Tentative 1999-2000 Budget Explored by School Board
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Westfield Serving the Town Since 1890 Leader USPS 680020 Published OUR 108th YEAR ISSUE NO. 07-99 Periodical Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. Thursday, February 18, 1999 Every Thursday 232-4407 FIFTY CENTS Franklin Elementary Students Tentative 1999-2000 Budget Inspired By Government Leaders Explored By School Board By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN committee met with Director of Spe- The program will be aired until the Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Specially Written for The Westfield Leader cial Education Services, Theodore school board election on Tuesday, On February 12, brilliant stars On Tuesday, February 16, the Kozlik, to determine the needs of April 20. and stripes were the backdrop for Westfield Board of Education closely special education students and to in- She called the budget very rea- the Franklin Leadership Summit examined the components of a drafted clude those increased costs in the sonable and stated, I hope the tax- at the Franklin Elementary School budget for the upcoming academic budget. payers will feel it is very reasonable. auditorium, as Union County Free- year, which carries an approximate The committee also included the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. holder Mary Ruotolo, Mayor Tho- price tag of $53 million. needs of curriculum changes and William J. Foley, reported that the mas C. Jardim, and Sonya Burkett, Board Member and Chair of the technological improvements in the elements of the budget included the a representative for Assemblyman Finance Committee, Susan L. district when crafting the budget. requirements of the boards Strategic Richard H. Bagger, met with fourth Jacobson, explained the construction Mrs. Jacobson described budget Plan. He added that another impor- and fifth grade students to encour- of the preliminary budget, which has discussions as indepth, profitable tant consideration when developing age leadership skills. been in progress since the summer and informative, adding that a spe- the budget was to keep funding con- The notion of a leadership sum- months. cial budget seminar will be presented sistent with previous years, while mit at Franklin was conceived last According to Mrs. Jacobson, the on TV-36 for public consideration. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 year by the schools Assistant Prin- cipal, Pat Rooney. Mr. Rooney be- lieved that students would benefit LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT WAS ACTIVE WITH WESTFIELD YOUTH from focusing on a positive defini- tion of leadership. The fourth and fifth grade stu- Westfield Grieves Following Sudden dents were given the assignment to write essays about the leadership qualities they believed were impor- Death of Jennifer Ryan at Age 28 tant. The students worked with fac- ulty and sent letters to the leaders, By KIM KINTER who were motivated to attend the Specially Written for The Westfield Leader summit. William A. Burke for The Westfield Leader At only 28, Jennifer Anne Ryan Mr. Dolan told the students, You ROLE MODELS Franklin Elementary School in Westfield recently hosted made the kind of lasting impression provided the ideas for the program. its first Franklin Leadership Summit, for which the students wrote essays on a community that seems more I thank you for your involvement. defining the role of leadership. Assemblyman Richard H. Bagger, Union likely of a person twice her age. Some of these definitions were County Freeholder Mary P. Ruotolo, and Mayor Thomas C. Jardim attended As a Westfield resident for 23 years placed on colorful cardboard strips the summit to explain their government roles and to encourage leadership. and active in both the community and displayed in the Franklin Pictured, left to right, are: Sonya Burkett, a representative for Assemblyman Bagger, with his photograph; Freeholder Ruotolo and Mayor Jardim. and The Presbyterian Church in School auditorium for the assem- Westfield, Miss Ryans unexpected bly. death Tuesday caused despair and Scrawled in marker and crayon, want to follow, a person who can flag salute and a spirited rendition grief among the many who knew her students described a leader as a make good choices, and someone of The Star Spangled Banner. well. person who leads people to do who takes care of things patiently. Each of the leaders was proudly She was very energetic, very things, someone in charge, a Franklin Principal, Dr. Margaret introduced by Jeffrey Perillo, friendly. She had a wonderful dispo- person people look up to for ad- Dolan, led the students, who were Franklin Elementary Fifth Grade sition. I just loved working with her, vice, someone who makes im- dressed in their Sunday Best to im- Student Council President. said Michael La Place, Executive portant decisions, someone you press their leaders, with a patriotic CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Director of the Downtown Westfield Council Debates Best Use of County Funds Courtesy of The United Fund of Westfield A FAVORITE AMONG YOUTH...Jennifer Ryan, center, is shown here in a 1994 photo with members of the Westfield Youth Bicentennial Committee. Pictured, left to right, are: Jeannette Yudes, Meghan Bender, Miss Ryan, Under Renewed Pocket Park Program Courtney Bender and Brooke Wiley. Miss Ryan died suddenly Tuesday morning at age 28. By PAUL J. PEYTON reational facilities. apply for $100,000 in county funds facility located near the Tamaques Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Now into the second year of the this year, per requests from Depart- Park tennis courts. The remaining Corporation (DWC), who had worked young woman she described as ex- The Westfield Town Council once Board of Chosen Freeholders ment of Recreation officials. $20,000 will go toward improvements with her since 1997. Miss Ryan had tremely dedicated. again is wrestling with how to best Pocket Park matching grant pro- The governing body agreed to seek to other parks. been active with Westfield She was one of those people who use grant moneys from Union County gram, Town Administrator Edward $80,000 from the county to fund an These include a park to be created MainStreet, and later the DWC, for had a tremendous impact on indi- to upgrade the towns parks and rec- A. Gottko proposed that the town upgrade of the restrooms and storage at Rahway Avenue and First Street in six years. viduals. It is a tragedy, she observed. honor of activist and entertainer Paul Im in shock. Im stunned that At press time, the cause of Miss Robeson, who lived in the town in the shes gone, he added. Ryans death had not been deter- Proposed $285.6 Mil. County Budget early part of the 20th century, and the Similarly, Tina McCormick, As- mined. She had become ill over the refurbishing of Clark Memorial Park. sociate Pastor at The Presbyterian weekend and died in Overlook Hos- Officials are also seeking to create a Church in Westfield, where Miss pital in Summit. pocket park on Central Avenue near Ryan was active with the churchs Miss Ryan was a 1988 graduate of Calls For No Increase in Tax Levy CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 youth group, mourned the loss of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 By PAUL J. PEYTON property taxes have dropped from Budget, presented to the Freeholders Specially Written for The Westfield Leader 58.4 percent of the budget in 1993 to on January 14, that the countys reli- Union County government will 52.6 percent this year. ance on property taxes has decreased Tamaques Elementary Welcomes continue to decrease its reliance on Union County Manager Michael J. by 22.3 percent since 1990. In fact, property taxes this year as a percent- Lapolla noted that the county prop- the levy was flat in 1996, down .5 age of total revenue used to partially erty tax is at its lowest rate, .45652, percent in 1997 and 1 percent in Interim Principal, Faith Divisek offset a proposed budget of $285.6 since 1993. The rate represents a 1998. million. 1.27 percent decline from last year. Since 1997, economic develop- By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN This years budget, which increases The countys surplus has risen from ment, the key to continued growth Specially Written for The Westfield Leader overall spending by about $3.5 mil- $17.6 million in 1994 to $41 million and prosperity, has been the para- One door closed and another one lion over the 1998 adopted budget, this year, the largest in the countys mount focus of every county depart- opened as Tamaques Elementary will be offset in part by a county tax history. ment and division, the county man- School recently bid farewell to former levy of $150.24 million, the same as Each fiscal year the administra- ager emphasized. principal, Sal DeSimone, and wel- last year and the lowest level since tion attempts to utilize larger amounts The Department of Economic De- comed interim principal, Faith 1994. of the fund balance each year to offset velopment was created by the Demo- Divisek. Revenue from property taxes rep- new demands placed on budget re- cratically controlled Freeholder board Mr. DeSimone had served the resents 52.6 percent of funding in the sources, Mr. Lapolla said in ex- in 1997. The department is under the Westfield Public School district for budget, 9.1 percent generated from plaining the importance of a rising direction of George V. Devanney, approximately 26 years, before de- the use of surplus funds, 7 percent surplus funds. who also serves as Deputy County ciding to step down and accept a from reimbursement of money for He explained that the surplus funds, Manager. position as the new principal at state institutions, 11.2 percent for referred to in budget terms as the We will strive to create new jobs, Fairview School in Bloomfield. grants, and another 20.1 percent in fund balance, helps Union County expand and foster relationships in Beginning his career as a Spanish various county generated revenues stabilize the county portion of prop- the global marketplace, and imple- and English teacher at Roosevelt In- such as funds to house state and erty tax bills.