The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 7

Otlowski still could be an 'in' instead of an 'out' By DICK GORMAN Home News staff writer NEW BRUNSWICK Will George J. Otlowski be the Middlesex County freeholder director next year? Impossible, you say. Otlowski was defeated in last Tuesday's election by 1,900 votes, thus ending nearly 20 years of service to Middlesex County. Right? According to several Kennedy Square sources, the story goes like this: Freeholder Peter Daly Campbell, who is thinking of retiring when his term expires at the end of 1973, tenders his resignation at the last meeting of the year next month. Otlowski also resigns at that meeting, turning the board over to an acting director who offers a resolution appointing Otlowski to the unexpired term of Campbell.

In January, Otlowski takes his place on the board and during the organization meeting he is elected freeholder director. The move to appoint Otlowski to Campbell's post probably would pass 4-1 with the Democratic freeholder majority approving the resolution and Freeholder Francis J. Coury, a Republican, voting against it, The vote to make Otlowski chairman also would be along party lines with the five Democrats voting in favor and the two new Republicans voting against it. Otlowski denied yesterday that such a move would take place. And while he called the rumor "a fascinating one," he said such a move would be like "going in the back door." The freeholder director said he now wants "time to think.

I want to talk to my very close friends," he said. "What course I'll take, I don't know." Otlowski was forced to find employment last Tuesday night when the returns from the general election showed a sixth term on the board was not his. Unlike other freeholders, Otlowski made county government his full-time job, drawing his $9,500 a year salary as freeholder director and devoting his full attention to the county and to organizations allied with county government. Several other theories on Otlowski's future also have been bandied about the story county administration building. One has it that he will become the county's first business administrator at a substantial salary increase.

Another is that he will be appointed to Fred J. Mazurek's post of federal aid coordinator at $16,000 a year. Still another is that he may be appointed to the county board of taxation. Less daring reports have it that Campbell will be appointed freeholder director as a "compromise candidate" acceptable to both the Democrats and Republicans. During the campaign, freeholders-elect Charles F.

Williams and S. Elliott Mayo indicated that if elected, they would prefer Campbell as freeholder director. Another possible freeholder director is John A. Phillips, chairman of the department of highways and bridges. As senior member of the board, Phillips has the most seniority and has been chairman of a difficult department for eight years.

Freeholder Thomas J. Molyneux is another possibility. Molyneux, a tough and efficient chairman, is in charge of the department of correctional and penal tions. Further variations of these reports indicate that Phillips could become freeholder director but move to a less demanding department such as public property, headed this year by Coury, the lone Republican. Coupled with this report is a further rumor that Phillips' department would be assigned to either Williams or Mayo since both severely criticized the road department as the worst in New Jersey during the campaign.

Still more theories say that Phillips will become freeholder director and Molyneux will become the new road department chairman. Mayo could become chairman of the public property department; Williams would be chairman of the department of correctional and penal institutions or vice versa, and other members of the board would retain their departments. One report has Otlowski replacing Thomas Kistner, executive director of the county Democratic Organization. Democrats reportedly are unhappy with the workload of Kistner, the high salary paid to him reportedly about $16,000 and the poor support his borough of Middlesex gave Democratic county candidates at the polls on Tuesday. According to the reports, Otlowski would remain in the post until June when Democratic County Chairman Richard V.

Mulligan is expected to resign, then would either move into the top spot or work with the chairman from' the executive director's post. Mulligan was not available for comment, but Kistner denied the report. Still others maintain that Otlowski never lost his desire to represent New Jersey's 15th Congressional District in Washington. This could be accomplished in two years when Rep. Edward J.

Patten may retire at the age of 89. The 67-year-old Patten just won re-election to another two year term in the House. Those who advance this story do not believe Otlowski will face Patten in a primary contest. The last time the two Perth Amboy men met in a primary was 1962 when Patten 'decisively defeated Otlowski for the nomination. Otlowski steadfastly denies each rumor, indicating he has not made up his mind.

He does affirm he will not accept a job offer which would take him out of toe state, or even out of the county. NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1972 21 Edison petition Cops dispute high crime area U. is a --Vc 1 I ft i 1 5 5, if jUoiAliiSI mmumj irMn 'f tr, irir CM rly nstmas came ea The Christmas belle in Metuchen this year is Joanne Potts, crowned yesterday to preside over the Christmas parade Nov. 27. Her court, above left, from left, Karen Pinaire, Anne Orlacchio, Gamie Bongiovi and Kathy Bosek, received charms from the contest sponsor, the chamber of commerce.

Miss Potts also received a $50 bond. Doing the honors in Metuchen High School were Mrs. Agatha Bailey, in background, and Mrs. Sue Johnson, who is placing the crown on Miss The -women are the event's co-chairmen; EDISON Residents of the Stephenville section of the township feel they are living in a high crime area. Township police differ with that opinion.

Last night, Acting Police Chief William Fisher, met with Stephenville residents to explain the police department's position on added protection in the "area, 'The resi- dents, led by Mrs. Barbara Boyce and, JlrsBetty Toth. have gathered some 2,000 signatures since Sepember, asking the township to increase police patrols, in the area and establish a second precinct J4S According to the, petition, the ''North Edison' area has been subjected tepeatedly to. varied acts Of violence, including robbery, muggings, and assorted vandalism resulting in staggering Joss of property and serious injury to persons." '5 vv According 'reported ortrjr five felonies during the months of September and October. Eight calls complaining of growlers or suspected prow- lers have been received during the same period, he said.

The petition's stated purpose is to petition and urge the mayor and council to enlarge the police force, add more unmarked police cars, have more frequent patrols in the area, appoint two police chiefs and establish a second poilee precincfj in the north end of the assuring more prompt response to a call for help." Fisher told the residents the current 118 man force is sufficient for the 68,000 persons residing in Edison, based on a factor of one policeman for every 700 residents. He added, however, that he is recommending the appointment of 12 additional uniformed patrolmen and the purchase of three new patrol cars in his 1973 budget. The three patrol cars assigned to the Stephenville area are sufficient, Fisher continued. He noted the adjoining police patrol district has only one car assigned to it. "I definitely will go on record opposing a second precinct," Fisher went on.

He said with modern communica-. tions, systems, "police cars can respond any place in town in 3-4 minutes. Response time is the key." Another precinct house said, would only duplicate existing equipment and communications systems and would not cut down on response time. The township's police headquarters is located in the southern part of the township in the Clara Barton section. Crimes in that area, Fisher said, are at least triple the mfmber in the Stephenville area.

After Fisher's explanation, a show of hands of the 30 persons present at the meeting, indicated that only three persons, including Mrs. Toth, actually wanted another precinct established. Most felt, however, that additional police patrols were needed. Roosevelt Moses resident of the northern section of the township slated for urban renewal, and an advocate of a second precinct, told the residents to "forget about Captain Fisher and go down to the council meetings. Captain Fisher is doing a tremendous job.

We should get on the council and the mayor." Stephenville residents, through an ad hoc committee for community safety, have been passing out leaflets advising residents how to protect themselves from crime and what to do in the event of any criminal attack. NAACP cancels rejects charges against Payne By ANTHONY J. RUMMO Home News staff writer SOMERVILLE Charges by the Franklin Taxpayers Association that four owners of property in Franklin were given preferential treatment on assessment by Tax Assessor Roger Payne were rejected yesterday by the Somerset County Board of Taxation. The four are Councilman Alexander Naruta Township Clerk Lucy Lombar-do, Dr. Leo Mindel of Highland Park and Mayo Sisler, president of the board of directors of the Franklin State Bank.

Also rejected were, appeals for reductions in their assessments by about 80 per cent of the 441 association members who filed individual appeals. It was the second battle with the association Payne won this year. In February, the taxation board rejected the association's contention that the assessor's entire 1971 revaluation program contained errors and inequities that warranted it aside. The next battle will be before the state Division of Taxation which is expected to set a date soon for a hearing on an association demand that Payne be removed 'from office. Yesterday's rulings also will be appealed to the division, according to Milton Diamond, attorney for the association.

In most cases, according to Frank E. MacDonald of North Plainfield, president of the three man, bipartisan county board of taxation, the association failed to offer expert testimony to substantiate its charges. MacDonald came under personal attack by Diamond. "As a personal and financial friend of Mayo Sisler," Diamond said, "Commissioner MacDonald should have disqualified himself from all hearings instead of only the ones on Sisler's building and the bank." MacDonald disqualified himself from hearings on increasing assessments on the Franklin State Bank building, on Hamilton Street, and the Sisler Brothers profession al building, across the street from the bank building. MacDonald said he did so because he and Sisler were among the organizers of the North Plainfield State Bank.

Diamond maintained Sisler is a behind-the-scenes power in Franklin who played a major role in Payne's appointment as tax assessor in 1969. MacDonald, Diamond further contended, as board president has a "persuasive role" in tax board decisions which should "not have been involved" in any of the Franklin cases. "How utterly ridiculous," MacDonald replied. "I know Mayo- Sisler only as an incorporator of the North Plainfield State Bank. Such a business connection is too remote for me to disqualify myself from every case.

I'd have to do it all over the county." The association had asked that the assessment on the professional building be increased from $75,000 to $165,000, and the -land assessment from $27,800 to $35,000. The increase in taxes would have been about $5,000. On the bank building, the association sought an additional $25,124 in the taxes levied against it by increasing the huilding from $659,800 to and the land assessment from $71,700 to $85,500. The taxpayers group also had asked that 158 acres of land owned by Mindel on. DeMott Lane be reclassified from I farmland to residential and the assess- ment changed from $38,050 to $175,000 for $10,490 more in taxes.

An assessment of $2,250 on property, owned by-Mrs. Lombardo and her husband. Joseph, 60 Claremont would have been increased to $5,400 for an additional $24i in taxes. About 10 acres of land owned by Naruv-ta on Elizabeth Avenue and Amwell Road, the association maintained, should be r-1 classified from farmland to residential to raise the assessment from $300 to $37,630 or a $2,861 increase in taxes. Moseley rally le mpers flare up over high rise for seniors METUCHEN A mass rally for ex-patrolman John C.

Moseley scheduled for Saturday has been called off by the Metuchen-Edison NAACP. The rally, to have taken place in front of the borough hall, was called off on orders from the national offices of the NAACP, according to Roosevelt Moses, chapter president. "The national office made it clear to us we can't raise funds for one particular person," Moses said. Moseley, 25, of Edison, the borottgh's first black patrolman, was dismissed Oct. 10 by the council after a six-day hearing on his performance during his two-year probation with the department.

NAACP. had organized a defense fund for Moseley during the hearing. Moses said all money sent in by other NAACP chapters for Moseley's defense has been returned to the contributors. He said recent policy changes of the NAACP require that any funds collected for legal defense be sent to a national freedom fund. The national office may then decide to pay for an individual's defense, Moses said.

Moses said that William Wright Moseley's attorney, has not agreed to accept payment from the national NAACP. Some of Moseley's legal expenses have been defrayed by the Afro-American Law Enforcement Officers Association of New Jersey. That organization is currently organizing a benefit tea for Moseley in Metuchen later this month or early next month. By CHRISTOPHER GUIDETTE Home News staff writer METUCHEN Tempers flared in the packed borough hall meeting room last night as residents aired their feelings on a proposed senior citizens' dwelling complex. At issue is whether the planning board should recommend borough council approval of an eight-story, high-rise apartment on a two-acre Lincoln Avenue site.

The project would require council approval for spot zoning to build the complex in a residential area currently zoned for single- and two-family homes. A nearly tearful plea was given by elderly Mrs. Katherine Schweninger. She asked those opposed to the project to inspect her dilapidated house which she said she could no longer afford on her $140 monthly salary. The plea was met with stony silence.

A summary of specific objections to the project by attorney George Salenski, however, drew thunderous applause. Salen- -ski said the complex would result in the devaluation of nearby property, an increase in traffic congestion, the creation of an eyesore and would "force other hardships on owners of adjoining houses." Mayor Donald J. Wernik, also a mem-ber of the board, had little success in at- tempting to calm the angry residents' fears. "It's no secret the people of Metuchen aren't crazy about construction of a high rise," Wernik said. "The council shares the community's fears that such a complex might adversely affect property values," he continued.

But few were listening when he continued, "We don't wan tto hurt the town on behalf of any one group." Other major objections to the project were on the grounds that: A paid fire department would have to replace the present volunteer fire department. New Jersey statute requires municipalities with buildings higher than six stories to have a paid fire department. Zoning changes would pave the way for approval of more applications to construct high-rise apartments in Metuchen. An influx of outsiders would be drawn to Metuchen from municipalities which have inadequate housing for their own aged. Blacktop surfacing on additional parking lots for the complex would increase the threat of flooding.

And additional community services would have to be built at taxpayer expense. Board member S. Elliot Mayo said the board's recommendation would be made to the council in "about 10 days." He. erji-phasized that final approval for rezoniijig and construction of the project is up to the borough council. He declined, however, to indicate what the board's might be.1 The project would-be put up by rthe borough's Senior Citizen Housing Comonit-tee which has applied for funds from the U.S.

Department of Housing and -Urlban Development. The noisy, disjointed meeting was quieted brieflyr- when- an- unidentified" young girl in the back of the room called on the board "to give due consideration to the legitimate concerns of residents opposed to a high rise." Then she asked, "I wonder if it has occurred to anyone in this room opposed to the senior citizen housing project that they may be doing themselves out of a place in the community?".