I grew up in a middle class town in Northern New Jersey. It was fairly large – about 30,000 residents – and bordered a mid-sized city in an adjoining county that had a population of 150,000.

The suburb and city were separated by a river about 200 yards wide. The river had swift currents and there were rumors that its whirlpools had swallowed several curious children who foolishly ventured into its waters.

In many ways, that river was a metaphor for the tension that existed between the residents of these two neighboring municipalities. There’s bound to be some friction where a metropolis meets suburbia. In this case, it was the stories of historic confrontations that filled the hallways of the local elementary schools.

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Someone attempted to force entry into a home in the 400 block of Gentry Avenue between 7:20 a. m. and 5:25 p. m. No entry was made into the house, however, there was cracking in a wooden door near the door handle and deadbolt lock. The homeowner returned to find bathroom tile smashed with a hammer, entryway tile smashed, sprinkler controls ripped from the garage wall and the refrigerator and freezer left open with food in them, according to the report. A resident in the 6000 block of 42 Street reported that a brick from his backyard fire pit had been thrown through a lower level window in his home causing $250 damage. Police told the complainant to photograph the damage and get an estimate for repairs for a civil case, the report says. Street before moving out, according to an Oakdale Police Department report. Someone smashed the front driver’s side window of a vehicle parked in a driveway in the 2300 block of Hale Avenue. The following incidents were also reported to Oakdale police September 21-28:. A neighbor told the homeowner that the man moved out Sept.

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