Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus USPS 680020 Published Every Thursday OUR 111th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 22-111 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. Thursday, February 8, 2001 Since 1890 (908) 232-4407 FIFTY CENTS Rec. Department Revamping Town Pool Signup Process By DEBORAH MADISON tween April 16 and April 30, or until turnover in membership each year, Specially Written for The Westfield Leader full capacity is reached. so I expect that there will be room for After last year’s registration pro- If full capacity is still not reached new members, however, we won’t cedure for Westfield’s Municipal Pool by April 30, then non-residents and definitely know that until after April resulted in lines of hundreds of reg- all the prior groups will have an 15,” he said. Pool membership was istrants wrapped around the Munici- opportunity to register in May. How- approximately 88 percent residents pal Building by 8 a.m. on opening ever, all registration after April 16 and 12 percent non-residents last day, the Recreation Department has must be done in person. year, Mr. Burrell said. decided to revamp and hopefully, Mr. Burrell explained that because This process, he added, should streamline the procedure. the Recreation Department could eliminate the long lines that oc- Instead of previous pool members not predict whether full capacity curred opening day of registration having to apply in person on opening would be reached after the first win- last year. day of registration, as was the case dow of opportunity, all registrations The new procedure will need to go last year, they will now be able to after April 16 had to be done in before the Town Council as an ordi- register in person or by mail. person. nance change and pass through two The Recreation Department pro- “We generally have a 20 percent cessed more than 1,800 applications CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 on the first day of registration last year. Under the revised plan, last year’s previous pool members will receive their applications by mail. They will have six weeks, between March 1 and April 15, to register either by mail or in person. If full pool membership capacity is not reached by April 15, Ingrid McKinley for The Westfield Leader SCHOOL’S OUT…Second grade students take time to taste the snowflakes during the height of Monday’s storm. After- then all Westfield residents, includ- school programs were cancelled and area schools had delayed openings due to the heavy snowfall. Pictured, left to right, ing previous members as well as non- are: Katherine McKinley, Katie Schaaf, and Sarah Frantz. previous members can register be- North Side Residents Voice Opposition To Deck, Citing Traffic Congestion on Prospect And Elm By PAUL J. PEYTON anything that comes out, obviously the proposed deck would be placed both Summit Bank and Trader Joe’s Specially Written for The Westfield Leader we want your input,” the Mayor said. on Prospect, a narrow road that he have driveways near the site. The town’s proposal to build a Third Ward Councilman Neil F. feared could not handle the signifi- In addition, he said other condo multi-level parking structure on Elm Sullivan responded that, “Last year, cant increase in traffic which a deck units and an intermediate school are and Prospect Streets is facing strong all indications were that’s (Elm and would bring. located nearby, causing existing traf- opposition from some north side resi- Prospect lots) where it (a deck) should He said a one-block area of Pros- fic congestion. dents. go.” pect Street near the proposed loca- “To add another 400 to 600 cars The governing body is consider- “It’s very much a work in progress,” tion for the deck, which includes a onto a narrow street like Prospect ing building a deck of between 600 the councilman said. condominium, apartment building Street, we believe would cause mam- and 800 spaces on the lots. Town Robert Tarte of Prospect Street and several multi-family residences, moth traffic problems,” Mr. Tarte officials are in the process of hiring a expressed his concern that the exit to has over 100 residents. In addition, CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 consultant for the pre-design phase of the proposed facility, which will include the taking of soil samples. Julie Diddell of Elm Street repre- Proposal for Concierge Service sented a group of residents called Citizens Concerned About Proposed Northside Parking Deck, who are opposed to the proposed location of On Hold Per NJ Transit Deal the facility. By PAUL J. PEYTON want with it. And they can approve Vice President of Commuter News of Specially Written for The Westfield Leader “We come before you tonight to any sub-tenancy and anything else New York and New Jersey. Mr. Mikell Ingrid McKinley for The Westfield Leader present ourselves and to let you know It appears the town will have to go that goes on within the building,” he came before the council late last year RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED…Last year, streams of people wrapped that there is indeed a groundswell of back to the drawing board on a pro- advised the governing body. on a proposal to establish a service to around the Municipal Building in Westfield to register for membership to the interest in opposing any plans to posal to initiate a concierge service “We have a significant problem. be called the Westfield Concierge Memorial Pool in town. Pictured, above, clerks at the Recreation Office had build the parking deck in the Pros- their hands full helping registrants. in the Westfield train station. NJ Transit is going in a completely CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 pect Street lot,” she told the govern- Although the building is owned by different direction,” he told the coun- ing body on Tuesday night. the town, tenant NJ Transit has say cil. “We aren’t anywhere near where Mayor Gregory S. McDermott re- over any future tenants per a 1955 they apparently directed us last year sponded that the council’s Transpor- legal agreement between the town to do.” Calendar, 2001-2002 Budget Top tation, Parking and Traffic Commit- and the Central Railroad of New Mr. Cochren said a NJ Transit real tee is gathering information concern- Jersey, according to Town Attorney estate official informed him that that ing the proposal for a north side Robert Cochren. NJ Transit is the the agency is looking for a concierge deck. current tenant at the train station. service modeled after a program in Agenda Items at BOE Meeting “You (Ms. Diddell) are welcome “Basically it’s our building but Maplewood. The agency does not By MELISSA BETKOWSKI graduation. the layout of the calendar, with an to join in their discussions. If there is they have the right to do what they Specially Written for The Westfield Leader favor having an individual run the In 1999, the Westfield High School eight-week stretch without a break service as had been considered by A discussion over the pros and (WHS) graduation was held on a in April and May. The Spring Vaca- the council, the town attorney noted. cons of a Sunday graduation was a Sunday for the first time in the tion is tentatively scheduled for NJ Transit, the Town Attorney said, major sticking point for the Westfield school’s history. Many people in- March 25-29, with Passover being favors setting up a consortium of Board of Education during its regu- volved in the administration felt that the 28th and 29th and Good Friday businesses who would cooperate to- lar meeting held Tuesday night. the Sunday graduation, also Father’s the 29th. gether and former a corporation. The board, in discussing the 2001- Day, was a great success. According to the calendar the way That would seemingly put an end 2002 school calendar, was faced with However, according to WHS Prin- it is, the next day off for students to a plan developed by Ray Mikell, a dilemma over when to schedule cipal Dr. Robert G. Petix, the teach- would be on May 27 for Memorial ers were told in 1999 that the Sunday Day. graduation was a one-time event, The board considered the issue and, he did not feel that the faculty raised by Dr. Petix and discussed Vito Gagliardi to Be New would be receptive to having gradu- moving the Spring Vacation to April ation once again on a Sunday. The 1-5. 2001-2002 graduation is tentatively Dr. Petix told members of the board Education Commissioner set for Sunday, June 23, also Father’s that he would suggest not closing Day. schools on September 19, the second By SUSAN M. DYCKMAN on education issues to Acting Gov- Dr. Petix noted that some faculty day of Rosh Hashanah, October 8 Specially Written for The Westfield Leader ernor Donald T. DiFrancesco, Mr. members raised objections over the (Columbus Day) and February 19 The former Superintendent of D’Elia emphasized, “To our fact that the graduation was held on (the second day of the Presidents’ Union County Vocational-Techni- knowledge, he (Mr. DiFrancesco) Father’s Day, but also a Sabbath. Weekend break). cal Schools, Vito Gagliardi, is the has not sent the name to the Sen- Board Member Kimberly Rhodes Discussion was also held on the likely candidate to succeed David ate” for confirmation. argued strongly for the graduation to issue of the four-hour sessions for C. Hespe as New Jersey’s Com- Under New Jersey law, once the be held on the Sunday, stating that it Grades K-5 in October and Novem- missioner of Education.