%&£kxg£&tj£^^ 11 ---v- . - ».i -j, •. ,,' . -. .^.i. v •"' ... f»,. ~^z^»™^*-fcf-^i£™._^v-^**«.^«^'-^«iC-*'-^^:^.3Vi: ^^SSiS^*^Ss§^|K$ai|§|S§l&^^ ti r - MARCH 23, 2000 UNION COUNTY CLASSIFIED r i- "Vot/r Best Source For Community informationit By Robert Coakley taken OOL The plaza is expected to be tion, NI Transit's investment, and brick wall, Kennedy said. The city short-term promotional side of deve- in higher than originally expected. Staff Writer completed r^-mid-smraner and cost what amenities would mate mass- spoke to the owners, and they were loping," he added. Tm glad to finally see it. under ,^ said Rmk Regan, Rab- City officials woe gApwtrp d have a approximately $600,000- transit work bftTrr" in communroes amenable to taking the building down, The plaza wiD stft^fr** *""* have an groundbreaking ceremony today at The Dombrowski Building, located were discussed, he said. Kennedy said. tangible effect on the area, Kennedy way*s director of building, planning 830 aun. for the Rahway Train Sta- across from the train station, was torn "By 1994, when we were getting **I certainly saw a difference once said. City officials are not concerned and economic development. "I ib Ilki4kr-- closer to theTcafizutiuu of The con- down,"* Kennedy about the ratables lost when tbeolgger believe the constroctioirwilhtexom- y pleted in a timely fashion. In about improve the downtown. pla2a. City officials see me plaza as a struction of the commnnity. New said. "Tbe comments that I had redevelopment plan is factored in, The groundbreaking originally was continuation of the redevelopment of Jersey Transit spoke to us about the since they just added $78 million in three months the project should be received were aU positive, I think 1 the train station mat will help revital- new ratables onto the Rahway tax roll done and it wiD make people forget al scheduled for Tuesday morning, but impression factor when you come out brcansr visually you can see the ize the downtown business district. rfw< year, Kennedy said. mat took place before that" was delayed until today due to the of the train station,'' said Kennedy. station.** Discussions about the plaza began Approximately $300,000 in bonds heavy xainfalL The city decided that removing the "Now we are at the final phase. I Regan will depart the redevelop- Work has already started on the in 1991 between me city and NJ aged Oombrowski building would were issued for plaza construction. ment post at the end of me week to Transit over the conditions of the exi- am comfortable and confident that There were some delays in the coo vacant parcel at Irving Street and East make the rebuilt train station more when tbe park is finished, people will a position with a law fimi- Milton Avenne. Equipment on site sitisg train station, said Mayor James visible, and also not greet people strucrioa. which was supposed to story on Page 3. Kennedy. The importance of the sta- see the total logic in the long-term begin last year, due to tbe Hds coming and ranch of the concrete already been coining out of the train station with a development plans, as opposed to the Initially, when the city bid the pro- ject last summer,.the teds came in highrr fh^n ibe original Board seeks constructjo"* ^ctnnate, according *z> $683,900 for "The city didn't have sufficient athletic field funds to award the contract, and felt it was in their best interest to rebid the By Robot Coakley project and see if we conk! get a better Staff Writer price.'" said The Rahway Board of Education Tuesday adopted a $44_3-million In January, the City Council awaided a bid to consliurt the plaza amending it to "viude a small school for about $600,000 to the Viola Con- tax CUt tracting Company from East Orange- A ballot question for $683,900 to The city did not get a snhstantfal renovate Veteran's Memorial Athletic reduction, but did save about $31,000 Held Complex was added to the or $32,000 — a 5-percent redaction budget which will seek voters * Regan said approval on April 18. fYq tftty leose-ror If ppsvd. the board plans to reno- is going to pay about $100,000 of me vate die original -field house, the Earl construction costs, while NJ Transit Hoagland Held House, the conces- will donateabout $75,000. There also sion stand, the baseball and football is about $25,000 in Commmnity fields. The achrtcctoral and engineer- Development Block Grant funds ing costs^lso are included in the over- received through Union County and all fignrc High school sports teams $300,000 in a no-interest loan from use the fidd^tEsterbrook and Central the State Department of Commnnity per mo Affairs finance board, Regan said. |^ sirperinttndcnt<)f t The hflgtc plap nf tftgT > 39 mos. schools^said in his budget presenta- a pick-up/drop-ofik/dff f sectioi n for taxis m VTN <YM073304, 4 cyL, 5 spd., a/c, p/s/ABS. am/fm st/cass/cd, r/def. sec sys, MSRP: $17,575 tion Tuesday that the school tax rate $1995 down pymt + $186.80 1st mo. pymt + $191 sec dep. = $2372-80 duo at lease signing. front of the train station on Madison would drop by $0.01 to $1.62 per ^ vaTue" rie*t -ytat; eliminated, and there will be a parking since the school board win be using area separated fiom Irving Sfifieetty more surplus in the budget an island, Regan said. ^pgp is approved by Two teams square off Saturday during the volleyball Th6 Merck Focus Group. The plaza will contain trees, lights, voters in ibe election Ajffil IS, the street furniture, as well as an area average Rahway homeownet with where a stage can be put up for con- property assessed at $133,000 would ts or other-uses. Tbe-entire project-— sec* A «xo& O is expected to cover about half an school tax bill, from $2,167 ttf$2,154. acre, and has been designed as a draw By Brian Gooney nizatioh has helped over 60,000 child- The local chapter. Healing the areas of the; hospital participate in tbe The school budget has gone from for the tram station. It is expected to per mo Managing Editor ren since it was founded in 1979. Children Midlantic Inc., served more marathon,** he said $36.2 million for the 1999-2000 give people coming off the train sta- 42 mos Approximately 500 people on 48 Adults, teens and children were than K300 children in 1999 during The Merck Focus Group, which school year to $44.3 million for the tion somemrng^nice to see when they VIN #XM054504,1999,4 cyL. 5 spd, a/c, p/s/ABS. am/rrn st/cass, MSRP: $18,620. $1995 down pymt + $242 64 9 upcoming school year, 22-percent teams took to the volleyball courts among the participants. trips to Kenya, Dominician Republic, was formed in 1994. became involved "S ? ' ^AJ^/i^SS!^^ anVfm^£fts»;«6cndse, r/def. sunroof, alum Saturday for a 12-hour maratbon Gregory expects to raise the in the volleyball marathon. It was first arrive in Rafrway, said the mayor. 1 st mo. pymt = $2237 due at lease signing. whis, sec sys. MSRP: $24,215. $1995 down pymt + $332*71stroo. pymt « $2327J37 duo at lease sibling. increase. Panama and Honduras, hi addition, About $6.5 million will be covered fusxtrfaiser. $30,000 to $35,000 needed to cover the chapter helped 139 children come scaled back to 12 hours and moved to Kennedy considers the plaza a the cost of a surgical trip for the health Rahway High School in 1998. Tbe by state Early Childhood funding The Merck Volunteer Focus Group to the United States for major surgery. great idea in terms of making Rahway hosted tbe 10th annual marathon from care professionals in tbe organization, gymnasium at tbe new Recreation a very important train spojt on NJ reserves for building aid to the dis- Teams played for one hour by 8 a.nLlo S pju to oenefit Healing the He and event chairman Dennis Ziober Center is an advantage, since it allows Transit's bne. When* people see the trict, which will expand the schools to appointment, said Gregory. Teams of Children, al tbe Rahway Recreation will join the medical volunteer orga- three games to be played simulta- finishtri product they will agree that it make room for full-day kindergarten. 10 donated $250 to participate, or $25 Center. Tbe organization, provides nization to the Dominican Republic neously, said Gregory. was a great long-term plan, the mayor This will leave the school district with per person, and corporate sposorships medical treatment to disadvantaged during the first-.week of May. The Merck. Focus Group was said. a $37 ^-million operational budget. of $250, $500 and $1,000 also were Drivers wanted. children-around the world. .. "Our goal thisycar was to provide, a started in 1994 al tbe Rah way-Linden "The enhancement in front of the Local taxes cover 64 percent of the made. Volunteers from different depart- complete trip,*" sa$ Gregory. business to help employees of the station, once it's complete, will cer- revenue sources for the budget, while ments of Merck & Co. phsnaaceutical "There is so n&ch volunteer ism t>y The volleyball fund-raiser is pharmaceutical firm's plant is zsssXy sell itself,** Kennedy said. me state covers 34 percent, and 2 per- firm and Rahway Hospital have the the doctors and nurses that tbe opera- after Dr.