Gisela Prejs, 56, was driving on West Main Street about 10:20 p.m. Saturday when she failed to keep right at an intersection, police said.

A Glen Gardner motorist has been charged with drunken driving, Clinton police report.

Gisela Prejs, 56, was driving on West Main Street about 10:20 p.m. Saturday when she failed to keep right at an intersection, police said. She was pulled over and charged with drunken driving, careless driving and failure to keep right, according to police. She was then released, police said.

Last year, freeholders approved a budget that carried the first tax hike since 2009 but reduced spending and maintained smaller tax bills due to falling property values.

By a slim 3-2 vote, Hunterdon County freeholders tonight approved a 2013 budget that will keep the county's current tax levy flat.

The $88.8 million spending plan asks taxpayers to pay $64.1 million, the same amount levied in 2012. Freeholders last year voted 3-2 on an $88.6 million budget that carried the first hike in the county tax rate since 2009, but reduced spending and included lower tax bills due to falling property values.

Bell's Tavern was the only location in either Hunterdon or Warren counties targeted in the yearlong state investigation.

View full sizeIn addition to Bell's Tavern, New Jersey targeted 28 other bars in "Operation Swill."AP File Photo

State authorities allege that proprietors tried to fool customers and increase profits by refilling the premium bottles with cheaper products.

Paul Eschallier, owner of Bell's for the last 13 years, said this afternoon that he is "fully cooperating with this investigation but believes these charges are baseless."

"Bell's has always enjoyed a good reputation in Lambertville and this is not the way we run our business," Eschallier said. "We intend to contest these charges to the fullest extent possible."

State officials plan to announce more information about the operation at a news conference Thursday in Trenton.

Other bars and restaurants named by the state include Railroad Cafe in East Rutherford, the Brick House in Wyckoff, Sunset Tavern in Burlington, Graziano’s Ristorante in Chesilhurst, Villari’s Lakeside in Gloucester Township, Yesterday’s in Marmona, Italian Affair in Glassboro, Brunswick Grove in East Brunswick, Murray’s in Dover, Sona Thirteen in Morristown, Cafe 34 in Matawan and Cucina Calandra in Fairfield.

The rest included a Ruby Tuesday in Bridgewater, an Applebee’s in Kearny and TGI Friday's in West Orange, East Windsor, Old Bridge, North Brunswick, Piscataway, Freehold, Marlboro, Hazlet, East Hanover, Linden, Hamilton, Springfield and Clifton.

TGI Friday's Texas-based parent company said in a statement it was looking into the allegations.

“TGI Friday's was just made aware of this issue and is working closely with the franchisee and owner of the cited locations to review and investigate these serious allegations,” the statement said. “We have one of the most extensive bar and beverage programs in the industry, which sets a very high standard in the quality and service of our beverages.”

Meredith Hammond, a spokeswoman for Ruby Tuesday’s national headquarters in Tennessee, said the company is "still in the process of collecting more details, but we are cooperating fully.”

All of the other establishments either declined comment or did not return calls seeking comment.

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Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at the Perryville barracks at 908-730-7042.

New Jersey State Police are asking for help identifying an armed robber who hit a gas station early Sunday morning in Hunterdon County.

View full sizeNew Jersey State Police are asking for information about an armed robbery May 19 at a Citgo in Bloomsbury.Photo courtesy New Jersey State Police

State police from the Perryville barracks responded about 3 a.m. to the Citgo gas station on Route 173 in Bloomsbury for a report of a man robbing the store with a semi-automatic handgun, according to Sgt. Adam Grossman.

The robber was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall with a medium build and a mustache, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, black jacket, jeans, tan work boots and red gloves, Grossman said. No one was injured during the robbery, and the man ran from the Citgo with an undisclosed amount of cash, Grossman said.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at the Perryville barracks at 908-730-7042. Anyone with information can also submit an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-321-0010, by visiting crimestoppershunterdon.com, or by texting “HCTIPS” plus a tip message to 274637 (CRIMES).

Tipsters can also download the free mobile app “Tipsubmit” and select Hunterdon County to submit anonymous tips via text messaging. All tips are anonymous and kept confidential.

Flemington Business Improvement District has parted ways with part-time advisor Seth Grossman.

Two months after the resignation of Executive Director David Rucki, the Flemington Business Improvement District has parted ways with part-time adviser Seth Grossman and now looks to choose a permanent manager.

Lee Roth is a Flemington attorney and the district's volunteer interim executive director since Rucki’s departure in March. He said the district parted ways with Grossman “on a very friendly basis.”

“Seth realized the job he’s doing in Newark is more important than this small department with considerably less income and monetary value,” Roth said.

Grossman, a Frenchtown councilman and adviser to various business improvement districts, is also CEO of Newark-based business improvement district IronBound.

Robert Benjamin, chairman of the district's board of directors, said the two sides agreed it would be unnecessary -- and financially irresponsible -- to keep Grossman on during the search for a new manager.

“The little stuff has to be taken care of, and Seth is a top-notch guy,” Benjamin said. “It’s almost like having a chef in a restaurant wait on tables and do the dishes. We were paying him to do the big stuff.”

Despite his departure, Grossman plans to consult the district on its future plans.

“What Seth is going to do for us is what he’s so great at: helping us secure grant money for projects we have, helping us re-write by-laws that need to be looked at as we expand, and planning complicated projects,” Benjamin said.

Benjamin said officials have received "a number of applicants." An exact figure was not immediately available.

Anyone interested in the position must submit an application to the district's Human Resource Committee by week's end, Benjamin said, adding they hope to name a permanent replacement sometime over the summer.

A news release issued this week by Roth indicates the district's current staff is “more than adequate until a new executive director is hired,” but some local business owners in the district have expressed concern.

Andy Cohen, of Barkley’s Gourmet Market Place, and Bill Meccia, of Comic Fusion, said last week they were having difficulty staying in contact with the district’s interim staff since Rucki’s resignation, and Michael Straub, of Renaissance Studio, echoed similar concerns Wednesday.

“I know we tried to set up a couple of events with (Rucki), and they could not have gone better,” said Straub, who has been affiliated with the district since December. “I’m not really seeing the effect I was kind of hoping for, but again it’s only been a year. What’s going on is a tough problem to solve, but it’s hard to judge after only a year.”

“I think they were just uninformed,” Benjamin said of the complaints. “Anybody that is informed can see that we are working on terrific projects.”

Two projects, both of which were presented in Rucki’s final address to town council in February, are the revamped downtown streetscape and construction of a performing arts center. Both projects will be open to public discussion at the district’s open session June 27, Benjamin said.

“We can only go as far as to support the projects, because funding is necessary and the council has its requirements for it,” he said. “I will say, though, that they are really working on it.”

The performing arts center is of particular interest to Straub.

“I love that idea," he said. "My workspace functions as an art studio and as an interactive studio. So for the government to be drawing interest into the arts is great.”

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office is not identifying which of 29 bars targeted allegedly sold the concoction.

View full sizeKnob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is one of the brands of liquor seized by New Jersey investigators at bars targeted by Operation Swill.PRNewsFoto

That’s one of the details released today about an investigation dubbed Operation Swill. Twenty-nine bars and restaurants in the state are accused of putting cheap booze in premium brand liquor bottles and selling it.

Officials would not say who used the rubbing alcohol. But they say no health issues were reported.

Officials Wednesday seized 1,000 bottles for testing, including all open bottles of the following brands:

• Vodka: Finlandia, Smirnoff, Absolut, Grey Goose, Ketel One
• Gin: Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, Gordon’s
• Rum: Bacardi Light, Bacardi Dark, Captain Morgan Spiced
• Scotch: Johnny Walker Black, Dewar’s
• Whiskey: Jack Daniel’s Black Label, Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark
• Tequila: Jose Cuervo Silver, Jose Cuervo Gold, Patron Silver

TGI Fridays Inc. said in a statement it’s working with the franchisee and owner to investigate the allegations, which it called serious.

In Warren and Hunterdon counties, only Bell's Tavern in Lambertville was targeted in the investigation.

Paul Eschallier, owner of Bell's for the last 13 years, said Wednesday that he is "fully cooperating with this investigation but believes these charges are baseless."

Twenty-nine N.J. businesses, including 13 TGI Friday's locations, were accused of substituting cheap booze or worse for the good stuff while charging premium prices.

View full sizeNew Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa, right, looks on as Michael Halfacre, director of the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, talks about an investigation dubbed "Operation Swill," in which 29 bars and restaurants in New Jersey are accused of putting cheap booze -- or worse -- in premium brand liquor bottles and selling it, during a news conference today in Trenton. AP Photo

At one bar, a mixture that included rubbing alcohol and caramel coloring was allegedly sold as scotch. In another, premium liquor bottles were refilled with water — and apparently not even clean water at that, authorities said.

State officials provided those new details today on raids they conducted a day earlier as part of a yearlong investigation dubbed Operation Swill.

Twenty-nine New Jersey bars and restaurants, including 13 TGI Friday’s locations, were accused of substituting cheap booze — or worse — for the good stuff while charging premium prices.

As part of Operation Swill, investigators collected 1,000 open bottles of vodka, gin, rum, scotch, whiskey and tequila from the bars, state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said. Further testing is planned.

“This alleged scheme is a dishonest ruse to increase profits and is a slap in the face of the consumer,” Chiesa said.

State officials would not say what establishment used the rubbing alcohol or which one used dirty water, or water not from a tap. They said no health issues were reported.

Rubbing alcohol effects

Steven Marcus, a doctor with the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, said drinking rubbing alcohol is not lethal, at least not in small quantities, the Star-Ledger reported.

“It is very easily metabolized,” Marcus told the newspaper. “We don’t worry too much about it. If you really wanted to, you can drink rubbing alcohol and get drunk from it.”

The lone bar in Warren and Hunterdon counties targeted by the investigation was Bell’s Tavern in Lambertville.

Paul Eschallier, Bell’s Tavern owner for the past 13 years, said that to the best of his knowledge, the claim of tainted “scotch” didn’t come from Bell’s.

“Not that I’ve heard,” Eschallier said.

He said he plans to fully cooperate with the investigation but maintains that the charges are unfounded.

“I want to put this behind me,” Eschallier said.

Within seven days, the establishments must turn over records to help state authorities determine how many patrons were overcharged and by how much. They also will have to inform the state which employees were at work the days samples were covertly taken earlier this year.

View full sizeA map displayed today at the Operation Swill news conference in Trenton shows bars targeted by the ongoing investigation.AP Photo

TGI Friday’s Inc. said it was conducting its own investigation, working with the franchisee that owns the 13 restaurants cited, The Briad Group.

Briad operates 70 TGI Fridays across the country, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York, the Star-Ledger reported. It also runs 42 Wendy’s in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as Marriott and Hilton hotels, the Corner Bakery shops, Cups yogurt stores, Zinburger locations, and the Promenade Shops at Clifton.

Tested with device

The investigation started after the state began receiving more complaints than usual about possibly mislabeled drinks, said the director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Michael Halfacre. An informant with knowledge of the industry contacted the agency in the fall to help in the investigation, he said.

In January and February, investigators went to 63 establishments they suspected were scamming liquor customers. They ordered drinks neat — that is, without ice or mixers — and then covertly took samples for testing.

They then took samples of the alcohol covertly, tested them with the True Spirit Authenticator, and then sent the samples to the brand manufacturers to confirm their findings, the Star-Ledger reported. Halfacre said the device examines alcohol using light-emitting technology and is similar to field sobriety tests.

Of 150 samples collected, 30 were not the brand as which they were being sold.

The establishments face suspensions of their liquor licenses and possible revocations if there are enough violations.

The Citgo gas station was victim to a hold-up last weekend.

View full sizeNew Jersey State Police are asking for information about an armed robbery May 19 at a Citgo in Bloomsbury.Photo courtesy New Jersey State Police

The appeal for help in solving an armed robbery now comes with a reward.

New Jersey State Police have been investigating the armed robbery of a Citgo gas station Sunday in Bloomsbury.

No one was injured in the robbery of the Route 173 station, but cash was taken.

Tips can be directed to the Perryville State Police barracks at 908-730-7042. Anonymous tips are accepted by the Crime Stoppers at 800-321-0010, by visiting crimestoppershunterdon.com, or by texting “HCTIPS” plus a tip message to 274637 (CRIMES).

Tipsters can also download the free mobile app “Tipsubmit” and select Hunterdon County to submit anonymous tips via text messaging. All tips are anonymous and kept confidential, officials say.

The primary will be held on June 4.

Heading into the June 4 Republican primary, only one thing's certain in the Hunterdon County freeholders race.

George Melick won't be on the ballot.

In February, Melick announced that after 36 years as a freeholder he would not seek re-election. Freeholder Will Mennen's seat is also up for grabs, leaving two spots being sought by four candidates.

Mennen is seeking re-election for a third term on a dual ticket that features former Clinton Township Mayor Tom Borkowski. The two will compete against political newcomers John Lanza and Suzanne Lagay, who are also campaigning on a ticket.

Lanza is a Lambertville resident and attorney at Lanza & Lanza, a Flemington law firm he operates with his father. Lagay, a Holland Township resident, is the former president and CEO of the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce, a position she held for eight years.

For Mennen and Borkowski, the difference between the duos is rooted in experience, both at the county and municipal levels.

Mennen, first elected to the board in 2007, has served as freeholder director and deputy director. Prior to his tenure on the board, Mennen served as a committeeman in Tewksbury Township, where he lives.

Borkowksi, a Clinton Township resident, received the Hunterdon County Republican Committee's nod to run for Melick's seat in March. Since 2010, he has served as treasurer for the Greater Raritan Workforce Investment Board, a position to which he was appointed by freeholders.

"(The) key thing that separates us is experience," Borkowski said. "We're tested, we're proven, we have experience."

Mennen and Borkowski say that in their careers as elected officials they've both demonstrated the leadership to stand up and vote for what they believe, even if it makes them the most unpopular people in the room.

"Our Christmas card list gets shorter every year," Mennen said.

But their track records don't impress Lanza, who says fresh ideas are needed at the county level.

That's why he and Lagay are running on a platform that promises each will serve no more than three terms as a freeholder since "ideas get stale after people have been in the same position for a long time."

"I have no interest in being a career freeholder and neither does Suzanne ... my rear end in a seat is less important than this county maintaining its character," Lanza said.

Lanza said the choice to enter the race was easy. As a Hunterdon County native, he said he's seen too many people leave due to a lack of economic activity alongside a rising cost of living.

"We are hemorrhaging good people from this county," Lanza said.

But a revival of the county's economic health would almost certainly involve the looming 1 million-square-foot white elephant in Readington Township otherwise known as Merck, the county's largest taxpayer.

In October, the pharmaceutical giant announced it would move its global headquarters and roughly 2,000 jobs out of the township and into Union County by 2015.

Mennen said that waiting for 2015 to come without planning for it would be foolish. A partnership is needed between the county and the township to help find a new tenant for the massive office space, he said.

"At the very least, we should ensure that we in no way, shape or form represent an impediment to that being revitalized because that's what it's really going to need," Mennen said.

Lagay said her experience in the chamber working cooperatively among area businesses would lend much needed direction to the Merck situation.

"We need to be working with the municipal leaders, with the business leaders, and bringing those people into the discussion on an ongoing basis," Lagay said.

The possibility of more shared services is a popular idea among the candidates.

"We need consolidation at all the levels of government," Borkowski said.

Lanza said he'd look to begin at manageable levels such as exploring whether or not road departments could be merged.

"Shared services for the sake of shared services is not always good," Lanza said. "It has to be efficient."

While the four candidates agree that the balance between fiscal conservatism and planning for the future is one that needs to be met, they're not necessarily in agreement on how to go about achieving it.

Much like the three sitting freeholders not currently up for re-election, Lanza and Lagay say the county should begin planning for the next five years rather than one fiscal year at a time.

"We need to join those three that are there right now because that's what's going to make a difference," Lagay said.

Mennen said he doesn't believe that the county has finished eliminating excessive spending.

"Let's focus on what government has to do and what's mandatory and then let's start to ask some serious questions about what's discretionary or optional," Mennen said.

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Witnesses claim the driver was erratic and tailgating prior to losing control, police said.

A Mercer County man involved in a one-vehicle rollover accident Friday in Clinton has been charged with drunken and reckless driving, police say.

Terence M. Cook, 30, of Hamilton Township, faces charges of drunken and reckless driving after police say he was intoxicated Friday afternoon when his 2004 Dodge pickup truck hydroplaned and rolled over three to five times before hitting a guardrail on Route 31.

Witnesses claimed Cook was driving erratically and tailgating prior to losing control, police said.

When police arrived on the scene, they said Cook was sitting on the guardrail and the truck was on its roof. Cook was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center for further treatment, police said.

Cook is scheduled to appear in municipal court on June 5.

The 27-year old also had a smoking pipe in her car, police said.

A Massachusetts woman stopped in Clinton Sunday for a broken taillight was in possession of under 50 grams of marijuana, police said.

Police said Katherine Burke, 27, of Feeding Hills, Mass., was stopped Sunday at approximately 1:15 a.m. on West Main Street for a broken taillight and was later discovered to be in possession marijuana.

Burke also had a smoking pipe in her car, police said.

Police said Burke was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in addition to maintenance of lamps. She was released, they said.

Crews isolated the problem, and all customers who lost power should be operating normally, the county's emergency management coordinator said about noon.

Power has been restored to more than 8,000 Hunterdon County properties that lost it this morning, Jersey Central Power & Light spokesman Stan Prater said.

Prater said the problem was found on a sub-transmission line that caused tripping to occur, leading to multiple sequences of power lost and restored. The isolated outage only lasted for about 30 minutes, he said.

JCP&L asks anyone still without power to call 888-544-4877.

“The outage map on the JCP&L website has started to drop from the initial figure of 8,695 outages and should continue to do so," Fahey said in a statement. "The information on the map may not be accurate in real-time until it is able to reset itself.”

JCP&L says the problem should not cause any lasting effects that may jeopardize power in the coming five days or so, when the area is forecast to see its first heat wave of the year, county Emergency Management Coordinator Brayden Fahey said.

Temperatures are forecast in the 90s.

JCP&L says many of the outages are occurring in Kingwood and Raritan townships.

UPDATE: Hunterdon County power outage was brief, related to outage earlier this week, official says

Jersey Central Power & Light is reporting more than 6,000 customers without power this morning in Hunterdon County, leaving residents without air conditioning as temperatures rise, according to county officials.

The county said in a statement that three "cooling centers" have been opened for anyone needing relief from the heat. The centers are all in the county library system and include the following: the library's North County Branch, 65 Halstead St., Clinton; the library's Main Branch, 314 Route 12, Flemington; and the library's South County Branch, 1432 Route 179, Lambertville.

The county questioned in its statement whether the JCP&L figures are accurate, but as of 10:30 this morning, the utility was reporting 6,296 customers without power. The bulk of the outages, according to JCP&L were in Kingwood and Raritan townships.

This is the second time in a week JCP&L customers in Hunterdon County have experienced widespread outages. 

County Emergency Management Coordinator Brayden Fahey says anyone still without power as of about 11:15 should report it to Jersey Central Power & Light.

A Hunterdon County power outage this morning has been resolved, after authorities alerted residents to the availability of cooling centers amid a heat wave.

It was caused by crews isolating and repairing a problem that caused another outage Tuesday, county Emergency Management Coordinator Brayden Fahey said.

Fahey said anyone still without power as of about 11:15 should report it to Jersey Central Power & Light.

The outage affected more than 6,000 customers in Hunterdon County, leaving residents without air conditioning as temperatures rise, according to county officials.

The county said just before 11 o'clock three cooling centers were available for anyone needing relief from the heat. They were all in the county library system and include the following: the library's North County Branch, 65 Halstead St., Clinton; the library's Main Branch, 314 Route 12, Raritan Township; and the library's South County Branch, 1432 Route 179, Lambertville.

Investigators do not believe there is any danger to the community.

View full sizeResidents of a Raritan Township home where a man was found today, the victim -- authorities said -- of homicide, gather as authorities investigate.Hunterdon Democrat Photo | RENEE KIRILUK-HILL

Kearns confirmed one resident was found dead inside a home in the 200 block of Spruce Court in the Sun Ridge development in Raritan Township.

No one was in custody as of about 3 p.m., according to Kearns.

“There does not appear to be any danger to the community at this time,” he said in a statement.

Authorities had not released the victim's name as of Friday night.

Details of the investigation, which Kearns said is still developing, are also being withheld.

"We're right in the throes of it right now," Kearns said. "We're not releasing any more details at this point."

Neighbors who said they knew the victim told the Hunterdon County Democrat that he may have appeared Thursday in court because of divorce proceedings.

The circumstances of the death were not immediately available.

Delaware Valley Regional High School is mourning the death of a second student this school year, according to a note on the school's website.
 
Funeral services for James Harrison, 17, were pending Friday afternoon, the note said.

Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns III told The Hunterdon County Democrat that his office was investigating the matter. "There does not appear to be any indication of foul play," he said.

Harrison, a senior named earlier this month to the school's honor roll, was found dead in his home earlier this morning, the paper reported.

All on-campus activities scheduled for today were canceled, the online note said.
 
The note told students and others in the community where to find grief counseling. The circumstances of the death were not immediately available.

In January, student Joe Karabin, 16, died after a brief illness.
 
"This has been an especially difficult year for the Del Val family," the note says. "We have had a number of community losses, including two of our current students."

According to the Democrat, the school has called in counselors from the Hunterdon County Traumatic Loss Coalition and other area crisis intervention groups to help students and staff cope.

Superintendent Elizabeth Nastus told the paper that the school was informed of Harrison's death this morning, referring to him as "a student who was very dear to us.”

School board President Ellen Gordon declined to comment on Harrison's death but said it appeared to be unexpected.

"Our hearts go out to the parents and the students," Gordon said.

Authorities identified the victim as 35-year-old John Niko, of Raritan Township. He was found by police when he failed to report to work, police say.

View full sizeGary Passarelli, 39, of North Plainfield, N.J., is charged with murder in Friday's homicide in Raritan Township.

Authorities say Gary Passarelli, 39, of North Plainfield, N.J., killed John Niko inside his home in the Sun Ridge Development in Raritan Township. Police responded to the home when Niko's co-workers called police at 12:50 p.m. Friday to check his welfare.

Police say they found Niko dead in the home from an apparent homicide. Details about how Niko was killed or a potential motive in the homicide have not been released by the prosecutor's office. A medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, authorities say.

Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns III said the Raritan Township police and the prosecutor's office were able to identify the suspect quickly with help from the Flemington Police Department and residents near the victim's home.

Authorities set up surveillance at Passarelli's home with the help of North Plainfield police and confronted him when he arrived, Kearns said.

"The collaboration between all the involved law enforcement agencies was crucial in the successful outcome of this investigation," Kearns said in a statement.

Passarelli is in Hunterdon County jail in lieu of $1 million bail following a first appearance before Judge Stephen Rubin on a single charge of murder, according to authorities. Kearns said the investigation remains active.

Developer says it has agreements for 220 parking spaces.

An overflow crowd grilled developers last week about how they plan to handle parking, if they get permission to convert the former First Baptist Church on Bridge Street into a music hall and restaurant.

“I think what the applicants are asking here is a great deal of trust,” city resident Tom Eagan said. “This instantly becomes the biggest thing in town by a mile.”

The Bridge Street Foundation needs parking and use variances to convert the 19th century church into Lambertville Hall, a music venue that would include a 339-seat theater, 140-seat restaurant and a separate bar. Kevin and Sherri Daugherty’s nonprofit group also renovated and runs the Bucks County Playhouse just across the river in New Hope.

View full sizeThe Bridge Street Foundation has plans to renovate the First Baptist Church on Bridge Street into Lambertville Hall, a community theater and restaurant.Express-Times Photo | JOHN SIEVERS

A standing room only crowd of more than 100 people attended Thursday’s board of adjustment meeting that ended just before 11:30 p.m. The board took no action, and the meeting was continued until 7:30 p.m. June 27.

The foundation detailed how the project would look and how it would be used, but parking remains the issue for residents, many of them from Ferry Street, who said it is difficult enough to find parking now.

Foundation officials told the board they’ve solved the parking problem by signing parking agreements with Finkles Hardware Store, Diamond Silver and the Hunterdon County Educational Services Commission School, giving them access to 220 parking spaces.

Foundation officials said the building has 97 grandfathered parking spots throughout the city, and project architect Michael Burns testified the parking plan is adequate and not a substantial detriment to neighbors.

Foundation attorney Richard Mongelli said the project will need two pickup and drop-off spaces in front of the church for shuttles that will take patrons to the Diamond Silver and school parking lots.

It’s a similar system used at the Bucks County Playhouse, and Mongelli said the system would have a minimal impact on Bridge Street traffic.

“So what are you doing to make people use these lots?” resident Paul Stevens asked.

Foundation President Tanya Cooper said the shuttle system would be incentivized to encourage people to use it.

Some West Amwell Township residents, who live near the school, objected to the increased traffic and did not think it was right that one municipality should be able to dictate what goes on in another without that municipality’s consent.

A few restaurateurs expressed concern about how their businesses would fare should the city’s parking situation deteriorate any further. Some suggested the need for an independent traffic study that looks at vehicular and pedestrian traffic, while considering emergency services.

Mongelli said legally a study was unnecessary and that practically it is not needed either.

“Four-hundred people descending on Bridge Street isn’t going to happen,” he said.

There were some supporters on hand, including resident Steve Howard, who called the project creative.

Donald Tripp said the foundation could have paved over the church’s back lot to make more parking, but is instead keeping the space open.

“I would like to commend the applicant on the sensitivity of the application,” he said.

Cooper said the venue would be closed Mondays and open Tuesdays and Wednesdays for community-style events such as movie nights, dancing and local concerts.

“We’re open to anything,” she said.

The venue would attract regional or national acts and perhaps corporate-sponsored events Thursday through Saturday, Cooper said.

“We’re like a year from opening,” she said.

Prosecutor Anthony Kearns III said a motive in the killing remains under investigation.

A Raritan Township man killed inside his home died from blunt force trauma to his head and chest as well as multiple stab wounds, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns III said today.

View full sizeGary Passarelli

Gary Passarelli, 39, of North Plainfield, N.J., has been charged in the death of John Niko, 35, who was found by authorities in the Sun Ridge Development in Raritan Township. Police responded to the home when Niko's co-workers called police at 12:50 p.m. Friday to check his welfare.

Passarelli, who remains in the Hunterdon County jail in lieu of $1 million bail, is scheduled to appear Monday afternoon at Hunterdon County Superior Court in Flemington on a single charge of murder.

Kearns said today an object was used to strike Niko but didn't elaborate. A motive for the killing remains under investigation.

“We’re not releasing a motive at this time,” he said. “We continue to interview and re-interview witnesses as we piece it together.”

Kearns and the Raritan Township police credited the work of the Flemington police and residents near the victim's home for helping authorities identify the suspect.

John Niko, 35, was found Friday afternoon after he failed to show up for work. Gary Passarelli, 39, of North Plainfield, is being held on $1 million bail, according to Hunterdon Couty prosecutors.

Gary Passarelli

Hunterdon County prosecutors say 39-year-old Gary Passarelli of North Plainfield is charged in the death of 35-year-old John Niko, an acquaintance of his who was reported missing by coworkers after he failed to show up for work Friday. His body was found around 12:50 p.m. by Raritan police.

Authorities confronted Passarelli when he arrived home Friday afternoon, and he was formally charged later that day. But a possible motive has not been disclosed.

An autopsy determined the principal cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and chest, while multiple stab wounds were a secondary cause.