Lkwd news tidbits 2/10/06

Mayor Lichtenstein bringing back "confidential aide" position; APP: Mayor Meir Lichtenstein has hired Hadassah Davids to work (with a raise).....about 20 hours a week as both his secretary and as a liaison to the township's minority communities. Davids, a 32-year-old township resident who grew up in California, is a fluent Spanish speaker and has a master's degree in city planning, she said. She has already started working. And, thanks to a unanimous vote by the Township Committee Thursday night, she has a maximum annual salary of $25,000..."What I was looking for was somebody who had experience in government, somebody who understood how government works and somebody who understood minority communities," Lichtenstein said. "In a town like Lakewood . . . it's good to have somebody with that experience."..."I live here so it's more of an interest to me," she said. "I get to affect what goes on in basically my backyard." ----------------------------------------------------------- Officer "Menk" in the news again.... APP: A Lakewood woman who has accused a Lakewood police officer of assaulting her has been indicted on charges that she assaulted the same officer during her arrest last year. The woman's father also has been indicted on a charge of assaulting the officer, Patrolman Erik Menck....previously had been cleared of wrongdoing over his arrest of Rabbi Yosef Bursztyn, an incident that caused friction in Lakewood's Orthodox Jewish community. Bursztyn, 63, of Sixth Street, Lakewood, was arrested after he tried to intercede when Menck pulled over his niece for an alleged traffic infraction June 26. Bursztyn pleaded guilty in December to obstruction of justice and was fined $125. Additional charges against Bursztyn of harassment and aggravated assault on Menck were dismissed in the plea bargain. ------------------------------------------------------------ Search for murder suspect; APP: Police continued to search Wednesday for a convicted felon accused of fatally shooting another man Tuesday in front of shocked customers in a downtown barbershop. Tyleek Baker, 25..is sought in the killing of Francisco Jose Olivares, 21, of Joe Parker Road, Lakewood. Olivares was in the Man, Woman and Child Barbershop about 4:40 p.m. when, according to police, Baker shot him multiple times. Baker is charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and weapons possession by a convicted felon.."Obviously, there needs to be a heightened level of awareness" on people's part, Mayor Meir Lichtenstein said. "But certainly I don't think there's need for concern. This is a very targeted crime...... ------------------------------------------------------------- Man hit by car, dies; APP: A 63-year-old pedestrian died Thursday as a result of injuries he received when he was struck by a car at Cedar Bridge and Vine avenues. Police are withholding the name of the victim, who lived in Lakewood, pending notification of his family...