Whitney Houston Laid to Rest in Westfield

Procession arrived at noon Sunday for burial ceremony at Fairview Cemetery. Nearly 100 fans shouted 'We love you, Whitney' as hearse turned into the cemetery.

The vigil at Fairview Cemetery began at first light Sunday morning. There were no mourners, just reporters and photographers mingling congenially as they staked out a good spot for their reports back to the network morning shows or a position for the perfect photo of the funeral procession bringing Whitney Houston to the cemetery for her burial. Police officers arrived before daylight, at 6 a.m., to secure every possible corner of the Fairview property, from the Cranford border along Union County College to the south and E. Broad Street to the north. At the western end of the cemetery, Gallows Hill Road was closed to prevent any neighborhood street from messing up any potential route in which the procession of hearses and limos that would …

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NJP

6:27 pm on Monday, February 20, 2012

Looks like blessingmabar may be "packin" a virus???   more ›

Colleagues Shocked By DeCroce's Death

Local, state officials react to sudden loss of Assembly minority leader.

This story will be updated throughout the day: Local officials and former colleagues expressed shock Tuesday morning after learning Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) collapsed and died suddenly late Monday night at the Statehouse. "I was totally shocked, that was totally unexpected," Butler Mayor Robert Alviene said. "He did what he could for us while he was in power. I'm sure his heart was in the right place all the time for the county here. Im sure he'll be missed." As a result of DeCroce's death, Gov. Chris Christie will postpone his State of the State address, originally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. He is expected to deliver a eulogy to DeCroce instead. Patch will stream Christie's remarks live at 1 p.m…

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Obituaries: Kevin L. Herron, Thomas E. Ekberg

Funeral information on two Basking Ridge residents.

Editor's Note: The following information was taken from the Gallaway & Crane Funeral Home website:  Funeral and obituary information for Kevin L. Herron Home: Basking Ridge, N.J.    Place of Birth: Queens, N.Y. Date of Death: November 28, 2011    Birthdate: August 14, 1991 Age: 20 Mass Service: Saturday, December 3, 2011, 11 a.m., St. James Church, 184 S. Finley Ave., Basking Ridge, N.J. Visitation: Friday, December 2, 2011, 4 to 8 p.m., only at St. James Church, Basking Ridge, N.J. Interment: Holy Cross Cemetery, Basking Ridge, N.J. Biography: Kevin Lynch Herron, age 20, of Basking Ridge, N.J., passed away on November 28, 2011. Kevin graduated from Ridge High School in 2010 and was a student at Raritan Valley Community College. Kevin …

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Photos: Family, Friends Mourn Pete Biondi

Former Hillsborough mayor, county freeholder and state assemblyman died of cancer.

Mourners gathered Monday at United Reformed Church in Somerville to pay their respects to Pete Biondi, the Hillsborough resident known for loving his town. Biondi died Thursday after a bout with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, just two days after winning his re-election bid to the state assembly's 16th district. He was 69, having been born in Newark June 23, 1942. He was raised in Union and lived in Hillsborough for 35 years, according to the funeral program. He is survived by his wife, Joan, his son and daughter, Peter and Jennifer and two grandchildren. His passion for politics and for Hillsborough led him to run for the Township Committee in 1983, and serve as mayor from 1986 to 1993. He is remembered for helping to construct the Hillsborough …

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Obituary: 'American Visionary' Had Family in Basking Ridge

Submitted obituary for John Mark Wehner III.

Editor's Note: The following obituary was submitted by funeral director Marshall Donnelly Combs, 201 25th Ave., North, Nashville, Tenn., 37203. Americana visionary John Mark Wehner, III, died peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011, after a brief illness. He is survived by beloved wife, Mary Leland (Henry), children Amanda Atterbury Wehner, John Phillip Wehner, John Wallace Kinloch, Camille Loitte Kinloch and William Wallace Kinloch, and sister Meredith Wehner Luckewicz (Michael T.) of Basking Ridge, NJ. Wehner is preceded by his parents, Margaret Louise Kline Wehner and John Mark Wehner, Jr. A loving and devoted husband and father, Mark graduated from Radnor High School and Wesley College where he …

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Video Survey: What Do You Think of How Elected Officials Handled Debt Crisis?

A local official and others offered their own insights into the looming crisis over the national debt ceiling.

With a compromise national debt deal awaiting a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate later on Monday, the Basking Ridge Patch asked for observations on the situation from people who were in downtown Basking Ridge on Monday morning. On Monday, Patch interviewed Bernards Township Committeeman Scott Spitzer; Eli Chaoui, owner of Eli's Tailor Shop; John Fry, freshman football coach at Ridge High School; and Brian Nielson, who lives in Woodbridge, but works in Basking Ridge. Additional interviews will follow on Tuesday.

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Mary Elizabeth Carpenter, 90, Mother of Township Committeeman John Carpenter

Mrs. Carpenter was longtime resident of Basking Ridge.

 Mary Elizabeth Carpenter, 90, of Basking Ridge, passed away on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at her home surrounded by her family. Born in New York City, N.Y., she had resided in Basking Ridge for the past 42 years. Mary graduated from the College of Mount St. Vincent , Bronx, N.Y. receiving a BA degree in history. She was an avid reader, crossword puzzle enthusiast, and a parishioner of St. James Church. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Frederick; three children, John and Ann of Basking Ridge and Peter of Hopkinton, N.H.; her brother, George Moore of Madison; and sister Regina Boyle of Basking Ridge; as well as eight grandchildren. A Liturgy of Christian burial was held on Wednesday…