Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

Plumbers demonstrated outside the CVS in Scotch Plains, Union County expanded a smoking ban for its parks and recreation centers, and local voters roundly supported the incumbent candidates in Tuesday's primary elections. And with summer barely one week away, Scotch Plains and Fanwood's schools and municipal councils held no fewer than six awards ceremonies. 

On Monday June 8, the Fanwood Borough Council issued four honorary resolutions. It recognized volunteer of the month David Zeigler, an assistant fire chief for the Fanwood Fire Department; the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Rotary Club's Volunteer of the Year, Don Wussler; Fanwood residents who gave their lives while serving in the military; and former Scotch Plains-Fanwood Patch editor Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington, who accepted a promotion and transfer to Rhode Island. 

That same evening, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education . It recognized more than 50 students, including two jazz musicians, an editor of the high school newspaper, and a volunteer peer-tutor. 

The music department held its own awards ceremony Wednesday night. And the high school's athletic department released a full list of its honorees, which it recognized at a ceremony June 1.

Also in sports, two SPFHS baseball players represented the Raiders at all-star games Thursday and Saturday. Senior left fielder Joseph D'Annunzio earned a trip to the North-South All-Star Game, which took place Thursday at Jack Cust Field in Flemington. Junior third baseman and pitcher Marcus Rivera played in the first ever Union-Essex Underclassmen All-Star Game, which took place Saturday at Kean University in Union.

The SPFHS marching band, meanwhile, held its second spring training rehearsal of the year on Wednesday. The band is nearly record size, said director Durand Thomas, boasting more than 170 students.

In other news, a north Jersey plumber's union protested outside the CVS on Park Avenue in Scotch Plains. The demonstrators accused the pharmacy chain of failing to hire union labor for its renovation and construction projects, an allegation that CVS's director of public relations denied.

The Fanwood Rescue Squad Tuesday night. It received a tent, misting fan, and generator, which it can use to help firefighters who have become exhausted or overheated battling a blaze.

Union County expanded a smoking ban in its parks and recreation centers. The ban will apply to Echo Lake Park in Mountainside, Cedar Brook Park and Green Brook Park in Plainfield, Unami Park in Garwood, and at Watchung Stables and Trailside Gardens in Mountainside.

And finally, former rivals from the Scotch Plains and Westfield High School women's soccer teams put aside their differences last weekend, as they came together to play at a charity soccer tournament. Their team, the Ball Busters, raised the most money and emerged from the tournament undefeated. The proceeds benefited two local breast cancer organizations.