IN THIS ISSUE Police Blotter
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
I '.i ' • • . > i\. -'wf ,'i*1^ Incorporating The Eat,Is, T*!c THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009 LOCALSCC^GF'COM VOL. 92~WO. 43 bO CENTS We remind readers to C-;A turn their clocks back one hour before retiring to bed Saturday night. By Paul Greulich and John O'Re«ly Like many areas of New - Jersey, tfnioii! County is no stranger to strange lore aboiit ghosts and strange locations. The following .stories represent just a few of As told by Michael Ycsenko, 1 V.,.'rf the tales that have been passed down through Union Historical Society the years. s "During the battle of Con- The Ghost of Hannah Qaldwell necticut Farnn. a New Jersey Union's history is rich, with the Caldwell militiaman was so terrified at Parsonage dating back to tW R»voiatio|ary being tliot and killed that he ran Students from St. Theresa's (i3Yar's Battle of Connecticut_Psrms. Sigfaisfee^s School in Kenilworth pick pump- away from the buttle He went to Mo notice ah old-fiislsiciaed tW'O|sW wearing, a kins for Halloween. the Brant flouse, at 1835 Va\n- eraasluceat white ^obe'^ewaweT^i^ejr V I*- Page *:3 hall Road (Union). It's stitl muM the gbsat df murdered w&r faei*o:i« ,||aB» there, one of oldest homes m the » '; I county, lie enters the home, Caldwett's gMkt is -,weU-lMMVtt #o« up to the second floor bed- t ! room, and hides there all day ;'r V'" V"'-V/ " '"=''•' "! ' in long. 1 the <%m£tery ef Union's Preiibyterlaii i The next day he Is so over- - SyFy Channel's Cjhost Hap|cxk> • ';•.•' ;.\-4i-i 1 whelmed and distraught that he attempted to ioeatg her sp«tter*iA a was a coward, he hungs himself in the bedroom. The Brant fami- ON.FOINTE ly finds the body of the soldier, the HiJ Ballet wilf presqaj: Steep- cuts it down, buries it. ing Braty (£4141*01*6 to." ' " Now they begin to hear Railway artt¥ Nov. 2S at 3 p.* '• - See JUST, Page 7 Page 24 L.- .:-.'! Mystic Vision Players will present 'American Rapture' at Linden High School from Nov. 12 to 14, Page 27 IN THIS ISSUE Police Blotter. .4 Opinion Page .10 Letteis to the Editor 11 School Zone . 16 Healthy Living ... .20 Obituaries 22 Arts & Entertainment . 24 ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? — Clockwise, from top: This skeletal fagade was once part of the church Sports 29 and general store of Feltville, the abandoned village in Union County's Watchung Reservation. The once popu- Classified .47 lous hamlet was run by David Felt, who ran a paper mill at the site; gravestones, skulls and other spooky objects adorn the Union home of Danny Rapczak, whose annual Halloween display attracts hundreds of spectators. Time Homebuyers Seminar ORTH WOOD AVE LOCATION IN LINDEN. 6:3OPM •)G IS LIMITED. PREREGISTERTO SECURE YOUR SPACE. was 143-1388 - ELIZABETH.HORVATKOUNITYBANK.COM unitybank.com PAGE 2 — THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009 LOCALSOURCE.COM UNION COUNTY LOCALSOURCE , Award Winning Fashion Designer available to shop for you SpringfieidNavigator.com FOssLOOitiK < ' By John O'Reilly • Personal Clothing * Corporate Events Staff Writer LINDEN — Police have released a sketch of the con man dressing up • Gifts -Any Occasion * '•Specialty Items as a city employee in a plot to distract and rob elderly residents. Linden and surrounding towns have reported more than a dozen of Please Call these crimes in the past two weeks, which police think are being perpe- Karen trated by a "gypsy-type group" of transients roaming and robbing across the country. The latest crime took place on Oct. 10, the third in two weeks. .The pic- tured suspect approached an 88-year-old resident on West Morris'Avenue posing as a tax official — he wore a navy blue hat printed with "City of Linden Tax Department" — and saying he had to check the property line. While he distracted the man, one or more unidentified suspects ransacked the house, taking several thousand dollars in cash from the man's bed- L room. Authorities say this crime, and two similar ones in Linden, are likely /^ k,.- . \.u connected to one group of suspects. Two incidents took place in the 6th Ward area near quick getaway routes in Route 1 and Linden Avenue. The other was on Dewitt Terrace, near the high school. Linden Police Lt. James Sarnicki said a dozen similar incidents have been reported by police departments in the area. " ' i , A .. ..."'^.V ./.•!__. I-.'... ,.': .i,N- -'••U.:w,.^V_. -v He said these type of diversion burglaries are common in the Spring ..Ar.X. when elderly targets are out in the yard, but the nice weather, this month has brought them back to "set up shop" in the area. w;!;:r "'" "l" Band of gypsies Police believe the dozen crimes in Linden and several neighboring With 48 branehel in New Jersey, town's are being perpetrated by one group of transient con artists. $. oasden Stats Officials say these "gypsy-type crime groups" can be oommon. They features even > will often scl up a base at a hotel or similar temporary lodging and go out >B!0/'e sen/ice, >f??nre prcdisnts, and in teams to residential areas performing their scams. >more Eacaiicris than jusr before. Though investigators say they have identified multiple suspects, unless they catch them in the act, they are almost impossible to find. Monmouth County Union County "They're so transient that it is hard to locate them, [hey have no one Ab"rJe>w Clark residence," said Sarnicki. "They move around a lot in the state and coun- Crjnfo'il try." This particular group have been using clothing bearing the city's logo, u ide i usually going out in teams of two or three people. One man will distract the resident while the others allegedly break into the house, snatching Wlata'.vdii Jnion-3 whatever they can then signaling they are done on their two-way radios. Esses Caunsy Sarnicki guessed there are several different teams connected to the con Ocean County Caidwell group based onthe;frequency of reports, but did not speculate on a figure. Bayville Meivaik-4 '• '• Avoiding being a victim Fai'tield Brick Police have several tips for residents to avoid being scammed by these Toms River Livingston Montclair suspects, •••..'•;• * > "We are warning residents, especially elderly residents they target, if Wiiditlesex County Pacific Street Iselm Roseland you are not expecting visitors do not open your door," said Sarnicki. "If Morroe Upper Montclair you do have contact with someone, make a phone call to the city agency North BrunswicK Veryna or business to see if you can Verify who they are." Old Bridge-2 West Caidwell Also said the suspects have been wearing t-shirts or hats emblazoned Savieville West Ornncjd with a city, town or county logo to gain the confidence of their victims. Spotswood "Municipal officials have told me they will not come to your house to WoortDriuge Hudson County do a survey without first contacting the homeowner by phone," Sarnicki Bayonnti-i warned. • Mercer County East Nev/ark Police have also asked residents to call them at any sign of suspicious East Windsor Hanison activity. Residents were also asked to look out for their elderly neighbors who are targets of the con men. John O'Reilly can be reached at 908-686-7700, ext. 116, or joreil- [email protected]. Stem Join rescue squad's Squad is located at Rt. 22 East and New Providence Road. Wear a cos- 'Ghostly Gathering' tume and get a prize. This event is The Mountainside Rescue sponsored by the 'Mountainside Squad will host a "Ghostly Gather- Rescue Squad along with the ing" Friday at 6:30 pm. Mountainside Drug Alliance. For There will be free cider and information call 908-233-6338. donuts, apple dunking and many Halloween treats. Mom's Club meets at A DIVISION Of MYCIi •- MriMirii I U10 The evening will feature a scary movie and story telling, and if 1800)430-5721 www.myGSCB.com you're brave enough, you can walk Mom's Club of Springfield & the ghostly trail and make a visit to Mountainside meets the first © 2009 New York Community Bank. Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender I Dr. Gruesome's laboratory. Wednesday of each month at the The Mountainside Rescue Springfield YMCA. UNION COUNTY LOCALSOURCE LOCALSOURCE.COM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009 — PAGE 3 By John O'Reilly Staff Writer LINDEN —A 55-year-old Lin- den resident was arrested last week after he was allegedly over- heard telling a co-worker he was plotting to shoot President Barack Obarna, in town to cam- paign for Demo- crat Gov. Jon Corzine. John Brek, a security guard at Newark Airport, On a chilly Friday night in October, as the crowd rolled into the high school football stadium to watch Clark's was arrested on Arthur L. Johnson Crusaders take on the Cranford Cougars, nine Cub Scouts from Clark Cub Scout Pack 145 Oct. 21, one day presented flags before the game. Two Webelos II Scouts presented the American flag and the Cub Scout Flag, after police two scouts held the Pack Banner, with five boys walking in unison behind. received anonymous complaints of someone who overheard Brek threatening Obarna on Tuesday night at a coffee cart at the airport. Essex County Prosecutor Paula Woman is victim of Facebook scam Dow said Brek allegedly told a co- By John O'Reilly England, claiming to have been robbed of his from any computer source, such as e-mail or worker that he cut a hole in the .Staff Writer wallet, cell phone, airline tickets and.