Farm Fresh

A former manager in the now-defunct Farm Fresh supermarket chain pleaded guilty yesterday for his part in a scheme that defrauded national food companies of $2.4 million by submitting tens of thousands of "misredeemed" price-chopping coupons.Kenneth Goldscher, 47, of Owings Mills pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Baltimore to tax evasion and interstate transportation of stolen property. He admitted in a statement of facts presented in court to receiving $185,890 in cash from the misredeemed coupons.

On a November day in 1994, Jack Millman, a hulking figure with a shock of white hair and an imperious bearing, strode into the office of Jesse K. Swartz for a meeting that neither man relished.Ignoring their simmering feud, they exchanged pleasantries and moved into an adjoining conference room. Mr. Millman, the founder of Farm Fresh Supermarkets of Maryland Inc., appeared ill at ease. Mr. Swartz never enjoyed these rare encounters either. But as chief financial officer of wholesaler B. Green & Co., a partner in Farm Fresh, he had insisted on this meeting to find out how the Baltimore grocery chain was doing.

3 Farm Fresh stores turned over to MetroThe saga over Farm Fresh Supermarkets of Maryland Inc., forced into bankruptcy amid allegations of fraud, continues to play out.Richfood Holdings Inc., the Richmond, Va.-based wholesaler that recently bought eight Farm Fresh stores for $6.75 million, has handed over operations of three of the groceries to a Richfood subsidiary, Metro Food Market.The three stores -- at Greenspring and Southview shopping centers and Arbutus Shopping Plaza -- will be remodeled with "state-of-the art produce, meat, seafood and deli/bakery concepts," said Metro Food Market President John Ryder.

Farm Fresh to close store on Dec. 12Farm Fresh will close its Pasadena store on Dec. 12. The grocery chain posted signs giving customers the news Sunday, said Dan Schaech, divisional manager.Employees at the store in the 8100 block of Ritchie Highway were told Friday, said Mr. Schaech, adding he could not comment on why the store was closing.Gary Moffett, director of Farm Fresh operations, could not be reached for comment.POLICE LOG* Pasadena: Burglars stole a case of beer and a turkey from the garage of a home in the 200 block of New York Ave. Wednesday.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Virginia lottery officials will find out tomorrow if any winning tickets to the state's $27 million record Lotto were purchased by a group that tried to buy up all 7.1 million possible number combinations.The chairman of a supermarket chain revealed yesterday that a mystery player began thinking of gambling huge sums of money in the Virginia Lotto for six months.The man, who identified himself as a businessman in the habit of investing in large lotteries around the country, first approached the Farm Fresh grocery chain of Norfolk six months ago and asked if the company would be willing to sell him large volumes of lottery chances should the jackpot get really big.The man didn't call back until early last week, when the Virginia Lotto was approaching $15 million.

Hours before hordes of children hit the streets last night in search of Halloween treats, a man and woman filed a civil suit claiming they became sick after eating pesticide-tainted candy purchased at a Brooklyn Park supermarket.In the suit, filed yesterday in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, the man and woman claim they suffered burning lips, sore throats, stomach pains, kidney pains, gas, ringing in the ears and muscle aches after eating M&M's candy.The man and woman claim they bought a sealed bag of the candy at a Farm Fresh supermarket in Brooklyn Park on May 9, 1989.

TCOfficer, civilians honored for catching theft suspectAn off-duty county police officer and three hotel employees received awards last night for chasing and catching an armed-robbery suspect who held up the Comfort Inn in December.Officer Anthony Mills heard the call on his police radio about 2:30 p.m. Dec. 18, drove to the scene and saw a man running into the woods behind the Ambulance Center on Belle Grove Road.He and three hotel workers caught the man, who was charged with robbing the Comfort Inn in the 6900 block of Baltimore and Annapolis Blvd.

'TC First, there was handicapped parking. Now, there's pregnant parking.Painted pink and blue storks carrying that special bundle mark parking spaces at two area Farm Fresh supermarkets. And on a busy, 90-degree shopping day, the traditional pastels warm the heart."There is a special feeling toward these young ladies," said Gary Moffett, director of operations at the Baltimore-based Farm Fresh. "There is much less abuse in pregnant spaces than handicapped spaces."Perhaps a pregnant pause is in order here.

While it might be tough to imagine heading out to a local farm for an armful of fresh vegetables when it's still chilly, it's almost that time of year. Harford County farms are gearing up for growing season, and that means it's time to sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture program. CSAs, if you don't know, are programs run by (usually) small farms that allow nearby residents to buy a share of their growing season crops. The result: An upfront fee gets you a weekly trip to the farm for a load of produce from about May through October or even November.

Elizabeth L. Krinkey, 71, grocery cashier Elizabeth LaVerne Krinkey, a Pikesville grocery cashier, died Wednesday of cancer at Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care in Towson. She was 71. Mrs. Krinkey, a Pikesville resident, retired several years ago from her job at the Greenspring Avenue Farm Fresh, where customers sought out her register line for friendly conversation. Born Elizabeth LaVerne Smith, she grew up on Preston Street in Baltimore. and attended St. Andrew's Business School. After graduation, she worked at a local insurance agency as a rater and underwriter - a job that required women to wear white gloves and a proper hat - and spent nearly every weekend at Ocean City with her sisters and girlfriends.