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Shoprite Is Alive; Zone Ploy Fizzles

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Shoprite Is Alive; Zone Ploy Fizzles See candidate photos, bios, more on pages A-8-9. To subscribe, call (800) 300-9321 TheW^stfield Record Vol.6, No. 14 Thursday, April 13, 1995 A Forbes Newspaper 50 cents ShopRite is alive; zone ploy fizzles Drama is high-level at council meeting By KEVIN COLUMN by law, the council would have had to pass the ordinance with a two- THK KKCOKD thirds, or six-member, majority to Last-minute legal maneuvering, make it applicable to the site under a conflict of interest and some protest. A simple majority was suf- painful soul-searching combined to ficient to make the law apply to create an ironic and surprising mu- the rest of the town. tation of the Westfield Town Coun- • Village Supermarkets sought cil's land-use ordinance Tuesday and received a court order from night. Union County Judge Barbara Byrd The zoning ordinance, which Wecker barring First Ward council would have blocked the construc- member Norman Greco from Tues- tion of a ShopRite supermarket day's vote. Mr. Greco, a supporter along North Avenue, passed, but it of the ordinance, was found to will apply to everything in the have the appearance of a conflict town except the proposed ShopRite of interest because his wile's fam- site. ily owns the property which once The bottom line: The law has no housed the Westlield A&P super- effect whatsoever on the planned market. This forced abstention re- supermarket. duced the number of voting coun- CHRIS BOWSER/THE RECORD Here's how the legal wrangling, cil members to eight. conflict of interest and soul- • Fourth Ward council member First stage searching came together to emas- Michael Panagos switched al- A Town Recreation Commission ballet class for 4-7-year-olds gets under way last week under the tutelage of Meredith culate the Town Zoning Ordinance: legiance from the pro-ordinance to Arlington. Students are Amy Brown, Sarah Trust, Amy Brison, Nadine Fussell and Madeline Sheridan. • The owners of the proposed the anti-ordinance side of the vote, North Avenue ShopRite site, Nor- joining Fourth Ward councilman man "Dutch" SeveH, Carboline James Hely and Second Ward Company and ACP Partnership, Councilman James Gruba. protested the zoning ordinance be- The council passed the ordi- Election's in voters' hands now fore the second reading. Therefore, (Please turn to page A-4) By KEVmCOUMAN any indicatlon^interest is.up this year, said Ms. • Ward 4, Edison Intermediate School. Pepper. But, she added, "I don't know what The tenth candidate Candidates queue up THE RECORD kind of effect the vacation week will have." In addition to the nine board of education Come Tuesday, the sound and fury of the Superintendent Dr. Mark Smith echoed the candidates, Westfielders will vote on the pro- contentious Westfield Board of Education cam- school board president's views. "I think it clear- posed 1995-1996 school budget. The budget was paign will subside, replaced by the tinny clicks ly has been an active election," said Dr. Smith, passed unanimously by the present board and on primary deadline has been publicly backed by all nine candi- of the voting booths and soft rustle of absentee "There are a number of candidates, and quite By KEVIN COLLIGAN No Republicans had filed for the ballots. high quality candidates [this year]." dates. election as of Tuesday, but the Traditionally, Westfielders don't get too in- An immediate effect of the Election Day/ Stung by a budget defeat last year and De- THE HECOKD chairman of the Westfield Town volved in school board elections. Just 17 per- spring vacation conflict has been a surge in cember's failed bond referendum, the Westfield The deadline to register for can- Republican Committee said his cent of registered voters came out for last year's absentee ballot requests. As of Tuesday, the school district has gone a long way toward sell- didacy in the Westfield Town party will field two incumbents and school board election. In 1993, only 15 percent county had mailed 472 absentee ballots to West- ing the public on the proposed 1995-1996 school Council primary elections is 4 p.m. one challenger candidates. of registered voters turned out. Nineteen per- field residents. By comparison, 54 absentee bal- budget. In addition to five public meetings and today. Two Democrats and three Norman Greco will seek re- cent voted in 1092. Even December's hotly con- lots were sent to Cranford and 55 were sent to a televised hearing, the district mailed a budget newsletter to every home in Westfield, made a Republicans are expected to seek election to his first ward scat. In- tested bond referendum drew just 33 percent of Scotch Plains. "I've never seen anything like their parties' nominations for Town cumbent Neil Sullivan, who was registered voters to the polls. it," said one county employee. budget videotape for the local cable station, and held a two-hour in-depth Saturday morning Council seats. appointed to the council, will sock With the attention this year's election has Vacationers can get absentee ballots up until seminar on the budget. Fourth Ward Democratic council to recapture his Third Ward scat in gotten, however, there is a chance a larger per- election day at the Absentee Ballot Office in Ms. Popper said a second consecutive failed member James Hely has filed his his first council election and chal- centage of Westfield's 17,788 voters will cast Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad St. Eliza- budget would result in serious cuts in the dis- petition to seek another term on lenger John Cassidy will make a ballots Tuesday; however, the election falls in beth. On Tuesday, would-be voters can face a trict's curriculum. council. Democratic challenger bid for the Second Ward council the middle of the school district's spring vaca- judge and request an absentee ballot. The $46,977,297 net school budget is 2.12 per- Terry Tainow has filed a petition to seat. tion — a week many residents are out of town. For those staying in town, polls will be open cent larger than last year. That budget will edu- run for the Third Ward council Mr. Cassidy will vie for the seat "Over my 10-year period on the board, inter- 1-9 p.m. on election day. Polling places are as cate 2.3 percent more students and increase seat. currently occupied by Republican est in school board elections has clearly gone follows: taxes by 2.17 percent, The advertised budget Westfield Democratic Committee Margaret Sur. Ms. Sur will not seek up and down," said departing school board • Ward 1, Franklin School; which includes federal aid and leftover debt Chairman Lawrence Goldman said re-eloction. President Susan Pepper. If attendance ut candi- • Ward 2, Washington School; (prior year encumbrances) weighs in at he does not expect any other Dem- All of the candidates are seeking dates' nights and school board meetings are • Ward 3, Jefferson School; $47,902,540. ocrats to seek a seat on the council. two-year terms. Voters, media meet the candidates ByJKEVlNCOUJQW two candidates addressed the same Boyd explained his relationship to Mike Farrell said he would focus question. Paul Battiloro, Mike Fan ell and on technology. "If this was our first THE RECORD The format worked for some of Keith Hertell. "I don't think we're year, I'd take steps toward technol- The Westfield Board of Edu- the candidates, but others were formally a slate because it is not a ogy," he said. The candidate said cation candidates faced the local hamstrung by the questions posed case when you vote for one of us, technology has prepared his kids press and the television cameras them. Three-year challenger, Dr. you vote for all of us," he said, to read and add before they began last Thursday at the Westfield Par- Michael Mozznresc, for example, "You're still going to vote for four school. "I've seen the effect of pow- ent Teacher Council's "Meet the was asked a specific question about individuals." erful software on my kids," he said. Candidates Night." union procedure with which he The candidate did say he and the Three-year challenger Ginger The highest profile of the cam- said he was unfamiliar. Passing on three other candidates were similar Hardwick tackled a question on paign's candidates' nights, the that question, the candidate fielded individuals. "1 cannot think of any the looming spike in student en- only one press question. rollment and the possibility of re- event provided an eclectic view of specific place that we disagree," he districting. "No matter what reso- the candidates. Kach candidate an- Highlights of the evening in- said. lution the board ends up with on swered two different questions cluded: Charged to start a school system school overcrowding, it will Ix.* from a panel of local media. No Three-year challenger Mark from scratch, three-year hopeful painful, but redistricting will lx> necessary," said Ms. Ilanlwick. Three-year challenger Keith Iku- Dr. Smith opts to stay in Westfield toll declined to supply n spinril'ic figure when asked what j)ercentu^e By KEVIN COLLIGAN the job of Ellington superintendent, ht* has no plans lax increase would IH> acceptable to leave Weslfield just yet. "When it comes right down when the new hoard puts toguther TIIK UKCOKD to it, I prefer to continue in West field," said (he super- the imi(l-ll)!>7 school budget. intendent. "We're going to have to consider, MFUSSA CClHHLUPONDENT Don't believe everything you redd. That's the mes- fii'st nnd foremost, keeping in place sage Weslneld School Superintendent Dr.
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