wittntb Serving Westfield, Scotch Plains and Fanwood Vol. 19.f S Friday. December 17,2004 50 cents Voters approve upgrades at Kehler Stadium erendum was also denied in the Fourth the stadium available to numerous sports using fields has doubled in the last 20 THE RECORD-PRESS Ward, but was overwhelmingly approved teams that currently use other fields. The years, and leading up to Tuesday's vote, in the First Ward. The Second Ward also field is also expected to require little rou- students, teachers, parents, and the stadi- WESTFIELD — In a special referen- endorsed the project. All told, 1,371 voters tine maintenance, allowing the district to um's namesake endorsed the project. dum Tuesday, voters narrowly approved a approved the referendum and 1,296 reject- focus energy and resources on maintaining "We're pleased the bond passed and nearly $1.4 million bond referendum to ed it, a margin of 75 votes. other grass fields across town. we're excited to have this facility," said construct an artificial turf field and syn- Passage of the referendum will allow The existing running track is badly Anne Riegel, president of the Board of thetic track at Gary Kehler Stadium. the board to issue 10-year bonds to pay for deteriorated and beyond repair, according Education. She noted that town-wide According to unofficial results, 51.4 per- the project, which officials have said will to members of the school board. Officials organizations have pledged $190,000 to cent of voters cast ballots in favor of the cost the town's average homeowner an believe the new synthetic track will last back the project over the next five years. project, compared to 48.6 percent who estimated $18 per year. longer than its 18-year old predecessor. Superintendent William Foley said the voted against the plan. The referendum More than $1 million of the project's The board justified the cost of the proj- close result wasn't caused by a surge of failed in the Third Ward, where the school cost is attributable to the turf field compo- ect by emphasizing growing demand for budget was also rejected in April. The ref- nent, which school officials say will make athletic fields. The number of students (Continued on page A-2) Program targets test scores Mr success SP-F seeks to boost The Scotch Plains-Fanwood girts HSPA performance basketball team won the county championship last year for the first •yMUD time in school history, but strive for THE RECORD-PRESS tfw big prize — a state Mte — in 2004-05. See Sports, Page C-1. SCOTCH PLAINS — At the Board of Education's agenda meeting last week, high school Principal David Heisey detailed a pilot program designed to improve standardized test score results among targeted student groups. The program, Achieve Your Potential (AYP), was unan- imously approved by the board. Heisey said AYP is an inten- sive, seven-week preparation course that is timed to coincide with the High School Proficiency CHURCH PHOTO BY BROOKS CRANDALUCORRESPONDENT Assessment (HSPA), which is given to juniors in March. The HSPA is part of 40 school district Th itattw performance indicators used to teline of the evaluate the quality of school TtaclterstrslMd year — and also one of the districts by No Child Left Behind bualwt for local congrega- legislation. the The goals of the program, he Preabyttrian Church in said, are to raise HSPA scores, Faculty and staff of the Westfield Public Showing Weatnekf hoatad a boost classroom performance Schools recently participated in a full- Candlalight Carol twrvlce and improve SAT results. The day training session to become certified Sunday night, Including a initiative will begin in January. in CPR and the used of automated exter- processional featuring the Participating students will nal defibrillators. See the story on Page that Chancel Choir, as part of Its attend math and language arts B-3. Advent celebration. For sessions two to four times per Information on upcoming week in lieu of physical educa- Christmas and Advent serv- tion classes. The district will also holiday ices, see Page B-1. At left, offer special evening classes for Ryan Samuel of Scotch students selected for AYP. Plains lights the menorah at School officials identified 103 spirit a Hanukkah celebration at students, or about 32 percent of the Scotch Plains Village the junior class, as candidates Green hosted by the Union for the program. Those targeted County Torah Center, also for the program were identified on Sunday night. The by administrators, who compiled Jewish "Festival of Lights" a statistical formula to build a concluded Wednesday. profile of students likely to struggle on the HSPA. Generally speaking, students with a histo- ry of low scores were picked for the AYP program. In addition to receiving a raw Residents ask town to buy Cooper Rd. property score, students taking the HSPA, ing organizer for the opposition zone, barring future develop- said. the Grade Eight Proficiency •yMMD Assessment (GEPA) and the Union Catholic High School in Scotch THE RECORD-PRESS to the project, asked the council ment. But Mayor Martin Marks Marks added that the trust to consider making a purchase said the council can't make an fund has been earmarked for New ' Jersey Assessment of Plains recently dedicated a 9/11 memori- Knowledge (NJ ASK) are al, with members of the Port Authority SCOTCH PLAINS — offer for the parcel of land, one offer on the AT&T property or "development, redevelopment, Opponents of development on of two lots on the tract. The sec- take a position on a pending and purchase" of athletic fields grouped into three primary clas- Police Department in attendance. The sifications. Students scoring memorial was the work of alumnus and an "island" in the middle of ond lot is already owned by the application, particularly since and facilities in the township. Cooper Road brought their case township. the governing body will re- highly are considered "advanced Eagle Scout TedMcKeown. For more, He encouraged Cardiff to proficient," students scoring turn to Page B-1. to the Township Council Cardiff said the remainder of appoint members to the zoning take his case to the zoning Tuesday night, but didn't get the island should be purchased board before the Jan. 6 public board's hearing, asserting that above state minimums are clas- the response they were hoping with revenues from the town- hearing. a public hearing is the appropri- sified as "proficient," and stu- for. dents achieving a raw score ship's Open Space Trust Fund. Councilman Frank Rossi said ate forum for neighbors' objec- below 200 on the 100-300 scale A developer has filed an He said more than 100 resi- any position the council might tions to unwanted development. are considered "partially profi- application to construct a two- dents oppose the development take on the pending application Opponents of the Cooper cient." story, single-family home on the proposal on Cooper Road, which could affect the township's legal Road project plan to hold a rally property, located at 1300 Cooper will be heard by the Board of authority over the case. at 11 a.m. Saturday on the Administrators said that stu- Rd, and currently owned by Adjustment Jan. 6. "We need to be very careful to township-owned section of the dents scoring below 210 on the Early deadlines AT&T. The proposal requires a The township is sympathetic do what's legally permissible — island (An article in last sveek's GEPA were identified for the small variance for lot size; the to the residents' case — in fact, if we cross the line we may be edition incorrectly gave the AYP program. Also, students The Record-Press will have eariy who under-performed on the deadlines for reader submissions for lot is 660 square feet shy of the at the same meeting the council jeopardizing the good points you time as 11 p.m.). They have also 40,000 minimum established by introduced an ordinance that and your fellow Scotch Plains launched a website to bolster ninth and lOth-grade Terra the next two weeks. All submissions Nova tests were included, even if for next week's edition, including let- the land use ordinance. would reclassify the township- residents plan to make at the their cause, which can be visited Resident Don Cardiff, a lead- owned lot as a conservation (zoning board) meeting," Rossi at www.savetheialand.org. their GEPA scores were above ters to the editor, should arrive at the the 210-point benchmark. office by Dec. 17. All submissions Teacher recommendations were for the following week's edition also taken into consideration should arrive by Dec. 23. when identifying candidates for Residents still upset about student parking special instruction, officials upset by the conduct of some stu- dents "car surfing" after school. argued, mail carriers could elect explained. THE RECORD-PRESS dents. "You have to honk at them to to discontinue mailbox delivery "Many of the students may At the council's last regular get them to move," Rickert said, service. have been proficient or advanced WESTFIELD — One full year meeting of the year on Tuesday noting that he often receives pro- Resident Flynn Groback proficient without this interven- after the Town Council tabled night, Codding Road residents fanity and obscene gestures in pointed to safety considerations tion," said Heisey, but "...It's twin ordinances that would have accused high school-aged stu- response to a honk of his horn. on Codding Road, a dead-end hard to predict the future." Commentary A-4 established a parking permit sys- dents of engaging in inappropri- Rickert said he's found used street.