Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, October 7, 2004 Published Every Thursday Since 1890 OUR 115th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 06-115 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SIXTY CENTS Mountainside Public School Test Scores Are Updated WF BOE By BETSEY BURGDORF tially higher than indicated by the and LAUREN S. PASS Specially Written for The Westfield Leader article last week. Previews We regret to error. Editor’s note: Last week, The We thank Mountainside Interim Westfield Leader published a front Chief School Administrator, Dr. Walter page article with a misleading head- Rusak, for reviewing this with us. The Budget line and incomplete data. The article test score data are reprinted in this reviewed test scores of the article. By ED COONEY Mountainside public schools. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader The headline read “Fourth and * * * * * * * The Westfield Board of Eight Graders in Mountainside Score On Tuesday, September 28, meet- Education’s estimated budget for Below 50 Percent Proficient in Math.” ing of the Mountainside Board of the 2005-2006 school year is We misinterpreted the data provided Education, Curriculum Coordinator/ $72,146,043, an increase of to us by the Mountainside Board of Supervisor Angela Cosimano pre- $2,696,627, or approximately 3.8 Education. The advanced proficient sented the district test results for the percent over the 2004-2005 bud- scores needed to be added to the Terra Nova, GEPA (Grade Eight Pro- get. The projected increase is 33 proficient scores to arrive at the total ficiency Assessments) and NJASK percent lower than last year’s percentage of students scoring profi- (New Jersey Assessment of Skills increase. cient or better. When properly done in and Knowledge) standardized tests. This estimated budget, provided this manner, the test results for the The data presented are provided to the board by Mr. Berman at the Mountainside students are substan- within. regular meeting on Tuesday, comes in the wake of recently passed Mountainside Board of Education, September 28, state legislation that requires alter- ations to the way school districts handle budgetary planning. The legislation, referred to in Secretary Berman’s report as S- 1701, makes five major changes Robert Harvey for The Westfield Leader in the budgeting process. First, it LOCOMOTIVE NOSTALGA...The ‘Ol 142’ steam locomotive with vintage train cars puffs into Westfield Station last Saturday morning to pick up passengers for a nostalgic trip down the Raritan Valley Line. ‘Ol 142’ broke down during the requires a reduction of the yearly weekend long event but NJTransit came to the rescue with a diesel engine to accomodate the sellout crowds. Pictured in budget CAP, which controls how photos below by Horace Corbin, from the left, are: The Train Crew, Passengers ‘All Aboard,’ Mime of Kingston, NY stokes much a school district’s budget the fire and husband Earl drives the train. More photos can be seen at www.goleader.com/04train. can increase each year. Accord- ing to Mr. Berman’s report, start- ing in the 2005-2006 school year, “the base budget CAP has been Tamaques Area Residents reduced from 3 percent to 2.5 percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is greater.” The CPI is anticipated Complain About Pond Scum to be calculated at 3.01 percent. Once taken into consideration, By LAUREN S. PASS past month, a bubbler was installed the project. The town expects a survey the statutes of S-1701 dictate that Specially Written for The Westfield Leader the school district’s 2005-2006 which has helped to alleviate the prob- to be finished in the next few weeks, While most of Tuesday night’s lem, but residents are still concerned which will determine if the contractor budget could not rise to more Westfield Town Council conference than $71,539,843 before allow- with the lack of water flow out of the went deep enough when he dredged. session centered around a pond scum pond, even after heavy rains. Mr. Marsh added that the town has ances are made for Spending and drainage problem at Tamaques Growth Adjustments. Ignacio Rivera, who spoke for the CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Pond, there were heated moments group, said that they “never got an ap- Spending Growth Adjust- when a resident and a councilman ments allow for districts to seek propriate response to what the problems raised their voices over parking issues. were” over the summer. He said that the funds in excess of the CAP in Approximately 20 residents who live spending areas that see above- contractor did not do his job and seemed Steam Train in the area of Tamaques Pond were on to abandon the project all together over normal growth. For the pro- hand at the meeting armed with photo- jected 2005-2006 budget, the the winter. He said that this led to terrible graphs and accounts of what they feel mosquito problems over the summer. Fascinates Westfield School District can was a dredging process gone bad. seek adjustments for enrollment He also said that live electrical wires NJASK3 2004 Adv. Proficient Proficient Part. Proficient The pond was dredged last fall and were left out near the children’s play Language Arts growth and increases in special because the project carried over into Area Riders education costs in the amount area that is “completely ignored.” All Students (76) 2.6 88.2 9.2 the spring, pond scum problems set Town Engineer Ken Marsh ex- By HORACE R. CORBIN General Education (63) 3.2 93.7 3.2 of $606,200. in. The pond scum caused one of the Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Secondly, the legislation re- plained that there was a problem with Special Education (13) 0 61.5 38.5 aerators to break, and the lack of fish the contractor and that the town has The steam train rides last weekend CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Mathematics only made the problem worse. In the not given him the final payment for from Westfield to North Branch and All Students (76) 23.7 67.1 9.2 back along the Raritan Valley Line General Education (63) 27 66.7 6.3 attracted large crowds of sightseers Special Education (13) 7.7 69.2 23.1 and riders from the Westfield region. Elm Street Developer Given The events were sold out more than a week in advance. NJASK4 2004 Adv. Proficient Proficient Part. Proficient The events were scheduled to fea- Language Arts ture three trips a day on both Satur- All Students (75) 8 88 4 Second Nod For Subdivision day and Sunday, with vintage train General Education --- --- --- cars pulled by Steam Locomotive Special Education --- --- --- By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL dressed the board regarding his appli- and then try to update it. He noted that 142. Mathematics Specially Written for The Westfield Leader cation stating that he felt it was much the house needed all new windows, The second trip on Saturday had to All Students (75) 47 40 13 Unanimously, the Westfield Plan- too costly to move the existing house CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 be cancelled as the locomotive devel- General Education --- --- --- ning Board passed a memorialization oped a bearing problem. The third Special Education --- --- --- to approve a second appeal made by ride on Saturday was completed suc- developer Charles Pijanowski to cre- Lanigan Removed cessfully, although the steam engine GEPA 2004 Adv. Proficient Proficient Part. Proficient ate two conforming building lots from was subsequently taken out of ser- property at 619 Elm Street last Mon- Language Arts vice for the Sunday trips. All Students (66) --- --- --- day evening at their monthly meet- NJ Transit provided a diesel en- General Education (59) 15.3 78 6.8 ing. gine to conduct the Sunday rides with The application was first heard and As Reeve Executor Special Education (7) 0 42.9 57.1 the vintage train cars so as not to approved in February, where condi- By LAUREN S. PASS year state prison term. disappoint ticket holders. Mathematics tions regarding the review and ap- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader All Students (66) --- --- --- In his October 22, 1992 Last Will The New York Susquehana and proval of the new structures occupy- On September 29, Judge Miriam Western Historical Society, a non- General Education (59) 32.2 54.2 13.6 and Testament, Mr. Reeve named the ing the two lots were imposed. Span ordered that William Lanigan Historical Society as a beneficiary to profit organization of train enthusi- Special Education (7) 0 0 100 Mr. Pijanowski testified on Mon- be removed as executor of the estate receive 3 percent of his estate, and his asts, conducted the steam train rides. Science day that he had run out of time to of Edgar Reeve in Westfield, and that will bequeathed money to a number The Downtown Westfield Corpo- All Students (66) --- --- --- complete his project and was there- within 60 days a full accounting of of other organizations, including ration sponsored the rides as part of General Education (59) 39.4 53 7.6 fore, asking the board to grant his the Reeve Estate funds be given over Children’s Specialized Hospital, New the weekend Westfield Railroad Sale Special Education (7) 0 71.4 28.6 request again to create two new con- to the court. York Presbyterian Hospital, Overlook Days. forming building lots from the single Attorney for the Westfield Histori- Hospital, the Cornell University Li- Chris Cotty of the train group told The results reported above are expressed in percent. existing lot. cal Society David Foltz addressed a brary and the Center for Blood Re- The Westfield Leader that they were Planning Board Attorney Russell letter to James LaCorte, Surrogate of search.