New Jersey Supreme Court Decided Last Year Not to Hear Facility Last Year
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.......... - - g r y . v ?fk? ‘t 'V • ’ “ » * ' 'ii' j o' I r-1 1 0 J Serving Linde# and Roselle ------------- r r TWO SECTIOI UNOEN, N.J., VOL. 84 NO. 52 j j || iV, JANUARY 1 0,2002 Cunningham No new lawyer joins body By Brian Gooney in Zarinsky law Managing Editor Clarence Cunningham, an Eli By Robert Coakley zabeth police officer, was sworn in Staff Writer Friday to the 4th Ward Borough , Former Linden resident Robert Zarinsky is representing himself for the time Council seat being vacated by M ow being in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against him by the widow of Rahway Democrat Elroy Darden. Police Officer Charles Bemoskie, who was killed in a 1958 shooting. Approximately 80 people attended Henry Furst, Zarinsky’s former civil attorney, received permission from a the first council meeting of 2002. judge last month to quit the case as a result of difficulties between him and his Councilwoman at large Katherine client. Carruthers was sworn in for her first Bemoksie was shot and killed during a gunfight on Nov. 28,1958. Zarinsky M term on the governing body. was acquitted of the murder in May in Union County Superior Court. The for Democrats retaind complete control mer Linden grocer has been in jail since the mid-1970s on another murder of all elected positions in the borough. conviction. Mayor Joseph Croteau stressed the Despite evidence and testimony from Zarinsky's family, some jurors who progress which has been made on bus were interviewed last spring said the prosecutor had not met the burden of iness revitalization and infrastructure proof. upgrades over the past year. Momen The civil case against Zarinsky began after he was indicted for the Bemoskie tum would continue in these areas, he murder. Elizabeth Bemoskie, the police officer's widow, filed a wrongful death added. suit. i The municipal government sold a Zarinsky attempted to have the civil rase thrown out, since he claimed the property at 1111 Chandler A ve. to the statute of limitations had expired. A state appeals court upheld Bemoskie's Board of Education for a preschool right to sue, while the New Jersey Supreme Court decided last year not to hear facility last year. School officials arguments on the issue. needed a building to meet state Photo6 By Barbara Kukkalis A series of difficulties arose between Furst and Zarinsky. Furst said Zarinsky requirements for full-day kindergar was not paying his legal bills. The defense attorney asked Superior Court judge A new Roselle Borough Council member and an incumbent took their oaths Friday dur ten and half-day preschool after vot Edward Beglin Jr. to excuse him from the case, . ing the reorganization meeting. Above, 4th Ward Councilman Clarence Cunningham, ers rejected a bond referendum for a Both Zarinsky and Kenneth Javerbaum, Elizabeth Bemoskie’s attorney, center, is sworn in by Borough Attorney Roger Steedle as Cunningham's wife, Karen, new elementary school in December requested that the judge keep Furst on the rase. Javerbaum did not want the case holds the Bible. Below, Councilwoman at large Katherine Carruthers is aided by her 2000. to be delayed any further, although he later changed his mind. brother, Stan Nicholas, as she begins her first full term. The Shaffer Avenue Community In court documents, Zarinsky alleged Furst was billing improperly and com Center is being renovated through a mitting acts of dishonesty, fraud and misrepresentation. Zarinsky ialso accused $150,000 Senior Focus grant pro Furst o f plagarizing the work of another attorney, which broke the'retainer vided by Union County to improve agreement between the parties. • the facility for senior citizens. The Zarinsky still petitioned for Furst to stay on the rase, saying that obtaining a Sheridan Gardens senior housing new attorney at this point would prejudice the rase. e complex also was opened last year, he Javerbaum originally wanted Furst to stay as well, before deciding it would added, providing 35 new apartment be better if he was allowed to leave, despite delays it would cause. units for elderly residents. Beglin allowed Furst to leave, saying all he had done so far was regular pro CenCom of Overlook Hospital cedural work and taking the case to the Appellate Division and Suite Supreme received a dispatching contract which Court, which bothjsent it back to Beglin. A new attorney will not have to repli freed one Roselle firefighter from cate any of Furst's work and will maintain control during discovery motions, each shift for regular duties, the may Beglin stated in his written decision last month. or -said. It is unknown if Zarinsky will continue to represent himself or hire a new Croteau said municipal officials civil attorney. Zarinsky sold the house he grew up in last year. He also has a will be using state aid to improve mutual fund established by his mother. Javerbaum and Beglin's court clerk said lighting along the Chestnut Street they have received no notification of a new attorney being retained by Zarinsky. business district. The revitalization of Zarinsky was granted 60 days from Dec, 7 to find a new attorney. 1 the East St. Georges Avenue corridor Zarinsky has been in prison since 1975 for the 1969 murder of Atlantic High will remain a priority in 2002, he lands teen-ager Rosemary Calandriello for which he received a 98-year sen- added. tence. Judith and Peter Sapsa, Zarinsky’s sister and brother-in-law, stole “Working with our sister city, Lin approximately $112,000 from his mutual fund. Their anest in 1999 led to Zar den, we will begin to attract busines insky's arrest for the Bemoskie shooting. ( / ses back to the area," said Croteau. Judith Sapsa told police that on the night Bemoskie died in 1958, Zarinsky A Field of Dreams grant will be and their cousin, Theodore Schiffer, came home bleeding from gunshot wound- used to upgrade the Sylvester Land s. Zarihsky's mother treated the wounds and swore the family to secrecy. field, according to the mayor. Javerbaum hopes Zarinsky will not represent himself during the civil trial. Cunningham, who was recruited in “It would become very cumbersome, difficult, burdensome for everybody,” the spring by Democratic leaders after he said. “I wouldn’t want that, and 1 hope that he does find himself a lawyer," Darden decided to end his re-election It is unlikely Zarinsky will settle the rase before trial, Javerbaum said. Eli bid, said the last seven months have zabeth Bemoskie will not drop the lawsuit without an admission of guilt from been a learning experience. He said he “I hope to actively participate in the year on the municipal governing ity and possibly return to elected Zarinsky. would meet this duty with the same renaissance of our community," said body, said he is taking a sabbatical to office in the future. “They are not interested primarily in money,” he said, “They are interested in commitment he has brought to being a Cunningham. complete his college education. He Councilman Joseph O'Halloran vindication and closure, so I think it is very unlikely tljpe will be a settlement in husband, father and police officer. Darden, who completed his sixth plans to remain active in the commun- this case.” ; T See DARDEN, Page 2 Borough’s new budget Man gets 14 contains $60 increase years for $26M plan late because of ‘mess’ kiddie porn By Brian Gooney Retroactive pay raises for most A Roselle man was sentenced last Managing Editor municipal employees dating back week to a term of 14 years with a The Roselle Borough Council Fri three years also are included in this seven-year period of parole ineligibil day introduced a $25.8-million gener spending plan, according to Belluseio. ity following his conviction for pos al appropriations budget which Only one of the eight major bargain session of child pornography. includes an approximate $60 local tax units representing borough workers Pete Braun, 48, had pled guilty to increase for the first six months of had an existing contract when he the charge as well as to an additional 2002. arrived last year. The others, includ charge of endangering the welfare o f a 3-year-old female child, according to The proposed spending plan covers ing the Police Department bargaining expenses until July, when the new fis units, had to have new retroactive Deputy First Assistant Union County cal year begins, according to Borough pacts negotiated and approved Prosecutor Richard Rodbart. Administrator Vincent Belluseio. Bel- The latter charge involved Braun Mayor Joseph Croteau and the Bor acting as a babysitter for the child, and lusdo, who was hired last year, said ough Council asked department heads the municipal government was six taking advantage of that position of to hold the line on spending increases trust to remove the girl's clothing and months late in introducing its new in the new budget, but Belluseio said budget due to bureaucratic problems. then posing her in several sexually there will be no drop in the level of suggestive positions, he added, Rod “The financial records were in such services. a mess that it took this long to prepare bart indicated that Braun’s purpose in The $135,000 capital budget is photographing the child was to distri a budget," said Belluseio. largely for sewer improvements and The $25,812,505 general appropri bute the photos over the Internet to street reconstruction, according to the Photo By Bob Hetfridh trade for counts. ations budget will contain tax administrator, a decrease from last A worker prepares the exterior of the new Walgreen’s store on East First Avenue and increases of $30 for each quarter for The case intklly was brought to the year's capital budget of $276,000.