Cranford Patch: Latest Articles

Cranford Schools Lose $2.5 Million in State Aid

2010-03-17T17:20:14-04:00

Cranford is looking at a 78 percent cut in state aid.

By Whitney Rhodes

5:20pm

The Cranford School District will lose close to 78 percent of its state aid, according to information released by the state Department of Education Wednesday afternoon.

Cranford will lose nearly $2.5 million in state aid, but could also receive $4.2 million in other aid. Gov. Chris Christie presented his budget address Tuesday afternoon, indicating that school districts would not lose more than 5 percent of their total budget.

Earlier in the day Superintendent Gayle Carrick said she was waiting for official word on how much money the district would lose in the 2010-11 budget.

The Cranford Board of Education will hold a special meeting on March 22 at Lincoln School to approve the 2010-2011 preliminary budget for submission to the Executive County Superintendent of Schools. A public hearing will be held on the budget at Walnut Avenue School on March 29. Both meetings will start at 7 p.m.

The school district receives over $3 million in state aid. The 2009-10 general fund budget, according to the state's document, is $51.9 million.

Cranford isn't the only district to lose a large portion of its state aid. Westfield will lose 90 percent, while Scotch Plains is looking at an 84 percent cut.

Check back for more details as they become available.

New Jersey Hawks Earn Bronze Medal in State Tournament

2010-03-17T14:21:11-04:00

They defeated Montgomery 23-20 to earn the bronze medal in the state tournament.

By Mike Curci

2:21pm

Parents and players braved the driving rain and wind this past weekend, and the dedication paid off, as the New Jersey Hawks basketball team defeated Montgomery 23-20 to earn the bronze medal in the state tournament held at Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville.

The two-day event featured teams from all over the state. The Hawks, coached by Bob McAuliffe and Tom Wisniewski, have a number of Cranford players on their roster, who were proud to bring home the bronze to their home town.

Editor's Note: Author Mike Curci's son is on the team. Send your sports updates to whitney@patch.com.

Track Stars Shine at Nationals, Named All-American

2010-03-17T11:14:06-04:00

Kelly Burke and Natalie Englese received high school track's highest honor.

By Mike Curci

11:14am

Thanks to outstanding performances this past weekend at the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston, the town of Cranford has two high school All-Americans to call their own.

Senior Kelly Burke and junior Natalie Englese needed to finish in the top six in their respective events to receive high school track's highest honor. It started when Burke finished second in the triple jump at 39'6.5", a personal best and a Union County record.

"Kelly has worked very hard throughout her high school career to achieve what she has achieved," said Cranford head coach Peter Kane. "Her jump of 39'6.5" is the fourth best indoor jump ever in New Jersey. She deserves every award she earns because of her work ethic and dedication. I'm very proud of her and very happy she's on our team."

"This weekend was really exciting," said Burke, who will be headed to the University of Notre Dame to continue her career. "This was the first time we've ever gone to Boston for Nationals. Usually we go to New York. It was great. I got to compete in a team event, shuttle hurdles, and then I got to do triple jump and pole vault. I went into triple jump not expecting to get into the finals. My first jump in finals, I ended up moving from fourth to second. It's just the best feeling ever. In pole vault I ended up with a personal-best by two inches from my indoor season and I ended up getting seventh. It was a really great end to my last indoor season."

Meanwhile, Englese finished third in the 400-meter with a time of 55.95, eclipsing her all-time best effort while smashing the Union County mark as well.

"Natalie has pushed herself to be able to compete at a very elite level," Kane said. "After the Meet of Champions and the Nike National meet, she knows that she can run with anyone. I'm looking forward to seeing her train and progress throughout the spring season. I don't believe there is any record that is safe from her."

"This was an awesome weekend," Englese said. "Going into the 400 as a top-eight, I made the finals, I had the eighth position, so I just gave everything I had and luckily I came out with a medal and became All-American. It was really exciting. I looked over to my coach and he was holding up number three. I was shocked. I couldn't believe I got third."

Both athletes always wanted to achieve All-American status, and they knew it would take a tremendous amount of hard work to get to stand on the national podium.

"I definitely reached my goals," said Burke. "All-American was definitely a goal of mine. The fact that I got past sixth for anything was just amazing. That I got second in triple jump was one of the most amazing feelings ever."

"I set high goals for myself," Englese said. "We wrote on a piece of paper things we wanted to accomplish. I couldn't ask for a better ending. This is such a great year with the Meet of Champions and now Nationals. It's still so unreal. I'm so happy and I hope it carries on to the spring season."

All in all, it was an amazing weekend for Kane and his staff, who headed to Beantown with six student-athletes ready to compete. Others who qualified for the Nationals were the Shuttle Hurdle Relay team of sophomores Rebecca Shiminov and Gillian Burke, freshman Bryanna Grant and Kelly Burke. They took 11th in a time of 37.21.

"The kids and coaching staff were very focused and excited for the entire weekend," said Kane. "We had a great time preparing for the competition and the kids stepped up and performed on the biggest stage in the nation. To have these results gets everyone very excited for the outdoor season ahead. We are very proud of the girls."

Sudiak: We Don't Rest on Our Laurels

2010-03-17T07:14:55-04:00

Long-sitting incumbent seeks fifth term on Board of Education.

By Patrick Sullivan

7:14am

After 12 years on the school board, Mary Catherine Sudiak still has work to do. Sudiak is seeking her fifth term on Cranford's Board of Education. She is one of three uncontested candidates.

"We don't sit on our laurels," she said. "We're always looking to improve."

This full-time mother of two–son Billy is a sophomore at Villanova University and daughter Christine is a sophomore at Cranford High School–is active in both the Cranford and Union County communities, sitting on numerous boards and volunteering for positions including, but not limited to: Trailside Museum board in Watchung, Parent-Teacher Council board, Cranford Junior Women's Club, and Boy Scout Troop 75.

"I try to stay in touch with other things in the community," she said. "Cranford is a wonderful town and I do what I can to give to it."

A number of programs that identify children's and teachers' most effective learning styles, such as the Kaleidoscope Program and Teaching for Understanding, have come to fruition over the past few years. The result is a stronger focus on personalized learning this school year, and Sudiak hopes to build on this year's momentum. Sudiak is proud of her work on the Board of Education, but is quick to stress that she can't take all, or even most of the credit.

"The Board is collaborative," she said. "It really does work together."

Sudiak says her main focus for the coming term will be a greater integration of technology into the learning process. As a former employee of Bell Labs, Sudiak understands the benefits technology can bring to the classroom. Sudiak would like to see an overhaul of the school district's Web site and new interactive features such as an administrative forum that strengthens the "school-home connection."

"Using technology for students and the community is something I'd like to do better with," she said.

She acknowledges that one of the greatest difficulties in using the latest technology is funding, and feels that the greatest challenge facing Cranford's school system is the budget. She admits to being "very nervous" about Governor Chris Christie's coming cuts to school aid. To that end, the school board has come up with budgets incorporating cuts between five and 15 percent. Sudiak feels that Cranford shouldn't endure a drastic cut, but acknowledges that the state has changed the aid criteria with little notice before.

Overall, Sudiak wants to build on prior years' successes while looking for new ways for Cranford's children to compete in the global job market.

"Cranford is blessed with excellent schools, but we can always do better," she said.

What Does Christie's Budget Proposal Mean?

2010-03-16T19:50:05-04:00

A quick FAQ to help you understand the governor's budget proposal.

By John Celock

March 16, 2010

Gov. Chris Christie's proposed FY 2011 budget will be discussed and debated in town and school chambers over the next few months. Patch has put together this list of frequently asked questions about the governor's proposed budget as a way to help readers understand the proposals.

What is this property tax constitutional amendment?

Christie is asking the state legislature to approve an amendment to the state constitution calling for a cap of 2.5 percent in annual property tax increases. In addition he is calling for a constitutional amendment capping state budget increases at 2.5 percent.

What is the procedure to amend the state constitution?

Both the Assembly and the Senate will need to pass the amendment by a two thirds majority. The measure would then go to a statewide public referendum in the 2010 general election. Fifty percent plus one of state voters are needed to approve the amendment. The governor's signature is not needed.

What is going to happen to property tax rebates?

Christie is proposing eliminating the current property tax rebates and replacing them with property tax credits from the state. Instead of getting a check in the mail, New Jersey residents would see the credits appear on their local property tax bills.

Would the property tax credits take effect in 2010?

No, they would take effect in 2011.

What is the governor's proposal regarding state aid to local school districts?

Christie has proposed a cut of $819 million in state aid to schools. In terms of specific numbers, he is proposing that local school districts will see a state cut that is equal to no more than five percent of the total Board of Education budget.

How can local Boards of Education handle the proposed aid cut?

Local districts are required by law to present balanced budgets for voter or Board of School Estimate approval. The boards will determine budgets and tax levies based on the state aid numbers revealed by Christie. It is up to individual boards to find the money to make up for any lost state aid.

What is Christie proposing regarding collective bargaining for teachers and other public employees?

Christie has proposed legislation requiring school district employees to pay a portion of their health benefits. Currently this issue is handled by the local school district and local teachers union in contract negotiations.

What are the changes being made to public employee pensions?

Christie, with the support of state Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford), is proposing that public employees contribute more to their pensions. A bill is currently heading through the state legislature to implement this proposal. Public employee unions are against this. Christie is also proposing limiting pensions to full-time employees only.

Is Christie cutting municipal aid?

Yes, the governor is proposing a cut of $445 million.

Will there be changes to the special and extraordinary state aid to municipalities?

If Christie has his way, yes. The governor said the Department of Community Affairs was determining a new program for the special aid which will reduce the amount given out. Christie said in the future municipalities will need to demonstrate to DCA that they are cutting their budgets before being able to receive the extra aid.

What are the percentage cuts the governor is proposing to individual state departments?

Department of Agriculture: 24%

Department of Banking and Insurance: 12%

Department of Children and Families: 4%

Department of Community Affairs: 35%

Department of Corrections: 7%

Department of Environmental Protection: 2%

Department of Education: 8%

Department of Health and Senior Services: 6%

Department of Human Services: 4%

Department of Labor: 6%

Department of Law and Public Safety (State Attorney General): 7%

Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: 2%

Department of the Public Advocate: 25%

Department of State: 11%

Department of Transportation: 3%

Department of the Treasury: 39%

Are there any budget hikes proposed by Christie?

Yes, Christie is proposing increasing the budget for hospitals in New Jersey.

Where does the budget go from here?

The budget committees in the Assembly and the Senate will be holding a series of public hearings on the budget. These hearings will lead to the legislature drafting a response to Christie's budget. The governor and legislative leaders will negotiate a final budget for a legislative vote. The final budget needs to be adopted by June 30.

What happens if the budget is not adopted by June 30?

State government will shut down like it did in 2006 when then Gov. Jon Corzine and the legislature could not agree on a budget. Unlike 2006, casinos will not shut down.

County Adds Third Budget Meeting

2010-03-16T17:51:01-04:00

An additional county budget meeting will be held on March 24.

March 16, 2010

A third date has been added to the open public hearing dates in March for the review of Union County's 2010 Executive Budget.

The additional date is March 24, beginning at 5 p.m. and concluding at about 7:15 p.m.

The two previously announced dates are March 18 and March 25. Both of these hearings will begin at 4 p.m. and conclude by 7 p.m. Freeholder agenda-setting meetings will be held after the March 18 and March 25 meetings.

All three budget hearings will be held in the freeholder meeting room on the sixth floor of the County Administration Building, at 10 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth.

"We will continue to explore cost savings and reductions in the budget line by line," Freeholder Fiscal Committee Chairman Alexander Mirabella said. "During this tough time, we're going to have to continue to make sacrifices as many of our residents are doing."

The 2010 Executive Budget was presented last month by County Manager George W. Devanney, who noted this year's budget narrative "reflects our proactive efforts in overcoming extraordinary challenges over the past year, and stabilizing Union County's current budgetary picture despite one of the toughest recessionary cycles in a generation, which adversely impacted many of our residents as well."

The Freeholder Board will conduct their review before voting to introduce a final budget around or before early April.

Celebrate St. Patty's Day in Cranford

2010-03-16T15:20:44-04:00

Places to go to get your drink on.

By Whitney Rhodes

March 16, 2010

You don't need to wear green on March 17. Nobody's going to blame you if instead you stuff your face with bangers and mash, clap along with clog dancers, and maybe even slam back a pint (or two). Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with these Cranford events, deals and entertainment:

Breadsmith - 32 North Avenue W: 908-276-2155
Fresh baked Irish Soda Bread for St. Patty's Day.
Riverside Inn - 56 North Avenue E: 908-709-9449
Celebrate Cauldron Day (the day before St. Patrick's Day) with boiled corned beef in an outdoor cauldron. Bagpipers, Irish clog dancers and The Tipsy Rovers will provide evening entertainment.
Cranford Hotel - 1 South Union Avenue: 908-276-2121
Enjoy corned beef and cabbage, Guinness beef stew, bangers and mash, and other Irish specials.
Periwinkle's - 19 North Union Avenue: 908-276-1300
Stop by for some Good Luck Pasta for soups, salads or with your favorite sauce. The pasta is all-natural and each bag includes a recipe.
Cranford's Best Bagels (107 South Avenue East, 908-931-0454) and Big E's Bagels (Cleveland Plaza, 908-276-9598)
Order green bagels.
Breen's Liquors - 21 North Union Avenue: 908-276-0150
Discounted Irish beers throughout March.
The Office Beer Bar & Grill - 1 South Avenue: 908-272-3888
Corned beef and cabbage, Jameson glazed rib-eye and shepherd's pie.
Kilkenny House - 112 South Avenue East, 908-276-3414
Live Irish music all day, bagpipes, Irish dancers. Lunch starts at 11 a.m.
Hynes Jewelers - 2 Eastman Street, 908-272-0785
17 percent off all in-store merchandise for the entire month of March.
Ye Olde Rathskeller - 523 Centennial Avenue, 908-272-9511
Event goes on all day from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Irish music, beer and drink specials, giveaways, owner's famous homemade corn beef and cabbage, potatoes, soda bread, karaoke with DJ Mike from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Freshman Hoopsters Take a Championship Ride

2010-03-16T15:23:25-04:00

The future looks bright for McCoy, McGovern, Goeller.

By Mike Curci

March 16, 2010

It's not easy for a high school freshman to step onto a varsity team and make an impact.

But that's exactly what happened this season to the Cranford girls' basketball team, with three talented ninth-grade student-athletes surviving the proving ground at the highest level. Jessica McCoy, Kaitlin McGovern and Jenna Goeller proved they had the skill set to make the grade.

Head coach Jackie Huber knew she had potential from the very first day.

"The jump from middle school basketball to high school varsity is a huge one," said Huber. "Sometimes it is very difficult for players to adjust and transition into a higher, fast-paced style of play. This years' freshmen have proven to be out of the ordinary. From day one they came in ready to meet any challenge that would come their way. You wouldn't know they were freshmen by their play, unless you asked."

"I was real excited I made varsity," said McGovern. "I didn't expect to when I first came in. When I got on the team I was really excited. I didn't think I was going to be that big a part. I thought it would be more like sitting on the bench, but I actually got to help out a lot as the season went on."

"It was exciting," said Jenna Goeller. "I guess I expected to make varsity because I put a lot of time and effort in the off-season. To be a part of the team and play in this atmosphere, I think it was a lot of fun."

What's even more difficult, and impressive, is for a newcomer to crack the starting lineup. That was the case for McCoy, who stepped in and not only made an impact right away, but scored 17 points against Carteret in the state tournament.

"Jess played a huge role as part of our starting line up this year," Huber said. "She is extremely athletic and a hard worker. She has led our team in more then one game in scoring and has proven that she is one of the top freshmen in the county. You are going to see a lot of great things to come from her in the next couple of years."

"At first it's kind of nervewracking, you don't want to mess up, you don't want to throw the ball away" said McCoy. "But you get used to it, you step up. You want to be there, so you just do what you have to do."

The trio blended in with the upperclassmen early on, allowing the up-and-comers to concentrate on basketball as opposed to worrying about fitting in.

"Right away, they were really welcoming," said McGovern of seniors Jamie Webb, Danielle Gross and Taylor D'Antico. "They were really nice form the start. For the first scrimmage, none of the seniors were able to play because they didn't have enough practices, so all the freshmen just kind of jumped in right away. We were playing the whole game. I jumped in really fast. I was really nervous for the first time, but I scored a couple of baskets and I realized I could play with them so it got a lot easier."

"Kaitlin really came into her own towards the middle of the year," Huber said. "She plays great defense and is able to back tap rebounds, something you can't teach. She is going to be a real threat underneath the basket because she has great hard-to-defend post moves."

Along with head coach Jackie Huber's constant encouragement and teaching, it was the senior leadership that set the tone for team chemistry.

How else do you explain a team with just three seniors, not only winning 21 games, but capturing a state sectional title?

"I started playing against tougher teams, like Roselle Catholic," said McGovern. "I started going in against tougher teams and saw they actually needed me a little bit so that was exciting."

As for Goeller, she understood the education that was involved.

"The seniors were really helpful because they had a lot of experience, so they made sure you weren't nervous before games and you knew what to expect from certain teams," said Goeller. "I think I learned a lot, different plays, different ways to beat teams. Everyone had so much more experience than I did, Take Roselle Catholic for example, they knew so much more about (Allison) Skrec, you just learn so much more about individual players, like how to beat someone."

"Jenna was a spark for us on defense, said Huber. "She brought energy to the floor. She is a very unselfish player who often looked to get the ball to her teammates, rather then taking the shot herself."

One thing they had in their corner was the experience of playing together before high school.

"It was a really good year to come in because we had lost a lot of seniors," said Goeller. "There were more opportunities. Plus, Jess, me and Kaitlyn played on the same team (AAU) and that really helped. We had good chemistry together. That will be helpful next year."

And while they are all looking forward taking on bigger roles in the future, their freshmen success hasn't been lost in all the excitement.

"It was a really good season," McGovern said. "I don't think anyone expected us to get this far because we were so young and because we lost a lot of people. Beating Roselle Catholic and going so far in the states we went above everyone's expectations of us. It was really good to start off like that."

"I think we were determined, we wanted to prove everyone wrong," Goeller said. "We really trust each other, we really bonded as a team. If you saw us off the court, we were really friendly with one another, so the fact we knew that off the court we could still have fun together, why not on the court too."

With the return of sophomore standout Morgan Miller and junior Sara Gallucci, the Lady Cougars will again be a major force in Union County as well as the state tournament in the years to come.

"It's really thrilling. I'm proud of the entire team, we worked really hard to come this far," McCoy said.

"I am excited about the years to come with these girls," said Huber. "They are hard workers and will meet any challenge thrown their way. We are graduating three big leaders this year who have set the tone and were a great example for the younger girls in showing what hard work and dedication will get you."

School Officials Demand Taxpayer Money Returned

2010-03-16T07:02:43-04:00

Cranford schools fear more cuts, tighter caps.

By Whitney Rhodes

March 16, 2010

Cranford's Board of Education urged Gov. Chris Christie to suspend the 2010 school budget elections and demanded that he return the $179,767 taken from the district's surplus to Cranford taxpayers.

Education officials feared rumors of additional cuts and a 2.5 percent property tax cap at Monday night's regular meeting. They passed two resolutions advising Christie to rethink his budget strategy.

The governor will propose slashed state aid funding for New Jersey school districts on Tuesday.

"We play by the rules," said Robert Carfagno, BOE business administrator. "We were under the 2 percent (maximum allowed for accumulated fund reserve) that we needed to be and so now we lose that money. We just want to see if the state can find another way to fund instead of taking it from us."

The resolution says that the proposed cut "unfairly targets the Cranford Public School District" for taking that which resulted from "sound financial practices." Such reserves are set aside in case a need arises. They will need to be replenished in the following years, taking further resources from the classrooms.

It goes on to question whether Christie's excutive order will have a negative impact on property taxpayers.

"We want it back," said BOE member Michael Caulfield. "He's taken our taxpayer dollars allegedly to lower property taxes but then only to have us raise property taxes."

Cranford's current school budget is based on the same amount of state aid received as last year, as well as last year's 4 percent property tax cap. School officials may decide to raise taxes to fill in for missing state aid. But if the governor caps taxes at 2.5 percent, even more budget adjustments will need to be made.

The cuts to Cranford are significantly less than what most New Jersey school districts are facing. The state is factoring in the amount of excess surplus school districts have and reducing their state aid in many cases by at least that much.

Districts like the one in South Orange-Maplewood, for instance, will suffer a more than $2.2 million reduction in state aid.

The Cranford district was slated to receive a remaining $1,108,409 in state aid for the rest of the fiscal year before the Christie cuts. The total state aid for this fiscal year, which ends June 30, was to be $3,212,458.

BOE officials also asked Christie to suspend the 2010 school budget elections to allow time for adjusting the budget to fit the new restrictions.

Christie's annual budget message was postponed to March 16. School districts must finalize their proposed budgets by April 3. School budget referendums are then scheduled to be addressed on April 20. And everything must be reviewed by the county.

"Another rumor was maybe they'd move the elections a month away," said Carfagno. "If he lowers the cap to 2.5 percent, maybe he'll throw something in there to change the elections."

The Board of Education will hold a special meeting on March 22 at Lincoln School to approve the 2010-2011 preliminary budget for submission to the Executive County Superintendent of Schools. A public hearing will be held on the budget at Walnut Avenue School on March 29. Both meetings will start at 7 p.m.

Check Cranford Patch tomorrow for the latest on Christie's announcement and Cranford's reaction.

NJ.com: Firefighters Rescue Boy in Eastman Flood Waters

2010-03-15T18:09:31-04:00

The teenager was out in a kayak when it tipped over, throwing him into the flood waters.

March 15, 2010

Cranford firefighters rescued a 13-year-old Hampton Road resident who was found clinging to a tree in Sunday morning's flood waters along Eastman Street.

NJ.com says that he had been using a kayak to get around the flooded Eastman area of town when the boat capsized, throwing him into the water. Family members spotted the boy clinging to a tree about 200 feet out in the water and called 911.

Firefighters responded to the scene at about 10:36 a.m. They rescued the boy, who was beginning to lose his grip and suffering from early stages of hypothermia.