Governor's Race Tops Primary Poll Decisions
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Volume118 Number 22 THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2005 75 Cents Memorial Day 2005 Governor’s race tops primary poll decisions Tuesday’s primary election will sion and serves on the Planning mayor Steve Lonegan, Morris prove to be the run-off for the sev- Board. County freeholder John Murphy en Republican candidates vying to Steinberg, who recently moved and Washington Township Coun- challenge the Democratic fron- to the township, had a career in cilman Robert Schroeder. trunner for the governor’s seat in advertising before earning a law Voters will also be able to help November. degree and starting her own prac- select their party’s nominations for The local race for two open seats tice. state Assembly, Essex County on the Township Committee, how- Suell, an attorney for a New Jer- Clerk, and seats on the Board of ever, features two uncontested sey insurance company and an Chosen Freeholders. slates from Republicans and adjunct professor at Seton Hall Bruce Bergen and Steven Mer- Democrats. University School of Law, is a past man are running uncontested for Polls Tuesday will be open from president of the Wyoming Civic the Democratic nod for two 21st 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Association. He has been involved District Assembly seats. They’ll Running for Township Commit- in volunteer committees studying face off in November against tee on the Republican ticket are traffic and safety in the township incumbents Jon Bramnick and Dr. incumbent Salvatore J. Bate and and serves as the treasurer of the Eric Munoz, who comprise the newcomer Jeffrey Dahlman. Millburn basketball Booster Club. Republican slate Tuesday. On the Democratic ticket are U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine is Three Democrats and two Ellen Steinberg and James F. Suell. expected to take the Democratic Republicans, including township Bate is seeking his fourth term nomination for governor in Tues- resident Jeffrey B. Beacham, are on on the Township Committee. day’s primary. the ballot for county clerk. An attorney in private practice, Corzine shares the primary tick- A total of 11 Democrats and 13 Bate also is a retired colonel in the et for his party with James D. Kel- Republicans, including township U.S. Army Reserve. ly Jr. and Francis X. Tenaglio. residents Charles James Schaefer He has served as a deputy may- Republican voters will choose IV and Thomas Abella, are run- or for the past three years and their gubernatorial candidate from ning for at-large freeholder seats. served on a variety of subcommit- seven contenders. In Freeholder District IV, tees. Frontrunners are businessman incumbent Muriel M. Shore, A principal in a small invest- and former West Windsor mayor Republican, and former freeholder ment group, and an arbitrator for Doug Forrester and former Jersey Linda Lordi Cavvanaugh, Demo- the New York Stock Exchange, City mayor Bret Schundler. crat, face unopposed races. Dahlman has been involved with Rounding out the field are busi- Mayor Thomas C. McDermott the Millburn-Short Hill Little nessman Todd Caliguire, Assem- is on the ballot for the Republican League and Recreation Commis- blyman Paul DiGaetano, Bogota State Committee. Adam Anik/staff photographer PRESENTING THE COLORS—The Millburn Fire Department’s Color Guard leads the line of march as the township’s Memorial Day parade steps off from the Short Hills train sta- Town plans to reassess tion. his staff put all relevant informa- mine if significant changes By Patricia Harris tion on computer during the 2002 occured. of The Item revaluation, and adjustments can Gordon could not say at what be made by inputting new data. intervals revaluations will be done. Municipal officials have The administrator pointed out a By law, municipalities must con- received permission from Essex revaluation does not necessarily duct a revaluation every 10 years, County and the state to conduct a mean that homeowners will pay unless other circumstances dictate. revaluation of township properties more taxes. Inasmuch as a specif- One of those circumstances is next year, according to Timothy ic amount of money must be raised when assessments stand at only 85 Gordon, business administrator. each year to support municipal, percent or less of actual value, as The revaluation is part of a new schools and county needs, only the indicated by sale prices. Gordon policy, Gordon said last month, distribution of the tax burden will said municipal officials had reason that aims to keep valuations cur- be affected, he explained. The pur- to believe that might be the situa- rent so homeowners do not expe- pose of doing a revaluation is to tion next year. rience large spikes in their tax bills smooth out inequities, causing In the past, he noted, some when a new assessment is made. some assessments to rise, while municipalities have dragged their The township conducted its most others decline. feet on conducting revaluations, recent revaluation in 2002, and the In the 2002 revaluation, Ernest which were politically unpopular one before that was done in 1984. Del Guercio, the township’s asses- and involved a great deal of effort, “I’m calling this a minor sor, created “neighborhoods,” or and the state had not enforced its reassessment,” Gordon said. “The groups of homes with sale prices in law. With the advent of computer effect will be minor, and there a certain range, according to Gor- programs, however, the task has won’t be house visits as we did don. In the 2006 revaluation, Del become easier, and he anticipates with the last one.” Guercio will examine house sales Gordon said the assessor and in the intervening years to deter- Continued on Page B10 DMDA treasurer quits resigning due to actions taken at “clear and open means” for show- AWAITING THEIR TURN—Members of Brownie Troop 0479 of St. Rose of Lima School By Eveline Speedie an executive board meeting of the ing how money was being spent. of The Item prepare to join the line of march during the Memorial Day parade. DMDA on May 25. At that meet- “These are all taxpayer dollars,” ing, according to Priddy, “the he said. “There have been misclas- The treasurer of the Downtown DMDA president and vice presi- sifications and mispostings in the Millburn Development Alliance dent sought to ‘retire’ the finance past. I wanted to put a team (DMDA), the organization committee without full board together to help the executive charged with managing the down- approval by using an executive board understand its own town business district, tendered his order. After my objection to the finances.” resignation Tuesday following an legitimacy of their action,” Priddy Citing “full financial transparen- executive board decision to dis- wrote in his statement, “the presi- cy” as his goal, Priddy said he draft- solve the DMDA’s newly-formed dent indicated he would seek to ed legislation to form a permanent finance committee. bring ‘retiring’ the finance commit- finance committee. “The general Michael Priddy, who was elect- tee before the entire board.” board voted on this measure in ed to the office of treasurer in Jan- Priddy explained Tuesday that February and adopted it by a 16 to uary, said in a statement released when he was elected to the 2 vote,” he said. He then put Tuesday to DMDA members and DMDA board and to the role of the Township Committee, he was treasurer he hoped to create a Continued on Page B10 Bills target safe crossings approved removal of the eastern roadway will be ground out, Baer By Harry Trumbore crosswalk, the scene of several said. of The Item accidents involving pedestrians in “It’s a very simple, very inex- recent years. A letter from the pensive fix,” he said. “We’ll elimi- While one of the township’s township officially requesting the nate a very dangerous crossing.” state representatives is working in change has been sent to the coun- The issue of pedestrian safety Trenton to strengthen laws pro- ty, Baer said. has long been a concern of Assem- tecting pedestrians, municipal offi- Once work is completed by the blyman Jon Bramnick, who repre- cials are moving forward at the end of the summer, pedestrians sents the 21st District, which same time to make one downtown will no longer be allowed to cross includes Millburn. crossing safer. Millburn Avenue in front of traffic This month, a Bramnick-spon- According to Township Com- turning left from Lackawanna sored bill was signed into law and mitteeman Daniel J. Baer, one of Place. The pedestrian signals on increases the penalty fees for EAGER TO MARCH—Tiger Cubs of Pack 17, St. Rose of Lima Church, Drew Jansen, the two crosswalks at the intersec- the traffic stanchions will be motorists failing to yield to pedes- Bobby Dries and Calvin Wetmore, from left, get ready to fly the colors in the township’s tion of Millburn Avenue and Lack- removed, a chain will be placed trians in a crosswalk. Bramnick, Memorial Day parade. awanna Place will be eliminated. across the ramp in the sidewalk on however, said even stronger mea- Baer said township police and the Taylor Park side of Millburn Essex County officials have Avenue and the striping in the Continued on Page B10 Please recycle. At least 15% recycled paper. Inside AquaFest a splash. Story, Page A3. Tennis team wins title. See Page B1. Classified B13-B15 Education A10-A15 Movies A9 Public Notices A16 Social A7 For home delivery, Editorial A4 Entertainment A8, A9 Obituaries A6 Religious news A6 Sports B1-B7 phone (973) 233-5005 Page A2 Thursday, June 2, 2005 THE ITEM of Millburn and Short Hills www.theitemonline.com Firefighters investigate SALUTE—Motorcyclists participating in the “Ride furnace fire and secure to Live, Live to Roast” motorcycle rally pass area around fallen tree under an American flag supported by tower trucks delivery truck being driven away By Harry Trumbore from the building had snagged ser- from the Millburn, left, and of The Item Maplewood fire depart- vice lines to the residence and ments at the intersection caused extensive damage to the of Wyoming and Clinton Township firefighters investigat- siding.