Cranford Downtown Redevelopment Plan Draws Fire Roselle School Board in Limbo After Abrupt Resignation
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U n io n C o u n t y , VOL. 101 N0.2 75 C E N TS Tjjj^^RggAjyANUA^ UNIONNEWSDAILY.COM Cranford downtown redevelopment plan draws fire By Jenny Goldberg Dive to Bar Americana. The report was Staff Writer made to the Cranford Planning Board in CRANFORD — Wayne Hayes, a 30-year draft form Jan. 10, by Michael Mistretta of resident, frequently has his hair cut at Car- Harbor Consultants, a Cranford engineer lito’s Barber Shop, enjoys fresh shellfish ing firm. from Marino’s Seafood Market and Restau Hayes spoke out against Mistretta’s rant and gets his car repaired at Carmen’s presentation and was not alone in doing so. Foreign Car Repair. Opposition began building in the hours All three businesses, located on North and days prior to the Jan. 10 meeting, Avenue East on the eastern edge of the when the draft appeared online and includ downtown business district, are staples in ed 'The Riverside Inn, a popular bar also Hayes’ routine, but were recently slated for known as the “The Dive.” Within minutes, condemnation in a township-commis a community petition was active online, sioned “in need of redevelopment” study. gamering more than 2,000 signatures to The study investigated the two blocks “save The Dive,” and urged residents to for designation as in need of redevelop attend the meeting and speak out against ment. The area is bounded by North Union plans making sweeping changes to the Avenue to the northwest, Springfield area. Avenue to the northeast, and the NJ Tran While an outpouring of support was sit Raritan Valley Rail Line to the south, generated for The Dive, the stmcture never comprising 18 lots and approximately 3.95 should have been included in the study. acres. Essentially, the study area includes Mayor Tom Hannen apologetically told the all property from the fire station parking packed room. lot at 7 Springfield Ave., to the comer gas “When the resolution for the township station, which fronts North Avenue East committee was originally adopted last and Springfield Avenue. From the gas sta April, the commissioners specifically want tion, the study area spans to the intersec ed block 195, lot 10, Tbe Dive, excluded tion of North Avenue East and Alden from the study area,” he said. “Unfortu nately, an oversight resulted in it being Street, ending with a two-story building Photo by Jenny Goldberg that has multiple occupants. included.” The study area continues onto the oppo “I take responsibility as mayor for not The Riverside Inn, affectionately nicknamed The Dive’ by its many regulars, site side of North Avenue East from The See DOWNTOWN Page 10 is to be removed from the proposed Cranford downtown redevelopment plan. Roselle school board In limbo after abrupt resignation .1 m * 1a1. _ voted j 31 in.... favor byT.W« themselves.4.1.^ .-Vn and byr JonesTAC* andA n c l JonathanT o '!* n Q T* By Rebecca Panico Four measures were put to a vote at the meeting and the Davis. In contrast, the nominations for Fabrizio and Eleaz Staff Writer rest were pulled from the table, school board attorney Allan er were approved by themselves and Sherise Pollard and ROSELLE — The local school board was unable to Roth told Local Source in a Jan. 11 phone interview. The approve a president or vice president after one member resolutions that were pulled included the meeting schedule Villeda. Roth said that Timmons, who took on the role of board abmptly resigned, causing a split in votes for nearly every for the upcoming year and the readoption of the curricu president since one was not chosen, pulled all the remain measure voted on at the board’s Jan. 8 reorganization lum. ing items on the agenda. meeting. The school board approved Rice’s resignation and the The vote to decide who will serve as president and vice Arthur Rice, who served for one year, made his resigna date of its next meeting, Jan. 29, Roth said. The measures president has now moved out of the local school board’s tion effective Jan. 5, the day after the board’s originally to approve a president and vice president both ended in a hands. Board members interested in either position had to scheduled reorganization meeting. But a “bomb cyclone” 4-4 split. submit letters of intent and resumes by Jan. 10 to county snowstorm that hit New Jersey on Jan. 4 forced the meet Board member Richard Villeda first nominated Patricia Superintendent Juan Torres, who will make the final deci ing to be postponed, throwing the school board into almost Fabrizio for president, according to school board Secretary sion. complete paralysis. Dorian Timmons. The vote split 4-4, Timmons said. No decision has been made yet, Timmons said Jan. 11. “It is with a heavy heart that I write you to inform you Keyanna Jones then nominated Archange Antoine for There will continue to be an eight-member board after a that I will be resigning from tbe Roselle school board effec the position, but again the members were split, Timmons president and vice president are selected, which creates the tive January 5, 2018,” Rice wrote in an email to adminis said. possibility of a split in votes to fill the vacant seat. trators and board members that was obtained by Local- Similarly, Antoine first nominated Angela Alvey-Wim- Those interested in taking over the seat vacated by Rice Source. “I am resigning so that I may better position myself bush for vice president but tbe members were split on a are advised to contact Timmons. School board members to put my family in the best position possible.” vote. Fabrizio then nominated Donna Eleazer for vice pres will vote from the pool of applicants to fill the seat, Roth Rice’s vacancy brought the nine-member board down to ident, but she did not win a majority of votes either, Tim eight. Rice could not be reached for comment before press mons said. said. See RESIGNATION, Page 16 time this week. The nominations for Antoine and Alvey Wimbush were 2 — January i8, 2018 — Union County LocalSource Union Township Union teacher dismissed over her W Chamber of Commerce *^“ ‘°Angel Cartagena, Pr e s id e n t J ames Masterson, Executive Director homosexuaiity posts reaches deai By Rebecca Panico Examiners to have her elementary, nurs said she was "the target of many racist Staff Writer ery and handicapped education certifi comments" in the Facebook thread, MUITI-CHAMBER UNION — A former Union High School cates suspended for three years, according according to the lawsuit. She claimed she NETWORKING EVENT teacher who po.sted comments critical of to the agency’s decision last month. The was removed from her classroom in front homosexuality on her personal Facebook board accepted that proposal. of students and other teachers so school Broaden your business page in 2011 has agreed to have her teach Knox’s lawyer, Demetrios Stratis, did officials could speak to her about her network and come meet ing certificates suspended for three years. not return calls seeking comment. The posts. .fenye Knox, who goes by the nickname current superintendent, school board “While speaking critically of [Knox's] members of 9 area “Viki,” posted comments that condemned president and vice president also did not religious beliefs and her freedom of Chambers of Commerce a school display promoting tolerance dur return emails seeking comment. expression, at no point did any of these ing I.GBT History Month. In an exchange Knox’s lawsuit against the Union individuals express their objection to the Sponsersliip Tables are available. between commenters on her post, Knox Board of Education, former superinten racist comments and threats that had Please contact your local Chamber for info. reportedly called homosexuality a “sin” dent and other officials was settled, been made against [Knox] n the same This went Is limned le 250 anemlees. that “breeds like cancer.” according to court records. Knox could Facebook posts,” her lawsuit read. se muse raolsiar early. Knox was a special education teacher, not be reached for comment. “Rather they had the same objective as an ordained minister and the faculty Knox worked as a teacher in the district those who made the racist comments: to Wednesday adviser of an after school Bible study club. for about 11 years before her Facebook silence Viki's religious views on a matter She was suspended from her teaching job posts caught officials' attention. The Star- of public concern.” January 31", 2018 and later resigned and filed a federal law Ledger reported that her post about the The school board in 2011 allegedly crit Galloping Hill Caterers suit against school officials. LGBT History Month display read: "It's icized Knox's religious beliefs during a 1085 GaileplRO NIH Hi, Unlao. NJ Knox alleged that school officials vio still there. I'm pitching a fit." public meeting, according to her suit. (comer of Salem Road) lated her freedom of speech and religion Others commented on her post, even Knox resigned in 2012 after she was rights. Her suit claimed she resigned tually leading Knox to respond that homo 5pm-7pm suspended without pay and learned that because her health, "deteriorated to the sexuality was a "perverted spirit,” the tenure charges would be filed against her. PIsase register online by January 24,2018. point where she could not (sic) longer newspaper reported. Her resignation stated that the adminis www.gwaccnj.com/events/multichamber work from the stress of the intimidation, “Why parade your unnatural immoral tration had left her "no alternative but to $40 msMOen / $50 RMHsaeilwrs / harassment and emotional distress.” behaviors before the rest of us?" Knox’s resign my position as a tenured teaching $lSeimieriinNi-liis The school filed charges against Knox post reportedly said.