Of Millburn and Short Hills

The Serving our Community Hitchin’ a ride Since1888 Wyoming residents get a Item lift to train station. See A2 January 15, 2009 75 cents weekly www.theitemonline.com of Millburn and Short Hills SCHOOL VIOLENCE Minister and son charged with assault By Harry Trumbore According to police, township According to police, the victim was were released, police reported. spoken with police to contact the and Andrea Hughes ‘What was done was resident the Rev. Darryl L. George, treated and released Friday night. The two are scheduled to be detective bureau at 973-564-7117. of The Item abhorrent, absolutely 58, and his son, Lamar A. George, Police said they recovered a arraigned Jan. 21 in Newark on According to reports published 19, were arrested. A 15-year-old baseball bat at the scene that charges stemming from the inci- in The Star-Ledger Monday, Dar- Millburn High School students, unjustified and cannot be Millburn High School student, reportedly was used in the assault. dent. ryl George, who is African-Ameri- administrators and parents were explained away.’ reportedly another of the minister’s Both the minister and Lamar Police only released the names can, complained of racism and said shocked Friday by two unrelated sons, was also arrested after the George were charged with aggra- of the parties involved on Monday, he would issue a statement regard- incidents that resulted in the arrest Richard Brodow incident and was suspended from vated assault, possession of a and as of Tuesday, police still were ing the incident. of four people and sent one to the school. weapon for an unlawful purpose not providing details about the On Monday, however, The Item SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS hospital. An 18-year-old Millburn High and conspiracy as well as other incident, only saying their investi- of Millburn and Short Hills was In an incident that occurred at ter and his son after investigating School student who was assaulted charges. gation is continuing. unable to contact the minister. the close of the school day around reports of an altercation in the high during the incident was taken to Bail for both adults was set at Officers are asking anyone who 2:39 p.m., police arrested a minis- school parking lot. Overlook Hospital in Summit. $10,000. Both posted bond and witnessed the incident and has not SEE ASSAULT, PAGE A3 BOARD OF EDUCATION Officials address security issues at high school Brodow’s comments came after After the meeting, Bove told The Brodow said he met with high video cameras at school entrances. Board members answer criticism Vincent Bove, a leadership and Item of Millburn and Short Hills school Principal William Miron Board member Noreen Brunini security educator who lives in the the township schools should and Vice Principal Michelle Pitts said the debate about whether to from school safety consultant township, spoke during the meet- have a security and vulnerability on Saturday and Sunday to formu- install security cameras had always ing’s first round of public com- assessment done and review com- late plans for responding to the boiled down to a financial issue. ments. pliance with state Department of incident. She asked if there was state aid By Andrea Hughes publicly thanked for their pres- Calling the incident a red flag Education regulations. Brodow and Miron also met given for the installment of addi- of The Item ence. and a warning sign, Bove The superintendent expressed with about 17 5 parents at the high tional security cameras. Monday night’s Board of Edu- “To be sure, the past few days expressed concern about the lack disappointment at the comments school, he added. Board secretary Robert Zeglars- cation meeting at Hartshorn have been difficult for many mem- of security cameras in the high of someone who he said had not “The police department has ki found nothing in his search of School was dominated by con- bers of the community,” Superin- school parking lot, where the inci- reviewed the high school’s safety been absolutely amazing and they state aids that indicated money for cerns about school security after tendent of Schools Richard dent occurred. procedures. are here to work very closely with security cameras. the violent assault of an 18-year- Brodow told the audience. “Millburn is as vulnerable to “This super and Board of Edu- the high school,” said Brodow. He said such aid may have been old Millburn High School student “What happened Friday cannot violence as any school in the coun- cation take very seriously the duty The morning after the meeting, given out several years ago and at dismissal this past Friday. happen again,” he said. “From this try,” he said. “I implore you to seri- to protect the health and safety of Brodow said there are police offi- resolved to research it. Police stood guard in the hall- terrible incident, this community ously learn from this recent inci- all students, and we will do what is cers working full time at the middle way at the meeting at and were will be stronger and better.” dent.” necessary,” he affirmed. and high schools and there are SEE BOARD, PAGE A3 PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION Town resident traveling to D.C. for historic event By Harry Trumbore of a black man to the nation’s high- Zimmer explains that Brown of The Item est office surprised many Ameri- has always espoused the view that cans. everyone should make it on his or An invitation to attend the inau- “They were astonished,” he said. her own merits. guration of Barack Obama will “You can feel it all around you.” In November 1961, Brown, a bring a certain closure to the life of Asked what he would say to the Rutgers professor of in the gradu- one township resident, William new president if he had the chance, ate School of Social Work, debat- Neal Brown. Brown looked puzzled at first. All ed separatism and the future of The grandson of an ex-slave, of the years and stories Brown has race relations in American with Brown served his country during to tell sometimes become tangled Malcolm X. World War II as a member of the together as visitors fire questions at Although many at the time legendary Tuskegee Airmen, him about the people he has met believed the young Black Muslim African-Americans who during and the things he has seen. minister won the debate, Zimmer World War II overcame segrega- “I don’t know him well enough,” maintains Malcolm X moved clos- tion to become an elite corps of he began. He thought for a er to Brown’s point of view fighter pilots. moment and said, “I’d tell him than Brown moved toward Mal- Ten years after the war’s about some of the well-known colm’s. end, Brown helped break down people I met in the service.” “Nothing changes my mind another barrier when he became He met actor Clark Gable, who about him,” Brown said. “His point the first African-American profes- was his training officer in was that the white man should give sor in the history of Rutgers Uni- the air corps, and as an informa- the black man money.” versity. tion officer Brown met boxer Brown retired from teaching in Now, as the country prepares to Joe Louis and President Franklin 1989 as professor emeritus. welcome its first black president, Roosevelt. But it was Roosevelt’s In 2007, the Tuskegee Airmen Brown, who will celebrate his 90th wife, Eleanor, for whom Brown were awarded the Congressional birthday next month, is preparing seemed to have the most admira- Gold Medal. for a trip to Washington, D.C. tion. She showed the Tuskegee Air- At the time, Brown was unable A resident of Montclair for near- men courage by approaching one to attend the awards ceremony in ly 50 years, Brown has lived in of them and asking him to take her Washington, D.C. Millburn with an associate, up on a flight. This year, he doesn’t want to Suzanne Zimmer, for the past four “Fortunately, he was one of our miss this trip. years. He has some difficulty get- best pilots,” Brown said with a According to Zimmer, a dozen ting around these days, but last smile. Impressed with the skill of of the Tuskegee Airmen who week he reviewed, with some assis- her pilot, Roosevelt returned to live in New Jersey will gather tance from Zimmer, several of the Washington and lobbied her hus- at McGuire Air Force Base milestones of his own life and his band to allow the men to fly in Monday. thoughts about the historic event combat. The veterans will be bused to STAFF PHOTO BY HARRY TRUMBORE he will attend next Tuesday. What else would he tell the new the nation’s capital early the fol- Despite the progress the country president? lowing morning. William Neal Brown and township Mayor Sandra Haimoff examine the Congressional Gold has made in the area of civil rights, “I’d tell him to be open to all “I never thought I’d live to see Medal awarded in 2007 to Tuskegee Airmen. Brown will join other veterans of the fabled air Brown said he thinks the election people,” Brown answered. the day,” Brown said. corps attending Tuesday’s inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. In Classifieds Vol. 122No. 3 CLASSIFIEDSD5MOVIESA7Money’s tight COMMUNITY D1, D6 OBITUARIESB5Residents stretching entertainment For more classifieds, see page D5. For home delivery, Ted’sGutters &Toppers To place a classified ad in The Item of Millburn call 888-504-4280.

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