NJ Undercover Operation Results in Drug Charges for Easton Man

Jermaine Grant
Photo courtesy of the
Hunterdon County
Prosecutor's Office

An Easton man is one of 47 people charged with possession of heroin or intent to distribute the illegal drug, Hunterdon County New Jersey Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III announced today.

Jermaine Grant, 26, of Easton, faces unspecified charges as part of a 10-month long police operation that aimed to disrupt heroin trafficking in Hunterdon County, NJ, the prosecutor's office reported.

"Operation Day Tripper" targeted heroin traffickers and consumers who allegedly traveled regularly, some daily, to and from "source" cities, including Newark and Trenton, NJ, as well as Easton, for their illegal drugs, the prosecutor's office said.

A media release announcing the busts did not name the specific charges Grant faces.

Kearns also said that Hunterdon County is a gateway for drug distribution in New Jersey, due to Interstate 78 running through it, and the area has also seen a "dramatic spike" in gang activity.

“We aren’t going to sugarcoat this. This county has drug dealers, drug addicts, and street gangs, and they are affecting the quality of life here,” Kearns added in the release.

This Week in Easton, April 22 to 25

This week begins with a former President coming to the city, and the rest of the week has plenty to offer too...

Monday, April 22

Former President Jimmy Carter: 4 p.m.  Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, talks about his work on behalf of human rights, democracy, and peace at the Carter Center, which he founded in 1982. Tickets required in the case of inclement weather, in which case the event will be moved indoors. Lafayette College, Oeschle Hall. Click here for more information.

Easton Area High School Jazz Ensemble: 6 p.m. Free. Rivals, 5 Lehn's Court (just off Centre Square). 610-392-2932 or www.rivalseaston.com

Wilson Area School District Excellence in Education Committee meeting: 6:15 p.m. William P. Tollinger Administration Building, 2040 Washington Blvd., Wilson Borough.

Wilson Borough Council meeting: 7 p.m. 2040 Hay Terrace, Wilson Borough.

Tuesday, April 23

Duplicate Bridge: 11:30 a.m. Temple Covenant of Peace, 1451 Northampton St.

Grace Gate Dedication: 2 p.m. A public celebration of the completion of Grace Gate by renowned scuptor Willie Cole. Parking available at the Lafayette College parking lot at the corner of North Third and Snyder streets, with shuttle service to the event site. Free. Dedication is at the Grace Gate, along the Karl Stirner Arts Trail. Click here for more information.

Easton City Council committee meeting: 6 p.m. City Hall, city council chambers, 6th floor, 1 South Third St.

Palmer Township Board of Supervisors meeting: 7 p.m. In the Palmer Library meeting room, at the Municipal Complex, 1 Weller Place (off of Newburg Road), Palmer Township.

Forks Township Planning Commission workshop meeting: 7 p.m. Forks Township Municipal Complex, 1606 Sullivan Trail, Forks Township.

Wednesday, April 24

Rovers Football Jerseys Sale: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Easton Area School District Athletic Department is selling game-used jerseys. $25 for one, or $40 for a home/away set. Cash only, no refunds. Easton Area High School, equipment room, 25th Street and William Penn Highway, Palmer Township. www.eastonfootball.org

Easton City Council meeting: 6 p.m. City Hall, city council chambers, 6th floor, 1 South Third St. College Hill Presbyterian Church, 501 Brodhead St.

Palmer Township Environmental Steering Committee meeting: A session will be held from 6:30 to 7 p.m. to answer questions related to the new waste and recycling system that will be implemented beginning on May 1. Regular meeting at 7 p.m. In the Palmer Library meeting room, at the Municipal Complex, 1 Weller Place (off of Newburg Road), Palmer Township.

Williams Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting: 7 p.m. Williams Township Municipal Complex, 655 Cider Press Road, Williams Township.

Brosky & Meyers: 7 p.m. The Widow's Tavern, 200 Main St., Stockertown. 610-365-8890 or www.widowstavern.com

Texas Hold'em: 7 & 9 p.m. Free. La Pazza, 1251 Ferry St. 610-515-0888 or www.lapazza.com

Traditional Irish open jam session: 7:30 p.m. Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. 610-250-6561 or www.porterspubeaston.com

Jam Session: 8 p.m. Rivals, 5 Lehn's Court (just off Centre Square). 610-392-2932 or www.rivalseaston.com

Thursday, April 25

Open Arms Senior Connection Open House: 9 to 10:30 a.m. Celebrating its third anniversary. Arndt's Lutheran Church, 1851 Arndt Road, Forks Township. 610-253-0726

Cops 'n Kids Reading Room open: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Children receive three free books for visiting. Easton Area Community Center, back entrance, 901 Washington St. 610-250-6562

Spring Lecture Series: 7 p.m. Donald Young presents "Steam Railroads of Great Britain". Sponsored by the National Canal Museum. Admission is $5 for members, $7 for non-members. Elaine and Peter Emrick Technology Center at Hugh Moore Park, 2750 Hugh Moore Park Road. 610-991-0503

"How Do We Guarantee Clean Water?": 7 to 8 p.m. The last of a four-part series on drinking water being held in Easton by the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center. Free. Nurture Nature Center, 518 Northampton St. For more information or to register for a workshop, call 610-746-2809.

Yan Carlos Sanchez: 8 p.m. Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. 610-250-6561 or www.porterspubeaston.com

Bring (or wear) Your Own Vinyl night: 8 p.m. to midnight. With DJ Will. Black & Blue, 683 Walnut St. 610-438-3604 or www.blackandblueeaston.com

Karaoke: 8 p.m. Riegelsville Tavern, 1274 Easton Road, Riegelsville. 610-510-3030 or www.riegelsvilletavern.com

Last Small Town: 9 p.m. Two Rivers Brewing Company, 542 Northampton St. 610-829-1131 or www.tworiversbrewing.com

Hootchie Cootchie Men: 9:30 p.m. Pearly Bakers, 11 Centre Square. 610-253-9949 or www.pearlybakers.net

"This Week in Easton" lists what's happening during the weekdays, from special events to who's playing to government meetings, all in one handy place. Not just in the City of Easton, but for the entire greater Easton area...Published every Monday morning!

Is there a community or entertainment event you'd like to see here? Are you organizing something you'd like to have posted? Did we miss something? Email us!

Updated at 8:47 p.m. Correction made to reflect that this week's Easton City Council meeting is on College Hill, Wednesday, April 24, at 3:48 p.m.

College Hill House Burglarized While Men Distract Residents

An elderly College Hill couple's house was burglarized Friday afternoon, after two men kept the residents occupied on false pretences, Easton Police report.

On April 19, at approximately 2 p.m., the two residents were outside when they were approached by the men, who posed as contractors and/or Verizon employees, police said.

One man reportedly told the female resident that the pair was there to repair a neighbor's fence, while the other man told the woman's husband that they were Verizon employees replacing telephone poles in the neighborhood.

While speaking with the husband, the second man was reportedly talking on his cell phone  with a third man, who he called "Billy".

At some point while the couple was occupied speaking with the two men, their house in the 600 block of Reeder Street was burgled, police said.

Cash and coins were reportedly among the items taken.

The first man was described to police as a middle-aged white male, about 5-feet-7-inches tall, about 190 pounds, with short brown hair. He was wearing khaki pants and bluish
short-sleeved shirt.

One witness added that he had “a big smile and all of his teeth”

The second man was described as amiddle-aged white or Hispanic male, about 5-feet-9-inches tall, about 160 pounds, with short dark hair and dark eyes. He was  wearing blue jeans and a short-sleeved shirt. Additionally, he was reported to have "a wrap" around his right hand.

"The public should be cognizant of this incident in the event a similar ploy is tried on anybody else in the future," EPD warned in a media release.

Anyone with any information about this incident or similar ones is asked to contact Detective Christopher Miller of the Easton Police Department at 610-250-6656 or the Easton police tipline 610-250-6635.

Scene in Easton: The Fifth Annual Easton Pub Crawl

About 400 people hit the streets of Easton Saturday for the Fifth Annual Easton Pub Crawl. With only one thing in mind--having a great time--the event seemed to be a hit with all.

The first $4,000 raised by the event went to the Easton Business Association, with the remaining income from the eve day going to the Easton Main Street Initiative.

Beginning at Champ's Corner, Larry Holmes' restaurant on the riverside street named for the former world heavyweight champion, pub crawlers were transported by trolley to a choice of other participating establishments and then "crawled" the streets to each of the others along the way for a chance to win gift cards at the end of the night.

Participating bars included Porters' Pub, Black and Blue, Two Rivers Brewing Company, the Lafayette Bar, Maxim's 22, Pearly Bakers and Drinky's.

An after-party at Rivals Sports Bar capped the evening, where the pub crawlers were treated to food and danced the night away.

 



Note: To The Easton Eccentric's extreme frustration, an error occurred during the photo upload process which apparently corrupted some of the information on our camera card. Unfortunately, all of the photos from the Rival after-party, many of which were quite awesome, were cast into electronic oblivion. We have been attempting to negotiate with the proper technical deities for their return, though so far they have not favored us. We will continue to offer prayers to the gods of all things technical  (in the form of  specialized retrieval and recovery programs)  in the hope that our fortunes in this matter may change for the better. Please stop back again on this page later to see if we've been successful.

This has never happened before, in more than 30,000 photos taken over the photographer's career, and we sincerely hope it never happens ever again!

Karl Stirner Arts Trail Gets a Spring Cleaning



Volunteers from the College Hill Neighborhood Association, from left to right,
Josh Rae, Liz and Jerry Nissen, Nancy Amacker, and Jim and Christina Helms.
Photo by Becky Bradley

About 40 concerned citizens came together to give some TLC to the Karl Stirner Arts Trail Saturday morning.

Included in the mix were Friends of the Karl Stirner Arts Trail, members of the College Hill Neighborhood Association, members of the Delta Upsilon fraternity at Lafayette College, representatives from the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership, and even whole families who just enjoy the bit of nature the trail offers in the midst of the City of Easton.



Two volunteers prepare tree protectors for the many young
saplings along the Karl Stirner Arts Trail during the clean up
event on Saturday morning.
Photo by Brian Gish.



 

The second annual spring clean up event was sponsored by the city's planning department, whose staff also got their hands dirty to beautify the trail which included adding tree protection to saplings, picking up trash, and generally sprucing things up for the many residents and visitors who regularly stroll, hike, bike, and fish along the path that skirts the Bushkill Creek.



West Ward resident Jim Bloom, Chief City Planner
(and Downtown resident) Brian Gish, and Charles Elliot,
a Downtown business owner, College Hill resident
 and chairman of the Easton Planning Commission,
take a moment to admire the results of their labor.
Photo by Becky Bradley.




One young volunteer noted that while the event was planned and organized by adults, kids such as himself make a serious contribution that shouldn't be underestimated.

"Kids are more efficient than adults because adults just watch the news and drink beer," he reportedly told Chief City Planner Brian Gish.


  

Volunteers Owen Amacker, 8, Georgina Amacker, 5, and
Bianca Sessegilo, 11, take a brief break from their trail clean
up efforts Saturday morning.
Photo by Becky Bradley.



And, while the Karl Stirner Arts Trail has been open for nearly two years and even includes a dog park for the city's canine residents and their humans to enjoy, there are still more improvements that have been recently completed and coming in the near future.

The public is invited to a celebration of the trail's new Grace Gate this Tuesday, April 23, at 2 p.m.

The gate was designed and executed by renowned sculptor Willie Cole.

Parking will be available at the Lafayette College parking lot at the corner of North Third Street and Snyder Street, with shuttle service to the event site.

In case of rain, check www.easton-pa.gov for details on an alternate location for the celebration.

For those that missed the event and wish to contribute to city beautification, there is a citywide clean up event planned for next weekend, on Saturday, April 27.

Two Rivers Brewing Unveils New Dining Space

By Christina Georgiou


The newly-constructed bar in one of the second floor dining rooms at
Two Rivers Brewing Company incorporates elements from the old
hotel into its features.

  Two Rivers Brewing Company opened for business to the delight of many several months ago, but completing the renovation of the four-story former Mount Vernon Alehouse is still an ongoing labor of love.

The popular brew pub is one step closer to completion, though, as it will open the second floor to the public this evening, having passed mandatory city inspections on Friday.

The new dining areas will seat about 60 people, plus another 10 on the outside balcony, which affords a good view of the city from atop the hill at Sixth Street.

A second bar has been constructed upstairs too, which incorporates a few relics from the past. Doors from the former hotel rooms that once occupied the dining space form the bar's facing, and paving slate has been reworked to form the bar's surface. The backing of the bar has been designed to match the original restored Sears Roebuck bar that graces the first floor.

Co-owner Troy Reynard said there will be an official grand opening for the second floor space, planned for mid- to late May.

But in the mean time, work will continue on the brewery area, which is scheduled next for completion.

Two Rivers has been serving an array of local and regional craft brews, but when the brewery is complete, the establishment will be serving it's own beers made on the premises, a goal that is expected to be achieved by the end of June.

"It's been a lot of work," Reynard said. "But it's really happening."

Two Arrested After Simultaneous Drug Raids

Two men were arrested early this morning when The Easton Police Vice Narcotics Unit, Special Response Unit and the Pennsylvania State Police Special Emergency Response Team executed two narcotics search warrants simultaneously at 217 Orchard St. and 667 Northampton St., Apt. 3.

Thomas Pollard was taken into custody at the address near the edge of the West Ward and charged with delivery of heroin on an existing arrest warrant, police said in a media release.

Authorities added that heroin was additionally found the address, and Pollard is expected to face the additional charge of possession of heroin as a result.

Troy Myers, taken into custody by the EPD Special Response Unit at 217 Orchard St. in the city's Southside, is to be charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine, after police found crack cocaine at the residence, the media release said.

The arrests and charges are the result of an EPD Vice Unit investigation that targeted street level drug dealers in Easton, police added.