Daily Record from Morristown, New Jersey • Page 4

Daily Record DailyReeord.com jfrom page one lift, iTTli flirt Pag A4 Friday, December 14, 2012 In this 1981 photo, the late Robert Jones, then president of a group called Vestigia, is shown with castings of two different types of suspected Big Foot footprints. i A) I i SASQUATCH Continued from Page A1 reached the tree, he crouched down with his back to it. "That's when he looked right at me," Biggins recalled. "I was about 50 yards from that pine tree. I thought about taking a shot, but I only had a single-shot shotgun.

If I missed I was going to be in big trouble with no help close by." Deciding not to wait the 10 remaining minutes, Biggins slowly walked away. The creature did not follow. To this day Biggins only buys guns with multiple shots. "I'm 47 now, and I still deer hunt, but I'm very cautious," he said. "I still look around for him in the woods." Sasquatch, or "Squatch" for short, is a term used mostly in the Pacific Northwest to describe an 8-to 10-foot bipedal hominid cryptid, or animal whose existence is scientifically unproven.

Sometimes they're called bigfoots in North America. Sasquatch is known as Yowie in Australia, Orang Pendek in Indonesia and Yeti (or the Abominable Snowman) in the Himalayas. Many people can accept the possibility of Sasquatch sightings in Oregon or Northern Calif ornia. But in New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the country? Really? 1 The truth is, Biggins is not alone. There's a long history of Squatch sightings here that continues into the present.

Squatch sightings One of the earliest Sas- the hard-core desolate areas that we do still have in the state," he said. The Pine Barrens, he said, boasts good food sources for Sasquatches, including deer, blueberries and raspberries. He added that black bears, the state's largest land mammal, do well in the Pine Barrens now, as they do in the northwestern part of the state. The research organization keeps an extensive worldwide database of sightings and Squatch-re-lated activity and is known in the field to be the most vigorous in checking them out to eliminate hoaxes and misidentifications. So not every report submitted is listed on its public database.

"There's no question the cable show has had an impact with awareness," Kotch said. The famous and controversial Patterson-Gimlin footage, shot by two men in the woods of Bluff Creek, in 1967, sparked interest in Sasquatches and led to a spike in interest in the 70s. "In the late '60s to mid-70s the environmental movement itself had an impact," Kotch said. "People were outside and interested in nature. The endangered species act was just passed.

Bigfoot and the Slinky were in. Then the '80s came and we all wanted new cars." Internet makes sharing easier Taylor, author of "Bigfoot in the New Jersey 'Burbs," attributes the renewed interest in the '90s to the magazine Weird N.J. See BIG FOOT, Page A11 'I believe in the possibility' For the past six years, Paul Kotch of Neptune has been an investigator in New Jersey, New York and northeast Pennsylvania for The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, the group behind Animal Planet's hit series "Finding Bigfoot," which draws some 1.4 million viewers weekly. Like other investigators nationwide, the 42-year-old Kotch, who specializes in Sasquatch vocalizations, has been on expeditions or extended field trips with the organization, including some with Matt Moneymaker, the head of the bigfoot research organization and one of four team members featured on the show. The closest these trips have come to New Jersey is the Adirondack Mountains in New York.

Kotch hasn't seen a Sasquatch. "But I believe in the possibility," he said, adding that he needs more information, which is part of the reason he investigates 10 to 20 reports a year. He thinks of Sasquatch as an undiscovered primate. The bigf oot research organization received 71 reports of Sasquatch sightings and experiences last year, according to Kotch, who says the organization sometimes gets reports on a weekly and, for some stretches of time, a daily basis. Many people find it easy to dismiss reports of Sas-quatches in New Jersey, Kotch said.

"On the other hand, there are not too many people who go off the beaten path and deep down into structures, rock throwing, and footprints have been logged statewide, according to William Taylor of Monmouth County, author of the new book "Bigf oot in the New Jersey 'Burbs." All five types of evidential reports feature behaviors that cryptozoologists and investigators have come to associate with Sas-quatches. To arrive at his tally, Taylor combed through a variety of online databases through which the public can file reports. He then eliminated duplicate reports. For the most part, reports are posted after they pass muster with a database gatekeeper, if not an investigator who follows up with a phone call andor an on-site visit. "Some people think a bigfoot sighting is less believable because it's in New Jersey," Taylor said.

"But to me, it's more believable when eyewitnesses comes forward here because they have no reference point for seeing something. It's not part of the psyche of New Jersey like it is in the Northwest." Of the 207 reports, 107 were in the northern part of the state (mostly in Sussex and Morris counties) and obituaries RICHARD E. LOVENBERG AGE: 73 ORANGE CITY, FL Death Apgar, Richard B. East Stroudsburg, PA; Newbaker Funeral Home Brltcher, Warren Edwin Port Richey, FL; Lovenberg, Richard E. Orange City, FL; Allen-Summerhill Funeral Home Mann, Martin Parsippany; Turtle Funeral Home McGarry, Anna Bromel WeavervilleMars Hill, NC; Bailey Funeral Home Smith, Amy Lutz, FL; Loyless Funeral Home Richard E.

Lovenberg, 73, of Orange City passed away on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 at the Halifax Health Hospice of VolusiaFlagler Care Center in Orange City. He was born February 2, 1939 in Morristown, NJ and retired after 30 years in the US Navy. He also retired from after 30 years and was a member of the Denville, NJ Volunteer Fire Dept. Richard was also a member of the American Legion post 258inDeBary.

Survivors include his wife, Judith; sons, Joel Lovenberg of DeBary, Karl Lovenberg of DeLand and Er- 72 in the southern part of the state (mostly Burlington and Ocean counties). Taylor said 28 were in other areas such as Jersey City and the New Jersey Turnpike. Over the years most reports have been associated with two regions. One is the Pine Barrens, 1.1 million acres of woods spanning seven counties in the southern part of the state. The second region comprises thousands of acres of state forest in Sussex County in the northwest corner of New Jersey along the Delaware River.

Across the river, there are thousands more acres in Pennsylvania. Among the most famous were sightings of an 8-foot, 400-pound Sasquatch reported by the Sites family farm on Wolfpit Road in Wantage in the spring of 1977. According to Barbara Sites, quoted in a Daily Record clip from that era, the creature; with luminous red eyes, killed the family's rabbits and, with one swipe, threw their 70-pound dog 20 feet. Reportedly, the family fired on the animal, which walked away. nest Lovenberg of Deltona; daughter, Ruth Kelly and husband John of Orange City; brother, Ted Lovenberg of Boon ton, NJ; sisters, Ida Hawk of Baltimore, MD and Alice Mack of Browns-valley, CA; 8 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 14th at 3pm at the Allen- Summerhill Memorial Cha pel in Orange City. Online condolences may be made at www.allensummerhill funeralhome.com. Allen-Summerhill Orange City is charge. Parsippany, Anna worked as a school nurse at Mount Ta bor School, Parsippany Hills High School, and Central Ju nior High. Surviving are her daugh ter, Barbara Lynn McEl roy and husband David of Weaverville; son, Peter Mc Garry of Long Island, NY; two granddaughters, Vicki Rogers and husband John and Caitlin McElroy; and two great grandchildren who brought her great joy in her last year, Kylie Rogers and Joseph McElroy.

A memorial service will be held in the spring at Lake James, NC where she and Frank enjoyed their retirement. Memorials may be made to Habitat for Humanity, a local food bank, or Hospice. For more info contact Bailey Funeral Home 973-543-4720. SMITH LUTZ, FL Bill W. and lived her life one day at a time.

Amy enjoyed music, crossword puzzles, games, and sharing her love of books with her grandchildren. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Harold; two sons, Harold and his wife Meg, and William and his wife Sue; two daughters, Cheryl Sanza and her husband Al, and Suzie; brother, Maurice Allen and his wife Ann; and sister, Anne Allen. Yma dearly loved her six grandchildren, Gregory, Brian and Matthew Smith, Elizabeth Sanza and Jessica and Sarah Smith. Donations may be made in Amy's memory to Jonl and Friends of Eastern, PA, 340 Highland Drive Suite 200, Mountville, PA 17554. Words of comfort may be expressed at LoylessFuneralHome.

comS WARREN EDWIN BRITCHER AGE: 91 PORT RICHEY, FL Edwin Britcher Eisenhower. He became the This map shows reported Big Foot activities, including sightings, in the last 50 years in New Jersey. COURTESY: "BIG FOOT IN THE NEW JERSEY 'BURBS. quatch sightings in the Garden State took place in Mine Hill in 1894, according to the New York Herald, which reported on Jan. 9 of that year the story of three female mill workers who spotted a wild man and shrieked.

The ordeal sparked a face-off between the creature and two woodcutters who ultimately backed off. The most recent sight-, ing, reported by eyewitness Stephen Vaporis in the magazine Weird N.J., took place April 15, 2011, at Mah-lon Dickerson Reservation in Jefferson. Vaporis wrote that he saw a pitch black, tall, bulky figure with a dome-shaped head and apelike arms on a trail. In the past 50 years, a total of 207 Sasquatch reports including sightings and other potential evidence including vocalizations, wood knocks, stick Notices Operations Manager for Yankee Stadium Foods and Concessions from 1963 until the end of 1968. He 15 then supervised a number nf Canteen operations and in 1972 became the owner of the Swiss Town House in Union City, a restaurant that was host to the annual Ma cy's Thanksgiving Day Pa rade Float Post-Preparation Party.

In 1977 he became a Manager for Ogden-Allied at Yonkers Raceway and The USS Intrepid Air and Space Museum food service, nan dling the televised dinner on board the Intrepid following the Viet Nam Veterans Can yon of Heroes parade. Before retiring, he created Britcher Concessions Corporation that served The New Lon- don-Waterford SpeedBowl, a racetrack in Connecticut, He retired to Holiday and Port Richey, Florida in 1989. Warren will be interred at Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield, Ohio. He served as Past-President of the National Association of science writers. He was the recipient of the KSCoveted Benjamin Franklin Award presented by the Independent Book Publishers Association.

Survived by his two sons, Dwight and Robert; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and his brother, Joseph. Predeceased by his wife, Eleanor (nee Roth) and his daughter, Elizabeth Mann. Visitation Sunday, December 16th, 2012, 9 10:00 AM at Turtle Funeral Home, 272 State Route 10 West, Randolph (www.tuttlefh.com). Funeral Services will follow 10:00 AM at the funeral home. Interment at Dover Mount Sinai Cemetery, Randolph.

ANNA BROMEL MCGARRY AGE: 82 WEAVERVILLEMARS HILL, NC Obituaries Special notices purchased by family and friends To place an obituary: E-mail it to drobitsgannett.com. (No attachments, please.) If e-mail is not an option, you may fax obituaries to us at 888-516-9240, bring them to our office or, if time permits, send them by regular mail. Obituaries must be received by 5 p.m. the day before publi cation. Submissions must include the sender's name, mailing address, telephone number, and the name and phone of the funeral home or cremation service.

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View obituaries 25k or search our datahtug online RICHARD B. APGAR AGE: 68 EAST STROUDSBURG, PA Richard B. Apgar, 68 years of age, of East Stroudsburg, PA, died at his home on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012. Born in Parsippany, NJ, he was a son of Jeanne (Barrett) of Florida and the late Lloyd Apgar.

Mr Apgar was self employed in the construction business. He had previously lived in Hackettstown, New Jersey for ten years, and earlier in Parsippany. Richard is survived by his wife, the former Patricia Carr; his mother, Jeanne Apgar; two daughters, Sand-ee Teresa and Stacey Shinn, all of Florida; a brother, Robert of Hope, NJ; a sister, Susan Darcy of Florida; two stepchildren, Lori Constant and Kenny O'Bryan of KY; many grandchildren and one great grandchild. Memorial donations will be appreciated to St Jude's Research Hospital for Children, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38106. BITUARIES Special tributes purchased by family and friends To place am obituary; E-mail to or fax 888-516-9240 Monday to Friday 1 1 am to 5 pra Saturday and Sunday noon to 4 pra Questions about obituaries may be called to 888-5 1 6-0060 To piece a memorial or cmrd of thanks: Call Jaime West 732-64J-3626 or 1-888-508-9353 exL 3626 (' Mint be rtceid 3 poor to puNjcukhU Tht Oarfy Rvconl rsMrvn ttw nght to pubMt, dstntxjte, repurpose and otrwrwian use prrt.

Sf obituaries and photographs. Warren of Port Richey, FL, 91, died Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. Former Manager of the US Senate Restaurant and Yankee Stadium Concessions. Formerly of Paramus, NJ husband of the late Dorothy Mae Lighthiser Britcher, father of the late Warren Edwin Britcher, Jr.

(Butchie), Sher-rie Ahrens of Maywood, and Drew Britcher of Morris Plains. Grandfather of Doulas Ahrens of Chatham, Craig Ahrens of Gainesville, Georgia, Sean Britcher and Caitlin Britcher of Morris Plains. Warren had 4 greatgrandchildren. Warren was born in Springfield, Ohio. He was a T4 Sgt.

in the US Army during World War II, in charge of the kitchen of Fort Mc-Clellan. He later worked for Canteen Corp. in various managerial positions and in 1950 became the Manager of the United States Senate Restaurant, where he was responsible for the Inaugural Luncheon of President MARTIN MANN AGE: 92 PARSIPPANY Martin Mann, 92, of Par- published in the 1950's, Anna Bromel McGarry died Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 at her residence in Mars Hill. She was 82.

Anna grew up in East Orange, NJ where she met and married her neighbor, Frank McGarry. They began their married life in their home neighborhood in East Orange and later moved to Lake Parsippany, NJ where they made many lifelong and devoted friends. Upon Anna's retirement, they moved to Lake James, NC to be closer to their daughter and granddaughters. Later they moved even closer to their family in Weaverville. Anna graduated from the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in Newark, NJ in 1952.

She worked for a short time at Presbyterian Hospital before taking time off to raise her children. In AMY AGE: 78 Amy (nee Allen) Smith, "Yma," 78, of Lutz, FL passed away Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. She was born in New Jersey and raised her family in Boonton Township, J. She moved to Florida 20 years ago.

Amy was a nurse prior to becoming the director of activities with Tally Ho Manor before retiring. She was a friend of Celebrate a life remembered. sippany, passed away suddenly, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012 at Care One, Parsippany. Martin was born in Norwich, NY and has been a resident of Parsippany since 2007.

Past resident of Dover, Madison, and Morristown. He was founding member of B'nai Or in Morristown and Temple Sinai in Summit He served in the US. Army Air Corps during WW II as an officer in the First Motion Picture Unit with then Captain Ronald Reagan, writing training films for the troops. He worked as Associate Managing Editor at Time Life Books, New-York, NY. He retired in 1982 after a 40 year career in publishing.

Martin was a graduate of Dover High School and graduated from MIT in 1941. He authored several books, best known for his book Peacetime Uses on Atomic Energy Placing an In Memoriam tribute for loved ones and friends is now more convenient. You can submit your message online, seven days a week at any time, by visiting njressmedia.cominremembrance For more information call 732-643-3626 Monday Friday 8:30 am 5:00 pm Email: memorialsapp.com.