Orchard Brook Stalled School District Expects to Save $1.5 Million From
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, June 15, 2017 OUR 127th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 24-2017 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] ONE DOLLAR School District Expects to Save $1.5 Million From Solar Panels By SARAH MCGRAIL on the roofs of Roosevelt Intermedi- Crystal Marsh will replace Mary Specially Written for The Westfield Leader ate School and Wilson Elementary Asfendis who was recently appointed WESTFIELD — Solar panels on School, Business Administrator Dana principal at Roosevelt Intermediate the roofs of five Westfield schools Sullivan told board members. School to replace Stewart Carey who will save the district more than $1.5 Ms. Sullivan said the panels would retires at the end of the school year million over the next 15 years, the save the board $112,000 or 15 per- after 48 years teaching in the district. Board of Education was told at cent of their energy bills every year Ms. Marsh, who holds a master of Tuesday’s meeting. for the next 15 years, which is the education degree from Columbia Since the beginning of the year, expected life of a solar panel. University, is currently a science panels have already been installed on The panels are expected to be fully teacher and grade team leader in the the roofs of Westfield High School functional from around the beginning Salk School of Science Middle School (WHS), Edison Intermediate School of the 2017-2018 school year. in New York City. and Tamaques Elementary School, The appointment of a new assistant Several of the district’s teachers the Board of Education heard at principal for Edison Intermediate were celebrated by the board for win- Tuesday’s meeting. School was also announced at the ning awards in 2017. The 2017 Work is ongoing to install panels meeting. Westfield Optimist Club’s Interme- diate Teachers of the Year are Cecilia Valdes-Dalton, a special education teacher at Edison, and James Doyle, band teacher at Roosevelt. Courtesy of Albert Paglialunga FRISBEE CHAMPS!...The Westfield Ultimate Frisbee team squeezed into the Board of Education meeting room Tuesday The two middle school principals night to be recognised for winning its second consecutive state championship. were full of praise for their award- winning teachers. Matt Bolton, principal at Edison, said: “Cecilia is a positive force in the Birchwood Site to Have Deed lives of her students, their parents and her colleagues. The students that Cecilia serves are so fortunate to have her as their mentor and educator.” Notice; Orchard Brook Stalled And Roosevelt Principal Stewart Carey said, “We have so many bands By CHRISTINA M. HINKE ning board to adopt a resolution autho- also have blamed flooding problems on at Roosevelt. Every band you can Specially Written for The Westfield Leader rizing preparation of a redevelopment the poor condition of Orchard Brook. name because James meets every kid CRANFORD — The township’s plan for 215-235 Birchwood Avenue. Brett Peskin, a stormwater designer at the level of their needs. He touches current notice of reselling 215-235 The township has agreed by resolu- for Maser Consulting in Mount Arling- children in a special way. When I Birchwood Avenue now will come with tion to submit an affordable-housing ton, had drafted preliminary options announced the Teacher of the Year, I a deed notice attached to it, according spending plan to state Superior Court in and hydraulic calculations that were could hear all the children screaming to a resolution passed Tuesday by the Union County for its review and ap- presented to the DEP in a pre-applica- at one time.” committee. proval. tion meeting. The DEP told Maser it John Brzozowski, WHS choral di- The resolution also says Excel Envi- Community Grants, Planning and does not deem Orchard Brook a flood Christina M. Hinke for The Westfield Leader GOING FOR GOLD...Emma Escaldi, a junior at Westfield High School, pre- rector, won the Parent Teacher Stu- ronmental Resources Inc. is to provide Housing, LLC was appointed in an control project based on a cost-benefit sented her Girl Scouts Gold Award project at last week’s town council conference dent Organization (PTSO) Outstand- soil remediation to the soil contamina- adopted ordinance as the administra- analysis that was presented by Maser. session. She is proposing a pollinator garden in a green space adjacent to Lot 21 ing Teacher of the Year Award, Molly tion on site that is above the applicable tive agent for the township’s rehabilita- Ms. Dirmann did not know the cost or behind the municipal building in Mindowaskin Park. Dennis, a WHS science teacher, won standards of the New Jersey Depart- tion code to comply with the state’s benefit that was presented to the DEP. the Distinguished Teacher of the Year ment of Environmental Protection housing code. The Westfield Leader has filed an Open Award and Daniel Devlin, WHS the- (DEP), once it has the DEP soil At the workshop session held Mon- Public Records Act (OPRA) request on Planning Board Statement atre director, won the Above and Be- remediation action permit. day night, Larry Cohen, county legisla- the project and will follow up on the yond Award, which recognizes a Also, the township approved, by a 4- tive leader for the Humane Society, details of these meetings. teacher who has made a difference in to-1 vote, with Deputy Mayor Patrick requested the township pass an ordi- “They (the DEP) provided Questions Redevel. Role CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 Giblin voting against, to direct the plan- nance that would ban pet stores from comments...Their comments were selling cats or dogs. Over 100 munici- vague and disheartening,” she told the By MICHAEL BONACCORSO future development sites will be sub- palities in the state have so far passed committee. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader stantially altered due to the passage Garwood BOE Votes 5-4 such an ordinance, including nearby In her engineer report, Ms. Dirmann GARWOOD — At Tuesday’s coun- of this resolution,” said planning Fanwood, Scotch Plains and Roselle told the committee that “an assembly- cil meeting, Mayor Charles Lombardo board member William Nierstedt. Park, he said. man is involved” and asked to have a affirmed through council liaisons his “Garwood Planning Board’s role To Retain Music Teacher Commercial breeding facilities, a.k.a. commissioner and Hatch Mott attend a attendance at future planning board has always been to regulate develop- puppy mills, he said, torture cats and meeting with the DEP about the Or- meetings, and sub-committee coordi- ment and to promote good planning By JORDAN BURNELL programs, finances, personnel and dogs before they are sold to pet stores chard Brook project, as well as the nation. The planning board will have practices and to provide for the ap- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader more. and those who are deemed unsellable Phase 2B project — a project she said a role or input in the Russo Redevel- propriate design, location and nature GARWOOD — Cheers erupted at “Last week we received a letter that are killed, sometimes shot in the head, the DEP would prefer to meet about opment Phase II Plan for the Casale of the uses or development of all Tuesday’s Board of Education meet- said that we were in compliance,” he told The Westfield Leader. first. and Petro properties on South Av- lands in this borough. In addition to ing after the board voted to reinstate Superintendent Quigley stated, which He said the purpose of the ordinance The township thus far has not applied enue. Mayor Lombardo’s affirmation recommending, in open public meet- music teacher Armando Gonzalez. drew applause from the audience. But is to “dry up demand so this type of for any grant funding for work on Or- was in response to planning board ings, the hiring of outside consultants The board came to a 5-to-4 vote then she added, “But today we re- supply goes away,” Mr. Cohen said. chard Brook. “We may do it with capi- member Gene Jannotti reading an and planners to Mayor and council,” after spending an hour and 15 min- ceived another letter that said that we The repair of the banks and mainte- tal funding instead of the EIT (New official correspondence on behalf of Mr. Jannotti read. utes in executive session on whether were not compliant.” nance of Orchard Brook and efforts to Jersey Environmental Infrastructure the planning board to the borough “Who will put Garwood’s interests or not it was going to rehire Mr. The area that the district is not reduce flooding from Orchard Brook Trust) funding,” Mayor Thomas H. council. first? Garwood has a borough plan- Gonzalez, the music teacher at Lin- compliant in is the instruction and remain on hold as the New Jersey De- Hannen, Jr. said. The written correspondence voiced ner, whom the taxpayers are already coln School. Mr. Gonzalez was the programs section, where it received a partment of Environment Protection As part of the Downtown Manage- concerns on transparency, ethics and paying? Why was the resolution dis- director of the band and orchestra and 78 percent instead of the passing 80 (DEP) has stalled a flood control per- ment Corporation’s strategic plan, the costs regarding the council’s deci- cussed in closed executive sessions? also helped the drama club and other percent. The superintendent said fur- mit, Engineer Jacqueline Dirmann of committee agreed to place a parklet sions to contract Phillips, Preiss, Is there a relationship with the newly events with musical students.