Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, April 12, 2007 OUR 117th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 15-2007 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SIXTY CENTS 3 Westfield Council Incumbents, 5 Hopefuls File for Nov. Election By PAUL J. PEYTON re-election to second, four-year terms. tive Lenore Scurry, fourth ward. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Joining them is Frank Arena, first Westfield Town Democratic Com- WESTFIELD – Three Westfield ward, who replaces Peter Echausse, mittee Chairman Ken Rotter said Republican town council members who is not seeking reelection after Democrats are ready to begin the and a newcomer will seek to hold serving seven years on the governing Westfield traditional door-to-door onto a 6-2 town-council majority body, on the Republican ticket. campaign. against four Democratic challengers The Democrats who will challenge “It’s time for a change – and I this November. them are: attorney Ross Katz, first believe we can do better,” Mr. Rotter Incumbents JoAnn Neylan, second ward; attorney Bruce Regenstreich, said. ward, Mark Ciarrocca, third ward, second ward; attorney Matt Sontz, Two years ago, Democrats picked and James Foerst, fourth ward, seek third ward, and retired Macy’s execu- up a council seat in the fourth ward when Tom Bigosinski defeated Eric Leuthold by one vote in the closest contested race in town history. Mr. Katz is Lafayette College graduate and holds a law degree from Boston University. He is a member of Westfield’s environmental issues committee. Mr. Regenstreich is a graduate of Brooklyn College and St. John’s Uni- versity Law School. A former assis- tant district attorney, he founded his FACE-OFF...Four Democrats will challenge three Republican incumbents and one GOP newcomer in the race for four own New Jersey 40-attorney law firm Westfield town council seats – one from each ward – this November. Above, top row, Democrats Ross Katz (First Ward), Bruce in 1981. He taught law as an adjunct Regenstreich (Second Ward), Matt Sontz (Third Ward) and Lenore Scurry (Fourth Ward) will face, bottom row, Republicans professor at William Paterson Uni- Frank Arena (First Ward), Jo Ann Neylan (Second Ward), Mark Ciarrocca (Third Ward) and Jim Foerst (Fourth Ward). versity in Wayne, is a former presi- dent of the Westfield High School Ice Hockey Association and has volun- Town Voters to Decide Fate of teered as a coach for girls basketball Michael J. Pollack for The Westfield Leader and boys baseball. JESUS WALKS WITH ME…On Good Friday, Westfield’s Timothy Burke, Mr. Sontz is a graduate of Rutgers $71.1 Mil. Tax Levy on Tuesday donning a crown of thorns and carrying the cross, reprised his role as Jesus University’s School of Engineering. Christ, having appeared last year as the religious figure, Christian tradition He received his law degree from By CARALINE KOELLHOFFER In neighboring towns, voters in the Kubie. Fanwood incumbent Rob states Jesus who was crucified on that date but resurrected on Easter Sunday. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Mr. Burke, who matriculated as a special student at Seton Hall University’s Rutgers University School of Law in Scotch Plains-Fanwood school dis- O’Connor runs unopposed. seminary school, started walking downtown from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Camden and practices law at WESTFIELD — Westfield voters trict will vote on a $2-million bond Garwood voters will vote on a in Westfield. The cross is constructed of timbers from the original Moeller organ McCarter & English in Newark. Mr. go to the election polls Tuesday, April referendum to upgrade the district’s proposed school tax levy of $6.4 salvaged when Mr. Burke helped construct the new organ at St. Paul’s Church. Sontz previously worked as a me- 17, to decide on a $71.1-million tax athletic fields. Residents will also million. The district total school bud- He calls the act “The Gospel Theatre for the Streets.” chanical engineer providing oversight levy. The levy represents a 3.4 per- vote on a proposed $65.46-million get this year is $8 million, with $7.3 for U.S. Navy shipbuilders in Phila- cent increase from last year. On the school tax levy to support a $74.3- million of that amount earmarked delphia and Washington, D.C. He average assessed home in Westfield million budget. If passed, taxes on a for operating expenses. The district’s Fire Chief Kelly Says Goal Is serves on the Union County Con- of $181,000, property taxes would Scotch Plains home assessed at debt service includes capital ex- struction Board of Appeals. increase $234 if the tax levy passes. $121,000 would increase by $328. penses for improvements at Lincoln The GOP candidates include Mr. This figure comes after the devel- Taxes on a home in Fanwood as- School. To Increase Minimum Staffing Arena, the brother-in-law of former opment of a 3-percent increase in sessed at $84,000 would rise $198 If passed, the tax levy would in- By MICHAEL J. POLLACK volunteers. Cranford, Roselle and mayor Greg McDermott and a candi- state aid, which was appropriated di- over last year. crease taxes on an average home as- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Summit, according to Chief Kelly, date for county freeholder in 2004. rectly to tax relief, said Business Taxes would increase another $11 sessed in the borough, at $100,000, WESTFIELD – After the council can see staffing decrease to a mini- The candidate, who serves as Mayor Administrator Robert Berman at a for the average home in the township by $188. meeting Tuesday night, Fire Chief mum of five, while Springfield’s can Andy Skibitsky’s designee on the recent board-of-education meeting. and $16 for the average Fanwood Borough residents will also select Dan Kelly spoke privately to The drop to three. board of directors of the Downtown With that increase in aid, the increase home to support the bond referen- three candidates among a field of six Westfield Leader about minimum- He said, “We are revisiting the cur- Westfield Corporation, works in in- in property taxes over last year was dum. to serve on the borough’s BOE. In- manning levels at the department, a rent work schedule of the 24 (hours formation technology sales. lowered from 14 cents to 13 cents per Scotch Plains voters will also se- cumbents Debbie Courtney, Linda discussion that arose at a public meet- on) / 72 (hours off). There may be Mrs. Neylan, a stay-at-home $100 of home valuation. lect two BOE candidates among four Koenig and Lisa Marano face a chal- ing last month, when Lieutenant other schedules out there…to pro- mother, is a graduate of the Brooklyn Under a new state law, districts are hopefuls – Nancy Bauer, Jane lenge from Sandro Villaraut, Chris James Ryan, Jr. presented a staffing vide us with more staffing on a daily Law School and former assistant dis- restricted from raising property taxes Costello, David Gorbunoff and John CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 concern to the mayor and council. basis. We will revisit vacation poli- trict attorney in Brooklyn. She cur- by more than 4 percent. This year’s Concerned over Westfield’s mini- cies, sick-time policies. We’ve no- rently chairs the council’s public school tax-levy increase is the lowest mum-staffing level of six firefighters, ticed a spike in sick-time increases works committee. Mr. Ciarrocca, an in six years, said Superintendent of SP Bd. of Adjustment OK’s Lt. Ryan related the amount of per- since 2003 and a 186-percent increase attorney in Union, chairs the public Schools William Foley. sonnel on duty to four injuries suf- in sick leave the last calendar year. safety committee, which worked on The proposed budget represents fered in a December fire. That’s a very serious concern of ours.” improving traffic “hot spots” in town. $82.7 million in total spending, con- Plans for New Charlie Brown’s Chief Kelly, who sat in attendance He said, “The goal is to see how we Mr. Foerst, an attorney, chairs the stituting $78.3 in operating expenses By FRED T. ROSSI neighborhood feel.” during Lt. Ryan’s remarks, told The can increase the staffing levels to try council’s code review and town prop- and a $2.4-million debt service. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader The new exterior design is similar Leader that while he does have “con- and reach the National Fire Protec- erty committee. In terms of BOE seats, incumbents SCOTCH PLAINS — Charlie in appearance to the original struc- cerns about the staffing levels, and tion Association (NFPA) recommen- In Mountainside, Mayor Robert Ginny Leiz, the board’s vice presi- Brown’s Steakhouse officials plan a ture, but will still be a one-story build- the safety of the residents and our dations.” Viglianti seeks a sixth term. He has dent, Richard Solomon and Julia groundbreaking for Monday after- ing with a main entrance at ground firefighters, we, currently, even at a In his Code Review and Town Prop- served 19 years as mayor after be- Walker are running unopposed for noon for a new restaurant on North level, officials said. Access to the minimum manning of six personnel, erty Committee report, committee ing a councilman for nine years. reelection. Board seats are for three Avenue in Scotch Plains; they expect building will not require a handicap are still staffed higher than neighbor- chairman James Foerst said the plan- Glenn Mortimer, seeking re-elec- years. Polls will be open from 7 a.m.