Brindle Meets with Lombardo to Discuss Gumbert Park Ice Rink by CHRISTINA M
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, June 21, 2018 OUR 128th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 25-2018 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] ONE DOLLAR Brindle Meets With Lombardo to Discuss Gumbert Park Ice Rink By CHRISTINA M. HINKE open,” Mayor Brindle said. by the playground also is to have a Specially Written for The Westfield Leader “Mayor Lombardo and I have al- new walkway in front of where the WESTFIELD — Mayor Shelley ready spoken several times about the cars park and the walkway behind the Brindle and Garwood Mayor Charles rink,” Mayor Brindle affirmed. parking area is to be removed for Lombardo met Tuesday to walk The new Mindowaskin Park play- safety purposes. through installation of the ice rink ground is expected to be installed A $2.7-million contract to Fischer that is to be set up in the fall at immediately after the old equipment Contracting was awarded to make Gumbert Park and remain open is demolished later this month, Town various road improvements, as well through most of the winter, address Administrator Jim Gildea said at the as to cover the cost for the pathways concerns, and explain the permits and council’s conference session held at Mindowaskin Park. improvements to the park, Mayor prior to the official meeting. Corby Two new street sweepers were ap- Brindle said at the Tuesday town coun- Associates was granted the contract proved totaling $490,000. cil meeting. to remove and dispose of the play- A new app, SeeClickFix, will be “He didn’t raise any concerns that ground equipment at a cost of rolled out in about two months, after hadn’t already been addressed. And $16,875. the council approved a contract of we agreed to cooperate and collabo- The park also is to have newly $10,800 with the company. Residents rate for a successful outcome for all. poured pathways, with either asphalt will be able to report issues such as Those lines of communication have or concrete, stamped concrete or potholes on the app. been and will continue to remain colorized concrete. The parking area The low-bid contract to make im- provements to Grove Street was ap- proved, to be awarded to D.L.S. Con- tracting in the amount of $242,950. The state aid received by the town should cover most of the cost, Mr. Gildea told the council at the confer- Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader ence session. GETTING A FACELIFT...Arcanum Hall at Elm and East Broad Streets in Westfield, which dates to 1892, is undergoing Three ordinances were introduced a major facelift with new second-floor windows, restoration work on the rotunda, as well as new awnings, lighting and on first reading pertaining to the painting of trim on the exterior, according to the Downtown Westfield Corporation. town’s affordable-housing obliga- tions. In a hearing on May 21, the Delay In Renovations to Stadium town received a conditional judgment of compliance and repose, Town Plan- ner Don Sammet said. Keeps Graduation Ceremony at Kehler “We are just cleaning up at this point,” Mr. Sammet said of the out- By SARAH McGRAIL stadium. sponsibility of the board that had al- come of the hearing. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader However, the company that fin- lowed it to tackle projects such as “Once we fulfill our WESTFIELD — This year’s high- ished in third place, H&S Construc- Kehler out of reserve funds. obligations...we will have immunity school graduation on Friday is to be tion and Mechanical, Inc., of Eliza- “One of the hallmarks of the work from builder’s remedy lawsuits until held at Kehler Stadium after an ap- beth, took legal action against the that we have done over the past five to July 2025,” Ms. Sammet said. pellate court failed to deliver a deci- board of education, which owns six years is saving and building up Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader One of the three ordinances intro- sion on the court case that is holding Kehler, to prove that the bid made by our reserves, which has allowed us to PRESERVING WESTFIELD...Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle speaks during the duced Tuesday includes an amend- up the planned renovation of the sta- the winning company was invalid. not only do things like Kehler straight Westfield Historic Preservation Commission’s Harry Devlin Awards ceremony last ment to “clean up the existing code,” dium. The third-place company lost the from reserves so that we don’t have to Thursday in the Community Room of the Westfield Municipal Building. Mr. Sammet said. Renovation work for the $3-mil- case but immediately appealed the go out to bond and ask taxpayers for Another ordinance refers to amend- lion project was due to start in May decision and the board has been wait- additional money, but a number of ing bulk regulations regarding the after a bid was accepted from Your ing for a ruling in the case before other projects at the high school,” she Preservation Award Winners settlement agreement with the own- Way Construction, of Irvington, to work can commence on the stadium. said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 carry out the massive overhaul of the The original plan was to hold gradu- Assistant Superintendent Paul Honored by Westfield HPC ation on the field behind Westfield Pineiro spoke to the board about a High School, on Rahway Avenue, to proposed new course for the high WESTFIELD — The Westfield mercial or Institutional Property. Fire Residents Press for Answers enable work to start on Kehler Sta- school entitled “Power, Privilege and Historic Preservation Commission Chief David J. Kelly accepted an dium. Graduation has been held at Imbalance in American Society” in (HPC) presented its Harry Devlin award on behalf of the Westfield Fire On Police Misconduct Suit Kehler for the past few years. 2019-2020. Awards for efforts in restoring, ex- Department for the 2015 restoration It had been hoped to get the work “It is one of the most provocative panding or updating older proper- of the domed cupola on top of the By KATE BROWNE immediately terminated and why the Specially Written For The Westfield Leader started in May in order for it to be and exciting courses I’ve seen in a ties to 12 property owners at a recep- firehouse, one of five town properties borough council had voted to approve completed before the start of the foot- long time,” said Mr. Pineiro. “It is the tion in the Community Room of the listed on the National Register of MOUNTAINSIDE – The borough a resolution indemnifying them in the ball season. exploration of American history Westfield Municipal Building on Historic Places. council on Tuesday night heard from event of an adverse judgment in the Board President Gretchan Ohlig through the filter of social science, June 14. Ellie and Mike Mroz of Michael dozens of residents who expressed lawsuit. told attendees at Tuesday evening’s and the goal of the course is to look at A special award was given to Helaine Robert Construction were acknowl- concerns over a loss of trust in the There was visible dismay when, board of education meeting, “If we it through a critical lens. It’s impor- Donnelly and Pat Velderman in recog- edged for the restoration of their 1940s police department, the community’s during the business portion of win the case, we have a contractual tant for students to have the tools to nition of their work to establish the office at 400 West Broad Street, which damaged reputation, and the potential Tuesday’s council meeting, council obligation to the winner. If we lose, be able to have these kinds of conver- Kimball Avenue Historic District and included replicating the leaded glass impact of legal fees on property values members unanimously voted to create then we have the second-place bidder sations because clearly we don’t have the preservation commission. transom windows, aided by a grant and tax rates from a lawsuit filed by an emergency appropriation of and we may well find ourselves in those tools right now in America.” Kelly Kessler, chairwoman of the from the Downtown Westfield Cor- five members of the Mountainside $200,000 for the purpose of funding another lawsuit about the validity of It was agreed to postpone a discus- HPC, and Mayor Shelley Brindle wel- poration. Police Department and a part-time fe- the expenses associated with the law- that bid. So everything is still very sion on the course until the board had comed the recipients and guests after Keith Hertell received an award male employee. The lawsuit alleges suit, which includes the costs incurred much up in the air. heard a presentation on the details. a several year hiatus in the presenting for the addition of an exterior eleva- sexist, racist and homophobic conduct by independent attorney William “I think at this point we know at It was agreed that the board would of the awards. Named for Harry tor tower that matched the style and by Officers Andrew Huber and Tho- Maderer, a former Assistant United least that we’re not going to have defer a decision on appointing audi- Devlin, a noted artist and architec- materials of his original 1892 office mas Murphy and Police Chief Alan States attorney, who is expected to bleachers in time, even if work does tors for 2018-2019 as the sub-commit- tural historian who was one of the building at 322 Elm Street.