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Scotch Plains – Fanwood Scotch Plains – Fanwood Scotch Plains – Fanwood Scotch Plains – Fanwood Scotch Plains – Fanwood THE TIMES
OUR 39th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 32-98 Published Every Thursday USPS 485200
Periodical – Postage Paid at Scotch Plains, N.J. Thursday, August 6, 1998
of of of of of
— Serving Scotch Plains and Fanwood Since 1959 —
INDEX INDEX INDEX INDEX INDEX
County .......... Page 2 Editorial ........ Page 4 Obituary ........ Page 8
Religious ....... Page 9 Social ............ Page 6 Sports ............ Page 13
Michael P. Babik for The Times
BUMPY RIDE AHEAD…Glenside Avenue, from Sky Top Drive to Deer Path undergoes reconstruction as part of a Scotch Plains road improvement program funded by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Belgian Block curbs were recently set and the road will get drainage improvements before a complete repaving.
Over Twelve Area Roadways are Upgraded Through DOT Funds and Municipal Budgets
By ANDREW FISHKOFF
Specially Written for The Times
Over a dozen roads throughout Fanwood and Scotch Plains have undergone major improvements this year.
In the Borough of Fanwood, the Borough Council’s Public Works Committee has already overseen two major road projects.
The portion of North Avenue and Forest Road between Midway Avenue and the Fanwood Memorial Library was completely repaired, according to Councilman Louis C. Jung, Chairman of the Public Works Committee.
Construction crews ripped out the old asphalt that comprised the roads and replaced it with new asphalt.
Costing $126,000, the North Avenue construction was funded through the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Trust
Fund, said Councilman Jung. The Department of Transportation grant, which funds an average of one project a year in Fanwood, was awarded for work on North Avenue as opposed to Forest Road because of North Avenue’s higher traffic volume.
Over the previous three years, the DOT program funds have been used to pay for repairing sections of North Avenue on two occasions, said Councilman Jung.
Next year, the Public Works Committee is tentatively looking to finish up the improvements on North Avenue by repaving the area around the Martine Avenue intersection and adding water piping improvements to address flooding concerns.
Fanwood’s municipal budget provided funds this year for the Forest Road construction, which cost close
to $20,000, as well as for surface improvements on several roads, according to Borough Engineer Richard Marsden.
On these roads, workers use a surface application, known as slurry seal, to upgrade the quality of the roads. Slurry seal fills cracks and potholes in the surface, “extending the life of the road,” said Mr. Marsden.
Commenting on road projects completed in the borough this year, Fanwood Department of Public Works Director Raymond Manfra said, “We would like to do more streets but we can only work with what money comes to us.”
Road construction in Scotch Plains, however, is still in progress.
Glenside Avenue, from Sky Top Drive to Deer Path, is currently undergoing reconstruction. Work crews are reconstructing the curb, resurfacing the road, and installing a drain
age system. Construction will also begin within the next two weeks near the intersection of Rahway and Raritan Roads, according to Walter DiNizo, Director of Public Property. Costing $200,000, this roadwork is funded by the DOT’s Trust Fund.
Thomas E. Atkins, Scotch Plains Township Manager, said that the township is “in the discussion stage” on whether to apply to the DOT for a grant to do more work on both Raritan Road and Deer Path next year.
“However, we can’t make a final commitment until we speak with next year’s Township Council sometime early next year,” he said.
Construction is also slated to start early this fall on the Hetfield Avenue Bridge, which connects North Avenue to South Avenue. The bridgework is funded through a joint effort of Fanwood, Scotch Plains,
TREES SOUGHT AS BUFFER FROM POOL, SIMILAR TO MARTINE AVE. YMCA
Scotch Plains Zoning Board Asks JCC To Offer Relief for Area Homeowners
By JEANNE WHITNEY
Specially Written for The Times
The Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Scotch Plains was given until Wednesday, September 30, to come up with a plan for donating numerous 12-foot evergreen trees to four neighboring lots over a period of time, in order to serve as a buffer for sound and lights from an indoor swimming pool addition at the Martine Avenue facility.
The township Board of Adjustment said it will vote Thursday, October 15, on either a timely tree proposal from the JCC, or consider a different solution, possibly window blinds for the pool area.
At several points during the lengthy hearing last Thursday night, tempers flared all-round. When at the 11th hour board member Timothy Livolsi proposed the evergreen tree donation, the tentative agreement was approved.
Over 100 residents, including members of the JCC, debated other particulars of the JCC application before the board, which was pending since January.
Homeowners whose lots back up to the JCC property testified that their daily quality of life was significantly compromised by light shining from the pool addition windows, often from 6:30 in the morning until 10:30 at
night. “We live in a fish bowl,” Mrs. David Jones said. “We just want a little peace and privacy here.”
However, a JCC spokesman rejected the notion of covering the windows in the pool addition, claiming that blinds and drapes were a potential health hazard because of the high humidity and warm temperatures in the room. The room’s humidifier system would not operate effectively under such circumstances, he said.
There were approximately 15 residential lots surrounding the Center on the site map, however, the board and JCC seemed to agree that only four lots were in need of the proposed plantings.
The pool is housed in a two-story building and the windows are nearly 20 feet high, officials said. Other lots appear to already have trees between them and the JCC property.
A different rear wing of the building houses a gym where vertical blinds were recently hung on windows to keep light in. However, neighbors complained that the blinds were often left open and portions of the blinds were missing.
Mr. Corman explained that balls from sports activities in the gym occasionally hit the blinds, knock slats down and need replacing. He also admitted the gym lighting was “high intensity.”
Board members voted to agree with lighting expert, Robert L. Newell of
Westfield, who testified that he found the gym window blinds to be sufficient coverage but recommended that the blinds be closed from dusk until dawn, daily. Mr. Newell owns a lighting design business in Westfield.
The board also specified that pole lights in the parking lot be changed to “shoebox” style lights that shine straight down and drop the bulbs from 250 to 70 watts. Mr. Newell stated that the black asphalt pavement will absorb most of the light.
“There will be very little impact and no light perceivable” above the 15-foot high lamps, he added.
Executive Director of the JCC, Richard Corman, admitted that the parking lot lighting is currently in violation of township codes and, in some parts, actually deficient.
Two other outdoor spotlights that neighbors found offensive were identified as early-1950s vintage, left over from when the building was a school. Mr. Newell suggested replacing the fixtures, explaining that new lamp technology is more energy efficient and may be focused more directly, away from neighboring homes.
The JCC agreed to eliminate one of the fixtures on the Martine Avenue side of the building that had apparently lit a semi-circular drive at the school, but which no longer exists. The other spotlight, that spills light over the outdoor swimming pool to the rear of the building, will be re
David B. Corbin for The Times
GETTING A NEW ROOF…The Victorian-era Carriage House, located on Watson Road in Fanwood, is expected to get a new roof by the end of the month. Members of the governing body accepted a bid for the work during a special meeting on July 27. Local officials hope the historic building, currently used by the Philathalians theater group, can become a cultural arts center for the community.
Roof Bid is Approved For Carriage House By SUZETTE F. STALKER
Specially Written for The Times
The Fanwood Borough Council has accepted a bid of $17,425 to cover the cost of replacing the roof on the historic Carriage House, located on Watson Road adjacent to the Borough Hall complex.
A resolution accepting the bid from Dell Tech of South River — the lowest of three received for the work — was approved during a special meeting of the governing body on July 27. The wood shingle roof is expected to be installed on the local landmark by the end of this month.
Councilwoman Karen M. Schurtz, who chairs the governing body’s Land Use and Historic Preservation Committee, said a wood shingle roof is “more in character” than modern roofs with the Victorian era in which the Carriage House was built. Renovations are also being done to the interior of the structure.
An earlier round of bids came in at amounts higher than officials had allocated for the roof replacement, according to Mrs. Schurtz. Although there is no danger of the present roof collapsing, she said it may be the source of some water leakage into the building. She stated that Fanwood received a Community Development Block Grant last year from the county to cover the cost of the new roof.
The one-and-a-half story, Gothic Revival Carriage House, built circa 1880, is currently home to the Philathalians, a local theater group which has been a community staple
for 65 years. It has also been used periodically for municipal meetings and other functions.
Councilwoman Schurtz said she would like to see the Carriage House evolve into a “cultural arts center,” featuring programs such as poetry readings, special presentations and lectures, in addition to productions by the Philathalians.
She added she hopes to find someone who would be willing to work with the theater group in coordinating future activities at the Carriage House, so that the Philathalians’ schedule would not be disrupted by potential new programs.
Officials had recently contemplated using the Carriage House for a “Fanwood Room,” in which borough memorabilia could be exhibited, the councilwoman revealed.
The proposal was withdrawn, however, after it was determined the 19thcentury structure could not provide adequate climate control and other conditions necessary to preserve fragile documents and mementos, Mrs. Schurtz observed.
She added that the borough’s Historic Preservation Commission is now working with the Fanwood Memorial Library on the “Fanwood Room” concept.
Members of the governing body and the Historic Preservation Commission hope to have a portion of the acreage surrounding the Fanwood train station – including the Carriage House and the site of a proposed
Township Will Return Zoo Lot Taxes to Sunrise
By JEANNE WHITNEY
Specially Written for The Times
Scotch Plains Township will return two months of property taxes to Sunrise Assisted Living, former owners of the Scotch Plains Zoo property, after the Council agreed to condemn and seize ownership of the 6.5 acres for public use, on June 1. The total bill is $818.83.
The Scotch Plains Zoo, formerly the Terry Lou Zoo, along Raritan Road at Terrill Road, operated as a zoo until last year, when the United States Department of Agriculture refused permits to owners of the facility, Harold and Deborah Kafka. Federal officials cited violations over the welfare of the animals.
After the Kafkas reportedly sold the property to Warren Township developer, Mitchell Berlant in the range of $850,000, the Sunrise corporation later surfaced as the newest owners of the lot.
Representatives of Sunrise then proposed handing over about two acres of the former zoo property to the township earlier this year, while also planning to build an assisted-living housing development at the site.
However, council members claimed that Sunrise had offered the township the least desirable portion of the lot, and council members rejected the deal. Realtors connected with the deal claimed, at that time, that Sunrise would contest in court, the township’s seizure of the land.
While township attorneys moved ahead with condemnation proceedings this spring, the council agreed to borrow funds to pay owners an estimated $600,000 for the property. Even though the township seized the property under the right of “eminent domain,” owners must still be granted a
Board Hires New Vendor for Lunches; Teachers Show Unity in Contract Talks By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL
Specially Written for The Times
In an effort to ensure there will be no interruption in the delivery of school lunches this fall, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education approved a bid last Thursday night for a new vendor to replace Ja-Ce Company of Bound Brook, which has gone out of business.
The new company, Aramark Food Services Management, was selected from among four firms that had submitted proposals to the board. Ja-ce services five other districts in the area.
In making the announcement to the board, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Board Secretary Matthew A. Clarke reported that Aramark would provide information and menus to the parents on an ongoing basis, and administer two to three surveys a year for customer satisfaction.
The company has proposed a Deli Corner for the high school, something Ja-ce had also been planning.
Mr. Clarke stated that, “Aramark is a national company, so we don’t have to worry that they will be closing up. Also, because the company services five other districts in the county, we can get commodities from them right away if the emergency need ever arises.”
Aramark was awarded the food service contract of $24,230 for the 1998-1999 school year.
Last week’s meeting was attended by over 50 members of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Education Association, who were present to show unity in an effort to gain a new contract with the board.
According to a Scotch PlainsFanwood High School teacher, who did not wish to be named, the teachers came to the meeting to show board members “that we are still
interested in coming together on the issue of our contracts.”
The previous contract expired June 30. The board and union negotiating teams have met 11 times since January.
According to board member Theresa Larkin, contract negotiations with the district’s teachers union are still in progress, though an impasse in the talks was recently filed. The action cleared the way for a mediator to be brought into the talks from the state Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC).
“There is a six-week gap in negotiation talks because of the availability of a professional negotiator,” Ms. Larkin said.
In other business, the board received an update on its Strategic Plan. Officials explained that the plan emphasizes district objectives such as maintaining tough district-wide academic standards in all instructional programs; supporting curriculum designs which interrelate multiple academic disciplines; providing technological resources to teachers and students, and establishing electronic networks which link classrooms, media centers, district schools and offices to the community.
The board’s Action Team will prototype classrooms which optimize instructional technologies, and a three-year new teacher training program on instructional strategies will be implemented.
Dr. John Crews, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, outlined the training for new teachers, which included October workshops in Instruction Theories Into Practice (ITIP) and Teacher Expectation Student Achievement (TESA).
Handouts were also available outlining Student Attendance and Absence and Discipline Procedures, which were adopted at the board’s July 30 meeting. The 15-page document replaces policies dating from 1984 and 1989.
The disciplinary actions outlined
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David B. Corbin for The Times
SUPPORTING THE ARTS…Miss New Jersey Stephanie Ferrari, center, visited Edison Intermediate School in Westfield last Friday, where she encouraged youngsters in the Westfield Summer Workshop to preserve and support arts education. Joining Miss Ferrari, pictured left to right, are: Mayor Thomas C. Jardim, Denise Bellog, Special Events Coordinator for The New Jersey Workshop for the Arts (NJWA), through which the Summer Workshop is presented; Debbie Schmidt, Executive Director for the Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce; Kitty Schlosberg, and Dr. Theodore K. Schlosberg, founder and Executive Director of the NJWA. See story on page 10.
Page 10 Thursday, August 6, 1998 The Westfield Leader and THE TIMES of Scotch Plains – Fanwood A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION
Cigar Vault 2x2 Sweeney
placed and fitted with a shade. Mr. Corman pointed out that an unlit outdoor pool can lead to trespassing and accidental drownings.
He told residents, “We’re trying to reach aneighborlycompromisehere.”
The JCC came up for criticism from the group of neighbors last month when the JCC attorney suddenly canceled out on a public hearing over the reported lighting and sound disturbances. Board members agreed to reschedule the special meeting last Thursday, in a lastditch effort to resolve the lagging dispute.
One affected homeowner said he had just closed the deal to purchase his house earlier this year. When he stopped by the house the same night, he said, the new pool and gym were lit up for the first time and, “It looked like a warehouse.”
The JCC facility is so-called “nonconforming” in a residential zone, according to officials.
When residents asked for lightsout at the Center during the night, Mr. Newell discouraged the board and proposed some sort of 24-hour lighting in the parking lot, to ward off loitering and crime.
“You can not have a dark spot,” he insisted.
Motion detectors that trip lights on and off were also nixed by the lighting expert because he said the high volume of auto traffic would quickly burn out the device.
Twenty-four hour lighting in the stairwells at the Center also came under fire by the neighbors as “intrusive.” However,officialsclaimedthat lighting in these areas was required by law for safety reasons.
Other issues involved outdoor reflective signs, the height of fencing along the common borders, replacing deciduous trees with evergreens, clearing away dead trees at the common borders and extending an existing fence.
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Over Twelve Area Roadways Upgraded Through DOT
for unexcused tardiness include Saturday detentions and student-parent conferences.
On another matter, the board discussedhow bettertopreventviolence in the local school district. Board member Richard R. Meade commented that times have changed, emphasizing the board’s “zero tolerance” discipline procedure.
Board member Jean McAllister echoed Mr. Meade’s reasoning for this policy, adding that those enforcing the new rule need to apply common sense. Mrs. McAllister also asked if a forum with the students to discuss the policy and the topic of preventing violence would be an appropriate way to start the school year.
Other board members commented that such a forum was something that was already being looked into.
In other business, the board voted unanimously againstastateproposed consolidation of the Board of Education election in April and the General Election in November with an 80 vote.
Board member Morris H. Gillet stated that he didn’t want to see the school board elections become “political.”
A resolution was adopted by the school board to “preserve and protect the apolitical nature of the Board of Education members, budget issues, referendum issues, and all other issues that derive from the operation of the community’s public schools, disapproving the consolidation of the elections.”
Authorization was given to Mr. Clarke to “disseminate this resolution to other school boards in the state as well as members of the community for their support and approval.”
Board members also stated that there would have to be an election in Aprilanywayfor votingontheschool budget, regardless of whether the election of board members is moved to November.
Public comments at Thursday’s meeting included two mothers of autistic children,whoadvocatedcontinuation of the autistic class that has recently been held at McGinn Elementary School.
Jeanne Shanker of Fanwood commented that this class was “very im
portant” for her son. She also stated that she was disappointed in recent meetings with board members who said that the class might not meet at McGinn because of the possibility of larger enrollment.
Mrs. Shanker stated that she felt her son is already a student in the district, adding “the board is giving priority to students that are not even in school, rather than a special education class of students who need a home school.
“I feel that these children are being discriminated against because they havea specialeducationstatus.These children have a very hard time with transition and change,” she said.
Debbie Graffax,alsofromFanwood and a parent of a child in the class, echoed the sentiments of Mrs. Shanker and added, “as each child mainstreams into the school system, the class will always stay small. It would not be a class with a lot of children.”
Deborah Asher of Scotch Plains noted that McGinn should continue with its autism class and keep just three kindergarten rooms, noting that she didn’t think the school could accommodate four classes.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carol B. Choye reported that because of the lack of space at all of the district’s schools, a Facilities and Enrollment Committee has been created to address this problem.
Dr. Choye stated that there will be three committee meetings in a row this month. The committee will be considering such options as redistricting or moving the fifth grade classes.
In other business, Dr. Choye commented that the district would be monitored by the state, as is traditionally done every few years, within thenextschool year,alongwithneighboring districts such as Cranford, Summit and Elizabeth.
and NJ Transit. The Scotch Plains municipal budget also includes a $150,000 allocation this year for resurfacing close to a dozen different streets, said Mr. DiNizo. Sections of Balmoral Lane, Farmingdale Road, and Grenville Road have all been resurfaced, while Old Farm Road and Johnson Street are slated for resurfacing in the next couple of weeks.
“We have a pretty aggressive program,” said Mr. DiNizo, stressing
the large amount of roadwork accomplished within the past few months.
He complemented Mayor Joan Papen and the Township Council for allocating enough money in the municipal budget for the capital improvements that have taken place.
“The Mayor and the council are really trying to make things a lot better for the residents in town,” he said.
Pocket Park on Watson Road – included on both the state and national registers of historic districts.
During a presentation before the Borough Council in April, Linda Sargent, Chairwoman of the Historic Preservation Commission, identified the proposed district as comprising approximately eight or 10 streets, including sections of North and Martine Avenues, as well as others north of the train station reaching almost to the Scotch Plains border.
The area encompasses 183 structures, 126 of which Councilwoman Schurtz described as “contributing” to the area’s historic distinction, and another 57 which are deemed “noncontributing” but which exist within the same vicinity.
In discussing the criteria for designation of an area as a historic district, Councilwoman Schurtz cited a survey of historic resources which was prepared for the Historic Preservation Commission by Nancy L. Zerbe, a professional architectural historian from Metuchen.
Potential districts, the councilwoman noted from the survey, are those “associated with events that have made significant contributions to broad patterns of our history,” and which are representative of a “late
19th and early 20th century suburbanizationmovementaffiliated with commuter railroads.”
They are also areas “that embody distinctive characteristics of a type period or method of construction, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction,” she continued.
CouncilwomanSchurtzdefinedthe last of these criteria by explaining that an entire section of a community,asopposed tojustcertainhomes, may be judged as historically significant.
The Historic Preservation Commission will meet next in September, when commissioners are expected to recommend that the governing body move forward on its bid to have Fanwood included on the historic registers.
Councilwoman Schurtz said her councilcommittee willthenreviewthe commission’s recommendation, after which the proposal will come before the Borough Council for approval.
She noted, however, that since the application fee for consideration of the proposed historic district was not included in Fanwood’s 1998 municipal budget, the application process would likely not begin until next year.
“fair price” for it, under the law. A recent Union County “Pocket Park” matching grant program awarded $100,000 to the township for the purchase of the zoo lot. Township officials claim they will seek other grants to fund the park’s acquisition.
On a related issue, the township agreed to vote on accepting the “pocket park” funds from the county, at its regular meeting, next Tuesday, August 11. The county agreement stipulates that if the funds are not used as proposed, over the next year, the funds must be returned. County officials will examine the project when it is finished.
In addition to the $100,000 grant toward buying the former zoo property, the township will also get $25,000 for improvements to Green Forest Park, officials said.
In other business, Mayor Joan Papen told the council she wanted to appointa representativetotheRaritan Valley Coalition. The coalition, organized byCongressmanBobFranks, is made up of 28 towns so far, from Union, Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon counties that is looking
for a “one seat” ride into mid-town Manhattan, station improvements and expanded parking lots at the stops for Raritan Valley Line commuters. The NJ Transit Commissioner has declared this the year of the Raritan Valley Line, the train line that services the region.
On a separate matter, Township Manager Thomas E. Atkins said construction on the main floor of the Municipal Building for the next five weeks would re-work the office layout. The Welfare office will now be across the hall from its present location, sharing the Judge’s Chambers. The space vacated by the Welfare office will be added to the Court Administrator’s office next door, and bullet-proof glass will be added at the service counter. Particularly when court is in session, violators must pay finesattheoffice. Aseparatehalldoor will provide entry into the food pantry maintained by the Welfare office.
Finally, the council agreed to outlaw U-turns on Redwood Road and HomesteadTerrace.Officialsclaimed there were “traffic issues” and congestion from the drop-off of students at Brunner Elementary School.
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Township Will Return Zoo Lot Taxes to Sunrise
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Scotch Plains Zoning Board Asks JCC To Offer Relief
SUPPORT FOR THE SQUAD…During the June meeting of the Fanwood Volunteer Rescue Squad, a check for $300 was donated by the Lions Club for the purchase of a new jacket approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Pictured, left to right, are: Rescue Squad Lieutenant Susan Davis; Rescue Squad President William L. Crosby, and Lem Breidenstein and former Borough Councilman Dr. Chester R. Lindsey of the Lions Club.
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Board Hires New Vendor; Teachers Show Unity
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Roof Bid is Approved For Carriage House STORE MANAGER HONORED…Maura Matteo, center, Manager of GapKids
in Westfield, was recently honored as an Outstanding Marketing Education Employer of the Year. In addition to providing work experience to marketing students in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School DECA, Ms. Matteo also serves as a judge in DECA state competitions and as an advisor for the students’ marketing research projects. DECA students, pictured left to right, are: JenniferKane,Lauren McCourt,RiannaLiss,Jordan EannucciandSuzanneLamastra, all of whom are employed by GapKids and receive school credit in the marketing program. The students won a first place state award and a national honorable mention for their research on improving the services of GapKids.
Miss New Jersey Describes Mission To Preserve the Arts for Area Students By MICHELLE H. LEPOIDEVIN
Specially Written for The Times
Imaginehow dismalyourlifewould be without the vibrant masterpieces of Vincent Van Gogh, the melodic symphonies of Mozart or the provocative and moving theatrical performances on Broadway’s Great White Way.
Miss New Jersey, Stephanie Ferrari, encouraged crowds of area children at the Westfield Summer Workshop to preserve and crusade for the importance of arts education in their present and future lives during a visit on July 31.
Miss Ferrari, who acquired her title as Miss New Jersey in Ocean City on June 21, chose the platform to keep arts education in our school systems as it is a topic that is very close to her own heart.
According to Denise Bellog, Special Events Coordinator for The New Jersey Workshop for the Arts, Miss Ferrari graduated from Ithaca College in New York in 1996 with a degree in Music Performance and Education. She sings, plays the piano and is involved with work in the theater.
Aspartof hermission,MissFerrari devised a game entitled “Thou Art in Jeopardy” which she used to demonstrate what it would be like if the world was without music, art and the ability to express oneself through these venues. She stated, “This is my project. It demonstrates the significance of fine arts in our lives and in education.” An auditorium stage filled with workshop students played “Thou Art in Jeopardy” during the morning’s program, picking questions from pockets with topics ranging from math to science to physical education.
The students learned the importance of rhythm in jumping rope, singing the alphabet and counting numbers by whistling.
Before she concluded the game, she explained to the children that arts education gives them an opportunity to express themselves and it is a representation of nature.
As for music, “it is written from the heart, expressing a love,” she said. “A world without the arts would be depressing.” She told them to always advocate the importance of arts education to everyone because it is always the first program to be cut in schools.
In an interview with The Westfield Leader, Miss Ferrari said that if she is crowned Miss America on Saturday, September 19, in Atlantic City’s Convention Hall, she will continue to strive for the preservation of arts education by traveling across the country utilizing her board game to encourage people of all ages to note the important role which the arts plays in all of their lives.
She also told The Westfield Leader
that her high school music teacher was a “tremendous inspiration” to her during her years of education. She visits with her regularly and actively serves as a substitute teacher for the high school’s music program.
Laterin themorningprogram,Miss Ferrari was proudly introduced by Founder and Executive Director of The New Jersey Workshop for the Arts, Dr. Theodore K. Schloberg.
Miss New Jersey, adorned by her crown, told students and program coordinators, “The arts changed my life. They made me who I am today. Withoutthem,I don’tthinkwewould have the quality of life that we do.” She then sang a beautiful rendition of
“My Heart Will Go On” from the movie, Titanic, and was applauded for her demonstration of the importance of music through song.
Students from the workshop performed special tributes of their own to the value of arts education by singing “Do Re Mi” from The Sound of Music and using sign language to communicate song during “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Anativeof GlenRock,MissFerrari will now have one month to prepare for the Miss America Pageant in September. Sally Johnston of Scotch Plains, who serves as Miss Ferrari’s traveling companion, explained that they will depart on Thursday, September 3, for the pageant which is hosted by Disney World.
She noted that, if Mss Ferrari obtains the title of Miss America, her title will take her to New York and around the country. If she does not win, she will then travel throughout New Jersey and continue to speak at schools promoting the arts education platform.
FANWOOD POLICE SATURDAY, AUGUST 1
· A cellular telephone was reported stolen from a motor vehicle which was parked at a South Avenue business.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4
· Michael Bartirmo, 19, of Scotch Plains was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated at South and Martine Avenues following a motor vehicle accident.
Police said no one involved in the accident required transportation to a hospital. Bartirmo was released on his own recognizance.
Mr. Whitaker Joins Rally For Return of Chesimard
Republican Councilman Joel Whitaker ofFanwoodrecentlyjoined Congressman Bob Franks and Governor Christine Todd Whitman at a rally calling for the return of New Jersey’s most-wanted criminal, Joanne Chesimard, from Cuba.
State Police Superintendent Carl Williams and a number of police officers and officials from other municipalities also attended the August 1 rallyat theUnionPoliceHeadquarters.
Congressman Franks, who represents the Seventh District which includes Westfield, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside, has introduced a resolution calling upon the United States to extradite Chesimard and 90 other convicted felons living in Cuba. The resolution will soon be considered by the House of Representatives.
Chesimard was found guilty of having shot two New Jersey State
Police officers 25 years ago, one of whom was shot twice in the head as he lay dying on the pavement.
Following her conviction, and after being sentenced to life in prison, Chesimard escaped from a New Jersey prison and fled to Cuba, where she has lived ever since.
Governor Whitman has offered a $100,000 reward for the return of Chesimardto NewJersey.Shebroadcast the reward offer to Cuba over Radio Marti earlier this year.
Councilman Whitaker explained his interest in the case by observing that, “None of us are safe unless our police are safe. As long as Castro harbors cop killers like Chesimard, our safety is greatly diminished.”
He noted that there are moves to end the 30-year-old embargo against Cuba,andsaid thereturnofChesimard to New Jersey should be a pre-condition to lifting the economic sanctions.
Lt. Jg Matthew Appel Travels to Persian Gulf
Lieutenant Junior Grade Matthew J. Appel of the United States Navy is servingas theWeaponsSystemOfficer on board the USS Camden (AOE-2) in the Persian Gulf.
This is Lieutenant Junior Grade Appel’s second deployment to the Persian Gulf.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Appel is a cum laude graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, with a dual major of mathematics and physics.
He received his commission in the United States Navy after completing Officers CandidateSchoolinPensacola, Florida in October of 1994.
A 1990 graduate of Scotch PlainsFanwood High School, Lieutenant JuniorGradeAppeland hiswife,theformer Katie Lenker, live in Silverdale, Washington. His parents, Dr. E. Sandra and WalterA.Appel, resideinScotchPlains.
Terrill Teachers Lead Students In Ellis Island Arrival Day Project
WE’RE IMMIGRATING...Students Tabatha Tambornino, left, and Annmarie Klimowicz are shown here dressed as immigrants during an Ellis Island Arrival Day simulation program held recently at Terrill Middle School in Scotch Plains.
Underthe leadershipoftheirteachers, Rita Selesner, Judy Lasher, Bob Ubersax, Paul Larsen, Susan Beyer, Bev Kuchar, Steve Ferro, Faith Gordon and Carol Lesniewski, the seventh grade at Terrill Middle School in Scotch Plains had an Ellis Island Arrival Day simulation on June 5.
The gym was transformed into The Great Hall of Ellis Island and thestudents arrivedwiththeir“families,” dressed as an immigrant from their home country would have at the turn-of-the-century and carrying a suitcase filled with mementos from home. They hoped to gain admittance to the United States.
At “Ellis Island” the immigrants met with doctors who looked for diseases, and literacy officials and
immigrationofficialswhoascertained whether or not they will make good Americans.
The “immigrants” changed their foreign currency, bought tickets to final destinations and worked in a sweatshop.Theywere metbyaStatue of Liberty designed by art teacher Nick Impalli. The students also heard speakers Vincent DiPietro, a United States Park Ranger assigned to Ellis Island and then a panel of parents, grandparents and friends who described their immigration to the United States.
The Arrival Day experience was part of a multi-discipline unit on immigration where the subject areas, English, Social Studies, Math and Science, participated in the unit.
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