THURSDA1^ A U G U j^ 23L 201l2 Dear Middle States, Kean has no standards Twelve-page letter from Federation of Teachers president to commission details problems By Cheryl Hehl required to maintain accreditation. Those Staff Writer standards included 6, relating to integrity, An nth hour letter from the commission 7, institutional assessment, 12, general that holds Kean University’s accreditation education and 14, assessment of student in their hands recently raised red flags learning. about three additional standards that have But now, just weeks before the universi­ never been called into question before. One ty’s compliance report is due in Middle of them specifically deals with political States’ hands, the commission sent a letter intervention in education. to university president Dawood Farahi This all came to the forefront after Kean questioning issues involving standards 4, Federation of Teachers President James 10 and 13 and asking for further documen­ Castiglione submitted a 12-page letter June tation, copies and evidence to explain these 30 to the Middle States Commission on allegations. Higher Education that laid out all the prob­ Also, language used by Middle States on lems, concerns and violations related to its own website updating Kean’s accredita­ Kean’s compliance with Standard 6, tion status hinted that standards 4 and 5, Integrity. which have to do with institutional gover­ Kean was put on probation July 2 by nance and management, as well as “equi­ Middle States because there was evidence table and consistent treatment” of faculty, lacking that the university was currently in could be in question. This particular issue compliance with four of the 14 standards See LETTER, Page 6 Legal bills mounting as Cranford endures Birchwood saga By Cheryl Hehl 2011; charges from January 2012 to present from township The majority of these legal costs, though, occurred prior Staff Writer attorney Philip Morin’s law firm of Florio, Perrucci, Stein- to trial when attorneys are doing discovery work on the CRANFORD — Although the township has been fighting hardt and Fader; and invoices for services rendered by case. This includes taking depositions from witnesses, the Birchwood Development for years, in the end taxpayers court appointed Special Master Elizabeth C. McKenzie. researching information about site suitability and how end up footing the legal bill that grows day by day. Howev­ The township is currently deeply involved in an ongoing environmental and land use law can be applied to a partic­ er, the township stands strongly behind this effort and does court appointed site plan review with Cranford Develop­ ular legal case. not intend to back down. Regardless of the cost. ment Associates, a subsidiary of the S. Hekemian Group, For example, when Woodward’s firm, Carella Byrne, According to legal bills dating back to 2008, obtained by which began efforts more than five years ago to develop a Carl Woodward and Brian Fenlon, took on CDA’s builder’s LocalSource using the Open Public Records Act, the town­ 16-acre parcel of land on Birchwood Avenue. The township, remedy lawsuit, by the time the trial was over the legal bills ship has spent $578,989.76 to fight the Birchwood devel­ already fighting another developer who wanted to con­ escalated to $430,193. But, according to Morin, that is what opment. And the tab is still running. struct affordable senior housing on a narrow parcel of land it costs to defend a builder’s remedy case. The bills include charges from four separate legal firms on South Avenue adjacent to the railroad, took an immedi­ “There was intensive discovery involved with that trial that either represented the township regarding Birchwood, ate stance against the project. and a significant amount of time had to be spent preparing or continue to handle legal issues involving this proposed Since then the township has had two builder’s remedy for trial,” the township attorney explained, adding that this development. lawsuits brought against them by these developers, includ­ particular trial lasted 14 days, which is considered quite Included was charges the township paid to former town­ ing multiple appeals and counter lawsuits requiring the long. ship attorney Carl Woodward’s firm for costs dating from expertise of seasoned environmental and land use attor­ Morin should know. He recently spent months prepar­ January 2009 until the present; legal services by Stuart R. neys. Expertise of this type, though, is costly. Especially in ing for the site plan review hearing now being held in the Koenig, the attorney hired by the township in connection light of the fact the township was on the losing end of these Elizabeth courthouse. with the Mt. Laurel litigation from July 2009 to January lawsuits and appeals. See LEGAL, Page 8 non REGISTER NOW FOR FALL CLASSES! lifeNmty CLASSES BEGIN SEPTEMBER 5 www.ucc.edu Plainfield • Scotch Plains 2 — August 23, 2012 — Union County LocaiSource 3 3’/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 31/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 3/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 31/2% SALES TAX / 2 % SALES TAX • SAVE • 31/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 3/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 3/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 3/2% SALES SALES 3/2% 3/2% SAVE SALES TAX SAVE • SALES TAX 3/2% • • • SAVE TAX • % • SALES 31/2% SAVE TAX • • ALL Microwave Ovens ON SALE ALL Washers ON SALE ALL Dishwashers ON SALE ALL Dryers ON SALE ALL Refrigerators ON SALE ALL Mattresses ON SALE ALL Air Conditioners ON SALE ALL Kitchen Aid Countertop Appliances ON SALE ALL Ranges and Ovens ON SALE ALL Freezers ON SALE *10°° O F F $25°° O F F $25°° O F F Air Conditioners Washers • Dryers Ranges • Refrigerator 6,000 BTU’s & Up Dishwashers F re e ze rs ---------- COUPON----------- COUPON ---------------c o u p o n --------------- No $ O t h e r *25°° O F F 25°° O F F Coupons Kitchen Aid Countertop Appliances Mattress Sets Mixers, Blenders, Ovens, Coffee Makers Apply ----------------COUPON-----------------------------------------------------COUPON-------------------------------- AN ELIZABETH TRADITION • 63 YEARS AT THE SAME LOCATION - STILL OWNED & OPERATED BY ALLEN JACOBSON Shop the Rest... Buy From The Best! 63 Years at Same Location, Still Owned & Operated by Allen Jacobson. Offer Valid Thursday, 8/23/2012 thro Wednesday 8/29/2012 BIG SAVINGS Tf^O/7- BIG SAVINGS SSt 2 LOCATIONS IN OUR /0/l/ IN O UR SPECIAL DISCOUNT BEDDING DEPT, _ , , _ „ „ BEDDING DEPT. TO THE FOLLOWING: MAIN SHOW ROOM OUR 63 YEAR •Elizabethtown NUI •Board of Education Employees Employees 725 Rahway Ave., Elizabeth •City Employees All Towns - All Towns ♦County Employees - All •Elizabeth Gas Customers 908-354-8533 Counties •Religious Organizations •Police Employees •Fraternal Organizations - All Counties •PSE&G Employees APPLIANCE & MATTRESS CLEARANCE CENTER •Fire Department •Merck Employees Employees- •Exxon Employees 700 Rahway Ave. All Counties •Schering Employees DISTRIBUTING Company •AARP •General Motors (Cor. Elmora Ave.) •AAA Employees 725 RAHWAY AVENUE, ELIZABETH - 908-354-8533 •State Employees •Union County Residents APPLIANCES • BEDDING ELECTRONICS • AUDIO & VISUAL •Union Employees •Middlesex County •Teachers All Towns Residents MORE WITH ONLY OPEN MON. & THURS. 10 AM. TIL 8:00 PM; TUES., WED. & FRI. 10 AM. TIL 6:00 PM; ♦Public Service Customers *AJJ Hospital Employees OPEN SATURDAY 10 AM. ’TIL 5:00 PM.; CLOSED SUNDAYS •Essex County Residents Not responsible for typographical errors. "Bring us your best deal from SALES TAX • SAVE • 3/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 3/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 31/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 3/2% SALES 3/2% SALES SAVE TAX • • SALES 31/2% SAVE SALES 3/2% TAX • SAVE 3/2% SALES TAX • • SAVE TAX • • • 3 V2% SALES TAX any authorized dealer and we will gladly beat their offer on any Item we carry. PERSONAL CHECKS In EiwaMtb Stores ONLY www.Jacobsondistributingcompany. com ACCEPTED 3/2% 3/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 3/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 3/2% SALES TAX • SAVE • 31/2% SALES TAX Union County LocalSource — August 23, 2012 — 3 County gets surveillance platform through multi-county grant By Cheryl Hehl “some of the countiy’s most critical infra­ Staff Writer structure sites and key resources are locat­ Thanks to seven counties working ed within this important region, with sever­ together, local towns have the protection al sites having been confirmed targets of and response required if and when threat­ international terrorists.” ened by terrorists. Carroll said she explained in the grant In 2003 when the Urban Area Security application that if the seven counties, in Initiative was formed, it paved the way for addition to the core communities of the counties of Union, Essex, Bergen, Pas­ Newark and Jersey City, received the $4.1 saic, Morris, Hudson and Middlesex, along million grant, it would go a long way to with the core cities of Newark and jersey reducing the vulnerability and risk of a ter­ City, to enhance their homeland security rorist attack in any of the UASI counties by efforts in in brand new ways. providing security equipment to “deter, Although the UASI region only repre­ delay and detect potential terrorist activi­ sents 15 percent of New Jersey’s total area, ty.” it contains more than 44 percent of the Union County Public Safety director states total population. Andrew Moran explained Monday that UASI is a partnership among state, Union County acted merely as the “pur­ county and local government agencies, chasing agent” for the other UASI members with the lead state agency being the New in this particular case, but other UASI Jersey Attorney General’s Office. counties take turns submitting grants that UASI was specifically designed to set a will benefit all. strategic direction for the enhancement of “We applied for the grant and then each regional response capability and capacity county, along with Newark and Jersey City, for the offices of emergency management, received skywatch platforms in addition to including police, fire, EMS and health other homeland security components pur­ departments.