2005-11-24.Pdf

IT 1124 Pg A1 Yellow Red Blue Black The ‘The story could end on Dec. 13,’ he Serving our Community observed, citing the day voters will Since 1888 decide the fate of the referendum, ‘or it Item could begin all over again.’ November 24, 2005 Superintendent of Schools Richard Brodow, on the bond referendum 75 cents weekly of Millburn and Short Hills www.theitemonline.com TURKEY TO GO SCHOOLS BOE members mix it up By Harry Trumbore has failed to provide her with an White, in turn, declared she was of The Item analysis of the operating expenses being “maligned,” prompting board that will be incurred if the bond- member Scott Kamber to declare With the vote on a $40.2 million related classrooms are built. She that Reidenberg’s attack on White bond referendum to fund sec- also asked for projected budgets was “beyond the pale.” ondary school construction three for coming school years. Reidenberg also made the point weeks away, heated debate about When board members Joel Rei- that the three dissenting board the bond came to a boiling point at denberg and Carol Marcus told members had voted against Monday night’s Board of Educa- White those costs—including approving $8.2 million in state tion meeting. salaries and health benefits—were assistance. It is unlikely that the Throughout the meeting, board speculative and could not be cal- state funding will come through members argued among them- culated accurately, White the bankrupt Schools Construc- selves as members of the audience answered, “The bottom line is I tion Corporation, Reidenberg said, by turn voiced their disapproval or want the numbers. Why don’t I but rather in the form of debt ser- support of the proposed construc- deserve to get them?” vice relief. tion. Reidenberg and, later, member “You can’t equate $8.2 million Board member Brenda White, Ronni Schuman-Brown, took issue in funding to $8.2 million in inter- who is one of three board mem- with White’s own letter to The est coverage,” White maintained. bers opposed to the referendum, Item in which she claimed she had, Robert Zegalarski, assistant super- maintains the tax impact of the at a finance committee meeting, intendent for business, however, bond on the average homeowner discussed in detail how she calcu- told the board he believed the debt will be approximately $1,200, not lated her $1,200 tax figure. Rei- service relief covered the principal the $396 presented in board litera- denberg told White she had not as well as the interest of the bond. ture. discussed the issue with the com- Kamber chastised the board for White protested attacks on her mittee. Schuman-Brown, who failing to act on his request to hire credibility by past and current along with board president Debbie a consulting architect to oversee board members in letters to The Frank, was also named in White’s Item and said the administration letter, agreed. SEE BOE, PAGE B8 EDUCATION Grades 5, 7 to be tested By Harry Trumbore grams. Because the state has er districts. of The Item moved slowly in choosing a stan- “Not all children are learning at dardized test for the third and fifth the same levels,” Doyle said. “Pub- Sometime between the barrage grades, Doyle told the board Mill- lic education needed a kick.” of accusations and invectives burn has ordered Terra Nova tests, For his part, Superintendent of hurled by both board and audience “because we presume the state is Schools Richard Brodow said the members at Monday night’s Board not going to be on time.” new tests will re-ignite debate of Education meeting, the board Doyle said before the meeting about the extent of testing now managed to take action on a mod- that the tests can be returned required under the No Child Left est amount of resolutions and hear should the state proceed with Behind legislation. reports on academic programs and plans to implement an “off the “I believe we’re quickly reaching curriculum. shelf” test statewide. the point where there is far too ADAM ANIK/THE ITEM Maryann Doyle, assistant super- “The standardized tests are not much testing,” Brodow said. intendent for curriculum and terribly important to us,” the assis- New initiatives are being forged Township student Catherine Naas, 9, left, takes turns with fellow resident Gabriela Mottesi, 9, instruction, told the board that the tant superintendent said. The test- between the high school art unpacking frozen turkeys from shipping crates at the East Orange City Hall Saturday district will comply with the state ing schedule adversely impacts department and the Paper Mill morning. Approximately 30 members of the Junior League of the Oranges and Short Hills Department of Education’s instructional time for classes, she Playhouse, Doyle also announced and their children assembled Thanksgiving gift bags that were distributed to more than 100 announcement last week that stan- said, claiming that for a district at the meeting. A presentation of needy families identified by the East Orange Health Department. dardized testing must be extended such as Millburn, that has main- visual and performing arts will be to grades 5 and 7 this spring. tained a high level of achievement, held at the theater in March, she Under the No Child Left Behind the test results are not helpful in said, and a poster competition for ENVIRONMENT Act, standardized testing of third analyzing and improving curricu- Essex County art students will be grade students began last year. Stu- lum. held in conjunction with the stag- dents in the fourth, eighth and 11th Nonetheless, Doyle said stan- ing of “A Midsummer Night’s grades were already subject to dardized testing focuses attention Road work imperils trees established standardized test pro- on comparing standards with oth- SEE GRADES, PAGE B8 of 28 residents Saturday morning asked by the residents to attend. ATHLETICS Undercliff to discuss the township’s plan and He said Monday he will convey inspect the trees lining the street. residents’ concerns about the need residents move to The group, which calls itself the for the road repair project to the South Mountain Property Values township’s engineering depart- save 15 pin oaks Group, examined 15 pin oak trees ment and the township adminis- Turf boosters going public in the block between Millburn trator. By Patricia Harris Avenue and Southern Slope Drive Saturday’s meeting was precip- By Harry Trumbore the new turf, a new running track group is gearing up its fund-raising of The Item of The Item and generated a list of eight trees itated by a letter dated Sept. 22 and improvements—which may efforts, it is continuing to move for- that could be saved. Doty sent to all the residents of Save some of that holiday include additional synthetic sur- ward with site plan work. The township forester is work- Doty said Monday that depend- Undercliff Road. In the letter, Doty spending money until after Christ- faces—to the playing fields behind “It’s been kind of quiet,” admit- ing with a group of concerned res- ing on the placement of storm said, “In cooperation with the mas. the stadium will run close to $3.5 ted Meguerian, “but we’re going idents on Undercliff Road to pre- drains in the road repair project, township engineering department, That’s when a group looking to million. through the process and have done serve some of the 20 trees that line two of those eight trees also might the shade tree department is taking finance an artificial turf field at the James Meguerian, the founda- the street and that had been sched- have to be taken out. the necessary action of removing high school stadium plans to tion’s president, said while the SEE TURF, PAGE B8 uled for removal due to a road Also present at the hour and a the structurally unsound pin oak widen its fund-raising efforts to the repair project. half meeting was Committeeman general public. Thomas Doty met with a group Daniel J. Baer, who had been SEE ROAD, PAGE B8 “We’re moving forward toward our goals,” Mayor Thomas C. McDermott said this week. “At this point, we’ve solicited donations from smaller groups.” McDermott is one of many residents working in conjunction with municipal officials and the Board of Education to finance the project. The idea of private funding for an overhaul of the high school ath- letic facilities has been an issue ever since voters passed an $18 million bond referendum in Sep- tember 2002 to fund construction at the elementary schools. At that time, they also vetoed a second proposal on the ballot to replace the grass field with an artificial surface at a cost of $1.4 million. Parties interested in pursuing the installation of an all-weather JIM CONNELLY/THE ITEM artificial turf formed the Millburn Architect Don Fiore, left, and Jim Stone of the Millburn Sports Sports Activity Foundation a year Activity Foundation, Inc. display a promotional poster Friday ago and began exploring ways to detailing proposed improvements the foundation hopes to fund raise private funding. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHEILA VARKI at the high school. Behind them, engineer Keith Disko takes To date, members of the organi- measurements of the high school stadium’s surface. The zation have reportedly collected Residents of Undercliff Road meet with Thomas Doty, township forester, fourth from left, to foundation plans to begin a public fund-raising campaign soon inspect pin oaks on the street, scheduled to be removed because of a road repair project. As a several hundred thousand dollars in initial seed money.

Load more