The Westfield Leader Newspaper
The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

• We give thousands of dollars to charitable groups each year • We have a scholarship program for Scotch PlainsFanwood students • We foster Italian heritage and culture • We are a service organization dedicated to helping others

What is UNICO?

We Are The Largest ItalianAmerican Service Organization in America

Membership is open to those who are of Italian descent, or whose spouses are.

We would like to talk to YOU about membership Come meet us, ask questions Wednesday, Nov 1 st • St. Batholmews Church • 7 PM

9088892200 Scotch PlainsFanwood Chapter, UNICO National

“Faith in Westfield”

Supports Dinner Dance • Monday, October 23 • 6pm– 10pm

Reservations: Call The Westfield Chamber (908) 2333021

Linda Maggio, United Fund, Guest of Honor

Children's Specialized Hospital, Professional Service Award

Trader Joe's, Business of the Year

Mayor Thomas Jardim, Community Service Award

Ernie Winter, American Red Cross, Volunteer of the Year Award

Sandy Mamary, Westfield High School, Employee of the Year

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP... Barbara Hall, center, President of New Jersey League of Municipalities, recently spoke to the Union County Women’s Political Caucus in Westfield (UCWPC). Joining her, from left, are: Union County Caucus President, Carol Cohen; Kelly Hatfield, Summit Councilwoman and UCWPC Vice President; Westfield Councilwoman Claire Lazarowitz; Cindy Martin, Summit Councilwoman; Elizabeth Cornwell, Secretary of UCWC; Brenda King, UCWPC Treasurer; and WPC State President and Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi. The Women’s Political Caucus is a bipartisan organization dedicated to endorsing, supporting and promoting women to elected and appointed office. Mountainside Council Presents

Good Neighbor Award to Sigrid Patch, Appoints Chief Debbie as Administrator By KIM BROADWELL

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

MOUNTAINSIDE — Before a generous sized crowd of friends and neighbors, William Biuno presented Mabel Young Good Neighbor Award the to longtime Mountainside resident and volunteer Sigrid Patch. In addressing the crowd, Mr. Biuno stated that Ms. Patch was an excellent example of what the Good Neighbor award was all about.

He noted, “The award for the year 2000 follows in the tradition of Mountainsiders caring for Mountainsiders. It is all about people who have given their time and talents an love in unassuming ways, seeking no acclaim or recognition, but always giving and being their brother’s keeper.”

According to Mr. Biuno, Ms. Patch was born and also met her late husband, Juergen, in Germany. Juergen was transferred to the United States in 1975 and moved to Mountainside in 1979. They had two children, who live in South Carolina and Woodbridge, respectively.

After retiring from a catering business that she had ran from 1985 until 1992, Ms. Patch focused her time and efforts on volunteering. After a training taken in 1992 at Seton Hall University about caring

for people with AIDS and taking another course on working with children at St. Clare’s Haller House, Ms. Patch felt ready to focus her energies on volunteer work.

Among some of her duties included delivering warm meals, working as a volunteer in Newark’s Haller House for children, organizing warm meal and clothing drives for people through the Circle of Compassion group at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Mountainside.

According to Mr. Biuno, Ms. Patch also served as a foster mother for an HIV positive baby for two years from 1994 until 1996 until the child was adopted.

In her address to the crowd, Ms. Patch quoted Mother Theresa saying, “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle, I just wish he didn’t trust in me so much.”

“This Good Neighbor Award is not my award, but our award as a community,” she continued. “The first thing that I had to learn when starting my volunteer work was to give unconditional love, which was not so easy to learn at first, but now is part of me.”

Ms. Patch also noted that she felt being a volunteer was very easy to do and encouraged more people to join her.

In other business, Dr. Gerard Schaller, Chief School Administra tor and Sergeant Scott Worswick

gave a brief overview to the Borough Council and residents regarding the Community Oriented Policing (C. O. P.) program that has been at the Deerfield School for two years.

Dr. Schaller said he has heard nothing but positive comments from parents and students. He thanked Chief James Debbie, Jr., who first had the vision of introducing the program in Mountainside.

Sgt. Worswick said that since he has been working in the program, a safe driving program implemented at the High School and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program has been continued.

Finally, the council unanimously passed an ordinance, naming Chief Debbie as the Parttime Borough Administrator at an annual salary of $22,000. Chief Debbie has been serving as the Acting Administrator since April 24, 1999.

Congressman Gephardt Rallies for Connelly at Fundraiser; Calls 7th District Race Among Most Important in Nation By PAUL J. PEYTON

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

WARREN — In an effort to continue the push to elect a Democrat in the Seventh District for the first time in nearly three decades, Congressman Richard Gephardt (DMo.) rallied his party’s forces behind Maryanne S. Connelly during a $250perperson fundraiser in Warren on Sunday. The event reportedly raised $7,500.

Congressman Gephardt, the Minority Leader in Congress, has a lot riding on this race. If Democrats regain the majority, he will become the party’s first House Speaker since 1994, the year Republican Newt Gingrich and his Contract With America swept Republicans into the majority.

During a telephone interview, Congressman Gephardt said Mrs. Connelly has the personal experi ence and issues behind her to defeat

her Republican opponent, Michael A. Ferguson.

“This clearly is in the top tier of races we are looking at (to regain the majority in the House of Representatives),” he said, noting the Democratic leadership is looking at 45 to 50 seats around the country, including both incumbent and open seats.

Congressman Gephardt said Mrs. Connelly’s support for a passable Patients’ Bill of Rights and for a prescription drug plan within the Medicare program, along with her prochoice stance on abortion, make her an attractive candidate in the district. He also noted that she supports an increase in the federal mini mum wage and campaign finance

reform. He described Mrs. Connelly’s 28 years as Human Resources Director at AT& T, along with her municipal government experience as a Fanwood mayor and councilwoman, as ideal background for a Congressional candidate.

“She has a great chance of winning this race,” the Congressman noted.

Republicans have held the Seventh District for the past 28 years. Congressman Bob Franks, who is the GOP nominee for the United States Senate, has represented the district for eight years. Matthew

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