Play Trains' Pop-Rock Group Is Running on the Right Track
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Meet the winners of 'Sunbrella' sales are Stand by me, Kiefer European Holiday underway in town center in Introductions' Story on page A-14 Dietails page A-6 Details in Classified section Use your best pitcher today. Tomorrow it may rain Leo Durocher. Vol. II, No. 33 A Forbes Newspaper Thursday, August 15, 1991 233-9696 P.O. Box 2790, Westfield 07091 15 Certs Gas contamination persists with leaks at three more sites By Donald Pizzi Jr. Record staff writer Gasoline contamination on the Union County Complex on North Avenue has rw ulted in the county public works director asking the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct further testing on the site. A presentation was made before the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders last week on the issue. Patrick White, director of the county public works department, told the board that recent testing of both old and new wells at the Venieri Complex on North Avenue have determined that a high level of contamination exists on the site in at least three places. Gasoline tanks were first determined to be leaking at the complex in 1988. The gM seeped into groundwater and flowed under the NJ Transit tracks and then down the Garwood Brook to the Rahway River. At that time, one 3,000 gallon gasoline tank was removed, while another was sealed off and filled with sand, White said. About S800,000 has already been spent to clean up the site. White said Tuesday that it is not yet known whether the contamination found in the recent tests was caused solely by the 1988 gas leaks. "We can't tell if the contamination is old or new," White said. "We do know that the levels of contamination have not decreased." The county director said that the tests that determined that the contamination has Photo by Daryl Stone not declined were "standard operating procedure." T.R. GLYNN of the rock-pop group The Play Trains' performs in front of a receptive crowd in Mindowaskin Park. The White said two things need to be determined: how to decrease the acute con- local group is hoping that an August 23 date at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park will lead to a recording contract. tamination and if another source is contributing to the polluting of the area. To accomplish these goals, White asked the freeholders to call upon the Department of Environmental Protection to investigate the situation. As of Tuesday, the DEP had yet to respond to the request. White said. A representative from the DKP press office could not be reached for comment Play Trains' pop-rock group White said that there are no present health dangers coming from the site, Stating that it has been closely monitored by the Keating Environmental Managment Cor- poration since April. Along with the monitoring, a contamination extraction system has been set up on the site. A series of underground pipes have been installed, which allow fluids and vapors is running on the right track to be collected. Vapors are now being collected. White said. By Donald Pizzi Jr. One possible plan for cleanup ofilie site is to continue with the extraction system, Record staff writer corne change from the da>s vhen he thnv both always wanted to do. while at the same time upgradim; and expanding it, White said. Another method Glynn knew Berkebile since junior With a recently completed demo tape practiced with his punk band in his would be to excavate the contaminated ^oil from the area. basement high school, having both sang in choirs White said that gas stations in the area of North Avenue may be among sources to shop around and an upcoming concert and performed in school plays together. at the famed Stony Pony, Westfield's "Back then I used to drive them out of contributing to the problem, and that is one of things he wants the DEP to check. the house," he said with a laugh. Though she had never played it before, "We have to find out of these other sources are contaminating the site," White said, "The Play Trains" appear to be a pop- she was enlisted as the group's bassist rock group on the right track for success. The Play Trains consist of Glynn, For- "or if it was always contaminated " "She sang in an earlier version of The The Play Trains played on the ref- gash, bassist Whitney Berkebilo, key- urbished bandstand in Mindowaskin boardist Mike Fitzgerald and drummer ['lay Trains," Glynn said. "She's a real Park last week before a decidedly dive- Terry Glynn, all of whom grew up in musical person, and I knew she could do ! Most '91 WHS grads head rse and appreciative crowd. Most of the town. Except for Forgasli, who attended it About three weeks alter she picked up older audience members seemed to be a preparatory school, they arc all grad- the bass she played in a gig. And she was enjoying the show as much as the large uates of Westfield High School. rvally good." group of teenagers that sat on the grass Glynn said that (he first group to go Fitzgerald, who (ilynn also knew from off to four year colleges under the name The Play Trains was junior high, began sitting on keyboards. in front of the bandstand. A group of Nine out of ten of this year's June graduates of Westfield High School will small children danced and played games "thrown together for a gig in Min- As for Forgash, Glynn's roommate, he dowaskin Park two years ago." Glynn said originally hud wanted to play drums for continue their education. in front of the stand to complete the Of the 326 graduates, 298 or 91.4 percent will further their schooling, with 267 generational mix. that the first incarnation of the group was the group. "I had fooled around a little "an acoustic thing' that played a lot of on guitar," he said of the instrument he or 81.9 percent going to four-year colleges and 31 or 9.5 percent to two-year To singer-songwriter T.R. Glynn and • colleges, vocational, business and other post high school institutions. guitarist Ben Forgash, it is not surprising cover songs and had a line-up that cliari- would eventually play in the band, "I saw a group like this in mind when I The 91% is down from the record WYc last, year but is ahead of the 80% that their music appeals to such a wide &ed with each performance. ). recorded at WHS two years ago. variety or people. "Around of the first of this year, 1 started putting the band together." Glynn said of the eclectic group he has as- < Fifteen members of the Class of 1991 are employed, while 13 were undecided "I had a woman come up to me of- decided that I wanted the group to be a 5 about their future when the guidance department report was compiled. terwards who was about in her 40s," said lot more professional,' Glynti said. "It sembled, "but it wasn't all black and white and clear." | Of the 267 graduates going to four-year colleges, 40 will remain in New Jersey, Glynn. "and she told me that she was didn't have a core at first. So at about J with 14 going to Rutgers University, 13 to state colleges, and 13 to private really happy that she could enjoy music that time 1 began to assemble this group " "It was more of a 'let's try this' and we I colleges, including Princeton. Two hundred twenty-seven students will attend a that was contemporary. There's a lot in . , . , tried it and it worked," said Forgash of \ total of 136 four-year colleges in other states as close as New York, Pennsyl- our music for everybody." Reorganizing the band presented an the band's current pop-rock sound. ; vania and Connecticut and as far away as California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas Forgash agreed, stating that his parents opportunity for Glynti and his older * and Wisconsin. think the music he plays now is a wel- brother Terry to play together, something (Please turn to page A-16) > Graduates in the Class of 1991 were1 accepted by u large range of colleges and \ universities, including Amhurst, Brown, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, ; Lafayette. Lehigh, MIT, Notre Dame, Princeton, Swarthmore, University of | Michigan, University of Pennsylvania. Wesleyan and Williams. Town's rail stations and firehouse \ For more details sec page A-10. posed for historic landmark status Contentious Central Avenue By Donald Plzzi Jr. completion. For that reason, the commis- and a provision in the recently com- sion decided to hold the hearing at its Record staff writer pleted Master Plan recommends that it safety issue percolates anew next meeting for just the stations ami the stays as such. Westfield's vintage Moorish firehousc firehouse. The other sites will be the The Spanish Renaissance firehouse, By Donald Pizzi Jr. south side of Roger Avenue that blocked and its two train stations are poised for subject of hearings at a later date. first constructed in 1910, was renovated Record staff writer the view of children, and addition of historic status. speed limit signs to the area. The public hearing will be held on in the 1980s. Last year the structure was The issue of traffic safety on Central The three structures will be subject to Sept 19 at 8 p.m. in the Municipal Build- honored in an awards ceremony by the Councilman James Hely, chairman of a hearing by the Historic Preservation Avenue percolates as residents in the the public safety committee, disputed ing.