Taxpayer-Funded Illegal-Alien Boondoggle

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NEW JERSEY / ARROGANT, DEFIANT ILLEGALS REFUSE TO UTILIZE LAKEWOOD'S $40,000 TAXPAYER-FUNDED DAY-LABORER MUSTER ZONE

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DailyRecord.com

"I think it's a travesty. It's outrageous. Taxpayer dollars paid for this," Frank Shallis of Bound Brook said at the new muster zone.

Shallis represented the New Jersey chapter of the Minutemen, an activist anti-illegal immigration group.

The township has spent close to $40,000 to install the muster zone.

Muster Zone Doesn't Fly With Day Laborers

Day workers not showing up at new $40,000 Lakewood site

~ BY JOHN VANDIVER
GANNETT NEW JERSEY

Lakewood, N.J. -- It's 6 a.m., it's cold, and the concrete slab where the day laborers are supposed to gather is empty.

The only people on the scene on Swarthmore Avenue -- about three miles from downtown -- are a TV news crew and some local citizen watchdogs.

By 7 a.m. Monday, the picture looks much the same. It's not much different an hour later, either.

There was no mustering at the muster zone Monday, where Lakewood's day laborers have been told they should wait for work in the mornings. Instead, the men are gathered where they always have, Clifton Avenue.

"Everybody wants to stay here," says Marco Gonzalez, 29, a per-diem worker waiting for his ride outside a coffee shop.

Photos: DAVE MAY / GANNETT NEW JERSEY Day laborers gather Monday morning in downtown Lakewood in protest of the new muster zone -- installed at a cost of nearly $40,000 in response to merchants' complaints. 'Everybody wants to stay here,' said Marco Gonzalez, 29, one of the workers. No one showed up at the new muster zone.

Advocate Luis Morales surveys Lakewood's new muster zone at 8 a.m. Monday.

Police officers patrol up and down Clifton [Avenue] issuing tickets and warnings to contractors parking illegally.

Shortly after 7 a.m., Gonzalez sees his ride approach. He whistles loudly to the passing van and runs to jump aboard.

The van, though, is parked illegally and gets the attention of an officer on the other side of the street, who approaches the driver.

"Nobody has a license. Nobody is driving this truck. You parked in handicap," said Capt. Gregory Miick, in questioning the driver.

The van is later towed away. Many other contractors apparently are opting to simply stay away, as traffic is unusually sparse, according to observers.

Advocates and opponents

On Monday, day laborer supporters carried signs that chastised the township for initiating a relocated muster zone. Activists, local and from out of town, talked of how the policy is inhumane and unsafe.

Members of New Labor, a New Brunswick organization, were handing out cards to contractors, advising them on township ordinances and parking rules downtown.

"It looks like they're going after the contractors -- strangle the source," said Carmen Martino, who's part of a Rutgers University program that examines occupational safety concerns.

There were also opponents of illegal immigration on the scene, opposed to both the muster zone and those who employ undocumented workers.

"I think it's a travesty. It's outrageous. Taxpayer dollars paid for this," Frank Shallis of Bound Brook said at the new muster zone.

Shallis represented the New Jersey chapter of the Minutemen, an activist anti-illegal immigration group.

The township has spent close to $40,000 to install the muster zone.

Mayor Meir Lichtenstein, the chief proponent of the zone, said the Township Committee is trying to improve conditions for business downtown.

Complaints from merchants that the assembled day workers are bad for business were a driving force behind the plan.

"One of the consequences is the day laborers will have a hard time to get work there (downtown). I hope the laborers will see to take advantage of"the muster zone, Lichtenstein said.

The workers have opposed going to the new muster zone for several reasons, safety being chief among them. Many workers ride bikes, and the route to the zone from downtown is regarded as perilous.

Larry Simons, a citizen watchdog, was at the new muster zone early Monday and said walkers could be killed if they attempted the journey on bike or foot.

"Whose conscience is it going to be on? The mayor's?"Simons asked.

Lichtenstein said there are alternatives to riding bikes, such as a township bus that loops from downtown to the industrial park.

"I have to say, we want to govern humanely, and I need to govern the local issues," Lichtenstein said.

Gerardo Perez, vice president of Hispano Power, a local advocacy group for the laborers, said he wants to meet with the mayor about "Plan B."

Plan B is to set up an assembly zone closer to downtown, a location the workers themselves would agree to oversee and keep clean, Perez said.

"That's our part," Perez said.

Lichtenstein didn't rule out another location.

"I will talk with any group that wants to work with me,"Lichtenstein said.

While the concerns of merchants have been cited as one of the reasons for the muster zone move, some business owners weren't happy Monday.

"I hope they're not going after poor people," said Dave Raj, owner of Bakery Coffee Shop at the corner of Clifton and First Street.

"Nobody's here. This is our busy time," added Amanat Shah, coffee shop manager.

A small group of workers shuffled in and out of the shop, drinking coffee and reading Spanish-language newspapers.

"All these guys, they just come here for work. They're not doing damage to no one,"said Michael Maximiliani, 28, who sat in the coffee shop while he waited for his employer to show up.

The same contractor picks him up every day. But when Maximiliani learned that contractors were being ticketed, he ran outside looking for his ride.

Back at the muster zone, coffee and doughnuts waited for the men who never showed.

"I'm not surprised," said June Stitzinger-Clark, pastor at Christ United Methodist Church.

The church hired a person, Luis Morales, to serve as an advocate for the workers at the zone.

For one month, Morales will be on the scene, keeping an eye out for the workers' safety and their rights.

Morales, who sat in his car waiting for the workers, smoked a cigarette and read a newspaper.

"We have no idea if they will come," he said.

After one month, if the new zone remains basically unused, there will be no point in the church maintaining a continued presence at the zone, Stitzinger-Clark said.

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The Legend Of Clifton's Infamous Gates Of Hell

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CLIFTON / THE LEGENDS OF THE GATES OF HELL PROMISE SPINE-TINGLING ENCOUNTERS WITH THE BURNING FIRES OF THE UNDERWORLD

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FreeRepublic.com

The entrance to the Gates of Hell can be found in a wooded area down the hill from a railroad line. The first pipe looks like a narrow, empty swimming pool about eight feet deep. Water runs down the center of the long, wide pipe toward Weasel Brook Park. In the other direction, the pipe leads to a cave-like entrance that begins the maze of underground tunnels. The entrance walls and the first few tunnels are covered with graffiti.

Ghostly Claim To Fame Called Bunk

NorthJersey.com | 10.30.06 | BRIAN SPADORA

CLIFTON -- The legends of the Gates of Hell promise spine-tingling encounters with the burning fires of the underworld. But those who venture into the maze of drainage tunnels off Paulison Avenue are more likely to confront burnouts under the influence. Visitors to Internet chat rooms devoted to the Gates of Hell share stories of bloody rituals, evil sprits and a secret room that houses a glowing human skull. As far as the Police Department is concerned, there is no skull -- but plenty of knuckleheads. "It's been mostly juvenile situations," police Detective Capt. Robert Rowan said of activity in the area.

The entrance to the Gates of Hell can be found in a wooded area down the hill from a railroad line. The first pipe looks like a narrow, empty swimming pool about eight feet deep. Water runs down the center of the long, wide pipe toward Weasel Brook Park. In the other direction, the pipe leads to a cave-like entrance that begins the maze of underground tunnels. The entrance walls and the first few tunnels are covered with graffiti. The painted words fall into several categories: obscene (the usual four-letter words and rude comments about so-and-so's mother), incomprehensible ("Gutter Ballet" and "Wyoming Mike") and, the largest category, graffiti that aspires to be spooky ("This Way To Where the Children Are Buried").

The most unsettling thing about the tunnels is that they are absolutely dark. There are also occasional loud noises, most likely from NJ Transit commuter trains that roar overhead. Other than that, the Gates of Hell is pretty standard teenage stuff. On a recent exploration of the tunnels, a reporter walked as far as an intersection of several tunnels, where rushing water made continuing the journey impossible. Perhaps the most truthful bit of graffiti reads, "There Is Nothing Here." It is not clear how old the tunnels are or how long they have been a destination for daring (or bored) teens, said Rowan. But he said mischievous activity picked up around the Gates of Hell after a recent book recounted some of the lore surrounding the site. The book, "Weird N.J.: Your Travel Guide to New Jersey's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets," was published in 2003 by the creators of a magazine of the same name.

The entrance to Clifton's infamous Gates of Hell,
police say, may be inviting to thrill seekers,
but the only frightening aspect of venturing
into the drainage tunnel underworld
is facing arrest for vandalism or trespassing.

The Weird N.J. Web site has a page devoted to the Gates of Hell. "Satanic sacrifices, bones everywhere, decaying carcasses, and upside down crosses, anything dealing with the darkness in human nature was supposedly down there," said one writer, identified only as Ralph S. A writer named Jeff H. described a mystical guardian at the entrance of the tunnels: "Red Eyed Mike is the spirit that guards the entrance of the tunnel. If you knock on the railroad ties above the entrance three times, you will hear a loud horn blast emanate from within the tunnel. I have heard this horn, not every time I've tried this, but it has sent me running so fast that I nearly broke my leg. I've also encountered rocks being tossed out of the tunnel with no apparent deliverer. I've also seen a small figure, about three feet high, sprint out of the tunnel faster than any human being can move, and take off towards the tunnel that leads to Weasel Brook Park. I was later told that this was Red Eyed Mike."

SPOOKY SITES The Gates of Hell is one of several supposedly spooky sites in North Jersey. Here are a few others, past and present: Clifton Albino Village -- The story originated in the 1900s and by the 1960s, people would visit the entry tunnel and shacks that were supposedly left behind by a colony of albinos. West Milford Demon's Alley -- About eight houses were said to have been abandoned, and remained full of furniture and clothing. According to rumors, murder, satanic worship and cult killings may have taken place there. Totowa Annie's Road -- It's claimed that this road is haunted by the ghost of a woman who died there. Some say it was her wedding night and others say it was her prom night. Either way, some believe that this stretch of roadway is haunted by her spirit and covered in her blood.

Several visitors to the Gates of Hell in recent years have looked for Red Eyed Mike, only to find the men in blue. In November 2003, a 26-year-old Totowa man was arrested on weapons charges after police caught him with several knives near the tunnels. A 22-year-old Avenel man was arrested on an outstanding warrant. Police were called to the scene, because the man was swept away by rushing water as he explored the tunnels. They found him soaked and shivering in the woods by the nearby Passaic River. These tales of misfortune have not dissuaded more recent visits. Brian Olave, 17, and Rafael Polanco, 16, both of Clifton, said they wandered down into the Gates of Hell a couple of years ago. Their reason for going? "There's levels, and the more levels you go down, you can find the door to hell," Rafael said. The boys said they did not make it that far, but were there long enough to experience some pretty eerie stuff. "I had a brand new phone," Brian said, holding his cell phone. "I poked it out. It died automatically!" The boys nodded, resting their case.

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Compromise Bill Provides Equality For All

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NEW JERSEY / COMPROMISE BILL WOULD PROVIDE EQUALITY FOR ALL -- WITHOUT REDEFINING MARRIAGE

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An equal-benefits bill would grant any two people in the same household access to benefits and rights similar to those of marriage -- but would be blind to the relationship of the people involved.

Under the Equal Benefits Act, people would have an easier time dealing with pensions, property transfers and hospital visits.

Compromise Bill May Protect Marriage in New Jersey

Act would grant benefits and rights without consideration of the relationship of the people involved.

November 29, 2006

New Jersey lawmakers are considering a proposal that might satisfy the state Supreme Court’s demand for same-sex marriage or its equivalent, as well as pro-family efforts to protect marriage from redefinition.

An equal-benefits bill would grant any two people in the same household access to benefits and rights similar to those of marriage -- but would be blind to the relationship of the people involved.

Under the Equal Benefits Act, people would have an easier time dealing with pensions, property transfers and hospital visits – rights generally already available through legal contracts. Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, told Family News in Focus the key is it does not create special rights based on homosexuality.

"This bill takes away the issue of sexual behavior," he said, "and just looks at people getting rights."

But Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, said nothing short of redefining marriage would satisfy his group.

"Without the label 'marriage,' the real world will not consistently recognize our relationships," he said. "Marriage is not so much an institution as it is whatever the two people in the marriage make of it."

While the benefits plan is not seen as a perfect solution by either side, Glen Lavy, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, said given the court’s restrictions, it’s the best that can be done.

"This equal-benefits contract proposal is the best way to satisfy the requirements of the New Jersey Supreme Court," he said, "while at the same time limiting the harm to marriage."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit the New Jersey Family Policy Council Web site.

Copyright (c) 2006, Focus on the Family and Focus on the Family Action. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

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Proposed Property Tax Reduction Plan Exposed

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NEW JERSEY / PROPERTY TAXES: TAX REDUCTION PLAN PROPOSES UNCONSTITUTIONAL, TIERED TAX INEQUALITY UNDER GUISE OF "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT" - CALLS FOR MARXIST STATE GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER, MERGER AND CONTROL OF COUNTIES & MUNICIPALITIES

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Democrat Proposed ... Republican Sponsored & Endorsed ...

Under the plan to cut the highest property taxes in the nation, lawmakers are considering:

• a 20-percent credit for households earning less than $50,000 per year;

• a 15-percent credit for households earning from that figure to perhaps $150,000 per year;

• a 10-percent credit for remaining households earning up to $300,000 per year.

Tax Cut Plans Range From 10 To 20 Percent For NJ Homeowners

The sweeping property tax breaks that lawmakers vowed to bring to New Jersey homeowners would offer more relief to those with lower incomes, according to a plan discussed Monday by the state senate president.

Senate President Richard J. Codey said households that earn less than $50,000 per year would get a 20 percent credit against their property taxes. Most others would get credits ranging from 10 to 15 percent, he said, and stressed that details of the entire plan have yet to be finalized. The proposals require approval by the Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats.

Codey said that, under the plan to cut the highest property taxes in the nation, lawmakers are considering:

• a 20 percent credit for households earning less than $50,000 per year;

• a 15-percent credit for households earning from that figure to perhaps $150,000 per year;

• a 10-percent credit for remaining households earning up to $300,000 per year.

Codey stressed the final plan hasn’t been decided and said a 20-percent credit could still go to people earning more than $50,000 per year.

“We’re rounding third base and going toward home plate in terms of working out the final details,” he said.

Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. announced on Nov. 9 plans to give a 20-percent average property tax credit to most homeowners.

While they then said most relief would go to households earning less money, they didn’t detail how the breaks would be disbursed.

Codey said the possible scenario would bring an average 20-percent cut for most New Jerseyans, and said a full 20-percent credit would be geared toward households earning less than $50,000, because they carry the biggest burdens.

“They see 20 to 25 percent of their income go to property taxes,” said Codey, D-Essex.

The average New Jerseyan pays $6,000 per year in property taxes, twice the national average.

The credits would replace the property tax rebate checks sent by the state to homeowners, though the checks may remain for senior citizens.

Households that earn more than $200,000 per year aren’t eligible for rebate checks, but Codey said the cap will almost definitely be raised to $300,000 per year for the direct credits.

Roberts and Codey met with Gov. Jon S. Corzine on Monday to discuss their plan.

“The goal is to make sure that the property tax relief plan is as fair as can be and helps those who need it the most,” said Roberts, D-Camden.

Roberts has also noted that 95 percent of New Jersey households make less than $300,000 per year.

Minority Republicans countered that they want all homeowners to get a 20-percent property tax credit.

“This thing has to be across the board to everyone,” said Assemblyman Joseph Malone, R-Burlington.

Malone, the top Republican on the Assembly Budget Committee, said property taxes should also be frozen statewide for three years to ensure homeowners see their 20-percent cut sustained. He did not have specifics on how to accomplish that goal, and Codey questioned a plan that lacked details.

“I guess I have to wait for snow in July,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Monday, a special committee that worked on ideas to lower property taxes through government consolidation officially endorsed 18 recommendations released last week.

The panel’s co-chairmen, Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, both D-Middlesex, said the committee will work to draft legislation and hold hearings on the bills before they go to the Legislature for final votes.

Smith highlighted the plan to create a permanent special commission that would annually recommend which municipalities should be merged. He also touted as key a plan to create powerful county school superintendents appointed by the governor and with authority over local school spending.

He also said a rural county should be the first to try a proposal that would allow one county to voluntarily form a countywide school district so the state can track whether it would help save money without hurting education.

Republicans said the ideas didn’t go far enough to force consolidation.

“Too many of the recommendations will nibble at the edges,” said Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, R-Monmouth, sponsor of the municipal merger commission plan.

Copyright © 2006 Straus Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.

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Lawmaker PushesTraditional Marriage Definition

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NEW JERSEY / LAWMAKER PUSHES FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT DEFINING TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE

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Cardinale told Cybercast News Service that the proposed amendment would "clearly set forth that marriage is a term, or a state, that can only be applied to a union of one man and one woman, and add that to our constitution so that it is not subject to the vagaries of the personal biases of a judge's decision in the future."

NJ Lawmaker Pushes For Traditional Marriage Definition

~ By Monisha Bansal
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
November 29, 2006

CNSNews.com) - A New Jersey state senator is pushing for a constitutional amendment that will limit marriage to a union between one man and one woman.

Republican Gerald Cardinale's move follows a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that gave the state's legislature six months to allow same-sex couples to "marry" or to enter into civil unions that hold the same legal benefits as marriage.

"The court does not have the authority - as I read the constitution - to order the legislature to pass a bill," Cardinale said. "They can do a lot of things, but they are not the whole government."

"We're dealing with a decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and the court has indicated that we need to do certain things within a certain period of time, so I thought this was a good thing to do in response to the court decision."

Cardinale told Cybercast News Service that the proposed amendment would "clearly set forth that marriage is a term, or a state, that can only be applied to a union of one man and one woman, and add that to our constitution so that it is not subject to the vagaries of the personal biases of a judge's decision in the future."

Cardinale said the amendment would not in any way preclude civil unions, domestic partnerships, "or any other name we might give to items of that nature."

Steven Goldstein, chairman of the homosexual rights group Garden State Equality, said the amendment would have little, if any, impact.

"It's dead on arrival," Goldstein told Cybercast News Service . "There's not a prayer that a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage could ever pass - not a prayer.

"The measure is being laughed at in both houses of the New Jersey legislature," he said. "There are no more than a dozen votes in a very big state legislature, and it's just not going to pass."

Goldstein added, "This is a very progressive state. New Jersey has long been at the forefront of gay rights, and frankly social issues across the board.

"Whatever the trend nationally, New Jersey is very different on gay marriage," he said. "It's a state where significant numbers - millions in fact - favor marriage for gay couples."

Democrats control both houses of the New Jersey Legislature.

Make media inquiries or request an interview with Monisha Bansal.

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Toxic Dump Returns To Superfund List

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RINGWOOD / FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S FORMER TOXIC DUMP RETURNS TO SUPERFUND LIST

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The federal Environmental Protection Agency, now overseeing Ford's fifth cleanup, has been under fire over past incomplete cleanups and announced the re-listing on Tuesday.

In its ongoing efforts to correct matters, the EPA's own Office of Inspector General has invited the public to a hearing next week on how the agency has interacted with residents of the dump area.

Dump Returns To Superfund list

~ Jan Barry and Barbara Williams, The Record (NJ)

RINGWOOD -- Ford's former toxic dump is officially back on the list of the country's worst polluted spots, making national history as the only Superfund site ever relisted.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency, now overseeing Ford's fifth cleanup, has been under fire over past incomplete cleanups and announced the re-listing on Tuesday.

In its ongoing efforts to correct matters, the EPA's own Office of Inspector General has invited the public to a hearing next week on how the agency has interacted with residents of the dump area. Of specific interest is any public perception that EPA staff supervising cleanups were influenced by the fact that the majority of residents near the remote site in Upper Ringwood are minorities and members of the Ramapough Mountain Indian tribe.

Meanwhile, New Jersey's senators and a congressman have told the federal government to get paint sludge, left from Ford's dumping four decades ago, out of parts of Ringwood State Park given to the state by Ford.

In a letter this week, Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. asked EPA Regional Administrator Alan Steinberg to "remove the sludge and other toxics" found in recent tests of a flooded pit at the long-abandoned Peters Mine. The mine, at the end of Peters Mine Road, is next to a hiking trail in the state park and is adjacent to several homes.

FAST FACTS

* The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has relisted Ford's former dump site in Ringwood as a national Superfund site.

* New Jersey's senators are calling for all of the toxic waste to be removed from Ringwood State Park.

* In response to residents' complaints about the cleanup effort, the EPA's Office of Inspector General is holding public comment meetings Oct. 5 at the Ringwood Library, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

"Leaving contamination from a Superfund site within a state park which is used by thousands of people is completely unacceptable," the lawmakers wrote in a letter sent Monday.

They also pointed out local residents' concerns that raise "serious questions about how much additional sludge may be in various mine shafts around the area and how much of a risk it may present to the Wanaque Reservoir, a drinking water source for 2 million people." The reservoir is about a mile downstream of the dump area.

Saying it is the EPA's duty to "determine the full extent of the contamination," the lawmakers stated "it would be unacceptable to walk away from the site, only to discover once again that massive amounts of sludge were still left behind."

EPA spokesman Ben Barry said the agency is having Ford's contractors drill more holes to test the water in the Peters Mine, but no further soil investigation is scheduled.

"The sludge we found there is not predominant material so we're not sure if it's impacting the water," Barry said. "But there is an ongoing investigation of the groundwater in the pit area."

Ford spokesman Jon Holt also said the pit is being investigated and that "Ford intends to appropriately address all issues related to its historical disposal at the site."

The sludge came from Ford's Mahwah assembly plant, which used the Ringwood site as a landfill in the 1960s and 1970s. Ford has had to return repeatedly in the past dozen years to remove contamination found by residents.

The area was declared a Superfund site in 1983. Last year, The Record found in its Toxic Legacy special report that the EPA, which was supposed to supervise the cleanup, instead relied upon Ford's claims that it had thoroughly investigated the site and removed the most dangerous materials. Based on that claim, the EPA removed Upper Ringwood from the Superfund list in 1994.

"While cleanup work has been progressing all along, now that this is an official Superfund site, the community can apply for grant funds to obtain technical assistance to help them better evaluate the ongoing work at the site," Steinberg said in a statement on Tuesday.

Kevin Madonna, one of the lawyers representing the residents in a suit against Ford for personal injury and property damages, said relisting the site "really vindicates our clients' claims that the hazardous waste remaining in the community is a grave threat to human health and the environment."

The relisting had been expected since April. A month later, the federal government recommended health tests of neighborhood residents to see if lead, arsenic and hazardous chemicals in Ford's waste contributed to illnesses in the community.

The EPA is doing an investigation into why the site was declared clean in 1994. It is also looking at whether "racial, cultural or socioeconomic factors" contributed to the incomplete cleanup.

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Township's Teenagers Duped On Caffeine

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WAYNE TOWNSHIP / TEENAGE STUDENTS DUPED ON CAFFEINE

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Bismarck, North Dakota

Montgomery, Alabama

"Coffee is a stimulant," Hausman said. "It increases heart rate; it increases blood pressure. It has been shown to disrupt kids' sleep patterns. In high quantities, it makes us irritable, and it'll certainly do that to kids."

"One cup of coffee is not going to harm a child, but in light of all the other caffeine consumption in most children's diets, you might want to ask, 'Why are you consuming that cup of coffee? Is it just to look cool?'"

New Crew's Brew

Youngsters Make Coffee Brew Of Choice

~ By Kristen A. Graham
McClatchy Newspapers

PHILADELPHIA - The customer marched up to the counter of the Treehouse and placed her order for a one-shot espresso.

She was 8, an elementary schooler waiting with her parents while her sibling practiced an instrument at a nearby shop.

"The sister was getting music lessons, and she was getting coffee lessons," said Treehouse owner Randy Van Osten, who waited on the java-loving youth. "Some parents let their kids drink caffeine at a really young age. I have kids that come in that are probably 10 or 11."

Three years ago, when Van Osten bought the cozy coffeeshop in the center of Philadelphia, he wasn't expecting the younger set to guzzle his coffee, flavored lattes and espressos. But he got schooled quickly, and now pours hot and cold drinks, depending on the season, for before- and after-school crowds.

The days when coffee was served as an adults-only beverage, a taste acquired in dorm cafeterias and all-night study sessions, are long gone. As coffeehouses, both national and local, pop up on every corner, their new java flavors and products lure younger and younger customers.

Chalk up the spike to the easy availability of the beverage and all its variants. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the number of specialty coffee retailers has tripled in the last decade. In 2005, all retail locations accounted for $11 billion in sales, up more than 14 percent over the last year's figure.

Although no specific statistics are available on how many young people drink coffee and at what age they pick up the habit, the number is large and growing, said Suzanne Brown, owner of Atlanta-based Brown Marketing Communications and an expert in the international coffee business.

Mostly, it's been driven by the hangout that the coffeehouse offers. In the 1980s, many Gen-Xers hung out in arcades; today, the Echo Boom (ages 11 and up) looks to Starbucks and such as their gathering place.

"It's such a hip place to go," Brown said. "And it's something that's condoned by parents - there's no alcohol served there. It's a safe environment."

It's also a place to get more than just coffee. Every coffeehouse has its range of sweet, caffeinated "gateway" drinks - from Frappuccinos to mocha swirl lattes - that get teens' taste buds primed for joe.

At the Gryphon Cafe in Wayne, N.J., on a recent Friday afternoon, a group of 14-year-olds were celebrating the weekend their favorite way - with conversation and coffee.

Most of the teenagers - freshmen in high school, for the most part - have been downing cups of java in its myriad forms since middle school at least.

They sat on the comfy couches of Gryphon's airy upstairs room, drinking caffeinated beverages that packed a powerful punch, with the air of no-big-deal.

"It's almost like there's a coffee culture now," Eric Greene said, pointing to his friend Julian Gal's steaming white mug. "I see that, and I want it. I love coffee."

Matthew LaVan is an old pro.

"I've always liked coffee - I've been drinking it since I was a little boy and my sister was a little girl. I'd drink it more often, but tea's easier," said LaVan, who attends Haverford Prep and who mostly sticks to decaf, at his parents' suggestion.

The friends are typical among their peers, they said.

"You'll always see people walking down the hallways with big cups of coffee during the first couple periods," said James Deslaurier.

Giant cups of coffee didn't start showing up in his classmates' hands once they got to high school - the affinity for java from Starbucks, from Wawa, from Dunkin' Donuts predates that, he said.

"There were people wandering the halls drinking coffee in middle school," Deslaurier said. "I was like, 'We're 12-year-old kids. I don't think we need it.' This one person had a big mug she carried around to every class."

Cheryl Hausman, a physician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, agrees with Deslaurier: 12-year-olds probably don't need the extra caffeine and sugar present in coffee drinks.

"Coffee is a stimulant," Hausman said. "It increases heart rate; it increases blood pressure. It has been shown to disrupt kids' sleep patterns. In high quantities, it makes us irritable, and it'll certainly do that to kids."

Still, said Hausman, medical director of the Primary Care Center at University City, the old wives' tale that coffee stunts children's growth is just that.

"One cup of coffee is not going to harm a child, but in light of all the other caffeine consumption in most children's diets, you might want to ask, 'Why are you consuming that cup of coffee? Is it just to look cool?'" she said.

Don't rule it out. Parked on a couch enjoying the Treehouse's open-mike night recently, a group of young coffee drinkers said that for them, the coffee experience was more about community than taste.

Melissa Kendall, 19, is a coffee aficionado from way back, having acquired the habit at age 15.

"It was more like a social thing. My friends were drinking it," said Kendall, who samples coffee a few times a week, but not at home.

Even the job of serving it has a certain mystique.

"Being a barista is a whole profession," Brown said. "They're hip, they're entertaining. There's a whole championship contest, and the winners get paid more. They entertain the audiences."

Copyright © 2006 Bismarck Tribune, a division of Lee Enterprises.

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