A catcher’s mitt at Rumson Little League’s opening day. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

Break-ins were the breaking news that dominated locally last week, topped by word of an arrest of an suspect in a string of high-end residential burglaries that included pop star Bon Jovi among the victims.

Red Bank police reported a window-smashing at the Inbetween Cafe, where somebody threw a flower pot through the front window and took off with the eatery’s cash.

Middletown police dealt with burglaries all over, too. Last weekend, five people were arrested, including one woman accused of stealing chocolate syrup and Miracle Gro from a food store. At the end of the week, we learned that an accused cat burglar of sorts — a guy who gave redbankgreen readers a chuckle just a couple weeks prior — was successful in swiping jewelry from a few homes in a ritzy area of town, but was caught in the act Wednesday. It was later revealed that one of his victims was pop star Bon Jovi.

That was the good news for Mr. Jovi. Earlier in the day, we reported that he and his wife, Dorothea, are planning to open a permanent restaurant, The Soul Kitchen, on Monmouth Street in Red Bank.

Back to crime. A spate of car break-ins in Fair Haven seems to have spread all over redbankgreen‘s coverage area. Rumson, Little Silver and Shrewsbury all reported break-ins. Mater Dei’s former dean was arrested on sexual assault charges, while a M’town boss was cuffed for allegedly stealing employee benefits. Also, Luigi’s Pizza in Little Silver was broken into and cash stolen.

On a lighter note, the baseball season got started in Rumson, and Little Silver students celebrated Earth Day a little early.

Last week also saw the celebration of two institutions that refuse to die: the library and the record store.

In Fair Haven, the borough council brought an end to a duck controversy and sharpened its saw re its contentious tree ordinance.

In election news, Middletown Deputy Mayor Pamela Brightbill said she wouldn’t run this November, while a couple of familiar names of the Democrat party said they would; Mayor Suzie Castleman said she’s retiring from her post in Little Silver; and Councilwoman Dina Long said she’ll square off against former mayor Jo-Ann Kalaka-Adams in Sea Bright.

Red Bank’s council couldn’t muster a quorum, but we still squeezed out a couple drops of council news.

A Red Bank Regional student danced his way into Julliard, while another high-schooler takes aim at a Freeholder seat under the Socialist Party flag.

Red Bank’s environmental commission and Green Team will hold two info sessions at the end of the month. Details here.

Got a lot of stuff you need to get rid of? Bulk pick-ups are back in Red Bank, coming this Thursday to the East Side.

Last week’s Where here, and pink pic here.

We nailed down the week with a feature on Frank Scordo, who really likes hammers.