We’ll Help Your Business The Westfield Leader www.goleader.com [email protected] (908) 232-4407 Get Back On Track Continue to the next page ==> Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, February 12, 2009 OUR 119th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 07-2009 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SIXTY CENTS Chambers vs. Westfield Lawsuit Settled; Details Not Revealed By MICHAEL J. POLLACK “The matter is resolved at this time. being consummated,” he added. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader That’s all I can say at this point.” When asked if the settlement con- WESTFIELD – The Town of Mr. Gildea would only say that the tained a confidentiality agreement, Westfield, last Friday, reached a settle- town would “respond appropriately” Mr. Gildea said he was not at liberty ment agreement with Westfield po- to an Open Public Records Act re- to say. lice officer Sandra Chambers, for- quest filed on Tuesday by Ms. Chambers’ attorney, merly a detective, and her attorney on The Leader. Eric Pennington, only re- a sexual-harassment lawsuit filed “There are issues in the ferred calls for comment to against the town, the Westfield Police settlement agreement that Mr. Gildea. Department (WPD) and former po- still have to be finalized to Ms. Chambers has been lice chief Bernard Tracy in late 2006. make it complete,” Mr. employed by the WPD since Town Administrator Jim Gildea, Gildea said. “At this time, 1995. The six-count lawsuit, commenting Tuesday after a town this is all we can share.” served on the town on De- council executive session in which When asked what those cember 14, 2006, alleged the matter was discussed, would not “issues” were and if they Sandra Chambers that “during a two-year pe- reveal any details regarding the settle- were the reason the town riod, then-Chief Bernard ment. could not provide more detailed com- Tracy regularly called Ms. Chambers “At this time, I cannot [comment]. ment, Mr. Gildea would not elabo- at home, during non-working hours The answer is, it has been settled,” rate, except to say, “Partially, yes.” and late into the evening” and that Mr. Gildea told The Westfield Leader. “The settlement is in the process of Mr. Tracy invited Ms. Chambers “to call him on his personal cell phone.” Mr. Tracy retired from the depart- ment in September 2005 and accepted a job with the Linden Public Schools as a security officer. Ms. Chambers Benjamin B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader admitted that she and Mr. Tracy had CAMPAIGN KICKOFF...Former United States Attorney for New Jersey, Chris Christie, speaks to supporters last Thursday at a Cranford rally kicking off his campaign for governor. Mr. Christie, a former Morris County Freeholder, held been friends and that Mr. Tracy in- two days of events statewide in launching his campaign. See story on page 2. vited her to attend a convention in 2003 with him in Washington, D.C., paid for by the police department. “While at the convention, Detec- New Norris Closing February 26; tive Chambers worked very hard to make contacts that would benefit the Westfield Police Department,” suit Economy, End of Leasing Cited says. The suit alleges that, “While at the By PAUL J. PEYTON the closing, including last summer’s hicles that we were selling because of convention, Chief Tracy commented Specially Written for The Westfield Leader gasoline hike, GMAC no longer leas- the high cost of gas and because of the to Detective Chambers and others WESTFIELD — The deepening ing vehicles, a plunge in truck sales, uncertainty of GM possibly going that she was not spending enough recession has hit home with the an- General Motors’ teetering on the brink out of business.” time with him, and he felt that she had nouncement that New Norris of bankruptcy and the rise in the cost “It really hurt that GMAC stopped ‘abandoned’ him.” Further, the suit Chevrolet on North Avenue will close of employee healthcare coverage. leasing vehicles,” Mr. Friedman said. Benjamin B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader alleges that the former chief “inti- Thursday, February 26. Norris “It was a lot of stuff that happened He said he lost a lot of customers GOING OUT OF BUSINESS...New Norris Chevrolet on North Avenue will close that was too much to overcome,” he who, upon returning vehicles after February 26, after a Chevy dealership has been in town for nearly 90 years. The mated that he was hopeful that while Chevrolet opened in town in the downturn in the economy was blamed. Please see story at right. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 1920s. said. their leases expired, were told that The closing follows that of Sullivan He said payments to GMAC, the New Norris could no longer lease Chevy in Roselle and Summit Chevy financing arm of General Motors them vehicles. this year, as well as Reilly Oldsmobile (GM), have significantly increased in “They’re [GMAC] the ones who County to Seek Proposals in Westfield a few years ago. recent months. He said this, com- floor plan the new vehicles and my Westfield, which once had seven car bined with last summer’s hike in gaso- used vehicles. And we pay them the dealerships, now will only have two – line prices to near $4 per gallon, interest every month. They have com- Lindeman Buick and Thomas Lin- “killed [the truck market.” pletely changed, and their rates have To Privatize Golf Clubhouses coln-Mercury. The town once had “And then right from September, in been going up,” Mr. Friedman said. By PAUL J. PEYTON courses in the area, but instead “bring In other business, the freeholders Ford, Pontiac and Jaguar dealerships. a matter of four months, we were “They have been asking for money Specially Written for The Westfield Leader a much more efficient way to run our received a presentation on a multi- Larry Friedman, owner of the deal- pretty much done,” he said. He said for different things. It just got to the ELIZABETH — The County of golf operations.” jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan ership, said a number of factors led to he saw a “significant drop in the ve- point where I just couldn’t do it any- Union is expected to send out request Mr. Sanchez said the maintenance developed by James Lee & Associ- more.” for proposals (RFPs) within two of the golf facilities would remain ates with input from the Union County GMAC charged New Norris inter- weeks for professional firms inter- under county control. Office of Emergency Management Caruana Tells WF Council to est on the new cars at its dealership ested in managing the clubhouse op- Mr. Devanney has proposed in his and 13 of the 21 municipalities in the and a curtailment charge on used cars erations at the county’s public golf budget that the Oak Ridge golf course county, as well as the public. James (a percentage on any used vehicle courses. This announcement comes in Clark be closed due to a $400,000 Lee & Associates was hired as the Brace For Upcoming Budget purchased by New Norris), as well as after County Manager George deficit last year and the multi-million project’s technical consultant. By MICHAEL J. POLLACK county is not making the “significant making the dealership pay down what Devanney said two weeks ago the costs needed to refurbish its historic Anthony Mangeri of James Lee Specially Written for The Westfield Leader cuts…the cuts you would expect to it owed on its 2008 vehicles. privatization plan for two golf course clubhouse. The county golf opera- told the freeholders that hazard miti- WESTFIELD – Town Council Fi- see in this crisis.” “GMAC owns the vehicles. Once a clubhouses was under consideration tions lost a combined $700,000 in gation planning identifies areas to nance Policy Committee Chairman Mayor Andy Skibitsky said he was vehicle is sold, we pay GMAC off. by the Board of Chosen Freeholders. 2008. reduce or eliminate risk before a natu- Sal Caruana Tuesday night asked his to speak with Union County Free- But due to the credit [crisis], we are Armando Sanchez, director of golf “It (privatization) is something we ral or manmade disaster occurs. fellow council members to observe holder Chairman Al Mirabella not financing through GMAC because operations for the county, told The have to look at,” Mr. Sanchez said. The county received a $325,000 the budgetary decisions of surround- Wednesday and that he would invite they kind of stopped doing that so we Westfield Leader after last Thursday’s Mr. Sanchez said while the com- Federal Emergency Management ing municipalities to better under- Mr. Mirabella to speak again with the had to finance through outside Board of Chosen Freeholders meet- pany that runs the facilities would Agency (FEMA) grant to develop the stand the fiscal reality Westfield faces. council at an upcoming conference sources,” he explained. He said be- ing, that the companies would be focus on golf courses Galloping Hill plan. Mr. Caruana said in many towns session. cause of dealing with a number of asked to submit bids with budgets for in Union and Ashbrook in Scotch The report identified potential di- tackling budget crunches, the “first Fourth Ward Councilman Tom banks, New Norris was unable to day-to-day operations of the courses Plains, the company might recom- saster hazards including floods, dam step” is instituting hiring freezes, fol- Bigosinski said the town, when evalu- payoff GMAC immediately upon the including all revenue producers for mend the reopening of Oak Ridge if it failures, civil disturbance and crime, lowed by layoffs.