Serving the community since 1959 OUR 56th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 20-2015
USPS 485200 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J.
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Published Every Thursday Since 1959
Thursday, May 14, 2015
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Zoning Bd. Has Full Agenda Heading Into Summer By FRED T. ROSSI Specially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times
SCOTCH PLAINS — At its Thursday, June 4 meeting, the zoning board of adjustment will continue what is likely to be a series of hearings on an application to build a Wawa convenience store and gasoline station on the eastbound side of Route 22. Wawa is proposing to build its 5,500-square-foot facility at the corner of Glenside and Mountain Avenues and fronting on Route 22 on a property that currently houses the Sanguiliano Garden Center. The first hearing —held at a special meeting
on April 30 that was attended by a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 150 neighborhood residents — was ended after two hours amidst a dispute over whether Wawa had followed proper procedures in seeking a waiver from having to file an environmental impact statement in connection with the project. Lori Kiedaisch, Wawa’s project engineer, testified two weeks ago about some of the operational aspects of the proposed site. Ron Klaus, Wawa’s site engineer, had just started his testimony when the environmental waiver dispute arose. The company
Paul Lachenauer for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times
HOW DO THEY LOOK?… A customer trys on earings during Fanwood’s first annual arts and crafts fair at the Fanwood Historic Train Station on Saturday.
BOE Discusses Architect To Assess Facility Needs By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL Specially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times
SCOTCH PLAINS – Members of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education discussed a motion for an assessment of the district’s Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) Tuesday evening at the district’s agenda setting meeting. According to Trip Whitehouse, Facility Committee chairman, the plan will be put together based on the findings of Potter Architects, LLC, for a fee of $24,000. He noted that the architects will be surveying all the district buildings during a three-week period and assessing site repairs such as roofs and roofing issues, building skin, exterior doors and stairs and ramps. It was also noted that the report will include budgets for needed projects and a plan for repairs over a 10-year period. Business Administrator Deborah Saridaki noted that an assessment of heating ventilation and air conditioning units will not be included in the report as they are already assessed by district personnel. It was also noted that this summer a paving and curbing project is slated
for Terrill Middle School. In other business, a motion to approve 20 students and two teachers to travel to Vannes, France in March 2016 to participate in a cultural exchange program was discussed at the meeting. David Heisey, principal of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (SPFHS), approved the trip which will include visits with French pen pals from St. Joseph’s General High School in the Brittany region of France. The trip will include a twoday trip to Paris. It was noted that the first half of the exchange was already completed during the 2014-2015 school year where 15 students from Vannes, France stayed in SPFHS student homes for a two-week period. According to a letter written by French teacher Monique Gilbert-Hoffman, the exchange students and host students participated in field trips and social events. It was also noted that each student would be responsible for the funding of their trip. Superintendent of Schools Margaret Hayes noted a superintendents’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Benjamin B. Corbin for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times
MOVING UP… Six firefighters were promoted and four new firefighters were hired in a special swearing-in ceremony held during the town council meeting Tuesday. Battalion Chief Michael Ridge, Battalion Chief Timothy Brennan, Battalion Chief Anthony Tiller, Lieutenant Robert Sawicki, Lieutenant Michael Sawicki, Lieutenant Rick Jurgens, Probationary Firefighter Jason Garcia, Probationary Firefighter William Davitt, Probationary Firefighter Brian Piccola and Probationary Firefighter Christopher Whyte were sworn in.
plans to have several other experts testify, including a professional planner and a traffic-safety expert. The boisterous April 30 hearing, with a hearing room filled to capacity with residents, attorneys, corporate officials and other experts, was in stark contrast to last Thursday’s zoning board meeting that involved a single application and ended after less than 20 minutes. Fernando and Claudia Salles sought approval for a variance to build a large deck at the rear of their home at 909 Crestwood Road. The deck would end 12 feet from the rear-yard property line; local regulations call for a minimum 30-foot setback. Mr. Salles told the board his back yard slopes down away from the house, and said that the new deck would “be a level playing surface” for his 2-year-old daughter. But when board member Ed Minall noted some disparities between two sets of plans submitted to the board — with one showing a 12-foot setback and another depicting the end of the deck being 10 feet from the rear property line — Board Attorney Vincent Loughlin recommended that the board continue the hearing on June 4 to allow township professionals to re-examine the plans and amend the formal notice provided to the Salles’ neighbors. Mr. Loughlin said that, given the size of the deck, it was “important to get it right” while Board Vice-Chairman Ken Anderson told the visibly disappointed Mr. Salles that, “unfortunately, we have to do things by the book.” Besides the Wawa hearings that could stretch into and perhaps beyond the summer months, the board also will hear an application at its Thursday, July 9 meeting for a subdiCONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Paul Lachenauer for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times
SHE NEEDS ANOTHER HAND… Te Giasullo brings recyclables to the Fanwood Recycling Center on Saturday.
Freeholders to Hold Budget Hearing Tonight at 6 p.m. By PAUL J. PEYTON Specially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times
COUNTY — The Union County Freeholder Board will hold a public hearing on the 2015 county budget tonight, May 14, at 6 p.m., at the Union County Administration Building in Elizabeth. The Freeholders introduced a $491.9-million budget at their April 16 meeting, with $335.3 million to be raised in property taxes, an increase of $8.2 million over last year. The tax levy is $820,000 below what was proposed in the executive budget
Firefighters Promoted At Westfield Council Meeting By CHRISTINA M. HINKE Specially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times
WESTFIELD —Six firefighters were promoted and four new firefighters were hired in a special swearing-in ceremony held during the town council meeting Tuesday. Battalion Chief Michael Ridge, Battalion Chief Timothy Brennan, Battalion Chief Anthony Tiller, Lieutenant Robert Sawicki, Lieutenant Michael Sawicki, Lieutenant Rick Jurgens, Probationary Firefighter Jason Garcia, Probationary Firefighter William Davitt, Probationary Firefighter Brian Piccola and Probationary Firefighter Christopher Whyte were sworn in. Firefighter Ridge started as a volunteer in 1993 and became a lieutenant in 2003. Firefighter Brennan joined as a volunteer in 1991, became a paid firefighter in 1995, and in 2004 was promoted to lieutenant. Firefighter Tiller joined as a volunteer in 1993, became a paid firefighter in 1997, became a lieutenant in 2004, and currently is staff chief in charge of operations. Firefighter Robert Sawicki joined as a volunteer in 2002, became a paid firefighter in 2004, and currently is company officer with platoon A. Firefighter Michael Sawicki became a volunteer firefighter in 2000, a paid firefighter in 2002, and currently is a company officer for platoon C. A road paving program is to begin later this summer, the town council said at its conference session. Half of the Tamaques Park Oval, from the main parking lot at the Dixon Drive and Lamberts Mill Road entrance to the first parking lot after the Lamberts Mill Road entrance, said Town Engineer Kris McAloon, is to be paved as part of the program. A $3.4million bond ordinance to cover the
cost of the road paving program is expected to be adopted at the council’s Tuesday, May 26 meeting, Town Administrator Jim Gildea said. It was unanimously approved by the council Tuesday on first reading. “I’m excited to get this started,” Mr. Gildea said. Over five miles of roads are to be paved, Councilman Sam Della Fera said, which is “somewhat more than we have done in the past.” A list of the roads to be paved will become available on the town website sometime after the ordinance is adopted, Mr. Gildea said. In addition, all the crosswalks in the town are to be restriped with thermoplast striping, Mr. Gildea said. One bid came in for the bulky waste pickup contract, and was “a little higher than last year,” said Mr. Gildea. The bulky waste pickup is to occur during the month of June, he said. So far, 500 permits have been sold, he noted. Permits cost $80 each. A sum of $65,000 was certified for the contract, but the actual cost could go up or down depending on the number of permits sold, Mr. Gildea told The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times. Resident Neal Snitow asked the council to call the gas company and the water company to coordinate work the two utilities are doing on Myrtle Avenue, where Mr. Snitow lives. He asked that the gas company not mill and pave the road when its work is complete, but rather leave a temporary patch until the water company goes into the road to do its work on the water pipes, thereby not having the roads milled and paved twice. The council also approved resolutions. A resolution to award a contract for the purchase of a new lawnmower to replace a 20-year-old one for the Department of Public
unveiled by County Manager Al Faella earlier this year. County taxes represent 68 percent of the total revenue in the budget. In his budget message, Mr. Faella noted that reasons for the tax increase included a loss of $800,000 in net revenues from the end of the state’s red light camera program, a $500,000 hike in pension costs, and an increase in debt service of $5 million for a total budget amount of $66.8 million. He noted that capital projects funded through county-issued debt include expansion of the Cranford campus at Union County College and the new Family Courthouse Complex on Cherry Street in Elizabeth. During Thursday’s meeting, the freeholders considered a number of resolutions to close streets for municipal events. These include: Berkeley Heights, to close Springfield Avenue from the intersection of Snyder Avenue to the Berkeley Heights/Long Hill Township bridge, from 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, to 2 a.m. on Friday, July 17, for the annual Mt. Carmel Society festival and fireworks display, and Roselle Park, to close Chestnut Street, from Warren Avenue to Grant Avenue, on Saturday, June 20, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., and on Saturday, September 19, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., for the borough’s “Cruisin’Night Car Shows.”
The board also will consider closing Chestnut, from Grant to Webster Avenue, on Monday, May 25, for the Roselle Park Memorial Day Parade. Additionally, the board is set to vote on utilizing $1,000 of unspent monies from funding previously received by the county for a new heroin addiction program to be run by Prevention Links, Inc. of Roselle, bringing the total Prevention Links contract to $7,000. Another resolution would authorize the county manager to apply for and execute an application to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs-Grant Development Unit for a Recreation Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities Program Grant of $35,000. The county cash match for the grant is $7,000. Ron Zuber, director of parks and recreation, said if the county is successful in garnering the grant, the money would be used to fund the Sensory Theatre Program at the Union County Performing Arts Center as well as a summer carnival in Oak Ridge Park for people with disabilities. The board went into executive session to discuss ongoing contract negotiations with the Policeman’s Benevolent Association Local 199, representing corrections officers at the CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Lauren Broadwell for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times
KEEP OUR TEACHERS... Students, teachers and parents attended last week’s Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Board of Education meeting to protest pink slips given to 44 non-tenured Vo-Tech teachers. The board will meet this Monday, May 18, at the school’s Scotch Plains campus.
PAGE INDEX Regional ........ Editorial ........ Police ............ Community ... Obituary ........
2-3, 19 4-5 20 6-8, 20 8
Education ...... Sports ............ Real Estate .... Classifieds ..... A&E ..............
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