Westfield Leader Detective Chambers Admitted That Friends.” WESTFIELD – a Westfield Police She and Mr
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, January 11, 2007 OUR 117th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 02-2007 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SIXTY CENTS Westfield Police Detective Alleges Sexual Harassment by Ex-Chief By PAUL J. PEYTON as a school security officer. bers could become even better Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Detective Chambers admitted that friends.” WESTFIELD – A Westfield police she and Mr. Tracy had been friends, After spurning his advances, De- detective has filed a sexual harass- and that then-Chief Tracy invited her tective Chambers claims the former ment lawsuit against the town, the to attend a convention in 2003 with chief’s “demeanor toward [her] was Westfield Police Department (WPD) him in Washington, D.C., paid for by decidedly cool and distant,” and that and former police chief Bernard Tracy. the police department. he “limited” his contact with the de- The detective, Sandra Chambers of “While at the convention, Detec- tective after the convention. Plainfield, has been employed by the tive Chambers worked very hard to The third count of the lawsuit, WPD since 1995. make contacts that would benefit the which alleges sexual harassment, The six-count lawsuit, served on Westfield Police Department,” De- states, “[Detective Chambers] was Westfield on December 14, alleges tective Chambers alleges in the suit. treated differently because she would that “during a two-year period, Chief “While at the convention, Chief not engage in inappropriate sexual Tracy regularly called Detective Tracy commented to Detective conduct with Chief of Police Bernard Chambers at home, during non- Chambers and others that she was F. Tracy.” working hours and late into the not spending enough time with him, In March 2005, then-Chief Tracy evening” and that Mr. Tracy invited and he felt that she had ‘abandoned’ suspended the detective and at- Detective Chambers “to call him on him.” tempted to have her terminated fol- his personal cell phone.” The detective alleges that the lowing an internal affairs investiga- Mr. Tracy retired from the depart- former chief “intimated that he was tion as to whether she reportedly ment in September 2005 and accepted hopeful that while they were at the fixed a parking ticket for her son. Benjamin B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader a job with the Linden Public Schools convention, he and Detective Cham- Detective Chambers, who spent most TREE TROUBLE...A pile of discarded Christmas trees sits in the parking lot of Tamaques Park in Westfield on Sunday, of the year on paid suspension, was despite a sign noting that trees should not be dumped there. The conservation center was not open on Sunday, causing then the subject of a disciplinary residents to dump trees outside. See related notice below. hearing. As reported by The Westfield Leader, a hearing officer found her Westfield School $9.4-Mil Bond guilty on five of seven charges of the ticket fix and for lying about it during a police department internal investi- gation. She was suspended for 15 Referendum Sparks Debate days without pay. By NORDETTE N. ADAMS ementary schools and enable elemen- school (in its present condition).” Detective Chambers was found Specially Written for The Westfield Leader tary schools to keep class sizes to no Some bond opponents object spe- guilty by hearing officer James WESTFIELD –Westfield voters more than 25 students – the size en- cifically to asking Westfield parents to Damato of official misconduct, ne- will head back to the polls on Tues- couraged by Westfield schools policy. send a kindergartener to a school that glect of duty, “illegal reduction or day, January 23, for a special election The change would make classroom may not be in the child’s own neigh- deletion of a parking summons for on a $9.4-million education bond. space available for dedicated art and borhood. They argue that centralizing personal gain, conduct unbecoming One part of the bond proposal re- music rooms at the elementary schools. kindergarten classes is counter to the of a police officer and using her quests $6 million to renovate Lincoln Currently, most Westfield art and mu- neighborhood-school model. authority to influence or modify the School at 728 Westfield Avenue so it sic teachers operate from carts, travel- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 action of another officer.” Two may serve as an early childhood learn- ing from classroom to classroom, Ms. charges of false swearing were dis- ing center. The center would house Korecky said. Thieves Target missed. all of the town’s kindergartners and The Lincoln School building most She alleges in the lawsuit that the disabled pre-kindergarten students. recently housed Hillcrest Academy, Nativity Scenes real reason Mr. Tracy had her sus- In an interview with The Westfield an alternative high school for Union By SUZETTE F. STALKER Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Fred K. Lecomte for The Westfield Leader pended “was because she would not Leader, Westfield Public Schools County. Ms. Korecky said that while NOT ENOUGH...Blue Devils senior guard Mike Venezia takes a foul shot at engage in an inappropriate quid pro Community Relations Coordinator the building was adequate for high- WESTFIELD – Multiple local Thursday’s game against rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders. He scored 19 quo relationship with Chief Tracy.” Lorre Korecky cited a legal mandate school students, it would be inad- Roman Catholic churches have re- points, but Westfield fell, 63-57, in double overtime. See story on page 11. During Detective Chambers’ dis- to provide educational opportunities equate for the education of pre-k dis- ported the theft during the holiday ciplinary hearing, her attorney, for disabled students at the pre-k level abled students and kindergartners. season of nativity figures from out- Hassen Abdellah, questioned Mr. and the disadvantage of such stu- Westfield Schools Superintendent door displays on parish grounds. Officials: UC Not Favored Tracy: “There is an allegation that at dents’ present location at Edison In- of Schools William Foley told The The Westfield Police Department some point you had a relationship termediate School. Leader, “If we use it for a kindergar- received a report on December 31 with Detective Chambers and as a “Right now, we have young chil- ten, it will house five-year-olds. You that a three-foot baby Jesus figure, For Pilot BOE Consolidation result of what she would not do, you dren going to the same school with have to make different types of facili- hand-made of synthetic waterproof By CARALINE KOELLHOFFER ernor (Jon Corzine), the Senate Presi- began to retaliate against her. And teenagers. We would like to place those ties, including bathrooms, sinks and material, was removed from a crèche Specially Written for The Westfield Leader dent (Richard Codey) and the Assem- the purpose of bringing this action young children in Lincoln,” she said. an elevator. That building, right now, in front of St. Helen’s Church on WESTFIELD — Union County is bly Speaker (Joe Roberts) about their against her is to retaliate because she Referring to Westfield’s burgeon- is running an old steam heat system. Rahway Avenue in Westfield. not slated to be picked as part of a opinions, but also to e-mail your wouldn’t do what you wanted her to ing school population, bond support- We will add air conditioning and make On January 2, the Holy Trinity proposed bill for a countywide school friends and relatives throughout this do.” ers say centralizing kindergarten it a good facility. We can’t ask Church of Westfield reported the theft district pilot program, state elected state, so that they can contact their CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 classes would free classrooms in el- (Westfield parents) to put kids in the of its infant Jesus statue from a man- officials revealed at Tuesday night’s representatives to express their dis- ger scene on its property. The church board of education meeting. satisfaction as well. This needs to be is located in the 300 block of First Senator Tom Kean, Jr. and Assem- a grassroots movement if we are go- Councilman Caruana Denounces Recent Street. blyman Jon Bramnick of Westfield, ing to save our schools.” Authorities confirmed that the Holy and Lynne Strickland, executive di- In other business, the board dis- Trinity statue later was discovered rector of the Garden State Coalition cussed the proposed bond referen- Nativity Figurine Thefts as Hate Crimes smashed on the property of the Dooley of Schools, appeared before the BOE dum to be voted upon on Tuesday, By MICHAEL J. POLLACK a hate crime.” as a council to show “that as a whole Colonial Home on Westfield Avenue to report on the status of this pro- January 23. Business Administrator Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Police Chief John Parizeau said the community, we are appalled.” in Westfield. posed bill. Robert Berman presented a review of WESTFIELD – In its first confer- person (or people) involved “techni- The council concurred and will ar- In addition to those removed from “The bill is not dead yet, but the completed projects under past bonds ence session of 2007, the council cally, (would) probably serve some range to formulate a resolution that the Westfield churches, four statues possibility of the potential for Union and noted that the largest job left to be discussed the rash of recent thefts and time. (If it’s a) first time offender, I both recognizes Dr. King and con- were reported stolen from a crèche on County seems to be far removed,” completed under the $21,495,000 the “confusion” over Christmas tree doubt it.