The Westfield Leader Newspaper
The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

Town Councilman Enjoys Million Dollar Experience

Rape Crisis Ctr. Helping To Ease Victims’ Trauma

WESTFIELD – Many women think they are alone, that no one they know has been raped or they would know about it. Statistics prove that false.

A 1992 survey from The National Center for Victims of Crime in Washington, D.C. estimates that nationwide, each minute 1.3 forcible rapes of adult females takes place and by year’s end, 683,000 rapes will have occurred.

These staggering figures don’t include rapes which have occurred to males, children or females under the age of 18 (one out of four girls and one out of six boys are sexually assaulted before 18), according to Union County officials.

Contrary to the myth featuring a stranger lurking in a dark alley, the victims of 84 percent of all rapes know their attackers.

According to Jennifer Prudes, Administrator of the Union County Rape Crisis Center in Westfield, rapists don’t limit the age of their victims. Victims’ ages have ranged from three mouths old to 92 years.

Working under the auspices of the Union County Department of Human Services’ Division of Planning, the Union County Rape Crisis Center offers a wide range of services to ease the trauma for Union County residents who are survivors of sexual assault, a member of their family or a friend. These services include:

· Individual counseling to both male and female survivors of sexual assault, their friends and families.

· Group counseling to survivors of rape and incest.

· Group counseling for mothers of rape and incest survivors.

· A trained staff available to assist with the needs of the center’s clients.

· A 24-hour hotline (908) 233RAPE (7273) for emotional support, information, accompaniment to the hospital and/or through the court process.

· Public education programs on sexual assault topics to schools, organizations and community groups.

· An Acquaintance Rape curriculum for use by health teachers of high school students.

· In-service training to hospital personnel, mental health and law enforcement professionals.

· Information and referrals. Survivors are invited to speak with a staff member about joining one of four therapy groups:

· Survivors of rape – for adult females.

· Survivors of incest – for adult females.

· Mothers of survivors of rape and incest.

· Teenage female survivors of rape (ages 13 to 17).

“Rape and incest cause suffering to the ones who lived through it and to those who love them,” said Freeholder Mary P. Ruotolo, Liaison to the Commission on the Status of Women in Union County.

“Groups like these help you to share problems with others who are going through the same hardships or were where you are now,” said Freeholder Ruotolo.

“Sexual assault was once whispered about,” Freeholder Ruotolo stated, “but today, media attention has encoded many survivors to step forward who are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress. Many people don’t know that places like the Rape Crisis Center even exists. No one should have to search the yellow pages after an attack to find out where they can get help.”

“The center welcomes everyone who can benefit from its services. The center’s staff provides crisis intervention, on-going counseling, information or referrals to agencies or individuals who can best meet their needs,” Freeholder Ruotolo added.

Survivors can have the assistance of the rape crisis advocate with them during a medical exam or police interviews as provided for by state law. The Union County Rape Crisis Center is located at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield.

State Funds Road Projects In Local Municipalities

TRENTON — State Senate President Donald T. DiFrancesco of Scotch Plains has announced that the state Department of Transportation (DOT) has earmarked over $2 million from its local aid program to fund roadway improvement projects in the 22nd Legislative District.

Senator DiFrancesco said the funding represents the DOT’s fiscal year 2000 allocation to municipal road projects in the 22nd Legislative District.

“Keeping our local roads safe and viable is just as important to New Jerseyans as maintaining state highways and bridges,” said Senator DiFrancesco, (R-22). “These streets serve as a network that connects a town’s population to its downtown area, stimulating economic development by giving residents easy, safe access to the business centers of their town.”

In Union County, the DOT has allocated $50,000 for the resurfacing of Snyder Avenue in Berkeley Heights; $225,000 for the reconstruc

tion of Second Street and Coriell Avenue in Fanwood; $120,000 for the resurfacing of Wood Valley Road in Mountainside; $200,000 for the reconstruction of Glenside Avenue in Scotch Plains; and $200,000 for the reconstruction of Benson Place in Westfield.

Municipal aid funding is based on a formula that takes into account population and road mileage. The local aid program is supported by the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund.

NCADD Announces Dates For Courses in November

WESTFIELD – The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) of Union County has announced its schedule of upcoming programs.

On consecutive Saturdays, November 13 and 20, the NCADD will offer C303 “How to Present a Case Presentation” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The two-day course will take place for six hours each day, for a total of 12 Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) hours.

Edward McDonnell will be the instructor for the course, which will concentrate on the written mechanisms involved in documenting a client’s total treatment record.

The course objectives include maintaining a client’s records in accordance with prescribed standards. Participants will also learn documentation by preparing records and reports and integrating available information to facilitate the continuum of care, charting perti

nent ongoing information pertaining to the client, utilizing relevant information from written documents for client care and defining the role of record keeping.

The class will help students applying for their initial CADC certification prepare for their case presentation. The fee for the course is $95.

On Monday, November 15, the NCADD will offer P206 “History, Theory and Regulation” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The course will consist of one six-hour day, for a total of six Certified Prevention Specialist hours.

Jack Schibik will be the course instructor.

Both courses will be held at the NCADD of Union County office at 300 North Avenue, East, in Westfield. The fee for this course is $30.

Participants are encouraged to register in advance to assure they have a place in the course. For more information on the courses, or to register, please call (908) 233-8810.

Blood Pressure Clinic Offered in Fanwood

FANWOOD — Free blood pressure screenings will be offered on Monday, November 15, between 6 and 8 p.m., at the Fanwood Memorial Library, North Avenue and Tillotson Road.

A registered nurse will conduct the free screenings in association with Solaris Health Systems and Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center.

Veterans Day Observances Planned in Area Communities

Veterans Day observances are planned for Thursday, November 11, by veterans’ organizations in several area communities.

The Westfield Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion Martin Wallberg Post No. 3 will hold a ceremony at the World War I Memorial at Memorial Plaza in Westfield.

Members of the two groups will meet in the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church at 1 East Broad Street at 10:30 a.m. and cross the street to the monument. The commanders of the VFW and American Legion are scheduled to speak at the ceremonies, and Mayor Thomas C. Jardim is also expected to give a brief address.

In Scotch Plains, American Legion Post No. 209 and VFW Post No. 10122 will conduct ceremonies beginning at 11 a.m. with the laying of wreaths at the Veterans’ Monument at Park Avenue and Front Street.

At 11:30 a.m., wreaths will be presented at the Fanwood Memorial Library at North Avenue and Tillotson Road.

In Mountainside, a service and wreath-laying ceremony will be held jointly by the Mountainside VFW and the Mountainside Elks at 11 a.m. in front of the Veterans Monument on Constitution Plaza near the Free Public Library of Mountainside.

All members of the community are invited to attend these events.

Gregory Longo, Fleet Enterprises, Inc, at (800) 23-FLEET extension 74818 or (908) 654-2449 By PAUL J. PEYTON

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

WESTFIELD – He may not be a millionaire, but Westfield Third Ward Councilman Neil F. Sullivan finally got the chance to appear on ABC’s “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.”

Mr. Sullivan was originally slated to be a contestant on the high-stakes trivia show when it aired for the first time this past summer. But the recently reelected councilman was unable to obtain a signed waiver from his opponent, Claire Lazarowitz, by the show’s deadline.

At the start of Sunday’s show, Councilman Sullivan was interviewed by host Regis Philbin about his situation.

He told the audience, estimated at 25 million people, that he won the election by 15 votes to continue in his $1-per-year council post.

Councilman Sullivan received a call from the game show’s producers last Thursday, inviting him to be one of 10 contestants on this past Sunday night’s show.

He and his wife, Susan, were driven to New York City and given overnight hotel accommodations Friday night. The show was taped Saturday from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

“Who Wants to be a Millionaire” provides contestants with the opportunity to win a million dollars in cash. During the summer, a contestant won $500,000.

Each show consists of 10 contestants, who must answer multiplechoice questions that are placed before them in a random order. For instance, one of the questions asked the contestants to take a list of European capitals and put them in order from west to east.

The contestant who responds with the correct answer in the least amount of time moves on to the so-called “Hot Seat.”

During this round, a contestant must answer a series of 15 questions leading to the $1 million prize. Sunday night, a contestant won $32,000, while two other players took home $1,000 each.

Mr. Sullivan said he came the closest in reaching the “Hot Seat” on the final question of the qualifying round, which was to name the four wives of Frank Sinatra.

Mr. Sullivan said another contestant beat him to the correct answer by just nine-tenths of a second. They were the only two of the remaining six players to provide the correct answer.

Mr. Sullivan also had the correct answer on the European capitals question.

While failing to play for the big money, the councilman said he enjoyed his first experience on national television.

“I thought it was great. It was fun. It was exciting,” said Councilman Sullivan.

Mr. Sullivan may appear on the show again in February if he is successful in qualifying by answering a series of questions via the 800 toll-free number provided by ABC. He can appear on the show twice in a two-year span.

Mr. Sullivan said game shows like “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and the Fox Network’s “Greed” are becoming a “phenomenon.” The craze started over in Europe and has now reached the United States.

ABC anticipates receiving four million calls nationwide from persons hoping to become contestants on the show.

The show will air each night through Sunday, November 21.