Fourth Grader Brings Gun To School

LINDEN – School No. 2 was locked down last Wednesday when an old handgun brought to the school by a fourth grader was accidentally fired. No one was injured, but students and their parents were frightened by the incident.

The fourth grader, whose identity has not been released, was charged with one count of unlawful position of a weapon and one count of possession of a firearm in an educational institution, according to Linden police Lt. Raymond Tyra. He was released to his parents after talking to investigators. School officials said he had been suspended from school.

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Police Raid Breaks Up Elizabeth Drug Gang

ELIZABETH – Police raids last week resulted in 20 arrests and disrupted operations a drug and weapons operation run by the notorious Latin Kings of Elizabeth.

For months, members of the gang worked around the clock, tending to lines of customers looking for cocaine and marijuana at retail and wholesale levels. According to authorities, the Latin Kings took in approximately $400,000 per week.

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Edison Native Selected In NFL Draft

EDISON – Jeremy Zuttah will have the chance to play in the National Football League this season. The 6-foot-3, 306-pound guard from Rutgers was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of Sunday’s NFL Draft.

“It’s a good feeling,” Zuttah said Sunday after learning he had been selected by the Buccaneers. “It’s been a long process, and I’m glad it’s finally over.”

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Republicans Say City Homeowners Received Tax Hike

RAHWAY—Republicans say city homeowners received amended second quarter tax bills last week reflecting an unannounced 12 percent increase in their taxes.

At issue is the sewer fee, which was separated out of the municipal tax bill last year. City Republicans say that if the sewer portion of the taxes was not separated onto a separate bill, the math would show a 12 percent increase.

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NY-Based Investment Group Buys Villa Property

Shop Rite, A&P, Bally’s & L’Oreal properties included in acquisition

CLARK—An investment group led by the Fell Organization, a highly respected New York City-based real estate firm with a national portfolio in excess of 20 million square feet, closed last week on the purchase of 75 acres containing 24 properties from the Villa Family.

“I am very pleased to welcome The Fell Organization to Clark Township,” said Mayor Sal Bonaccorso. “This is a real estate entity that has 50 years of experience in real estate management and development. I’m proud that a major full-service real estate firm targeted Clark as a prime location for investment.”

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Police Release Sketch Of Church Robber

RAHWAY – Police have released a composite sketch of a man who is wanted for robbing two Linden women of their purses as they were leaving St. Mark’s Church last week.

Detective Lt. Joseph Simonetti said that officers were sent to the Hamilton Avenue Church last Wednesday evening. They were met by two women who had minor injuries from being attacked by a thief who stole their purses. They had just left the church around 9:45 p.m. when they were attacked.

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North Elizabeth Baseball League Opens Season

by Jim Whelan

ELIZABETH—The rain held up and the sun came out for the start of North Elizabeth Youth Baseball League’s 41st season on April 12. Teams, coaches, parents, and friends participated in the annual opening day parade starting at the North Elizabeth Train Station to North Elizabeth’s Sissleman Field.

Grand Marshal Ray Vella, who is a supporter of the league, headed the parade along with city officials. Next year the parade will follow the same route, but the field will undergo a $1.5 million renovation, compliments of the city.

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Reiman Honored By Labor Union

CARTERET—The Middlesex County AFL-CIO Council presented Mayor Daniel J. Reiman with the 2008 Hubert H. Humphrey “Friend of Labor” Award at the council’s 25th annual awards and scholarship brunch on April 27.

Every year since 1983, the Middlesex County Central Labor Council recognizes prominent individuals who mirror the example set by former U.S. Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, who was a strong defender of human civil rights. Along with his efforts to end racial discrimination, Humphrey advanced national labor unions and interests. He is credited for being predominantly responsible for the first federal labor laws, and furthering the rights of laborers across the nation.

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Linden Fire Department Sponsors Blood Drive For Local Youth

LINDEN—A few weeks ago, Jaci Wozniak was a typical sweet 12-year-old, attending the sixth grade at Myles J. McManus Middle School. She was active with her school, her church, the Girl Scouts and all around town.

Now, Wozniak is facing the greatest challenge of her young life as she has recently been diagnosed with bone cancer. In response, neighbors, friends and classmates have formed the “Friends of Jaci Alliance” to raise funds that Wozniak and her family will need to cover medical and living expenses incurred throughout her illness.

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Elizabeth Celebrates Earth Day With Citywide Cleanup

ELIZABETH – More than 400 volunteers from city, county and private organizations and institutions participated in the fifth annual Elizabeth city-wide cleanup event last week.

The Earth Day event kicked off outside the City Hall, where participants registered and joined their designated teams. The teams that participated in the event included the Elizabeth Fire Department, Elizabeth Police Department, St. Genevieve’s School, the Historic Midtown Elizabeth Special Improvement District, the Elizabeth Avenue Partnership, Union County College, Groundwork Elizabeth, The Peterstown Push Brooms, Bank of America, First Bank Americano, and H.E.A.T. from Wakefern. Following the opening ceremony, the teams set out to clean various sites throughout the city.

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Cherry Street Block Party Kicks Off Anniversary Celebration

RAHWAY—The celebration of the city’s 150th anniversary kick-offs off with the Cherry Street Block Party on Saturday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This event will be fun for the whole family, with live entertainment, games, arts and crafts, and clay modeling for the kids. There will be a chess tournament running all afternoon, stiltwalkers, clowns, face painting, coloring, card making, poetry reading, palm reading, a master of illusions and art displays.

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Reining In Out-of-Control Spending

By Michael M. Shapiro

As New Jersey copes with its increasing budget woes, perhaps the Legislature should consider several measures that would help reduce out-of-control spending: unannounced audits and the elimination or transformation of pension credit for part-time government work.

A bill sponsored by Republican Assemblyman Jon Bramnick currently languishing in the State Legislature, A-222, would require the Office of the State Auditor to perform unannounced audits of any program of a state or state-supported agency as long as such an audit is requested by any member of the Legislature.

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“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” — 3 popcorns

By Michael S. Goldberger, film critic

Director Nicholas Stoller hilariously reminds that if you turn heartbreak on its ear just so, you can show it for the folly that it is. Not that it seems at all possible to Peter Bretter at the outset of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” That’s when the title gal, an actress who stars on the TV crime drama he composes music for, gives him the gate. Done. Finished.

Portrayed with everyman genuineness by Jason Segel, the poor soul didn’t even have a clue. Adding insult to injury, it turns out his true love had been cheating on him for a year with rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Cuckolded! Now the hours stretch into eternities. Left to free-fall down a bottomless pit of loneliness, he sees no future.

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Businesses Around Woodbridge In 1953 And More

by Diane Norek Harrison

WOODBRIDGE-Does anyone have memories or past information on the semi pro football teams-The Hopelawn Greyhounds or the Woodbridge Golden Bears from the 1930s and 1940s? Were there any other pro football teams in the area? I would like to do a column or more on this or any sports memories or past material that readers may have. Please tell me what you know.

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Perth Amboy Dedicates Public Safety Complex

PERTH AMBOY—Mayor Joseph Vas and the Perth Amboy Municipal Council officially dedicated the new 160,000-square-foot Perth Amboy Public Safety-Court-Community Complex, located at 365 New Brunswick Avenue on Saturday. The new complex will be the home for the Perth Amboy Municipal Court, Police Headquarters and Community Center.

The dedication ceremony was for the Municipal Court and Police Department sections of the complex, which are expected to open by late June, which will allow sufficient time for the city to make a physical transfer to the new facilities, and allow time for interconnection and approval for state agency systems. Construction continues on the community center portion of the complex, expected to open later this summer, for which a separate dedication ceremony will be held.

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