The hotel will have a gourmet farm-to-table restaurant and rooftop bar, developers said. Watch video

MONTCLAIR -- Ground broke Tuesday morning on The MC Hotel, a luxury accommodation that officials said will be Montclair's first new hotel since 1938.

The hotel property is at the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Orange Road, the location of a former car dealership that sat within Montclair's central business district. The 120,000 square-foot hotel will have 151 rooms and suites, according to the developers, and is currently expected to be completed in 20 months, by early 2018.

Town's rebirth proceeds at ex-cookie factory

The hotel, which has been planned over five years and received building approval two years ago, will feature personalized, luxury accommodations like a "lobby library, a gourmet farm-to-table restaurant, event space, meeting rooms and fitness center," as well as a rooftop bar, the developers said. 

The project, one of the first of several planned projects in the community, has huge significance, said Mayor Robert Jackson.

"This is a historic moment for our township," he said during a speech. "(It) will bring a level of luxury and refinement to our community. It will be a bedrock for our community that will lead to more and more things... It took years and years of work to make this happen."

"This is is going to bring jobs, of course ratables, to our city," he added afterward. "It's going to bring multiple millions into our community."

The hotel, which is being developed by The Pinnacle Companies and The Hampshire Companies, heralds the second phase of the 2011 "Montclair Center Gateway Redevelopment Plan" to encourage sustainable mixed-use development at the western edge of downtown, developers said.  

The plan includes the hotel, as well as the Valley and Bloom mixed-use residential project (also being developed by The Pinnacle Companies), which is nearing completion and already has of 112 of 248 units leased, Jackson said.

The township and the developers will have a payment in lieu of taxes agreement based on state redevelopment law, since the property was considered blighted, officials said. Montclair will keep 95 percent of the new hotel's tax revenues, and there is a set 30-year payment schedule, according to The Pinnacle Companies.

This is the first of four Montclair projects The Hampshire Companies hopes to embark on, including the redesign of the Lackawanna Plaza, the building a medical office building, and the potential adaptive reuse of the Leach Building on Bloomfield Avenue, said Jon Hanson, principal of The Hampshire Companies.

The architect will be the New York-based Dyami Architecture PC, interior design will be done by the New York City-based firm dash design, and civil engineering will be executed by LANGAN Engineering & Environmental Services, Inc., officials said.

The MC Hotel, as a part of the Marriott International's "Autograph Collection," will be "one-of-a-kind," said The Pinnacle Companies CEO Brian Stoler.

That means it will not have the Marriott name, and will have an original design that just needs to be approved by Marriott designers, he said.

Cars will be valet parked in a new six-story, full-service parking garage, that Stoler claimed could be the country's "first" solar-powered parking garage.

Montclair State University Assistant Vice President Penelope Vance also came to Tuesday's groundbreaking, noting that the university plans to direct students' families to the hotel, which is 2.5 miles away from MSU, and hopes to offer hospitality program internships there.

She called the hotel "an opportunity for (better) fostering (the school's) relationship" with Montclair.

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Marijuana and heroin were found at the deli's counter and in the back room, officials said Tuesday.

NEWARK -- Three city men were arraigned Tuesday on charges that they were operating an illicit drug business out of a deli, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura announced.

Following a task force investigation into alleged drug trafficking on 16th Avenue, investigators executed a search warrant at the Fairmount Deli Monday morning, Fontoura said.

At the deli's front counter, detectives found 18 plastic bags filled with marijuana, and in the storage room, 138 heroin-filled glassine envelopes and 146 grams of marijuana hidden above tiles in the drop ceiling, authorities said.

Deli manager Kelvin Garnes, 52, and two cousins Kevin and Hakir Green, both 24, were arrested on various drug charges, authorities said. All three men, who are from Newark, are being held at the Essex County jail, officials said. Garnes is being held on $75,000 bail, and the Green cousins on $50,000 bail each, authorities said.

The findings of the investigation were forwarded to the Newark police, who will decide what, if any, sanctions will be placed against the deli, a sheriff's office spokesman said.

The drug task force was made up of detectives from the Essex County Sheriff's Office, and police officers from Bloomfield and Irvington.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Shawn Custis is facing attempted murder and related charges in the 2013 home invasion attack in Millburn Watch video

NEWARK -- Sitting in a Newark courtroom, the jurors on Tuesday watched intently as the attack unfolded on the TV screen before them.

Caught on a "nanny-cam, the video shows a man repeatedly beating a woman during a 2013 home invasion in Millburn. With the woman's 18-month-old son asleep in an upstairs bedroom and her 3-year-old daughter sitting nearby on the living-room couch, the man punched the woman, kicked her and ultimately threw her down the basement stairs.

But the jury will have to decide whether Shawn Custis is the man in the video.

Jurors watched the video at the start of Custis's trial on attempted murder, robbery, burglary and related offenses in connection with the June 21, 2013 incident. Authorities have said Custis stole various jewelry items and a cell phone from the residence.

A week after the incident, Custis, 45, of Newark, was arrested after the video had been released to the media and Custis was identified as a suspect.

In opening statements on Tuesday, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper said witnesses who are familiar with Custis had seen the video and identified him as the assailant in statements to the police.

Semper also noted how when Custis was arrested, authorities seized a pair of bloody jeans belonging to Custis. A DNA analysis of the jeans shows the victim's blood was on the jeans, Semper said.

The case against Custis, Semper said, is "not a whodunit."

"The evidence will show he tried to kill this woman," Semper said. "I will ask you to follow the evidence in this case."

But Custis's attorney, John McMahon, told the jury that those witnesses' identifications are "meaningless" and pointed out that calls were made to the police from people identifying the assailant in the video as someone other than Custis. McMahon argued the video does not clearly depict the assailant's face.

"That's their opinion. They have no better look at the man in the video than you do," McMahon told the jurors, referring to the witnesses, adding that "it's your opinion that matters."

McMahon stressed how Custis's fingerprints were not found in the house and the victim identified another man as the possible culprit when she reviewed photos of Custis and other potential suspects.

McMahon also challenged the jeans evidence, saying they were "women's jeans" and argued authorities never tested the jeans to determine whom they belonged to by checking for skin cells.

"The man in the video is not Shawn Custis," McMahon said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

An auto repair shop was closed in connection with an investigation into illegal ATV use.

NEWARK -- Four dirt bikes and ATVs were confiscated and a local business where several of the vehicles were stored was shut down, Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said Monday.

Police learned that several of the bikes being operated recklessly and illegally on city streets were being fixed and parked at All Season Auto at 580 Springfield Ave., Ambrose said. Dirt bikes and ATVs are banned from city streets.

"We have advised the public over the past few weeks that the use of these vehicles on city streets is illegal. We also vowed to step up enforcement to keep these illegal vehicles off city roads," Ambrose said.

Officers from the 4th Precinct, as well as from city and police units including Special Enforcement and Code Enforcement, carried out an investigation at the business and found two ATVs with no record of ownership, Ambrose said. They were confiscated.

The business itself was shut down because of an expired 2014 license, Ambrose also said.

Around the same time Monday Special Enforcement officers stopped two people driving a dirt bike and an ATV. Both vehicles were confiscated and the driver of the ATV arrested after police learned it had been stolen from its owner in Pemberton.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A total of 12 candidates vied for 3 spots on the city's School Advisory Board

NEWARK - The votes are in, and Newarkers jumped upon the peace train Tuesday.

The so-called "Newark Unity" slate of candidates backed by Mayor Ras Baraka, North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr. and local pro-charter school organizations swept the annual School Advisory Board vote, claiming more than half of all votes.

Kim Gaddy, a former school board member backed by charter school groups, was the leading vote-getter with 5,804 votes. Octavio "Tave" Padilla came in just behind with 5,800, and Baraka-backed candidate Leah Owens took the last of the three available seats with 4,945.

Of the nine remaining candidates, Sheila Montague was closest with 2,546 votes, good for 9.58 percent of the citywide tally.

Introduced in January, the "Unity" trio of candidates was branded as an attempt at diffusing the often hostile rhetoric that accompanied debates on city education, and merged candidates with differing views and backing from all corners of the city's political arena.

Anthony Salters, who managed the slate's campaign, called the victory "a tremendous attempt by Mayor Baraka to focus future discussions on how to improve and ensure a quality education for all Newark students."

"The collaborative effort was not perfect but so many things were done right that based on the election results it's clearly a success," he said.

Muhammad Akil, Executive Director of the Parent Coalition for Excellent Education (PC2E), called the results a "turning point" that showcased the electoral power of charter school backers and others in favor of improving opportunities for students across Newark.

"Rather than focusing on differences, a community chose to rise together to address issues that unite us all - demanding quality public schools; promoting parent empowerment and the expansion of public school options; rejecting the school or prison pipeline, and electing school board leaders that are responsible, knowledgeable, and accountable," he said.

This year's race came after a transformational year for the city's schools, highlighted by the exit of oft-maligned superintendent Cami Anderson.

Her departure came after years of controversial reforms in the city, and was accompanied by a promise from Gov. Chris Christie to return control of its schools to local officials after more than 20 years.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

See the top 10 districts in Essex County with the highest median teacher salaries.

ESSEX COUNTY -- For the most part, the list of school districts in Essex County that have the highest median teacher salaries is what one might expect.

Included on the list are mostly districts in affluent communities in the western part of the county that have all made their mark as high performing districts. Included are Verona, which was recently cited as the district with the highest graduation rate in the state, Montclair, which has long been touted as one of the most progressive educational communities in New Jersey, and Gov. Chris Christie's alma mater, Livingston.

Topping the Essex list is Millburn. At $85,550, the median teacher salary in the district is the thirteenth highest statewide, and clocks in at well above the statewide average median salary of $70,618. Though school officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the median salary, it might follow that a district that has some of the highest test results, graduation rates, and property taxes, compensates its teachers accordingly.

The surprise on the Essex top 10 list, then, would be the East Orange school district, which recorded a median salary of $71,673. The district was the only urban one to make the top 10, and has a markedly higher salary than those at comparable districts like Newark and Irvington, which reported median salaries of $61,200 and $55,276, respectively.

A former Abbott district, East Orange has often been cited as one of the state's struggling school systems, recently reported a 75 percent graduation rate district-wide, and in its 2013-14 state report card, many of the district's schools reported academic benchmarks that "significantly lag" in comparison to other schools across the state. Interim superintendent Gloria Watson did not respond to a request for comment on the salaries Tuesday.

See the county's top 10 in the gallery above, and check your district's median tacher salaries in the search tool below.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

It was Murphy's fourth town hall as he prepares to run for governor

IRVINGTON - New Jersey businessman Phil Murphy, the Chair of New Way for New Jersey, hosted a town hall meeting Tuesday night at the D'lorice Banquet Hall in Irvington. It was the fourth town hall in New Jersey for the possible 2017 Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, who made his fortune working as a Goldman Sachs executive.

New Way for New Jersey is described as a "political organization that will promote a progressive middle-class agenda among Democrats in New Jersey and work with allies who share that mission." At the town hall, Murphy criticized Gov. Chris Christie and his policies while spelling out his vision for the future of the state.

Aristide Economopoulos can be reached at aeconomopoulos@njadvancemedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter at @AristideEco and Instagram Find NJ.com on Facebook

Last month we had the worm moon. This month we'll see the pink moon, also known as the egg moon.

As long as the skies are clear this week, New Jersey sky watchers will get a glimpse of the so-called pink moon Thursday night into Friday morning. But even if you are able to see it, the moon won't have a pinkish tint.

That's just one of the nicknames for the April full moon, symbolizing the start of spring and pink-colored flowers that are blooming and spreading this time of year, such as the wild ground phlox, or moss pink, according to FullMoonPhases.com.

The April full moon will be rising this week. Will it look as spectacular as this orange harvest moon over a Hillsborough farm? (Star-Ledger File Photo) 

This moon has some other nicknames as well.

In other cultures, people refer to the April full moon as the egg moon, the fish moon and the sprouting grass moon, the website says. The fish nickname was reportedly coined by coastal American Indian tribes that noticed shad would swim upstream to spawn around the time of the April full moon.

Regardless of what anyone calls it, one thing is certain: "The moon will not look any different than any other full moon," said Kevin Conod, manager of the Dreyfuss Planetarium at the Newark Museum.

The full moon will be glowing in the sky over the New Jersey and the rest of the East Coast region on Friday, April 22, at 1:25 a.m.

Unfortunately for astronomy buffs, the annual Lyrid meteor shower happens to peak on the morning of April 22, according to EarthSky.org. So the meteor shower will be dimmed by the light of the full moon.

Sky watchers will have an opportunity to see what else is out in space Friday night, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., when Rowan University hosts a night sky event in conjunction with the Philadelphia Science Festival. Keith Johnson, director of the Edelman Planetarium at Rowan, said he is keeping his fingers crossed that the weather cooperates.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New protocols and a staffing increases have yielded positive results, officials say.

(file photo)

NEWARK --  A recent plan to reduce crime and improve services provided by city police has yielded positive results, according to department officials.

Announced in February, the 45-day plan called for the consolidation of some department administrative positions to free up more officers for street duty, as well as an assessment of officer response times and the department's internal affairs unit.

In the weeks since, 50 officers were reassigned to patrol and street functions from administrative positions, while another 36 rookie officers were added and placed on foot patrols after completing their police training in March, officials said.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/04/after_police_shakeup_irvington_sees_decline_in_vio.html

New protocols and a staffing increase helped reduce the number of calls for service transferred to the Jersey City Police Department from an average 325 calls per week to less than 20.

Department officials also increased the number of detectives in the Major Crimes Unit to 24. As a result, clearance rates of investigations handled by the unit increased to 63 percent by the end of March, a 39 percent increase from where the total stood at the close of the final quarter of 2015, officials said.

Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said Tuesday that the moves are just an initial step in improving services for residents.

"The problems the department especially around response times are well documented, but we're making progress," he said. "People deserve to know that when they call that there's going to be someone who answers the phone. Is the problem totally fixed? No, but we're going to continue to work with the community to become a more efficient department."

To help gauge the department's progress, city officials commissioned a Rutgers University survey asking residents to rate service provided by police.

Department officials acknowledge that the results were mixed. A majority of respondents included in the survey said they police officers they'd interacted with had a positive demeanor. But over half of the respondents in the survey described wait times at local police precincts as "excessive," and only 41 percent said they'd received followed-up calls after making an initial report to police. 

In the coming weeks, department officials will roll out yet another plan, which will include new initiatives designed to improve police training and oversight, as dictated by the consent agreement authorizing federal oversight of the police department, said Mayor Ras Baraka.

"After this 90 day plan, there will be another, yet another and another until the Newark Police Department becomes a national model for effective law enforcement and a close citizen/police relationship," he said. 

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A medical examiner testified today at the murder trial of Farrarhd H. Gunter that the bullet that killed a 12-year-old Jersey City boy in 2013 entered his upper left arm and passed through his upper chest before stopping.

JERSEY CITY -- A medical examiner testified today at the murder trial of a Newark man that the bullet that killed a 12-year-old Jersey City boy in 2013 entered his upper left arm and passed through his upper chest.

Medical Examiner Eddy J. Lilavois said the bullet that killed Gywan Levine Jr. on Rutgers Avenue on May 17, 2013 damaged major blood vessels in his chest and passed through both of his lungs before stopping in his right chest.  

Accused killer Farrarhd H. Gunter, 36, looked on from the defense table as Lilavois used autopsy photographs to describe his findings to jurors. Under questioning by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Rinaldi, Lilavois said the bullet also fractured one of the boy's ribs.

The doctor gave Gywan's weight as 215 pounds and said he was 5-foot-7.

During cross examination, defense attorney Keith Hirschorn questioned Lilavois to show his findings could not determine Gunter's guilt or innocence.

"Even though you were able to rule this a homicide, as you sit here today, you have no knowledge who shot this boy?" Hirschorn said.

"Oh, not at all," the doctor responded.

Prosecutors have stated that on night Gywan was killed and his father, Gywan Levine Sr., was also shot but not killed, Gunter, Janice S. Everett, 28, of Rahway, and Shawn Harris, 36, of Irvington, had driven to Jersey City to commit robberies.

Harris and Everett were charged in the homicide, but they pleaded guilty to lesser charges and Everett has testified that Gunter admitted to shooting Gywan Jr. Harris is on the list of possible witnesses, but has not appeared so far.

Everett also testified that the three of them went to Jersey City to commit robberies.  

"(Harris) is all scared and sweating and shaking," Everett said. "He was really angry. ... He said 'This idiot back there (Gunter, in the rear seat) did something stupid ... I panicked and I asked 'What happened?' and that's when Farrarhd said 'I shot him. They wouldn't give it up'. (Gunter) said 'He'll live.' " Everett said she smelled gunpowder and turned to see a gun on Gunter's lap.

Everett testified that a few days later Gunter called and said 'Did you hear the news?'" and then told Everett and Harris 'I shot a boy.'"

It is believed that because of Gywan's size, it was after it was reported that the accused realized that Gywan was not an adult.

Two men who were nearby, on Rutgers Avenue the time of the shooting, have testified, with one identifying Harris and the other identifying Gunter.

The prosecution rested at 12:16 p.m. today. It not yet known if Hirschorn will present a defense case or if Gunter will testify on his own behalf.

This world premiere play's ambition is laudable, but its execution is far less certain.

Alzheimer's, infidelity, forgiveness, and the need for companionship: That's just a partial list of the many weighty topics explored by "Old Love New Love," a world premiere play at Luna Stage Company by Laura Brienza.

The play's ambition cannot be faulted, but its execution is far less certain. Characters wrestle constantly with crises that are as much existential as they are practical, and we learn repeatedly that they will trudge on and endure against daunting odds. That's great for these characters who are genuinely knowable and pitiable, but the play's sentimentality consistently drowns out its drama.

As the play opens we find that Gloria (Kim Zimmer) has moved in with her adult daughter Michelle (Claire McClanahan) after having reluctantly committed her Alzheimer's-afflicted husband Colin (Thom Molyneaux) to an elder care facility. The guilt that wracks her soon finds jealousy as a companion when Gloria learns that Colin has developed a romance with Lane (Jane Mandel), a fellow Alzheimer's patient at his facility.

A triumphant 'Asher Lev' at George Street

Gloria knows her husband's debilitated mind has not willfully betrayed her, but she cannot shake the hurt. Michelle, on the other hand, knows her husband Matt (Christopher Halladay) was of sound mind when he admits to her a night of cheating. She kicks him out but is left wondering whether she has done the best thing for the couple's four-year-old daughter.

Gloria and Michelle are thus left together, gaining strength from each other but nonetheless terribly confused -- neither certain if they've made the best decision; and both cautious that more calamity may be on the horizon.

Kim Zimmer and Thomas Molyneaux star in "Old Love New Love," an ambitious play with an uneven execution (Photo by Christopher Drukker)Christopher Kelly | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Over the course of the play we also meet Mia (Ava Eisenson), a young caretaker at the elder facility, and Danny (Alfred Gingold), Lane's husband who seeks out Gloria for a kind of strength in numbers. The play seems invested in demonstrating how interconnected seemingly disparate lives can prove to be. The struggle to accommodate and reconcile one's self with the harsh reality of Alzheimer's forms a community at the center of this play, as Michelle's house grows ever more packed with folks seeking solace in community.

Still, a lot of this will seem very familiar to anyone who's read Alice Munro's famed short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain," or seen Sarah Polley's film adaptation, "Away from Her" -- or even fans of "Grey's Anatomy," to which the play self-consciously compares its plot line. How "Old Love New Love" takes these themes in productive new directions is never clear.

And the crowdedness of Michelle's house (rendered with attractive coziness by set designer Libby Stadstad sets) regularly distracts from the play, as director Nancy Robillard struggles to master the space. This leads to frequently obscured sight lines, or characters speaking important lines with their backs to the majority of the audience.

Infidelity, Alzheimer's, and guilt are all powerful and daunting themes which "Old Love New Love" strives to encapsulate in a mawkish exploration of emotional frailty. In the end, the message of the play seems only to be "This is hard stuff to deal with, isn't it?" I doubt anybody would disagree, but the play does not give us much drama or emotional depth onto which we might latch.

Old Love New Love

Luna Stage Company, 555 Valley Road, West Orange, through May 8

Tickets: $22-$37; available by phone (973) 395-5551 or online

Patrick Maley may be reached at patrickjmaley@gmail.com. Find him on Twitter @PatrickJMaley. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

Authorities in Orlando are seeking two of the three drivers who fled after striking the St. Benedict's Prep graduate

A 39-year-old New Jersey native died after being struck by three vehicles while walking home from a store in Orlando on Saturday night.

The drivers of the first two of three cars to hit Rasheed Wiggins at 11:45 p.m. fled, according to OrlandoSentinel.com.

A 39-year-old New Jersey native was struck by three vehicles Saturday in Orlando, Fla. Florida Highway Patrol 

The first vehicle partially struck Wiggins as he stood on a grassy median waiting to cross at the intersection of Universal Boulevard and Destination Parkway. The impact knocked Wiggins into the road, and the newer, white vehicle ran over him, according to WESH.com. An older, white car driven by a woman who might have been using a cell phone also hit him, the report said.

Finally, a 47-year-old taxi driver who told police he didn't see Wiggins lying in the road struck him. The Florida Highway Patrol is seeking the other drivers.

It's not known which vehicle killed him. He was walking home from Walgreens.

Wiggins is a 1995 graduate of St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark who went on to earn two degrees from Duke University.

A member of the school fencing team, Wiggins helped the Gray Bees to the New Jersey State Prep championship his senior year, according to a school spokesman. He also had a black belt in karate.

"Rasheed was a great leader, a great student and a great friend," the Rev. Edwin Leahy said in a statement provided to NJ Advance Media.  "Our prayers go out to him and his family."

Wiggins grew up in Newark before moving to Maplewood as a teenager.

He worked as an assistant brand manager in the marketing department at Darden Restaurants in Orlando. Wiggins is survived by his wife, Kim, also a Duke graduate.

Information on the arrangements for Rasheed Wiggins services on behalf of Kimberly Holmes Wiggins: To send condolences direct: Rasheed Wiggins Family 4 South Orange Ave #359 South Orange, NJ 07079 Visitation: Friday, April 22, 2016 5-7 p.m. Location: Baxley Funeral Home 522 Blackshear Hwy Baxley, GA 31513 Funeral: Saturday, April 23, 2016 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. visiting 12 p.m. Service begins Location: The Fine Arts Center at Appling County High School Appling County High School, 482 Blackshear Highway, Baxley, GA 31513 There will be a graveside service at Old Field Memorial Gardens. Immediately following a Repass will be hosted by the family. Baxley Funeral Home is handling arrangements, funeral flowers, condolences for all locations in Georgia. Baxley Funeral Home (912) 367-0348 522 Blackshear Hwy Baxley, GA 31513 Memorial: Date: Sunday, May 1st Time: 3 p.m. Location: The North Carolina School of Science and Math Durham, NC A celebration of Rasheed Wiggins life will take place. It will include: a video/picture presentation, story of Rasheed's life, tributes by organizations and an opportunity to share with others how Rasheed made all of us better. If you would like to submit photos/clips for the presentation or If you want to participate in a Kappa Alpha Psi tribute contact: Melissa Lee email musiclee@gmail.com Program organizer: Ary and Shannon Bush, Jennifer McCallister along with the leaders at Science and Math with Kim. GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/e8zn35fg Stephanie Freedman started an account you can contribute to that Kim hopes to use to honor Rasheed's legacy and keep his spirit alive through helping education and entrepreneurship. I know everyone is sending hugs, love, prayers and support from across the country. Wednesday evening the Wiggins' work families (Darden and Fox 35/media members) will gather for a open house dinner to remember Rasheed and support Kimberly and their family. Please share this information with people who want to know as well and please let me know who to add to this email list. The next email will be tomorrow listing hotel and travel information if you need it. If you have any questions or want

A photo posted by The SONYA'S SEEDS Project (@sonyasseeds7) on Apr 19, 2016 at 8:56pm PDT

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Shawn Custis's attorney objected to a witness's comment that she was scared of him Watch video

NEWARK -- After watching a "nanny-cam" video of a man whom she believes was Shawn Custis beating a woman during a 2013 home invasion in Millburn, a witness said on Wednesday at Custis's trial that she became "scared" of him.

The witness said she had known Custis for a few weeks and he was recently angry about her telling him to not call her anymore. Given those "angry words" and the brutal attack in the video, the witness said she grew fearful of Custis and told her grandson to lock the windows and doors at her home.

Based on those comments, Custis's attorney, John McMahon, later called for a mistrial, saying Custis was "severely prejudiced" by the witness's testimony that he posed a threat to her.

But Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler denied the mistrial request and said the witness's testimony appropriately provided context for her claim of recognizing Custis as the assailant in the video.

Custis, 45, of Newark, is facing attempted murder, robbery, burglary and related charges in connection with the June 21, 2013 incident.

Authorities have said Custis broke into the victim's house and kicked her, punched her and threw her down the basement stairs. The woman's 3-year-old daughter was sitting nearby on the living-room couch and her 18-month-old son was asleep in an upstairs bedroom, authorities said.

Custis also stole various jewelry items and a cell phone from the residence, authorities said. The attack was captured on a "nanny-cam" video.

A week after the incident, Custis was arrested after the video had been released to the media and Custis was identified as a suspect.

The witness who testified about being scared of Custis is among four witnesses expected to testify during the trial about being familiar with Custis and identifying him as the attacker in the video in statements to the police.

Pointing to Custis's body type and his "offbeat walk," the witness said on Wednesday that she was "one hundred percent sure" that Custis is the man in the video.

The other three witnesses include a girlfriend of Custis at the time, her daughter, and another woman who had a personal relationship with Custis.

On the witness stand on Wednesday, the daughter of Custis's then-girlfriend testified that she was home when she saw the video on a News 12 New Jersey broadcast and she recognized Custis as the assailant.

The daughter said she then came to her mother's bedroom, where her mother and Custis were on the bed, and she told them Custis was "in the news." Custis denied he was the man in the video and left the house soon afterward, she said.

She said she was certain that Custis was the attacker, because in the video, Custis was wearing "the same outfit that he had on that day," referring to the day she saw the video. She also said she identified Custis as the assailant based on "his walk" and "his whole appearance."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Newark man charged with fatally shooting a 12-year-old Jersey City boy during a robbery in 2013 will testify on his own behalf this afternoon.

JERSEY CITY -- The Newark man accused of fatally shooting a 12-year-old Jersey City boy during a botched robbery in 2013 will testify on his own behalf this afternoon.

"It is more than extremely likely" defense attorney Keith Hirschorn said when asked if he client, Farrarhd H. Gunter, 36, of Newark, will testify. Gunter is charged with murdering Gywan Levine Jr., 12, and wounding his father, Gywan Levine Sr., on May 17, 2013, on Rutgers Avenue between Wade Street and Stevens Avenue.

When Gunter takes the stand, it will allow the prosecution to tell jurors about his 10 prior convictions. Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Rinaldi, who is handling the case, is also expected to bring up the fact that Gunter is currently on probation for a 2014 weapons offense.  

Gunter's other convictions include drug possession within 1,000 feet of school property, two counts of receiving stolen property, two counts of possession with intent to distribute and three counts of drug possession.

After the state rested at 12:16 p.m. today, Hirschorn moved to dismiss the charges against Gunter, arguing that the state had not provided sufficient evidence to prove any of the counts beyond a reasonable doubt. Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young denied the motion.

Hirschorn said he may also call two police officers this afternoon when he presents his defense case.

Prosecutors say that on the night Gywan Jr. was killed and his father was wounded, Gunter, Janice S. Everett, 28, of Rahway, and Shawn Harris, 36, of Irvington, had driven to Jersey City to commit robberies.

Harris and Everett were also charged in the homicide, but they pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Yesterday, Everett testified that Gunter said "I shot him. They wouldn't give it up," and then the following day Gunter said in a phone conversation "I shot a boy."

It is believed that Gunter was expressing surprise because Gywan Jr., although just 12, was 5-foot-7 and 215 pounds and was possibly mistaken for being older. 

Rutgers One, a coalition that includes the faculty union and student groups, plans to hold a rally Thursday before a tuition hearing held by the Rutgers Board of Governors.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University should celebrate its 250^th anniversary by giving students a gift - a 2.5 percent tuition decrease, according to a coalition of student and faculty groups.

Rutgers One, a coalition that includes the faculty union and student groups, plans to hold a rally Thursday calling for the tuition cut before a hearing held by the Rutgers Board of Governors, the board that is preparing to set the state university's 2016-2017 tuition rates.

"The time is right and the money is available to take the revolutionary step of reducing tuition at Rutgers," said anthropology professor David Hughes, president of the Rutgers AAUP-AFT, the university's faculty union.

Rutgers 2015-2016 tuition hike

On the New Brunswick campus, the average in-state undergraduate currently pays $14,131 in tuition and fees annually to attend Rutgers. Once room and board are added to the bill, the average undergraduate pays about $26,185 a year.

A 2.5 percent tuition and fee decrease would save students about $353 a year.

University officials responded to the tuition decrease proposal with a statement saying the Rutgers board is trying to hold down student costs.

"The Board of Governors takes seriously keeping Rutgers affordable," university officials said in a statement. "It considers many factors when setting tuition rates. The wide range of costs, from meeting negotiated salary increases for faculty and staff, to the operational expenses of campuses spanning the state, as well as all revenues and available sources of state, federal and private funding have been fundamental in setting tuition rates in the past and will be this coming year."

The university administration also questioned why the faculty union is lobbying for lower tuition while also calling for higher salaries for professors. 

"The regular appeals from the unions to, on one hand raise salaries while on the other hand lower tuition, seem contradictory, at best," the statement said.

The Rutgers Board of Governors is expected to set 2016-2017 tuition in July. As it prepares to make its decision, the board is holding an open hearing Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for members of the university community to give their opinions on tuition.

The Rutgers One coalition plans to hold a 6 p.m. rally outside the Rutgers Student Center in New Brunswick before the hearing to call for a tuition decrease.

The rally follows a resolution approved last week by the executive council of Rutgers' faculty union that called for the Rutgers board to tap into surplus money in its budget to cut tuition for the entire 65,000-student university next fall.

Rutgers students have called for tuition freezes several times over the last few years, with no success. Since 2011, Rutgers' annual tuition hikes have ranged from 1.6 percent to 3.3 percent.

"If the administration wanted to do something particularly revolutionary in honor of our 250^th anniversary, a tuition decrease of 2.5 percent would fit the bill nicely," said Patrick Gibson, a junior computer science and American studies major from Metuchen and member of the Rutgers One coalition.

Three savvy political organizations joined forces to elect the "Newark Unity" slate in a landslide victory Tuesday

NEWARK — Tuesday's sweep of the city's school board elections by a so-called "Unity" slate is being hailed as both a victory against the often hostile rhetoric surrounding education in Newark and a sign of a new wrinkle in local politics.

The trio of Octavio "Tave" Padilla, Kim Gaddy and Leah Owens ran away with the annual contest — collectively taking more than 62 percent of the total vote.

The resounding victory came despite the group's divergent views on school choice - both Gaddy and Padilla generally support the expansion of charter schools, while Owens has advocated for a moratorium on their growth — as well as their unlikely coalition of political backers.

Mayor Ras Baraka backed Owens, Padilla represented a contingent of North Ward power players headlined by Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr.

The biggest impact, however, may have come from charter-backing groups such as the Parent Coalition for Excellent Education (PC2E), a newly formed organization which hand-picked Gaddy for the slate and helped fund the slate in hopes of carving out a place on the board for reform-minded members.

Gaddy was the leading vote getter of all 12 candidates with 5,804, with Padilla trailing her by just four votes. Owens easily took the final of the three available seats with 4,945.

Newark 'Unity' slate sweeps city school board elections

"I think it was really a coming out party for the collective group, or for the charter community to say we're here, we're not really going anywhere and we want a piece of the pie," said Lavar Young, Newark City Director for the Black Alliance for Educational Options.

Newark also saw unusually high turnout for the spring election. A total of 26,578 residents cast votes on Tuesday, easily dwarfing the 17,100 from 2015 and more than doubling participation from as recently as 2013.

Officials chalked much of that up to the added layer of organization around the campaign, but also to the looming prospect that the board will shed its advisory status when governing power is finally returned to the district after more than two decades.

"This is a critical time in Newark Public Schools history," said Ramos. "The goal in the beginning was not to put three candidates that were clones as far as perspective, but candidates that support quality public schools."

"It's really a question of when," said Richmond Rabinovitz, Acting CEO of the Newark Trust for Education, which held a candidate forum and created a website with information on the election.

"We certainly hope that helps people engage."

While a number of new dynamics reared their head during the campaign, the final tally also helped reinforce an age-old truism of local politics, as candidates without major fundraising operations, high-profile endorsements and well-oiled ground game of the "Unity" slate failed to pose a significant challenge at the polls.

"I think it's just the power of machine politics, basically. You can't underestimate politics in Newark," said Young. "I think the power of three different apparatuses is really why you saw the big turnout."

After the success of an alliance between old political rivals, however, some believe many voters may have simply been motivated by the promise of potentially leaving years of grown weary of public bickering over the future of the city's schools behind.

"I think its confirmation that what parents and Newark communities want is better education options across the city," said Mashea Ashton, CEO of the Newark Charter School Fund. "They are tired of the politics, the business as usual, the us versus them."

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Joseph Bell is accused of making phony reports about boaters in distress on the Passaic River Watch video

NEWARK -- A volunteer firefighter in Fairfield pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of calling in false reports about boaters in distress on the Passaic River on two occasions over the last six months.

Joseph Bell, 32, of Fairfield, entered the plea through his attorney, Gregg Wisotsky, when he was arraigned on two counts of making a false public alarm. Bell was arrested on March 21 and later released on his own recognizance.

During Tuesday's hearing, Municipal Court Judge Eric C. Acosta said that, as a condition of his release, Bell is prohibited from calling 911 for any non-emergency matters.

Wisotsky said at the hearing that he and Bell were "definitely considering" submitting an application for the state's Pretrial Intervention Program, a probationary program designed to provide rehabilitation for first-time offenders.

Under the PTI program, if Bell met certain conditions and completed the program, the charges would be dismissed and there would be no record of conviction. Joining the program does not represent an admission of guilt.

Bell has been suspended from the township's volunteer fire department, Chief Tim Connolly previously said. Bell has served with the department for 12 years, but his involvement with the squad tapered off during the last two years, Connolly said.

In both incidents, Bell allegedly used a marine radio to contact the U.S. Coast Guard station in Staten Island to report there were boaters in need of emergency assistance on the Passaic River, police said.

Each time, authorities searched the area and did not find any boaters in distress, police said. Also, in both cases, Bell was the only party reporting the emergency situation, police said.

The first incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. on Oct. 27, 2015, when Bell reported that a boat carrying one adult, three children and a dog had either capsized or tipped over in the Passaic River in the area of Lincoln Park and Fairfield, police said.

During the second incident, Bell reported at about 5 p.m. on March 15 that he was monitoring a distress call involving a boater in need of assistance, authorities said. Bell claimed two children and a father were trapped or injured, police said.

In a March 21 news release about Bell's arrest, Fairfield Chief of Police Anthony Manna thanked "all those police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, state troopers and Coast Guard personnel who either responded to these false reports in order to assure that someone was not actually in need of help or helped to bring this individual to justice."

"We committed to finding the individual responsible and today we did" Manna said. "Hopefully this will serve as a message to others that law enforcement takes seriously, false reports and we will do whatever we can to track down those who take valuable resources away from the general public."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

People will be able to fund student college grants, tree planting, or a commissioned musical work.

NEWARK -- As part of Newark's 350th birthday celebration, organizers hope that a one-day-only, 24-hour giving spree will help them leave a legacy for future generations of Newarkers.

On May 3, organizers seek to raise $350,000 -- a nod to the 350th anniversary of the city's founding -- in online contributions, for several projects to improve the city.

Ras Baraka at the kickoff to the yearlong Newark Celebration 350. (Courtesy NC350) 

The website, on which people will be able to make donations from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., is www.newark350gives.org. 

According to the website, options for "legacy" projects donations will include:

• Repairing and restoring Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum's 1916 Landing Monument (which currently is under a tarp in city garage), 
• Planting 350 trees in Newark,
• Establishing a Newark student college success fund offering "mini grants" to students, 
• Commissioning jazz artist Stefon Harris to compose a musical work in honor of Newark's 350th anniversary (to be performed with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at a Newark Celebration 350 event in fall 2016), 
• Or a general donation that the Newark Celebration 350 committee will use for general funding, an insufficiently funded project, or a new project. 

How Newarkers are celebrating city's 350th birthday

May 3 is also the day that nonprofit organizations and community foundations across the country are taking part in "Give Local America" day - a "24-hour nationwide crowdfunding event that provides a platform to invest in and support the work of local nonprofit organizations," organizers said in a press release.

This will be Newark's first "Giving Day," they said.

"It is our hope that the city's first giving day will also create a sustainable culture of crowdfunded philanthropy that will last beyond this celebratory year of Newark's 350th anniversary as one of America's great cities. Newark deserves our wholehearted support this year and in the future," said Director Emerita of the Newark Museum Mary Sue Sweeney Price, the legacy gift committee chair.

Newark Celebration 350, or NC 350, is offering more than 150 programs throughout the year, organizers said.

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

The United Way will purchase bottled water for students and support programs that treat students affected by lead poisoning. Here's what else you can do:

By Catherine Wilson

Newark, a city of almost 300,000 residents has an infrastructure crisis; a lead in the infrastructure crisis.

Similar to that of Flint, Michigan, Newark has lead in its water stemming from an old infrastructure of pipes in its public schools. As the city celebrates its 350th anniversary this year, the school district is scrambling to find a solution to a very old problem. And, Newark is not unlike many old cities across the country in dire need of tackling this issue.

However, with the needs in education and financial stability within our urban centers, oftentimes unseen infrastructure is the last to get attention -- until it can't wait anymore.

The students in Newark and other aging cities throughout New Jersey cannot wait anymore. With so much public and private monies spent through government, corporate and private foundations, Newark and other older cities should be the recipient of more national, both federal and private funding due to this aging infrastructure issue.

Newark Public School officials shut down the water fountains in 30 of its district schools after it was discovered by their own testing, that there were elevated levels of lead. And last week, they shut down water fountains at an additional eight schools after further testing. As a result, water in the 38 buildings is only used for flushing toilets and washing dishes, with all drinking and cooking water coming from donated bottles of water.

And even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), local politicians and good Samaritans are trying to find short-term solutions, this is a longer-term problem that needs a bi-partisan solution. 

Daniel Van Abs, associate professor at Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, acknowledged a NJ Spotlight roundtable on "New Jersey's Hidden Water Crisis" that the greatest issue facing the public infrastructure is the lack of understanding of "how good or bad our systems are."

Water is delivered through both public and private systems -- systems the public continues to pay for directly. And with the highest property taxes in the country, residents should be able to send their children to school with the confidence their drinking water is safe. 

The lead levels in Newark's water ranged from 15.6 parts per billion to 558 ppb -- above the EPA's "so-called" action level of 15 ppb. Students in Newark, already affected by poverty, violence and a lack of general resources did not ask for, nor should they suffer from a lack of clean and safe drinking water during the school day. At United Way, we are urging parents in Newark that while public officials are ensuring them that there is no need to panic, there are steps they can take to ensure their children are safe:

• First, set up an appointment to get your child tested for lead poisoning. You can call 2-1-1, the Newark Health Department or University Hospital for more information regarding when and where to get tested. 
• Second, sit down and talk to your child about what lead poisoning, and what it is and what it is not. Your child should understand why the water is not safe to drink at school, but not feel fear of drinking or using water at home. 
• Third, if your child is at an affected school, make sure they understand that the water at their specific school is not safe to drink and that they should drink water from bottled water throughout the day. 
• If you have further questions or concerns about lead in the drinking water, I urge you to call 2-1-1 or The Newark Health Department.

United Way of Essex and West Hudson's (UWEWH) mission and vision is to support our communities and find solutions to common, critical problems. We have a vested interest in the health and safe well being of our constituents, especially our students.

Last month, we launched a national campaign to bring attention to lead crisis at the Newark's Public Schools. UWEWH will support the collection of funds and bottled water for students at the affected schools throughout the city. With funds collected from across the country, UWEWH will purchase bottled water for students and support programs that treat students affected by lead poisoning, such as lead screenings through the Newark Health Department and the lead poisoning program at University Hospital in Newark.

Additionally, UWEWH will work with the Newark Health Department to inform all parents and the general public about the need to get screened, early and often for this pollutant. 

If you are looking for a way to help students in Newark affected by lead in their drinking water, I urge you to take action. Please consider making a donation to United Way to purchase clean water and services needed to address this emergent issue. 

Catherine Wilson is acting chief executive officer of United Way of Essex and West Hudson.

Through the first three months of 2016, Newark recorded a 14 percent reduction in overall crime from where the statistics stood at the same point last year.

(file photo)

NEWARK -- With the first three months of 2016 come and gone, the results of the city's efforts to combat crime through the first quarter of the year appear to be mixed.

The number of non-fatal shooting incidents, long a problem in the city, stood at 53 as of April 3, a decrease of five percent over last year's three-month total. And the number of burglaries and robberies both dropped by double digits.

In all, the city recorded 2,037 crime incidents through the first quarter of 2016, a 14 percent reduction in overall crime from where the statistics stood at the same point last year.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/04/newark_police_announce_progress_report.html

But homicides continue to pose a significant challenge for the city. By the end of January, city officials recorded 13 killings, nearly equaling the 15 recorded through the first three months of 2015. As of April 3, the total stood at 24, five of which could be attributed to domestic violence incidents, officials have indicated.

Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose acknowledged the increase in homicides, but remained hesitant to draw a broad conclusions from the first quarter stats.

"These numbers both good and bad are indicators only," he said. "I don't judge the job our personnel are doing on statistics alone."

Ambrose instead suggested looking toward improvements to services provided by the police department. Those improvements, along with the downward trend in overall crime, indicate that the various moves initiated since the January overhaul of police department leadership are paying off, he said.

On Tuesday, Ambrose and other city officials announced the results of the department's recently wrapped 45 Day plan to reduce crime and increase public trust in city police.

Initiated in February, the plan called for the consolidation of some department administrative positions to free up more officers for street duty, as well as an assessment of officer response times and the department's internal affairs unit.

Along with Mayor Ras Baraka, Ambrose touted the recent increases in the clearance rate for shootings and other major crimes, as well as increases in the number of calls for service fielded by employees at the department's communications center.

"The initiatives we've put in place--streamlining policies, transferring the right people to the right place, beefing up in intelligence--has had some effect," Ambrose said Tuesday. "We're not out of the woods, but we're moving in the right direction."

Baraka echoed the sentiment, saying that he's "optimistic about the direction the city is moving in." While homicides remain a significant issue, the effects of changes and policies initiated by the department since the January leadership shakeup are only just beginning to take hold, he said.

How well they take hold could have a direct bearing on whether the downward trend in crime continues into the summer months, which traditionally are accompanied by an increase in violent crime.

In 2015, initial gains in the city's battle against street crime were eventually erased as homicides and shootings spiked upward during the summer months. A total of 104 people were murdered in the city last year.

But even with warmer weather looming, North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr. said he's encouraged. 

"You can't measure success based on solely on homicide stats," Ramos said. "Around Newark, I see police striving to be more productive and visible in the city's tougher communities and that makes me confident in Director Ambrose and the other men and women who keep the city safe."

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.