Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, October 4, 2012 OUR 122nd YEAR – ISSUE NO. 40-2012 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS BOE Reviews Options Including Another Referendum for Roofs By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL at the district’s operating budget. it was important to replace the roofs Specially Written for The Westfield Leader He also stated that to make the nec- in the district not for “solar power, WESTFIELD – Board of Educa- essary repairs, some aspects of the but simply because we need new tion (BOE) President Richard district’s costs might need to be cut, roofs.” Mattessich opened Tuesday’s BOE including some cuts that had been Board of Education Secretary and meeting by reading a statement fol- made in recent years such as coun- Business Administrator Dana lowing last week’s voter defeat of the selors, library staff, teachers and Sullivan explained that an option district’s $16.9-million bond referen- programs. for the board would be to go for dum to replace 77 percent of the He said in prior years state laws another referendum in December district’s school roofs and construct a prohibited savings in a capital re- for just roof repairs, noting that new multi-use, lighted turf field at serve fund by school districts while there were many roofs in the dis- Westfield High School (WHS). such savings are now permitted. trict with “active leaks.” She said if Mr. Mattessich said while he un- Board member Jane Clancy added, the board acted immediately to derstood the public’s vote, it still however, that there was a cap on make a motion that it would like to did not negate the fact that the roofs how much can be saved into such pursue a new referendum, there need to be repaired. He said the an account. could be a bond before the voters on board would have to look carefully In his report, Mr. Mattessich said Tuesday, December 11, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The deadline for notifica- tion to the Union County Board of Elections for the referendum is next week. However, the exact wording would not be due to the county until mid-November, she said. According to a previous presen- tation given by Superintendent of Schools Margaret Dolan, the aver- age age of the Westfield school buildings is 73 years, and years of fixing, patching and repairing roofs Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader lasted longer than expected. NATIVE-AMERICAN DANCE....A Native-American dance is demonstrated at Union County’s Harvest Festival held Buildings and Grounds Supervi- Sunday at the Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. sor Michael Morris said the top priority for a new roof was at WHS. He said the leaks there were putting Westfield Council OKs Eagle Scout the protective concrete underlay of the roof at risk. He said the problem only gets “worse and worse” as time goes on. The second priority is Projects; Defers Home Demolition repair of the roof at Roosevelt Inter- By LAUREN S. BARR nance as possible and that he is seeking Councilwoman Vicki Kimmins said Horace Corbin for The Westfield Leader mediate School. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader TOUCHING TRIBUTE...Westfield Mayor Andrew Skibitsky presents Linda donations of both money and materials that since the location is the starting Maggio with a resolution in recognition of her retirement after 38 years as In order to assess what the spe- WESTFIELD – The Westfield Town for the project. point for the Martin Luther King pa- executive director of United Fund of Westfield. The resolution was presented at cific needs are to all the area roofs, Council gave a green light to two Eagle Aiden Hughes, a high-school senior, rade each year, the “area could use a Mrs. Maggio’s retirement dinner, attended by some 200 guests Friday night at Mr. Mattessich asked Ms. Sullivan Scout projects at Tuesday night’s meet- also from Troop No. 72, showed the little dressing up.” the Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield. to prepare a priority roof report for ing. council his plans for improvements to Aiden said his goal is to “enhance the board’s next meeting in addi- Brendan Law, a high-school junior, the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, and beautify” the existing memorial by tion to wording for the new pro- of Troop No. 72, presented his plans to located at the South Avenue circle. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 MS BOE, Teachers OK posed bond from the district’s bond improve the town-owned area at North counsel. and Dudley Avenues by building a During the discussion, Mr. sitting area and a concrete walkway New Contract Through 2013 Mattessich said the board was not and installing shrubs. GW Zoning Board Approves By DOMINIC A. LAGANO with a bachelor’s degree will be paid recommending pursuing any field- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader “The goal is to beautify the area,” he a starting wage of $51,573 retroac- work at this time due to the priority told the council. He added that he in- Cert. of Non-Conformity MOUNTAINSIDE — The tive to 2010-2011, $51,868 for 2011- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 tends to make the area as low-mainte- Mountainside Board of Education 2012, and $52,157 for the current By CHRISTINA M. HINKE torney Don Fraser said. (BOE) has announced it has com- school year with increased salaries of Specially Written for The Westfield Leader The property was named a two- pleted contract negotiations with the between $3,000 and almost $5,000, GARWOOD – The Garwood family home, according to the 1974 Mountainside Education Association respectively, for union members hold- Summit Official Asks For Zoning Board approved, by a 9-0 re-evaluation, Mr. Fraser reported. (MEA). ing a master’s degree or a master’s vote, a certificate of non-confor- Mr. and Mrs. Tomaio reside on “I’m happy to report that the board with 30 credits. mity for a two-family house at 99 the first floor and have consistently of education and the Mountainside For those with bachelor’s degrees, UCPD, Sheriff’s Dept. Merger Oak Street, which is located in a rented the second floor to non-fam- Education Association reached an the 18-step salary reaches $62,831 in By PAUL J. PEYTON on the Elizabeth and Roselle border. single-family zone (R/A zone) at ily members since 1968, Mrs. agreement, it has been ratified by step 10 in 2010-2011, $63,126 in Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Mr. Getzendanner asked the board its meeting on Tuesday. Tomaio said. both groups,” Chief School Adminis- 2011-2012, and $63,415 in 2012- COUNTY – A Summit council- to consider placing a question on the Applicants Jewel and Joseph “I think this home was a two- trator (CSA) Nancy Lubarsky said. 2013. For 2012-2013, those in at step man last Thursday asked the Union November election ballot asking vot- Tomaio are in the process of selling family since the day it was con- “We are very excited to begin the 18 with a bachelor’s will earn County Freeholders to consider merg- ers whether they would like to see the their home, with a closing date of structed,” board member Bill school year on a very positive note. $86,204, $83,965 with a master’s ing the Union County Police Depart- county move from an at-large board Tuesday, October 30. They have Nierstedt said. He said he had We anticipate much cooperation and degree and $90,830 with a master’s ment into the county’s sheriff’s de- to one of freeholder districts. owned the house for 43 years, since looked up renters’ names from the collaboration as we move forward.” and 30 credits. partment. He said only Bergen and Freeholder Dan Sullivan said only Mrs. Tomaio purchased the prop- 1980s and 1990s, and that the last The contract covers the 2010-2011, According to Christopher Minks, Union Counties still have both de- three of New Jersey’s 21 counties erty from her grandmother. There name differed from the family 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school chairman of the personnel/negotia- partments and Bergen is looking at have freeholder districts – Atlantic, has never been a use variance name. years. The agreement includes salary tions committee, the BOE and the merging its departments. Essex and Hudson — with the rest granted to this property, Board At- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 increases of zero percent for 2010- MEA completed contract negotia- According to the 2012 county bud- having at-large boards. He said he 2011, 2.5 percent for 2011-2012, and tions just before the start of the school get, salaries and wages for the sheriff’s would be supportive if freeholder 2.5 percent for 2012-2013. The BOE year. office are $15.9 million and $7.5 districts were done in all counties ratified the contract on September During an exclusive interview with million for county police. He said statewide. 11. The Westfield Leader, Mr. Minks com- this is a better option in terms of “Let’s all play by the same rules,” Under the new contract, teachers CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 saving tax dollars than privatizing he said, noting most Republican-lean- the county jail, for which a study has ing counties would likely be opposed been initiated. to freeholder districts, such as “Privatizing the jail is not going to Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset and yield enough savings to accomplish Sussex Counties.