate eggs;an egg-decorating contest, for whichparticipants are asked to bring theirown decorated egg to enter, and abunny-drawing contest, for whichparticipants are asked to bring theirown bunny drawing to enter.

For more information, visitfanwoodrecreation.org or callFanwood Recreation at (908) 370-7092.

First Congregational InvitesAll to Holy Week Services

WESTFIELD – The First Con-gregational Church invites visitorsof all ages to celebrate Holy Weekwith services beginning on PalmSunday, March 28, and continuingthrough Easter Sunday on April 4.

Palm Sunday services will in-clude a traditional Palm Proces-sional. Children are invited to meetin the Chapel Lounge prior to the10 a.m. worship service to receivepalms and join in the processional.A cake auction hosted by the middleand senior high school students tobenefit Heifer Project Internationalwill be held during the coffee hourfollowing the service.

Maundy Thursday will be ob-served at 7:30 p.m. on April 1 witha service of scripture, hymns andcommunion. A Good Friday ser-vice of scripture, hymns, prayer

and reflection will be held at 7:30p.m. on April 2 in the church’sPatton Auditorium.

Easter Sunday will be celebratedwith services at 9 and 11 a.m. Mu-sic for organ and brass quartet willinclude Widor’s “Toccata” andHandel’s “Hallelujah” chorus. Aone-room schoolhouse and infantcare will be available during bothservices. One coffee hour will behosted between services at 10 a.m.

The First Congregational Church,a member of the United Church ofChrist, is located at 125 Elmer Streetin Westfield. The sanctuary is ac-cessible by a wheelchair ramp andoffers infrared listening devices forthe hearing impaired. For furtherinformation, call the church officeat (908) 233-2494 or visit the churchwebsite: fccofwestfield.org.

Woman’s Club to HostLunch/Fashion ShowAREA – The Suburban Woman’s

Club of South Plainfield will sponsora luncheon/fashion show on Sunday,April 25, at 2 p.m. in the SouthPlainfield Senior Center, located at90 Maple Avenue in South Plainfield.

Dress Barn of South Plainfield willprovide the fashions. Proceeds willbenefit the New Jersey State Federa-tion of Women’s Clubs’ Special StateProject: Autism New Jersey and theclub’s scholarship fund. The requesteddonation is $20. For tickets, call (908)756-8679.

Residential Commercial Offices

Day, Evening & Weekend Appointments Available

Complimentary In-Home Consultations ~ Economically Priced

Contact “Spruce It Up” Today!SpruceItUpCleaning@gmail.com ~ 732.713.2637

The Rabbi Barry H. Greene Early Childhood Center at TBJ

Spring Programs for Moms & Babies $48/8 sessions with Debbie Evans, LCSW

Baby Talk Babies, Birth — 8 monthsTalk about life with a new babyThursdays starts April 15th 12-1 pm

Mostly for Mommies Babies 6 – 14 monthsDevelopmental playgroup with music & movement Mondays starts April 12th 11:30 am-12:30 pm

Questions? 973 379 3177 or evabloom@mac.com

1025 South Orange Avenue, Short Hills

See it all on the web in color . . .www.goleader.com

Page 8 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

Spring Events to BeginFor Seniors Next Week

FANWOOD – The Fanwood Rec-reation Department has announcedits spring program schedule for se-nior citizens. Programs will beginthe week of Monday, March 29, andrun through the week of June 14.They are as follows:

Aerobics (Tuesdays, 9:15 to 10 a.m.),Tai Chi (Tuesdays, 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.),Line Dancing (Thursdays, 1 to 2 p.m.)and Water Exercise (Fridays, 11 to 11:45a.m.). All classes will be held in therecreation building at Forest Road Park,except for Water Exercise, which willtake place at the Jewish CommunityCenter (JCC) of Central New Jersey’sWilf Jewish Community Campus in-door pool in Scotch Plains.

The fee is $10 per program forFanwood and Scotch Plains residentsand $25 for all others. To obtain aschedule and a registration form, visitfanwoodrecreation.org or pick themup at Fanwood Borough Hall, lo-cated at 75 North Martine Avenue.For more information, call FanwoodRecreation at (908) 370-7092.

– Obituaries –

Baby Shower to AidRaphael’s Life HouseSCOTCH PLAINS – The Rosary

Altar Society of St. Bartholomew theApostle Roman Catholic Church willhost a baby shower at its next meetingon Monday, April 12, at 8 p.m. in theschool cafeteria. It will benefitRaphael’s Life House in Elizabeth, anon-profit organization that helpsyoung mothers and their children.

The church is located at 2032Westfield Avenue in Scotch Plains.Attendees are asked to bring wrappedgifts appropriate for babies and chil-dren from birth to two years old to themeeting. Refreshments will be served.The rosary altar society also will hosta spaghetti dinner on Friday, April 30.

County Clerk’s Office SlatesPassport Fair This SaturdayWESTFIELD – The Union County

Clerk’s office in Westfield will host aPassport Fair this Saturday, March 27,from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to provide pass-port information to United States citi-zens and to accept passport applica-tions.

“My office in Westfield is joiningwith the U.S. Department of State incelebrating ‘Passport Day in the USA’– a national passport acceptance andoutreach event,” said Union CountyClerk Joanne Rajoppi. “Are you readyfor that summer trip you dreamedabout all winter? Now is the time tomake sure your passport is up to date.”

United States citizens must present avalid passport book when entering orre-entering the United States by air.United States citizens entering theUnited States from Canada, Mexico,the Caribbean islands and Bermuda atland borders and sea ports of entry mustpresent a passport book, passport cardor other travel documents approved bythe United States government.

To help make “Passport Day in theUSA” a fun event for travelers of allages, balloons and special give-awaybags will be available for passport cus-tomers and family members. County,state and federal elected officials havebeen invited to attend “Passport Day inthe USA” to meet their constituents.

Ms. Rajoppi will make the pass-port application process more eco-nomical by waiving the normal $10fee for having one’s photograph takenwhen one applies for a passport bookor passport card at the county clerk’soffice in Westfield on Saturday.

Information on the cost and how toapply for a passport book and/or pass-port card is available at travel.state.gov.

United States citizens also may ob-

tain passport information by telephone,in English and Spanish, by calling theNational Passport Information Centertoll-free at 1-(877) 487-2778.

Passport application forms may beobtained at the county clerk’s officeannex at 300 North Avenue, East, inWestfield. Applications for passportsand related information also can befound online at ucnj.org/ctyclerk/passport.html. The county clerk’sWestfield Annex may be reached at(908) 654-9859.

Donald Eisele, 81, Korean War Veteran;Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Sales ManagerDonald R. Eisele, 81, of Scotch

Plains died on Saturday, March 20,at Overlook Hospital in Summit.

Born and raised in Newark, he hadlived in Westfield for 52 years be-fore moving to Scotch Plains in 2003.

Mr. Eisele graduated fromSouthside High School in Newarkand received his Bachelor of Sci-ence degree in Dairy Husbandry fromRutgers University in 1951.

A veteran of the Korean War, heserved in the United States Armyfrom 1952 to 1954. He had beenemployed as sales manager withWyeth Pharmaceuticals prior to re-tiring.

Mr. Eisele was a very active anddedicated member of the First UnitedMethodist Church of Westfield formore than 55 years.

He was predeceased by his firstwife, Margaret, in 1997, and by hisson, Donald P. Eisele, in 2009.

Surviving are his wife, Doris Fran-

cisco Krebs Eisele; his son, Walter,and his former wife, Susan; twodaughters, Catherine Spadora andher husband, Anthony, and ChristineDeMarco and her husband, Louis;his daughter-in-law, Carol; his sis-ter, Charlotte Pierson; his brother,Frank Eisele; nine grandchildren andthree great-grandchildren

Services were held yesterday,Wednesday, March 24, at the FirstUnited Methodist Church ofWestfield. Cremation was private.

Arrangements were under the di-rection of the Memorial FuneralHome, 155 South Avenue inFanwood.

Those who wish may make contri-butions in Donald’s name to the FirstUnited Methodist Church, 1 EastBroad Street, Westfield, N.J. 07090.For additional information or to ex-press condolences, please visitwww.fanwoodmemorial.com.

March 25, 2010

SHERIFF’S SALESHERIFF’S FILE NO.: CH-10001538

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEYCHANCERY DIVISION

UNION COUNTYDOCKET NO. F-2499-07

Plaintiff: FRANKLIN CREDIT MANAGEMENTCORPORATION

VS.Defendant: STEFAN SHANNISale Date: 04/14/2010Writ of Execution: 11/18/2009By virtue of the above-stated writ of execution

to me directed I shall expose for sale by publicvendue, at the UNION COUNTY ADMINISTRA-TION BUILDING, 1ST FLOOR, 10 ELIZABETH-TOWN PLAZA, Elizabeth, New Jersey onWEDNESDAY, at two o’clock in the afternoon ofsaid day. All successful bidders must have 20%of their bid available in cash or certified check atthe conclusion of the sales.

The judgment amount is: ***Six HundredTwenty One Thousand Nine Hundred Ten and85/100*** $621,910.85.

The property to be sold is located in the Town-ship of Scotch Plains, County of Union and Stateof New Jersey.

Commonly known as: 1310 Cushing Road,Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076.

Tax lot No. 2 in Block No. 15302Dimension of Lot Approximately: .588 ACNearest Cross Street: Leland AvenueBeginning at a point in the southerly line of

Cushing Road, said point being the following twocourses and distances from the intersection ofthe center lines of Leland Avenue and CushingRoad;

Prior Liens/EncumbrancesTaxes Open $3,122.63Sewer Open + Penalty $250.00Total as of February 2, 2010: $3,372.63Total Upset: ***Six Hundred Ninety Eight

Thousand Three Hundred Sixty One and 00/100*** $698,361.00 together with lawful interestand costs.

Surplus Money: If after the sale and satisfac-tion of the mortgage debt, including costs andexpenses, there remains any surplus money, themoney will be deposited into the Superior CourtTrust Fund and any person claiming the surplus,or any part thereof, may file a motion pursuant toCourt Rules 4:64-3 and 4:57-2 stating the natureand extent of that person’s claim and asking foran order directing payment of the surplus money.The Sheriff or other person conducting the salewill have information regarding the surplus, ifany.

There is a full legal description on file in theUnion County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff reserves the right to adjourn thissale for any length of time without further adver-tisement.

Ralph FroehlichSheriff

Attorney:FEIN, SUCH, KAHN & SHEPARD, PC7 CENTURY DRIVESUITE 201PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY 07054(973) 538-47004 T - 3/18, 3/25, 4/1& 4/8/10 Fee: $175.44

SHERIFF’S SALESHERIFF’S FILE NO.: CH-10001559

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEYCHANCERY DIVISION

UNION COUNTYDOCKET NO. F-40782-08

Plaintiff: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., ASTRUSTEE FOR CARRINGTON MORTGAGELOAN TRUST, SERIES 2006-FRE2 ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES

VS.Defendant: EDUARDO TENORIO; MARIA A.

SALAZARSale Date: 04/14/2010Writ of Execution: 02/17/2010By virtue of the above-stated writ of execution

to me directed I shall expose for sale by publicvendue, at the UNION COUNTY ADMINISTRA-TION BUILDING, 1ST FLOOR, 10 ELIZABETH-TOWN PLAZA, Elizabeth, New Jersey onWEDNESDAY, at two o’clock in the afternoon ofsaid day. All successful bidders must have 20%of their bid available in cash or certified check atthe conclusion of the sales.

The judgment amount is: ***Four HundredSeven Thousand Six Hundred Forty Two and 72/100*** $407,642.72.

Property to be sold is located in the City ofPlainfield, County of Union, State of New Jersey.

Premises commonly known as: 72 WesterveltAvenue, Plainfield, New Jersey 07060

BEING KNOWN as LOT 42, BLOCK 320, onthe official Tax Map of the City of Plainfield

Dimensions: 100.00 feet x 38.00 feet x 115.77feet x 19.41 feet x 26.62 feet

Nearest Cross Street: Bay StreetTotal Upset: ***Four Hundred Forty Seven

Thousand One Hundred Thirteen and 59/100***$447,113.59 together with lawful interest andcosts.

Subject to any unpaid taxes, municipal liens orother charges, and any such taxes, charges,liens, insurance premiums or other advancesmade by plaintiff prior to this sale. All interestedparties are to conduct and rely upon their ownindependent investigation to ascertain whetheror not any outstanding interest remain of recordand/or have priority over the lien being fore-closed and, if so the current amount due thereon.

If the sale is set aside for any reason, thePurchaser at the sale shall be entitled only areturn of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shallhave no further recourse against the Mortgagor,the Mortgagor’s attorney.

Surplus Money: If after the sale and satisfac-tion of the mortgage debt, including costs andexpenses, there remains any surplus money, themoney will be deposited into the Superior CourtTrust Fund and any person claiming the surplus,or any part thereof, may file a motion pursuant toCourt Rules 4:64-3 and 4:57-2 stating the natureand extent of that person’s claim and asking foran order directing payment of the surplus money.The Sheriff or other person conducting the salewill have information regarding the surplus, ifany.

There is a full legal description on file in theUnion County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff reserves the right to adjourn thissale for any length of time without further adver-tisement.

Ralph FroehlichSheriff

Attorney:PHELAN HALLINAN & SCHMIEG, PC400 FELLOWSHIP ROAD SUITE 100MOUNT LAUREL, NEW JERSEY 08054(856) 813-55004 T - 3/18, 3/25, 4/1& 4/8/10 Fee: $193.80

SHERIFF’S SALESHERIFF’S FILE NO.: CH-10001589

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEYCHANCERY DIVISION

UNION COUNTYDOCKET NO. F-41023-08

Plaintiff: SUNTRUST MORTGAGE, INC.VS.Defendant: DEMETRIO CASTILLO, MARIA

ELIZABETH CASTILLO, SUNTRUST BANKSale Date: 04/21/2010Writ of Execution: 01/27/2010By virtue of the above-stated writ of execution

to me directed I shall expose for sale by publicvendue, at the UNION COUNTY ADMINISTRA-TION BUILDING, 1ST FLOOR, 10 ELIZABETH-TOWN PLAZA, Elizabeth, New Jersey onWEDNESDAY, at two o’clock in the afternoon ofsaid day. All successful bidders must have 20%of their bid available in cash or certified check atthe conclusion of the sales.

The judgment amount is: ***Three HundredTwenty Thousand Six Hundred Fifty Four and96/100*** $320,654.96.

MUNICIPALITY: Scotch Plains TownshipCOUNTY: UnionSTATE OF NEW JERSEYTAX BLOCK AND LOT:Block: 302, Lot: 1DIMENSIONS OF LOT: 52.47 Feet x 105 feetNEAREST CROSS STREET: Cicilia PlaceSUPERIOR INTERESTS (if any): NONETotal Upset: ***Three Hundred Sixty Three

Thousand Forty Seven and 38/100***$363,047.38 together with lawful interest andcosts.

Surplus Money: If after the sale and satisfac-tion of the mortgage debt, including costs andexpenses, there remains any surplus money, themoney will be deposited into the Superior CourtTrust Fund and any person claiming the surplus,or any part thereof, may file a motion pursuant toCourt Rules 4:64-3 and 4:57-2 stating the natureand extent of that person’s claim and asking foran order directing payment of the surplus money.The Sheriff or other person conducting the salewill have information regarding the surplus, ifany.

There is a full legal description on file in theUnion County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff reserves the right to adjourn thissale for any length of time without further adver-tisement.

Ralph FroehlichSheriff

Attorney:POWERS KIRN - COUNSELORS728 MARINE HIGHWAYPO BOX 848 - SUITE 200MOORESTOWN, NEW JERSEY 08057(856) 802-10004 T - 3/25, 4/1, 4/8& 4/15/10 Fee: $155.04

Begun in 1876 by William Gray, in Cranford and later Incorporated in

1897 as the Gray Burial & Cremation Company.

Today, known by many simply as Gray’s. We continue to provide the

personal service that began with Mr. Gray, whether it be for burial or

cremation.

Gray Funeral Home Gray Memorial Funeral Home

318 East Broad St. 12 Springfield Ave.

Westfield, NJ 07090 Cranford, NJ 07016

William A. Doyle Mgr. Dale R. Schoustra Mgr.

NJ Lic. Number 2325 NJ Lic. Number 3707

(908)-233-0143 (908)-276-0092

Charles J. Tombs

NJ Lic. Number 4006

Director

www.grayfuneralhomes.com

Gray Funeral Homes Since 1897

Catherine Schantz, 90, Was Grandmother;Former Resident of Borough of Fanwood

Roselle L. English, 95Roselle L. English, 95, died peace-

fully on Friday morning, March 12,in Garland, Tex., where she had livedfor the last seven years.

Born in St. Louis, Mo. on March2, 1915, she had lived in ScotchPlains for many years prior to mov-ing to Garland.

Roselle had been very active in theRepublican Party of New Jersey andhad her picture in the Capitol Build-ing as a Distinguished Woman ofNew Jersey. She loved playing allkinds of bridge and traveling all overthe world. She will be missed by all.

She was preceded in death by herhusband of 50 years, Henry, and byher older son, John.

Surviving are her son, Jeffrey, anddaughter-in-law, Dolores, of Gar-land, Tex.; three grandchildren; threegreat-granddaughters, and her ex-tended family and friends world-wide.

Her memorial service took placeon Friday, March 19, at the FirstUnitarian Church of Dallas, Tex.

The family requests that in lieu offlowers, donations be made to theLupus Foundation of America, NorthTexas Chapter, 15660 N. Dallas Park-way, Ste. 120, Dallas, Tex. 75248.

March 25, 2010

See it all on the Web!www.goleader.com

Catherine Schantz

Catherine C. Schantz, 90, diedpeacefully in her sleep on Sunday,March 21, at her home inLebanon.

Born in Scotland, she hadbeen a longtime resident ofFanwood, then Middlesexand Bridgewater, beforemoving to Lebanon.

Her husband, Harold“Bill” Schantz, prede-ceased her in 2002.

Surviving are two daugh-ters, Donna LoStocco andMarilyn Egles, and threegrandchildren, JasonLynch, Jessica Vasil and MichaelLoStocco.

Services will be held at noon to-day, Thursday, March 25, at theMemorial Funeral Home, 155 SouthAvenue in Fanwood. Interment willfollow at Restland Memorial Park

in East Hanover.Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to

noon at the funeral home.Those who wish may

make contributions toThe Salvation ArmyWorld Service Office In-ternational Disaster Re-lief Fund, P.O. Box630728, Baltimore, Md.21263-0728. For more in-formation or to expresscondolences, please visitwww.fanwoodmemorial.com.

March 25, 2010

Women of ExcellenceTo Be Feted TomorrowCOUNTY – The Union County

Commission on the Status of Womenwill host the 18th annual Women ofExcellence dinner tomorrow, Friday,March 26. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. atThe Westwood, located at 438 NorthAvenue in Garwood.

This event will honor the nine re-cipients of 2010 Women of Excel-lence Awards. This event helps show-case the diverse contributions ofwomen in education, health care, thearts, government, business, law, com-munity service, technology, humani-tarianism, public service, women’sadvocacy and lifetime achievement.

The 2010 awardees include CarolY. Berns, Esq. of Cranford, PamelaEagan of Roselle, Sergeant MarianneHopko of Mountainside, Janice Lilienof Springfield, Susan Lipstein ofUnion, Eileen Forman Ludden ofSummit, Maria Mnischenko of Union,Marie Oakie of Hillside and SisterJudy Mertz of Elizabeth.

Tickets are $40 per person. For moreinformation, call Carol Lombardo at(908) 789-0508 or MadelineBrigantino at (908) 527-4144.

Bernadette Nelson, 88, Known For HerOptimism and Her Devotion to Family

Bernadette A. Nelson, 88, of StateCollege, Pa., formerly of Westfield,N.J., died peacefully at 4:30 a.m. onSunday, March 21, 2010, at MountNittany Medical Center in State Col-lege.

Born November 26, 1921 inWestfield, she was the youngest childof the late Joseph and Mary Whelan.Bernadette resided for 83 years inWestfield before moving to StateCollege in June of 2005. She was thelast surviving member of her family,which had included five brothers.

On November 29, 1947, she mar-ried Frederick J. Nelson, her husbandof 58 years, who predeceased her onOctober 20, 2005.

Bernadette was a graduate of HolyTrinity High School in Westfield. Inaddition to being a mother and home-maker, she worked as a bank teller, atypist and a real estate office manager.

She is survived by her son, JohnNelson, and his wife, Annie, and herdaughter, Joanne Bennett, and herhusband, Les, all of State College.Also surviving are four grandchil-dren; a brand new great-granddaugh-ter; three step-grandchildren and fourstep-great-grandchildren.

She was a member of the HolyTrinity Roman Catholic Church andSt. Helen’s Roman Catholic Churchin Westfield.

Bernadette’s joys in life were cen-tered in her family. A kind, gentlewoman, she was a devoted wife and awonderful and caring mother. Al-though she abhorred most exercise,she was an excellent bowler, a com-

petent bridge and canasta player anda proficient knitter and embroiderer.Bernadette devoted her life to herhusband, Fred, and to her childrenand grandchildren, who are alwaysmindful and forever grateful for hertotal and unconditional love. Withgreat courage in the last years of herlife, she bore nursing home and ill-ness with grace and acceptance, andgreeted each new day with joy andoptimism.

Bernadette was a gracious matri-arch. Her whole family looked for-ward to her Thanksgiving and Christ-mas feasts, which she would hostwith her best linens, finest china andmany varieties of overcooked veg-etables. Bernadette’s core philoso-phy of life embodied the total denialof all negative aspects of reality. Herunshakably optimistic vision was in-spiring, often irritating, and alwaysamazing, because it totally workedfor her. For 88 years she used thisuncanny ability to encourage realityto conform to her positive expecta-tions, and the astounding thing was, italmost always did. She was a truemaster of positive intentionality.

Friends will be received on Fridayevening, March 26, 2010, from 6 to 8p.m. at the Dooley Colonial Home,556 Westfield Avenue in Westfield.The funeral service will be held at 10a.m. on Saturday, March 27, 2010, atSt. Helen’s Church in Westfield. Shewill be buried next to her belovedhusband, Fred, at St. Gertrude’s Cem-etery in Colonia, N.J.

March 25, 2010

Wynn Riess, 91Wynn Riess, 91, of Scotch Plains

passed away on Monday, March 22,at her residence.

Born in Nutley on October 30, 1918,she was preceded in death by herhusband, Fred, and by two daughters,Judith Rohan and Sharyn Edwards.

Mrs. Riess worked in the ArthurStevens children’s store in Westfieldand was an avid bridge player. Shealso bowled in the women’s bowlingleague in Westfield.

Surviving are a daughter, JacquelynStotler (Thomas) of Scotch Plains; ason, Dennis Riess (Gabrielle) of Hart-ford, Conn.; five grandchildren andeight great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will begin at 11a.m. today, Thursday, March 25, atSt. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 EastBroad Street in Westfield, where shewas a member. Interment will followin the church Garth.

Arrangements are by the Gray Fu-neral Home, 318 East Broad Street inWestfield.

March 25, 2010

Aldo Pablo, 87Aldo Pablo, 87, of Westfield died

on Tuesday, March 16, at MorristownMemorial Hospital.

Mr. Pablo was born in Cuba andcame to the United States 40 years ago.

Surviving are three daughters,Dagmara Pablo-Aguero, NiurkaMoreno and Ana Perez; five grand-children, Maria Pablo, Zaida Legra,Reyna Butcher, Yamel Pablo and EffieMontoya, and three great-grandchil-dren.

Funeral services were held on Fri-day, March 19, at the Higgins andBonner Echo Lake Funeral Home,582 Springfield Avenue in Westfield.

March 25, 2010

Jerrie Lee Leuteritz, 78, Was EmployedIn Fashion Industry in N.Y., Chicago

Jerrie Lee Leuteritz, 78, passed awayon Friday, March 5, as a result of a busaccident in Lake Placid, Fla.

Born on July 28, 1931, she wasthe daughter of Nelson Miles Finksand Georgia Annette Finks. She waspreceded in death by her parentsand by her first husband, MyronPoarch.

Jerrie attended Central Method-ist College in Missouri and GeorgeWashington University in St. Louis,where she majored in fashion de-sign. She then worked in the fash-ion industry in Chicago and NewYork. Following employment withMerck, she moved to San Franciscoto take a job with Pacific Bell.

She met her second husband,Raoul H. Leuteritz, through mutual

friends and they married on Febru-ary 23, 1973 at the First UnitedMethodist Church of Westfield, N.J.They lived in Westfield before mov-ing to Beaufort, S.C. several yearslater.

In Beaufort, Jerrie was one of thefounding members of the PEOChapter W. Upon moving toFearrington Village, Pittsboro, N.C.,she became very active in The Vil-lage Voices, Women’s Club andCrafts Club. She also was active inthe Chapel Hill Newcomers Cluband the Newcomers Alumni Club.

Jerrie is survived by her husband,Raoul H. Leuteritz; her cousin, Dor-othy Blake; her daughters, Caryn L.Hetherston and Tracy L. Thomp-son, and her grandchildren, Tylerand Britton Hetherston andAlexander and Melissa Thompson.

Memorial service plans are pend-ing.

March 25, 2010

Thomas F. Dwyer, 72, Local Attorney;Was Active in Various Organizations

Thomas F. Dwyer

Thomas F. Dwyer, 72, of ScotchPlains passed away peacefully onTuesday, March 23, 2010.

Born and raised in Eliza-beth, Mr. Dwyer had livedin Clark for 19 years andresided in Scotch Plains forthe past 10 years. A gradu-ate of Seton Hall Univer-sity School of Law, he wasa self-employed attorneyfor 40 years, originally withSauer and Boyle of Eliza-beth and then with the part-nership that eventually be-came Dwyer and Canellis,Attorneys at Law ofWestfield, N.J.

Mr. Dwyer honorably served inthe United States Army from 1958 to1961. He was a member of theKnights of Columbus of Clark, An-cient Order of the Hibernians andthe Roselle Golf Club and was theGeneral Counsel to St. Elizabeth’sHospital (Trinitas) in Elizabeth. Healso was a longtime parishioner ofSt. Agnes Roman Catholic Churchof Clark. Mr. Dwyer loved his grand-children, golf, the New York Giants,Notre Dame, his Irish roots and his-tory. A man of strong faith and un-compromising integrity, he was anexample to all who knew him.

He was the beloved husband for48 years of Bernadette (née Turner);loving father of Therese Warren and

her husband, Ken, Tho-mas Dwyer III and hiswife, Cynthia, MaureenCahill and her husband,Michael, and DanielDwyer and his wife, Flo-rence; caring brother ofBernard and his wife,Lois, of Texas, MaureenGillmore and her hus-band, Donald, ofLavallette and Kevin andhis wife, Gail, of Florida,and cherished grandfatherof Steven, Bridget, Kevin,

Brinley, Thomas IV, Maura, Deirdre,Clare, Timothy, Sarah and Lucas.

Relatives and friends are kindlyinvited to attend the funeral tomor-row, Friday, March 26, at 9 a.m. fromthe Krowicki Gorny Memorial Home,211 Westfield Avenue in Clark, thenceto the Immaculate Heart of MaryRoman Catholic Church in ScotchPlains, where a Mass of ChristianBurial will be offered at 10 a.m. Inter-ment will take place at St. GertrudeCemetery in Colonia. Visitation willbe from 4 to 8 p.m. today, Thursday,March 25, at the funeral home.

To offer condolences, please visitwww.Krowickigorny.com.

March 25, 2010Joseph A. Stanziano, 91Joseph A. Stanziano, 91, of

Westfield passed away peacefully onTuesday, March 23, at his home sur-rounded by his loving family.

Born and raised in Jersey City, heresided in Westfield for the last 46years.

Mr. Stanziano had been a machin-ist, retiring in 1983. He served in theUnited States Army during World WarII and was a member of the CranfordVeterans of Foreign Wars Post 335.

Joseph was the beloved husbandfor 60 years of Raffaela PepeStanziano; the devoted father of Su-san Stanziano and her husband, BrianRussell, and Joseph Stanziano andhis wife, Betsy, and the loving brotherof Lucy Scholl, Rudy and GabrielStanziano. He also will be deeplymissed by his two grandsons, Michaeland Joseph.

A Mass of Christian Burial will beoffered at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Friday,March 26, at the Holy Trinity RomanCatholic Church in Westfield. Burialwill take place at 12:30 p.m. onWednesday, March 31, at Brig. Gen-eral William Doyle Veterans Cemetery.

Friends may visit the Dooley Colo-nial Home, 556 Westfield Avenue inWestfield, from 2 to 3 p.m. today,Thursday, March 25.

March 25, 2010

Loretta Stehle, 95Loretta Stehle (née Poh), 95, of

Fairfield passed away peacefully onMonday, March 22, surrounded byher loving family.

Born and raised in Newark, Mrs.Stehle had lived in Westfield from1946 until 2006, when she moved toFairfield.

She was an active parishioner at theHoly Trinity Roman Catholic Churchin Westfield, where she belonged tothe Rosary Guild, the Seniors Groupand the Holy Trinity School Mothers’Guild. She also was a member of theFriends of Caldwell College.

Loretta was predeceased by herdevoted husband, Fred, in 1993.

She was the loving mother of Paul,Dennis and Thomas Stehle and JoanCarnrick, and also will be deeplymissed by her nine grandchildrenand 12 great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will beoffered at 10 a.m. on Monday, March29, at the Holy Trinity Church inWestfield. Friends may visit theDooley Colonial Home, 556Westfield Avenue in Westfield, onSunday, March 28, from 2 to 4 and 7to 9 p.m. Burial will be at RestlandMemorial Park in East Hanover.

March 25, 2010

AARP Reveals TripTo Showboat CasinoRAHWAY…The American Asso-

ciation of Retired Persons (AARP) ofRahway will hold its monthly trip toAtlantic City’s Showboat Casino onThursday, April 1. The cost is $22with a $30 cash voucher. The bus willleave at 8:30 a.m. and return at 6:30p.m. To reserve a spot, call Irene at(732) 499-7740.

Alda W. Longenbach, 84, Was LongtimeElementary School Teacher in Westfield

Alda W. Longenbach, 84, a formerresident of Westfield for more than40 years, died suddenly onWednesday, February 24, 2010, inMassachusetts.

An elementary school teacher in theWestfield Public Schools for 25 years,Mrs. Longenbach taught second gradeat Wilson Elementary School and firstgrade at Lincoln Elementary andMcKinley Elementary Schools. Afterretiring in 1990, she moved toMassachusetts in 2005.

Alda is survived by her lovinghusband of 61 years, BurtonLongenbach of Hingham, Mass.; her

daughter, Pamela Longenbach, andher husband, Thomas Kannally, ofNorthborough, Mass.; her son, JamesLongenbach, and his wife, JoannaScott, of Rochester, N.Y.; twograndchildren, Kathryn Longenbachand Alice Longenbach, and a sister,Leah Herrity of Vero Beach, Fla.

A memorial service was held atLinden Ponds, a retirementcommunity in Hingham, Mass.

Memorial donations may be madeto the Linden Ponds Benevolent CareFund at Linden Ponds, 203 LindenPonds Way, Hingham, Mass. 02043.

March 25, 2010

A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 9

Westfield Schools HoldStrategic Planning Meeting

WESTFIELD — Approximately 50people gathered in the Westfield HighSchool library on February 27, to beginthe development of a new strategic planfor the Westfield Public Schools. It isthe next step in the school district’sefforts to hear from the community, aprocess that began in the fall with theWestfield Board of Education’s (BOE)community survey.

The meeting was facilitated by GwenThornton of the New Jersey SchoolBoards Association. Ginny Leiz, presi-dent of the Westfield Board of Educa-tion, recognized the role of the board’sLong Range Planning Committee, par-ticularly its chairperson, Ann Cary, fororganizing the effort that began in thesummer of 2009 with the developmentof the community survey.

Superintendent of Schools MargaretDolan reviewed the results of the com-munity survey and provided an histori-cal context, with specific examples,regarding the development of theWestfield Public Schools and previousstrategic plans. She commended theattendees for their commitment, not-ing, “Westfield has a tradition of excel-lence because community members andeducators have worked together in thistown through boom times, recessionsand the depression. They have workedto provide education that has allowedour graduates to be successful in thesciences, in writing, in the arts, in sports,in finance, in politics and in life,” sheadded.

As the members of the StrategicPlanning Council prepared to beginthe tasks ahead of them, Superinten-dent Dolan reminded them of theimportance of their role: “What wedecide today guides the work of thedistrict for five years. The work ofthis plan will be accomplished bythe teachers, administrators andboard of education members overthe next 60 months and this workwill impact our community and be-yond for decades.”

The day-long discussions includedsmall and large groups convening to

identify a shared vision for the future,shared beliefs, and district strengths,accomplishments, challenges and criti-cal issues. The Strategic Planning Coun-cil met again on March 20, in the finalphase of the goal-setting process.

Members of the Strategic Plan-ning Council include: ClaudiaAndreski, McKinley principal; BrianAuker, chief technology officer;Barbara Ball, human resources spe-cialist; Molly Barber, parent; RobertBerman, business administrator andboard secretary; Lisa Black-Polak,former president of the EducationFund of Westfield; Kira Brady,Roosevelt teacher; Andrea Brennan,supervisor K-12 social studies; KathyCaminiti, Special Education ParentsCommittee; Stewart Carey,Roosevelt principal; Ann Cary, boardof education; Beth Cassie, parentand former BOE member; JaneClancy, BOE; Matt Cognetti, Wash-ington teacher; Tony Cook, parent;Barbara Costine, Westfield HighSchool (WHS) secretary; SherryCronin, Westfield Downtown Corp.executive director; David Della Fera,WHS teacher; Margaret Dolan, su-perintendent of schools; Pat Doyle,Tamaques paraprofessional; MarkElsasser, Westfield “Y” executive di-rector; John Fietkiewicz, WestfieldBoosters president; David Finn,board of education; Wende Gates,realtor; Jim Gildea, town adminis-trator; Vince Gilligan, resident;David Greer, WHS teacher; GregHobson, Westfield police officer;Rose Hughes, PTC President andrealtor; Alice Hunnicutt, BOE; PatIck, parent; Lorre Korecky, coordi-nator of school-community relations;Ted Kozlik, assistant superintendent/pupil personnel services; DouglasLayman, Edison Intermediate Schoolassistant principal; Ginny Leiz, BOEpresident; Richard Mattessich, BOE;Gary McCready, BOE; Cindy Mor-gan, parent and former PTC Presi-dent; Gretchen Ohlig, parent andformer PTO president; Anita O’Neal,assistant superintendent/curriculumand instruction; Peter Renwick, WHSPrincipal; Amy Root, PTO Presi-dent; Joanne Ryan, special educa-tion teacher; Rabbi Doug Sagal,Temple Emanu-El; Bobbi Sgro, PTOpresident; Margaret Smith, president,Westfield Coalition for the Arts; Ri-chard Solomon, BOE; MargaretTeitelbaum, coordinator of nurses;Frank Uveges, elementary schoolcounselor, and Julia Walker, BOEvice-president.

Honor RollTerrill Middle School

Second Marking Period

SCOTCH PLAINS – Terrill MiddleSchool Principal Kevin Holloway an-nounced the school’s second markingperiod honor roll:

6th Grade High Honor RollGabriel Alvarez, Rebecca Ames, Joshua

Axelrod, Caroline Babis, Amanda Banasiak, Madi-son Banker, Sarah Barash, Micaiah Battle, MollyBecker, Noah Bernstein, Michael Besson,Alexander Bonadies, Emily Boyle, August Bratti,Rachel Braun, Samantha Broders, Nancy Canevari,Celeste Cappadoccia, Giovanna Carlino, LauraCharos, Joseph Cianciotta, Jordan Cimring, DavidClancy, James Clarke, Shannon Costello, PaigeCrandall, Akash Dalal, Sarah Davis, RichardDazzo, Darby Debonis, Jack Defouw, CatherineDepaola, Madison Dieu, Kayla Diggs, Kevin Fleck,Ally Flynn, Kara Foley, Abigail Fossaceca, GiuliaFrias, Alexander Frier, Rachel Gerstenfeld, VernikaGoel, Fallon Goldberg, Brian Grimaldi, TylerGuensch, Ani Hsu Obrock, Isabella Iacona,Suzanne Imperiale, Sophia Jimenez, CamilleJohnson, Emma Kowalczyk, Liza Kussner, MeganLau, Benjamin Liang, Kelly Magrino, AlexanderMalao, Erin Mecca, Rebecca Mehorter, RebeccaMiller, Emily Morris, Sarika Mujumdar, NithyaNarayanan, Scott Nizolak, Dillon Noone, ErinO’Connor, Nicholas Paiva, Nimit Patel, ChristinaPeluso, Felicia Petterway, Ryan Radice, AlecRodriguez, Ari Rosenzweig, Elodie Shevins, PaulSinclair, Neelan Sivaneri, Lauren Sjonell, Kim-berly Spitzer, Rebecca Stein, Maia Thomas, OliviaTumsuden, Jessica Vilarino, Grace Wayman,Mariah Weigel, Melody Weigel, Benjamin Weiss,Griffin Whitmer, Alice Zhou, Carly Zogg

6th Grade Honor RollBrianna Acosta, Emma Bagat, Thomas Bara,

Justin Boozer, Brittany Brown, Joseph Buttigheri,Anthony Caro Esposito, Ashley Christian,Madeline Chrystal, Zachary Cimring, EmilyCohen, Aaron Cooper, Peter Coronato, Christo-pher Debelak, Edward Depaola, Margaret Desantis,Connor Dombrowski, Christopher Duffy,Oghenekevw Ekwofia, Jacqueline Fahrenholz,Daniel Fortune, Zackary Fuimo, Matthew Garber,Adam Gelfand, Nicholas Giardiello, Ira Gotliboym,Joseph Griffith, Joseph Guidi, Matthew Halpin,Patrick Henkels, Nina Hernandez, Zianne Hoover,Cooper Jones, Lisa Kline, Kristen Koederitz, JulianKorduba, Nadim Korkmaz, Madison Korteling,Jillian Lapidus, Bryce Layne, Aaron Lee, TylerLitwin, Jake Longo, Charlotte McAnulty, BrianMcManus, Shane McParland, JocelynMichnowski, Bethany Mills, Nina Mineo, Tho-mas Novak, Amanda O’Hara, Matthew Oslislo,Anniston Pagano, Sagar Patel, Hannah Postlewait,Stephen Radice, Harry Randazzo, Kaleb Rembert,Allison Roden, Samuel Sadel, Matthew Scariati,Matthew Schuman, Tori Sciara, Stav Shadmi,Hannah Simon, Kevin Sonpar, Abby Spector,Taylor Spirko, Aurelia Tantra, Isaiah Thompson,Siena Vacca, Rachel Voeltzel, Devin Voorhees,Melanie Walker, Mariel Weigel, Kathleen Welch,Jason Wendel, Joshua Widman, Leah Womelsdorf,Michael Wright, Kaitlyn Yip, Jenni Zakarin, NaomiZaksenberg, Emily Zaller, Vivian Zhuang

7th Grade High Honor RollFrancesca Arvizzigno, Jordan Banker, Corin

Bell, Erica Berkowitz, Alexandra Bord, AlexandraBoyarsky, Eric Calvo, John Cavaliere, JuliaCirincione, Arianna Correa-Gomez, OliviaDalessandro, Auva Dariani, Alex Eckert, AbigailFontana, Lauren Frazier, Rachel Freeman, AlyssaGilman, Matthew Haas, Joseph Haverlock, StevenHaverlock, Sarah Iannaccone, Emily Isola, DorianeKasper, Brendan Kelly, Ashwin Kishen, JacobKlapper, Emma Klein, Tyler Kovacs, RachelLavelle, Devin Loh, Caitlin Mahoney, ArielleMargulies, Kevin Maxwell, Madeline McNichol,Claire Nguyen, Rachel Noone, Derek Offitzer,Talia Paradiso, Mykala Porter, Hailey Rachko,Leonardo Ramos, Ryan Romaine, ElizabethScacifero, Ashley Smith, Orian Sneor, EmmaSobel, Nicole Van Etten, Alexander Wang,Katherine Westerlund, Leah White, Lauren Wong

7th Grade Honor RollJaclyn Anglin, Daniel Babis, Celina Beattie,

Rebecca Beauvais, Alexandra Burns, AndrewBuzzanca, David Cappadoccia, Henry Chang,Morgan Chemidlin, Adam Cohen, Joseph Colella,Caroline Cooke, Christopher Cuomo, NicoleCusmano, Caitlyn Dayton, Dean Debonis, HaleyDemaria, Robert Dietze, Daniel Dill, Ali Dorn,Emily Driscoll, Allison Durett, Jessica Fugett,Alyssa Gardner, Christopher Geissler, Christo-pher Gibbons, Alexander Gugliotta, Jeremy Haas,Anthony Hayeck, Paige Heiden, KarinaHernandez, Michael Iarrapino, Matthew Itzkowitz,Emma Jaczko, Alexander Karakis, Kyle Krutis,Paul Laki, David Lange, Michael Lange, BrianLapham, Christian Lisojo, Samantha Loop, SamMahler, Vasilios Makris, Justin Malaussena, EliseMann, Alexa Marcazzo, John McCall, SamanthaMcCallion, John McColly, Samantha Miccio, SeanPatrick Monteverde, Joshua Okoro, Diana Pak,Lucy Palmer, Evan Pasternak, Oriana Polito,Zachary Refinski, Matthew Richmond, MadeleineRyan, Jacob Salem, Brian Scharf, JoshuaSchlisserman, Ashley Schoss, Cobi Silverstein,Stephen Skaar, Nicole Skickova, Alexander Skoog,Jordan Stein, Jonathan Stroz, Jonathan Tam, Tho-mas Tsuchiya, Samuel Ullery, Marcus Valdez,Kevin Westerlund, Kyle Westerlund, WilliamWilkins, John Wilkinson, Lizette Zambri, TylerZeile, Garrett Zito, Christian Zoufaly

8th Grade High Honor RollCasey Abramson, Vasu Agrawal, Kelsey

Ames, Jacob Arkin, Judah Axelrod, Sara Babbitt,Jessica Banasiak, Lea Barny, Carly Bayroff, SalBhakuni, Allison Caramico, Amber Chabus,Angelo Chaia, Alex Cimring, Erin Connors, Madi-son Cooper, Meghan Costello, Catherine Coughlan,Andrew Davis, Gabriella Depaola, BrianDeutschmeiste, Alexander Favreau, CarlyFleischer, Elizabeth Gelling, Matthew Giardiello,Zachary Goland, Alyssa Goldsmith, MarcGotliboym, Brandon Ho, Alicia Jiang, BenjaminKaminoff, Tracey Katz, Caroline Keane, RebeccaKlee, Yelena Kudryashova, Paul Kussner, JuliaLavelle, Jamie Levitt, Jenna Maizes, AmandaMalool, Madeline McGovern, Claire Meehan,Alexandra Negri, Alexandra O’Hara, OnyinyeOhamadike, Alexa Paiva, Maria Pansulla, NikhilPatel, Matthew Picone, Lindsay Ratner, ErikReiman, Alyssa Riporti, Sarah Robinson, AlecRodriguez, Shayna Rogoff, Jake Rosenblatt,Sabrina Shih, Andrew Smith, Monica Squeri,Samantha Tropper, Alexis Veglia, MeganVoorhees, Thomas Walker, Olivia Wallden, EricaWeiss, Megan Welch, Olivia Whitehouse, OliviaWhitmer, Alex Wu, George Ye, Christian Zazzali

8th Grade Honor RollLeigh Abramson, Eduardo Arocha, Douglas

Belcik, Frank Besson, Michael Borik, MichaelBoyle, Thomas Braun, Rachel Brody, JeffreyCahn, Gabriell Charschan, Kayla Chisholm, NicoleCieslinski, Thomas Clarke, Mimi Contreras, Jus-tin Davidson, Kyle Debelak, Katherine Demarco,Caroline Devito, Marissa Dibella, John Fabricatore,Megan Foley, Drew Garber, Gianni Garyfallos,Justin Giacona, Eliza Going, Gabriel Gonzalez,Christian Gordon, Sara Hayes, Brian Heath, KierraHill, Michael Hopkins, John Horre, Carly Huxford,Alexandra Jacobs, Samantha Jacobs, Gina Jadelis,Andrew Kalaigian, Justin Kaufman, Kayla Kocha,Daniel Korduba, Valentin Kudryashov, ChristianLettieri, Constandin Logus, Sara Lombardi, JoshuaLopez, Brittany Mahoney, Madison Maisel,Amanda Marcus, Alex Mazursky, AileneMcNamara, Connor McNamara, RebeccaMelville, Brandon Meyers, Matthew Moran, KyraMorling, Paige Morrison, Nicole Nugent, JeffreyOkoro, Joseph Pagano, Jeffrey Peart, JohnPletscher, Jack Poillon, Jeffrey Ponzio, JahlisaPrunty, Samantha Rego, Joseph Rembish,Samantha Ricciardi, Elias Riginos, RyanRomanowski, Hansel Romero, Neil Rosenzweig,Mia Rossi, Zachary Rothenberg, MichaelRothman, Natalie Rothweiler, Elizabeth Schwartz,Trevor Skanes, Corinne Spies, Emilio Sta Rosa,Grant Sultatos, Adam Tropp, Jenny Tyler, EliasVitoroulis, Nah’rya Walkermichael, Walsh, ErinWeber, Caitlin Williams, Emily Williamson, KurtisWisniewski, Mackenzie Wright, Peter Wright,Andy Xu, Elise Xu, Benjamin Yin, BenjaminYorkovich, James Zambri

SCANNING THE WORLD…Sixth-grade students at Holy Trinity InterparochialSchool in Westfield scanned the globe for answers in the school’s geography beeheld last month. Pictured, left to right, are: the three finalists, third place, MitchellKelly; first place, Julia MacDonald, and second place, Rionach McEwen.

GW’s Nardone MakesWidener Dean’s ListGARWOOD – Nicole Nardone of

Garwood was named to the dean’s listfor the fall 2009 semester at WidenerUniversity.

The dean’s list recognizes full-timestudents who earned a grade pointaverage of 3.50 and above for thesemester.

Nominations Welcomed forAnnual Philhower Award

WESTFIELD – Mark Swingle,president of the Westfield RotaryClub, announced that Friday, April9, is the deadline for nominations forthe 18th annual Charles PhilhowerFellowship award, designated for afull-time elementary teacher in theWestfield Public Schools.

Letters of nomination are invitedfrom interested citizens, students andWestfield public school staff mem-bers, and should be addressed to:Charles Philhower Fellowship Com-mittee of the Westfield Rotary Club,c/o Office of the Superintendent ofSchools, 302 Elm Street, Westfield,N.J. 07090, or e-mailed torotaryphilhower@westfieldnjk12.org.

Nominations should specify waysin which the teacher has demonstratedoutstanding teaching, interest in chil-dren and continued pursuit of profes-sional growth.

The teacher must be a full-timefaculty member in grades K to 5 inthe Westfield Public Schools for aminimum of five years. The Fellow-ship recipient is honored at a Rotaryluncheon and receives a grant to fur-ther professional growth or to en-hance classroom activities for stu-dents.

The award was instituted in 1993by the Westfield Rotary Club torecognize the importance of teach-

ing in the elementary grades and tohonor Westfield Rotarian andSchool Superintendent CharlesPhilhower.

Mr. Philhower, who died in 1962,was supervising principal (superin-tendent) of Westfield Public Schoolsfor 30 years – from 1917 to 1947 –and was president of the WestfieldRotary Club in 1929 to 1930. AsRotary President, he instituted theclub’s annual scholarship awards tograduating Westfield students.

Members of the Selection Com-mittee will include two Rotarians,two elementary school principals anda past Philhower recipient. PastPhilhower fellowship recipients in-clude Karen Geddis, CatherineMcGarry, Michael Burgess, KarenYula, Mary Dura, StacieDeChristopher, Michele Moise,Carole Kling, Anna Jane Sabbagh,Trista Pollard, Eva Morton, AngelaLaCarrubba, Claudia Andreski, BetteTuthill, Carol Joyce, Carol A.Mastroianni and Susan FeldmanGlick.

“The Westfield Rotary Club’sPhilhower Fellowship continues anoutstanding tradition of excellent co-operation with our schools for thebenefit of our children,” said Super-intendent of Schools MargaretDolan.

Speech School PresentsBeauty Expert, ScrivoSUMMIT – Summit Speech

School, which teaches children whoare deaf and hard of hearing to listenand talk, is holding its 20th annualSpring Benefit on Tuesday, April 20,at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club inBedminster.

This year’s presenter is Eva Scrivo,a highly acclaimed hair and makeupartist, radio talk show host, televi-sion personality, author, and entre-preneur who owns one ofManhattan’s most prestigious salons.With her experience and penchantfor teaching, Ms. Scrivo is regardedas one of the country’s premierebeauty experts.

The 20th annual Spring Benefitwill honor Scot Guempel of Madi-son, who was a member of the Sum-mit Speech School Board of Trusteesfrom 1999 to 2002 and was chairfrom 2002 to 2005. His leadership,dedication and service are a corner-stone of the school’s history.

To learn more, contact the Develop-ment Office at (908) 508-0495 or e-mail development@summitspeech.org.

SP-F Preschool ProgramAccepting Applications

SCOTCH PLAINS – The ScotchPlains-Fanwood School District is cur-rently accepting applications for its pre-school program. Applications are be-ing accepted for children who will be 3or 4 years old on or before October 1,2010.

The program is a half-day course,offering either morning or afternoonclasses, which meet from 8:35 to 11:20for the a.m. session and 12:20 to 3:10for the p.m. session. Each class willhave a maximum of 15 students with ateacher and an aide in each classroomsetting, as well as appropriate supportsand services.

Children will also receive specials toinclude, art, music, physical educationand library time. The program willfollow the district school calendar andis scheduled to be in session from Sep-tember through the end of the schoolyear in June.

Tuition is $300 per month and is freefor students who qualify for free andreduced lunch and for students withdisabilities. Scholarships will also beavailable on a limited basis, and parentsof multiples will be discounted 10 per-cent for the additional sibling.

Registration will be through a rollingadmission process, with limited spacesassigned on a first-come, first-servedbasis. Applications must be returnedwith a $50 non-refundable applicationfee.

Applications can be secured online

at spfk12.org or in any of the ScotchPlains-Fanwood elementary schoolsand high school. For additional regis-tration information, contact Karen Stoneat (908) 889-8600, extension no. 302.

Volunteers NeededFor Transition Programs

SCOTCH PLAINS – Springtime hasarrived and so have The Transition ToMiddle School and Transition To HighSchool Programs offered by theC.H.I.L.D. (Children Having IndividualLearning Differences) Organizationof Scotch Plains-Fanwood.

The Transition To Middle SchoolProgram is free and is open to all fourthgrade students who will be moving upto fifth grade in Scotch Plains middleschools this fall. The Transition To HighSchool Program is free and is open toall eighth grade students who will bemoving up to the high school this fall.

Student transitions at any age are aconcern for parents and teachers; thepurpose of this program is to alleviatestudents’ fears and increase their con-fidence.

The transition programs run duringApril and May. Specially trained socialworkers and counselors assist in imple-menting the program and working withthe students.

In order to ensure a successful ses-sion for the students, the program needshelp. Reliable volunteers are needed to

help out after school for about 90 min-utes, one day per week, for two weeksat the various public schools in ScotchPlains-Fanwood. Volunteers would helpwith attendance, sign in/out and assistthe instructor as needed.

Senior citizens, retirees and avail-able parents will find this a rewardingexperience, and no previous experi-ence is necessary.

High School juniors and seniors canalso volunteer and help C.H.I.L.D. withthis program while earning letters ofrecognition for their student commu-nity service.

Additionally, guidance counselorsare sent copies of these letters for theparticipating volunteer student’s highschool portfolio. This important docu-mentation will, at the appropriatetime, be included in the college-ap-plication process.

Those who would like to help maycontact Susan Ibarra at (908) 322-4020for more information; there will be avolunteer meeting for all interested.For more information about C.H.I.L.D.,go to childorgspf.org.

Outstanding-TeacherNominations Due April 7

WESTFIELD – The Optimist Clubof Westfield has announced that thedeadline for receipt of nominationsfor the 13th annual IntermediateSchool Outstanding Teacher Awardis Wednesday, April 7.

Two intermediate school teach-ers – one from Edison and one fromRoosevelt Intermediate Schools –will be chosen to receive the awardon May 12 at an Optimist dinnerand will be honored at a board ofeducation meeting in June.

Nominations should specify waysin which the teacher has demon-strated outstanding teaching, inter-est in children and continued pur-suit of professional growth. Thenominee must be a full-time teacherin the Westfield Public Schools ingrades 6 to 8 for a minimum of fiveyears.

Students, parents and staff areencouraged to submit nominationletters to:

Outstanding Teacher Award Com-mittee of the Optimist Club ofWestfield, c/o Office of the Super-intendent, Westfield Public Schools,302 Elm Street, Westfield, N.J.07090. Letters can also be e-mailedto: optiaward@westfieldnjk12.org.

According to Margaret Dolan,superintendent of schools, “TheOutstanding Teacher Award givesdeserving credit to our intermedi-ate school teachers who provide aneducationally stimulating and sup-porting environment during the criti-cal stage of adolescence.”

The Optimist Club of Westfieldalso supports the schools and chil-dren through Project Graduation,the Freshmen Service Project, Ora-torical Contest, Martin Luther KingJr. Essay Contest, the Congres-sional Seminar and Global Envi-ronment Scholarships and as a co-sponsor for the Halloween HauntedHouse.

Previous winners of the awardfrom Edison include: Robert Sand-ers, Walter Buda, David Shapiro,Nancy Rygiel, Gloria White-James,Robert Hild, Janice Sheridan,Kathleen Zippler, Teresa Squillace,David Greer, and AlexandraBoutskaris.

Roosevelt teachers who have beenhonored with the Optimist awardinclude: Frank Nolde, Walter Buda,Thomas Reynolds, WendyMasteller, Jack Martin, Karen Lust,Linda Vail, Elizabeth Scheuerer,

Glen Kurz, Jeffrey Robbins, DonaPanagos, Marni Kirschenbaum andMarc Biunno.

WF’s Berke MakesMiami U Dean’s ListWESTFIELD – Kimberly Berke, a

freshman in The Farmer School ofBusiness at Miami University (Ox-ford, Ohio), was named to the dean’slist for the fall semester 2009.

Miami’s dean’s list recognizes un-dergraduate students who receive a3.5 or higher grade point average fora semester of 12 or more credit hours.Kimberly was a 2009 graduate ofWestfield High School.

Page 10 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A Watchung Communications, Inc. Publication

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A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 11

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

Sports Section Pages 11-16

EXTRAORDINARY AGENTS

WESTFIELD-WEST OFFICE600 North Ave. West • Westfield, NJ 07090 • 908-233-0065

©2010 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC.

D’ANNUNZIO, RIDGE, BINKIEWICZ NAMED CAPTAINS

Senior-Heavy Raiders BelieveThere is Something to Prove

ARNOLD, HEWETT, SCRUDATO, BOHLINGER TO LEAD

Blue Devil Lax Boys KnowThey Must Bring Their Best

SNYDER, BERNSTEIN, KOWALSKI SECURE SINGLES

Blue Devil Tennis Boys LookTo Accomplish Past Goals

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

The senior-heavy Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School baseball teamemerged victorious in one of the mostexciting Union County Tournament(UCT) championship games ever,winning the final Watchung Confer-ence title, playing in the North Jersey,Group 3, Section 2, title game andfinishing 22-5, but it will not beenough for the Raiders this year.

In the section final, the Raiders,playing one day later than expectedand facing undefeated ace BrianSchroeder, lost to top-seeded JFK-

Iselin, 6-3. The Mustangs went on towin the Group 3 title and the Raiderswere left with a sour taste.

“A lot of these guys have been inthe trenches for the last two years.They are ready to start their senioryear and go one step farther. We stillhave some unproven things to do,because the section finals we lost.They realize how close they got. Theyare very hungry. They know what it isgoing to take to get back where wewere last year,” Raider Head CoachTom Baylock said.

Senior team captains JoeyD’Annunzio (leftfield), Mike Ridge

(shortstop) and Gary Binkiewicz(pitcher/second base) will providevery good leadership.

D’Annunzio, the leadoff hitter, wasan ignition switch, not only as a su-perb outfielder, but also as the Raid-ers’ leading hitter, who finished witha .494 batting average (BA), 43 runsscored, 30 RBI, five homers and fourtriples. D’Annunzio also broke the100-career hit plateau with 103.

“He’s one of the best athletes in theschool. He’s a workhorse. He playsas hard in practice as he does in games.He’s our leader. He is our sparkplug.

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

There will be no rest for theWestfield High School boys lacrosseteam when it comes to the rigorousschedule that lies ahead. Even thoughthe Blue Devils are coming off twohumbling seasons that netted them a7-31 record, nearly the entire startingteam returns.

“It has been a humbling experiencethe last two seasons. It was actuallyboth ends of the ball last year. It wasa growing year for us. Even thoughour record was nothing to brag about,we were much more competitive thanthe season previous to that,” BlueDevil Head Coach Marc Silbergeldsaid. “Anyone within the programrealizes that every game we play istough. We are in the Fitch Division,which is one of, if not the toughestdivision in the state. There is no rest.We know we have to bring our bestevery time we step on the field. Allthese young players are two years in,and now they are seniors and juniorsand ready to go.”

This year’s defensive crew looksvery strong led by senior/captainAndrew Arnold, an Honorable Men-tion Fitch and Group III last year.

“Andrew is a tremendous leader. Welost only two starters, our goalie and along stick midfielder,” coach Silbergeldsaid. “We have our entire offense backand all of our down d’backs [defen-sive]. At this point, we are weeks ahead

of what we usually are.”Seniors Zander Maslow (defense)

and long-stick midfielder Pat Sabatinowill pose as a serious defensive wallto oncoming attackers.

“He is like an albatross with thatlong stick in his hands. He’s scary,”coach Silbergeld said of Sabatino.

“With Pat and Zander Maslow, theyare both lefties, and they are bothexcellent takeaway defenders. We areexpecting great things from Pat, aswell as the rest of the defense.”

Senior Evan Rosenburgh and jun-ior Tom Snyder will also add depth to

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

Despite graduating three seniorstarters, Dean Thompson, James Chuand Greg Leppescu, this year’sWestfield High School boys tennisteam have set its sights on accom-plishing what it has done the pastthree years.

Last year, the Blue Devils won the

Union County Tournament (UCT)title, a North Jersey, Group 4, Section2 title, a Group 4 title and finishedwith a 29-2 record.

“What I am really proud of is, overthe last three years, we were Group 4state champions all three years. Inthat three-year period, we have notlost to a public school. Our only losseswere two years ago in the Tourna-

ment of Champions to Delbarton, andlast year, two out of three times welost to Newark Academy. The lastthree years, we were 91-3,” Blue DevilHead Coach George Kapner noted.

Because of the recent favorableweather, all three singles positionshave been decided, only the doublepositions have yet to be decided, and

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14Probitas Verus Honos

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesREADY TO BRING THEIR BEST…Blue Devil boys lacrosse team captains, pictured, left to right, are: John Bohlinger, SeanScrudato, Connor Hewett and Andrew Arnold. The Blue Devils know they have to bring their best to have a successful season.

When: Saturday, April 10

Time: 8:30am – 10:00am

Where: Union Sports Arena (USA)in Union, NJ

Ages: Boys and Girls born in2002 or younger

Skills: Advanced skating andhockey skills required

Fee: $50 per participant

The WESTFIELD HOCKEY CLUB

is hosting an open evaluation for its2010/2011 Mites travel ice hockey team.

For further information, please visit our web site atwww.eteamz.com/westfieldhockeyclub or email

westfieldhockeyclub@gmail.com

Niki Fry• Top Dollar Volume Month of February• Local Area Specialist• Residential . . . Including Condos and Townhouses• Buying, Selling or Rental

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David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesDEFINITELY HAVING SOMETHING TO PROVE…Raider leadoff hitter Joey D’Annunzio and the rest of the team feelsthey have something to prove after losing in the sectional championship game last year.

©2009 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC.

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Page 12 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

Devil’s Den

By BRUCE JOHNSONSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Nothing Was ImpossibleWith the Original Phelps

The blonde man in the convertiblewould pull into a parking space. He’dlook around, then walk into the three-pictures-for-a-quarter photo booth, takeout a key and unlock a drawer. He’dpull out a big manila envelope withphotos and click on a tape player.

“Good morning, Mr. Phelps … ” thevoice would start, and Jim Phelps wouldbe given that week’s assignment –“should he decide to accept it” – for histeam of special agents.

It was the 1960s. The Cold Warbetween America and the “bad guys”from the Soviet Union was in fullswing, and the best show any red-blooded American boy could want towatch was “Mission: Impossible.”From September 16, 1966, until March30, 1973 on CBS, Phelps and his Im-possible Mission (IM) Force wouldweekly swing into clandestine actionsomewhere – behind the Iron Curtainor in South America, later even in thestates – and pull off a perfectly-planned,

Devil of the WeekWill returnOn April 8

perfectly-timed, almost-impossible-to-believe stunt to keep the “free world”safe. (Or at least that’s how one verygullible teenager of that period viewedit back then.)

And now Jim Phelps … Peter Gravesin the real world … has passed away,last week at the age of 83.

There have been a handful of showsthat would be my “all-time” favorites,that I would want the DVDs of everyepisode, so I can watch them now andforever. In addition to Mission: Impos-sible, you could include “The Honey-mooners,” “Bonanza,” “The Fugitive,”“Hill Street Blues,” the early “AndyGriffith” and “Happy Days” episodes,“Miami Vice,” “X-Files” and“Millenium.”

But Mission: Impossible may havebeen my favorite. I didn’t see much ofthe first season, when the team leaderwas Dan Briggs (Steven Hill, now ofLaw and Order). But with Phelps,femme fatale Cinnamon Carter (Bar-

bara Bain), master of disguise RollinHand (Martin Landau), electronicswizard Barney Collier (Greg Morris)and strongman Willy Armitage (Pe-ter Lupus) – and later magician theGreat Paris (Leonard Nimoy), a doc-tor (Sam Elliott), and hotties LeeMeriwether, Leslie Ann Warren,Lynda Day George and BarbaraAnderson – there was nobody in theworld who could get away with any-thing against the secret operatives ofthe good ol’ U.S. of A.

The voice on the tape, in a tone thatmight make you think the CIA wasinvolved somewhere in all this, wouldexplain the assignment and at the endwould caution Phelps, “as always,should you or any of your IM force becaught or killed, the secretary willdisavow any knowledge of your ac-tions. This tape will self-destruct infive seconds. Good luck Jim.” Andthen the Lilo Schifrin theme songwould play. It was worth waiting sevendays to find out the group’s latestdemocracy-saving assignment.

The ’60s was an era of “spy” and“espionage” type shows, with “I Spy,”“The Avengers,” “The Man fromU*N*C*L*E” on TV and, of course,James Bond in the movies. But Mis-sion: Impossible was the best, andlongest running.

The younger brother of JamesArness – another early-television leg-end as Marshall Matt Dillon of“Gunsmoke” fame – Peter Graves didmany other things, before and afterMission: Impossible. He was the NAZIspy Price in the movie “Stalag 17,”and Clarence Oveur – the bumblingpilot who asks a little kid who wandersinto the cockpit, “Joey, do you likemovies about gladiators?” and “Youever seen a grown man naked?” – inthe classic 1980 movie “Airplane!”(with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as his co-pilot, Roger Murdock). And later hewas involved as a host for the Biogra-phy series on the A&E channel.

These days, if you say Mission:Impossible or the name Phelps, thefirst things anybody thinks of will be:1) Tom Cruise’s portrayal of EthanHunt in the three Mission: Impossiblemovies, and, b) Olympic swimmingsuperstar Michael Phelps.

And that’s as it should be. Every-thing and everybody has their time.

But to many of a certain age, Phelpswill always be the calm, cool andconfident leader of the Impossible Mis-sions Force. Good night, Mr. Phelps.

STICKBALL, ANYONE?From Faithful Reader Ed Thorne

(’64) in Plymouth, Mass.:“Just finished reading the column

and little story about Clif Zackey.Speaking of stickball, back then (inthe ’60s) every school, especially theelementary ones, had their own guyswho defended their turf. Jefferson –the Thorne boys (Ed, Rick, Mel),(John) Hallam, (Rob) Schram, some-times Doug Carver; Lincoln – (Char-ley) Widmer, (Greg) Chlan; Washing-ton – (Dennis) Burke; Wilson – PeteLove, (Joe) Wiendl, (Dwight) Davies;

Grant (now the library) – (Billy) Myers,(Roger) Doyle. I don’t think there wasa lot of stickball at Columbus, maybe(Charles) Mason, or McKinley, prob-ably (Nick) Piscopo. The batter’s boxand strike zone are still in the samespot at Jefferson. Do kids play it any-more? That was a big thing in the early’60s. Everyone could pretend theywere their favorite ballplayer.

“(Post 3 Legion coach) Al Moellerused to complain that we were playingstickball, saying it would ruin our arms.I personally thought stickball strength-ened it. The more you exercise it, thestronger it would get. The former coachat Clemson, Bill Wilhelm, believedkids today didn’t have as strong anarm because of a lack of playgroundgames.”

BASKTEBALL UPDATEBacked by an 11-girl contingent of

her Westfield High School (WHS)teammates, plus her father, mother,aunt, older sister Lisa, older brotherMike and his buddy Santo Nardi, DianaVenezia participated in the annualNorth-South All-Star Classic last Sun-day at Toms River High School North’sRitacco Center. Venezia, headed toNC-Wilmington in the fall, had twopoints on a lay-up with 2:30 left in thefirst half – which drew the biggestcheer of the day from her teammates,all wearing blue tie-dyed t-shirts.

At halftime she participated in a 3-point shooting contest, one of threeplayers from each team. After making4 of 6 from the left corner, she hit 2 of6 from the top of the circle, and 1 of 3from the right corner before the 45-second clock went off. She finished 7of 15, second by one basket on theNorth squad, and third overall.

“She had me at (Holy) Trinity fortwo hours Saturday rebounding forher,” said Mike, who won the All-StarClassic’s 3-point contest in 2007.Mike, a junior co-captain at Colgate,suffered a season-ending foot injuryin the third game. He still has threeyears of eligibility.

HALL OF FAME UPDATEPreparations are underway for the

ninth induction class for the WestfieldAthletic Hall of Fame, November 22at the Westwood. Being inducted willbe (alphabetically): Greg Chlan, BobFelter, Chris Jordan, Jim Kane, K.C.Knobloch, Bob List, Don Mutz, JennySchwarzenbek, Kurt Stiefken, JanneyZonnevylle, the 1976 girls tennis team,the 1985 softball team and coach/his-torian Bruce Johnson.

Meanwhile, the Hall of Fame com-mittee is also preparing for future in-duction classes and needs post-highschool information (college and be-yond) for the following potential in-ductees: Dave Calvert, Dave Coleman,Joey Deer, Clint Factor, Jay Isbrecht,Jim Kovacs, Tom Pfeiffer, Dennis Pow-ers, Beth Rennicks, Buddy Robinson,Dick Stotler and Lamont Turner. Ifyou can provide information, or havesomeone you’d like to nominate forthe Hall of Fame, please contact me atbj1019@aol.com.

A QUESTION OF BALANCEThrough the first two seasons of the

2009-10 school year, there have been37 subs for the Den’s Devils of theWeek. Here is the breakdown of win-ners, by sport: soccer 7, cross-countryand football 5 each, basketball andswimming 4 each, indoor track andwrestling 3 each, ice hockey and ten-nis 2 each, bowling and gymnastics 1each.

Devil of the Week – and the free subfrom Westfield Subs on South Avenue– will return on April 8.

NOBODY ASKED, BUT …If the rumor is true, it would be a

sacrilege to replace the old White Dia-mond on North Avenue with a BurgerKing! That would be on a par withchanging the Jolly Trolley’s name toThe Office. What happened to pro-tecting local landmarks and historicsites?

IN PASSINGFess Parker, another icon of my

youth, passed away last week at theage of 85.

First he was Davy Crockett, gettingthe role over James Arness (see above).“Born on a mountain top in Tennes-see, greenest state in the land of thefree. Raised in the woods so he knowedevery tree, kilt him a b’ar when he wasonly three … Davy, Dave Crockett,King of the Wild Frontier!” Later,through the magic of TV, Parker re-turned in the ’60s to play anotherfrontier legend, Daniel Boone.

Any red-blooded youth of the mid-’50s had to have split allegiances …between the white-hat cowboy imageof Dave Crockett, fighting to the end,with his sidekick Georgie Russell(played by Buddy Ebsen, later betterknown as TV’s Jed Clampett andBarnaby Jones) and Jim Bowie at theAlamo, and the rebellious James Dean,Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley and thewild rock ‘n’ rollers who were juststarting to hit the radio airwaves. Youeither wanted your own coonskin cap,or you walked around in a white t-shirtand jeans. It was difficult to be part ofboth worlds, trust me.

But the thing I remember most aboutDavy Crockett was the collecting cards… two 80-card sets … one with or-ange backs, the other with green backs.Definitely, one of the greatest collec-tor sets ever. In fact, I still have both ofmy complete sets!

The Devil’s Den appears Thursdayin The Westfield Leader during theschool year. Contact me with com-ments, complaints and suggestions atbj1019@aol.com. Win or not,WHS4EVR!

© 2010 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation.An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT Incorporated.

Frank D. Isoldi Broker / Sales Associate

email: isre@aol.com Direct Dial: 908-301-2038www.frankdisoldi.com

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PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICESCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD BOARD OF EDUCATION

NOTICE OF MEETINGS(In Compliance with OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT - Chapter 231)

“ADDENDUM TO REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS*** MEETING TIME CHANGE **

TYPE OF MEETING: Open Agenda/Public Meeting

DATE OF MEETING: April 15, 2010

LOCATION: Administration BuildingEvergreen Avenue & Cedar StreetScotch Plains, New Jersey 07076

TIME: 6:30 p.m.

PURPOSE OF MEETINGS: The Board will meet in executive session at6:30 p.m. to discuss personnel items. Publicsession will begin immediately following ex-ecutive session.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Action will be taken in public session.1 T - 3/25/10, The Times Fee: $35.70

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICENEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

DIVISION OF PROCUREMENT, BUREAU OF CONSTRUCTION SERVICES1035 PARKWAY AVENUE, PO BOX 605

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY 08625Notice is hereby given that bid proposals will be received via the Internet until 10:00:59

A.M. on 4/15/10, downloaded, and publicly opened and read, from Bidders classifiedunder N.J.S.A. 27:7-35.1 et seq.; in the CONFERENCE ROOM-A, 1st Floor F & ABuilding, New Jersey Department of Transportation, 1035 Parkway Avenue, Trenton,New Jersey 08625; for:Maintenance Drainage Cleaning & Video Contract, North - 2010, Various locationsin Counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, andWarren -Including and North of Route 57, North Region; 100% State; DP No: 09442

Bidders are required to comply with the requirements of P.L. 1975, c. 127 N.J.A.C17:27. The awarded bidder must provide a completed Contractor Certification andDisclosure of Political Contribution Form(s) according to both P.L 2205, C.51 andExecutive Order No. 117 within fourteen (14) days from the award date. Executive OrderNo: 117 is effective on November 15, 2008. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:32-44, all biddersmust be registered with the New Jersey Department of Treasury, Division of Revenue,Business Registration, as of the date of bids. The awarded bidder must provide proof ofvalid business registration within fourteen (14) days from the award date. Pursuant to the“Public Works Contractor Registration Act”, N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.48 et seq. (P.L. 2003, c.91), all bidders must be registered with the New Jersey Department of Labor, Division ofWage and Hour Compliance, at the time of bid. The awarded bidder must provide proofof PWCR within fourteen (14) days from the award date.

The Department, in accordance with Title VI Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252U.S.C., 49 C.F.R., Parts 21 and 23 issued pursuant to such Act, and Section 504 of theRehabilitation Act of 1973 will afford minority business enterprises full opportunity tosubmit bids in response to this invitation and will not discriminate against any bidder onthe grounds of race, color, sex, national origin, or handicap in the project award.

Plans, specifications, and bidding information for the proposed work are available atBid Express website www.bidx.com. You must subscribe to use this service. Tosubscribe follow the instructions on the website. Fees apply to downloading documentsand plans and bidding access. The fee schedule is available on the web site. All fees aredirectly payable to Bid Express. Plans, specifications, and bidding information may beinspected (BUT NOT OBTAINED) by contracting organizations at our Design FieldOffices at the following locations:

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A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 13

ESLER, CONNERY TO LEAD AS TEAM CO-CAPTAINS

Blue Devil Softballers WillHave to Make ‘Fresh Start’

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

Eight talented seniors paved theway for the Westfield High Schoolsoftball team, under first-year headcoach Caitlin MacDonald, to earn thesecond seed in the sectional tourna-ment and to finish with a very fine 20-4 record last year. But with thoseseniors, including superstar CyndilMatthew now playing for the Univer-sity of Massachusetts, the Lady BlueDevils must make a fresh start.

“It’s a new team, a new year and wecan’t compare ourselves to last year.

They have to start fresh and they haveto make a name for themselves,” coachMacDonald said. “It is definitely go-ing to be a work in progress. We havebig shoes to fill. I think we are ca-pable of doing that, but it is going totake a little while and some hardwork. We need some leadership tostep up.”

After losing to Linden in the UnionCounty Tournament last year, the BlueDevils had a run of nine straight wins.Of their four losses, the Blue Devilsgot even by beating Union, 6-4, andLinden, 5-4. The other two were toNorth Hunterdon, 6-4, in 10 inningsearly in the season and, 10-4, in thesectional semifinals.

Two veterans, senior leftfielderKatie Esler and second baseman Sara

Connery have been named team cap-tains.

“They have both been on the var-sity since they were sophomores, sothey know the ropes, and I am hopingthat they can, along with the otherseniors and even some of the return-ing juniors, take turns putting theteam on their backs and doing the jobright,” coach MacDonald said.

The Blue Devils may not have apower hitter at the plate and base-running threat the scope of Matthew,but several girls could frustrate op-posing pitchers.

“We have a lot of good ball players.I don’t think that any one of them canpossibly do what Cyndil was capableof doing; however, we are a well-rounded team. We had a scrimmage[Middlesex] yesterday [March 18]and we were able to score 14 runs, sowe can hit,” noted coach MacDonald.

Senior third baseman NikkiAronson, who may bat in the thirdspot, with Connery and Esler battingahead of her, could produce somepower.

“Nikki had such a good year for us.[She] Pretty much batted as high asCyndil did as far as average goes,”coach MacDonald said. “She mightsee some people [pitchers] trying toavoid her in the lineup. She’s going tohave to be patient. The good news is

she has a lot of good hitters aroundher who can do damage.”

Some of those good hitters will befirst baseman Meg Boersig andcenterfielder Tara Criscuolo, both se-niors, followed by junior shortstopEmma Crossland, who was the JVcatcher last year.

“I am very impressed with Emma.She has a great arm, great physicalattributes. She moves well. We justhave to get her to make the rightdecisions, which don’t come imme-diately. We are willing to put the timein with her,” coach MacDonald said.

Team speed on the bases may notbe at its height, but, “Speed isn’teverything. You have to make gooddecisions. We have a lot of middleground. No matter how fast you are,if you make a bonehead decision,it’s not going to come out well,”coach MacDonald pointed out.

However, Esler, Criscuolo,Connery and Crossland do havethe quickness on the base paths.

Sophomores Olivia Pecora is ex-pected to bat in the seventh spot andRory Fitzpatrick will be the catcher.Seniors Jess Mondon, JaclynLaSpata and Bridget Galligher areexpected to be in the mix.

Last year, the Blue Devils hadthree fine pitchers and all havegraduated. Now, junior NickiSchmeider will take to the mound.

“Nicki has two years of JV expe-rience. All of preseason she hasbeen throwing a lot of strikes, whichis a good sign. She is not a majorstrikeout pitcher. She is going tomake you put the ball in play. Weare going to have to play gooddefense behind her,” said coachMacDonald.

The Lady Blue Devils will hostUnion on April Fools Day at 4 p.m.

CANFIELD, HANDY, WENSON, LEEPER LOOK STRONG

Raider Track Girls, Boys SeeConference Change Challenge

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

Irvington with its speedsters isgone, but conference additionRahway with its across-the-boardstrength will pose quite a challengeto the Scotch Plains-Fanwood HighSchool girls and boys track and fieldteams that won its respectiveWatchung Conference titles last year.

“They went about it two differentways. The girls were undefeated indual meets. The boys were 0-3 goinginto the conference. The girls bleweverybody out. The boys didn’t havemuch in the way of depth, but we hada lot of firsts and seconds,” explainedRaider Head Coach Jeff Koegel.

The Raider girls have a wealth oftalent returning and are very strongin the jumping and field events.

“The girls, we didn’t lose manypeople. The girls we did lose, wehave people to fill in for them. Wehave a lot more girls, who have proventhemselves. I am hoping for betterthings from the girls,” coach Koegelsaid.

Senior Sara Canfield, junior EmilyNagourney and sophomore CamilleHandy, who qualified for the Meet of

Champions in the triple jump, willspearhead the jumping and hurdleevents, which includes senior AlannaSalituro and sophomore Ali Pearl.Freshmen Leah Salituro and Chris-tine Mikles will add depth.

“We had four good jumpers lastyear. We have Sara, Camille andEmily, who are back, and we have acouple of freshmen, who will be ableto contribute. We have girls who areathletic enough to be in a lot of events,”coach Koegel said.

Junior Laura Bruce may competein the 400 meters and relay, and jun-ior Osa Ebose and sophomore IsabelCrystal will head sprints and shorterdistances. Sophomore Erin Pierce,junior Kathleen Leeper and seniorKerry Pierce will head the distanceevents.

Senior Kim Wenson, who qualifiedfor the Group 3 tournament in threefield events, and junior DanielleSchweizer will be strong in the shotput, javelin and discus.

“We had eight girls qualify for theGroup 3 championship, and seven ofthem were underclassmen. We arelooking forward to how things willplay out in our division in the new

Union County Conference,” coachKoegel said.

The Raider boys have many morequestion marks. Several competitorsfrom last year have yet to come out,and the coaches are in the process ofplacing most of the newcomers intomore suitable events.

Senior Alex Parker and BrandonWheeler will be a definite asset in thedistance events. Frank Mellana shouldbe strong in the field events, espe-cially the javelin, as will senior DaveKreps in the shot put. Zach Carowwill compete in the pole vault. SeniorQuintin Blackwell may be strong inthe sprints and jumps.

“Boys, we need to prove ourselvesbetter. They just need to get moreexperience. There’s no place to go butupwards in dual meets. There areplaces in the boys team where we willbe strong,” said coach Keogel. “Lastyear, when we won the conference,we did not score any points in thesprint events, boys or girls. The wholedynamic, it’s going to be differentwithout Irvington in the conference.It will be interesting to see how hav-ing Rahway back in our conference isgoing to play out.”

Westfield BasketballAccidental Omission:In last week’s Westfield High

School boys basketball wrap-up,information given by Blue DevilHead Coach Kevin Everly was in-advertently omitted from the story.Senior Max Fusaro, a starting guard,according to coach Everly, “had afine season. Max was not only notedfor his toughness on the court butalso his intellect of the game. He ledthe team in field goal percentage[80 percent] and could burn the netfrom downtown range.”

We regret the omission.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesRELYING ON SENIOR LEADERSHIP…The Blue Devil softball seniors, pictured,left to right, are: front row; Tara Criscuolo, Sara Connery (captain) and JaclynLaSpata; back row, Bridget Gallagher, Meg Boersig, Nikki Aronson and JessMondon. Not shown is Katie Esler (captain)

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David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesGEARING UP FOR A NEW SEASON…Raider Sara Canfield, pictured left, and the boys distance runners gear up for achallenging track and field season. Last year, the Raider girls and boys won their division of the Watchung Conference.

Page 14 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

Blue Devil Lax Boys KnowThey Must Bring Their Best

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

the defense. Junior Jeff LaForge andsophomore Alex McHugh will as-sume goaltending duties.

“Jeff was injured most of the sea-son last year. He’s an excellentgoaltender, and Alex saw some timefor us last year,” coach Silbergeldsaid. “Defensively, we are very con-fident. Actually, we got to get theoffense to catch up.”

The Blue Devils have a host ofplayers, who can fire the ball into theopponents’ net, beginning with se-nior team captains John Bohlinger(attack), Sean Scrudato (midfield) andmidfielder Connor Hewett, who wasSecond Team Fitch and HonorableMention Group III, along with seniormidfielders Zach Helfand and An-drew Sauerwein, and juniors JackAllen (midfielder) and James Lisooey(attacker).

“Midfield is rock solid! Experi-ence, skill depth! Connor is going toturn a lot of heads this season. He hasa cannon from the outside. Sean andZach are all-around do-it-all players.Jack made great strides towards theend of last season, and Andrew hasreally stepped up his game. He looksto be a real playmaker as well,” saidcoach Silbergeld, who added, “Quitefrankly, we have to maintain time ofpossession. If the offense is unable tosustain possession, we are right backon defense. The defense can onlyplay defense for so long. As good asthey are, if you are playing defense

three out of the four quarters, youdon’t have a very good chance ofwinning the game. We have to haveour offense confident and competent.We need to hold onto that ball.”

The past two years, the Blue Devilshave struggled on faceoffs, but juniorNick Matthews and sophomore new-comer Ryan Rittendale could changethat.

“An area that we have struggled thelast two years has been faceoffs. Thatalso contributed to that time of pos-session dilemma last year. We werenot wining faceoffs,” coach Silbergeldsaid. “With Ryan and Nick workinghard, that’s another area where weneed to improve. Lacrosse, like bas-ketball, is a game of runs, and it’shard to get on runs if you are notwinning faceoffs.”

Additional sophomore newcomers,midfielders Ryan Bohrod and PeterMebane, and attacker JacksonO’Leary have shown some moxie andaggressiveness.

“Little chippy! That’s what we like!We want these young guys to push.We have a very strong sophomoreclass. Those kids are hungry, and theywant to play. They are pushing thesejuniors and seniors everyday in prac-tice. They are supporting each other,but they are really pushing for spots,”Coach Silbergeld said.

The Blue Devils will open atLivingston on April 3, then they willhost A.L. Johnson on April 5.

a lot of candidates are in the thickmix.

“We were able to decide our entiresingles ladder by March 17. I havebeen doing this since 1991. I havenever, ever established a singles lad-der that early,” coach Kapner said.

Senior Justin Snyder, winner oftwo UCT doubles crowns and a UCTthird singles crown, who finished witha 22-3 record last year, has won thefirst singles spot.

Senior Scott Bernstein, who teamedwith senior Graeme Stahl to win theUCT and NJSIAA doubles title lastyear, finishing with a 32-0 record, has

secured the second singles spot. Stahlalso won a UCT doubles title withSnyder as his partner in 2007.

Junior Tom Kowalski, who had a14-1 varsity record last year, has se-cured the third singles position.

“We are working on our doublesteams. For sure, one of our fourdoubles players will be Graeme Stahl.That’s all that is set for the moment,”coach Kapner said.

Several additional talented play-ers; junior Joshua Simmons, sopho-mores Will Geoghegan, Jacob Har-ris, Max Mancini, Jack Rickles andJacob Ziff, along with freshman Scott

TRISTAN BUNDY FINISHED WITH 105 CAREER WINS

Rebuilding Raiders EnduredTough Wrestling ScheduleBy DAVID B. CORBIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Only a handful of experienced var-sity matmen began the season for theScotch Plains-Fanwood High Schoolwrestling team, and a large number ofweight classes had to be filled withinexperienced newcomers. The re-sult with this rebuilding situation wasa bumpy road against a host of verytough teams.

“We knew we had five major guys,who were going to contribute,” RaiderHead Coach John Scholz said. “Ev-eryone else, we were looking to seewho was going to pick up the pace. Ihad a lot of kids, but most were inex-perienced. They learned a lot. TheJV’s did really well.”

Of the experienced Raiders, seniorTristan Bundy, a four-year varsityletterman, stood out in the crowd.This season, he won the Union CountyTournament (UCT) 125-lb title,claimed his second District 11 titleand placed second in Region 3 toqualify for the NJSIAA Tournamentin Atlantic City.

On February 13, against ChristianBrothers Academy, Bundy earned his100th-career victory with a 7-5 deci-sion over Mike Matlaga during a quadmeet at Watchung Hills High School.Bundy went on to finish the seasonwith a 34-3 record, upping his careerrecord to 105-35. He joined RaidersDerek Francavilla (111-18), SteveMineo (116-17), Pat Mineo (125-19),Sal Gano (110-29) and Mike Ferrara(101-42).

“Getting 100 wins was one thing,but getting to Atlantic City was thebiggest thing that he wanted to do. Hereached all the goals,” coach Scholzsaid.

Of the remaining senior veterans,co-captain Josh Foote competed at145 lbs and finished with a 19-14record, Jawan Gaines finished 11-9 at135 lbs, and Brian Laspe finished 5-20 at 171 lbs.

“Josh was a tremendous worker,great captain, did anything that weasked him. He was intense at times.He was explosive at times,” coachScholz said.

Three sophomores had fine sea-sons and will add strength and expe-rience to next year’s squad. SeanCannon, who qualified for the regiontournament last year at 125 lbs, fin-

ished with a 16-12 record at 130 lbsthis season.

“When you look at who he wrestled,and the matches, how close they were,Sean is not one who goes out therejust to get the riding time. He tries thebig moves. His mat sense, his workethic, he’s one of those guys withcaptain potential,” coach Scholz said.

Mike Steinfeld had a 23-13 recordand qualified for the regions at 140lbs, and Andrew Jacobs finished 20-14 at 215 lbs and also qualified for theregions.

“Mike did great things his fresh-man year. He came back this yearstrong. He is a tremendous wrestleron top,” coach Scholz said. “Andrewis a great kid to have on the team,because he shows the emotions whenhe loses. He wants to fix it. He’s ajudo guy. He catches guys off-guard.”

Two additional sophomores, LukeVuono (152 lbs) and Jon Devia (160lbs) finished with respective recordsof 10-20 and 6-21. Senior JackBouchakian experienced some var-sity time at 189 lbs and finished 1-7,and junior Devin Ausbon finished 6-10 at 119 lbs. Freshman LucasCimafonte got a lot of action at 103lbs and finished with an 8-19 record.

Rarely does a freshman compete atheavyweight, but Anthony Tufaro heldhis own against many more matureand experienced opponents and fin-ished with a 10-17 record.

“Anthony! Once he got an under-standing of his body. He’s a smallerheavyweight, but he’s a strong heavy-weight. Once he grabs you, he won’tlet you go. We are going to work on hisfinesse,” said Scholz, who added, “It’shard to fill shoes, but I think we will.”

Thompson have been battling for theremaining doubles positions.

Senior Adam Reich, who claimedthe UCT first singles title and fin-ished with a 20-11 record last year,recently had surgery on his hip andmay not be able to return to the lineupthis season.

“He is in rehab, and it is unknownif and when he will be ready to play.When he does, he certainly won’t bein the condition he was last year, sowe will see what happens,” coachKapner said of Reich.

Junior Alan Chu, who won the UCTsecond singles title with his brotherJames last year, has a pulled groin.

“If and when the both of them arehealthy and ready to go, they wouldbe able to break into the lineup,”coach Kapner said. “Even withoutthem, we are still very strong. With-out knowing the other teams, ourgoal is to accomplish everything wehave accomplished the last threeyears.”

The Blue Devils will open at Unionon April 1, then they will dive intothe fire with a match against Millburnin Westfield on April 3.

Devil Net Boys Look to Accomplish Past GoalsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

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David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesBLUE DEVIL SENIOR LEADERSHIP…Blue Devil seniors, Scott Bernstein, pictured left, Graeme Stahl, center, and AdamReich are looking for another very successful season to match the past three years.

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A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 15

“MADNESS” CHAMPS…The Westfield White 8th grade basketball team wonthe Branchburg March Madness Tournament. The team went 4-0 in the tourna-ment with a 46-26 victory over Hillsborough in the finals. Pictured, left to right,are: front row; Matt Smoot, Michael Ionta, Tyler Bowman and Ben Schuman;middle row, A.J. Gold, Matt Storcks, Chris Aslanian and Chris Callahan; backrow, Jacob Boyle, Chris Sweeney and Jake Kaplan with coaches Mike Schuman,Chris Aslanian and Alan Gold. A happy team mascot Maggie Aslanian is holdingthe trophy. Not pictured was Luke Iorio.

HOLY TRINITY CHAMPS…The Holy Trinity sixth-grade girls JV Blue basket-ball team captured the Suburban Catholic regular-season Championship andwere undefeated. The girls also won the Suburban Catholic Girls League – GregFrost Tournament Championship. Pictured, left to right, are: front row; AnnaCattafe, Patrice Sosinski, Rionach McEwen and Olivia LaManna; back row,Coach Mastrocola, Julia MacDonald, Chrissy Mastrocola, Rebecca Cucuzzella,Brianna Tucciarone, Erin Macaluso and Meghan Hrinkevich.

Senior-Heavy Raiders BelieveThere is Something to Prove

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Wherever he goes, we go,” com-mented coach Baylock.

Ridge, who finished with a .371BA, was the center of the Raiders’infield defense. He will also batcleanup.

“Mike is playing extremely well.He devoted the whole winter to base-ball training. We can really tell that heput a lot of work in. He is one of ourbest players,” said coach Baylock.

Two of the finest pitchers in thestate, Binkiewicz and Westfieldfireballer Chris Jenkins, dueled in theUCT finals and both walked off themound after nine innings in a 1-1deadlock and had to leave the out-come in the hands of the relievers.Binkiewicz finished the season witha 9-1 record, with one save.Binkiewicz, who batted .340 last year,will bat second this year.

“Gary pitches in big spots,” saidcoach Baylock. “If he is going, we aregoing to go a long way.”

Binkiewicz will be the number onepitcher. Senior Alan Dlugosz, “Weare looking for him to be one of ourstarters,” coach Baylock commented.

Ridge is set up for relief and clos-ing, while senior first baseman JohnMaxwell, who will bat third, will domore pitching. Senior Jordan Bayroff,“was one of the starting pitchers onthe JV team last year that went 18-1,so he’s a guy that we are hoping to getgood things from,” coach Baylocksaid.

Juniors John Howarth, Sean Reillyand Marcus Rivera (second base, bat-ting order No. 5), and freshman JamesD’Angelo are also expected to see

some time on the mound.Senior Lou Mazzella, who will bat

sixth, will be behind home plate.“Lou, I think, is one of the best

defensive catchers in the county. Hemay not have the bat that [AJ] Murray[Westfield] has, but defensively, hethrows runners out, he blocks balls,he is very smart,” coach Baylock said.

Seniors Ricky Shevlin will covercenterfield, while Mike Henkels andTaylor Schon will cover right field.Seniors Mike Dempsey (second base)and Mike Lauricella are expected tobat in the No. 8 and No. 9 spots.

Last year’s final game has beenetched deeply in the veteran Raiders’minds. “The way we lost that JFKgame, it bothers them, which is good.We have a lot of kids coming backand a lot of things still to prove,”coach Baylock said.

CHEERLEADING CHAMPS…The Central Jersey Allstar Cheerleading YouthLevel 1 Team took first in its division at Jamfest’s Liberty Jam Championshipsand the Most Entertaining Award in Philadelphia on March 13. The team iscomprised of 16 girls and one male. The ages range from 5 to 12. They have hada successful season to date with eight first-place awards, three seconds and oneGrand Champion award.

Courtesy of Susan Cook for The Westfield Leader and The TimesUNDEFEATED WBA CHAMPS…The Westfield Basketball Association sixthgrade boys finished as undefeated champions. Pictured, left to right, are: frontrow; Will Fazio, Matt Fazio, Ben Arndt, Jack Oates and Jacob Furst; back row,Coach Jeff Gozdieski, Cameron Bremer, Ben Cook, Charlie McCready, OwenMonaghan, Coach John Monaghan and Jarek Gozdieski.

NY Jets Scheduled atLiam’s Room Mini-

Olympics & HR DerbyWESTFIELD – Please join us at

the Liam’s Room Mini-Olympics andThird Annual HomeRun Derby,where the New York Jets are sched-uled for a player appearance!

SAVE THE DATE: Gumbert Park,Saturday, April 10, 2010, from 12 to5 p.m. (The rain date is April 11,2010). For more information, pleasevisit: www.liamsroom.org.

Paid Bulletin Boardgoleader.com/express

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WESTFIELD EAST OFFICE 209 CENTRAL AVENUE 908-233-5555

©2010 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Corporation.An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT, Incorporated.

$2,199,000Truly one of Westfield’s notable homes in an unparalleled location, this gracious Colonial combines statelyelegance and thoughtful architectural detail. The home is meant for entertaining and family living and is completelyupdated with 5 large bedrooms and 5 ½ baths. The sunny kitchen with center island, homework and breakfastspaces opens to the adjoining family room with fireplace and custom cabinetry. The stately library provides anadult retreat with its wet bar and custom appointments. There is a cozy office with fireplace off the centerhallway. The master bedroom suite includes two walk-in closets and a sumptuous bathroom. The floor planaccommodates an au-pair/in-law suite. What sets this home apart is its ¾ acre of majestic, private outdoorspace. A bluestone patio connects the rear of the home to its exterior, providing a wonderful flow and fourseason privacy. The home has been completely updated and meticulously maintained. All systems and structures,windows and components have been replaced and upgraded to the finest quality available. This home combineselegance with modern conveniences. Please call me today for more information and a private showing.

Open House: Sunday March 28th 1-4 pm415 Hillside Avenue

Susan M. ChecchioSales AssociatePreviews® Specialist1998-2009 NJAR® Circle of Excellence Sales Award908-301-2014: Direct Line908-370-7900: CellE-mail: sue.checchio@cbmoves.com©2010 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Corporation.

An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT, Incorporated.

WESTFIELD OFFICE 209 CENTRAL AVENUE 908-233-5555

Westfield. Award winning designer, Diane Boyer, was the design consultant for the 2009 renovations inthis custom 5 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath home situated at the end of a Westfield cul-de-sac. Boasting sunlit,spacious rooms and thoughtful touches throughout, this quality built home is ready for a new owner. Awelcoming first impression begins in the spectacular entrance foyer and carries throughout. Special featuresinclude a 32-foot front to back kitchen with skylight, sunlit circular dining room and beautifully updatedbaths. Additional amenities include hardwood floors, 2-zone central air conditioning, 3-zone hot waterbaseboard heat, a finished lower level recreation room and attached two-car garage. Offered for $789,000.

OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, March 28th from 1:00-4:00pm14 Byron Court

Page 16 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

FSPY Swimmers Place SixthAt ‘Y’ State Championship

The Fanwood Scotch Plains Y(FSPY) finished sixth among the 25teams at the New Jersey YMCA StateChampionship meet for swimmersaged 13-18 on March 12 through 14.FSPY swimmers broke two meetrecords and set nine team records.

Girls 13-14: Katy Comer, JodieThompson, Molly Gaynor and SarahCronin placed second in the 200-medley relay and broke the existingmeet and team records, finishing at1:49.89. FSPY’s second place 200-freestyle relay also set a new teamrecord. Cronin won the 100-free, set-ting a meet and team record. Shescored in four other events, includingthe 50-free (fourth) and the 200-free(third – team record).

Comer (100 [second] and 200 back-stroke [third]) and Gaynor (fourth inboth the 100-butterfly and 200-but-terfly) each broke two team recordsand scored in five individual events.Thompson scored in three events,including two breaststroke events withtimes qualifying her for the nationalYMCA short course championshipmeet.

Girls 15-18: Gabriel Levine set ateam record in the 100-butterfly, fin-ishing second. Levine also scored inthe 100-backstroke and 50-free.Caitlin English scored in three indi-vidual events. Freestylers JessicaColucci and Emily Piekarski, andbreaststrokers Stephanie Baliko andHannah Markey scored in one indi-

vidual event. FSPY relays finishedfourth (200-free), sixth (400-medley),seventh (200-medley) and eighth(400-freestyle). Levine, Colucci,Markey, English and Baliko swam inmultiple scoring relays. RebeccaDunn joined in the 200-medley relayand Micaela Lyons joined in the 200-free relay.

Boys 15-18: Greg Baliko scored inseven individual events, includingsecond place finishes in the 200-breastand 200-individual medley. AlexBurzynski and Dan Napolitano (sec-ond in 200-free, fourth in 500-free)each scored in six individual events.Multiple individual event scorers wereJack Lorentzen (four), Joe Dunn(three) and Mike Napolitano (two).

Burzynski was a member of thethree scoring relay teams – 400-med-ley (third), 400-freestyle (third) and200-medley (seventh). Will Brownanchored the latter two relays. DanNapolitano, Baliko and MikeNapolitano competed in two relays,and Dunn competed in the 400-freerelay.

Boys 13-14: Scoring in individualevents were Ryan Gajdzisz (five),Tyler Lessner (four), Anthony Gurrieri(two) and Aaron Markey (one).Lessner swam the breaststroke leg ofthe seventh-place 200-medley relay.Markey anchored the seventh-place200-free relay. Gurrieri and Gajdziszcompeted together with Jeff Peart onboth relays.

Jersey Jammers, X-Men WinIn FSPY 30+ Basketball

Week 4 action in the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Y (FSPY) 30+ Men’sBasketball League saw the JerseyJammers jump to 4-0 with a 51-40win over the Razorbacks and the X-Men step to 3-1 with a 52-26 victoryover the Clippers.

The X-Men’s balanced attack scored26 points each half. Jamal Berry sank17 points (1-for-5 on free throwsthough). Troy Sims and Sid Jacksonposted 12 and 13 points, respectively.

The Clippers fell to 0-4 with of-fense in short supply. Dave Bergerscored 11 and Kevin Adams chippedin five. One bright spot, however,Kubi Koseoglu, who leads the leaguein personal fouls, did not foul out ofthis game and scored four points.

The Jersey Jammers were testedearly but an undermanned 1-3 Razor-

back squad, playing without any subs,faded late. Jammers’ Nias Battlescored 17 points and was 3-for-3 fromthe line. Steve Filler shot over the‘Back’s zone for 12 points, 10 in thesecond half, while defensive stopperEric Halpin added 10 points.

The ‘Backs were led by Jason Shann(24 points) and Joe Negley (12 points).In a classy move, the ‘Backs showedgood sportsmanship playing short-handed, having only five players inthe gym and no subs.

For more information about theleague, please callt the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Y at (908) 889-8880.

STANDINGS:TEAM W LJersey Jammers 4 0X-Men 3 1Razorbacks 1 3Clippers 0 4

U19 ‘A’ Mudturtles SwampParsippany in Rugby, 44-0

The Union County Rugby FootballClub (UCRFC) U15 and U19 teamswere in action again on March 21.The U19 boys A-side won by forfeitover Parsippany. Parsippany had prob-lems with eligibility and could onlyfield 10 players. The U19 A-sideagreed to play 10 players on a sideand rang up a 44-0 win.

The B-side played a Division 2team, West Milford. The West Milfordteam played a very physical gameand scored two tries off UCRFC mis-takes. The “Bs” battled hard but couldnot finish off several excellentchances. The U19 girls traveled toEast Hampton and absorbed a 22-0loss to a more experienced side.

The U15 boys continued their win-ning ways racking up a 56-10 winover the Parsippany U15s. This youngteam is improving with each outingas new players become more familiarwith the game of rugby. In their win,Alex Hay and Peter Lovito each hada hat trick of tries. Brian Jung, TimStrover, Brenton Harries and TomRoss each had a solo try. Michael

Dabulas and Matt Weissglass addedthree conversions.

This week the teams hit the road asthe U19 boys go to Bethlehem to playLehigh Valley U19s, the U19 girls arein Elizabeth to play Elizabeth HighSchool, and the U15 and U13 boyshead to Greenwich, CT to play OldGreenwich.

CYO BASKETBALL CHAMPS…The Holy Trinity girls basketball team re-cently won the Union County CYO championship. Pictured, left to right, are:front row; Ava Luzzi, Maddy Davis, Megan Neiswenter, Ann Friel and EllieCurry; back row, Coach Luzzi, Kasey Ciarletta, Catherine Moriarty, NoraBrindle, Marie Koglin and Coach Friel. Not pictured Mia Sutton.

Holy Trinity Girls WinCYO ChampionshipThe Holy Trinity girls basketball

team won the Union County CYOChampionship in an exciting game atDayton High School in Springfieldon March 21. Kasey Ciarletta wasHoly Trinity’s high scorer in the 12-5victory. Also contributing with keybaskets late in the game were AvaLuzzi, Catherine Moriarty and MaddyDavis.

Holy Trinity managed to hold adetermined St Joseph of Maplewoodteam to five points on stellar defensefrom Ellie Curry, Megan Neiswenter,Marie Koglin and Ann Friel.

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SCOOTING AROUND THE SIDE…Junior Mudturtle Ryan Farrell scootsaround the side in a game against Parsippany.

AGELESS ACTION…The Jersey Jammers and the X-Men are vying for the topspot in the Fanwood-Scotch Plains “Y” Men’s 30+ Basketball League.

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICETOWNSHIP OF SCOTCH PLAINS

COUNTY OF UNION

TAKE NOTICE That pursuant to Resolution No. 52-10, adopted by the TownshipCouncil of the Township of Scotch Plains on March 16, 2010 that the undersigned willexpose for sale at Public Auction, in accordance with Title 39:10A-1, at the times andlocations specified below, the following motor vehicles which came into the possessionof the Scotch Plains Police Department through abandonment or failure of owners toclaim same.

All the vehicles on the following lists are offered in strictly “as is” condition, with norepresentation as to condition or fitness for any particular purpose. Minimum bid for eachvehicle will be all towing and storage fees due to the towing agency.

Purchase must be made by cash or certified check. A 10% deposit must be given attime of auction. Balance must be paid by 4:00 p.m. the same day.

The public auction shall be held on April 1, 2010 in accordance with the laws of the Stateof New Jersey pertaining thereto.

The following vehicles may be examined at. Sevell’s Auto Body, 320 Windsor Place,Westfield, New Jersey at 09:15 am. Public Auction will commence at 09:30 am.

MAKE YEAR VIN NO. MINIMUM BIDNissan 1991 JN1HJ01PXMT506566 $2580.00

The following vehicles may be examined at. Plains Auto Body, 2368 Beryllium Road,Scotch Plains, New Jersey at 10:15 am. Public Auction will commence at 10:30 am.

MAKE YEAR VIN NO. MINIMUM BIDChevy 2000 1G1JC1243Y7392954 $3660.00

Dated: March 2, 2010 Barbra Riepe, Township Clerk1 T - 3/25/10, The Times Fee: $47.94

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICENEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

DIVISION OF PROCUREMENT, BUREAU OF CONSTRUCTION SERVICES1035 PARKWAY AVENUE, PO BOX 605

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY 08625Notice is hereby given that bid proposals will be received via the Internet until 10:00:59

A.M. on 4/6/10, downloaded, and publicly opened and read, from Bidders classifiedunder N.J.S.A. 27:7-35.1 et seq.; in the CONFERENCE ROOM-A, 1st Floor F & ABuilding, New Jersey Department of Transportation, 1035 Parkway Avenue, Trenton,New Jersey 08625; for:Re-Advt. - Maintenance Machine Sweeping Contract, North – 2010, 78/ 80/ 280/ 287,Various locations on Interstate roadways, Counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson,Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, and Warren; 100% State; DP No: 10434

Bidders are required to comply with the requirements of P.L. 1975, c. 127 N.J.A.C17:27. The awarded bidder must provide a completed Contractor Certification andDisclosure of Political Contribution Form(s) according to both P.L 2205, C.51 andExecutive Order No. 117 within fourteen (14) days from the award date. Executive OrderNo: 117 is effective on November 15, 2008. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:32-44, all biddersmust be registered with the New Jersey Department of Treasury, Division of Revenue,Business Registration, as of the date of bids. The awarded bidder must provide proof ofvalid business registration within fourteen (14) days from the award date. Pursuant to the“Public Works Contractor Registration Act”, N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.48 et seq. (P.L. 2003, c.91), all bidders must be registered with the New Jersey Department of Labor, Division ofWage and Hour Compliance, at the time of bid. The awarded bidder must provide proofof PWCR within fourteen (14) days from the award date.

The Department, in accordance with Title VI Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252U.S.C., 49 C.F.R., Parts 21 and 23 issued pursuant to such Act, and Section 504 of theRehabilitation Act of 1973 will afford minority business enterprises full opportunity tosubmit bids in response to this invitation and will not discriminate against any bidder onthe grounds of race, color, sex, national origin, or handicap in the project award.

Plans, specifications, and bidding information for the proposed work are available atBid Express website www.bidx.com. You must subscribe to use this service. Tosubscribe follow the instructions on the website. Fees apply to downloading documentsand plans and bidding access. The fee schedule is available on the web site. All fees aredirectly payable to Bid Express. Plans, specifications, and bidding information may beinspected (BUT NOT OBTAINED) by contracting organizations at our Design FieldOffices at the following locations:

200 Stierli Court Route 79 and Daniels Way 1 Executive Campus Rt 70WMt. Arlington, NJ Freehold, NJ Cherry Hill, NJ973-770-5141 732-308-4025 856-486-6624

3 T - 3/18/10, 3/25/10 and 4/1/10, The Leader Fee: $201.96

PUBLIC NOTICETOWN OF WESTFIELD

PLANNING BOARD

The Westfield Planning Board will meeton Monday, April 5, 2010 in CouncilChambers in the Westfield Municipal Build-ing, 425 East Broad Street, Westfield,New Jersey at 7:30 p.m. to hear andconsider the following application for pre-liminary and final major site plan approvalwith variances:

Cosimo’s Family Restaurant, Inc.(“Applicant”) is seeking Preliminary andFinal Major Site Plan Approval withrespect to premises commonly knownas 120-122 East Broad Street and alsoknown as Lot 7, Block 3105 on the TaxMap of the Town of Westfield (the “Pre-mises”). Applicant proposes to con-vert approximately 1639 square feet ofexisting vacant first floor retail space inthe Premises to a restaurant diningroom to be used in conjunction with theexisting adjacent restaurant Cosimo’sFamily Restaurant located at premisescommonly known as 116-118 EastBroad Street and as Lot 6 in Block 3105on said Tax Map. The Premises arelocated in the CBD ( Central BusinessDistrict) Zone.

Applicant seeks variances from the fol-lowing provisions of the Land Use Ordi-nance of the Town of Westfield.

List of New C.40:55D70c VariancesRequested:

Sections 17.02B 5, 17.02 C1 A and17.02 C7 a of the Land Use Ordinance.

Ordinance requires 81 parking spacesper requirements by zone calculation.There are currently 18 parking spaces ofwhich 2 are dedicated to restaurant use. Avariance for the balance of the requiredparking is being requested.

Sections 17.02C 7.r 17.02 B5, 17.02C1 A of the Land Use Ordinance.

Ordinance requires 91 total parkingspaces by use requirement calculation.There are currently 18 parking spaces ofwhich 2 are dedicated to restaurant use. Avariance for the balance of the requiredparking is being requested.

Section 16.04 E 1 of the Land UseOrdinance

Ordinance allows one (1) wall sign atmain public entrance. Applicant has a wallsign at the main public entrance and isseeking permission to install an additionalsign on the front building elevation.

Any and all other variances, waivers orexceptions from certain site plan details orRelief from requirements of the land UseOrdinance deemed necessary may besought as appropriate.

Plans and application are on file in theoffice of the Town Engineer, 959 NorthAvenue, West, Westfield, New Jersey andmay be seen Monday through Friday be-tween 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Arthur AttenasioAttorney for ApplicantArthur Attenasio, LLC

324 East Broad StreetP.O. Box 490

Westfield, New Jersey 07091-0490(908) 233-6013

1 T - 3/25/10, The Leader Fee: $62.22

LEAGUE CHAMPS…Winners of the 4th-grade Westfield Basketball Associa-tion 2009-2010 recreational league pose for a shot in their championship t-shirts.Pictured, left to right, are: kneeling; Michael Birle; second group, Lee Beauchamp,Nathaniel Reyes, David Perry, Eric Bebel, Ryan Bebel, Jonathan DeDomenico,Jack McCauley and William Evans; back row, coaches Pete Bebel and JohnMcCauley. Missing are Dean Pucciarelli and Christopher Culhane.

Completing a season with a 33-4record, Robert Howard, age eight, ofGarwood placed seventh at the NewJersey State WrestlingChampionships held on March 21 atUnion High School. Howard wrestledin the bantam 50-lb. weight class thatwas won by Brett Unger ofFlemington.

Howard wrestled for the ClarkCrusaders recreational programduring the 2009-2010 season, and he

recently received the award for themost pins (11) this season. His seasonalso included winning the UnionCounty Brawl, Monroe, Lacey MatCat, Central Jersey “B” flight andUnion County State ChampionshipQualifier tournaments.

Garwood Youth Gets 7th In Mat Championship

Susan M. ChecchioSales AssociatePreviews® Specialist1998-2009 NJAR® Circle of Excellence Sales Award908-301-2014: Direct Line908-370-7900: CellE-mail: sue.checchio@cbmoves.com©2010 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Corporation.

An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT, Incorporated.

WESTFIELD OFFICE 209 CENTRAL AVENUE 908-233-5555

Scotch Plains. This sun-filled, spacious custom home is located on a quiet cul-de-sac in the Coles Elementary Schooldistrict. Offering 3800 square feet, this wonderful home has tremendous space. The large eat-in kitchen is completewith a separate eating area and center island with granite countertop. The family room with wood-burning fireplaceopens to a great room with wet bar. The private back yard boasts a heated, in-ground pool. The sleeping level featuresa dramatic master suite with soaring ceilings, five closets and a bath with cathedral ceiling as well as three large,additional bedrooms and a main bath. A rear staircase from the second floor provides easy access to the family room.Amenities include hardwood floors, a mud room, two heating and two central air conditioning units, abundantstorage and garage space for three cars. Offered for $725,000.

OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, March 28th from 1:00-4:00pm10 Unami Lane

A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2009 Page E-1

goleader.com online exclusive

CRANFORD COUGAR HIGH SCHOOL SPORTSGILSTRAP, COOK, COLANERI TAKE TO THE MOUND

Cougar Baseballers to TakeIt ‘One Game at a Time’

KELLY, ENGLESE TO LEAD VERY TALENTED SQUAD

Winning Can Be ContagiousWith Cranford Track Girls

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

Several defensive positions and theentire batting order has yet to bedetermined for the Cranford HighSchool baseball team that finishedwith a 19-6 record last year. But onething is certain. Cougar Head CoachDennis McCaffrey’s primary focusis taking one game at a time.

“The focus in this program is toplay that day, at that moment, playyour best baseball, focus on that indi-vidual game. The approach is onegame at a time,” coach McCaffreysaid

Last year, the Cougars won theMountain Valley Conference Moun-tain Division title, losing only onegame to Governor Livingston. TheCougars also took Westfield ace, 90+miles per hour fireballer Chris Jenkinsto the limit, scoring four runs in theseventh inning, in an 8-7 loss in theUnion County Tournament semifi-nals last year. The Cougars tookJenkins deep into the count, forcinghim to throw 134 pitches, walk fiveand hit two batters. They also hadsuccess on the base paths with crafty

running. The other heartbreaker camein a nine-inning, 8-5 loss to ShoreRegional in the Group 2 sectionalsemifinals.

“This is a group of kids, in thesummer, who worked hard after theseason last year. We were certainlydisappointed losing in the state tour-nament in extra innings, so I’m hopingthat we will continue to work hard andeverybody will continue to improveeach day,” coach McCaffrey said.

Pitching is key, and seniors PatGilstrap, Vin Colaneri and Nick Cook,along with freshman RyanWilliamson are expected to get theirshare of time on the mound.

“We ask all the kids to be able tostart to be a reliever, to come in andpitch in short relief, middle relief,whatever it takes to be competitive,”commented coach McCaffrey.

The Cougars have confidence be-hind the plate in catchers Eric Walano,a junior, and senior Mark Linger.

“Both are having a very good pre-season, and both caught over the sum-mer,” coach McCaffrey said. “Theyare hard-working kids. We are ex-cited to have both of them behind the

plate. Eric played for us last year andhad a very successful sophomore yearbehind the plate, as well as hitting,and Mark is a very good catcher, sowe are comfortable with the catchingposition.”

Junior Sean Trotter will take con-trol of the shortstop position. JuniorGreg Matlosz and Cook will be atfirst base. Senior Rob Ghretti andjunior Chris Nicastro will be at sec-ond base. Seniors Keith Powell andNathan Verrilli, and junior Justin VanOstenbridge are working for the third-base position.

“Sean played for us last year. Hehad a real good defensive year. Weare hoping Sean will grow off thatand continue to improve. [He’s] athree-sport athlete. He plays the gamethe right way, 110 percent all thetime,” commented coach McCaffrey.

Senior centerfielder Nick Pace willhead the outfield.

“It starts with Nick Pace incenterfield. A quick athletic playerand he has the ability to go get theball. He’s a three-sport athlete. Hehad a lot of success in soccer, as well

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

Tying Union for the Union Countyindividual title and winning a statesectional title was quite an accom-plishment for last year’s CranfordHigh School girls track & field team,but this season the Lady Cougars feelthat winning has been contagious andthat they will be even stronger.

“End of last spring season, we werevery successful in our first countyindividual championship and statesectional championship in school his-tory,” said Cougar Head Coach PeteKane. “With winter track, we piggy-backed off of that, and we are lookingforward to being even stronger thisyear. It’s become contagious. We areworking hard and we are lookingwin, not just to participate”

Senior Kelly Burke and juniorNatalie Englese gained All-Ameri-can status at the Nike Indoor Nation-als in Boston, Mass. in mid-March.

Burke placed second in the triple jumpwith a distance of 39’6.5” and Englesecrossed third in the 400 meters with atime of 55.95, an all-time personalrecord (PR) for her and a UnionCounty record. Burke was also theGroup 2 champ last year in the polevault and the triple jump, whileEnglese was the champion in the 400.Englese is also expected to competein the 200 meters this season.

“We have two All-Americans, KellyBurke in the triple jump with an all-time indoor and outdoor PR andcounty record, and Natalie Englese inthe 400 meters, breaking a 29-year-old [Union County] record indoors[Tracy Carter of Plainfield in 1981]this year, going 55.95. Kelly alsobroke her indoor pole vault record[11’8.5”], so they are taking a well-deserved week off and coming backeven stronger and more motivated.They just keep pushing themselves,”coach Kane said.

There are plenty additional LadyCougars, who are more than willingto push themselves. Freshman

Brianna Grant has been taking giantstrides and will be competing in avariety of events, which include the100-hurdles, jumps and the pole vault.

“We are excited about Brianna. Sheactually scissored five feet in the highjump. We are very excited to get ac-tual practice time in the triple jumpand pole vault. She is an ex-gym-nast,” coach Kane pointed out.

Another fine addition is MeganSchetelich, who played volleyball inthe fall. Schetelich is also expected tocompete in the 100-hurdles and jump-ing events.

“She is high jumping 4’8” and sheis a very good hurdler, who went tonationals her first year,” coach Kanesaid.

Junior Bridget Miller and her fresh-man sister Ronnie, along with sopho-more Megan Byrnes are expected tobe rock solid in the distance events.

“Bridget Miller and her twin sisterRonnie, leading the charge in thedistances, they don’t get tired of lead-ing and they don’t get tired of work-

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesREADY TO PLAY ONE GAME AT A TIME…Cougar seniors Pat Gilstrap, left, Rob Ghretti, center, and Nick Cook, andthe rest of the baseball team plan a “play one game at a time” philosophy.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesSOMETHING VERY CONTAGIOUS GOING AROUND…The Cougar girls track team tied Union for the Union Countyindividual title and won the sectional title last year, and they feel that “winning” experience will be very contagious.

This Is Westfield 201038th Annual EditionComing in May – Make your advertising reservations now – (908) 232-4407 – sales@goleader.com – Details are online at www.goleader.com/tiw

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Page E-2 Thursday, March 25, 2009 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains–Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

goleader.com online exclusive

WEBB, D’ANTICO, GROSS WERE VERY STRONG LEADERS

Lady Cougars ‘Extinguished’All Doubt on the B’ball Court

BRADY, GIACCIO QUALIFIED FOR NJSIAA TOURNEY

Tough Cougar Matmen HadBanner Year, Finished, 19-4

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

Doubt as to how well the youngCranford High School girls basket-ball team would do this season mayhave been on the minds of many, butthe Cougars indeed extinguished thosedoubts by capturing the North Jersey,Section 2, Group 3 crown and finish-ing with a 21-8.

Not only did they extinguish thedoubt, but by defeating Somerville,46-34, for the sectional title, theyaccomplished what no other LadyCougar hoops team had done in 37years in that far away year of 1973.

“I had a pleasure coaching thisyear’s team. In the beginning of theseason a lot of people doubted us and

looked past us because we had lostsix seniors last year, four of whichwere starters,” Cougar Head CoachJackie Huber said. “We proved ev-eryone wrong by having an even bet-ter season then last year. These girlsworked year round, and it shows intheir performance on the court. Theyenjoyed each other as teammates onthe court and friends off the court. Icouldn’t have asked for a better wayto end the seniors’ career and start ourfreshmen’s careers.”

Those seniors, guard Jamie Webb,forward Taylor D’Antico and centerDanielle Gross, exercised superb lead-ership throughout the season andworked very well with the youngfreshmen varsity girls.

“Jamie, Taylor and Danielle weregreat leaders for us. They took thisyoung team under their wings andshowed what hard work and dedica-tion will get them,” coach Huber said.“They always had positive words tohelp pick the team up when we weredown. It is because of their leadershipthat we were as successful as we werethis year.”

Webb set the table big time for theCougars with an amazing 136 assists.When she was not dishing the ball toher teammates, she drove to the bas-ket or banged in the 3-pointers toamass a team-leading 316 points, in-cluding 29 from 3-point range. Shealso hit 66-for 97 (68 percent) from

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

There was no doubt that theCranford High School wrestling teamwas going to have a fine season. Thequestion was – how good? The an-swer was – very good?

The Cougars placed third in the UnionCounty Tournament (UCT) behindhighly ranked David Brearley andRoselle Park. The Cougars finished theregular season with a 19-5 record thenthey claimed five champions, whileplacing second behind Brearley at theDistrict 11 Tournament. Finally, seniorheavyweight Joe Brady and junior 112-pounder Joe Giaccio won their weight

class at the Region 3 Tournament toqualify for the NJSIAA Tournament atAtlantic City (AC).

Prior to the NJSIAA Tournament,Brady’s only defeat came in atiebreaker to New Providence’s ZachTroutman, who placed sixth at AC.Brady’s first loss at AC was a tightbout with Warren Hills’ Jon Slack,who finished third. Brady, who had a33-3 record this season, amassed 99career varsity victories. Brady wasknown for his vicious, double-legtackle takedown.

“Joe Brady had a great career withmany accolades. He is a fierce competi-tor and is always ready for a battle. We

are going to miss the intensity he broughtto practice and matches,” Cougar HeadCoach Darren Torsone said.

Giaccio, a three-time districtchamp, also won his class at the UCTand finished with a 32-4 record.Giaccio’s two losses at AC cameagainst Newton’s Kevin Churchill,who placed third, and Ramsey’s JeffRottingen, who placed eighth.

“Joe Giaccio beat some top notchwrestlers down the stretch. He hasproven that he can wrestle with someof the best in the state,” coach Torsonesaid. “He is very excited and moti-vated for next year. He will be some-

David B. Corbin (Westfield game) for The Westfield Leader and The TimesUNIQUE DEFENSIVE TACTICS…Cougar freshman center Kate McGovern, center, lets Westfield Blue Devil star DianaVenezia know that she plans to defend the basket. McGovern, who had 61 points, was strong under the boards with 81rebounds and nine blocks. She also had 16 assists and 11 steals.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesCOMPLETING A VERY FINE CAREER…Cougar heavyweight Joe Brady, top, won his second District 11 title andfollowed with the Region 3 title to qualify for the NJSIAA Tournament. He finished with 99 career wins.

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A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2009 Page E-3

goleader.com online exclusive

Cougar Matmen Had Banner Year, Finished 19-4CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Lady Cougars Extinguished All Doubt on CourtCONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Winning Can Be Contagiious for Cougar GirlsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Cougar Nine to Take It ‘One Game at a Time’CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

as being real competitive on the bas-ketball court. We will expect a lotfrom him out in centerfield.

Junior Mark Osofsky, who playedover the summer and had some play-ing time on the varsity last year, willcover leftfield. Right field hasGilstrap, Colaneri and Williamsonvying for the spot.

Although the batting order has notbeen determined, Walano and Paceare expected to be toward the top ofthe lineup, but putting the bat on the

ball should not be a problem for theCougars.

“We stress to the kids to have goodquality at bats. We are hoping theywill execute. We really try to poundthat into the kids to be successfulhitters in different situations, not justfor average, but for RBI and helpingthe team win. You have to swing thebat to hit the ball. Get a good pitch tohit, and once it’s there be ready toswing the bat and put the bat on theball,” said coach McCaffrey.

The Cougars will open againstGovernor Livingston in BerkeleyHeights on April 1.

“We are hoping that we will con-tinue to get better each game. Youobviously want to be competitive eachday but also be competitive furtherinto the season, play better baseballcome the county tournament and,hopefully, the state tournament,”coach McCaffrey said. “That’s ourfirst [long term] goal, [to] qualify forthe state tournament!”

ing hard. They want to be good,”coach Kane said.

Sophomores Rebecca Shimonov(100 meters, 100-hurdles, triplejump), Kate Evans (200, 400, polevault), Gillian Burke (200, 400 inter-mediate hurdles) and DevonCacchione (400IH) are expected toreap team points. Sophomore KristenVanBenschoten will head the shotput and discus, and there is a wealthof freshmen girls, who could contrib-ute in the jumps, sprints and hurdles,

such as Amanda and Nicole Tarantino,and Valerie Podbelski, along withsophomores Danielle Manganelli andCara Costa. Emily Lupin, ShannonMiller and Erica Faraone will addstrength in the mid-distances.

“We are lucky now in the girls wehave out for the sport. They are high-bred athletes. They can go from asprinting event to hurdling. I think, towin in Union County, you have tohave people, who can do multipleevents. You don’t get specialists until

you go to college. In high school, youhave to take your talent and spread itout, so you can be the most effectiveteam. We are lucky enough to havegirls, who can jump from event toevent and be very good in all of them,”said coach Kane. “The girls are morethan motivated. They liked winning,and they want to get back to it.”

*********Hopefully, we have managed to list

all potential Lady Cougars at thetime of this interview – March 19.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesFINISHING A VERY SUCCESSFUL SEASON…Cougar Joe Giaccio, top, won the Union County, District 11 and Region3 112-lb crowns and finished with a 32-4 record.

one to watch out for next year.”Senior Julian Campo claimed his

second district title at 215 lbs. Oncehe rocked an opponent in a cradle, itwas “good night”. Campo finishedwith a 26-7 record.

“Julian was as solid as they come.For the past three years we have re-lied on him for bonus points. He hada nasty cradle and locked it up onsome of the top wrestlers in the area,”coach Torsone pointed out.

Senior Brian Buontempo placedthird in the district at 125 lbs andfinished with a 21-10 record.

“Brian Buontempo has come alongway in four years. He went frombeing a fill-in 103 to a legitimate 125pounder in the county,” said coachTorsone.

Junior Kyle Markovitch (130 lbs)spent the first half of the season heal-

ing from a broken wrist, but he recov-ered in time to grab his third districtcrown. He just missed qualifying forAC when he placed fourth in theRegion 3 Tournament to finish 14-3.

“Kyle Markovitch made an unbe-lievable comeback this year. Comingback from an injury with a month leftin the season, he wrestled to his thirddistrict championship and placedfourth in the region. That was impres-sive in itself,” coach Torsone expressed.

Junior Matt DiGiovanni, whoplaced third in the UCT at 135 lbs,won the district title and advanced tothe region semifinals before placingfourth and finishing with a 30-7record.

“Matt DiGiovanni is a student ofthe sport. He wins, not only becausehe is good, but also he knows how towrestle different wrestlers with vari-

ous styles,” noted coach Torsone.Sophomore JP Christiano took third

in the UCT at 152 lbs, second in thedistrict and finished 28-5. Senior ErrolPetgrave, who placed fifth in the UCTat 189 lbs, nearly pulled a stunningupset in the district finals when he wasedged, 13-11, by Brearley’s KhusenTaramov, who finished fifth at AC.Petgrave finished with an 18-16 record.Sophomore Ian Henry placed third at119 lbs at the UCT and finished 19-10.Junior Eric Knight finished 15-13 at140 lbs. Senior Connor Londreganfinished 13-13 at 145 lbs. Senior ChrisKeim finished 14-16 at 160 lbs. Fresh-man Rob Kessler finished 7-12, andfreshman Diego Castro finished 4-13at 103 lbs.

The Cougars will graduate five,varsity matmen, however, a large num-ber of talented wrestlers will return.

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A must for businesses and organizations in the region.

David B. Corbin (Westfield game) for The Westfield Leader and The TimesQUITE A COUGAR SCRAPPER…Cougar freshman guard Jess McCoy, No. 20, was not shy when it came to battling forpossession of the basketball. McCoy led the team with 214 rebounds and was second in assists, steals and blocks with 47, 58and 32, respectively.

the charity line. She also led the teamwith 62 steals and was second inrebounds with 197, while adding 27blocks.

D’Antico bucketed 139 points, in-cluding 20 three-pointers, and hit 25-for-36 (69 percent) from the line. Shealso had 96 rebounds, 38 assists, 31steals and nine blocks. Gross scored191 points, including 52-for-73 (70percent) from the line. She had 167rebounds, 28 blocks, 21 steals and 15assists.

Sophomore guard Morgan Miller,because of her deadly outside shoot-ing, forced opposing defenses tostretch, so the Cougars could alsofind success with the inside game.Miller, who finished with 274 points,banged a team-leading 40 three-point-ers and sank 35-for-50 (70 percent)from the line. She also grabbed 133rebounds and created 42 steals, whileadding 39 assists and 33 blocks.

“Morgan was an offensive sparkfor us this year. When we needed afew points on the board to get usstarted, Morgan would comethrough,” commented coach Huber.

All seeing varsity court time werejunior guards Sara Gugliucci andBrianna Capese, along with forwardJackie Monteaquedo. Gugliucci net-ted 92 points, including 11 three-pointers and 7-for-10 in free throws.She had 36 rebounds, 12 assists, 14steals and a block. Capece had 11points, including three 3-pointers, tworebounds an assist, a block and asteal. Monteaquedo had eight points,nine rebounds, an assist, two stealsand two blocks.

Three freshmen had a huge impacton the varsity. Jess McCoy, a guard,led the team with 214 rebounds andwas second in assists, steals andblocks with 47, 58 and 32, respec-tively. She also bucketed 231 points,

mostly from inside penetration, andhit 38 of 53 (70 percent) from theline. McGovern, who had 61 points,was strong under the boards with 81rebounds and nine blocks. She alsohad 16 assists and 11 steals. Goeller,tough defensively, contributed 52points (8 three-pointers), 33 re-bounds, 32 assists, seven steals andtwo blocks.

“The freshmen were the most tal-ented freshmen I have had the plea-sure of coaching in all of my years atCranford so far,” said coach Huber.“They are extremely talented and hardworking. You would never know theywere freshmen by the way they playedunless you asked.”

Despite graduating three fine teamleaders, the Lady Cougars, with theaddition of players from the JuniorVarsity team that won the UnionCounty JV Tournament, should bestrong on the court next year.

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David B. Corbin (2009 Union County Tournament semis) for The Westfield Leader and The TimesDANGEROUS AT THE PLATE…Cougar Nick Cook whacked a two-run double against Westfield ace pitcher ChrisJenkins in the Union County Tournament semifinals last year.

David B. Corbin (2009 Union County meet) for The Westfield Leader and The TimesLETTING THEIR MARK ON THE TRACK…The Cougar girls track & field team tied Union for the Union Countyindividual title and won the sectional title last year. The girls are looking forward to an even better season.

A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 17

Miller-Cory to SpotlightSilhouette Art on Sunday

WESTFIELD – The Miller-CoryHouse Museum, located at 614Mountain Avenue in Westfield, willfeature a program for children andfamilies on the art of silhouettes thisSunday, March 28, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Silhouette, or profile art, reachedthe height of popularity between the17th and mid-19th centuries. Sil-houettes were the snapshots of theday – an instant memento, a lover’skeepsake or a family record.

Evelyn Kennelly’s program willfeature a silhouette craft for childrento make at the museum and takehome. Children who participate mustbe able to handle scissors safely, andparents must remain with young-sters at all times.

Sunday’s program will include toursof the restored, 1740 farmhouse. Mem-bers of the cooking committee willdemonstrate skills used in 18th-cen-tury open-hearth cooking, using au-thentic recipes and seasonal foods. Tastesamples will be offered to visitors. Thegift shop, which carries a variety ofColonial toys, crafts, books and educa-tional materials, also will be open.

Admission is $2.50 for adults, $1for students and free for children un-

der age 4.Upcoming Sunday programs in-

clude “The Abraham Clark Chair”on April 11 and “African Slaves inNew Jersey” on April 18. Themuseum’s annual “Sheep to ShawlFestival” will take place on April 25,from 1 to 4 p.m., and will featuredemonstrations of sheep shearing,spinning, weaving and various other18th-century farm skills.

The Miller-Cory House Museumis a nationally recognized living mu-seum, listed on both the State andNational Registers of Historic Placesand as a site on the New JerseyWomen’s Heritage Trail.

The museum is available for toursfor school groups during the week aswell as for scout troops after schoolon weekdays. For more information,call the office weekday mornings at(908) 232-1776 or e-mailmillercorymuseum@gmail.com.The museum’s website ismillercoryhouse.org.

‘Uniquely Girls!’ EventTo Feature Fitness

WESTFIELD – Girl Scouts Heartof New Jersey will offer a new“Uniquely Girls!” program on Fri-day, April 9, from 7 to 9 p.m. at theGirl Scouts Heart of New Jersey Cen-tral Service Center, located at 201Grove Street, East, in Westfield.

This event will provide girls ages 5to 17 with the opportunity to learnabout health and fitness by jumpingrope, running an obstacle course andpracticing yoga and the Hula-Hoop.They also will learn about nutrition.

The cost is $17 for girls new to GirlScouting (includes Girl Scout mem-bership and activities) and $5 for GirlScout members (those who bring oneor more non-Girl Scout friends willreceive free entry). The registrationdeadline is Monday, April 5.

Girl Scouts Heart of New Jerseyseeks to build girls of courage, confi-dence and character. The “UniquelyGirls!” program encourages girls toexperience the world around them.

For information on Girl Scouts orto volunteer, call (908) 725-1226 orvisit gshnj.org. Additional informa-tion also is available by contactingSue DeCarlo, Membership Segmentdirector, at (908) 232-3236, exten-sion no. 1220, or by e-mail atsdecarlo@gshnj.org.

Tennis Event to BenefitLymphoma ResearchMOUNTAINSIDE – The annual

“Ace Lymphoma” tennis event tobenefit the Lymphoma ResearchFoundation (LRF) will be held onSunday, May 2, from 1 to 5 p.m. atthe Mountainside Indoor TennisClub, located on Route 22 inMountainside. This tennis party willfeature mixed doubles, men’sdoubles and women’s doubles.

The LRF is committed to fundinglymphoma research for better treat-ments and cures. It offers educationalworkshops and “Ask the Doctor”seminars. Lymphoma is the most com-mon blood cancer. There are morethan 60 identified types of lymphoma.

Westfield resident Karen Dorne, avolunteer with the LRF and presidentof the North Jersey Chapter, orga-nizes the “Ace Lymphoma” events asher way of giving back. It was theresearch that led to better treatmentsthat saved her son’s life six years ago.

In addition to tennis, there will befood, a silent auction, massages andgift bags for all attendees. For moreinformation on the “Ace Lymphoma”tennis event or to make a donation,contact kedorne@comcast.net. Forinformation on the LRF, visitlymphoma.org. All checks may bemade payable to the LRF.

See it all on the Web!www.goleader.com

Shirley and Charles “Randy” Morrison

Charles and Shirley MorrisonCelebrate 60th Anniversary

Charles “Randy” and ShirleyMorrison celebrated 60 years of mar-riage at the Westfield home of theirdaughter, Adrienne Morrison Bishop,in November of 2009.

Their entire family attended thecelebration, including Charles Jr.“Butch” of Roselle Park, N.J.,Jacquelynne Wilcox and her daugh-ter, Hope (without husband Thaddeus)of Miami, Fla., James of Chicago, Ill.and Gregory (without wife and fam-ily) of Worthington, Ohio.

Randy and Shirley were married onNovember 27, 1949 at St. Luke’sA.M.E. Zion Church in Westfield,where Shirley lived all of her life.They made the difficult decision tomove to Florida in 1995, but weredelighted to visit with other familymembers and dear friends during their60th wedding anniversary celebration.

A special treat was the arrival of theReverend John Carrington of NewRochelle, N.Y., the minister whomarried them 60 years ago.

County St. Patrick’s ParadeRescheduled For Saturday

COUNTY – The 14th Annual UnionCounty St. Patrick’s Day Parade –rescheduled from March 13 due tosevere weather conditions – will stepoff on Morris Avenue in Union thisSaturday, March 27, at 1 p.m. sharp.

This year’s grand marshal, SisterMarion Scranton, a Sister of Charity,will lead the march of bagpipe andhigh school bands, local police andfire department units, veterans groups,floats and many more organizations.

Sister Marion is well known for heroutstanding work in education as ateacher and principal and for her min-istry, community outreach andvolunteerism. She currently is directorof Community Initiatives for TrinitasRegional Medical Center in Elizabeth.

This year’s parade is dedicated toall those serving in the United Statesarmed forces, their families and to allAmerican veterans.

The day’s events will begin with a

Mass to be celebrated at 9 a.m. at St.Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church,located at 215 Court Street in Eliza-beth, followed by a welcoming re-ception in the church hall.

Festivities will kick off at noon atthe reviewing stand at the corner ofMorris and Stuyvesant Avenues inUnion Center with a welcome fromparade officials, traditional Irish mu-sic and Irish step-dancing. The one-mile parade will begin at 1 p.m. atCommerce Street and Morris Avenue,proceeding east on Morris to UnionCenter and south onto Stuyvesant Av-enue, ending at Roosevelt Avenue.

Again this year, the parade will fea-ture a Kid Zone presented by the UnionSpecial Improvement District. Locatedat Stuyvesant and Morris Avenues, itwill include inflatable rides, walk-around entertainers and activities.

For more information, visitunioncountystpatricksdayparade.com.

Ms. Anne Marie Montgomery and Andrew A. Cambria

Ms. Anne Marie MontgomeryTo Wed Andrew A. CambriaDick and Mary Jean Montgomery

of Spencer, Iowa have announced theengagement of their daughter, Ms.Anne Marie Montgomery of SanFrancisco, Calif., to Andrew A.Cambria, also of San Francisco. He isthe son of Donald and Eileen Cambriaof Westfield.

A 1999 graduate of Spencer HighSchool in Spencer, Iowa, the bride-to-be received a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Commerce in 2003 fromSanta Clara University in Santa Clara,

Calif. Ms. Montgomery is employedas a strategy manager for Gap Inc. inSan Francisco.

The future bridegroom graduatedfrom Westfield High School in 1998and earned a Bachelor of Arts degreein Government in 2002 from St.Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.Mr. Cambria works for ThomsonReuters in San Francisco as a salesspecialist.

An August 2010 wedding is plannedin Lake Okoboji, Iowa.

170 Elm St., Westfield

908.233.2278

www.fbcwestfield.org

“Branches”A new Contemporary

Worship Service, 5pm, 3/27

Palm SundayMarch 28, 10:15am

Worship Service with anthems by Children’s &

Chancel Choirs.

Maundy ThursdayApril 1, 7:30pm

Music, Readings, and Prayers remembering The Last Supper

and the Passion of Christ.

Good FridayApril 2, 9am-3pm

Meditation on the crucifixion, with quiet music, art slides, &

exploration stations. Enter and exit sanctuary as you wish.

Easter SundayApril 4

Celebrate the Resurrection!

Easter Breakfast, 9am Worship, 10:15am

Children’s Easter Egg Hunt, 10:30am

Childcare provided for all services.

Best Friend Store Egg HuntTo Benefit Needy Animals

SCOTCH PLAINS – Best FriendDog and Animal Adoption is hold-ing an Easter Egg Hunt at its thriftstore now through Saturday, April3. A not-for-profit, all-volunteer res-cue group, Best Friend operates theshop in order to help rescue home-less animals that may otherwise haveno hope.

Area residents are invited to cometo the store and draw an Easter Eggfilled with a savings discount. Indi-viduals can save 20 percent, 30 per-cent or even 50 percent on eachshopping trip they make to the store.

Located at 1750 East SecondStreet in Scotch Plains, the store isopen from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.every day except Sunday and Mon-day. For information, call (732) 388-8930.

In addition to a selection of Eas-ter bunnies and items for sale, thestore is featuring new hats, scarves,belts, hair accessories, perfume andjewelry for spring.

The organization also currentlyis in need of new or slightly useditems to sell in the store. Among the

requested items are jewelry, col-lectibles, records, CDs, DVDs,books, seasonal clothing, small fur-niture and gardening items.

The group also is accepting dona-tions of dog and cat food and litterfor its foster animals. Best Friendprovides veterinary care and fosterhomes for animals in need until apermanent home can be found.

Pets available for adoption arefeatured at bestfriend.petfinder.org.A tax-deductible donation can bemailed to: Best Friend, P.O. Box335, Cranford, N.J. 07016.

Page 18 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE

BOARD OF EDUCATION302 ELM STREET

WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY 07090Notice is hereby given to the legal voters of Westfield, in the County of Union, New Jersey, that a public hearing for the proposed

budget for the 2010-2011 school year will be held on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, in the Board Room of the Administration Building, 302Elm Street, Westfield, New Jersey, at 8:00 PM.

The budget will be on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Board of Education, 302 Elm Street, Westfield, New Jersey, forexamination by the public between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM each school day.

The School District has proposed programs and services in addition to the core curriculum content standards adopted by the StateBoard of Education. Information on this budget and the programs and services it provides is available for your local school district. ThisBoard of Education approved tentative budget is being presented for advertising prior to the Executive County Superintendent approval.The budget will be approved by the Executive County Superintendent prior to the public hearing.

Robert BermanBoard Secretary

SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET STATEMENTFOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2010-2011

UNION - WESTFIELD TOWN

ADVERTISED ENROLLMENTS

OCTOBER 15, 2008 OCTOBER 15, 2009 OCTOBER 15, 2010ENROLLMENT CATEGORY ACTUAL ACTUAL ESTIMATED Pupils on Roll Regular Full-Time 5333 5356 5454 Pupils on Roll Regular Shared-Time 7 7 7 Pupils on Roll - Special Full-Time 863 884 884 Pupils on Roll - Special Shared-Time 9 21 10 Private School Placements 85 78 79 Pupils Sent to Other Dists-Spec Ed Prog 21 16 20 Pupils Received 2 2

UNION - WESTFIELD TOWN

ADVERTISED REVENUES

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11BUDGET CATEGORY ACCOUNT ACTUAL REVISED ANTICIPATEDOPERATING BUDGET Budgeted Fund Balance - Operating Budget 10-303 800,000 800,000

Revenues from Local Sources: Local Tax Levy 10-1210 75,086,661 78,195,764 81,885,884 Tuition 10-1300 41,593 Transportation Fees from Individuals 10-1410 5,800 Unrestricted Miscellaneous Revenues 10-1XXX 197,960 373,000 310,759 SUBTOTAL 75,332,014 78,568,764 82,196,643Revenues from State Sources: Extraordinary Aid 10-3131 1,203,038 380,554 380,554 Categorical Special Education Aid 10-3132 3,409,824 3,681,600 448,345 Categorical Security Aid 10-3177 188,429 466,172 Adjustment Aid 10-3178 105,304 Categorical Transportation Aid 10-3121 433,682 542,438 SUBTOTAL 5,234,973 5,176,068 828,899Revenues from Federal Sources: Medicaid Reimbersement 10-4200 19,541 SUBTOTAL 19,541Adjustment for Prior Year Encumbrances 418,121Actual Revenues (Over) /Under Expenditures 537,902 TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET 81,104,889 84,962,953 83,845,083

GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTSRevenues from Local Sources 20-1XXX 60,977Revenues from State Sources: Other Restricted Entitlements 20-32XX 259,216 292,256 247,650 TOTAL REVENUES FROM STATE SOURCES 259,216 292,256 247,650Revenues from Federal Sources: Title I 20-4411-4416 211,302 218,179 167,543 Title II 20-4451-4455 98,373 Title III 20-4491-4494 16,501 Title IV 20-4471-4474 11,576 I.D.E.A. Part B (Handicapped) 20-4420-4429 1,206,257 1,294,028 1,423,135 Other 20-4XXX 128,861 141,504 TOTAL REVENUES FROM FEDERAL SOURCES 1,546,420 1,653,711 1,717,128 TOTAL GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTS 1,866,613 1,945,967 1,964,778

REPAYMENT OF DEBT Budgeted Fund Balance 40-303 280,464 33 Transferrs from other Funds 40-5200 22,600Revenues from Local Sources: Local Tax Levy 40-1210 2,231,527 2,152,919 2,534,127 Miscellaneous 40-1XXX 85,053 40,000 TOTAL REVENUES FROM LOCAL SOURCES 2,316,580 2,192,919 2,534,127Revenues from State Sources:Debt Service Aid Type II 40-3160 457,378 503,884 402,020 TOTAL LOCAL REPAYMENT OF DEBT 2,796,558 2,977,267 2,936,180Actual Revenues (Over) /Under Expenditures 103,490 TOTAL REPAYMENT OF DEBT 2,900,048 2,977,267 2,936,180 TOTAL REVENUES/SOURCES 85,871,550 89,886,187 88,746,041

UNION - WESTFIELD TOWN

ADVERTISED APPROPRIATIONS

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11BUDGET CATEGORY ACCOUNT EXPENDITURES REV. APPROP. APPROPRIATIONSGENERAL CURRENT EXPENSEInstruction: Regular Programs 11-1XX-100-XXX 27,586,926 28,028,724 27,327,898 Special Education 11-2XX-100-XXX 5,469,360 5,628,277 5,600,530 Basic Skills/Remedial 11-230-100-XXX 817,881 881,180 814,400 Bilingual Education 11-240-100-XXX 204,115 210,890 220,197 School-Spon. Co/Extra-Curr. Activities 11-401-100-XXX 469,218 327,991 320,479 School Sponsored Athletics 11-402-100-XXX 1,075,254 977,825 998,620Support Services: Tuition 11-000-100-XXX 5,911,815 6,439,967 6,764,779 Attendance and Social Work Services 11-000-211-XXX 151,345 129,629 Health Services 11-000-213-XXX 1,207,877 1,293,078 1,341,012 Speech, OT, PT, Related & Extraordinary Services 11-000-216,217 3,204,427 2,958,847 2,860,397 Guidance 11-000-218-XXX 1,690,320 1,822,157 1,701,692 Child Study Teams 11-000-219-XXX 1,492,514 1,469,293 1,707,466 Improvement of Instructional Services 11-000-221-XXX 1,441,226 1,019,691 1,198,525

Educational Media Services - School Library 11-000-222-XXX 1,245,396 1,256,378 968,548 Instructional Staff Training Services 11-000-223-XXX 28,376 63,444 81,002 General Administration 11-000-230-XXX 1,172,473 1,836,506 1,815,639 School Administration 11-000-240-XXX 3,123,940 3,180,596 3,287,594 Central Svcs & Admin Info Technology 11-000-25X-XXX 2,204,251 2,136,786 2,092,615 Operation and Maintenance of Plant Services 11-000-26X-XXX 6,051,861 6,599,995 6,555,239 Student Transportation Services 11-000-270-XXX 2,803,756 2,882,212 2,894,545 Personal Services - Employee Benefits 11-XXX-XXX-2XX 13,634,452 15,734,245 15,243,746 Food Services 11-000-310-XXX 7,728 Total Support Services Expenditures 45,371,757 48,822,824 48,512,799 TOTAL GENERAL CURRENT EXPENSE 80,994,511 84,877,711 83,784,923

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Equipment 12-XXX-XXX-73X 76,743 81,242 Facilities Acquisition and Construction Services 12-000-4XX-XXX 33,635 4,000 60,160 TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES 110,378 85,242 60,160 OPERATING BUDGET GRAND TOTAL 81,104,889 84,962,953 83,845,083

SPECIAL GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTS Local Projects 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 60,977Other State Projects: Nonpublic Textbooks 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 31,770 35,894 Nonpublic Auxiliary Services 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 46,550 53,442 Nonpublic Handicapped Services 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 113,683 137,568 Nonpublic Nursing Services 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 46,319 42,472 Nonpublic Technology Initiative 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 20,894 22,880 Other Special Projects 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 247,650 Total State Projects 259,216 292,256 247,650Federal Projects: Title I 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 211,302 218,179 167,543 Title II 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 98,373 Title III 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 16,501 Title IV 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 11,576 I.D.E.A. Part B (Handicapped) 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 1,206,257 1,294,028 1,423,135 Other Special Projects 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 128,861 141,504 Total Federal Projects 1,546,420 1,653,711 1,717,128 TOTAL GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTS 1,866,613 1,945,967 1,964,778

REPAYMENT OF DEBT Repayment of Debt - Regular 40-701-510-XXX 2,900,048 2,977,267 2,936,180 TOTAL REPAYMENT OF DEBT 2,900,048 2,977,267 2,936,180 Total Expenditures 85,871,550 89,886,187 88,746,041

DEDUCT EXPENDITURES INCLUDED IN MULTIPLE FUNDS DUE TO TRANSFERS: Local Contribution - Transfer to Grants & Entitlements 11-1XX-100-930 Capital Reserve - Transfer to Repayment of Debt 12-000-400-933 Transfer Property Sale Proceeds to Debt Svc Res 11-000-520-934

TOTAL EXPENDITURES NET OF TRANSFERS: 85,871,550 89,886,187 88,746,041

UNION - WESTFIELD TOWN

ADVERTISED RECAPITULATION OF BALANCE

AUDITED AUDITED ESTIMATED ESTIMATEDBALANCE BALANCE BALANCE BALANCE

BUDGET CATEGORY 6/30/2008 6/30/2009 6/30/2010 6/30/2011

Unassigned: General Operating Budget 3,004,479 2,762,795 2,490,897 1,690,897 Repayment of Debt 383,987 280,497 33 0

Restricted for Specific Purposes: General Operating Budget: Capital Reserve 869 869 869 869 Adult Education Programs 0 0 0 0 Maintenance Reserve 0 0 0 0 Legal Reserve 332,696 332,696 0 0 Tuition Reserve 0 0 0 0 Current Expense Emergency Reserve 0 0 0 0 Restricted for Repayment of Debt 0 0 0 0

UNION - WESTFIELD TOWN

ADVERTISED PER PUPIL COST CALCULATIONS

2009-10 2009-10 2010-20112007-08 2008-09 ORIGINAL REVISED PROPOSEDACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET

Per Pupil Cost Calculations: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Total Comparative Per Pupil Cost 11,286 11,601 12,009 12,057 11,611 Total Classroom Instruction 6,696 6,884 7,180 7,179 6,896 Classroom-Salaries and Benefits 6,423 6,640 6,905 6,909 6,688 Classroom-General Supplies and Textbooks 200 158 185 177 125 Classroom-Purchased Services and Other 73 86 90 93 83 Total Support Services 1,965 2,029 1,970 1,976 1,859 Support Services-Salaries and Benefits 1,704 1,743 1,699 1,700 1,621 Total Administrative Costs 1,242 1,255 1,359 1,397 1,382 Administration-Salaries and Benefits 954 992 1,060 1,078 1,072 Legal Costs 0 0 15 15 14 Total Operations and Maintenance of Plant 1,082 1,127 1,242 1,244 1,215 Operations & Maintenance of Plant-Salary & Ben. 690 727 805 805 787 Total Food Services Costs 3 1 0 0 0 Total Extracurricular Costs 297 305 259 261 257 Total Equipment Costs 34 12 4 13 0 Employee Benefits as a % of Salaries 25.6 26.8 30.5 30.7 30.0

The information presented in columns 1 through 3 as well as the related descriptions of the per pupil cost calculations are containedin the 2010 Comparative Spending Guide and can be found on the Department of Education’s Internet address: http://www.state.nj.us/education under Finance, when available. This publication is available in the board office and public libraries. The same calculationswere performed using the 2009-10 revised appropriations and 2010-11 budgeted appropriations presented in this advertised budget.Total Comparative Per Pupil Cost is defined as current expense exclusive of tuition expenditures, transportation, residential costs, andjudgments against the school district. For all years, it also includes the restricted entitlement aids. With the exception of Total EquipmentCost, each of the other per pupil cost calculations presented is a component of the total comparative per pupil cost, although allcomponents are not shown.

ANNUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET STATEMENT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

UNION - WESTFIELD TOWN4A. Advertised Capital Outlay Projects

Describe below, by project number, the appropriations for budgeted Capital Outlay Projects including those items related to thedistrict's Long Range Facilities Plan. Include only construction, remodeling, renovations, installation of service systems, land andimprovements, and the purchase of buildings. If the project is eligible for a grant, enter an 'X' in column 4. Do not include equipment.Include all projects budgeted on the transfer lines to capital projects fund (8326 and 8335). If the project is a request to exceed an existingreferendum (Under N.J.A.C. 6A:26-4.4(a)3), enter an 'X' in column 5 and enter the funding source for the request in column 6. Completea detailed budget for each project.

Request toProject Dollar Eligible Exceed Funding Source

Description/Activity Number Amount for Grant Referendum for RequestAssessment for Debt Svc funding 2001 60,160Total Amount 60,160

1 T - 3/25/10, The Leader Fee: $563.04

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE

WF BOE Candidate Slater CallsFor ‘Out of the Box’ Solutions

My name is Mitch Slater, and I am theonly non-incumbent candidate this yearfor the Westfield Board of Education.During the last few weeks I have haddiscussions with many of you regardingcurrent issues facing our board. Clearlythe issue on all of our minds right nowand the centerpiece of the board’s man-date is the budget.

Westfield enjoys a tradition of excel-lence in education. I, like many of you,believe that the true core of our educa-tional system comes down to our strongacademic programs- led by a top-notchgroup of teachers and administrators.We are also fortunate to have a diverselist of extracurricular activities includ-ing athletic teams and clubs, artistic tal-ents and life skills. For decades our chil-dren have been well positioned to excelin university level academics and to navi-gate the rough waters of the “real world.”These are values that result in allowingthe whole community to reap benefits ofthis stellar reputation that ultimately at-tracts people to Westfield.

None of this is possible without money.Unfortunately it seems the reality of stateaid is, for the time being, is old news.Unfortunately, we all just learned thehard way that $4.2 million of that moneyis gone – probably forever. Westfield hasbecome, in the eyes of New Jersey, awealthy community despite the fact thatmany of us are truly struggling, unem-ployed, having difficulties making endsmeet and not “feeling the wealth”. Sowhat do we do now?

In my opinion we get creative. We getout of our “safe little box” and startthinking like a healthy business and startwith some creative problem solving. Re-cently, I created a non-profit programcalled LaidOffCampNJ at different uni-versities throughout the state to helppeople get back on their feet, to analyzetheir situations through a combination ofeffective listening and networking, and,most importantly, to help them hit theirown personal reboot button.

In my financial advisory practice, ev-ery day our team spends a great deal oftime with what we call the discoveryprocess — which in a nutshell is all about

doing your homework before investingdollar one. That may include a good hardlook at what we all value most and as acommunity coming together to makedifficult decisions. Westfield’s taxpay-ers deserve a process like this to be put inplace when it comes to spending theirmoney, together with a board that isresilient enough to make hard choices ina prudent fashion.

If elected, I can assure you that I willleverage my skills and experience toupgrade the board’s decision-making pro-cess. The role of a board member be-comes even more critical in times such asthese. My nearly 25 years of financialmanagement experience, combined with20 years of leadership positions in ourschools’ athletic and musical/dramaticprograms, will bring a new voice to thetable that needs to be heard.

Most importantly, though, I have twochildren in the Westfield School System,and I care deeply about what the systemwill look like for them and all of thechildren and young adults in town thatdeserve what previous Westfield genera-tions have enjoyed. It will be difficult tofind a solution, but I promise to approachthe challenges with creativity and thefiscal responsibility of every taxpayer inmind.

I welcome your thoughts. Please emailme at slateronboard @gmail.com or joinmy Facebook Community Group - Slateron Board 2010.

Mitch SlaterWestfield

Mountainside BOE Candidate,Lauren Elmblad Wants to Give BackLauren Elmblad is a candidate running for

one of three vacant seats on the MountainsideBoard of Education. She has been aMountainside resident most of her life and isa product of the Mountainside Public SchoolSystem. Her and her husband, Brett, feltsettling in Mountainside would be an idealplace to raise a family because of the excel-lent K-8 school system, the opportunity toattend Governor Livingston HS, and thesmall town community atmosphere.

They have two sons, Matthew andPatrick. Over the past few years, Laurenhas become an active member of the PTAspear-heading various successful eventssuch as Red Ribbon Week, Teacher Ap-preciation Events, and Parent EducationInformational Forums.

As it stands, Lauren is not a stranger tothe field of education. She has worked withboth regular and special education studentsat all academic levels in and out of thetraditional classroom setting. Based uponher knowledge and first-hand experience ofeducation, she feels now is the time tobecome involved on a different level.

Serving as a Board of Education mem-ber is another way she wishes to give backto our schools and community. She is apassionate advocate of public educationand attends monthly board of educationmeetings on a regular basis to keep cur-rent with the issues. She would like to seethe Mountainside School District con-tinue in a positive direction.

Standardized test scores have consis-tently risen and new academic venues arechallenging students each and every day.Talk of school consolidation and sharedservices continues to surface at the state andlocal levels. The school community hascome upon a time of budget crisis, spendingrestrictions, and proposed cuts to education.Lauren fully understands local boards ofeducation will be challenged to make diffi-cult decisions while maintaining fiscal re-sponsibility along with continuing to achievehigh standards of academic excellence.

She believes accountability and com-munication remain the key componentsin working through these challenges anddecisions with which we are faced. As aresult, it is critical to elect members to theMountainside Board of Education whoare familiar with the public educationalsystem and process. The assets Laurenbrings forth to fulfill this obligation in-clude various school certifications earnedat the graduate level, extensive experi-ence and knowledge of public education,

and the ability to focus on the concept ofteamwork to make the important deci-sions necessary to move forward. She is astrong and passionate advocate for notonly the children of Mountainside, but forthe school community at large.

The dedicated commitment of a Boardof Education member is required to see thecontinuation of the educational systemmove innovatively forward in a constantlychanging and competitive world. To en-sure this continued academic excellence,be sure to vote Line 2 to elect LaurenElmblad to the Mountainside Board ofEducation on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.

President of WF BOE Calls on Gov.To ‘Postpone the School Budget’

Editor’s note: This letter was sent toGovernor Chris Christie and copied tothe newspaper.

I applaud your courage to try to stop therunaway train that is New Jersey’s fiscalcrisis. However, by cutting state aid toschools based on a percentage of thewhole school budget rather than theamount of state aid according to the fund-ing formula, you have thrown a monkeywrench into our otherwise empty toolkit.

On March 16, the Westfield PublicSchools’ administration and Board ofEducation were ready to announce bud-get cuts of $750,000 to meet a 15-percentloss in state aid. We followed the adviceof Commissioner Bret Schundler at theMarch 2 Garden States Coalition ofSchools ‘Summit in Summit, NJ.’ But onMarch 16, you changed the rules. Insteadof the expected 15-percent cut in state aid,you announced a 5-percent cut in ourwhole budget – a whopping $4.2 million– nearly five times more than our planned$750,000 cut. To make matters worse, youchanged the rules just four business daysbefore the deadline to deliver our budget tothe county executive superintendent – a

budget diminished by $4.2 million.Governor Christie, this is an outrage. At

the very least, with your onerous decisionabout state aid, you should have put anessential tool in our toolkit — time. Ourlegislators will have nearly four months toreview and recalibrate your state budget.Our education professionals and Board ofEducation volunteers will have only fourdays to revamp our budget. Tell me gover-nor, how much thoughtfulness and duediligence do you think will be brought tobear in four days as we cut $4.2 millionwhile trying not to do irreparable harm toour core programs, class sizes, instruc-tional priorities, rich and wide variety ofactivities, sports, music and arts programs,that we so carefully built over time? Wewill work day and night and night and dayuntil our budget meets the new rules. Butwith this little time, how can we possiblybe certain what we’ve done won’t harmour children?

Westfield takes pride in our town andour schools. Nearly 100 percent of ourchildren graduate from our high school,and nearly 95 percent go to college. Ourper-pupil costs are lower than the stateaverage, our children’s achievement testscores are consistently higher than aver-age, and we regularly examine every bud-get line item and educational program forefficiency and value. We fund only essen-tial facilities maintenance work and havecut all non-essential district spending. Ourcommunity regularly supports our budgetand our schools work in real partnershipwith our parents and residents.

Governor, put the first tool in ourtoolkit – give us more time. Postponethe school budget vote. It takes time tobe thoughtful about how to cut $4.2million from an $89.9-million budget.It takes time to weigh priorities. It takestime to make informed judgments. Ittakes time to negotiate givebacks withour collective bargaining associations.It takes time to understand the impact ofbudget cuts.

Don’t do this for us; do this for our6,275 public school children. They de-serve better.

Ginny LeizPresident, Westfield BOE

Hearing Society AcceptingScholarship Applications

WESTFIELD – The Hearing Soci-ety, a local not-for-profit organizationthat has been in existence since 1932,currently is accepting applications toits Sarah H. McGee Memorial Schol-arship Fund for the school year 2010-2011.

These annual grants are awarded tostudents with a substantial hearing losswho are pursuing an education at thecollege or university level. Require-ments include a documented hearingloss, satisfactory academic achieve-ment, school activities, financial needand recommendation. These scholar-ships may be renewed each year for thefollowing three years if the studentsremain eligible.

Application forms are available onrequest by writing to Mrs. P. Hanigan,Scholarship Chairperson, 1213 Wyo-ming Avenue, Mountainside, N.J.07092 or by calling her at (908) 232-4512. Applications must be submittedno later than Saturday, May 15.

Members of the Hearing Society pres-ently meet on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. atthe First Baptist Church, located at 170Elm Street in Westfield, as a discussiongroup with an emphasis on speech (lip)reading. The Society no longer offerslessons in basic sign language.

Anyone with a hearing loss who isinterested in joining this support groupmay obtain more information by call-ing the Society at (908) 232-6546.

Reader Asks Christie:‘Where’s the Change?’

Candidate Chris Christie said, “Thelast thing [I] will do is to follow [formerGovernor Jon] Corzine’s lead in elimi-nating property tax rebates for 1.2 millionNew Jerseyans.”

But wait, Governor Christie is nowsaying that he will scale back or eveneliminate the property tax rebate. So,where’s the change? All I see is anotherpolitician who told voters what theywanted to hear to get elected.

Robert ScardapaneSomerset

Reading is Good For You

goleader.com/subscribe

More BOE CandidatesCONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

More Letters to the EditorCONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 19

Letters to the EditorThis Year More Than Ever, YourIdeas and Support Are Crucial

I Was Appalled By This Week’s$4.2 Mil. State Education Aid Cut

Last week, everything changed. Untillast week, we were told to prepare for areduction in next year’s state aid inamounts of 5 percent, 10 percent or 15percent of the state aid we received for thecurrent fiscal year. Since Westfield re-ceived approximately $5,000,000 in stateaid, each 5 percent reduction would havemeant the loss of $250,000. Worst case,we were expecting a reduction of about$750,000. We were close to figuring outhow to make that happen.

Then, in his budget address last Tues-day, Governor Christie told us that theamount of state aid we would lose wouldnot be equal to a percentage of our currentstate aid, but rather would be 5 percent ofour total operating budget. When we re-ceived our state aid numbers from Trentonon Wednesday we found out that the amountwe are going to lose is over $4,222,000.

As a result, the percentage of our bud-get that will be funded through state aid isgoing down to 0.53 percent. To makematters worse, if that’s even possible,we’ve had six days to figure how closethat gap before we were required to sub-mit a budget to the state.

Ironically, among the things the gover-nor has been most adamant about changingare the very things the Westfield Board ofEd has made a priority and have alreadysucceeded in changing. Those items in-clude a contribution toward health insur-ance premiums from each employee; elimi-nation of the extremely expensive tradi-tional indemnity health insurance plans;and increased office visit and prescriptiondrug co-pays. Along with several otheritems including keeping teachers’ startingsalaries and stipends flat, these changeshave resulted in savings of over $1,000,000.

Unfortunately, Westfield is being pun-ished for having done the very things thatthe Governor’s reduction in state aid issupposed to encourage. It would havebeen much more effective to reward dis-tricts who, like Westfield, have alreadydone those things, establishing the prece-dent and setting an example for otherdistricts around the state.

Now we are faced with the dauntingtask of making it work under extremelychallenging circumstances. Obviously, thesolution will not be easy. Whatever solu-tion is arrived at will have to be multi-

faceted. Programs that we value will becut. Class sizes may go up. There willmost likely be layoffs. Necessary im-provements and upgrades will be post-poned. Property taxes may have to go upbeyond what they otherwise would have.Some combination of all those things,and others, will be necessary to solve this.$4.2 million is too large a gap to be closedby only one solution.

By the time you read this, some detailsmay have been worked out. Over the nextweek or so we’ll have a much better ideawhere we stand, whatever that means. It isa shame and an injustice that we don’thave more time to give this the attentionthat it deserves.

The administration along with theBoard of Ed and the staff, have beenworking and will continue to work tire-lessly to find solutions that minimize theimpact on the students, the taxpayers andthe staff, and come as close as possible tothe goal of preserving the high qualityschool system that the citizens of Westfieldexpect. This year, more than ever, yourideas, thoughts and support are crucial.

Richard SolomonWestfield BOE Member

Editor’s note: The following letter wassent [March 19] to the Governor andstate legislators.

*****As both a Westfield parent and former

Board of Education member for 10 years,I was appalled by this week’s $4.2-mil-lion state aid cut and the district’s need tomake these cuts in less than one week.

I urge you to postpone the public bud-get vote. There is no way responsibleadministrators and Boards of Educationcould possibly make well reasoned deci-sions in just six days. Just over a weekago, Westfield was told to expect anamount closer to $750,000. Now over $4million? At least provide districts with amore appropriate timeline to tackle thisproblem.

The governor is attempting to addressyears of past decision making in one fellswoop, completely disregarding the im-pact on our children and our educationalsystem. Westfield is being significantly

penalized, despite the many steps al-ready taken to address the areas the gov-ernor seems most angry about (such asthe considerable contributions Westfieldteachers already make toward health in-surance).

The school budget we currently oper-ate under was approved last year by thestate, as it is every year. To now say weoverspend by $4 million is just ridiculousand insulting. Our recent budgets havebeen heavily analyzed and many cutshave already been made. And since thefunding being cut never fully reimbursedmandated special education costs, gen-eral education and special educationneeds will be further pitted against eachother.

These are not decisions about post-poning improvement projects or reduc-ing “back office bloat.” These decisionswill severely impact class sizes, deliveryof curriculum and the opportunities thatchildren have both in and out of theclassroom. It will also create more un-employment, a bad move for the state.Good teachers are the most importantfactor in a child’s educational success;this move will only further deter collegestudents from considering careers in edu-cation.

The decision to cut $4 million, espe-cially in this rushed manner, is bad gov-ernance. In Westfield, this cut equates to50 to 60 teachers. That’s outrageous andunnecessary. Teach our children that ourelected leaders make good, well-informeddecisions.

As a first step, postpone the publicbudget vote until these issues can befurther explored. And for the longer term,work with school districts to developrational, longer-term plans to reducecosts. Please don’t destroy good schoolsystems by this type of decision. Theconsequences of these cuts will foreverimpact the way children all over NewJersey are educated.

Anne RiegelWestfield

Board Member; In Westfield OurTeachers Are Not Our Enemies

Governor Christie: Do not try to breakthe unions on the backs of our children.Your reckless cuts in state aid to ourdistrict, without any warning, has left ourschool board and our administrators to tryand pick up the pieces. Your blatant dis-regard for our children is unbelievable.You are forcing us, and other volunteerschool boards around the state, to cut insix days the programs we have built overdecades. For the children, please post-pone the vote on our budget.

You have cut Westfield’s aid by 90.4percent or $4.2 million. You have effec-

tively abandoned our community. Haveyou thought about what these cuts willmean? These cuts will result in less guid-ance, less sports programs, less fine artsprograms, less in-district special educa-tion classes, less after school activities,less textbooks, less teacher training, lesstechnology, less repairs to aging facili-ties, and larger class sizes. In addition,your cuts will increase unemployment inour state. Real kids, real working fami-lies, the very people you were elected tohelp will be hurt by these cuts.

In Westfield, we enjoy a good andhealthy relationship with our teachers as-sociation and our community. Our teach-ers, administrators, secretaries, parapro-fessionals, and custodians all work to-gether with our families to provide thebest possible education for over 6,200children. The children are our numberone concern and you are making it impos-sible for us to act in their best interest.

We don’t know what kind of teachersyou know, but here in Westfield our teach-ers are not our enemies. We live in a highlyfunctioning town where children go toschool ready to learn and our teachers meetthem in the classroom ready to teach. Donot ruin the system we have built. Ourassociation already contributes to theirhealth care. They just agreed to give up“Cadillac” insurance programs and haveagreed to a new contract that raises laborcosts by less than one percent. They under-stand what’s important. Do you?

There has been much rhetoric abouttools for an imaginary toolbox. Like thecartoon character “Felix the Cat,” you aretelling us to reach into our imaginary bagof tricks and save the day. Governor, wedon’t know what you are talking about.The tool we need right now is time. Timefor you to reconsider these cuts and re-store the meager state aid we receive andtime to craft a thoughtful budget that putsour children first. Governor, please re-think what you are doing and save pro-grams that have been years in the making.

Ann CaryWestfield Board of Ed.

Oratory Prep FreshmanWins Art CompetitionSUMMIT — Oratory Prep School

freshman Alex McDonald ofMountainside won an art competitionrecently that will have his work shownin Natale’s Bakery of Summit.

The bakery donated an array ofcolorful cupcakes for a still-lifecomposition for Susan Preston’s artstudents and art club at the all-boys,Roman Catholic school in Summit.According to Mrs. Preston, the Natalefamily donated the “breathtakinglybeautifully decorated cupcakes,”which many of her art students andart club members replicated in pastelsand charcoal.

At the end of February, Mrs. Prestonmet Alex and his father, Dr. LeonardMcDonald, at the bakery with ownersPatty and Ed Natale who awardedAlex with a $25 check and theircongratulations for a job well done.

Mountainside’s Alex McDonald’s winning pasteldrawing of the still life of cupcakes from Natale’s

Bakery in Summit.Local Spelling Bee Winners Announced

SCOTCH PLAINS/FANWOOD –Students in grades 3 to 5 from localelementary schools and St.Bartholomew’s Academy competedin the annual spelling bee held onJanuary 26, sponsored by the ScotchPlains Junior Woman’s Club and theScotch Plains Recreation Department.

Aayush Jha, a third grader fromSchool One, won first place. PatrickDembiec from Coles ElementarySchool was the second-place winner.

Fifth grader Jonathan Shih fromTerrill Middle School captured firstplace, Jordan Wolman from TerrillMiddle School won second place andMorgan Martinson from Park Middle

School was the third-place winner.Winners in each category were

awarded gift certificates to a bookstore.Organizers congratulated all the

children who participated. It was asuccessful event and a “wonderfulexperience” for the students. Thefourth and fifth grade winners willalso have the opportunity to competein the Liberty District Spelling Bee.Contestants will represent Kearny,Cedar Grove, Cranford, ScotchPlains-Fanwood, Summit, Verona andWestfield.

Organizers also thank Park MiddleSchool’s maintenance department fortheir cooperation and assistance.

More Education News

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE

BOARD OF EDUCATIONSCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD, NEW JERSEY

In accordance with the New Jersey Statutes relating hereto, Notice is hereby given that the Board of Education of the school districtof the Township of Scotch Plains and the borough of Fanwood has prepared a tentative budget for the school year beginning July 1,2010 and ending June 30, 2011, which is on file and open to inspections at the Secretary’s office in the Administration Offices, CedarStreet and Evergreen Avenue, Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

It should be observed that expenditures are shown under a GAAP format (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) approved bythe New Jersey Department of Education. This format shows the School District’s tentative budget by general program rather than inthe line item structure, thus providing the reader with a better understanding of how the district plans to utilize cornunity resources.

Pubic Hearing on said budget will be held at the Administration Offices, Cedar Street and Evergreen Avenue, Scotch Plains, NewJersey, at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31,2010.

The tentative budget will be on file and open for examination from the date of this Notice until March 31, 2010 between the hours of9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. prevailing time, on regular school days, in the Office of the Secretary, Administration Offices, Cedar Street andEvergreen Avenue, Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

The school district has proposed programs and services in addition to the core curriculum content standards adopted by the StateBoard of Education. Information on this budget and the programs and services it provides is available from your local school district.

Anthony Del Sordi, Board SecretaryScotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education

Scotch Plains, New Jersey

SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET STATEMENTFOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2010-2011

UNION - SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD REG

ADVERTISED ENROLLMENTS

OCTOBER 15, 2008 OCTOBER 15, 2009 OCTOBER 15, 2010ENROLLMENT CATEGORY ACTUAL ACTUAL ESTIMATED Pupils on Roll Regular Full-Time 4690 4735 4676 Pupils on Roll Regular Shared-Time 14 22 14 Pupils on Roll - Special Full-Time 674 674 787 Pupils on Roll - Special Shared-Time 10 13 6 Private School Placements 71 67 76 Pupils Sent to Other Districts-Reg Prog 1 2 Pupils Sent to Other Dists-Spec Ed Prog 40 37 40 Pupils Received 75 Pupils in State Facilities 1

UNION - SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD REG

ADVERTISED REVENUES

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11BUDGET CATEGORY ACCOUNT ACTUAL REVISED ANTICIPATEDOPERATING BUDGET Budgeted Fund Balance - Operating Budget 10-303 268,176 500,000

Revenues from Local Sources: Local Tax Levy 10-1210 67,753,660 71,122,752 74,967,662 Interest Earned on Capital Reserve Funds 10-1XXX 615 Unrestricted Miscellaneous Revenues 10-1XXX 609,793 845,590 695,590 SUBTOTAL 68,364,068 71,968,342 75,663,252

Revenues from State Sources: Exraordinary Aid 10-3131 795,514 283,000 0 Other State Aids 10-3XXX 46,073 0 Categorical Special Education Aid 10-3132 2,935,031 3,003,877 618,480 Equalization Aid 10-3176 46,473 0 40,610 Categorical Security Aid 10-3177 388,268 407,921 0 Categorical Transportation Aid 10-3121 899,334 1,094,428 0 SUBTOTAL 5,110,693 4,789,226 659,090

Revenues from Federal Sources: Medicaid Reimbursement 10-4200 9,410 21,712 SUBTOTAL 9,410 21,712

Adjustment for Prior Year Encumbrances 198,389Actual Revenues (Over) / Under Expenditures -1,495 TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET 73,473,266 77,233,543 77,194,054

GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTSRevenues from Local Sources 20-1XXX 133,523

Revenues from State Sources: Preschool Education Aid 20-3218 49,500 49,500 Other Restricted Entitlements 20-32XX 608,602 395,000 395,000 TOTAL REVENUES FROM STATE SOURCES 608,602 444,500 444,500

Revenues from Federal Sources: Title I 20-4411-4416 103,731 100,000 75,500 I.D.E.A. Part B (Handicapped) 20-4420-4429 1,148,411 1,200,000 900,000 Other 20-4XXX 114,157 TOTAL REVENUES FROM FEDERAL SOURCES 1,366,299 1,300,000 975,500 TOTAL GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTS 2,108,424 1,744,500 1,420,000

REPAYMENT OF DEBTBudgeted Fund Balance 40-303 139Transfers from Other Funds 40-5200 550,000Revenues from Local Sources: Local Tax Levy 40-1210 2,343,994 2,343,994 2,343,855 TOTAL REVENUES FROM LOCAL SOURCES 2,343,994 2,343,994 2,343,855 TOTAL LOCAL REPAYMENT OF DEBT 2,343,994 2,343,994 2,343,994 Actual Revenues (Over) / Under Expenditures -139 TOTAL REPAYMENT OF DEBT 2,343,855 2,343,994 2,343,994 TOTAL REVENUES / SOURCES 78,475,545 81,322,037 80,958,048

UNION - SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD REG

ADVERTISED APPROPRIATIONS

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11BUDGET CATEGORY ACCOUNT EXPENDITURES REV. APPROP. APPROPRIATIONSGENERAL CURRENT EXPENSEInstruction: Regular Programs 11-1XX-100-XXX 23,400,600 24,442,512 24,469,522 Special Education 11-2XX-100-XXX 4,894,142 4,854,361 4,975,711 Basic Skills/Remedial 11-230-100-XXX 739,847 833,880 810,315 Bilingual Education 11-240-100-XXX 40,271 51,969 54,167 School-Spon. Co/Extra-Curr. Activities 11-401-100-XXX 327,874 336,976 336,051 School Sponsored Athletics 11-402-100-XXX 940,879 1,020,646 1,022,750 Community Services Programs/Operations 11-800-330-XXX 41,915 43,801 44,899Support Services: Tuition 11-000-100-XXX 6,205,373 7,308,689 7,311,007 Attendance and Social Work Services 11-000-211-XXX 100,609 106,077 108,000 Health Services 11-000-213-XXX 760,001 748,279 664,595 Speech. OT, PT, Related & Extraordinary Services 11-000-216,217 2,144,678 1,716,850 1,767,070 Guidance 11-000-218-XXX 1,239,564 1,302,282 1,271,278 Child Study Teams 11-000-219-XXX 1,474,084 1,455,355 1,399,350 Improvement of Instructional Services 11-000-221-XXX 797,214 786,070 740,255

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE Educational Media Services - School Library 11-000-222-XXX 784,722 799,536 745,577 Instructional Staff Training Services 11-000-223-XXX 1,010,346 885,499 812,976 General Administration 11-000-230-XXX 775,710 991,091 876,837 School Administration 11-000-240-XXX 2,620,307 2,799,842 2,856,343 Central Svcs & Admin Info Technology 11-000-25X-XXX 1,406,914 1,592,972 1,335,949 Operation and Maintenance of Plant Services 11-000-26X-XXX 6,728,714 7,254,366 7,286,683 Student Transportation Services 11-000-270-XXX 2,874,739 3,256,145 3,236,629 Personal Services - Employee Benefits 11-XXX-XXX-2XX 12,755,202 13,590,483 14,028,176 Total Support Services Expenditures 41,678,177 44,593,536 44,440,725 TOTAL GENERAL CURRENT EXPENSE 72,063,705 76,177,681 76,154,140

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Equipment 12-XXX-XXX-73X 46,288 97,881 29,007 Facilities Acquisition and Construction Services 12-000-4XX-XXX 1,155,100 911,087 964,013Capital Reserve-Transfer to Capital Expend Fund 12-000-4XX-931 198,520 TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES 1,399,908 1,008,968 993,020 Transfer of Funds to Charter Schools 10-000-100-56X 9,653 46,894 46,894 OPERATING BUDGET GRAND TOTAL 73,473,266 77,233,543 77,194,054

SPECIAL GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTS Local Projects 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 133,523Preschool Education Aid:: Instruction 20-211-100-XXX 49,500 49,500 TOTAL PRESCHOOL EDUCATION AID 49,500 49,500Other State Projects: Nonpublic Textbooks 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 59,357 55,000 55,000 Nonpublic Auxiliary Services 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 102,513 175,000 175,000 Nonpublic Handicapped Services 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 277,437 100,000 100,000 Nonpublic Nursing Services 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 81,831 65,000 65,000 Nonpublic Technology Initiative 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 41,436 Other Special Projects 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 46,028 Total State Projects 608,602 444,500 444,500Federal Projects: Title I 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 103,731 100,000 75,500 I.D.E.A. Part B (Handicapped) 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 1,148,411 1,200,000 900,000 Other Special Projects 20-XXX-XXX-XXX 114,157 Total Federal Projects 1,366,299 1,300,000 975,000 TOTAL GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTS 2,108,424 1,744,500 1,420,000

REPAYMENT OF DEBT Repayment of Debt - Regular 40-701-510-XXX 2,893,855 2,343,994 2,343,994 TOTAL REPAYMENT OF DEBT 2,893,855 2,343,994 2,343,994 Total Expenditures 78,475,545 81,322,037 80,958,048

DEDUCT EXPENDITURES INCLUDED IN MULTIPLE FUNDS DUE TO TRANSFERS: Local Contrib-Transfer to Grants & Entitlements 11-1XX-100-930 Capital Reserve - Transfer to Repayment of Debt 12-000-400-933 Transfer Property Sale Proceeds to Debt Svc Res 11-000-520-934 TOTAL EXPENDITURES NET OF TRANSFERS 78,475,545 81,322,037 80,958,048

UNION - SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD REG

ADVERTISED RECAPITULATION OF BALANCES

AUDITED AUDITED ESTIMATED ESTIMATEDBALANCE BALANCE BALANCE BALANCE

BUDGET CATEGORY 6/30/2008 6/30/2009 6/30/2010 6/30/2011

Unassigned: General Operating Budget 1,657,272 2,103,749 1,935,573 1,435,573 Repayment of Debt 0 139 139 0

Restricted for Specific Purposes: General Operating Budget: Capital Reserve 16,686 46,485 46,485 46,485 Adult Education Programs 0 0 0 0 Maintenance Reserve 0 200,000 325,000 325,000 Legal Reserve 607,772 0 0 0 Tuition Reserve 0 0 0 0 Current Expense Emergency Reserve 0 0 0 0 Reserved for Repayment of Debt 0 0 0 0

UNION - SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD REG

ADVERTISED PER PUPIL COST CALCULATIONS

2009-10 2009-10 2010-112007-08 2008-09 ORIGINAL REVISED PROPOSEDACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET

Per Pupil Cost Calculations: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Total Comparative Per Pupil Cost 11,505 11,669 11,975 12,105 12,001 Total Classroom Instruction 6,713 6,865 7,063 7,092 7,109 Classroom-Salaries and Benefits 6,461 6,591 6,764 6,791 6,815 Classroom-General Supplies and Textbooks 195 187 193 191 191 Classroom-Purchased Services and Other 57 87 106 110 102 Total Support Services 1,919 1,924 1,779 1,790 1,723 Support Services-Salaries and Benefits 1,655 1,713 1,593 1,599 1,553 Total Administrative Costs 1,124 1,105 1,172 1,214 1,145 Administration-Salaries and Benefits 977 958 984 1,005 970 Legal Costs 0 0 23 23 18 Total Operations and Maintenance of Plant 1,438 1,455 1,629 1,673 1,687 Operations & Maintenance of Plant-Salary & Ben. 926 931 1,054 1,058 1,102 Total Food Services Costs 0 0 0 0 0 Total Extracurricular Costs 282 290 304 306 306 Total Equipment Costs 8 9 11 18 5 Employee Benefits as a % of Salaries 27.3 28.9 30.4 30.2 31.2

The information presented in columns 1 through 3 as well as the related descriptions of the per pupil cost calculations are containedin the 2010 Comparative Spending Guide and can be found on the Department of Education’s Internet address: http://www.state.nj.us/education under Finance, when available. This publication is available in the board office and public libraries. The same calculationswere performed using the 2009-10 revised appropriations and 2010-11 budgeted appropriations presented in this advertised budget.Total Comparative Per Pupil Cost is defined as current expense exclusive of tuition expenditures, transportation, residential costs, andjudgments against the school district. For all years, it also includes the restricted entitlement aids. With the exception of Total EquipmentCost, each of the other per pupil cost calculations presented is a component of the total comparative per pupil cost, although allcomponents are not shown.

UNION - SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD REG

ANNUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET STATEMENT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

4A. Advertised Capital Outlay ProjectsDescribe below, by project number, the appropriations for budgeted Capital Outlay Projects including those items related to the

district's Long Range Facilities Plan. Include only construction, remodeling, renovations, installation of service systems, land andimprovements, and the purchase of buildings. If the project is eligible for a grant, budget only the local share of the project and enteran X in column 4. Do not include equipment. Include all projects budgeted on the transfer lines to Capital Projects fund (8326 and 8335).If the project is a request to exceed and existing referendum (Under N.J.A.C. 6A:26-4.4(a)3), enter an ‘X’ in column 5 and enter thefunding source for the request in column 6. Complete a detailed budget for each project.

Request toProject Dollar Eligible Exceed Funding Source

Description/Activity Number Amount for Grant Referendum for RequestComputer Lease 633,000Roof Replacement - Evergreen 200,000Other Assessment 131,013

Total Amount: 964,0131 T - 3/25/10, The Times Fee: $578.34

More LettersOn Page 20

Page 20 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

PUBLIC NOTICETOWNSHIP OF SCOTCH PLAINS

PLANNING BOARD

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that at theplanning board meeting of the Townshipof Scotch Plains held on March 22, 2010,the Board adopted the Resolution approv-ing the minor subdivision application tosubdivide one lot into two conforming lotsfor Konstruct Enterprises, Inc., at propertylocated at 2252-2260 Morse Avenue, Block7701, Lots 1 & 2, R-3 Zone.

The file pertaining to this application is inthe Office of the Planning Board, Munici-pal Building and available for public in-spection during regular office hours.

Barbara HorevSecretary to the Planning Board

1 T - 3/25/10, The Times Fee: $16.32

PUBLIC NOTICETOWN OF WESTFIELD

BOARD OF EDUCATION

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed proposals will be received by theBoard of Education of the Westfield SchoolDistrict, Union County, New Jersey, at theBoard of Education, 302 Elm Street,Westfield, New Jersey, for the followingsupplies, equipment or services:

BID FOR:B 11-5 COMPUTER SUPPLIES

FOR THE 2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR

BIDS DUE:APRIL 22, 2010 AT 1:00 PM

The bids will be received at the Admin-istration Building, 302 Elm Street,Westfield, New Jersey 07090, on the dateand at the time indicated, and then publiclyopened and read aloud.

Bids must be in strict compliance withspecifications. Specifications may be se-cured from, Purchasing Office 302 ElmStreet, Westfield, New Jersey 07090 (908)789-4407. Bids must be made on theproposal forms in the manner designated.Proposals must be endorsed on the out-side of the sealed envelope, with the nameof the bidder, the bidder’s address and thename of the supplies, equipment, or ser-vices for which the bid is submitted. It isunderstood and agreed that proposals maybe delivered before the time or at the placespecified for opening. The Board of Edu-cation assumes no responsibility for bidsmailed or misdirected in delivery. No bidsshall be received after the time desig-nated.

Bidding shall be in conformance with theapplicable requirements ofN.J.S.A.18A:18A-1 et.seq., pertaining tothe “Public School Contracts Law”.

The Board of Education of the Town ofWestfield, in Union County, New Jersey,reserves the right to reject any or all bidspursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-2(s), (t), (x),(y), 18A:18A-4(a), 18A:18A-22, and towaive any informalities. The Board furtherreserves the right to take such alternatesas they deem appropriate, and in anyorder that the Board feels may be in thebest interest of theWestfield Public SchoolDistrict.

All bidders are required to comply withthe requirements of N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et.seq., Affirmative Action Against Discrimi-nation and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et. seq.

Corporate bidders are required by law(Chapter 33, Laws of 1977) to submit a listof names and addresses of all stockhold-ers owning 10% or more of their stock.

A Non-Collusion Affidavit and a Con-tractor Questionnaire/Certification alsomust be filed with the bid. The bid packagewill also include other documents that mustbe completed and returned with the bid.Failure to comply with Instructions to Bid-ders and to complete and submit all re-quired forms, may be cause for disqualifi-cation and rejection of the bid.

All bidders shall submit with their bidpackage a copy of the New Jersey Busi-ness Registration Certificate as issued bythe Department of Treasury of the State ofNew Jersey. (N.J.S.A. 52:32-44)

BIDDERS NOTE: Each bid shall beaccompanied by a bid bond, cashier’scheck or certified check made payable tothe Westfield Board of Education, for tenpercent (10%) of the amount of the totalbid, however, not to exceed $20,000.

By order of the Town of Westfield Boardof Education, Union County, New Jersey.

Robert A. BermanBoard Secretary

1 T - 3/25/10, The Leader Fee: $71.40

PUBLIC NOTICETOWN OF WESTFIELD

HISTORIC PRESERVATIONCOMMISSION

Be advised that the Historic Preserva-tion Commission of the Town of Westfieldwill meet in the Council Chambers of theWestfield Municipal Building, 425 EastBroad Street, Westfield, New Jersey at7:30 p.m. on the following Mondays in theyear 2010 for the purpose of acting onitems that may be before the Commission:

Monday March 29, 2010Monday April 26, 2010Monday May 24, 2010Monday June 28, 2010Monday July 26, 2010

Monday August 30, 2010Monday September 27, 2010

Monday October 25, 2010Monday November 29, 2010Monday December 27, 2010Monday January 31, 2011Monday February 28, 2011

Joseph FarrellaActing Chair

1 T - 3/25/10, The Leader Fee: $23.46

PUBLIC NOTICETOWN OF WESTFIELD

PLANNING BOARD

The Westfield Planning Board will meeton Monday, April 5, 2010 in CouncilChambers in the Westfield Municipal Build-ing, 425 East Broad Street, Westfield,New Jersey at 7:30 p.m. to hear andconsider the following application for pre-liminary and final major site plan approvaland variance relief by 751 Central AvenueLLC (the “Applicant”) relative to premisesknown as 751 Central Avenue and shownas Block 4001, Lot 96.01 on the Tax Mapof the Town of Westfield (the “Property”)

Applicant proposes to construct athree story building with retail/com-mercial or business, administrative orprofessional offices on the first floorand six (6) two (2) bedroom residentialapartments with three such apartmentsbeing located on each of the secondand third floors. Existing parking is tobe expanded and re-configured andvarious other improvements relating todrainage, landscaping, lighting andsignage are proposed.

Applicant also seeks to “Land Bank”the two parking spaces proposed offMyrtle Avenue.

Applicant seeks variances from the fol-lowing provisions of the Land Use Ordi-nance of the Town of Westfield.

List of New C.40:55D70c VariancesRequested:

Maximum coverage by improve-ments. § 11.28G.11 limits the coverageby all improvements to no more than 70percent of the lot area. The proposedimprovements will increase the coveragefrom 81 percent (existing) to 83.2 percent(proposed) of the lot area.

Yard location of off-street parkingspaces. § 17.03B.5 requires that off-streetparking spaces in the GB-3 zone districtbe located in the side or rear yard; parkingspaces in the front yard or street side yardare prohibited. The application proposesto retain six existing parking spaces in thestreet side yard facing Myrtle Avenue. TheApplicant also proposes to Land Bank twoproposed parking spaces that would belocated in the street side yard facing MyrtleAvenue.

Minimum setback from residentialzone for driveways and parking areas.§ 17.03C.3 requires that driveways andparking areas for nonresidential uses andzones be located at least 10 feet from anyproperty located in a residential zone. Pro-posed setback of some parking spacesabutting a residential zone is 6.75 feet.

Minimum setback from nonresiden-tial zone for driveways and parkingareas. § 17.03C.5 requires that drivewaysand parking areas for nonresidential usesand zones be located at least 2 feet awayfrom any nonresidential property or non-residential zone. The existing parking areaabuts the side lot line of adjacent Lot 97and encroaches into the rear yard of saidlot, located in the GB-3 zone. He proposedparking area is located only 0 ft from therear of adjacent property in a non-residen-tial zone.

Minimum Front Yard Setback § 11.28G4 requires that front yard setback of theproposed building shall not be less than 25feet. Proposed front yard setback is 9.55feet.

Any and all other variances, waivers orexceptions from certain site plan details orrelief from requirements of the land UseOrdinance deemed necessary may besought as appropriate.

Plans and application are on file in theoffice of the Town Engineer, 959 NorthAvenue, West, Westfield, New Jersey andmay be seen Monday through Friday be-tween 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Arthur P. Attenasio, Esq.Attorney for ApplicantArthur Attenasio, LLC

324 East Broad StreetP.O. Box 490

Westfield, New Jersey 07091-0490(908) 233-6013

1 T - 3/25/10, The Leader Fee: $79.56

CLASSIFIEDS

Trail Steward Meetings SetThis Saturday at Trailside

MOUNTAINSIDE – Union Countywill hold an Adopt-A-Trail OrientationMeeting for potential trail stewards anda General Meeting for all trail stewardsthis Saturday, March 27, between 8:30a.m. and 1 p.m. Both meetings will beheld at Trailside Nature and ScienceCenter, located at 452 New ProvidenceRoad in Mountainside. Light refresh-ments will be provided.

The orientation meeting for newtrail stewards who would like to“adopt” a section of hiking or bridletrail within the Watchung Reserva-tion, Union County’s 2,000-acre park,is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Potentialtrail stewards will be introduced to theAdopt-A-Trail (AAT) Program andmay obtain a trail assignment. AATparticipants are required to adopt theirtrail for a period of at least two years.

Immediately following the orien-

tation meeting for new participants,the general meeting for all trail stew-ards will be held from 10:45 a.m. to 1p.m. Among the topics will beWatchung Reservation HistoricalSnapshots; Invasive Plant Manage-ment; Maintenance “How-To’s” andUpdates on Trail Projects.

Trail stewards are expected to re-move litter, do minor pruning, cleardrainage pipes of debris and re-marktrails as needed. All AAT participantsmust attend an orientation meetingand a “general” meeting each year, aswell as complete and submit quarterlyreport forms.

The AAT program was imple-mented to complement the county’sexisting monthly trail maintenanceprogram. There are approximately 26miles of bridle trails and more than 13miles of marked hiking trails thatrequire attention.

Interested persons and trail userswho are not able to make a two-yearAAT commitment are encouraged toattend one of the monthly trail workdays, usually held on a Saturday from9:30 a.m. to noon (except in Januaryand February). No experience is nec-essary to help out. The next SaturdayTrail Work date is April 10.

“By adopting a trail or participat-ing in the Saturday work dates in theWatchung Reservation, you can real-ize a sense of accomplishment,” saidFreeholder Vice ChairwomanDeborah Scanlon, liaison to the UnionCounty Parks and Recreation Advi-sory Board. “You’ll work out-of-doorsin the fresh air, meet new people andlearn new skills in the process.”

Pre-registration for the Orientationand General AAT meetings and Sat-urday Trail Work days is required. Toregister or obtain additional informa-tion, call (908) 789-3683.

Taxpayers’ Panel ReleasesFiscal Recommendations

RANDOLPH – The New JerseyTaxpayers Alliance (NJTA), a collec-tion of business and civic organiza-tions, has released its proposals toaddress the immediate and future fis-cal reforms for New Jersey.

“Whether it’s fair is not the issue.We simply don’t have that money andto continue to ignore that fact is notonly irresponsible but a clear case ofmalfeasance on the part of the electedofficials responsible,” said NJTAPresident Jerry Cantrell. “On top ofthese examples are outlandish pay-ments for time not worked in terms ofsick days and annual vacation daysnot taken. The list of egregious abusesexceeds one’s ability to comprehend.”

New Jersey Taxpayers Alliance hasproposed that the state adopt a singlestatewide contract for each of theindividual bargaining units/entitiesstatewide (i.e., police, firemen, teach-ers, superintendents, principals andsupervisors, office workers, college

professors, deans, presidents, etc.).“There [would] no longer be sepa-

rate contracts for each of the approxi-mately 1,600 governmental entitiesin the state,” Mr. Cantrell said.

The group also recommends thatthe state implement uniformitythroughout, relative to sick leave, ter-minal leaves, holidays, vacations, and/or any compensated time off, etc. withno payments for unused sick, vacationor any of the other compensated timeoff days; mandating that every/all pub-lic sector individual contract(s) (i.e.,superintendents, police chiefs, execu-tives, directors, etc.), as well as everyand all New Jersey government law-suit settlements, be put online by 2012,while also freezing all public employeepublically funded pensions and retire-ment plans in place; eliminating de-fined benefits and replacing them with401b plans; stipulating that matchingcontributions be adjustable, and re-moving part-time employees from thepension system.

Other recommendations include:freezing all of the separate appointedboards, commissions and authorities’memberships in place for a year; elimi-nating all boards, commissions andauthorities that don’t have a specifi-cally defined and legitimate role in thegoverning process; eliminate all ap-pointees to boards, commissions andauthorities from the pension/retirementand health benefit plans, and adopt,mandate, create and implement trans-parency portals across the state at everylevel of government and at all the indi-vidual entities to cover documentedline item expenditures down to the checkregister detail.

The NJTA supports S-708, Trans-parency in Government Act. It alsoproposes the introduction and pas-sage of legislation that mandates opencontract negotiations at every level ofgovernment (state, county, munici-pal, schools, agency/authority/boards), and that every public em-ployee contribute an average of 25percent of the cost of their individualhealthcare coverage.

Earth Hour ThisSaturday Night

SCOTCH PLAINS — Assembly-woman Linda Stender (LD-22,Fanwood), sponsor of Assembly Con-current Resolution 106, “Earth Hour,”is reminding all residents to shut theirlights for one hour this Saturday night,March 27, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Earth Hour was created by theWorld Wildlife Fund in 2007 and hasacquired worldwide recognition inthe past three years. It has garneredsupport from 4,100 cities in 87 coun-tries and over one billion participantsin 2009.

Mrs. Stender, chairwoman of theAssembly State Government, passedthe bill this past February and is en-couraging as many households aspossible to participate.

“The goal of Earth Hour is to raiseawareness of climate change, andwork on ways to conserve for thefuture,” the Assemblywoman said.

For more information, visitearthhour.org/.

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Mueller Displays WildlifePaintings at Trailside

MOUNTAINSIDE – Trailside Na-ture and Science Center is not only aplace to learn about the wildlife andvegetation native to New Jersey, italso provides a backdrop for artistssuch as the renowned wildlife painterMark Mueller, whose artwork is cur-rently on display at the Trailside Cen-ter in Mountainside.

For nearly 20 years, Mr. Muellerhas captivated audiences with his life-like paintings of the natural world.Working primarily in acrylics, he spe-cializes in capturing the beauty ofNorth American wildlife, especiallybirds of the East Coast. Perhaps bestknown for his rendering of water, Mr.Mueller’s meticulously detailed paint-ings have gained him national recog-nition.

“This exhibit adds a new dimen-sion to the overall experience for visi-tors to Trailside Nature and ScienceCenter,” said Freeholder ChairmanDaniel Sullivan. “Mark Mueller’spaintings have a unique perspectivethat celebrates the depth and beautyof wildlife and is sure to impresscritics of all ages.”

A self-taught artist, Mr. Muellergrew up in Pompton Plains. He startedpainting at a very young age, demon-

strating his love for nature in draw-ings of birds and fish. Mr. Muellergraduated from Syracuse Universitywith a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in1990. During senior year, he visited awildlife art gallery and was so in-spired that he knew from that point onhe wanted to be a wildlife artist. Mr.Mueller sold his first painting of abrown trout later that same year.

Mr. Mueller is the recipient of manyawards for his artwork. In 1994, hewon the Nevada Duck Stamp Con-test. Since then, he placed in the top10 of the Federal Duck Stamp Con-test twice and he also was a finalist inmany state Duck Stamp contests. Hismost recent accolade was the People’sChoice Award at the 2007 New JerseyState Fair for his painting, “FishingPier – Pelican.” Mr. Mueller lives inNew Jersey with his wife and threesons.

For information about this exhibitor upcoming programs and specialevents, call Trailside at (908) 789-3670 or visit ucnj.org/trailside.Trailside Nature and Science Centeris located at 452 New ProvidenceRoad in Mountainside and is a ser-vice of the Union County Board ofChosen Freeholders.

Dance Workshop SetSaturday at St. John’sSCOTCH PLAINS – St. John’s

Baptist Church will host its secondannual dance workshop and perfor-mance this Saturday, March 27. En-titled “Why We Dance: Reaching theHip-Hop Generation” will be a freeevent geared toward youth, but allages are welcome to attend.

Kathleen McMahon of ScotchPlains, a longtime dancer and regis-tered nurse, will lead a workshop onAfrican dance techniques. LeilahBowser, a dance major at MontclairState University, will lead the after-noon workshop in hip-hop.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m.For more information, contactCandace Waller, dance coordinator,at (908) 432-2003 or visit the churchwebsite, stjohnschurch.org.

Walker of Westfield BOE, ‘TheGovernor Sucker Punched All of Us’Tuesday night, the Westfield Board of

Education held its first public meetingsince the state aid numbers were releasedon March 17. At this meeting, I made aplea to the 800 employees of the Westfieldschool district to take care of themselvesand the children of Westfield during thisvery uncertain time.

It is time to circle the wagons and figureout how to run the Westfield school districtwithout all of the politics of Trenton. HadGovernor Christie stayed true to his word,no one would be wringing their hands overhow many jobs are going to be lost. Wewould have given the presentation we hadprepared for March 16 showing a 5, 10 and15 percent cut from state aid. But theGovernor sucker punched all of us.

He is sending $4.22M less state aid toWestfield. He is telling us to deal with it. Heis telling us that the solution will take time.

He is a politician. This board is notpolitical. Our fiduciary responsibility isto the children of Westfield, the 800 em-ployees and the taxpayers. This Board ofEducation did the right thing by all ofthose 800 people under the system that

existed until March 16. Now the 800employees of the Westfield school dis-trict have to make a decision. This will notbe easy I am sure. It will take courage. Butyou have to decide whether you are goingto take care of each other or not.

There is a way for practically every em-ployee to keep their job next year. I have noidea what the future holds. Neither doesanyone else. But on March 30th, the Boardis going to vote on a final budget. There aretwo ways to go: one, where almost every-one stays employed and the other, wherealmost 30 people lose their jobs. It is notlikely those 30 or so people can get a jobsomewhere else. Westfield was not singledout. The public education system of thewhole state is working with less money.

This is very simple: If the associationswill put their heads together and find somemoney in whatever form, conference fees,travel, tuition, salary increases, this Boardof Education will help. We want to craft abudget that keeps every job. We will allhave to face next year, next year.

Everybody here needs their job. Weneed to get in a room and make this work.Do this, here, in Westfield and let thepeople who were hired to fight, fight inTrenton. Show the courage that is neededto make the difficult decisions that ben-efit all of the employees of Westfield andall of the children of Westfield.

Julia WalkerVP, WF Board of Ed.

Concerned Citizen Says ‘SaveThe Twelve Westfield Teachers’

Mayor Mahr; ‘It’s Like Throwing aPebble in a Raging Ocean’

As Mayor of Fanwood, I have beenfollowing with acute awareness the hap-penings over the last week since Gover-nor Christie released his proposed statebudget. I was in attendance when theGovernor asked the Mayors of New Jer-sey in February to “jump off the cliff”with him as he used the scene from thefilm Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidto illustrate that there were not any otheroptions in front of us.

I understand that the state finances arebroken and there is no magic pill to get usout of our situation. Shared sacrifice is thenew buzzword. Late last week, I learnedhow much pain we were actually going tofeel. Fanwood will loose a total of $4million dollars from the state. A largemajority of that pain goes to the SPFschool district but our local municipal aidwas once again reduced by 20 percent.

Let it be clear that I support reform onall levels. I support giving us a tool kit tocombat costs we don’t control (bindingarbitration, health care, pensions pay-ments, unfunded state mandates) but thattool kit is currently empty and not in placeto help us this year.

What I do not support is balancing thestate budget on the backs of us on the local

level. Especially when I’m reading statespending is projected to actually increasethis year. What I do not support is shiftingthe burden once again to the strugglinglocal taxpayers in terms of increasingtheir property taxes as a result of absorb-ing deep state aide cuts.

Local Fanwood residents should an-ticipate the largest portion of their prop-erty tax bill – the school portion thatmakes up 63 percent – to go up over $440.And somehow we are asked to believethis state aid reduction should not lead toan increase in our taxes. It is and will.

On the local budget — which nowmakes up around 18 percent of a tax bill– we will cut to meet the 4 percent cap.However, I need to underscore the realityof what we do with our 18 percent is likethrowing a pebble into a raging ocean –the effect of changing the overall tide isnearly impossible.

I advocate property tax reform but whenGovernor Christie states he is looking forthe tax madness to end – understand itwon’t end in this year’s tax bills – not withthe depth of aid cuts he pushed down to allof us on the local level to absorb.

Mayor Colleen Mahr Fanwood

At the Board of Education meeting atWestfield High School on Tuesday night,the most common comment was that “thisis a new day.” The economy has beenbattered and all of us have felt its impactfor the past number of years. There aremany of our town’s citizens who have lostjobs or have taken jobs that paysignificantly less.

The recent edict from Governor Christiehas proven to be a major challenge for thetown’s school system. The town has lost$4.2 million dollars in financial supportfrom the state and the Board of Educationand Superintendent Dolan have done agreat job, in an extremely short period oftime, in developing a plan to address thesubsequent cuts. This is extremely painfulfor all of us in this town. Approximately50 people will have their jobs eliminated.

However awful as this is, there must befound a way to prevent the plannedelimination of twelve teaching positionsthat are part of this plan. The impact onthe classroom size and the followingerosion of quality of our schools must beavoided at all costs.

As so many of our citizens have had to

do more with less income, we must askthe town’s partners in this challenge to dothe same. Those partners are the unionsthat have just received a net raise of from.8 to 2.67 percent raises in the past fewweeks. It is incumbent upon these entitiesto reduce the amount of their raises tooffset the amount of pay that would savethese 12 teaching positions. Since thiseffort must be done immediately, theseunions should have an enormous sense ofurgency and meet immediately to decideif the twelve teaching positions must besaved.

We should be happy that Westfield hasthe highest starting salary for teachers inour state and is able for many reasons toattract the best talent to staff our schools.Even if the unions accept the reduction intheir wage increases, we will still haveexcellent teacher wages and will continueto attract the best talent to our schools.

But, saving these twelve teachingpositions must be the absolute prioritytoday.

Jim BakerWestfield

More Letters to the Editor

Lance Unveils Bill RequiringCoverage for MammogramsSUMMIT – Rep. Leonard Lance

(R-7th) has unveiled legislation hehas authored that would ensure pre-ventative services, such asmammograms, could not be deniedcoverage for service by a group healthplan or health insurance issuer as aresult of federal guidelines.

At a news conference in Summit,officials with the North Jersey andCentral/South Jersey Affiliates ofSusan G. Komen for the Cure an-nounced their endorsement of Mr.Lance’s bill – the “Safeguarding Ac-cess to Preventative Services Act of2010.” Mr. Lance’s legislation is adirect response to the announcementlast year by U.S. Preventive Ser-vices Task Force that stated womenshould wait until they are age 50

before receiving a mammogram.“My bill would ensure preventativeservices, such as mammograms,could not be denied coverage forservice by a group health plan orhealth insurance issuer as a result offederal guidelines,” Mr. Lance said.“While we don’t know the cause orcure for cancer, we do know thatearly detection is still the best pro-tection. My bill would make surethat women cannot be denied cover-age for the preventative screeningsthey need despite the misguided fed-eral guidelines.”

Barbara Waters, co-chairwomanof Advocacy for the North JerseyAffiliate of Susan G. Komen for theCure, said the legislation will “guar-antee women’s access to life-savingscreening measures. Breast cancercontinues to be the most commonlydiagnosed cancer in women. It isimportant that we continue to workto increase awareness and maintainaccess to life-saving screening mea-sures.”

A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, March 25, 2010 Page 21

County Employees, FamiliesAre Invited to Exhibit Art

COUNTY – Since 2002, employ-ees of the County of Union and theirfamilies have participated in a pro-gram that gives them the opportunityto display their artistic creations.

In its ongoing effort to recognizeand encourage creative and artisticaccomplishment throughout UnionCounty, the Board of Chosen Free-holders, in partnership with The Na-tional Arts Program, announced theninth annual exhibition of artwork byCounty of Union workers and theirfamilies.

Entries will be accepted in the cat-egories of painting, photography, art-works on paper, sculpture and crafts.Recognized artists and art profes-sionals will serve as judges, selectingentrants for cash awards and honor-able mention in the exhibition’s fiveartistic classifications: amateur (littleor no experience); intermediate (some

experience, art students); professional(serious art training or employed inan art-related job); teens 13 to 18years old; and youths age 12 andunder.

In the adult classifications, each first-place winner will receive $300; sec-ond place will receive $200 each, andthird place, $100 each. There is one$300 prize for Best in Show. In eachyouth classification, $75 will go tofirst-place, $50 to second place and$25 to third place winners. The Na-tional Arts Program provides the prizes.

Pre-registration is required by April22. Early registration is encouraged.To request a registration form andfurther information, contact the UnionCounty Office of Cultural and Heri-tage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Eliza-beth, N.J. 07202. To reach the office,dial (908) 558-2550 or e-mailculturalinfo@ucnj.org.

Summer Stage to PresentGreatest Show on Earth

WESTFIELD – Director KennethHorn seeks aspiring actors, in grades6 through 12, to join the cast of theSummer Stage Theater in the 2010production of Barnum this July.

With 854 performances on Broad-way, this award-winning musical,with music by Cy Coleman, lyricsby Michael Stewart and book byMark Brambic, isbased on the lifeof the infamousPhineas T.Barnum.

It traces his jour-ney from sideshowhuckster to his col-laboration withJames Bailey toform “The Great-est Show onEarth.” The plotexplores the upsand downs of hislife as he builds hisentertainment em-pire, and the showentertains with amyriad of circusacts and novelties.

In an interviewdiscussing his se-lection, Mr. Hornsaid, “Whenweighing possible show choices forthe Summer Stage Theater’s thirdseason, I wanted to choose a workthat would speak to the ladies, thegentlemen and the children of allages. Barnum is a show that accom-plishes that, and more.”

He continued, “I chose Barnumbecause I am convinced that the showoffers many opportunities to allowcampers a chance at exploring andgrowing their performance skills,while allowing each camper his/her“time in the spotlight.”

The program will be held atRoosevelt Intermediate School, lo-cated at 301 Clark Street in Westfield,from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. dailyfrom June 29 until July 30. The pro-

duction is slated for afternoons andevenings of July 28 and 29. There isno audition needed to become partof the cast, and enrollment is open tostudents from all communities.

In addition to Mr. Horn, who is onthe staff of Edison IntermediateSchool in Westfield, Karen Romero,a staff member at Westfield’s

Roosevelt Inter-mediate School,will serve as mu-sical director.

Both educatorshave professionaltheatrical creditsas performers anddirectors as well.Chor eog raphywill again be de-signed by danceinstructor IreneUlesky, a veteranmember of theWestfield Sum-mer Workshop(WSW) who haschoreographedmany musicals forthe WSW, amongthem the last twoSummer StageTheater produc-tions of The Wiz

and Little Shop of Horrors.The Summer Stage Theater is part

of the WSW, which offers courses inarts, crafts, music, dance, drama,musical theater and more for stu-dents from pre-kindergarten to grade8.

Degreed and/or certified teachers,experienced performers and profes-sional artists teach courses. A regis-tered nurse is on staff during themorning program.

For more information on the Sum-mer Stage Theater or the WestfieldSummer Workshop, call (908) 518-1551 or visit the studios at 150-152East Broad Street in Westfield. Logon to njworkshopforthearts.com foradditional information.

GREAT SHOW ONEARTH…Director Kenneth Horn andmusical director Karen Romero take abreak from directing duties while rest-ing in the jaws of the carnivorous plantfrom last July’s Summer Stage Theaterproduction of Little Shop of Horrors.

ONCE UPON A TIME...In early March, the Wardlaw-Hartridge School inEdison staged Once On This Island, a musical that takes place in Haiti. SharonByrne, Wardlaw-Hartridge music teacher, who produced the musical with BeckyRandazzo, said students “made us so proud, pouring themselves into their roles.”Pictured above, in one of the musical’s most dramatic scenes, are: AnthonyMartin as Papa Ge, Milika Griffiths as Ti Moune, Lauren Levine of Fanwood asAsaka and Billy Buchbinder of Scotch Plains as Agwe. Other students from ScotchPlains and Fanwood who performed in the musical were: Brian Downing asDaniel, Catherine Badalamenti as an Upper School storyteller, Max Needle asDaniel’s son and Middle School storytellers: Eric Bessette, Moenika Chowdhury,Claude Djan, Chase Levitt and Emily Wexler.

By JAYNE BOOK SALOMONSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

According to an old Irish proverb, “Ifbeef is the king of meats, then potatoes arethe queen of the vegetable garden.” Whenit comes to the most frequently consumedfoods in the United States, this starchytuber is at the top of the list. You can mashthem, broil them, fry them, bake them andif you Google them, you will see 36-million hits.

Although the roots of the potato (no punintended) can be traced all the way back tothe 16th century, it is only in the past 200years that it has become such a popularfood staple in America. It is the world’sfourth-largest food crop, preceded by rice,wheat and maize.

Believed to have originated in SouthAmerica, this nightshade vegetable (growsin the dark) is one of a group of select rootvegetables that grow underground. Thewhole plant, including the flowering greenleafy portion, is called “potato.”

In some countries, the potato wasthought of as a plebian food and thus wasconsumed only by the poorest of the poor.In other countries, it was considered adelicacy enjoyed only by the very wealthy.Today, it is popular, with just about everyculture worldwide and most ethnic groupshaving at least one potato dish they can calltheir own.

In America, the varied recipes we layclaim to are too numerous to list. Andwhen it comes to holiday feasts, some sortof potato dish usually accompanies themeal. From boiled potatoes on St. Patrick’sDay to mashed potatoes on ThanksgivingDay, the potato holds an important place atthe table.

Although, there is no one special potatodish that is associated with either Easter orPassover, some sort of potato dish willsurely be part of the holiday dinner.

When it comes to French foods, it isknown that this cuisine doesn’t take calo-ries or fat into account. That is why thisdelicious Potato Gratin Dauphinois is re-ally for special occasions. It is a bit of aproduction to prepare, but well worth it.

Also, these Easy Potato Pancakes donot require much effort since it is notnecessary to peel the potatoes. It is inter-

WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 THOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTWESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 THOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHT

The Versatile Potato

esting to note here that many years agofolks thought the skin of the potato waspoisonous. Today, we know that the mostnutritious part of the potato lies in the layerjust underneath the skin.

Potatoes Gratin DauphinoisIngredients

1 pound baking potatoes2 ounces butter (chunked) + extra for greasing

the pan*1 clove garlic, chopped

¼ teaspoon salt, more if needed¼ teaspoon pepper, more if needed

½ cup heavy cream½ cup of milk

½ teaspoon nutmeg (fresh preferred; if dried,use ¼ teaspoon)

ProcedurePeel and thinly slice the potatoes. Rinse and

pat dry. Liberally butter a shallow 8-inch-roundbaking dish.Layer the po-tato slices.Sprinkle eachlayer with alittle choppedgarlic and saltand pepper.Continue lay-ering and sea-soning until allthe slices areused. Mix thecream andmilk together.Pour over the top. Sprinkle the top with the butterand nutmeg. Bake on the top rack at 350 degreesfor 1 ½ hours or until the top browns.

Easy Potato PancakesIngredients

1 pound potatoes (3 or 4 medium size),unpeeled

1 medium onion2 eggs

2 tablespoons matzo mealSalt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying (or baking)

ProcedureCut the potatoes and the onion into small

chunks. Crack the eggs into the blender. Little bylittle add the potatoes and the onion. Add thematzo meal. Pulse until thoroughly ground.

If baking, brush a little oil on the bottom of alarge pan. Drizzle a little oil on the pancakes aswell and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Iffrying, heat the oil until it is hot. Fry on both sidesuntil cooked through.

WF Symphony OrchestraPresents Family Concert

WESTFIELD – On Sunday, April11, at 4 p.m., at the Presbyterian Churchin Westfield, Westfield Symphony Or-chestra (WSO) presents Stars of To-morrow, a fantasy-filled youth concertfor the entire family.

Designed to foster a love of musicand a lifetime of participation in themusical arts, this concert features Ben-jamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guideto the Orchestra as well as the GrandFinale of the 2010 Tri-state youth con-certo competition, in which the entireaudience will have the opportunity tovote to help select this year’s winner.

WSO will take its audience on aneducational musical journey with AYoung Person’s Guide to the Orches-tra, Britten’s salute to the symphonyorchestra.

Former NFL football player and NewYork Giants Superbowl 21 championBill Ard will narrate this classic with alively guided tour of the orchestra sec-tions and description of the tone colorsand sounds made by each instrument –from the mellow clarinet to the boom-ing tuba.

The Sunday afternoon concert willalso present the Grand Finale of theStars of Tomorrow Tri-State ConcertoCompetition.

Three exemplary musical protégéswill compete for a grand prize of $3,000.Each young finalist will perform onemovement of their chosen concerto withthe Westfield Symphony, and the audi-

ence will have the opportunity to voteand participate in the selection of thewinner.

Studies have proved that childrenwho are regularly exposed to classicalmusic read earlier, achieve higher SATscores, and improve everything fromhand-eye coordination to IQ to creativethinking skills to self-esteem.

Music Director David Wroe said,“Children have a natural curiosity aboutmusic, and there’s no better way toencourage their interest than by lettingthem experience live performances. Inthis concert, students will not only learnabout the orchestra, they will also havethe opportunity to hear and be inspiredby some of the best young classicalplayers in the tri-state area.”

There will also be an opportunity tojoin WSO before the concert for a freeinteractive program with BarbaraThomson.

Tickets ($25-$70) may be purchaseddirectly from the WSO office (224 EastBroad Street ) or by calling the boxoffice at (908) 232-9400. Tickets arealso available at the Town Book Storein Westfield and Martin Jewelers inCranford. Elementary students mayattend for $5, while middle and highschool children will be admitted for$10.

For further information, call (908)232 9400, e-mailwso@westfieldsymphony.org or go towestfieldsymphony.org.

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PLAINFIELD – Five central NewJersey and one Pennsylvania organistwill perform music ranging from J.S.Bach to Maurice Duruflé whenCrescent Concerts presents itsseason’s sixth concert, “A Festival ofOrganists,” on Sunday, March 28, at 3p.m. in the Crescent Avenue Presby-terian Church, located on the cornerof Watchung Avenue and SeventhStreet in Plainfield.

The organists, who will perform onthe church’s new four manual, ninety-seven rank G.F. Adams French organ,include James Little, Richard Frey,Sam Chapin, Se-Eun Lim and Tho-mas Rogers.

Mr. Little, organist/choirmaster ofCalvary Episcopal Church in Summitsince 1993, directs a program of youthand adult choirs, a handbell choir,and a concert series by the CalvaryChorale with guest ensembles andsoloists.

Previously, he was the director ofthe Pingry School Men’s Glee Cluband for 20 years was organist/choirdirector at the CommunityPresbyterian Church in Mountainside.Mr. Little is also the musical directorof the Choral Art Society of NewJersey, which rehearses in Westfield,performing this season at the Presby-terian Church in Westfield, and atCalvary Episcopal Church in Summit.

Mr. Frey is a native of Bethlehem,Pa. He holds degrees fromWestminster Choir College, BostonUniversity and Eastern Baptist Theo-

logical Seminary. Since July 2003, hehas served as Minister of Music atTrinity United Church of Christ inHanover, Pa., a church of 1,200 mem-bers with 12 choirs.

Mr. Chapin attended The Univer-sity of Michigan School of Music,completing Bachelor, Master andDoctor of Music degrees in voice. Hewas employed for many years as achorister and/or soloist in severalchurches in New York City, includingThe Cathedral of St. John the Divine,St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, St. Tho-mas Church and St. George’s Episco-pal Church.

Ms. Lim holds a bachelor’s degreein Organ Performance from EwhaWoman’s University in Seoul. Shehas participated as an organ and harp-sichord player in various concertswith the USC Thornton School ofMusic Orchestra and USC Univer-sity Choir, among others.

Mr. Rodgers was born in Mercer,Pa. He received his Bachelor of Mu-sic degree from Westminster College,where he studied piano and organ. Hedid his graduate studies in churchmusic at Westminster Choir Collegeof Princeton. He has been the directorof music at the Bound Brook Presby-terian Church since 1976.

Admission will be $20, $15 forseniors and $5 for students. Handicapaccess and large-print programs willbe available. For information, call thechurch office at (908) 756-2468 dailyfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Potatoes Gratin

Dauphinois

Page 22 Thursday, March 25, 2010 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

SPFHS Takes Deserved Curtain CallBy SUSAN MYRILL DOUGHERTY

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD –“If you reveal the ending, it might becurtains for you…” warned the ScotchPlains-Fanwood High School(SPFHS) cast members of the RupertHolmes musical Curtains for the lasttwo weekends.

Utilizing a play-within-a-play for-mat, a method that Mr. Holmes hasused in other productions, Robbin’ Hoodfrom 1959 is a show that’s not thriving.In fact, it’s a proverbial turkey. ButSPFHS’s production is a Thanksgivingdinner with all the trimmings.

The setting of Robbin’ Hood is Feb-ruary 21, 1959, in Boston at the Colo-nial Theatre, where on opening nightthe cast sings the finale, “Wide OpenSpaces.” During curtain calls, theshow’s diva Jessica Cranshaw (HeatherUllery) collapses mysteriously and istaken to the hospital.

When cruel midnight reviews forRobbin’ Hood come out, especiallyThe Boston Globe’s, which is the re-view they need, the leads can’t believethat anyone would be heartless enoughto be a critic. Their hilarious song“What Kind of Man” supports thetheory that critics are monsters.

In true comedic fashion, when theyfind one critic who gives their show athumb’s up, they “change their tune”to applaud the man they were lambast-ing seconds ago.

That same night the hospital calls toinform the cast that the actress whocollapsed is now dead. The woman’sdemise has been ruled a murder, butthe grieving is short-lived as the cast,crew and producer lampoon the deaddiva in an uproariously funny “TheWoman’s Dead.”

Boston detective Lt. Cioffi (RyanReeson) appears to place everyone onnotice that the theater is an officialcrime scene, and since they are allsuspects, they are all detained for ques-tioning.

In addition to the charmingly homeydetective, Curtains features an im-probable and contrived plot with ar-chetypes one might expect of a be-hind-the-scenes Broadway story. Theshow is top-heavy with those stereo-types that the audience recognizes im-mediately from TV detective storiesor old films of theater in the 1950s: thetough female co-producer CarmenBernstein (Julia Babis), a divorcedsongwriting team of Aaron Fox (TimCarroll) and Georgia Hendricks(Varshini Narayanan), and the show’sfinancial backer, Oscar Shapiro(Samuel Zimmerman).

Add to this list an understudyingénue Niki Harris (Madeline Dillon),a dead ringer for a young AnnetteBenning, who falls in love with thedetective. The show’s British director,a self-centered heartless snob Christo-pher Belling (Michael Harrison), isanother stereotype. Carmen’s sleazyhusband Sydney (Matt Harris) chasesaround every young actress – nothing

new for Hollywood or the world ofshow business. Throw in blonde bimboBambi Bernet (Carrie Salem), theproducer’s daughter who wants to bethe next star, and the circle of intriguein this whodunit is complete.

Carmen tells them that “life is full ofdisappointments”, and gives them apep talk in Rupert Holmes’ favoritesong of the show, “Show People.” It’sa great actors’ theme song that JuliaBabis sings with the conviction andpolish of a seasoned performer.

Everyone in Robbin’ Hood is stilldoubtful about the show going on with-out its “star,” but when Georgia singsJessica’s opening number, she doesspectacularly well. It is clear that she isthinking about her failed marriage withAaron, her former husband and musiccollaborator, when he, as well as hisrival Bobby Pepper (CharlesCentinaro), begins to sing a gorgeous“Thinking of Him.”Ryan Reeson’s poignant “Coffee ShopNights” presents the detective’s la-ment in sharing the loneliness of beinga cop.

When Tim Carroll as Aaron Foxsings “I Miss the Music,” his superiorvoice rings out loud and clear.Varshini Narayanan is outstanding inher role of Georgia. Her beauty offace, figure and voice complement

each other in every song. Likewise,Madeline Dillon’s ingénue is a compi-lation of saccharine sweetness, theright tilt of the head and dreamy qual-ity to make the detective and the audi-ences love her.

At end of the production, when thebeautifully costumed cast of Curtainsacknowledges orchestra leader DurandThomas and the show-within-a showconductor Sasha Iljinsky (VangelisDimopoulos), they really mean it.Vangelis brings down the house withhis verve and energy as the director,complete with mop-flopping wig. Theorchestra, many of whom are mem-bers of the musical ensemble groups atthe high school, does a superior job.

Giza DiIorio’s choreography is al-ways a delight – intricate and fun-loving in this production. Director SaraLouise Lazarus and Musical DirectorJohn Brzozowski, who plays keyboardduring the show, are to be applaudedfor a tight production with a monu-mental number of talented actors onthe stage.

The authentic, two-tiered Old Westset designed by Jeffrey VanVelsor isbrought to light with Tom Rowe’s light-ing design. The Manya Ungar Audito-rium thundered nightly with well-de-served applause for a talented cast,crew and directors.

Oratorio Singers Beckon SpringWith 30th-Anniversary Concert

By MAGGIE DIGGORYSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

WESTFIELD – A fanfare of glori-ous music awaited the audience at theFirst United Methodist Church, Sun-day afternoon, celebrating both the325th birthday of Johann SebastianBach (born March 21, 1685) and theOratorio Singers of Westfield’s 30thanniversary.

Under the direction of Oratorio’s

current director, and only second over-all, Trent Johnson, the sold-out perfor-mance included a joyful repertoire offour pieces: Celebration Overture byMr. Johnson; Easter Oratorio BWV249 by Bach; Prayer and Litany for theFeast Day of St. Francis of Assisi byOratorio Singers Founding DirectorPhilip R. Dietterich; and CoronationAnthems by George Frideric Handel.

The riveting two-hour performance

in the church’s sunlit sanctuary includedfeatured soloists as well as movingsolos from the orchestra’s musicians.

Mr. Johnson’s Celebration Overturewas a short piece but certainly capturedthe audience’s eagerness for great mu-sic. His composition centered on a varia-tion of the hymn “Praise to the Lord, theAlmighty” or in the original German“Lobe den Herren,” which he describedin the program notes as invoking a“mood of joyfulness, jubilation andrejoicing.” Mr. Johnson indeed balanceda familiar tune with flourishes thatgrabbed the audience and never let gothroughout the afternoon’s perfor-mance.

The concert’s longest piece, Bach’sEaster Oratorio, included performancesby soloists Rachel Rosales, soprano;Patrizia Conte, mezzo-soprano;Frederick Urrey, tenor, and last-minutesubstitute bass-baritone Brace Negron.The venue provided an ideal opportu-nity for the audience to see and take inBach’s moving and highly meticulouscantata. As the program notes explain,“Bach’s music is tightly crafted downto the tiniest detail of highly personalexpression.” The Easter Oratorio byBach and performed in the originalGerman, takes on a biblical story innarrative while the soloists contem-plate biblical texts.

For the next piece, Mr. Dietterich’scomposition was as much a celebrationof the Oratorio Singers 30th anniver-sary as it was a chance for the ever-enthusiastic and loyal audience to di-rectly participate in the piece.

“You have a part to sing in the nextpiece,” began Mr. Dietterich, who livedin Westfield for more than 30 yearsand was returning for the first time toparticipate in an Oratorio Singersconcert since his retirement.

He asked the audience to stand andthen proceeded to direct that a ConcertA (also known as standard pitch, auniversal note that all musical instru-ments are tuned to) be played. “That isyour part to sing,” he instructed. Theaudience laughed at the sound, and headded, “Making music is so much fun.”

Then he directed the audience tosing a melody for the Litany Responsein his piece, Prayer and Litany for theFeast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, at thesound of the Concert A during thechorus. “Ah, you sound great. I may bebusy waving my arms around,” pro-claimed Mr. Dietterich after the audi-ence briefly rehearsed its part and satdown again.

Mr. Dietterich did not forsake hisfaithful audience members when it wastheir turn to sing. He whipped aroundevery few bars during the chorus todirect them. The audience participationprovided enriching surround sound inthe performance space, as 450 voicesproclaimed “Deliver us, O Lord.” Aftera long winter of severe weather, theinvocation was fulfilled abundantly.

Susan M. Dougherty for The Westfield Leader and The TimesLISTEN UP….Co-producer of Robbin’ Hood Carmen Bernstein (Julia Babis), bedecked in furs, sets the cast and crewstraight in Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School’s Curtains by Rupert Holmes. The show-within-a-show co-producerChristopher Belling (Michael Harrison), pictured far left, choreographer Bobby Pepper (Charles Centinaro) and ingénueNiki Harris (Madeline Dillon) get a lesson on show people from Carmen.

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Premiere Stages AnnouncesCamps for Young Artists

UNION – Premiere Stages, the pro-fessional theatre in residence at KeanUniversity, announced two theatre campsessions.

Session 1, “So You Want to Write aPlay,” is a playwriting camp for ages 11to 14, and it runs from July 19 to 30.Students enrolled in this session workwith professional actors, directors andplaywrights in a fun, creative and col-laborative environment to develop origi-nal plays.

Campers learn the elements ofplaywriting through innovative, activeexercises and games that help themtranslate their creative ideas and im-

pulses into theatrical scripts.This camp session culminates in a

public performance of the campers’original plays, performed by profes-sional actors and high school students.Camp runs Monday through Thursdayfrom 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a finalperformance on Friday, July 30.

Session 2, “Taking the Stage” is anacting camp for ages 15 to 18, and itruns July 26 to August 6. Studentsenrolled in this session will focus on thecraft of acting, including scene work,audition technique, monologue prepa-ration, movement and voice/speech.

Students will all have the chance towork closely with professional actorsand directors, as well as guest artists infields such as stage combat and impro-visation. Campers will perform thescenes written by students enrolled inSession 1 on July 30 and will have theirown final showcase on August 6. Campruns Monday through Friday from 10a.m. to 2 p.m.

Premiere Stages has offered just onecamp session in previous seasons. Thisyear’s expansion to two sessions ismade possible by a generous grant fromthe Westfield Foundation, an organiza-tion dedicated to the betterment ofWestfield and its surrounding commu-nities.

“This has been a very challengingyear…with a tight grants budget,” saidElizabeth Chance, the Foundation’sexecutive director. “The Trustees werevery impressed by [Premiere’s] sum-mer camp and felt it was appropriate toprovide seed money to expand the pro-gram.”

The cost for each session is $295.Scholarships are available, with prefer-ence given to Union County residents.For more information or to request anapplication, contact Erica Nagel, pro-ducing associate, at enagel@kean.eduor (908) 737-4092.

Interested students should submit acompleted registration form, along witha short “camp expectations” paragraphstatement and a $25 application fee, toPremiere Stages at Kean University.

The fee ensures inclusion in the campand serves as the initial tuition pay-ment. Space is limited, and slots will befilled on a first-come, first-served basis.

More information and applicationforms are available online at kean.edu/premierestages.

NJ Oratorio Society ToPresent Spring Concert

AREA – The Oratorio Society ofNew Jersey, under the direction ofSandor Szabo, will present its springconcert on Saturday, March 27, at 8p.m. at the Union CongregationalChurch, located at 176 Cooper Av-enue in Upper Montclair.

Two short operas, Purcell’s Didoand Aeneas and Gilbert and Sullivan’sTrial By Jury, will be featured. Pro-fessional orchestra and soloists willaccompany performers. General ad-mission is $20, available from chorusmembers or at the door.

For more information, call (973)783-3837 or log on tooratoriosocietynj.org.

Michael J. Pollack for The Westfield Leader and The TimesCELEBRATION OVERTURE...The Oratorio Singers of Westfield, under thebaton of Executive Director Trent Johnson, pictured above, celebrate their 30thyear of existence on Sunday afternoon at the First United Methodist Church.

Nicholas Williams of WFPerforms at Carnegie Hall

WESTFIELD – Nicholas Williamsof Westfield performed Beethoven’sSymphony No. 9 with the WestminsterSymphonic Choir and the Orchestra ofSt. Luke’s, conducted by Sir RogerNorrington, in February at CarnegieHall in New York City.

Nicholas is a Music Theater major atWestminster Choir College of RiderUniversity in Princeton, and a memberof the Westminster Symphonic Choir.

Westminster prepares students at theundergraduate and graduate levels forcareers in teaching, sacred music andperformance. The Westminster Sym-

phonic Choir has performed and re-corded with leading conductors and or-chestras. In addition to this performance,the ensemble’s 2009-2010 season hasincluded performances of Mahler’s Sym-phony No. 3 with the New York Philhar-monic, conducted by Alan Gilbert, andBrahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, con-ducted by Joe Miller.

This Tuesday, March 23, the en-semble returned to Carnegie Hall andthe Kimmel Center to join MichaelTilson Thomas and the San FranciscoSymphony in performances of Mahler’sSymphony No. 2.