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OUR 122nd YEAR ISSUE NO. 50-2012 SEVENTY FIVE CENTS(908) 232-4407

[email protected], December 13, 2012USPS 680020Periodical Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J.

Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890

www.goleader.com

Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus

Susan M. Dougherty for The Westfield Leader

NATIVITY SCENEThe Presbyterian Church in Westfield makes the nativity scene come alive for the community onDecember 2. Along with the nativity scene, young live animals were on the great front lawn for children of all ages to feedand pet. Two tiny kid goats stole the hearts of the little girls and boys.

Christie Storms for The Westfield Leader

CONTINUO GIRLSContinuo Arts Singers, comprised of middle and highschool students, welcomed guests with cheery Christmas Carols along the livingroom staircase of a Lenox Avenue home during the Home for the HolidaysH T f d i D b 8 S 18

WF Voters Pass $13.6-Mil. Bond

For School Roofs, 2,700 to 1,503By DELL SIMEONESpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

WESTFIELD Westfield voterspassed a $13.6-million bond referen-dum Tuesday by a tally of 2,700 yesvotes to 1,503 no votes. The bond willfund the replacement of school roofsacross the district. The bond passed inall four wards and in 24 of Westfields25 voting districts.

The results (please see page 5 forelection results) came in shortly afterthe end of the board of education meet-ing Tuesday evening, which ended in arebuttal, point by point, by Board Presi-dent Richard Mattessich of The

Westfield Leaderseditorial in the De-cember 6 issue of this paper, whichchastised the board for sending e-mailsto parents which said services and per-sonnel would have to be cut if the roofreplacement had to come out of thecurrent budget.

For the second time, in three monthsWestfield residents were asked to givetheir blessing to a multimillion-dollarbond referendum designed to financedistrict-wide roof replacement forWestfields schools. In September vot-ers rejected a $17-million referendumthat included the roofs as well as a $3.5-million lighted turf soccer field. The

turf field was not on Tuesdays referen-dum. In September, the votes cast were3,381 no to 1,511 yes.

It has been previously reported thatschool officials said Westfield HighSchool is the first priority for the roofreplacement. The roofs are scheduledto be replaced by 2014. On November27, as reported in The Leader, Superin-tendent of Schools Margaret Dolansaid the rejection of the referendumwould have resulted in a delay of theroof replacement project, and financ-ing would have to come from reserveaccounts that have been allocated toother projects. She also said that tech-nology projects would be affected andthat budget reductions would includelosing teachers, secretaries, parapro-fessionals, counselors and other staff.She added that the cuts would affectclass size and programs.

As was reported in last weeks paper,the high school roof will cost $4 mil-lion. Eighty-three percent of the roof isset to be replaced. Other roof replace-ments on the referendum includedRoosevelt Intermediate School, Wash-ington Elementary School, TamaquesElementary School, Lincoln EarlyChildhood Center, Jefferson Elemen-tary School, Franklin ElementarySchool, Wilson Elementary School,McKinley Elementary School, KehlerStadium Field House and the boards

administration building.Tuesdays referendum sparked criti-cism by readers in last weeks issue ofThe Leader. E-mails were sent to par-ents by school principals warning thatdeep cuts in personnel and serviceswould occur if the referendum wasdefeated. Several letters to the editor

Westfield Council Sets SewerFees At Last Years Rates

By LAUREN S. BARRSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

WESTFIELD During Tuesdaynights meeting, the last of 2012, theWestfield Council unanimously ap-proved another year of sewer fees forresidents, along with settling a law-suit that has been ongoing since 2009.

Next year, 2013, will mark the sec-ond year that Westfield will charge

2012 and is expected to rise in 2013.Former councilman Ken

MacRitchie commented on the ordi-nance, saying that the ordinance, cre-ates a differential between condosand apartments while their size maynot be different. He also noted thatWychwood Gardens is a coopera-tive, which is not mentioned at all inthe ordinance.

Third Ward Democrat CouncilmanDave Haas said that he would prefer

that we were basing the sewer fee onusage, but that he was pleased thecouncil was only putting the fee for-ward for one year, and not creatingsomething permanent.

Resolutions were approved estab-lishing the meeting dates for all of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8


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H T f d i D b 8 S t 18y g

Page 8 Thursday, December 13, 2012 The Westfield Leaderand The Scotch Plains Fanwood TIMES A Watchung Communications, Inc. Publication

Westfield Leader only

The Angels came, the Shepherds came, the Wise men came,

WILL YOU COME? We invite you this Christmas to worship HIM with us.

St. Bartholomew the Apostle ChurchVery Rev. John J. Paladino, Pastor/Dean

2032 Westfield Avenue, Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076www.stbartholomewchurch.org

(908) 322-5192

MASS SCHEDULEChristmas Eve Christmas Day3:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 8:00 am,

7:30 pm, 12:00 Midnight 10:00 am, 12 Noon

Horace R. Corbin for The Westfield Leader

THE MEANING BEHIND THE HOLIDAYVolunteers from the WestfieldKnights of Columbus assist in assembling the creche at the north side train stationin Westfield on Saturday.

Greg Ryan for The Westfield Leader

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT...Volunteers from the Westfield Area Ys Mens Clubsell Christmas Trees and wreaths over the weekend at the lot on Elm Street inWestfield.

Susan M. Dougherty for The Westfield Leader

CHRISTMAS COMES ALIVEChildren enjoy petting the animals at the liveNativity scene on the great lawn of The Presbyterian Church in Westfield onDecember 2. Two kid goats stole the hearts of these youngsters.

WF Zoning Board Okays,

Postpones ApplicationsBy DELL SIMEONE

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader

WESTFIELD The Westfield Zon-ing Board of Adjustment had a fulland varied agenda on Monday night,despite not having a full board present.Board Attorney Vincent Loughlin andActing Chairman Robert Burslemguided the panel in decision-making.

The board approved the followingapplications:

Laura and Joe Dougherty of 554Highland Avenue sought approval toconstruct a 2.5-story addition con-trary to the building code. The townordinance requires a minimum side-yard setback of 12.5 feet, where theyproposed 10 feet. The ordinance al-lows a maximum building height of32.75 feet, where the applicants pro-posed 34.15 feet. The code allows amaximum height of 2.5 stories wherethe applicants proposed three stories.

Michael and Lynne Ainge of 602Tremont Avenue sought approval toconstruct a one-story addition con-trary to code. The ordinance requiresaminimumstreet side yardsetbackof

yard setback of 20 feet.The board denied an application

by Michael P. Miller of 311 TemplePlace, who sought to retain a 10-footby 16-foot shed in a residential zonecontrary to the building code. Thetown ordinance allows a maximumshed size of 150 square feet, whereMr. Miller proposed 160 square feet.

The board will assign a specialhearing date for an application byKidville Westfield. Catherine and PaulWilder wish to establish the businessat 109 East Broad Street within theCentral Business District zone, whichis contrary to the town code. Theyalso are seeking to appeal an admin-istrative officers error. Kidville wit-nesses and a full board will be presentat the special meeting.

The following applications werecarried to the Monday, January 14meeting: UBS/Verizon, 130 NorthAvenue West, which is seekingchanges in signage, and Edward Jones& Co. LLP, 251 North Avenue, whichis seeking approval to install a wallsign contrary to code The ordinance

there are a lot of bright people in thistown and having an open seat gives anopportunity to those seeking to run for

council.The Garwood Council adopted, 4 to

1, an ordinance that fixes salaries andwages of certain officials and employ-ees of the Borough of Garwood, effec-tive as of January 1, 2012. The ordi-nance lays out the minimums and maxi-mums of salaries and wages of a longlist of staff of the borough, includingbut not limited to, the mayor, mini-mum, $1,800, maximum, $2,200; coun-cil, minimum, $1,500, maximum,$2,000; planning board attorney, mini-mum, $6,000, maximum, $9,000; pub-lic defender, minimum, $4,600, maxi-mum, $5,200; and the municipal attor-ney, minimum and maximum, $14,495.

Councilman James Mathieu votedagainst the ordinance because, he said,the cost of raises have gone up fromsome $9,000 to $11,000, and over one-third of the tax increase has gone toemployee raises for 2012, as opposedto services.

Council President Sluka said he dis-agreed with the voting on salaries for2012 on the last meeting of the year.

Its unfair to the employees to ban-ter about what the raises will be, hesaid.

They should know what theyreworking for, he said. They shouldknow how we value their work.

A special emergency appropriationof $75,000 was approved through aresolution to fund the costs the bor-ough incurred associated with Hurri-cane Sandy. Some $40,000 was relatedto tree and debris removal, BoroughClerk Christina Ariemma said. Therealso was damage to the roof of boroughhall and sidewalks throughout the bor-ough.

The borough expects to be reim-bursed by Federal Emergency Man-agement Agency (FEMA) aid formost of the costs associated with Sandy,Finance Committee Chairwoman SaraTodisco said.

A groundbreaking ceremony for theAthletic Field Complex will be heldthis Saturday, December 15, at 11 a.m.,Committee Chairman Louis Petruzzelli

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Garwood Councilnext years council meetings and set-ting the annual reorganization meet-ing for Wednesday, January 2, at 7

p.m.Following a closed session with

former town attorney RobertCockren, the council approved a reso-lution allowing the mayor to sign asettlement agreement regardingSunnyside versus Town of Westfield.

In 2009, Sunnyside Senior Hous-ing of Westfield filed a lawsuit againstthe Town of Westfield and theWestfield Planning Board, allegingthat its attempts to develop 1.5 acresat 206 Springfield Avenue in Westfieldwas rebuffed by the defendants.Steve Needle and Ray Rodgers arethe owners of Sunnyside.

The suit was considered a build-ers remedy lawsuit, as the town didnot have a fair housing plan approvedunder the regulations set forth by theCouncil on Affordable Housing(COAH). While the original proposalwas for 60 housing units, the settle-ment will allow construction of 24units, with four to be designated asaffordable

deserved public praise for their assis-tance in brokering this settlement.

During the public-comment por-

tion of the meeting, resident PamelaOrbach was critical of the departmentof public works, specifically what shecharacterized as the lack of prioritythe department gives to leaf pickup inareas near Westfield schools that donot have parking lots. I know theywork hard, but I believe they needguidance, she told the council.

She also said that the perception inthe community is that its unsafe to bea pedestrian. Ms. Orbach suggestedthat the police give warnings and ticketviolations such as failure to signal, inorder to better educate drivers.

In other business, the council ap-proved resolutions setting the meet-ing schedule for 2013. The new sched-ule will have conference sessions andregular meetings on the same nights,with conference sessions beginning at7:30 p.m. and regular meetings at 8p.m. Meetings will be held twice amonth, with the exception of July andAugust, when the council will onlymeet once each month


Westfield Council


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Serving the community since 1959

SEVENTY FIVE CENTS(908) 232-4407

[email protected] 53rd YEAR ISSUE NO. 50-2012Published Every Thursday Since 1959

www.timesnj.comUSPS 485200

Periodical Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J.Thursday, December 13, 2012

Greg Ryan for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT...The gloomy weather did not stop shoppers from looking forthe perfect Christmas tree at the Lions Club and Volunteer Fire DepartmentCh i t t l t L G d P k i F d l t k d

SECRET SANTASThe Fanwood PBA delivered Christmas g ifts to Plainfield Connections on Monday to help brightenthe holiday season. Plainfield Connections provides Parents as Teachers home visitation to 60 families in Union County,centering in Plainfield. Pictured, from left to right, are: Brenda Chin, Laura Zimmerman, Det. Sgt. Eugene Chin, MarlenChinchilla, Ptl. Anthony Espinosa and Director of Plainfield Connections Jenny Fischbein.

Scotch Plains Zoning Board GrantsVariances to Four Residents

By JULIE SHILLINGSpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

SCOTCH PLAINS The ScotchPlains Zoning Board of Adjustmentapproved variances involving fourreturning residential applications lastThursday night.

Two of the four applications weresubmitted by two separatehomeowners who both needed a vari-ance for their already installed fencesto be made higher.

Tara and Luke Bozetarnick re-quested permission to extend theirexisting six-foot-high fence, makingit a 10-foot-high fence, on their prop-erty at 2108 Coles Avenue. The fencewas six feet high when the residentsmoved in.

We want the extension of our six-foot-high fence for our childrenssafety, to keep them off our busystreet, Mrs. Bozetarnick said.

The couple resides at the intersec-tion of Coles and Westfield Avenues.

The second fence request was fromElaine Manfredonia to install a six-foot-high fence along her side prop-erty at 2346 Promenade.

The Manfredonia and Bozetarnickapplications were originally on theboards November 1 meeting agenda;however, due to power outages fromHurricane Sandy, the meeting waspostponed until December 6.

The township has an ordinancepermitting a four-foot-high maximum

fence in the front yard without a

variance, one reason being so thatdrivers can see when pulling out ofdriveways and when rounding streetcorners.

A third resident, Julia Beaumont,who has been seeking a request sincelast spring, received approval to con-struct a 30-foot by 20-foot deck at413 Farley Avenue.

Ms. Beaumont originally was seek-ing approval for a 30-foot by 25-footdeck, but last Thursday she loweredthe request by five feet in hopes ofgaining the boards approval. Thetownship ordinance requires a back-yard setback of 30 feet.

I dont have a house behind methat the deck will disturb, just land

space, Ms. Beaumont said.The issue that brought attention to

the members was Ms. Beaumontsdesire to have a rather large size deckversus the size of her property. Ms.Beaumont said she wanted to use thedeck for entertainment purposes.

A fourth applicant, GeorgeIbrahim, came before the board for avariance to install a seven-foot byseven-foot sun-caster shed in the farleft corner of his front yard at 2357Westfield Avenue.

I never thought I would make anapproval or let alone hear a requestfor a resident to put a shed in theirfront yard, board member ChrisAbeel said.

Board member Kenneth Andersonsuggested Mr. Ibrahim install plantsor bushes as a buffer zone sur-rounding the shed.

I want the shed in the front yardbecause I have a pie-shape yard andown a small patio taking up space inth b k d M Ib hi id C

Cranford Committee OKs $580,000Bond For Hurricane RecoveryBy FRED T. ROSSI

Specially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

CRANFORD The townshipcommittee on Tuesday approved a$580,000 bond ordinance to financevarious repairs to municipal proper-ties and facilities that were damagedby Superstorm Sandy in late Octo-ber The bond which was unani-

said at the committees penultimate

meeting of the year that the first roundof leaf pickup has been completedand the second one currently is un-derway, after which branchesspe-cifically, he noted, those of four inchesor less in diameterwill be pickedup. After that, the township will con-duct a third round of leaf pickup. He

did point out that residents are re-

sponsible for their own trees, mean-ing the township public works de-partment will not collect downed treesfrom private properties. And, he said,homeowners who have put large treesfrom their properties into the street inhopes of having the municipal gov-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8


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Scotch Plains - Fanwood Times onlyPage 8 Thursday, December 13, 2012 The Westfield Leaderand The Scotch Plains Fanwood TIMES A Watchung Communications, Inc. Publication

The Angels came, the Shepherds came, the Wise men came,

WILL YOU COME? We invite you this Christmas to worship HIM with us.

St. Bartholomew the Apostle ChurchVery Rev. John J. Paladino, Pastor/Dean

2032 Westfield Avenue, Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076www.stbartholomewchurch.org

(908) 322-5192

MASS SCHEDULEChristmas Eve Christmas Day3:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 8:00 am,

7:30 pm, 12:00 Midnight 10:00 am, 12 Noon

not had an increase is inaccurate,noting that county employees re


Freeholders

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS...Mayor Andy Skibitsky addresses the attendees at theannual Menorah lighting in downtown Westfield on Sunday afternoon, thesecond night of Chanukah, as Rabbi Levi Block looks on. A group of around 70gathered in the rain for the celebration, which also was attended by CouncilmenDavid Haas and Sam Della Fera. All three addressed the attendees with warmwords of welcome and Chanukah messages. Robert Kuchner of Westfield alsoshared a Dvar Torah with everyone. Following the lig hting, everyone danced tothe live music and enjoyed delicious Chanukah doughnuts and chocolate gelt.

Susan M. Dougherty for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

NATIVITY SCENEThe Presbyterian Church in Westfield makes the nativityscene come alive for the community on December 2. Along with the nativity scene,young live animals were on the great front lawn for children of all ages to feed andpet. Two tiny kid goats stole the hearts of the little girls and boys.

Susan M. Dougherty for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

MEETING THE PLAYWRIGHTAt the fundraiser for Liberty Live at KeanUniversity on December 7, Westfield dignitaries meet E.M. Lewis, playwrightof the one-act playLiberty Live: Talking to Westfield. From left, Superintendentof Westfield Schools Margaret Dolan, Westfield Mayor Andy Skibitsky, Keanprofessor and curator of the Westfield Historical Society Stanley Lipson, Mr.Lewis and President of the Westfield Historical Society Nancy Priest. See storyon page 20.

ernment take them away will be get-ting notices from the local govern-ment informing them of the policy.

From a public safety standpoint,Mr. Campbell said it was importantfor large tree debris to be removedfrom the streets so that if a signifi-cant snowfall were to occur, snowplows would be able to safely andeffectively clear the roads.

The committee on Tuesday ap-proved several resolutions award-ing contracts for storm sewer re-construction work, specificallyseparating the sanitary sewer linefrom the storm water sewer, andDeputy Mayor Andis Kalnins

pointed out the importance ofthese projects. We pay our sewerfees to RVSA [Rahway Valley Sew-erage Authority] based on theamount of water going into the sani-tary sewer, he said. Stormwaterrunoff going into the sanitary linesraises those fees, so the new con-fi i l l l i

GW Council President Sluka

Concludes Two TermsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Cranford Councilthis week, would give homeownersin any potential historic district theright to object to the designationduring a hearing before the historicpreservation board, which wouldthen advise the township commit-tee of the objections.

Maureen Strazdon, who heads thehistoric preservation board, told thecommittee on Tuesday that theamendment could lead to someconfusion among residents andsaid her group would meet with theplanning board and other local offi-cials to craft alternative and moreclear language.

The committee also approved an

ordinance mandating a checklist tobe completed by those filing landdevelopment applications with thetownship zoning board of adjust-ment or planning board. Cal ling it acommon sense move that shouldhave been done before, DeputyMayor Campbell noted that the push

By CHRISTINA M. HINKESpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

GARWOOD The council passedresolutions Tuesday acknowledging thetime served by Council President KeithSluka and Councilman Timothy Hakon the governing body.

Democratic Committee ChairmanCharles Lombardo presented Mr. Slukawith a gavel, which Mr. Sluka latertested out jokingly when the mayorsaid a few words about his service onthe council.

Mr. Hak was out sick Tuesday.Each council member made remarks

on Mr. Slukas commitment to the coun-cil and the residents. Many acknowl-edged how his humor helped to lightenthe serious discussions that had takenplace at the dais.

Mr. Sluka highlighted a few actionsthat took place while he served oncouncil.

b d d b did

working for, he said. They shouldknow how we value their work.

A special emergency appropria-tion of $75,000 was approvedthrough a resolution to fund the coststhe borough incurred associated withHurricane Sandy. Some $40,000 wasrelated to tree and debris removal,Borough Clerk Christina Ariemmasaid. There also was damage to theroof of borough hall and sidewalksthroughout the borough.

The borough expects to be reim-bursed by FEMA aid for most of thecosts associated with Sandy, Finance

Committee Chairwoman SaraTodisco said.A groundbreaking ceremony for

the Athletic Field Complex will beheld this Saturday, December 15, at11 a.m., Committee Chairman LouisPetruzzelli said.

The council passed, 4 to 1, a reso-

WF Council Sets Sewer Fees

At Last Years RatesBy LAUREN S. BARR

Specially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

WESTFIELD During Tuesdaynights meeting, the last of 2012,the Westfield Council unanimouslyapproved another year of sewer feesfor residents, along with settling alawsuit that has been ongoing since2009.

Next year, 2013, will mark thesecond year that Westfield will chargeresidents for sewer usage. Under theordinance, fees will remain the sameas in 2012: single-family homes willbe charged $170 per year, while con-dos and townhouses will be charged$135 per unit. Commercial and in-dustrial properties will be charged$315 per year and apartments will becharged $100 each for sewer usage.Sewer bills will be mailed by Febru-ary 20, 2013 and will be due no laterthan April 1, 2013. The fees are beingused to offset Westfields bill fromthe Rahway Valley Sewerage Author-ity, which totaled $3.6 million for2012 and is e pected to rise in 2013

educate drivers.

In other business, the council ap-proved resolutions setting the meet-ing schedule for 2013. The newschedule will have conference ses-sions and regular meetings on thesame nights, with conference ses-sions beginning at 7:30 p.m. andregular meetings at 8 p.m. Meet-ings will be held twice a month,with the exception of July and Au-gust, when the council will onlymeet once each month.

At the end of the meeting, MayorAndy Skibitsky thanked councilmembers for their hard work andpresented them with their $1 pay-checks.

The council will meet next at its

reorganization meeting on January 2.


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Page 2 Thursday, December 13, 2012 The Westfield Leaderand The Scotch Plains Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNGCOMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION

Courtesy of Jim Lowney/County of UnionCOUNTY TREE ARRIVES...This years Christmas tree arrives at the UnionCounty Courthouse in Elizabeth. The tree, donated by Rocco Rosania ofKenilworth, will be on display in the Courthouse Rotunda during the holidayseason. The public is invited to view the tree on weekdays until it is removed justbefore New Years Day.

Christie Picks BPU Head,Monmouth Judge for Court

TRENTON Governor ChrisChristie has selected of RobertHanna, president of the states Boardof Public Utilities (BPU), and stateSuperior Court Judge David Baumanof Monmouth County, for nomina-

tion to the New Jersey SupremeCourt.If confirmed, Judge Bauman would

be the first Asian-American to serveon New Jerseys highest Court.

I thank each of these very accom-plished, capable individuals for theirwillingness to serve on the SupremeCourt. Not only would Bob and Davidmake outstanding justices, but theirnominations also expand the diver-sity of background, strong experi-ence and qualifications of the Courtmembership a point made mostclear by each mans previous, unani-mous endorsement by the New Jer-sey Senate, Governor Christie said.

Robert Hanna, 54, a lawyer with

nearly 30 years of legal experience,has served as the BPU president sinceDecember 2011, when he was unani-mously approved by the Senate Judi-ciary Committee and full Senate forthe post. Prior to that, he was directorof the Division of Law and assistantattorney general within the New Jer-sey Department of Law and PublicSafety.

Mr. Hanna served for 16 years inthe United States Attorneys Office inNew Jersey including four years aschief of the Securities and HealthFraud Unit. He also has 10 years ofprior private sector legal experience.He is a summa cum laude graduate ofManhattan College and received hislaw degree from Fordham Univer-sity.

Judge Bauman, 56, was nominatedto the Monmouth County bench in2008 by Governor Jon Corzine. Hewas unanimously approved by theSenate Judiciary Committee andconfirmed by the full Senate, 37-0.A veteran, Judge Bauman servedfour years on active duty with theUnited States Marine Corps, and anadditional 12 years as a reservist.

Prior to his judicial appointment,Judge Bauman served 17 years inprivate sector law. He is a magna cumlaude graduate of Columbia Univer-sity and received his law degree from

Boston College.Both nominations are subject toSenate confirmation.

Senate Republican Leader TomKean, Jr. (R-21, Westfield) praisedthe nominations in the following state-ment he released:

Governor Christie has once againput forward a pair of thoughtful nomi-nations to the New Jersey SupremeCourt. Both Judge Bauman and Presi-dent Hanna have extremely impres-sive professional and legal back-

grounds, and both received unani-mous approval by the Senate to theircurrent positions, a testament to theimpressive nature of their qualifica-tions. David and Bob have receivedextensive praise in the past by thesame Democrats who will soon con-sider their nominations to the Su-preme Court. I sincerely hope thatpast praise is a sign that Democratsare ready to give these qualified indi-viduals a fair hearing, something thatprevious nominees were unfortu-nately denied for purely partisan pur-poses.

The state Senate rejected Gov.Christies picks of Bruce Harris, thegay African-American Republican

mayor of Chatham, and Philip Kwon,a Korean-born registered indepen-dent who had worked for Christie atthe U.S. Attorneys Office. This fol-lowed the Governors decision not toreappoint John Wallace to the seven-member Supreme Court, leaving itwithout an African American mem-ber.

Assembly Minority Leader JonBramnick (R-21, Westfield) issuedthe following statement: GovernorChristie has nominated two well-qualified candidates to serve on thecourt. I am confident they will re-ceive a fair hearing in the Senate andtheir legal experience and backgroundwill result in their confirmation sothat we will have a fully staffed Su-preme Court.

Mayors to Meet In CF

On Flood Control EffortCRANFORD The Mayors Coun-

cil on Rahway River Watershed FloodControl will hold its next meetingtonight, Thursday, December 13, at7:30 p.m. in Room 108 of theCranford Township Municipal Build-ing.

The purpose of meeting is to en-sure residents who attend and thosewho will read about update aboutwhere the effort stands. Legislators,

county leaders and mayors are in-vited. Their objective is to urgecompletion of the environmental as-sessment of South Mountain andLenape Park projects so the U.S. ArmyCorps. of Engineers can proceed tothe next step.

Lance Named Vice-Chair

Of Commerce Subcomm.WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep.

Leonard Lance (R-7th), who sits onthe House Energy and CommerceCommittee, has been named vice-chairman of the Commerce, Manu-facturing and Trade Subcommittee.

As vice-chairman, Rep. Lance willhelp support the nations manufac-turing sector, improve consumer pro-tections, oversee job-creating tradeagreements and identify wasteful pro-grams and burdensome regulationswithin the federal bureaucracy in-cluding the U.S. Department of Com-merce and Federal Trade Commis-sion. For more information,visitwww. energycommerce.house.gov/subcommittees/commerce-manufac-turing-and-trade.

To be selected to serve as vice-chairman of the Commerce, Manu-facturing, and Trade Subcommit-tee is a tremendous honor, Rep.Lance said. We need a nationalstrategy to create and maintain U.S.manufacturing jobs, something thatour country is currently lacking. Ilook forward to working with Chair-man (Rep. Fred) Upton (R-Mich.)

and my colleagues on both sides ofthe aisle to boost manufacturing andtrade, create more jobs and bringgreater certainty to our economy.

The Congressman also announcedhis appointment to the Communica-tions and Technology Subcommit-tee, which has jurisdiction over fed-eral communications, technology,cybersecurity, privacy, and data se-curity issues. Visitenergycommerce.house.gov/sub-committees/communications-and-technology for more information.

Rep. Lance will also remain a mem-ber of the Health Subcommittee, anappointment he said is important to themore than 42,000 life sciences em-ployees working in the Garden State.My Congressional district is home tomany of the nations leading telecom-munications companies includingVerizon, AT&T, Alcatel-Lucent,Comcast and Cablevision, he said.

COUNTY A 62-year-old UnionCounty jail inmate died December 5at an area hospital as the result of self-inflicted injury he sustained in the

jail on December 1, County authori-ties have confirmed.The man, Ward Weber, of

Morrisville, Pa., was being held afterbeing charged with two counts of un-lawful possession of a handgun onNovember 23 in Summit. He wasrushed to Trinitas Regional Medical

For All Your Business, Tax

& Financial Needs

Inmate Dies Of Self-Inflicted Wound

L tt Wi C ld B

Assembly Bill Offers

Credits for InvestmentsTRENTON Legislation aimed at

boosting emerging technology busi-nesses and creating jobs and economicgrowth for New Jersey was releasedMonday by the Assembly BudgetCommittee as part of Assembly Demo-cratic job creation efforts.

The bill (A-1084) is known as theNew Jersey Angel Investor Tax CreditAct. Angel investments are invest-ments by wealthy individuals intohigh-risk start-up ventures. The billwould establish credits against cor-

i b i d i

New UF Executive DirectorAddresses Sandy Aftermath

By PAUL J. PEYTONSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

WESTFIELD Only a month intoher new role of succeeding long-timeUnited Fund of Westfield executivedirector Linda Maggio, Deirdre

Gelinne had to deal with a majorpower loss and a dozen homes de-stroyed in Westfield; this coming justmonths into the Funds 2012-2013drive to meet its goal of $625,000, thesame as last year. Ms. Gelinne saidthe campaign has raised half of itsgoal to date.

During an interview with TheWestfield Leader and The ScotchPlains-Fanwood Timeslast week, Ms.Gelinne said the United Fund had tocancel its annual telethon, which wasscheduled to begin October 29, theday Hurricane Sandy hit. During thetelethon, United Fund volunteers calldonors who have not given in thecurrent year. A second round of calls

was scheduled for November 12, butalso was canceled.

We felt it just wasnt the time.People were just getting their powerback. Some people didnt have theirpower backPeople are busy andcoping with a lot, she said.

In addition to its annual fund, theUnited Fund was asked by the townto set up a fund for residents to sendchecks to help those Westfieldersimpacted the most by the hurricane.Ms. Gelinne said her office is accept-ing donations until the end of De-cember. Less than $20,000 has beenraised to date.

Weve been getting contributionsfrom people, she said, noting thatchildren in Westfields six elemen-tary schools raised $4,000 through aprogram called Twelve Days of Giv-ing.

A letter has been sent to the dozenor so homeowners in Westfield whosehomes were destroyed in the hurri-cane, inviting them to apply for fund-ing.

We are not really talking aboutthe big ticket items, but we are hop-ing that we can help them in someway if there are some things that arenot being covered by FEMA (Fed-eral Emergency ManagementAgency) or their private insurance,Ms. Gelinne said.

Requests to date have ranged fromseeking funds to have tree limbs and/or trunks removed to paying for lostrefrigerated food.

Ms. Gelinne said any funds that areleft over will be dedicated to thestates Sandy relief fund. So it willdefinitely be spent in New Jersey,she said.

I think people really helped each

other through this. There wasnt anoutpouring of people running say-ing, I need help, I need help. I thinkpeople were being helped by friendsand neighbors. A lot of the peoplehad families nearby that they couldgo live with, she said.

Those who would like to donate tothe relief fund can do so by makingchecks payable to Hurricane SandyWestfield Relief Fund, and mailingthem to United Fund of Westfield,301 North Avenue West, Westfield,N.J. 07090. Donations also can bemade online at http://www.westfieldunitedfund.org/ byclicking the donate button and in-dicating that it is a Sandy relief

donation.Since taking over for Mrs. Maggio,

Ms. Gelinne said she has upgradedthe United Funds website to be elec-tronic-friendly, including a newFacebook page and an e-mail blastsprogram to reach newer residents suchas young families moving into town.She also hopes to work closer withbusinesses, including the distributionof brochures around town such as indoctors offices.

The Fund also has added a 20thmember agency, HomeFirst, previ-ously known as the Interfaith Coun-cil for the Homeless. It currentlyoperates six housing units in three,two-family houses in Westfield aswell as some units in Plainfield forthe working poor. The United Fundalso funds an after-school tutoringprogram for low-income familiesthrough the Westfield school sys-tem.

Ms. Gelinne is assisted by NancyVickers, business manager, and TerryHennessey, administrative assistant.The United Funds Board of Trusteesis headed by a five-member execu-tive committee led by CharlesWeidman, president.


7/30

A WATCHUNGCOMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leaderand The Scotch Plains Fanwood TIMES Thursday, December 13, 2012 Page 3

HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY... Susan Cahn and Harriet Shafran, co ownersof Knit-a-Bit, as they celebrate 10 years in Westfield.

Peek at the Week

By Paul Peyton of The Leader/Times

In Politics

Peyton's

Christie Vetoes Health Exchange;Says Cost Could Be OnerousGovernor Chris Christie last week

vetoed legislation that would have be-gun establishment of a state-based healthcare exchange in New Jersey in line withthe federal Affordable Care Act.

We will comply with the Afford-able Care Act, but only in the mostefficient and cost effective way forNew Jersey taxpayers Until thefederal government gives us all thenecessary information, any other ac-tion than this would be fiscally irre-sponsible, Governor Christie said.

Financing the building and imple-mentation of a state-based Exchangewould be an extraordinarily costlyendeavor, Governor Christie said.While the federal governmental hasenabled states to apply for grant fund-

ing to cover some of the initial costs ofsuch an endeavor, the total price forsuch a program has never been quan-tified, and is likely to be onerous.Without knowing the full scope ofwhich exchange option would be mostbeneficial and cost efficient for NewJerseyans, it would be irresponsible toforce such a bill on our citizens.

Sen. Gill Says 440,000Uninsured Need Exchange

State Senator Nia Gill (D-34,Essex), chairwoman of the SenateCommerce Committee and primesponsor of the New Jersey HealthBenefit Exchange Act, commentedon Governor Chris Christies veto of

a heath exchange in New Jersey.New Jersey should have a state-based exchange. The bill vetoed bythe Governor allowed New Jersey tomaintain regulatory control over in-surance to the greatest extent pos-sible, to respond to market condi-tions, to ensure competition and todefine plans that best meet the needsof New Jersey residents, SenatorGill said. Now, 440,000 uninsuredpeople hang in the balance as weawait the governors decision on thiscritical matter.

Lonegan Praises ChristieVeto of Health Benefit Exchange

Americans for Prosperity StateDirector Steve Lonegana applauded

Gov. Chris Christie for issuing anabsolute veto of the New JerseyHealth Benefit Exchange Act.

Americans for Prosperity com-mends Gov. Christie for delivering ahuge blow to the federal takeover ofour health care by vetoing the estab-lishmentofanObamaCareexchange

posed a major weakness in theObamaCare system. The organizerscannot even adequately explain how

the federal government will operatethe simplest component of the PPACA(Patient Protection and AffordableCare Act). If they cant explain howthis relatively simple bureaucracy willoperate, how will they manage themore complex operations like deter-mining who will receive what medi-cal procedures? They claim they willmake health care more efficient, butcant even figure out how to organizethe distribution of policies. This il-lustrates in frightening detail whereObamaCare is headed.

Cerf Wont Waive 180-DaySchool Calendar for Sandy

State Education CommissionerChristopher Cerf said he will not waive

the states 180-day requirement forschools that had to close because ofHurricane Sandy, The Star-Ledgerre-ported. His testimony came during astate Senate Budget Committee hear-ing at the Meadowlands Racetrack inEast Rutherford on December 3.

Mr. Cerf also said he does not favorschool districts adding extra days onSaturdays to make up for days schoolwere closed because of Sandy becausehe was concerned districts might onlyhold class for the minimum four hours,which counts as a full school day.Trenton Mayor, Brother Indicted inParking Garage Bribery Scheme

First-term Trenton Mayor Tony

Mack was indicted last week on chargeshe sold his influence to a parking ga-rage developer in a two-year FBI sting,The Times of Trentonreported. Mackand his two co-defendants face areaccused of a $119,000 bribery schemeinvolving his brother, Ralphiel Mack,and Joseph JoJo Giorgianni, theowner of JoJos Steak House in Tren-ton. Mack, Ralphiel Mack andGiorgianni were indicted on chargesof extortion, and mail and wire fraud.Mayor Mack was indicted on sixbribery and extortion counts.

DeMint Resigning toLead Heritage Foundation

Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMintfrom South Carolina has announced

he is resigning to take the helm of theconservative think tank HeritageFoundation. His resignation is effec-tive January 1, according to an Asso-ciated Press report. Sen. DeMint wasfirst elected to the Senate in 2004 andwas re-elected in 2010. He previ-ously served in the U.S. House of

Muoz Sponsored Bill IncreasesPenalties for Animal Cruelty

TRENTON Penalties imposedon those found guilty of mistreatinganimals would be increased underlegislation approved by the state As-sembly Agriculture and Natural Re-sources Committee. The legislation,known as Patricks Law, is spon-

sored by Assemblywoman Nancy F.Muoz (R-21, Summit).Patricks Law is named for a pit

bull in Newark that was foundstarved, in an emaciated condition,put in a garbage bag and droppeddown a garbage chute. The incidentoccurred in March 2011. Patrick sur-vived the cruelty and is now recov-ering at a veterinary care facility inTinton Falls.

The cruel and deliberate mistreat-ment of any animal cannot be toler-ated, Asw. Muoz said. There willbe an increased price to pay for thosewho dare to treat an animal withcallous disregard. Animal cruelty is asenseless and deliberate act that ex-

poses a persons sick mentality. This

bill will heighten awareness and drawattention to the fact that animals needto be treated in a humane manner.

The bill, A-798, which was substi-tuted in committee by S-1303, in-creases to crimes of the fourth de-gree, the offenses of depriving an

animal of necessary sustenance, orabusing an animal, and increases thegrade of these offenses to crimes ofthe third degree if the animal dies asa result of these acts. The civil pen-alty for these offenses would also beincreased under the bill to a fine of$1,000 to $3,000 for a first offense,and $3,000 to $5,000 for a second orsubsequent offense.

The bill also increases the criminaland civil penalties for: inflicting un-necessary cruelty upon a living ani-mal by any direct or indirect means;an owner who fails to provide ananimal with proper food, drink andshelter; or leaving an animal unat-tended in a vehicle under inhumane

conditions.

Asw. Stender: Commuters Deserve

Better Storm Planning in FutureTRENTON Assemblywoman

Linda Stender (D-22, Scotch Plains),vice-chairwoman of the AssemblyTransportation Committee, releasedthe following statement Monday af-ter the committee heard testimony onthe condition of New Jerseys trans-portation infrastructure followingHurricane Sandy:

The fact that the DOT (Depart-ment of Transportation) commis-

sioner skipped this hearing is aninsult to the commuters still strug-gling to get to work each day morethan a month after Sandy. He owesthe people of New Jersey an expla-nation, not excuses. Sandy was anunprecedented storm for our state,and I appreciate the hard work of allthe transportation employees whohave labored tirelessly to get oursystem back running, Asw. Stendersaid.

Our transportation system is thelifeblood of this state, relied on bycountless working-class families as

their means to earn a living. Ourentire economy is based on a work-able transportation system. Quite sim-ply, that system cannot be put at riskby poor planning and questionabledecisions, Asw. Stender said.

Were already seeing the detri-mental impact on commuters stillstruggling to get to work daily.This continued stress and likelyloss of economic activity is very

concerning. We need to do betterfor the benefit of our commuters,such as those on the Raritan ValleyLine.

I thank (NJ Transit) Director(James) Weinstein for testifying to-day and offering his thoughts, but Ialso want to hear more about whatour transportation leaders will do tobetter plan for concerns such as cli-mate change, which will have an un-relenting impact on our transporta-tion system in years to come. Weneed to use the science available toprotect our system.

Governor Christie Takes Action

On Following LegislationBills Signed:A-1289/S-1355 Requires plans,

specifications, and bid proposal docu-ments for certain local public con-tracts to address soil contamination,and requires contracting unit to ap-prove change order under certain cir-cumstances.

A-1902/S-721 Tabithas Law, re-quires parents or guardians to notify schooladministrators if pupils will be absent;requires schools to notify parents in eventof unexcused pupil absence.

A-2879/S-1916 Prohibits require-ment to disclose user name, pass-word, or other means for accessingaccounts or service through electroniccommunications devices by institu-tions of higher education.

A-2889/S-1906 Provides for tem-

porary nurse licensure for qualifiednonresident military spouses.A-2949/S-2015 (Asm. Green, Asw.

Stender/Sen. Scutari) Authorizes statetreasurer to sell surplus property, knownas Plainfield Armory, located in City ofPlainfield in Union County.

S-1328GR/A-2310 Permits Type

II district with board of school esti-mate to opt to move school electionto November; eliminates board ofschool estimates approval of bud-gets for such districts, except for pro-posals to spend above cap.

S-327/A-1380 Provides immu-nity to institutions of higher educa-tion for food donations.

SCS for S-599/ACS for A-2573 Taras Law provides protectionsfor individuals with developmentaldisabilities residing in communitycare residences and for investigationsof abuse of individuals with develop-mental disabilities.

S-612/ACS for A-1519 Establishesan elevator contractors licensing boardto grant licenses for elevator, escalator,and moving walkway mechanics.

S-1816/A-2763 AffordsDeleware River Port Authority po-lice officers authority to inspect haz-ardous material carriers and cargoes;clarifies authority of State Police toconduct inspections.

S-2156/A-3248 Establishes sum-mary action to foreclose mortgageson vacant and abandoned residentialproperty.

Bill Vetoed:A-2596/S-1829 Conditional veto

Removes requirement for one- andtwo-family residences to be equippedwith a portable fire extinguisher.

Interiors So Lovely, Youll Want to Stay Home

Think Superior For:Expert Consultation Services

Space Planning / Room Layouts

RemodelingServices

Union PD to Hold Toy

Drive for Sandy VictimsUNION The Union Police De-

partment is ramping up its annualSanta in Blue toy drive this year tohelp Hurricane Sandy victims with acollection and sorting day on Sun-day, December 16 from 9 a.m. to 3

p.m. at Union High School.Toys will be transported to the OceanCounty Sheriffs Office that will dis-tribute them equally throughout theshore area. Donations of new, un-wrapped toys can be dropped off atUnion High School, 2400 North 3rdStreet, Union, N.J. Monetary dona-


8/30


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Letters to the EditorABCDICTIONOPQRSTDECEPTIONUVWXYZ

TM

DDDD

Diction Deception

Letters to

the Editor

This Time of Year is Dangerous

For Drivers and PedestriansFor nearly a decade, we have written about this.

Regrettably, during most of those years there weretragedies. This time of year is particularly danger-ous for drivers and pedestrians alike. The weatherchanges comes upon us with snow, ice and raincreating treacherous conditions those that weforget about during the rest of the year. It also getsdark early in the day, impairing vision more thanwe realize. We also have the holidays and Christ-mas shopping, which can cause traffic back-ups.

Rush hour traffic seems to be greater than normal,with congestion and even some road rage. Could itbe that were more in a hurry too? Cell phones seemto be growing out of more drivers ears this scaresus. Texting, Twitters, Tweeters and Twits have nowbeen added as distractions.

These circumstances converge, escalating the dan-ger. There are numerous distractions for the pedes-trian too. Remember, a 4,000-pound vehicle alwayswins although perhaps legally in the wrong. With

this, the public can let their guard down, a low senseof awareness sets in and then tragedy occurs.

No matter how many laws are passed, how manyspeed bumps are installed, or how many police are atintersections, unless all of us realize the danger andact accordingly, we will have further tragedies. Wemust remember too, that out-of-town drivers andpedestrians are passing through our area. They prob-ably are not aware of the local situations and poten-tial dangers to themselves or to others. You cannotassume that they are aware.

As a driver, please be fully aware that pedestriansmight enter the street from any location at any time and that you might not see them. As a pedestrian,make sure before crossing that conditions are abso-lutely safe. You might have the right of way, but youcould be dead wrong.

In this joyous season, have a Happy Hanukkahand Merry Christmas. Please be safe and care forothers.

Westfield Board Of Health Reports ItIs Not Too Late To Get The Flu Vaccine

Holiday Gifts Keep on Giving:Thrift Shops Benefit Community

Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, Ring tingtingle-ing too, Come on, its lovely weather forsome holiday shopping with you.

Additionally, these stores welcome donations gen-tly used items that people no longer need or want.Among these local thrift shops are:

The influenza season is off to itsearliest start in nearly a decade andcould be a bad one, according to theCDC. The flu has markedly increasedin parts of the country and the pri-mary strain circulating tends to makepeople sicker than other types.

It is not too late to get the fluvaccine. You can still protect your-self, your family and your friends bybeing vaccinated against flu, espe-cially since this years vaccine ap-pears to be a good match. Also, chil-dren who attend licensed child careor preschool must be vaccinated eachyear.

Flu vaccinations are available atthe Westfield Regional Health De-partment (WRHD). To scheduleyours, please contact Laura Scanlon,the public health nursing supervisor,

at (908) 789-4070, ext. 4074 [email protected] Board discussed the recent

accomplishments of the health de-partment in support of the town aftersuperstorm Sandy and ways to im-prove for the next similar event. TheBoard appreciated the work of thedepartment leadership and staff whorapidly mobilized to provide neededpublic health-related services duringa very difficult time.

In addition, the Board recommendsthat residents should prepare now forthe next severe weather. Make orrestock your disaster supply kit withat least a three days supply: 1) water,one gallon per person per day; 2)

nonperishable food; 3) medications;and 4) flashlight and radio, with bat-teries. Also, have a plan to aid familymembers, take care of pets, and safelyshut off utilities. Finally, if you will

use a portable generator, plan to lo-cate it in a well-ventilated spaceAWAY from your house and have afunctioning battery-operated carbonmonoxide alarm in your home. Al-though carbon monoxide can be asilent killer, the most common re-ported symptoms are headache, nau-sea and dizziness.

The health department is sponsor-ing respiratory screening with Over-look Medical Center on Thursday,December 13, from 10 a.m. to noonin the municipal building. For moreinformation and to register, pleasecontact Ms. Scanlon as noted above.

Finally, I want to thank the volun-teer members of the Board of Healthand the senior staff of the departmentfor their dedication and outstandingwork on behalf of public health in

Westfield: Tom ONeill (vice-presi-dent), Mitchell Beinhaker, Esq, Dr.Vasilios Diamantopoulos, Dr. RonenGold, Gavin Handwerker, Esq, Dr.Seymour Koslowsky, David Oliveira,Dr. David Weinman, Sam Della Fera,Esq (our council liaison), MeganAvallone, RN, MPH (health officer),Ken Pincus (principal registered en-vironmental health specialist) andLaura Scanlon, MS, RN (public healthnursing supervisor).

Information about all of thedepartments activities is availableon its website www.westfieldnj.gov/health. The complete minutes of theDecember 3 meeting will be postedafter review and approval at our Janu-

ary 7, 2013, meeting, which starts at5:30 p.m. in the municipal building.

Lawrence Budnick, MD, MPHPresident, WRHD

Mail-In Ballots Edge Obama

Past Romney in WestfieldI am very pleased to let the readers

know that the final election returnsfor Westfield for the presidential racehave been obtained. President Obamawon in Westfield. Thats right! This iscontrary to the reporting on electionnight, when only the machine castballots were counted.

When the provisional ballots andthe mail-in ballots were counted aswell, the tally was President Obama,8,080, and Mitt Romney 7,555.

Many people volunteered their timeto contribute to this victory for Presi-dent Obama. They did so under thee cellent steadfast nrelenting co

leadership of Ros Harrison and MarvGersten. The volunteers will be cel-ebrating at my home this Saturday,December 15. A big thank you alsogoes to the Westfield High SchoolYoung Democrats who worked sohard to get out the vote. This victorymarks the sixth presidential election

in a row when Westfield voted for theDemocratic candidate! Looking for-ward to many more Democratic vic-tories in Westfield!

Janice Siegel, Vice-ChairWestfield Democratic Committee

Below are four arcane words, eachwith four definitions only one is cor-rect. The others are made up. Are yousharp enough to discern this deception ofdiction?

If you can guess one correctly goodguess. If you get two well-read indi-vidual. If you get three word expert. Ifyou get all four You must have a lot offree time!

All words and correct definitionscome from the board game DictionDeception.

Answers to last weeks arcane words.1. Spreaghery Cattle stealing2. Matanza A slaughterhouse3. Sulcate Furrowed or grooved4. Bodega A wine cellar or place

where wine is sold or kept

ATRABILIOUS1. A hypochondriac2. Balanced; stable3. Cranky; irritable4. Mentally ill; insane

SUPAWN1. Twining about; twisting2. Boiled corn meal; mush3. Wet mud4. Salty; saline

SCORSE1. To belittle or humble2. Wild strawberries3. To spread, as a disease4. To trade or barter

VRILLE1. Shiny; glossy; beaming with light2. In aviation, a spinning nose dive3. Scarred; grooved4. Very bright green shade

Lance, Represent UsDear Rep. Lance, I did not vote for

you, but since youve now been re-electedas my Representative, I have a requestIm sure those who did support you willagree with. Please represent all of us and dont just blindly follow those inWashington who apparently think theywere elected only by Grover Norquist.

Paraphrasing the Declaration of Inde-pendence, Governments are institutedamong Men to secure certain unalienablerights, among which are Life, Libertyand the pursuit of Happiness. Bottomline, the government isnt the enemy its us. Youve been elected to be part ofour government and to make it work.

Among their reasons for declaring in-dependence, the framers accused KingGeorge of two things: (1) He has refusedhis Assent to Laws, the most wholesomeand necessary for the public good; and(2) He has forbidden his Governors topass Laws of immediate and pressingimportance, unless suspended in theiroperation till his Assent should be ob

See more letters on page 5


9/30


County Prosecutor Must Enforce

Rules on County EmployeesEditors Note: The following letter

was e-mailed to Union County Free-holder Chairman AlexanderMirabella, state elected officials and

Union County mayors.******

It appears that generators belong-ing to the taxpayers of Union Countywere taken from county property forpersonal use during the recent catas-trophe in direct violation of clear andexplicit rules. As we all know, manyelderly and sick individuals enduredincalculable suffering during the re-cent catastrophe, due in large part tothe lack of power. Meanwhile certainindividuals put their personal inter-ests above county residents and tookthese generators home.

I am sure you agree with me thatthis abhorrent behavior needs to beprosecuted, with the individualsnamed and held fully accountable.

Sadly, it appears that another letslook the other way approach is un-folding in the process of the investi-gation, with a nothing illegal hap-pened outcome seemingly the strat-egy. This unwillingness to seriouslyenforce written, well-establishedrules has resulted in a culture of widelyaccepted fraud/corruption in thecounty as evidenced by just a fewexamples, where no employees weredismissed or disciplined:

- tens of thousands of dollars incash unaccounted for following thetaxpayer underwritten Union CountyMusicFest, where, according to the

prosecutors report, no one can accu-rately account for the money col-lected in the name of charity.

- recent involvement of a county

vehicle in a drunk driving incident,whereby explicit rules limiting use ofthe vehicle to official county busi-ness were ignored, thereby poten-

tially exposing the county to claimsof negligence for not enforcing thoserules.

- uncovering of what appears to beyears of fraud, whereby county em-ployees regularly used pooledcounty E-Z Pass transponders on per-sonal weekend and holiday trips toNew York and the Jersey Shore, pos-sibly in county take home vehicles.

Sadly, the county taxpayers arelargely dependent on one organiza-tion that has decided to stand up andfight. Without Tina Rennas tirelessadvocacy, the county would likelyhave never even acknowledged thistheft of generators had even hap-pened. Only following posts onwww.countywatchers.com, was thiseven investigated.

While some county officials dis-miss the work of the Union CountyWatchdog Association, I have spo-ken with several hardworking countyemployees who privately praise herfor uncovering the fraud and corrup-tion that shockingly still perme-ates county operations. Hardworkingemployees should not suffer becauseof the misdeeds of a few.

I am asking everyone copied onthis e-mail to contact County Pros-ecutor Romankow and, as in Sussexand Passaic, demand that UnionCounty also enforce the rules. He can

be contacted at: [email protected] Boehme

Summit

Letters to the EditorNJ Dems Propose

$100-Million BondTRENTON On Monday, an Assem-

bly panel advanced legislation sponsoredby Assembly Democrats Connie Wagner,Tim Eustace and John Wisniewski tocreate a $100- million public bond refer-endum to fund the purchase of flood-prone properties throughout New Jersey.

The lingering damage from Sandy isan all-too-real reminder of the destruc-tive power of flooding, said Assembly-woman Wagner (D-38, Paramus). FromBergen County to Atlantic County, resi-dents have been repeatedly subject to thenightmare of trying to rebuild after se-vere storms. Its time we try a new ap-proach and let the people decide if weshould invest in buying up propertiesrepeatedly prone to flooding.

The bill (A-2930), entitled the BlueAcres Floodplain Protection Bond Act of2012, would authorize the issuance of$100 million in state general obligationbonds, of which $85 million would beallocated for the acquisition of propertiesrepeatedly prone to flooding through thestates Blue Acres program and $15 mil-lion of which would be allocated as grantsto fund home elevation. Under the bill,only single-family or two-family houses

that are the homeowners primary resi-dence would be eligible for the homeelevation grants.

In some of the areas most devastatedby Sandy, many of the homes that sur-vived the best were those that were el-evated in some form, said Assembly-man Eustace (D-38, Paramus). Thiswould help us use public funds in themost economical manner to stabilize andmaintain communities and revitalize eco-nomic development and tourism duringthis unprecedented time of reconstruc-tion and redevelopment.

Even before Sandy, Hurricane Ireneand Tropical Storm Lee brought whatwere considered historic levels of flood-ing, said Assemblyman Wisniewski (D-19, Sayreville).

Given the changing landscape of our

state and the increasing intensity ofstorms, we need to rethink our approach,particularly during the post-Sandy re-building phase. If approved, this fundingwill be a huge relief for homeownerssaddled with the burden of repeated flood-ing and the inability to sell their homebecause of it.

Under the states Blue Acres Program,which is administered by the Departmentof Environmental Protection (DEP), prop-erties that have been damaged by, or maybe prone to incurring damage caused bystorms or storm-related flooding are pur-chased from willing sellers. Structureson acquired property are demolished, thedebris is removed, and the property ispreserved for recreation and conserva-tion purposes. Funding for Blue Acresprojects has been provided in the pastthrough three different state bond actsapproved by voters.

The bill provides that the bond act is tobe submitted to voters for approval at theGeneral Election. The measure was unani-mously approved by the Assembly Agri-culture and Natural Resources Commit-tee and now awaits consideration by the

Apply Now, SBA Loans Available For Sandy VictimsREGION Hurricane Sandy survi-

vors should not wait to settle with theirinsurance companies before applying forthe United State Small Business Admin-istration (SBA) disaster loan assistance,the SBA said Tuesday.

If a survivor does not know how muchof their loss will be covered by insuranceor other sources, SBA will consider mak-ing a loan for the total loss up to its loanlimits, provided the borrower agrees to

Center at 800-659-2955 or by [email protected]. Com-pleted applications should be returned toa recovery center or mailed to: U.S. SmallBusiness Administration, Processing andDisbursement Center, 14925 KingsportRoad, Fort Worth, Tex. 76155.

The filing deadline to return applica-tions for physical property damage isDecember 31, 2012. The deadline to re-turn economic injury applications is July

their SBA loan. Interest rates are as lowas 1.688 percent for homeowners andrenters, 3 percent for non-profit organi-zations and 4 percent for businesses withterms up to 30 years.

Applicants may apply online using theElectronic Loan Application (ELA) viaSBAs secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Additional de-tails on the locations of recovery centersand the loan application process can be

Public Question, $13,600,00 School Bond

Ward Place Registered Votes Yes No

1st 1st Roosevelt 677 125 18% 91 34

2nd Roosevelt 859 196 23% 133 63

3rd Franklin 805 145 18% 97 48

4th Library 1,235 214 17% 138 76

5th Franklin 940 164 17% 112 52

6th Library 709 173 24% 123 50

7th Franklin 429 82 19% 43 39

Total 5,654 1,099 19% 737 362

2nd 1st UC Bldg 834 86 10% 60 26

2nd Washington 1,064 201 19% 137 64

3rd Washington 687 89 13% 53 36

4th Wilson 935 205 22% 149 56

5th Wilson 1,130 247 22% 158 89

6th Washington 670 121 18% 85 36

Total 5,320 949 18% 642 307

3rd 1st Rescue Squad 462 72 16% 34 38

2nd Edison 615 134 22% 102 32

3rd Edison 692 95 14% 62 33

4th Edison 862 169 20% 115 54

5th Jefferson 923 199 22% 105 94

6th Jefferson 877 110 13% 72 38

7th Jefferson 854 164 19% 98 66

Total 5,285 943 18% 588 355

4th 1st McKinley 1,367 230 17% 127 103

2nd McKinley 1,069 222 21% 143 793rd WHS 1,151 232 20% 161 71

4th WHS 884 177 20% 105 72

5th Jefferson 1,067 226 21% 132 94

Total 5,538 1,087 20% 668 419

Total 2635 1443

Absentee Ballots 65 60

GRAND TOTAL 21,797 4,078 19% 2700 1503

Westfield Election, Dec. 11, 2012


10/30


POLICE BLOTTERObituaries Rita Ochs, 78, Was Active Parishioner;

Had Worked For AT&T and ExxonRita Ochs, 78, of Scotch Plains

passed away on Tuesday, December4, 2012, at Overlook Medical Centerin Summit.

Born and raised in Bayonne, sheresided in Scotch Plains for 50 years.

Mrs. Ochs was employed withAT&T (Bell Labs) in Murray Hill

before retiring. Earlier, she had beenemployed with Exxon in Linden. Shewas an active parishioner of the Im-maculate Heart of Mary RomanCatholic Church in Scotch Plains,where she was a member of the Ro-sary Altar Society. She also was amember of the Knights of Lithuaniaand the Ruta Lithuanian Song andDance Group.

Her loving husband, William, pre-deceased her in 1994.

She is survived by her son, WilliamJ. Ochs, Jr., and his wife , Tamara; two

daughters, Susan Dugas and her hus-band, Richard, and Nancy Fox andher husband, Barry; her sister, ElenaNakrosis, and her brother, JohnMiskewitz. Rita was a very proudgrandmother to her nine grandchil-dren, Samuel, Matthew and Eliza-beth Ochs, Lauren, Sarah and Julia

Dugas, and Danielle, Rachel and Jes-sica Fox.

The funeral was held on Friday,December 7, from the Memorial Fu-neral Home, 155 South Avenue,Fanwood. A Funeral Mass followedat the Immaculate Heart of MaryChurch in Scotch Plains. Intermenttook place at Holy Cross Cemetery inNorth Arlington.

For additional information or tosign the guestbook, visitwww.fanwoodmemorial.com.

December 13, 2012

Olympia Bracuto, 90, Westfield Native;

Nurse at Muhlenberg and VA HospitalOlympia E. Bracuto, 90, passedaway peacefully on Monday, De-cember 3, 2012, at Brighton Gar-dens in Edison.

Born and raised in Westfield,Olympia later resided in Rahwayand Edison. She graduated fromthe Muhlenberg School of Nursingand also obtained a Bachelor ofScience degree in Nursing fromSeton Hall University. She workedas a nurse during World War II atthe VA Hospital and lat er worked asa nurse at Muhlenberg Hospital andas a private duty nurse. Olympiawas a member of the Muhlenberg

Alumni Association.Olympia is predeceased by herparents, Cesare and Maria Bracuto,

and her siblings, Dr. Peter Cranford,Carmen Bracuto, Daniel Bracuto,Bartholomew Bracuto, MichaelBracuto, Anna Bracuto, CatherineKhouri and Theresa Bracuto.

She is survived by her sister,Margherita DeGregorio; her god-daughter, Carol Rohman, and manynieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial wasoffered on Friday, December 7, atthe Holy Trinity Roman CatholicChurch in Westfield. Interment fol-lowed at St. Gertrude Cemetery inColonia.

Arrangements were by the

Dooley Colonial Funeral Home, 556Westfield Avenue in Westfield.December 13, 2012

Olive S. Sampson, Dedicated to Family;Member of Womans Club of WestfieldOlive S. Sampson of East

Marlborough Township, Pa. passedaway peacefully on Monday, Decem-ber 3, 2012, surrounded by her lov-ing family.

Mrs. Sampson wasborn on October 27, 1921in Upper Darby (Dela-ware County), Pa. and at-tended its public schools.She attended Temple Uni-versity on a scholarship.On July 29, 1944 Olivemarried USMCR Lt.Robert D. Sampson ofIronwood, Mich.Throughout her marriedlife she resided in LakeGeneva, Wis.; Geneva,Ill.; Westfield, N.J. and EastMarlborough Township, Pa. She also

maintained a summer residence inStone Harbor, N.J. for 49 years.Olive was a member of the

Womans Club of Westfield, N.J. andthe Womens Civic Club of StoneHarbor, N.J. She enjoyed giving andattending parties, dancing, old mov-ies, bowling, figure skating, coutureand knitting, bridge, cooking andbaking and travel. She was an avidfan of her children and grandchildrenas they participated in their schoolrelated sports activities.

Olive is survived by her husband of

68 years and four months, Robert,and their children, Nancy Sezginalpof Charleston, S.C., Robert D.Sampson, Jr. of Stone Harbor, N.J.,

Marcia Casey of KennettSquare, Pa., JackSampson of Clinton, N.J.and Richard Sampson ofEast Marlborough Town-ship, Pa. She also will bedeeply missed by herbrother, Lewis A. Smith,III of Wharton, N.J.; sis-ter, Shirley Morris of LasVegas, Nev.; eight grand-children and one great-grandchild. She was pre-ceded in death by her par-ents, Lewis A. Smith, II

and Olive Louise (ne Dance) Smithof Upper Darby, Pa., along with her

sister, Marian Bowden of Radnor, Pa.A Celebration of Olives Life willbe held on Tuesday, December 18, at11 a.m. at the First CongregationalChurch of Westfield. Inurnment willfollow at Fairview Cemetery inWestfield.

In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made to Neighborhood Hospice,400 East Marshall Street, WestChester, Pa. 19380. To leave a mes-sage for the family, please visitwww.dooleycolonialfuneralhome.com.

December 13, 2012

Olive S. Sampson

Frederick C. Rupp, 98Frederick C. Rupp, 98, of Westfield

passed away peacefully on Monday,

December 3, 2012.Born in Baltimore, Md., Mr. Ruppresided in Westfield since 1959. Heretired in 1973 after 44 years withWestern Electric, including four yearswith Sandia Corp. in Albuquerque,N.M. as the Head of AccountingMethods. He was a member of the

Margaret N. Ficken, 94, Local Teacher;

Avid Longtime Rutgers Football FanMargaret N. Ficken, 94, ofScotch Plains, N.J. passed away onTuesday, December 4, 2012.

Born on June 3, 1918 inMcKeesport, Pa., she was the daugh-ter of the late Clinton N. and the lateMary (Soles) Laird. She marriedCharles H. Ficken on December 19,1942 in Alexandria, La. Charles diedon September 26, 1989.

Margaret graduated high schoolfrom Shanghai American School inChina. In 1941 she received abachelors degree from the New Jer-sey College for Women, now knownas Douglass Residential College at

Rutgers. She worked at Park MiddleSchool in Scotch Plains, where shewas a home economics teacher.

Margaret was an avid Rutgersfootball fan, attending nearly ev-ery home game for over 40 years.She was an accomplished knitterand quilter.

made to the American Red Cross-Hurricane Sandy Relief, 520 West49th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019or online at www.nyredcross.org.

Funeral arrangements are byCopeland Funeral Home, Inc., 162South Putt Corners Road, NewPaltz, N.Y. 12561, (845) 255-1212.If anyone wishes to express con-dolences online, please go towww.copelandfhnp.com.

December 13, 2012

Master Gardeners Assist

With Ys Mens Tree SaleWESTFIELD The Westfield Ys

Mens Club currently is holding itsAnnual Christmas Tree and WreathSale, which opened right afterThanksgiving and runs through Sun-day, December 23. The sale is takingplace at the large lot at the corner ofElm and Maple Streets in Westfield.

Last Sunday morning, December3, 15 Master Gardeners helped un-load a delivery of Christmas trees forthe club. Within two hours these menand women, along with volunteer YsMen, had carried 470 trees. T.J. Karns,who chairs both the Grants and Pub-licity Committees for the Master Gar-

have donated nearly 20,000 poundsof hardy produce to local soup kitch-ens and food banks. We also raiseflowers for local cancer centers andhospitals, to which we have donatedmore than 18,000 flowers and greenssince 2007.

Hours for the Ys Mens Christmas

Tree and Wreath Sale are Mondaythrough Friday, 4 to 9 p.m., and Sat-urday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All trees are given a fresh cut totake water. Branches are trimmed atcustomer request, prior to drilling ahole in the trunk for the tree stand.The tree is then baled and loaded on

WestfieldMonday, December 3, Terrence J.

Shaw, 47, of Elizabeth was arrestedat East Brunswick police headquar-ters on an outstanding Westfield war-rant for $429. He was transported to

Westfield police headquarters, pro-cessed and released after the courtlowered his bail to $100.

Wednesday, December 5, JamesIorio, 44, of Westfield was arrestedand charged with driving while in-toxicated (DWI) following a motorvehicle stop at South and CentralAvenues. He was released to a soberadult.

Thursday, December 6, EmersonSiess, 39, described by police ashomeless, was arrested on an out-standing New Brunswick criminalwarrant for $400. Siess was appre-hended after police responded to acall regarding a suspicious person onthe 100 block of East Broad Street.He was unable to post bail and turned

over to New Brunswick authorities.Thursday, December 6, police re-ceived a report regarding a theft onthe 800 block of East Broad Street.The victim stated that jewelry and aniPod were taken from the residence.The total value of the theft was$5,661.

Thursday, December 6, a residentof the 900 block of Woodmere Drivefiled a report of theft and fraud aftersomeone made unauthorized trans-actions on the victims debit card.The value of the loss was estimatedat $20,831.93, according to police.

Thursday, December 6, MaureenRegan, 56, of Westfield was arrestedat Tamaques Park on two Westfieldparking warrants, totaling $110 bail,during an investigation concerning areport of a suspicious motor vehicle.She posted bail and was released.

Friday, December 7, a resident ofthe 700 block of Harding Street re-ported an incident of f raud involvingan amount of $244. Someone at-tempted to make an online purchaseusing the victims bank account, ac-cording to police.

Saturday, December 8, a residentof Mohawk Trail reported being thevictim of fraud after purchasing con-cert tickets to a One Direction showfrom a seller on Craigs List. Thevictim purchased the tickets for $600and was told at the concert venue thetickets were fraudulent.

Saturday, December 8, MarioJohnCassitta, 29, of Roselle Park wasarrested at Roselle Park police head-quarters on an outstanding $1,500Westfield warrant. He was trans-ported to Westfield police headquar-ters and committed to the UnionCounty jail.

S d D b 9 Li Dil ll

Nix, 23, of Scotch Plains was ar-rested after a motor vehicle stop onFront Street on an outstanding $189warrant issued by the Scotch PlainsCourt. He was transported to policeheadquarters, processed and re-

leased.Wednesday, December 5, a resi-dent of Laurie Court reported thatsometime during the day someoneentered her house by prying open thebedroom window. However, nothingappeared to have been removed.

Friday, December 7, a resident ofCanterbury Drive reported that some-time overnight someone slashed bothrear tires on his motor vehicle.

Saturday, December 8, a residentof Redwood Road reported that some-one made approximately $1,000 inpurchases on her credit card withouther authorization.

Sunday, December 9, a resident ofCountry Club Boulevard reportedthat sometime overnight someone hit

his motor vehicle and drove away.The vehicle was legally parked infront of the victims house at thetime the incident occurred.

Monday, December 10, a residentof Pine Terrace reported that some-one attempted to withdraw moneyfrom her bank account without herauthorization.

Monday, December 10, a residentof Lamberts Mill Road reported thatsometime overnight someone brokeseveral Christmas decorations thathe had displayed on his front lawn.

Monday, December 10, DionJohnson, 31, of Edison was arrestedafter a motor vehicle stop on RahwayRoad on an outstanding $350 war-rant issued by the Plainfield Court.He was transported to police head-quarters, processed and released.

FanwoodMonday, December 3, Kamall

Moore, 19, and James Sykes, 21,both of Plainfield, were arrested fol-lowing a motor vehicle stop on the300 block of South Avenue andcharged with possession of a con-trolled dangerous substance (CDS).According to police, while an officerwas speaking with Moore, the driverof the vehicle, he could detect a strongodor of marijuana and a search of thevehicle revealed a bag of suspectedmarijuana. Both the driver and Sykes,a passenger in the vehicle, were pro-cessed and released on a summons

with a pending court date.Monday, December 3, MichaelLowey, 51, of South Plainfield wasarrested following a motor vehiclestop at South Avenue and First Streeton an active warrant out of Linden.He was processed, posted bail andreleased.

T d D b 4 R h


11/30


12/30


13/30


Blue Devil Gridders Took LumpsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Soccer Raiders Won UCT TitleCONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Westfield Baseball League

Spring Registration

Spring 2013 registration is now available

via our website @ www.westfieldbaseball.com

Registration is open to all children that are residents of Westfield ingrades K - 10. Please note, the Westfield Baseball Association is

grade specific and team assignments are based accordingly. Allparticipants MUST BE enrolled in Kindergarten through 10th grade.

Please note: Deadline for on-time registration is January 31, 2013. Allregistrations received after Jan. 31st will be subject to a $35 late fee.

See you in the Spring !!

BONACUM, NOEL-BROOKS TO LEAD

Raider Cager Boys May

Improve Game-by-GameBy DAVID B. CORBIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Progress is the primary objectiveof this years Scotch Plains-FanwoodHigh School boys basketball teamthat returns two starters, along withseveral athletes, who have seen lim-ited varsity playing time.

We graduated seven players lastyear, but we have Tom Bonacum and[Xavier] Noel-Brooks. We are inex-perienced but maybe not as youngwith some talented kids . As they worktogether as a group, we are going toget better as the year goes on. Al-ready, we have come along betterthan I thought we would with a coupleof scrimmages, Raider Head CoachDan Doherty said.

Last year, the Raiders pulled to-gether, qualified for the sectional tour-nament and finished with a 14-13record. This year, seniors TomBonacum at 66 and Xavier Noel-Brooks at 62 have been selected asthe Raiders co-captains.

Bonacum was a complete player,recording 12 points per game andaveraging 9.8 rebounds. Addition-ally, he had very quick hands block-ing many shots and creating numer-ous steals.

He will be our main go-to guy. Hecan play inside, outside. Hes toughfor teams to match up. He can go in.He can take them outside. Obviously,hes one of our better rebounders.Hes got very good hands, very goodbasketball instincts. We are expect-ing big things from him this year,

He had a good year for us lastyear. He had a fabulous summer andreally worked hard. He has takenover the point guard job. Hes goingto have to do the bulk of the ballhandling. He has improved the mostof any player just from pure hardwork. We are expecting him to have agood, solid year, Coach Doherty said.

Senior Kevin Raszka (62) and jun-ior Quaryee Bull (63), who both hadlimited time on the court, are expectedto be in the thick of the action.

We are going to have him [Raszka]step up and do a little bit more.Quaryee is very athletic under theboards, and I am looking for big stepsfrom him, Coach Doherty said.

Senior Matt Greenberg and juniorAndrew Voysest, spent some time onthe court last year and will be anasset. Additionally, sophomore guardLeo Ramos is expected to be on thecourt frequently.

Matt has a good, strong presence,strong rebounds. He does all the dirtywork for us. Andrew Voysest is one ofour better shooters, and Leo Ramosis a good, solid guard. He will defi-nitely get better as the year goes on,Coach Doherty said.

The Raiders will open their season

with Governor Livingston this Friday,December 14, at 7 p.m. in ScotchPlains then will also host rival Westfieldon Tuesday, December 18, at 7 p.m.

Its game-by-game. Its a greatgroup. Very coachable! We will getbetter game-by-game, CoachDoherty said.

iors Dylan Elliott (41 catches, 627yards, team-leading 10 TDs) and DaveKane (23 catches, 236 yards, 4 TDs),and sophomore Sean Elliott (31catches, 336 yards). Senior RonPosyton had seven receptions for 75yards.

Offensively, Dave Kane, who didwell as a sophomore, did well as ajunior. Dylan Elliott and his brotherSean both had fine years for us,Coach DeSarno said.

Junior quarterback Chris Hoggesaw some varsity action and com-pleted seven passes for 99 yards.

Chris Hogge did some nice things.He finished the JV season strong. Ithink thats going to be nice for the

future. Its his job! Hes got to take itand go with it, Coach DeSarno said.

Senior running back Shakiyl Glascoled the ground game with 904 yards,

including seven TDs, on 203 carries.Junior Eugene Rawls carried 16 timesfor 73 yards and sophomore NickBountempo carried 17 times for 65yards, including one TD.

The Blue Devils two most memo-rable games were a 37-21 win overBridgewater-Raritan on October 27and a 30-16 victory over Plainfield inthe Annual Thanksgiving Day game.

I think the Bridgewater game wasa great, four-quarter complete effort.It showed what we can do when wedont turn the ball over. We playedvery physical. It was a credit to ourkids. We were 0-6 going intoBridgewater. We very easily could havepacked it in. It was just tough for us to

sustain that on a week-in week-outbasis. We were 1-8 going into Plainfieldand we came out giving a good perfor-mance, Coach DeSarno said.

Sebolao (All-UC, All-State hon-ors), a multi-sport athlete, posted 15shutouts and had a 0.39 goals againstrecord for the Raiders, who outscoredtheir opponents, 64-9.

She is a outstanding leader in theback. Shes very smart on the field.

She is a good all-around athlete.Some years, she was on three varsitysports. She gave up softball hersophomore year, but shes been onvarsity basketball and varsity soc-cer. She started putting in a littlemore commitment into soccer, and itreally showed. She has not had a lotof training in goal, but shes an out-

standing goalie. Ive had some out-standing goalies over the years, andshes right up there, so much so thatshe has a chance to play Division Isoccer, Coach Ewing said.

Three-year starter/outside backChristine Miklas (All-UC, All-State),senior Julie Glover (All-UC), whoalso netted five goals and seven as-sists, and junior center back AlyssaRiporti (All-UC) set up a rock-soliddefense that was nearly impenetrable.

Julie is so smart. Shes good inthe air, sees the field re ally well. Wecan put her anywhere on the field,and thats a bonus. Christine is veryathletic, very fast, very good in theback. Alyssa is an all-around greatathlete. Shes being recruited byDivision I schools as well. Shesgoing to be a big leader for us nextyear. Thats why we were so gooddefensively and also with JodieCornwell [sophomore, All-UC], whois tough as nails, and she is one of the

Coach Ewing said.Senior forwards Leah Salituro (All-

UC, All-State) and Annie Cannonenetted 10 goals and four assists, andnine goals and two assists, respec-tively. Senior midfielders Jesse Klein(All-UC) and Olivia Mendes set up

the field to open scoring opportuni-ties for the team.Jessie sees the field really well.

Shes skilled and a good positiveleader. Olivia makes the right deci-sions out there. Up front with Annieand Leah, they always looked toput the ball in the net, CoachEwing said.

Sophomores Tori Baliatico andCorina Checchio netted nine goalsand three assists, and five goals andtwo assists, respectively. Juniors KatieHarper and Kathryn Cunninghamnetted four goals and five assists, andfour goals and 12 assists, respectively,but many more girls also fit well intothe Raiders game plan.

[Sophomore] Paige VanBuskirk,Corina and Tori, KathrynCunningham and we had KatieHarper, who came in and was just afreak of an athlete, so its nice tohave these younger kids. SarahDiIorio [sophomore] didnt get tosee action as much, but when you are

behind Christy Monroy andCunningham, its hard to get in therea lot. There was no drop off whenSarah went in there, and we also hadKelsey Meisch, who came in and didan excellent job. We had a lot ofdepth and a lot of kids, who played,so thats good for next year, Coach

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leaderand The Times

RAIDER TEAM CAPTAINSXavier Noel-Brooks, left, and Tom Bonacumhave been selected as the Raiders co-captains.David B. Corbin (November files) for The Westfield Leaderand The Times

LEADING IN TOUCHDOWNSBlue Devil junior Dylan Elliott, No. 10, led theteam with 10 touchdown receptions this season.

David B. Corbin (October files) for The Westfield Leaderand The Times

VERY TOUGH OFFENSIVELYRaider sophomore Tori Baliatico, No. 20,scored nine goals and added three assists for her team this season. The Raidersoutscored their opponents 64-9.


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HWT TUFARO, LAPHAM, NATALE LOOKING STRONG

Raider Wrestlers Will Face

Tougher Schedule this YearBy DAVID B. CORBIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Everything came together well lastyear for the Scotch Plains-FanwoodHigh School wrestling team that fin-ished with a fine 21-3 season, but thisseason the Raiders have jacked uptheir schedule in an effort to gainmore quality experience and powerpoints.

Our schedule is a lot more diffi-cult this year. After sweeping theconference and going undefeated, wegot bumped up to the higher of thetwo Union County conferences. Wewill see Governor Livingston. We

will see Brearley. The independents

that we picked up give us a chance toget higher power points. Last year atthe state cutoff, we were 17-1 anddidnt have enough power pointsbased on the teams we wrestled,Raider Head Coach TJ Gavor ex-plained.

Among some of the independent

opponents on their schedule will beHanover Park, Watchung Hills, OldBridge and JFK Iselin.

Last year, the Raiders had theluxury of great seasons from threeseniors, Sean Cannon, Mike Steinfeldand Andrew Jacobs, and the additionof three talented freshmen with BrianLapham, Tommy Cunn

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