Police Dept. Targets Speeders with New S.O.S. Program
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v m 100020 OIR tilth YEAR-IS* I hur%«tu>. April 26. 2001 Published Every I hurviav PrrHidkil - Pml*|r Paid Ml Mmtflrkl. NJ, m m I M 2J2-4407 HU Y C ENTS Breaking d o n a l d difrancesco b o w s NEWS OUT OF GOVERNOR’S RACE New TV-36 Broadcasting Center ■ — ................ Set P igr 2 for the Story _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Unveiled At Municipal Building B> fit ROB VII MADISON Police Dept. Targets Speeders V W Iv »nlwi A» 11* W rtOtU U * A f Westfield Mayor Gregory S. McDermott wielded the town's larg est pair o f scissors for a ribbon With New S.O.S. Program cutting ceremony to officially cel ebrate the opening o f the broad By PAl l. J. PEYTON “ gather information regarding speed “ If people arc tailgating you. casting studio for Westfield Com Sprsutll< Wnatm foe The *r<tfuU 1 rmirr and volume o f traffic and town road they're going to have to learn to slow munity Television (WTCI, also Speeding in Westfield, meter feed ways in order to find the most effec dow n." the Mayor told The Westfield known as TV-36, at the Municipal ing and overtime parking w ill cost tive methods o f slow ing down traf Leader. Building on Tuesday night. you money. fic," according to a fact sheet distrib Each week, the police department With many Town Council mem Under a new program aimed at uted by the police department designates two major thoroughfares bers by his side, us well as e\- combating speeding, the Westfield throughout the community. to catch speeding motorists. In addi Mayors Thomas C. Jurdirn and police have issued over 360 tickets in “ I think it is going very well," said tion. patrol units have been monitor Garland Bud Boothe. Mayor the first three weeks as part o f a Police C hief Bernard Tracy. "The ing parallel streets to these main McDermott said that this wus a program called S.O.S, - an acronym enforcement is there. It does appear avenues. momentous occasion for the Town for Safe Operating Speed that people are slowing down. "The idea is just to get u presence of Westfield, Town officials have said the pro The program, w hich was launched out there so that motorists think we Located on the second floor o f gram is to promote Westfield as a a month ago, has been promoted by arc everywhere." C hief Tracy said the m u nicipal b u ild in g and safe town for motorists and pedestri the police department through Among those streets targeted thus equipped with the latest digital tech ans Two pedestrians were killed try bumper stickers, flyers sent home far are Rahway Avenue, South Chest nology, the new station w ill en ing to cross East Broad Street in two w ith school children and a broadcast nut Street, Boulevard, Scotch Plains hance programming and educa separate incidents tn 1999, on Westfield's cable television ac Avenue, North Euclid Avenue. East tional opportunities lor students, S.O.S. is aimed at slowing motor cess channel, TV-36. Broad Street and North Avenue. said the station’s Advisory Board I Kill I S, CAMERA, At TIONI...Westfield Mayor Gregory S. Melleritioll ists down “ to a safe and legal speed." Mayor Gregory S. McDermott said “ In the end we have safer streets," Chairman, Phil Falcone. Programs, cuts the eeremonlul red rlhhoit to olTU'lall) murk the opening of the broadcast reducing traffic accidents injuries and the program is aimed at raising uware- the C hief stated. previously broadcast only from the ing studio for Westfield ( oiiiimmlty Television (W TO also known us TV-.W ut the Municipal Building on Tuesday night. Also pictured, left to right, arc: fatalities caused by accidents, and to ness ol Westfield's speed limits. it high school, w ill now be broadcast from both the new studio and from TV-Jft Advisory Board < hainnan Phil Falcone, and former Westfield mayors Thomas C. Jardlm and Garland Bud Boothe. the high school, while both studios share programming content and higher definition tapes. able to enroll in television produc time. Since its inception in the curly tion classes as an elective, and gain The new equipment includes six 1980s, the TV station's only broad hands-on experience in many as video tape players, which can broad casting studio was located In the pects of video production, includ cast a total ol 14 continuous hours Westfield High School facility and ing taping, editing and broadcast o f tape and can be set by a timer. utilized almost exclusively by the ing. One of the tape players is a DSR, students anil teachers, as a teaching The focus ol the station's pro- which can play digitally-enhanced. tool. Students in grades 9 to 12 were nONTINUtO ON p a o b it Westfield Council Adopts Budget With One Cent Hike In Tax Rate By I’AIJI. J. PEYTON thill number to half a cent. This year’s "is one o f the best budgets / have ever S/irctaily Written for Ihr Wo.it/lrlt/ Utn/rr allocation is $240,582. participated, in terms o f the final On Tuesday evening, the Westfield “ I think we did very well this year," product.” Town Council adopted a $24.X m il Mr. Albano said. Included in the town's capital bud lion municipal budget which calls Third Ward Councilman Neil F. get this year is $100,000 for various for a one cent hike in the local tax Sullivan said the town is taking the renovations to the Municipal Build rule to support a $ 12.8 m illion tax first steps in looking at the budget in ing, $45,000 for backstops lor the levy, the equivalent o f an $18 in terms o f long range projections. Tamaques Park halllields and $8,000 crease on the average home assessed “ Wc did a darn good job," said Mr. for picnic tables at Tamaques. at $ I BO.fKK). Sullivan, who was especially happy Another $225,000 has been bud Westfieldcrs w ill also see more of to see the town becoming less reliant geted for various road improvements, an impact from the local school tax on the use o f revenues generated $330,000 for improvements to the levy, 18 cents per $KK) of assessed front the sale o f town land over the south end of Scotch Plains Avenue valuation, to support a $51.2 m illion years. including u sidewalk near Memorial tax levy. School taxes are going up First Ward C ouncilm an Peter Park and $262,000 for improvements $300 fo r a home assessed at Echausse added that he would like to to roadways near Wilson Elemen $180,0000. project the operating budget two years tary School. MAY I HAVE THIS DANCE?...Kelly Zublzarretu. 8, Ls whisked onto the dunce floor hy her loving futher, Emil Westfield taxpayers will see an ahead, especially as it relates to per Councilman Albano lias set as num Zubizarreta, during the first annual Father-Daughter Dance held on Friday. Sponsored by the Westfield Recreation average o f $420 over last year's top sonnel wages and staffing levels. ber o f budget goals he would like to Department, the dance was held on a beautiful evening at the Town Hall In Westfield. Elegant couples of men in suits and support school, county and munici “ So we can tell the taxpayers what town to begin looking ut. These in daughters in party dresses graced the dance floor. pal services. it's going to look like in 2002 and clude establishment of u plan to re The County of Union is set to 2003,” said Mr. Echausse. duce the town’s reliance on the sale introduce its budget tonight. Thurs Mayor Gregory S. McDermott o f town assets account to support the Arlene Gardner and Anne Riegel day, April 26. The Executive Bud praised the Finance Committee and operating budget, and in establish get unveiled in January called for a its members, Mr. Albano, Mr, ment o f “ performance-based” con $307.5 m illion budget supported by Echausse, Fourth Ward Councilman cepts for criteria management and a $159.9 m illion tax levy. The pro Lawrence A. Goldman and First Ward non-union employees. Elected President, VP of School Bd. jected county rate is 89 cents per Councilman Carl A. Salisbury. He also wants to review police and '$100 assessed value, a six cent hike "I believed each o f you brought fire department staffing, to make TV By MELISSA BETKOWSKI Mrs. Riegel said she feels very thal Anna Jane "A.J.” Sabbagh, a third or $98 over last year. something that was unique to this 36, the town’s public access cable Spr tails W ruirtt for The We life Id Under lucky to live in a town like grade teacher at Jefferson Elemen Finance Committee-Chairman committee," he said. He called the television station self sufficient, cre The Westfield Board of Education W estfield where the public sup tary School, has been named the 2(X) I Matthew P. Albano explained that spending plan that they worked on a ating a separate budget line item for held its annual reorganization meet ports the schools and the Board o f recipient o f the club’s Philhower Fel despite a rise o f $680,000 in operat “ very meaningful budget." parking revenues, to gain better con ing on Tuesday nighl following the lowship for outstanding teaching at Education.