Berman Charges Pending Westfield Town 'Friends'
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, October 20, 2011 OUR 121st YEAR – ISSUE NO. 42-2011 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS Disko Pleads Guilty of Defrauding Schools; Berman Charges Pending By BETSEY BURGDORF General’s Office, as part of his plea Robert Berman, 55, of South Specially Written for The Westfield Leader agreement, Disko faces three to five Plainfield, who served as Westfield WESTFIELD – Kenneth Disko, years in state prison and fines of at Board of Education (BOE) business 48, of Mountainside pleaded guilty least $50,000 to be paid to the state’s administrator until March, when he on October 12 to making false repre- Anti-Trust Revolving Fund, which was charged with second-degree brib- sentations for a government contract, supports anti-trust enforcement. ery in connection with a bid-rigging a second-degree offense, in state Su- Disko also will be barred from public scheme. Mr. Berman is charged with perior Court in Union County. Disko contracts in New Jersey for 10 years. allegedly accepting over $13,000 oversaw construction projects for the Sentencing for Mr. Disko is sched- worth of window glass and doors Westfield, Scotch Plains-Fanwood uled for January 20, 2012. installed at his home by Metropolitan and Tinton Falls school districts. He Mr. Disko, who is not a state-li- from 2004 to 2008 in exchange for was charged with accepting kickbacks censed engineer, was associated with making written recommendations totaling $80,000, as well as orches- M. Disko & Associates of Kenilworth, that the Westfield BOE appoint the trating a series of fraudulent contract the architect of record for the company as the “contractor of record” schemes that resulted in him pocket- Westfield school district at the time for the district. Mr. Berman remains ing thousands of dollars. of the indictment. on unpaid leave from the Westfield According to the Attorney’s Charges are still pending against BOE while Interim Business Admin- istrator Vincent Yaniro is paid $650 per day. The Westfield BOE has ordered the hiring of a forensic accountant. Lorre Korecky, BOE spokesperson, stated that process is still underway. It is uncertain at this time how much David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader money the district could have saved GREAT SUCCESS…Westfield Booster Button Day was another great success this past weekend. Due to generous if it had not been coerced into the contributions from the community, Westfield High School (WHS) Athletes and Westfield Booster members raised over fraudulent contracts. $7,500. These contributions support scholarships, improvements to the fields and the WHS teams. “I can tell you that since this situa- tion is still in deliberation, we [the BOE] are unable to comment at this Westfield Town ‘Friends’ Ready time,” Mrs. Korecky said. “Thank goodness that he [Vincent Yaniro] was available as an interim and has Mindowaskin Park for 2018 done a good job.” When asked whether or not the By MICHAEL J. POLLACK them in some way,” Mr. Gildea said. population. It has been a nagging Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Specially Written for The Westfield Leader The work has included repaving the complaint for years.” Education (BOE) would hire a foren- WESTFIELD – Touting what he paths and making sure lighting works, The administrator explained that sic accountant, Anthony DelSordi, called a “great public-private part- as well as re-grading and seeding. the town did not have the budget for business administrator for the BOE nership,” Town Administrator Jim The biggest part of the project will goose control this year, but the Friends told The Westfield Leader, “We Gildea spoke this week of the begin- include dredging the pond. Town of Mindowaskin approached the town Horace Corbin for The Westfield Leader haven’t taken any steps at this time. ning stages of Westfield’s coopera- Engineer Kris McAloon confirmed and indicated that it wanted to start NOS INVITES DE FRANCE...Two dozen university students from France, just tive effort with the Friends of that an RFP (Request for Proposals) the process early. They have since north of Paris, visit Westfield last Thursday for a tour of town by Mayor Andy We’re going to wait and see what the Skibitsky. The students are studying the United States as part of their project. final determination is, and if we had Mindowaskin Park. is out for that. contracted with Goose Runners (not any dealings with any of the compa- Both entities have collaborated on “But for the beginning of this,” Mr. Goose Chasers, as previously re- nies involved, and it is found we plans to make the park sparkle before Gildea said, “we want the park to ported) on a six-month contract. Taxes and Safety Main suffered a financial impact, we will its 100th birthday in 2018. look the best it ever has before; the Work has been ongoing since Oc- decide what steps to take at that time.” “We’ve been setting up a plan park is one of the gems of our com- tober 1, with the Friends picking up Also charged in connection to the whereby we take sections of the park munity. But between now and 2018, the tab for the first three months of Concern of WF GOP CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 at a time and refurbish them, improve we have to take control of the geese CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 By HORACE CORBIN percent, and the school system con- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader sumes the remainder (64 percent). Garwood BOE Summarizes NJASK WESTFIELD — It’s “Taxes, Taxes, Further, he offered that the [property Public Safety Among Issues By SONIA OWCHARIW diplomas, percentage with a college Taxes,” said Councilman Jim Foerst tax] problem is magnified in that Specially Written for The Westfield Leader degree or not, poverty level, unem- of the voters’ number one concerns. Westfield receives little in state aid, GARWOOD – Lincoln School Prin- ployment and residents’ occupations Westfield Republican Council can- with most of the state money going to For Independent Kasko cipal Mary Emmons presented Tues- and incomes are accounted for. didates, incumbent Frank Arena. urban areas like Elizabeth. By LAUREN S. BARR Sarah and Hayley. He has lived in day the summary of NJASK standard- “It helps so that we do a better job Ward One; incumbent JoAnn Neylan. Each of the candidates noted that Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Westfield for 38 years and said he ized test results at the Board of Educa- with our district and help our students Ward Two; Mark LoGrippo. Ward the voters in town are informed, as WESTFIELD – Independent can- chose to return to Westfield after col- tion meeting. The test, which was ad- to be the best with challenging curricu- Three and, Mr. Foerst, an incumbent they found out while knocking on didate for Westfield Town Council’s lege because of its “great schools, (a) ministered in the spring of this year, lum standards,” Ms. Emmons said. representing Ward Four, were unani- doors since July, and that residents Third Ward seat Greg Kasko told The vibrant downtown and an overall covers third to eighth-grade students. The new evaluation system is based mous in saying that their cost con- understand the issues. Many residents, Westfield Leader during a video in- sense of community.” “We compare ourselves to districts on Advanced Proficient, Proficient and tainment efforts, however, will never they say, question if the money sent to terview last Thursday, “I’m running “I’m running for town council be- that are similar to ours like Roselle Park Partially Proficient scoring. compromise the safety provided for the county ever finds its way back to because I want to represent cause I believe the Westfield voters and Union Township,” Ms. Emmons NJASK results for third graders in the residents by the police and fire Westfield. Mr. Arena said residents Westfielders, not a political party. I need somebody to represent them,” said. the district were as follows: LAL (Lan- departments. Westfield Leader editor question whether they getting their want to represent both sides of the Mr. Kasko said. When asked if he According to Ms. Emmons, DFG guage Arts Literacy), 71 percent, and Paul Peyton conducted an interview “bang for the buck” from their county aisle…I feel I can do that based on thought he had a chance at winning classifications are based on U.S. Cen- mathematics, 85 percent (50 percent with the candidates last Thursday taxes. There is a new environment my past with the town as a former as a third party candidate, Mr. Kasko sus data that is revised every 10 years. Advanced Proficient), compared to evening. The 40-minute video can be down in Trenton, he added. “Hope- employee and as an advocate for told The Leader, “I wouldn’t be sit- The New Jersey Department of Educa- State averages, LAL 63 percent, and viewed at www.goleader.com. fully things will change.” Westfield residents on numerous is- ting here if I didn’t think I did.” tion uses the information to analyze the mathematics, 79 percent. Mr. Arena said many residents in In cost control, Mrs. Neylan said sues.” When asked about how he felt the relationship between student achieve- Areas of strength were reflected in town would be happy if their prop- that the town has been able to cut Mr. Kasko is running against town could save money and increase ments and the socioeconomic status of eighth-grade LAL scores, with 98 per- erty tax were only $10,000 per year; their work force over the last several Democrat Matt Sontz and Republi- revenues, Mr.