1 o o M N- -J o • t t p. j^ _J LtJ '' r. .Q E^rnr -.'? •) Serving Westfield, Scotch Piains and Fanwood r ; f r Vol .18, No. Friday, May 2, 2003 50 cents -1 l~ Town reviews process for curb repairs back assessments. The average assess- THE RECORD-PRESS ment will be about $450, he said. Gildea said residents can either pay in WESTFIELD — The Town Council dis- a lump sum or over an established time cussed its policy for roadway and curb period — throe years with interest for improvements at its meeting Tuesday, as sidewalk replacements and five years with it prepares for assessment hearings next interest for curb replacements. week during which it could collect While the town is preparing to assess $292,000. for work already completed, the council Saoklngawln The assessments will be for the town's discussed the fairness of its current policy sidewalk and curb replacement project, on road and sidewalk reconstruction. dfter fe#?0 to the top two teams in under which residents can petition the The council passed an ordinance in the state, Billy Schultz and the town for curb or sidewalk replacements 1998 to establish a policy under which res- Westfield lacrosse team will look to JOHN FEI/CORRESPONDENT and pay half the cost, knock off third-ranked Ridgewood y idents pay 50 percent of the requested tomorrow. See story on Page C-1. The assessments will be for petitions curbing or sidewalk improvements if they If you re happy and you know it •. made from 1995 to 2002. Improvements have a petition signed by 51 percent of the Julian Mono, 5, of Westfield, claps along with an antique cymbal-clanging mon- have already been made to those neighbor- homeowners. The ordinance was updated key at the Miller-Cory House Museum's "Sheep-to-Shawl Festival" Sunday. In hoods; the hearings will assess the resi- last year to make a distinction between addition to the vintage toys, the program showed how wool Is processed for dents' portion of the bill. According to replacement curbing and new curbing. clothing. Sea more photos on Page B-1. James Gildea, town administrator, the town could collect $292,000 from these (Continued on page A-2) Pupils Porter master chosen Treesfllfo art of to head Wilson School teacher Tova Felder's class decorated a paper tree with leaves for their Earth Day project. A (Mar was donated for each leaf and debate sent to the Trees Across America campaign, which will plant a tree for each dollar donated. See story on •yMCHAILCAMY Page 8-1. THE RECORD PRESS CORRESPONDENT WESTFIELD — When speech and theater teacher Kimberly SCOTCH PLAINS — The Jonny started a forensic club at Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of the Edison Intermediate School, Education conducted its post it had only six students. Four election reorganization meeting years later, the club has grown to Tuesday, The winners in the 50 members, and the school will April 15 board election — new- host its first forensic competition comer Betty Anne Woerner and Saturday. KEVIN B. HOWELL/THE RECORD-PRESS incumbents Linda Nelson and Forensics, the art of speaking Relax, they're only acting. Identical twins Collen and Moira Smith rehearse a comedy for the forenstca Thomas Russo — were sworn in or debate, includes speeches, lit- competition at Edison Intermediate School. The two will compete In the dramatic pajra category. to take their places with the erary or historical recitals and other six members. dramatic presentations. Twenty- as eye contact, body language, The board re-elected Lance three of Jonny's students will memorization and diction. Each Porter as president and Linda compete with approximately 94 presentation will be a maximum Nelson as vice president. For his other students from seven middle of seven minutes. All students second annual term, Porter will schools includ- ^^____^___ _^_______ will compete in continue us official board ing Chatham, two preliminary spokesman and preside over Marlboro and "Ever since I was a little rounds, and the meetings. Ocean girl, I loved to perform and highest-rated Just weeks after a hotly-con- Township. Four students will tested budget campaign — voters students from loved to be in front of a proceed to the approved the district's spending Westfield's crowd. I took Mrs. Jonny's final round. plan by about 200 votes April 15 Roosevelt drama class and she Jonny's stu- — finances took center stage dur- little Ms ism Intermediate dents have been ing the meeting. School will also encouraged me to be a meeting after The board conducted a lengthy Theodore Schlossberg of the compete. part of the Forensics school several discussion over a proposed reso- Westfield-based New Jersey Categories days a week to lution to authorize the installa- Workshop for the Arts will bring his for the competi- Club." prepare for the tion of a Tl communication line collection of European horns to tion are — Lindsay Goldberg Madison for a performance of competition. The to support "recreation software Declamation, a Edison School student week before the and hardware." Mozart Sunday. For more on arts historical or lit- competition, a A provision calling for regular and entertainment in the area, see erary mono- Pfimetime on Page B-3. group of stu- maintenance costs to this "shared logue; Oral Interpretation, a dents gathered on a Thursday for service," one managed jointly by recital of prose or poetry; and a brief rehearsal. Lindsay the board as well as the township Dramatic Pairs, which is a come- Goldberg, an eighth-grader com- KEVIN B. HOWELL/THE RECORD-PRESS of Scotch Plains and borough of dy or drama. peting in the declamation catego- Eighth grader Lindsay Goldberg on a monologue for the decla- Fanwood, caused members, to There will be 26 judges cri- matfon category of the forensics ctompettetttionl . fg placed fifth REMINDER tiquing competitors in areas such (Continued on page A-2) at the Theaterfest competition m Clhatham earlier this year. (Continued on page A-2) HssiClilMN Gtllec«MTt«ay James Coleman retires from the state's top court 77w Scotch Ptains-Fanwood Music Even at an awards reception in Boosters Association will be spon- THE RECORD-PRESS "I'm joyous and sad- Trenton last month, he said, the soring a used clothing collection 8- audience was just as vibrant as it 1J am. at Scotch Plains-Fanwood SCOTCH PLAINS — For the dened that I've come to was at his initial swearing-in cer- High School, 667 Westfield Road, last 39 years, he has put on the the end of a 39-year judi- emony. Scotch Plains. same uniform to go to work. cial career. I'm joyous Coleman grew up in Justice James H. Coleman Jr. has LawTenceville, Va. and attended zipped up the long black judge's because I served in the Virginia State University. He robe on almost every judicial highest court; I'm sad- received his law degree in 1959 level in the state. from Howard University School INDEX Now, after serving on the dened that I have to retire. of Law. He was admitted to the state's highest court for eight I feel that I could go on N.J. Bar in 1960 and worked in years, Coleman must step down another 20 years." private practice for 10 years with Commentary A-B as he reaches the court's manda- offices in Elizabeth and Roselle. tory retirement age of 70. — Justice James H. His judicial career began in Community Life B-1 i'm joyous and saddened that Coleman Jr. 1964 in workers compensation I've come to the end of a 39-year court. He was appointed to Union Sports \ C-1 judicial career," Coleman said as dent, became the state's first County Court in 1973 and he sat in his office on the second black justice after former Gov became a Superior Court judge in ^rimeTime.Jj B-3 floor of the Merrill Lynch build- Christine Todd Whitman nomi- 1978. In 1981, he was appointed ing in Warren. "I'm joyous nated him in 1994. He was reap- to the Appellate Division and :|bituaries.......! B-2 because I served in the highest pointed in 2001 by acting GoV. three years later became the pre- court; I'm saddened that I have to Donald DiFrancesco. siding judge. \ Real Estate C-5 retire. I feel that I could go on He said the entire minority Throughout bis career he has KEVIN B. HOWELL/THE RECORD-PRES8 another 20 years." community looked upon his Justice James H. Coleman Jr., a Scotch Plains resident, la stepping folice Log A-7 Coleman, a Scotch Plains resi- appointment with pride and joy. (Continued on page A-2) down from the New Jersey Supreme Court. ' "4" ' A-2 Record Press May 2, 200 Town reviews process for repairs 1 Continued from page A-l > Councilman Andy Skibitsky disagreed with the process, .saving petitions were driving the capital Should the curb work require, roads to be road improvements when there ,- :l finite amount of repaved. residents are responsible for half the cost money to improve various town mads each year. of the re. paving as well "Jt'doesn'i make sense t<> me because the most The jxjlicy was mainly implement*-*! to provide needed improvements ..rent getting done." residents an avenue to aesthetically improve their Skibit.-ky .-aid. "For u.- to redu roads when they neighborhoods Hut, ljfrcau.se replacing curbing don't need to Ix* done is irre^jHHV-tble. impacts the roadway a> well, tin- improvements M;irsh disagreed, .-aymg th;it even with the jx'ti- turn into a larger project that include >tre*-t tiu!i< the improvement request,- nni.-t still be eval- repavinfj, according to Town Engineer Ken Mar.-h uated He added that only a few petitioned improve- Mayor firegnry McDenuoU explained that when ments are on the list.