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Your sketch cc g its get underway ( Jwill be in this paper In this week's for April 7 school balloting See page A-4, 5 X, April 22 See Sports, page B-l WeelcendPI See page A-10 OK oo The^festfield Record Thursday, April 2, 1992 A Forbes Newspaper 25 cents Candidates Simm-ply Taylor-made 117th Cavalry included talk issues in proposed Guard cuts Westfleld Board of Education candidates were asked to respond to the following •yDONALO MZZI JR. 50th anniversary of the mobilization of question: Westfield-based National Guard units for In light of the fiscal constraints imposed by THE RECORD World War II. the state, how can the district maintain or The 117th Long-Range Surveillance The Westfleld Army National Guard unit improve the quality of education of its stu- Cavalry Unit, based out of the Westfleld was federalized 11 months before Pearl dents?: Armory on Rahway Avenue, is one of 28 Harbor. The men left from the local train New Jersey National Guard and armory station on January 6, as part of the Essex Darielle Walsh reserve units facing staff reductions by Troop. The regiment, consisting of 1,000 The issues facing the education com- 1993 under a Pentagon plan released last men, went to Fort Jackson, South Carolina munity are complex; there are no simple week. for training. answers. Given our current situation, we The armory is one of 26 New Jersey The cavalry troop began on horses 100 still must place a priority on excellence. National Guard and Army Reserve units years ago, but that tradition was aban- The economic uncertainties facing us re- that may be affected by the cuts; 66 posi- doned not long after World War II began, quire leaders who will examine creative tions could be affected in Westfleld. State- with half the regiment operating on horses ways to balance a budget and still provide wide, 4,725 positions face elimination. and rest becoming a mechanized cavalry. a comprehensive education without over- Officials at the armory would not com- Within a year, the horses were gone for burdening the taxpayer. The newly formed good. Education Fund' of Westfleld is an ex- ment on the proposed reductions, refer- ample of an innovative way to provide our ring all calls to the Department of Military The Westfleld unit earned a combat outside funding to maintain and enhance and Veterans Affairs public information record that included the liberation of Paris programs. The Board of Education should department. Calls to the department were and the liberation of Rome. The unit was examine options for the future that would not returned. awarded the French Croix de Guerre, with reduce expenditures without threatening The state is allowed 10,000 National palm, for its role at the Beaches of Nor- the quality of our programs. A strong busi- Guard positions. Currently, fewer than mandy. ness approach to managing the school sys- GEORGE PACCIELLO/THC RECORD 9,000 positions are filled. The National Guard operates as a state tem is essential. Effective long-term finan- Kids at Wilson School were told they were getting surprise guests last The news of possible elimination of posi- militia, reporting to state governors in cial planning-48 a key to maintaining and Friday, but got more than they could have hoped for In Phil Slmms and tions comes a little over a year after the peacetime. enriching the educational system. Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants. The NFL stare came to talk School board members should address about drug abuse. For an account of the event from the children*' the issues with creative ideas and creative perspective, see A-2. approaches and then be willing to make Westfield doctor promotes difficult decisions regarding programs, jobs and contracts. The impact of these decisions will impact the entire com- munity, not just the schools and the stu- Park and monument may benefits of bike helmets dents. I believe these difficult decisions D0f4ALp mm JR. "About 10 percent of all head injury ad- can be made in an efficacious manner that missions are due to bike accidents," he would benefit the schools, the children receive historic designation THE RECORD said. "For them to be admitted inpatient, it and the taxpayer, Three years ago, Dr. Martin Diamond has to be the most severe grade of head •y CRISTINA DE ISAM The Town Council has given its ap- avoided a possible head injury or worse injury." William Sweeney, Birch Avenue THE RECORD proval following the recommendation of because he was wearing a bicycle helmet The local ordinance took effect April 1, We must redirect scarce dollars into the Historic Preservation Commission. That would have made most people ar- and mandates that children 14 and under teaching activities. All of the budget cat- Both the war memorial and Mindo- Designation as a local historic site puts a dent believers, but as head of the Chil- wear helmets when operating bicycles. A egories which increased at double digit waskin Park may soon be designated as landmark under town ordinances that gov- dren's Specialized Hospital Outpatient pro- state law, which takes effect July 1, states rates this year (transportation, health ser- local historic sites, if Westfield's planning ern any changes made to it, but according gram, Dr. Diamond was already well aware that children under 15 must wear a helmet (Plcase turn to page A-5) board approves at its meeting Monday. (Please turn to page A-3) of the benefits of bike helmets. (Please turn to page A-3) He's a champ, a fighter — and a miracle Network helps How a brave youngster families cope By DEMISE M. FUH8 held off deadly cancer THE RECORD The emotional stress of seeing one's By CHEKVL MOULTON HCHL child stricken with a serious illness may THE RECORD seem obvious to many. But that pain often takes forms that arc Little Michael Portal earned the nickname "champ" from many who know and love not obvious to others. And support may him, but no one will ever be able to convince his mom and dad that he's anything less not be as easily forthcoming as one may than a miracle. suspect. In May Michael will be 3. And like all normal 3-year-old boys, he runs, jumps and After 7-year-old Emmanuel Vizzoni died gets into fights with his big brother, Georgie, 4. To look into his sparkling brown eyes, of cancer in April 1981, his parents de- see him race about on sturdy little legs, and hear his voice ring out with laughter, it is cided to reach out and help other families hard imagine he has spent the last 15 months fighting for his life. by establishing New Jersey's Emmanuel But even then — through the surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatments and bone Cancer Foundation in their son's name in marrow transplant — little Michael's radiant smile, sunny disposition and zest for life 1983. The foundation, which is became his parents' strength and in- (Please turn to page A-9) spiration. It was Christmas Day 1991 when George Portal will never forget the day he and Amber first realized something was 18-month-o!d Michael said 'Hurt, Fashion show wrong with their toddler son. It was Christ- Mommy, hurt, Daddy,' and could not mas Day 1991, when 18-month-old Michael walk. said "hurt Mommy, hurt Daddy," and could not walk. to raise funds "We knew something was wrong im- " By DENISE M. FUHS mediately," recalled George, "since Michael was a very active little boy. He just kept saying 'hurt' and we knew something was very wrong." THE RECORD That day was the beginning of a nightmare that lasted longer than a year. Time Whether spring brings out bright colors stopped for Amber, George and their family, and nothing would ever be the same again or pastels, prints or solids, or short or long for the young Union County couple who were "just like anyone else" before their son hems, will be a minor concern when mod- fell ill. Both recall thinking, "This can't be happening to us." els take to the runway during this year's The next few weeks were a blur of doctors, tests and questions. Test after test, "Spring Style" fashion show, set for Mon- specialists could find no reason for Michael's inability to walk. But the tests continued. day, April 13. Amber recalled Michael's endless ability to smile, despite continual painful tests and The show, co-sponsored by Forbes blood work. Newspapers and the Emmanuel Cancer On Jan 3, an oncology or cancer specialist sat down with the Portals and told them Foundation, is the third annual fund- their son had neuroblastoma, a rapidly growing cancerous tumor of the stomach. A raiser. Proceeds go toward providing emo- tumor that had grown so quickly it surrounded Michael's spinal cord, making it tional and financial support to Children of inoperable, Courage families — three area families GEORGE PACCIELLO/THE RECORD "I felt like they were telling us about someone else, not our Michael," Amber said with a cancer-stricken child — one in Michael Portal, 3, Is recuperating from a 15-month bout with cancer. Micha- softly, recalling how unreal the news was. In a whisper she continued, "Life just Somerset, Union and Middlesex counties. el's recovery from the life-threatening Illness has been dubbed a miracle by stopped, nothing else mattered." The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, a family members.