nj.com/bridgeton saturday, july 30, 2011 ‘new’ alden field...
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ArrAignment
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Comics . . . . . . . . D-4 Community . . . . A-3 Crossword . . . . . D-3 Dr. Gott . . . . . . . C-6 Horoscope . . . . . C-6
Obituaries . . . . . A-6 Religion . . . . . . . A-5 Sports . . . . . . . . C-1 Television. . . . . . D-3 Viewpoint . . . . . B-4
Cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms,
High 93Details, Page A-2
WEATHERINSIDE TODAYINDEX
Vol. 263, No. 155
Get local breaking news 24/7 at nj.com/cumberland
Bridgeton Invitational under way
Staff Photos by Cindy Hepner
Family of shooting victim Joseph R. Elliott were in the courtroom during the arraign-ment of John A. Walker Friday.
2011 tax rate chart on Page A-7
By Jason [email protected]
BRIDGETON — On April 9, John DeAngelis, from Bridge-ton, was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats to his brother’s girlfriend via his cell phone.
However, a twist in the case has officials stating that’s no longer what they think hap-pened.
Officers from the Cumber-land County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday arrested the brother, 45-year-old Joe DeAn-gelis, from Bridgeton, and his girlfriend, 38-year-old Jennifer Turin Magaha, from Elmer, for allegedly fabricating the whole thing.
The couple are charged with fourth-degree filing false reports and conspiracy, according to Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae.
“(Joe DeAngelis and Magaha) alleged that the threats came from John, from his phone, when they did not,” said Webb-McRae on Friday.
John DeAngelis on Thurs-day stated his brother, and his brother’s girlfriend, framed him using a website that offers call-ing cards that allow callers to change what the person receiv-ing the call sees in their caller ID display.
Webb-McRae declined to com-ment on whether or how such a website was used in the alleged crime.
Man, girlfriend charged with framing brother
“We know who the players are and are
talking to all witnesses to see if any additional charges will be
filed.” — Detective Lt. Michael
GaimariWalker was arraigned in Judge Daryl Fineman’s courtroom on murder and weapons offenses Friday.
By Jason [email protected]
BRIDGETON — Total tax rates for 2011 have been struck for 11 out of the 14 municipali-ties in Cumberland County, five of which are set to enjoy tax decreases.
Millville along with Shiloh Borough, Fairfield, Greenwich and Stow Creek townships will have decreased tax rates com-pared to 2010 ranging from $2 to a few cents per $100 of assessed home value.
Tax rates for Bridgeton, Deerfield Township and Upper Deerfield Township are still pending various budget issues in those municipalities, accord-ing to Cumberland County Tax Administrator Patricia Belmont on Friday.
“For a lot of the municipali-ties in Cumberland County, the additional (state) aid didn’t
really make much difference in their budget, at least in terms of setting the tax rate,” said Bel-mont. “But for Bridgeton, it was so much that it required a revi-sion to their budget.”
The Bridgeton School District announced last week that the Bridgeton school district would receive an additional $16 mil-lion in state aid, the largest influx of cash from Trenton in the county.
The total tax rate for each municipality includes all county, school and local taxes.
However, they do not include “special district” rates, which
are taxes paid for fire service in various areas.
Commercial Township has three such areas, Downe Town-ship has two and Maurice River has four — all for fire service.
Vineland has a “special improvement district” rate, for programs in its downtown area.
Vineland is also a special case, according to Belmont, due to its upcoming switch from a fiscal year budget to a calen-dar year budget — meaning the city council in the future will construct budgets for January through December, rather than July through June.
For that reason the county tax board chose to only set the rate in Vineland for the third quarter of the year. The final rate will be struck sometime in September, Belmont said.
The Cumberland County
Cumberland County tax rates set
(See TAX RATES, Page A-7)
By Stephen [email protected]
B R I D G E T O N — A 31-year-old city man has been charged with last Friday’s fatal shooting of an Elmer Street man in the Maplewood Gardens apart-ment complex here, according to police.
John A. Walker, of Green Avenue, but reportedly staying at the apartment complex where the shooting occurred, was charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful pur-pose, unlawful pos-session of weapon and
possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to Detective Lt. Michael Gaimari.
Walker is charged with shooting Joseph R. Elliott, 32, in the
Walker arrested, charged in murder
(See ARREST, Page A-3)
By Jason [email protected]
BRIDGETON — The family members of slain gunshot victim Joseph Elliott burst into tears as a judge read aloud the charges against 31-year-old John A. Walker during the accused’s arraignment Friday afternoon.
Walker, of Green Avenue, in Bridgeton, faces murder and weap-ons offenses, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Family members of the victim filled three rows of the Cumber-land County courtroom, some of whom could not hold back the tears as Superior Court Judge Darrell Fineman read a brief stat-ing Walker is charged with murder by “shooting the victim in the face with a gun.”
The proceeding lasted less than 10 minutes. When it was over, Walker was lead out of the court-room, followed by jeers of “coward”
Victim’s family grieves
(See ARRAIGNMENT, Page A-3)
JOHN A. WALKER
‘New’ Alden Field broken in
More on the Bridgeton Invitational, Page C-1
By Jim Cook [email protected]
BRIDGETON — Alden Field has never looked so good.
So said many of the local dignitaries, vol-unteers and spectators that came out for the Bridgeton Invitational at the newly remodeled field Friday evening.
Despite the hot sun, players donned their caps and gloves and took to the fresh playing space.
“We have a completely new outfield fence and an entirely new infield,” said Dave Elwell, tour-nament director in his third year.
The field began a major renovation in 2009 and has seen an entire makeover with new bleachers, dugouts and a press box.
Bridgeton City Council President Mike Zapol-ski credited Dean Dellaquila and the public works department for their work.
“They’ve done a fantastic job,” Zapolski said. “They did a lot of interim work and, the result is, we have a brand new field.”
Zapolski added that the field was completely seeded and did not need to be re-sod.
City council member Bill Spence said the Bridgeton Invitational is a long time coming.
“Every time we do this, there’s something new,” Spence said. “For this year, we’ve got our new foul poles, dugouts, warning tracks. It’s like the southern Citizens Bank Park.”
The Invitational is now in its 45th year at Alden Field, and many volunteers and residents look forward to being part of the event each year.
“I look forward to it all year,” said Mayor Albert Kelly. “Each time it ends, I immediately anticipate the next Invitational.”
“Bridgeton is the only place in the area that has an Invitational like this, so we’re really proud to fall into that niche.”
As a child, Kelly frequented many of the invi-tationals.
“When I was younger, these stands would be (See INVITATIONAL, Page A-7)
Staff Photo by Cathy Cramer
Gary Fischer Jr. overslides second base as Carman Daddario takes the throw to tag him out in Bridgeton Invitiational opener Friday night.