Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, December 31, 2015 OUR 125th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 01-2015 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS Benjamin B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader PROUD TOWN MOMENT...In May 2006, the spire atop of the Westfield Fire Brian Trusdell for The Westfield Leader Headquarters was removed after painters reported safety concerns due to its Susan M. Dougherty for The Westfield Leader PROUDLY...Westfield Senior Housing Executive Director Karen Simon, second deteriorated condition. Since then, craftsman Joe Di Francesco volunteered his BEST WISHES...The Westfield High School class of 2015 graduated in June. Due from left, assists Jane Barris, 88, center, and Ida Shaw, 95, second from right, in skill over the last two years to rebuild the spire and Jim Brandt provided the crane to thunderstorms, the event was held at the Westfield Armory. cutting the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the Village at Garwood. service for one dollar to conduct the installation which was accomplished in July. Year in Review - June to November: ‘The Watcher’ Makes Westfield Famous, Downpour Floods Scotch Plains, DEMs Sweep CF, GW, FW JUNE The school board announced there solete industrial site. Watcher asks, “Who has the bed- other invasive plant species at the a large number of unlicensed cats in Westfield would not be a pilot program to look Borough CFO Sandy Bruns was rooms facing the street?...It will help Fanwood Nature Center. The council the Wood Valley Road Court area. Mountainside Municipal Court at full-day kindergarten beginning in recommended for the position of as- me to know who is in which bedroom ultimately endorsed a proposal to Mauro M. Wolfe and Jordan Hyman Judge James DeRose dismissed com- the fall but that it would continue to sistant borough administrator, an in- then I can plan better.” The writer bring goats to the facility as a means filed nominating petitions for the plaints by Westfield resident Greg explore the initiative. house position to serve as the backup consistently refers to the Broaddus of eradicating the vegetation. board of education to challenge in- Kasko against the Westfield school Township engineer Carol O’Brien to Christina Ariemma at a salary of children as “young blood.” The skate park discussed for cumbents Jeane Parker and Kate Motz board’s decision to allow sports teams told commissioners there are “seven $4,500. Ms. Ariemma also unveiled The planning board gave its ap- LaGrande Park was slated for a vote for the two seats up for election on the to use Kehler Stadium after dark uti- to 10” areas of the town that will the borough had been in communica- proval to plans for two new child- at the borough council meeting in board. lizing flood lights powered by tem- flood “every time there is any sort of tion with Fanwood about a shared- care centers and listened to a “con- August. Three bids were received for Scotch Plains porary generators. downpour.” Mayor Andis Kalnins services agreement that would replace ceptual plan” to put a 7-Eleven on the the site’s demolition, prep, landscap- An enrollment report was heard by The school board broached the admitted that a recent expansion of Fred Corbitt as head of the depart- corner of Central Avenue and Grove ing and fencing. The low bid was the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of notion of a capital bond ordinance for gutters was a “design flaw” that added ment of public works with Clint Street. Creative Beginnings, LLC, T/ $98,530. Education chronicling the projected “high-priority” projects that cannot to runoff into the Rahway River and Dicksen. A Kinderprep, was slated to be lo- Garwood enrollment until the school year 2019- be funded through the regular budget exacerbated the issue. The council tabled a proposal to cated at 808 South Avenue West, with The board of education unani- 2020. The total number of students process due to state law that caps tax Fanwood enter into a shared-services agree- Camp Academy located at 932 South mously voted to adopt a new three- projected for 2019-2020 was 5,294, increases to 2 percent without voter The borough council adopted a ment with Fanwood after a dozen Avenue West. year contract with the Garwood teach- which is 175 students fewer than cur- approval. State Superior Court Judge $9.97-million budget, including an residents spoke out against the idea at The town welcomed its new chief ers’ union, approving a 7.5-percent rently are in the schools. Karen Cassidy dismissed a lawsuit increased tax levy of $79,340 to $6.4 a regularly scheduled council meet- financial officer, Scott Olson, who increase over the length of the pact Scotch Plains’ official website re- objecting to the planning board’s ap- million. Chief Financial Officer Fred ing. assumed the position after coming and ending a contentious, two-year ceived a new look along with a host of proval of an expansion of the Stop Tomkins calculated the average ho- The Village at Garwood senior from Summit. negotiation. The new agreement is new and updated information and and Shop food store on Elm Street. meowner would see an approximate housing complex officially opened Board of Education President Ri- 1.75 percent more than the previous services for residents and others. The Judge Cassidy declared the objector’s $30 hike in taxes due to the increase. June 25. The $20-million, three-story chard Mattessich and Vice-President three-year contract, calls for a 2.5- new site — still at scotchplainsnj.gov claim of a miscalculation of square A five-year master plan for the building on the north side of Second Gretchan Ohlig filed for re-election percent increase per year and is retro- — debuted in June. footage of the proposed expansion in town’s parks was presented by recre- Avenue, on the site of the old St. along with newcomers Charles R. active to July 2014. The zoning board of adjustment reference to required parking “with- ation director Bob Budiansky, with Anne’s School. Ostroff and Robert S. Garrison. In- The planning board cleared the way unanimously turned down an appli- out merit.” the lead items being replacing the Mountainside cumbent Lucy Biegler chose not to for an AutoZone retail store to re- cation that would have permitted the The school board approved the street hockey rink with a skateboard The borough council heard testi- seek re-election. place Dress Barn at the Garwood development of a two-and-a-half- placement of solar panels on Westfield park at Forest Road Park, refurbish- mony from Michelle Lerner, an attor- Cranford Mall on South Avenue. story, 20-unit apartment building on High School, Edison Intermediate, ing the tennis courts, landscaping and ney and policy specialist with the Chief Daniel Czeh requested the The borough council was un- North Avenue next to Charlie Brown’s Roosevelt Intermediate, and possibly replacing the playground Animal Protection League of New township committee consider the pur- swayed by a fourth session of over- Restaurant. Tamaques Elementary Schools. area at LaGrande Park and improving Jersey, regarding the town’s proposed chase or lease of a new aerial fire whelming opposition and voted 5-to- The township approved the trans- Mayor Andrew Skibitsky told the rest room facilities at both locations. feeding ban for stay and feral cats. truck for the department. Chief Czeh 1 to terminate Department of Public fer of police and fire dispatch ser- town council that police had con- The recreation commission was She recommended a trap, neuter, re- cited recent troubles with the exist- Works Superintendent Fred Corbitt vices to Union County. Township ducted an “exhaustive” investigation given two options for resurfacing the lease (TNR) policy. ing equipment and trucks the depart- and replace him with his Fanwood Manager and Freeholder Al Mirabella into the notorious “Watcher” case tennis courts at LaGrande Park: The council awarded a $382,234 ment currently has at its disposal. counterpart as part of a shared-ser- said switching dispatch to the county when first reported over a year ago $65,000 to $70,000 to install a two- contract to Debar Construction to re- Construction on the $1.2-million vices agreement with the town. would yield about $178,000 in sav- and that results were still “pending inch base of asphalt with an overlay, surface Cedar Avenue and spend a NJ Transit North Avenue Train Sta- Board of Education incumbent ings on salaries. the introduction of new evidence.” or $100,000 to mill and relay the $180,000 grant from the New Jersey tion Plaza project was to begin by the Amanda Langston announced she Mr. Mirabella said he hopes the The Westfield Adult School an- courts. Department of Transportation to do end of July. was running for re-election. clubhouse at the Scotch Hills Golf nounced it was suspending operation Garwood the same to Wood Valley Road. Board of education President Mary Planning board members unani- Course will be able to reopen by due to dwindling enrollment and fi- After a report of dead raccoons, Mountainside was awarded a Venditti and fellow members Cathy mously approved a 1,400-square-foot September after extensive renovation nancial difficulties. crumbling floors and overall decrepit $45,000 infrastructure grant from Morgese and Camille Widdows de- addition to the back of the Church of is completed, including replacement Cranford buildings, the planning board voted 8 Union County, which County Man- cided not to run for reelection when St.