Among the Seton Hall Class of 2016's 1,375 graduates, Elijah Edmunds was the first member of his group of friends from Newark's Vailsburg neighborhood to graduate college

NEWARK -- Elijah Edmunds of Newark didn't make a speech to inspire fellow  members of Seton Hall University's Class of 2016 on Monday. That honor went to Noel Girgenti, the business major and class valedictorian from Brooklyn.

But to Edmunds' friends from the working class Vailsburg neighborhood where he grew up, the 21-year-old film major could hardly be more inspirational.

"It's big. I never seen this. This is my first time attending a college graduation," said Isiah Martin, 23, one of five friends who greeted Edmunds with bear hugs and broad smiles as he walked out of the Prudential Center in Newark, home of the Seton Hall Pirates basketball team and Monday morning's commencement ceremony for the university's 1,375 undergraduates receiving degrees. (Seton Hall, whose campus is in South Orange, will hold separate ceremonies for its 1,152 students receiving graduate degrees.)

"Terrific," Martin, a graduate of Newark's West Side High School who is looking for work, said of the commencement ceremony. "I'm grateful to be a part of it."

Edmunds' bachelor of arts makes him not only the first member of his immediate family to graduate from college, but also the only one of his circle of friends in Vailsburg to earn a four-year degree. So Martin was just one of several peers to greet Edmunds as he stepped out of the arena and into the Monday morning sunshine, his long brown braids cascading down his royal blue cap and gown.

"All my buddies!" said Edmunds, who already works as a still photographer and cameraman for short films, and now hopes to earn a master's at NYU Film School. "Amazing, with all my people here. Most people from my neighborhood don't do this."

The Catholic university's two-hour ceremony included remarks from Archbishop John J. Myers of the Newark Archdiocese, who urged graduates to prepare for a life of civic leadership.

In keeping with Seton Hall tradition, Noel Girgenti's valedictory remarks were the main speech, rather than a commencement address delivered by a celebrity or public figure -- say, for example, the president of the United States -- as was the case Sunday at the Rutgers University commencement ceremony in Piscataway, where Barack Obama spoke.

"I don't know why Seton Hall doesn't have people speaking, famous people," lamented Jomara Pena, 23, of Linden, a nurse and 2015 Seton Hall grad, who was back to watch her cousin, Valerie Rodriguez, graduate.

In Girgenti's speech, he told classmates, "Our education challenged our way of thinking."

"Our social experiences allowed us to show compassion and sacrifice for others who we just met, although, sometimes those relationships were the ones that grew most in our hearts," Girgenti said. "Our community informed us how to remain hopeful and faithful to our aspirations and beliefs, while remaining steadfast in our ethics and morals."

Apart from being a time of reflection, for many, Monday was a relief.

"It's been a tough four years," said Dylan Waligroski of Wanaque, a National Guard reservist who earned a nursing degree and will be workign as a case manager for the Guard. "It feels great to be graduating."

There was also relief among some parents, unburdened of tuition bills and confident in the knowledge that a degree will enhance their child's future. 

"I feel very happy that she graduated," said Dr. J. Otis Williams, a chiropractor who was up from Beaufort, S.C., to see his 31-year-old daughter, LaToya Williams, receive her nursing degree after starting college later than usual.

The day was also touched with sadness, as groups of friends said goodbye for who knows how long.

Jordan Scrape, 22, of Bridgewater, posed for a picture with three friends and fellow grads. 
      
"We're all going to different places, so we're not going to see each other as much as we used to, so it's sad," said Scrape, an elementary special education major who landed a job in her field with Denville Public Schools this fall. "But we're all doing great things, so it's good in that way."

Among Elijah Edmunds' Newark friends was Seton Hall junior Larry Elijah, who nodded at the recognition that his first name was the same as his friend's last. Larry, a 21-year-old communications major who is from the West Ward, works at the Seton Hall radio station, WSOU, and hopes for a job in media.

"I'm up next," Elijah said, meaning he'll be following in Edmunds footsteps in 2018, while trying to inspire their friends in the meantime. "I'm going to be him the next two years."

NJ Advance Media photographer Robert Sciarrino contributed to this article.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Donald Higgs, 46, of Irvington, carjacked the vehicle from the parking lot of Sacred Heart Church on Grove Street in Irvington.

Donald Higgs, 46, of Irvington. (Essex County Prosecutor's Office)

NEWARK --  An Irvington man received a 15-year sentence for a 2014 carjacking and robbery in an Irvington church parking lot, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today.

Donald Higgs, 46, of Irvington, must serve 85 percent of the sentence before he is eligible for parole, Murray said.

On March 21, an Essex County jury convicted Higgs of the May 11, 2014 incident, which occurred in the parking lot of Sacred Heart Church on Grove Street in Irvington.

The 22-year-old victim was working with his three brothers as DJs at an event at the church when he went to his brother's Cadillac to charge his cell phone, and Higgs carjacked the vehicle, according to Assistant Prosecutor William Neafsey, who tried the case.

OnStar tracked the Cadillac to a sports bar on North 5th Street in Newark, and while waiting there for a tow truck, the victim saw Higgs walking down the street and identified him to police, according to Neafsey.

Neafsey said Higgs was previously convicted of a 1995 carjacking and received a 20-year sentence, but was was released in 2004.

Higgs has a total of 40 prior arrests and 13 adult felony convictions, including burglary and receiving stolen property, Neafsey said.

"This was a fair sentence given the fact there were no physical injuries to the victim, but clearly this defendant is one who needs to be deterred," Neafsey said. "In the past he has had multiple opportunities to turn his life around but failed repeatedly to take advantage of those opportunities.''

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

National Weather Service says private weather contractor made error but quickly corrected it.

Yes, it was windy in New Jersey on Monday.

No, the wind wasn't gusting to 102 mph at Newark Liberty International Airport.

However, that hurricane-force reading was erroneously reported by a private contractor who handles weather observations at the airport, and fed to the New York regional office of the National Weather Service, where it was posted online in the airport's hourly observations at 6 p.m.

Pat Maloit, a meteorologist at the weather service office, said the mistake was quickly spotted by the weather service, and the airport observer then transmitted the correct readings. Maloit said the airport wind speed was actually 21 mph at 6 p.m., with a gust of 30 mph.

Did the winds really gust to 102 mph in Newark on Monday? (National Weather Service) 

Before the typo was fixed, it was spotted by an eagle-eyed weatherman, Craig Allen, a veteran meteorologist at WCBS radio in New York, who reported his strange discovery on Twitter and Facebook. Allen then assured his radio listeners that it wasn't actually that windy in Newark.

Maloit agreed.

"Those would have been hurricane-force gusts," he said, quickly adding, "which did not happen."

It did get quite windy in Newark, as well as other parts of New Jersey, one day earlier. At about 7 p.m. on Sunday, the weather observation station at Newark Liberty airport reported a wind gust of 48 mph, which was the highest gust in the Garden State that day, according to data from the National Weather Service and the New Jersey Weather & Climate Network at Rutgers University.

If you're curious to know how strong 100+ mph winds are, here's a look at two weather observers at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire early Monday.

Yes, it has been windy today but I think EWR 6pm observation is just tad too strong. ;) W@21 Gusting to 102.... https://t.co/MUdBncXEXq

-- Craig Allen (@CraigAllenWx) May 16, 2016

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

The dogs reportedly had never been violent before.

EAST ORANGE -- A five-year-old was attacked by the family dog early Saturday, News 4 New York reported.

Janaya Everett was in an upstairs bedroom when two dogs kept in the basement entered. One of them, a pit-bull mix, attacked her, police said. She was taken to University Hospital in Newark where her condition was not immediately known.

A family member said the dogs were never violent before. The dogs were taken and will likely be put down, he also said.

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

Former Newark mayors Kenneth Gibson and Sharpe James spent an evening of reflection sharing personal stories of about their lives and the time they spent in office.

The road to Newark for Kenneth Gibson and Sharpe James was as interesting and similar as the men who became the city's first and second African-American mayors.

They were young boys, four years apart in age, when their families left the south, like many blacks migrating north, looking for an opportunity.

Gibson grew up in Enterprise, Ala, but the family house had an amenity that upset his father's white employer in the 1930s.

"The people that he worked for got jealous because we had an indoor bathroom and they didn't,'' Gibson said.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns    

Because of that, his father's pay was cut, forcing him to leave and find work elsewhere.   When he settled in Newark, Gibson said, the family joined him in 1940.

Four years later, James' mother, Beulah James, fled segregation and an abusive boyfriend in Jacksonville, Fla. She packed up James and his brother, Joe, in the middle of the night with a plan to board a freight train headed this way.

"Mother built a fire on the track and the train stopped,'' James said.

It was an evening of intimate story-telling and conversation one night last week when two of Newark's most engaging political figures traded tales at the Newark Public Library.

The event was one in a series of notable Newarkers reflecting on the city as it celebrates its 350^th anniversary. The discussions, organized by former Star-Ledger reporter Guy Sterling, will continue through the end of the year as the schedule is finalized.

On this evening James and Gibson were entertaining and inspiring. They opened windows into their lives, shared the highs and lows of their mayoral tenure, and praised Newark's school system for providing them with a top-notch education.

"Teachers cared,'' James said. "They'd yell at you, they'd scream at you, they kept you after school. You had homework and they would hit you and throw things at you.''

The audience cracked up, but understood where he was going.

"They treated you like you were their own family,'' James said.

The Centennial Room in library was filled with men and women of the former mayors' era, so they could relate to Gibson when he talked about how he was determined to pursue college instead of learning a trade, something many blacks were encouraged to do.

"I decided that anybody who told me that I couldn't do something, that was the reason I was going to do it,'' he said.

James graduated from South Side High School, Montclair State University and earned his master's degree in physical education from Springfield College. He initially became a teacher once he realized a career in professional sports was not in the cards.

Gibson, analytical and scientific, started out as an engineer after graduating from Central High School and the Newark College of Engineering.

Both men, however, said they felt compelled to seek office following a governor's commission investigating the 1967 civil disturbances. This was a time when the city was in bad financial shape and its government was perceived as corrupt.  Gibson, who was elected in 1970, said there were deep racial and economic divisions.

"What people don't understand is that segregation didn't just exist in the south,'' Gibson said.

He said blacks couldn't sit downstairs in Newark movie theaters and they were not allowed into the private "Downtowner Club'' restaurant at Bamberger's department store.

James said black political leadership was necessary, because it was practically nonexistent in Newark. But one way blacks could change their plight was to get involved with United Community Corporation(UCC), a Newark organization in charge of federal antipoverty funds. With the money, James said UCC was required by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act to  fund neighborhood programs and elect local community boards with officers to address local concerns. 

Years later, at the Black and Puerto Rican Convention, more progress was made when local leaders put together a candidate slate with James running for the South Ward council seat and Gibson vying for  mayor.

In four mayoral terms, Gibson said, he was most proud of creating health centers to lower Newark's high rates of tuberculosis and venereal disease, but disappointed that the quality of education in the school system began to decline.

MORE:  3-day festival celebrates Newark's 350 years of history

After 16 years as a councilman, James defeated Gibson in 1986 and took over a city beset with crime and poor public housing. But he reduced crime, ushered in the Prudential Arena, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and built 30,000 new units of housing.

Gibson and James' had contrasting styles but both were effective in office. Now that they are not,  the two still have much to offer. The audience remained riveted for two hours listening to Gibson, his cadence measured, his thoughts methodical and humorous at times. 

James' delivery gained speed with each idea, his voice growing loud to make a point. Fiercely defensive of Newark, James often wrote letters to The Star-Ledger objecting to stories he thought were negative.  As a councilman, James demanded and received an apology from Talk Show Host Phil Donahue for criticizing Newark.

Both men talked about their difficulties as mayor trying to meet  the public's expectations , how they struggled with their vision to move Newark forward. Gibson didn't have a supportive council. James was more fortunate, but, he said, the council he worked with was politically astute and it challenged him often.

After their time leading the city, each man had their troubles with the law. Gibson pleaded guilty to tax evasion in 2002 after bribery and fraud charges were dismissed. James, who was Newark's mayor for 20 years, served an 18 month jail sentence after a federal jury convicted him on fraud charges.

In 50 years, Gibson hopes Newark's educational future has improved. James is worried about the city, given the state of today's national politics and divisive rhetoric.

They had much insight to offer. Gibson said his path almost ended before it began. He accidentally swallowed a whistle at 5-years-old that lodged in his chest. Doctors told his father he was going to die. But a Philadelphia physician managed to remove it.

Gibson turned 84 on Sunday.

James, 80, credits the perseverance of his 101-year-old mother for how he turned out. And he honors, Gibson, his "hero,'' for leading the way and showing him the ropes.

''How many years are left for Ken Gibson and Sharpe James to sit on a stage together?'' James asked.

Who knows, but their historical treat last week was recorded for others to enjoy in years to come.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

The health issues related to aging infrastructure are not limited to lead. The state's sewer systems are so old raw sewage can wash into waterways like the Passaic River and Raritan Bay.

By Robert Briant Jr. 

You cannot see it, but below New Jersey, a catastrophe is brewing. Underneath our state lay thousands of miles of century-old water and sewer lines whose shelf life is set to expire any day.

The result will be a catastrophic danger to the health of all residents of New Jersey. 

We can no longer ignore this crisis. It is time we develop a comprehensive strategy for improving our water and sewer infrastructure to ensure we deliver clean water to the men, women, children and businesses of our state. 

New Jersey has miles and miles of old, deteriorating water and sewer infrastructure lines.  It is not hyperbolic to say that more situations like those in Newark and Camden will occur if we don't act now.

We have already seen the impact of ignoring this crisis. 

In Newark, water sampling tests indicated that in the state's largest school district, 30 out of 67 schools had lead concentration above 15 parts per billion. That is the level at which the Federal Environmental Protection Agency recommends corrective action be taken. As a result, faucets and drinking fountains in these schools were shut off and bottled water had to be brought in. These elevated levels of lead are being tied to Newark schools' aging infrastructure.

In Camden, there are schools whose water fountains have been shut down for years.  Students and staff instead must use bottled water machines.  It costs the school district $75,000 a year just to provide bottled water and cups.

But this isn't just an urban problem. 

Water samples from suburban municipalities across the state have detected unacceptable levels of lead due to the lead solder and lead lined service lines. In 2014, the state Department of Health found that hundreds of water systems throughout the state had traces of arsenic or nitrate in the water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes Salem, Cumberland, Essex, and Mercer Counties had the highest numbers of children impacted by lead poisoning. 

Lead in drinking water is no benign matter. According to the World Health Organization, "Young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer profound and permanent adverse health effects, particularly affecting the development of the brain and nervous system."

The health issues related to aging infrastructure are not limited to lead. Our sewer systems are so old and outdated that in many areas across the state, even a light rainfall can result in raw sewage washing into waterways like the Passaic River and Raritan Bay.

When aging infrastructure is not poisoning our drinking water, it is creating havoc and waste.  In Hoboken, a water line broke and the resulting sinkhole devoured an entire car.  Numerous New Jersey municipalities have water mains - which deliver treated drinking water -- leaking so badly that up to 60 percent of the treated water never reaches customers.  I'll repeat that: In some systems, up to 60 percent of the treated drinking water is lost.  Think of the wasted money and resources occurring every day due to our failure to address this problem.

A March Rutgers-Eagleton poll indicates that 52 percent of New Jerseyans are concerned about the water they drink. It also shows that a majority of residents believe that water pollution is a serious problem. This crisis can no longer be ignored simply because we can't see it crumbling before our eyes.  The time to act is now.

I am proud to chair the Clean Water Construction Coalition, which helps focus national attention on the need for federal legislation to improve water and wastewater infrastructure.  One of our organization's highest priorities has been fully funding Army Corps of Engineers programs and the reauthorization of the Federal Clean Water and Federal Safe Drinking Water Acts. It has been nearly 30 years since the Clean Water Act was last reauthorized.

Our federal representatives in New Jersey have been loudly advocating for the increased federal funding and protections that the Clean Water Construction Coalition has called for. What we need now is for Congress to come together and realize the gravity of the situation -- the clock is ticking.

As someone who has fought for these kinds of improvements at the federal level for over a decade, I know this will not be easy. But nothing short of the public health and safety of all New Jerseyans is at risk.

Robert Briant Jr. is chairman of the Clean Water Construction Coalition and CEO of the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association.

Follow NJ.com Opinion on Twitter@NJ_Opinion. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Two men accused of killing an NJIT student appeared in court Tuesday, both neatly dressed in dress shirts and ties.

NEWARK -- Dressed in a purple shirt and blue tie, Nafee Cotman stood silently, his hands cuffed behind his back as he appeared in court on charges of killing a New Jersey Institute of Technology student who was shot in a fraternity house.

Both Cotman, 18, of Irvington, or his co-defendant, Taquan Harris, 22, of Newark, remained silent as news cameras and photographers recorded their brief hearing before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler on Tuesday.

Harris, wearing in a white shirt and tie, and Cotman are charged with murder for the May 2 fatal shooting of the 23-year-old Joseph Micalizzi in the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house on the 300 block of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

Both defendants are also charged with felony murder for a - homicide committed during the commission of another crime - and burglary and weapons offenses.

Cotman's lawyer, Jonathon Gordon, and Harris' lawyer, Sterling Kinsale of the Essex County Public Defender's Officer, entered not guilty pleas for their clients during the hearing that lasted less than two minutes.

Authorities say Micalizzi, of Tom River, was shot in the hand and the head when he struggled with the defendants who were attempting to rob him in his room at about 3 a.m.

Micalizzi had transferred to NJIT and was in his junior year, studying mechanical engineering.

Neither the defense attorneys or Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Eric Plant made any comments about details of the case.

Wigler continued bail at $1 million for each the defendants.

Police arrested Cotman and Harris on May 5, three days after the shooting, apprehending Cotman at his home and capturing Harris several hours later on the 100 block of Munn Avenue in Newark.

The shooting came less than a month after a Rutgers-Newark student was shot and killed at his off-campus residence, also near the school. Law enforcement sources previously told NJ Advance Media that shooting was a possible drug-related robbery gone wrong. 

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The state's congressional delegation is upset over hour-long waits at security checkpoints.

WASHINGTON -- Members of the New Jersey congressional delegation on Tuesday asked Transportation Security Administration Administrator Peter Neffenger to take steps to reduce wait times at Newark Airport security screening checkpoints.

The lawmakers, led by U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-10th Dist.), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, expressed concern that airline passengers had to wait more than 60 minutes to get through the checkpoints, and sought written updates on what TSA was going to reduce those times.

"Security is the top priority for TSA, as it is for our constituents, airports, airlines, and members of the New Jersey congressional delegation," the lawmakers wrote. "As advocates for New Jersey families and commerce, we are concerned by any inconvenience due to unreasonable wait times at Newark that would cause leisure and business travelers to avoid utilizing the airport."

Lawmakers seek end to screening delays

Security checkpoints are struggling under increased passenger loads, many of whom are toting carry-on baggage rather than checking it as airlines charge for a service that once was free.

"TSA's primary focus is the current threat environment, as the American transportation system remains a high value target for terrorists," TSA spokesman Michael England said. "Our strong economy means air carriers are enjoying record travel volume, which is resulting in heavier than normal volumes of travelers at our nation's airports - some with double digit increases over last summer.  

England said passengers should get to the airport as soon as two hours before departure to clear security, or enroll in one of the trusted traveler or pre-check systems to bypass the worst of the lines. In addition, the agency is increasing overtime, hiring more screeners and increasing the use of dogs, among other measures. Earlier this month, Congress approved the TSA's request to use an additional $34 million to increase its workforce.

Lawmakers first brought the issue to the attention of the TSA in February, pointing out how the airport pumps nearly $23 billion into the economy and is responsible for 162,000 jobs and $8.3 billion in salaries.

While acknowledging the TSA is working to reduce the wait times, the lawmakers sought a written report by June 17 on those efforts.

"Further, we are interested in details about how TSA will ensure sustained improvement over the long-term so our constituents can be assured that recent experiences at Newark are not in fact the new normal at the airport," they said.

Congressman Payne, Jr. has been a leader in addressing long airport wait times and TSA staffing issues. Last week, Congressman Payne, Jr. called on House appropriators to approve TSA's request to shift $34 million in its FY 2016 budget to hire additional Transportation Security Officers and pay overtime in order to help alleviate long lines and wait times at airports. Following the letter, Congress approved the TSA's request.

In February 2016, Congressman Payne, Jr. joined U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker and U.S. Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-08) in calling on the TSA to address staffing issues at Newark Liberty International Airport amid significant delays at security check points during peak travel times, including unusually long delays this past holiday season.

Those signing the letter, besides Payne, were U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Reps. Donald Norcross (D-1st Dist.), Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.), Scott Garrett (R-5th Dist.), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th Dist.), Leonard Lance (R-7th Dist.), Albio Sires (D-8th Dist.), Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-9th Dist.), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th Dist.). 

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook 

The 33-year-old Dwayne Birchler is charged with manslaughter in the death of Lindsay A. Ulyate, 32, who was found dead in her home on Sunday, authorities said.

Prosecutors have charged Dwayne Birchler, 33, of West Orange, with manslaughter in the strangulation death of a 32-year-old Livingston woman, Lindsay Ulyate. (ECPO)

LIVINGSTON -- A 33-year West Orange man has been charged in the strangling death of a 32-year-old Livingston woman he knew, who was found dead in her home on Sunday, authorities said.  

Dwayne Birchler was arrested and charged with a single count of manslaughter on Tuesday, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced.

Birchler's arrest follows the discovery of Lindsay A. Ulyate's lifeless body at her home Sunday at 4:30 a.m., Murray stated. She was pronounced dead at 5:11 a.m.

Murray said an autopsy determined the cause of death as strangulation. 

Birchler is being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark in lieu of $150,000 bail set by Superior Court Judge Norma J. Grimbergen, Murray stated.

Murray's office is conducting the ongoing investigating in conjunction with the Livingston Police Department.

A manslaughter charge implies the defendant caused the victims' death, typically through some sort of reckless act, and is a lesser charge than murder, which implies intent to kill.
 
Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, declined to characterize the relationship between Birchler and Ulyate. Carter also would not elaborate on the nature of the strangling, or comment on a motive or even whether prosecutors believed he intended to kill her.

"The victim and the defendant were known to each other," Carter said.  "Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything more."

A woman who answered the phone at Birchler's home Tuesday afternoon initially declined to comment, She then added, "This is a devastating shock," and hung up.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A suspect was caught the same day, police said.

NEWARK -- The suspect in a robbery early Tuesday was captured within hours by the police department's Fugitive Apprehension Team, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

The victim, a 64-year-old man, was robbed in the 700 block of Broadway. An investigation by Det. Richard Warren identified Jennifer Ramone, 31, as the suspect, police said. After receiving a tip, police arrested Ramone at a home on Montclair Avenue.

She has been charged with robbery, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.

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

The first degree awarded at NJIT today was to Joseph Micalizzi, the student who was killed May 2 in his fraternity house.

NEWARK -- Thousands gathered Tuesday for the News Jersey Institute of Technology commencement, but the first degree that was awarded went to a student who could not attend the ceremony.

"The first degree presented will be in memoriam of Joseph Micalizzi," said NJIT Provost Fadi Deek, explaining the posthumous award to the student who was killed May 2 during an apparent robbery in an off-campus fraternity house.

The 23-year-old Micalizzi was shot in the hand and head as he struggled with the robbers in his room at the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house on the 300 block of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

NJIT awarded a degree in mechanical engineering, which was Micalizzi's major, Deek said during the ceremony at the Prudential Center in Newark, a few block from the NJIT campus.

NJIT president Joel Bloom handed the degree to Dan Weiss, the president of fraternity, in a presentation that drew applause from the graduates and their friends and family.

"After reviewing Joe's earned credits, courses completed, grades and other pertinent information, NJIT awarded the posthumous degree as a humanitarian act for the Micalizzi family, friends and the many others in the campus community who knew and loved Joe," Bloom said in a statement after the commencement ceremonies.

Micalizzi was a junior at NJIT, having transferred to the school from Brookdale Community College.

As the commencement was going on, two suspects in the shooting, Taquan Harris, 22, of Newark and Nafee Cotman, 18, of Irvington, appeared in Superior Court on West Market Street, several blocks south of the NJIT campus. Both men pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, felony murder and weapons offenses.

At the commencement, the Institute conferred bachelor's, master's and doctorate degree on more than 2,800 graduates honored in the fields of engineering architecture and design, science and liberal Arts, management and computer sciences. 

Among those receiving honorary degrees was commencement speaker Leonard Kleinrock, professor of computer science at UCLA and one of developers of a program that was the precursor of the internet.

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Four giraffes are projected to attract an added 50,000 visitors a year to Turtleback Zoo in West Orange. Their barn has a mezzanine to put caretakers at eye level. Watch video

WEST ORANGE -- The four giraffes that star in Turtleback Zoo's new African Adventure exhibit were an instant hit with excited young visitors.

"Their necks are high!" said 3-year-old Syriah Daniel of Paterson, who was at the exhibit's grand opening on Tuesday with her mother, father, two little sisters and a friend. 

"They loved the giraffes," said her dad, Ramon Daniel, 31, who works for UPS.

"They named him Jeffrey," Daniel added, gesturing toward the tallest of the four. Then, to the little girls, he said, "After Toys R Us, right?"  

Actually, his name is Hodari, a.k.a., Walter. He's 10 years old and, at 17 feet tall is about a foot above average for a mature male giraffe, according to Dr. Jon Bergmann, Turtleback's veterinarian for the past four years. Three juveniles, between one and two years old, share the African exhibit, along with assorted ostriches, turtles and other creatures.
 

Bergmann took particular pride in African Adventure's opening -- which was attended by Gov. Chris Christie, among other officials -- after the 34-year-old vet had collaborated with architects Gregory Comito and Laurie Sciabarasi of Newark-based Comito Associates on the design of the giraffe barn, the main structure in the 5-acre exhibit, a $7.4 million expansion of the zoo paid for with a combination of Essex County and state funds.

"The way you want a giraffe barn built, this is it," said Bergmann, whose father founded and still runs the Popcorn Park Zoo Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Forked River, where the son started caring for animals as a child.

Because the barn was newly constructed in the past year specifically for giraffes, it incorporated some of the latest features for the care of the species, and is now a model for similar structures elsewhere, said Bergmann and two architects, putting Essex County at the forefront of zoological design.

Built to order around the latest innovations in the care of the tall creatures, the structure includes floor and ceiling heating, a large roaming area for indoor exercise, a mezzanine level to put caretakers at head level, and a padded "squeeze" pen, which keeps the animals stable during examinations, equipped with removable panels allowing access up and down the giraffe's lofty frame.

"Any part of their body, we can open a window and have a look," Bergmann said.

Comito and Sciabarasi, who had never worked on a zoo building before, said they received generous support and advice from other zoos and zoo architects, coordinated by the American Zoological Association. Now, said Sciabarasi, other zoo officials and architects are eager to see Turtleback's custom barn.

Comito said he was already looking forward to another project at Turtleback.

"Next is a lion," he said.  

Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo said the giraffes would pay for themselves within a few years, and then help pay the rest of the zoo's expenses.

Based on attendance at zoos around the country, DiVincenzo said the giraffes would bring in an additional 50,000 visitors a year to Turtleback on top of current attendance, which totaled 755,000 visits in 2015. At $11 a ticket, he said, that's an added $550,000 a year in revenue.

When the zoo begins allowing visitors to feed the giraffes lettuce snacks, following normalization period for the animals, DiVinchenzo said feeding fees alone would add another $200,000 in revenues per giraffe, per year.      

Looking around the new exhibit at the opening day crowds of happy families and giddy school children, DeVinzenzo was obviously pleased, on multiple levels.

"This is all about attendance," he said. "Giraffes are very popular."

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A few weeks passed and a Non-Public power house from South Jersey regained the top spot in the NJ.com Top 20. A few teams that were previously dropped from the rankings reentered towards the bottom.

One man's story about his experience using Access Link, the van system for people with disabilities and how he thinks it could be fixed. Watch video

MAPLEWOOD --Civil rights attorney Daniel Florio of Maplewood graduated last fall with a master's degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University - an achievement he hoped would open many doors leading to a promising career.

Turns out, his hard work was far from over.

Born with spinal muscular atrophy, Florio is a quadriplegic who operates a motorized wheelchair by remote control using his thumb - the only part of his body he can control. Florio said his disability wasn't an issue when he was living in handicapped-accessible Cambridge, Mass. He never missed a class or a social gathering because he couldn't get there.

But returning to New Jersey, Florio knew he could not even begin looking for work until he figured out how to cope with the grueling commute on Access Link, a paratransit network of vans that runs parallel to the bus services offered by NJ Transit.  

On paper, Access Link appears to be a comprehensive statewide service providing 1.25 million rides last year, according to NJ Transit. But Florio said he knows better, having relied on it for nine years when he was an attorney for Legal Services of New Jersey.

The 19-mile trip from Maplewood to Edison typically took 90 minutes - and sometimes more than two hours - because his office was located in two separate bus regions requiring that he change vans, he said. Waiting in the rain, snow or heat was not unusual, nor was unexpectedly sharing the van with other riders, prolonging the trip. After a year, Florio cut back to working four days a week because he needed a day to recover from each 11-hour to 12-hour work day.

"Every time you use it, it is a new source of anxiety," Florio said. "I knew I couldn't do it again. I don't have the stamina I used to."

Florio's friends at Harvard helped him find another way.

They started a "Go Fund Me" account that helped him buy a modified van equipped to accommodate his 350-pound electronic wheelchair. The generosity of 355 donors from all over the country raised $30,325. The state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation issued him a $20,575 voucher toward the purchase. He's also saved $3,000 of his own money.

With a price tag of $56,352, Florio said he is still about $8,000 short - not including the $7,200 a year to insure the vehicle and gofundme's 8 percent fee. Whatever the gofundme campaign doesn't cover, Florio said he'll pay with a bank loan.

The silver Dodge Grand Caravan arrived on April 26 - removing Florio's biggest barrier to finding his dream job: developing national employment and transportation policies to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The "humbling and overwhelming generosity" of his friends and donors doesn't solve the larger issues for those who will have to keep using Access Link, Florio said.

"Even in the best of times, it is not usable for someone who is trying to have a full active life," said Florio, 46, who smiles often and speaks in a soft but authoritative voice. "It's important people know what the problems are."

The ADA expects paratransit trips to be "comparable" in length to regular bus service, a term that allows an Access Link trip to be 1-1/2 times longer. Florio said the service routinely is three times as long under a rule that also allows drivers to arrive 20 minutes sooner or later than the requested pick-up time.

Riders may not pay by credit card or in advance; they must have exact change when they board the van. Once a reservation is made, Access Link will not allow any changes. Drivers are permitted to strap the rider's chair down to the floor but they are not permitted to otherwise assist the customer. 

On a recent trip Access Link trip to one of his favorite cafe's, Van Gogh's Ear in Union, Florio's chair got stuck several times on the ramp from his front door leading to the sidewalk. The driver is not permitted to help the rider until he or she is at the curb and ready to use the ramp to board the van. Florio's aide was there to help, as was Florio's dad who arrived at home just as the van pulled up.

"They will blow the horn and that's it. No text, no call - you have to be at attention and be able to look out the window. They will only wait five minutes," added Florio, who said he has been left behind a few times.

Access Link does not go into New York City, closing off a major job source to people with disabilities, he said.

Florio said he has submitted several complaints to NJ Transit over the years, including the latest last fall.

"I received no letter back that specifically addressed any of my concerns," Florio said. "They did send a form letter with a voucher good for a free round-trip on the service, but it did not even list the substance of my complaints."

Access Link provided people with disabilities 1.25 million rides in fiscal year 2015, and based on the latest customer satisfaction survey, users appeared to like the service, said NJ Transit spokeswoman Jennifer M. Nelson. Access Link scored an 8 out of a possible 10 in the latest survey from the fall, she noted.

"In serving the masses, there will always be situations and policies in place that don't fit someone's individual travel needs," she said.

Users gave high marks driver performance, mechanical reliability, cleanliness, security, safety and "overall value for you money," according to the survey.

 Riders gave the lowest scores for scheduling services, onboard comfort; trip time; on-time performance and customer service. Payment options received the lowest grade of all 6.7, although the score has improved since 2011 when riders gave it a 6.

"There are some initiatives in place awaiting further resources," such as switching to an electronic fare system and a text or call alert for pick up time information, Nelson said. "We hope to implement these as soon as possible."

The base fare for Access Link riders is $1.60 but the average trip costs the agency $44.26, "which means the federally mandated AD paratransit service is subsidized in the millions of dollars by the taxpayers of New Jersey," Nelson said.

NJ Transit commuters pay highest fares in country: analysis 

NJ Transit pays Easton Coach and First Transit, Inc. a combined $382 million to provide Access Link's services, Nelson said. Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex counties don't have Access Link services at all because the law does not require paratransit services in counties that do not have bus or light rail service.

New Jersey's system feels like it's run a shoestring, Florio said, having lived in California and Massachusetts and used their city and regional paratransit systems.

"There is a disconnect here between seeing the shareholders not as the people who use it, but the taxpayers," Florio said. "They are not seeing it as a service and how they could make it more helpful."

Daniel Florio of Maplewood enters the van bought through donations, government grants and his own savings that will allow him to look for a job as policy maker for people with disabilities. The van will be driven by a member of his family, a friend, or one of his aides that accompany him. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Florio)
 

Nora Locke of Maplewood, Florio's friend of nearly 20 years, said NJ Transit officials should visit Cambridge's paratransit system if they want to see how the service should run.

"He was really able to have a level of independence (in Cambridge) using public transportation options that just don't exist in New Jersey," said Locke, who has traveled with Florio on both systems. "After being picked up you had the ability to easily change your destination.  So if you planned to do something at an outdoor venue and the weather was bad, you could ask to be taken somewhere else."

"In New Jersey you can take the trip as planned and take your chances that you will be stuck in the rain or you can cancel the trip," she said. "When this is your only transportation option - it really changes your reality.  It prevents you from being a full member of society." 

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Victim identified as a female

NEWARK -- Authorities were investigating a homicide early Wednesday near Astor and Brunswick Streets, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed.

Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter said the victim is a female.

Additional details were not immediately available.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Archbishop Myers decides to close historic Mount Carmel Church

You had to feel a little sorry for Msgr. Bill Harms as he stood in front of about 400 angry people in the basement of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Montclair on Tuesday night.

The poor guy was brought back from retirement to do the dirty work for Archbishop John J. Myers, and tell the people from the 109-year-old parish that their beloved church will be closed this fall.

Harms relayed the news that Mount Carmel will shut down and merge with the Church of the Immaculate Conception, also in Montclair. The combined parishes will be renamed St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

"That's what this is all about," said Frank Cardell, the financial officer of Mount Carmel. "After she's canonized in September, the archdiocese (of Newark) wants to be the first in the country to name a church after her."

It could be about that.

Or could be about church politics.

"Their priest, Fr. (Joseph) Scarangella is very active in the archdiocese," said Maryann Zecchino, who has been on the Mount Carmel church council since she was 21 and saw eight of her nine grandchildren baptized there. "Our priest (Anthony Lionelli) is retiring."

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

Or it might be about real estate.

Mount Carmel is located a block from the busy Bay Street train station, an area  designated by the state as a "transit village" in 2010.

New apartment and condo complexes have replaced old multi-family housing. Now, places with names like "The Montclair Residences at Bay Street Station," "The Montclairion" and "K.Hovnanian at Montclair Mews" are filled with millennial commuters.

"Of course it's about real estate," said Sebastiano Locasio. "Our property is more valuable than Immaculate because it's bigger and it's closer to the train. They (the archdiocese) are going to sell it to a developer."

Harms came to the meeting armed with numbers, but what he didn't seem to realize was that he had waded into a cultural war, as old as the parish itself. As old as uptown vs. downtown, and the Irish-Italian thing.

The neighborhood in the flats of southeast Montclair was full of Italian immigrants in the late 19^th century. In 1907, those congregants  broke off from Immaculate Conception, which was predominately Irish and wealthier, and located up the hill in downtown Montclair. The Italians built their own wooden church and, 30 years later, raised enough money to build the brick structure that still stands.

Mount Carmel started its own grammar school in 1961, but the kids still went to high school at Immaculate Conception. Many parishioners at the meeting recalled they felt unwelcome there and Italian slurs were common.

Today, the two head priests and director of education at Immaculate Conception have Italian surnames, but that didn't stop the Mount Carmel audience from pulling scabs off old wounds.

Retired Montclair police chief Thomas Russo said as much in his opening statement, wondering if the archdiocese would close the church if the parishioners "last names didn't end in a vowel."

He wasn't the only one. It came up many times. When Harms mentioned the multitude of church closings, someone shouted "How many are Italian?"

When Harms spoke of merging the parishes, someone said, "Who are you kidding? They don't want us there."

Harms explained Myers made the decision based on participation numbers and recited the parish's low tallies for the most recent year: only 393 registered families, an average of 220 people at Sunday Mass, eight Baptisms, seven first Communions, two Confirmations, one marriage, and 28 funerals.

Those numbers support Myers' decision. Those numbers say the church is dying out.

But numbers don't tell the whole story. They don't measure heart, soul, passion or faith. Or pride.

They don't tell the story of people like Angela Ficarra-Socio, whose grandparents joined the parish when they came from Italy and whose children are fourth-generation parishioners. Or people like Raffaele Marzullo, who contributed a mural to the church ceiling above the altar to honor his late father. Every one of the 400 people at the meeting had similar stories. Mount Carmel is in their blood, part of a cultural DNA handed down for generations.

And they fill the baskets. So they countered Harms with numbers of their own.

They're small, they said, but they're profitable. They run several money-making feasts, and were able to recently make $250,000 in repairs and replace all three heating systems in church buildings.

Cardell said the church has banked enough money to keep it operating five years in advance.

He also said Mount Carmel surpassed its goal in the Archbishop's Annual Appeal for the past five years, making it one of the Top 10 most generous churches in the four-county archdiocese of 2.8 million Catholics.

"We're a money-maker," he said.

Marguerite DeCarlo, who is coordinating the archdiocese's "We Are Living Stones" capital campaign said the parish "raised $200,000 two years into a five-year program and we have another $90,000 in pledges."

Many parishioners told Harms that if there was a problem with their numbers they should have a chance to bring the numbers up.

"You gave us no notice!" Rita Catalano said to Harms.

"This parish does anything it puts its mind to," Ficarra-Socio said to Harms. "If you told us two years ago we were in trouble because of our numbers, we would have brought our numbers up. Instead you come in here and say it's a done deal and we never have a chance to save our church. It's not fair."

More than one parishioner, like Cardell, challenged Harms on the business logic of the decision.

"We're making money. What kind of business cuts off a profitable arm?" said David Arminio, one of the many members of the church's St. Sebastian Society, that dates back to 1926. "It doesn't make any sense. So what's it really all about?"

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.

Mark and Scott Kelly, accompanied by Mark's wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, will have their elementary school named after them, and May 19 will be declared Kelly Family Day Watch video

View full sizeRed Huber/Orlando Sentinel/MCTMark Kelly and his crew walk out for the launch of Shuttle Endeavour last year.

WEST ORANGE -- Retired astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly, identical twins who are the only siblings ever to have both traveled in space, will be celebrated Thursday with a homecoming in West Orange, where the two grew up.

In March, Scott Kelly returned to earth after 340 days on the International Space Station.

Mark Kelly is married to former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who will accompany the brothers on their visit to West Orange. Giffords was wounded in a mass shooting in Arizona in 2011 that killed six people and sparked a nationwide debate over gun control.
 

The brothers, who are 52, will be at Pleasantdale Elementary School at 10 a.m., when the school will be officially renamed after them.

At 2:45 p.m., the former congresswoman and retired astronauts will be at West Orange Town Hall, where Mayor Robert Parisi will declare May 19 Kelly Family Day. 

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Authorities are offering a $5,000 for information to solve the fatal shooting of a man in a wheelchair last September.

Essex County authorities are seeking help to find the shooter for fatally wounded a man last September. (NJ Advance Media file photo) 

NEWARK -- Authorities on Wednesday issued a plea for the public's help in finding the person responsible for the shooting of a man in a wheelchair last September.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is asking anyone with information regarding the fatal shooting 25-year-old Ernest Matthews to come forward, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office said in an statement.

Matthews was killed Sept. 20, 2015 on the 200 block of Irvine Turner Blvd., authorities said. The shooting occurred in front of the apartment building where Matthew lived, prosecutor spokeswoman Katherine Carter said.

She said an investigation has been ongoing since the shooting occurred.

The Essex County Sheriff's Crimestoppers Program is offering up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at (877) 847-7432.

Mathews was one of three people killed in the city within several hours.

Hassan Chatmon, 28, of East Orange, died after being shot about 9 p.m. on a Saturday in a parking lot in the 400 block of Central Avenue. Matthews was killed about 2 a.m. the following morning. A taxi cab driver also died in Newark after he hit another vehicle about 3:55 a.m. on the 500 block of Broad Street.