The Westfield Leader Newspaper
The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

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Bart A. Barre Named Municipal Judge In Borough Following Death of Judge Ruggiero After 22 Years WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2 • An attempted burglary occurred

at a home in the 400 block of South Avenue, in which an unknown suspect tried to enter a rear window by climbing on a wrought iron bench. The suspect apparently removed the bench, which was found propped against the victim’s house, from a neighbor’s yard.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3

• A shoplifting incident was reported at a South Avenue supermarket in which a black male exited the store with two packages of meat without having paid for them. There was no further description of the suspect, who was not apprehended.

• A homeowner in the 100 block of Paterson Road reported that an unknown person searched two unlocked vehicles which were parked in his driveway. Nothing was said to be missing.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4

• Douglas Wahlberg, 51, of Clark was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle stop at East Second Street and Terrill Road. He was processed and released on his own recognizance.

• A cellular telephone was reported

FANWOOD POLICE BLOTTER

By BRIAN JOHNSON

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

MOUNTAINSIDE — The Mountainside Borough Council unanimously moved to appoint Bart A. Barre as Municipal Court Judge last week, a seat recently vacated by 22year veteran Mountainside Court Judge Robert Ruggiero, who passed away two weeks ago.

Judge Barre, who had been the borough’s public defender, was appointed as a temporary Municipal Court Judge in January to replace Judge Ruggiero due to illness. The new judge’s office is located on Route 22 West in Mountainside.

A former Borough Councilman, Judge Barre began his involvement in Mountainside as a Board of Education member between 1979 through 1982. He was the Board’s Vice President from 1980 through 1982. Mr. Barre was a Councilman from 1983 through 1991 and served on the Mountainside Planning Board from 19841991.

Judge Barre holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of Business at the

University of Pennsylvania and his law degree from the Seton Hall Law School in Newark.

On the passing of Judge Ruggiero, Mr. Barre offered that “he was a caring individual who cared about the community and the people who came into court and was a great role model for people.” Judge Ruggiero was appointed to this position in January 1978.

On his newly appointed position Judge Barre added, “I will enjoy serving the community as this will be one additional avenue of public service.”

The council announced receipt of a $1,000 gift from the estate of Lyman Parrigin. The money was turned over to the Mountainside Recreation Department.

Mr. Parrigin was the Mountainside Fire Commissioner from 1957 to 1962 and a resident of the borough until the late 1960s. The council received a letter last month from Mr. Parrigin’s wife, informing the governing body of his death and the gift to the borough.

The council announced receipt of $2,004 for the borough’s Drunk Driving

Enforcement Fund. Mountainside Chief of Police James J. Debbie noted that the funds are primarily used to pay the police officers overtime when they are brought in on offduty hours around holiday seasons to get drunk drivers off highways.

The funds will also be dedicated for the purchase of a new digital breathalyzer which is being tested by the State Police now in New Jersey which has an overall cost of $5,000.

Governing body members agreed to move forward with the process to

apply for Community Development Block Grant funds from County of Union. The funds originate from the federal government and are passed down to the state and Union County which distributes the money.

Mountainside has received $100,000 in various grant funds to date, money which will be applied for automatic doors for the seniors and handicapped persons at the Borough Hall’s entrance, renovations in the handicapped bathrooms and new computers for use by seniors in the Community Room at Borough Hall.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8

• A Plainfield resident reported that she was struck multiple times by another, unidentified female in the 300 block of Windsor Avenue. No one had been charged in connection with the incident at press time.

• An aluminum scaffolding plank, valued at $600, was reported stolen from an apartment complex on Forest Avenue.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9

• A local club reported that someone damaged a lane divider in the facility’s pool.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 10

• An incident of theft by deception was reported at a South Avenue bank after someone wrote a bad check for

WESTFIELD POLICE BLOTTER

$1,100, police confirmed. No one has been charged in the case.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13

• Kimberly Small and Kristi Montefusco, both 20 years old and residents of New Brunswick, were arrested and charged with shoplifting at a North Avenue store.

Small and Montefusco allegedly attempted, between the two of them, to shoplift some $281 worth of clothing from the store. Each was released on her own recognizance.

• A woman reported that someone slashed the right front tire on her 1995 Ford van in the 40 block of Michael Drive, before fleeing the scene in another vehicle. No description of the suspect was available.

stolen from an unlocked motor vehicle in the 100 block of Willoughby Road.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6

• Police said a cellular telephone was reported taken from an unlocked motor vehicle in the 40 block of Forest Road.

• A bicycle was reported stolen from the north side Fanwood train station lot.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11

• Christopher Casey, 32, of Plainfield was arrested and charged with burglary after he allegedly broke into a detached garage in the 200 block of Terrill Road. Bail was set at $5,000.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12

• The Fanwood Volunteer Rescue Squad reported the theft of a cellular telephone from its Watson Road headquarters.

MONDAY, AUGUST 14

• A package was reported stolen from a porch in the 200 block of Terrill Road.

• Authorities said a 17yearold male Fanwood resident attempted to steal money from a slot box at the borough train station. Charges were still pending at press time.

Westfield Police Seek Suspects In East Broad Street Robbery By SUZETTE F. STALKER

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

WESTFIELD – Two suspects are being sought in the armed robbery of an East Broad Street eatery early Monday morning, in which $9,000 in cash is believed to have been taken from the business.

Lieutenant John M. Parizeau of the Westfield Police Department said the suspects entered Panera Bread, a downtown bakerycafé, at about 12: 50 a. m. The establishment was closed for business at the time.

One of the suspects entered the rear kitchen area where a 48yearold male employee was preparing food, the lieutenant said. The employee told police that the suspect

pointed a black revolver at his head and made him lay face down on the floor.

While the employee said he saw only the one suspect, he heard a second individual in the main area of the restaurant. The employee was not injured and the suspects fled a short time later.

Lieutenant Parizeau said it was unknown how the robbers gained access to the business, which is believed to have been secured. He added, however, that there was no sign of forced entry. Police do not believe anyone else was inside the building at the time the robbery occurred.

The suspect who surprised the employee in the kitchen was described

as a black male, between 20 and 30 years old, approximately 5 feet and 6 inches tall, with a medium build and a round face.

Lieutenant Parizeau told The Westfield Leader and The Times of Scotch PlainsFanwood yesterday morning that the incident remained under investigation.

“They do have some leads they’re working on,” he remarked, referring to the police department’s Detective Bureau.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Lieutenant Frank Brunelle at the Westfield Police Department, at (908) 7894008. All calls will be kept confidential.

SCOTCH PLAINS POLICE BLOTTER

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8

Police reported the theft of a 1987 Jeep. The owner had reportedly been attempting to sell the vehicle from his Route 22 business and allowed a prospective buyer to take the vehicle for a test drive. The person never returned with the car.

Someone attempted to light a small fire at the Scotch PlainsFanwood High School track.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9

• Police reported the theft of several boxes of plumbing supplies in the 500 block of Terrill Road. The materials, valued at around $1,500, were reportedly left outside a business for delivery.

A Spruce Mill Lane resident reported that someone using his idenCONTINUED

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