L Iiing to Live Inside of Cramped Quarters
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DON'T MISS ELECTION PREVIEWS PAGE A-5 R-E-S-P-E-C-T Bridal special Vote for Fido Westfieid hockey takes Quality shops serving Your turn to vote aim on county title couples describe their on photos of our S— Ms wrack's wares, services readers' beloved pets See Sports, page B-l WMkmdPlus See pages A-12-13 See ballot on page A-15 o o The^festfield Record Thursday, October 29,1992 A Forbes Newspaper 25 cents L CY r- t/i m o </> iiing to live inside of cramped quarters Fall 1993 expansion plan will alleviate Washington Elementary overcrowding By EUZABETH OROMEK The school board has been studying the possibility of the addition for nearly a year. THE RECORD They started the process to get state ap- Despite the cramped conditions at proval for the building about six months Washington Elementary School, Principal ago, anticipating the need for the extra Ken Wark remains confident about the space. Now, all that is left is "fleshing out quality of education offered at his build- the details," Mr. Wark said. ing. Both the school board and Mr. Wark are This is the second year the school has keeping their fingers crossed the new been coping with a lack of space because classrooms will be ready by the start of the of the need for more classrooms. But, next school year in September. thanks to the foresight of the school board, The board opted to go with architects this could be the last year students at the Faridy, Thorne, and Fraytak because their school face a crowding problem. plan called for the completion of the Last week, the board voted unanimously project by next fall. to build a four-classroom addition onto the Even though redistricting was not an school at a cost of $568,000. answer because of the lack of space in the Music and art instruction is currently other two North side schools, Mr. Wark been held in regular classrooms (instead of said redistricting is never good news to a specific fine arts room) and teachers of Westfieid parents. DIANE MATFLERD^HE RECORD these subjects have been forced to work "The parents feel ownership for the Teacher Ginger Haselden works at her desk In the kitchen at Washington Elementary School. The school board has out of the school's kitchen, storing their school, many people buy homes in these approved an addition onto the school vfrhlch should help alleviate the lack of apace In the building. supplies, books, and instruments in the neighborhoods became of the particular cabinets. schools," Mr. Wark b-'iid. "But there is liter- While Mr. Wark and the teachers have been successful at "stealing non- ally no place to send the students." District considers its options as traditional space" for use, the situation "Money is well spent on the elementary does not benefit the students or the teach- school level," Mr. Wark said. "The tradi- ers. tional, classroom teacher driven system UCES mulls plans to leave school "You can get away with it for a while, that has been successful in Westfieid, is but then it starts to effect morale," Mr. cost efficient The elementary schools do By EUZABETH QROMEK ing definite plans, as the regional board of renovations needed to do that, the Wark said. not have to support a variety of sports has yet to make a Anal decision on the teams or clubs, like the upper level THE RECORD board does not see that as a feasible op- For example, the school is planning a matter. The UCES authorized its executive tion. Due to stnte regulations, the school Pizza Day and all the teacher's desks and schools do. Tliis allows for more money to Lincoln School may hang out a "va- board at its Oct. 8 meeting to negotiate could not be sold overnight in the case of equipment will have to be moved out of reinforce the elementary system. cancy" sign by the end of this school year. with the regional board, If the opportunity vacancy, nor could the land be sold for the kitchen so it can actually be used as a "Our approach is to invest in people. We The WestfieJd Avenue school, which has arose to rent one of their vacant schools. development without proper municipal kitchen. Afterwards, the custodians will do that by having small classes and great been leased by the Union County Educa- Even so, the UCES may not consolidate all zoning changes. Parents in the neighbor- have to move everything back. teachers." tional Services (UCES) since the early their programs, Mr. Hartnett said. hood of the school are concerned over the 1980's, could be empty if the UCES moves "It would be premature to say we are potential lose of the playground area if the into a school vacated by the county re- going to move," Mr. Hartnett said. UCES moves out of the school and the gional high school district. There are 54 students in the former Lin- land is developed or rezoned. Friends efforts push for Last week, Donald Merachnik, su- coln School, now called Centennial High The regional school board will vote on perintendent of the regional school dis- School. These students are part of 285 spe- closing the school at its Nov. 17 meeting. trict, recommended closing David Brearley cial education students in the UCES No action will be taken by the UCES until to Noel Taylor High School in Kenilworth. Brearley is school system, which also provides auxil- after that Last spring, when the board one of the four regional high schools iary special education services to non- voted on the same issue, it was defeated By EUZABETH QROMEK where students from six municipalities at- public schools and transportation to 1,200 Friends envision a bronze or tend. students who attend the special education by a 5-4 vote. THE RECORD However, now that there are recom- The board had talked about closing a and vocational schools in the county. Noel Taylor may not be around to ap- brass plaque on a large rock at mendations which specify which school school last year in an effort to save money. The Westfieid School Board would lose preciate it, but friends of the late Westfieid the entrance to (Brightwood) Currently, Brearley is only about 42 per- over $100,000 in revenue from the rent of will close, board members who are sure resident are doing their best to care for the that it is not their school may not be hesi- park with an inscription on it. cent full, which, to many, makes it the Lincoln School if Centennial moves out. At environment tant to vote for the closing. They recently obvious choice to close. a meeting of members of the school board Because of the efforts of Mr. Taylor, Part of Dr. Merachnik's recom- and the town council, Westfieid su- voted 7-1 for the superintendent to go Westfieid has a nature preserve where mendation called for the rental of the perintendent Mark Smith said the board ahead with the study and make the pro- townspeople can experience and learn to Weslfield. The 38 acre park has more Brearley building to the UCES, but no for- has no long term interest in the building. posal. Residents of both Garwood and Ke- about the land. Friends of the naturalist than 350 species of plants and many dif- mal plans or offers have been made yet. The board did discuss the possibility of nilworth are opposed to the idea of losing and high school science teacher are col- ferent birds ant! animals. The^ pond and The superintendent of the UCES, Edward moving the administrative offices into the their school, and have mobilized efforts to lecting money to erect a memorial in marsh attract different kinds of flora and Martnctt, said it was too early to start mak- building, but due to the extensive amount keep Brearley open as their high school. Brightwood Park to its founder and chief fauna, creating two separate eco systems. ecologist During the creation of the park, many Mebane, LaPorta They envision a bronze or brass plaque remnants of the land's other uses were on a large rock at the entrance to the park recovered. The land had been farmed be- only contested race Committee plans bicentennial with an inscription on it Mr. Taylor's wife, fore the 20th century and used as a dump. Thelma, has a similar memorial, The There was a layer of coal ashes about four By EUZABETH GROMEK birthday. plaque will be inscribed with one of the By EUZABETH GROMEK All the committees are looking for volun- feet deep embedded with milk bodies THE RECORD philosophies Mr. Taylor espoused, "Man THE RECOUU teers to help plan the festivities. If readers from local dairies, beer bottles, and medi- must learn to live with nature or he will cine bottles. In the 50s and 60s, squatters Although half the town council mem- A nine-member executive committee, would like to volunteer time to the planning destroy himself. As he destroys nature, he lived on the land, but the town destroyed bers and the mayor are on next week's headed by United Fund Director Linda Mag- of tho celebration, crews would love your destroys part of himself." ballot, only one incuml>ent is being chal- gio, is currently making plans for Westfield's help. Volunteers are need for major events, James Carden and Robert Dellorusso all the dwellings when it purchased the lenged in Tuesday's election, bicentennial celebration in 1994, projects and activities, permanent projects, are leading the fund-raising efforts.