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Man charged with shooting teens caught with gun, bulletproof vest, Newark cops say

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Two teens treated at University Hospital

Altarick GoldsmithAltarick Goldsmith, 20 (Photo: Department of Public Safety) 
NEWARK -- A man accused of shooting two teenage boys was arrested early Saturday at an apartment, where detectives found him as he tried to hide a handgun and bulletproof vest, authorities said.

Detectives with the city's Cease Fire Shooting Response Team identified Altarick Goldsmith, 20, of Newark, as the gunman who wounded a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old in a shooting Tuesday near Avon Avenue and Somerset Street, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. The teens were treated for non life-threatening injuries at University Hospital.

Members of the police division's fugitive unit tracked Goldsmith to an apartment on Stratford Place around 7 a.m., Ambrose said in a statement. As police moved in, they saw Goldsmith try to hide a gun and bulletproof vest marked with "police."

2 teens wounded in Newark shooting

Goldsmith faces charges including two counts of aggravated assault, illegal possession of a bulletproof vest and weapons offenses. Ambrose lauded the work of the fugitive unit and Shooting Response Team.

"In just a matter of days, they identified and removed from our streets Goldsmith who shot two teens and would have most likely continued his reign of terror if he hadn't been caught," the public safety director stated.

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


1 dead, 1 wounded in Newark shooting

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45-year-old city man killed Friday night, prosecutor's office says

crime scene tapeA 45-year-old Newark man was shot and killed June 24, 2016 (File photo) 
NEWARK -- A shooting late Friday in the city left one man dead and another person wounded, law enforcement officials said.

City police responded to reports that someone was shot around 10:30 p.m. on the 300 block of South 7th Street, according to a joint statement from Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

Officers discovered a man, later identified as Ronald Gwaltney, 45, suffering from gunshot wounds in the first floor hallway of an apartment building on block, officials said. Emergency crews rushed Gwaltney to University Hospital, where the city resident died around 11:45 p.m.

Man charged with shooting teens

Police also found a second victim shot near the original scene. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly, of the Homicide Unit, said that person was listed in stable condition and authorities were not releasing the victim's identity.

An investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Task Force was ongoing, Fennelly added.

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

N.J. boy, 4, shot by 6-year-old brother dies, officials say

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Mom charged with endangering the welfare of a child, weapons offense

Boy, 6, shoots 4-year-old brother in East Orange, official saysA 6-year-old boy accidentally shot his 4-year-old brother Saturday morning on Norman Street in East Orange, the spokeswoman for the mayor's office said. (Luke Nozicka | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

EAST ORANGE -- A 6-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his 4-year-old brother at an East Orange home Saturday, and the mother of the children faces charges in the ongoing investigation, officials said. 

The younger child died around 4:25 p.m. at University Hospital in Newark, according to hospital spokeswoman Stacie Newton.

The 6-year-old was playing with his mother's gun when he accidentally shot his younger brother in the head around 11 a.m. at the Norman Street residence, city spokeswoman Connie Jackson told NJ Advance Media. The mother was home when the shooting occurred, the spokeswoman added.

Late Saturday, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and East Orange Public Safety Director Sheilah Coley announced the mother, Itiyanah Spruill, 22, was arrested on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and a weapons violation in connection with the death. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly, of the Homicide Unit, said the shooting appeared accidental. 

Itiyanah Spruill.jpgItiyanah Spruill (Photo: ECPO) 

Spruill, of East Orange, was ordered held at the county jail in lieu of $310,000 bail ahead of an arraignment, according to Fennelly. Detectives with the prosecutor's office arrested Spruill on Saturday afternoon. The prosecutor's office did not release any information about the older brother or comment on his alleged role in the shooting.

"This is a terribly unfortunate incident," East Orange Mayor Lester E. Taylor III said in an earlier statement.

Two women who gathered outside the Norman Street home on Saturday afternoon said the boy was in the custody of his grandmother and the children did not usually live at the house in East Orange.

Boy, 6, shoots 4-year-old brother, official says

Donna Jackson, a community activist who said she often arrives to help at scenes of violence, called the shooting "unspeakable."

"The question now is: How do we handle that [older] baby? He has no idea what he has done," she said. "How do you prepare [funeral] services for a 4-year-old?"

"The message here is we need to be very, very concerned about who can get their hands on guns," Jackson added.

Another woman on the block, who identified herself only as SeeAsia, a 40-year-old East Orange resident, said she was a friend of the homeowner and acted as a mentor to Spruill.

"She's just devastated," the woman said in an interview outside the house. She described arriving to find the boy's mother shaking after discovering her child wounded.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Task Force, which includes East Orange police detectives, was handling the ongoing probe. Officials at the state division of Child Protection and Permanency could not be reached for comment. 

Staff writer Luke Nozicka contributed reporting  

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

Christie's poison dart at urban schools would take down charters, too | Editorial

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Gov. Chris Christie says he loves charter schools. But his radical plan to cut school aid to cities would deliver a fatal blow to both conventional schools and charters. Watch video

The striking success of urban charter schools, especially in Newark and Camden, is beyond any reasonable doubt and may be remembered as Gov. Chris Christie's most important win.

The charter movement in both cities is on fire, thanks to the expansion of the most successful chains, like TEAM and North Star.

Their students do much better on reading and math tests than those in conventional schools, and they are far more likely to graduate and attend college. More than 90 percent of the students in both chains are African-American, and nearly 90 percent qualify for free or discounted lunches. And they do all this with less money.

Not surprisingly, parents who are given the choice are selecting charters in a landslide. And why wouldn't they? An authoritative study from Stanford University rated Newark's charters as among the nation's best.

So it is breathtaking that Christie is now proposing a radical school-funding plan that amounts to a poison dart aimed directly at the heart of the charter movement.

Christie's plan would reverse nearly a half-century of efforts to give poor children in New Jersey an equal shot at a good education. He sees the entire project as an expensive failure, sweeping aside data showing that New Jersey's disadvantaged kids outperform their counterparts in every state except Massachusetts.

Under Christie "reform" a kid in Camden would get the same school aid as a kid in the wealthiest suburb, $6,600 per child. He would ignore a town's ability to pay, and the deeper needs of poor kids.

What would that mean in cities like Newark and Camden? Newark would lose nearly two-thirds of its state aid, and Camden would lose about three-quarters.

Massive teacher layoffs and program cuts would be inevitable. Watch for dropout rates to skyrocket.

Christie says that, somehow, he'll protect charter schools from this storm.

For starters, that is a perverse idea. Most children in both cities attend district schools. How could the governor justify throwing them overboard, but not the charter students? And what happened to the core idea that all kids get equal aid?

Even those in the charter school movement hate the idea. In both cities, they are trying to build bridges with district schools to calm fears about their expansion. And they know preferential treatment would risk creating a furious backlash.

"It would be saying that some schools are more important than others," says Muhammed Akil, head of PC2E, an organization that promotes charter schools in Newark. "Even charter school leaders reject that idea."

This plan would be a disaster if it had a good chance of becoming law. For the last seven years, it has been the pet project of a few far-right legislators who have been unable to win recruits, even among fellow Republicans.

Note, too, that not a single education reform group has endorsed this, nor has any organization representing teachers, principals, superintendents, or school boards.

The fact that charter schools are not showing a scrap of support, even with Christie's promise of protection, is particularly telling. This plan presents a clear and present threat to them as well.

More: Recent Star-Ledger editorials.

 

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

Traveling exhibit seeks to recruit sponsors for impoverished kids

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Visitors to the exhibit in Rahway walked through simulations of the lives of three children in different countries. Watch video

RAHWAY -- A family of three enters a tiny bedroom, and a young girl introduces herself.

"Hello, my name is Olive. Thank you for visiting my family here in Mucwini, Uganda."

But they're not in Uganda, and it's not a real bedroom. They're in Rahway, and the bedroom is a replica of one Olive Aneno, now an adult, lived in as a child. The voice is a recording that flows into visitors' ears through headphones.

Olive's bedroom, along with four other scenes from her childhood, are part of The Compassion Experience, a self-guided exhibit that operated at Agape Family Worship Center last week as part of its national tour. Colorado-based non-profit Compassion International is trying to teach people what it means to live in poverty, and they hope visitors will be moved to action.

Specifically, the organization wants them to decide to sponsor a child in one of the 26 countries where the group partners with 7,000 Christian churches to connect kids with food, clothing, medicine and a Christian education. 

Many families in these nations live day-to-day, in constant worry about where their next meal will come from or where they'll sleep that night, said event facilitator Dave Amole. They don't have a chance to think or plan ahead -- only enough time to determine their next move. 

"That's not poor," Amole said. "That's poverty. That's survival."

In the United States, resources like welfare programs and food banks seek to abate this type of poverty. In many other countries, however, these safety nets are entirely missing, Amole said. The Compassion Experience is designed to help Americans understand this type of destitution. 

Kim Albarella, who visited from Clark with her family, signed up to sponsor a child on her way out of the exhibit. She saw a photo of a boy with the same name and age as her son, and she was moved to help.

For Rahway resident Michelle Carmona, the exhibit expanded her definition of the word "poverty." She said she realized poverty is not just a lack of nutrition or healthcare. 

"You have the understanding that it's a physical need, which it is, to some degree," she said. "But there's a 'heart need,' and that's what Compassion shows you."

The non-profit launched the project in Nashville, Tenn., in 2013. It since has expanded to comprise eight vans that criss-cross the country, linking up with Christian churches to showcase the exhibit. 

The stories told in The Compassion Experience belong to three adults who received services from the organization as children. They are among 1.8 million kids Compassion International has sponsored since forming in 1952. 

As the exhibit travels on to other cities, Amole hopes people will keep wanting to help children like the ones whose stories they hear during their visits. 

"Until you can kind of wrap your head around it a little bit, it's still somebody else's problem to deal with," he said. "It's not somebody else's problem. Poverty is everybody's problem."

The Compassion Experience will also be displayed at The Life Christian Church in West Orange through Monday. 

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A serene place of redemption for Newark ex-offenders | Di Ionno

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Greater Newark Conservancy supplied 'soft' and 'hard' green skills

The simple pleasure of watering plants is not lost on Edwin Ortiz. The muddy-handed unraveling of the hose, the spray and smell of fresh water, the sound of it trickling off the healthy green leaves he is nurturing.

The density of the garden reduces the sound of traffic from Newark's busy Springfield Avenue to a whisper. The buzz of honey bees among the forest of plants can be heard over the whine of buses climbing out of the city's business district.

Ortiz, 48, is sequestered in what he calls "an oasis" - an overflowing Eden of decorative trees and plants, of vegetables and flowers, of dirt and sunlight, of simplicity and solace. Turn a corner and you are alone, hidden by the abundance of nature, with your work and thoughts.

It was not like this in prison. Not at Trenton, Rahway or Northern State, the places Ortiz spent the last 30 years of his life. Or even the Kintock Group half-way house in Newark, where he lives now to transition into the community.    

He was an 18-year-old drug addict when he shot and killed a man in an armed robbery in East Orange.

"I was doing petty crime, but my drug use escalated and so did my crime," he said. "Someone lost their life."

To say Ortiz lost 30 years of his, too, would be cliche and disingenuous. He is alive, his victim is not. He has a second chance, his victim does not.

He, like the other men and women who were once incarcerated and now work at the Greater Newark Conservancy understand this. They have been given a chance to change.

MORERecent Mark Di Ionno columns

"When you're in the DOC (Department of Corrections), you're surrounded by negativity," said Ortiz. "Here, you see things that are positive. You see things grow. You cultivate things that are good for the community, not detract from it."  

That is at the heart of the conservancy's mission, which is earthy and metaphorical. Nurture people like plants, grow a community like a garden. Fronted by the ornate former Oheb Shalom (Lovers of Peace) synagogue, the conservancy has education, job training and leadership programs for city youths, for the unemployed, for recovering addicts and ex-offenders.

It runs two city farms - one acre behind the historic Krueger-Scott Mansion and 2.5 acres next to the Hawthorne Elementary School, in the Upper Clinton Hill section.

Since 2009, it has run a program called "Clean & Green," which trains people for jobs in landscaping and horticulture by having them beautify the city's vacant lots and start community gardens.

This year, it began a company of its own, called City Bloom Landscaping. Tom Brill, who ran a successful company in Morris County, was hired to manage a crew of ex-offenders and secure contracts from homeowners and businesses.

"It's a 'social purpose' business," said Robin Dougherty, the conservancy executive director.

"One of the goals is to also teach 'soft' skills. We want them to see the level of professionalism it takes to successfully interface with potential clients and the public."

Teaching the hard skills - the how-to behind installing rock walls, laying down decorative pavers, and caring for lawns, trees and shrubs - falls to Brill.

"When I had my own company, I was more of a boss," he said. "My guys were highly skilled, and I'd drive around and check on jobs or I'd be out doing estimates."

But now, his guys have no landscaping skills and Brill is back to the hands-on work of teaching rudimentary life skills, such as showing up every day - and on time.

"We want guys who want to work and who want to learn," Brill said. "Sometimes, they have to re-do what they've done to make it right. We want guys who can accept that."

"This is a training program," Dougherty said. "We want to teach a higher standard, and we want people who want higher aspirations.

"Some will stay on with us as managers and some will be able to find jobs because they now have professional experience,'' she said. "Hopefully, some will start their own companies."

That's the goal of Akeem Jones, 28, who did five years at Northern State on weapons and drug dealing charges and has been out of jail for three.

"I knew things had to change when I started losing my friends," he said.

Three were shot and killed and "I was going the same way."

Then came a baby girl, Aniqse, now 3. Jones found whatever work he could, but sees City Bloom as a chance to start his own small business.

"This is something I can see myself doing," he said.

Malik Green, 37, is another former drug dealer, who first went to prison at 17. But has been out long enough to take the skills he learned from "Clean & Green" to another level and maybe start his own business.

"I have my own garden behind my house," he said. "I'm teaching the kids from the block. Something good comes out of it."

For Keith Williams, 50, the new company, too, is an extension of "Clean & Green," and he is in line to be one of Brill's supervisors.

Williams said he was tired of spending holidays in jail, away from his family.

"Seven times, I was away," he said.

In 2009, he was accepted by the conservancy and has been there ever since. In the past few months, he has added beekeeping to his skills.

"To me, it's all about the first chapter of Genesis," he said. "God created Earth, and working in the earth keeps me focused on life -  on the life ahead of me."

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

2 shot, 1 killed outside Newark home

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The man killed was identified as a Newark resident.

NEWARK -- Two Newark residents were shot, one fatally, early Sunday on South 6th Street, authorities said.

A man and a woman were shot at about 1:30 a.m. outside a home on South 6th Street, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said in a press release.

The man, Eric Bryant, 44 was taken to University Hospital and pronounced dead at 2:01 a.m., Thomas S. Fennelly, chief assistant prosecutor for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, said. The woman, 45, was hospitalized in stable condition.

The prosecutor's office Major Crimes Task Force is investigating the shooting. Anyone with information should call the prosecutor's office tip line at (877) 847-7432.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

The eyes have it: Mobile ophthalmology organization debuts surgical aircraft

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Orbis, an organization devoted to combating blindness, has performed 41,281 eye surgeries ovw the last 40 years. Watch video

NEWARK -- The Orbis office has a 3-D microscope that can stream a surgery students watch live. It also has an operating room, an AV/IT room and a classroom. And it's all up in the sky. 

Orbis, an organization that aims to fight blindness by bringing doctors and tools to countries around the world, is debuting an aircraft they say will improve the way they perform and teach eye surgery. On Thursday it came to Newark Liberty International Airport. 

In its 40-year lifespan, Orbis has used two different aircrafts that have allowed doctors to perform 41,281 eye surgeries and 24,277 pediatric eye surgeries around the world. The new one has an entirely new set of tools, including a digital cockpit and a camera that streams live surgery to a 46-seat classroom. Patients can prepare or recover from surgery in the back of the plane, or the pre-and post-operative care room. Instead of three pilots, this new plane only needs two. 

The plane was donated by FedEx and has been making its rounds throughout the United States. Earlier this month, it was in Los Angeles, and it's on its way to Washington, D.C., and Forth Worth, Texas. It's still the only flying eye hospital. 

"It helps if people may not know they have (a disease) or can't get help," said Communications Associate Silvana Vivas. 

Antonio Jaramillo works as a full-time ophthalmologist for Orbis. There are nearly 20 doctors and nurses onboard, and they hail from 16 different countries. 

His favorite part, he said, is the 3-D microscope and camera that allows doctors and students to get a better view of the depth of the eye. He says that's especially important when performing surgery for glaucoma. because cutting too deep or too shallow can be dangerous. 

"Oh, we're in love with it," he said of the new plane. 


Boy, 5, who accidentally shot his brother is turned over to a family member

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The 5-year-old accidentally shot his brother, authorities say.

EAST ORANGE -- The 5-year-old who officials say accidentally shot and killed his 4-year-old brother Saturday has been placed in the custody of a family member.

Itiyanah Spruill.jpgItiyanah Spruill (Photo: ECPO) 

The child was released to a family member after the shooting, Thomas S. Fennelly, chief assistant prosecutor for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, said.

The 5-year-old, who was originally identified as a 6-year-old, was playing with his mother's gun at about 11 a.m. in a home on Norman Street when he accidentally shot his brother in the head, city spokeswoman Connie Jackson said Saturday. Their mother, Itaniyah Spruill, 22, was home at the time.

Police arrested Spruill on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and a weapons violation in connection with the death. She was being held Sunday in Essex County Jail on $310,000 bail. An arraignment is pending.

Authorities have not revealed how the 5-year-old got a hold of the gun.

The 4-year-old died Saturday afternoon at University Hospital in Newark, a hospital spokeswoman said. Neighbors said Spruill was shaking after finding him wounded.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Passing driver saves man shot 6 times in Trenton

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He was shot on Walnut Avenue, police said.

TRENTON -- A man was shot six times Saturday night on Walnut Avenue, police said.

The man arrived at Capital Health Regional Medical Center with four gunshot wounds to his back and one each to his arm and leg, Trenton Police Lt. Stephen Varn said.

A group of people driving in the area found him lying in the street and took him to the hospital in their backseat, Varn said. He underwent surgery in critical condition.

Police also received a report of shots fired on the 200 block of Walnut Avenue, Varn said.

The city Shooting Response Team is investigating. Police have yet to identify a motive or a suspect, Varn said.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

For Christie, a dare: Come to Newark to pitch radical school cuts | Moran

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Gov. Chris Christie's school funding plan would force Newark schools to cut spending by more than half. Does he have the guts to come hold a public meeting in the city to discuss it? I doubt it. Watch video

The day after Chris Christie won election as governor in 2009, he traveled to Newark to spread some love.

He made it his first stop, he said, to "send a signal to people who live in the cities that I care about their problems. And whatever they think about Republicans before, they are dealing with a different kind of Republican now."

Remember that guy?

Well, he's dead now. The new Chris Christie just proposed cutting Newark's school aid by two-thirds, and diverting that money to the suburbs instead. In Camden, the cuts would be even deeper.

"I am ready for this fight," the governor said Tuesday when he unveiled his plan.

But is he really ready? So far, he's pitching this plan only in suburban towns with a majority white population.

So here's an invitation: Come to Newark, governor. Come hold a public meeting here and explain how city schools are supposed to absorb this blow.

Unless Newark finds a pot of gold, Christie's plan would force the schools to slash their budgets by more than half. Massive teachers layoffs would be inevitable, along with sweeping program cuts.

No school district in New Jersey has ever experienced that level of carnage. And the cuts would be even deeper in Camden.

So come to Newark, governor, and take some questions. Explain again how much you care.

"I'll host it," says Mayor Ras Baraka. "I wish he would. We could do it at NJPAC, and we could have a serious discussion. We invite him."

I bet he doesn't have the guts.How Gov. Christie's school aid plan would impact various N.J. demographics

Because this power play is tough to defend. The majority of African-American children in New Jersey (61 percent) live in school districts that would get whacked, like Newark and Camden.

So do the majority of Latino kids (55 percent), and poor kids (58 percent).

The winners, by race, are white kids (85 percent) and Asians (89 percent). Those numbers were crunched by Steve Stirling and Adam Clark of NJ Advanced Media.

What they show is that Christie is pouring gasoline on the state's most sensitive fault lines - between white and black, rich and poor, city and suburb.

His goal is to deliver tax relief to the suburbs, and if the money has to diverted from poor cities, so be it.

To defend that, he is condemning New Jersey's efforts to lift the performance of poor students over the last several decades as an expensive failure forced down taxpayers' throats by "seven lawyers in black robes."

But where he finds waste, why doesn't he work hard to end it? He controls four school districts himself, including Newark and Camden. Start there.

Impact of Christie school aid plan on poor communities

And yes, no one has found a magic wand to plug the achievement gap. But New Jersey's disadvantaged kids do much better than their counterparts in other states, thanks to all this effort. We rank #2 in that category, behind Massachusetts.

In some places, the success is striking. Union City is among a handful of urban districts that are beating the state averages on test scores. Charter schools in some cities, like Newark, are funneling inner-city kids to colleges at a pace that makes you want to cheer.

The governor is brushing all that aside so he can grab the money for his own purposes. It's the same playbook he used when he cancelled the ARC tunnel under the Hudson River.

The bad idea at the core of this school plan is that all kids should get the same amount of aid from the state, regardless of the rate of poverty, or of the local ability to pay.

How he can call that "fair" is beyond me.

Ask any teacher: Do you need more help if your classroom is full of poor kids from broken families living in neighborhoods full of drugs and violence?

How about a class full of kids who don't speak English, or who arrive here from Guatemala at age 10 having never attended school? How about a mix of all that?

And is it really "fair" to expect a city like Newark to come up with the same local money as a wealthy suburban town?

In Alpine, the schools are richly supported with a low tax rate on expensive homes. Newark taxes are already four times as high. Should they double again? Or should Newark fire some cops to free up some money?

This is the governor's "fair" plan?

Christie emphasizes that money is not so important anyway. He notes that charters schools do better in Newark with less money than conventional schools.

And that's true. Money is not destiny.

But if the governor comes to Newark, maybe he can explain why he sends his own kids to elite private schools with tuition of $37,000 a year.

Money adds something, governor, doesn't it?

Christie says he's going to spend his last 18 months campaigning for this change. He wants to amend the Constitution to allow this educational apartheid.

I don't think he has the nerve to come take questions about that at a public meeting in Newark.

But I hope I'm wrong. I'd love to witness it.

More: Tom Moran columns 

 

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

 

Fundraiser started for funeral services of 4-year-old accidentally shot by brother

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The fundraiser will go toward funeral expenses.

EAST ORANGE -- The family of a 4-year-old accidentally shot to death by his older brother Saturday has started a fundraiser to help pay for funeral expenses.

Shirele Richardson, who said she was the aunt of the boy, started the GoFundMe page Sunday.

"I hope to raise as much as I can to help the family with burial expenses," Richardson said.

The boy's older brother, who is 5, is under the care of his grandmother, Richardson said. The 5-year-old was playing with his mother's gun when he accidentally shot his brother in the head, Connie Jackson, a spokeswoman for the city, said.

Their mother, Itaniyah Spruill, was with the boys in a Norman Street home at the time. Police arrested the 22-year-old on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and a weapons violation.

She was being held Sunday in Essex County Jail on $310,000 bail. An arraignment is pending.

The GoFundMe page has a goal of raising $15,000.

Authorities have not said how the 5-year-old got a hold of the gun. Neighbors said the family did not live permanently at the Norman Street home.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Mother of boy, 4, fatally shot by his brother is scheduled for court Tuesday

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Authorities say the mother was present when her 5-year-old son got hold of a gun she was keeping and shot his younger brother in the head

Itiyanah Spruill.jpgItiyanah Spruill (Photo: ECPO)

EAST ORANGE -- The mother of a 4-year-old boy shot and killed by his 5-year-old brother using a gun authorities said she had been keeping is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday morning.

Itiyanah Spruill, 22, of East Orange, is scheduled for a first appearance in state Superior Court in Newark at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and a weapons violation, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray announced.

Authorities say Spruill's 4-year-old son was shot by his older brother in a house on Norman Street in East Orange at about 11 a.m. on Saturday. The boy was  pronounced dead five hours later at University Hospital in Newark.

An East Orange city spokeswoman, Connie Jackson, said the older boy was playing with his mother's gun when he accidentally shot his younger brother in the head. Spruill was home at the time, Jackson said.

Thomas Fennelly, an assistant county prosecutor in charge of the homicide unit, said the shooting appeared to have been accidental.

Fennelly said the 5-year-old boy had been placed in the custody of a family member.

Boy, 6, shoots 4-year-old brother in East Orange, official saysA 6-year-old boy accidentally shot his 4-year-old brother Saturday morning on Norman Street in East Orange, the spokeswoman for the mayor's office said. (Luke Nozicka | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Neighbors said the boy had been placed with his grandmother. They said the boys had not been living at the East Orange house where the shooting occurred.

It remained unclear how the 5-year-old got hold of the gun and whether the mother possessed or stored it legally.

Family members have started a fundraiser to help pay for funeral expenses. Shirele Richardson, who said she was the aunt of the boys started the GoFundMe page Sunday.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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United Airlines celebrates 10,000th donated flight to Make-A-Wish

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A 14-year-old is visiting Rome, thanks to United Airlines and Make-A-Wish. Watch video

NEWARK -- Chidinma Morsindi didn't know she'd be going to a party after she got through TSA security. 

She also didn't know she'd be upgraded to business class on her flight to Rome or that she'd get a cake - and a message - from Buddy Valastro, the cake boss himself.

Morsindi had a lot to celebrate. The day before she left for Rome, she celebrated her 14th birthday. This month, she celebrated her graduation from middle school. And on Tuesday, she celebrated taking the 10,000th flight United Airlines has donated to the Make-A-Wish foundation. 

In a private United Airlines suite at Newark Liberty International Airport, she shared the excitement with members of the United and Make-A-Wish teams. United Airlines flight attendants and wheelchair transports took selfies with Morsindi for their Snapchats.

The room's walls were covered in photos of Rome and messages for Morsindi. On a white wall, Morsindi watched a video message recorded for her by Buddy Valastro.

"From one Jersey boy to another Jersey girl, eat a lot of pasta," Valastro advised her via video.

According to Thomas Weatherall, who works as President and CEO of Make-A-Wish New Jersey, the company's celebrating something new every day. The two companies have worked together for 30 years, and Make-A-Wish has granted 270,000 wishes across the country. They average nearly one every 35 minutes.

But United's 10,000th donated flight was especially exciting for the team.

"It's a partnership. We celebrate it today and everyday," Weatherall said. The organization granted Morsindi's wish after she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. 

According to United Airlines' Director of Community Affairs, Suzi Cabo, employees are also encouraged to volunteer in their communities, and customers can donate miles to Make-A-Wish.

"This is the soul and spirit of the company," Cabo said. 

Morsindi boarded a flight to Rome that night, but not without first visiting the cockpit and trying on the captain's hat. She chose Rome, she said, because of its rich history. History is her favorite subject in school.

"And I like the food," she said. She'll be going with her twin sister ,Chinosno, and her parents, Helen and Jindu, who both hugged the Make-A-Wish and United teams as they boarded their flight. 

Segregated N.J., a look at how race still divides us

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New Jersey has changed dramatically in recent decades. But in many places, deep segregation still exists.


N.J. pets in need: June 27, 2016

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Pets in need of adoption from shelters and rescues throughout northern and central New Jersey.

While New Jersey was never known as "Hurricane Alley," recent visits by hurricanes Irene and Sandy have shown that big storms can and do strike the Garden State.

These recent storms have led to many of us learning more about being prepared as people ... it's also important to consider preparing for pets' needs in the event of another big blow.

Experts from BluePearl Veterinary Partners have put together some tips for pet owners that apply to natural disasters including hurricanes, floods and earthquakes:

*  Make sure that people who have agreed to give you a place to stay if you have to leave your home can also accept your pets; during a storm is not the time to discover unknown pet allergies.

*  Knowing in advance of any pet-friendly hotels in your area could make a big difference if friends and relatives are also escaping the situation.

*  If you've prepared an emergency 'kit' for you and your family, make sure it has items for your pets including food bowls, resealable bags that can hastily be filled with food, toys and blankets or bedding.

*  Store your pet's veterinary documents where you keep your own important papers; should your home be damaged in a storm, those important items could be destroyed.

*  Hoping that a boarding facility or veterinarian's office will be open and available when a storm approaches or is in progress is not planning; pets are members of a family and deserve to be a part of your emergency preparation plan.

Here is a gallery of just a handful of the pets in need of adoption in northern and central New Jersey. Make sure captions are enabled to see all the information about each dog or cat. More adoptable animals can be seen here and here.

N.J. health group: A creative way to reduce summer crime | Opinion

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It's simple: Keep high school-aged kids busy during the summer months with programs that lift them and their communities.

By Robert Atkins

Teens are trouble, at least that's how many adults see them once school lets out.

In the summer, for many living in vulnerable urban and rural communities across New Jersey, adolescents are viewed as a problem to be managed. Yet if we are creative, we can find ways not only to keep teens out of trouble, but to turn them into valuable resources to lift up our communities.

Many people link the increase in crime during the hot months with the young people in their communities, and believe keeping high schoolers busy during the summer would reduce the summer crime rates.

In New Jersey's most vulnerable communities -- where more than 30 percent of the residents are under the age of 18 and resources are stretched -- community leaders will implement various interventions to limit the idle time of youth. Some communities will enact summer curfews and midnight basketball to structure the free time of youth. Other communities will provide summer jobs.


In May, the city of Newark was named one of 16 cities chosen by the White House to receive resources aimed at increasing summer youth employment. This is good news for youth in Newark. The news is especially good if these summer jobs aid the teens in developing meaningful skills and contribute to healthier communities.

Cleaning up parks, supervising younger children in summer recreational programs, and performing administrative tasks like photocopying and filing papers are typical and useful summer jobs for teens. Yet there are opportunities to implement summer employment programs that do much more for both the workers and for the overall health of the community.

A great example of a summer youth employment program that benefits both the teens and the community is taking place right now in Bridgeton. New Jersey Health Initiatives (NJHI), the statewide grantmaking program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which I lead, recently made a grant to Gateway Community Action Partnership. Mayor Albert Kelly, who is also CEO of the Partnership, has focused on hiring teens to enroll eligible families in the Summer Food Service Program in Bridgeton.



The Summer Food Service Program, supported through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session (the "hungriest time of the year"). Our grant provides the Bridgeton community with the resources needed to focus the time, talent, and energy of teens on building a healthier Bridgeton.

These high schoolers are provided with an opportunity to make meaningful change in their communities through summer employment and to develop the leadership skills that will propel them to future success. Together, these two goals enrich and engage the next generation of civic and community leaders.

What's happening in Bridgeton shows us how communities become healthier as diverse voices are engaged and given the opportunity to contribute their perspectives, time, talent, and energy.

We look forward to other communities following Bridgeton's example of regarding teens as a resource (rather than a problem), channeling their strengths to work on impactful projects that have the real potential to promote health and well-being in their communities.

Robert Atkins is director of New Jersey Health Initiatives.

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

 

 

Montclair 'spy house' could be back on the market, report says

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The house, which once belonged to a pair of Russian spies, was acquired by Santander Bank, which hired Coldwell Banker to look into listing it, The New York Times reported Watch video

MONTCLAIR -- The Montclair spy house, vacated six years ago by its Russian undercover suburban homeowners, may be going back on the market, according to a published report.

The house, in the township's Fieldstone neighborhood, was once occupied by Russian spies Vladimir and Lydia Guryev, a.k.a., Richard and Cynthia Murphy, and their pre-teen daughters.


Authorities said the adults were part of an East Coast espionage cell, sent deep undercover to pose -- despite their Slavic accents -- as typical American families on a long-term mission to gather whatever useful intelligence they could. She worked for a financial advisor whose clients included Bill and Hillary Clinton. He was a stay-at-home dad.

The couple forfeited the house to the U.S. government as part of a plea deal, were deported home to Russia, and the case inspired the FX television series, "The Amercans." The U.S. Marshals Service put the house on the market in 2013, at an initial asking price of $444,900, but it never sold.  

Recently, The New York Times reports, the house has been acquired by Boston-based Santander Bank, with neighbors long tired of the vacant eyesore at 31 Marquette Road now hopeful the bank will fix it up and sell it. The Times said Santander hired Coldwell Banker to list the house, which was built 56 years ago, at the height of the Cold War.

"We have been working with the approved brokers and we are ensuring that the property is being maintained in preparation for sale," a Santander spokeswoman told The Times in an email.

Zillow recently estimated its worth at $676,913.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
http://www.nj.com/middlesex

 

Families break down as driver is sentenced for crash that killed 16-year-old

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Police say the Bloomfield man was traveling 80 MPH down a residential street.

NEWARK -- The Comasco and the Lembo families both live in the small town of Bloomfield. Jami Comasco said the two families belong to the same church community.

That close proximity, Jami Comasco said, contributed to the pain that resulted when her brother, Nicholas Comasco, sped down a Bloomfield street nearly four years ago and crashed into another car in which then 16-year-old Christina Lembo was riding. The teenager later died of her injuries.

On Monday, Superior Court Judge Verna G. Leath sentenced Nicholas Comasco, now 27, to three years in prison for a charge of vehicular homicide stemming from the crash. Leath ordered that Comasco serve 85 percent of the sentence, or more than two years and six months, before he is eligible for parole.

Leath imposed the sentenced despite Jami Comasco describing the remorse her brother felt.

"We want to express our heart felt sorrow to the Lempo family," Jami Camasco said. She said her brother will have "endless sorrow and remorse," for the accident. "I know my brother will do everything in his power to live his life to honor the memory of (Christina Lembo)," she said.

Nicholas Comasco apologized to the Lembo family as well as his own family for the pain he had caused.

Screen Shot 2016-06-27 at 1.52.38 PM.pngChristina Lempo was killed in the 2012 crash in Bloomfield. (NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Authorities say that on Sept, 29, 2012, at 11 p.m., Comasco was driving at 80 MPH on Broughton Avenue in Bloomfield, far above the 25 MPH for the street. Comasco's black 2000 Chevy Camaro crashed into the grey 2007 Honda Civic in which Lembo was riding.

Comasco's attorney, S. Emile Lisboa, told the judge that his client had no prior criminal record. Lisboa said Lembo was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, and another teenager who was driving the Civic had more passengers than was permitted for a person with a provisional license.

Lisboa said the crash was an accident, which drew criticism from Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Eileen O'Connor.

"You can't drive that fast at that time in that area and not expect a crash to happen," O'Connor said. She also said Comasco has been drinking before the accident, though he was not legally drunk.

Leath describe the crash as an accident of criminal dimensions. She said Lembo had been a sister and a daughter, which brought tears to the victim's mother as she sat in the audience with other family members.

Leath noted that prior to the crash, Nicholas Comasco had 10 prior motor vehicle summons.

Comasco had pleaded guilty to vehicle homicide in exchange for the prosecutor recommending the three-year prison term.

Jami Comasco broke down sobbing when Leath imposed the sentence.

"Love you Nick," Jami Comasco and other relatives said at the end of the hearing. "Love you, too," Nicholas Comasco said as sheriff's officers led him away.

O'Connor said the Lempo family declined to comment at the sentencing because it would have been too painful for them. The family also declined to comment after the sentencing.

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

Essex County Sheriff's office offers $10,000 reward for 2014 homicide

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The sheriff's office is offering $10,000 for information regarding the killing of Lateshia Townes

NEWARK -- Two years after she was shot, the Essex County Sheriff's office is offering $10,000 for information regarding the death of Lateshia Townes. 

The sheriff's office offered a reward in July 2014, but no arrests were made, so the office decided to offer the reward again. 

"We offer a reward if we think it might be helpful," said Katherine Carter, who works as a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's office. "Hopefully it'll generate interest."

She said the sheriff's office usually offers a reward if there hasn't been a resolution or strong lead. The homicide task force will typically decide whether the situation warrants offering a monetary reward. The funds come from the sheriff's Crime Stoppers program. Sometimes, Carter said, people come forward with information without even being aware of the potential for reward. 

Townes was 31 when she was shot in front of 765 South 20th St. in the passenger seat of a 2006 Silver Dodge Charger. Police had responded to a three-car accident at around 3:30 a.m. when they found Townes, who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The other two cars had been abandoned. 

She was taken to University Hospital. Another victim at the scene was grazed by a bullet, but the injury was non-fatal. 

Later that year on the third anniversary of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., Townes' daughter and cousin celebrated Townes' life at a vigil at Trinity and St. Philip's Cathedral in Newark. Among nearly 200 shirts with the names of those killed by guns, Townes' name was written on a yellow shirt. 

Anyone with information should contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or at 1-877-847-7432. 

 
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