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Contact: [email protected] (908) 232-4407 (Place your Ad order now before the March 15 deadline) Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, February 19, 2009 OUR 119th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 08-2009 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SIXTY CENTS Union Members Ask County to Rescind Layoffs of Workers By PAUL J. PEYTON cant positions. security personnel at the juvenile de- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Officials said the county initially tention center to practical nurses at ELIZABETH — Members of two was looking at laying off 200 of the Runnells Specialized Hospital. Union County unions told the Union county’s 2,800 employees, but that “I don’t think it is right,” he said. County Board of Chosen Freeholders retirements and not filling vacant He asked the county to consider fur- at last Wednesday’s board meeting positions helped reduce that number loughs and reduced work hours to not to layoff county workers as pro- of potential layoffs. reduce costs instead of cutting jobs. posed by the county manager. County Ed Lozinski, president of Council “The bottom line is the county should layoffs include 32 full-time and 55 8, the county’s largest employee union start cutting the fat and leave the meat seasonal workers, some at Oak Ridge with 875 members, asked the county because (that is) the workers.” golf course that the county plans to to rescind the layoffs. Council 8 in- Union County George Devanney close, and eliminate another 63 va- cludes everyone from engineers to said these proposals would not gener- ate the $5 million the county needs to find in payroll reductions. Mr. Lozinski said of the full-time layoffs, employees of Council 8 would include eight in engineering, two in human services and three in commu- nications. Mr. Devanney said if the county were unable to defer payments on pensions, as proposed by Governor Jon Corzine, the county would face an additional $4 million in spending cuts that would have to be made Courtesy of Dan Turitz through more layoffs and cuts in ser- CRUSHING WIND...Last Thursday’s wind storm caused havoc with trees throughout the area. About 10:30 a.m. last vices. Thursday, this healthy tree was twisted and snapped by the gale force wind. It fell onto the roof of the home at 601 Lenox Ed Zarnock, president of the Union Avenue in Westfield causing severe damage. No one was hurt. Police and Fire personnel roped off the area and Iller Tree County Labor Council of the AFL- Service cut it loose from the residence. CIO, called the layoffs a “human is- sue.” He said thousands of workers Towns Using Different Models to Horace Corbin for The Westfield Leader are represented by the Labor Council “DO NOTHING”…A group of Westfield residents told The Westfield Leader that including Council 8 and the Commu- the school district should “do nothing” instead of redistricting 21 students from nication Workers of America (CWA). the Washington School to Edison Intermediate School. They had filed an OPRA “We are talking about jobs here,” request to view documents used by Superintendent of Schools Margaret Dolan in Mr. Zarnock told the freeholders. He Respond to Medical Service Calls basing her proposal to redistrict students. Pictured, at left, is Leader reporter By RAYNOR DENITZIO Christina Hinke and, at right, clockwise, is Lee Stoller and Josh Cantor. urged the county to form a job bank there were 10 new members who transferred to Central Communica- and retrain workers it lays off so that Specially Written for The Westfield Leader joined last month. Eight of these tions (Centcom) at Overlook Hospi- “you’re not putting them out in the WESTFIELD — Finding a way to members have volunteered for day- tal in Summit where medical dis- cold.” provide 24-hour medical emergency time shifts. According to Lieutenant patchers provide instructions. The Parents Say ‘Do Nothing;’ “I believe a budget is a worst case assistance is an issue faced by many Wanca, the 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 6 police department remains on the line scenario [when it comes to layoffs],” municipalities. It is an issue further p.m. shifts are the hardest to staff. until the connection is made. Mr. Zarnock later told The Westfield complicated by the limitations of “I find that now our membership is “They [Centcom] have medical WF BOE - ‘It’s Not Right’ Leader. budgets and manpower. Local towns going up due to the rate of decline in people that are trained to give medi- By CHRISTINA M. HINKE gards to educating with higher num- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 employ different means to guarantee other departments because some other cal instruction,” Chief Domanowski For The Westfield Leader bers of students per class. the availability of around the clock towns are getting rid of their volun- said. WESTFIELD – A group of resi- Having class sizes on average of 25 Freeholders Schedule medical assistance. teers altogether,” Lieutenant Wanca Chief Domanowski said Fanwood dents filed an Open Public Records at Edison and Roosevelt makes sure In Westfield, when a resident calls said. utilizes Centcom because the train- Act (OPRA) request with the Westfield “education is equivalent at both Public Budget Meetings 911, regardless of the reason, police Other local towns have different ing for medical dispatch is both ex- school district to receive paperwork schools,” she said. ELIZABETH – The Union County department dispatchers field the call. methods of ensuring that 24-hour pensive and intensive. He also said related to the study involved in the “There is a balance that needs to Board of Chosen Freeholders Fiscal As first responders, police officers medical assistance is available to resi- because there is generally only one intermediate school redistricting five- reached,” and that is 250 students per Affairs Committee has scheduled are immediately dispatched to emer- dents. Scotch Plains, which has a dispatcher on duty, providing medi- year plan. The board of education grade, she continued. “It is not per- meetings to discuss the proposed gency medical calls. The next option volunteer fire department but a paid cal instructions would inhibit their moved on first reading, after an 8-1 fect. Over time, that goal is reached.” $449.3-million budget. The meetings is to contact the Westfield Volunteer fire chief, recently approved an ar- ability to respond to other calls. vote at a February 3 meeting, a plan According to Ms. Dolan’s redis- are open to the public and will be held Rescue Squad. Police Chief John rangement with the private company “The only reason we don’t do the calling for the redistricting of some of tricting presentation, without redis- in the Freeholder Conference Room, Parizeau said that if the rescue squad Atlantic Ambulance to respond to CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 Washington Elementary School stu- tricting over the next five years, the 6th floor of the administration build- is unavailable for any reason, then the medical calls in the event the dents starting in the fall of 2009. average number of sixth grade stu- ing in Elizabeth. Westfield Fire Department is the sec- township’s volunteer rescue squad is Garwood: NJEA ‘Out Westfield residents Lee Stoller, Josh dents in Roosevelt would be 271, On Saturday, February 21, the depart- ondary option. unavailable. Cantor and Megan Leary spoke to The compared to 241 at Edison, and if ment of parks and community renewal “I would bet that 90 percent of the Municipal Manager Michael Of Touch With Reality’ Westfield Leader about their concerns redistricting occurs, this split will will appear before the panel at 9 a.m. time, that almost all the calls are Capabianco said the company would By RAYNOR DENITZIO and said the school district should “do change to 245 at Roosevelt compared followed by the prosecutor’s office at 10 police and then rescue squad,” Chief not charge the township for its ser- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader nothing” about the increased enroll- to 265 at Edison. a.m., the surrogate’s office at 11 a.m. and Parizeau said. The remaining 10 per- vices, but instead bill the patients GARWOOD —Following a closed ment at the intermediate level. Mr. Stoller, Mr. Cantor and Ms. the county clerk at 11:30 a.m. cent the fire department would pick directly. executive session on Tuesday night, They said the board’s decision to Leary said a cost-neutral and environ- The human services department up, he said. “Basically it’s a back-up as part of the Garwood Board of Education approve the plan was “arbitrary” be- mentally friendly redistricting plan will present their budget at 5:30 p.m. Fire Chief Dan Kelly said the the mutual aid system,” Mr. (BOE) voted to approve a memoran- cause members “only looked at one could have been looked at, but one was followed by the department of cor- Westfield Fire Department began as- Capabianco said.