Hurricane Sandy

Scotch Plains Police Officer Injured While Leading a Resident to Safety During Sandy

Officer Joseph Citarella was struck off his feet after walking a resident back inside her home during Hurricane Sandy.

During the height of Sandy's wrath on Monday evening, Scotch Plains Police Officer, Joseph Citarella was making his usual patrol of the township when things turned dangerous after he assited a resident back inside her home.   As high winds and rain had already started to hit Scotch Plains, the officer received a call for a downed tree and power lines on Hoe Avenue.  Citarella made his way to the scene to tape off the dangerous areas surrounding the live wires and downed trees.  Citarella then went back to his vehicle to use it to block off residents from attempting to make their way onto the dangerous street.  While sitting in his vehicle, he saw a resident walking towards him. Presumably in hopes of asking him a question. The officer …

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Scotch Plains Man Saves Boy from Ocean City Drowning

An Ocean City resident writes that a Scotch Plains man saved her neighbor's child from drowning.

To the Editor: I am writing you because at about 4 p.m. on July 3, I wiitnessed a concerned teacher carry out a remarkable act of kindness and I feel this man deserves to be recognized. While I was on the beach in Ocean City, I witnessed a man enter the water to aid 9 year old boy who was having trouble getting from the beach to a sandbar between 30th and 28th Streets in Ocean City. The boy was Luke, my neighbors son. I learned that the man was Mr. Bill Liebiedz, a substitute teacher in Watchung and Greenbrook.  There is a good distance between the life guard stands making it unlikely they were able to comprehend the amount of danger Luke was in. Luke was caught in a slough between the shore and sand bar and was having difficulty …

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