ACLE CLARK, N J., VOL. 15 NO. 48 THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2005 www.focalsource.com TWO SECTJi Blaze Timoni resign destroys from school building By Vincent Gragnani and hopes to have someone sworn in By Vincent Gragnani Managing Editor at the board's Sept. 27 meeting. Managing Editor Citing health issues and other com- Lewis, sometimes at odds with Parts of Central Avenue, Terminal mitments, longtime school board Timoni, thanked him for his eight- Avenue and Raritan Road were closed member Michael Timoni resigned last and-a-half years of service. for several hours Saturday afternoon week, giving board members 60 days "He was committed to the Board of while firefighters extinguished a blaze from his Aug. 17 resignation to fill his Education and I personally commend in a building behind Chilis and Bartell space on the board. the work and effort he has exhibited. Farm and Garden Supply. Timoni delivered a brief letter of Timoni, a former president of the Clark Fire Chief John Pingor said resignation to interim Superintendent board, was serv- Monday that the cause of lie fire was Vito Gagliardi immediately after the ing as chairman still unknown. board's Aug. 16 meeting, a meeting at of the building Bartell leases the building — which Timoni was the lone vote and grounds com- mittee this year. which was completely destroyed but is against a reorganization of the board's still standing — to three businesses, central offices. The board will including a welding shop and a wood- Walking out at the end of that officially accept Photo By Vincent Gragnani working shop. Pingor said among the meeting, Timoni spoke with The Eagle his resignation at Fire departments from several nearby municipalities clean up after extinguishing the fire off a special 4 p.m. items in the building were acetylene about his vote against the reorganiza- Central Avenue on Saturday. meeting Aug. 30, canisters. tion, but gave no indication that he Lewis said. Mark Grabowski, manager at Charles Chiarello, whose Janie "It was bad," he said. "The fire was suffered heat exhaustion. was resigning. He has since not Bartell, said an employee on a forklift Lane home backs the building, first about 30 feet in the air." Approximately 150 firefighters and returned phone calls from The Eagle. Lewis said, Timoni reported black smoke coming out of saw the smoke around 2:15 p.m. He Pingor said his firefighters were on more than 28 pumpers or aerial lad- According to Gagliardi, Timoni's once he has appli- the building around 2:15 p.m. remained in the area, though not too a call just around the corner when they ders from nearly all fire departments letter cited the fact that he is a cancer cations, he and the mil board will "We went over there with a fire close, providing water to the firefight- heard about the fire, enabling to in Union County responded to the fire. surgery survivor and his public service begin interviewing applicants. would best be limited to his member- extinguisher," he said. "But we knew ers who protected his home. respond within minutes. Police and firefighters evacuated Whoever is chosen will fill the rest ship on the Union County Planning we weren't putting that one out." "You couldn't see anything, the Three Clark firefighters were Chilis and Barnes and Noble, as well of Timoni's term, which expires in Board and his position as condemna- "Sometimes, there are workers in smoke was so think," he said. "Then I injured fighting the fire — one suf- as some homes on Janie Lane. April. Clark voters will elect someone tion commissioner. there in Saturdays," Grabowski added. started to get nervous." fered a sprained ankle and two suf- The fire was declared under control to fill that seat, along with the seats of "Thank God no one was in there on Early on, he witnessed the roof col- fered heat exhaustion. shortly after 4 p.m. Firefighters Board President Tom Lewis said members Henry Varriano and Diane the board has advertised the opening Lanigan, whose terms also end. Saturday." lapse. A Scotch Plains firefighter also remained on scene overnight Saturday. Library visitors may Students eat, drink and relax study over By Vincent Gragnani The expanded library also includes Managing Editor several computers with Internet access summer Showcasing lounge areas, vending — eight regular stations that .give machines and wireless Internet access, patrons one hour of access, one that By Ryan Paugh Library Director Maureen Baker gives patrons in a hurry 15 minutes of Correspondent Wilkinson is trying to shed the strict access, two with Internet for children, Summer break may be nothing reputation libraries have and welcome one with learning games for children more than lazy days for some students, patrons into a community gathering and three that also include access to but for the girls of Mother Seton place. reference databases. Regional High School, summer So far, Clark residents seem to be Patrons with notebook computers enrichment gives their time off a great taking advantage — 450 on opening can access the Internet through a wire- deal of significance. day alone, according to Library Direc- less modem, which provides wireless Melissa Rhodes, 16, Allison Tei- tor Maureen Baker Wilkinson. Internet throughout much of the build- leri, 16, and Candace Belluscio, 17, all Nearly double the size it was when ing and on the front steps, though not juniors of Clark, are just three of many the doors closed 17 months ago for a in the parking lot. Mother Seton students who became $1.9 million expansion, the library The library includes meeting involved in summer enrichment pro- reopened its doors Saturday with no rooms and lounge areas. Upstairs, in grams this summer. fanfare. what will be a lounge area when the Both Telleri and Belluscio took On that day, librarians registered library gets ftirniture for it, patrons can part in the National Youth Leadership 41 new library cards and signed out buy snacks and drinks out of two Program on Medicine, which intro- 650 items. More than 300 videos and vending machines, once a taboo in duces young people to a broad range DVDs were checked out, and so were libraries. of topics, including educational requirements, career options, clinical more than 100 of the new books fea- "A lot of libraries are being Photo By Barbara Kokkaiis tured as part of the library's new designed with cafes," Wilkinson said. practice and ethical and legal issues Heather Guarino helps her 5-year-old son, Logan, with one of the new children's comput- facing the medical profession. arrivals display. "Usually, the staff anticipates more ers at the Clark Public Library. In designing the expanded library, problems than there really are. It has "I thought it was amazing," said Wilkinson aimed for a bookstore look. worked out well. It creates a much you're a senior, that's what you do." Though Wilkinson said she saw "We might have to add more com- Belluscio. "It makes you look at the "We're trying to make it a much more friendly atmosphere." • Kim Perrotto, a Clark resident for many familiar faces while Clark was puters," she said, adding that she has field of medicine from a whole differ- more visual environment," Wilkinson On Monday morning, Clark resi- the past two years, brought her two temporarily relocated to the Rahway seen a constant flow of people since ent perspective." said, noting that, like in bookstores, a dent Jean Skorton was already return- children, ages 4 years and 7 months, to Library, Perrotto said she never visited the library opened. Both girls, who are good friends, small selection of books is displayed ing some DVDs she had checked out the newly expanded library Monday the Rahway Library because it would The library will have an official have a keen interest in the medical on the outside end of each shelf. on morning for the first time. have been too much of a pain. grand opening on Sept. 10, coinciding field. Belluscio specifically would like She based the new design on a "I'm so happy it opened," she said. She said she especially appreciated Children's Librarian Elizabete Pata with "Get a Library Card" month. to become a veterinarian. Telleri, who statewide study that reported increased "All this time I've been going to the children's section, where her said the children's computers are espe- Mayor Sal Bonaccorso will be in is more interested in becoming a nurse circulation numbers when libraries Barnes and Noble to buy books. I daughter was browsing a book about cially popular — "off the hook," she attendance, along with other town or doctor, enjoyed observing surgeries were set up more like bookstores. spend a lot of time in the library. When dinosaurs. said. officials. first-hand, the most fascinating of which was a spinal operation. "This program reinforced how much I really want to go into medi- 25 years after starting club, founder still enjoys soccer cine," said Telleri. Her research on By Vincent Gragnani said. "We were looking for a field and choices and family planning came in Managing Editor the town was looking to do something eighth place during the program. Frank Conley spends many Satur- for kids. It turned out to be a good The girls became involved with the day afternoons at Bartell field — a field for the kids." program through Telleri's older sister, short walk from his Adams Street After three years as president of the who was also took part in a previous home — watching children play soc- soccer club and three more years on its year.