In Brief Sixteen Percent of the Cranford Incentives
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tiny Liechtenstein Cranford Baseball League How The Don won QD. European tour teams win area tournaments in new 'Introductions' See Page B-1 Details on Classified Page 7 Ticket contest, details Page A-10 : • • • • . • ••.' •••.•*• SERVING CRANFORD, GARWOOD and KENILWORTH A Forbes Newspaper USPS 136 800 Second Class Vol.'98'No. 30 PublishedEveiyThursday Thursday, July 25, 1991 Postage Paid Cranford, N. J. 50 CENTS School board accepts payment compromise from Town Committee By Cheryl Moulton Township Committee and Board The problem started whep the of Education compromised Mon- state held up.approval of the 1991 day night Although initially it j^jjpj^jg^^^g seemed the^ school board was" about the inability of the county going to stand tough on the town's "strike the tax rate, whichcaused inability to make the $3.8 million the town to wait to send out town- tax levy payment by Aug. 9, after ship tax bills to residents, which two hours of debating the issue made unavailable the $3.8 million board* members agreed to allow tax levy to the Board of Educa- the township to delay total pay- tion. Force tried to explain the ment until Sept 1 while paying all board bills until them. school board was a victim of cir- cumstances, as was the township, Most board members came pre- which ultimately saw some of the pared to "go to court" if necessary cbnfusiori clear for board mem- in order to get much needed dol- bers. lars due them by state law, bring- ing with them an assortment of Although the Board of Educa- preconceived notions about why tion can invest monies they re- the township could not make the ceive from the township, they payment It appeared crossed sig- have no capacity to borrow funds, nals, misinformation and ruffled relying completely on the town- feathers had brought about their ship for monetary support State 1 c attitude, with little of "the true statutes provide protection for the facts being known. schools with directives as to how the local tax levy is to be paid A heated if not nasty exchange throughout the year. Municipali- erupted between superintendent ties, however, may choose to work of schools Robert Paul and Town- out an alternate method of pay- ship Committee member and fi- ment if agreeable to both sides. nance commissioner Dan Aschen- bach. Aschenbach resented Paul's Once it was established the allegations the Board of Educa- township would pay the monies tion, and consequently the when township tax dollars start schools,'- would be bankrupt, rolling in, tension dissolved some- stressing it had .upset many peo- what and productive discussion ple needlessly, creating miscon- followed, with sides visibly drawn ceptions about the township's in- as to how board members felt tentions. Board president James Van Horn', however, led a con- Force suggested the township Photos by Dlanno Dovorson trolled meeting with few out- pay all the board's bills and pay- >;/ bursts. rolls through the find of August, FAIR DAY: Ivterla GarzoneT~1eft-,--airos for prize fish whjlg delaying complete payment of the Katherine Makowski and.Kristin Montross, above, sitt tnrougn Mayor Ed force likened the $3.8 million levy until residential fury over the last several weeks to sand for coins at last week's playground fair at the Community 7 taxes are paid, alleviating some of Center. More playground news is^n Page B-1. the "Gunfight at O.K Corral,' add-, the* anxiety board members felt ing "but when the smoke clears, about payrolls and bills for the we still have a problem." start of the school year. While this solution was not understood at first by some board members, fur™ ther explanation on the part of 16% of school personnel eligible for incentives Force, township administrator Ed By Rosalie Gross gible will take advantage of the Murphy, township finance direc- July 1 and Jan. 1. Another bill years of service and average of tor Tom Grady, and Aschenbach In brief Sixteen percent of the Cranford incentives. "They just came to . would extend state-paid health in- the last three years of salary. school district's 380 employees hear," she said, "especially those surance to PERS retirees who proved somewhat successful. would be eligible to take advan- under 55." now pay the premium themselves. If the hypothetical teacher were Fertilizer tage of pension retirement incen- Persons must meet the age and to stay an additional three years, However, board members wait- tives that have been passed by the According to Paul, the average his final average salary, based on ed to go into closed session to It may be dirt to some peo- service requirement between July salary of teachers age 52 to 53 state legislature and are awaiting 1,1991 and June 1,1992 and must a 6.9 percent increase at the top come to a final decision, voting 5- ple, but to Henry Dreyer it's Gov. Florio's signature. who would qualify for the incen- of the salary guide, would be 4 in favor of accepting the town- fertilizer. Page A-3. retire between Feb. 1 and July 1, tives is $53,000 based on 25 years Sixty-three teachers, adminis- 1992 to gain the benefits: They $56,745 and the pension is esti- - ship proposal. Voting in favor of trators and support staff fall with- will not be provided after that of service. If they were to retire mated at $25,500 or 45 percent the township's proposal were now, their pension would be James Van Horn, Tom Bonhag, in provisions of the state proposal. date. The bill is designed to save According to an explanatory Scholarships Under the bill, employees who school boards money by enabling $19,980 or 37 percent of their sal- Robert Sintich, Andrew Pelliccio ary. He said the additional five statement attached to the Senate and Loretta Smith; those opposing are 50 years old and have 25 years senior employees to retire earlier bill, five years of service credit Jaycees have awarded five of service would gain an ad- and replacing them with lower- years of service credits would add the proposal were Edna Silvey, college scholarships including another $3,900 for an annual pen- would increase retirement bene- Pat Martinelli, Henry Pavlak and ditional five years of credit on paid staffers. A: "grandfather" fits by 8.3 percent of the final av- two four-year grants to Cran- their service record. There are 53 clause would provide the ad- sion approaching $24,000 or 45 Dee Sugalski. Paul does not have ford graduates. Page A-2. percent erage salary or $833 for "every voting power on the board. local school employees in this cat- ditional pension effective Jan. 1, $10,000. egory. Those who are 60 years of 1992 for persons retiring between Pensions are based on age, age and have 20 years of service Garwood would have their health benefits paid after retirement but would Board of Education has ap- _-.Mtrj5.j!n_extEa_r»Yej!:eariL;tjtr M Fund raising for senior bus nears half mark pointed "a new~ principal and i service credit Ten qualify for this his predecessor is su- I benefit .Currently— only retired donations continue to roll in with corpora- Governing body member Dan Aschenbach ihg...Second Avenue resident teachers with 25 years of service By Cheryl Moulton tions,' "businesses and" banks contributing took on the chore of helping organize and was swindled of savings. Page ! have state health plan benefits Fund raising for a new senior citizen bus is $6,825 so far. Service organizations, clubs and raise the money to see a bus purchased this A-8. '• paid. The bill covers teachers en- off and running with over $14,400 in the pot, churches have donated $1,550, with personal year, however, the road could be a long one. ', rolled in the Teachers Pension but a new bus Will run at least $35,000. contributions topping out at $908. Although several more fund raisers are ' and Annuity Fund (TPAF) and The combined efforts of many have gener- The senior clubs joined the, bandwagon by planned, the halfway mark is still a long way Eagle Scouts support staff in the Public Em- ated more funds than anticipated but far less collecting $971.82, with more expected in the oft". I ployees Retirement System than needed to provide senior citizens with fall when a "Turkey Stroll" is planned. Meanwhile .Aschenbach asked fellow gov- Two Boy Scouts of St Micha- (PERS)r •- ---."- --- another vehicle. Although the township pro- An unexpected and unsolicited donation of erning body members early in July to match receiyed- ldtifei $2,500 from Walgreen's^ in Gajrwood wasjhe the fund-raising efforts at the halfway mark or Eagle pins. Page A-3. - —Thc-rctirement-inccntives-were r explained by schools superinten- plague the buses which seem to alternate cause for celebTation and~a~change m~tHe~se ~ $;50ny$tbhi g \ dent Robert Paul to a 60-person being in the stoop. Still, they are transporta- nior bus route. "We used to stop just in front until the fall. Efders, while sympathetic, re- audience of predominantly school tion, and for many seniors in town, the only of Kings, now we stop at Walgreen's too," said quested a price on the bus and then they Country store- ^"employees at a recent Board of mode of transportation for shopping and at- Frank D'Antonio, township recreation and "would consider a donation." Aschenbach said —Education-meeting. _ tending religious services on Sunday. parks director. , the township has matched other volunteer The zoning boanf~has ap- However, Cranford Education Some of the fund raisers include the sale of All the proceediFTrom tiie desserf'lastrrig™ b proved a country store for the Association president Diane Tay- a "dine out" book, senior stroll, dessert tasting party >n June went into the pot thanks to the fact the governing body had made a "commit- downtown.