The Westfield Leader Newspaper
The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

Inside Sidewalk Sales Thursday, Friday & Saturday

July 20, 21 & 22 Large Selection of 14kt, 18k & Platinum Jewelry & Giftware

40% to 60% OFF

The Christian Science Reading Room

116 Quimby Street, Westfield, 2323226

Mon to Sat, 11am– 3pm • Thursdays 6pm– 8pm During SALE days the paperback version is

½ the regular price – Buy it for $6.00

Stop by, and receive a free booklet from our “Sample Basket”

Are being celebrated at the CHRISTIAN SCIENCE READING ROOM

Living a life of health & goodness has always been possible through the Science of Christ.

In her primary work,

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,

Mary Baker Eddy explains how to bring out the true or spiritual identity of every man, woman, and child.

Celtic Imports Ltd.

Westfield Days

26 Prospect Street • See You At Sidewalk Sales • (908) 654-5777

Backroom Antiques

www. AtlanticHealth. org

Morristown Memorial Hospital  Overlook Hospital, Summit  Mountainside Hospital, Montclair/ Glen Ridge  The General Hospital Center at Passaic  Affiliates: Newton Memorial Hospital  Bayonne Hospital

In an emergency situation, calling 911 should be your first move. But when you decide to take yourself or a family member to the nearest hospital emergency department, isn’t it comforting to know that hospital is Overlook?

Dedicated emergency expertise.

At Atlantic Health System’s Overlook Hospital in Summit, a full staff of emergency physicians, nurses and pediatricians — as well as specialists from Atlantic’s Children’s Medical Center and the Neuroscience Institute, and those in orthopedics and behavioral health — are available to provide expert, compassionate emergency care, 24 hours a day.

Renowned Chest Pain Center.

Overlook is the only community hospital in the state authorized to perform emergency angioplasty, and its Chest Pain Center cares for heart attack victims with a timetotreatment record that’s been rated among the best in the nation.

High patient satisfaction.

In fact, this remarkable Emergency Department recently ranked in the 100th percentile for patient satisfaction,* which is no surprise, since Overlook Hospital was the recipient of the 1999 New Jersey’s Governor’s Award for Performance Excellence.

You want the best care for yourself and your family. Rest assured that it’s here when you need it — especially in an emergency.

*Source: Press, Ganey Associates

99 Beauvoir Avenue  Summit, NJ 07902

Emergency Services:

911

Crisis Intervention:

9085222000

Poison Control Hotline:

800POISON1 For summer safety tips, call

1800AHS9580 or visit www. AtlanticHealth. org/ safetytips.



I told the kids again and again not to climb that old tree.

But when my son fell from a broken branch, I had no idea how badly he was hurt.

I just knew I needed to get him to the emergency department at Overlook Hospital, and fast.

Mountainside BOE Sets Priorities ‘9900

By BRIAN JOHNSON

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

MOUNTAINSIDE — The Mountainside Board of Education concluded the final 19992000 school year bimonthly meeting Thursday evening with a review and progress report of district goals from this past year and 20002001.

The board put “a partnership of district goals” and “a look at strategy” as top priority of the “action” and “steps” needed for educational improvement during the next school year.

The goals discussed involved the practice of new “Demo Lessons” in Language Arts, which involves an outside consultant who uses a program that develops reading and writing skills through integration of a specific learning goal in one lesson.

Other goals include revitalizing Life Skills, which was suspended for one year due to the resignation of the teacher and the need to utilize the two classrooms used for the course; increase art programs; teaching Japanese music, and interactive computer sessions in which students can communicate with an individual on the screen.

Still being debated for the coming school year is the grading system.

Some members agreed on the “grading on the curve” which they felt showed accurate “attributes of work” while others felt it was “not a good practice.”

The kindergarten through eighth grade Deerfield School is currently using the number percentile grading system, with the exception for grades kindergarten through third.

In the coming year, the board also wants to support more student involvement with various community volunteer programs such as “Pedals for Progress” run by the Rotary Club, a project in which the club collects used bicycles to sell as recycled material as a fundraiser. The board also discussed initiating an interactive art project between students and patients at various children’s hospitals in the area.

Student involvement with the Lion’s Club is also on the board’s agenda this fall, with a goal to “reach all students” for participation in these activities.

Mountainside Democrats Feel Report On Proposed Infrastructure Bond Lacked Sufficient Details Concerning Costs Involved in Upcoming Projects By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

MOUNTAINSIDE — What started as a public hearing concerning various capital improvements to the borough’s infrastructure work being done with the passing of a $2.7 million bond anticipation note, ended in a type of heated political discussion about the role of council representatives and the governing body in Mountainside.

Democratic council candidate Steve Brociner, along with two other longtime borough residents, Louis Thomas and Scott Schmedel, debated elected officials as to how the borough should be governed, after many other citizens asked about specific work included in the twoyear project.

An ordinance authorizing the bond anticipation note, which was unanimously passed upon second reading, stated that $2.7 million would be used as a down payment for the $5.4 million dollar project. This project, which has a timetable of approximately two years, includes updating borough roads as well as fixing storm drainage systems and resealing sewer lines.

Many who spoke early at the meeting had problems with drainage in their backyards and flooding in basements,

while another individual had concerns with a pothole at the end of his driveway.

After talking with Dr. Michael Disko, the Borough Engineer, who gave a detailed presentation about all work being done, it was found that all but two projects mentioned by citizens were already included in the project, and one was already on the top priority list.

In his 24page report, Dr. Disko outlined all projects that were to be completed, including listings of first, second and third priorities. Also noted was the total length of municipal roads that were to be worked on, equaling 28 miles; total length of sanitary sewers to be done, equaling 38 miles, and the 23.5 miles of storm sewers included in the infrastructure project.

He also mentioned that the highest priority streets needing repairs included sections of Old Tote Road, Robin Hood Road, Bayberry Lane, Greenwood Road, Tanglewood Lane, Sylvan Lane, Prospect Avenue, a section of Watchung Avenue and a section of Sunny Slope Lane.

Mayor Robert F. Viglianti urged residents to call any member of the governing body or Dr. Disko if there was any other work that needed to be done that

was not mentioned in the report. Mr. Schmedel asked the borough about the report on the preliminary engineering evaluation submitted by Dr. Disko last February. The report was made available to citizens on July 12. He specifically wanted to know why citizens could not have had more time to review the long document and suggested that the council table its vote of the bond until the August meeting, so residents could have more time to evaluate the report.

Mr. Thomas asked the council why the estimated costs were omitted from the report. To that, Mayor Viglianti stated that the costs were removed so that contractors, who would be bidding for the job, wouldn’t know how much the borough was anticipating in costs, as to insure the best price for the borough.

He noted that all the estimates were added together to come up with the total $5.4 million needed to complete the work. He also remarked that Dr. Disko estimated prices based on his 40 years of experience and that actual costs would not be certain until the work is under contract.

Mr. Thomas also asked why grants couldn’t be used to do this repair work.

Dr. Disko responded that each year for the past 10 years, the borough has been awarded approximately $100,000 annually by the New Jersey Department of Transportation for maintenance.

Mr. Schmedel and Mr. Thomas, as well as Mr. Brociner, all stated that they thought more information should have been added to the report, arguing that, in their opinion, each individual cost should have been noted and item ized.

Also, they stated that the types and sizes of materials to be used in the project should have been listed.

Councilman Keith Turner addressed the audience, stating that he felt confident the report submitted by Dr. Disko was more than adequate and indicating that details concerning what materials would be used and the size of pipes were not of a concern to him, as he trusted Dr. Disko’s judgment based on his experience.

He also noted he himself was not an engineer and that Dr. Disko was better suited to review those types of concerns.

If every detail was reported about every project every time, work would never get completed and time would constantly be used for meetings, along with followup reports, Mr. Turner added.

He also mentioned that Dr. Disko’s report was very detailed and that all projects are accompanied by pictures of work that needs to be done. The councilman further noted that only the prices of each individual street were omitted because of bidding.

Mr. Schmedel than took the microphone again, stating that Mr. Turner can only make assumptions for himself and that it was not his job to assume for the residents of the borough that more details were not needed.

Mr. Turner concluded by saying “making judgments on behalf of the borough is my job as an elected official.”

Before adjournment, Borough Auditor Robert Cagnassola, from Suplee, Clooney and Company, out of Elizabeth, reported that as of yet, there is no

underwriter for the bond. He stated that it was being done by a competitive bid and that the purchaser will then become the underwriter.

It was noted that the term for repayment on the $5,415,000 bond is 20 years and the interest rate is estimated at 5.2 percent.

Also, as explained in recent literature sent to Mountainside residents, the effect that the bond will have on the tax rate per residence is based on the average assessed value of $154,000 per home.

The average annual tax increase has been estimated at $38. Subsequent years will see an increase or decrease, depending on the repayment schedule determined at the time of the closing of the bonds.

As reported by The Westfield Leader and The Times of Scotch PlainsFanwood,

borough officials first announced the bond for these various capital improvements, in late winter, at the February work session and regular council meeting.

This bond was reported to include updating approximately 63 roads.

Mayor Viglianti had noted that Dr. Disko had done a study of the borough’s engineering needs and reported that about 75 percent of the borough’s 90 streets were in “dire need of repair, as well as the repair of caved in drainage systems and sewer lines.”

Originally, it was reported that this bond would be for approximately $7 million, but it was then cut due to grants and monies used from the Capital Surplus Fund for drainage and storm sewer improvements.