Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus USPS 680020 Published Every Thursday OUR 110th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 47-110 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. Thursday, July 27, 2000 Since 1890 (908) 232-4407 FIFTY CENTS Area Pools Experience Full Membership This Summer By SUSAN M. DYCKMAN AND STEVEN KRAKAUER “We’ve been in pretty good shape Westfield Memorial Pool has, for Specially Written for The Westfield Leader over the last couple of years,” said the second year in a row, reached its It’s a full house at area swimming Ms. Sherwin. “We see a good turn- capacity of 9,000 people. pools this summer. over.” Last year, Memorial Pool sold out At The Highland Swim Club on The situation at the Westfield pub- on June 28. This year, however, Me- Martine Avenue in Scotch Plains, lic and private pools also is growing morial reached its capacity over a membership is up by 27 families increasingly tight. Families are on month and a half before, on May 8. over 1999, putting the pool just un- packed waiting lists and those num- Also this year, for the first time der its capacity of 300 families. bers are growing. ever, Memorial Pool has a waiting The club swim team is at an all- At Manor Park Swim Club and list. For this season, Memorial has a time high of 140, and The Sharks Nomahegan Swim Club, both in waiting list of 130 families, or ap- recently concluded their 22nd con- Westfield, the pools are beginning to proximately 500 people. secutive undefeated season in the stretch the limits of their member- Jim Gildea worked as Westfield’s Union County Outdoor Swim ship. Currently each of the clubs assistant director of recreation as League. have 400 families that belong to their well as the pool administrator for the In speaking with The Times of respective pools. past seven years. This June, he be- Scotch Plains-Fanwood, trustee Gale Karen Infantino, Manor Park’s pool came Westfield’s Assistant Town Miller of Fanwood made it clear that manager said, “We don’t know what Administrator. Highland is anticipating a waiting we’re going to do. Last year we He spoke of the Memorial situa- list for membership for 2001. reached 320 memberships, this year tion and said, “85-88 percent of our “We’re encouraging people to get we’re at 400 memberships. We can’t membership is from Westfield. The expand any further.” reason for the increase in member- David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader their names in,” she said. “I feel we’ll NEARLY ONE OF A KIND CLASSIC…This beautiful cream-colored 1934 Packard LaBaron owned by Ralph Morano be closing membership earlier next The waiting list at Manor Park is ships is the huge influx of younger of Westfield was a major attraction at the Classic Car Show sponsored by the Downtown Westfield Corporation and the year.” up to 50 people. This is its first year families. When you have an older Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce on July 25. Mr. Morano purchased this beauty at an estate sale in California just Highland is not the only pool in the with a waiting list. couple moving out of Westfield and six months ago and mentioned that there are only eight remaining cars of its kind in the United States. area experiencing booming mem- Nomahegan currently sports a a family of four or five moving in, the bership. waiting list of five-six years. A maxi- capacity of the pool will grow.” Just up the road, Willow Grove is mum of 400 families is its capacity At Mountainside Public Pool the at capacity with 300 memberships. as well. situation is not so tight. Although the Crossway Place in Westfield May According to Willow Grove’s Kathy Ostrowski, head of mem- current membership is almost peak- Membership Committee Chair bership at Nomahegan, said the issue ing at 3,200, attendance has actually Nancy Sherwin, that number includes of how to deal with the waiting list dropped at the pool. Remain Closed Two More Weeks 25 senior members, which are given has been brought up at many board Due to the cooler summer, to families who have belonged to the meetings, but has never been re- Mountainside still has openings for By FRED ROSSI between North and South Avenues, When asked the reasons for the club for 20 or more years. solved. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Specially Written for The Westfield Leader will be open from late afternoon delays, Mr. Fritzinger attributed them Local drivers now shouldn’t ex- until early morning, with one lane of to the contractor, who, he said, was pect Crossway Place in Westfield to traffic in each direction. “almost a year behind schedule.” completely re-open for another two Mr. Fritzinger also told The He pointed out that the contractor weeks. Westfield Leader that there will be finished its work only a few weeks According to Town Surveyor Bill “minor closings” when the northern ago. Fritzinger, the roadway, which runs section of Crossway Place is slightly Meanwhile, Hetfield Bridge, underneath NJ Transit’s Raritan Val- realigned so that, at the intersection which was supposed to be closed last ley railroad line, will be closed be- with North Avenue, it lines up more Monday, will remain open until tween 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. for the next evenly with Edgewood Avenue on Monday, July 31. On July 31 the two weeks while Elizabethtown Gas the far side of North Avenue. bridge will close. Co. finishes putting in new gas mains, The town will purchase a small Dennis Harrington, Scotch Plains a minor water leak is repaired and parcel of land from the American Principal Engineer, said Crossway’s PSE&G moves some utility poles. Legion Hall on North Avenue to al- opening date could be as early as Until these tasks are completed, low for the roadway’s slight bend to August 4, so there may be a six-day Crossway Place, a major connector the west. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Local School Districts Evaluate New Construction Legislation By SUSAN M. DYCKMAN have on helping schools’ upgrade distribute a software package to the Specially Written for The Westfield Leader their physical plants without using more than 500 non-Abbott districts While the July 13 passage of the property taxes. that are eligible for construction fi- “Educational Facilities Construction He emphasized Commissioner nancing. The package will include a & Financing Act” by the New Jersey David Hespe and the department’s template for submitting five-year Legislature should mean good things commitment to insure that the tax plans to the state. The package will for schools in Scotch Plains- dollars allocated for facilities con- define, “in broad terms,” said Mr. Fanwood, Westfield and struction financing be used properly. Crosbie, what is eligible for funding Mountainside (and the taxpayers that “Part of our job is to make sure the according to the Facility Efficiency Cheri Rogowsky for The Westfield Leader support them), districts won’t know money is spent wisely, as responsi- Standards (FES). WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, MY FRIEND…Three members of the Highland Swim Club Team proudly displayed their just how good for a while. bly as possible,” explained Mr. FES are regulations adopted by the winning ranks. Pictured, left to right, are: Samantha Grecco, first place; Stephanie Glover, second place; and Courtney In order to be considered for fund- Crosbie. “Every district will be held CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Bifani, third place. ing under the new legislation, school accountable for every dime.” districts must submit a five-year build- Non-special needs’ districts (also ing plan to the state by December 15. known as Abbott districts) will soon be John Crosbie, Director of Com- receiving a letter from Commissioner Westfield Resident Ed Gallagher Prepares munications for the State Depart- Hespe along with a Frequently Asked ment of Education (DOE) spoke of Questions guide to the new legislation. the “profound impact” the bill will Around Labor Day, the DOE will For Bike-a-Thon Fundraiser in August By LYNN KOLIBABA which proved cancerous. gear.” Gallagher’s wife and children will Specially Written for The Westfield Leader After four months of chemotherapy For the Gallaghers, the Pan Mass be there to greet them along with Westfield resident Ed Gallagher and six weeks of radiation treatment, Challenge is a team effort. Their sister, Eileen Cullen and her family. will cycle in his second consecutive all tests are now negative for any brother, Arthur and his family live Preparation for the ride is intense. Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) signs of cancer. just off the route in Easton, Mass. Starting in May, Mr. Gallagher August 5 and 6. By last summer, she was well Midway through the run on the reports he starts sending pledge let- The nation’s oldest bicycling enough to make it into the finals of a first day, after 65 hilly miles, Ed and ters. fundraiser, the PMC benefits the tournament at her Brooklyn tennis Katherine Gallagher will stop at his With a full family life and re- Jimmy Fund at the world-renowned club and to cheer her brother on at house for a well-deserved lunch. Ed CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Bos- the Pan Mass Challenge. ton, Mass. Mr. Gallagher felt strongly that More than 80 percent of the riders regular check-ups and early detec- who participate in the PMC are close tion were critical in helping his fam- to someone who has battled cancer. ily members in their battles with “Cancer has hit too close to home cancer.