UNION COUNTY LOCALSOURCE LOCALSOURCE.COM THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 — PAGE 3 Local pays a visit to Clark students By Paul Greulich making a grand entrance escorted Ham and his wife, Michelle, Staff Writer by two police cruisers. who also works in the space pro- CLARK — Local students "This is really special for me to gram, shared anecdotes about V" preparing to begin the school year be able to acknowledge where I Ham's mission to the space station. were treated to a brush with outer came from, which is this building," "The space station's toilet was space in the form of a visit from Ham told a crowd of more than a broken and we were bringing spare NASA astronaut and former Clark hundred young children, parents, parts to fix it, so they were pretty resident Kenneth Ham. town officials and police officers. happy to see us," he said. .Ham, a 1983 graduate of Arthur He is set to return to space as Resident Edie BLoom, who • f I!^1-Johnson High School, piloted commander of STS- attended the event with her two the space shuttle STS-124 in June 132 in May 2010, which will be children, said she was very excited 2008 on a mission to the interna- one of six final space shuttle mis- to see the astronaut. tional space station. sions before the program is shut "I think its a nice part of histo- "Forget Derek Jeter and Hannah down. The design of this sort of ry," Bloom said. "Its nice to have a Montana. Here's a real American craft is not suited for travelling to local resident who's part of the hero," Mayor Sal Bonaccorso said, the moon and beyond, Ham NASA program." ftj-.-i in welcoming Ham home to Clark. explained. Paul Greulich can be reached at Ham said he was happy to return "We are at the sunset years of 908-686-7700 ext. 121, or at Astronaut Kenneth Ham, a former Clark resident, to Arthur L. Johnson High School, the space shuttle program," he said. pgreulkh@thelocahource. com. recently visited Clark students at ALJ High School. y i Clark prekindergarten starts in Municipal Building By John O'Reilly mostly for recreation classes. else [in early education pro- out this term are already asking donation from L'Oreal of Staff Writer The new space also freed up grams]," said prekindergarten for a spot in 2010. $6,800 in supplies. CLARK — There was some- extra room in Hehnly and Valley teacher Erika Barrett. Clark interim Superintendent She added that the cosmetics thing different about the hallways Road elementary schools for Now in her third year in the Renae LaPrete even cited calls company is in talks to offer con- at the Clark Municipal Building expanded kindergarten classes. district and previously from Bay- from out-of-town parents so tinuous monthly donations to last week. The program went from 106 onne, Barrett also shot down impressed that they said they may the district. While walking through, the half-day students last year to 142 fears that the makeshift class- move to the area. There is, however, a cost for smell of fresh paint and the sound full-time this semester. rooms would not meet standards. She specifically noted the the new services. of nursery rhymes filled the usu- "We've started something that "The supplies, the toys, the extremely strict safety precau- Teachers said a new school- ally dignified government build- wasn't here before. We are all furniture; it is really amazing. It tions in place for the students. specific building will eventual- ing. proud," said board Vice President is one of the better facilities I've The prekindergarten wing in ly be necessary for the program. That was because Sept. 3 Carmen Brocalo. worked at," she said. Town Hall can only be entered by And while administrators marked opening day for regular, School board President Jill Fellow educator Valerie being buzzed in and no one may called the prekindergarten and full-day preschool classes in the Curran said the project was four LaManna also noted that the pro- walk through on city business. kindergarten "sustainable" and township — not only the first of years in the making. A federal gram's interactive style of teach- The preschool costs parents said they do not anticipate any the year, but the first ever. mandate for prekindergarten and ing youngsters and responding to $7,000, which officials say is huge tax hikes, they hinted Previously, Chirk offered only full-day kindergarten options was their interests is the most effec- within the state average for simi- under-utilized athletic and one special education-only class. retracted Ias1 year, but Clark offi- tive way for proper development lar programs. extracurricular programs could They now have three addition- cials decided to implement the at such an early age. The free kindergarten and be in trouble come budget sea- al regular prekindergarten class- recommendations anyway. "When 3- and 4-year-olds decked-out facilities, however, son in the future, es, thanks to being granted access A fraction of the districts in come back the next year, teachers were financed with no increase "We're looking to move the to four seldom-used rooms in the state offer prekindergarten absolutely see a difference," she on the school tax this year. district forward educationally," Township Hall, free of charge. and kindergarten classes similar said. Aside from cooperation on LaPrete said. "That is our main They currently have a capacity to the township, officials said. All Board members said parents the school board, LaPrete said priority." of 42 students. they needed was the space, which have clamored for these projects they were helped by federal stim- John O 'Reilly can be Mayor Sal Bonaccorso said the town provided rent-free. for years. ulus money that purchases furni- reached at 908-686-7700, ext. the space was offered because it "Clark is really on the cutting Both are already filled to ture and two school buses for 116, or editorial@thelocal- was being infrequently used, edge, moving ahead of everybody capacity and parents that missed special needs students and a source.com.

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