The Herald-News from Passaic, New Jersey • 15

MRGEN EDITION THE HERALD-NEV73 TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 1973 JnLutnenora racial mock 1 Elks ii 11 11 0 (r ri to Mil Yf 4 RUTHERFORD With the annual renewal of club liquor licenses imminent, the local Elks Lodge has advised the Borough Council that it plans to recom-mehd removal of racial membership re-" strictions. In a letter to the council, Louis Gat-tuso, secretary of the lodge, said the exalted ruler of the Rutherford Lodge has been directed to vote "in favor of removing membership restrictions of white only from the Grand Lodge Statutes" at the next grand lodge session in Chicago July 15. The decision to end the racial restriction, according to the letter, was in accordance with a recommendation made by Francis W. Smith, grand exalted Herald-News Photo by Jim Hannagan four-lane street to replace a downtown section of Main Street for the $12 million urban renewal project. The Boys' Club is in the background.

WORK BEGINS Workers -and equipment have finally arrived in Lcdi to construct the county bypass road. The Easter Concrete Construction Co. was hired to build the 9.6 million high school urged ruled that the local Elks lodge is a private club. A similar fray developed last year with a 4-0 vote and two absentions when the club license was voted upon. The council -supported therorgattizatioft'STte'-T-g'al claims, but not its racial policies.

The club's decision to request reversal of the traditional policy was not explained, but Rutherford officials felt that the spectacular nature of the controversy was damaging the town. Last year Councilman Willard Reen-stra said he disagreed with the ABC regulations permitting licenses to clubs that practice discrimination and assailed the decision made at the 1972 Elks national convention to retain the whites-only clause in its constitution. Another councilman Raymond Derner stated: "It would have been a prouder day if the Elks renounced discrimination, but the majority is not racially discriminatory. This controversy has Rutherford before the eyes of the na- tion as a community of bigots." Tennis court criticism The council, meeting in open caucus, was assailed by a contingent of tennis buffs seeking a solution to crowded and damaged tennis courts. The council advised them to seek redress from the Recreation Commission "because it's' their problem and they are charged with the responsibility." A number of residents discussed the possibility of purchasing badges that would entitle them to use the courts, but one resident criticized the plan because other borough recreation is available to residents without the need for badges.

The council directed the citizens to attend the next meeting of the recreation commission and return to the next council meeting if they were not satisfied. The council will introduce an ordi-nance tonight requiring licenses for garage sales, backyard sales and going-out-of-business sales. ruler and other past grand exalted rulers. One council member noted that the letter was accepted with great pleasure. "We should respond to the lodge by he- said.

"We hope now that action will be taken at the convention." The council will send notification of the decision to the borough's Civil Rights Commission. Harks back to '70 The. Elks announcement apparently puts to rest a three-year-old dispute that arose in September, 1970, when the borough council was petitioned to revoke the local tax examption given the organization on the basis that the club discriminates against non-whites. The petition was presented by Mrs. Rosemarie Merion, 146 Davidson in the form of a letter from the Human Rights Committee of South Bergen.

"As residents and as a committee concerned with the civil rights of all citizens, we strongly object to being a party to aiding white racism in our town," Mrs. Merion, committee chairman, stated. In October, the council publicly condemned the whites-only policy as "offensive to the community," and urged the Elks to "take every action within their power to end this practice." In November, 13 borough residents, in conjunction with a number of Nutley residents, brought suit in Essex County Superior Court against their municipalities to have the tax-exemptions removed, force payment of one year's back taxes and have the club licenses taken from the lodges. License renewed The furor resulted in a deferred decision by the council in June, 1971, when the club's liquor license renewal was due. The council later granted the license by a 5-1 vote.

Opponents obtained a hearing before the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control in October, but the ABC finally for Rutherford, sparse crowd told Rutherf adopts split sessions because of overcrowding. Of the six options, two recommended building a new high school, two called for construction of a middle school, one option suggested the building of three small elementary schools and a final choice, based upon recommendations of a citizens' committee, calls for renovating and adding to the present high Trustees were reluctant to discuss the monetary figures outlined in the report. Uniplan based its figures on a $54 per square foot construction cost. Trustee Albert Monaok said a more realistic figure would be $32 to $35 per square foot. In 1956, a $1.4 million bond issue to build a new high school on Memorial Field was In 1970, a $6.5 million bond issue to build a new open-plan middle school at the Lincoln School site on Pierrepont Avenue was also defeated.

Earlier in the meeting, Trustee Thomas Vaughn likened the Uniplan report to a consultation with a doctor. He said that a doctor gives his opinions, but it is up to the patient to accept them. In he same way, he said, the borough must decide on which course it will pursue. "We may take some of it or throw it all away," he said. Trustee Cornelias Fogerty said all the recommendations in the report include the acquisition of additional property.

Cost projections do not include estimates for the purchase of land, he said. Questions from the audience gradually centered on the lack of citizen involvement. Trustee Dunn E. Smith summed up the apathy saying, "you couldn't sell anything at a meeting like this." Await FDU decision Action on the Uniplan study is expected to be withheld until a decision is made on the proposal swap of borough lands for the Fairleigh Dickinson University campus. The borough would deed 100 acres of meadowlands to the school ordinance leveling RUTHERFORD Fewer than 50 persons last night attended a Board of Education meeting to hear the recommen-dationsina long-awaited report on school expansion.

The 121-page report was prepared by Uniplan, a Princeton architectural and planning firm, at a cost of $7,000. It concluded "that the most favorable solu-t i 0 fo Rutherford's school facilities problem is the construction of a new L200 pupil high school for grades 9 to 12." The 30-acre Memorial Field near the Passaic River and a tract at Eastern New Bergen seen by end By PAUL ALBERTA Herald-News Staff Writer HACKENSACK Bergen County is expected to have a new prosecutor by the end of the year. The state Senate yesterday confirmed the appointment of Prosecutor Sherman D. Lester as a Superior Court judge. Lester won't take his oath of office as a judge until November, when Superior Court Judge John H.

Shields Jr. retires. Lester will succeed Shields who reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70. Doctors require attention LYND HURST Two' doctors were in jured late Sunday afternoon in a collision at Lafayette Place and Sixth Avenue. A compact car driven by Dr.

Gidon' F. Gestring, 44, of Maplewood, collided with a vehicle operated by Harold A. Brennan 17, of 5 Van Eyck Court. Two teeth in Dr. Gestring's mouth were broken and his passenger, Dr.

Ernesto Cleves, 40, of 32 Lafayette PL, suffered injury to his left elbow. Both doctors are members of the Jersey City Medical Center staff. Dr. Gestring was said to be driving Dr. Cleves home before going on emergency duty at the, hospital.

He borrowed Dr. Cleves' car to drive to the hospital. In another traffic accident Sunday afternoon, at Park and Lake avenues, Mrs. Emma Etrrearo, of Elizabeth, a passenger in a car driven by Jose Dearauto, 36, of Irvington, injured her shoulder when the Dearauto car and one driven by Robert Medaska, 39, of 105 Bogle North Arlington, collided. Mrs.

Etrrearo was taken by ambulance by members of the emergency squad to Hackensack Hospital. East Paterson stalwarts move today for chargeback in return for its 12-acre facility. Having monetary problems of their own, FDU officials have been less than enthusiatic about the proposal. The report estimates that enrollments will level off in the future. The study said that increase at in higher grades will be offset by decrease in the lower grades.

The highest total projected enrollment is 3,300 in 1975. The report notes that, with the exception of the junior high school, all buildings are more than 50 years old. Summing up, the report says, "Buildings that were a source of pride a quarter of a century ago, now have a depressing effect on teacher and student, as well as materially getting in the way of the educational process." rent EAST RUTHERFORD An ordinance aimed at eliminating rent gouging was adopted last night by a unanimous vote of the Borough Council. The code, patterned after rent leveling ordinances in other Bergen communities, establishes a i a review board comprised of landlords, tenants and disinterested parties. It exempts two-family houses.

There was no comment from the pubr lie at the public hearing last night. The ordinance exempts hotels, motels and guest houses and buildings that are more than one-third commercial, but includes dwellings with three or more families. referendum in November. The list must be submitted to the borough clerk for certification 60 days before the election. A referendum to change the name of the borough to Elmwood Park was approved toy a 400-vote margin last November.

The name change, the first since the borough's incorporation as the Borough of East Paterson in 1916, became official Jan. 1. The change has not yet been recorded on road signs or in the Bergen County telephone directory, which still lists borough offices under East Paterson. The sign on the Municipal Building has been changed to Elmwood Park, but two of the police department's four patrol cars retain East Paterson markings. Mrs.

Miller said she and a staff of a half, dozen covered the borough in a house-to-house appeal. Petitions were also left in stores, she Mrs. Miller said the list was checked carefully for discrepancies. If some of the signatures are invalidated, she added, the group will present a backup petition with 200 names A desire to preserve the borough's tradition was the major factor motivating the petition campaign, Mrs. Miller related.

She noted that the response was "extremely enthusiastic." "I have no doubt that the vote will be close," she "but I think East Paterson will win." Fire demolishes Garfield RR station GARFIELD Fire of undetermined origin destroyed most of the Erie Lackawanna Railway station at Somerset Street yesterday. Firemen from the city's five companies brought the blaze under control approximately an after it started at 12:15 p.m. Chief Jacob Aanstoots said he will recommend that the remaining portions of the station be torn clown. East Way and Route 17 were recommended as sites for the new structure. Estimated costs for the recommended program, identified as Option 1, include $9.6 million for the new school, $800,000 for renovation of the Junior Senior High School as a middle school and $1 million for renovation of Union and Pier-repont schools as elementary schools.

The total cost estimate is $11.4 million. 6 proposals The report contains six plans for accommodating rising enrollment in the borough's schools. This year, the junior and senior high schools were forced into prosecutor of the year Lester resigned the Bergen County District Court judgeship last August to become a deputy state attorney general for several months before being named prosecutor. Meanwhile speculation is increasing about who will become Lester's successor. He is third county prosecufdOo be named in less than three years.

Speculators1 believe the leading contenders for the spot are First Assistant Prosecutor Alfred L. Genton and Donald Conway, a well-known Hackensack defense lawyer. Genton has been vith the prosecutor's office since 1971, serving under ousted prosecutor Robert Dilts, removed for alleged involvement in a bribe scheme. Dilts was acquitted. The attorney general's office operated the prosecutor's business until Lester was named.

During much of his tenure in office, Genton has, more or less, headed the trial section while his superiors concentrated on the administrative operations. Conway, a recognized trial attorney, reportedly is interested in the top spot. He is seen by many as a trial prosecutor. Meanwhile Miss Colette A. Coolbaugh, county court administrator, is seen as a candidate for the first assistant's spot.

Miss Coolbaugh, a Wayne resident, is the only woman court administrator in the state. But no affirmative action is expected until the mid-fall on picking a successor for Lester. It has been remored if Rep. Charles W. Sandman who defeated Gov.

William T. Cahill for the Republican nomination for governor earlier this month, can reach accord, a new prosecutor for the county will be named well before the November election. If not, the winner of the general election, Sandman or former Superior Court Judge Brendan T. Byrrie, the Democrat gubernatorial candidate, jvill name a new county prosecutor. Should that happen, it is believed a deputy attorney general will be designated acting prosecutor for the county until the new.

governor, takes office in late January. "All the information you hear from critics is hearsay," Warchol said. The Palbro Realty Co. submitted plans on May 14 for luxury high-rise apartments for the 8-acre site on the Hackensack border off Route 17 southbound. The building department routinely rejected the plans since they exceeded the local 35-foot height limit.

The developer hasn't applied for a variance from the zoning board. Councilman Bernard Focarino noted that no plans have been Submitted to the government for action. Focarino said he had no details on which to make a decision. Focarino. a memlcr of the Planning Board, told Jones he had no idea how he" would vote on a high-rise project, when or if it does come before the board.

"I sit on the planning board, but we haven't seen it (the plans) yets," Focarino said. said, of the borough's intention for a long-range investment program. The withdrawal and investment of the funds does not constitute settlement with the state, Porro said, but is legally permissible. The borough is still negotiating an approximately $3 million settlement for land leased by Costa Development Corp. of New Milford.

In addition, Porro is contesting the validity of new state maps showing riparian boundaries that include 200 acres of borough-owned land. Councilman Richard De Lauro announced that trash pickup would be curtailed on July 4. Local festivities will be held at McKenzie Field, featuring a soft-ball game between the police and fire departments and ending with fireworks at dusk. Councilman Peter Murray asked that residents register bicycles at the police station to aid in identification should the bicycles be stolen. New one-way streets The council also approved a motion making Humboldt, Herman and Mozart Streets and Clinton Place, one way.

Councilman Edward Hill objected to the move on the basis that emergency equipment would be delayed and have difficulty in maneuvering alternate routes. Mayor James Plosia announced that the borough plans to spend the expected $69,942 in general revenue sharing funds allocated for the first six months of 1973 on environmental protection and public transportation. A detailed account of the planned use for the funds will appear in tomorrow's Herald-News. Publication is required by the state and local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972, which authorized revenue sharing. Plosia added that the effect of revenue sharing on local taxes will enable reducing the rate of a major tax.

or The code provides for rent increases by landlords brought on by cost of living and tax increases and capital improvements, but prohibits indiscriminate increases. The ordinance is effective immediately. Disputes and regulations will be handled by the five-man board, for three years. The ordinance will expire annually. It must be reinstated by the governing body each year.

There are approximately 500 apartment units in the borough. Other ordinances Two other ordinances were enacted: one to provide for roofing work on the Grove Street Firehouse and another to install a lockup unit at the police station for a maximum of $15,000. Alfred A. Porro borough attorney, told the council that an appeal of the Bergen County edict to revaluate local property will be heard soon. The appeal hinges on the speculative quality of the borough's position with regard to the Sports Complex and the meadowlands, Porro said.

Porro also reported on the disposition of funds being drawn from the state's kitty for land condemnation for the Sports Complex. The borough is investing more than $2 million in short-term certificates of deposit at three banks. The 90-day investments are at National Community Bank in the amount of $639,225 at 8 per cent interest; $639,225 at Peoples Bank of South Bergen, also at 8 per cent; and $840,000 in 60-day notes at the State Bank of Fort Lee, Porro noted the short-term notes are an interim step taken until the borough can decide on longer term proposals. Eight banks have been notified, Porro Municipal and still at impasse WALLINGTON After an hour long meeting last night, Mayor Doris Maha-lick and and the Board of Education still have not reached an agreement on the disposition of the vacant Lincoln School. Board President Robert Hartmann said later that "quite a bit of progress" had been made, but Mayor Mahalick said that there was "nothing to report.

The dispute centers around a Board of Education desire to sell the property at public auction to raise money for two projects, and the mayor's desire to retain the properly as "open space." Hartmann said the board needs money to build a retaining wall and fence behind the Frank Gavlak School, and to convert the basement of that school into Lodi council men not ready to take stand on high-rise ELMWOOD PARK East Paterson stalwarts have collected enough signatures on petitions to force the second name change referendum in two years. Jean Miller, the leader of the pro-East Paterson group, said last night she will submit petitions signed by more than 3,000 persons to Borough Clerk Dolores Camlet today. Only 2,900 signatures 30 per cent of the number of registered voters are needed to place the issue on a binding 4 qualify in test for pharmacy helper Herald-News Trenton Bureau TRENTON t- Four Bergen County residents have qualified for the job title pharmacy helper according to scores released by the state Department of Civil Service. Salary range for the title is $5,200 to $7,295 a year. Tamara Cymbal of Cliffside Park was top scorer with 89.340; Arlene J.

Ham-mett, 12-19 "Scribner Road, Fair Lawn, 87.406; Maryanne L. Grace, 20-28 Calyne Drive, Fair Lawn, 80.637 and Alice Y. Lawrence of Teaneck. Rutherford police nab escaped prisoner RUTHERFORD A prisoner escaped from police headquarters last night only to be apprehended less than a block away. Gaetano V.

Netta, 19, of Colonia, was convicted of larceny in Municipal Court. As he was being escorted into police headquarters to await transportation to the county jail, he broke away from guards and ran out of the building. Police caught him as he was running clown the street. Netta was booked on an an escape charge. Bail was set at $2,000.

school officials over building locker room facilities for the high school athletic field, located between the two buildings But the mayor is concerned with the lack of recreational space in the .98 square mile borough. "We're happy to be able to continue discussion," she said, adding that discussion of purchase of the property was merely "semantics" and that any talk of renovation was "premature." The Board wants $80,000 for the property, but Trustee Walter Kulik has been reported as saying that if the council could offer a bid of half thai amount, he could muster several votes to approve the sale. Hartmann said that there would lie a meeting sometime next week to further discuss the situation. LODI Councilmen told the public last night they do not have enough information on the proposed 20-story high-rise for the Champagne Tower's property to take a stand. "At this time, to make any statements would be foolish," Councilman George Warchol told Charles Jones, a resident who raised the question.

Warchol said anti-high-rise critics were using "scare tactics," and, he added, "We don't have any information." "All seen is a model (of. the high-rise) and some plans that were rejected." Jones said that local papers are criti-c a 1 of t'he apartment project. Board of Education officially has voted to oppose the hiyh rise because, trusters said, it would force building a new school..