Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, June 9, 2011 OUR 121st YEAR – ISSUE NO. 23-2011 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS High School and Kimball Parking Dominate at Westfield Council By LAUREN S. BARR dents are “perfectly happy” to buy cil to maintain the two-hour restric- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader resident permits to park their own tion but conceded that parking is con- WESTFIELD – At Tuesday night’s vehicles on the street. He said that gested on Elm Street. He said that it Westfield Council conference ses- because the neighborhood is is difficult for cars to pull off of sion, several residents of Kimball Westfield’s only designated historic Kimball on to Elm due to parked cars Avenue were on hand to request that district, it is reasonable for the park- and line of sight issues. the council not change the current ing restriction. Town Administrator James Gildea two-hour parking restriction on their Wally Parker told the council that said that the item is on the Public street. the thought of the removal of the two- Safety Committee agenda but had At the public council meeting two hour restriction was “kind of dis- not yet been addressed. He added, weeks ago, East Dudley resident tressing.” “Unique circumstances apply to this Ralph Steinhart had asked the gov- According to resident Pat particular block.” erning body to consider removing Velderman, the homeowners give up In other business, the council heard the two-hour parking restriction on at certain rights in terms of what they from Central Avenue resident Maria least one side of Kimball Avenue in can do to their homes by living in a Carluccio. Ms. Carluccio was ac- order to alleviate the parking conges- historic district and should have the cused at the last public council meet- tion on Elm Street. parking restrictions stay in place. ing of calling Councilwoman JoAnn Bob Burslem said that the resi- Francis Palladino asked the coun- Neylan “crazy,” and said it was very troubling to be accused of some- thing that she did not say. “For the record, I never called you ‘crazy,’” she said, to which Councilwoman Neylan said, “right.” Adina Enculescu said that no one notified her regarding the placement David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader of the pedestrian activated light in BIG WIN…The Westfield High School baseball team defeated Morris Knolls, 8-5, in the NJIAA Group 4 semi-final at Kean front of her Central Avenue home. University in Union on Tuesday. Westfield will play Manalapan at Toms River South High School on Saturday, June 11, at 2 p.m. for the Group 4 State Championship. The achievement, Coach Bob Brewster’s 499th career win, took the team She said that on Monday she was further than it has ever gone in the history of the program. See full story in next week’s edition of the newspaper. surprised to find new road striping and asked if there would be any more surprises. Mr. Gildea said that the county has not advised the town that the project GOP and DEMS Hold Elections; is complete. He told Ms. Enculescu “to be clear…the town did not rec- ommend to put the light in front of All Incumbents Win in State your home.” He pointed out that the drawing that the town had sent to the By PAUL J. PEYTON Ms. Wright, a former school princi- seeking reelection, pointed to a 37- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Betsey Burgdorf for The Westfield Leader county, and recently provided to Ms. pal and now a supervisor of adjuncts year career as a teacher in Union. OUTSTANDING...The cast of the Westfield High School production of Sweeney Enculescu, had requested that the light AREA – Union County Democratic at Kean University, who garnered “Every step of this process is a new Todd — The Demon Barber of Fleet Street walked away the big winner, claiming be placed between her property and voters picked incumbent Freehold- 13,491 tallies. Leading the Demo- step for me. I want my message to be the top prize of Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical, among other her neighbor’s. ers Angel Estrada and Chris Hudak crats For Change ticket was Ms. that I can be the voice for people like awards, at the Rising Star Awards hosted by the Paper Mill Playhouse on Tuesday Councilwoman Neylan reported and their running mate, Vernell Abitanto, who garnered 6,815 tallies, me.” night. See story on page 22. that the Public Safety Committee met Wright, over a slate of candidates followed by Ms. Letemps, who re- The party-endorsed candidates de- prior to the full council meeting and running under the Democrats For ceived 6,763 votes, and Ms. Castillo- feated the Democrats For Change Memorial Pool; Westfield that it was unable to get through its Change banner, Marlene Abitanto, Ospina, with 6,610 votes. ticket in Westfield by 169 votes, in lengthy agenda due to a discussion of Erna Letemps and Elcy Castillo- The Union County Democratic Scotch Plains by 316 tallies, and by parking issues in the area of Westfield Ospina. Committee-endorsed candidates 40 votes each in Mountainside and Field Upgrades Discussed High School (WHS). She said that Mr. Estrada received 13,894 votes, gathered to wait for election returns Garwood. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 followed by Mr. Hudak, 13,501, and Tuesday at Galloping Hill Caterers in The winners will now face Repub- By LISA HAGEN unaware of it,” Mr. Gildea said. “The Union. licans Andrew Smith of Summit and Specially Written for The Westfield Leader town council is cognizant of its im- “One of the most important key Edwin Ortiz of Elizabeth, who were WESTFIELD – On Monday, the portance and it is our intent to keep it Mountainside to Repair elements to focus on is going to be unopposed in their party’s Primary Westfield Recreation Commission very strong.” bringing the budget under control. I on Tuesday. convened at the municipal building Mr. Gildea also discussed the sur- am hopeful for the future, but realize Another race closely watched by to discuss and report on the progress plus and debt services that were af- Faulty Cedar Avenue Basin that we still have a lot of work to do,” political analysts was the race for the and current status of many town fected approximately 10 years ago By FRED T. ROSSI attended the council’s monthly Mr. Estrada told The Westfield Leader. State Senate and General Assembly projects for the upcoming summer. when the pool underwent renova- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader agenda meeting and listened as neigh- Mr. Hudak, who joined the free- in District 20. The district includes Town Administrator Jim Gildea tions. In 2002, bonds were taken out MOUNTAINSIDE — With sev- bor William Leber read a statement holder board in December, told The Elizabeth, Roselle, Union and Hill- began with a presentation about the for renovations on the pool’s diving eral neighborhood residents in atten- laying out various concerns while Leader, “We have such a strong side. history and financial timeline of the tank, slide and lap pool. Despite an dance, the borough council on Tues- distributing photographs to the gov- Democratic Party, and everyone will Senator Ray Lesniak (D-20, Eliza- Westfield Memorial Pool, which increase in the surplus in 2008, the day night said a severely damaged erning body of the damaged catch rally together, continuing to do what beth), who has served in the Legisla- opened Memorial Day weekend. He dwindling of the budget prompted the catch basin on Cedar Avenue will be basin, which is situated on a curve in we have been doing over the past ture for 32 years, the past 28 in the examined the capital ordinance of use of the surplus from 2010-2011. repaired soon, a move that should cut the roadway and was likely damaged years. We have powerful candidates, Senate, fought back a challenge from the pool to explain its origin, as well The council recommended that the down on flooding issues on the street. during the winter by a snowplow. and I am not at all nervous that only Elizabeth Assistant Superintendent as its ability to maintain “appropri- pool establish a plan in 2013 to alle- Homeowners also were told, how- Public Works Director Ronald Romak registered Democrats and Indepen- of Schools Jerome Dunn of Hillside, ate, affordable rates.” viate the debt in order to continue ever, that their street is not high on the told the residents that the catch basin dents can vote in [the Democratic by a tally of 7,659 to 6,612. Mr. Dunn “It’s important to understand the consistently affordable rates and any list for resurfacing at this time. is slated to be repaired soon. Primary].” said he won in Elizabeth and in his background of the pool if you are CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 About 10 Cedar Avenue residents Mayor Paul Mirabelli told the Ms. Wright, running in place of hometown of Hillside, but lost in homeowners that Cedar Avenue is Freeholder Nancy Ward, who is not CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 not scheduled for resurfacing, saying that the prioritization is “based on the recommendations of the [township] engineer on what roads are most in need.” The mayor said that some roads in Mountainside “are in much worse condition than Cedar.” Earlier in its brief meeting, the council met with homeowners from Corinne Terrace seeking a permit to open the road surface to activate a natural gas line to the home they are building.