SERVING CRANFORD, GARWOOD and KENILWORTH A Forbes Newspaper •USPS 136 800 Second Class ____,„ Vol. 97 No. 51 Published Every Thursday Thursday, December 20,1990 Postage Paid Cranford, N.J. 50 CENTS vtf- • In brief County paves stretch Holiday closings of Riverside Drive Municipal offices will • be closed both Monday and leading to Boulevard Tuesday of Christmas and New Year's weeks. This in- county. To date; county freehold- cludes the libraiy, recreation By Cheryl Moulton ers, and other county officials programs, senior citizen ac- . Residents of Riverside Drive re- have no knowledge as to when or tivities and bus service, and ceived an early Christmas present why the roadway was paved or municipal government offices. from the- county on Dec. 11—the who gave the go ahead for the Township, building workers paving of a stretch 6f roadway di- project As far as the residents switched their Lincdln's Birth- rectly connecting their quiet resi- know "there had been an under- day and Veterans Day holidays dential -area with Kenilworth Bou- standulg" this section of Riverside for Christmas Eve and New levard, a change they say will ad- Drive would remain unpaved. The Year's Eve. Normal service versely affect their quality of life basis for this, understanding was will be provided Dec. 24 and and safety. not explained. 31 by the Post Office, banks, The quiet street, winding along Residents of Riverside Drive garbage collectors and Motor the river, previously led onto a flocked to the Dec. 11 Township Vehicle Services. Public stretch of unpaved, impassable Committee meeting seeking an- schools and Union County Col- county parkland roadway leading swers to their questions, but the lege will have hill days of to Kenilworth Boulevard. Last governing body remained dumb-: school tomorrow before the week 33,000-square feet of asphalt founded. Mayor Ed Force said he changed the roadway into a pass- "did not know1' .the work was able ~ roadway —Unking • Cranford- s v -going to-jbe done and fiad-: "re- ^^iFued tomorrow. .All and •..Keni]lwb)rjh7 Meii?iwhile;^e :.eeiyed.\the:.ye: : ruharounduharound " \yh£ri he schools;willTeopTen.Jan. .2."* ' township, fuming over not-receiy- called the::" counts? after being ing notification of the paving by alerted earlier in the. day by resi- the county, reacted by erecting ••'dents. :'' ••"• '.' :" '•. \ •-••' •'. :'. Early deadline roadblocks until a complete ex- Resident Richard Larson, planation can be secured from the (Please turn to page A-7) The Chronicle office will be open all day Saturday but closed Monday and Tuesday for both Christmas and New Officials, residents meet Year's. The deadline.for press releases, classified advertising and retail display advertising to air Riverside paving is 4 p.m. tomorrow. I By Cheryl Moulton county director of public works- County, officials, township offi-: Pat White had authorized the Tags for cats cials and residents met Monday to work. Although White did have iron out the dissension over the the authority to pave the roadway, The Township Committee recently paved extension of River- "there were other factors that will hear comments from the side Drive. should have been considered," public; before voting Wed- According to Union County Woliansky said. nei. day night on an ordinance media liaison Peggy Woliansky, Those factors center primarily requiring cat owners to obtain the meeting centered on all par- on environmental' and safety is- licenses and have their pets ties' putting their concerns on the sues which were not addressed innoculated against rabies.: table and working together to ad- prior to the repaying. A question dress each issue.. White the quesr of whether the roadway required ; tiotv.bf who had authorized the Department of Eiivtr<mjnental Garwood paying of the, road' that connects Protection (DEF) approval or Cranford with Kenihyorth Boulei strearn'; ericrq^hirieht permits: is The water company, admit- vard had been a mysteiy to town- still unanswered'due to the road- way's falling wittih>-in,tyvo areas, ting its., timing was poor, dug O.HOLY NIGHT: Corey Lakata as.Mary prays over Baby Jesus during Christmas pageant at St. ship officials, county freeholders ; up a section of Fourth Avenue Michael's School. Schedule of services in local churches can be found on Pages A-14 and A-15. and county manager Ann Baron, jit county park land to one side and to install new pipes nine days became apparent at the meeting shade tree^ subdiyisibn to the after the borough repaved the ••. other.':'" ..••,'• .• ;•. :''•••'•... •••••'•••••.• road.-Borough teachers arid At the meeting White said he the school board will seek a based his decision to repave the second session with a media- Family Care plays Santa for childrejti in jieed roadway on continuing problems tor. Page A-8/ !; with illegal dumping along the By Cheryl Moulton betes she thought it was the end world was seeing her children not tor, maneuvered around the roadway; hdrrendous potholes The man could not help but of the world, but she was wrong. have warm coats, or enough food, stacks of Christinas presents piled which made county vehicle access hear his five children composing When her husband walked out a or Christmas presents. They de- in her office. She sighed and won- impossible. Course stays letters to Santa. He had to turn few months later she thought it' served to have what other kids dered why it looked like so much. The repaying of the Riverside away so they would hot see the was the end of the world, but she had on Christmas morning. They She knew better. When it. came to Road extension involved 30,000 The medical laboratory tech- tears in his eyes. They had no was wrong. When she lost her leg deserved to have the dreams all making Christmas for 96 families nology course will remain at square feet of paving at an ap- idea that Santa would pass by from complications of her disease children havc.that Santa will who were down on their luck; and proximate cost of $15,000, but this Cranford High School next their house this year. she. thought this surely must be come to their house too. She was helping 132 children wake up year. Page A-9. happy on Christmas morning, it figure has not been verified. One by one the children sealed the end of the world, but again just about to give up hope Did Residents of Riverside Drive their letters, carefully printed "To she was wrong. God hear her prayers? Did any- would take a lot more than two little offices full of presents to ac- have formed a group called River- Santa, North Pole" on the outside. Less than a-.week from Christ- one? ' side Organization for Safety and Retort They had no doubt the letters mas she knew the end of the Silvia Sidoti, Family Care direc- (Please turn to page A-5) Environment (ROSE). According would get to Santa They were too to one resident the group has de- School board member Henry young to understand Santa did cided to wait two weeks to allow Pavlak criticized colleague not exist A little while later the "both county and township offl- James Van Horn for what he . man took the five letters and put ,.cials to go through the normal termed the lattor's attempt to them in his coat pocket He never process of seeking answers to our embarrass the board attorney. thought Christmas would be like environmental and safety con- PageA-2. this. Every year they had man- cerns before we will proceed with aged to. give the children a good other options." Christmas, but that was before the Most valuable plant laid him off. With five little ones waiting for Cranford High School's Will- Christmas, how could he break i Hit \ H ie Carpenter won the most their hearts? He always thought United Way valuable wrestler award at a. he would be able to take care of recent tournament Page B-l. his family, his wife, their home. reaches 75% He sat down at the table, put his head in his hands and began to Seasonal songs cry.- • •••• ••• .• . • of its goal The woman walked into the Cranford school children basement of the Municipal Build- Cranford's United Way cam- performed seasonal favorites ing and sat down on the chair out- paign, has reached 75 percent of during recent holiday con- side the Cranford Family Care As- its campaign goal of $195,000, ac- certs. Pnotos are on Page A-10. sociation office. She had heard cording to campaign chairman Mrs. Sidoti could help her chil- Skip Winter. * dren this Christmas. This was her "We are holding our own," said Recycling last hope, and for her babies" Winter, "despite a sluggish econ- sake, she hoped and prayed there HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS In the person of Family Care director Sylvia Sidoti with loads of omy and uncertain times, All of us Residents should place would be help here. Christmas teddy bears to make Christmas brighter for some township children. have been affected by the econ- newspapers, glass and alumi- was for children...they deserved it omy and world events in Saudi. num at curbside Wednesday They had plenty of years to, learn Arabia. It's a tribute to Cranford for collection for recycling. about doctor bills, sickness and Kids'letters to Santa reflect troubled times that we continue to be able to help bur own. hard times. Please Lord, she By Cheryl Moulton desire to see a peaceful solution to the problems in prayed, don't let the children According to reports from the North Pole, Cranford Saudi Arabia. One little girl told Santa she didn't "Of special interest," he added, Guide to inside wake up and find nothing under kids' letters to Santa reflect a concern about war and "want anything for myself," but she would appreciate "is that.