Clinton Township police blotter

WARRANT ARREST, 9:45 p.m. Dec. 21. Sgt. Thomas DeRosa was at the Fountain Motel, Route 22, on an unrelated matter when he encountered Charles Hart, 55, of Clinton Township. DeRosa soon learned that Hart was wanted on two criminal warrants for his arrest. DeRosa was also able to develop information linking Hart to a Clinton Township burglary in mid-October. DeRosa arrested Hart, who was later transported to the Hunterdon County Jail in default of $780 bail. In addition, Det. Paul Bate charged Hart with burglary, theft and criminal mischief in connection with the October incident.

MARIJUANA, 11:55 p.m. Dec. 21. Sgt. Thomas DeRosa stopped a vehicle on eastbound Route 22 near the Round Valley Access Road because the vehicle had a light out. During the stop, DeRosa smelled the odor of marijuana, police said. A subsequent investigation found more than a half ounce of marijuana, a bong, a digital scale, and packaging materials in a book bag in the vehicle's trunk, police say. DeRosa charged passenger Robert Arndt, 19, of Clinton Township with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence of marijuana. THEFT, Dec. 19. A 25-year-old Clinton Town resident, who is an employee of the Country Griddle on Center Street, reported three of his bicycles were stolen from the restaurant's property during the previous week. Source: Central Jersey police departments

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Readington police blotter

MARIJUANA, 1:15 a.m. Dec. 23. Police stopped Matthew Flotard, 23, of Newburgh, N.Y., on Route 22 near Potterstown Road for failing to maintain a single lane, police said.

During the motor vehicle stop, Sgt. Christopher DeWire discovered that Flotard was in possession of approximately 10 grams of marijuana, police say. Flotard was charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle and failure to exhibit documents. His vehicle was towed from the scene because it was a rental, and he was not an authorized driver. COCAINE, 1:25 p.m. Dec. 24. Sgt. Christopher DeWire, investigating suspicious activity in the parking lot of a business along Route 22, discovered evidence of drug activity, including suspected cocaine, hypodermic needles and crack pipes. Robert Budavari, 34, of the Whitehouse Station section was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, illegal possession of hypodermic needles and possession of drug paraphernalia. Source: Central Jersey police departments

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Teen faces charges after getting vehicles stuck in Clinton Township park mud

Additional charges may be pending against a teenager who went "off-roading" in a township park and got two vehicles, including a High Bridge Rescue Squad rig, stuck in the mud, police said.

James Crampton, 18, of High Bridge, has been charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, criminal mischief, being under the influence of marijuana and operating a motor vehicle while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance. He has been released on his own recognizance.

At about 3:35 a.m. Dec. 23, Patrolman Sean Ross was checking Foran Field in the Annandale section of the township, when he located Crampton in the park, police said.

The patrolman found a bag of marijuana and soon determined that Crampton had been smoking marijuana at the park, police said.

Ross also saw a 2003 Dodge Dakota stuck in the mud and behind it, the High Bridge Rescue Squad's water rescue truck which was stuck in the mud up to its axles, police said.

The patrolman determined that after smoking marijuana, Crampton went "off-roading" in the park in the Dodge Dakota, police said.

When that vehicle became stuck, Crampton called friends to help get the Dodge Dakota out of the mud, but the group was unsuccessful, police said.

Crampton then got the squad vehicle in an effort to use its winch to pull the Dodge Dakota out of the mud, but the squad vehicle became stuck too, police said.

How Crampton obtained access to the squad's vehicle is unclear. Lissa (cq) Ross, chief of the High Bridge Rescue Squad, could not be reached for comment.

An investigation into the incident is continuing.

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Auto donation a life-changer for Flemington woman

Stacey Alberti's personal demons were winning.

The 32-year-old Flemington resident was battling drug addiction and alcoholism. She became the victim of domestic violence and endured a run-in with the law. Finally clean, sober and out of trouble, she recently managed to scrape enough money together to afford a car - a key element, she said, to being able to find a job to support her two boys, Alberto, 3, and Jordan, 1. It was a red 1994 Nissan Sentra with 200,000 miles on the odometer. Three months later, the car sputtered and died, never to be resurrected. "I needed a break," Alberti said. "I just needed help getting a vehicle." On Nov. 28, she got her break. Having told her story online at freecharitycars.org - the Web site of The Original 1-800 Charity Cars, the national nonprofit that supplies free cars to struggling families - Alberti started moving up a regional list of potential recipients as new readers saw her Web page (recipients are determined by how many people vote for individuals on the Web site). Then Global Auto Mall, the sprawling car dealership on Route 22 West in the borough, in November announced that it had signed up for a partnership with the charity. The first car Global gave away through the charity was a dazzlingly shiny black 1999 Mercedes-Benz E320 sedan. Alberti was the one who was handed the keys. "When they called my name, I got my life back," she said. "Never had somebody ever given me such a gift. It's the best thing that ever happened to me, and I will never, ever forget what they gave me." According to a news release from Global, the dealership decided to partner with Charity Cars "in response to these tough economic times" and to help publicize the national charity, which since its 1996 founding has given away more than 4,000 vehicles. Global expects to give out one car each month through the charity, the next one is scheduled to be awarded today, and its commitment includes donating hundreds of thousands of advertising dollars to help generate car donations. Global Auto Mall Executive Vice President Marty Pecora said the dealership had people such as Alberti in mind when it decided to partner with the charity. "We got involved with it because I thought it was something the dealership could do to make sure it gave something back to the community," said Pecora, who added that the national charity coordinates each giveaway, while the dealer simply provides the car and venue. "The best part is watching them get it," Pecora said of the monthly giveaways. Alberti said that she got her car inspected Wednesday, and it passed with flying colors. She uses it to get to her regular meetings at Organization for Recovery, a Plainfield substance abuse rehabilitation center, and to ferry her kids around to wherever they need to go. She even has a new job lined up, she added. Most importantly, Alberti said, she feels that for the first time in a long time, she's on the right track. "This charity, it's inspired me so much," she said. "My dream came true. I finally got a break in life."

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Readington police blotter

HEROIN, 2:07 a.m. Dec. 22. Cpl. Carlos Ferreiro stopped a driven by Ellen McCaffrey, 21, of Lebanon Borough, for speeding on Route 22.

During the motor vehicle stop, Ferreiro smelled alcohol in the motor vehicle. McCaffrey was charged with drunken driving. A later search of McCaffrey's personal property found an open container of alcohol, three small bags of heroin, and one consumed small bag of heroin, police say. McCaffrey was charged with possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding, possession of an open container of alcohol in a vehicle and driving a motor vehicle in possession of a controlled dangerous substance. DRUNKEN DRIVING, 11:30 p.m. Dec. 20. Police stopped a silver Dodge pickup truck on Route 22 near County Line Road. While speaking to the driver, Kurt Cortese, 46, of Readingtion, police smelled an alcoholic beverage. Police charged Cortese with driving while intoxicated and driving on the revoked list. DRUNKEN DRIVING, 3:30 a.m. Dec. 21. Police stopped a silver Lexus Rx400 traveling south on Route 523 near Clubhouse Drive. While speaking to the driver, Jan Vassallo, 31, of Flemington, police smelled an alcoholic beverage. After performing several standard field sobriety tests police charged Vassallo with drunken driving and failing to maintain lane. Source: Central Jersey police departments.

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Clinton Township police blotter

DRUNKEN DRIVING, 10:45 p.m. Dec. 19. Patrolman Matthew Murphy, responding to a report of a possible intoxicated driver on Old Mountain Road, located a vehicle driven by John Oellrich, Jr., 58, of Clinton Township and soon determined that Oellrich was intoxicated, police said.

Murphy also learned Oellrich had been involved in a motor vehicle crash. Oellrich was charged with drunken driving, failing to report a motor vehicle accident, leaving the scene of an accident and failing to keep right. When he was unable to have a responsible adult respond to take custody of him, Oellrich was transported to the Hunterdon County Jail for a 12-hour detention. His vehicle was towed and impounded. Source: Central Jersey police departments

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New high-speed cell towers erected around Flemington

By PAMELA SROKA-HOLZMANN
Staff Writer

Wireless calling, text messaging and utilizing the Internet on the Verizon Wireless high-speed 3G network might now be easier and faster for Hunterdon County residents and visitors following the activation of three new cell sites.

David Samberg, a spokesman for the Verizon New York/metro region, said the new cell sites improve network coverage and expand mobile broadband services in the following areas:

· Flemington: Along Route 202 from Barley Sheaf Road to Main Street.

· High Bridge: Along West Main Street near Voorhees State Park.

· West Amwell: Along Brunswick Pike from Hunter Road to Coopers Corner, and from Mount Airy Harbourton to Gullick Roads.

Samberg said customers can now use their wireless devices to send and receive e-mail, text, picture and video messages; view high-quality videos; and access navigator turn-by-turn directions — while enjoying “clearer reception and fewer dropped calls.’ In addition, Verizon representatives have constructed the network around reliability while handling emergencies, such as power outages and unpleasant weather conditions. These network enhancements are part of Verizon Wireless’ multi-billion dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing demand for the company’s voice and data services, he said.

Verizon Wireless during the first half of 2009 spent $123 million to enhance services and coverage throughout metro New York and New Jersey. Last year, the company spent and $238 million, Samberg said.

The company’s total network investment since 2000 is more than $2.2 billion in the region and over $50 billion nationwide, he said.

During national testing, Samberg said motorists drive more than 90 specially-equipped vehicles on nearly one million miles on the country’s most frequently traveled roadways. Then, participants confirm to Verizon representatives the voice calls and data connections are successful.

For more information on Verizon Wireless, visit www.verizonwireless.com or call 1-800-2-JOIN IN. Follow Verizon on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VzW_NYMetro

Driver charged with having 2 pounds of pot in trunk in Clinton Township

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Assemblyman Peterson opens office in Flemington

Assemblyman Erik C. Peterson has opened his legislative office in Flemington to serve residents in the 23rd Legislative District.

Peterson, R-Hunterdon and Warren, was sworn into the General Assembly Dec. 7 to fill the final weeks of the term that was vacated by Michael J. Doherty who joined the state Senate. Peterson has been elected to a full two-year term that begins Jan. 12.

Peterson encourages his constituents in Hunterdon and Warren counties to visit him and his staff for any reason whether to seek assistance or voice an opinion. The office is located at 23 Royal Road in Flemington.

Peterson may also be reached via phone (908) 237-4694, e-mail asmpeterson@njleg.org, fax (908) 237-1098 or regular mail 23 Royal Road, Suite 201, Flemington, NJ 08822.

Clinton Township police blotter

MARIJUANA, 10:10 a.m. Dec. 20. Patrolman Lawrence Anthes stopped a vehicle driven by Ronald Rai, 26, of Elmira, N.Y., on Route 22 near Corporate Drive after seeing Rai drive his vehicle in reverse on the highway.

During the stop, Anthes observed evidence of marijuana use inside the vehicle and soon discovered a small bag of marijuana, police said. Readington Township K-9 Officer Christopher Heycock responded and his drug-sniffing dog Ronin indicated more drugs were in the vehicle. Anthes discovered two pounds of marijuana in the vehicle's trunk, police said. Rai was charged with possession of more than 50 grams of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating a motor vehicle while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, backing in the street, and failing to maintain lamps. Rai was held at the Hunterdon County Jail in lieu of $35,000 bail. The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office assisted in the arrest. Source: Central Jersey police departments

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Change In Hours For Hunterdon County Library, Rt. 12

Change In Hours At Hunterdon County Library In 2010

The hours of operation of the Hunterdon County Library Headquarters on Route 12, Flemington, will be changing in January due to a staffing shortage.  The Library will be closing four hours earlier, at 5:00 pm, on Mondays and Fridays and opening one-half hour later, at 9:00 am, on Mondays through Fridays.
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Clinton Township police blotter

WARRANT ARREST, 12:20 a.m. Dec. 15. Patrolman Sean Ross responded to the Fountain Motel on Route 22 East to serve a $165 motor vehicle warrant on Justin LaFerla, 24, currently living at the motel. The warrant originated from the North Hunterdon Municipal Court. When LaFerla was unable to post the necessary bail, he was transported to the Hunterdon County Jail.

Source: Central Jersey police departments

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Christmas City Light Display Open House Dec 26th

The Pieper residence at 1064 Route 523 in Flemington, will be hosting an open house of their brightly lit home of 50 themed Christmas Trees.

Come and see inside the home of 18 years of Christmas light decorating. Darren Pieper, the creator behind the Christmas display, hosts his property to over 75,000 lights outside his home set up with custom built displays of lights towering as high as 30 feet in the air on a virtual tree of lights to over 50' long golden gate bridge of lights with moving traffic. New this year is his creation of a 20' long pirate ship with firing canons designed off of the Black Pearl. The display also includes music animated lights, snow ball fight, candyland, Santa's workshop, inflatables to ride on, flying reindeer, and more. Inside, new themed trees include a pirate tree, lego tree, Lego decorated window displays, a four seasons tree, and more. The Open House will run from 6 to 8pm on Saturday, Dec 26th. The outside display is open to the public for drive Thru and Walk thru Pathway nightly Thru Jan 3rd from 5 to 10pm. Visit our web page for more details www.xmastcity.itgo.com. Donations are welcome.

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Some Central Jersey businesses helped by snowstorm

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Coach looks to combine golf and yoga

Hunterdon Central's varsity girls' golf team coach Lydia Siipola is looking ahead to 2010 with GOGAR (Golf + Yoga).

"It is the third prong in our year-round golf attack," Siipola said. "We just completed a successful second season of Girls Gone Golfing (GGG or G3). The combination of golf and yoga GOGAR is a natural progression and a great way to wake up winter muscles in time for warmer weather." The program will run three consecutive Saturdays in Hunterdon Central's auxilary gymnasium on the Upper Campus from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 13, 20 and 27. The sessions will feature 45 minutes of golf balanced by 45 minutes of yoga. Siipola and members of the Hunterdon Central girls' team will conduct the golfing segment, while certified trainer Kristi Carver will run the yogi segment. Participants may sign up for one or all sessions. The cost is $20 per Saturday. Designed for the new or experienced golfer, this program will allow participants to learn the short-game scoring strategies of the 2009 state champion girls' golf team and to isolate, develop and strengthen the core. It is a fundraiser for the HCRHS girls' golf team. To register for the program or for more information, contact Siipola at Lsiipola@hcrhs.k12.nj.us.

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Keep your New Year’s resolutions

Many of us choose the New Year to make a new start, making New Year's resolutions to do it. But, sadly, almost none of us keep them. The problem is we try to tough it out alone using sheer willpower. However, many of the resolutions involve long-term habits and are difficult to change without help. That's where hypnosis comes in.

Come to the Hunterdon County Library on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. and learn how hypnosis can be a very effective tool to help this year's resolutions come true. The Hypnosis Counseling Center has nearly 23 years of experience in helping clients attain their goals and successfully change their lives for the better. The center has offices in Bloomfield, Flemington and Frenchtown. To find out more about hypnosis therapy, contact Barry Wolfson at 908-996-3311 or visit www.hypnosisnj.com. This program is free, but space is limited. Reservations are required by calling 908-788-1434 or visiting the Library Web site's Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.

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School district receives Award of Excellence

The Readington Township School District has received an Award of Excellence in the New Jersey School Boards Association's 2009 annual School Communications Competition. The district won this award for its entry entitled "iMovie: Proposed Budget 2009-2010.'' The district also received Honorable Mention for their iMovie: Construction Update entry.

This annual program recognizes exceptional publications and public relations programs in local school districts. Recipients of Awards of Excellence were recognized on Oct. 28 during a special ceremony at the New Jersey School Boards Association's annual conference at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Readington's Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jorden Schiff received the award on behalf of the district. This year's competition was judged by representatives from the communications department of the Ohio School Boards Association, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

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Gymnastics Unlimited hosts 60 JOGA Level 5/6 Gymnasts

In its second competition of the year, Gymnastics Unlimited's Level 5 Team placed second as a team, and had two All Around Champions in Kaitlyn Sweeney (30.00), and Payton Kisinger (29.40) with Sarah Fenton rounding the team out with third place All Around (29.15).

Also, with its second competition of the year was Gymnastics Unlimited's Level 6 team. Leading the way for the Level 6 team, was Lia Dalcortivo placing second in her age division with a 27.45, and Cayleigh Gregor placing 7th in her age division with a 27.00. All of the girls performed extremely well, and qualified to the State Championship competition to be held in February. All scores from Gymnastics Unlimited are listed below: JOGA Level 5/6 Teams are Coached by Heather Brandell JOGA Level 6: Cayleigh Gregor(Hampton) (age 9)~Vault-7.1, Bars-4.85 (9th), Beam-7.6 (3rd), Floor 7.45 (6th), All Around-27.00(7th) Bryn Pfleger-Schweer (Whitehouse) (age 11)~Vault 7.7(4th), Bars-5.35(4th), Beam-5.6, Floor-7.1(6th), All Around-25.75(7th) Lily Scheier (Flemington)(age 11)~Vault-7.9(1st), Bars-4.55, Beam-6.0, Floor-7.0(8th), All Around-25.45 Emma Burns-Goldstein (Ringoes)(age-10)~Vault-7.35, Bars-4.75, Beam-6.8(8th), Floor-6.9, All Around-25.80(10th) Nikki Cleary (Flemington)(age12)~Vault-7.65(7th), Bars-4.75(9th), Beam-5.4, Floor-7.05(7th), All Around-24.85 Lia Throckmorton-(Lebanon)(age12)~Vault-7.85(2nd), Bars-6.0(2nd), Beam 6.0, Floor 7.6 (1st), All Around-27.45(2nd) JOGA Level 5: Katelyn Sweeney (Lebanon)(age14)~Vault-8.15(1st), Bars-6.8(2nd), Beam-6.8(2ndt), Floor-8.25(1st), All Around-30.00 (1st) Payton Kisinger (Flemington) (age 13)~Vault-8.2(1st), Bars-7.45(1st), Beam-5.7, Floor-8.05(2ndt), All Around-29.40 (1st) Sarah Fenton (Lebanon) (age 12)~Vault 8.1(2nd), Bars-5.85(5th), Beam-7.2(6th), Floor-8.0(3rd), All Around-29.15 (3rd) For more information on Gymnastics Unlimited, call 908-782-8887 or visit www.GU-NJ.com .

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Workshop to focus on autism spectrum

NORWESCAP Child and Family Resource Services is partnering with Hunterdon Medical Center to present a workshop on autism and developmental delays for early childhood professionals and other interested people.

Autism affects 1 in 100 children in the State of New Jersey. This workshop will give participants an overview of the symptoms of the disorder and strategies for working with children with autism in the classroom setting. The workshop will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13 at the Hunterdon Medical Center Auditorium in Flemington. There is a $5 registration fee for this training. To register for this training and others trainings and services sponsored by NORWESCAP CFRS, call 908-782-8183.

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Schering-Plough funds children’s water education program

The South Branch Watershed Association recently received $2,500 in funding from Schering-Plough to support its environmental education program for children - the Waterways Stewardship Project.

Association staff traveled to Schering-Plough's Summit location for the presentation of the check. Karl Varnai, principal engineer, from Schering-Plough, and his Summit Maintenance and Facilities Services team, chose to support the Association's education program. "This funding is definitely appreciated and will help support the purchase of much needed equipment and supplies for our Waterways Stewardship Project for local school students," said Association Program Director Nicole Rahman. For more information about the Association's education program, call Nicole Rahman, program director, at 908-782-0422, ext.14, or visit the Association's Web site at www.sbwa.org.

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