Mountainside Echo WORBALL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS VOL.33 NO,12-^IOUNTAINSID1> N.J., THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1991-3* TWO SECTIONS — 50 CENTS Public speaks out about QEA By SUZETTE STALKER of their aid annually ove¥"th# next four to equal education regardless of new deadline is now set for tomorrow, Sen, Louis Bassano, R-21, last years. In addition, the QEA mandates whether they resided in an affluent or Feb. 1. week held* a public hearing at that school districts pick up the cost of disadvantaged school district. The Florio adminisffation stated in Jonathan Dayton Regional High teaehsr pensions and Social Security, Mountainside resident David M. published reports Jan, 22 that it did School in Springfield, which enrolls which had heretofore been covered by Hart, vice president of the Board of not wish to "confuse" local school Mountainside students, regarding the the state. Education of Union County Regional disfricts by prematurely releasing confroversial Quality Education Act School board representatives and High School District 1, called on legi- state aid figures which may be subject of 1990, The QEA calls for a gradual residents of many area communities slators to work cooperatively for the to change, though school districts fear reduction in state aid to New Jersey fear that proposed state aid cuts will benefit of local school districts, so that any further delays by the state school disfficls in the years 1992-96. compel municipal governments to that neither taxpayers nor school dis- may significantly affect school budget The event drew mixed testimony raise taxes to compensate for the loss, tricts would suffer. preparations and school board from approximately 30 area residents, and that quality education could be elections. The QEA is currently under review mostly educators, librarians and con- compromised, including adult school The public hearing was the first of by a special task force on school fund- cerned parents, who attended the for- Opportunities. four such events scheduled to allow ing recently appointed by Governor um. The majority of those who testi- legislators to gamer public input on Florio, which is reviewing the law for fied were critical of the QEA as hav- Sen, Donald T. DiFranceseo, the QEA. A second was expected to possible remodification. This study, ing a potentially devastating impact whose 22nd District includes Moun- be held last night at Bridgewater- however, has delayed the release of upon school districts and local tainside, announced during the forum Raritan High School, Bridgewater, state aid figures to local school dis- communities. that "we're hoping we can obtain The others will occur on Wednes- tricts to allow them to prepare their Photo By SuittU Stalkei The QEA, signed into law by Gov. input from you as private citizens to day, Feb. 13, from 7-10 p.m. at Wall find an act which will treat education budgets. AT THE PODIUM — David M. Hart of Mountainside, James Florio last July, is designed to Township High School, Wall Town^ redistribute stale funds to New Jersey fairly and at the same time adhere to The state was mandated by law to ship, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Palaj- vice president of the Board of Education of Union the mandates of the Supreme Court." County Regional High School District 1, called on state school disfficts, with an increase to 30 release state aid figures by Dec. 15, a; and Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 7-10 legislators to work together for the benefit of New state districts which lack significant DiFrancesco's remark referred to but disclosure of this information was p.m. in Vineland Senior High School Jersey school districts during a public hearing last week tax ratables. the Supreme Court's ruling last year postponed while the governor's com- — South, Vineland, sponsored by at Jonathan Dayton Regional High School regarding Municipalities such as Mountain- in the Abbot vs. Burke case, which mittee launched its investigation into Sen. James Cafiero with Assembly- the Quality Education Act. side, however, would lose 25 percent declared that all students were entitled the potential impact of the QEA. The man Frank LoBiondo. Deerfield competes Library highlights youth activities By SUZETTE STALKER Mountainside. She served as a Brow- The director and staff of the Moun- nie and Girl Scout leader in Irvington. in national contest tainside Public Library are anxious In addition to the Storytime, the for Mountainside families, and parti- library has spruced up its children's By SUZETTE STALKER playing a great deal of teamwork, cularly children, to know that their section with a variety of new features. A group of talented students at "They have to compromise, local library is not just a home for Mountainside resident Beverly Deerfield School in Mountainside someone has to be the leader, and stacks of books but rather a lively, sti- Evans and her family recently refurb- recently matched their academic it's that teamwork aspect that mulating center for learning and fun. ished and furnished a dollhouse which makes it so rewarding for them and abilities against those of their peers Library director Miriam Bein has had been donated by Bein's predeces- for me," the teacher added. throughout the United States during announced that Springfield resident sot,^ALU» Cronin, and which is now The Knowledge Master Open the 15th Knowledge Master Open Gloria Brand, an education specialist on display at the library. Academic Contest, a biannual was designed to provide students at and a former nursery school teacher, The Friends of the Mountainside event sponsored by Academic Hall- all United States schools with "the will be coming on board as the Library donated a display bookcase marks, a Colorado publishing firm. opportunity to compete in a large- scale academic contest without the library's children's programmer. This for all the new children's books, with Deerfield Enrichment Coordina- expense and time away from school position was established in lieu of a shelves that are easy for youngsters to tor Elaine Pass, who served as her required to travel to a central site. It •children's librarian, Bein said. reach. The 120 books in the collection school's coach for the event, also stimulates recognition of stu- Brand will lead an eight-week are geared toward young readers in explained that her students were dent academic accomplishment," Storytime for preschool and kinder- preschool through sixth grade, divided into two teams — one com- The fifth- and sixth-grade team, garten youngsters from Feb. 5 to according to Bein, prised of 17 fifth- and sixth-graders which took the test Jan, 23, March 26, with three separate 45-mi- The Friends also donated a rotating and the other of 16 seventh- and included Robert Hopkins, Adam nute sessions to be held on Tuesdays. tabletop display rack for the library's eighth-graders. Perle, Adam Berminger, David There will be two sessions for 3- to collection of children's magazines, Each group of youngsters spent Russell, Mark Leyrer, Andrew 5-year-olds at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and a new bulletin board at the library an entire afternoon working as a Svafran, John Lee, Scott Keller, and a kindergarten program will be will feature current events of particu- team, using a computer disc In Daniel Amiram, Dennis Shann, held at 2 p.m. lar interest to families and children, Deerfield's Gifted and Talented Matthew Dubno, Erica Weiner, During each session, Brand will Bein confirmed that she has Photo By Suzette Sulker Resource Room, to plug in Deudre Bamett, Monika Szym- share picture books, folk tales and ordered several new magazines for responses to 200 questions cover- borski, Nicolette Aizenberg, Cathy rhymes with the youngsters, as well as MODEL HOME — Mountainside Library Director Mir- children, including "MAD," a junior iam Bein displays a fully furnished doll house which ing all academic disciplines. The Maxemehuk and Jill Sieffert. perform finger plays, songs and version of "Sports Illustrated" and a machine tabulated students' scores The seventh- and eighth-grade simple craft activities to make the was donated to the library by former Mountainside publication called "Art and Man," Library Director Alice Cronin and decorated by Moun- and also gave bonus points for team, which showed its collective program lively, according to Bein. which is an art history magazine for speed. skills Dec, 5. included Anna Lisa tainside resident Beverly Evans and her family. The "It's sort of a socializing event for kids. After student teams took the Lopez, Brandee Aylward, Nicole dollhouse is now one of the new features in the child- the children, and they can enjoy parti- tests, Pass contacted Knowledge Coddington, Maria Shinas, Kath- She added that several new child- ren's section of the library. cipatory activities," the library diree- Master headquarters in Colorado leen Gittrieh, Barbara Fowler, ren's videos are already available, lor remarked, "It gives them a diffe- and reported encoded scores to the Michael Trezza, Seth Weinglass, including "Really Rosie" by Maurice four popular children's computer a taped story while they read along rent kind of experience, perhaps less Sendak with music by Carole King; organization. The coach reported Brian Juba, Nick Mennuti, Heidi games including "Face Maker," with the book, rigid than school activities because "Sffega Nona," an Italian folk tale by that her younger group of pupils Pascuiti, Brooke Stolling, John "Reader Rabbit," "Jeopardy" and "We'll also be ordering more books they get to participate voluntarily." Tornie de Paola; and several stories by placed eighth out of 34 teams who Schnakcnberg, Matt Collins, Adam "Where m the World Is Carmen San and stories on tape as well as music Segal 1 and N.rali pawl.