The Week in Union County

Berkeley Heights-Mountainside

When the Pizza Hut on Springfield Avenue in Berkeley Heights recently closed its doors some residents were wondering what would happen to the space.

According to Mayor Joseph Bruno, the will add a new CVS pharmacy in that location, with plans for the old Pizza Hut building to be razed, and a brand new building to rise, possibly within the next year.

Berkeley Aquatics Center Gets Mixed Reviews on Sewer Usage

Berkeley Aquatic Center (BAC)’s bid to construct a new 51,000 square-foot facility in Warren at the Berkeley Heights border came under “planned” public scrutiny at the Berkeley Heights Township Committee Meeting on Tuesday night. 

Mayor Joe Bruno and the council said that they wanted to provide the community with an opportunity to sound off - whether for or against - the proposed facility that has come under public scrutiny, mostly for its location, nestled between Route 78 in Warren but abutting a residential Berkeley Heights neighborhood.   

While many of the Berkeley Heights residents who shared that opinion focused on the impact of new traffic in the area, Tuesday night’s hearing was specifically designed to address whether the BAC should be permitted to use Berkeley Heights’ sewage lines to accommodate its new facility. The council will vote on the issue at it next regular session on December 20.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood

On Monday, Scotch Plains Police Chief Brian Mahoney announced that Nestor DelGadillo, 19, of Melrose Pl. in Plainfield, Gustavo Alasdiaz, 23, of Emerson Ave. in Plainfield and Kevin Veliz Age. 18 of Clinton Ave. in South Plainfield had been arrested and charged with the Thanksgiving weekend armed robbery of the Westfield Avenue Quick Chek. The three defendants allegedly committed similar robberies in Springfield, Edison and Piscataway.

Tensions mounted at this week's Scotch Plains Town Council meeting as members battled over how to handle approaching Fanwood for a joint municipal study that would examine potential benefits and implications of merging the two towns. The meeting also shed light on fall leave and "Snowtober" clean up. Kevin Ward of the DPW stated that leaf volume amounted to three times that of last year's drop and that the second round of cleanup will begin early this coming week. During the meeting, the Council was also shocked to learn that the Senior Housing Corporation will be carrying roughly a $10,000 deficit for the year 2011. 

Springfield

As Springfield opposition to the project grew more vocal, Mountainside officials on the proposed indoor sports facility on Sheffield Road this week. The by Triboro Sports, LLC calls for a new indoor 80,645 square-foot sports center with fields for soccer and lacrosse as well as space designated for retail sales and a café. Springfield residents living nearby worry the facility will bring more traffic to their neighborhood, and that drivers new to the area will not understand the area's traffic patterns and regulations. The developers contend the residents are overestimating the facility's impact. 

On Friday, Dec. 2, hosted the the first Family Fun Night held together with sister school, , sponsored by both the Caldwell and Sandmeier PTAs. In the spirit of the holiday season, the two PTAs had each child bring a new and unwrapped toy to donate to ., and ultimately collected more than 150 toys for the charity.  

Cranford

The unusual late October snowstorm that left thousands without power and caused power lines, tree limbs and branches to fall throughout Cranford is also being blamed for the delay in leaf pickup in the municipality. Leaf collection in town is now under way, but officials at the Department of Public Works say the process is about a month behind schedule. Steve Wardell, the assistant superintendent of the , said the storm delayed the usual leaf pickup, as workers had to work to remove the fallen limbs and branches before the actual leaves could be removed.

While some towns in the northwestern part of the state were bracing for the possibility of snow showers, residents of Cranford were once again watching their streets flood as heavy rains and wind pummeled the area Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. At about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, reports indicated that some streets in Cranford were being shut down due to flooding conditions. The Union County Police Department was contacted to assist local police with street closures.

New Providence

The New Providence High School Marching Band had . At the USSBA NJ State Championship in November, the band earned a score of 96.6 – the highest score in the history of The New Providence High School Marching Band. In addition to receiving several special awards at the competition, the band scored third overall in A Class Competition in New Jersey out of 73 schools. The band also competed in the Nationals for the Northeastern Region, receiving a first place in group 6A competition and several special awards. The band has now been invited to perform at the half time show for the New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins football game at the Met Life Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 18.

The Berkeley Heights and New Providence Shared Municipal Court handled two related criminal cases arising in the borough last week. In the State v. Joseph Pasquale, of New Providence, and in the State v. Thomas J. Zukasky, Jr., of Roselle Park, the State  from Zita’s Christmas Trees. Both pleaded guilty to shoplifting and the Court sentenced each to 10 days of community service and also imposed upon each a $300 fine, $30 in costs, and $125 in surcharges.

Westfield

Westfield High School students shared their memories of beloved teacher Barbara Philpot, who died at the age of 54. The consumer science and family life instructor was remembered for her kindness and the interest she showed in her students.

Ferraro's co-owner and executive chef Guiseppe DiPietro said the first floor of the Elm Street restaurant is scheduled to reopen in late April or early May if weather conditions allow construction to continue as planned.

A Westfield man created a controversial map of New Jersey. While Joseph Steinfeld said he didn't mean for the 'tongue-in-cheek' color-coded map to cause such a fuss, it definitely had Garden Staters talking.

On Tuesday evening, the Board of Education unanimously appointed Rich Mattessich and David Finn president and vice president respectively. Robert Morrison of the firm Hodulik and Morrison, P.A. presented the annual audit of the 2010-2011 school year.

The Westfield Running Company has partnered with Evolve Restorative Therapy and the NY Road Runners to help those in need this holiday season.

The Westfield Downtown Corporation celebrated the holiday season with an open house for volunteers and local merchants Wednesday evening.

Jessica Wernes, owner of Elm Street's Dewdrop Photography, shared her tips for creating a great holiday card.

A Westfield philanthropist shared his unique strategy for charitable giving and is interested in talking with others who are interested in pursuing similar endeavors.

Clark-Garwood

on Tuesday. Principal Richard Delmonaco presented the Scholar-Athlete Award for the season to senior Nicole Imbiaco who excelled in field hockey while maintaining the highest GPA. At the end of the program, Most Valuable Player awards were presented. Check out who won, .

Police closed off the road because of the flooding; around 10:30 p.m. water had risen to almost a foot in the middle of the road between Valley Road in Clark and Stiles Street in Linden.

This week we went behind the scenes with the brand new Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, which opened in Clark after Thanksgiving.