Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, May 17, 2007 OUR 117th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 20-2007 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SIXTY CENTS Former Councilman Fears Fanwood Mews Development Wall Falls Nwk Airport Shutdown By MICHAEL J. POLLACK Mr. Corbett added, “We’re all Specially Written for The Westfield Leader against noise, but be careful. You WESTFIELD — On a night when may get what you wish.” the council introduced its $2.7-mil- Dave Haas, after mentioning that lion capital budget, it responded to he downloaded specific aircraft a former councilmans concern that modeling data off the FAA website, the town’s recent Federal Aviation said, “What is clear is that at peak Administration (FAA) decision times in travel, there will be in- could lead “to the closing of New- creased noise in Westfield – in most ark Airport.” areas, at least 10 percent or more.” The council conducted first read- Despite stating his opposition to ing on its capital budget, with all the proposals, he assured Mr. members, except absent Finance Corbett that “no one is talking about Policy Committee Chairman Peter shutting it down.” Echausse, answering in the affir- Mr. Corbett, who admitted to mative during a roll-call vote. being “an old Newark Airport fan,” Various road improvements con- grew up in North Elizabeth and stitute account for just less than half rode his bike to the airport to watch of the budget, at $1.3 million. Public planes take off. works equipment accounts for just He remembered, “The landing shy of 8 percent of the budget, at lights would light up my bedroom $206,000, with police-department in the middle of the night.” He expenses totaling just under $145,000. made a plea not to shut down the The budget does not include fund- airport, saying, “It’s important to ing for the Westfield Memorial Pool, our town to have this method of a non-tax-supported entity, with the transportation and work out what- town stating previously that it would ever the problems are.” issue a separate capital ordinance. In separate business, when vot- Former council member “Jubb” ing on an ordinance to fix the an- Corbett approached the council to nual salaries for the mayor, council discuss its decision to send a letter to and certain officers of the town, Mr. FAA representatives, along with gov- Haas and Fourth Ward Councilman ernment officials, disapproving of Tom Bigosinski voted “no.” the FAA’s plan on noise mitigation. When asked to clarify his vote Westfield’s Jerome Feder, chair- after the meeting, Mr. Bigosinski Steven Kasich for The Westfield Leader man of the Union County Freehold- said, “Among [the certain officers] COLLAPSE…The collapse of a concrete firewall at the South Avenue Station Mews redevelopment project, right, brought down the roof of Livingston-Wilbor Corporation, ers Aircraft Noise Advisory Board, are the six attorneys whose salaries left. The collapse trapped three individuals inside the Fanwood business. Two injured persons were Medivac’ed to Robert Wood University Hospital in New Brunswick. at the conference session last Tues- are being increased along with the day recommended the town state its full-time non-union employees. dissatisfaction with the process of That was part of the basis of why I Collapse of Mews Wall Injures 2 Workers at Neighboring “fanning.” voted against the budget, and I want Under the plan, the airport would to be consistent.” “fan” aircrafts to the west immedi- While confirming that the two Business; Borough Begins Investigation into Cause ately after departures from New- men voted against their $1-a-year By WAYNE BAKER ees were in the office at the time. was out of the collapsed building, machine shop, anchoring it to the AND PAUL J. PEYTON ark. “That’s pretty onerous,” Mr. salary, Mr. Haas joked, “I think our Specially Written for The Westfield Leader “It fell right on his (Mr. Wilbor’s) rescue and search crews worked to ground, and taking advantage of ter- Feder said last week. “Especially pay should be cut. I was voting to office. If he was at his desk in his shore up the damaged portion of the rain like curbs and trees to secure it, onerous for Elizabeth.” lower my pay.” FANWOOD – Three people were office like he usually is, he would be structure. rescue personnel told The Leader. Mr. Corbett said in 1990, with Girl Scout Troop 808, as part of a trapped inside a South Avenue ma- dead right now,” Mr. James said. They built a heavy structure sup- This bracing would keep the wall and Mr. Feder still part of the process, requirement to fulfill its rainbow chine shop Tuesday afternoon when a “[The collapse] didn’t take long,” he porting the tilted eastern wall of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 Scotch Plains approached Westfield badge, led the flag salute and pledge concrete block firewall from the three- said. “I didn’t know what the hell it was. about hiring an attorney to repre- of allegiance. story Station Mews redevelopment The whole building just came down.” sent the two entities and “fight the Mayor Andy Skibitsky honored project now under construction col- Lou Hornlein, the manager of Sov- proposed changes at that time.” multiple EMTs and dispatchers on lapsed the roof of the single-story ereign Bank, located next door to Mr. Corbett said he “went in with the town’s rescue squad with service Livingston Wilbor Corporation at 238 Livingston-Wilbor, said he “heard a an open mind, but when I started awards, calling them “the number South Avenue. ‘boom’ noise. The building shook.” questioning this attorney [on whether one volunteer rescue squad in New At a news conference Tuesday, He said he looked up and saw “the the plan] would benefit Union Jersey.” He said the squad is in “need Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr and windows blown out.” County, he said, ‘Frankly, my goal is of money badly,” anticipating the other officials said the cause of the He described the collapse as “sort to shut down the airport.’” cost of a new ambulance at $130,000. collapse was unknown and is under of like slow motion.” investigation. They said early reports Westfield Fire Chief Dan Kelly said indicating a gas explosion were in- Westfield and Plainfield engines and correct. a Cranford ladder truck were the “first Fanwood Police Chief Donald three mutual-aid companies to arrive Domanoski, when questioned after on the scene in Fanwood.” the press conference by The Westfield He said Westfield firefighters Leader, speculated that wind was worked to “extricate” one of the likely a factor in the collapse. trapped victims, later identified by a Fanwood Police Lieutenant Rich- Leader photographer as Mr. Wilbor. Wayne Baker and Fred Lecomte for The Westfield Leader ard Trigo told The Leader that it is not “Guys were physically on the pile SEARCH AND RESCUE...Blitz, a search dog, checks through debris at the known when the borough’s building working to remove one of the vic- Livingston Wilbor site for additional victims at 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday following inspector, Bruce Helmstetter, last in- tims,” Chief Kelly said. “He was un- Fanwood’s Station Mews wall collapse. BUCKET BRIGADE...Right, firemen form a bucket brigade to carefully move debris during rescue efforts following spected the Mews project. derneath [debris]. They could see him, Tuesday’s wall collapse. Mayor Mahr said the 911 call was could communicate to him. It was the received at 1:59 p.m. Livingston- arduous task of systematically re- Wilbor employee Christina Haigh, moving parts of the structure one 71, of Middlesex County was freed at piece at a time. When more help got 2:35 p.m. and walked out of the build- there, they formed a human chain to ing without assistance. Owner Garry pass the stuff off. When the Elizabeth Kyle Cook for The Westfield Leader SUDS...Westfield High School students Annie Re, left, and Sue Xiao soap up the Wilbor, 67, of Flemington was freed rescue truck got there, they made use hood of a car at the WHS Community Service Club’s carwash and garage sale in at 2:52 p.m. and Medivac-ed to Rob- of their electric and pneumatic equip- the high school’s parking lot last Saturday. The club plans to use the proceeds ert Wood Johnson University Hospi- ment to break up the material.” from the event to benefit the homeless throughout New Jersey. tal (RWJ) with leg injuries. The third In addition to Westfield, fire and trapped person, a 58-year-old rescue personnel from Elizabeth, Westfield male customer of the busi- Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken and Police Seek Leads on Man ness, sustained internal injuries and Rahway, as well as local departments was removed at 3:03 p.m. to of Scotch Plains and Springfield, re- Muhlenberg Regional Medical Cen- sponded to assist Fanwood emergency Who Accosted Three Girls ter, then also Medivac-ed to RWJ. services. Union County Police and By SUZETTE F. STALKER He was wearing a navy blue T-shirt, Both hospitalized men were de- Hazmat also were on the scene. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader blue jeans and a gray baseball cap. scribed as being in stable condition. As part of the rescue operation, the WESTFIELD – The Westfield Po- Authorities said an individual liv- Scott James, a supervisor at Urban Search and Rescue Teams lice Department is investigating a re- ing in the area who is registered under Livingston-Wilbor, said “two floors (USAR) from the larger cities in the port that an unidentified man ap- Megan’s Law voluntarily agreed to of the wall and roof collapsed in on area arrived about the time the trapped WF PB Discusses Historic proached three girls shortly after 10 be viewed by the girls and has been us,” trapping Mr.