Special Year-In-Review Edition: Part 2 - July to December, 2005 Happy New Year Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, December 29, 2005 OUR 115th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 52-2005 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SIXTY CENTS WWW DADDY’S KISS...On 9/11, a tender moment in Westfield; WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME...Area soldiers from the New Jersey National Guard of the 250th Signal Battalion march home to the Westield Armory on the last leg of their journey from duty in Iraq; VICTORY...Westfield voters propel Andrew Skibitsky to four year term as mayor, GOP retains control of council; RECOUNT CONFIRMED…At the Westfield Fourth Ward recount following the November election, Councilman Rafael Betancourt scrutinizes a voter entry with a missing address; YEAR OF THE “W”...Between a legal dispute between the Downtown Westfield Corporation and Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce over the use of a script “W” on gift cards, discussion of retiring the Westfield gift coin and the production of prototype parking tokens, 2005 was “The Year of the ‘W.’” Second Half of 2005 Saw New Police Chief, Battle over “W,” Iraq War Debate JULY nel taking over responsibilities for a parking ticket voided for her son baseball field, softball field, six-lane than 13 years of service. DePalma made to the planning and Westfield the local television station’s opera- and trying to cover it up by lying. all-weather running track, combina- Township Manager Thomas Atkins zoning board regarding set-backs, At its June 29 meeting, the Board tions and programming. Detective Chambers’ attorney tion football/soccer field and fitness warned of “a very, very difficult bud- building heights, alleyways and park- of Education (BOE) approved the The police defeated the firemen charged that Police Chief Bernard circuit. get year” in 2006 due mainly to in- ing requirements. appointment of Dr. Linda Schmidt to 30-15, while raising $18,000 for char- Tracy tried to terminate the detective Community groups, houses of creased mandated expenditures. The building project at 300 South the newly created position of direc- ity, in the township’s third annual after the social relationship between worship, volunteers and local gov- The Fanwood-Scotch Plains Ro- Avenue, approved in 2004, began tor of human resources. Dr. Schmidt “Bravest vs. Finest” charity softball detective and chief changed. ernments mobilized to send much- tary Club briefed township council with the demolition of the old struc- will take on the duties of outgoing game at Brookside Park. Scotch Plains need supplies to New Orleans and members on its plans to restore the tures on the site. Assistant Superintendent of Human Fanwood BOE President Linda Nelson ad- Gulf Coast states devastated by Hur- Revolutionary War-era Frazee House Mountainside Resources Dr. Margaret Dolan. Dr. The Fanwood Community Emer- mitted that an impasse existed in ricane Katrina. and asked for a long-term lease for The Mountainside Board of Edu- Dolan is the assistant superintendent gency Response Team (CERT) hosted contract negotiations between the County Republicans and Plainfield the acre of township-owned property cation (BOE) Board approved a new of curriculum for the 2005-2006 a free eight-week course teaching district and the teachers union, and Mayor Al on which the house is send/receive agreement with Gover- school year. 6citizens disaster prevention and re- she said a mediator was needed to McWilliams went to situated. The resto- nor Livingston High School in Ber- By a vote of 6-0, Westfield Town action. arrange the details of a new contract. court after County ration project is part keley for borough students attending Council approved Darielle Walsh to Mayor Mahr and the borough coun- The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Educa- Clerk Joanne Rajoppi of the centennial cel- the high school. fill the Third Ward council seat va- cil officially renamed Fanwood Av- tion Association’s contract expired deemed the mayor ebration of Rotary Mountainside police apprehended cated by new mayor Andrew enue to Manfra Place in honor of Ray on June 30. eligible to run for re- Clubs around the Julio Clusan, 43, of Union after he Skibitsky. Manfra, who retired this year after The township council approved a election as a Repub- world. reportedly displayed a firearm and de- Resident Sean Baran serving 47 years as the new sign ordinance that will stan- lican in November Trip Whitehouse manded that the manager of the Echo was recognized interna- borough’s Public Works dardize the size and placement of per a “Sore Loser’s” was appointed to the Queen Diner on Route 22 open the tionally for his volunteer Director. The street leads business establishment signs, stream- law prohibiting can- Scotch Plains- register, which contained $93 in cash. efforts as an EMT to aid into the DPW’s building. line the application process and lessen didates who lose in Fanwood Board of Garwood those hurt in the July 6 The Department of En- the need for many applications to be the primary to switch Education. The Garwood Borough Council London subway bomb- vironmental Protection approved by the zoning board. parties and run in the The township tabled an ordinance to create the po- ing. Sean, an EMT and a (DEP) conducted testing Fanwood General Election. Jon Corzine with Bill Clinton council awarded a sition of borough administrator. member of the Westfield of a possible underground Fanwood Library Director Dan Mayor McWilliams $99,893 bid for con- OCTOBER Rescue Squad, saw the gasoline leak near the Weiss was stabbed by his estranged eventually lost his legal case. struction of a five-bay storage struc- Union County Freeholder Vice tragedy from atop a Getty Station on Third ex-wife, Rosemary Dunlap, as he left Former President Bill Clinton ture at the Public Works facility on Chairman Alexander Mirabella an- double-decker bus while Street after testing discrep- work on August 1. Mr. Weiss sur- headlined a rally for N.J. gubernato- Plainfield Avenue that will house re- nounced that he would form a com- trying to commute to his ancies alerted officials to vived stab wounds to his neck. Ms. rial candidate Jon Corzine Septem- cently-purchased equipment that is mittee to search for available land to last day of work at Brit- Sean Baran the possible leak. Test Dunlap was arrested and arraigned ber 29 at Kean University in Union. shared by Scotch Plains, Fanwood build a new fire academy to replace ish-American Business wells were installed on on charges of attempted murder. Her Westfield and the Scotch Plains-Fanwood the existing aging Linden facility. Inc. He left the bus and identified Third Street to monitor the situation. bail was set at $150,000. The Westfield Fire Station on North Board of Education Westfield himself as an EMT from America to Mountainside Mr. Weiss married fiancée Mary Avenue was the location of live satel- Three months after its application The Westfield Area Y held a cer- a police officer and was immediately Mountainside school administrator/ Olive Smith on the grounds of lite news broadcasts by NBC and was rejected by the zoning board, emony to dedicate its new East Broad put to work. Sean, along with a fe- board secretary Paul Vizzuso was re- Fanwood Borough Hall on August CNN. The story aired across the coun- Cumberland Farms, the owner of the Street family branch on October 2. male British doctor and other volun- moved from his position. Chief School 19. He thanked the community for try, known as “Slim Jim,” featured Gulf station on Route 22, said it Town council and mayoral candi- teers, including off-duty doctors, Administrator Richard O’Malley said the outpouring of support as he re- firefighter Jim Pfeiffer with 16- would likely file a new application to dates debated a range of issues on nurses and firefighters, set up a medi- that Mr. Vizzuso’s removal was rec- covered. month old John Butterfield. expand the facility. October 17 at a forum sponsored by cal center in the nearby Hilton hotel. ommended by Interim Chief School Due to staunch opposition from Westfield firemen and police res- The planning board approved a the League of Women Voters and The NJ Transit commuter train service Administrator Walter Rusak. Mr. neighboring residents, developer cued the child from a 10-foot hole major subdivision application for a Westfield Leader. on the Raritan Valley Line was sus- Vizzuso had been with the district for Robert Kraus decided to withdraw where the child had fallen and be- six-home development on Pheasant Scotch Plains pended July 11 from 8 to 9:20 a.m. the past four years. his application for a parking lot be- came trapped on August 22 at Lane along the township’s border Seventeen months after being due to a bomb scare resulting from The borough dedicated a clock in hind residences on Old South Av- Tamaques Park. They lowered their with Plainfield. A split board ap- named the township’s youngest po- the discovery of a suspicious-look- front of the borough hall in memory enue. slimmest member down the shaft proved a waiver to Com- lice chief, Mark Zyla died ing book bag that was abandoned at of Captain Todd Turner who was The borough council, acting as the through a one-foot clearance headfirst merce Bank to allow the suddenly on October 14. the northside entrance stairs to the killed in an auto accident in August downtown redevelopment agency, by tying a rope to his ankles. He bank’s Park Avenue His funeral four days later Westfield train station platform.