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* C-J + I O ">• _l« O t-_J <w> I +*Ef LUO * <t • _JCC_J • UJPJLU t- Serving Westfieid, Scotch Plains and Fanwood * CO O 111 VOI. 19, N( +LUU-.UJ Friday, December 10,2004 50 cents Four teens face charges in vandalism spree •yWPI numerous acts of vandalism to residen- According to Mountainside Det. ipating in vandalism, which police THE RECORD-PRESS tial properties. The four teens are Michael Jackson, the teens were arrested described as unprovoked and indiscrimi- accused of destroying lampposts and following a late night incident when a nate. Following a destructive rampage mailboxes, throwing soup and soda cans borough resident spotted several figures By the middle of the week, throughout the area during the month of through house windows, engaging in running toward a car parked in the mid- Mountainside police had connected the November, four students from Scotch drive-by paintball shootings, and insti- dle of the road with its lights off. teens with 17 separate acts of vandalism. Plains-Fanwood High School have been gating assorted acts of Halloween may- The resident wrote down the vehicle's Jackson said the investigation was con- arrested and charged with criminal mis- hem. license plate number and contacted tinuing, and additional incidents — and chief. But authorities suspect the teens In one incident in Scotch Plains, police police. Following a preliminary investiga- suspects — could emerge during the may have been involved in acts of vandal- said a rock was thrown through a window tion, police arrested 18-year old Anthony course of the probe. ism and destruction for more than just with such force it was found embedded in Bora of Linden and David Kocses, 18, of Scotch Plains Capt. Brian Mahoney said the one calendar month. a sheetrock wall on the opposite side of Fanwood. Bora formerly lived in Scotch teens are believed to be linked to 30 separate This week, police described a series of the room. In a separate incident, a town- Plains and had attended Scotch Plains- acts of destruction during the weekend of Nov. violent acts in which the suspects ship woman was nearly struck by a flying Fanwood High School. Two 16-year old 19-21. Authorities are still trying to compile allegedly pounded car hoods and win- soup can as it shattered a kitchen win- juveniles, one from Scotch Plains and one incident and damage reports, but Mahoney dows with baseball bats and committed dow while she was washing dishes. from Fanwood, are also accused of partic- (Continued on page A-2) Residents Raatfyfer to decide on track 7/w Westfieid Blue Devils hope to follow up two consecutive 16-win boy's basketball seasons with another fine effort this season. And, and field despite some key transfers and injuries, Scotch Plains-Fanwood still THE RECORD-PRESS has plenty of talent. See Sports Page C-l WESTFIELD — Town voters will decide the fate of a proposed artificial turf field and new run- ning track at Kehler Stadium on Tuesday. The $1.3 million project, which will be paid for by issuing 10-year bonds, will be placed before resi- dents in a town-wide referendum. If it is approved, the project is expected to increase property taxes on the average homeowner by about $18 per year. More than $1 million of the cost is attributable to the turf field component of the project, which school officials say will make the A totter way stadium available to numerous high school sports teams that cur- rently use other fields. The field is te coach b-ball also expected to require little rou- Westfieid resident Ed Liebowitz tine maintenance, allowing the believes too many basketball coach- It's almost district to focus energy and es take the fun out of the game for resources on maintaining other their players — and he's written a grass fields across town. book showing how he thinks they Christmastime The artificial turf field would can do better. See the story on With the Christmas holiday be similar to the FieldTurf surface PageB-1. fast approaching, towns now in place at Giants Stadium, across the area are hosting which is more forgiving than the celebrations. Above, Madlyn "first generation" of artificial Ostrandler and Jessica Van fields. A number of high schools Tassel of Scotch Plains around the state have adopted the teamed up decorate a wreath surface in recent years. in a children's contest held at the township's festivities The existing running track is Sunday. The event featured a badly deteriorated and beyond petting zoo, pony rides, a repair, according to members of visit from Santa, and even the Board of Education. rides in a horse-drawn car- To date, town-wide athletic riage. See more pictures on organizations have pledged PageB-1. $190,000 over five years to sup- plement taxpayers' contribution. In public meetings leading up to Tuesday's votr, board members BROOKS CRANDALL/CORRESPONDENT justified the project's cost by pointing to skyrocketing athletic participation and demand for field Klwanis sponsors use. In 1983, only 670 students competed in school facilities; cur- luminary sale Elizabeth Avenue subdivision withdrawn rently, 1,226 students use district- owned fields. The district's athlet- The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Kiwanis •yBfUD restrict a development neighbors would be accessed by a cul-de- backyards of existing homes would interrupt the character of ic facilities are available to many Club is selling holiday luminaries at THE RECORD-PRESS say is a classic case of "shoehorn- sac. Under that configuration, other youth sports organizations. the Fanwood Municipal Garage. ing." the project wouldn't require vari- the neighborhood. WESTFIELD — A developer's During the hearing, board The board has prepared a 15- Proceeds will support the club's At a special board meeting ances, he explained. minute presentation detailing the charitable programs. For more, see plan to subdivide an irregularly last week, attorney Robert Kraus Though Chairman Jay Boyle members focused their attention Page A-3. shaped piece of property on presented a plan to subdivide one emphasized that the board on the height of the proposed project for broadcast on TV36. The Elizabeth Avenue was with- lot into two new building lots. should focus its attention on the new single-family houses, and presentation airs at noon and 4 drawn last week after Planning The project required variances subdivision as presented, several lobbied the developer to save p.m. Thursday; noon Friday; noon Board members signaled their for lot area, depth, and width. board members were influenced some of the trees that predomi- and 9 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. and 9 intention to vote against the pro- Most of the variances were neces- by the looming threat of an alter- nate the wooded property. p.m. Sunday; 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. posal. sitated by the lot's unusual, nar- nate configuration they wanted Board member Robert Newell and 10:30 p.m. Monday; and 1 But the two-lot subdivision row frontage along Elizabeth to prevent. suggested the developer abandon p.m. Tuesday. Information is also Don't forget could find its way back on the Avenue. Board members were opposed plans to enlarge a retnining wall available online at www.westfield- board's agenda as a conforming Kraus also presented an alter- to the alternate, conforming that neighbors opposed. He also nj.com. subdivision. And if that happens, nate plan by which the wider plan. They argued that allowing Polls will be open from 2-9 p.m. to vote! the board may be unable to rear portion of the property new houses to be built in the (Continued on page A-2) Tuesday. Westfieid residents will go to the polls Tuesday to vote on a $1.3 mil- lion referendum to build a new track and field at Kehler Stadium. Polls Residents want more retail space in new downtown will be open from 2-9 p.m. the downtown. four different variations of a new plan establishes a framework for future devel- THE RECOBD-PRESS The designated redevelopment zone that would be at least partially driven by opment but is nut a construction blue- encompasses land bordered by South, private property owners. Existing struc- print. FANWOOD — The borough's down- LaGrande and Martine avenues and tures facing Martine Avenue will proba- "It's important to differentiate between town redevelopment plan will likely fea- First Street. Local officials want to see bly remain untouched, while new mixed- a concept plan and a site plan," he said. ture a scaled-back residential component mixed retail and residential development use buildings on South Avenue and First Under a scenario that emerged as the ; Commentary A-6 and could be at least partially driven by in the tract to boost the borough's com- Street are likely, he snid. clear favorite of residents, new mixed-use current downtown property owners, offi- mercial ratable base and make the down- Residential units, which hnve been n buildings would be constructed on South Community Life B-1 cials said at a public forum last week. town more attractive. focus of neighbors' criticisms throughout Avenue. A pedestrian area would be built The event, which featured the most spe- When a Democratic administration the open forums, nre expected to be con- through the expanded parking lot in the JSports C-1 cific plans offered this year about the took office this year, they stopped negoti- centrated on the Dean Oil site, located in center of the zone, opening into a public project, was the third meeting borough ations then underway on the redevelop- the southwest portion of the tract.

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