The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

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Scotch Plains – Fanwood THE TIMES

OUR 40th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 45-99 Published Every Thursday USPS 485200

Periodical – Postage Paid at Scotch Plains, N.J. Thursday, November 11, 1999

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CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

Borough Council Reviews Proposed Policy Changes for Parking Lots By SUZETTE F. STALKER

Specially Written for The Times

Borough Council members convened for just 45 minutes at their November 3 agenda session, a day after Fanwood Republicans won races for Mayor and two council seats in an Election Day sweep.

Mayor Maryanne S. Connelly, who will leave office at the end of this year, opened the meeting by congratulating members of the GOP ticket on their victory, while also commending members of her own Democratic party for their participation in this year’s election.

Councilman Louis C. Jung will succeed Mrs. Connelly as Mayor on Saturday, January 1, having overcome a challenge from Council President William E. Populus, Jr. Mr. Jung will be the first Republican mayor of Fanwood in 16 years.

Also victorious last week were Councilman Stuart S. Kline, who was elected to his second term, and first-time candidate Thomas P. Ryan, Jr. The pair ran against Patricia A. Plante and Adele M. Kenny for the council seats of Mr. Kline and Mr. Jung. Councilman-elect Ryan was in attendance at last week’s meeting.

Officials briefly reviewed proposed policy changes that the council’s

Public Safety Committee has recommended regarding parking at the Fanwood Train Station.

The committee is seeking ways to streamline administrative duties related to operation of the parking lots while also meeting the needs of people who use the lots.

There are 315 parking stalls at the north and south side train station lots, including 34 designated for daily parking. The others are for permit holders. Parking permits presently cost $15 per month for Fanwood residents and $30 for non-residents.

Besides checking permit parking decals, Fanwood police officers must also collect and count money from a slot box for daily parking at the lots. Sergeant Richard Trigo, Traffic

Safety Officer for the police department, told the council in September that the currency duties take up approximately 300 man hours per year.

Councilwoman and Police Commissioner Karen M. Schurtz, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, said the committee’s recommendations include requiring head-in parking to make it easier to check decals; upping the current permit fees for residents to $18 per month and increasing fines for violations from $13 to $15.

She noted that permit fees have not increased in Fanwood in a long time and that the amount is “on the lower end of the spectrum” of what area towns charge.

Although officials had also looked at a proposal to sell all parking per

mits on an annual basis, Mrs. Schurtz said last week the current policy on permit sales “will remain status quo.”

Permits are issued through a mass mailing each December on a firstcome, first-served basis and may also be purchased during the year for periods ranging from one month to a full year.

Before any policy revisions are formalized, Councilwoman Schurtz said her committee hopes to hold a meeting in January to gain input from the public on daily parking at the train station. The committee also includes Mayorelect Jung and Councilman Kline.

Under other business, Borough

William A. Burke for The Times

LEAVES WILL FALL…With autumn now in full swing, members of the Fanwood Department of Public Works collect leaves last week from a borough street. Picking up leaves is just one of the many tasks local Public Works crews perform in the community throughout the year.

William A. Burke for The Times

PARKING CONCERNS…Mayor Maryanne S. Connelly and the Fanwood Borough Council last week discussed policy changes recommended by the council’s Public Safety Committee concerning operation of the northside and southside parking lots at the Fanwood Train Station. Pictured above is the southside lot.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Mr. Jung Feels Transition Will Go Smooth

By SUZETTE F. STALKER

Specially Written for The Times

Fresh from his Election Day victory, Mayor-elect Louis C. Jung of Fanwood reflected this week on his upcoming administration and some of the issues which will take priority in the year 2000.

A two-term Republican councilman, Mr. Jung lead a triple GOP victory November 2, which included the return of Councilman Stuart S. Kline for a second term and the election of newcomer Thomas P. Ryan, Jr. to fill Mr. Jung’s seat.

The sweep will reverse the 4-3 Democratic majority on the govern

ing body, giving Republicans control for the first time in more than a decade. Mr. Jung will be the first Republican Mayor of Fanwood since 1983.

Mr. Jung, who will succeed Democratic Mayor Maryanne S. Connelly on Saturday, January 1, revealed last week that he plans to establish a “transition team” to facilitate a smooth changing of the guard.

He anticipated that the group would include members of the council and individuals who served on the steering committee for his Mayoral campaign, among others. Mr. Jung added that he hoped to meet with the team later this month to formalize plans for the transition.

He noted that he and members of his team would be looking at vacancies on local boards and commissions and gathering names as potential appointees as part of their preparation for the year ahead.

Besides this group, Mr. Jung said he would also seek input from both Mayor Connelly and Council President William E. Populus, Jr., his Democratic opponent in this year’s race, regarding the transition to a new administration.

“We’ll be talking to everybody,” remarked the Mayor-elect, who said he expected things to run very

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Authorities Pursue Suspect In Fanwood House Burglary

By KIM KINTER

Specially Written for The Times

A house burglary late Monday morning prompted Fanwood police to call in the K-9 Unit of the Union County Sheriff’s Office to help apprehend a suspect who had just left the scene.

Fanwood Police Chief Robert Carboy said several dogs from the unit were used in assisting the search for a man who was observed by a mail carrier jumping out of a second-story window of a Russell Road home.

Fanwood police called the county’s K-9 Unit and they immediately re

sponded with several dogs, the police chief said.

Chief Carboy said that after jumping from the window, the man ran north toward Midway Avenue. The dogs followed the suspect’s scent into Scotch Plains, where the trail became cold.

Jewelry was reported missing from the home, the police chief revealed, although the value of the missing items were unknown at press time.

Chief Carboy added that investigators are still working with some forensic evidence in their search for the burglar.

Scotch Plains Zoning Board of Adjustment Hears Use Variance Application for Storage Facility By DEBORAH MADISON

Specially Written for The Times

Dozens of local residents turned out for the regular monthly meeting of the Scotch Plains Zoning Board of Adjustment last Thursday to voice their objections to a proposed commercial public storage facility.

Public Storage Inc., a corporation with over 1,300 locations nationwide, appeared before the board seeking a use variance to build a facility on Route 22 at the corner of Myrtle Avenue. The proposed, 95,892square-foot building would be three stories high and would contain 689 storage units. The 2.5-acre site for the proposed facility previously housed a car-dealership which is no longer in operation.

The facility would have a 60-foot landscaped buffer zone in the rear, which borders a residential neighborhood, as well as a six-foot wiremesh fence.

Some of the objections voiced by residents were that this facility would bring increased noise, lights, traffic congestion and vandalism into what they described as an already overburdened neighborhood.

Many of these same concerns were expressed by residents at a previous Zoning Board meeting, where they objected to upgrades proposed by Sunoco Corporation for an existing service station/convenience store on the corner of Route 22 and Willow Avenue. Residents maintained that the renovations would adversely affect the quality of life in their neighborhood.

Professional planner and landscape architect for Public Storage, James Higgins, of James Higgins and Associates in Ocean Township, testified before the board that, in his opinion, the commercial storage facility would be ideally suited for the site and for the neighborhood.

According to Mr. Higgins, such a facility would have a lower impact on the surrounding neighborhood than most other types of commercial enterprises.

“This is a very low-impact, passive type of facility,” Mr. Higgins stated.

“During a typical peak hour, there are fewer than 10 customers on the

site, according to studies of similar sites,” Mr. Higgins testified. “Compared to a fast food restaurant or a car dealership, this is much lower in terms of traffic congestion and noise.”

Richard McOnber, of McOnber and McOnber in Red Bank, an attorney for Public Storage, testified to the board that the facility would have a gated security system using a passcode for customer entry. During the facility’s hours of operation, between 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., there would be one to two employees on the site, as well as two security cameras. There would be minimal lighting and no traffic after hours, he said.

Candice Cade, the site-acquisition buyer for Public Storage, told the board there would likely be a 90 percent rental rate to both residential and business customers. In response to residents’ concerns that the township would be stuck with a nonadaptable storage building if the business failed, Ms. Cade testified that Public Storage would not invest millions of dollars in the project unless the company was sure it would be a long-term success.

Residents additionally protested that there are three similar facilities already in existence or under construction within 10 miles and char

acterized the people this type of business would attract as undesirable.

Additionally, resident Fred Schwagger questioned whether Public Storage employees would regularly inspect the units to insure that nothing illegal or potentially dangerous was being stored in the facility.

Ms. Cade stated that the typical customer is a homeowner seeking to store extra furniture because he or she is downsizing, or a professional who needs to store information records or valuable works of art. The breakdown of the customer base

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Bureaucratic Hurdles Still Remain Before Township Gets Storm Aid

By FRED ROSSI

Specially Written for The Times

While progress is being made by Scotch Plains to secure federal emergency assistance to help pay for the costs of Hurricane Floyd in September, bureaucratic hurdles still need to be overcome, according to Township Manager Thomas E. Atkins.

He told the Township Council at its conference meeting November 4 that officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had met with township personnel several times in late October.

“We’re making some progress with them,” Mr. Atkins said. He added that FEMA wants to get relief funds to state officials quickly, “but how fast Trenton gets it to Scotch Plains is unclear.”

In addition, he said, another timeconsuming aspect is the paperwork involved in applying for relief funds.

Mr. Atkins praised FEMA officials with whom he and others in township government have met.

“They have been reasonable, they have been understanding, and they know towns [in Union County] were hit” by the storm, Mr. Atkins stated.

The council’s conference meeting took place two days after the November 2 election in which Republican Frank Rossi was chosen to fill the unexpired term previously held by Democrat Franklin P. Donatelli.

Mr. Rossi, who sat in at last week’s meeting, was set to be formally sworn into office at this past Tuesday’s regular council meeting. His addi

tion to the council gives the Republicans a 3-2 majority on the governing body, after 10 months of Democratic rule. At its reorganization meeting on January 1, the council will choose a new Republican Mayor for a one-year term.

Next year’s Mayor will be the last one chosen by the council.

Last week voters overwhelmingly approved the referendum allowing Scotch Plains voters to directly elect the Mayor.

The first direct election of the Mayor will be held in November 2000.

Also at last week’s meeting, the council decided to apply for a matching grant program funded by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Councilman Martin Marks said the DEP program will provide a $2,500 matching grant for environmental programs in localities.

Mr. Marks said the Township Environmental Commission was considering a closer examination of the trees in Scotch Plains to identify those that need work, such as pruning, trimming or removal, and DEP funds could be used toward that effort.

In addition, the planned-for park behind Park Place Diner may require an environmental impact study, Mr. Marks said, and the DEP grant program could finance part of that study.

The council’s next regular meeting will be held Tuesday, November 23. There is no meeting next week due to the New Jersey State League of Municipalities convention in Atlantic City.

Union County Judiciary, Bar Association Honor Judges With Portraits in Courthouse By PAUL J. PEYTON

Specially Written for The Times

The decisions they handed down over the years will forever be a part of the Union County court system’s history. And now their likenesses will shine upon visitors entering the first floor tower of the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth.

Twelve judges who have served over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries were honored Monday as their portraits – to be hung throughout the rotundas of the courthouse – were dedicated in a special ceremony.

The final locations for the paintings will be decided after refurbishing work in the courthouse has been completed.

“These are a wonderful assortment of individuals who distinguished themselves and distinguished our county,” said Union County Assignment Judge Edward W. Beglin, Jr.

The third annual dedication program was sponsored by the county’s judiciary, the Union County Bar Association and the Union County Bar Foundation.

Kathleen Estabrook, Past President of the Bar Association, explained that the portraits were seen as a way of enhancing the courthouse. The concept was developed by the Bar

Foundation which, she said, was created by the Bar Association as a vehicle for charitable contributions.

Superior Court Judge John M. Boyle, who presided over the ceremony and was honored himself, noted that since the county was formed in 1857, there have been 138 judges who have served on the county bench. Portraits of 48 of those judges now hang in the courthouse. The paintings were done by artist Allen Brown.

“This program, to my knowledge, has not been done in any other county,” said Judge Boyle.

The late Cuddie E. Davidson, Sr., who had been a resident of Westfield, was among the 12 judges honored during the dedication ceremony this week. Judge Davidson died last January at the age of 78.

A former Town Prosecutor and Town Attorney, he went on to serve as President of the Union County Bar Association and Chairman of its Ethics Committee.

Mr. Davidson, who was a partner in the law firm of what is today Buttermore Mullen Jeremiah and Phillips, was named a Superior Court Justice, first in Middlesex County and then Union County. He also served briefly on the Monmouth County bench.

Judge Davidson retired in 1988 after serving 15 years on the bench, mostly in the Criminal Division.

In Westfield, he served as Chairman of the Joint Civic Committee,

Chairman of the Westfield Committee for Charter Study, Chairman of the Union County Republicans and Co-Chairman of the Westfield Council of Churches. He also was a member of The Presbyterian Church in Westfield for 50 years.

Judge Boyle described the geographic area in which Mr. Davidson practiced as “sort of the silk stocking district of Westfield.”

Other judges honored were: • Harold W. Borden, a 17-year veteran of the Union County District Court, who served on the bench from

1953 to 1970. He was appointed by Governor Alfred E. Driscoll and reappointed by Governor Richard J. Hughes. He died in 1977.

• Judge Boyle, a member of the Superior Court from 1984 to 1999. He initially served as a Law Division and later as a Family Division Judge. He was subsequently appointed as Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division, Equity Part, where he served until his retirement.

He is currently serving on an oncall basis. Prior to becoming a judge, he and Superior Court Judge Alfred

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

INDEX INDEX INDEX INDEX INDEX

A&E.............. Page 19 Classifieds ..... Page 17 County .......... Page 2

Editorial ........ Page 4 Obituary ........ Page 10 Religious ....... Page 11

Social ............ Page 6 Sports ............ Page 13

Mayor-elect Louis Jung

Page 12 Thursday, November 11, 1999 The Westfield Leader and THE TIMES of Scotch Plains – Fanwood A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

SCOTCH PLAINS POLICE BLOTTER

Freeholder Scutari Explains Role of Freeholders to AARP

FANWOOD — Union County Freeholder Chairman Nicholas Scutari got to explain exactly what he does as the head of government for the county when he recently spoke to the Fanwood American Association of Retired Persons.

“I am the youngest elected official to serve as Chairman of the Board of Freeholders. I’m 30 years old and was elected to the board three years ago. Freeholder is an archaic term

pertaining to being a landowner. Today, a Freeholder is elected to run county government. Union County serves more than 500,000 people in 21 municipalities,” Mr. Scutari said. “The Freeholder Board oversees the operation of 23 parks, maintenance of 17,000 miles of county roads, Runnells Specialized Hospital and hundreds of cultural and educational programs.”

In addition to speaking about the job responsibilities of a Freeholder, Chairman Scutari answered questions and provided packages stuffed with information on programs available to senior citizens living in Union County.

“I would just like to add that this administration is responsible for cutting taxes for the last three years. If you look on your tax bill, the county portion is the smallest amount you pay and it has decreased while new programs have been initiated,” Freeholder Scutari said.

One of the new programs, the Union County Freeholders Scholarships, provides free tuition at Union County College for full-time students who maintain at least a B gradepoint average. It is the first full scholarship program of its kind nationwide, he said.

Another program is the downtown grant funding for improvements to the business districts of each Union County municipality. A third new program started over the past few years is Project Pocket Parks, which provides funding from the county to purchase, maintain or improve open space or existing park land.

“I can honestly say that during my tenure as Freeholder I have never had a citizen come up and ask me to cut programs. I am proud to say that this administration has applied for federal grant monies and been able to initiate new programs while cutting taxes,” Freeholder Scutari said.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3

· A Gamble Road resident reported that someone used his bank account number to write two fictitious checks totaling approximately $200. The checks were cashed in the middle of October.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4

· Small amounts of cash, a radio and sneakers were reported stolen from a facility on Martine Avenue. The thefts occurred over the past month.

· A Highlander Drive resident reported that someone had cashed her state rebate check in the amount of $500. An inquiry found that the check had been sent by the state and cashed this past summer; however, the resident had not received it.

· The lock to the front door of a Front Street residence was reported damaged. The incident occurred during the day.

· Raijaun Francis, 32, Jerome Washington, 39, and Anitra Lynn Jackson, 30, all of Newark, were arrested and charged with possession of a vehicle which was reported stolen out of Irvington on November 1.

Officer Suzanne Butler, the arresting officer, ran a random license plate check on the vehicle while it was stopped for a traffic light on Park Avenue.

Francis, the operator of the vehicle, was also given a motor vehicle summons for driving without a license. He was remanded to the Union County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail set by Judge Joseph Perfilio of the Scotch Plains Municipal Court.

Jackson was released on a summons and turned over to the East Orange Police Department on outstanding warrants. Washington was released on a summons.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Engineer Richard Marsden said he recently spoke with David Himelman, a partner at Borough Attorney Dennis Estis’ Woodbridge law firm, concerning Fanwood’s options for dealing with contaminants which have reportedly seeped onto the Dean Oil site at LaGrande Avenue and Second Street from neighboring properties.

Mr. Marsh said the attorney recommended that borough officials ask the current owner of the property to review the situation and provide reports on the status of the lot, which underwent an environmental cleanup several years ago.

The engineer said he was advised that if a problem does exist, the borough should ask the property owner to contact the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and

Borough Council Reviews Proposed Policy Changes

request that the agency issue a directive on the matter.

Mr. Marsh said he learned the borough could also contact the DEP on its own, although he was uncertain what course the proceedings would take after that point.

In September, the Fanwood Planning Board rejected an appeal by LaGrande Realty Associates, LLC to build a two-story garden apartment complex on the Dean Oil site. Board members cited the contamination issue among their reasons for denying the development partnership’s application.

On Election Day, voters in Fanwood supported a non-binding referendum for the borough to pursue acquisition of the Dean Oil property should it become available.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

would be 70 percent residential customers and 30 percent professional, according to Ms. Cade.

Myrtle Avenue resident Jonny Jackson stated that the reason he moved to Scotch Plains was because, as the township’s logo maintains, he wanted to reside in a community with “that hometown feeling.”

“A three-story commercial building in my backyard destroys any hopes of that,” Mr. Jackson said.

Mr. Higgins explained to the board that even though the building is three stories, it would be recessed into a sunken lot, making the facility appear much lower than its actual

Scotch Plains Zoning Bd. Hears Public Storage Use

smoothly in the coming months. “I don’t see any major changes at this point,” he continued, stating that the lion’s share of council business during the course of a year is bipartisan. “I think we have a really good council, and I’m looking forward to a great year.”

“I’m confident we can work together very well,” Mr. Jung added. “I don’t see any problems.”

Once he takes office, Mr. Jung said he hopes to concentrate on the Republicans’ key campaign issue – downtown revitalization – with a special emphasis on the half-block area bordered by Martine, South and LaGrande Avenues and Second Street.

He said he also planned to speak with Congressman Bob Franks’ office concerning plans to relocate the Fanwood Post Office, which officials say has outgrown its present South Avenue location. Mr. Jung commented that the Congressman’s office has been helpful to other communities in this regard.

A 25-year resident of Fanwood, Mayor-elect Jung has served on the governing body for six years. Appointed to fill a council vacancy in 1993, he was subsequently elected to full terms that year and again in 1996.

Mr. Jung Feels Transition Will Go Smooth

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

height. He also explained that the height falls within the maximum 35 feet permitted by the township’s zoning ordinance.

The board’s hearing on the use variance application for Public Storage will be continued at a special meeting of the Zoning Board which is scheduled for Thursday, December 9. Testimony from a professional real estate broker and a professional engineer for the project is expected to be heard at that time.

In other business, a variance application for a sign at Subslinger’s Sub Shop on Route 22 was heard. Business owners Bhargove and Mona Desai stated that they needed a large sign, which would be visible to traffic on Route 22, because the store is set back from the highway and not visible to high-speed traffic. The proposed 12-foot by five-foot sign would have internal illumination and would be constructed 18 feet high in order to clear the highway fencing.

Area residents objected to the planned sign, which they said would cause more light than ever to spill into their yards at night. Willow Avenue resident William Saunders stated, “the area is already lit up like a Christmas tree from all of the lights.”

Dr. Kelmo Porter, Pastor of St. John’s Baptist Church in Scotch Plains, told the board that he was representing many of his parishioners, who had asked him to speak on their behalf regarding their objections to Sunoco’s recent upgrades.

“We now have daytime at midnight in our neighborhoods and it is getting brighter all the time,” Pastor Porter stated.

“I have also heard that they (Sunoco) did not get the board’s permission before they made these changes. We are asking the board to address our concerns,” he added.

Board Attorney Anthony D. Rinaldo, Jr. asked area residents not to punish the Desais for adverse lighting conditions created by other area businesses which they feel have gone overboard, such as Sunoco.

Several board members stated that they felt the proposed sign was excessively large and too high, but that they would be willing to approve a lower, downsized sign.

Board member Anthony Livolsi suggested that the township engineer research size requirements for visibility and highway safety before the board arbitrarily approves a smaller size. Sign size and distance visibility are significant factors in determining highway safety to avoid last-minute lane changes.

A decision on Subslinger’s sign variance was postponed pending availability of this information, which is expected by the Zoning Board’s next meeting on Thursday, December 2.

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Union County Judiciary, Bar Association Honors Judges

K. Sauer were partners in a law firm that eventually had offices in Elizabeth, Somerville, Union and Westfield. He also served on the Elizabeth City Council.

• V. William Di Buono was a former two-term Mayor of Hillside and Municipal Judge in the town. In 1963, he was appointed as the first full-time judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court by Governor Hughes. He continued to proceed up the judicial ladder before reaching the post of Assignment Judge of Union County, where he served from 1974 to 1983.

• Robert Stockton Green was appointed Presiding Judge of the Common Pleas Court in 1865. He was elected to Congress in 1884. Judge Green was active in the movement to create Union County in 1857 and to name Elizabeth as the County Seat. He was City Attorney in Elizabeth and Prosecutor and Surrogate of Union County.

Judge Green was elected Governor of New Jersey in 1887. He was subsequently appointed Vice Chancellor, a post he held until 1894, when he was named to the Court of Errors and Appeals.

Daniel Haines was the last person to hold the office of Governor and Chancellor under the Constitution of 1776. He was elected Governor in 1847 and, in 1852, was appointed a Supreme Court Justice. He sat on the county bench from 1857 until 1866.

Edward J. McDonough was appointed to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of Union County by Governor Brendan T. Byrne in 1978. Retired since 1983, he now serves as an arbitrator in Union and Ocean Counties.

Edward W. McGrath was City Attorney in Elizabeth before being

appointed to the Union County District Court in 1971. He was named to the County Court two years later. In 1975, he was appointed Union County Prosecutor by Governor Byrne. He was named to the Superior Court in 1976, where he served until 1989. He died this past April.

William J. Magie was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1880 by Governor George B. McClellan. He was re-appointed by Governor Robert S. Green in 1887 and held the post until 1897. He served as Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court from 1897 to 1900, when he was appointed Chancellor. Chief Justice Magie served as County Prosecutor and as a Union County Senator prior to his days on the bench.

Sidney M. Schreiber was appointed to the Superior Court bench in 1972, where he served for three years before being named to the Supreme Court. He retired in 1984.

Henry S. Waldman was appointed Police Court Judge of Roselle Park at the age of 21 in 1923. He was appointed as the first Judge of the county’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in 1931. In 1955, he was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as Chairman of the United Nations International Employees Loyalty Board.

Clark McKinley Whittemore, a former Chairman and President of the Union County Trust Company and Director of the Linden Trust Company, was appointed to the Union County District Court in 1908 by Governor John Franklin Fort, sitting in Elizabeth.

Monday’s program was funded through a Union County Freeholder HEART (History, Education, Art Reaching Thousands) grant.

Garden Clubs Dig In to Restore Farms Destroyed by Mitch

RESTORING FARMS IN WAKE OF MITCH...At a district meeting of the Garden Club of New Jersey, Joanne Sullebarger, left, a member of the Garden Club of Westfield, demonstrates efforts of local, state and national club affiliates to help restore Central American farms devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Aiding her are Jean Partner-Jones, center, President of the Westfield club, and Nancy Rainville, former President.

WESTFIELD – The Garden Club of New Jersey, through its parent, The National Council of Garden Clubs, is involved in a conservation program to reforest parts of Central America affected by Hurricane Mitchell in October 1998 and to teach improved farming practices.

In October 1998, Hurricane Mitch brought 180-mile-per-hour winds and 35 inches of rain to Central America.

Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua were inundated and more than 9,000 people died, untold thousands were homeless and losses exceeded $6 billion.

Joanne Sullebarger, a member of the Garden Club of Westfield, who is Chairwoman of World Gardening for the Garden Club of New Jersey, frequently gives programs explaining the garden club project and a major fundraising plan to pay for the work.

TV-35 Schedule Thursday, Nov. 11, 8:00 P.M.

Council Meeting – Live

Saturday, Nov. 13, 7:00 P.M.

Fanny Wood Day 1999

Saturday, Nov. 13, 8:00 P.M.

Fallen Flags Vol.. II – The Rahway Valley Railroad

Saturday, Nov. 13, 9:00 P.M.

Cultural Arts Festival

Monday, Nov. 15, 7:00 P.M.

Millennium Clock Dedication

Monday, Nov. 15, 8:30 P.M.

Cultural Arts Festival

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 8:00 P.M.

Fallen Flags Vol.. II – The Rahway Valley Railroad

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 9:00 P.M.

Dedication of new technology at the Fanwood Library

Scotch Plains Eagle Scout Honored by Freeholders

IN RECOGNITION…The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders honored Jeffrey Scott Reichman of Boy Scout Troop No. 33, Scotch Plains, for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, during a recent award ceremony held at the Fanwood Presbyterian Church. Jeffrey received a special resolution from Freeholder Chairman Nicholas P. Scutari of Linden at the ceremony.

SCOTCH PLAINS – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders honored Jeffrey Scott Reichman of Boy Scout Troop No. 33 of Scotch Plains, for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, during a recent award ceremony held at the Fanwood Presbyterian Church.

In a resolution sponsored by Freeholder Chairman Nicholas P. Scutari of Linden, who is himself an Eagle Scout, Jeffrey was cited for his achievement as a Boy Scout of America for attaining the rank of

Eagle Scout, an honor only 1 percent of all scouts manage to achieve.

“It is no simple task, earning the rank of Eagle Scout. A young man must be dedicated and demonstrate outstanding leadership traits, personal fitness, high moral character and that he has performed a valuable service to his community,” Freeholder Scutari said.

“On behalf of the entire Freeholder Board I would like to commend Jeffrey for working hard to become an Eagle Scout,” he added.

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