"°Franklin news-recorD I Vol. 25, No, 49 Twosections, 42 pages Phone(201) 725-3300 Thursday,December 8, 1977 Secondclass postage paid at Manville, N.J. 08835 $4.50a year/15cents per copy ’Very difficult year’ looming Tentative 1978-79 school budget tops state cap by $1.3 million by Steve Goodman to close and youcan only close a school budget may require trimming away township’sworth and shouldhelp the ManagingEditor once." $1.3million. schoolboard receive state aid above the ~,615,266promised for the 1978-79 "This is going to be a very difficult During the 1975-76school year the East Millstone elementary school "TIIE ONLYWAY you can start to school year, according to Mr. year; probably one of the most dif- get large sums of moneyout of the VanHouten.However, the moneywill ficult years we’ve experienced," closed. Last year the Phillips School budget is by cutting personnel," Mr. not be comingfor another year, he Franklin Township School Board VanHoutensaid. Nearly $9.5 million, said. President Harry VanHoutensaid ’We don’t have any more over 70 percent of the tentative Thetentative budgethas beensent referringto the $1.3million tentatively bud@t,is slated for salariesof school allocatedabove the state capon 1973- schools left to close to state Education Commissioner personnel. FredBurke who will ruleon the .79 school spending. and you can only close "Youhave to makea philosophical agreementtoallow large class sizes," The board approveda lenlative a school once.’ hesaid. This may require establishing current expensebudget totalling a maximumelementary class size of $13,382,041on Thursday,Dec. l. ’Some people care that was decommissionedand this year the 25 pupils rather than a preferred 20:1 much about education Ilamilton Street School,an alternative ratio, according to the school board president. TIIE STATE CAP law, which high school, shut down. that they are willing to restricts how much a district may "It’s more important to have a reasonable class size wherea teacher make sacrifices.’ spend over the previous year’s ex- The last time a school budget was penditure, limiled Franklin to a 4.8 passed by township-wide vote was cando a goodjob than to have extra personnel,"Mr. VanHoutensaid percent increase. The approved in t974. Since then programs have request for $1.3 million above cap. lento(ire budgetis $1,338,226greater been trimmed by compromises Following that decision public than the state mandatedmaximum of required to acquire Franklin Town- ’it’s moreimportant hearings will be convenedleading up g12,043,815. ship Council approval of voter- to a votein February1978 by township defeated budgets, according to Mr. to have a reasonable residents. "It’s a Catch-22situation," Mr. VanHouten. class size where a "Somepeople care that muchabout YanHoutensaid. educationthat they are willing to Franklin’s cap is slightly smaller teacher can do a good job...’ than the state-wide average, an- "Wedon’t have the full field trip makesacrifices," Mr. VanHouten program we had three years ago when said. "Thequality of its schoolsmakes every youngster could look forward to referring to teachers’ aides in the a communityattractive, makesit sell It’s nice to meetyou some field trip as parl of the classroom. andmakes it progressive.All of these ’The more you’re doing curriculum program," he said. "We influencethe vatueof propertyin the HowardGoldberg, 2½, greeted a memberof the cast of the SimchaChapter of B’nai B’rith Women.The puppets were the tighter your cap is.’ have not kept pace with maintenance TIIE REVALUATIONbegun this township,"the schoolboard president BrotherhoodForest PuppetShow Saturday, Dec. 3, at the forest animalswho, despite differences in physical ap- needs and replacement of defective weekwill give a truer picture of the emphasized. Franklin TownshipPublic Library. Overa dozentownship pearance,were united by the feeling of brotherhoodexisting equipment...little things that go by youngsterswatched the 20-minuteshow presented by the ~nthe forest. (RichPipeling photo) cording to school board finance prelty easily." ’ committee chairman Margaret Scherbina, because the township The compromiseleading to council spendssomewhat more per pupil than approval of last year’s voter-defeated the averageNew Jersey community. budgetprovided for the utilization of Canal commissionreaffirms "The moreyou’re doing the tighter your capis," Mrs. Scherbinasaid. andinside ... ’We have not kept up Somerelief is in sight, accordingto wlth maintenance needs hunting ban along Millstone arts .................................................. I-B the schoolboard president, in the form Franklin High-lights ..................................... and ... little things 8-A of legislationincreasing the statecap. green thumbprints ...................................... 7-A , "Even without the cap problem we that go by pretty easily.’ by Steve Goodman and commission member, said. "I was cominginto one of these areas," Jersey Playbill ........................................ 19-A are faced with a situation that forces ManagingEditor made the motion." Mr. Amoosaid. "They would have to letters to the editor ...................................... 5-A us to raise the budgetquite a bit if we / have been very heavily marked." obituaries ........ ’ .................................... 12-A the board’s unappropriated balance A proposalto allow limited hunting The vote reaffirmed the state The land that had been proposed for want to maintain the standards we’ve (surplus funds) to reduce municipal Division of Parks and Forests existing sports .......................................... 10-A, I I-A had," Mr. VanHouteosaid. on Delawareand Raritan CanalState use by hunters is eight miles long, school lax revenues by $313,000, ac- Park land south of the Millstone ban on huntingalong the 500-acrestrip averaging 300400feet in width. It town forum ............................................ 4-A cording to Mrs. Seherbina. Causewayto HonkyHill wasvoted of land lying betweenthe canal and the stretches 1,000feet at its widestpoint. TIlE BOAIIDtlAS budgeted the downTuesday, Dec. 6by the Delaware Millstone River. In proposing limited hunting in the additional $1.3 million to indicate the "Throughcircuitous logic, the state and Raritan CanalCommission¯ Only a handful of observers were canal park, the state Division of Fish FORMERGRIGGSTOWN FARMER Verdi Throckmortml says he has maximumexpenditure they feel will lowered our cap as a result of that Duringits meetingheld in Trenton, present for the commissionvote. Most and Games was "out on a limb," "maintain the status qua," according action," she said, "If we had raised the commissionrejected the state according to Mr. Amoo. been wiped out by the government and his former landlord. See page h-A that $313,000in taxes last year, we people felt they had their say at the to Mrs. Scherbina. Division of Fish andGames proposal. public hearing held Tuesday,Nov. 30, The idea of shooting guns in such a %"During the past three years we would have a larger cap." "Wevoted unanimouslyto oppose according to Dr. Hamilton. narrow piece of land while still liave closed three schools," she said. hunting in the canal park area," Dr. bringing people in for hiking andother SPORTSWRITER Mark Busch provides an in-depth wrap-up of the Still, the reality of the tentative activities is a little questionable,"he "Wedon’t have any moreschools left Bruce Hamilton, Franklin resident Priorto thevote, canal commission recently completed|oothall sea~m. F~)r details, turn to page 10-A. directorJames Amen, presented the said. nine-membercommission with a map The Delaware and Raft(an Canal detailing the required450-foot butter Commissionexercises control over the THESOUTHERN I’ACIFIC Clnh a Reeky tlill-basod model railr,,ad zones surrounding occupied strut- canal and surrounding park area in club. opens its doors to visitors this c~mfingweekend. For a previewof the turns bordering the canal. conjunctionwith the state Divisionof Four probationarypatrolmen Parks and Forests and the state trabls, see page 12-A. Had the proposal been accepted, Divisionof WaterResources. All three homes located along Canal Road agencies comeunder the direction of swell department’sranks to 57 would have induced points of but- the state Department of En- ......ft,rin~a, .-...crrath __nthaa continuous vironmeotal Protection corridor according to Mr. Amen. The commission, however Franklin TownshipPolice Depart- permanent appointment at the ter- school and in the time required to ’ possesses veto power over policies ment ranks will rise to 57 members mination of.the probationary period. familiarize themwith the township, "It would certainly have been very adopted by the other two agencies with the addition of four probationary according to Township Manager Probationary policemenearn $9,454 difficult for a hunter to knowwhen he regarding the canal area. patrolmeneffective Monday,Dec. 12. a year and upon achieving permanent Harry Gerken. The patrolmen retain probationary status they rise to $12,530level under All four appointees have suc- status for one year during wifich they the contract currently in effect. cessfully completed six phases of attend three monthsof schooling and lesting and were recommended by familiarize themselves with the The significant salary increase Police Chid Russell Pfeiffer. township. They are observed by their reflects the tmvnship’s "high in- David A. Bonnell, a Millington Door-to-door revaluat"=on commandofficers who recommend vestment" in sending the men to resident,