llu. llu- .'•« •» 1 Ml 111 I •Hl'l.\ Pn.M.111 I IK i^v II I'tiin. lu'iN ,y s.i... iht wifaite»uj«miim«s«Kj shins puts a satiiiol spin on cowboy films. l^wporating The Eagle, The Observer, Th© Pm&mm s£n# See Page 25 THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2008 LOCALSOURCE.COM VOL.91 NO. 26 50~ CENTS 15.5% Ready, willing and able 10-year sentence for killer By John O'Reilly B\ Joseph M. D'Alisc y Staff Writer ' Staff Writer RAH WAY'— The man convicted MOUNTAINSIDE — Borough of killing a homeless man in a two- residents will see a 15.5 pereem year-old hit-and-run accident was spike in the municipal portion of sentenced to 10 years in state prison, their taxes. according to the Union County Pros- ecutor's Office. The borough's SI0.4 million budget was unanimously appro\cd In February, Brijesh Shah, 34. of by five council members present Ise'lin was found guilty of first- degree vehicular manslaughter and during a budget hearing June 17. leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Council President William Lane I (e was sentenced Monday by Supe- was absent. rior Court Judge James Heimlieh. The increase means a Mountain- The former communications dis- side resident with a home assessed patcher for the Department of Cor- at the a\eiaue SI04,633 will now James Cerasa, left, and Kevin White, right, were both promoted to the rank of rections will not be eligible for pay an additional S255 in taxes. captain within the Clark Police Department. parole for six years. 'The 2008 budget is 5760,000 The victim, James Lake Ul, was more than iasl year, coining in at well known among St. Georges exactly the lour percent state spend- Bayway appeal Avenue commuters for his "cheery ing cap, "to the penny," according By John O'Reilly In her* lawsuit, she alleges her sions," such as benzene, and wave" to passing cars. to Municipal CFO Jill Goode. Staff Writer husband died because the refinery's esophageal cancer, and the "condi- The accident occurred May 9, Goode explained the hike is a LINDEN — More than six previous owners, Exxon and Tosco tions to which Kearney was 2006 on St. Georges Avenue, near result of the borough suffering a years after Betty Ann Kearney's companies, allowed unsafe work- exposed were...a fact of life of Union Street. $365,000 loss of revenue, along husband's died of esophageal can- ing conditions by failing to proper- industrial employment," according '"Motorists who sa>v James with an increase in spending of cer, her crusade against unsafe con- Is fix leaky valves inside the refin- to the Appellate Court decision. attempting to cross slowed down but $395,000. ditions at his workplace may be ery that may have released carcino- The site's current owners, Cono- Shah came from the rear, speeding The amount of state aid Moun- nearing an end. gens. Her husband had worked at coPhillips, did not operate the plant and weaving in and out of traffic," tainside lost in 2008 totaled The state Appellate Court the refinery since 1974 and was in at the time of the death, but said assistant prosecutor Robert 5249,939 -- of that loss, 5194,199 denied Kearney's appeal in an good health at that time, according assumed liability when the previ- Rosenthal. was due to a reduction to the bor- unlawful death suit she tiled to Kearney. ous owners went out of business at Immediately following the crash, ough's Consolidated Municipal against Bayway Refinery, where The former refinery owners are the site, Shah fled to a nearby relative's Property Tax Relief Aid. her husband Bill Kearney worked not responsible for the death Representative from Cono- home. Rahway police later located Mayor Robert Vtglianti before succumbing to cancer at age because there is only a causal con- coPhillips and Kearney's attorney him at the intersection of St. Georges described the proposed restoration 49. nection between "fugitive emis- See COURT, Page 18 and Milton avenues. of S37,107 in CMPTRA as being During Shah's two-week trial, it "too little, too late." was revealed his blood-alcohol level The proposed restoration would was twice the legal limit at the time only restore less that 15 percent of Officials to Mayor: Turn in files of the accident. Lake's blood-alcohol the total aid lost. This will have very By Jackelinc Leon return 15 to 20 boxes containing The Linden-based lawyers level was almost five times the limit little impact on reducing the overall Staff Writer the files to township officials, Kologi and Simitz, who represent at the time. tax increase, according to Goode. HILLSIDE — The mayor has including the council, clerk Janet the township officials seeking the Lake had battled with alcoholism She described this year's budget failed to comply with a court order Vlaisavljevic and attorney Chris- documents, said they requested an for several years, but many city resi- process as "very challenging." to turn over several boxes of legal tine Burgess, who requested them explanation from the Law Offices dents new him as pleasant man. According to Goode, the bor- files belonging to the township by in early May. of Marc Garfinkle of Maplewood, "[After his death,] the Rahway ough was forced to cut spending in June 10, the governing body But the Hillside Police Depart- the firm that handed over the eight Police received numerous calls from several departments, including Pub- alleges. ment reported only receiving eight boxes to the police department, people who wished to donate money lic Works and Recreation, both of A Superior Court judge had boxes of the missing files by the but have not received a response. for his burial in appreciation for,,.the which suffered 10 percent spending ordered Karen McCoy Oliver to due date. See OFFICIALS, Page 18 wave they'd come to expect," said cuts. Rosenthal. xxxxsfittxxx CARRT L.CiT**tOi0 zrrm 3OH3CT-Q0 f-3 r? All the latest sports chatter, opinions MRtfitt BEXM and scores for Vmiott County Mlsft m mm ana ieep m ra tat® §m sports around ttis mmt% PAGE 2 — THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2008 LOCALSOURCE.COM UNION COUNTY LOCALSOURCE UNION Obscene' messages prompt complaint Garden Club meeting Mountainside stm.\ in tiiu turn; -o.il He was unable to post bail and The Township of Union Garden On June 22, at 11:08 a.m., a Police .'.No found .t stolen was transported to the Union Club will meet Wednesday at 7 woman reported receiving purse, digital camera and S45 in County Jail. p.m. at the Senior center. 968 Bon- p.m. after stdeswiping a parked obscene text messages and pic- c.fc-h. as well as three Motorola • Timothy H. Collier. 42, of nel Court. The topic of the meeting police car on Myrtle Street. tures to her cellular phone. cellphones believed to be stolen. Union was arrested by patrolman will be "What is Union Doing to be The police car was unoccupied According to the victim, four Smith was charged with pos- Richard Gaylord for possession of Green," For information, call 908- and no injuries occurred. Jones pictures were sent to her phone session of drug paraphernalia and drug paraphernalia at 10:37 p.m. 686-1270. within a one-month period and she was charged with driving while theft and was held on a $7,500 on June 20 on Galloping Hill is unsure who is send her the intoxicated, having an open con- bail. Bonilla was charged with Road. Collier was charged and tainer of alcohol, careless driving, Reserve spot for AC graphic material. possession of drugs and having released pending a court hearing. The YM-YWHA of Union is and refusing to take breath test. • Charlotte Diamonte-Nabet S1,906 in active warrants. She was Springfield accepting reservations for a trip • William Patel, 24, of Jersey was arrested at 8:46 p.m. on June held on a $5,000 bail. • Claudio A. Sutera. 47, of Showboat in Atlantic City. The trip City was arrested on June 22 at 18 for stealing prescription drugs • Angel Camacho, 34. of Hill- Springfield was arrested on June is on Monday, and a bus leaves 1:27 a.m. after being pulled over and possession of a pipe side, was arrested at 11:47 p.m. on 14 at 2 p.m. in the Springfield from the YM-YWHA, 501 Green on North Avenue at the Garden The arrest occurred after police June 13 after being involved in a Police Station and was charged Lane, at 8:30 a.m. Be at the site 30 State Parkway exchange after responded to a Long Meadow hit and run accident at the inter- with having an outstanding war- minutes earlier. police observed him talking on a home on a report of a dispute. section of West 1st Avenue and rant. For information on attending, cellular telephone while driving Nabet admitted to taking sixteen Locust Street. • Algie Leon Dowdell, 49, of contact Bobbi or Max Barth as and driving erratically. Darvacet pills from a purse in the According to witnesses, Cama- Newark was arrested on June 16 at soon as possible at 908-688-2360. home. He was charged with driving cho was speeding through the 12:15 a.m. on Route 22 and was while intoxicated, possession of an Clark intersection in a red SUV to avoid charged with having an outstand- Auction, dinner • Aleksy Raspoutny, 31. of open container of alcohol in a a red light when he collided with a ing warrant.