Si3 PI •«*****«**CAR-RT L0T**C015 I 3 WESTFIELD MEMORIAL LIBRARY 550 E BROAD SI WESTFIELD MJ 07090-2116 07090211650 96 {topulos. flan 9t*tu*. fVrbtmmui rsMaarS ISO rswiae, Stan Siftwwfcir V law OUR 115th YEAR - ISSUE NO. 30-2005 I SPS 6*0020 Thursday. July 28, 2005 (908) 232-1407 Periodical - Postal Paid at Westfield, N J. www.gotradtr.coni [email protected] SIXTY CENTS Hearing Begins For Police Officer With an Unusual Public Forum By PAUL J. PEYTON for 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17. Chambers. Specialty Written /ttr The WetlfielJ leader The hearing was made public at the The police department’s case was WESTFIELD - In an unusual pub­ insistence of Detective Chambers, presented by James Plosia, Jr. of the lic forum, the Westfield Police De­ which is within her rights according law firm of Apruzzese, McDermott, partment began its disciplinary hear­ to written procedures for departmen­ Mastro & Murphy of Liberty Comer, ing last Thursday at noon against tal disciplinary hearings. Detective which represents the town in labor Detective Sandra Chambers, suppos­ Chambers was the first woman hired matters. edly charged with fixing a $20 park­ by the department when she joined Attorney Hassan Abdellah of Eliza­ ing ticket and covering up the matter. the force in 1995. beth represented Detective Cham­ Detective Chambers has been sus­ Held in the Community Room of bers. pended with pay since March. Dur­ the municipal building, approxi­ James Damato, a Morris County attorney, conducted the hearing. He said his role was, “to determine what the facts are and to listen to all of the evidence.” His recommendations are non-binding. During the hearing, it was brought out that Detective Chambers had ac­ cused Detective Perrotta of improp­ erly ordering special police officer Jonathan Pierce. Jr. to void a parking ticket for her friend. When Detective Perrotta con­ Don Williams for The Westfield Leader fronted officer Pierce on the allega­ WESTFIELD SWINGS..Jazz Night in Westfield was moved to Wednesday night last week due to impending rain on Tuesday. Coupled with the Car Show in town, things were really hopping as shown above on Prospect Street. tion, the officer responded, “If any­ thing it was Sandy that made me void a ticket a ticket for her son.” Officer Pierce is still employed but DWC to Use Surplus Funds to Hire can no longer issue parking sum­ mons, Mr. Morgan said. The police department initiated its GETTING ADVICE...Detective Sandra Chambers confers with with a sup­ case against Detective Chambers by Off-Duty Police Officer for Patrol porter during the disciplinary hearing last Thursday in the Community Room of focusing on this matter — a parking By PAUL J. PEYTON Mr. Gildea said the DWC had for the town's special improvement the Westfield Municipal Building. The hearing is unusual in that it has been made ticket that was voided for Jill Brown, Specially Written for The Westfield Leader public at the option of Detective Chambers, yet no charges have been released to previously requested an officer due district, manages that site. a secretary at Jefferson Elementary the public nor have they been discussed during the proceedings. A continuation WESTFIELD - Town Administra­ to problems associated with teen­ "We already have a presence in of the hearing is scheduled for August 17. School. Officer Pierce wrote the ticket tor Jim Gildea said the Downtown agers loitering in the downtown, both places (websites).” Mr. Gildea on February 4. Westfield Corporation's (DWC) hir­ especially near the Rialto Theatre said. ing the three-hour plus hearing, no mately three-dozen people attended Detective Perrotta, who teaches the ing of an off-duty police officer is a and Starbucks. Although the police The administrator stated that the charges pending against Detective including police officials, members bicycle safety and Stranger-Danger pilot program included in the DWC’s department patrolled the area last town was not abandoning its current Chambers were mentioned. of the press plus family and friends of programs at the school, testified that 2005 budget that was approved by the yean the DWC decided to go a step official website. He said new Mayor Testimony was taken from Police Detective Chambers. Plainfield Po­ she was left a message on her voice town council. further after some older citizens Andrew Skibitsky has asked officials Detective Lisa Perrotta, who super­ lice Captain Siddeeq El-Amin, Presi­ mail at work on February 4 by Ms. The DWC initiated the program, complained of not being able to get to create a “more customer-friendly vises parking ticket operations, and dent of the northern New Jersey chap­ Brown who said she received a ticket which is aimed at moving groups of , by teenagers gathered on downtown website" and a "better Web presence" Parking Director John Morgan. The ter of the National Organization of at a meter that was broken at Munici­ teenagers who congregate on week- sidewalks. for the town. The administrator de­ hearing was adjourned at the end of Black Law Enforcement Executives pal Lot No. 7. nights in the downtown. Noting the town does not have an scribed the DWC-managed site as the day for continuation scheduled also attended in support of detective Detective Perrotta, who was on Mr. Gildea said the program would ordinance to address loitering, Mr. “very vibrant" and one that receives vacation in Aruba when the ticket be paid for through DWC surplus Gildea said the goal of the pilot pro­ many visitors on the Internet. was issued, testified that the ticket funds, which, he noted, must be spent gram is “to let everybody know we “Why create the wheel when we Prospect Street Buildings was voided after it was determined this year. have a safe downtown." have the wheel already?” asked Mr. the meter was broken. Another of­ If the initiative is successful, it may “If anything does happen, we will Gildea. "And they (DWC) have done ficer was dispatched to investigate be added as a permanent program have officers on the scene," he said, a good job on the website." Demolished for Ward Dev. the matter and a report of the broken within the town’s operational budget. adding that the police have responded The administrator said town meter was filed. He described the pilot as a “preven­ to fights involving out-of-town youths webmaster Darryl Walker has made By MICHAEL POLLACK min and mosquitoes. Mold (was) CONTINUED ON PAGE W Specially Written fo r The Westfield Leader tive” safety program for the town. in the past. some “slight changes" to the existing growing on the walls." He said the DWC believed a “con­ official town website to make it more WESTFIELD - Two commercial One potential hold up to any site stant presence” by an off-duty Uni­ informative to residents. office buildings, located at 111 and work is pending litigation against Council Tables Cheeburger’s formed police officer would help de­ When asked if the DWC would 129 Prospect Street and owned by Ward and O'Donnell Property De­ ter teenagers from causing any prob­ manage westfieldtoday.com if it be­ James Ward, were demolished this velopment Co., Inc. filed by Request for Outdoor Dining lems in town. comes the town’s official website, week. Newpointe Realty, LLC. On another matter, the town is con­ Mr. Gildea replied, "not necessarily." Mr. Ward intends to construct a Town Administrator Jim Gildea By MICHAEL POLLACK Colantuono said in his e-mail that he Specially Written for The Westfield Leader sidering a change in Westfield’s offi­ Mr. Gildea said town funds are 35-unit age-restricted facility on the said, “New Pointe Realty engaged is "proposing this location because of cial website, although discussions at used to support the site. However, construction has been the town in a lawsuit and claims the WESTFIELD— The town council the very narrow sidewalks in front of this stage are informal, Mr. Gildea westfieIdtoday.com website. He said delayed pending the outcome of liti­ town has given Mr. Ward preferential discussed the legality of establishing our store and due to the fact that these said. the DWC is an entity of the town and gation filed by another builder. treatment and had spot zoned (for the sidewalk cafe dining at Cheeburger sidewalks are owned by the town in The town has used the that it is dependent on the town coun­ In order to be in compliance with age-restricted facility.) Cheeburger during its Tuesday night which we pay an easement on." westfieldnj.net site as its official cil for funding through the council’s the New Jersey Department of Com­ “We filed for a dismissal of the conference meeting. Speaking to building owner Robert website for the past few years. The approval of the DWC budget. munity Affairs, Mr. Ward had to re­ lawsuit and there will be a hearing in The restaurant, located at 251 North Massa, who was in attendance, Third town, Mr. Gildea confirmed, is look­ He said the DWC is only one op­ move all asbestos that existed on the the next week or two. We maintain Avenue West in the North Avenue Ward Councilman Mark Ciarrocca ing at the possibility of utilizing the tion the town is considering. current building, which was previously that there is no spot zoning and the train station lot, suggested, in an April said that what Cheeburger suggested westfieldtoday.com website as its of­ "There are a lot of opportunities for occupied by Statistical Research. The construction was done for the right 7 e-mail, the idea of placing seven is tantamount to “ripping up land­ ficial site.