The Alternative Press

WESTFIELD, NJ—Westfield’s town council meeting Feb. 14 was marked by an unusually high attendance by residents, many of whom came to voice their opinion that opponents to the HAWK pedestrian activated mid-block crosswalk on Central Avenue have taken too much of the council’s time and to deplore the bickering, shouting and insults that have become the norm at council meetings as of late.

Maria Carluccio, Adina Enculescu and Greg Kasko are regular fixtures at Westfield town council meetings, arguing again and again against the HAWK light and crosswalk just in front of Enculescu’s home. They have complained that the system is impractical and even dangerous where it is, that Enculescu’s driveway now appears to be a road on which to turn and that the signal devalues Enculescu’s property.

At the January 31 meeting, business deteriorated into shouts and insults, with Enculescu accusing Mayor Andy Skibitsky of trying to “deceive” the people of Westfield and Carluccio shouting that Skibitsky was a “monster.”

There did not seem to be an organized effort behind the high turnout Feb. 14, when eight residents took the mic to voice their support for the council. Instead, many said that they came that night because they had read about behavior at recent meetings, seen the meetings on TV 36 or spoken about the subject with others.

Resident Bob Burslem, who often attends town council meetings, told the council that evening that he has been encouraging other concerned citizens to do the same. He believes that so many attended that night because, “It’s time. It’s time for that to happen.”

“I think we’ve reached a tipping point,” resident Linda Parker told The Alternative Press that evening.

At the beginning of the meeting, Skibitsky announced that he recently received a report commissioned by the County Freeholders regarding the crosswalk, which he had given to members of the council—some a few days before the meeting, some just minutes before.

“I think it would be an understatement if I said it’s totally dominated meetings the last 16 months,” said Skibitsky. “I thought, since it’s been a year, I’d give a presentation.” He then gave the council and all those attending a history of how the crosswalk came to be in its location, as well as his interpretation of the findings of the new report. Read the report and see the presentation at www.westfieldnj.gov.

“It was a very long, deliberate, pragmatic process,” said Skibitsky, which involved multiple meetings at which residents could voice their opinions. Public outcry came when a traffic light was suggested at Central and Clover, with residents fearing that another light on Central Avenue would encourage drivers to cut through narrow side streets.

Though unusual, mid-block crosswalks offer the advantage of giving pedestrians just two “points of conflict,” (left and right) as opposed to several. And because the light is pedestrian-activated, it does not impede rush-hour traffic the way a timed signal can, the mayor noted.

Skibitsky said that the report found that there were no more accidents in the area of the crosswalk than before. “Accidents happen in this vicinity. They always have and they always will,” he said.

In conclusion, the authors of the report suggested the light and crosswalk be replaced by a standard signal at the intersection, though that move would come at considerable cost and would not increase safety, and some “concerns” would need to be looked into, as they were years ago.

“The current system works. It works well,” said Skibitsky. “You can put a full light on Central and Clover, but it’s not going to make things any safer.”

The mayor then asked for a resolution by the town council to not to endorse the proposal to replace the HAWK light with a full signal at the intersection.

Councilman David Haas, the only Democrat on the council, asked that the mayor give the council more time to consider the report and to ask for feedback from parents of schoolchildren who use the light on a regular basis.

“The two of us do read this report with different glasses on,” said Haas. And he added, “I feel that we do have the obligation not to impact the value of the houses of the residents who live there.”

Haas also questioned what the authors meant by “standard signal;” whether that signal would be activated by pedestrians and traffic or if it would be timed.

Councilman James Foerst called the current light “a common-sense solution,” while Councilman Frank Arena pointed out that more public meetings could take years.

Councilwoman Jo Ann Neylan, chair of the Public Safety, Traffic and Parking Committee admitted that “It’s hard to follow all the minutiae” of Haas’s argument. “As chair I would like to see that we all take responsibility for our own actions,” she said, as pedestrians and as drivers. She mentioned that she would like to see Westfield citizens take a pledge to do so.

After their discussion, the council voted not to endorse the proposal, with only Haas voting “no” to the mayor’s resolution. (Councilwoman Vicki Kimmins was absent.)

After hearing a letter from the fire chief of Elizabeth thanking the Westfield Fire Department for their help fighting a December fire in his town, residents took to the microphone.

Some, including Frank Foley, argued against the HAWK light. Foley argued that the light caused property values to decrease significantly and that residents report seeing more accidents in that spot now than ever before.

“I don’t understand how you could have voted when you couldn’t understand Haas’s quote-unquote minutiae,” he said to Neylan. He argued that the council had about 10 minutes to absorb the report just given to them.

Foley also argued that residents were not given enough information at the time when the council decided to place the crosswalk mid-block—that it was not discussed at the meetings he attended or was told about.

He also argued that drivers who see the crosswalk assume that they are at an intersection and are likely to try to turn into Enculescu’s blacktop driveway thinking it is a road.

Foley then told the council that he had seen the mayor in town recently and that Skibitsky told him to “shut up and stop speaking,” called him a “buffoon, an idiot and a jackass” and told him, “If you don’t like it here you should move.”

Skibitsky did not deny any of those words, but told the room that he was reacting emotionally when Foley confronted him while was having his hair cut, saying that the mayor was responsible for the death of the woman on a North Avenue crosswalk earlier this month.

“I didn’t say that,” shouted Foley. Then, more quietly, he added, “How you lie.”

Enculescu addressed the council and spoke of an email she sent to each of them, as well as to The Alternative Press (read it here) regarding a recent accident at the crosswalk and admonishing council members for not responding to her. She said that people are treated by the mayor with disrespect and arrogance, and she said once again the Skibitsky is trying to deceive residents.

“Mrs. Neylan, you should try to understand … You push the button, four cars pass through,” said Enculescu. “You don’t care about the children. You don’t care.”

To Councilman Mark LoGrippo, she expressed her disappointment that he voted not to move the light. “You came in my house three times, unannounced, and you saw everything,” she said.

And to the mayor, she said, “You created a vendetta against me. Not against me. Against the children.”

Enculescu told Skibitsky that she moved from Romania to the United States because she didn’t want “leaders like you.”

When Skibitsky told her “Your time is up,” she said “I have four more seconds.” Just then, her timer began to beep.

Eight other residents took the microphone that evening to commend the council and thank them for their time, dedication and care for residents’ safety.

Thirty-seven-year resident Tony DelDuca told called it an “embarrassment” to read about the behavior at recent council meetings. “I feel that the argument has degraded from one of safety and property values to one of personal attacks and name-calling,” he said. “Many  of us feel that this isolated issue has consumed too much attention and time.” He asked that anyone who agrees with him to voice his opinion at a town council meeting.

And, DelDuca added, “I’m asking that the aggrieved party bring the argument to a swift conclusion immediately.”

Longtime resident Bob Centrella said he questions the council members’ sanity. “To sit here week after week and listen to this crap you’ve got to be nuts,” he said.

“It’s time it stops,” said resident Dan Lynch.

One resident says he crosses the intersection frequently and is extremely pleased with the HAWK light, while another accused those opposed to the light of “bullying” the town council.

When Haas wondered aloud how so many residents in favor of the light came to be at that particular meeting, Skibitsky asked him if he was questioning residents’ rights to be there.

Later in the meeting, Neylan told Haas “I’m very disappointed in the innuendo.” She accused him of “questioning why people were out here to speak tonight.”

Haas answered that he was not questioning their right to be there, but wondered how it came about.

Neylan said she was offended. “I never, ever would make such a comment on this dais about anyone’s right to be here.”

Haas later added, “I was not saying necessarily that it was someone on the council that caused them to come out.”

After several residents had praised the council, Carluccio stood at the microphone and read a Bible verse she had brought with her. She said she wished she had prepared “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

“Mr. Haas pointed out the obvious. All these people just showed up with written speeches,” said Carluccio.

“I’m really sorry that I’m degrading your town by getting up and defending my neighbor,” she said to the room.

People began yelling from the audience as Carluccio gave her arguments against the light. She said that none of them gave good arguments when they spoke. “All these people did was come up here and blow smoke where the sun don’t shine,” she said. “I’d like to see all these people try to back out of Mrs. Enculescu’s driveway.”

She called those who spoke earlier “elitist snobs.”

To those who asked her to stop dominating council meetings, she yelled, “I’ll stop when they move the light.” As she walked away from the microphone, she said, “Yeah, I’m from the Jersey Shore,” referencing an op-ed piece that ran in the Westfield Leader recently that compared town council meetings to the over-the-top reality show.

As another woman spoke against placing the blame on people for unfortunate accidents, Carluccio shouted “Relevance!”

Skibitsky warned her not to interrupt again. Carluccio soon noisily got up and left the room, saying the word “snobs” while people in the room clapped. “Thank you,” she said, exiting.