Indicted Again: Assemblyman Faces Additional State Charges

Joseph Vas (file photo)

TRENTON – State Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy) was indicted again today on state corruption charges, Attorney General Anne Millgram announced.

Vas is charged with conspiring to obtain illicit gifts and payments from city vendors, and laundering money into his congressional campaign through straw donors while he was mayor of Perth Amboy.  The Attorney General’s Office previously indicted Vas in March for allegedly stealing city funds as mayor.

According to Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni, Vas, 54, was charged in an 19-count state grand jury indictment along with his longtime aide Melvin Ramos, 53, two corporations that were city vendors, and two owners of one of the corporations.  Vas faces multiple second-degree counts of conspiracy and official misconduct, among other charges.  The charges stem from an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.

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Middlesex Students Earn Degrees

EDISON—The Middlesex County College Class of 2009 formally graduated on Thursday, May 21, at the 42nd annual commencement exercises. A total of 1,118 degrees and certificates were awarded in ceremonies witnessed by more than 3,500 guests under sunny skies on the college green.

Valedictorian Saarth Shah of Edison delivered the class welcome, sharing his experiences and aspirations since emigrating from India two years ago. Shah earned a 4.0 grade point average as a computer science student and served as an officer of Phi Theta Kappa, the undergraduate honor society. He will continue his education at Rutgers University.

“In India, I had a great education in mathematics and other sciences, which helped me a lot here,” he said in his address. “However, having studied at a school that did not teach in English, learning to work in a new language was a hurdle. Having learned all the subjects in my traditional language, I was quite intimidated when I attended my first class at MCC. A wise man once said, ‘Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.’

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AAA Projects A Slight Decrease In N.J. Memorial Day Holiday Travel

STATE—AAA expects 926,000 New Jerseyans to travel 50 miles or more this Memorial Day holiday weekend, a 3 percent decrease (31,000) from the 957,000 Garden State residents who traveled over the same period last year.

Nationally, however, AAA is projecting a 1.5 percent increase over Memorial Day 2008.  An estimated 32.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend.  This represent s a slight increase (500,000) from the 31.9 million who traveled last year, but a dramatic decline from the 35.3 million travelers who vacationed in 2007.

“Last year, travelers were dealing with gasoline prices approaching $4 a gallon and a deteriorating economy, which resulted in fewer trips being taken than had been forecasted,” said Rick Zeckendorf, vice president of travel services for Florham Park-based AAA New Jersey.  “Although the economy is still in turmoil, plentiful travel bargains coupled with significantly lower gas prices have Americans feeling better about taking a trip this summer.  These factors should help tourism-based economy nationwide.  Further, the Jersey Shore should benefit from those who desire to stay closer to home.”

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Clark Announces Memorial Day Parade Plans

CLARK—The township will host the eighth annual Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 25.  The parade will kick off promptly at 9:30 a.m. and will be followed by the traditional Memorial Day services in front of Arthur L. Johnson High School on Westfield Avenue.

The line of march will begin on Westfield Avenue near the American Legion Post and proceed to the high school. Parking will be limited; all attending are encouraged to park at town hall and in the back section of the high school parking lot.

Westfield Avenue from Town Hall to Liberty Street will be closed to traffic from 9:20 to 10:30 a.m.  Parking will be prohibited from 7 to 10:30 a.m. along the parade route as well as John and Nassau streets between Westfield Avenue and Broadway.

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Lonegan To Appear In Rahway

UNION COUNTY—Conservative GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan will return to Rahway for a fundraising breakfast on Thursday, May 28. Tickets for the breakfast may be obtained by calling Rev. Laurel Galan at (908) 787-7474 or by sending an email message to Laurie@Lonegan.com

The event will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 80 Inman Avenue, and will feature an economic discussion about putting taxpayers first.

In addition to Lonegan, 21st Legislative District Assembly candidate Bruce Meringolo will address supporters over a hearty meal.

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“Angels & Demons” – The Good, the Bad and the Blurry – 2 & ½ popcorns

By Michael S. Goldberger, film critic

Just as you didn’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s Jewish Rye, you don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate “Angels & Demons.” But, like the little old lady said in defense of her chicken soup Rx to treat a cold, “It couldn’t hurt.” Defrocked of its church affiliation, Ron Howard’s filmic adaptation of Dan Brown’s novel is just one more mystery/thriller.

But there’s nothing like a couple millennia of history, lore and liturgy to make a frenzied scavenger hunt more consequential. Add the architecture of Rome and the Vatican—some real, some just movie magic—and all you need to spice things up is to have the four highest-ranking cardinals, The Preferiti, abducted.

Just to make the hyperkinetic puzzle a bit more confounding, it might also be a good idea to have us wonder if the good guys are really the bad guys. Thank goodness then that Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is called to the Vatican to read between the shadows and myths and perhaps save some lives. Maybe even a soul or two.

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Memorial Day Memories

by Diane Norek Harrison

SOUTH AMBOY-This is from my own research. The cemetery for Sacred Heart Parish in South Amboy is located on Johnsons Lane in the Parlin section of Sayreville. The Sacred Heart Catholic War Veterans Post 578 erected large monuments with the names of the men who died from the parish. The one stone reads: “IN MEMORY OF ALL WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES WHILE SERVING THEIR COUNTRY IN THE TIME OF WAR.” The monuments were dedicated Nov. 11, 2001.

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They’ve Served Us; Let Us Serve Them

By Ellen Zwierzynski, Social Security District Manager in Elizabeth

It’s customary to honor the men and women of the Armed Forces each Memorial Day — especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.  May also is National Military Appreciation Month, a great time to let members of the military know how much we value what they are doing for us and our country.

Serving the military is nothing new for Social Security.  People in the Armed Forces have been covered under Social Security since 1957.  Even people in the service before 1957 may receive special credit for some of their service.  People in the military are covered for the same survivors, disability and retirement benefits as everyone else who pays into Social Security.

A person’s Social Security benefit depends on earnings, averaged over a lifetime.  The same is true for members of the military.  Generally, the higher your earnings, the higher your Social Security benefit.  Under certain circumstances, special earnings can be credited to one’s military pay record for Social Security purposes.  The extra earnings are for periods of active duty or active duty for training and may help someone qualify for Social Security or increase the amount of Social Security benefits.  If you qualify for extra earnings, Social Security will add them to your earnings record when you file for benefits.

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“Summer of ‘09” To Be Best Ever In Woodbridge

By Mayor John McCormac

The “Summer of ‘09” looks to be the best ever in Woodbridge… which is why I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone about the great events and happenings coming to Woodbridge this summer.

Let’s start with Saturdays in downtown Woodbridge with the kick-off of the “bigger and better” open-air Farmer’s Market on Saturday, June 20, in the Town Hall parking lot on Main Street.  This season, the Farmer’s Market will feature more farm stands and vendors… cooking demonstrations by the chef’s at Wegmans… and dozens of special events for kids of all ages.  So, shop the Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and find out what “Woodbridge Fresh” is all about.

Wednesdays come alive with “Music on Main Street.”  Enjoy an assortment of free music on Main Street every Wednesday all summer long… from the Jack Goodman “Swing” Band… to the Tim Gillis Band… to the Woodbridge Community Choir… there’s a show for everyone.  And, return to the days of “classic cars” and “hot rods” when car enthusiasts from across the state start “Cruisin’ on Main Street” on Wednesdays in June, July and August.

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Stimulus Money Will Create Jobs And Ease Property Taxes

By Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski

The Obama administration deserves a lot of credit for the Federal Stimulus Program. This program not only gave a boost to the economy overall, but helped put many New Jerseyans to work making much needed improvements to our transportation infrastructure.  Unfortunately though, the bulk of that money has been designated for projects that do not satisfy local county and municipal needs.

Recently the Assembly Budget Committee considered the year’s proposed spending for the Department of Transportation and NJ Transit.  The good news is that the budget will now contain an additional $50 million to help counties and municipalities in the state pay for transportation improvements.

This much-needed infusion is a result of an effort I spearheaded with Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. and state Transportation Commissioner Stephen Dilts – talks spurred by my discussions with mayors and freeholders afraid that federal stimulus money was not going to filter down to key infrastructure projects in local communities.

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Comedy Night Fund Raiser Planned

LINDEN—The Linden Boxing Association is sponsoring a comedy night fundraiser on Friday, June 5, from 6-11 p.m. at the Linden Knights of Columbus Hall, 118 Park Avenue.  Tickets are currently on sale at the Recreation Community Center Building, 605 South Wood Avenue for $60 per person.

Included in your ticket price is an outstanding comedy show featuring Las Vegas/Atlantic City ventriloquist  and comic John Pizzi and Las Vegas stand-up comedian; Mike Marino, a DJ  spinning records for your dancing pleasure; a cocktail party and a deluxe buffet dinner featuring hand-carved prime rib and turkey and beer, wine and soda all evening long.

Proceeds from the event will go to Linden Recreation-sponsored youth programs and events.  Tickets are expected to sell quickly. For tickets and/or further information, call (908) 474-8600.

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Communi-TEA Party

Communi-TEA Party—The D.A.I.S.Y. Pre-Kindergarten program from Grover Cleveland School in Rahway had a “Communi-TEA” party at the Golden Age Towers.  The children sang “Getting to Know You” and “I’m a Little Tea Pot.”  They made cookies, tea sandwiches, and a DAISY magnet for each resident. (Photo courtesy of Grover Cleveland School)

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Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement—Abraham Clark High School students Deneeshah Williams (left), 17, and Brittany Sandifer (right), 17, read to Harrison Elementary School students (from left to right) Kaleigh Villeea, 6, Anaya Hairston, 6, Mustafa Ismael, 6, and Joshua Morales, 5, in Roselle as part of the Junior Achievement program. The program helps ACHS students prepare for careers in academia.

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Linden Senior Honored

Linden Senior Honored – Mayor Richard Gerbounka (right) and Council President Robert Bunk (left) were among nearly 200 people who came out to honor Linden’s outstanding senior citizen of the year, Mike Chengeri (center.) The Department of Public Property and Community Services held their 50th annual Senior Citizen Day Celebration, coordinated by Lenore Price, on May 15. (Photo courtesy of the Linden Department of Public Property and Community Services)

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Moreira Wins “Youth of the Year Award”

ELIZABETH – The “Youth of the Year Award” was presented to Leighann V. Moreira from Elizabeth High School as part of “Youth in City Government Day” on April 28. Moreira was selected for demonstrating responsible leadership in school organizations and community service.

The “Youth of the Year Award” represents the pride that the city of Elizabeth has for its students of today and its citizens of the future. Since its inception forty-four years ago, this award has recognized students for their leadership in school and for their service to the community-at-large. Moreira’s selection as “Youth of the Year” comes as no surprise based on her impressive credentials.

Elizabeth High School recognized her academic achievement by bestowing on her the Principal’s and Teacher’s Scholar Award, Writing and Composition Award and the English Department’s Poem Award.  Moreira was also recognized on the national level as a member of “Who’s Who Among American High School Students” as well as earning marks to solidify a place on the National Honor Roll.

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