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Westfield Symphony to Hold Concert with Violin Prodigy
WESTFIELD – The Westfield Symphony Orchestra (WSO) will feature 10-year old violin prodigy, Ryu Goto at its “Rising Stars” concert on Saturday, January 30, at 8 p.m. at The Presbyterian Church in Westfield.
Ryu, who is the brother of worldrenowned violinist Midori, will perform Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto.”
He began violin lessons when he was three years old. At six years old, he played Paganini’s “Violin Concerto in D Major” with the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra in Sapporo, Japan.
David Wroe, Music Director and Conductor of the WSO, stated, “Rarely does one find in a child prodigy such a combination of flair, depth, and ‘joie de vivre’ that we see in Ryu Goto. At 10 years of age, he already approaches the most challenging repertoire with confidence and a sense of joy which not only inspires his peers, but uplifts the hearts of all who delight in his performances.”
Ryu has received awards nationwide. Last year, he obtained a special prize from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation. This year, he will receive the Sergio Franchi Award.
His scheduled appearances for the 1999 season will include Krzysztof Penderecki Ceremonies in Warsaw and Krakow, Poland. In May, he will perform with the Dallas Symphony and will give a recital at the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico.
Ryu, who is a New York resident, attends St. David School and the Manhattan School of Music’s Pre-College Division where he studies violin with Yoko Gilbert.
The “Rising Stars” concert will also feature “Symphony for Strings,” an
original composition by WSO Composer in Residence, Richard Nanes.
Mr. Nanes, who is a resident of
Ryu Goto
Livingston, was born in Philadelphia and educated at the Conservatoire National Superieure de Musique in Paris.
He has been noted for his compositions for piano, chamber and orchestra in concert halls, through recordings and video. His compositions have been performed by the Moscow Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra and in Paris, Kiev, Madrid, Beijing, and Chicago by other orchestras.
Maestro Wroe stated, “Nanes’ ‘Symphony for Strings’ charms us from start to finish. From the limited sound world of the string ensemble it draws an impressive array of colors and rhythmic articulations grabbing our attention throughout.”
The concert program will also include Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” and Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 4.”
‘Quality of Life’ on Highway 22 Topic for Transportation Summit
By PAUL J. PEYTON
Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times
Anyone who has driven during the daily rush hours or at peak shopping times knows the frustrations of traveling along Route 22, Union County’s primary east-west thoroughfare.
With that in mind, the Route 22 Chamber of Commerce, recently formed with assistance from the Union County Chamber of Commerce, will hold a Transportation Summit this Tuesday, January 26, to address the many quality of life issues affected by the four-lane highway.
Among the invited guests are State Senator C. Louis Bassano of Union, Congressman Bob Franks of Berkeley Heights, officials from the New Jersey Department of Transportation and NJ Transit, as well as representatives from businesses along Route 22.
Also expected to attend are mayors, administrators, police and fire chiefs, town engineers and planning board chairmen from local municipalities in the county. Somerset County officials are also expected to attend.
Susan Jacobson, a Westfield resident who serves as Vice President of the Union County Chamber and who was just named to head the Route 22 chamber, said the goal of the meeting is to look at possible solutions to safety and related issues connected to the highway.
“People take their lives in their hands (when crossing Route 22). We need to do something. We need to take care of
our businesses on Route 22,” she emphasized. “So, it’s a quality of life issue and we need to address it.”
Participants will review existing studies done on the highway, define and narrow quality of life issues, as well as examine legislative and funding requirements necessary for improvements along the highway.
The summit will be held at L’Affaire, 1099 Route 22, East, in Mountainside, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mountainside, which does not have much commercial and retail development along its stretch of the highway, has seen a drop in traffic accidents over the years, according to Mayor Robert F. Viglianti.
“(Route) 78 has eliminated a lot of the trucks (from Route 22),” Mayor Viglianti noted.
The three-term Mayor served on the borough’s volunteer rescue squad over 20 years ago, prior to entering elected office. He said in those days, it was not unusual for the squad to respond to two or three serious accidents each month on the highway.
“I would hate to see Route 22 now without 78,” the Mayor explained, indicating that an increase in highway development and the subsequent boon in vehicular traffic has made Route 22 heavily traveled even without the presence of tractor trailers.
The Mountainside Police Department has a strong presence on the highway, with one patrol car assigned regularly to look for motor vehicle and related
Mountainside Council to Amend Policy on Unvouchered Expenses
violations. The borough’s police headquarters is located on the highway at the intersection with New Providence Road.
Other officers are assigned during their off-duty hours to the Sony movie complex, located on the site of the former Echo Lanes bowling alley on the highway, to combat potential car thefts and related crimes.
Scotch Plains Mayor Geri Samuel, who will be in attendance at the summit, said the main issues for the township are “A, safety, and B, traffic into town,” noting that Scotch Plains businesses strive to attract highway users to shop in the township.
As a newly-elected official, Mayor Samuel said she wants to attend “just to get a handle” on the concerns of the highway’s business community.
Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Schmidt said she intends to attend the meeting to gain more information as to what improvements the Route 22 Chamber and communities along the highway are seeking.
She said while the highway does not pass through Westfield, quality of life issues and accessibility to the highway are of concern to merchants and business owners in the town.
“So many persons say to me, ‘I’m not going onto 22,’” she said.
Ms. Schmidt noted that Westfield business owners often have to access the highway for such things as office supplies.
She said the main area Westfield is interested in developing is the corridor of North and South Avenues near the Garwood border.
SP-F School Board To Hold Meetings On Upcoming Budget
SCOTCH PLAINS – The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education will discuss the 19992000 School Budget during its Committee of the Whole meetings on Thursdays, January 21 and 28; Wednesday, February 3; Monday, February 8; Tuesdays, February 9 and 16, and Monday, February 22.
The meetings will be held at the Administration Building, Evergreen Avenue and Cedar Street, in Scotch Plains at 8 p.m.
By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL
Specially Written for the Westfield Leader and The Times
An ordinance to give Mountainside’s Mayor and Council an annual salary, and to eliminate the practice of reimbursement for unvouchered expenses, was introduced at Tuesday evening’s meeting
of the borough’s governing body. Presently, council representatives are given $1,500 annually as reimbursement for unvouchered expenses.
According to Borough Attorney John Post, the unvouchered reimbursement practice was started to spare council members the additional
task of having to record mileage and file receipts.
Mayor Robert F. Viglianti stated that some Mountainside residents have recommended the practice be defined as an annual salary instead of an unvouchered reimbursement.
He also said that, pending approval of the ordinance on second reading, a resolution would be introduced for the salary ranges.
In other business, the council announced that the borough was looking for ice skating rink supervisors to monitor the new ice skating rink at Borough Hall.
Councilman Keith Turner stated that interested individuals, who must be at least 17 years old, should call Frank Massella in the Recreation Office at (908) 232-0015.
Officials authorized an hourly wage of $10 per hour for rink supervisors. It was also reported that so far this winter, the ice skating rink had nine good days for skating.
In other business, council members revealed the appointment of Ann Marie Kovacs as the borough’s Cable TV Coordinator. She will work approximately four to 10 hours per week at an hourly wage of $10.
Other appointments included Gloria Dickerson as the Mountainside representative to the Union County Arts Council Cultural and Heritage Committee and Constance Ludden as the borough’s Tax Collector through December 31, 1999.
Police Officer Allan Attanasio was approved for membership to the borough’s Volunteer Fire Department.
Finally, three tax appeals were granted to Maurice M. Weill for 1094 Globe Avenue, 217 Sheffield Street and 207211 Sheffield Street, who had requested in October that his properties be reassessed.
Eldo Magnani, Jr., the borough’s Tax Assessor and an expert witness for the assessments, concurred that the property values be reduced to $280,000 for 1094 Globe Avenue, $190,000 for 217 Sheffield Street, and $375,000 for 207211 Sheffield Street.
Mr. Weill was awarded refunds of $4,382.40, $4,714.40, and $2,656, respectively, for the 1997 and 1998 tax years.
William A. Burke for The Westfield Leader and The Times
TOPIC OF CONVERSATION...The newly formed Route 22 Chamber of Commerce will hold a Transportation Summit this Tuesday, January 26, to discuss quality of life issues impacting the business community along the highway. Pictured above is the approach to New Providence Road on the highway with the Mountainside Rescue Squad on the left.
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