The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 22

THE HOME NEWS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1982 Edison break-ins spur residents' calls for more security By KAREN DIEGMUELLER Kreis said there had been at least two burglaries and four attempted burglaries at the newly occupied town-houses on Christmas Eve. Residents of North Edison Gardens also pointed to at least four apartments that had been burglarized recently. Among the victims was the Donald Carson family. Carson said he returned home on Christmas Eve around 9:30 p.m. to find his apartment had been burglarized.

The stolen items included household appliances, clothes, a television set and Christmas gifts for his four daughters, ages 5, 6, 7 and 9. "Those were the most important things because the kids were looking forward to them," Carson said. Edison Patrolman Michael Palko, friends and other tenants later came to the rescue, bringing gifts for Carson's daughters. "It really made the day a Christmas for my daughters," Carson said. Kreis said he has collected about 60 signatures on a petition that he plans to present to the Foundation for Cooperative Housing, the Washington, D.C., firm that manages the federally subsidized housing project.

The petition demands better security measures for the townhouses. Among the demands, he cited steel doors with peepholes, burglar alarms, outdoor pole lights and floodlights and canine patrols or walking security pa trols. Mildred Burns, president of North Edison Gardens Tenants Association, said the tenants in that complex also would draw up a list of demands. The community also plans to work with the Metuchen-Edison chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said its president, Roosevelt Moses, who called last night's meeting. Some North Edison Gardens residents expressed concern that their new neighbors would think the predominantly black neighborhood was responsible for the burglaries.

"I don't want everybody to think the whole community is corrupt." resident Jerry Thomas said. According to Police Chief William Fisher, there have been only six reported burglaries in the townhouses and eight in North Edison Gardens since June. "One (break-in and entry) is enough to alarm anybody," Fisher said. But, he added, there are other areas in the township where more burglaries have taken place. "I would say (the burglary rate) is a little lower than in some other areas." Some residents had complained that police do not patrol the area, but Fisher said three units are assigned to the neighborhood.

Councilman George Asprocolas, liaison to the Housing Authority, said residents have been asking for such additional security as a police substation or Housing Authority police for some time. When all the building in the urban renewal area is completed, Asprocolas said, between 1,500 and 2,000 people will live there. At that point, "for quick response perhaps some Housing Authority police will be necessary," he said. A tenants' security ordinance that Asprocolas has been working on would require such security measures as locks and lighting. Home News staff writer EDISON Burglaries at two housing projects in North Edison have spurred residents to request enhanced security.

Tenants of Greenwood Manor Town-houses and North Edison Gardens, in the urban renewal area near Grove and Inman avenues, met last night to discuss their concerns over what they claim is a rash of burglaries in the community. "The people over there are scared," said Chip Kreis of Greenwood Manor. "We don't want to live in forts or anything." 22 REGION Hillsborough ends year with $5,995 surplus in budget Perth Amboy firemen fault equipment By JONI SCANLON Home News staff writer PERTH AMBOY The firefighting apparatus By PATRICIA LOCHBAUM Home News correspondent HILLSBOROUGH Township officials are ending the year with a bare $5,995 surplus in the general budget, mostly thanks to good weather and last-minute payments. The surplus, which tops the October prediction of $2,000 but compares poorly with the $55,000 left last year, jumped $1,300 yesterday with a payment from the soccer club, Committeeman Thomas Brodbeck said. "We should have bought a police car," Brodbeck said.

"Of course, if it had snowed more, we would have had trouble." Most departments ran tighter operations with this year's $4.37 million budget, leaving less to wind up as surplus. The committee bought four police cars, equipment, gasoline and postage with the 1981 surplus. In other business yesterday, the committee discussed a possible suit over the de-designation of 1-95, took the first step toward a safer intersection at Valley Road and state highway 206 and heard farewells from Mayor Thomas Bates and committee members Brodbeck and Theresa SiedUrczyk. The long-awaited 1-95 proposal died Dei'. 20, when Congress passed its spending bill complete with i "de-designation" amendment that removed 1-95 from the interstate highway system.

Township Attorney Frank Yurasko told the committee yesterday a suit over 1-95 is possible "because the federal government and the state as well have not made their decision in accordance with the law." But after the meeting, two of the four incoming committee members said they had doubts about the effectiveness of a suit. The fifth township spot remains vacant until the committee appoints a replacement for Mrs. Siedlarczyk, who resigns Jan. 1. More than half a million people all over the wz at ay jryr area have the knack for banking.

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"Broken, inadequate equipment did not happen overnight," he said. In addition, many of the fire trucks responding to fires lack such basic equipment as water hoses and nozzles, safety nets and air packs, and firefighters are not provided with adequate clothing, he said. The problems were first brought to the council's attention three years ago, and again last week, when volunteer members of Protection Hook and Ladder Company, which serves the downtown business district, criticized the administration's decision to remove its sole snorkel engine from operation because of budgetary problems. Without the engine, volunteers said, companies from other sections of the city must be called in Ho fight fires reported in the district. Lopazanski said that Mayor George Otlowski was told of these problems during a meeting held in August.

His response at that time was, 'I'll look into according to Lopazanski. Otlowski, who could not be reached for comment last night, said earlier that the city can barely afford to operate its firefighting equipment. It costs $257,000 a year to operate a snorkel truck, the mayor said. "Obviously, we cannot afford to pay that kind of money." Councilman Robert Sgromolo noted that the 1982 budget includes $14,000 for firefighting equipment and the federal Community Development Block Grant allocates $40,000 for the purchase of new equipment. He said that the council only has the power to appropriate money and that the administration is responsible for purchasing or repairing equipment.

"Obviously, you're not getting what you're supposed to be getting," he said. The group also claimed that the use of an antiquated call box system results in numerous false alarms. According to Lopazanski, about four to five false alarms are sounded each night. Some possible solutions which have been proposed include "repowering" firetrucks, which costs half the price of purchasing new ones, starting an in-house maintenance program, and replacing call boxes with a call-in or telephone system. 5 accidents occur on Edison Bridge WOODBRIDGE (AP) Seventeen cars were involved in five accidents yesterday morning on the Edison Bridge, but police said they did not know why there were so many collisions.

Only two people were hurt, but neither suffered serious injuries. The accidents occurred between 3 and 8:30 a.m. in the northbound lanes on the northern end of the bridge, which carries Route 9 traffic across the Rari-tan River between Woodbridge and Sayrevlhe. He said the bridge's surface is patched and bumpy in spots, but he said he could not explain the unusual string of accidents. "The roads were a little wet this morning," said Patrolman Thomas Berndt.

The first collision occurred at 3:04 a.m. when one car skidded, hit a guard rail and was struck in the rear by another auto, police said. Joseph DeLu-cia, 32 of Elizabeth, was injured in that accident and was released after treatment at Perth Amboy General Hospital. Another two-car accident occurred at 4:05 a.m., and a minute later three more cars collided nearby according to police. Another Elizabeth man, 25-year-old Jose Valerio, was injured in the 4:05 a.m.

accident but was not admitted to the hospital. Berndt said there were two more accidents at around 8 a.m., one involving three cars and the other involving seven. He said no one was injured in those collisions. Park YM-YWHA to start pre-nursery school program HIGHLAND PARK The YM-YWHA of Rari-tan Valley is accepting registration for its Partners-in-Play program, which begins Jan. 9 at the Highland Park facility only.

The program is for 2 year olds and their parents and is intended as an introduction to the nursery school experience. It will involve 10 weekly sessions of activities in such areas as arts and crafts, music, dance, gym and storytelling. Parents-in-Play and other parent-toddler programs are offered to members at the reduced rate of $30. For non-members, the fee is $40. 2 students rewarded EDISON John P.

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