council unveils proposed changes to …his son everson pearsall would remain in town, making...

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OUR 130th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 33-2020 ONE DOLLAR (908) 232-4407 [email protected] Thursday, August 13, 2020 USPS 680020 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 www.goleader.com Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus PAGE INDEX Editorial ........ 4-5 Community ... 2 Obituary ........ 2 Education ...... 2-3, 11 Sports ............ 7-10 Real Estate .... 1,7 Classifieds ..... 10 A&E .............. 12 Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader BUTTERFLY STROLL...Mayor Shelley Brindle and Councilperson Dawn Mackey cut the ribbon to open Westfield’s "Art Takes Flight" butterfly public art project during a ceremony at the train station and art stroll on Saturday. Changes Proposed, A Look Back at the History of Brightwood Park By LAUREN S. BARR Specially Written for The Westfield Leader WESTFIELD – Meetings are scheduled for today, August 13, at 6 p.m., and Saturday, August 15, at 10 a.m. in Brightwood Park, to discuss the proposed changes to the park which is located on Prospect Street, bordering Scotch Plains. Accord- ing to a presentation by the Westfield Recreation Commission, the cur- rent proposal is to “Convert make- shift bike trails in the park into properly maintained trails to make existing biking activity safer while protecting the park’s ecology.” At Tuesday night’s council meet- ing, Mayor Shelley Brindle said that the meetings will explore “the pos- sibility of adding safe bike trails in the park that would supplant and not interfere with the existing walk- ing trails.” The town is partnering with JORBA, which, according to the group’s website, has as its focus “to build and maintain sustainable multi-use trails, organize and en- courage volunteerism and respon- sibility, and advocate and foster mountain biking as a healthy, envi- ronmentally sound, and sustainable activity.” In the 1920s and 1930s, the three Pearsall brothers lived, side by side by side, on Brightwood Avenue. They owned the majority of the land along Brightwood and Prospect Street. The Pearsall Company would sell much of that land in 1935 to Brightwood Development, bringing construction of the homes along Fairhill and Sunnywood Drives. One of the brothers, Donald Pearsall, would go on to become a Westfield town councilman, a Union County Freeholder, a successful realtor and insurance broker as the owner of a longstanding Westfield business, Pearsall and Frankebach, on Elm Street. His son Everson Pearsall would remain in town, making sev- eral civic contributions, including helping to create the Miller-Cory Fund. Everson Pearsall’s son Tom Pearsall told The Westfield Leader in a phone interview that the three brothers donated the land in their backyards for Brightwood Park back in the 1920s. In the years that followed, Brightwood Park became what is described in the archives of The Leader as a “shantytown,” with sev- eral small homes. It also was a regu- lar dumping ground for garbage and construction debris, often drawing people from the neighborhood in the 1950s and 1960s to town coun- cil meetings to complain about the condition of the area. In April of 1969, the town of Westfield purchased the seven shanty properties to complete the park’s 44 acres for $23,500 with money from what was then the brand-new Green Acres trust fund from the State of New Jersey. After the purchase of the lands, a series of hearings began with pro- David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader BRIGHTWOOD IN AUTUMN...This scenic photo of Brightwood Park in Westfield was taken in the fall. Below is a conceptual drawing from the Westfield Recreation Commission for proposed changes to the park. The 44-acre park is located on Prospect Street and borders Scotch Plains. posals to develop the park with pic- nic areas and tennis courts. Hearing after hearing that went late into the night were held at town hall with residents speaking against the pro- posal. The Leader and The Courier News extensively covered these meetings. The residents prevailed and the council agreed to develop a passive park. The park was com- pleted in 1978. In 1982 the town council pro- Community Members Unite To Feed Frontline of Hunger By JENNIFER GLACKIN Specially Written for The Westfield Leader WESTFIELD — It has been more than 150 days since the beginning of the coronavirus shutdown, and the number of food-insecure individuals and families continues to grow. Feed the Frontline of Hunger, founded by Westfield’s Michael Esposito, is try- ing to offset the growing need, but the organization only has enough money to sustain another two weeks. In March, Steve and Michelle Voice started Westfield’s Feed the Front- line: NJ with a simple mission — feed busy medical personnel with meals purchased from local restaurants. Mr. Esposito, one of the vanguard sup- porters of Feed the Frontline: NJ, also helped organize multi-town food drives and the Jefferson Elementary PTO’s Wednesday Sandwich Drive for St. Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. It was through the food drives that Mr. Esposito built a rela- tionship with Rahway Food for Friends, one of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s (CFBNJ) affiliated partners. As the healthcare industry began to return to normal, Mr. Esposito realized there was a growing need at the local food banks. According to the CFBNJ website, it has provided six million more nu- tritious meals than last year, an in- crease of 34 percent. Applications are up 29 percent for the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Local soup kitchen and outreach Rahway Food for Friends, which typically serves 150 to 200 families per week, currently serves close to 1,000 families weekly, according to Mr. Esposito. Local restaurants “can’t go to full capacity and still have a need for the business,” Mr. Esposito told The Westfield Leader, so his organization purchases meals and donates them to “those who need it most.” Each week, the group works with the restaurants to purchase 300 meals for $1,000. One hundred and ninety meals are donated to the Rahway Food for Friends soup kitchen, while the other 110 are for the organization’s mobile- meals service that brings meals di- rectly to people who cannot leave their homes. The demand on Food for Friends’ resources is so great, that some days the mobile-meal service was only able to provide a can of tuna and some crackers, said Mr. Esposito. Over the past seven weeks, Feed the Frontline of Hunger has been able to put about $7,000 back into the community. Steve Voice donated the remaining funds from the original Feed the Frontline group and there also were donations from the Rotary Club of Westfield, the Rotary Club of Fanwood-Scotch Plains, other local businesses and private citizens. Westfield’s Tamaques Elementary School PTO purchased the first set of 300 meals from Hershey’s Deli with its remaining lunch program funds. Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader KILLER MOTH...Artist Chris Cuneo is pictured with his butterfly depicting the showing of the Killer Moth at the Rialto during Saturday’s Butterfly Stroll in downtown Westfield. Westfield’s "Art Takes Flight" butterfly public art project opened with a ceremony at the train station. Cranford Bd. of Adjustment Continues Dunkin’ Hearing By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL Specially Written for The Westfield Leader CRANFORD – After another evening full of lengthy testimony and resident questions, members of the Cranford Board of Adjustment car- ried over an application for a drive- through Dunkin’ Donuts at the corner of South Avenue and Lincoln Boule- vard to the board’s Monday, October 5 meeting. The board noted that it already has a full schedule for its September meeting and that the ap- plicant could not make a special meet- ing that the board offered on Monday, August 31. In July, after four hours of testi- mony, the board postponed the appli- cation for the drive-through Dunkin’ Donuts because of the late hour. The applicant, NATC Donuts, Inc., owned by Anthony D’Amore, re- quested relief from multiple variances, including a use variance and many design waivers. Mr. D’Amore is the owner and operator of 19 local Dunkin’ Donuts shops in the Union County area, in- cluding the two newest drive-through facilities in Clark and Rahway. As the meeting began, it was noted that there were modifications to the application made after the July meet- ing based on recommendations from neighbors and from the board. The applicant noted that the clos- ing hour would be scaled back from the originally-proposed 10 p.m. to 9 p.m., and that two wall signs are now planned instead of four. In addition, a background panel sign would be re- moved, the outside sign would go from being internally lit to externally lit, and the lighting fixtures would be lowered. It also was said that the garbage area would be enclosed by a barrier made with the same materials as the building. Last month, John Palus, of Dy- namic Engineering, was the first wit- ness to testify on behalf of the appli- CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Council Unveils Proposed Changes To Hist. Preservation Ordinance By REBECCA MEHORTER Specially Written for The Westfield Leader WESTFIELD — The Westfield Town Council introduced proposed amendments to its historic preserva- tion ordinance at its Tuesday meet- ing, held via Zoom. The council also designated the Lord & Taylor proper- ties and the Rialto property as areas in need of redevelopment. Additionally, officials held advised hearings for eight ordinances and passed just un- der 20 resolutions during this busy, mid-August meeting. General Ordinance No. 2183, which makes changes to the historic preservation commission and desig- nation process of historic districts and buildings, has received quite a bit of resident feedback. The council acknowledged residents’ responses by introducing proposed amendments to the ordinance. Historic Preserva- tion Commission (HPC) Chair Maria Boyes and Town Historian Robert Wendel gave a presentation on the current and proposed ordinances as well as the proposed amendments. Mayor Shelley Brindle mentioned the amount of misinformation curriculating among residents, and she said that while she recognizes residents’ concerns, she is disheart- ened by some residents’ attitudes. “I do find it really very unfortunate that the spirit of what we’re trying to do has been lost in this process and on many,” Mayor Brindle said. “This ordinance is intended to protect the few truly iconic historic properties that remain from being demolished. And it truly saddens me to see the cynicism and polarization of some that has turned this into the notion that we’re coming after your homes.” The reason the ordinance needs to be updated, provided at the meeting, is because the existing ordinance con- flicts with municipal land-use laws (MLUL) in that it contains a voting procedure to create historic districts. The MLUL does not allow for zoning by referderum. Also, the language describing what changes are minor versus major submissions for certifi- cates of appropriateness is “inad- equate.” Based on feedback from homeowners, the new amendments remove the requirement to submit exterior paint colors to the HPC for approval. “We feel like that is not worth the antagonistic relationship that this was causing in the past,” Mr. Wendel said. The amendments also would re- move the fees associated with sub- mitting an application for certifica- tion, add an informal review process to “expedite understanding of pro- posed plans” and streamline the pro- cess of certification. General Ordinance No. 2183 passed its first reading to make changes to historic preservation. Councilman Mark LoGrippo voted no, and Councilman James Boyes recused himself from the vote. The public hearing on the amended ver- sion of the ordinance was pushed back to Tuesday, September 8. The council also designated the

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  • OUR 130th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 33-2020 ONE DOLLAR (908) 232-4407

    [email protected], August 13, 2020USPS 680020

    Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J.Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890

    www.goleader.com

    Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus

    PAGE INDEXEditorial ........ 4-5Community ... 2Obituary ........ 2Education ...... 2-3, 11

    Sports ............ 7-10Real Estate .... 1,7Classifieds ..... 10A&E .............. 12

    Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield LeaderBUTTERFLY STROLL...Mayor Shelley Brindle and Councilperson Dawn Mackey cut the ribbon to open Westfield’s "ArtTakes Flight" butterfly public art project during a ceremony at the train station and art stroll on Saturday.

    Changes Proposed, A Look Back atthe History of Brightwood Park

    By LAUREN S. BARRSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

    WESTFIELD – Meetings arescheduled for today, August 13, at 6p.m., and Saturday, August 15, at 10a.m. in Brightwood Park, to discussthe proposed changes to the parkwhich is located on Prospect Street,bordering Scotch Plains. Accord-ing to a presentation by the WestfieldRecreation Commission, the cur-rent proposal is to “Convert make-shift bike trails in the park intoproperly maintained trails to makeexisting biking activity safer whileprotecting the park’s ecology.”

    At Tuesday night’s council meet-ing, Mayor Shelley Brindle said thatthe meetings will explore “the pos-sibility of adding safe bike trails inthe park that would supplant andnot interfere with the existing walk-ing trails.”

    The town is partnering withJORBA, which, according to thegroup’s website, has as its focus “tobuild and maintain sustainablemulti-use trails, organize and en-courage volunteerism and respon-sibility, and advocate and fostermountain biking as a healthy, envi-ronmentally sound, and sustainableactivity.”

    In the 1920s and 1930s, the threePearsall brothers lived, side by sideby side, on Brightwood Avenue.They owned the majority of the landalong Brightwood and ProspectStreet. The Pearsall Company wouldsell much of that land in 1935 toBrightwood Development, bringingconstruction of the homes alongFairhill and Sunnywood Drives. Oneof the brothers, Donald Pearsall,would go on to become a Westfieldtown councilman, a Union CountyFreeholder, a successful realtor andinsurance broker as the owner of alongstanding Westfield business,Pearsall and Frankebach, on ElmStreet. His son Everson Pearsallwould remain in town, making sev-eral civic contributions, includinghelping to create the Miller-CoryFund.

    Everson Pearsall’s son TomPearsall told The Westfield Leaderin a phone interview that the threebrothers donated the land in theirbackyards for Brightwood Park backin the 1920s.

    In the years that followed,Brightwood Park became what isdescribed in the archives of TheLeader as a “shantytown,” with sev-eral small homes. It also was a regu-lar dumping ground for garbage andconstruction debris, often drawing

    people from the neighborhood inthe 1950s and 1960s to town coun-cil meetings to complain about thecondition of the area.

    In April of 1969, the town ofWestfield purchased the sevenshanty properties to complete thepark’s 44 acres for $23,500 withmoney from what was then thebrand-new Green Acres trust fundfrom the State of New Jersey.

    After the purchase of the lands, aseries of hearings began with pro-

    David B. Corbin for The Westfield LeaderBRIGHTWOOD IN AUTUMN...This scenic photo of Brightwood Park in Westfieldwas taken in the fall. Below is a conceptual drawing from the Westfield RecreationCommission for proposed changes to the park. The 44-acre park is located onProspect Street and borders Scotch Plains.

    posals to develop the park with pic-nic areas and tennis courts. Hearingafter hearing that went late into thenight were held at town hall withresidents speaking against the pro-posal. The Leader and The CourierNews extensively covered thesemeetings. The residents prevailedand the council agreed to develop apassive park. The park was com-pleted in 1978.

    In 1982 the town council pro-

    Community Members UniteTo Feed Frontline of Hunger

    By JENNIFER GLACKINSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

    WESTFIELD — It has been morethan 150 days since the beginning ofthe coronavirus shutdown, and thenumber of food-insecure individualsand families continues to grow. Feedthe Frontline of Hunger, founded byWestfield’s Michael Esposito, is try-ing to offset the growing need, but theorganization only has enough moneyto sustain another two weeks.

    In March, Steve and Michelle Voicestarted Westfield’s Feed the Front-line: NJ with a simple mission — feed

    busy medical personnel with mealspurchased from local restaurants. Mr.Esposito, one of the vanguard sup-porters of Feed the Frontline: NJ,also helped organize multi-town fooddrives and the Jefferson ElementaryPTO’s Wednesday Sandwich Drivefor St. Joseph Social Service Centerin Elizabeth. It was through the fooddrives that Mr. Esposito built a rela-tionship with Rahway Food forFriends, one of the CommunityFoodBank of New Jersey’s (CFBNJ)affiliated partners. As the healthcareindustry began to return to normal,

    Mr. Esposito realized there was agrowing need at the local food banks.

    According to the CFBNJ website,it has provided six million more nu-tritious meals than last year, an in-crease of 34 percent. Applicationsare up 29 percent for the state’sSupplemental Nutrition AssistanceProgram (SNAP). Local soup kitchenand outreach Rahway Food forFriends, which typically serves 150to 200 families per week, currentlyserves close to 1,000 families weekly,according to Mr. Esposito.

    Local restaurants “can’t go to fullcapacity and still have a need for thebusiness,” Mr. Esposito told TheWestfield Leader, so his organizationpurchases meals and donates them to“those who need it most.” Each week,the group works with the restaurantsto purchase 300 meals for $1,000.One hundred and ninety meals aredonated to the Rahway Food forFriends soup kitchen, while the other110 are for the organization’s mobile-meals service that brings meals di-rectly to people who cannot leavetheir homes. The demand on Food forFriends’ resources is so great, thatsome days the mobile-meal servicewas only able to provide a can of tunaand some crackers, said Mr. Esposito.

    Over the past seven weeks, Feedthe Frontline of Hunger has been ableto put about $7,000 back into thecommunity. Steve Voice donated theremaining funds from the originalFeed the Frontline group and therealso were donations from the RotaryClub of Westfield, the Rotary Club ofFanwood-Scotch Plains, other localbusinesses and private citizens.Westfield’s Tamaques ElementarySchool PTO purchased the first set of300 meals from Hershey’s Deli withits remaining lunch program funds.

    Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield LeaderKILLER MOTH...Artist Chris Cuneo is pictured with his butterfly depicting theshowing of the Killer Moth at the Rialto during Saturday’s Butterfly Stroll indowntown Westfield. Westfield’s "Art Takes Flight" butterfly public art projectopened with a ceremony at the train station.

    Cranford Bd. of AdjustmentContinues Dunkin’ HearingBy KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL

    Specially Written for The Westfield Leader

    CRANFORD – After anotherevening full of lengthy testimony andresident questions, members of theCranford Board of Adjustment car-ried over an application for a drive-through Dunkin’ Donuts at the cornerof South Avenue and Lincoln Boule-vard to the board’s Monday, October5 meeting. The board noted that italready has a full schedule for itsSeptember meeting and that the ap-plicant could not make a special meet-ing that the board offered on Monday,August 31.

    In July, after four hours of testi-mony, the board postponed the appli-cation for the drive-through Dunkin’Donuts because of the late hour.

    The applicant, NATC Donuts, Inc.,owned by Anthony D’Amore, re-quested relief from multiple variances,including a use variance and manydesign waivers.

    Mr. D’Amore is the owner and

    operator of 19 local Dunkin’ Donutsshops in the Union County area, in-cluding the two newest drive-throughfacilities in Clark and Rahway.

    As the meeting began, it was notedthat there were modifications to theapplication made after the July meet-ing based on recommendations fromneighbors and from the board.

    The applicant noted that the clos-ing hour would be scaled back fromthe originally-proposed 10 p.m. to 9p.m., and that two wall signs are nowplanned instead of four. In addition, abackground panel sign would be re-moved, the outside sign would gofrom being internally lit to externallylit, and the lighting fixtures would belowered. It also was said that thegarbage area would be enclosed by abarrier made with the same materialsas the building.

    Last month, John Palus, of Dy-namic Engineering, was the first wit-ness to testify on behalf of the appli-

    CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

    CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

    CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

    CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

    Council Unveils Proposed ChangesTo Hist. Preservation OrdinanceBy REBECCA MEHORTERSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

    WESTFIELD — The WestfieldTown Council introduced proposedamendments to its historic preserva-tion ordinance at its Tuesday meet-ing, held via Zoom. The council alsodesignated the Lord & Taylor proper-ties and the Rialto property as areas inneed of redevelopment. Additionally,officials held advised hearings foreight ordinances and passed just un-der 20 resolutions during this busy,mid-August meeting.

    General Ordinance No. 2183,which makes changes to the historicpreservation commission and desig-nation process of historic districts

    and buildings, has received quite a bitof resident feedback. The councilacknowledged residents’ responsesby introducing proposed amendmentsto the ordinance. Historic Preserva-tion Commission (HPC) Chair MariaBoyes and Town Historian RobertWendel gave a presentation on thecurrent and proposed ordinances aswell as the proposed amendments.

    Mayor Shelley Brindle mentionedthe amount of misinformationcurriculating among residents, andshe said that while she recognizesresidents’ concerns, she is disheart-ened by some residents’ attitudes.

    “I do find it really very unfortunatethat the spirit of what we’re trying to

    do has been lost in this process and onmany,” Mayor Brindle said. “Thisordinance is intended to protect thefew truly iconic historic propertiesthat remain from being demolished.And it truly saddens me to see thecynicism and polarization of somethat has turned this into the notionthat we’re coming after your homes.”

    The reason the ordinance needs tobe updated, provided at the meeting,is because the existing ordinance con-flicts with municipal land-use laws(MLUL) in that it contains a votingprocedure to create historic districts.The MLUL does not allow for zoningby referderum. Also, the languagedescribing what changes are minorversus major submissions for certifi-cates of appropriateness is “inad-equate.”

    Based on feedback fromhomeowners, the new amendmentsremove the requirement to submitexterior paint colors to the HPC forapproval. “We feel like that is notworth the antagonistic relationshipthat this was causing in the past,” Mr.Wendel said.

    The amendments also would re-move the fees associated with sub-mitting an application for certifica-tion, add an informal review processto “expedite understanding of pro-posed plans” and streamline the pro-cess of certification.

    General Ordinance No. 2183passed its first reading to makechanges to historic preservation.Councilman Mark LoGrippo votedno, and Councilman James Boyesrecused himself from the vote. Thepublic hearing on the amended ver-sion of the ordinance was pushedback to Tuesday, September 8.

    The council also designated the

  • Page 6 Thursday, August 13, 2020 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A GALE FORCE MEDIA, L.L.C. PUBLICATIONWestfield Leader only

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    WF PD Announces Arrests,Recovery of Stolen VehiclesWESTFIELD – Westfield Police

    Chief Christopher Battiloro has an-nounced the arrest of two adults anda juvenile from Newark on chargesrelating to recent thefts of motorvehicles from Westfield.

    Nasir Johnson, 19, and GiavanniiFarris, also 19, along with a 16-year-old male juvenile, were all arrestedon August 5 in the Upper ClintonHill neighborhood of Newark by de-tectives from the Westfield PoliceDepartment and members of the NewJersey State Police Auto Theft TaskForce, who have been working to-gether to combat Westfield’s ongo-ing vehicle thefts. Each subject wascharged with two counts of Receiv-ing Stolen Property, a third-degreecrime. Johnson and Farris were bothsubsequently released from custodyon their own recognizance after be-ing served with summonses. The ju-venile was subsequently remandedto the Essex County Juvenile Deten-tion Center.

    Additionally, three motor vehiclesrecently stolen from Westfield wererecovered. These included those sto-len from residences located onStoneleigh Park, Dudley Court andOrenda Circle. “I am grateful for ourworking relationship with the NewJersey State Police,” stated ChiefBattiloro, who noted a Westfield Po-lice Department detective has beenassigned to its Auto Theft Task Force

    since March to help combat the on-going vehicle theft problem facingmany suburban New Jersey munici-palities.

    To date, 19 motor vehicles havebeen stolen from Westfield and an-other 40 have been burglarized inapparent attempted vehicle thefts in2020, the vast majority of whichwere left unlocked with keys inside.All but one of those stolen vehicleshas been recovered.

    “Our officers and detectives areworking extremely hard to combatvehicle thefts, but our residents mustdo their part as well,” stated ChiefBattiloro. “We cannot continue toleave our vehicles unlocked with thekey fobs in them,” he stressed.

    "Vehicle thefts not only have afinancial impact on owners and in-surance companies, but they canoften lead to dangerous encounterswhen members of law enforcementinteract with those in stolen ve-hicles," stated Colonel Patrick J.Callahan, superintendent of theNew Jersey State Police. "We arecommitted to working alongsideour partners within the New JerseyState Police Auto Theft Task Forceto combat these crimes and bringthose responsible to justice," headded.

    In 2019, there were a total of 22vehicles stolen from Westfield andanother 70 burglarized.

    Houses of Worship Adapt,Stay Strong During CovidBy REBECCA MEHORTERSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

    WESTFIELD — As the Covid-19 pandemic closed malls, officesand gyms, houses of worship turnedoff their lights and communionbread went stale. As restrictionscontinue, change and alleviate,places of worship have embracednew ways of communication.

    Temple Emanu-El of Westfieldstreams its Friday and Saturday ser-vices, and Senior Rabbi Ethan Prosnitsaid the temple has seen an increasein attendance during this time.

    “I think people wanted that spiri-tual connection and also had a littlemore time as people have been inlockdown,” he said.

    The temple also holds events likeweddings, funerals and B’naimitzvahs via Zoom. Using its socialmedia, the temple also posts inter-views with new staff members. RabbiProsnit said the staff hopes to con-tinue the interviews with membersto introduce people to one another. Itis one of the ways the temple isworking to build a sense of commu-nity in a virtual world. Rabbi Prosnitsaid another way to create commu-nity is to build time into Zoom callsfor members to catch up.

    “One of the greatest things aboutgoing to services or going to learn-ing sessions is that you get to catchup with your friends or catch upwith people that you might not al-ways see,” he said. “People can justchat and talk about what booksthey’re reading or how their familymight be or what they’re bingeingon Netflix. That’s kind of a nice

    way to interact,” he said.The temple also created a Covid-

    19 fund that “provides the resourcesto assist congregants adversely im-pacted by the fallout from COVID,”the rabbi said. Rabbi Prosnit saidthe fund helps members in obtain-ing food or anything else they mayneed and also covers membershipdues for members who cannot af-ford them during the pandemic. Thefund will help the temple cover itsoperational costs.

    The Parish Community of SaintHelen in Westfield began livestreaming its daily worship servicesduring the pandemic and has sincepivoted to hybrid masses in whichparishioners can watch online orattend in-person. The ReverendMonsignor Thomas Nydegger saidthe parish is in a “unique situation”because the church is in the processof being rebuilt, so it is using theauditorium to hold services. Socialdistancing, he said, is much easierbecause service-goers use chairs in-stead of pews and thus can distanceappropriately.

    Parishioners of St. Helen’s alsohave made a point to stay connectedwith older members of the churchand the wider community duringthe pandemic. Aida Gabuzda, St.Helen’s director of operations, saidmembers have made phone callsand gone grocery shopping for eld-erly members of the parish con-cerned about leaving their homes.The younger members of the parishwrote letters and made cards forchurch members and non-membersin nursing homes.

    Reverend Nydegger said the par-ish has been strictly following allprotocols and safety measures.

    “We’ve complied with the direc-tives religiously because we’re veryconcerned with the safety of all thosecoming into the church,” he said.

    FIGHTING HUNGER TOGETHER...Bill Bonsall, Westfield Rotary Founda-tion chair, and Liz Ensslin, Rotary Club of Westfield president, left, accept a$1,500 check from Rotarian Marta Alexandre on behalf of Spencer SavingsBank. The donation is in support of Rotary’s Feed the Hungry fund-raisingcampaign to fight food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Itbrings the total donations to $10,399. Rotary is matching up to $15,000. Todonate via GoFundMe, access gf.me/u/x4xjrk.

    AUGUST IN THE GARDEN...The Garden Club of Westfield has designated thegarden of Brian and Jill Morrissey at 215 Benson Place as its August Garden ofthe Month. The Morrisseys became interested in landscaping during their stay inFlorida, when they planted fruit trees, shrubs and flowers on their property. Nowin Westfield, they have created a colorful and inviting display of New Guineasunpatiens, catmint, boxwood, American holly, hydrangeas and cherry laurel.

    LEGAL NOTICEBOROUGH OF MOUNTAINSIDE

    PLANNING BOARD

    NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, in com-pliance with the provisions of the NewJersey Open Public Meetings Act that thePlanning Board of the Borough ofMountainside, County of Union, State ofNew Jersey will hold a Public Meeting onTuesday, August 25, 2020 at 6:30 p.m

    Due to the Covid-19 public health cri-sis, the regularly scheduled Planning Boardmeeting will be conducted electronicallyand/or by telephone using the Zoom plat-form. Members of the public who wish toparticipate in the meeting may do so tele-phonically or by computer:

    Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88129931225?pwd=OWFaSytGVDNNV2VQVWp1dG9YbkMxUT09

    Dial In: +1 929 205 6099Meeting ID: 881 2993 1225Password: 784751

    Participants calling in or connecting viastreaming video will be able to participatein the meeting, including public comment.The file maps and plans for applicationscan be viewed on the Borough website(www.mountainside-nj.com). Copies of theapplications, including plans and othersupporting documents are public recordsand thereby are also available for publicinspection at the Mountainside MunicipalBuilding, 1385 Route 22, Mountainside,New Jersey by appointment between thehours of 8:30AM and 4:30PM by contact-ing Pat Gilstrap at 908-232-2409

    TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that thismeeting shall be open to the Public but aportion of this meeting MAY be closed tothe Public, under the applicable portions ofthe New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act.FORMAL ACTION MAY BE TAKEN.

    By Order of the Planning Board, NancyProbst, Acting Board Secretary.

    Nancy ProbstActing Board Secretary

    1 T - 08/13/20, The Leader Fee: $41.64

    posed soccer and baseball fields,along with a picnic area. The townhad put forth the plan citing a lowusage of the park, and high misuseby teenagers for drinking and mari-juana use.

    “How many times do we have tosave Brightwood Park?” askedCarol Tag of Tuttle Parkway at a1982 town meeting.

    Behind the scenes of the purchase,lobbying for Green Acres fundingwas a high-school science teacher,Noel Taylor. Brightwood Parkwould ultimately be dedicated toMr. Taylor, who fought tirelessly tonot only see the park created, butalso to keep it a natural passivehome to native flora and fauna. Longafter his retirement from teaching,Mr. Taylor appeared at town coun-cil meetings any time a mention wasmade to develop the park for recre-ation beyond its natural state. In1981 Mr. Taylor authored a book onBrightwood Park’s native plants andanimals.

    Mr. Taylor passed away in 1992.His sons, Beryl and Mark Taylor,spoke to The Leader in phone inter-views this week saying that theirfather would be unhappy with theidea of mountain bike trails.

    Mark Taylor told The Leader thathis father was not only a drivingforce behind the park’s creation,but developed a K-12 curriculum

    CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

    Brightwoodand ran a Saturday science programin the park to educate Westfield’syouth. “There are not a lot of quietplaces to go anymore...It’s evenmore critical now than it was backthen,” he told The Leader.

    Beryl Taylor said, “these guysjust don’t get it...Once you turn itinto mountain bike trails you won’tget back what you’ve lost.” He saidthat his father feared that these typesof proposals would be made in thefuture and worried about the parknot having a champion.

    In 1999 ball fields were againsuggested for the park, but a coali-tion of concerned neighbors ob-jected to the proposal and a prelimi-nary study of the park, commis-sioned by the recreation commis-sion, indicated that 80 percent ofthe park was wetlands and not ap-propriate for field development.

    As to the current proposal, localresidents have launched a website,protectbrightwoodpark.com, and asof Wednesday morning have col-lected more than 246 signatures ona petition against the proposedmountain biking trails.

    Several of Westfield’s youth havewritten letters to both Mayor Brindleand The Leader asking for expandedbike trails. The teens say that dur-ing the Covid-19 pandemic,Brightwood’s trails have seen anincrease in use.

    Garwood BOE DiscussesThe Reopening of School

    CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

    Dunkin’cant. He said that the Dunkin’ Donutsproposed for the site “was the small-est stand-alone Dunkin’ Donuts that Ihave seen.” Mr. Palus revealed thatthe donut shop was proposed to havesix seats inside, but that it was mostlybilled as a drive-through facility withtwo drive-through lanes proposed.

    In his presentation, Mr. Palus saidthat there would be a surplus of park-ing in that three spaces are needed asan ordinance requirement for the siteand eight are proposed, including twoemployee spaces.

    Mr. Palus also testified that therewere no tractor trailers coming to thesite for delivery of baked goods anddrink products and that they would allbe delivered by a box truck or similartype of vehicle. He stated that deliv-eries would be conducted betweenthe hours of 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

    He also noted that the facility wouldbe able to handle a 13-car que andthat the typical wait time for cars inline was between seven and nine min-utes.

    Last month, many residents ex-pressed concerns with plans for thedonut shop, including crowding is-sues, the number of signs proposed,fencing and dumpsters being visiblefrom homes on Lincoln and nearbyBurnside Avenue, in addition to traf-fic concerns.

    It was reported that an Evergreentree hedge line also was in the plan forscreening purposes.

    This month, traffic expert NicholasVerderese, of Dynamic Traffic, testi-fied that a traffic study was conductedin late 2018 from a previous plan andidentified peak hours as 7:30 a.m.and 4:45 p.m. on weekdays and noonon Saturdays.

    Mr. Verderese also noted that thenew facility was designed to hold 13cars in a line without spillage into thestreet. This, he felt, was more thanadequate. He additionally said thattwo of the four driveways would beeliminated and that the driveway fromLincoln Avenue would be restrictedto one-way traffic.

    He also stated that the bus stoppresently positioned so close to theproperty would be moved down thestreet in conjunction with NJ Transit.

    Many neighbors were concernedabout long lines, citing lines at thenearby Starbucks which, in their opin-ion, are “dangerous.”

    The next board of adjustment meet-ing is scheduled for Monday, Octo-ber 5 at 7:45 p.m.

    Westfield student Morgan Eckenthalsold mask necklaces throughInstagram and donated $500 to Feedthe Frontline of Hunger. BurgerIM inClark, Paragon Tap and Table in Clark,Sheelen’s Bistro in Fanwood, Max’sPizza and Bistro in Scotch Plains,OuttaHand Pizza, Westfield StationCafé, and Bovella’s in Westfield aresome of the restaurants that have pro-vided the meals. This upcomingFriday’s donation will be from BuonaPizza, thanks in part to Ms.Eckenthal’s donation.

    Other local businesses also havesupported the efforts. In June,D’Artagnan, a food supplier in Union,donated four pallets of frozen chicken.Boxwood Coffee Roasters in Summitrecently donated money from its Quar-antine Quiz Night in addition to twoboxes of coffee for the Rahway Foodfor Friends volunteers.

    Businesses, groups or individualswishing to run a promotion orfundraiser for Feed the Frontline ofHunger can reach out to Mr. Espositothrough Facebook or through theGoFundMe page. Also, any donorwho donates $500 to $1,000 can pickthe restaurant they want to support(provided the restaurant can handlethe order size). Mr. Esposito wants tocontinue this effort for as long as hecan. To participate, visitgofundme.com/f/feed-the-frontline-of-hunger.

    CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

    Hunger

    By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELLSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader

    GARWOOD – With summer wind-ing down, members of the GarwoodBoard of Education met on Tuesdayevening to discuss the reopening ofschool in September.

    Board members noted that the six-foot social-distancing rule will be in-corporated during the day, and thatthe recently-mandated wearing of aface mask by all students and teach-ers per Governor Phil Murphy’s of-fice will be enforced.

    The board also confirmed that theschool will have a supply of face masksfor anyone in need of one.

    According to information from theNew Jersey Department of Education,face masks will be distributed daily tothose who need them and that masksshould be sanitized often.

    According to the state, masks shouldbe worn at all times in school buildingswith only a few exceptions. These in-clude when doing so would inhibit theindividual’s health; when a student is inextreme heat outdoors; when a studentis in water; if a student’s IndividualizedEducation Plan or documented medi-cal condition precludes it; if a student isunder the age of 2 due to risk of suffo-cation; when a student is eating or drink-ing; during student nap time; whenstudents are engaged in high-intensityaerobic activities; during gym and mu-sic classes when they are in a well-ventilated location and able to maintainsix feet of social distancing, or in asituation where students are operatingmachinery in which a face coveringmight get caught.

    It was reported that a half-day pro-gram was put in place for boroughstudents, with morning sessions con-sisting of mathematics, science, historyand language arts lessons and art, musicand gym taking place virtually in theafternoon.

    It also was revealed that on August12 students would receive letters sent totheir homes announcing their teacherfor the upcoming school year. The boardnoted that younger students will staywithin the same classroom for the dura-tion of their school time while sixth-,seventh- and eighth-grade students willhave minimal changes in the classroomduring school time.

    It was reported that all Heating Ven-tilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)filters will be replaced and that theschool will be cleaned and disinfecteddaily.

    The board also stated that parents areasked to keep their child home if he orshe is sick and that students can tune into participate in the classroom lessonsfrom home when they are feeling sick ifthey so choose.

    All children will receive aChromebook and no lockers will beutilized during the school day. Studentscan put their personal belongings intheir desk or their backpacks.

    In addition, the board noted that therewill be no use of water fountains andthat students are asked to bring theirown water and snacks to be eaten in theclassroom. It was further revealed thatGrab and Go lunches also will be avail-able but that they need to be preordered.

    The board observed that guidelinesfor the opening of schools could changeat any time as new developments seemto be received on a constant basis.

    The board also discussed how par-ents have a choice of picking virtual-only learning from home accordingto state mandates.

    In the beginning of the summer, dis-cussions focused on the subject of vir-tual learning. Superintendent of SchoolsDr. Teresa Quigley reported that a sur-vey of the borough’s distance learninghad gone out to Garwood residents.She stated that more than 147 parentshad filled out the survey in addition todozens of community members.

    It was noted that continued improve-ments would be made to the district’svirtual and distance-learning program.

    The board also said that the boroughwould work on a yearly virtual learningannual plan with website revisions.

    The next Garwood Board of Educa-tion meeting is scheduled for Wednes-day, September 2.

    Lord & Taylor properties and theRialto property as areas in need ofredevelopment following a presenta-tion by outside redevelopment con-sultant Topology.is. Last week, theparent company of Lord & Taylordeclared bankruptcy. The propertyitself is owned by Hudson’s Bay Com-pany, so it can do what it pleases withthe property. However, Mayor Brindlerecognized that the company is one ofthe town’s largest taxpayers and thather goal is to maximize potential taxrevenue while using the space to revi-talize the greater downtown area. Bydesignating the properties as areas inneed of redevelopment, the town willcontinue to play a part in the fates ofthe properties, Mayor Brindle said.“This is what enables a conversationto start,” she stated.

    Mayor Brindle discussed the re-cent storm and feedback from resi-dents. She said she had expectedpeople to be frustrated with the town’sdecision to pick up debris only fromtown trees. In her email update, MayorBrindle said that the town rarely didpick up storm debris from residentsand that the last time it did, it took twomonths and caused public works toneglect town maintenance work.

    In the meeting, Mayor Brindle ac-knowledged that while other townsmay have picked up their residents’storm debris, “it is important to notethat every town has different issues,resources and capabilities.”

    The town council voted to pass anordinance changing demolition re-quirements of the town code. Proper-ties where more than 75 percent of thestructure is being removed will berequired to seek a demolition permitshould the ordinance pass secondreading in September. The councilalso voted in favor of a resolution thatauthorizes a contract with a companycalled Volta Charging for electricvehicle charging stations.

    The next town council meeting willbe held on September 8.

    CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

    WF Council

    Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield LeaderART TAKES FLIGHT...Artist Judy Lanfredi shows off her butterfly on Satur-day after the unveiling of the “Art Takes Flight" butterfly public art project.

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  • Serving the community since 1959

    ONE DOLLAR(908) [email protected] 61st YEAR – ISSUE NO. 33-2020Published Every Thursday Since 1959

    www.timesnj.comUSPS 485200

    Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J.Thursday, August 13, 2020

    Final Stages of RenovationsSet For Frazee House

    Community Members UniteTo Feed Frontline of Hunger

    By FRED T. ROSSISpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

    SCOTCH PLAINS – Despite de-lays caused by the coronavirus-re-lated shutdowns, it is possible thatthe Revolutionary War-era FrazeeHouse could be open to the publicby early or mid-2022.

    That is the hope expressed byAndrew Calamaras, president of theboard of the Fanwood-Scotch PlainsRotary Frazee House Committee,the group that has been organizingand overseeing renovations of thehistoric home located at the cornerof Raritan and Terrill Roads. TheRotary Club’s efforts to restore the

    300-year-old house began 15 yearsago but have gained a great deal ofsteam — thanks to grants and pri-vate funding — over the past sev-eral years in particular.

    Speaking this week to The ScotchPlains-Fanwood Times , Mr.Calamaras said the exterior work islargely completed except for thedoors and windows and some spe-cial hardware for the windows. Dueto the summer heat and businessshutdowns caused by the pandemic,the past few months were not asproductive as he wished. The exte-rior of the building “should be fin-ished-finished,” he said, but instead

    things are moving in “slow motion.”In the meantime, the Rotary Club

    group has applied for another grantof some $600,000 from the state’shistoric trust to fund some of therenovations to the house’s interior,which Mr. Calamaras said will en-tail restoring the two lower-levelrooms at the western end of thehouse as well as one of the fire-places. He expects to be notified inDecember if the grant has been ap-proved, but he thinks “we’re in agood position,” citing the group’ssuccessful use of previous grantfunds for exterior work. He also is

    Fred T. Rossi for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood TimesALMOST READY...Despite delays caused by the coronavirus-related shutdowns, it is possible that the Revolutionary War-era Frazee House could be open to the public by early or mid-2022.

    Paul Lachenauer for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood TimesART TAKES FLIGHT...Artist Judy Lanfredi shows off her butterfly on Satur-day after the unveiling of the “Art Takes Flight" butterfly public art project.

    By JENNIFER GLACKINSpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

    WESTFIELD — It has been morethan 150 days since the beginning ofthe coronavirus shutdown, and thenumber of food-insecure individualsand families continues to grow. Feedthe Frontline of Hunger, founded byWestfield’s Michael Esposito, is try-ing to offset the growing need, but theorganization only has enough moneyto sustain another two weeks.

    In March, Steve and Michelle Voicestarted Westfield’s Feed the Front-line: NJ with a simple mission — feedbusy medical personnel with mealspurchased from local restaurants. Mr.Esposito, one of the vanguard sup-porters of Feed the Frontline: NJ,also helped organize multi-town fooddrives and the Jefferson ElementaryPTO’s Wednesday Sandwich Drivefor St. Joseph Social Service Centerin Elizabeth. It was through the fooddrives that Mr. Esposito built a rela-tionship with Rahway Food forFriends, one of the CommunityFoodBank of New Jersey’s (CFBNJ)affiliated partners. As the healthcareindustry began to return to normal,Mr. Esposito realized there was agrowing need at the local food banks.

    According to the CFBNJ website,it has provided six million more nu-tritious meals than last year, an in-crease of 34 percent. Applications

    are up 29 percent for the state’sSupplemental Nutrition AssistanceProgram (SNAP). Local soup kitchenand outreach Rahway Food forFriends, which typically serves 150to 200 families per week, currentlyserves close to 1,000 families weekly,according to Mr. Esposito.

    Local restaurants “can’t go to fullcapacity and still have a need for thebusiness,” Mr. Esposito told TheScotch Plains-Fanwood Times, so hisorganization purchases meals and do-nates them to “those who need itmost.” Each week, the group workswith the restaurants to purchase 300meals for $1,000. One hundred andninety meals are donated to theRahway Food for Friends soupkitchen, while the other 110 are forthe organization’s mobile-meals ser-vice that brings meals directly topeople who cannot leave their homes.The demand on Food for Friends’resources is so great, that some daysthe mobile-meal service was only ableto provide a can of tuna and somecrackers, said Mr. Esposito.

    Over the past seven weeks, Feedthe Frontline of Hunger has been ableto put about $7,000 back into thecommunity. Steve Voice donated theremaining funds from the originalFeed the Frontline group and therealso were donations from the RotaryClub of Westfield, the Rotary Club ofFanwood-Scotch Plains, other local

    businesses and private citizens.Westfield’s Tamaques ElementarySchool PTO purchased the first set of300 meals from Hershey’s Deli withits remaining lunch program funds.Westfield student Morgan Eckenthalsold mask necklaces throughInstagram and donated $500 to Feedthe Frontline of Hunger. BurgerIM inClark, Paragon Tap and Table in Clark,Sheelen’s Bistro in Fanwood, Max’sPizza and Bistro in Scotch Plains,OuttaHand Pizza, Westfield StationCafé, and Bovella’s in Westfield aresome of the restaurants that have pro-vided the meals. This upcomingFriday’s donation will be from BuonaPizza, thanks in part to Ms.Eckenthal’s donation.

    Other local businesses also havesupported the efforts. In June,D’Artagnan, a food supplier in Union,donated four pallets of frozen chicken.Boxwood Coffee Roasters in Summitrecently donated money from its Quar-antine Quiz Night in addition to twoboxes of coffee for the Rahway Foodfor Friends volunteers.

    Businesses, groups or individualswishing to run a promotion orfundraiser for Feed the Frontline ofHunger can reach out to Mr. Espositothrough Facebook or through theGoFundMe page. Also, any donorwho donates $500 to $1,000 can pickthe restaurant they want to support

    David B. Corbin for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood TimesBRIGHTWOOD IN AUTUMN...This scenic photo of Brightwood Park inWestfield was taken in the fall. Below is a conceptual drawing from the WestfieldRecreation Commission for proposed changes to the park. The 44-acre park islocated on Prospect Street and borders Scotch Plains.

    Changes Proposed, A Look Back atthe History of Brightwood Park

    By LAUREN S. BARRSpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

    WESTFIELD – Meetings arescheduled for today, August 13, at 6p.m., and Saturday, August 15, at 10a.m. in Brightwood Park, to discussthe proposed changes to the parkwhich is located on Prospect Street,bordering Scotch Plains. Accord-ing to a presentation by the WestfieldRecreation Commission, the cur-rent proposal is to “Convert make-shift bike trails in the park intoproperly maintained trails to makeexisting biking activity safer whileprotecting the park’s ecology.”

    At Tuesday night’s council meet-ing, Mayor Shelley Brindle said thatthe meetings will explore “the pos-sibility of adding safe bike trails inthe park that would supplant andnot interfere with the existing walk-ing trails.”

    The town is partnering withJORBA, which, according to thegroup’s website, has as its focus “tobuild and maintain sustainablemulti-use trails, organize and en-courage volunteerism and respon-sibility, and advocate and fostermountain biking as a healthy, envi-

    ronmentally sound, and sustainableactivity.”

    In the 1920s and 1930s, the threePearsall brothers lived, side by sideby side, on Brightwood Avenue.They owned the majority of the landalong Brightwood and ProspectStreet. The Pearsall Company wouldsell much of that land in 1935 toBrightwood Development, bringingconstruction of the homes alongFairhill and Sunnywood Drives. Oneof the brothers, Donald Pearsall,would go on to become a Westfieldtown councilman, a Union CountyFreeholder, a successful realtor andinsurance broker as the owner of alongstanding Westfield business,Pearsall and Frankebach, on ElmStreet. His son Everson Pearsallwould remain in town, making sev-eral civic contributions, includinghelping to create the Miller-CoryFund.

    Everson Pearsall’s son TomPearsall told The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times in a phone inter-view that the three brothers donatedthe land in their backyards forBrightwood Park back in the 1920s.

    In the years that followed,

    Brightwood Park became what isdescribed in the archives of TheWestfield Leader as a “shantytown,”with several small homes. It alsowas a regular dumping ground forgarbage and construction debris,often drawing people from theneighborhood in the 1950s and1960s to town council meetings tocomplain about the condition of thearea.

    In April of 1969, the town ofWestfield purchased the sevenshanty properties to complete thepark’s 44 acres for $23,500 withmoney from what was then thebrand-new Green Acres trust fundfrom the State of New Jersey.

    After the purchase of the lands, aseries of hearings began with pro-posals to develop the park with pic-nic areas and tennis courts. Hearingafter hearing that went late into thenight were held at town hall withresidents speaking against the pro-posal. The Leader and The CourierNews extensively covered thesemeetings. The residents prevailedand the council agreed to develop apassive park. The park was com-pleted in 1978.

    In 1982 the town council pro-posed soccer and baseball fields,along with a picnic area. The townhad put forth the plan citing a lowusage of the park, and high misuseby teenagers for drinking and mari-juana use.

    “How many times do we have tosave Brightwood Park?” askedCarol Tag of Tuttle Parkway at a1982 town meeting.

    Behind the scenes of the purchase,lobbying for Green Acres funding

    Garwood BOE DiscussesThe Reopening of School

    By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELLSpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

    GARWOOD – With summerwinding down, members of theGarwood Board of Education meton Tuesday evening to discuss thereopening of school in September.

    Board members noted that thesix-foot social-distancing rule willbe incorporated during the day, andthat the recently-mandated wearingof a face mask by all students andteachers per Governor PhilMurphy’s office will be enforced.

    The board also confirmed thatthe school will have a supply of facemasks for anyone in need of one.

    According to information fromthe New Jersey Department of Edu-cation, face masks will be distrib-uted daily to those who need themand that masks should be sanitizedoften.

    According to the state, masksshould be worn at all times in schoolbuildings with only a few excep-

    tions. These include when doing sowould inhibit the individual’s health;when a student is in extreme heatoutdoors; when a student is in wa-ter; if a student’s IndividualizedEducation Plan or documentedmedical condition precludes it; if astudent is under the age of 2 due torisk of suffocation; when a studentis eating or drinking; during studentnap time; when students are en-gaged in high-intensity aerobic ac-tivities; during gym and musicclasses when they are in a well-ventilated location and able to main-tain six feet of social distancing, orin a situation where students areoperating machinery in which a facecovering might get caught.

    It was reported that a half-dayprogram was put in place for bor-ough students, with morning ses-sions consisting of mathematics,science, history and language artslessons and art, music and gym tak-

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    PAGE INDEXEditorial ........ 4-5Community ... 2Obituary ........ 2Education ...... 2-3, 11

    Sports ............ 7-10Real Estate .... 1,7Classifieds ..... 10A&E .............. 12

  • Scotch Plains - Fanwood Times onlyPage 6 Thursday, August 13, 2020 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A GALE FORCE MEDIA, L.L.C. PUBLICATION

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    Fred T. Rossi for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood TimesLOCAL FISHING HOLE...A quiet father-son outing on Saturday afternoon atTamaques Park included some fishing at the adjacent lake.

    AUGUST IN THE GARDEN...The Garden Club of Westfield has designated thegarden of Brian and Jill Morrissey at 215 Benson Place as its August Garden ofthe Month. The Morrisseys became interested in landscaping during their stay inFlorida, when they planted fruit trees, shrubs and flowers on their property. Nowin Westfield, they have created a colorful and inviting display of New Guineasunpatiens, catmint, boxwood, American holly, hydrangeas and cherry laurel.

    Houses of Worship Adapt,Stay Strong During CovidBy REBECCA MEHORTER

    Specially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

    WESTFIELD — As the Covid-19 pandemic closed malls, officesand gyms, houses of worship turnedoff their lights and communionbread went stale. As restrictionscontinue, change and alleviate,places of worship have embracednew ways of communication.

    Temple Emanu-El of Westfieldstreams its Friday and Saturdayservices, and Senior Rabbi EthanProsnit said the temple has seen anincrease in attendance during thistime.

    “I think people wanted that spiri-tual connection and also had a littlemore time as people have been inlockdown,” he said.

    The temple also holds events likeweddings, funerals and B’naimitzvahs via Zoom. Using its so-cial media, the temple also postsinterviews with new staff members.Rabbi Prosnit said the staff hopesto continue the interviews withmembers to introduce people toone another. It is one of the waysthe temple is working to build asense of community in a virtualworld. Rabbi Prosnit said anotherway to create community is to buildtime into Zoom calls for membersto catch up.

    “One of the greatest things aboutgoing to services or going to learn-ing sessions is that you get to catchup with your friends or catch upwith people that you might not al-ways see,” he said. “People canjust chat and talk about what booksthey’re reading or how their familymight be or what they’re bingeingon Netflix. That’s kind of a nice

    way to interact,” he said.The temple also created a Covid-

    19 fund that “provides the resourcesto assist congregants adversely im-pacted by the fallout from COVID,”the rabbi said. Rabbi Prosnit saidthe fund helps members in obtain-ing food or anything else they mayneed and also covers membershipdues for members who cannot af-ford them during the pandemic.The fund will help the temple coverits operational costs.

    The Parish Community of SaintHelen in Westfield began livestreaming its daily worship ser-vices during the pandemic and hassince pivoted to hybrid masses inwhich parishioners can watchonline or attend in-person. TheReverend Monsignor ThomasNydegger said the parish is in a“unique situation” because thechurch is in the process of beingrebuilt, so it is using the audito-rium to hold services. Social dis-tancing, he said, is much easierbecause service-goers use chairsinstead of pews and thus can dis-tance appropriately.

    Parishioners of St. Helen’s alsohave made a point to stay con-nected with older members of thechurch and the wider communityduring the pandemic. AidaGabuzda, St. Helen’s director ofoperations, said members havemade phone calls and gone groceryshopping for elderly members ofthe parish concerned about leavingtheir homes. The younger mem-bers of the parish wrote letters andmade cards for church membersand non-members in nursinghomes.

    Reverend Nydegger said the par-ish has been strictly following allprotocols and safety measures.

    “We’ve complied with the direc-tives religiously because we’re veryconcerned with the safety of allthose coming into the church,” hesaid.

    Emergency Response, Prison,Crim. Justice Bills Advance

    SCOTCH PLAINSFriday, August 7, a resident of Kevin

    Road reported being a victim of onlinefraud. The case is under investiga-tion.

    Saturday, August 8, a resident ofthe 400 block of Park Avenue re-ported that their motor vehicle hadbeen burglarized. The vehicle wasentered overnight and several itemswere stolen. The case is under inves-tigation.

    SCOTCH PLAINSPOLICE BLOTTER

    Monday, August 10, a resident ofthe 2300 block of Elizabeth Avenuereported that their motor vehicle hadbeen burglarized overnight. Severalitems, including credit cards, werestolen. The case is under investiga-tion.

    Monday, August 10, a resident ofthe 500 block of Westfield Road re-ported being the victim of fraud by anunknown individual. The matter isunder investigation.

    Cranford Bd. of AdjustmentContinues Dunkin’ Hearing

    Paul Lachenauer for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood TimesWESTFIELD SPREADS ITS WINGS...Artist Morgan Eng poses with herbutterfly at Westfield’s "Art Takes Flight" public art project on Saturday.

    was a high-school science teacher,Noel Taylor. Brightwood Parkwould ultimately be dedicated toMr. Taylor, who fought tirelessly tonot only see the park created, butalso to keep it a natural passivehome to native flora and fauna. Longafter his retirement from teaching,Mr. Taylor appeared at town coun-cil meetings any time a mention wasmade to develop the park for recre-ation beyond its natural state. In1981 Mr. Taylor authored a book onBrightwood Park’s native plants andanimals.

    Mr. Taylor passed away in 1992.His sons, Beryl and Mark Taylor,spoke to The Times in phone inter-views this week saying that theirfather would be unhappy with theidea of mountain bike trails.

    Mark Taylor told The Times thathis father was not only a drivingforce behind the park’s creation,but developed a K-12 curriculumand ran a Saturday science programin the park to educate Westfield’syouth. “There are not a lot of quietplaces to go anymore...It’s evenmore critical now than it was backthen,” he told The Times.

    Beryl Taylor said, “these guysjust don’t get it...Once you turn itinto mountain bike trails you won’tget back what you’ve lost.” He saidthat his father feared that these typesof proposals would be made in thefuture and worried about the parknot having a champion.

    In 1999 ball fields were againsuggested for the park, but a coali-tion of concerned neighbors ob-jected to the proposal and a prelimi-nary study of the park, commis-sioned by the recreation commis-sion, indicated that 80 percent ofthe park was wetlands and not ap-propriate for field development.

    As to the current proposal, localresidents have launched a website,protectbrightwoodpark.com, and asof Wednesday morning have col-lected more than 246 signatures ona petition against the proposedmountain biking trails.

    Several of Westfield’s youth havewritten letters to both Mayor Brindleand The Times asking for expandedbike trails. The teens say that dur-ing the Covid-19 pandemic,Brightwood’s trails have seen anincrease in use.

    CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

    Brightwood

    (provided the restaurant can handlethe order size). Mr. Esposito wants tocontinue this effort for as long as hecan. To participate, visitgofundme.com/f/feed-the-frontline-of-hunger.

    CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

    Hunger

    optimistic of securing new countygrant funds as well as financingfrom private donors who have beensupportive in the past.

    Plans additionally call for a smallpublic restroom building to beerected to the west of the house andconnected to it by a ramp. The inte-rior of the house itself will be heatedand air-conditioned and be ADA-compliant.

    Legend has it that after the Battleof Short Hills in 1777, British troopsmarching past the Frazee Housesmelled bread that Betty Frazee wasbaking inside. When two generalsasked her for a loaf of bread, sheoffered it to them, with the caveatthat, “I give you this bread throughfear, not in love.” Hearing this, theBritish generals then left in a huffwithout taking any bread andmarched to Westfield. The housewas privately occupied in the 1800sand 1900s by families, most recentlythe Terry family who operated theTerry-Lou Zoo on the six-acre prop-erty on which the house sits.

    The township acquired the prop-erty in 1998 to prevent its develop-ment, and in the mid-2000s, thehouse and immediate surroundingswere leased to the Rotary Club forits restoration project. Thetownship’s community garden issituated to the rear of the house andthe overall property has been slowlydeveloped into a passive park thatis now called Frazee House Park.

    Mr. Calamaras told The Timesthat if “everything comes together”with the remaining exterior workcompleted and the interior renova-tions done as planned and sched-uled, the house could open to thepublic sometime in the first half of2022. He praised the board of di-rectors, which he described as a“good and active” one in which “ev-eryone seems to have an area ofexpertise.”

    CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

    Frazee

    ing place virtually in the afternoon.It also was revealed that on Au-

    gust 12 students would receive let-ters sent to their homes announcingtheir teacher for the upcomingschool year. The board noted thatyounger students will stay withinthe same classroom for the durationof their school time while sixth-,seventh- and eighth-grade studentswill have minimal changes in theclassroom during school time.

    It was reported that all HeatingVentilation and Air Conditioning(HVAC) filters will be replaced andthat the school will be cleaned anddisinfected daily.

    The board also stated that parentsare asked to keep their child home ifhe or she is sick and that studentscan tune in to participate in theclassroom lessons from home whenthey are feeling sick if they sochoose.

    All children will receive aChromebook and no lockers will beutilized during the school day. Stu-dents can put their personal belong-ings in their desk or their back-packs.

    In addition, the board noted thatthere will be no use of water foun-tains and that students are asked tobring their own water and snacks tobe eaten in the classroom. It wasfurther revealed that Grab and Golunches also will be available butthat they need to be preordered.

    The board observed that guide-lines for the opening of schoolscould change at any time as newdevelopments seem to be receivedon a constant basis.

    The board also discussed howparents have a choice of pickingvirtual-only learning from homeaccording to state mandates.

    In the beginning of the summer,discussions focused on the subjectof virtual learning. Superintendentof Schools Dr. Teresa Quigley re-ported that a survey of the borough’sdistance learning had gone out toGarwood residents. She stated thatmore than 147 parents had filled outthe survey in addition to dozens ofcommunity members.

    It was noted that continued im-provements would be made to thedistrict’s virtual and distance-learn-ing program.

    The board also said that the bor-ough would work on a yearly virtuallearning annual plan with websiterevisions.

    The next Garwood Board of Edu-cation meeting is scheduled forWednesday, September 2.

    CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

    GW BOE

    By REBECCA MEHORTERSpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

    TRENTON — The New Jersey StateLegislature has been busy — address-ing more than one hundred bills inhouse meetings on July 30 alone. Manyof the bills addressed issues related tothe Covid-19 pandemic. Other legis-lation to keep an eye on concern crimi-nal justice, healthcare and environ-mental justice reform.

    Bill A306 gives first responders whoforcibly enter a structure protectionfrom liability from civil damages. Itpassed the Assembly on July 30. Thecaveat is that the first responder musthave “a good faith belief that suchentry is necessary to provide emer-gency medical care or to prevent im-minent bodily harm and if no occupantof the property responds to requestsfor entry within a reasonable period oftime.”

    In the realm of prison reform, BillA4369 passed the Assembly and wasreceived in the Senate on August 3.The bill would put in place recommen-dations from the Criminal Sentencingand Disposition Commission. One rec-ommendation is the removal of man-datory minimum sentences for certain

    crimes, like nonviolent property anddrug offenses. According to the non-profit organization The SentencingProject, New Jersey has the worst sen-tencing disparity between black andwhite offenders in the United States.

    In the area of criminal justice re-form, Bill A1076 would require theAttorney General to create a programthat collects, records and analyzescriminal justice data. The AttorneyGeneral also would have to issue an-nual reports on the data. The informa-tion would include data on warrants,arrests, charges, dismissed or down-graded charges, court fees and fines,cases that go to trial and restitutionsordered, among other facets. The dataadditionally would include race,ethnicity, gender and age-related in-formation. The bill passed the Assem-bly, was amended and then passed inthe Senate and then was sent back tothe Assembly on July 30.

    Bill A4389 would increase theaffordability of health insurance inindividual and small-group markets.The bill passed both houses on July 30and was approved July 31. The legis-lation imposes a 2.75-percent tax onhealth insurance entities to subsidizepremiums for individuals who pay fortheir own plans.

    The Assembly Environment andSolid Waste Committee presented abill addressing environmental justiceat the Assembly’s July 20 meeting.Bill A2212 would require the Depart-ment of Environmental Protection toinclude an assessment of environmen-tal and health impacts when evaluat-ing certain permit applications for fa-cilities — such as certain sewage treat-ment plants, electric-generating facili-ties, landfills and transfer stations —in “burdened communities.” The billdefines these communities as any cen-sus tract that is ranked in the bottomthird of census tracts in median annualhousehold income.

    By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELLSpecially Written for The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times

    CRANFORD – After anotherevening full of lengthy testimony andresident questions, members of theCranford Board of Adjustment car-ried over an application for a drive-through Dunkin’ Donuts at the cornerof South Avenue and Lincoln Boule-vard to the board’s Monday, October5 meeting. The board noted that italready has a full schedule for itsSeptember meeting and that the ap-plicant could not make a special meet-ing that the board offered on Monday,August 31.

    In July, after four hours of testi-mony, the board postponed the appli-cation for the drive-through Dunkin’Donuts because of the late hour.

    The applicant, NATC Donuts, Inc.,owned by Anthony D’Amore, re-quested relief from multiple variances,including a use variance and manydesign waivers.

    Mr. D’Amore is the owner andoperator of 19 local Dunkin’ Donutsshops in the Union County area, in-cluding the two newest drive-throughfacilities in Clark and Rahway.

    As the meeting began, it was notedthat there were modifications to theapplication made after the July meet-ing based on recommendations fromneighbors and from the board.

    The applicant noted that the clos-ing hour would be scaled back fromthe originally-proposed 10 p.m. to 9p.m., and that two wall signs are nowplanned instead of four. In addition, abackground panel sign would be re-moved, the outside sign would gofrom being internally lit to externallylit, and the lighting fixtures would belowered. It also was said that thegarbage area would be enclosed by abarrier made with the same materialsas the building.

    Last month, John Palus, of Dy-namic Engineering, was the first wit-ness to testify on behalf of the appli-cant. He said that the Dunkin’ Donutsproposed for the site “was the small-est stand-alone Dunkin’ Donuts that Ihave seen.” Mr. Palus revealed thatthe donut shop was proposed to havesix seats inside, but that it was mostlybilled as a drive-through facility withtwo drive-through lanes proposed.

    In his presentation, Mr. Palus saidthat there would be a surplus of park-ing in that three spaces are needed asan ordinance requirement for the siteand eight are proposed, including twoemployee spaces.

    Mr. Palus also testified that therewere no tractor trailers coming to thesite for delivery of baked goods anddrink products and that they would all

    be delivered by a box truck or similartype of vehicle. He stated that deliv-eries would be conducted betweenthe hours of 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

    He also noted that the facility wouldbe able to handle a 13-car que andthat the typical wait time for cars inline was between seven and nine min-utes.

    Last month, many residents ex-pressed concerns with plans for thedonut shop, including crowding is-sues, the number of signs proposed,fencing and dumpsters being visiblefrom homes on Lincoln and nearbyBurnside Avenue, in addition to traf-fic concerns.

    It was reported that an Evergreentree hedge line also was in the plan forscreening purposes.

    This month, traffic expert NicholasVerderese, of Dynamic Traffic, testi-fied that a traffic study was conductedin late 2018 from a previous plan andidentified peak hours as 7:30 a.m.and 4:45 p.m. on weekdays and noonon Saturdays.

    Mr. Verderese also noted that thenew facility was designed to hold 13cars in a line without spillage into thestreet. This, he felt, was more thanadequate. He additionally said thattwo of the four driveways would beeliminated and that the driveway fromLincoln Avenue would be restrictedto one-way traffic.

    He also stated that the bus stoppresently positioned so close to theproperty would be moved down thestreet in conjunction with NJ Transit.

    Many neighbors were concernedabout long lines, citing lines at thenearby Starbucks which, in their opin-ion, are “dangerous.”

    The next board of adjustment meet-ing is scheduled for Monday, Octo-ber 5 at 7:45 p.m.

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  • Page 2 Thursday, August 13, 2020 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A GALE FORCE MEDIA, L.L.C. PUBLICATION

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    (908) [email protected] richardjkaplow.com

    ROTARY ELECTS LEADERS...The Rotary Club of Westfield and the Westfield Rotary Club Foundation, Inc. elected anew slate of officers and directors for the coming 2020-2021 Rotary Year, effective July 1, 2020. Pictured, from left to right,are: Past District Governor Dr. D. Michael Hart, secretary of the club and secretary of the Foundation; Barbara Frantz, Esq.,Club and Foundation director; Dr. Bill Bonsall, chair of the Foundation; Liz Ensslin, president of the club and vice-chair ofthe Foundation; Heidi Obiajulu, Esq., Club and Foundation director and Club Service chair, and Tony LaPorta, Club andFoundation director and Club Program chair. Not pictured are Club President-Elect and Foundation Director Blake Width,Esq.; Club Treasurer and Foundation Director Steve Ketcham, CPA; Elena Herskowitz, Club and Foundation director andClub Membership chair; Chung Kun Shih, Foundation treasurer, and Joe Mindak, Club and Foundation director. Theofficers are displaying American Flag pallets that are being sold to support hunger-relief projects in the local community.The Rotary Club of Westfield currently is meeting remotely by Zoom most Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. Guests are alwayswelcome. For more information, contact Dr. D. Michael Hart by email at [email protected] or visit the club website,westfieldrotary.com, or its Facebook page, “Rotary Club of Westfield, NJ.”

    – Obituaries –

    Photo courtesy of Susan M. DoughertyREGATHERING ON THE LAWN...The Presbyterian Church in Westfieldinvites the public to join congregation members at 7 p.m. each Wednesdayevening for an informal, half-hour service on the front lawn of the church at 140Mountain Avenue, Westfield. The Reverend Jeremy Jinkins, senior pastor, willdeliver the message, offer a time for personal reflection and invite congregantsto enjoy fellowship at a safe distance in the six-foot-by-six-foot spacing. Attend-ees are asked to wear a mask. For registration or more information, call (908)233-0301 during regular business hours.

    Presbyterian Church OffersOutdoor Services on Lawn

    WESTFIELD — The ReverendJeremy Jinkins, senior pastor at ThePresbyterian Church in Westfield, hasannounced “Regathering on theLawn” outdoor services on thechurch’s lawn at 140 Mountain Av-enue every Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

    “The service is not meant to re-place Sunday worship. The servicewill be simple, flexible, andmeaningful...and probably around 30minutes,” Pastor Jinkins explained. Itwill include a scripture reflection,time for prayer and some music. Whilethere will be music at the service,attendees are asked not to sing inorder to limit the risks to those aroundthem. No traditional congregating willbe allowed after the service, but at-tendees are welcome to stay on thelawn, appropriately distanced, andwith masks on, after the service toconnect in person with others.

    The church lawn has been sectionedin silver markings in six-foot-by-six-foot grid spaces by Paul Harbaughand Michael Jackson, volunteers whoare field crew members from theUnion County Rugby Football Club.

    If planning to attend, call the church

    office at (908) 233-0301. There willbe a sign-in at the designated tables,attendees’ temperature will be taken,and a few simple health questionswill be asked. Participants are askedto wear a mask and to bring handsanitizer and their own chair. Theyare requested to walk up to the tablesfrom Mountain Avenue.

    Chalk markings on the ground willindicate appropriate six-foot spacingfor those waiting to sign in. Attendeesshould plan to get to the church 10 to15 minutes before the service to al-low enough time to get through thecheck-in process.

    Everyone of all ages is welcome tojoin the congregation in communityand worship. To observe social dis-tancing, children must stay with theirparents. Limited availability of bath-room facilities will be provided foremergency use. The restrooms willbe sanitized after each use.

    These outdoor services are an-ticipated to continue through theend of September or longer asweather permits. For more informa-tion, call the church office duringbusiness hours at (908) 233-0301.

    Phyllis M. Pecka, 99, Loving Wife,Mother and Friend, Active Locally

    Phyllis M. Pecka

    Phyllis Pecka passed away peace-fully on Tuesday, August 4, 2020,at her home in Westfield, N.J. Shewas 99 years old.

    Born on a dairyfarm in Clarkfield,Minn., Phyllis spentthe first 16 years ofher life without elec-tr ici ty or indoorplumbing. Shortly af-ter graduating at thetop of her high schoolclass, Phyllis ven-tured to Minneapolis,“the big city,” for em-ployment.

    In the aftermath ofPearl Harbor, Phyllisenlisted in the MarineCorps. She servedhonorably at CherryPoint, N.C., where she met andmarried fellow Marine RobertPecka.

    After the war, they at first settledin the suburbs of Chicago, thenrelocated several times before fi-nally coming to Westfield in 1962.

    Phyllis was active in The Pres-byterian Church in Westfield, the

    PTA and the Westfield MemorialLibrary. Through the years, shevolunteered for numerous causesand organizations.

    She will be remem-bered as a loving andkind friend, neighbor,daughter, sister, aunt,wife, mother and grand-mother, as a gracioushostess, and as an ex-cellent cook and baker.

    A private service washeld at Fairview Cem-etery in Westfield,where she now rests be-side her loving hus-band, who predeceasedher in 2000. Phyllis alsohad a daughter, Joan,who died in 1963.

    Phyllis is survived byher son, Paul, who currently residesin Westfield, N.J., and two grand-sons, Carl of Austin, Tex., and Samof Los Angeles, Calif.

    Arrangements are by Gray Fu-neral Home of Westfield. Pleasego to www.grayfuneralhomes.comto offer condolences.

    August 13, 2020

    Edward Felix McTeigue1972 — 2020

    Ed McTeigue of Vermont died onFriday, July 24, 2020, as a result ofcomplications following surgery. Hewas 48.

    Ed grew up in Westfield, N.J. Heenjoyed, played and even helpedcoach a number of sports. Ed lovedthe beach and the ocean and had aspecial fondness for the Jersey Shore.He spent many summers on LongBeach Island and worked as an openwater ocean lifeguard.

    From an early age, music was Ed’spassion. He played a number of in-struments, performed, wrote and com-posed music both for pleasure andprofessionally throughout the years.Ed made his career in the music in-dustry and was nominated for aGrammy Award in 2017 for his col-laboration on the song “Wreck You,”which also was nominated for a 2018American Award for Americana Song

    of the Year.Ed was a devoted husband and

    father. His children were the mostimportant part of his life.

    Ed touched many people and gath-ered friends all along his journey. Hewas a joyful presence when he entereda room and he will be sorely missed byfamily, friends and all who knew him.Please cherish the good memories.

    He is survived by his wife, KateElizabeth Lynch; his children, Noraand William; his mother, Joan; hissister, Alvina, and her family; hisbrother, Frank, and many other fam-ily and friends. Ed was predeceasedby his father, Francis.

    If you wish to participate in honor-ing Ed’s life, the family asks thatdonations be made to St. Joseph So-cial Service Center, 118 DivisionStreet, Elizabeth, N.J. 07201-2736.

    August 13, 2020

    Garwood Knights HoldingDrive For School Supplies

    GARWOOD — The GarwoodKnights of Columbus are collectingbrand-new school supplies on behalfof the children of the St. Joseph So-cial Service Center in Elizabeth.

    The following items are suggested:pencils, pens, pencil cases, filler pa-per, notebooks (marble, one-, two-and five-subject), rulers, crayons,coloring books, folders, binders,highlighters, scissors, staplers,staples, rubber bands, erasers, paperclips, glue sticks, art supplies, back-

    packs and any other supplies as well.Donations can be dropped off pres-

    ently from 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays at theGarwood Knights of Columbus Coun-cil Hall, located at 37 South Avenue,Garwood, and on Sundays after 1p.m. in September.

    Parking is available behind thehall off of Willow Avenue (turn atPet Supplies Plus). Visitors are askedto use the side-door entrance. Forinformation, call (908) 789-9809after 4 p.m., or Keith Gallagher at(908) 789-0931.

    For information on the St. JosephSocial Service Center, visit sjeliz.organd also YouTube “Homeless inElizabeth” parts 1 and 2 for an in-depth look at the center’s programs.

    Dalton Tango EntersWilkes University

    WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — DaltonTango of Scotch Plains is enteringWilkes University as a member of itsfirst-year class. A graduate of ScotchPlains-Fanwood High School, Daltonwill be an engineering major. He isthe recipient of a Dean Scholarshipawarded by Wilkes.

    More than 500 students are enteringthe university as part of its first-yearclass. The Fall 2020 semester willbegin on Monday, August 24, follow-ing the university’s Welcome Week-end, which provides first-year studentswith an introduction to life at Wilkes.

    Founded in 1933, Wilkes Univer-sity is a private, independent, non-sectarian institution of higher educa-tion. In addition to 45 majors, Wilkesoffers 24 master’s degree programsand five doctoral/terminal degree pro-grams. To learn more, visit wilkes.edu.

    Local Students MakeUSciences Dean’s ListPHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Two

    Scotch Plains residents have beennamed to the Spring 2020 Dean’sList at University of the Sciences.Selection for this award is based oncompleting and passing all assignedcourses with no grade below a “C”and attaining an academic averageof at least 3.4 for courses taken inthe Spring of 2020.

    Gianna Calligy is a biology stu-dent and Michael Fleck is a Doctorof Pharmacy student.

    University of the Sciences has pre-pared students to be leaders and prac-titioners in the healthcare and sci-ence fields for nearly 200 years. Sinceits founding in 1821 as PhiladelphiaCollege of Pharmacy, the first col-lege of pharmacy in North America,University of the Sciences has grownto more than 30 degree-granting pro-grams from bachelor’s through doc-toral degrees in the health sciences,bench sciences, and healthcare busi-ness and policy fields. For more in-formation, visit usciences.edu.

    Cappiello AchievesHighest Honors AtUniversity of N.H.

    WESTFIELD — BenjaminCappiello of Sunapee, N.H., hasbeen named to the Dean’s List at theUniversity of New Hampshire forearning Highest Honors for theSpring 2020 semester. Mr.Cappiello, a 2018 Westfield HighSchool graduate, is majoring inBusiness Administration: Finance.

    Students named to the Dean’s Listat the University of New Hamp-shire are students who have earnedrecognition through their superiorscholastic performance during a se-mester enrolled in a full-time courseload (12 or more graded credits).

    Highest honors are awarded tostudents who earn a semester gradepoint average of 3.85 or better outof a possible 4.0. Students with a3.65 to 3.84 average are awardedhigh honors and students whosegrade point average is 3.5 through3.64 are awarded honors.

    Local Residents AwardedBSN Degrees From WGU

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Twolocal residents have each earned adegree from Western Governors Uni-versity (WGU). Frederick Lavin ofFanwood and Mia Francis of ScotchPlains both received a Bachelor ofScience in Nursing degree.

    Designed to meet the needs of work-ing adults, WGU enables students tostudy and learn on their own sched-ules with individualized, one-to-onefaculty support. They completecourses as soon as they demonstratethat they have mastered the subjectmatter, allowing them to move quicklythrough material they already knowso they can allocate time for whatthey still need to learn.

    Established by 19 U.S. governors

    with a mission to expand access tohigh-quality, affordable higher edu-cation online, the nonprofit WGUnow serves more than 123,000 stu-dents nationwide and has more than190,000 graduates in all 50 states.WGU is accredited by the NorthwestCommission on Colleges and Uni-versities. To learn more, visit wgu.edu.

    Charles P. Eddy III, 79, Family Man,Environmental Champion and Native SonCharles Phillips Eddy III — en-

    vironmental at torney,outdoorsman, loving father, grand-father and husband — passed awayon Thursday, June 25, 2020, after aten-year battle with amyloidosis.He was 79 years old.

    Charlie was born onApril 2, 1941 inWestfield, the oldestson of Charles Eddy Jr.and Maria Cabanellas.He attended WestfieldHigh School beforeheading to the Univer-sity of Colorado, Boul-der, on an NROTCscholarship. Aftergraduation, he servedfour years in the Navy,winning a Bronze Starfor valor during his twotours in Vietnam.

    Returning to the States in 1967,he rekindled a romance with oldflame and longtime friend BrendaBroz, and they were married in June1968. They remained flames andbest friends for fifty-two years.

    Charlie graduated in 1970 fromCornell Law School, after helpingfound the Cornell Legal Aid Clinicfor low-income clients. He later es-tablished a Dean’s fund to help alle-viate student debt for alumni work-ing in the public interest. True to hislove of the outdoors, he specializedin environmental law and went towork in Washington, serving in theWhite House on the President’sCouncil on Environmental Qualityand later in the Department of theInterior as Deputy Assistant Secre-tary, Energy and Minerals.

    In 1980, he moved to Los Ange-

    les, which remained his belovedhome for nearly forty years. Here,he advised and later ran companieswith a focus on environmentalpolicy and protection. Throughouthis career, he applied his consider-

    able legal and manage-ment talent towardscauses near to his heart,including helping foundboth Friends of Franklinin support of the neigh-borhood elementaryschool and the High Si-erra Energy Foundation.He also served on theboards of CounterpartInternational and TheFriends of the Los Ange-les River and somehowfound the time to coachnumerous baseball and

    soccer teams for his three kids.An iconoclast with an unshakable

    moral compass, Charlie was always achampion of the underdog, a taker ofthe roads less traveled. He was asource of wise counsel and support toall those lucky enough to know him.

    He died peacefully in his sleep,surrounded by his entire family: hiswife, Brenda; their three children,Marisa, Billy and Matt (and theirspouses, Mike, Sandie and Staci);their seven grandchildren, Brody,Drew, Evie, Bayler, Camden, Char-lotte and Brendan, and his two sisters,Bambi Arellano and Sue Fleischli.

    Donations on Charlie’s behalf canbe made to Counterpart International(counterpart.org), the Cornell LawSchool (lawschool.cornell.edu), orthe Friends of the LA River(folar.org).

    August 13, 2020

    Charles P. Eddy III

    Maier, Speranza ParticipateIn SOTA at Alvernia Univ.

    READING, Pa. — James Maierof Mountainside and Daria Speranzaof Scotch Plains participated asmembers of Alvernia University’sStudent Occupational Therapy As-sociation (SOTA) while studyingoccupational therapy during the2019-2020 school year.

    SOTA works to create a strongcommunity that fosters the valuesof the occupational therapy profes-sion and brings to life the Franciscancore values of Alvernia University.The association creates an environ-ment of professionalism among oc-cupational therapy students andseeks to provide a better under-standing of who occupational thera-pists are.

    SOTA holds programs that re-flect the interests of the occupa-tional therapy profession; promotescollegiality among occupational

    therapy students and with other stu-dent clubs; advocates for the occu-pational therapy profession by rep-resenting the occupational therapyfield through work in the commu-nity; develops the identity of occu-pational therapy students, and be-comes involved in the regional, stateand national associations of occu-pational therapy.

    Campus clubs and activities areamong the many ways in whichAlvernia students gain real-worldexperience, contribute to more than60,000 hours of community serviceeach year, and help the universityremain deeply anchored within itscommunities.

    Operating on a 191-acre suburbancampus in historic Berks County, Pa.,the distinctive Franciscan universityof nearly 3,000 students is locatedwithin 60 miles of Philadelphia.

    Alley Zakarin Set toEnter Kutztown U.

    KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Alley Zakarinof Fanwood will enter Kutztown Uni-versity in the Fall as the newest mem-ber of the Golden Bear family. TheFall semester begins on Monday,August 24. Ms. Zakarin comes toKutztown University from ScotchPlains-Fanwood High School.

    Located on 289 acres, the KutztownUniversity campus is adjacent to theBorough of Kutztown in BerksCounty, Pa.

    David Clancy GraduatesUniv. of Notre Dame

    NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Uni-versity of Notre Dame has announcedthat David Malachy Clancy hasearned the degrees of Bachelor ofBusiness Administration in Finance,graduating cum laude, and Bachelorof Arts in Sociology and as a mem-ber of the National Sociology HonorSociety.

    Mr. Clancy is a resident of ScotchPlains and a graduate of Saint Peter’sPreparatory School.

    The degrees were conferred dur-ing Notre Dame’s 175th AnnualCommencement that took place onMay 17.

    Clay Prichett NamedDistinguished ScholarMERCERSBURG, Pa. — Clay

    Prichett of Westfield, a 12th-gradestudent, was named a distinguishedscholar (all grades of 90 or above)during the Spring term atMercersburg Academy.

    Mercersburg Academy is a co-educational, independent collegepreparatory boarding and dayschool in Mercersburg, Pa., withstudents enrolled in grades 9 to 12and a postgraduate year.

    It has prepared students for col-lege and life beyond since 1893and awards more than $7 million infinancial aid each year. There are442 students enrolled this year from26 states, the District of Columbia,and 44 nations.

    For more information about theschool, call (717) 328-6173, [email protected], or viewthe school’s website at mercersburg.edu.

    Lila Hutchins AchievesDean’s List Distinction

    At Bates CollegeLEWISTON, Me. — Lila Hutchins

    of Westfield was named to the Dean’sList at Bates College for the Wintersemester ending in April 2020. Thisis a distinction earned by studentswhose cumulative grade point aver-age is 3.8 or higher.

    Lila, the child of John C. Hutchinsand Margaret N. Hutchins ofWestfield, is a 2017 graduate ofWestfield High School and is major-ing in sociology.

    Located in Lewiston, Me., Bates isa liberal arts college that attracts 2,000students from across the United Statesand around the world.

    Probitas Verus Honos

    Sean Varsolona EarnsMBA From UMass

    LOWELL, Mass. — SeanVarsolona of Scotch Plains wasamong the graduates honored duringthe University of MassachusettsLowell’s 2020 Commencement. Mr.Varsolona received a Master of Busi-ness Administration degree.

    The university held a virtual com-mencement ceremony on May 29for the more than 4,400 members ofthe Class of 2020, which represents45 states and 108 nations, and in-cluded 1,624 individuals who gradu-ated with honors.

    The main ceremony was followedby online events by each of theuniversity’s schools and collegesduring which all graduates’ nameswere read.

  • A GALE FORCE MEDIA, L.L.C. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, August 13, 2020 Page 3

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    ROLE MODEL...Sydney Johnson displays her Daughters of the AmericanRevolution (DAR) Good Citizen certificate. She also was awarded a DAR pin,wallet card and a $100 cash prize donated by the Westfield Chapter of the DAR.

    Sydney Johnson Is NamedWestfield DAR Good Citizen

    WESTFIELD AREA — TheWestfield Chapter of the Daughtersof the American Revolution (DAR)took part in the National Society DARGood Citizen Scholarship Contest.

    Three local high schools participatedby each selecting one Good Citizenfrom their senior class. Those schoolsincluded the Wardlaw+HartridgeSchool in Edison, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School and WestfieldHigh School.

    The winner of the DAR Good Citi-zen Contest at the Wardlaw+Hartridge

    School is Sydney Johnson. She wasselected by the faculty based on De-pendability (includes truthfulness,loyalty and punctuality), Service (in-cludes cooperation, courtesy and con-sideration of others), Leadership (in-cludes personality, self-control andresponsibility) and Patriotism (in-cludes unselfish interest in family,school, community and nation).

    The DAR is dedicated to histori-cal preservation, promotion of edu-cation and encouragement of patri-otic endeavor.

    Grade 8Distinguished Honor Roll

    Domenica Allarde, JillianAlmendral, Dylan Altman, AndrewAltobelli, Evan Alvarez, AndrewAmman, Jack Ancri, Belen Arbelaez,Danielle Arky, Kolby Azzaretto, AvaBandelli, Annabel Barker, CharlotteBennett, Ava Berman, NicoleBraterman, Madeline Caherly, TristanCallow, Daniel Capone, SiennaCapuano, Gianna Castelli, JackChavez, Kieran Ciarletta, ColinCimei, Brianna Ciotta, Emily Con-stable, Allison Constantinou, Marga-ret Crooks, Gabriella Cunningham,Grace D’Angelo, Julia Damashek,Kathryn Duncan, Alexander Ebel,Lorenzo Enright, Elizabeth Faragi,Tatiana Fecowycz, Katherine Ferris,Noah Ferry, Natalie Fitzgerald, AvaFlannery, Ty Flannery, DevanGambello, Anna Garretson, LolaGeoghan, Hannah Gerstel, SofiaGesser, Isabella Giacobbe, KateGiglio, Adam Goddard, NatalieGonzalez, Jacqueline Greyenbuhl,Francesca Guggino, ChristianneHabayeb, Andrea Hanchuk, JamesHanley, Catherine Heflin, Nina Heim,Addison Hoeft, Bridget Holland, ColeHornbeck, Brooke Horowitz, SophiaHynes, Casey Isser, Emma Jablonka,Emma Jacobs, Maya Jayroe, LukeJordan, Leander Juraschek, JulianneKamins, Alexander Kim, CharlesKinch, Samantha Kisztelinski, Max-well Kocaj, Graham Korins, Christo-pher Laide, Brady Lenner, SamanthaLerner, Brady Longstreet, JamesLynch, David Maimon, AdisonMarshall, Michael Marshall, CooperMartino, Daniel McGann, EmilyMcGovern, Elyse McMeekan,Leressa Menardy, Peter Mignemi,Edward Mitchell, Juliana Molinelli,Mackenzie Moore, Claire Morano,Addison Mulholland, Daniel Murphy,Lily Norton, Sean O’Donnell, PieraOren, Nicole Ott, Sophia Paone,Jaiden Patel, Shriya Patel, OliviaPaulino, Aidan Phillips, GabriellePolito, Charlotte Puckett, KeiraRedmond, Justin Ricci, GeorgiaRichman, Kaitlyn Rossitto, RileyRoth, John Ryan, Josh Sackett, EllieSacks, Anna Salvato, Kailey Sang,David Savransky, Mia Scheuermann,Drew Schimer, Bradley Schuster,Audrey Schwartz, Paul Schwartz,William Schwartz, ChristianSchweiger, Emily Shabinaw, AlexaSheppard, Christopher Shinners,Rishi Shroff, Gabrielle Sigmund, Jo-seph Slingerland, Allison Smith,Enoch Soh, Aviva Solovey, LukeStanek, Sarah Stavrovich, AshleighStewart, Tate Sun, Vendela Surgent,Betheny Swartz, Sienna Tan, AndrewTemo, Caroline Terry, AlexanderValencia, Trent Valentine, ElizabethVarano, Chloe Walpole, KaitlinWalsh, Kate Watson, Sarah Wiedman,Asher Wiesen, Josselyn Williams,Benjamin Wisniewski, DylanZuckerman

    Grade 8Honor Roll

    Altai Abrams, Aristotelis Acord,Mikel Alkorta, Jack Barbella, HudsonBerg, Reed Bienstock, Kate Bloom,Sara Burrick, Beckett Calder, GavinCallahan, Vikram Chulliparambil,Matthew Culhane, Caitlin Curry,Margaret Danenhauer, Randal Davis,Gabriella Demeter, John DiGregorio,Catherine Durocher, Matthew Fried-man, Lauren Fuccillo, James Gildea,Benjamin Goldman, Kevin Gorelick,Ava Gorski, Jacob Hafer, JamesHamilton, Brendan Healy, OwenHilliard, Emma Humphrey, MauraHyland, August Kinch, Tatum Kocaj,Sean Koenke, Emilia Krowinska,Luke Laczynski, Philip Langhart,Skyler Lipkind, Rowan McMahill,Patrick Miller, Benjamin Mitrow,Angelina Mora, Archili Mtsituri,Isabella Murray, Noah Niemiera, FinnO’Keefe, Matthew Passante, MadanPatel, Roman Pena