Rosh Hashanah Begins September 6 Grandparent’s Day Is September 8 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, September 5, 2002 Published Every Thursday Since 1890 OUR 112th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 52-112 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] FIFTY CENTS Council Hears JIF Report; Road Projects Completed By LAUREN S. PASS ability (MEL). He added that the work. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader town receives $250 in return for each Second Ward Republican Coun- At Tuesday night’s conference ses- member that attends. cilman Rafael Betancourt suggested sion, the Westfield Town Council The class will explain the chal- that since there was money left over, received a report from the town’s lenges of insurance coverage and Kimball Avenue between Wychwood Joint Insurance Fund (JIF) represen- allow the governing body to be better Road and Woodland Avenue should tative, Jim Gruba, and the town’s informed on how the JIF works. be paved because residents are re- Risk Manager, Ray Vaughn, on the After five years of participating in questing work to be done. status of the fund. the JIF, the town receives dividends Mayor McDermott mentioned that The JIF allows towns to purchase back. Westfield is participating in its residents on Birch and Colonial Av- insurance together, thus at a lower sixth year with the JIF. The town’s enues have also been requesting pav- cost. The JIF makes no profits, and membership to the JIF expires on ing. First Ward Republican Council- Mr. Vaughn is paid a 6 percent com- December 31 of this year. man Peter Echausse said that Madi- Lauren S. Pass for The Westfield Leader mission. On Tuesday night, Town Adminis- son Avenue needs paving. ROUND ABOUT…Vehicles pour through the South Avenue Circle from Watterson Street. According to the State Mr. Vaughn explained that insur- Department of Transportation, the circle will be reconstructed starting in the spring of 2004. Watterson Street will be trator James Gildea announced that At next week’s public session, the moved to the west. ance costs have risen since Septem- all of the various road projects for council will approve the expenditure ber 11, 2001 by 50 to 100 percent. 2002 have been completed. of over $19,000 out of the capitol Westfield is the second-ranked Town Engineer Kenneth Marsh budget for mobile radios and a com- member of the Suburban JIF, which stated that Della Pello Contracting puter server for the Westfield Police is rated second in the state. Ranking Company of Union completed the Department. New Plans For South Ave. Circle is based on safety and the number of projects under budget by over $4,000. The town will also approve a claims filed each year. On Tuesday, the striping on change order for Tilcon New York, Mr. Gruba suggested that each Rahway Avenue was completed and Inc. for $3,003. Tilcon performed member of the council attend an Lawrence Avenue was paved. work on Dudley Avenue, East and Eyed By Dept. of Transportation employment practice liability train- Mayor Gregory McDermott incurred a cost increase from extra ing class given by the JIF and their thanked Mr. Marsh, and Assistant police to direct traffic. By LAUREN S. PASS formance with state standards, had Avenue and West Broad Street, and underwriter, Municipal Excess Li- Engineer Kris MacAloon for all their There will be a resolution to award Specially Written for The Westfield Leader to be changed. Property owners South Avenue and Westfield Av- a traffic-calming contract to Wilbur Last Thursday, representatives have 30 days from receipt of the enue will all be coordinated. Smith Associates to perform studies were on hand from the New Jersey letter to appeal the decision in writ- Under the new plan, Watterson in the “ShopRite grid.” State Department of Transporta- ing. Street will be moved to the west so Mayor McDermott commented tion (NJDOT) to discuss plans for According to Neil Topia, who is that it does not enter directly into that employing Wilbur Smith would the South Avenue Circle in in charge of engineering and con- the circle. The yield signs will stay be beneficial because then the town Westfield. sulting for the project, the Town of in place and cars in the circle have could compare their work to the work Property owners had been noti- Westfield had rejected the state’s the right of way. that RBA did on Rahway Avenue and fied of the meeting by certified proposal of converting the circle Westfield Avenue will remain a see what works best. mail and other representatives from into a T-intersection. Instead, the one-way from South Avenue to First Mr. Gildea reported to the council the town were present to weigh state has planned for a modern Street. However, cars will not be that the town received the bus it access changes. roundabout with a coordinated sig- able to turn left from South Av- purchased with a grant received from John Jones, Supervisor of Access nal system. enue, and drivers exiting the clean- the late Senator Alan Augustine. Mr. Design for NJDOT, explained that The traffic lights at North Av- ers onto Westfield Avenue will be CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 driveways, which are not in con- enue and East Broad Street, South able to turn right onto South Av- enue. The islands will also be ex- panded, creating larger dividers Mountainside Schools to Open coming into the circle. In addition, the ramp from North Avenue onto East Broad Street will be narrowed to one lane and the World War I Late Due to Contractor Delays monument island will be expanded. Cars coming from West Broad By LAUREN S. PASS be closed so that it could be re- Mr. Kress explained that some of Street, turning right onto South Av- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader moved. Beechwood School was supposed to enue, will no longer be able to turn On Thursday night, more than 60 Mr. Kress added that Deerfield be completed by August 25, and that right on red. The signal at South parents packed the Deerfield School School, which is currently under Deerfield was set to be complete for and Westfield Avenues will remain cafeteria in Mountainside to hear construction, is set to be open on occupancy on September 5. as a pedestrian light. when schools would open. September 8. However, he added Beechwood is currently planned to There will also be new traffic Board President Richard Kress that the custodial staff will need time be ready for occupancy on Wednes- lights installed by the firehouse, apologized for the last minute can- to prepare the school and that teach- day, November 13. where the fire department can stop Lauren S. Pass for The Westfield Leader cellation of Tuesday night’s meet- ers will need time to set up their Borough resident Susan Turner traffic when they are pulling out. SOUP’S ON…The new and improved foods room was ready for use before the ing. He explained that at approxi- classrooms, delaying school until at pointed out that September 16 is Dan Sullivan, Vice President of official academic year opening at Westfield High School. The room is complete mately 5 p.m. asbestos was found in least September 16. “None of us are Yom Kippur and that they were show- The Westfield Rescue Squad, ques- with new counters and appliances, as well as a mirrored demonstration table. the building, causing the building to happy,” he stated. ing “lack of concern” for Jewish tioned the revised access to residents by considering a school Watterson Street. He stated his con- opening on the highest of holy days. cern that the ambulances would not Mr. Kress responded that it would be able to access their driveway Tree, Vegetation Experts Offer Advice, Tips be taken into consideration, that Sep- from South Avenue. He also sug- tember 16 was not set in stone, and gested a signal similar to the one that September 17 would be more planned for the firehouse, as traffic likely. backs up between West Broad Street While Drought Continues to Plague State Mr. Kress explained that in order and Westfield Avenue, making it for the building to receive a certifi- difficult for the ambulance to ma- By DEBORAH MADISON Mr. Campbell was quoted as saying, while the current level is only at 78 mal rainfall, according to the DEP’s cate of occupancy the flooring and neuver. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader “Eight of the last 12 months were the percent, according to Erin Reilly, drought status website. ceilings need to be installed and bath- Mr. Topia stated that he needed Due to continuing drought condi- driest ever recorded in New Jersey press spokesperson for Elizabethtown The modified restrictions include rooms need to be in working order. the specifications for the vehicles, tions throughout New Jersey, the history.” Water Company. a statewide ban on outdoor water use As of Thursday the only working and that the no turn on red regula- Commissioner of the Department of This summer was the third hottest Stream flows and groundwater lev- including lawn watering and wash- bathroom in the school was located tion coming from West Broad Street Environmental Protection (DEP), recorded in 108 years, according to els have dropped to record lows in ing vehicles. Limited outdoor water in the nurses’ office. Mr. Kress added should alleviate the traffic. He said Bradley M. Campbell, announced, information published by the Na- the past 12 months, and 18 out of the use is allowed for trees, plant that the plumbers are currently work- that the issues can be looked into.