Red Bank Tax Rate Estimated at SEE STORY PAGE 4 the Weather THEDAILY Sunny, breezy today, high in . FINAL mid-30s. Fair tonight, low Red Bank, Freehold 7"" around 30. Increasing cloudi- Long Branch. / ness tomorrow. EDITION Moimioutli County's Outstanding Home Newspaper 30 PAGES VOL.95 NO.14S RED BANK, NJ. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31,1975 TEN CENTS '•"••Miiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiriuiiiiiiiniiuiiiiiuiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmiiiiimiiiiii mi IIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIllMIIIMUIIIIIHUnilll County Cuts Back Mt. Mitchell Plans By HALLIE SCHHAEGER ceived letters from some look Park," the site lies on the Appraisers^ for the county paid only about $440,000 for dicates the 75-foot strip sought Highlands residents favoring highest point ofland along the Parks Department have esti- the Atlantic Highlands proper- by the county in Highlands FREEHOLD — Deterred by the county park plan. eastern seaboard, he said. mated the total value of the ty, but he said engineering would cut into the corners of the possibility of long and ex- Hundreds of Atlantic High- The freeholders announced 7.16 acres the county now fees, legal expenses, brokers' the building, Mr. Irwin said pensive condemnation pro- lands residents had endorsed plans to up their application plans to acquire at $554,470. commissions and survey fees the county could make the ceedings, the county Board of the park proposal, he said. for matching fund assistance The developer is asking added to the asking price. necessary adjustments in the Freeholders has changed its Second Thoughts from the state Green Acres $850,000 for the Atlantic High- Mr. Westlake said his com- land taking. mind and decided to purchase The board authorized Coun- program to include an addi- lands site, but "we don't have pany is "interested in helping Mr. Irwin said that the only a portion of the Snyder- ty Counsel John M. Pillsbury tional 2.98 acres. The state an asking price for High- the county" and if it is not county intends to purchase Westerlind tract off Scenic two weeks ago to institute le- has already earmarked lands," Mr. Irwin said. forced to move its high rise the tract with or without fed- Drive in Atlantic Highlands gal action to obtain "by pur- $127,832 for the acquisition of Asked for comment after back on the property he an- eral and state aid and that and Highlands for a county chase or condemnation" the some 4.18 acres and an addi- the press conference, John ticipates no problem, except enabling resolutions will prob- park. property overlooking Sandy tional $145,592 in federal Open Westlake, vice president of for money differences, in the ably be on the board's agenda The board announced yes- Hook Bay, New York Harbor Spaces funds has been okayed Snyder-Westerlind, acknowl- negotiations. next Tuesday. terday that it now plans to and the proposed national sea- for the same parcel. edged that the company had Although the county map in- See County, Page 2 buy the entire 5.4-acre Atlan- shore recreation area at tic Highlands site, but confine Sandy Hook. its purchase in Highlands to But after learning that Sny- 1.76 acres running in a 75-foot- der-Westerlind president wide strip along Scenic Drive James R. Snyder wanted $3.8 in front of a 160-unit high rise million for "a little over 10 apartment building being con- acres of ground," explained Stennis' Condition structed by Snyder-Westerlind Mr. Irwin at a press cofe- Development Inc., Atlantic rence yesterday, the board Highlands. had second thoughts. Highlands officials had op- "We knew if we went into f posed the county's plan to condemnation, it would prob- purchase the whole 10.9-acre ably take a year or two before tract because they didn't want it was settled, and we'd still Is Very Serious' to lose the ratable, but Free- be coming out with a very ex- DOUBTED SON'S DEATH REPORT — Lewis N. holder Director Joseph C. Ir- pensive cost." he said. Ridgeway, a railroad switchman and the father of win said the board had re- Unofficially titled "Over- WASHINGTON (AP) — serious designation used by ing that the Mississippi Demo- bullet was not removed during Marine PFC. Ronald L. Ridgeway. said today he Sen. John C. Stennis, a power Walter Reed but that the sen- crat's most-serious wound surgery and that "its pres- always doubted his son's death because no dog? in the Senate's Southern bloc ator's vital signs were holding was caused by a bullet which ence creates no problem." tags were found. PFC. Ridgeway, thought to have and a key backer of a strong firm. entered Stennis' lower rib Garland said the second bul- been killed In Vietnam more than four years ago/ U.S. military, survived six Stennis, 71, chairman of the cage and tore downward let struck the senator's left has been found alive in a Communist prison camp Local Reaction hours of emergency surgery Senate Armed Services Com- through the middle part; of his thigh, but was only a flesh according to the Pentagon. today after being shot twice mittee, was shot twice at 7:40 stomach, piercing the pan- wound. during a holdup in front of his p.m. yesterday as he alighted creas and damaging a major Doctors who operated on home. from his car after returning vein that empties blood into Stennis did not attend the Doctors at Walter Reed home. He staggered into the the intestinal tract. briefing and the spokesman On Mt. Mitchell Army Medical Center report- house where his wife called The bullet then passed did not indicate precisely how Cease-Fire ed his condition as "very an ambulance. through the first portion of the long or exactly what was done serious" after the surgery en- The hospital spokesman, large intestine and lodged in during surgery. Nor did he ded about 2:30 a.m. A spokes- Maj. Frank Garland, said at the fleshy portion of the right disclose the identities of the Sharply Split man said that is the most an early-morning news brief- thigh. The spokesman said the doctors, although an earlier report said the hospital's Ignored As By BARBARA KATELL borough residents who have helped form an organization. See Stennis, Page » HIGHLANDS — Reactions Friends of the Navesink High- ran true to form to the Board lands, which wants to pre- of Freeholders' surprise an- serve the entire tract. Bayshore Battles Rage nouncement that it wouldn't Two members of the acquire the entire Mt. Mit- Friends are members of the Pilot Swims SAIGON (AP) — Heavy The meeting was held by chell tract for a park after all. Henry Hudson Regional fighting continued in some the deputy chiefs of the dele- Those who had applauded 1 Board of Education, and the sections of South Vietnam gations, and a U.S. spokes- the Freeholders' original an- mayor questioned now they To Safety today as the International man said they were still mak- nouncement that they would could serve the borough's chil- NEW YORK (AP)-A light Commission on Control and ing arrangements for the first condemn land owned by Sny- dren and be against ratables. single-engine plane ran out of Supervision formally asked meeting of the delegation der-Westerlind Corp. if neces- "If they're interested in civ- fuel and was set down in the the United States and South heads. But there has been no sary to acquire the tract were ic organizations fighting the Hudson River yesterday by its Vietnam for logistic support indication that the Viet Cong despondent but were not giv- ratable they should get off the pilot, Richard Berling, 28, of 1 to get its cease-fire observers delegation chief, believed to ing up. board," the mayor com- Coral Place, New. Monmoulh, into the field. be Maj. Gen. Dong Van Cong, And those who had attacked mented. N.J. A spokesman for the Cana- has arrived. Cong Is a vice the original announcement ap- Mrs. Florence Adair, a Berling, taken to St. Vin- dian delegation to the com- minister of defense in the plauded the new turn of member of the local Board of cent's Hospital, where he was mission said the other mem- Provisional Revolutionary events. Education and an opponent of treated and released. bers of the international su- Government. Mayor James T. White, who the planned high rise, had a Police said Berling told pervisory body had asked Ca- The U.S. spokesman con- has been an ardent supporter different opinion. them he ran out of fuel near nada to meet with the United firmed that the United States of Snyder-Westerlind's Taking the Gems the Empire State Building and States and South Vietnam to has already deployed Ameri- planned 15-story condominium "They are taking our gems headed for the river. He request transportation, com- can officers of the joint mili- for this borough's portion of for apartment complexes." shouted "Mayday" into his ra- munications and security for tary commission in the field. the tract, was jubliant at the she said. "The most desirable dio as the craft went into the its seven regional teams. They are being drawn for the freeholders' announcement sites which are an asset to the water. Under terms of the cease- most part from advispiy.unils that they would confine the borough as they are and could Berling swam about 400 fire agreement, the ICCS field already there. new park to the Atlantic High- be. an attraction for up- yards to shore in the numbing teams should have been oper- lands portion and a small grading, are being destroyed The U!S.