Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus USPS 680020 Published Every Thursday OUR 111th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 14-111 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. Thursday, December 14, 2000 Since 1890 (908) 232-4407 FIFTY CENTS Westfield Voters Soundly Approve $21 Mil. Bond By MELISSA BETKOWSKI for the addition at the high school by rate, taxpayers will see a 7 cent tax Specially Written for The Westfield Leader October 2001. increase on every $100 of assessed On Tuesday, Westfield voters ap- Of the $21 million dollar plan, the property value. This equates to an proved an over-$21 million bond district will receive $6.5 million in increase of approximately $126 an- proposal by a 3-to-1 margin. state aid, which leaves almost $15 nually of the property taxes on the Including absentee ballots, the million which will be borrowed in a average assessed home in Westfield vote tally was 2,564 in favor of the 20-year bond. At a 6 percent interest of $178,000. bond and 742 against the bond’s passage. When the last bond referendum passed in December 1998, 19 per- Town Administrator cent of registered voters turned out. For the current bond proposal, 29 percent of voters went to the polls. Board of Education President Proposes New Entity Darielle Walsh said she is “thrilled that the community supported the plan by such a wide margin.” To Manage Parking Dr. William J. Foley, Superinten- dent of Schools, said that the wide By PAUL J. PEYTON mittee Chairman, said he anticipates margin of passage “shows that people Specially Written for The Westfield Leader the council will need to put a number really supported what the Citizens’ With a parking deck on the hori- for the new entity into the 2001 mu- Advisory Committee and Board of zon, the Westfield Town Council was nicipal budget. He said the next coun- Education developed.” presented with a proposal Tuesday cil, which he will not be part of, will Horace R. Corbin for The Westfield Leader “This is now the completion of a night to create a parking manage- likely decide whether the entity will CHRISTMAS HARMONY….Members of The Hickory Tree Chorus from New Providence brought Christmas cheer plan that realized there was increas- with carols in four part a cappella harmony to downtown Westfield last Saturday. Pictured, left to right, entertaining the ment entity at an annual cost of be a utility or municipal department. ing enrollment and knew something $185,000. Third Ward Councilman Neil F. staff of The Westfield Leader, are: Carolyn Schmidt of Gillette, Willadene Karns of Stanhope, Susan Schuman of Fanwood needed to be done about that fact.” and Michelle Metallo of Hillsborough. The department, which would have Sullivan said he would like the town Mrs. Walsh noted that the bond a staff of three, would manage the to consider hiring an outside firm to doesn’t only address enrollment but parking facility, implement a num- run the parking operation, as op- also addresses the curricular pro- ber of parking management changes posed to hiring permanent staff. Mr. Faculty, Board of Education Look grams at the high school. as recommended by the council, Shannon said he wanted to have con- Mrs. Walsh said that the bond pro- manage a new jitney service the town trol over the operation and thus fa- posal was “not just a proposal com- plans to implement and handle per- vors having it function as a branch of To Remedy Franklin Parking Issue ing from the district, but from the mit administration while assuming town government. community and was supported by control of parking enforcement and Lawrence A. Goldman, who rep- By MELISSA BETKOWSKI “This problem has to be resolved,” This is an issue that will take time the community.” the management of meters and pay resents the Fourth Ward on the coun- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Mr. Seiler said. to review and come to a decision, Mr. She is pleased with the way the stations. cil, said he believes the town should At last Tuesday’s Westfield Board Since that meeting, Business Ad- Berman said. Still, he noted, “it could community, as the Citizens’ Advi- The parking management office “set parameters” for parking man- of Education meeting, a group of ministrator and Board Secretary be an item to be considered for the sory Committee responded to the would eventually be located on the agement. Otherwise, town employ- over 20 faculty and staff members Robert A. Berman has been in con- 2001 school budget.” needs of the schools. lower level of the parking deck, Town ees will be mainly fielding com- from Franklin Elementary School tact with the police department and He has been in conversation with “The administration and the board Administrator Thomas Shannon said. plaints from residents. turned out to address a growing park- the Town Administrator’s office seek- Town Administrator Thomas Shan- worked on preparing a proposal — a In the meantime, he suggested locat- First Ward Councilman Gregory ing crisis at the school. ing ways to remedy the problem. non and has further appointments set well thought-out, comprehensive ing the office in the Public Works S. McDermott, who will take over as Along with the Franklin faculty in Mr. Berman noted that parking is up with the town and the police de- plan.” Department complex on North Av- Mayor on Tuesday, January 2, re- partment. The proposal contains three major enue. ported to the council that during the “This is a very diffi- components, according to Dr. Foley, Mr. Shannon said the town needs interview process for Downtown cult situation,” Mr. Sh- These components are, a 55,000 to change from its current parking Westfield Corporation executive di- annon said. “The town square foot addition to the science management approach, which he rector, the Board of Directors and has attempted to con- wing at the high school, general reno- described as a “piecemeal, frag- job applicants discussed combining trol the leaf problem, vations to the high school and the mented and reactive approach.” the post with that of town parking but more improvement construction of a Girls’ Athletic Com- “I see this (the parking manager) manager. Mr. McDermott partici- can be used.” plex adjacent to Kehler Stadium. as being a legitimate department head pated in the interview process as a Mr. Shannon noted Dr. Robert G. Petix, Westfield High with a high level of specific exper- member of the DWC Board of Direc- that he has also called School Principal, said that he is “very, tise,” he explained. tors. on the police depart- very pleased” by the bond’s passage. Mr. Shannon reasoned that the In other business, the council held ment to meet with Mr. “I think it’s an indication of two department would be headed by a a short public session Tuesday night Berman to discuss the things: one, the community’s sup- parking manager and staffed with an to adopt an ordinance in order to issue further and begin port of our schools and the education assistant office manager and part- exchange a parcel of town-owned to work out a solution. that students receive at the high time clerical position. Salaries are land for a piece of property privately Mr. Berman has said school; two, the community’s ongo- estimated at $130,000, with fringe he would like to soon be ing commitment to education in gen- owned by developer Ralph Rapuano. benefits of $40,000 and office ex- Both are underdeveloped parcels lo- able to bring the eral.” penses of $15,000. Franklin faculty news Dr. Petix noted that he is “looking The Town Administrator ascer- cated along East Grove Street. Mr. about the situation. forward to the renovation of the plant tained that the town will have 3,000 Rapuano’s lot fronts along Colum- WEA building repre- and also a renewal of the curricular parking spaces once the 600- to 800- bus Avenue. sentative Kathy program which will come as a result space deck comes on line in Novem- Mayor Thomas C. Jardim said the Stamberger told The of the new plant.” ber 2002. The number of parking land exchange is per an application Westfield Leader that, Social Studies teacher and Assis- permits will increase from 1,200 to by Mr. Rapuano for development Franklin, Westfield’s tant Girls’ Track Coach Tom Hornish 1,600. The town is reviewing pro- made to the Planning Board. He said largest elementary said that the bond passage is “cer- posals for from firms responding to a the exchange will make the neigh- Ingrid McKinley for The Westfield Leader school, has seen staff tainly something that is exciting and public notice to work on the design JOCKEYING FOR A POSITION...Cars pile up and vie for parking spaces in front of Franklin numbers rise by 25 long overdue for the entire school borhood “more uniform and consis- Elementary School. Westfield Board of Education members were forced to address a reported phase of facility. tent with our municipal land use problem with traffic around the school when parents and residents voiced their concerns people over the last 10 district. This is a positive step.” “We are about to embark on a during a recent meeting. years, which, means an The next step, according to Dr. multi-year design, construction and law.” additional 25 cars. This, Foley is “the difficult process of re- startup project of unprecedented scale On another matter, it was an- attendance was Westfield Education currently allowed on one side of Mrs. Stamberger noted, does not in- fining plans for bid specifications.” to the town, which will result in an nounced that the Municipal Court Association (WEA) President Newton Place, and that the board is clude visitors or lunch aides who are Then, Mrs.