Talk of the Town
from wire & staff reports

Hebrew speakers club meets in Edison

The next Chug Ivrit (Hebrew Speaking Club) for intermediate to advanced Hebrew speakers will meet on Sunday, July 27 at 10:00 AM, at the home of Eli Leiter & Rosey Bell, 134 Highland Ave., Edison. Back by popular demand, Yitzhak and Nadav Salomon will, again, be guest speakers this month. If you didn't join us last month, you missed a fantastic Chug! Now is your second chance to hear a presentation by this dynamic father and son duo! Chug Ivrit is sponsored by the Raritan Valley Chapter of Hadassah. It is free and open to both men and women. Hadassah membership is not required in order to attend. For more information, please contact Rachel Weintraub at rachel@weintraubworld.net or 732.819-9298.

War protestors face municipal court August 5th

The court date for the three Rutgers protesters charged with disorderly persons offenses is August 5 at 11 AM, in the Highland Park municipal courtroom, 221 South Fifth Avenue. Public is encouraged to attend this test of free speech and civil disobedience. The case was transferred to Highland Park court because the defense attorney is involved in a lawsuit against the city of New Brunswick, requiring that all of her cases be moved out of that venue.

H.P.'s Bartle School rises to the county's “Go Green, Save Green" challenge

The fourth-graders at Bartle Elementary School got a round of applause from Middlesex County and state officials last week for stepping up their efforts to protect the environment. The Bartle School students, who are participating in a major school-wide recycling effort, were awarded a certificate and a decal will be placed at the school identifying it as a “Go Green, Save Green” champion. Their recycling program will serve as a pilot for other schools throughout the county.

The students were the first group recognized under Middlesex County’s new “Go Green, Save Green Challenge,” which acknowledges individuals, organizations and businesses that have taken steps toward becoming more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

“The education we’re doing in our schools on sustainability, and the steps the students are taking are great models for others to follow,” said H. James Polos, county freeholder and father of fourth-grader awardee Nicolette. “I hope the education becomes a life lesson for the students. Our future can be bright if we change the way people operate at a young age.”

For more information, visit www.middleexgogreensavegreen.com.

Oooooh. Bad. Timing.

The timing was decidedly less than auspicious for an attorney's alleged attempt to expedite his client's business permit process with an envelope of cash. H.P. police reported they had arrested the new tenant of 1119 Raritan and her attorney on a charge of bribery and conspiracy, after they unsuccessfully offered a $2000 "technical assistance fee" to police lieutenant Joseph Vassallo on June 11th - just hours before the H.P. Patrolman's Benevolent Association convened their annual cocktail hour, this year in honor of Middlesex County sheriff Joseph Spicuzzo.

On the plus side

At $75 a head, the PBA's evening did net some charitable cash for three active local non-profits: the Highland Park Educational Fund, Artists Now, and the G.I. Go Fund, which provides social and health transition assistance to veterans especially of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. Each of the non-profits received a donation of $500, said PBA president Derek Wenskoski.

Mirror moves more monthly
We publish twice in June, then July 4th, followed by six weeks off for essential heat-related activities. Publication resumes end of August, three times a month.

Mirror marks mailing moratorium
The Mirror will not be mailed to your house again until Halloween 2008. Pick up your copy on the Avenue(s) or click on "Subscribe" at www.hpmirror.com for home delivery.

Music, dancing, and a sewn cow's stomach

Artists Now will host a Family Celtic Picnic at the Irving School on Friday, June 6 from 6 to 8 PM. This free-to-the-public event will bring Highland Park families together for music, Irish dancing – provided by Denogla School of Irish Dance – and a few Olympic-style sport demonstrations, including the Sheaf Toss, Haggis Hurl and Farmer's Walk.

In the past two years the organization has hosted the Highland (Park) Games, which brought over 100 participants and spectators to compete in the traditional sports of Scotland. Probably the most popular and well known game is the caber toss, where a competitor tosses a large pole.

This year the event was canceled due to the pending construction of the high school athletic fields; however, Artists Now has scheduled events designed to connect Celtic culture throughout Highland Park.

Monday, June 2nd seniors experienced the music of world-renown artists Sarah Naylor who is Scottish national fiddle champion, and Douglas Millar, a pianist from the Isle of Skye, during the Mayor’s Monthly Senior Luncheon. In addition, Irving and Bartle public schools will play host to more than twenty workshops throughout the week, educating hundreds of local children in the art of music and storytelling.

- Ekaterina Vorobiev

Irving parents foresee morning zoo

Parents of Irving Primary School students and other concerned residents recently met with principal J. Nancy Romano and a police department representative to voice specific concerns and garner suggestions following drastic budget cuts for the upcoming school year. The elimination of the courtesy busing service for Irving children was the spotlighted concern of the meeting held on May 15th at the school.

Facing a $500,000 budget cut for the 2008-2009 school year, courtesy busing was only one of several areas slated for elimination, but the one that generated the most heated response. Parents, residents, and even traffic experts have weighed in on the implications of the cuts that they suggest can affect the entire town with snarling local traffic at best and pedestrian safety issues at worst.

Critics include the Pedestrian Safety Task Force (PSTF), a community organized committee aided by the expertise of Dan Chatman, an urban planning professor who directs the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers. In a letter to the mayor dated March 2007, the PSTF writes, “The loss of this busing will increase traffic in Highland Park and exacerbate safety issues for the children . . . The children riding the courtesy buses now live too far for children [ages 3 to 6] to walk.”

In addition, environmental concerns were raised, citing the increased number of vehicles that will idle for a chance to park.

“This was a very preliminary meeting,” says Irving School parent Kimberly Tchang. “Only two main ideas were discussed: creating a car drop-off and pick-up system and also the possibility of closing down the streets around the school. Both ideas came from parents.” Since the 15th, additional suggestions have been proposed and are slated for discussion at upcoming meetings, including the May 28th Irving PTO meeting.

Courtesy busing serves approximately 100 students a year, accounting for two of the four buses that transport students to Irving School. Busing will continue next year at both Irving Primary and Bartle Elementary schools for students who live on Walnut Court, Cedar Lane, Bartle Court, Forest Glen, and L’Ambiance Court.

- Nicole Gonzalez

Can I buy your magic bus?

In November of 2005, eleven communities including the Borough of Highland Park were awarded 18-passenger mini-buses by New Jersey Transit with service planned to begin by late 2007. As it turns out, the borough was notified in March of 2007 that the motor had been discontinued by the manufacturer and an entirely different model shuttle bus would have to be qualified and ordered. According to a NJ Transit official, the service should be at full throttle by the end of 2008.

The mini-buses will be equipped with a wheelchair lift and two wheelchair securements, heating and air conditioning systems. Once communities begin providing the service, they will be eligible for up to $60,000 for the first three years to cover some operating costs. Highland Park was approved in the third round of the Community Shuttle Program; according to NJ Transit, the first two rounds of the program have proven very successful with record high levels of ridership.

The vehicles are leased to communities free-of-cost, with each town or borough responsible for operating the service. The manifest intent of this service is to reduce traffic to the train station, ease congestion for daily commuters, and bring a cost-effective service to the community. In Princeton, a local limo service and a certain university teamed up in February to get the shuttle service up and running with a loaner vehicle until the NJ Transit grant comes through.

- Tanya Buva

PBA hosts a fundraising swizzle

The Highland Park Policemen’s Benevolent Association will be hosting a Spring Cocktail Reception on June 11, 2008 at The Pines Manor in Edison from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. The event will include an Open Bar, Hot Hors d’oeuvres and Door Prizes. A minimum donation of $75. is required to attend the reception. Event sponsorships are also available for $150. and $250. which will display your name or company name at the event. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the following organizations and receive a contribution at the reception: Artists Now, Highland Park Education Foundation, and the G.I. Go Fund. This is an excellent event to come out and meet the members of the Highland Park Police Department. Your support is appreciated.

If you are interested in attending the reception, please email HPPD1@yahoo.com for details.

Nunchuks into noodles at FMAA

Family Martial Arts Academy, 19 North Fourth Avenue, is an official dropoff site for the Highland Park Food Pantry; now they are holding an equipment sale to raise cash for the community food drive. “Every penny we raise from the used gear sale will go to towards buying food for the Highland Park food pantry,” says Yvonne Levy, co-director of the school. All gear is in good condition and is going cheap; first come, first served. Anyone from the community is welcome to donate food, money or gear, as well as purchase any gear.