'•.? ACLE CLARK, N.J., VOL. 12 NO. 52 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2002 myclark.com TWO SECT10I* Library amends policy allowing school visits By Dayid Learn books often going missing or being and the youth services librarian well Managing Editor retained damaged and fines going in advance of the visit," the policy If Featherbed Lane Day School unpaid for extended periods. states. administrators want their students to Other reported problems have Another change in the policy is the visit Clark Public Library during the included limited library resources new requirement that school visits new school year, they'll have to do it being strained to deal with the influx include one chaperone for every four following new rules. of rowdy crowds of students during students in kindergarten through fifth The Clark Public Library Board of visits. grade. Trustees on Sept. 26 amended its poli- "It was not based on the Featherbed In addition, children may borrow cy on school visits to require that all visits," board President Charlene books at the times of such visits only class visits be scheduled in advance Falkowski said of the policy decision if they already have a library card. around the library's schedule and when reached at home Tuesday night. Angel Albanese, Township Coun- have a pre-set chaperone-to-student "We have now become aware that cil president and liaison to the library ratio. other libraries like Cranford have a board, said she appreciated the trus- Other policy decisions involved policy. Our policy was not as clear as tees' effort and thought, but was dis- allowing cardholders to reserve it could be." appointed in some of the policy's pro- recorded materials like DVDs and Thomas and Barbara Faria, direc- visions, particularly the cap on the compact discs, and establishing sum- tors of Featherbed Lane School, could number of visits. mer Saturday hours for next year. not be reached for comment. "I told them basically I was hoping Featherbed Lane School until this The policy limits visits by any they could come up with something, a school year had an arrangement with single school class to four times a year trial program or something," said Clark Public Library that allowed the — about once every two months dur- Albanese. "They cams np with a for- school to use the library facility as a ing a school year. Visits also have to ma] policy regarding school visits." Photos By Jeff Granit school library. be prearranged with the Horary to The board did not alter its already- The private school took its students make sure they fit into the library's existing policies governing who qual- to the library twice a week to check schedule. ifies for library cards. Cards are avail- out books. "If there are special academic or able for free to anyone who lives. Library officials contend the rela- curriculum needs, those matters works 01 attends school in Ciark, pro- tionship has been unsatisfactory, with should be discussed by the teacher See NEW: Pase 2 Clark's 1st school • H « a. DAY IN THE SUN — Mark Twain is said to have observed once that golf is a waste of a perfectly good goes on the auction block walk. Dan Williams of Clark By David Leam and it was built in the last half of the 19 th century. In Clark, Managing Editor seems to have overcome what are you talking about the last 50 years?" he said. "M The first-ever all-Clark school building will be going up that particular problem my opinion it's not an historic site. Right now the need at for sale later this month in a sealed-bid auction. Saturday by using the driv- the district is to sell the building and generate some Located at 10 Schindler Road, the former Abraham ing range at the Hyatt Hills surplus." Golf Complex to practice Clark School will be sold in a sealed-bid auction Oct 21. his putting skills without The minimum accepted bid is $400,000. The board has the Opened in 1913 as a two-room sdioolhouse, die Abra- moving an inch. Left, Richie right to reject any bid it receives. ham Clark School received its first addition k 1917, when Mullin, 10, is getting the The board approved the sale of the building by a unani- educators added another two rooms. Later additions cam*; waik in, but he doesn't mous vote on June 25. in 1928 ana 1963, ultimately .making iialo-touiu iaciiiiy. seem to be enjoying it Bids must be received by noon Oct. 21 to be considered. The school is named for Abraham Clack, a Railway area much as his ball misses the No potential buyers had been identified by presstime. man who signed the Declaration of Independence and hole in a round of miniature Bids must include a refundable deposit of 20 percent of whom the township itself is named after. golf. Maybe whitewashing the bid. After a bid is accepted, the intended buyer has 10 The building has housed the district's administrative Aunt Polly's fence isn't days to provide another 10 percent of the bid before clos- offices since the 1980s. such a bad idea after all. ing the deal 30 days later with the remaining 70 percent. Paul Ortenzio, superintendent of schools, and other If a buyer's bid is accepted but the buyer is unable to administrators expect to move into their new offices in provide the amount within the alloted time, the 10 percent Arthur L. Johnson High School sometime this month. deposit would be forfeited and the contract would be con- The Board of Education and township administratioji sidered void. remain in discussion over the final disposition of the Char- "It's necessary to sell the building because we want to les H. Brewer School, on Westfield Avenue across the generate a surplus for the budget," said board President street from the high school. Joseph Papetti. The board decided on June 25 to give the school to the That's a situation that has raised some flags of concern township outright. The township has been using the school from those interested in preserving the building as a piece as a Municipal Building for the 18 years. of Clark's history. The building was the first school Negotiations stalled this summer over a legal stipulation office alerts town erected by Clark itself for its own use. that the building revert to the Board of Education if the Papetti dismissed the building's historic value as township eyer were to decide to sell the property. exaggerated. No information is available on what progress has been of lead poisoning "In some communities you talk about a historic building made since then, if any. By David Learn "You could find it on your (inter- to come out and do an environmental Managing Editor ior) walls, but again, primarily on the study," said Ogonowski. "But if Johnny is tired and irritable all the exterior," said Ogonowski. you're just buying a new house, we Ready, set, swing! time, and he has a hard time with With old houses that have siding or can't do it." activities that require physical a stucco facade, and where the win- Lead poisoning also can have its coordination. dows have been replaced, the chances roots in tap supply, if the water travels If Johnny also lives in a house in of getting lead contamination are through lead pipes. Clark that was built before 1970, there greatly reduced. Elizabethtown Water Co., which is an increased chance he is suffering If there is any doubt about the type provides drinking water throughout from lead poisoning. of paint used in a house, Ogonowski Clark and much of the region, has no That's because houses built before recommends having an inspector records of lead pipes in its 1970 could have been painted with determine if any remediation is infrastructure. lead-based paint. As that paint deter- necessary. "We're not aware of any," said iorates, it can produces chips and dust "If they intend on doing any major company spokeswoman Erinn ReiUy. that Johnny can ingest without know- renovation and they have small child- "We're not aware on the customer's ing it, slowly increasing the amount of ren, they should have their homes side, but we've passed all our lead lead in his blood to toxic levels. tested," said Ogonowski. "They can tests." The risk of that happening is higher contact the (state) Department of Lead pipes within a residence are in urban communities like Rahway Community Affairs and request a list no cause for alarm, said Ogonowski. and Elizabeth, but it still exists in sub- of state-certified lead risk inspectors." "Usually the lead from the water is urbs like Clark. Most homeowners in Tests can cost from $1,000 to from lateral water pipes that are in the Clark have nothing to fear from lead $2,000. street," she said. "No one's going to poisoning, but not all. Actual incidents of lead poisoning dig up die street, but what residents Although she was reluctant to name in Clark are rare. There have been can do before eating, drinking, cook- a specific figure, township Health none in the five years Ogonowski has ing or brushing their teeth is letting Officer Nancy Ogonowski allowed been the municipal health officer. the cold water run." that there are a number of houses that Although anyone can breathe air- She recommended letting the tap could pose a lead-related health risk. borne lead dust cast up by the cleanup run for three minutes to flush impuri- "The difference here as opposed to process, lead poisoning usually ties from the line.