XtBB www.nj.com/r*cordpr*ss Serving Westfield, Scotch Plains and Fanwood Vol. 21, No. 38 Friday, September 22, 2006 50 cents A TRIBUTE TO VIETNAM VETS Board supports expansion of library, cafeteria Edison windows added to referendum the ballot question have not THE RECORD-PRESS yet been set, the cost of the work at all three schools WESTFIELD — After would total about $9.3 mil- extensive debate at two earli- lion, or approximately $70 er meetings, the Board of per year on the average local Education this week unani- home for 20 years. mously decided to submit Though it hasn't been the plans to the state focus of talks at recent meet- Department of Education for ings, the Lincoln School proj- Wlmiliiy wosKond a $3.2 million renovation and ect is the centerpiece of the expansion of Roosevelt The Scotch Plains-Fanwood High upcoming bond referendum School football team defeated East Intermediate School. and the key to addressing the Side 14-7 Saturday in its home open- But it was another, much enrollment crunch in the dis- er. The Westfield High School football smaller project — a partial trict's six elementary schools. team also won this past weekend, refurbishment of Edison With first grade enrollment overwhelming Cranford, 27-7, on Intermediate School at a cost now at its highest point since, Friday night. For more on those of a few hundred thousand 1970, only one of the elemen- dollars — that dominated the tary schools has either a games, and for results and pictures JOHN FEI/CORRESPONDENT from local high school soccer, see talks Tuesday before the music or an art room. The Sports, PageC-1. Vietnam War veteran Alan Hoapaa aita in mock captivity in a bamboo cage outaide the board approved that project', Lincoln project would allow Fanwood municipal building. too, in a split vote. the district to consolidate the The Roosevelt and Edison kindergarten and pre-K spe- projects, as well as a $6 mil- cial education classes in one Ex-soldiers climb into a cage lion remodeling of Lincoln place, freeing up a few class- School to allow it to be used rooms in each building. as a preschool/kindergarten Lincoln School is currently center, will now require voter leased to the Union County to evoke the suffering of POWs approval in a special referen- Educational Services dum scheduled for Jan. 23, By JOHN FEI 2007. Though final plans and (Continued on page A-2) CORRESPONDENT FANWOOD — Vietnam veteran Alan Hospes is being held captive in a six-foot by SP man charged six-foot cage made of bamboo sticks infested with plastic Nothing rats. He sits quietly on a bale with cultivating of hay as busy motorists whisk by on Martine Avenue. cheap about it This scene played out in The rock band Cheap Trick paid a broad daylight on the front pot in Roseland special visit to Nomahegan Park in lawn of borough hall Cranford over the weekend for the Saturday. Although Hospes's »y H>LI1 MURRAY The plants, guarded by a annual Music Fest celebration. For cramped situation seemed STAFF WRITER makeshift chicken-wire our reporter's experience at the awful, when compared to fence to keep out wildlife concert, see Community Life, Page what an actual prisoner of Two Union County broth- and watered by natural B-1. war in Vietnam had to endure, ers were arrested in streams that kept the it was like a walk in the park. Roseland last week, ground moist, were left to "The actual cages were charged with what police grow in a 3,000-square foot three times smaller," said Willie Mitchell, preaident of the Vietnam Veterans of are calling an unusual plan cannabis patch, said Willie Mitchell, president of America, Chapter 779, stands beside a POW flag. to cultivate marijuana McDonough. the Vietnam Veterans of along a major highway. The Vandermeiren broth- America (WA), Chapter 779 remaining missing soldiers Jeffrey Vandermeiren, ers would check in on their of Linden. "They built the "We don't want to might be," Mitchell said. He 53, of Cranford and Gordon crop periodically, according cages real small so you could- said that some Vietnam vet- Vandermeiren, 51, of Scotch to McDonough. He said they n't stretch your legs. If you did forget, and we don't erans are turning in war Plains were arrested just were arrested on the get out, you still couldn't run want people to forget." mementos they took from before 9 p.m. Sept. 12 on evening of Sept. 12 after because you had no feeling in their enemies, such as dri- charges of cultivating 182 they allegedly came to your legs." He explained in — Willie Mitchell ver's licenses and military marijuana plants in an iso- check on the plants, some of addition to torture inflicted registration cards. These lated spot off Route 280, which had grown to the by their captors, POWs had "The main purpose of the items are then returned to according to Roseland height of six feet. to fend off poisonous snakes vigil is to get the word out the families of the deceased Police Chief Richard Police surveillance teams! and fight the rats for the lit- to people that there are still Vietnamese soldiers. McDonough. spotted the pair and sprang' tle food that they did get. issues with missing soldiers As a result of the good The brothers had into action, arresting them According to Mitchell, 50 that are not resolved," said will generated by that allegedly selected a seclud- and seizing the cannabis soldiers from New Jersey Rick Harrison, president of process, villagers in ed spot in a wooded area, crop for evidence. Roseland are still classified as miss- Chapter 688. "There are Vietnam provide informa- more than a quarter mile police, the Essex County Quite a night ing in action from the still those not accounted for tion to help locate American from the walking paths fre- Sheriff's Office, and New Vietnam War. The members and it dates back to World quented by joggers at the One local teenager showed recently soldiera missing in action. Jersey State Police cooper- of the Linden chapter were War II, and we want to Recently, the remains of nearby Prudential corpo- ated in the arrests, with that she really can make a big differ- joined over the weekend by raise the public's aware- rate complex, for their pot ence in the lives of others, raising four New Jersey soldiers assistance from the New members of Chapter 688 in ness." were found and flown back plot. But the site was York City Police nearly $5,000 to pay for surgeries Westfield; they collaborated apparently not secluded needed by infants living in Chinese "Even today, there are to the United States for a Department. to stage the mock captivity Vietnam vets working long-delayed proper burial. enough — officers from The street value of the orphanages. To read the remarkable scene and to heighten the Roseland first began inves- story, see Community Life, Page B-1. directly with Vietnamese "We don't want to forget," plants was estimated by public's awareness about the soldiers, trying to gather said Mitchell, "and we don't tigating the illicit garden plight of POWs. information on where the want people to forget." on April 18. (Continued on page A-2) Family fun at Harvest Festival Fanny Wood Day set fer Sunday Union County's annual celebration of colonial life returns to the Traiiside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside this weekend. On tap are demonstrations of life in a bygone era, as well as a petting zoo, pony rides and more. See the story on Page A-8. Commentary A-6 Community Life B-1 BROOKS CRANDALL/CORRESPONDENT Sports C-1 The annual Fanny Wood Day celebration returned to downtown Fanwood Sunday, offering plenty of young activities for young Prime Time B-2 and old alike. Among the many contests and games on the schedule this year were a pie-baking competition, a pie-eating Obituaries A-8 contest and the "Wheels on Parade" event (right), in which the borough's youngest residents were challenged to decorate a Real Estate B-6 bike, a wagon or a wheelbarrow — anything that could roll down the street. All the fun had area residents flying high and lumping for Joy, Including this student from Surgent's Elite School of Police Log A-3 Gymnastics (above). A-2 Record Press September 22. 2006 Edison windows added to project Joining hands to upgrade a school (Continued from page A-2) slightly over $1 million: way work at Roosevelt may be improvements to the side sacrificed to pay for the Commission, which operates driveway and rear parking Edison upgrades. Six mem- an alternative program at the area, $125,000; replacement bers voted in favor, with Alice site. If voters approve the of the 265 remaining original Hunnicutt and Julia Walker bond referendum, the school windows, $640,000; and voting against. could be in use as a kinder- replacement of lights and ceil- Board members said the garten center by 2008. Board ing tiles, $250,000. remainder of the work at members approved a resolu- None of the board mem- Edison will have to be accom- tion Tuesday that will allow bers wanted to include all the plished through the annual them to apply for debt service Edison projects into the refer- operating budget. aid from the state for the proj- endum. But .some, including Superintendent William ect in the future. President Anne Riegel, Foley said all the windows At Roosevelt, the plans pushed hard to include a will have to be replaced in approved by the board call for smaller amount to replace at five or six years, and in the a renovation of the six stair- least some of the windows.