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ACLE LJ •it- O CLARK, NJ., VOL. 12 NO. 39 WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2002 myctark.com TWO SECTIONS Educators Clark no long*,, weigh in on vouchers owes state $553K By David Learn Payback of state aid forgiven Managing Editor Although it is unlikely that New By David Learn the 22nd Legislative District, which Jersey will have a school voucher Managing Editor includes Clark. program any time soon, the U.S. Clark taxpayers received a bit of The district accrued die debt in Supreme Court's ruling Friday was good news Tuesday morning in the 1998 as part of a $ 1.7 million package enough to alarm some local educators. form of debt forgiveness from the of extra state aid made necessary by the dissolution of the Union County A school voucher program would Quick on his toes, the Dread Pirate Robby narrates the story of 'The Cheetah who Lost state. allow parents to transfer tax money In a news conference at the Board Regional School District on June 30, Sense of Everything' in a live, interactive 'storybook' that involves children from the audi- 1997. from the public schools where their members of a pirate crew. of Education's Administration Build- children normally would be educated ence as ing on Schindler Road, state Sen. "After the deregionalization, we to a private school Joseph Suliga, D-Union, announced needed additional funds which we Among the educators contacted by that the state had decided to forgive didn't have," Superintendent of The Eagle, the strongest reaction $553,000 the Clark School District Schools Paul Orteiv.'O explained after came from Clark Board of Education Library ho! owes the state. the news conference. President Joseph Papetti, who strenu- "In essence, Clark will no longer Clark received that additional state ously objected to die notion of school Buccaneers have to pay that bill," said Suliga. aid with the understanding that it vouchers at all. "We were able to get language into would repay half the sum, or about "A lot of people see it as a panacea land in Clark the state budget signed by the gover- $850,000 in subsequent years. for children to get out of low- By David Learn nor and approved by the state Of that amount, Clark has paid achieving schools," said Papetti. "I Managing Editor treasurer." $276,000. The remainder will now be can understand that argument, but we The floor in die Clark Public Also making the announcement forgiven. need to make the public schools better Library meeting room normally is were Assemblyman Jerry Green, D- Although the original language instead of siphoning money away . very stable, but for a short time on Union, and Assemblywoman Linda would have used the money for tax from them." Thursday, you almost could feel it Stender, D-Union. All three represent See CLARK, Page 2 Papetti said repeatedly that he was rolling beneatii your feet. speaking as an individual and not as That's because die room was die school board president transformed into a pirate ship for Raflier than removing students die library's summer reading prog- Officials prepare for from public schools, Papetti argued ram, courtesy of young imagina- the best way to improve a child's edu- tions and a Yonkers, N.Y.-area cation — and die schools — is based diree-member troupe of public access changes increased parental involvement. improvisational actors called die Brodiers Grinn. By David Learn "It's ludicrous," said Leonard. "I'm "I think if you went to public "I can turn everyone here into a Managing Editor not happy widi it No one knew die schools and you said, "This school is a pirate widi one question," declared It's been years in die coining, but amount of paperwork. Did you know poor school,' (if) you make that deter- one red-clad buccaneer, identified after Friday, residents of Clark will if you write an e-mail, diat's consid- mination, you'll find there's little as die Dread Pirate Robby. "What have greater access to government ered a record?" parental involvement," he said. "I can comes after die letter Q?" records tiian diey ever have been OPRA allows municipal officials to understand parents wanting to send The Brothers Grinn pose after the show with one of The answer of course is R — or, guaranteed before. charge up to 75 cents a page for die dieir children to die best schools diey their newest fans. radier, Am, the swashbuckling cry That's because of die Open Public first 10 pages, 50 cents a page for die can, but why can't our public schools Robby drew from die children after Records Act, a new state law tiiat next 10 pages, and 25 cents for each be up to diat standard?" just a few tries. fingers mmiirackry of John Cleese "Katit'y says it lost what it was takes-effect Monday. The law outlines page thereafter when members of the Still, despite his opposition to The pirates Robby, Mad Cat and in "Monty Python and die Quest tor thinking about!" said Six String. die responsibilities of public officials public request documents. school vouchers, Papetti said he Six String — in real life, Rob and die Holy Grail." And so was born die story of "The and employees to release information, Those are also die exact fees die believes Clark schools would benefit Cat Pedini, and Josh Charles — Working in such a way requires a Cheetah who Lost Sense of creates time limits for that release and Township Council decided it wants to from die mobility such a program soon made a hit of diemselves widi quick wit Aldiough die actors had Everydiing." imposes penalties for any official or charge. would provide if it were established in dieir young audience by making an a few established templates to use, And on it went, through a fast- employee who widiholds public "OK, you want die maximum New Jersey. unusual plea for good behavior. details are unique each time die paced ditty about a shipwreck and information. you're entitled to," noted Township "I tfiink we'd gain students," Papet- "If your parents start acting up or troupe performs since diey are "Cinderella: The Untold Story," in Under state law, requests for public Attorney Joseph Triarsi after a brief ti said. "My concern is basically thatif crying and being loud," said die incorporating dieir audience's which an elderly Cinderella con- records — meeting agendas, minutes, discussion among council members. you take all your students out of pirate Six String, "please take diem interests and surroundings. tends widi her evil stepdaughter, memos and otiier documents — must "Right," agreed Council President School Number 1, what happens to by me hand, take them out and give "We've come here completely and another improvised song about be made in writing to a designated Angel Albanese. School Number 1? Maybe you can get them a cookie, pat diem on their unprepared, so if you don't give us a pirate who lost his favorite piece records custodian. The new law also allows extra fees around it, but diat's my concern right heads and ask them, 'Mommy, are suggestions, we're going to stand of clodiing. At its meeting Monday night, die for excessive time and effort to copy now." you ready to go back in?' " here looking at you like this," said By die time die show had come Township Council appointed Town- records, but muncipaliti.es must set From mere die actors led a crowd Six String, turning his face com- to a close at 2:15 p.m., the Brodiers ship Clerk Kadtie Leonard to diat diis fee by ordinance. Over at Featherbed Lane School, of about 50 children and dieir pletely expressionless and drawing Grinn had made diemselves a num- role. The law also requires greater dis- Barbara Faria, director of administra- parents into a continuous parade of more giggles from die crowd. ber of fans. closure from police departments tion, largely was unfazed by the jus- "There's a form I'm working on," interactive songs and stories. Sometimes diose suggestions "It was fun," said Brielle Soja, Leonard said after the meeting. "If it's about dieir activities. tice's 5-4 decision. During dieir first song — a fast- were unexpected, but die actors who has read tfiree books for die somediing quick I can give you, you Under existing Freedom of Infor- "It could affect enrollment," Faria paced tune widi hand motions adapted quickly. For one activity — summer reading program. She fill out die form, and I'll give it to you mation laws, CapL Denis Connell, die allowed. "If our enrollment increases, about a tree growing in Ratlin bog "The Biggest Picture B ook Ever," a especially liked die songs, she said. right away." Police Department's public informa- if s because diat's what parents decide — Robby went out into die audi- skit in which children acted out the "I diought die show as good," Officials are allowed to take up to tion officer, has drawn a distinction to do. It's really going to depend on ence to ask for suggestions of what parts in a story Robby narrated — agreed Rebecca English. Her favo- seven days for more complicated or between criminal offenses, which, are how die system works." could be found on die tree's branch. children were asked to name an ani- rite part? "When diey did die Cin- involved requests. If more time is dealt widi at state Superior Court, and Feadierbed Lane School provides a "Pirate Victoria says on die tree mal and somediing it had lost.