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STAFFORDRocky the bobcat broke out of his penagain, this time wandering off to a neighbors house be-fore its owner, township resident Ginny Fine, recap-tured the notorious 38-pound feline, police said.

But now, Fine must go before the Municipal Courtjudge on a charge that she let Rocky run loose again,authorities said.

Rocky gained local fame in March after escapingfrom Fines house and being on the lam for 12 days be-fore Fine was able to lure him back home.

Animal control officers seized Rocky from Fine onApril 7 because his escape in March violated an agree-

SeeROCKY,Page A8

Rocky the bobcat hybrid, seen in April, escaped from hisowner again Saturday. TANYA BREEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Rocky road: Staffordbobcat escapes againBy Kathleen Hopkins @Khopkinsapp

ADVICE JERSEY ALIVE

CLASSIFIED D3COMICS JERSEY ALIVE

LOCAL A3

MOVIES JERSEY ALIVE

OBITUARIES A15

OPINION A10

SPORTS C1

WEATHER C8

YOUR MONEY A14

USA TODAY WORLD MARKS 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY PAGE 2B

TRENTONNew Jersey could face a staggering $887million shortfall with just five days left in its budgetyear if public worker unions persuade a state judge toprevent Gov. Chris Christie from slashing the statespension fund payment.

State Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson, the as-signment judge in the Mercer County vicinage, agreedThursday to consider a lawsuitthat contends Christie isviolating a law he signed in 2010 by not paying three-sevenths of the amount actuaries say ought to be putinto the deficit-riddled fund this year.

The statutory meaning and intent is unmistakableand clear. It was designed to prevent skipping thestates annually required pension obligation or what ismore commonly referred to as taking a pension holi-day, said the unions court filing.

The exact effect that such a hole would cause is un-known and will hinge in part on how Jacobson rules. Butany shortfall, either in this budget year or next, couldcause a restructuring of the state budget, which couldaffect a variety of programs.

The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. June 25. State at-torneys have until June 18 to complete a written re-sponse to the lawsuit.

The Christie administration had only a limited

Court to hearlawsuit on cuts

to pension fundUnions claim move by Christie

would violate law signed in 2010

By Michael Symons @MichaelSymons_

SeePENSION, Page A8

Seventy years after Kenvil resident Alfred Sippel first made his way to France, hes

back. The last time, as a 17-year-old boy barely shaving and barely trained he

arrived at Omaha Beach on a naval troop transport filled with other impossibly young

soldiers, many of whom would never return home.

This time, he made the flight with his youngest

son, Steve, and his granddaughter, Janet Lemma, asan honored guest for the 70th anniversary of D-Dayin Normandy.

Years ago I made a little promise to myself that ifI lived long enough, Id want to go back and pay myrespects to the guys I still knew there, said Sippel,87, a retired locomotive engineer who lives in MorrisCounty. I figure Im getting near the end of my rope,and I just wanted to go back and pay my respects tosome of the guys who werent as lucky as me.

Lemma said her grandfather had talked about go-

ing back for previous reunions and, this time around,He kind of looked to me to make it happen. Once Istarted rolling with it, he was still iffy about going.Then he was excited. He doesnt talk about it much.He says nobody is interested, but I am.

It was different back then, Sippel said. Kidsthose days couldnt wait to get old enough to go over.They have a volunteer military now, and most every-

RETURN TO

NORMANDYBy William Westhoven @wwesthoven

D-Day veteran Alfred Sippel will participate in the 70th anniversary of the famed Allied invasion. Right: Sippel wasabout 17 in this wartime photo. KATHY JOHNSON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER (LEFT) AND COURTESY OF ALFRED SIPPEL (RIGHT)

SeeWWII VET,Page A7

LEARN MORE A Marines photo album, found in the Asbury Park Press archives, goes home. STORY, A5 Visit http://d-day70thanniversary.usatoday.com for a special commemorative USA Today D-Day digital edition.

70th anniversary of D-Day draws N.J. man back

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World War II veteran William Spriggs, 89, of the 83rd InfantryDivision, who participated in the invasion of Normandy, searches

Thursday for fallen comrades in the Normandy American Cemetery inColleville-sur-Mer, France. WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY IMAGES

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