The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 52

B2 South Jersey THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Tuesday, February 11, 1997 The 'Scene In South Jersey South Jersey News in Brief 1 Military member's spouse -i fatally shot at McGuire The civilian husband of an Air Force member was shot and killed with a handgun Sunday afternoon on the grounds of McGuire Air Force Base, authorities said, Randy A. Daniels, 31, was found shot in the head around 2:45 p.m. alter military police received a 911 Wilma. "This information should have been handed Israel under a reciprocal intelligence treaty, but Pollard still doesn't see a light at the end of the tunnel, but Wilma keeps writing her letters. Towering schizophrenia Forgive me for meddling, but is it Pennsauken Tower or Pennsauken Towers'! As the accompanying photograph shows, the sign on the eight-story apartment building at 8001 Maple Ave.

in Pennsauken says the former, but the sign out front says the latter. "Well, it's a good question, because it's considered an east wing and a west wing, so they consider it two towers, but it's one building," office manager June Favinger told me yesterday. "Nobody's really mentioned it, but I'm sure anybody that's really taken notice to it would have." Owned by Related Management of New York, the building consists of 101 federally subsidized one-bedroom apartments. It's listed in the phone book as Pennsauken Tower, and that's how June answers the phone. So it would seem that the easiest solution might be to remove that from the sign out front.

And thanks for reading this David Lee Preston One woman's lonely fight for Jonathan Pollard In 1986, former civilian Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of espionage for selling military secrets to Israel. Last July, for the third time, President Clinton denied Pollard's request for clemency, citing the enormity of his crime, lack of remorse, and the damage he caused U.S. security. Meanwhile, last year Israel granted Pollard citizenship in hopes of improving his chances for release. Still he languishes, after more than a decade, in a federal prison in North Carolina.

"There is no reason to hold Jonathan anymore," his wife, Esther, said in July when she began a short-lived hunger strike in Jerusalem. "Enough is enough." Wilma J. Bauer of Cherry Hill agrees. Although she has no personal tie to Pollard, the T017IQ1 For The Inquirer SHARON GEKOSKI-KIMMEL or plural? equipment to the Soviets, and CIA turncoat Ames is blamed for the "executions of at least 10 Western agents. Both are serving life sentences.

As for Pollard, as Wilma says, "He never did anything that caused ithe death of an American." What he did admit doing was to sell documents, including satellite photographs and information on Arab military systems, to the Israeli military. Those documents reportedly enabled Israel to bomb a PLO site in Tunisia, pinpoint Iraqi and Syrian chemical-warfare installations and Soviet missile sites in Arab countries, and monitor Pakistan's A-bomb progress. "Jonathan Pollard gave military secrets to our ally, Israel," said call from his home in a base hous: ing complex, an Air Force spokes- woman said. No arrests had been made, and the investigation was continuing. Mercer County man killed in Bordentown car crash A man from Groveville, Mercer County, died when his car crashed into the back of a tractor-trailor in Bordentown around 3:45 a.m.

day, police said. Police gave the following account Estuardo D. Mazariegos, 29, was southbound on Route 130 when he slammed into the back of a truck driven by Daniel Moore of Neptune, who escaped injury. The windshield of Mazariegos' 1981 Toyota Tercel. :1 was covered by frost.

The accident shut down the south-' i bound side of the highway until s. 1 Local Meetings Cherry Hill's council advances plan for county academic center retired homemaker has been peppering politicians and celebrities with letters aimed at marshaling public opinion in favor of his release. She says she got into this purely out of sympathy for Pollard's plight. But the results have not exactly been encouraging. "The head of the Church of England gave some vague response," Wilma told me Sunday.

"Vaclav Havel said he did not have enough facts. Helmut Kohl in Germany never responded." Nor did Anita Hill, Yoko Ono, David Geffen or Diane Sawyer. Hillary Clinton sent a form letter. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch responded but not as Wilma would have liked. "I am not a supporter of the cause to help Pollard," Koch wrote to Wilma in June 1992.

"He is an American citizen who spied on and betrayed his country for money, and that is simply inexcusable. Pollard took money from Israel for his spying and asked for more." In fact, the lone bright spot for Wilma was this handwritten August 1995 letter from playwright Arthur Miller: "When men who sold the communication codes of the U.S. Navy walk away with short prison" sentences, and a man like convicted spy Aldrichl Ames sold the lives of fellow CIA agents, the punishment meted out to face-lifts if the state Department of Education approves the school board's proposed $1 million lease-purchase plan to pay for renovations. The proposal, which does not require voter approval, would not increase school taxes, school business administrator Joseph Picgona said at last night's meeting. By the time the district would make its first payment in the 1998-99 budget, it would no longer be paying off current debt from a 1988 lease-purchase agreement, Picgona said.

Under the plan proposed last night, the district would pay the lease-purchase back over 10 years. The funds would pay to replace computer and electrical wiring at Delran Middle School and Mill-bridge Elementary School, new lockers and bleachers at the middle school, asbestos removal at the middle school, and other renovations. The proposal drew no public comment last night. The board will vote Feb. 24 on whether to submit the plan to the state Department of Education, which must approve it.

School Superintendent Carl Johnson said the district chose the lease-purchase plan because the amount was too large to include in one year's budget but too small to put to voters in a referendum. Mount Ephraim's budget calls for no tax increase The Mount Ephraim Board of Education introduced a $4.49 million budget for the 1997-98 school year that would mean no tax increase if approved by voters in April. The budget, while slightly higher than the current one, would keep the tax rate unchanged at $2.18 per $100 of assessed property value, school officials said. "We're thrilled to be able to say that we'll be able to increase our staff and add programs without a tax increase," Superintendent Richard Serfling said. School officials cited a $75,000 increase in state aid, an $80,000 reduction in tuition for special education students and Mount Ephraim students attending Audubon High School, and the use of $217,000 in surplus funds as the reasons for not needing a tax increase.

The board will hold a public hearing and take a final vote on the proposed budget during the last week in March. Paulsboro landlords meet with mayor over ordinance Paulsboro Mayor John Burzichelli met with dozens of landlords concerned about a licensing ordinance the town is considering. The proposed law would require landlords to pay a licensing fee for cat.ii ituilai uan. The lees would be used to hire an inspector who would conduct yearly inspections of rental properties. Failure to keep properties in good repair under the proposed ordinance could, in extreme cases, result in the shuttering of the rental.

Burzichelli met with about 50 members of the Delaware Valley Apartment Owners Association at i the Best Western Inn in West Dept-ford. The meeting was the second between Burzichelli and the association. "I originally met with the landlords about a year ago to get a better understanding of whatf was needed 1 1 Well, which one is it singular Jonathan Pollard seems totally out of proportion. "I believe Pollard has served enough time to more than satisfy the demands of justice and deserves to be paroled." Wilma sent a copy of the playwright's letter to President Clinton. "I believe that only an outpouring of mail from many folks can change his mind," she said of the president.

She's most disappointed with American Jewish leaders. "I feel that the Jewish community has really deserted Pollard," she said. "The fellow's in his 12th year of incarceration, while other people have sold secrets to enemy countries like the Soviet Union." Indeed, Robert Walker Jr. sold blueprints of American coding for the ordinance;" Burzichdlli said. "This process has been deliberately slow to make sure the bill was as cooperative as possible." He called the law "not a punish ment, but a partnership." The ordinance, scheduled for a vote by Borough Council next month, also stipulates that rental unit owners living out of town pay a higher license fee.

A fee schedule has yet to be decided. "Paulsboro should be thankful that there are people outside the town who own these properties," said Mario Gerelli, a landlord from Greenwich. "Otherwise there would be even more boarded-up buildings." A meeting for all concerned about the proposed PaulsbofO ordinance will be 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Paulsboro High School cafeteria. Pennsauken officials outline $25 million budget The Pennsauken Township Committee last night introduced a $25 million municipal budget that reflects a slight decrease in the amount the township needs to raise through local taxes.

The proposed budget is about 2.8 percent more than last year's spending plan. But officials said the amount that must be raised locally decreased by $10,000, or 0.1 percent, from $9.31 million in 1996 to $9.3 million this year. Officials could not say what the 1997 local tax rate would be because the final numbers from the township's recent reevaluation, the first in 30 years, have not been computed, said township administrator Ken Carruth. The tax rate in 1996 was $1.71 per $100 of assessed value, when the average assessed value of a single family house was $30,000, Carruth said. The average assessed value for a single family house this year under reevaluation will be approximately $100,000, Carruth said.

Budget plan calls for a cut in local tax in Voorhees The new Republican administration in Voorhees introduced a $15.6 million municipal budget last night that would reduce the local purpose tax rate by 2.7 cents per $100 of assessed value, which would mean about $34 yearly for the average homeowner. The two Democrats on the committee, former Mayor Pamela Hammer and Beth Mento, abstained. These are "not the promised substantial and significant cuts that were part of the Republican plat- i form," said Hammer. The proposed budget would cut the local purpose tax rate from 49.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, lo ceais. mat means tne owner of a home assessed at the township average of $125,000 who currently has a municipal tax bill of $617.50 would pay $583.75.

A public hearing and final vote on the budget is set for 8 p.m. March 10 at the municipal building. Officials attributed the tax reduction to increased revenues from $24 million in new ratables and general cuts in miny township departments. "We've made cuts in about every department, but we feel we've done it without cutting any services," said Mayor Gary Finger. "We're still emphasizing police, Wiads, sewers." 0 For The Inquirer ELIZABETH ROBERTSON Aimee White heeds coach Lynn Mooney, who said Aimee "will go as far as her ability will allow her because she has a great work ethic." At 11, Mount Laurel girl is hooked on ice skating around 6:30 a.m.

In blast that hurt children, $5.25 million award stays The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has refused to block the award of $5.25 million to three Philadelphia children who were injured in 1988 when their suicidal next-door neighbor blew up his Kensington, rowhouse. The decision not to hear Temple University Hospital's appeal of the 1995 civil award may clear the way for the children's guardians to re-! ceive their share of the money. On June 27, 1988, Richard Litos- tansky killed himself by turning on the gas in his home and lighting a match. Two weeks earlier, Temple had refused his wife's efforts to have him committed to its psychiatric unit, according to court testi-, mony, instead sending him home with a prescription for an antipsy- chotic drug. Nearly seven years later, a Common Pleas Court jury found Temple negligent and awarded the three-; children damages for pain and suf- fering.

The children are Harry Mertz, 3 at the time of the explosion, who suf- fered second- and third-degree burns and was buried in debris nine hours; his sister, April Mertz, 3 then 4, who suffered minor burns; and their half-brother, Patrick Odenbreit, then 7, who suffered sec- ond- and third-degree burns. Shooting victim identified as Elkins Park man, 32 A man fatally shot on the Roose-velt Boulevard Extension early Sun-day morning has been identified as William Joynes, 32, of Elkins Park, police said yesterday. Joynes, wh6 worked at a South Philadelphia warehouse, was north on the extension near the; Wayne Avenue exit when another car pulled alongside. Police i the gunfire probably originated from that car. A bullet ripped through the passenger door and.

"I struck Joynes in the chest about 1:15 a.m. His Dodge Daytona veered the center guardrail, where it carae: to a stop. Joynes was taken to Temple Uni- versity Hospital and pronounced dead at 1:50 a.m. He apparently was on his way home from a Delaware Avenue entertainment spot when the gunfire erupted. Officials yes--' terday did not know of a motive for.

the incident. i South Jersey South Jersey is a section of local news and sports gathered by members of The Inquirer's bureau in Cherry Hill and pub-lished every Monday through Friday. Readers are invited to call the bureau on weekdays at the numbers listed below comment on the newspaper, report a news tip, place an advertisement or duct other business. Editor Matt Golas Deputy Editor Lisa Tracy Assistant Editor Porus Coopsn Sports Editor Lou Rabitp, rnoiu tunoi Hanoall Wort Burlington Co. Editor Deirdre Childress "1 Camden Co.

Editor Glnnle Mlckd Gloucester Co. Editor. Barbara Mathews-Bowen Night Editor Michael Coakfcjjjji Advertising Dana VfljgCjj Circulation Jim Address: i wT2 South Jersey Inquire 53 Haddonfield Suite 300 Cherry Hill, N.J. 08002 Telephones: News 779-3840- FAX Advertising 779-3BOT Circulation 1 -800-523-906ttT The Scene 779-3865; Sports 779-3900- To report splits rsults: 1-800-756-45711 '1 columns. then senior.

A skater must take a test before advancing to a new class. Mooney, a 1990 graduate of Palmy: ra, achieved the senior level when she was skating competitively. She is hesitant to make any long-term predictions about Aimee. "It's hard to tell how far she will go in the sport because so many things come into play," Mooney said, "but she will go as far as her ability will allow her because she has a great work ethic." Aimee said any skater's goal would be to make the Olympic team, but she isn't about to get carried away with that idea. She is realistic to know that there are many hurdles ahead if that goal is to be accomplished.

"I would have to work really hard to achieve making the Olympics," she said. "Right now I just want to keep improving." She acknowledges that there is a tremendous sacrifice made to compete in the sport. "With skating and studying, I don't have time to play with my school friends," she said. "But I really love it and 'it's my favorite thing to do. There is nothing I'd rather be doing." Kids' Sports appears on Tuesdays.

The column reports on young athletes (under 18) and club sports. Contact Marc Narducci by e-mail at kids.sportsphillynews.com or at The Philadelphia Inquirer, 53 Haddonfield Suite 300, Cherry Hill, N.J. 08002. Clearing the Record A story in yesterday's South Jersey section erred in saying that the Fair Lanes bowling alley, site of a shooting Feb. 2, is in Willingboro.

The bowling alley is in Edgewater Park. The Inquirer wants its news reports to be fair and correct in every respect. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, write to Ombudsman, The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia 19101, or call 215-854-2425 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

f. Hi-tech classes on multimedia software design, interactive advertising and the Internet could be ust down the road for Cherry Hill area students after the Township Council last night tentatively approved rezoning of 11 acres for a new aca- demic center. i Scheduled to open in September 1999, the Camden County College satellite location would be at the corner of Springdale Road and Route 70. One building would house the $5 million project and serve about 3,000 students. Invoking President Clinton's re-! cent education-oriented stands, Camden County Freeholder Riletta Cream said the center would serve as a "beacon for Cherry Hill We must bring the power of the infor-i mation age into our schools." The campus, housed in one 25,000 square-foot building, is expected to 1 be funded with about $1 million from the county; $300,000 from the i state, and the rest about $3.7 mil-i lion from a private donation, said Debra Sellitto, the county's director of constituent services.

That gift is in property, not money, she said. The vacant land is currently owned by the estate of former Haddon Township, Mayor William Rohrer and is under agree-i ment of sale subject to certain con-1 ditions, said Linda Rohrer, one of the executors of her father's estate. I Rohrer would not say how much the cost of the land would be. The Cherry Hill project is part of a strategic plan that proposes a tri-! angular configuration that would include the main campus in Black-i wood, a site in Cherry Hill, and one in the city of Camden. The attempt i is to accommodate what officials see as increasing enrollment in those two areas.

In municipal and school board I business elsewhere last night: Brooklawn spending plan would raise the tax rate I Brooklawn Borough Council in-! troduced a $1.65 million budget for 1997 that would increase the local tax rate by 13 cents to $1.01 per $100 of assessed valuation. That would mean the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $76,000 would get a tax bill of $767, an increase of $99 over last year's spending plan. The increase will be offset if the borough gets $100,000 in state discretionary aid, a sum it got last year. "We cut everything," said Councilman John McKinney. Mayor Michael Mevoli said the biggest savings came from a $50,000 premium reduction in health insurance for municipal employees.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 24. Peiran plans minion in renovations to 2 schools Two Delran schools would receive FIGURE SKATER from B1 studies in the car while being driven to practice. I try to study at home, but sometimes I have a lot of work to do and it's good that I'm able to dolt in the car," Aimee said. Whether she is studying in the car or at home, Aimee is certainly getting the work done.

A sixth grader at Mount Laurel's Hartford School, she earned straight A's dur ing the last marking period. I marvel at the dedication she shows in both skating and school," said her mother, Gail. "When I was 11, 1 know I wasn't that disciplined. She has to be really organized to do everything. Aimee currently competes as a ju venile, the second of six categories in figure skating.

The next steps are intermediate, novice, junior and Agency to take kinder A.C. role CASINOS from B1 ers snouid benetit trom it, said Glenn Zeitz, her lawyer. Mark Juliano, president of Cae sars Atlantic City Hotel Casino, was unfazed by the proposal. He said ca sinos that turn to the CRDA for help already meet most of the tenets of the proposal. For people to say the CRDA does the casinos' biddine is not true.

The CRDA is doing exactly what it' was intended to do, which is revitalize Atlantic City. Of course, at the same time, it helps the casinos because that is the economic development down here," Juliano said. Caesars is in the process of attempting to buy out two neighboring businesses for its $250 million expansion. The casino is negotiating with the merchants but has not sought CRDA condemnation, Juliano said. "The problem with Atlantic City is everybody believes their properties are worth so much more than they really are," said Gather the press outside your home.

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