The Herald-News from Passaic, New Jersey • 11

Wednesday, October 15, 1986 North Jersey Herald-News Passaic Coeeltv News jD-I 11 11 'fe gwvwi. County to probe assessors Tax board hunts unfair policies By Debbie Borja Staff Writer PATERSON The Passaic 'County Board of Taxation ill investigate tax assessment practices throughout the county to determine where unfair methods are being used, county tax administrator James J. Murner announced Tuesday. Meanwhile, today is the deadline for city homeowers to appeal tax bills that were based on the controversial "spot assessment" practice. Dr.

Kenneth E. Wright, president of PCCC, speaks during' the presentation of a mural Statt Photo by Amanda Brown PCCC mural launches Paterson history week By Debbie Borja Staff Writer Also unveiled was a life-size bronze statue of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The colorful, and historical painting created by John Traynor of Passaic, begins with the Great Falls of Paterson. a rainbow, and city founder Alexander Hamilton as he attempts to sell the concept of founding a city to General George Washington.

In the middle of the. mural, other periods of Paterson history are illustrated, including the building of the first successful submarine, the city's silk-manufacturing period, and the train locomotive manufacturing period. The final scene, at the far right of the mural, is King's visit to Paterson. his last public appearance before his assassina-tion. As a leader of the King movement.

Rosa Parks was honored at the unveiling. Parks explained the oppression she experienced prior to the King era and couraged the crowd to; "refuse to be complacent" with any social injustice. The week-long historical celebration will continue with various events during the week and culminate with a gala ball at the college on Saturday evening. PATERSON The city's diverse histcv ry was artistically depicted as a mural 65 by 15 feet that will greet students in College Hall at Passaic County Community College. Tuesday's unveiling was a kickoff to the celebration of Paterson history week at Passaic County Community College.

In a press release, Murner wrote. "In the course of hearings during the present tax appeal season, the attention of the County Board of Taxation has been drawn to certain assessment practices which, regardless of their motivation, result in unfair and therefore inadmissable disparity among various properties." The announcement comes in response to the assessment policy under which residents ho recently bought homes in Paterson received tax bills much higher than bills received by neighbors with similar property. The practice, used by tax assessor George J. Sokalski and his two assistants, called for recently sold properties to be reassessed at 44.59 percent of their sale prices. Angered by the disparity, city-taxpayers formed Citizens Against Spot Assessment, or CASA, and lobbied the support of local political leaders.

Paterson officially welcomes Rosa Parks arts high school occasion a historical, educational event." Parks appeared excited by the honor, straining, her neck from' time to time to better see stu PATERSON A unique high school was dedicated Tuesday to a black woman who proudly refused to give up her seat on a bus 31 years ago. A spirited crowd of students, teachers, administrators and guests witnessed the official naming of Rosa Parks Fine and Performing Arts High School. And drawing most of the attention was the school's namesake. A civil rights leader. Parks gained notoriety when, on Dec.

1, 1955, she said she was and refused to give up her seat to a white man. After being arrested. Parks triumphantly battled segragation laws in court. The school is distinguished from other high schools not only ty its namesake, but by its emphasis on developing students' artistic abilities. In addition to reading, writing, and other basic academic skills, students were accepted on the basis of artistic talents, according to principal Richard Sanseverino.

And next year, auditions will help determine who'attends the school. Sanseverino has said the high school is the first of its kindjn lirid that getting all the necessary approvals to build it took many years. School officials Tuesday told the first students who will graduate from the school, the classrf 1990, that they should emulate Parks. Officials said Parks should be a role model for all youths, not just blacks. The school's artistic purpose is made immediately apparent by the display of drama masks, artist's brush and pallate, and musical notes that visitors see as they enter the building.

Speaking to the audience Tuesday, board of education President Angel Roman called the dents saluting her in song. Afterward, she received personal gifts tfr artwork from two students. And in "an original poem to Parks, studfcnt Rhonda McKay read, "I refuse to give up my seat I am an American citizen. I know my rights I'll be bold, yet meek." Another student, Madaline Santiago, offered a dramatic reading of the poem "I Rise," dedicated to the black struggle. In her speech.

Parks thanked everyone tar the warm reception and said she was "oleased to know that here in Paterson you have worked for the purpose of giving young people the guidance, the direction, and the incentive." Debbie Borja f- The county tax board responded by rolling back assessments of all single-family homes in Paterson subjected to the policy. However, the state attorney general's office ruled that only homeowners who had appealed their assessments were eligible for the rollback. The city appealed that ruling to Passaic County Superior Court in an effort to extend the filing deadline for appeals. According to Murner, the board will conduct an "inquiry during the course of which the assessors of each municipality in the county will be called upon to account to the board the methods of as sessment in their respective cop munities. In the meantime, the board specifically condemns and will disa1 Is, ti? nrtt qgcagg onf Staff Photo oy Amanda Bron Rosa Parks applauds during a student presentation at the dedication of a 'Paterson high school in her name Tuesday.

PCCC head apologizes for remark i' By Theresa Nance Staff Writer Man pleads guilty to selling cocaine PATERSON John Davis. 47, one of 91 city residents arrested in the sweeping Silk City II drug raid in May, pleaded guilty Tuesday to distribution of a small amount of cocaine. Davis pf Madison Street entered his plea before Superior Court Judge Bruno L. Leopizzi. He will be sentenced on Nov.

21. Assistant Prosecutor Salva-tore Bellomo said that under the terms of the plea agreement. Davis faces a maximum sentence of seven years-in pris "First of all. I still feel he is assuring up-county residents that no minority students will take part in the proposed second campus. Anyway, why do we need an up-county site? Why not a satellite extension to the college nearby.

After all. we can handle something like that." Taliaferro said. Elease Evans, president of the Paterson National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, has called on community leaders to meet with Wright about his statement. Evans was unavailable for comment regardless of motive and.whether based solely upon the sale of any given property or otherwise, and all assessors are admonished to refrain from using such methods in the preparation of their 1987 tax lists and thereafter." Jeanne Claro. a spokesv omai: for CASA.

said she was delignted by the move, but remained skeptical. The board has scheduled hearing for 9 a.m. on Nov. 17 to further "explore the issue. The hearing will be held at the council chambers or the Wayne Tow nship Building, 475 Valley Road.

Wayne. But Tuesday. Wright insisted that he used the word "basket cases" in the Civil War context, meaning that students came from the battlefield of education and needed emergency attention. "I'll never use that word again. I have hurt a number of people and that was never my intent I'm terribly sorry." he said.

He takes pride, he said, in the fact that the college has made great progress by developing academic excellence in the remedial area. 'We got over $200,000 for our mentor program which assigns rising high school juniors one-on-one with a successful person in the community. And that adult takes the youngster under his or her wing and gives him guidance. I am a mentor, also, and can tell you the program is a successful one." he said. The college also received a S500.000 grant to establish an academic resource center, he said.

The center will enable the staff to counsel students and identify aptitudes and interests in careers and basic skills. But Anna N. Taliaferro, the Passaic County Parent Coalition's commuity liaison, said Wright's apology is "unacceptable. PATERSON A "careless but not mean-spirited" remark will force Kenneth E. Wright, president of Passaic County Community College, to select his words more" carefully in the future.

Wright said. The college president drew angry reactions from college and community residents after he referred to PCCC students as "basket cases." Wright made the statement two weeks ago at a meeting with up-county officials regarding plans for a second campus in West Milford. on. Daine llahies Judge bars description to ury of lethal inj ection By Diane Haines Staff Writer Assistant Deputy Public Defender John J. Cleary said he wants the doctor to describe the reality of an execution.

Laky said he ill use those facts to show that everyone in the Ship 'N Shore Food Wholesalers at 493 Market St. was placed in a life-threatening situation, Eugene Jones, a 25-year-old escapee from a Maryland halfway house, will face -a separate trial. The state will not seek a death sentence in his case. After hearing arguments by both sides, jurors will decide if the aggravating factor outweighs any of the mitigating circumstances presented by the defense. If jurors unanimously find the ag- -gravating factor prevails, Jones will be sentenced to death.

one or more jurors conclude that the mitigating circumstances are more persuasive, the sentence must be life in jurors to hear about the deprived background and psychological makeup of Jones, a city resident. The judge said that in proving the' aggravating nature of the case, the state will be able to explore Ahe manner in which Serventi was shot. During the trial last week. Laky contended that Larry Jones shot Serventi in the back and then pointed the gun at the head of his business partner Sean Bowe. Laky said Jones threatened to kill Bowe and a truck driver be-foie stealing nearly $2,000 from Servef.i's pockets.

Laky said Jones and co-defendant, Eugene Jones, then locked everyone except Serventi in a walk-in freezer where the temperature was zero degrees or below. He said the men broke out of the freezer. defendant serve 30 years before applying for parole. Assistant Deputy Public Defender John J. Cleary said that Dr.

Richard Moran of Mount Ho-lyoke College in Massachusetts has testified at four other death penalty trials in the state. Cleary said he wants the doctor to describe the reality of an execution. But Assistant Prosecutor John Laky objected to Moran's being called as a witness. He said his observation of an execution in Texas has nothing to do ith the shooting death of Serventi, a 37-year-old Wayne father of three. Donato agreed with the prose cution and ruled that the reaction of one defendant to the lethal serum has nothing to do with the issues before the jury.

He said the jury can only con- PATERSON Defense attorneys for Larry Jones lost their bid Tuesdav to have a doctor describe to jurors the lethal injection process. Superior Court Judge Frank M. Donato denied the request by attorneys ho wanted the doctor to testify at a penalty hearing scheduled for today. Jones. 28.

was convicted Friday of murdering city storeowner George Anthony Ser-venti. Jurors must now decide if Jones should be sentenced to death. S'tate law calls for execution to be by lethal injection. The alternative sentence is life in prison with the requirement the used different guidelines for each of the six death penalty cases it has pursued within the past tw years. Donato agreed that there has been no guidance on procedure or the constitutionality of the law from the state Supreme Court, which has been examining the death penalty law for the past 18 months.

However, he said that at the penalty hearing, he will allow sider the mitigating and aggravating factors outlined in the state law. Donato said the law is clearly defined so as to exclude an arbitrary imposition of a death sentence. Deputy Public Defender Terence Corcoran argued that the death penalty is imposed in a discriminatory fashion in the state because of the lack of uniform guidelines in the various prosecutors' offices. He said that in Passaic County, the state has.