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■ Stolen Van. Page A-7 .■ History and culture grants. Page A-7 .■ Police blotter. Page A-7 .

Annie’s Mailbox . . . . . . . .B5 BEN Column. . . .A3Church. . . . . . . . .A6 Classified. . . . . . .B8

Comics . . . . . . . . .B6 Community . . . . .A3 Crossword . . . . . .B6 Doctor K . . . . . . .A7 Horoscope . . . . . .B6

Obituaries . . . . . .A7 Police Blotter . . .A7Sports . . . . . . . . .B1 Television. . . . . . .B5 Viewpoint . . . . . .A4

Occasional rain and drizzle, High 77

Details, Page A-2

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‘I will be back. I will prove my innocence.’

Staff Photo by Cathy Cramer

Robert Sabatini addressed the family of victim Charles Ray with an apology.

Robert Sabatini sentenced to 50 years in state prisonBy Jason Ladaynj.com/south

BRIDGETON — Robert Sabati-ni, convicted in June of murdering Salem County educator Charles Ray, was sentenced Friday to 50 years in state prison.

Addressing the court, Sabatini proclaimed his innocence, decrying the trial as unfair and character-izing the prosecutors as liars. He referred to Ray as a close friend, and stated he felt sorry for his

family’s loss.“I will be back,” said the 52-year-

old Fairfield Township man. “I only have a fifth grade education, but I will prove my innocence, and I will spread the love that (Ray) showed to me in my life.

“I’m sorry the tax payers’ money had to be wasted on this trial, with the prosecutors’ lies and the detec-tives’ lies, and the suppression of evidence that could’ve helped me — but I guess that will all come out

in the appeal.”Sabatini must serve 42 years

and six months in prison before he is eligible for parole.

Ray, a 65-year-old former guid-ance counselor and a former teach-er in Salem County, was found dead by a passing motorist on Back Neck Road on Sept. 15, 2008.

His body was found lying in the road not far off from his home, and about 100 meters from a neighbor-ing property where Sabatini, whom

had been living at the time.Authorities said Ray died from

blunt force trauma to the head.In his closing arguments to

the jury on June 7, Cumberland County Assistant Prosecutor Jon Flynn quoted Sabatini’s statement to police days after the murder.

“I think it was drugs. I think it was a robbery,” he read. “Not a lot of people down there with money, and they’ll get it any way

(See SENTENCED, Page A-3)

BRIDGETON NEWS HUD offers assistance to those forced out by storms

Staff Photo by Cathy Cramer

The Bridgeton Area Rotary Club joined with the Bridgeton Area Chamber of Commerce for lunch at the Riverfront for the Bridgeton State of the City Report by Mayor Albert Kelly. From left, Tony Stanzione, Carolyn Heckman, Gary Simmerman, Curtis Edwards, Vice President of Bridgeton Area Lunch Rotary; Mayor Albert Kelly, Frank T Harris Sr., Bridgeton Area Chamber of Commerce Chair-man and Carola Hartley.

Can’t rain on this parade

By Jason Ladaynj.com/south

Following the White House’s disaster declaration on Thursday,freeing funds compensating local governments for storm damages, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Friday announced it will begin offering assistance to homeown-ers and low-income renters who were forced from their homes after the downpour.

HUD officials stated residents in Cumberland, Salem and Atlan-tic counties will be able to receive foreclosure relief, loan guaran-tees and other services.

They added that these services are separate from the individu-al assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). An announcement con-cerning assistance to private property owners from FEMA could be made in the coming weeks.

“Families who may have been forced from their homes need to know that help is available to begin the rebuilding process,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Dono-van in a statement. “Whether it’s foreclosure relief for FHA-insured families or helping these counties to recover, HUD stands ready to help in any way we can.”

HUD will be offering the fol-lowing services:

• Immediate foreclosure relief in the form of a 90-day moratori-um on foreclosures, and forbear-ance on foreclosures of FederalHousing Administration-insuredhome mortgages.

• Mortgage insurance to disas-ter victims who have lost their homes and are facing the task of rebuilding or buying another home. Borrowers from participat-ing FHA-approved lenders are eligible for 100 percent financing,

(See ASSISTANCE, Page B-7)

State of the City luncheon met with success and optimism

By Don E. Woodsnj.com/south

BRIDGETON — Even strong winds couldn’t ruin the sense of optimism at the Bridgeton Rotary Lunch Club and the Bridgeton Area Chamber of Commerce meeting at Bridgeton Riverfront Park on Friday.

Located in a tent beside the Cohansey River, area leaders and members of the respective orga-nizations met to talk about their clubs and the state of their city.

“This is a joint luncheon that we do once a year on the waterfront,” said Frank Harris, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.

According to Harris, the two organizations have a lot of shared members and once a year they join their meetings together and invite the mayor to give a state of the city address.

“The state of Bridgeton right now is improv-ing,” Harris said. “There’s a lot of work to be done but the mayor and the council and the employees are doing a great job.”

Harris mentions new businesses coming into Bridgeton and plans to revitalize the city.

“I think Bridgeton is definitely going in the right way,” said J. Curtis Edwards, vice presi-dent of Bridgeton Lunch Rotary.

“I think this is something that we need to do a little more often,” Edwards said. “Not just with the Chamber, maybe with some of the other groups in the city.”

During the luncheon, Mayor Albert Kelly pre-sented his state of the city address and explained all the things Bridgeton can look forward to.

Kelly mentioned the trials that the city has gone through, but sees them as growing experi-ences.

“I can safely say that we have always come out better and an improved city,” Kelly said.

Despite the bad economy and violence, Kelly plans on using his “thinking-outside-the-box” approach to clean up the city.

More police and firefighters have been hired

(See LUNCHEON, Page A-5)

Twelve killed in Colorado movie theater

Bridgeton locals still line up for ‘Dark Knight’By Alex Youngnj.com/south

VINELAND — For the people that were either lining up or streaming out of the Regal Cin-emas in Vineland Friday morn-ing, news of the shooting at a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo., was not enough to keep them away from seeing the much-anticipated film.

It was, however, on their minds.

James Egan Holmes, 24, alleg-edly walked into a packed movie theater that was showing the final installment of the new Bat-man trilogy and opened fire on the crowd, leaving 12 dead and more than 50 injured.

(See LOCALS, Page A-3)

By Thomas Peipert and P. Solomon BandaAssociated Press

AURORA, Colo. — As the new Batman movie played on the screen, a gunman dressed in black and wearing a helmet, body armor and a gas mask stepped through a side door. At first he was just a silhouette, taken by some in the audience for a stunt that was part of one of the sum-mer’s most highly anticipated films.

But then, authorities said, he threw gas canisters that filled the packed suburban Denver theater with smoke, and, in the confusing haze between Hollywood fantasy and terrifying reality, opened fire as people screamed and dove for cover.

At least 12 people were killed

(See SHOOTING, Page A-3)

TIGERBYTHETAILTHE BRITISH OPEN I SPORTS B-1

SNEDEKER LEADS, BUT WOODS STILL LURKS

CUMBERLAND COUNTY I INSIDE A-7

ROAD TO BE CLOSED FOR BRIDGE REPAIRS