The Alternative Press

WESTFIELD, NJ—At a Westfield council conference meeting held October 23, Mary Robinson, founder and executive director of Imagine, A Center for Coping With Loss spoke to the council about her hope to create a reflection garden in Mindowaskin Park in partnership with the Friends of Mindowaskin Park. Robinson said they hoped to begin work on the garden on November 15, New Jersey’s Day of Remembrance. Imagine will also hold a Night of Remembrance event that evening.

The council expressed their support of the idea, and regarding the center Mayor Andy Skibitsky added, “It’s just wonderful what you’re doing. Thank you very much.”

At the town council meeting later that evening, Amy Lovato and Mary O’Donnell, volunteers with the Family Readiness Groups of the 102nd Cavalry Squadron, gave a presentation regarding the upcoming Support Our Troops Casino Night to be held November 3.

Tickets to the event are $50 for the general public and $40 for veterans and seniors. Food, beer, wine and $60-worth of gambling chips are included. For more information and to find out how to become a sponsor or donate prizes, visit http://www.102cavalryfrg.bbnow.org/.

At the meeting, members of the council approved changes to an ordinance that will make it so that parking regulations around Westfield High School will allow students  to park on the street as early as 6:30 a.m. Currently, signs there read that there is no street parking between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.

The council also approved a refunding bond ordinance providing for the funding of $1,295,000 in property tax credits. 

During the time for public comments, Adina Enculescu came before the council. She, Greg Kasko and Maria Carluccio regularly attend Westfield town council meetings, arguing again and again against the HAWK light and crosswalk system that sits in front of Enculescu’s home. They have complained that the configuration is confusing and dangerous, that Enculescu’s driveway now appears to be a road on which to turn and that the signal devalues Enculescu’s property.

Enculescu repeatedly asked the mayor that evening if he had given a second thought to the location of the light. He repeatedly responded, “The light will not be moved.”

Enculescu also brought up past meetings when Kasko had been dismissed by town officials as a disgruntled ex-employee. (Kasko retired from the Westfield police department after he had been accused of sleeping on the job.)

“It’s a disgrace to hear, time and again, about the ‘disgruntled police officer,’” said Enculescu. As to why he had been allowed to retire with a pension, she said, “There is only one explanation—he was right, you were wrong and maybe you’re afraid of the truth.”

Carluccio told the council that she finds it troubling that the crossing guard posted at the HAWK light has not come forward to say that cars drive through the crosswalk when the light is red.

“This is like the emperor’s clothes,” said Carluccio. “You’ve managed to dupe people … into thinking it’s safer to cross in the middle of the road.”

Carluccio also told the council that they should be aware of two women posing as magazine solicitors who asked to use her bathroom and stole some items from her home. She said that she filed a police report about the incident.

Kasko gave members of the council copies of four accident reports that he said listed accidents as having occurred in one place while they had actually occurred in another, including one listed at Central and Clover that was actually at Central and Clifton.

The mayor asked Kasko the significance of these reports and Kasko replied that inaccurate data had been used to justify placing the light where it is. When Skibitsky asked when he had ever used these four reports, Kasko did not answer.

At one point, unrelated to the discussion at the time, Kasko said to Mayor Skibitsky, “I’m not threatening anybody here." He later explained that he was referring to past meetings when others were asked if they were making a threat.