Palisadian., 1925-11-20
PRESIDENT OF SCHOOL BOARD BREAKS
GROUND FOR new SCHOOL IN HUDSON
HEIGHTS and MAKES fine ADDRESS
Other Board Members Public Officials Citizens, Teachers
and School Children Take Part in Impressive Pro-
gram-Bids Received at Meeting Friday Night,
November 13, for Excavation Work


on last Wednesday afternoon. Presi-
dent H. F. Goemann of the Board OF
Education was master of ceremonies,
and he made the principal address.
In his remarks to more than 500
school children and number of men
and women President Goemann said:
"The school that is to be erected on
this site is for your benefit, and you
ought to be thankful to your parents
and to the taxpayers who gave us the
money to make this project possible.
You should be especially thankful
that you are living in so wonderful a
country as this, where both poor and
rich are educated alike.
Step Forward
"This undertaking is step forward
in progress Of our school program" he
continued 81 can remember when !
first came to this borough twenty
some years ago we had two schools,
the No school on Columbia avenue,
with three rooms, and No. 1, on the
cliffs, with two rooms.
said, "the crowding in the first schools
of the borough made the erection OF
the Cliffside No. 8 a necessity, and
later the increase of our school popu-
lation necessitated the construction OF
the Lawton avenue school, to be fol-
lowed by the building of the high
school So you can see the progress
of our school system has been very
rapid.
Changed Mind
81 at one time was against the build
ing of a school in the Hudson Heights
section, not that I was against giving
the pupils sufficient schools, but /
Thought that it would be wiser and
better policy for us to enlarge the
present school No. 8. This school has
no gymnasium or auditorium as the
other buildings have, and as you will
have in this new building, and it was
with this thought in mind that 1 ad-
vocated the enlargement of the pres
ent structure so that gymnasium
and auditorium might be included.
Now l hope that the taxpayers and
| the people present here today will
give us permission to add to the Cliff
side school at least gymnasium and
an auditorium.
Schools Up to Mark
"You people and children here no
doubt have heard rumors about the
standing of our schools that say the
schools in this borough are not up to
the mark. l want to tell you that
these rumors are false. Our school
buildings and equipment are as high
as any school in the state, and if you
hear any more of these rumors you
should contradict them, and 1 advise
you to go to the supervising principal
of the schools for information that
will convince you that our schools are
of the first class.
"Now, children, don't forget your
country and protect the Constitution
that gives you your education"
AS he concluded his talk President
Goemann lifted the first shovelful of
earth that started the erection of the
new building on its way.
Program Given
A program preceded the presidents
address. 1t began with the entire as
semblage singing the "Star Spangled
Banner" followed by invocation by
Rev. Edwin Curtis. america the
Beautiful" was sung by the pupils un-
der the direction of Mrs. Jennie NJ.
MacCulloch, assisted by the high
school orchestra.
The first speaker was Mayor Joseph
w. Marini, who is a graduate of both
the public and high schools in Cliff
side Park
Mayor Marini told how the number
of school pupils had increased during
the past ten years. 81 can remember"
he said, when there was more than
enough seats in each classroom, while
now it has been necessary to hold
classes in the corridors and even in
the basement. Every available bit of
space has been utilized so that the
children of the borough might secure
proper education. This congested
condition, however, does not give the
pupil the proper amount of attention
that he or she requires.
To Relieve Congestion
with the erection of this school,"
the mayor continued, "and the con-
struction of the high school addition,
the next step in the building program
contemplated by the Board of Educa-
ton, it is believed that great deal of
the congestion now existing would be
eliminated"
The mayor continued: "It is, how
ever, going to be but short time be-
fore another school building will have
to be constructed to meet the ever in
creasing attendance in the schools.
Schools are one of the best things
that town or city can offer as an in