Community Corner

Union County News: The Week in Review

A look at news from around the county.

It's been a busy week around Union County. From public meetings on power lines to discussions about school budgets and police activity, here is a look at the week that was in Union County.

Berkeley Heights

PSE&G held its fourth and final public information workshop on Thursday regarding its North Central Reliability Project that will require the installation of new monopoles and higher-voltage electrical lines from West Orange to Roseland, then down through Berkeley Heights to Edison.

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The last workshop, which was held at L’Affaire Fine Catering in Mountainside, was intended for the public to give input and ask questions about the project.

Even after these informational sessions, PSE&G admits that it still has a long way to go before the project comes to fruition. The company will have to apply for the project’s approval with the Board of Public Utilities sometime in May.

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“At this point, the project is at the beginning,” said PSE&G spokesperson Bonnie Sheppard “The workshop exists so people can come ask their questions, so our engineers and other professionals can listen to what they have to say, see where everyone’s needs can be accommodated, and take that into consideration as they prepare the application for filing with the BPU.”

Some members of the public would agree with that notion, and feel that all of their questions were answered during the workshops.

Others, however, were not as satisfied, such as resident Lisa Chango, who wanted to know the numerical difference in the amount of electricity transferred between the old lines and the proposed new ones.

“One of the main things I came here to find out today they don’t know yet, so I’m a little frustrated that I came here and they don’t really have it,” said Chango. “I feel like they had this big meeting, but they don’t have all the information yet.”

There are also residents who are concerned not only about the aesthetic appearance of the new monopoles, which are expected to be 35 feet taller than the current ones, but the effect the installation of new lines would have on property values.

Berkeley Heights-Mountainside

A very special baseball scrimmage was held at Governor Livingston High School on Tuesday afternoon. The Highlanders hosted the Marauders from St. Peter’s Prep in a game that wouldn’t affect the regular season standings, but would have a far-reaching impact on both school communities.

The teams joined together to raise money for the B.J. Giannone Foundation. Giannone, a Mountainside native and baseball player at St. Peter’s Prep, died on January 31 after collapsing during a swim meet in which he had just participated.

The scrimmage between the two teams, which was won by Governor Livingston by a score of 7-2, featured players and coaches on both sides all wearing Giannone's jersey number 15.

 The event included sales of refreshments and “Live Like B.J.” bracelets, as well as a 50-50 drawing. In all, the Governor Livingston baseball program finished the event having raised over $1,500 for the B.J. Giannone Foundation.

Bill Giannone, who got to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, was joined by his son’s friends and teammates for the honor.

On Saturday a vehicle swiped the left shoulder of the Garden State Parkway southbound in Cranford, injuring a man in the process and speeding away Saturday evening, according to Capt. Frank Davis of the N.J. State Police Department. The victim, 57-year-old Mehmet Toy of Allendale, was transported by ambulance to University Hospital in Newark with head and back injuries. Police are currently investigating the hit-and-run incident and are looking for the driver responsible. State detectives are asking that anyone with information on the vehicle or driver call the state bureau at 732-442-8600 ext. 2371.

Now through April 15,  the Cranford School District is asking some parents to re-register children in the third grade to ensure those sitting in Cranford classrooms also reside in the township. This is the first time in recent history the district is asking parents to reregister students for classes, said BOE President Mary Vendetti. Beginning May 9 and ending May 27, parents will also be required to re-register their children in sixth grade for school. Under state law, the district is compelled to provide free education to children between the ages of five and twenty that are "domiciled," or living year-round with a parent or guardian in Cranford. But occasionally the school district finds children in its classrooms that actually belong to another district – a situation officials want to prevent in a year when keeping cost down is key, due to the state's 2-percent property tax cap requirements.

Clark

For his work to "deliver more services while capping property tax increases," “Doing more with less” was the overriding theme at the 2011 Annual Mayors Dinner hosted by the Chamber at the Newark Airport Marriot Hotel on Monday, March 28. Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso was also in the running for this year's Mayor of the Year, an award he has won previously. 

Arthur L. Johnson High School's spring musical, Cabaret premiered on March 24 and closed its three-day run with a standing ovation. Cabaret is the fourth production directed by Peter Nevargic at ALJ. “This performance just felt different, more important to me," said Nevargic. "Whether it is the timing or the dynamics of the cast or the subject matter. It is not just a happy-go-lucky musical."

There were two wacky stories in this week's Garwood police blotter. First,  Victoria Negro of Garwood jumped the curb in the rear of the store in her Jeep Grand Cherokee and struck the outside gas main attached to the rear of the building. Garwood police and fire departments and the first aid squad responded, and traffic was shut down on North Avenue. A safety perimeter was set up, requiring residents in surrounding houses and on adjacent streets to be evacuated for a short period of time. The gas company responded to shut the service down and make repairs. Residents returned to their homes after about an hour, when the area was deemed safe. Negro was issued a summons for careless driving. Also in Garwood's blotter: 

The owner of Cranford Plumbing, Heating & Cooling at 350 Willow Avenue reported copper tubing was taken overnight from his company vehicle. The owner recognized Frodelly from video surveillance when Frodelly returned the next day, March 25, looking for a job. After notifying police, a motor vehicle stop was made and Frodelly was arrested  for theft of movable property.

New Providence

 Principal Michael Barcadepone, who made it a point to bid students good morning and good afternoon each day, will say his final farewell on Friday, April 29. 

After serving as principal for the past four years,  and will begin on May 2.

Middle School Principal Gina Hansen will take over for Barcadepone in the 2011/2012 school year.

Colleagues, parents and students alike are sad to see Barcadepone go. But the principal said he believes in "consistently pushing yourself to be better."

Barcadepone said he really enjoyed his time in New Providence and wishes the students all the best.

Elsewhere, the Board of Education  on Thursday night.

Cattano will take the place of , who retired after serving as head coach of the New Providence High School football team for 48 years.

Cattano, who is also the head coach for the boys' varsity basketball team, is the school’s second football coach in history. Superintendent David Miceli said Cattano would have “big shoes to fill” next season. Cattano assured the board he would not disappoint.

“I’m very honored, and I won’t let you down,” he said. “I’ll work very hard. I’m very excited. I saw it on the agenda yesterday and said, ‘This is real now.’”

The Board also appointed Scott Hough as principal of Allen W. Roberts Elementary School. Middle School principal Gina Hansen will assume Barcadepone’s role for the months of May and June, and Hough will take over as principal this fall.

Hough has worked as an assistant principal at both the middle school and high school, and Miceli said he “feels good about his leadership in the middle school.” 

This spring,  are planning to debut in the Village Shopping Center in New Providence.

Angelo's will be moving into the storefront most recently occupied by Pioneer Pizza, where renovations are underway for the new eatery, and the owner plans to open the doors of his third restaurant in April. 

Angelo Gencarelli Jr. previously owned and operated Italian restaurants in Nutley and Clifton, which he has sold. His newest venture, which will have a dining room and table service after 4 p.m., will feature his menu of 40 pizzas and other Italian recipes.

Right next door to the new pizzeria will be a new Muscle Maker Grill, the New Jersey-based franchise chain that is quickly expanding on the East and West coasts. It will start offering its menu in the old Quiznos storefront in late April or early May.

Valerie and Jeff Wass of Mountainside, the franchisees for the New Providence store, are in the process of securing the necessary municipal permits to begin construction on the interior of the storefront, which is now just a hollow shell.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood

Gibbs Eyes the Big Time: There's certainly no shortage of basketball talent in Scotch Plains and Fanwood. Township resident Ashton Gibbs, a junior guard and the leading scorer for the University of Pittsburgh, announced last week that he would enter the NBA draft. Gibbs' father, Temple, described the move as a chance to "test the waters." Gibbs has not hired an agent, which means that if he is not drafted by May 8, he can withdraw his name and still retain his NCAA eligibility.

"You can put your name out there, you see how you do," Temple said.

 

SPF Rallies to Support Cancer-Stricken Teacher: Teachers and students at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School have joined focus with the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA to organize a 5K run and one-mile fun run titled "United for a Cause." The event, taking place Saturday, April 16, will raise money for Diane McGovern, 48, a former English teacher at the high school who has been battling inflammatory breast cancer for more than three years. 

SPF BOE Gives Taxpayers a Break: The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education unanimously adopted a 2011-2012 budget Thursday night that results in a $1.64 million lower tax levy than last year.

"This is a budget that gets us where we want to go and at a smaller outlay than last year," board member Donald Parisi, chairman of the board's Finance Committee, said during his presentation of the budget.

How the reductions will affect taxpayers, however, is a little more complicated. .

Springfield

The Springfield School District's latest attempt to make creative budget cuts has run into a . In a March 25 letter acting New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf told Springfield Schools Superintendent Michael Davino the district must reimburse parents of children in private schools for transportation costs. If those payments are not made, Cerf said in the letter, Springfield would lose its state aid. 

Under state law, school districts have to provide transportation or monetary aid to students attending non public schools. At their Feb. 28 meeting, the School Board said that because the district received no state aid to cover transportation, 

Summit

The Union County Prosecutor's Office has decided not to pursue legal action against Councilman Tom Getzendanner on charges of official misconduct stemming from allegations that he asked the city's lawyer to commit insurance fraud last year.

In a letter sent to city officials March 17 obtained by Summit Patch through an Open Public Records Act Request, Assistant Prosecutor Ann Rubin stated that the office of Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow did not wish to pursue the case.

“Please be advised that Councilman Getzendanner’s suggestion with respect to backdating legal bills, a suggestion that was promptly rejected by the city solicitor and others in attendance at law committee meeting Oct 19th, is not a sufficient basis for filing a criminal complaint," Rubin wrote.

Getzendanner has refused to resign from council for several months but was recently removed from his positions on several council committees and from his post on the Board of School Estimate. 

Westfield

Westfield Firefighter Danny Maglione with a rare form of cancer Tuesday afternoon. Maglione, 41, was a firefighter for 12 years and leaves behind his wife, Katie, and two daughters, Mariesa and Tallia.

McKinley School teacher Brendan Hickey, the former hockey and girls lacrosse coach at Westfield High School, was  in the conditional discharge program following his court appearence on marijuana possession charges Thursday. Hickey will have to stay out of trouble for 12 months and submit to random drug testing during the course of the program. Hickey also pled guilty to unsafe driving from his Feb. 9 arrest.

The Westfield Board of Education the proposed 2011-2012 school budget on Tuesday evening by a 8-1 vote. BOE member Mitch Slater voted against the spending plan, saying that he had concerns with how the budget was assembled, along with unanswered questions used to write the budget. BOE member David Finn said that while he voted yes on the budget, he also had concerns with the budget writing process.

Westfield Town Administrator Jim Gildea the 2011 town budget proposal Tuesday night, saying the $37 million spending plan contains a change in the way the town's library is funded. The budget proposal includes taking the library appropriation out of the budget and create a new library appropriation tax on the tax bill. Gildea said this is not a new tax but rather a change in accounting.


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