T °Franklin news-recorD #; VoL25, No. 6 Twosections, 30 pages Phone725-3300 Thur~ay,February 10,1977 Applicationto mailat Second-Classpostagerates is pendingat Somerset,N.J. 08873 $4,50a year/t5 centsper copy t news notes Began purchase Boardcuts to keeptax rate The board of education was expected to meet with the superintendent of schools last night to trim the $12,341,329 budget proposal it submittedto the county test weekin order to expectedtonightJ maintainthe present school tax rate in the township. by BobBradis moneyshouldn’t be spent for the RonaldWhyte, superintendent of schools, said yesterday af- Staff Writer Beganpurchase" ternoon that he planned to submit some$400,000 worth of cuts Unexpectedly,William Howard, the whichthe school board requested so that the budget will not im- After monthsof postponementand lone Democraton the council,who had pose a tax increase on local residents. The original budget would years of speculation, the township consistently spoken against the councilis expectedto go aheadwith its purchase,decided to go alongwith the have meant about a $46 increase in school taxes on a $40,000 optionto purchasethe six-acreBegan decisionmade by the councilSatur- home. propertytonight, withoutbonding for day. The proposedcuts, according to Dr. Whyte,will most likely it. "l%eBegan house, also knownas meana reduction of staff and programswould be the targets of Theformal procedure, as explained "TheMeadows," was built in 1722by the cuts, since he had not yet met with the board. by townshipattorney ThomasCaf- SymeeVan Wickle, one of the earliest ferry, will be for the councilto reject Dutchsettlers in the area. It has been the bondordinance and accept the designatedas the oldestbuilding in the $40,000grant officially received townshipby the NationalRegister of yesterday from the Green Acres tlistoriealPlaces. Screendoor proposal opposed program. In addition, a signed Locatedat 1298Easton Avenue it’s statementmust also be presentedby borderedby the DnMottExtension and A proposed amendmentto the property maintenance or- the groupraising fundsfor the pur- Delawareand Raritan Canal. chase fromthe FranklinState Bank, Thelast owner.occupantsof the dinance requiring screen doors on all township apartments met guaranteeingthe availibUity of a "Meadows"were Robert T. Began some opposition Tuesday night when the owner of the $42,500loan for the remainderof the andhis wifeVirginia, who owned the Edgemereat Somerset complex told the township council the ourehasecost. The.grouphas raised propertyfor over30 years. Theydied cost of installing the doors wouldhave to be passedon to tenants mostn[ that sumalready, but has the in .1971and 1972 respectively. Their loan optionfor moneypledged, but not heirs are VirginiaB. BeganDykes of at the rate of $5.50 a month. yet paid to the committee.Some of the GreenS.C., RobertT. BnganJr. of After listening to a presentation by TexWeiner, president of moneywill also go towardthe initial Albuquerque, N.M., and Deborah the companythat owns Edgemere,the council agreed to post- maintenancecosts for the house BeganErickson of Boulder,Colo., who pone action on the proposal until Mr. Weinersurveys his tenan- situatedon the property. are responsiblefor the settlementof ts for their ideas on the subject. Screen doors wereremoved from Thepurchase is not being com- the estate. pleted,however, without the council Thesite has beena controversial the 398-unit complexlast May, according to Josh Weiner, who havingto dip into Franklin’sbudget issue for the townshipcouncil for is in chargeof the apartments. Hesaid that since then, only two for the comingyear. Saturday,the several years. A $99,000bond or- tenants have complainedabout the absence of the screen doors. councilagreed to include a $10,000 dinance wasproposed for the pur- It was estimated by Mr. Weiner that installing the doors appropriationin the accountfor road chase of the estate and to make would cost him in the neighborhood of $24,000, plus an ad- improvementsto help defray the total repairs on the grounds and the purchaseprice tag. Part of thatmoney historical house located on the dition 33 per cent a year for replacementcosts. "I’m fighting is slatedto buyfor thetownship a property.But oppositionby several llke hell for mytenants," he told the council. three-quarter-acrepiece of the council membersmade bonding an The purpose of the amendment would be to provide ad- property that will eventually be unlikelyalternative. ditional ventilation in local apartments. But according to the boughtby the countyfor a jughandle Evenafter the townshipwas notified on EastonAvenue. that half of the fundingwould be made Weincrs, the Edgemereunits already have over the minimum availableby GreenAcres, the council amountof ventilation required by law for each room. Theplans werefinalized at Tuesday wasstill net willing to bondfor the The council will, however, go ahead with the hearing on the night’s agenda session over the other half. As a result, the Began- protests of council memberDorothy MeadowsCommittee was formedby ordinance scheduled for tonight, although no action will take Maklary,an ardentfoe of the project. localproponents of the projectto raise place for at least another month. She has long complainedthat the the remainingfunds. townshipshould spend its moneyon Nowthat the actual purchaseis other things. Her remarkswere halted eminent,the committeehas scheduled by councilmanRobert Mettler, who two consensusplanning session for told herthat "Thereare lots of things contributorsto help decide howthe Recreation programsto continue local residentswould like us to spend propertywill be used:rod maintained. moneyon," but that this time the Severallocal civic organizationshave All parks and recreation programswill be restarted Saturday Beganproperty won out. already expressed an interest in after an almost two week suspension as a result of the energy Snowflower "If the peoplehave a voice,I thinkit helpingout withthe maintaneneeof shortage. has to come through me," Mrs. the propertyfor public recreational Freshlyfallen snow nestles in theleaves of a winterplant. (SteveGoodman photo) Maklaryretorted, "whenI say the use. Temperatures at all locations wil! be held to 50 degrees during the evening and weekendactivities. The department ex- pects that all active classes should take place with little or no WORKING WOMEN discomfort, if the participants dress appropriately. Inactive adult classes will operate as well, and participants are asked to dress warmly. The department will refund any participant, on a weekly pro Involvement is the key for Mary Jane Post rated basis, if they choosenot to attend the course as a result of by Jaki Kalansky out all she could about historical considered selfish," she adds, interest in old homes,one imagines a lhe community?"This is myhome, the low temperature. ManagingEditor homes"n the South. Armedwith a althoughthe prospectof remaining practicallynew house would be out of my neighborhood. These are my degree in commercialart and three childlessdoesn’t seem to botherher. to the question. "We’re subject to friends. Whyshouldn’t I get in- If significant refunds are requested classes may have to be You’veprobably seen her. She’sthe years of experience as interior any ,great degree."l havecontrol of Iransfer at a]mnst any time," she volved?"she answersback. "I like cancelled on an individual basis, it wasreported. one whosits in on local government decorator for Woodwardand Lor- mytime this way, but at the same explains,"and it’s a lot easierto sell a peopleand I figurethere are thingsI meetings while embroidering an thrcp’sin Washington,D.C., Mrs. Post time, wedon’t havekids. to plan newhome fast. Besides, old homes cando to makelife herebetter. It’s all elaboratesampler of flowers. "workedfrom the furniture to the around.It doesleave somegaps." lake a lot of timeto keepup." a learningexperience for me.Even if 1 But MaryJane Post has a lot more wallssurrounding the furniture,to the Whenthey movedto Franklin in If Franklinisn’t a permanenthome fail, I’ve learnedsomething. If you to do withher timethan embroidery. houseoutside the walls, to the area 1968, the couple boughta modern for the Posts, whydoes MaryJane don’ttry, you’vedone nothing and you Wednesday morning n eedlepoint In fact, her time spent at local outside the house." That’s howshe ranch house. Yet with Mrs. Post’s invest so muchtime and energyinto are nothing." meetingsis often the onlychance she traces her interest in environmental The art of needlepoint will be the subject of a workshopto be gets to workon it. "It’s also the wayI issuesback to its roots. held Wednesday,Feb. 16, at the townshiplibrary. get myfrustrations out," she explain. Terry Dominici of the Somerset Countylibrary will conduct Yet anyone who knowsher must There’s evidence of her work the workshopfor both beginners and experts. She plans to bring wonderhew she evenfinds time to be throughout her home. Dozens of frustrated. Mrs. Post was named notebooks with sketches and in- with her samples of needlepoint canvaaes, yarns and pattern OutstandingWoman of the Year last formation about the South line books. The session will provide newtips for avid needlepointers, month by the Franklin Township bookshelvesin the living room.Also as well as an introduction to the crab for newcomers. .Jaycees, whorecognized her for her stored on those shelvesis a library The workshopwill be held three times throughout the day: at workin the community.She chairs the Mrs.Post estimatesis worth$3,000 environmentalcommission,