F=HOW TO GET THE LEADER =ii Just Fill in the Form On Page 24 And Return It to Us! — Serving the Town Since 1890 — USPS *W» OUR 106th YEAR SecuM Cla ftaUft Paid « WntfMd. NJ. Thursday, April 13,1995 232-4407 FIFTY CENTS POLLING PLACES WILL BE OPEN FROM 1 TO 9 RM. ON TUESDAY Nine Candidates Are on Ballot; 17,788 Registered Voters to Decide Fate of $41,266,644 to Be Raised by Taxes; Budget Up 2,17 Per Cent At Last Year's Spring School Elections Only 16.62 Per Cent of Registered Voters Bothered to Cast Ballots By KURT C. BAUER li Wri/or Tkr Wntfrkt liaitr Seven candidates for the Westfield Board of Education are competing for three full terms and two hopefuls for an unexpired two-year lerm in thisTuesday's,April 18, school board elections. In addition, residents will decide the fate of the $41,266,644 portion of the $47,266,644 school budget to be supported by local taxes. The $41 million figure to be voted on this year represents a 2.17 in- crease over last year which, if ap- 1 Mn.DtrMt proved by the voters, would result in Mra. Elton Mr*. VirgloU "GlnqaT L. Dr.MlchMlL MICHAEL A. J. Keith S. UirtB. John*. PiUlA. WALSH BATTI1.0R0, JR. an increase of S86.23 per year on an SATKIN HARDWICK MAZZARESE FARRELL HERTELL BOYO TORIELLO Ballot Position No. 2 average home in town with an assess- Ballot Position No. 1 Ballot Position No. 2 Ballot Position No. 3 Ballot Position No. 4 Ballot Position No. 5 Ballot Position No. 6 Ballot Position No. 7 Ballot Position No. 1 mentof$257,270, according lo school Mrs. Darielle Walsh, are being chal- Michael L. Mazzarese, Mrs? Virginia Boyd. V the $7.6 million bond referendum in additional classrooms to be con- officials. lenged inthcirquest for re-election to "Ginger" L. Hardwick, Michael A. S. Incumbent John M.Toriello is be- December. The spending plan, which structed on four of the town's six Incumbents, Mrs. Eileen Satkin and three-year seats on the board by Dr. Farrell, Keith S. Hertell and Mark B. ing opposed by Paul A^B.attiloro, Jr. was rejected by the voters, called for C0NVHUED OH PAGE tl for the two-year sert,''.".'•' ••' Mrs. Maggie Cimei,:the district's Candidate Retains Attorney, Investigator Director of Community Relations, School Board to Decide revealed that a total of 17,788 resi- dents are eligible to vole in the elec- tion. A total of 2,9 5,1 residents, or To Handle 'Despicable' Campaign Tactic 16.62 per cent of the 17,512 eligible On Claim Against Parent voters, cast their ballots in last year's Michael A. J. Farrell Vows to File Suit Shortly and to Pursue school election. Voters rejected deci- Resident Broke Rules by Using Franklin School Copier sively the school spending plan in Yet Unknown Person 'to the Very End'in Attempt to Clarify Matter 1994 for the first time in a decade. To Duplicate Campaign Literature at Monday's Event ByPAULJ.PEVTON hired in 1992 by the Citadel Corp., said he has also sought legal counsel, According to inforniationobtained By PAUL J. PEYTON Mr. Peck >ncl with ihc hoard's Presi- And KURT C.BAUEK one of the four Finns with which he and plans to file suit as soon as pos- by the New Jersey School Boards SpniMit WTiwnJt'r Thi- Wt\i[trld Usvirr dent, Mrs. Susan II. Pepper, and Vice Sprcully Wmun/br rV Wtufithl Uadn wasaffiliuted, tocomplcte its required sible against the now-unknown per- Association, bycomparison, the voter Westfield Bonrd of Education Attor- President. Mrs. Susan Jacobson, at noon Westfield Board of Education can- annual opinion and report. Mr, Farrell son or persons who released the in- turnoutduring statewide school board ney, William D. Peck, is expected !<) yesterday In discuss Ihe issue. didate, Michael A,J. Farrell, has hired said the opinion was challenged by formation which he said was done elections last year was 15.3 per cent prcscnl a legal opinion lo the board today Superintendent ol Schools. Dr. Mark a private investigator to determine Citadel's prime regulator in 199.5 purposely lo damage his character in when only 51.4 per cent of school on what aciion. if any, the board should C. Smith, said school h»nid candidate, the source of information of last which initially agreed with the ac- the voters' eyes just two weeks be- budgets throughout the state were take against a parent for committing a Michael A. J. Faircll, has requested the matter be turned over lu tfie office of week's Westfield Record article which counting firm's findings fore the school board race. He snirt he passed. The highest percentage of violation of Ihe slate election law. The violation occurred Monday night Union County Prosecutor Andrew K. reported on his suspension and fine "That accounting decision was intends In "pursue the matter to its budgets passed in the past 20 years when a parent, whose name is known but Ruotolo, Jr., a Wcslficld resident Dr. lost year by the National Association legal conclusion"and has a good idea was 86.5 per cent in 1985. A total of made acoupleof thousand miles away isbcingwithhcldby The Wesificld lender, Smith said the final decision on any fur- of Securities Dealers, Inc., a trade in Denver from my office, and not by who supplied the information to The 55.6 per cent of school budgets were ther aciion will have In lit1 made by the group. ran off 20 copies of campaign literature me, although I am responsible for it," Record. defeated in 1976, the highest per- and distributed them following the full school board. The penalties were said to be the Mr. Farrcll said. Mr. Parrell, while employed as a centage of defeat during that same Franklin School Parcm-TcachcrOigaiii- School officials have been in touch result of an alleged error made by u In a statement issued exclusively Vice President of (he now-defunct time frame. zalion "Candidates' Night " Under stale wilh Ihc slate Election Commission and the New Jersey School Hoards Associa- "Big Six" accounting firm which was to The Wesifield Leader, Mr. Farrell Citadel Funding Corp., was sus- Thirty-three per cent of the town's law, school funds and facilities may not commico ONP/UXU pended for 30 days, and he and two eligible voters, 5,777, turned out for he utilized lo promote political issues. other brokers were fined $150,000 on November 15, 1994 by the self- Dr. Smith Rejects Offer regulalory agency which operates the NASDAQ Stock Market. Council Fails to Muster Two-Thirds Thi; agency cited the brokerage For Post in Connecticut firm and three of its principals for their failure to maintain the mini- To Rezone Proposed ShopRite Site mum net capital required by the Fed- He Was Offered $41,000 Less for Ellington Job eral Securities Exchange Commis- Superior Court Injunction Bars Councilman Greco From Voting on Issue sion. The Superintendent of Westfield Schools, Dr. Mark C. Smith, con- Mr. Farrell said the incident was an By PAUL J. l'KYTON owns a number of buildings inthedown- hold ihc wishes of my constituents" to the .fyrtioH, IWmru/br "" 'KrHpettlUtitirr firmed a report last week that he has accounting error and the funds of towu area which arc occupied by retail First Ward. declined an offer from the Ellington, The Westfield Town Council fell one businesses which would be, to some de- Councilman Jenkins said his vole was. vote shy Tuesday of the necessary Iwo- gree, in compclilion wilh ShopRite. in large part, due lo the impact of traflic Connecticut Public School District thirds tally needed lo rezone lhc North Village Supermarkets had also sought from implementation of Lhc slate agency's to become their chief schools admin- Mrs. Tainow Files Avenue border wilh Garwood where a an injunclivc relief aciion to disallow ihc traffic requirements for approving the istrator. 58.000-squarc fool ShopRite has been town from enacting the re/oning uf the store. He said approvaloflhc store would According to a report, the position For June 6 Primary proposed. The need for six votes came as lumberyard property. Judge Weckcr. result in a traffic "bottleneck" on North was offered lo him on April 6 follow- Town Clerk, Mrs. Joy C. Vrccland, the result of a protest petition signed by however, ruled againsl this aciion Avenue, noting that in snowemergencies ing a vote by the community's school announced Tuesday that Democrat, Norman "Dutch" Sevell, lhc owner of Charles H. Brandt, the town's attor- vehicles might have a difficult time get- board in favorof the appointment the Mrs. Theresa Willncr Tainow of Sum- lumberyard properly where the >lure ney announced the town intended lo ap- ting through the traflic. would be built, and another properly previous night. mil Avenue, has filed forlhcTuesday, peal Judge Wcckcr's decision barring Councilman Panagos. a member of Ihc owner. Councilman Greco from voling on the Planning Board, said he was mil support- In a letter tu the district's .staff June &. primary elcciion for Ihc Third Ward scat on Ihc Town Council. Under lhc slate's municipal land use ordinance. The appeal was expected lo be ing the /.oiling: changes, because (lie "or- dated April 7, which was obtained by incumbent Republican Third Ward law. a properly owner, who has his prop- filed yesterday. April 12, at the Appellate dinance goes too far." Me said rezoning The Westfield Leader from Dr. Smith, Councilman Cornelius "Neil" F erty rczoncd.