The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • L3

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 2006 THE RECORD L-3 North Jersey Incident in councilman's class probed He allegedly threw eraser that struck a social studies student I "To me this is over-exagger ated because 1 am involved in politics. I want By MEREDITH MANDELL SPECIAL TO THE RECORD PASSAIC School officials are investigating an allegation that Jonathan Soto, a city councilman and Lincoln Junior High School teacher, flung a chalkboard eraser that hit a 14-year-old student during his social studies class on Monday. Superintendent Robert Holster said an initial report from the Lincoln principal indicated that witnesses said the eraser was "thrown up in the air and hit the child," but that Soto did not intend for the eraser to hit the eighth-grader in the head. School officials notified the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office and the state Division of Youth and Family Services. Both offices determined that since there was no physical contact between the student and the teacher, the investigation should be referred back to the the family.

To me this is just a misunderstanding." This is not the first time Soto, 31, has been accused of behaving badly. A municipal judge acquitted the Passaic councilman of criminal mischief charges in 2005. Soto allegedly used a large rock to break a coffee table in his Pennington Avenue home during a domestic quarrel with his wife, Carmen. Carmen Soto refused to testify against her husband and did not want a statement she had given to police to be used as evidence by the prosecutor in the hearing. Since Soto owned the table, Judge Scott Bennion determined that the councilman could not commit criminal mischief on his own property.

Email: mandellnorthjersey.com school district. Holster said he will meet with Soto and a union representative about the incident on Monday. "I take any treatment of children in an inappropriate way seriously," he said. "But I don't want to pass judgment until I hear all the information." If the allegations are found to be true, Soto could face a range of actions the more serious of which are firing or suspension and the less serious, a letter of reprimand, Holster said. Holster cannot suspend a teacher without approval from the Board of Education.

The child's grandmother and legal custodian initially called school officials to complain about the incident. Carolyn Levister, the grandmother, said she worried that school officials would "sweep eraser at her son to shush him as he chattered with his friends during the second-period class. When her grandson asked Soto why he threw the eraser, he further threatened to throw a water bottle and a copy machine, Levister said. "They don't want the students to do that. What kind of example is he setting?" she said.

She added that if her grandson had been the one to throw the eraser, "he would have been suspended, labeled violent and gone to counseling." Levister said school officials agreed to the boy's father's request that he be removed from Soto's classroom. Soto said Thursday that he would not comment on the incident while it was under investigation, but added, "To me this is over-exaggerated because I am involved in politics. I want to reach out to to reach out to the family. To me this is just a misunderstanding." Jonathan Soto this under the ground" because Soto is a city councilman. She said Soto intended to throw the Celebrating 80 years of Eastside High A ticket from Thursday night's 80th anniversary celebration for Paterson's East-side High School.

Alumni, educators gather By DANIELLE SHAPIRO SPECIAL TO THE RECORD GARFIELD When Paterson Eastside High School first opened its doors, Calvin Coolidge was president. That was in 1926. And on Thursday night, more than 450 school employees, alumni and friends celebrated the school's 80th anniversary with a spirited designed by William T. Fanning. The addition, built in 1973, was designed by the architects Schen-ker and Schenker.

Enrollment when the school opened was in the hundreds, estimated Marilyn DiMartino, assistant principal and a 1967 Eastside graduate who has worked at the school since she was a substitute teacher in 1972. This year student enrollment has reached 2,032, said Karen John dinner-dance at the Venetian. Orange ties, some with hints of blue, were abundant among the men reflecting the schools' orange and royal blue colors. son, Lastside iztn principal. The school's first principal was Francis R.

North. "We've had 80 years where we've touched students lives," Lorraine Michaels, another "The best years of my life were at Eastside." Thelma Peres, a 1940 graduate whose four daughters are also Eastside alumnae Some notable Eastside alumni Larry Doby Class of 1942, first black player in baseball's American League, with the Cleveland Indians in 1947. He later managed the Chicago White Sox in 1 978. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. Allen Ginsberg Class of 1943, famous Beat generation poet and the 1 974 winner of the National Book Award.

Jerry Joseph Zaks Class of 1 963, Broadway theater director, who directed more than 30 productions on the Great White Way including, "The Front Page," "Anything Goes" and "Smokey Joe's Cafe." Edward L. Cotton Class of 1964, involved in local Paterson politics and a boxing referee who was the arbiter in more than 60 championship and 30 world championship matches including the heavyweight championship bout between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in 2002. Marty Barnes Class of 1965, was mayor of Paterson from 1997 to 2002 and subsequently served prison time for corruption in office. Rory Sparrow Class of 1 976, played 1 2 seasons in the NBA for the Nets, Knicks, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls. He was a fourth-round pick for the Nets in the 1980 NBA draft Thelma Peres, a 1940 graduate whose four daughters are also Eastside alumnae, was all smiles j.

1 1 greeting assistant principal who has worked at the high school since 1973, said earlier this week. "This institution is still going strong, creating scientists, athletes, humanitarians and poets. Isn't that a wonderful thing?" In all those years, Johnson has seen many changes, principally demographic shifts now East-side has a majority of Latino students, she said. And by Johnson's count, 49 faculty members are alumni out of 335, so the attraction to return to Eastside is See EASTSIDE Page L-6 old friends among the hubbub of the party with her daughter, Roberta Peres Farber, at her side. When asked why they came to the party, mother and daughter answered in unison: "Because it's Eastside!" "The best years of my life were at Eastside," Peres said.

"We all loved Eastside," Farber, a 1973 graduate, chimed in. "It was an adventure. It was fun." Eastside High School, home of the Ghosts, was built in 1926 and LESLIE BARBAROSPECIAL TO THE RECORD Thelma Peres, Class of '40, greeting family friend Gary Gordon, Class of '68, at the jubilee. Police teach anti-gang classes Teaneck slaying inspired lessons BETHBALBIERZSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Teaneck Police Officer Jack Garland speaking to sixth-graders Wednesday at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in the township. they would handle situations such as deciding whether to try to break up a fight, stop others from bullying or call police when a party gets out of hand.

"In the past few years, we've had an increasing gang problem and presence in the township," said Police Chief Paul Tiernan. "The most important, effective tool against gangs is education and prevention." Teaneck police have identified 60 suspected gang members living in town, Tiernan said. Gang members have been expanding their bases from the inner cities to the suburbs in recent years, according to a 2004 state study. Garland stresses several times during his class that the students should not be afraid to approach him, or any police officer, outside of the classroom. "If you have a problem, a question, a concern, if you need advice, you can feel free just to come up and talk to me," Garland told the class.

Teaching students about gangs at an early age is crucial, the officers said. The course is By BRIAN ABERBACK STAFF WRITER TEANECK Jack Garland strides purposefully between the rows of desks and sizes up his new charges. An imposing figure with close-cropped hair, Garland is friendly but serious. It's the Teaneck police officer's first day teaching a new gang-education class, and he knows he has a chance to make a positive impact on the two dozen middle school students who sit before him. "What do you think our main goal is in this program?" Garland asks the class.

"To know about gangs?" a student answers hesitantly. "Right," Garland says. "But what else?" Another student pipes up: "To learn how to resist them?" "Absolutely," replies an enthused Garland. "Our No. 1 goal here is to avoid gang membership." Garland is one of two officers teaching what is known as the GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) program to gang member.

"We hope the students learn how to make healthy choices," Williams said of the program. "We want them to realize that the decisions you make, even at their age, can affect your entire life." The curriculum was developed by the Phoenix Police Department in 1991 and has been taught in more than 1,400 communities. Garland and Williams trained at the Bergen County Police Academy to become instructors. The course includes role-playing situations and lessons about decision-making, communication skills, anger management and other tools to help students deal with peer pressure in a positive way. The role-playing scenarios include a student who is pressured to join others on a vandalism spree and another who is encouraged to try marijuana while hanging out.

Students are also asked how the district's nearly 300 sixth-graders. Garland and Officer Jeanette Williams, both members of the department's community policing bureau, began teaching the 13-week course this month. They spend two to three days a week teaching 45-minute sessions at Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson middle schools. The Police Department and school district instituted the program in response to the shooting death of a township teenager outside a rowdy party in town this summer. Several suspected members of the Bloods street gang attended the party and were arrested in connection with the shooting of Ricky Lee Smith 15.

The shooter, a 17-year-old from Paterson, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter Tuesday and faces up to 25 years in prison. Authorities at the court proceeding would not say whether he was a bill is under consideration in the Senate. Garland and Williams' message seems to be getting through to students. "It's very educational," said Tamara Levine, 11, of Benjamin Franklin Middle School. "Our class will be more careful, and when we get older in high school we won't be getting into drugs and we'll be able to resist gangs." E-mail: aberbacknorthjersey geared to sixth-graders, who are mainly ages 1 1 and 12, because they can understand the danger of joining a gang but are too young, in most cases, to have become involved with one.

Of the state's 17,000 gang members, 2,300 are under age 15, according to the 2004 study. State legislators are also stressing gang education. The Assembly passed a bill this year that would require gang violence prevention instruction to all elementary school students. The.