2002-10-10.Pdf

IT 1010 Pg A1 Yellow Red Blue Black Volume 115 Number 39 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2002 60 Cents Lessons from the pros Troubles still plague school contract talks Dr. Brodow said yesterday that By Harry Trumbore he would not specifically re- of The Item spond to Mr. Nadler’s comments. Contract talks between nego- He warned, however, that any tiators for the Board of Educa- conclusion that the district made tion and the Communications monetary offers solely to settle Workers of America (CWA), the grievances is inaccurate. union representing school dis- “When all is said and done, the trict maintenance workers and full context of private discus- custodians, appear to be just sions and the goals they hope to barely alive. achieve are most important,” he Last week, the school district said. “It is obvious to me that reportedly made an informal certain parties have no respect offer to the local union officers to for the process and will have to settle the contract and related live with the consequences.” grievances, but the terms were re- Negotiations and discussions jected, apparently leaving negoti- between the parties have been ations back where they started. held sporadically since the dis- According to maintenance trict’s contract with the workers worker Jeffrey Nadler, president expired June 30. In August, the of the local chapter of the CWA, board suspended negotiations al- he and his vice president, Frank together with the CWA when a Bagnato, met informally Oct. 1 second union, the New Jersey with Superintendent of Schools Educational Association, made a Richard Brodow. At that time, bid to represent the workers. Mr. Nadler claims the two offi- Despite the fact the CWA sub- cers were offered a contract with sequently retained its bargaining annual salary raises of 5 percent position in September, the two in exchange for dropping griev- parties have yet to resume formal ances and unfair labor practice discussions. Staff photos/Harry Trumbore charges workers filed against the Earlier this week, Dr. Brodow board. WRITERS AT WORK—Poet Catherine Doty, left, who conducted a series of writing workshops for sixth graders at the said he doesn’t want the board Mr. Nadler, who said Gail middle school last week, helps Lindsay Boyajian sharpen her poetry. Right, Dan Greenburg, author of The Zack Files painted as the “obstinate” party. Mason Massey, the CWA repre- series of novels, visited Deerfield School Oct. 3 and signed autographs for some of his fans. “This board made every effort sentative on the workers’ negoti- to move ahead, but it is a two- ating team, was not present at the way street,” Dr. Brodow said. Students learning secrets of good writing meeting, rejected the offer on The talks are going to take time, Friday. Continued on Page 15 To plot a story, he told his au- the butt, but it’s really worth it.” “A poem should end like dis- By Harry Trumbore dience, you need a problem, you Sixth graders at the middle mounting a horse,” she said. of The Item need a hero—“someone to root school got a different sort of in- “Bang! You’re off!” Dems want details on Visiting authors helped for, someone to care about”— struction, concentrating on the Ms. Doty made an impression unlock the secrets of good writ- and the hero needs to solve the precision of poetry, as Staten on the students during the week. ing for students at two district problem. Island resident Student Zoe Messinger said the McNett’s county job schools last week. He made the Catherine poet raised the level of their On Thursday, elementary children sharp- ‘Give the reader an ex- Doty, a visiting writing, and classmate Matthew tion’s $24,000 annual salary was en their narra- poet from the Saypoff said she taught him By Anne L. Malyska prorated to reflect the nearly 11 school students at Deerfield perience that the reader of The Item School were visited by one of tive powers by can only get though the New Jersey ways to come up with new months of employment. In light of her recent employ- their favorite authors, Dan describing the story you’ve written,’ State Council ideas. Democratic candidates for the witch in on the Arts, “She taught us to use a lot of Township Committee have come ment, Democratic candidates Greenburg, the prolific author of —Dan Greenburg The Zack Files and Maximum Hansel and conducted a verbs and to be creative,” forward with concerns about the Abbott Gorin and Annette Di- Boy series of books. Gretel with all weeklong Meredith Fischler said. “It’s fun public-sector employment histo- Pasqua-Romano are criticizing Although his heroes some- five of their senses. Next, he ad- workshop in poetry. having her here.” ry of Republican incumbent Ms. McNett for her past affilia- times have superpowers and ex- vised them to open their story In Kathryn LaRosa’s lan- Like Mr. Greenburg, Ms. Mary McNett. tions with the county, citing what perience fantastic adventures, with a catchy first sentence, then guage arts class Friday, Ms. Doty stressed to the students the Ms. McNett, who has served they feel is a conflict of interest. the stories themselves, he told read several of his own humor- Doty moved from desk to desk, importance of rereading and re- on the Committee since 1994, is “There’s this conflict,” Mr. the students, grow out of his ous openings as the children reading the poems she and the vising their work, the hardest seeking her fourth, three-year Gorin said. “It’s hypocritical to personal experiences, “mostly laughed with recognition students had worked on all lesson young writers have to term in office. She has in past rail against the county and take from adventures with my “Give the reader an experi- week. With editorial sugges- learn. years taken part-time work as- these types of assignments.” family.” Everything from a trip ence that the reader can only get tions and gentle nudging, she “You’re not diminishing (your signments with Essex County, He asserts her county employ- to a tiger ranch to a visit to though the story you’ve writ- pushed students to lay out the work),” she told the class, “but she said, including with the ment is at odds with her role on Hawaii has the potential to ten,” was Mr. Greenburg’s lines of their poems with care. respecting yourself, learning the Turtle Back Zoo and most re- the Township Committee, and in- become a storyline for Mr. advice to would-be writers. “A poem has to look good, to first thing may not be the best cently with the Department of fluences her ability to serve the Greenburg. He emphasized the impor- sound good, to ‘mean’ good,” you can write.” Economic Development, Train- township. He asks that she “ad- “Max is really me as an 11- tance of revising one’s work by Ms. Doty said. Ms. Doty, whose collection of ing and Employment. dress the issue,” by sharing how year-old boy,” Mr. Greenburg quoting his college-aged son She advised the students to poetry, Momentum, will be pub- Managing the economic devel- she obtained the job, the work told his audience. Zack, who originally was the stick with a verb tense, to avoid lished next year by CavanKerry opment department’s newsletter, that she did and the terms of her His best ideas come at night, model for the 10-year-old hero repeating the same word and to Press, will return in two weeks Ms. McNett confirmed she compensation. he said, and he keeps a journal of the series that bears his end a poem with punch, not a to listen in when students read worked part-time from the end of “If you are going to try to get and a flashlight near his bed. name: “Rewriting is a pain in summary. their finished poems to the class. September 2001 through August your town a break from Essex of this year. The county posi- Continued on Page 15 Straight, DiVincenzo fight for county executive seat Reducing property taxes is Straight’s goal DiVincenzo sets sights on top county post Newark, Irvington and Orange.” budget. This is unheard of. It’s By Eveline Speedie Turning to her track record in By Eveline Speedie very un-Democratic-like. No of The Item business, she cited successes of The Item county did what we did.” Combining a background in while associated with Head and Joseph N. DiVincenzo is look- Regarding the secession issue, business with a commitment to Co., a merchant banking firm ing to Nov. 5 to realize his dream which this township raised in re- fostering women in politics, Re- specializing in the insurance in- of serving the people of Essex sponse to the heavy tax burden it publican Candace Straight is dustry. She has worked for nu- County, and said Friday he has shares as a member of Essex making a run for the office of merous corporations, including the track record to be the logical County, Mr. DiVincenzo said he Essex County executive and Merck & Co., Inc. and Bankers choice for their top executive. sent a letter “right away” to offers four reasons for doing so. Trust Co., where she held high Citing his lengthy service on invite local officials to discuss “The No. 1 issue, and my No. 1 executive positions. the Board of Chosen Freehold- the matter. goal, is to reduce property taxes,” Her emphasis in recent weeks ers—for the past eight years as “The way we’re being taxed is Ms.

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