The Serving our Community Deer plan still Since 1888 Item up in the air. November 23, 2006 Local officials wait for state to 75 cents weekly of Millburn and Short Hills check into legalities. Page A3. www.theitemonline.com SCHOOLS BOE refinances building bonds By Harry Trumbore the refunding bonds must be at of The Item least 3 percent of the bonds being refinanced. It was a good news, bad news White thanked Thompson for sort of night at Monday’s Board of having raised the issue of refunding Education meeting. while he and the board discussed While board members were financing for a new construction clearly pleased with their decision program approved by voters in to move forward with a bond September. restructuring program, they were Board member Carol Marcus, in clearly worried about a proposed turn, thanked White for her work state program that would create a to make the refunding idea a real- database of student information. ity. The good news was that the “We have never had such board is looking to save approxi- sophisticated leadership in our mately $444,000 over the remain- Finance Committee,” Marcus told ing life of the bonds approved by White. voters in the 1999 referendum, The bad news Monday night according to David B. Thompson revolved around a dilemma facing of Phoenix Advisors, who the board as to how it will respond appeared before the board Mon- to a state order to supply the state ADAM ANIK/THE ITEM day night. The figure was $100,000 with detailed information about Gov. Jon Corzine, left, arriving at a Nov. 9 reception at Greenwood Gardens, is greeted by Peter Blanchard III, a trustee of the more than the estimate Thompson every student in the district. gave the board in October. “Much about the program public garden. Looking on is Elizabeth Christopherson, executive director of NJN Public Television and Radio and a guest at the Technically, the board cannot remains unknown to us and, it event. Greenwood Gardens hosted the reception to thank donors to the Governor’s School program. take back the more than $8 million seems, the experts,” said board in the bonds, which were issued in president Debbie Frank, who also 2001, until 2011. heads the Policy Committee. Frank GREENWOOD GARDENS “You want to take advantage of added there are no explanations interest rates that are lower now,” about how long information will said Jack Kraft, the board’s bond be retained or who will have attorney. access to it. Governor attends local reception Kraft likened the refunding to Board member Joel Reidenberg, the refinancing of a house. He a lawyer and professor specializing By Patricia Harris million in the space of 10 days. The explained to the board members in the protection of personal data, ofTheItem window of time in which she had that their approval of a refunding agreed that the state has not pub- to operate was small because resolution Monday night meant lished any legal restraints. Reiden- Donors who helped save the schools had to know by the end of the sale of the entire issue of new berg went on to warn the danger of Governor’s School this year were the month if they would be able to bonds at a favorable rate to the the abuse of privacy goes beyond treated to a gala thank-you recep- offer the program in summer. Bank of America, which has the state level. tion Nov. 9, which Gov. Jon “It was an easy sell, because the agreed to purchase the entire issue “This isn’t just a local problem,” Corzine himself attended. Governor’s School is such an of new bonds for its portfolio. he said. “More than 40 other states Held at Greenwood Gardens, important part of the state’s fabric,” Kraft added the proceeds of the have set up data warehousing, and the event gave garden and local Byrne said this week. She received sale will be managed by an escrow the Department of Education is officials an opportunity to show off donations from foundations and agent and will cover the interest on encouraging using a standard pro- the 28-acre tract at the rear of Old individuals, some of whom had the refunded bonds and pay off the gram. All it takes is throwing a Short Hills Park. The home and attended the schools themselves principal when they come due in switch and you have a national gardens, once part of the Day and some whose children had 2011. database of children.” Estate, are now a public garden attended the schools. Under questioning by Brenda Reidenberg said some of the and are being restored and reno- The schools now operate on six White, chairman of the board’s data required by the state includes vated for public use. New Jersey college campuses, each Finance Committee, Thompson special education information and The Governor’s School program offering a month-long, residential said his firm had explored the disciplinary proceedings. He said was in danger of being eliminated program specializing in areas such options of selling the bonds on the the state program details no safe- when, in seeking to balance his as the arts, engineering and inter- market rather than to one principal guards normally afforded juveniles. first state budget in the spring, national studies. Last year, nearly buyer. Kraft added that under the Corzine cut its funding. Recogniz- 600 students attended, selected Gov. Jon Corzine expresses his gratitude to township resident resolution, savings from the sale of SEE BOE, PAGE B12 ing the popularity of the Gover- from more than 2,000 applicants. Ruthi Byrne for coordinating the effort to raise private funds nor’s School, however, Corzine Byrne said she had in mind to to keep the Governor’s School program afloat this year. Byrne turned to township resident Ruthi hold a thank-you reception for is surrounded by some of her grandchildren, from left, Sam, PAPER MILL Byrne, wife of former governor donors to the Governor’s School, Daniel and Jonah Zinn and Matthew Fromm of the township. Brendan Byrne, to coordinate the and during a lunch meeting with effort to raise private funds to keep Sofia and Peter Blanchard III, hold the event at the gardens. Gar- and members of his cabinet, Essex the program afloat. mentioned her intentions to them. den officials organized the recep- County Executive Joseph DiVin- Leaders searching Byrne, who owns a public rela- The Blanchards, who created the tion, providing decorations, food cenzo and members of the Town- tions and marketing firm in nonprofit organization that is pre- and musical entertainment. ship Committee. Each of the six Florham Park, said this week she serving the gardens and sharing The day after the reception, schools that host the program also for new executive began the fund-raising in mid-April them with the public and are now Byrne reported approximately 100 and was able to raise nearly $2.5 serving as trustees, suggested Byrne people attended, including Corzine SEE GOVERNOR, PAGE B12 By Patricia Harris board and I have of The Item tremendous faith in the staff that EDUCATION Leaders at Paper Mill Playhouse Michael has are saying that whereas they will be built, and the sad to say goodbye to Michael contributions he Gennaro, the president and chief has made to Supervisor observes Japanese schools executive officer, they are confi- Paper Mill Play- dent the local theater is in a better Gennaro house will enrich By Harry Trumbore Nyman said she was struck by the place than it was when he came our organization ofTheItem concerns local parents had over onboard. for years to come.” the cost of education. The theater’s board of directors Thorn said Gennaro had The second school district “Education is the most impor- announced this week that Gen- brought a new measure of fiscal administrator to travel to Japan in tant thing to them,” Nyman said, naro will be taking a position at responsibility to the theater and three months said last week the “but education is very expensive.” another theater in February. He had natured talented creative and much-vaunted Japanese school Nearly all students go to high has been working at the Paper Mill administrative staff members and system appears to a foreign observ- school, she explained, although the Playhouse for the past three and a brought in new talent. er to contain many contradictions. fee is approximately $1,000 a year half years. Gennaro also created an impact Danielle Nyman, Millburn’s to attend a public high school, and Mark S. Hoebee, associate artis- with his programming, according supervisor of social studies, trav- it can cost more that eight times tic director, said Monday Gennaro to the chairman of the board. eled to Japan at the end of Sep- that amount to send a student to a will become executive director at “He began to expand our audi- tember for a three-week tour fund- private high school. Trinity Repertory Co. in Provi- ence and draw in people who had- ed through the Japan Fulbright Because pressure to go to a dence, R.I. Hoeee characterized n’t been here before,” Thorn noted. Memorial Fund by the government good college is so intense, parents the repertory company as one of Claussen credited Gennaro with of Japan. Previously, Superinten- send their children after school, the most respected regional the- opening up the Paper Mill’s artistic dent of Schools Richard Brodow sometimes in the evening, to Juku, aters in the country and said the repertoire and introducing new traveled to Japan with a group of or cram school, incurring the addi- position is an opportunity for Gen- directors and artists who had not educators in July.