Westfield:
 UC Taxes to Jump 6% Under $436.8 Mil. Budget
 Council Votes to Refer Historic Pres. Ordinance
Scotch Plains/Fanwood:
 SP Budget to Rise 6% or $1.4 Million Over 2007
 FW Planning Board Discusses Bicycle Project
 New SPBPA Head Sees 'Potential' In Downtown
 Clock Proposed to Honor Korean War Vets
Mountainside:
 O'Malley Has 'Mixed Emotions' on Leaving
 Police Address Parking Woes at Deerfield
Garwood:
 Soil at Clark Schools Did Not Meet Guidelines
Area:
 Congressional Hopefuls Prepare for Conventions
 Officials Weigh In on Plan for State Fiscal Crisis
 
Cartoon

SERIOUS ACCIDENT...On Monday afternoon, a car driven by a Mountainside woman on Mountain Avenue near Orchard Street in Westfield left the road, struck a young boy and smashed into the brick wall of the building at 169 Mountain Avenue. The 13-year-old Westfield boy struck by the car was seriously injured.

Editorial: Prosecutor Shows Leadership In Putting Criminals Behind Bars...Since the escape of two inmates at the Union County jail in December, County Prosecutor Ted Romankow has been turning over every stone to find out what went wrong. Under his leadership, the jail director was reassigned, pending his retirement in March, the assistant jail director was fired, and now, two correction officers and three sergeants face dismissal as a result of the December 14 escape of Otis Blunt and Jose Espinosa.

PUTTING ON THE BIG CHILL...Blue Devil point guard Tara Handza, No. 5, freezes the ball by putting on a dribbling exhibition in the fourth quarter as Raider Kathryn DeCataldo pursues. Handza finished with 17 points.

Sports: Devil Swim Boys Overpower BridgeH2O for Section Title; Lady Blue Devils Top Raiders In UCT Hoops Semis; Sayreville Bombers Unload On Raider Wrestlers; Lady Blue Devils Demolish BridgeH2O for Section Title; Blue Devils Rip Tigers In Mat Regular Season Finale; Raider Cagers Strike Down Crusaders in UCT; Basketball Blue Devils Jump On Cougars in UCT: Photos

DOUGHNATIONS...Rotary Club President Darielle Walsh and Pancake Chairman Ed Shen mix up a batch of pancake batter to prepare for the Rotary Club of Westfield's Pancake Day. All of the proceeds go to the Rotary Scholarship Fund, the largest scholarship program in Westfield. Pancake Day will be held on Saturday, March 8, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Westfield Senior High School.

Devil's Den: Bowling Has Been Right Up Tirone's Alley

Government Reform Thought: Union County, municipal and school governments are in the process of releasing budgets for 2008. Given the fiscal crisis in our state government, local governments must reduce their expenditures. We hope layoffs are avoided by reducing the salaries of the highest paid employees instead. See this page for other suggestions.  See Year-to-date Reform Thoughts.