Turan is 34, 5-foot-10, weighs 255 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. His last known address is in Parsippany.

FLEMINGTON -- Zaki M. Turan is currently the featured fugitive on the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office's website.

Turan was charged with narcotics and obstruction offenses in Hunterdon County. He failed to appear in court regarding these charges and an arrest warrant was issued on Feb. 19, 2015.

Turan is 34, 5-foot-10, weighs 255 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. His last known address is in Parsippany.

Crimestoppers putting a dent in crime 

Anyone with information as to any fugitive's whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Mike Nugent, Det. Frank Modaffare or Det. Lamont Garnes of The Joint Hunterdon County Fugitive Task Force at 908-788-1129 or the local police department.

Information can also be left at www.crimestoppershunterdon.com

Report a tip in four ways for cash rewards:
- call the tip line at 800-321-0010 (The line has no recording device)
- text HCTIPS plus your tip to: 274637 (CRIMES)
- submit online at www.crimestoppershunterdon.com by clicking on the Submit link to fill out the online form (form also in Espanol)
- download free app "Tipsubmit" by Public Engines; select Hunterdon County, submit your tip.

Emily Cummins may be reached at ecummins@njadvancemedia.com Follow her on Twitter @EmilyACummins and Facebook.

An accident on the eastbound side of Interstate 78 in Tewksbury Township has shut down two lanes on Friday, March 6, 2016.

Update: The township where the accident occurred has been updated.

A tractor-trailer trailer involved in an accident Friday morning on eastbound Interstate 78 in Hunterdon County is blocking two lanes and causing delays, according to 511nj.org.

The accident was reported shortly before 6:30 a.m. and is west of exit 24 (Route 523) in Tewksbury Township. The left and center lanes are blocked because of a bulldozer that fell off the back of the trailer.

Eastbound delays stretch back 4-miles to the Route 31 interchange in Clinton Township. Light snow is falling and there is fog in the area. The National Weather Service forecast calls for the snow to end this morning with less than a half-inch of accumulation.

Only one private school in Hunterdon County announced a weather-related delayed opening this morning.

The market will be open every other Sunday through early May on March 20, April 3, April 17 and May 1.

RARITAN TWP. -- Just in time for families planning a farm to table Easter dinner, the Hunterdon Land Trust has expanded its Winter Farmers' Market schedule beginning Sunday, March 6.

The market will be open every other Sunday through early May on March 20, April 3, April 17 and May 1. 

Hours are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Dvoor Farm, located at 111 Mine St. off the Route 12 circle.

Locals flock to farmers' market

The winter market features about a dozen vendors offering organic vegetables, meat, chicken, pork, honey, bread, locally roasted coffee, native seeds, wool and alpaca products and more.

The market also features a food truck making flatbread pizzas and pastries using ingredients provided by local farmers.

Winter Market vendors

• Apple Ridge Farm - artisan breads and pastries
• Comeback Farm - organic vegetables
• Farmstead Foods - Prepared foods using local farm-fresh ingredients
• Fieldstone Coffee Roasters - Coffee, teas and more
• Fired Up Flatbread Co. food truck - pizza, pastries and beverages
• Fulper Farms - cheese and yogurt
• Griggstown Farm - eggs, poultry and poultry products
• Locktown Farm - sour pickles, dill pickles, dilly beans, pickled jalapenos and salsa
• Milford Farms - eggs, beef and pork
• Purely Farm - eggs, pastured pork and turkey
• Sandbrook Meadow Farm - organic vegetables
• Toadshade Wildflower Farm - native plant seeds, teas and nuts
• WoodsEdge Wools Farm - llama and alpaca products

Looking forward to summer? The farmers' market will kick off the tenth year of its regular weekly market on Sunday, May 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information on the Hunterdon Land Trust and the Winter Farmers' Market, visit www.hunterdonlandtrust.org or call 908-237-4582.

Emily Cummins may be reached at ecummins@njadvancemedia.com Follow her on Twitter @EmilyACummins and Facebook.

Sammy is compatible with other dogs, medium to large size.

Sammy 

FLEMINGTON -- Sammy is 31/2-year-old brindle male greyhound recently rescued from Daytona, Fla., by the New Jersey Greyhound Adoption Program.

The 88-pound Sammy has been described by volunteers as an energetic, playful dog who would do best in a home with a fenced-in yard.

He is compatible with other dogs, medium to large size, but not compatible with cats.

Sammy is crate-trained; he has been neutered and is up-to-date on shots.

To learn more about adopting Sammy, contact NJGAP at 908-713-9344 or complete an online application at njgap.com. NJGAP has rescued more than 2,500 ex-racing greyhounds since 1993.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email somerset@starledger.com or hunterdon@starledger.com.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

 

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, a test on your knowledge about everything Irish.

The Inside Jersey Challenge is posted the first Friday of each month. Created by Greg Hatala, the quiz tests your knowledge of New Jersey people, places and things. This month, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, we're focusing on everything Irish. Answer the 10 questions below, and then share your score in comments to see how you stack up against others. Good luck!

The following deeds have been recorded in the Hunterdon County Hall of Records in Book 2371 and Book 2372 through March 4, 2016

The following deeds have been recorded in the Hunterdon County Hall of Records in Book 2371 and Book 2372 through March 4, 2016

Clinton

Judith T. Meskill to James A. Gibson and Danielle H. Feldman, property at 30 Lingert Ave for $362,000.

Clinton Township

Brian Lorcheim and Sarah Lorcheim to Jesse Diehl and Jessica Greene, property at 6 Edison Terrace for $361,000.

Jessica Q. Bruno and Colin J. Bruno to Katherine A. Valasek, property at 36 Westchester Terrace for $132,000.

Sung Ja Kim and Chang Sub Kwon to Melanie Senediak and Mark Hayzlett, property at 23 Highland Circle for $195,000.

Delaware Township

Daniel J. Zanetti and Diane Zanetti to Carolyn L. McGavin and Richard M. Connors, property at 11 Pavlica Road for $350,000.

East Amwell Township

Towers International LLC to Wayne Rosh, property at 110 Garboski Road for $395,000.

Flemington

Joyce E. Snyder to William Thomas Anderson and Dawn Apgar, property at 7 Sunrise Circle for $179,000.

Janette Arama to Matthew Dornan and Gina Bass, property at 26 Coppermine Village for $189,000.

Roger S. Mitchell to John E. Mitchell, property at 30 Coppermine Village for $111,117.50.

High Bridge

Joel Bicknell to Sean R. Smith, property at 23 Chestnut Court for $100,000.

Christopher Duff and Lisa Duff to Deon C. Spencer, property at 7 Driftway Drive for $318,000.

Wayne Podell and Cheryl Podell to Jane Wood, property at 79 Cregar Road for $499,900.

Holland Township

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. to Johan Lesko, property at 4 Hawks Scxhoolhouse Road for $191,601.

Roy R. Hoffman to Dawn Soos, property at 370 Mount Joy Road for $189,000.

Kingwood Township

Richard Abbott and Vivian Abbott to Elliot L. Pomeranz and Amanda R. Pomeranz, property at 2748 Daniel Bray Highway for $455,000.

Lambertville

Lawrence A. Decker and Louise M. Decker to JSK Property Holdings, LLC, property at 73 N. Union St. for $417,000.

Jonathan R. Hart and Kara Hart to Diana L. Miller, property at 49 Buttonwood St. for $360,000.

Gary J. Strouse and Helen Jane Ries to Karim Elsharabasi and Tracey Branson and Fouad Y. Shalaby, property at 36 Delavan St. for 449,900.

Lebanon

Christine E. Jones to Barbara J. Snyder and Russell W. Snyder, property at 456 West Hill Road for $215,000.

Lebanon Township

M&T Bank to Wendy Hottenstein and Charles Felts, property at 84 Mt. Kip Road for $535,000.

Raritan Township

Lorenzo A. Zepeda and Kathryn A. Zapeda to John McCaig and Danielle Portera, property at 27 Krenkel Court for $260,500.

Flemington Arena, LLC to Hunterdon Sports Complex, LLC, property at 426 Case Boulevard for $4,500,000.

Franco Deseta and Yvonne Deseta to Lance Lorenz and Jessica Marie Lorenz, property at 9 Londonderry Drive for $399,000.

James Novak and Virginia Novak to Mark Paternoster and Denise Paternoster, property at 708 Nottingham Way for $80,000.

Dina Calvano to Wayne Alpaugh and Tatiana Smoleeva, property at 15 Canterberry Circle for $240,000.

Susan M. Apgood and John A. Matthews to Eric P. Casey, property at 464 Route 12 for $310,000.

Readington Township

Susan Fedor and Andrew G. Fedor to Teresa A. Campesi, property at 420 Well Sweep Road for $139,000.

TOLL NJ I, LLC to Lorraine T. Vasilik, property at 68 Ditmar Boulevard for $611,352.

Les Gara to Adolfo Amaya and Evelyn Amaya Hernandez, property at 938 Route 202 for $337,000.

Gary C. Ziegler and Valerie A. Ziegler to Jake T. Thompson and Vanessa D. Giacoppo, property at 12 Old Readington Road for $410,000.

Thomas A. McFadden and Livia Frank to Kin Hon Chan, property at 83 Dreahook Road for $320,000.

TOLL NJ I, LLC to Michael D. Davenport, property at 110 Van Cleef Drive for $589,581.

Daniel Sickler to Shaun P. Mixon and Lauren D. Mixon, property at 280 Mountain Road for $308,500.

Stockton

Robert Haas and Carolyn McGavin to DeAmicis Hospitality Group, Inc., property at 8 Woolverton Road for $1,625,000.

Tewksbury Township

Bernard Slamowitz and Marcia B. Cohen to Steven R. Kronheim and Susan Monahan Kronheim, property at 1202 Farley Road for $789,000.

Rose Gambella to Frederick T. Mattrey and Elizabeth A. Quigley, property at 1 Fieldstone Road for $460,000.

Vincent Langone and Terrence Langone to Scott Kimmelman and Andrea Kimmelman, property at 62 Philhower Road for $3,300,000.

Albert N. Olsen to Richard P. Geoffrion and Krista L. Geoffrion, property at 9 Schoolhouse Road for $159,400.

Union Township

Thomas Nace to Charles Howlett and Cassie Howlett, property at 41 Finn Road for $389,900.

West Amwell Township

William Shultz to Michelle Peltzer, property at 320 Rock Road for $300,000.

An accident on Interstate 78 in Hunterdon County early in the morning on March 4 has caused significant delays on the eastbound side of the expressway, and on southbound Route 22 and 31.

TEWKSBURY -- A tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 78 east injured one person and forced the closure of multiple lanes after a bulldozer was thrown from the trailer onto the highway, authorities said.

Massive delays continued through the morning rush hour in Hunterdon and Somerset counties as a result of the 6 a.m. crash. All three eastbound lanes were initially blocked.

The injured person was was taken to Morristown Medical Center by the Whitehouse Rescue Squad and paramedics. The extent of the injuries was not immediately available.

The lane closures initially resulted in traffic being narrowed to just the shoulder in the area of the accident, near mile marker 24 just east of the Taylor Mills Road overpass.

Light snow to end, but blustery Friday ahead

By 6:30 a.m., eastbound traffic stretched back about 4 miles behind the accident site. By 8:45 a.m., traffic was backed up to around Exit 11 in Union Township, and the state Department of Transportation was reporting heavy traffic on southbound Routes 31 and 22 as a result.

Those delays, of up to 90 minutes, have continued past 9 a.m., according to State Police and 511nj.org.

Responding to the accident were New Jersey State Police, Whitehouse, East Whitehouse and Oldwick fire companies, Whitehouse Rescue Squad and Paramedics from Hunterdon Medical Center.

Craig Turpin contributed to this report.

Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find The Hunterdon County Democrat on Facebook.

NJ.com's complete preview coverage

NJ.com's complete preview coverage

The Alexandria Middle School Dance Department will present its second annual Dance Concert on Friday, March 4 at 6:30 p.m. Watch video

ALEXANDRIA TWP. -- The Alexandria Middle School Dance Department will present its second annual Dance Concert on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

With music by popular artists and alternative composers, 57 sixth, seventh and eighth grade dance majors and minors will perform jazz, tap and modern dance choreography led by teacher Meg Regan.

WATCH: Ribbon dance at middle school

Thinking beyond the general requirements of art programs in public schools, Alexandria Middle School has challenged itself in creating a curriculum that embraces art, theater and vocal and instrumental music, as well as dance.

Instead of sampling each class once a week like other districts, students who get exposure to the programs in elementary school are required to "major" or focus on one branch of the arts and minor in other areas from sixth through the eighth grades. The program is now in its fifth year.

 

Meet the dancers: 

• Emelie Gavin, Alena Graziani, Amanda Metenosky, Philip Sosidko, Katherine Stamaglia, Reily Thomas and Kerry Walsh perform The Chosen to the song "The Vampire's of Venice" by Murrary Gold.
• Jacqueline DiPaulo, Elizabeth Flower, Matthew Garambone, Brianna Guiliano, Brian Kelin, Emma Power, Ezekial Stettler, Sophia Walker and Sarah Wardach perform Tap it UP to the song "Good to be Alive" by Andy Grammer.
• Kaleigh Higgins, Jamie Janetzko, Alyssa Moody, Maddisyn Ripp and Rylie Roch perform The Tunnel to the songs "Fear" and "Tense" by Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet.
• Emelie Gavin, Alena Graziani, Amanda Metenosky, Philip Sosidko, Katherine Stramaglia, Reily Thomas and Kerry Walsh perform the song "Greased Lightning" by the cast of "Glee."
• Lyla Fritsche, Logan Gossett, Dennis Lane, William Manno, Eleanor McNamara, Julia Meyko, Eryn Mikulicz, Derek Rutenberg, John Sedlacek, Samantha Snowden, Samantha Spota, Sean St. Clair, Eva Toye and Tyler Unkert perform Sun Tap to the song "Hold My Hand" by Jess Glynne.
• Logan de los Santos, Hannah Fey, Kenneth Hunt, Keire Janetzko, Alexis Judge, William Kaufman, Emily Kryanski, Alyssa McGothlin, Annabelle Niebuhr, Sophia Nuijens and Charli Jo Wagstaff perform All Systems Go, The Sun Hasn't Died to the song "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons.
• Kaleigh Higgins, Jamie Janetzko, Alyssa Moody, Maddisyn Ripp and Rylie Roch perform the song "Burning Gold" by Christina Perry.
• Logan de los Santos, Hannah Fey, Kenneth Hunt, Keire Janetzko, Alexis Judge, William Kaufman, Emily Kryanski, Alyssa McGothlin, Annabelle Niebuhr, Sophia Nuijens and Charli Jo Wagstaff perform Crazy's What They Think About Me to the song "The Walker" by Fitz and the Tantrums.
• Madeline Bill, Michael Bonaguidi, Thomas Chiappa, Madelynn Gill, Gabriella Klein, Andrew Larsen, Alexander Laughton, Om Modi, Charlie Neibuhr, Ryan Sutter and Robert Zelley perform White Bright to the song "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk.

Emily Cummins may be reached at ecummins@njadvancemedia.com Follow her on Twitter @EmilyACummins and Facebook. 

This year's Lambertville's Shad Run 5K will benefit the Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance and Rescue Squad and the Friends of Ely Park.

LAMBERTVILLE - This year's fifth annual Shad Run 5K and 1-mile Health Walk will benefit the Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance and Rescue Squad and the Friends of Ely Park.

The race takes place April 16 and runs through Lambertville, including part of teh D&R Canal. Runner packet pick up takes place 6-8 p.m. April 15 at Stoneking Physical Therapy and Wellness Center, sponsors of the annual race, and on April 16 starting at 7:30 a.m. in Ely Park.

Photos from 2015 Shad Festival

The 5K race starts at 8:45 a.m., the 1-mile Health Walk at 9 a.m. and the award ceremony is at 10 a.m.

The race helps set the stage for the 34th annual Shad Festival, which place April 30-May 1.

The American Red Cross is working with Lambertville to offer free smoke alarms to city residents who need them.

LAMBERTVILLE - The American Red Cross' Home Fire Campaign comes to the city Saturday when firefighters and volunteers will be offering to install free smoke alarms and distribute fire safety information.

The Lambertville Office of Emergency Management and Lambertville Fire Department have partnered with the Red Cross for the campaign, it was announced in a release.

Teams of volunteers will be visiting approximately 880 homes between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. offering free smoke alarm installations in homes that need them and educating families about fire safety.

A kickoff rally with Mayor David DelVecchio and the volunteers is planned for 8:30 a.m. at Lambertville Fire Station One, 230 North Main St.

A series of improvements at the boat ramp at Round Valley Reservoir will help alleviate congestion, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The state Department of Environmental Protection plans a series of improvements for boating and parking access this summer at the Round Valley Reservoir boat ramp in Clinton Township, it was announced Thursday.

Heavy traffic at the boat ramp on summer weekends in recent years because of increased interest in kayaking and paddle-boarding, along with use by traditional users such as boaters and anglers, has resulted in crowded conditions at the ramp, according to a news release.

"Round Valley Reservoir is truly one of New Jersey's greatest outdoor recreation areas," said Richard Boornazian, assistant commissioner of Natural and Historic Resources. "These improvements will greatly enhance the opportunities for anglers and boaters to access the reservoir, while at the same time help to alleviate crowding issues at the boat ramp."

Ongoing work at the reservoir, to be completed this month, includes an expansion of the boat ramp parking lot to allow for easier maneuverability of vehicles towing boats, and access to additional shoreline for those that wish to hand-carry their boats to launch.

Ghost town at bottom of Round Valley?

The Round Valley Reservoir covers more than 2,000 acres and is approximately 180 feet deep, making it the deepest lake in New Jersey. It has a water capacity of 55 billion gallons.

Other improvements scheduled this year will expand the lower gravel parking lot near the ramp. This additional space will allow vehicles towing boats to turn around and back down the ramp for the first time.

Additionally, the added space will allow vehicles towing boats to park front end in, rather than parallel, creating additional parking spaces that would otherwise be occupied by a vehicle with a trailer parked along the edge of the lot.

A chain link fence at the end of the gravel lot will also be taken down and moved. Although vehicles will not be permitted in this area, boaters will be able to carry their boats, canoes, kayaks and paddle-boards across the field to the reservoir's edge to launch. 

A new, more durable ramp made of concrete sections will be installed at the site of the current gravel launch by next summer.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife, which manages the ramp, has tried to alleviate crowding on summer weekends by hiring seasonal employees to ensure people accessing the ramp hold a mandatory valid fishing license or boat ramp permit.

A total of 41 bridges on Interstate 78 in Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset counties will be worked on this year. Watch video

Work on 41 bridges along stretches of Interstate 78 in Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset counties will begin Monday, the New Jersey Department of Transportation announced Friday.

The nearly $2.2 million federally-funded preventative bridge maintenance project will continue through the end of the year. Work includes deck patching, curb repair, expansion joint reconstruction, header reconstruction, sidewalk repair, deck crack repairs, cleaning of drainage systems, power washing and the application of a corrosion inhibitor, according to a news release.

Power Concrete Co., Inc. is scheduled to begin bridge work Monday on Tunnel Road under Interstate 78 in Bethlehem Township in Hunterdon County.

Route 206 closed for repairs to oldest bridge

Work taking place Monday through Friday will be restricted to off-peak hours, mid-morning to mid-afternoon, or overnight hours, and there will be no lane closures. In addition, work will not take place on more than two bridges at the same time.

Temporary lane closures may require flag men and alternating traffic on local roads that provide only one travel lane in each direction. 

Work to all 41 bridges will initially begin below each structure, including repairs to abutment walls and piers, epoxy waterproofing and lubrication of bearings. In the spring, work will switch onto the other areas of the bridges, as weather permits.  

N.J. may be losing the battle against bridges

Bridge work will move eastward along Interstate 78 through Union, Clinton, Readington and Tewksbury townships in Hunterdon County and end in Bedminster in Somerset County.

Additional work will also take place on the bridges located westward from Bethlehem along Interstate 78 in Bloomsbury in Hunterdon County, as well as in Franklin and Greenwich townships in Warren County.

Some of the bridges carry the expressway over local roads, while others carry local roads over the expressway.

Recent projects along Interstate 78 in Central Jersey include a 2012 repaving project along the stretch of the expressway in Warren County owned by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, bridge painting projects in Hunterdon and Somerset counties in 2013 and, in 2008, a $16.6 million, 8-mile paving project in Hunterdon County.

An leaking underground gas tank at the police station was removed in 1995, but problems remain.

RARITAN TWP. -- Officials here can keep paying annual costs of monitoring contamination from an underground gas storage tank removed decades ago, or they can bite the bullet and clean up the situation once and for all.

"My recommendation is for excavation as soon as possible, to stop incurring costs," Township Engineer Antoine Hajjar said at Tuesday's Township Committee meeting.

A leaking tank was removed from beside the township police station in 1995, but the township is still dealing with contamination, monitoring groundwater in a series of wells, Hajjar said. He was seeking $7,500 to pay for a remedial investigation report that must be submitted to the state Department of Environmental Protection in early May.

Asked how much the contamination has cost the township to date, Hajjar estimated total costs at $185,000. In 2013 the township spent $60,000 putting in sampling wells to delineate the contaminated area and filing forms with the state DEP on preliminary assessments. Annual costs come to $10,000 or more, one expert said.

After the initial tank removal and cleanup, the township adopted a sort of "wait and see" approach to remedying any remaining contamination. Equity Environmental Engineering has been following the situation for the township, and Peter Jaran from Equity was at Tuesday's meeting. "The latest approach has been to let organisms take care of it," Jaran said of the contamination.

However, little has changed, he said. "The problem is the geology" where the gas tank was located, he said, calling it a "bathtub situation."

"There's bedrock forming a cradle to keep it all in place," Jaran said. That's good news for neighboring homes that rely on well water. Regular tests of residents' water and of 21 test wells dug by the township -- some into shallow soil and some into bedrock -- show contamination hasn't spread, but neither has it disappeared.

"Basically, we have to pay a fee every year for water testing," Hajjar told the committee. 

N.J. ruling on pollution cheered

Jaran said the excavation work would entail moving an above-ground gas storage tank that now sits at the site, removing soil and treating it, then refilling the excavation.

Asked what the township Department of Public Works could handle, Jaran said no special training would be necessary to remove the top 3 feet of soil or to put the treated soil back. "You'd have some savings, but not much," he said, adding that township workers "don't have the licensing to handle" contaminated soil.

The excavation would have to be 12 feet deep in one area, and 17 to 18 feet deep by the tank, meaning removal and treatment of about 5,000 cubic yards of material, Jaran said. Cost estimates from several years ago were $411,000, or $384,000 if Public Works employees help out. Jaran said his company would update those figures.

Once the township files a plan to remedy the contamination, it has five years to complete it. "Every year you don't take care of it, you're going to have to submit forms and pay fees," Hajjar said.

The committee made no decision on the remediation plan on Tuesday night. The money for the report that's due is included in the Department of Public Works' budget request, and Jaran said he'd need a purchase order within a couple of weeks to start work, so he can get the report done by the deadline.

Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find The Hunterdon County Democrat on Facebook.

The cause of Friday's accident on Interstate 78 in Hunterdon County is still under investigation.

TEWKSBURY -- A driver from Illinois is in critical condition following a tractor-trailer accident on the eastbound side of Interstate 78 Friday morning that caused major delays.

Frederick DeFilippi, 60, from Bradford, Ill., was driving a 2014 Freightliner tractor and towing a bulldozer on a flatbed trailer when the accident occurred, said New Jersey State Police Sgt. Gregory Williams.

"The accident is still under investigation and a cause has not been determined," Williams said, noting that it was snowing and the roadway was wet when the accident happened at 6:04 a.m.

Major delays follow truck crash

DeFilippi lost control of the tractor-trailer around mile marker 24.5, and it went off the left side of the road and hit a guardrail, Williams said. The bulldozer came off the trailer and ended up blocking the center lane of the highway. The tractor ended up on the left shoulder and left lane of the highway.

DeFilippi was taken to Morristown Medical Center, where he was still in critical condition early Friday afternoon, Williams said. No information was available from the hospital late Friday afternoon on his condition.

Williams said the accident caused a diesel fuel and oil spill that was cleaned up by a hazmat team.

By 6:30 a.m., eastbound traffic stretched back about 4 miles behind the accident site. By 8:45 a.m., traffic was backed up to around Exit 11 in Union Township, and the state Department of Transportation was reporting heavy traffic on southbound Routes 31 and 22 as a result. Some motorists reported delays of more than two hours. By the evening commute, traffic was back to normal.

Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find The Hunterdon County Democrat on Facebook.

The case is being made that kids who don't get enough "Vitamin N" – nature – aren't as physically and mentally healthy as those who do.

The State We're In

By Michele S. Byers

Executive Director

New Jersey Conservation Foundation

Who's afraid of the great outdoors?

Quite a few folks, it turns out. According to Juan Martinez of the Children & Nature Network, urban dwellers, minorities and members of the millennial generation are among those who may find nature intimidating.

"Often times, the outdoors is perceived as something you have to have knowledge and experience to access," Juan explains.

If people aren't aware of parks and nature preserves near them, or don't know what to expect once they get there, he said, they're more likely to spend free time engaged in sedentary, indoor activities.

That's where the Children & Nature Network comes in. The nonprofit organization's mission is to fuel a grassroots movement to reconnect children and their parents with nature.

How to get children to play outdoors

The Children & Nature Network was co-founded by author Richard Louv after the 2005 publication of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder."  The book makes the case that kids who don't get enough "Vitamin N" - nature - aren't as physically and mentally healthy as those who do.

Louv's 2011 book, "The Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age," extends the conversation to adults. It explores the question: "What could our lives and our children's lives be like if our days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?"

Juan directs leadership programs for the Children & Nature Network, helping empower children, young adults and communities to reap the physical and mental health benefits of spending time outdoors.

He promotes family nature clubs to educate kids and parents about nature, and "take the fear out of going outside." He also heads the Natural Leaders Network, which teaches outdoor skills to young professionals in the millennial age group so they can become the next generation of outdoor ambassadors.

Juan is inspired by personal experience. Raised in inner-city Los Angeles, he had little exposure to the outdoors until, in trouble at high school, he was given a choice between detention and joining the Eco Club. He chose the latter.

Kids learn outside rain or shine

Through the Eco Club, he started growing jalapeno peppers in a garden plot. It was a small step, but it made a huge difference. "That was the only thing that kept me going to school," he recalls.

Once exposed to the outdoors, he wanted to learn more. He went on an ecology trip to the Grand Tetons and decided to make outdoor leadership his life's work. In addition to his position at the Children & Nature Network, he's a National Geographic Explorer and TED speaker.

Juan will be keynote speaker at the 20th annual New Jersey Land Conservation Conference on Friday, March 18, in Trenton.

One of his messages, he said, will be that organizations preserving land in New Jersey must engage youth and diverse communities if they want to remain relevant in the coming century.

"We've got to understand that cultures and people are changing," he said. Organizations promoting parks and preserves will have to reach out to new constituencies in many ways: through youth activities, social media, attending cultural festivals and translating maps and materials into other languages.

And he is confident that a new generation of outdoor ambassadors can teach people to love - not fear - the outdoors. After all, he's living proof.

"If a kid from south central LA who was about to become a gang member can grow up to be a National Geographic Explorer," he told an audience at a TED Talk, "don't ever in your life doubt what you can do."

Learn more about connecting with nature by visiting the Children & Nature Network website. Also, check out more about the New Jersey Land Conservation Conference online.

And to learn more about preserving New Jersey's land and natural resources, go to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation website or contact me at info@njconservation.org.

Famed Union Hotel will come down in proposed development

Building after building, the silent witnesses to history line block after block of Main Street in Flemington.

The Greek Revival courthouse. The Italianate clock tower. The Union Hotel, with its French-style mansard roof. The Victorian Era mansions turned into professional offices.

Each old building holds a chapter in the town's rambling narrative.

One building was once the paper haven for major corporations, like the Cayman Islands are today.

Back in 1937, Flemington dropped its corporate tax rate. Suddenly, the town best known for eggs, peaches, pottery and the Lindbergh baby trial, became home to Standard Oil, Eastman Kodak, Borden, Quaker Oats and James Buchanan Duke's American Tobacco. Most were registered in the law firm of Judge George K. Large. The state Legislature put an end to it in 1945.

The Large family has many intersections with New Jersey history. George K.'s father, Judge George H., was a state Senate president and the last surviving player from the 1869 Rutgers-Princeton football game. He was a Rutgers man.

George K. was an assistant prosecutor in the 1935 trial of Bruno Hauptmann, and the government team, led by Attorney General David T. Wilentz, huddled in the firm's Greek Revival mansion at 117 Main St.

It is a block from the courthouse, where Hauptmann was found guilty and sentenced to die, and the Union Hotel, where the jury was sequestered and where the most famous names of the day in journalism stayed.

Stand there now and Main Street looks much like it did in the 1930s, when the world came to Flemington. Actually it looks much like it did in the 1880s, when the last of the Victorian-era downtown buildings and homes went up.

The law firm remains, the old courthouse is restored and still used, and many of the surrounding buildings are in pristine condition.

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

But the world doesn't come to Flemington anymore. There's not even a place to get a drink in town, a far cry from black-and-white photos of the fedora-wearing press corps packing the bar at the Union Hotel during the Hauptmann trial.

The hotel has been closed since 2008 and a major proposal for downtown revitalization says it, and two other historic Main Street buildings, will be torn down.

So now Flemington is at another juncture of its history.

The developers want to build a massive "lifestyle center" that will endure for the next hundred-plus years.

An artist's rendering of "The Stagecoach at Flemington" lifestyle center developmentCourtesy of Jack Cust, Jr. 

But some people want the past incorporated and are asking that the facades of the historic buildings be preserved.

"Nobody objects to the idea," said Betsy McKenzie of Flemington, a professional planner who will be a panelist at the New Jersey Future Redevelopment Forum in New Brunswick this week.

"But it needs to be invested in Flemington's character, not look like something that can be built anywhere."

Architect Chris Pickell, whose office is in a restored Main Street Victorian, agrees.

"The town should organically grow from what it has," he said. "Not look like a place that could be anywhere. It should be done by incorporating our buildings, not generically."

In the proposal by local entrepreneur Jack Cust Jr., the hotel and two, fully restored period buildings would come down to make way for a landscape changing development called "The Stagecoach at Flemington."

Jack Cust Jr. (right) chats with developer Don Schuman, after the unveiling of Cust's proposal for downtown Flemington last week.Sallie Graziano/Hunterdon County Democrat 

The plan is far from finalized, but it includes a new 100-room hotel, 230 to 250 condos above retails shops, a hidden parking deck for 900 cars, and a six-story building Cust hopes will house a college or professional school.

Cust says the new development plaza will open to the old courthouse and a Lindbergh trial exhibit will be part of the new hotel.

"We're not forgetting the history," he said. "The courthouse anchors the project.

"But trying to save those three buildings defeats the criteria of a sweeping, comprehensive change in the downtown. We looked at it. There is no way to efficiently build around those buildings."

Pickell, McKenzie and Frank Banisch, a well-known planner and preservationist who also has a Main Street office, said they want to approach Cust with a plan to save at least the facades of the three buildings.

"We're not against the project," Banisch said. "But we think these buildings can be the portal to what he wants to build."

Cust said he'll listen.

"But it has to be economically viable and it has to attract people," he said.

That is the bottom line for Cust: a new life for the downtown and new blood for the region.

"We have to find a way to keep young people not just in Flemington, but in all of Hunterdon County," Cust said. "We have a declining population and an aging population. We need something to attract them."

Cust said he's not ruling out a performing arts center, something that has bolstered downtowns as different as Newark and Morristown, and Rahway and Englewood. Again, he's talking to a nonprofit performing arts group about creating a theater.

"If it brings in people and it makes sense, I'm all for it," he said.

In 1997, Cust started a baseball academy on the outskirts of town that has grown exponentially. "Diamond Nation" brings about 120,000 overnight visitors a year for training and tournaments, and another 300,000 day trippers.

"The number one complaint I get is there is nothing to do in Flemington," he said.

Since the hotel closed in 2008, there have been several false starts to getting it restored and re-opened. A condo plan was rejected. A restaurant and hotel plan ran aground in the muck of politics and business-partner infighting. Meanwhile, the downtown languishes, sleepier than it was when the Union Hotel was a stage stop.

Everybody agrees it's time to move forward. The question is, at what cost to the past?

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.

Showcasing their best and tastiest meals, 14 local businesses are offering prix fixe menus and other specials.

FLEMINGTON -- With more restaurants, cafes and bakeries open than ever before, the toughest part of Flemington Restaurant Week is deciding where to go.

Showcasing their best and tastiest meals, 14 local businesses are offering prix fixe menus and other specials.

The event is organized by The Flemington Business Improvement District and The Flemington Restaurant Association and runs from Monday, March 7 through Sunday, March 13. Reservations are recommended.

Click on the links for full restaurant week menus and view the map below for locations and contact information.

Matt's Red Rooster Grill 

The three-course menu for $33 at Matt's Red Rooster Grill includes soup or salad, and entrees including bacon wrapped meatloaf, grilled salmon with a dill chive chimichurri  and artichoke, lemon and asparagus pasta topped with aged Parmesan cheese. Finish with white chocolate macadamia nut bread pudding for dessert.

Mangia Bene

For $26.95 enjoy your choice of salad, soup and entrees including rigatoni with chicken and capers in a garlic white wine sauce, pollo saltimbocca, pork pizzaiola and salmon with cognac dijon sauce. Finish with tiramisu, cheese cake or flour-less chocolate cake for dessert. 

Teaberry's Tea Room

Enjoy Teaberry's Afternoon Tea Service for $25 including a small pot of tea from more than 100 varieties, a cup of soup du jour or lobster bisque, assorted tea sandwiches and warm scones with lemon curd, clotted cream and preserves.

Garden State Salad

On Saturday, March 12, join Garden State Salad for a Restaurant Week special luncheon from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For $16 enjoy soup or salad with your choice of entree including New York Strip Steak au poivre with green peppercorn, cornish hen with portobello mushroom stuffing and marsala sauce, grilled wild tuna marinated with rosemary and olive oil and vegan Moroccan chickpea stew. Finish with a chocolate apricot sacher torte or strawberry and orange Grand Marnier Crepe Suzette.

Market Roost 

Enjoy a prix fixe three-course menu for $20 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday featuring choices like coconut shrimp spring rolls, tarragon chicken breast salad, Thai style pork wrap, chicken quesadilla wedges and baked French brie.

Caffe Cicchetti 

For $29, try the tasting menu featuring Arance salad, salmon cakes, panko crusted chicken milanese, linguine with mussels and shrimp, homemade gelato and mini cannoli. 

Brunello Trattoria

Two-course lunches and 3-course dinners are available Tuesday through Sunday for $19.95 and $29.95 featuring poached pear salad, Chicken ala Brunello, stuffed flounder and homemade bread pudding.

Greensleeves Bakery 

Enjoy a free cup of coffee with the purchase of a morning pastry. 

Shaker Cafe 

Try the soup, sandwich and fountain drink combo for $9.95.

Chive & Thyme

Enjoy 10 percent off lunch menu items.

Theresa's Cafe 

Get a free beverage with purchase of breakfast or lunch with mention of Restaurant Week.

Chick-Fil-A 

Try grilled nuggets at8 for $3.99  and a small Superfood Salad for $2.69.

Menus and specials were not immediately available for Main Street Bagel and The Grill Shack.

Emily Cummins may be reached at ecummins@njadvancemedia.com Follow her on Twitter @EmilyACummins and Facebook.

A three-alarm house fire on Far Knoll Lane in Readington Township was quickly extinguished by firefighters Sunday morning.

READINGTON TWP.-- A three-alarm house fire on Far Knoll Lane in Readington Township was quickly extinguished by firefighters Sunday morning.

First reported as a dryer fire, police were called to the home just after 10:30 a.m. as smoke was seen coming from inside, and the fire was knocked down before 11 a.m.

88-year-old woman victim of fatal Readington fire 

As firefighters overhauled the scene, the washer and dryer from inside the home were taken outside. As of 12:30 p.m. Readington Township Police and Township Fire Marshal Peter Coughlin remained on the scene to investigate the fire.

Responding were Readington Township Police, East Whitehouse Fire Department, Whitehouse Fire Department, Readington Fire Department, Three Bridges Fire Department , Lebanon Boro Fire Department, North Branch Fire, Department, Flemington Fire FAST Team and Whitehouse Rescue Squad.

Readington Township Police were not immediately available for more information.

Emily Cummins may be reached at ecummins@njadvancemedia.com Follow her on Twitter @EmilyACummins and Facebook.

Hunterdon County letter writers take a congressman to task for not protecting the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and worry about the environmental impact of cheap gas.

By Amelia Weeder

Clinton Township

To the editor:

I am disappointed that U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance recently voted against protecting the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

I traveled down to Washington, D.C. last spring and met with Lance personally to express my support, and support from across the district, for protecting this valuable habitat by designating it as a Wilderness Area. 

The Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act is named for two great American visionaries: Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who set aside the core of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 1960, and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Morris Udall from Arizona, who succeeded in doubling its size in 1980.

The amendment considered by the House of Representatives on Feb. 26 honored the bipartisan legacy that this legislation has enjoyed for decades. It was co-sponsored by both Democratic and Republican members of the House, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California) and

Huffman (D-CA) and U.S. Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania) and supported by 186 members across both parties.

Great Falls of Paterson need protection

The Arctic Refuge is one of America's last truly wild places. Its Coastal Plain supports large populations of caribou, polar bears, and more than 135 species of migratory birds from all 50 states that congregate there each summer. 

This small, unique, sheltered strip of land is the sole nesting/birthing grounds and nursery for these species. It would be devastating to lose it.  

When the amendment came to the floor of the House, it was the first opportunity in 30 years for representatives to register their support for maintaining the Coastal Plain as a wilderness area. Lance chose not to do so.  

As part of our public lands system designated for use by all Americans, I hope Representative Lance will, in the future, chose to support protection of the Arctic Coastal Plain.

To the editor:

When I drive by a gas station and see a cash price of $1.49 or less my heart takes a little jump for joy.

"Oh boy" I think, "my pay check is going to go farther this month!"

But then I realize, lower gas prices do not mean lower emissions, and my joy-jumping heart starts to slump with the reality that most people will drive a few more frivolous miles as a result. 

And if that isn't bad enough, lower fuel prices will discourage people from investing in cleaner energy because why should they when fuel is so cheap.

Unfortunately, we are only seeing the advertised cost. We are not seeing (and for some of us, not believing) the cost of climate change and global warming such as: pollution, health deterioration, extreme weather conditions, loss of species, rising oceans, severe droughts and loss of farmland.

However, we are paying for these costs, and dearly.

How low will N.J. gas prices go?

There is a way to make these costs come out into the open, distribute them more fairly to the organizations that add to them, and foster more motivation to utilize cleaner energy.

Citizens' Climate Lobby, a nonpartisan group, has come up with an idea to tackle carbon emissions and make a real difference in addressing climate change. I'm all for hanging my laundry on the line and keeping my thermostat lower in winter, but these are just raindrops in the ocean of carbon emissions. We need an extensive national program to make identifiable headway on such a pervasive problem.

The main premise is that producers of fossil fuel will pay a fee at the source based on carbon emissions of that fuel before it is distributed to the users.

Of course, they will pass that fee on to the consumers, and so, to offset that and not put undo strain on the average American consumer, that fee will be distributed back to the American Public, via a rebate. As the costs rise to produce fossil fuels, switching to cleaner alternative energy will become more attractive and expedient.

Citizens' Climate Lobby has created a plan that can be enacted, take effect, and immediately address the actual cost of using fossil fuels. It is nonpartisan, as is clean air, and can be supported by any individual and any political party.

Citizens' Climate Lobby is a non-profit, grassroots, advocacy organization focused on pricing carbon to address climate change. Find out more about Citizens' Climate Lobby online.

Lea Plummer
Stockton