The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey • Page 1

Ml -a (xfT)) iff WW A GANNETT NEWSPAPER TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2008 50 CENTS PBA theft nicer charged with TUESDAY Parity cloudy TODAY'S OUTLOOK HIGH LOW 47 25 COMPLETE FORECAST A2 Department veteran was former bodyguard of Plainfield mayor LI Court Judge Joan Robinson Gross, sitting in Elizabeth, on Dec. 12. Plainfield Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig said he was "very surprised" at the news, which he labeled "distressing." Brown had not been the subject of any disciplinary action by the department in Hellwig's nearly three years of service, he said. Brown, who is on vacation through the end of the year, has been suspended and his gun and badge have been taken away, See THEFT, Page A4 if from the organization between June 11 and Nov. 12.

If convicted, Brown faces up to five years in prison, authorities said. In a siaement, Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Ro-mankow said "Brown wrote checks to himself from the PBA account and treated the funds as his own." The Prosecutor's Office said By BRANDON LAUSCH and MARK SPIVET Staff Writers PLAINFIELD A nearly 25-year veteran of the city's police force, who served as a bodyguard for the current mayor, was charged yesterday with theft after authorities accused him of stealing several thousand dollars from the local Policemen's BenevoliT'. Association. Detective Richard D.

Brown 52, is facing the third-degree charge after authorities said he stole between $4,000 and $6,000 SOMERVLULE'S VERVE -1 COMMUNITY ORIENTED iVv i v- i r'j QQ! rr pro VM It i HI I i 1 1 '-1 -mmmrn fri t-'iIt f1 Staff photo by Ed Pagliarini Rick St. Pierre, owner of Verve Bistro, Bar and Lounge, stands outside his Somerville eatery. Serving more than meals an investigation was launched in early November after other PBA members noticed financial discrepancies and reported their findings. Brown was served with the theft complaint, processed and released at the Prosecutor's Office in Elizabeth, officials said. He is scheduled to make his first appearance before Superior -1 V-'1 -ltd' When St.

Pierre learned in May that the annual Tour of Somerville would not be providing sound around the course, the problem didn't fall on deaf ears. Genova noted that St. Pierre bought speakers and a sound system with his own money and rigged it around the 1.2-mile course with the help of Verve employees. "I could probably talk to you all afternoon about things Rich has done for the town," Genova said. The restaurant is intimately tied to Somerset County, according to St.

Pierre, who described it as a place where the politics and business of the area come together and mix. "It's a place where you can just come and feel that good energy, eat good food, and discuss things that matter in Somerset County," St. Pierre said. Martin C. Bricketto: 908-707-3176; mbricketto MyCentraUersey.com time BEST IN BUSINESS WHO: Somerset County Business Partnership WHAT: The organization's 2008 Outstanding Business Person and Economic Vitality awards reception nd luncheon WHEN: 11a.m.

Monday, Dec. 8 WHERE: Bridgewater Marriott, 700 Commons Way HOW MUCH: $85 for members and $135 for nonmembers. MORE INFO: Reservations can be made by calling 908-218-4300 or e-mailing eventscbp.org ONGOING SERIES: Continue reading the Courier News through Friday, Dec. 5, for daily profiles of this year's winners COMMUNITY LIFE Bl AN HISTORIC CHRISTMAS Holiday exhibit at Vanderveer House harkens back to 1 8th century SPORTS ci RE-LOADED Griggs helped Chiefs reach final NEW JERSEY A5 Corzine directs $64M to homeowners, neighborhoods BUSINESS B6 STREET OF HARD KNOCKS Dow's nearly 700-point plunge reflects more tough news LOCAL COLUMNIST JAY JEFFERSON COOKE Give thanks for the Diessing or gooa I I health PAGE Bl' CENTRAL JERSEY NEWS ON YOUR CELL PHONE: Text MYCENTRALJERSEY to 44636 (4INF0) to get breaking news SMS alerts from MyCentralJersey.com. Advice B8 Local A3 Puzzles D3, 4 Lottery A2 Business B6 Movies B10 D1 A8 Comics B9 Legal ads Town B7 Television B8 Editorial A10 World All FIND YOUR LOCAL NEWS AT CelitralTersey Visit MyCentralJersey.com for the latest local news updates.

For news updates throughout the day, visit us on the Web. ll40901ll06500l BERNARDS FESTIVAL Holiday fest mm David B. Crabiel Longtime freeholder director dies at 78 By GENE RACZ Staff Writer MIDDLESEX COUNTY Middlesex County lost one of its most ardent and dedicated champions yesterday with the death of Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel. Crabiel, 78, elected offi served as an cial in the county since 1960, going from Milltown to Milltown mayor, to county freeholder and eventually to freeholder director a post he held continuously for the past 10 years.

Crabiel was reelected this past November to another DISCUSS ON THE WEB Discuss this topic at MyCentral Jersey.com GALLERY ON THE WEB See more photos at MyCentral Jersey.com term as freeholder overall since 1978. his 11th He was rushed to the hospital yesterday morning from his Milltown home and died at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Deputy Freeholder Director Stephen J. "Pete" Dalina called Crabiel's death a "big shock," saying he had spoken to Crabiel just two days ago. See DEATH, Page A7 By MARTIN C.BRICKETTO Staff Writer SOMERVILLE Verve Bistro, Bar and Lounge at 18 E.

Main is known for good food and atmosphere, and for giving back to the community. The Somerset County Business Partnership is honoring the restaurant and its owner, Rick St. Pierre, with an award for economic vitality during the organization's annual meeting and awards luncheon on Monday, Dec. 8. "He is always there," said Tom Genova, chairman of the Somerville District Management Corporation.

"He is definitely a major asset to our downtown community." St. Pierre opened Verve in 1996, wanting to provide customers with a welcoming atmosphere and top-notch food and service. "The mantra here is, every night you're being asked to perform, every night you're being asked to give your best, and it's something you have to do this is service," St. Pierre said. St.

Pierre who also serves on the District Management Corporation, which focuses on improving the borough's downtown said he has used the restaurant to forge connections between nonprofits, government and other community organizations. "Rick has a definite sense of community, and I think that has led to his success," Mayor Brian Gallagher said. "His awareness of what's going on in the community, his ability to step forward and always be ready to help is second to none." OF TREES ON THE WEB MORE INFO: www.vervestyle.com. St. Pierre has consistently used Verve to raise money for several organizations.

For the past eight years leading up to Mardi Gras, the restaurant has generated money for the Center for Great Expectations a residential substance-abuse-treatment program by auctioning masks, selling raffle tickets and donating a percentage of food sales. Its Halloween contest this year raised money for the Women's Health and Counseling Center. The Verve Crab Fest in August generated money for the Women's Health and Counseling Center as well, with the Somerset County Bar Foundation benefiting from Verve's annual Meet the Chefs event in June. "It's my personality," St. Pierre said.

"There was a time early on when we were open that I decided the way to reach out was to contribute." "I don't like to be acknowledged," he added. "I kind of like to be the guy behind the curtain, reaching out to people and connecting people and building the community." has branched out over ON THE WEB WHAT: www.somersetcountyparks.org. decades ago as the "Symphony of Trees" at the Bishop Janes United Methodist Church in Basking Ridge. It was started by the late Barbara Jensen, a music lover who brought the idea with her from her former home in Omaha, Neb. The trees were real when the event first started years ago, but now fire codes require artificial greenery, said Andrea Williams, director of public relations for the Somerset Hills YMCA.

See TREES, Page A7 By LINDA SADLOUSKOS Staff Writer BERNARDS For the 35th year, the Festival of Trees a unique celebration of holiday trees both wacky and wonderful will be open daily at the Environmental Education Center in the Basking Ridge section starting this week. This year's festival, which will feature about 50 decorated trees and wreaths, has a theme of "Visions of Sugar YMCA is co-sponsoring the event with the Somerset County Park Commission as one of the county's major winter spectaculars. Event proceeds help support educational and community-service programs for both organizations. event began more than threS Submitted photo Christmas ornaments and light adorn several trees during the annual Festival ol Trees in Bernards last year. This year's eent runs from i-day, Dec.

5, through Sunday, Dec. 14..