The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 14

PAGE B2 THE HOME TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1997 LOCAL REPORT Ijapaiiras Dual FOOT Additions won't change grade-school structure Pamphlet to outline open-space question By GEORGE FRANCY School; Take sixth grade out of Upper Elementary School and add it to Crossroads School, add to the high school as needed; Make Upper Elementary School a K-4, use Crossroads School for fifth and sixth grades, build a new 7-8 middle school, add to high school as needed. These plans are not final, Assistant Superintendent Willa Spicer cautioned. They could be modified, added to or eliminated during the selection process. Some board members would still prefer to see K-5 elementary names choice to select through eight at 1,500 students and not splitting students in each of those grades between different schools. The options still being weighed are: Add to the Upper Elementary School and Crossroads School, add to high school as needed; Create a second school for grades five and six, add to Crossroads School, add to high school as needed; Sell the board's office and move it to Dayton-Deans School, add fifth and sixth grades to Crossroads School, build new 7-8 middle school; Same, but sell Dayton-Deans Township By BRENDA PORTER STAFF WRITER The Old Bridge Township Council voted last night to hire James R.

Zaz-zali, a former New Jersey attorney general and former chairman of the State Commission of Investigation, to decide if an attor- 0D ney appointed by BRIDGE the mayor or the i township council will hear disciplinary charges brought against Police Chief Jerry Palumbo. Zazzali, if he agrees, will decide only who will hear the charges against Palumbo; he will not rule on the charges. In a 3-2 split, council members Reg schools. "This is not a straitjacket. It's a guidepost," said board member John P.

Oliveira, head of the Long-Term Planning Committee. In the reorganization prompted by the opening of the new South Brunswick High School this year, the old high school became Crossroads School, grades seven and eight and some of grade six; the Crossroads became the Upper Elementary School, grades five and six; and the seven elementary schools became home to kindergarten through fourth grades. rector of public safety, filed seven charges internally against the police chief on Sept. 5. She alleged the chief did not cooperate with the township's administration's plan to hire five new police officers, which would bring the force up to 87.

Shepler oversees the township's police department. Although three new officers were appointed to the police force on Sept. 23, they only bring the total to 85. Additional charges claim Palumbo violated a township ordinance by keeping five officers working as captains, when the law calls for four. Palumbo, according to the charges, also acted without authority in calling the State Police Training Academy at Sea Girt and having five spaces reserved for Old Bridge Recruits canceled.

Shepler charges this also interferes Briefs Tenant accused of arson after apartment burns By SEAN P. CARR STAFF WRITER Board of Education members resolved last night to keep the K-4 elementary school structure as they moved closer to planning a school-expansion initiative that would go before the voters next SOUTH yeaJ; BRUNSWICK The informal bhhhi decision, made at a work session meeting, narrows to six the number of proposals under serious consideration. Last night's discussion centered on how to consider three often competing goals: minimizing the number of times a student changes schools, capping schools for grades five PARK, RIVER ACCESS Freeholders may pursue open-space purchases By ANDY WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER The Middlesex County freeholders will consider buying an East Brunswick home and four small lots in New Brunswick through the county's open-space trust fund. The East Brunswick home is one of about 15 houses within the boundaries of Jamesburg Park, a county-owned conservation area in Monroe, Helmetta and East Brunswick, said county Parks Director Ralph Albanir. MIDDLESEX The home" COUNTY owner, who hh built a garage and a shed on part of the park property, was seeking an easement from the county so he could get a clear title and sell the home, said Bill Du-brow, the procurement project coordinator for the open-space fund.

But the Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Committee wants the county to buy the house and the half-acre lot instead. Albanir, co-chairman of the open space committee, said the committee set a policy that the county should acquire lots within Jamesburg Park's boundaries whenever possible. The New Brunswick lots, totaling about 1 acre off Tunison and Roberts roads, are needed for access to the Raritan River, Albanir said. Earlier this year, the freeholders approved buying 80 to 150 acres along that part of New Brunswick's riverfront for a conservation area. The freeholders will vote on the open-space purchases next Monday.

If the purchase is approved, the Middlesex County Improvement Authority will hire appraisers and engineers to assess the properties, and lawyers to negotiate the purchases. The MCIA is handling the same work for the Raritan River conservation area and 17 other open-space purchases previously approved by the freeholders. 'Most Wanted' By MICHELLE SAHN STAFF WRITER A Plainfield man wanted by authorities in two counties since 1991 on various charges, including forgery and burglary, was nabbed yesterday at his job in Linden, authorities said. Members of the Union County Sheriffs Office fugitive unit arrested James E. Allen, who is between 35 and 40 years old, around 1:10 p.m.

at the Huffman-Koos warehouse on Lower Road, said Sheriffs Office Lt. Barry E. Migliore. Authorities said they arrested Allen after they received a tip from someone who read about him in The Home News Tribune's "Most Wanted" column yesterday. Migliore said authorities believe Allen, who uses several aliases, left thp Ilninn Tniinh; arpa aftpr hi arrpst by Springfield police on Feb.

25, 1991, While this freed up some room, a new space crunch is coming. Enrollment in grades K-12 has grown 60 percent in the past six years. Now at slightly over 6,000 students, the district is adding 400 to 500 new students each year, according to school district estimates. School administrators and board members are now planning a bond referendum for the fall of 1998. Preliminary cost estimates are in the $30 million to $50 million range.

The new high school was approved in a $51.3 million referendum in 1994. There will be several more meetings before officials have a draft proposal in place. The next school board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 13. arbiter with her ability to hire.

According to a letter submitted by Palumbo's attorney, Louis Granata, Mayor Barbara Cannon filed the charges improperly. Granata claims that the charges should be heard by the township council and not by an outside attorney. He contends this was set forth in a 1990 decision handed down by Superior Court Judge Norms Haring following a lawsuit between Palumbo and a former Republican administration headed by Arthur Haney. The decision states that any charges which could result in suspension, fine, or a reduction in duties must be heard by the council, he said. The council can do so with a two-thirds vote, only if it initiates the complaint, Ruggiero said at a previous meeting.

church social center, 270 Woodbridge Ave. For more information or to make an appointment, call Deacon Melissa Wade at (732) 906-1788. Sarah Greenblatt Used-book sale slated during fair in Metuchen METUCHEN: The Friends of the Metuchen Public Library will conduct a book sale Saturday as part of the borough's Country Fair. The sale will be held at the library from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rain dates are Oct. 18 and 25. Hardcover books will sell for paperbacks will cost 50 cents. Some out-of-print editions will be available at higher prices. Sarah Greenblatt Library offers classes in ancient Chinese art METUCHEN: Learn the ancient art of Chinese knotting at the Metuchen Public Library.

As early as 1100 B.C., Chinese knots were used to fasten clothing and to adorn everything from bronze urns to walls. The library will sponsor a three-week class in this art form on Oct. 16, 23 and 30. The free classes will be open to a limited number of adults. For registration information, call the library at (732) 632-8527.

Sarah Greenblatt did not file lawsuits within the two-year statute of limitation period because they were not aware they were infected. Hemophilia, which impairs the ability of the blood to clot, is treated with a clotting factor, a pooling plasma from thousands of blood donors. As a result of these transfusions, more than half the people with hemophilia in the United states were infected with the HIV virus in the early 1980s by contaminated blood products. Attorneys for the drug companies have argued there was no known test for the virus during those years and that industry standards were not established until 1985. The lawsuits have cited four manufacturers: Armour; Baxter Healthcare Corp.

of Deerfield, Alpha Therapeutics Corp. of Los Angeles, and Cutter Biologicals of West Haven, Conn. STAFF WRITER With little more than a month left before the election, East Brunswick's Open Space Committee is laying the groundwork for a referendum question that asks vot- ers to put aside a special tax for land purchases. The committee met last night to. fine-tune some of its efforts, primarily a pamphlet that will be dis: 1 tributed throughout township that provides basic information and an- swers what the 1 committee feels BRUNSWICK will be some aHBHHHaa questions about the vote.

The nonbinding question posed on Nov. 4 asks voters to approve a tax of 2 cents per $100 of assessed property value that will be devoted to preserve undeveloped land. The committee had a few suggestions from adding words to correcting punctuation, but there were no major gripes about the pamphlet, which is printed on both sides and can be trifolded. One of the changes, for instances-was about the potential devel- opment of new homes, which -would be prevented by buying up developable land. Based on projec- tions by committee members and township employees, there could be 1,348 new homes built on the remaining open land, and the draft of the brochure says that "some 1,348 new homes could be built." Committee member Rick Lake! successfully urged that the wording be changed to "a minimum of 1,348 new homes." Jaque Eaker, special assistant td Mayor William Neary, said the cal-'" culations were done very conservatively, with only minimum housing numbers used so that it cannot be challenged by their opponents.

Eaker and other officials have prepared for a potential fight over even the brochure, as has hap- pened with almost every other aspect of the open space question. Republicans on the Township' Council have argued that the effort has not been specific enough given voters enough information. For instance, the brochure cannot urge voters to vote yes (or no) on the open space question, be-cause it is being produced with" township funds. While individuals are allowed to urge a vote one way or state law prevents public money, from being used to sway the vote. As Committee member Steve Philips warned last night, "Be prepared for somebody to say it's leaning one way." The brochure provides the ac-.

tual question that will appear on the ballot, the interpretive' statement, six questions-and-an-swers about the referendum, and a five opening paragraphs. Eaker, who largely wrote the brochure with Committee Chair-' person and Councilwoman Meryle Asaro, said the administration hopes to print 5,000 of the bro chures, at a cost of under $1,000. The specific areas of the township budget that will fund the brochure are unsettled as of now, said, although the brochure could -be out later this week. It is produced entirely "in-house" by township employees. Also last night, committee mem- libers were recruited to speak to several community groups, to spread information about the endum, and initial plans were made for a talk about it on Mayor Neary's monthly television pro-gram on the Channel 8 cable ac- cess station.

CENTENNIAL Continued from page Bl and Middlesex Mall failed in their bid to overturn the Piscata-way Planning Board's decision to grant site plan approval with variances to the mall developers, who had operated under the name Gi-. braltar Development Corp. The owners of the two South' Plainfield malls had also unsuccesj sfully challenged a 1993 township-, ordinance jezoning the site light industrial to shopping cehier. Haagen Dazs helps kids beautify school grounds WOODBRIDGE: Students at Woodbine Avenue School 23 in Avenel helped plant 35 trees yesterday, courtesy of a local ice cream company. About $3,000 worth of trees and shrubs were donated by Haagen Dazs Inc.

for the school's Environmental Club. The greenery, planted around the school's perimeter, hopefully will bring down heating and air-conditioning bills, said a school official. Principal Walter Uszenski, Wood-bridge Schools Superintendent Lee Seitz, and representatives from the mayor's office and Board of Education attended the ceremony. About 125 of the school's 400 students participated, along with about 15 of Haagen Dazs' 300 employees. The elementary-school students were invited to return during their high school years to see how the trees and they have grown.

After planting the trees and shrubs, students received ice cream treats supplied by the company, which has a plant at 1 Amboy Ave. EvanKoblentz Donors being sought for blood drive at church METUCHEN: Donors are sought for the annual blood drive to be sponsored Monday by First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen. The drive will be held from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the gie Butler, Edward Testino and Joseph Cavasin agreed that a contract should be submitted to Zazzali to enlist his services for the township.

Only five of the council's nine members were present last night. The township will pay Zazzali, a senior partner in Zazzali, Zazzali, Fagella and Nowak in Newark, up to $2,500 in legal fees. "I will hopefully talk to him tomorrow to see if he's interested," said Township Attorney William Ruggiero. Zazzali has served as New Jersey's Attorney General from 1981-1982. Councilmen Roman Sohor and Camillo Vitale voted no.

"I personally believe the council has the legal authority to hear the charges," said Vitale before he cast his vote. Alayne Shepler, the township's di remained there yesterday. Edith Ricker, 73, suffered a fractured left shoulder and fractured left thigh, said hospital spokeswoman Lina Belkewitch. Ricker was listed in stable condition yesterday, Belkewitch said. Dorothy Conover, 81, suffers from a chronic respiratory condition that was exacerbated by smoke inhalation suffered in the fire, Belkewitch said.

Conover was listed in fair condition yesterday, she said. Numerous other tenants were treated by emergency medical technicians at the scene, city officials said. Some of the tenants were forced to flee their apartments in their nightclothes or underwear, tenants said yesterday. "People were coming down in their nightgowns, and it was raining outside," said tenant Richard Ca: pron, 58, who received treatment for smoke inhalation. "I thought it was another false alarm, so I didn't pay attention to the bell ringing at first," Capron said.

"Then I went to open my door, and (the hall) was full of thick, dense smoke." Capron said he placed wet towels beneath his door, but his apartment began filling up with smoke anyway. So, he said, he waved a flashlight out his window to get the attention of firefighters, who came and led him out of the building. The fire broke out around 10:15 p.m. and was declared under control around 11:30 p.m., according to Bol-lwage. nab fugitive James Allen Arrested in Linden, vsl 'i r.

By KATHLEEN HOPKINS STAFF WRITER About 100 tenants in Elizabeth were forced from their apartments into a downpour Sunday night, and 14 of them were injured, in a four-alarm fire that authorities said was deliberately set by one of the building's tenants. Deputy Police ELIZABETH Chief John Simon wmm said Felix Ortiz, 58, was arrested and charged with arson. Simon alleged that Ortiz deliberately set fire to his apartment on the 7th floor of Farley Towers, a nine-story building that houses about 300 senior citizens and disabled people in federally subsidized apartments at 33 Cherry St. The fire was contained to Ortiz's apartment, but intense heat and smoke filled the seventh, eighth and ninth floors of the high-rise building, requiring labor-intensive evacuation by firefighters of about 100 tenants, some in wheelchairs and on stretchers, city officials said yesterday at a news conference in Mayor J. Christian Bollwage's office.

A total of 14 tenants was taken to emergency rooms at Elizabeth General Medical Center, St. Elizabeth Hospital and Union Hospital, Bol-lwage said. All but two of the injured were released from the hospitals after receiving treatment for smoke inhalation, he said. Two women, described as the most seriously injured, were admitted to St. Elizabeth Hospital and column helps then returned because he "thought the coast was clear and the heat was off." Springfield police had charged Allen with possession of stolen property and possession of a stolen vehicle, but he gave officers a fake name when they arrested him and he was able to post $5,000 bail before fingerprints showed he was really James E.

Allen, authorities said. Allen also was wanted by Roselle police, the Union County Sheriffs Department, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the parole bureau of the state Department of Corrections, authorities said. Allen was wanted on charges of forgery, obstruction, possession of a stolen vehicle, two counts of burglary, theft by deception, two counts of receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, eluding, theft and violation of parole. I PLASMA: Ruling clears suits Continued from page Bl confronting the hemophiliac community," Wolfson said, "the Legislature has declared it the public policy of this state to allow blood product recipients infected with HIV an opportunity to establish culpability for their misfortune." Cole is the defense attorney for Armour in a lawsuit filed by a 28-year-old hemophiliac identified only by the initials D.J.L. The trial is scheduled to begin Monday.

John Thurman, the Morristown-based attorney representing the plaintiff, argued the Legislature acted legally and properly when it approved the bill sponsored by state Sen. John Lynch, D-Middlesex, Union. The bill, he said, was designed to give the victims their day in court. Many hemophiliacs, Thurman said, Ht..