See if you can get a perfect score this week
How well have you paid attention to this week's New Jersey news? Take the weekly local news quiz and find out. All of the questions below are based on popular NJ.com stories from the past week. Complete the quiz and share your score in comments to see how you stack up with others.
John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and find NJ.com on Facebook.
Essex County Sheriff's detectives made arrests in a drug-plagued Newark neighborhood.
NEWARK -- Detective with the Essex County Sheriff's Bureau of Narcotics charged two men who were seen conducting a drug buy in an area known for being an open-air narcotics market, Sheriff Armando Fontoura said in a statement.
Officers began to investigate the North Ward neighborhood near Parker Street and Park Avenue following complaints from residents. Plainclothes detectives carried out surveillance in the area Tuesday night. "Once on the scene, our BON detectives observed Terrell Bivins, age 35, loitering in front of 143 Parker Street," Fontoura said. "Bivins was soon engaged in conversation with a male passerby, later identified as Jose Perez, 46 of Newark."
Brothers ran drug operation from home, cops say
Bivens walked down an alleyway and removed an item from beneath a wooden board resting on the ground and "exchanged the items for cash," Fontoura said. "Perez was followed from the scene and was found to be in possession of four vials of crack cocaine. Back at the Parker Street address Bivins was detained while our BON detectives searched the alleyway."
Bivins was arrested after the plastic bag was recovered. It allegedly contained 40 more vials of crack. He was charged with the sale of a controlled dangerous substance, the sale of drugs within 1,000 feet of Barringer High School, sale within 500 feet of Branch Brook Park, possession, possession with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of Barringer High School and possession with intent to distribute within 500 feet of Branch Brook Park.
Bivins was being held on $75,000 bail following arraignment Thursday. Perez was issued a summons and released pending a court appearance.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Lead may still be present in private homes and public spaces across the Garden State, officials warn. Watch video
Thanks to several recent revelations that kids in New Jersey are being exposed to lead from various sources, lead is back in the collective consciousness of Garden State residents.
People living in Flint, Mich. were the subject of nationwide attention when testing revealed that lead in the city's drinking water was hundreds of times higher than the federal safe level. Test results released last month in Newark indicated elevated levels of lead in the drinking water in many of the city's public school buildings. Though nowhere near as high as the levels found in Flint, the results have lead to statewide calls for lead testing at all New Jersey schools.
Christie commits $10M to removing lead
Activist groups say that in 2015, there were more than 3,000 new cases of children under the age of 6 in New Jersey with elevated levels of lead in their blood.
In light of the renewed focus on lead, check these 7 places to see where possible lead exposures exist in your home or town.
1. Soil
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, lead can seep into soil from lead-based paints on the exteriors of homes and buildings, past industrial sources, or contaminated sites. Lead in soil, the EPA says, can be ingested in many different ways - via vegetation grown in gardens, trekked into homes on the bottom of sneakers, or even inhaled if it is suspended into the air.
To avoid coming into contact with lead this way, the EPA recommends removing shoes before entering the house, and discouraging children from making hand-to-mouth contact when playing outside.
2. Playgrounds
Old playground equipment could contain lead-based paint. But, officials say the risks are not tied to old equipment alone. Several agencies have initiated a study to see whether or not artificial turf fields made from recycled tires contain an increased lead risk, the EPA says.
The EPA recommends children not put their hands in their mouths when playing on this equipment, and not put playground pieces in their mouths.
3. Toys and Kid Jewelry
Antique dolls or passed down toy cars could be painted in lead-based paints. Anti-lead regulations on children's jewelry were put into place only about 10 years ago. Kids who put lead toys or jewelry in their mouths can suffer from lead poisoning, officials say.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission keeps a list of product recalls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests any child who may have come in contact with a lead toy see a healthcare provider.
4. Dust
In older homes, dust created from lead paint chips (or from lead-based paint that has been disturbed and resurfaced during home renovations) can gather and form dust.
The EPA recommends cleaning frequently, and working with lead-certified renovation team to remove lead from your home.
5. Hobbies
Federal agencies warn that the materials used in several popular hobbies could contain lead. Hobbies that involve lead risks, according to the EPA, include:
The EPA recommends researching your specific hobby to see what the lead risks are, and reducing risks by not putting contaminated materials in your mouth, not touching food after interacting with hobby materials, and separating hobby clothes and materials from living spaces.
6. Water
Water contamination can originate from a water source, or can leach into your home's drinking water from old pipes or the lead solder that holds the pipes together. See how you can test your water system here.
7. Paint
Though national laws barring the use of lead paint have been on the books since 1978, experts agree that lead paint is still one of the leading causes of lead poisoning among children. Lead safety advocates say the majority of N.J. homes were built before lead paint was outlawed, and say that peeling paint on the interiors and exteriors of homes poses a serious threat. See how to get your paint tested here.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A distraught Hopatcong man allegedly tried to fill a home with gas and ignite it.
FAIRFIELD -- A Hopatcong man tried to use stove gas to create an explosion in his father's Oak Road home early Thursday, Chief of Police Anthony Manna said in a statement.
John Dagostino, 45, was arrested by police in Fairfield Wednesday night on a Hopatcong warrant. He was released that night pending an April 14 court appearance.
Later, shortly after midnight, police and fire units responded to a report of a fire at 6 Oak Road. Officer Frank Tracey arrived at the scene and discovered a smoke condition but no fire.
Cops make arrest following high-speed pursuit
Dagostino, who was "distraught over some personal issues," was seen arguing with his brother, Manna said. After investigating, police determined that Dagostino, who had been staying at the residence, had earlier placed the home's pets and some family photos in a car. No one else was home at the time.
Dagostino then turned off the pilot lights on the kitchen stove and opened the jets in an attempt to fill the house with gas. Police say he then poured a stream of gasoline between the kitchen and the bathroom, then entered the bathtub and lit the gasoline. The resulting fire was small and burned out before it caused significant damage, Manna said.
After the arson attempt, Dagostino went to his brother's home nearby and allegedly admitted responsibility, prompting the call to police, Manna said.
Dagostino was charged with one count of aggravated arson and taken to the crisis unit of East Orange General Hospital
"We are very thankful that there was no explosion or fire and that this individual is getting the assistance he needs. This incident could have had serious unintended consequences to many innocent people," Manna said.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Tangerine begins purring even when people simply come near him.
MILLBURN -- Tangerine is a 6-month-old orange tabby in the care of the Homeless Animal Rescue team.
Described by volunteers as "a real purr bug," he begins purring even when people simply come near him.
A typical playful kitten, Tangerine should fit into most any home. He has been neutered and is up-to-date on shots.
HART will hold an adoption event with Tangerine and other cats and kittens April 10 and April 16 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Pet Adoption Center, 187 Millburn Ave.
H.A.R.T. is in need of volunteers, age 18 and older, to help clean cages and feed cats at its adoption center.
For information on adopting or volunteering, call 908-337-0477 or go to petfinder.com/shelters/NJ384.html.
Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email essex@starledger.com.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.
The prosecution says arrests in the homicide of a 12-year-old Jersey City boy and the wounding of his father in 2013 became possible after a defendant used the father's credit card to try buy sneakers online for her boyfriend, another defendant.
An online sneaker purchase led to the arrest of two people involved in the murder of a 12-year-old Jersey City boy in 2013, authorities said today in court.
Information on the attempted purchase from Foot Locker was presented this afternoon when Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Det. Sgt. Joseph Bonaccorso testified in the murder trial of Farrarhd H. Gunter.
Gunter, 36, of Newark, faces up to life in prison for the murder of Gywan Levine Jr., who was fatally shot on Rutgers Avenue on May 17, 2013.
The state alleges that Janice S. Everett, 28, of Rahway, pulled her Chrysler 300 over in Jersey City on the night of the shooting, before her boyfriend, Shawn Harris, 36, of Irvington, and Gunter got out. The two men then walked to where Gywan Levine Sr. and his son were playing between Stevens Avenue and Wade Street and opened fire during a robbery, according to the state.
The prosecution asserts that Everett later tried to buy sneakers for Harris using the Levine Sr.'s credit card -- a proceed from the robbery. Bonaccorso testified that a few days after the incident, investigators learned of the failed attempt at the internet purchase. He said the email address provided for the purchase began with "jeverett."
Authorities then discovered the email address was a match for Janice Everett, Bonaccorso said. They also found the Rahway delivery address for the sneakers was a match for Everett's home and also found a black Chrysler 300 registered in Everett's name.
Bonaccorso and other investigators from the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office went to the home and found the car in the driveway. Everett was taken to the Prosecutor's Office headquarters where she gave them permission to search the car. Inside, authorities found Levine Sr.'s credit cards, driver's license and social security card, Bonaccorso said, adding that Everett was subsequently arrested.
While Bonaccorso was on the stand, the prosecution showed the jury surveillance video recovered from a residence on Wade Street near Rutgers Avenue. The prosecution says the video shows two men exiting a black Chrysler 300 at the time of the shooing and then returning to the vehicle.
While Everett and Harris were initially charged with felony murder and other offenses, they reached plea deals with the state and are now expected to testify against Gunter.
The state will continue presenting its case when testimony resumes on Tuesday at 9 a.m. before Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.
2 East Orange men were shot and seriously wounded in Newark Thursday.
NEWARK -- Two East Orange men in their 20s were in critical but stable condition after both were shot Thursday afternoon, police spokesman Capt. Derek Glenn said.
The men, aged 22 and 24, were traveling in a Ford Taurus near Central Avenue and 10th Street around 2 p.m., Glenn said. A white car that had been following them pulled up alongside and someone opened fire, striking them both.
Police were still gathering evidence on the shooting early Thursday night.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NJ Transit, the state Supreme Court and the nation's best beach all made this week's quiz.
Time to prove how well you know New Jersey news. Take this week's NJ.com local news quiz below. All seven questions are based on popular NJ.com stories from the past week. Once you're done, brag on your score in comments. And please, no Googling.
John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and find NJ.com on Facebook.
A Newark woman and her two sons face weapons and drug charges.
NEWARK -- Four people, including a pair of siblings and their mother, were charged with drug offenses by a task force of Essex County Sheriff's detectives and municipal police, Sheriff Armando Fontoura said in a statement Thursday.
The task force, which included plainclothes Bureau of Narcotics detectives as well as officers from the Irvington and Bloomfield departments, conducted surveillance at 39 Pine Grove Terrace Wednesday afternoon.
One dead, one wounded in Newark shooting
"When the task force members observed the target of our investigation, Alrahim 'Cheddar' Claiborne, 23, outside his residence he was immediately detained and the search warrant was executed," Fontoura said.
Claiborne's mother Daneka, 42, was allegedly glancing through a drug ledger as she lay in bed when police entered and arrested her as well as another son, Karon Johnson, 18. Alrahim Claiborne and Johnson are both believed to be members of the Crips street gang, Fontoura said.
Another man, 36-year-old Duvall Johnson of Newark, who is not related to the othersy, was also detained inside the home.
"In executing the warrant, our detectives discovered and seized a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun, loaded with illegal hollow point bullets. The weapon was found to be stolen out of Orangeburg, Colo.," Fontoura said.
Law enforcement also allegedly seized 212 glassine envelopes of heroin stamped with the word "HULK," a bag of crack cocaine, a bottle of liquid codeine, gun ammunition and narcotics packaging materials.
Duvall Johnson, who police said was in possession of a small bag of marijuana, was issued a summons for possession and released pending a subsequent court date.
The Claibornes and Karon Johnson were each charged with possession, possession with intent to distribute, and other narcotics offenses. They also face weapons charges including possession of a weapon while committing a drug crime, possession of an illegal, extended magazine and possession of hollow-point bullets.
Bail was set for both brothers at $150,000 each and for Daneka Claiborne at $75,000 cash bond. They were being held at the Essex County Jail.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A city man was arrested as he was allegedly robbing a Newark apartment while the victims were home
NEWARK Police apprehended a 24-year-old city man as he was ransacking an apartment and right after he attacked two men who were home at the time, department spokesman Capt. Derek Glenn said.
Police arrived at the apartment in the 1000 block of 18th Avenue around 7:45 p.m. Thursday and arrested Anthony Lucas Jr.
Lucas allegedly forced his way into the apartment while two men, aged 24 and 74, were inside, Glenn said. Lucas attacked the men with a garbage can and was gathering up items in the home when police, including State Troopers, arrived and arrested him, Glenn also said. Police used pepper spray to subdue Lucas, who was allegedly resisting arrest.
Both victims suffered minor injuries. The 74-year-old victim was taken to University Hospital for treatment and was expected to be released Thursday night.
Lucas was charged with robbery, resisting arrest, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, criminal mischief and burglary.
Anyone with information about this or any other crime is being asked to call the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867).
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating a triple-shooting that left one dead
ORANGE -- One person was killed and two others were wounded in a shooting Thursday night, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed.
Reports of a multiple shooting began shortly before 10 p.m. The Major Crimes Task Force of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office was called to the scene, at Taylor and Hickory streets, said Thomas Fennelly, a prosecutor's spokesman.
Additional information was not immediately available late Thursday.
Thursday's violence comes on the heels of a bloody 36-hour stretch in nearby Newark, where there were fatal shootings Tuesday and Wednesday night and another shooting during the day Thursday that left two wounded.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Members of the Broad Street Block Association have told a New York developer that they do not want a Family Dollar discount store in their neighborhood.
This is a project that won't go away for residents of the Broad Street Block Association in Newark.
Last summer, a New York developer tried to bring a Family Dollar store to the neighborhood at Broadway and Gouverneur Street.
Bad idea.
The city's planning board said no to Equity Management, LLC, and the residents had a lot to do with that decision.
MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns
They picked apart the proposal and proved to the planning board that the project was not compatible with the city's master plan, which calls for retail stores on the ground floor and residential units on top. This is the kind of development that already exists in the community, but Equity Management only wanted a retail store and needed the planning board to approve eight variances to make it happen.
None of it made sense to residents. The project didn't fit. Plus, there are two other Family Dollar stores within walking distance.
Nobody needs that much cheap shampoo.
So, why is the developer back on the planning board agenda for Monday night with a new project that residents contend is essentially the same?
"We thought we were done with this,'' said Lisa Gray, president of the association.
Hang on. I'll explain how this happened after a little recap.
If Equity Management had received approval for its first plan, the company would have purchased an auto body shop on Gouverneur Street and leased the renovated property to the Family Dollar.
After that failed, the developer came up with a new proposal that calls for demolishing the auto shop to build a new structure with retail space on the first floor and offices on the second floor.
In a meeting with the developer's attorney on Wednesday, residents weren't falling for the okey-doke, calling the latest move a slick way to bring back the Family Dollar store.
"Don't try to dupe the community,'' Avi Richardson told Robert Podvey, the attorney. "We're not stupid.''
Podvey didn't get far during his presentation once he said the tenant had not been determined. He told the residents he would talk to his client, Albert Nigri, who is the co-owner of Equity Management, about the residents' desire to have a mixed-used development in their community.
Residents doubt further conversation will change anything. They plan to go to battle with the developer at Monday night's meeting and reiterate how the project does not benefit the neighborhood.
Having to do this again is frustrating for them, but several factors beyond their control explain why this is happening for a second time.
First, Nigri and Equity Management are still under contract to purchase the auto body shop from its owner, Gary Demirchyan.
Second, the developer sued Demirchyan after he tried to cancel the contract. You can't blame the guy. He thought his involvement with the developer was done when the planning board shot them down.
"I don't understand,'' he said. "This is not fair.''
The developer circled back in September and wanted Demirchyan to sign another planning board application for the new project.
MORE CARTER: Time is of the essence, says advocate from Newark
Demirchyan refused, but Equity Management wasn't having that. The company filed a lawsuit in November, claiming Demirchyan breached the contract they signed in December 2014.
Podvey argued that the contract requires Demirchyan to cooperate with the developer to get approvals for the intended commercial use of the property.
Demirchyan thought he had satisfied his obligation by giving them a 60-day "due diligence'' period to find out what they needed as a company to move the project forward, such as securing appraisals, environmental and economic studies of the property.
In the lawsuit, Podvey stated that the "due diligence" period doesn't have anything to do with Demirchyan agreeing to help his client get approvals and there also isn't anything in the contract that allows him to back out.
Surprisingly, Superior Court Judge Thomas M. Moore agreed.
Demirchyan reluctantly signed another planning board application in January to give the developer a second crack at a project residents don't want.
His attorney, David Avedissian, said the judge's decision unfairly gives the developer an unspecified amount of time to buy his client's business and pursue the project.
"My interpretation is very simple - the buyer will not be held to the contract unless he gets approvals,'' Avedissian said. "They had their opportunity and they lost.''
Demirchyan, meanwhile, said he's in limbo.
He has a business that he wants to keep, but he can't move forward with making improvements because there's a chance he could be forced to sell if the planning board approves the developer's project.
"It's not right,'' he said.
The planning board can make it right by rejecting the developer's application, and that is what the community is banking on once again.
Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL
From basset hounds on parade to cherry blossoms in bloom, there's lots to experience in the Garden State.
IT'S TIME to release the hounds! More than 500 basset hounds will be in the spotlight Saturday at Ocean City's 31st annual Doo Dah Parade. The lighthearted event starts at noon, at Sixth Street and travels downtown Asbury Avenue to 12th Street, then turns to the Boardwalk at 12th Street and finishes at the Ocean City Music Pier (Boardwalk between Eighth and Ninth streets). There will be marching bands, floats, a grand marshal and, of course, the canine brigade. The parade will be followed by the annual "PieAsco," a tribute to Soupy Sales. People of all ages sit in grandstands and smush each other with shaving cream pies, as Sales did on his TV show. Visit oceancityvacation.com.
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The kind-hearted Miss Nelson can't control her unruly students. Then the kids discover "Miss Nelson Is Missing!" and must find a way to bring her back as the head of the class in this musical comedy presented Saturday at 11 a.m. as part of Centenary Stage Company's Young Audience Series. The theater is located at 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown. Tickets are $12.50 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger. Recommended for grades K through 4. Call (908) 979-0900 or visit centenarystageco.org.
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The 35th annual Black Maria Film Festival unspools Saturday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Caldwell. The event, which honors the Black Maria film studio built by Thomas Edison in West Orange in 1893, features award-winning short documentary international films. It will be presented at Caldwell Flowerland, 329 Bloomfield Ave. Tickets are $12 and are available at Caldwell Flowerland. Festivalgoers can receive a 20 percent discount off dinner after the show with an admission ticket at these restaurants: Bangkok Kitchen, Caldwell Seafood, Cedar Grill, Cloverleaf Tavern and Dough Artisan Pizzeria. Visit caldwellmerchants.com.
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Kids will have a howling good time sharing Breakfast With the Wolves on Sunday at Turtle Back Zoo. During the breakfast, from 8:30 to 10 a.m., the "honorary pack members" will meet the zoo's wolf keeper, enjoy activities and crafts and end the morning at the wolf exhibit -- practicing their howling skills. Tickets are $30 and include admission to the zoo for the day. Recommended for families with children ages 5 and older; all children must be accompanied by an adult with a ticket. Located
at 560 Northfield Ave., West Orange. Visit essexcountynj.org/turtlebackzoo.
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Beginning Sunday, see the cherry blossoms in bloom on a guided historic park tour of Branch Brook Park in Newark. The 45-minute journey starts at the Essex County Cherry Blossom Welcome Center daily, at 11 a.m., noon, and at 1 and 2 p.m. Tours continue through April 23. Transportation around the park is provided. Tickets are $5 and are available at the welcome center on tour dates; reserve tickets by calling (973) 433-7469. Or take a free, self-guided tour accessed by cell phone. Spend a day exploring one or two -- or all -- of the 72 tour stops. Call (973) 433-9047 or scan the bar code at each tour stop to learn about the park's history and horticulture. Visit essexcountynj.org.
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Trumpeter James Gibbs III performs Sunday at 7 p.m. as part of the Jazz in the Loft concert series at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Gibbs, who was born in Newark and raised in Irvington, began playing the trumpet at age 14 and has worked with musicians from John Lamb, of Duke Ellington's Orchestra, to Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Joe Thomas. Located at 1 Sopac Way, South Orange. Tickets are $15. Call (973) 313-2787 or visit SOPAC.now.org.
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"From the Ground Up: Archaeology | Artisans | Everyday Life," a new exhibit has opened at the Museum of American Glass in Millville. The exhibit explores the role of archaeology in preserving and interpreting the past, and features items excavated from South Jersey and Philadelphia. Visit wheatonarts.org.
LATER THIS MONTH
Cape May's 21st annual Spring Festival kicks off April 29, featuring such culinary attractions as a Chocolate Lover's Feast, a Winery Cellar Tour and Tasting, and Cape May Cocktail Week. The festival, which runs through May 8, also offers INNteriors tours, ghost tours, murder mystery dinners, living history programs and much more. Call (800) 275-4278 or visit capemaymac.org.
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Oh, mother! A week before a family celebration, Miranda invites her overbearing mom to stay with her -- and that's when the hilarity begins as "All the Days" premieres April 29 at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton. Performances, presented in the Berlind Theatre, are Tuesdays through Thursdays, at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays, at 3 and 8 p.m.; and Sundays, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $94.50. Located at 91 University Place. Call (609) 258-2787 or visit mccarter.org.
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Eat to your heart's content on April 30 and May 1 at the spring edition of the "Truck"erton Food Truck & Brew Fest in Tuckerton. The event, which begins at 11 a.m. on both days at the Tuckerton Seaport, features gourmet specialties from more than a dozen food trucks. In addition, there will be live music, vendors, family activities, boat rides, decoy carving and boat building. Admission, which includes access to the Seaport's 40 acres, is $8 for adults and free for seaport members and children younger than age 5. Food, beer and wine prices are set by individual vendors. Visit tuckertonseaport.org.
MORE FROM INSIDE JERSEY MAGAZINE
Mary enjoys playing fetch and gets along with other dogs.
CALDWELL -- Mary is a 5-year-old boxer/vizsla mix in the care of Ferndog Rescue.
Abandoned at an urban shelter, she was obviously a house pet, as she is crate trained, knows basic commands and walks well on a leash.
Mary enjoys playing fetch and gets along with other dogs; she is good with children but a home without small children would be best due to her 55-pound size.
Mary has been spayed and is up-to-date on shots.
For more information on Mary, email ferndogadoptions@gmail.com or go to ferndog.org. The rescue foundation is a nonprofit group that rescues dogs from animal shelters and provides foster care until they are adopted.
Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email essex@starledger.com.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.
The NJIT library remains on generator power, a PSE&G spokesman said.
NEWARK -- Power has been restored to most Newark buildings as of 8:15 a.m. Friday, after an all-day power outage in several city buildings followed an early Thursday morning manhole fire, according to PSE&G.
Classes in five buildings on Rutgers University's Newark campus were canceled Thursday, as well as classes in several New Jersey Institute of Technology buildings, officials said. St. Michael's Medical Center was also forced to run on generator power, but no patient services were impacted, a spokesman said.
Classes canceled due to power outage
According to PSE&G spokeswoman Karen Johnson, PSE&G restored power to the remaining two Rutgers University buildings and another at NJIT by Friday morning.
"The only building to remain on generator power at this time is the NJIT library. St. Michael's Medical Center is in the process of transferring to utility power as well," she said. "Although power was been restored, PSE&G will continue working at the site to make permanent repairs to its underground facilities."
Johnson said it would take a while to determine the true cause of the outage, since several underground cables failed for unknown reasons before the early morning manhole fire.
On Friday, Rutgers announced that classes in three buildings and the library would go on as normal, though morning labs were canceled in Olson and the Life Sciences Center, set to resume in the afternoon.
UPDATE Power is restored; all campus and classes operating on a normal schedule: https://t.co/ZH01MnLQy2
-- Rutgers-Newark (@Rutgers_Newark) April 15, 2016
"We fully expect power to be restored today to the Life Sciences Center and Olson. No classes are scheduled to meet in Olson today," the university said in a press release issued at 9 a.m..
According to university officials, University Avenue between Bleeker and Warren Streets will remain closed on Friday for repair work and traffic in downtown Newark "may continue to be affected."
NJIT also tweeted that it was altering its class schedule in one building Friday as a result of the power issues, though it later said power was fully restored to the GITC building.
Power outage still impacting GITC building. Classes in GITC cancelled until 10 AM. CAB is operating on generator an... pic.twitter.com/23GwIuB3T0
-- NJIT (@NJIT) April 15, 2016
Update: Loss of IT Services Due to Power Failure https://t.co/egfFpi4Sqf
-- NJIT (@NJIT) April 15, 2016
Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Fr. Leo Patalinghug spread his 'Grace Before Meals' message to the Garden State at an appearance at Seton Hall University last week.
SOUTH ORANGE -- Prepare and share a meal with your family and friends.
That was the message of Fr. Leo Patalinghug, a chef and priest who travels the country spreading his recipes, and advice.
"Food is the greatest gift to help strengthen our relationships with ourselves, each other, and God," Patalinghug said last Tuesday, before giving a talk and cooking demonstration to about 100 students and community members at Seton Hall.
"I want students to be well fed...so they can be well educated."
Seton Hall gets 1 of its biggest donations ever
The stop at Seton Hall was part of the Baltimore-area priest's tour to promote the "Grace Before Meals" campaign, during which he teaches recipes and lessons about what he says is the importance of communal dining.
According to Patalinghug, 60 years ago, the average family dinner in America was about an hour and a half. Today, he says the average is about 12 minutes. His campaign - which he has flaunted on a weekly 'Savoring Our Faith' religious cooking TV show and as a chef who actually took down the title personality on the Food Network's 'Throwdown with Bobby Flay' - is designed to change that statistic.
The idea, Chair of Seton Hall's Department of Catholic Studies Ines Murzaku said, resonated with the school's students.
The "university is place of deep learning and critical thinking," she said. "Food is a part of that."
The department, she said, is developing a new course in line with Patalinghug's demonstration, called the "Theology of Food." The lecture also honored the late Msgr. James Cafone S.T.D., a longtime Seton Hall faculty member who died last year.
"Msgr. Cafone, besides being one of the most popular professors on campus had a passion for food and cooking," Murzaku said.
"The Department thought inviting Fr. Leo to lecture and cook would be a splendid way to celebrate and honor a great man, priest, friend, mentor, teacher and colleague."
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Three other victims were wounded in the shooting, authorities said.
ORANGE -- Officials have identified the victim killed in a Thursday shooting in Orange as 17-year-old Davon Jones.
Jones was one of four victims wounded in the incident. The three other males victims, whose names have not been released, were taken to area hospitals to be treated for non-life threatening gunshot wounds, Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Thomas Fennelly.
Police responding to reports of a shooting in progress arrived at the scene in the 100 block of Taylor Street at 9:30 p.m. and found Jones suffering multiple gunshot wounds, Fennelly said.
http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/04/1_dead_2_wounded_in_orange_shooting.html
Emergency medical personnel transported Jones to University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Additional details of the shooting are not available, Fennelly said. The shooting is being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor's Major Crimes Task Force.
Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Harry Donovan Jr. and his daughter, Georgia, are shown clearing snow on Nesbit Terrace in Irvington.
IRVINGTON -- It was one short week ago when snow was in the forecast for much of New Jersey. This picture taken in 1956 reveals that winter didn't surrender to spring without a fight that year either.
The photo shows Harry Donovan Jr. and his daughter, Georgia, clearing snow on Nesbit Terrace in Irvington following a storm which hit the area March 17 and 18.
Donovan, who died in 2003 at age 86, was principal of Grove Street School in Irvington for 48 years.
If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.
This seven-piece prog-rock group heavily endorsed by Coheed and Cambria are masters of experimentation
From his ornate, hyper-paced guitar solos alone, Tom Monda doesn't scream Beatle-maniac.
But the leader of North Jersey's escalating progressive force Thank You Scientist looks to "Abbey Road" as his ultimate, "untouchable" inspiration.
"What does that album have?" he asks. "Every song on that album could almost be its own style. But it still sounds like the Beatles; it all comes out with that character."
So in writing the seven-piece outfit's sophomore LP — their metal, funk and jazz-tinged debut "Maps of Non-Existent Places" earned national acclaim, from Revolver magazine and more — Monda and company worked to emulate McCartney and Lennon's encompassing writing.
"We thought 'how can we make every song its own self-contained universe but not sound like we are messing around" he says. "How do we still make it sound like us, but make each song its own living, breathing organism?"
"Maps" was keen on this concept as well, as elaborate instrumentals and Salvatore Marrano's bright, clean vocals conjured an inclusiveness not so different from genre titans Coheed and Cambria, on whose tour the Jersey guys traveled the country last year. The band signed to Coheed founder Claudio Sanchez's Evil Ink Records in 2014.
And as Thank You Scientist's new album is set for a summer release, this patchwork that formed out of Montclair State University in 2010 continues to build a fan base already devoted enough to vote the debut "Maps" as Revolver's Album of the Week — songs from a band they'd never heard of a month earlier.
On the upcoming LP, Monda promises more emphasis on hooks, with an almost Queen-like aesthetic, beside complex harmonies and deeper string orchestrations.
Vocals — Salvatore Marrano, of Morris County
Guitar — Tom Monda, of Rochelle Park
Bass guitar — Cody McCorry, of Belmar
Drums — Odin Alvarez, of Guttenberg
Violin — Ben Karas, of Montclair
Saxophone — Ellis Jasenovic, of Hackettstown
Trumpet — Andrew Digrius, of Bridgewater
Opening for Coheed and Cambria was about as apt an "if you like these famous guys, you'll probably like these other guys" comparison as Thank You Scientist could imagine. A shallow dive in each band's music, and likening Marrano's high-toned vocal to Coheed wailer Sanchez, would earn such a resemblance.
But Monda insists the similarities stop there, and he's right to say so. Stylistically, the large group's instrumentals span a greater field — the effect of a trumpet, saxophone and violin being fed underneath Monda's hurtling riffs — and even in Marrano's timbre the influence isn't so much Sanchez or Rush's Geddy Lee as it is Michael Jackson and Prince.
Further, "Maps of Non-Existent Places" often veers from the prog-rock plane Coheed fans may expect; "Blood on the Radio" kicks off with a horn-heavy tango before swerving into a meld of funk, jazz and complex math-pop. But then "My Famed Disappearing Act" opens with a razor-sharp guitar pattern suited for genre-bending metal groups like August Burns Red or Between The Buried and Me.
The band would be an almost unnervingly dense listen if not for the incredible polish applied to its orchestrations, and Marrano's penchant for memorable hooks to anchor the madness.
Coheed and Cambria, Periphery, Dream Theater
To forge and grow a band like Thank You Scientist takes, well, a certain level of science. There's tremendous precision in the way Monda's outfit plays and complexity with which they write. The intricacies and twisting time signatures are virtue of college-level instruction most rock musicians never achieve.
Though it still wasn't enough.
"We were disenfranchised students," Monda says of the band's members he met at Montclair State. "We knew we were into different stuff than what we were into at school." So the group set out to create an amalgam of their influences, from Bach to Frank Zappa to Incubus, and after six years of tinkering, there is no stronger progressive rock group in the state.
But Monda believes even a vague label like "progressive" is too specific for his guys.
"We say just 'post-genre rock,'" he laughs.
Local tour dates are coming soon, Monda assures.
Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
One man was injured as a result of one of the shootings, police said.
NEWARK -- Two men were arrested Friday in connection to unrelated city shootings last week, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced in a release.
In connection to a shooting on April 5 at 1:10 a.m. in the 100 block of Renner Avenue, police have arrested Wazir Davis, 21, in an Irvington home, he said.
Although police did not find a victim or property damage in the shooting, there was evidence that shots had been fired, police said.
Two days later, a 30-year-old man was injured in an unrelated shooting at about 6:30 p.m. in the 100 block of Tillinghast Street, police said. Authorities have arrested Shamar T. Wilson, 19, of Newark, in connection with that shooting, Ambrose said.
Fatal shooting continues bloody week in Newark
Both men are being held on $150,000 bail, awaiting transport to the Essex County jail, police said.
The investigations into the shootings are ongoing, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call 877-NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867).
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
