Bob and Gordon are no longer a part of the show, which now airs on HBO Watch video

Big Bird may not be "fired," but "Sesame Street" has said so long to three of its longtime human characters -- Gordon, Bob and Luis. 

The characters, played by New Jersey residents Roscoe Orman (Gordon) and Bob McGrath (Bob) and Emilio Delgado (Luis), are no longer been a part of the show, which recently moved from PBS to HBO for new episodes and shrunk from an hour to a half-hour, KQED reports. (After premiering on HBO, the episodes become available on PBS.)

All three were released from the show earlier this year, Teaneck resident McGrath, 84, told an audience at Florida Supercon this month. The actor, who played the show's resident music teacher, famously singing "The People in Your Neighborhood," had been with the show since its 1969 debut. Orman, 72, a longtime resident of Montclair, joined in 1974, while Delgado became a cast member in 1971.

"As of this season, I have completed my 45th season this year," McGrath said. "And the show has gone under a major turnaround, going from an hour to a half hour. HBO has gotten involved also. And they let all of the original cast members go, with the exception of Alan Muraoka -- who is probably 20 years younger than the rest of us -- and Chris Knowings, who is also young," he said.

Original cast member Loretta Long, Gordon's wife on the show, will stay, he said. Another longtime cast member, Sonia Manzano, retired from "Sesame Street" in 2015. 

The Twitter account for Sesame Street posted a statement on Thursday, refuting the notion that HBO had any hand in the changes. 

"Bob McGrath, Emilio Delgado ("Luis") and Roscoe Orman ("Gordon") remain a beloved part of the Sesame family and continue to represent us at public events," the statement said. "To us, and for millions of people worldwide, they are a treasured part of Sesame Street. Since the show began, we are constantly evolving our content and curriculum, and hence, our characters to meet educational needs of children. As a result of this, our cast has changed over the years, though you can still expect to see many of them in upcoming productions. As we've stated previously, Sesame Workshop retains sole creative control over the show. HBO does not oversee the production." 

On Twitter, "Sesame Street" fans reacted to the news that the three men would no longer be with the show.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.

Male victim died around 2:15 p.m.

EAST ORANGE -- The man shot and killed Thursday afternoon on Park Street has been identified as a 26-year-old from Orange.

Thaji Hale was shot outside around 12:30 p.m. and died approximately two hours later at University Hospital in Newark, according to Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly, of the Homicide Unit.

The motive for the shooting remained under investigation, Fennelly said late Thursday. It was not known if the homicide was related to other recent shootings in nearby Orange, he added.

The investigation was continuing, authorities said. 

Man killed, 2nd man wounded in Orange shooting

An East Orange police car blocked Park Street, at Park Avenue, as investigators remained at the scene about two hours later. An Essex County Prosecutor's Office mobile command and crime scene unit trucks were parked on the residential block.

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

The two men already pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the matter and had been sentenced.

NEWARK -- Two former executives of a New Jersey engineering firm, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government in connection with overbilling on reconstruction contracts in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries, now face a civil claim in the same matter.

The U.S. Justice Department Thursday said it filed a False Claims Act complaint against Derish M. Wolff and Salvatore J. Pepe, the respective former CEO and CFO of Louis Berger Group, of East Orange. 

Derish Wolff, former chairman of the Louis Berger Group Inc. in a 2003 file photo. (Scott Litchi | The Star-Ledger)
 

The government's complaint alleges that Wolff and Pepe set up accounting schemes to bill the Army, Air Force and the U.S. Agency for International Development at inflated rates.  

According to the department, for example, Wolff and Pepe shifted portions of salaries of LBG executives and accounting personnel from contracts paid for by foreign and state governments and private entities to contracts paid for by the United States.  Wolff and Pepe allegedly certified the false rates and submitted them to the government in annual financial reports, it said in a statement.

The United States resolved criminal and civil claims against LBG in 2010 with a payment of $50.6 million and the signing of a deferred prosecution agreement, it said. 

Pepe pleaded guilty at that time to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the government and was sentenced to one year of probation, it said. An assistant controller, Precy Pellettieri, also pleaded guilty to a similar charge, court papers say. 

GI Bill fraud tied to N.J. university

Wolff pleaded guilty to the same charge in 2014, and was sentenced to a year of home confinement and fined $4.5 million, the statement said.

The government filed its complaint in a lawsuit originally brought under a whistleblower complaint filed by a former LBG accountant, Harold Salomon, it said.

The False Claims Act allows private citizens to sue on behalf of the federal government and share in any recovery. It said it also allows the government to intervene in the lawsuit, which it did in this case.

"Those who do business with the U.S. government should expect appropriate consequences if they do not deal fairly," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. "As this case demonstrates, the government will hold both corporate entities and individuals accountable if they misuse taxpayer funds."

According to the department, the matter is being handled by the Civil Division's Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland, with support from the FBI, USAID's Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

 Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Seven questions beckon. Can you get them all right?

Let's see how well you recall this week's top stories. The quiz below has seven questions based on some of our most popular stories from the past week. After you take the quiz, brag on your score in comments.

This week's quiz is based on these stories:

• Boy reels in 200-pound shark
• Did Trump just confuse Clinton's running mate with an N.J. mainstay?
• N.J. woman whose legs won't stop growing to appear on TV documentary
• Joe Budden becomes a meme
• Town told to watch out for rattlesnakes
• PGA Championship Guide
• Why is this 9/11 first responder pleading for help?

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and find NJ.com on Facebook.

A 19-year-old Bloomfield man was charged with vehicular homicide for a May 27 crash in Belleville.

Faynzilberg. (Courtesy Essex County Prosecutor's Office)
 

NEWARK -- A 19-year-old Bloomfield man was arrested Thursday and charged in connection with a May 27 head-on car crash that killed a 33-year-old man, authorities said.

Alan Faynzilberg was charged with vehicular homicide for the crash that claimed the life of Luis Davila of Belleville, acting Essex County Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Belleville Police Chief Mark Minichini said in a joint statement.

The crash occurred at about 8:30 p.m on May 27 when Faynzilberg was traveling on Belleville Avenue and crossed into oncoming traffic, the prosecutor said.

She said Faynzilberg's vehicle struck Davila's vehicle head-on.

Authorities said Davila, who was behind the wheel, was pronounced dead around 9:40 p.m. at Clara Maass Medical Center.

Faynzilberg and a 21-year-old girlfriend, who was a passenger in his car, were both taken to a hospital and admitted for treatment, officials said.

Authorities also charged Faynzilberg with aggravated assault for the severe injuries sustained by his girlfriend.

Faynzilberg is being held at the Essex County jail on $350,000 bail.

Murray said the accident is still under investigation. Authorities ask anyone with information about the accident to call the Essex County Prosecutor's Office,  Homicide - Major Crimes Task Force at 1-877-847-7432.

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

A renown boxing referee, a Major League Baseball catcher and a WNBA player have one thing in common. All three are from Newark and they spent an evening sharing experiences that shaped them.

Rick Cerone. Larry Hazzard. Li'za Donnell Woodard.

The backdrop that binds lives of these three sports figures happens to be the same city in which they were raised.

Newark.

They spent an evening at the Newark Public Library on Wednesday and offered fascinating stories that allowed a peek at the experiences that fostered their sports success.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns

Please stand for Rick Cerone, a Major League Baseball catcher, who had 60 offers to play football in college, but none for the sport in which he made his career over 18 years.

Cerone was a football guy at Essex Catholic High School in Newark, but trained his sights on baseball (which he also played in high school) after a football recruiting trip to The Ohio State University changed his mind.

"I saw guys that were monsters,'' Cerone said.

Now, put your hands together for Larry Hazzard. Long before he became the commissioner of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, Hazzard was a three-time Golden Gloves champ and a top notch boxing referee, who broke into the professional ranks after a state boxing commissioner saw him officiate 22 amateur bouts in one night.

Like Cerone, Hazzard made a good choice.  Had he continued as a fighter, Hazzard would have faced rugged middleweight fighters such as Emile Griffith and Rubin "Hurricane" Carter.

"Being a reasonable thinking person, I felt like, let me take the other route and I can still stay close to the game.''

Keep the ovation coming, but let it flow for Li'za Donnell Woodard. She was a member of the 1982-1983 Malcolm X Shabazz High School girls' basketball team, which went undefeated that year and ended with a 30-0 record.

"We were not to be played with,'' Donnell Woodard said.

At 14, Donnell Woodard was dominant in summer basketball leagues, doing well against college-level players during games in New Jersey and New York. Some of the tournaments, however, were not sanctioned and, because of her age, Donnell said her participation could have cost her a college scholarship. To avoid detection, Donnell said she  played under an alias.

"To this day, day I promise you. If I'm over in New York, somebody is going to say, 'Jean Brown.' ''

Donnell went on to be a standout at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later played for the Washington Mystics, of the WNBA.

All three are members of the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame, and during the 90-minute conversation, they were nostalgic and shared colorful anecdotes about how this city shaped them with values, hard work and discipline.

It all went down as part of a continuing series titled "Newark Life Times: Recollections & Reflections,''organized by former Star-Ledger reporter Guy Sterling.

Donnell Woodard, who grew up in the Central and South ward, said she started learning the game when she was  6, watching her uncles play basketball at the Morton Street School playground.

When a neighborhood boy asked her to play, "I started doing these moves that I saw my uncles do,'' she said.

She beat that boy and, as she got better, Donnell Woodard said she'd beat others, who eventually wanted her to be on their teams.

Hazzard, a Central High School graduate, got into boxing after neighborhood scraps and officially learned how to fight with The Dukers A.C., a boxing club that started in the basement of a Newark housing development.

He was good, but almost didn't get a chance to compete in a national Golden Glove championship in Chicago. His mother, who was not a boxing fan, told the coaches that he couldn't be there  because the tournament was on Sunday and he couldn't miss church.

"He (the coach) promised her,'' Hazzard said. " 'I'll make sure that he goes to the church.' "

Cerone, who grew up in the North Ward, got his athletic chops from playing football with the Newark Bears Pop Warner football team. He loved football, but nearly missed out on playing at Essex Catholic. He wanted to attend Newark's Barringer High School, so he intentionally tried to fail the admissions exam for the parochial school. That attempt came up short.

He played quarterback at Essex Catholic, and baseball, too. But when football didn't pan out after that recruiting visit, Cerone decided to play baseball at Seton Hall University, where he played in the college world series. He was so good, that in 1975, Cerone was selected in the first round of the MLB Draft and went on play for eight teams, including the New York Yankees. 

After he retired, Cerone came back to Newark and formed the Newark Bears in 1998. It was a labor of love, he says, that didn't work out. The minor league team folded in 2013 and its stadium was sold in March.

Newark, however, will always be home to these sports figures. They talk about the city as if they grew up in the same household. You could leave the front door open and the windows up. Parents looked after children in the neighborhood and scolded them, if necessary.

 MORE CARTER: Newark street team's goal: Get residents to give peace a chance

Downtown Newark was a treat, where everyone went to see the Thanksgiving Day parade or visit S. Klein and Bamberger's department stores. With $3.25, Donnell Woodard remembers how she  could catch two movies and have money left over to eat.

They were the "glory days" for Hazzard, "back in the day''for Donnell Woodard and a "great time" for Cerone to grow up in Newark.

For one night, it all came rushing back.

These athletes - who found success behind home plate, inside the ring and at the foul line - were most comfortable in the city they each had called home.

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

Ella and Bella were abandoned at a rescue group's adoption event.

Ella 

BLOOMFIELD -- Ella, pictured here, and Bella are 1-year-old sister cats in the care of A Purrfect World Rescue.

Ella and Bella were adopted from the group as kittens, but volunteers discovered them abandoned at one of the group's recent adoption events.

They are described as child-friendly and must be adopted together. Both are spayed, microchipped and up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Ella and Bella, call Kristina at 201-965-9586, email info@apurrfectworld.org or go to apurrfectworld.org. A Purrfect World is a nonprofit group in Bloomfield that places stray and abandoned cats in permanent homes and is currently caring for 100 cats.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email essex@starledger.com.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

 

Caldwell University's fledgling football team gets ready to sprint

CALDWELL -- Coach Daryle Weiss is coming home.

Currently an offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at RPI in New York, Coach Weiss is returning to Caldwell, where he was born and raised. He's bringing his love for football, too. Caldwell University announced Thursday it would bringing on Coach Weiss to lead its brand new sprint football program. 

Sprint football has all the same rules as NCAA football, but its players weigh less than 172 pounds.

"I really want kids to know that their high school career isn't over," Weiss said. 

For Weiss, the most exciting part of the new gig is starting a program from the ground up, mere blocks from his childhood home.

"The opportunity to start a football program anywhere is amazing," he said.

The program's first season is set for fall 2017, but students are already imagining hanging out on bleachers, watching the game.

"This is really going to change the dynamic of the school and the town," said Dennis Brady, a rising junior at Caldwell. "I'm just thinking about the nights under lights."

Acting university President Joseph Posillico also said he'll be coming out to games.

"There's no sport like football that generates a spirit and energy on campus," he said.

The program will not only bring 65 new men to campus for the team, he said, but it's already gotten the music and education departments excited about starting a marching band and physical education program. 

"It's spurred activity on campus," he said.

According to Caldwell's Director of Athletics Mark Corino, the team will be playing on Essex Valley School's field, and the budget for the program won't be coming from an already-existent athletic budget. 

"And I will make sure of that," he said.

MORE ESSEX COUNTY NEWS

Kate Mishkin may be reached at kmishkin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KateMishkin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Current Councilman Bob Russo reportedly said he will make a final decision by Thanksgiving.

Montclair Councilman Bob Russo may run for mayor. (Courtesy Bob Russo)
 

MONTCLAIR -- More than a year out from the 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial election, the field of potential candidates is growing.

Montclair Councilman Bob Russo - a former mayor of the Essex County township of about 38,000 people - has reportedly thrown his hat into the ring.

"Two years ago I decided to start an exploratory committee to see if I was going to run for governor," Russo said in an interview with PolitickerNJ.

"I think I am just as qualified as Jim McGreevey was when he was mayor of Woodbridge."

In May, Russo won his fifth term on the Montclair township council. The councilman says he has served longer and in more positions than anyone else in the history of Montclair politics.

Sizing up possible gubernatorial candidates

According to a NorthJersey.com article, Russo announced his intentions to form an exploratory gubernatorial run committee at a 2014 council meeting. At that time, he had planned not to run for reelection in the township, but ran unopposed in an election earlier this year.

Russo, a Democrat, told PolitickerNJ he is hoping to decide for sure whether or not he will run by Thanksgiving of this year. He is also talking to other potential gubernatorial candidates about the possibility of being chosen as a lieutenant governor, the report said.

The announcement comes as other possible candidates are weighing on whether or not they intend to run. Thursday, U.S. Senator Cory Booker flatly denied he had any intention of running for governor in 2017.

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

Orange police recover handgun, city spokesman says

(file photo) 

The teen fled on foot from police officers, according to city spokesman Keith Royster.

Police arrested the juvenile after a brief foot chase, the city spokesman said. The teen was caught with a .32 caliber handgun. Authorities did not identify the 16-year-old because of his age.

Man, 26, killed in East Orange shooting

It was not immediately clear if the teen was linked to the original call of gunfire.

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

Branch Brook Park served as a military training ground during the Civil War

NEWARK -- Young men are shown participating in a sprint race on the running track at Branch Brook Park in Newark in this photo that the Newark Public Library identifies as being from the early 1900s.

Formally created in 1895, the park area had served as a military training ground during the Civil War.

The park is acclaimed for its grove of cherry trees; the annual Cherry Blossom Festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

 

No immediate reports of anyone wounded

ORANGE -- An unspecified number of shots were fired outside the city's fire headquarters on busy Central Avenue late Friday morning, authorities said.

Orange City spokesman Keith Royster confirmed police responded to gunfire around 11:30 a.m.. Additional details were not immediately available.

There were no immediate reports of anyone wounded. It was unclear if the firehouse was struck by any rounds or if anyone was targeted.

A car parked in front of stores across from the fire station had at least two bullet holes in the windshield. Police blocked off the car with crime scene tape.

Armed teen arrested after report of gunfire in Orange, official says

City firefighters appeared to be continuing to answer emergency calls as the police investigation unfolded outside the station. Central Avenue was closed near Lincoln Avenue. 

The gunfire came amid a string of shootings, including two killings, in recent weeks in Orange. One homicide occurred about a block from Friday's incident on Central Avenue. 

Authorities have not confirmed if the incidents are linked. 

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

David Butler of Irvington was arrested in Newark Thursday night, officials said.

Butler has been arrested at least nine times in Essex County, records show. (Essex County Corrections)
 

NEWARK -- A convicted felon was arraigned Friday after authorities found a loaded gun hidden in his car, authorities said.

According to a release from Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura, undercover detectives pulled David Butler over Thursday night after his 2015 Hyundai Accent was speeding and driving recklessly near Frelinghuysen Avenue and Center Terrace in Newark.

Sheriff's officers spotted a marijuana cigarette in the car, and a handgun grip sticking out from underneath the front passenger seat, Fontoura said. The gun, authorities said, was found to be a fully-loaded 9mm Steyr Mannlicher semi-automatic handgun.

A Xanax tablet was also found in the car, authorities said.

Butler, 29, of Irvington, was arrested on unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance charges, Fontoura said.

Though details on Butler's previous conviction were not immediately available, records indicate he has been arrested at least eight other times in Essex County on various drug and weapons charges. Fontoura said Butler is a "reputed Crips street gang member."

Butler is being held at the Essex County jail on $100,000 cash bond, authorities said.

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

A large law enforcement response was gathered around a city apartment complex Friday afternoon.

NEWARK -- A 64-year-old man was subdued by a SWAT team and removed from his apartment after he stabbed his wife, ending a more than four-hour standoff with police Friday, authorities said. 

After the man, who was allegedly holding a "large knife" to his chest, moved to stab himself, Newark Police SWAT team members subdued him with a non-lethal weapon, city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said at the scene of the incident Friday afternoon. The SWAT team could be seen pulling the man from his apartment building. He was not injured. 

Officers put the man on a stretcher, and transported him via ambulance for a psychiatric evaluation, officials said. 

"I commend the SWAT team," Ambrose told NJ Advance Media after the standoff. "They used great restraint."

The removal of the man marked the culmination of an hours-long police response after the man allegedly stabbed his wife multiple times, and then refused to leave their apartment at the Wynona Lipman Gardens complex as police responded. 

According to Ambrose, the man allegedly stabbed his wife in the chest at around 11:20 a.m. inside the apartment they share off of 7th Avenue. The woman was removed from the home and is in critical condition at University Hospital, Ambrose said.

7th Avenue was shut down to accommodate the large police response Friday afternoon. (Noah Cohen | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

The man, who is not being identified, was barricaded in the apartment holding a knife to himself, authorities said.

In a statement Friday night, officials added two Good Samaritans also helped the wife escape from the apartment as officers arrived at the scene. 

The couple's 9-year-old grandson was also inside the apartment at the time of the alleged stabbing, but was able to get out uninjured, Ambrose said. 

Newark police special operations, several ambulances, and other police units were part of the large response that shut down 7th Avenue Friday afternoon. Members of the SWAT team were seen talking to the man at the door of the couple's Dillard Court apartment on and off for hours. A handful of residents of the complex stopped to watch the scene unfold. 

Additional details on the circumstances surrounding the incident and investigation were not immediately available, though police said they were not immediately aware of a history of domestic violence between the couple. 

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

The shooting occurred as a standoff elsewhere in the city was winding down

This story has been updated here.

NEWARK -- A person identified only as a male was shot and killed Friday afternoon, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.

The shooting occurred around 5 p.m. on South 20th Street, said Kathy Carter, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office. No additional information was available Friday night.

The shooting occurred around the time police were removing a 64-year-old man from a 7th Avenue home following a lengthy standoff with SWAT officers. Earlier Friday, authorities say the man stabbed his wife in the chest. She was in critical condition at University Hospital.

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

An article in The Star-Ledger and on NJ.com caused a defense attorney to request a mistrial in the double-homicide case.

NEWARK -- A defense attorney for a man charged in a double homicide requested a mistrial Thursday because of article in The Star-Ledger stating one witness was afraid to testify.

Attorney Roy Greenman, who is representing accused murderer Mark Melvin, asked for the mistrial over an article about witness Jihad Marshall.

Melvin, 37, is charged with shooting and killing two men at L.C.'s Place restaurant on 18th Avenue in Newark, and charged with wounding the then 81-year-old mother of the restaurant owner, on Sept. 27, 2012.

This is Melvin's second trial. In the first trial the jury convicted Melvin of illegal possession of weapon, but could not reach a verdict on the murder charges.

Marshall was subpoenaed to testify at the second trial, but when he failed to appear, police arrested him late Monday and held him to ensure he appeared in court.

On Tuesday, Marshall's lawyer, Joan Richardson, told Superior Court Martin G. Cronin that Marshall did not want to testify. Richardson said somebody tried to kill Marshall twice after he testified at the first trial. The attorney said Marshall was scared that he or a member of his family would be killed.

Cronin directed the Essex County Prosecutor's Office to meet with Richardson and Marshall to deal with his safety concerns. The prosecutor's office said it had offered to relocate Marshall.

A story about Richardson saying her client was scared to testify appeared on NJ.com on Wednesday and in The Star-Ledger on Thursday.

In court Thursday, Greenman called for a mistrial, saying the newspaper article could unfairly prejudice the jurors.

"I'm very concerned that the headline will permeate the jury," Greenman said.

Cronin said he had instructed jurors not to read any media reports about the trial. In response to Greenman's request, Cronin interviewed each juror individually, in a sidebar meeting with all the trial lawyers participating.

After questioning all the jurors, Cronin stated for the record that each juror had said he or she had not seen any news reports about case.

"The court concludes that there has been no taint of the jury," the judge said as he denied the request for a mistrial.

Marshall began his testimony Wednesday and took the stand again Thursday. The jury was shown a video of police questioning Marshall hours after the 2012 shooting in which Marshall implicates Melvin.

Authorities allege that on the day of the shooting, Melvin, who was wearing a mask, burst into L.C.'s Place restaurant on 18th Avenue at about 10:40 a.m. and opened fire, killing Fuquan Mosley, 39, and Jason Chavis, and wounding the 81-year-old woman. 

Police got a description of the gunman's clothes, including a gray hooded sweatshirt, and a description of the car in which he fled, authorities said. Police located the car stalled in the road a few blocks away, and when officers approached, Marshall, who was in the passenger's seat, surrendered, but Melvin, who was driving fled, climbing a fence to escape, only to be apprehended a short time later.

Marshall, when he was interviewed by police, said that before the shooting, he saw Melvin get out of the car with a gun in his hand.

In court Thursday, jurors also saw a video of separate interview that Marshall gave to a private detective who was working for Melvin's lawyer for his first trial. In that interview, Marshall said he was sitting in the car with Melvin when he heard the shots.

Marshall said he got out of the car and ran towards the shooting, but found a gun on the sidewalk and grabbed it, taking it back to the car. Marshall said he planned to sell the gun.

In court Thursday, Greenman cross-examined Marshall, who said he tried to tell police that he picked up the gun on the street and that Melvin was not involved in the shooting.

"They (police) didn't want to hear it. They said 'we got our suspect. You're lying,' Marshall said.

Under questioning, Marshall admitted there is still a gun possession charge pending against him, and that his lawyer is attempting to negotiate a plea agreement.

Greenman has said that none of the witnesses have identified Melvin as the gunman who shot the victims.

The next witness, Dr. Lauren Thoma, an assistant medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Mosley, said he was shot in the chest and neck. Thoma said the bullet that entered Mosley's neck went into his head. Thoma said she was unable to determine which shot killed the victim.

The trial is expected to continue next week.

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

In celebration of the 350th anniversary of the city of Newark, see 50 famous people who have had an impact far beyond the Brick City's borders.

The shooting occurred on the 600 block of South 20th Street in Newark

File photo 

NEWARK -- A 27-year-old city man was shot to death late Friday afternoon, authorities said Saturday.

Jeffrey J. Hamlin was shot multiple times in the 600 block of South 20^th Street around 5 p.m., said acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose.

The Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the fatal shooting.

Hamlin was rushed to University Hospital in Newark where he was pronounced dead at 5:21 p.m., they said.

Shakur Stevenson isn't just fighting for himself in Rio de Janeiro. He is fighting for his family, his city and his sport. Watch video

NEWARK -- They have come to a scarred blacktop basketball court near his childhood home, on a blistering afternoon in late spring, to be around their inspiration.

His family is here, all eight of his younger siblings and both his parents, because they always follow him. His teachers from his grade school in the city are here, too, singing his praises about how he kept the peace in their classrooms when he was growing up.

His handlers from USA Boxing are also hovering on blacktop, and the TV producers who have followed his every step for days, and PR types from the energy drink company that sponsors him, and even a few neighbors who saw the commotion and just wandered in through the chain-link fence.

They all want a moment with Shakur Stevenson, a selfie or a handshake or an interview, and he is exhausted from the attention. He keeps smiling, because even when he is trading punches in the boxing ring, his toothy grin is the default setting on his young face.

But it's clear: He's done.

"Can I play basketball now?" he asks, almost sheepishly, and when granted permission he loses himself in a two-on-two game with his dad and two of his eight siblings. 

As he plays, the assembled crowd keeps talking about what Stevenson has a chance to accomplish in Rio de Janeiro. He can become a role model for the kids in the city, showing them that their journey doesn't have to end on the streets outside this basketball court.

Meet all of New Jersey's Olympians

He can become a game changer for his entire sport, because the once proud U.S. boxing program has gone 12 years without a male fighter standing atop the medal stand. He can win a gold medal that will launch in on a professional career that can support his large and tight-knit family.

"It means everything to know that our city is behind me," Stevenson said during that recent visit near Hank Aaron Fields. "They talk about the negative in our city and everything, but our city is more than all the bad stuff you hear about. 

"I want to bring something positive back to the city. I want to inspire the kids and show them that just because you're from Newark doesn't mean you can't be something. It means a lot."

He smiles again. Stevenson, at just 19, has so much on his 123-pound frame. And you can't help but wonder: How can a kid carrying all that weight look like he doesn't have a care in the world? 

Dedicated from the start  

They all knew something like this was possible. His father, Shahid Guyton, said he knew when Shakur was still in diapers because the kid would love nothing more than to try to punch him in his face as he bobbed and weaved his head.

That kid, named after Tupac Shakur nine months after the famous rapper was gunned down, grew up in Newark's Central Ward. The family was always on the move, it seemed, from one apartment in the city to another. And Shakur never stopped moving, either.

He was in the ring of his grandfather's boxing gym when he was just 5, and soon after, he started counting off the days until he turned 8 so he could finally have his first bout. He won easily. Wali Moses knew the kid was an athlete then -- "He was born with exceptional timing," he said -- but it was his dedication to the sport that convinced him the kid could be special.

Shakur loved sitting with his grandfather and watching old clips from the great fighters. Muhammad Ali. Flloyd Mayweather. Andre Ward, his favorite and his inspiration. Moses didn't have to wake him up and drag him to his gym. The kid was burning to get inside and get to work. That's when he knew.

Malikah Stevenson? She came around much later. Oh sure, she saw the way her son was constantly shadow boxing. She saw how he came home from the fights with a trophy or medal and barely a bruise on his body. But she wasn't thinking of a gold medal. She was just glad he was engaged and off the streets. 

Help Shakur's family get to Rio

Then, at 14, he traveled to Russia for an amateur event called the Veles Cup. He was supposed to be a backup, but when the top fighter couldn't travel, he was rushed onto the plane. That's when she knew.

"Shakur won all his fights," Malikah said. "I was like, 'Really? Okay, something is going on here.' When he came back, he had a different look. He knew he wanted to go to the Olympics even more than before."

He won the junior world championships in 2013, and the next year, he fought in the youth world championships. He faced a British boxer named Muhammad Ali -- named for, but not related to, the legend -- and a tournament official told Moses to be prepared for a loss. This opponent was too good.

"Don't worry, Pop-Pop," Shakur told his grandfather, and then using his lethal jab, he won all three rounds for a unanimous decision and another gold medal.

He was on everyone's radar in boxing after that. He moved to Alexandria, Va., when he was 16 to train with Kay Koroma, who had become his co-coach during his rise on the amateur circuit.

The move solved two problems: 1. He could live with his coach and focus on the sport full-time. 2. He could get out of Newark so his mother, who had just lost a cousin to gun violence, didn't have to worry about his success becoming a source of jealousy in the city.

Koroma taught him that boxing isn't just about strength and footwork. The sport, the coach stressed, is equal parts strategy and art, and it was a lesson that Stevenson would have to learn the hard way.

He is a perfect 23-0 internationally, but it appeared in 2015 that he had met his match at home. He lost twice to American rival Ruben Villa, a boxer he would have to master to get to Rio.

"I was trying to knock his head off instead of boxing," Stevenson remembered of that second loss, and he used that frustration as a motivator. He found a photo of the referee raising Villa's hand in victory, turned it into the lock screen image on his phone, and plotted his revenge.

He would have to beat Villa twice at the U.S. Boxing Trials in Reno, Nev., in December to keep his Olympic dream alive. He was a different fighter, tactically countering Villa's punches and waiting for openings to deliver his vicious jabs. As he waited for the decision after the second fight, he knew. 

He slipped a stars-and-stripes bandana onto his head. As the referee raised his arm in triumph, Stevenson fell to his knees and pointed to rafters.

"YES!!!"

He would qualify for the Olympics with another victory in Argentina last March. One of the first people to congratulate him was the last American man to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

Hope for U.S. boxing  

Andre Ward cannot hide his frustration. He won gold in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, one of the 49 American boxers to achieve that honor. That, and the total medal count of 110, is more than any other country.

This is the nation that has produced so many of the sports iconic figures, from Ali, to Joe Frazier, to George Foreman, to Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar de la Hoya. They all were Olympic champions, launching them to great heights and international fame in the sport.

But no male boxer has won gold in 12 years and counting. Even worse, no male boxer stepped foot on the medal stand four years ago in London. Ward wonders: How is that even possible?

"I'm surprised. I'm amazed. I'm disappointed," Ward said in a recent phone interview. "The United States of America at one time was feared. Unfortunately, right now, we're not feared and I don't even know how much we're respected.

"The only way that's going to change is by going to the Olympics and winning medals. I'm hoping and believing this class of fighters in Rio will start this off and getting us going in the right direction again."

This is why Ward has embraced Stevenson, becoming another mentor for the Newark native. Ward sees championship potential in the young boxer, not just in the way he fights but in his drive to be the best.

Minutes before that fight against in Villa, Ward called Stevenson to deliver a pep talk over the phone. He didn't offer any technical advice. He didn't remind him of the high stakes.

"I just wanted reassure him that you're there for a reason," said Ward, a former unified world champion as a professional. "Trust yourself. Trust your ability. It's your time. Sometimes, you have to be reminded of things just to make sure you've got it deep down inside."

Ward believes that the male fighter who ends this American drought at the top of the medal stand will hold an even bigger place in the sport than many of the gold-medal winners that have come before him. Will it be Stevenson? Boxing experts are divided.

Yes, he is undefeated internationally, but he is facing a higher level of competition in Rio. He will be one of the most inexperienced boxers in the bantamweight division, a tournament that will include reigning world champion Michael Conlan of Ireland, up-and-coming Indian boxer Shiva Thapa and several top Eastern Europeans. Sports Illustrated, in its annual projections in all 306 events, once again had the American men leaving an Olympics without a medal. 

Still: Stevenson is one of the most accomplished U.S. amateurs in years. He is the first American male to win junior and youth world titles and a Youth Olympic Games gold medal. He has risen to the challenge at every level so far, and that's why Ward is hopeful.

"He knows what it takes to get his hand raised, and that's not an easy thing to accomplish," Ward said. "It comes from experience but also from being insanely competitive, and feeling that there is no worse thing than losing. Just watching him from the outside, I can tell he's perfected that."

The experts can say what they want. Inside his circle back in his home city, there is no doubt.

Inspiring his home city   

Back on that scarred blacktop not far from where the young Olympian grew up, Shahid Guyton wants to make this clear: His son is already his inspiration.

Guyton admits to his "trials and tribulations with the streets" that includes several arrests during Shakur's childhood. He became a changed man, he said, when he saw the dedication that his son had put into boxing.

He moved to Philadelphia to get away from the wrong crowd in his home city, enrolled in a program called "Ready, Willing and Able" that helps people battling addiction, homelessness and criminal recidivism. He graduated in 2013 and, on its website, the organization called him a "shining example of the program's strength and success."

He works in behavioral health technology and security. "I didn't have a GED when I moved out there," Guyton said. "Now I have a GED. I'm in college. I never had a job over three months, and now I've had my job for over two years now.

"I credit him more than anything. I credit him because I watched his drive and his dedication, and I just took some of that from him. I wanted to put the hard work and dedication that he put into his craft into my craft."

Nicole Singletary, one of his teachers at the Newton Street School in the city, uses him to motivate all her students. They want to become a doctor? Look at Shakur. They want to become a lawyer? Look at the kid who is headed to Rio, and follow his lead.

"To see him apply himself from a city like Newark, where you already have the odds stacked against you statistically, it shows others that you don't have to subscribe to all the other things that are already giving the city a negative image," Singletary said. 

But Stevenson wants to be more than inspiring. He wants to help his family in a tangible way. Malikah, his mother, has always had a steady job, but it certainly isn't easy raising nine kids aged 5 to 19. 

This is why Stevenson plans to turn professional as soon as the Olympics end. He wants to provide for his family, hopefully moving them out of Newark to Virginia or Florida. He is fighting for them. 

"I want to provide for them. I want to get them a lot of stuff. I want to make their lives easier," he said. He isn't just chasing the gold medal so he can stand along the likes of Ali and Ward. He wants it because he knows that added cachet will act as a springboard for his career.

It seems like an overwhelming amount of pressure for a teenager, but you'll never see it on his face. Stevenson smiles so much that his USA Boxing handlers have to tell him to "use your mean face!" before photo shoots.

He'll have that toothy grin on his face when he steps in the ring in Rio. He'll have it as he chases a gold medal that he wants for so many reasons beyond his own personal glory. 

For his sport. For his city. For his family.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Dozens of police departments plan to partake in this year's event.

In the aftermath of a month that saw at least 10 police officers murdered nationally, cops and organizers say this year's National Night Out will take on extra importance. 

Matt Peskin, executive director of the National Association of Town Watch, said this year's National Night Out is going to be "one of the more impressive ones." Peskin said with the recent killing of police officers across the country, he expects more people to come out who may not have planned to. 

"You can sense that there is a different kind of energy with everything going on in the last month or so," the 62-year-old from the Philadelphia area said of the many new municipalities that have registered to partake in National Night Out for the first time this year. "Ninety-nine percent of us are law abiding, so this is a great way for cities and towns to come out and say, 'We support our local law enforcement.'"

Dozens of police departments across the Garden State plan to host gatherings Tuesday for National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign to allow for police to interact with the people they serve, and vice versa.

Often, Peskin said, when "something unusual is going on," such as a drug epidemic or an increase in carjackings, more people participate.

From porch lights to dunk tanks

This year, the event comes less than a month after a gunman shot and killed five officers and wounded seven others during a peaceful protest in Dallas after two black men were shot by police officers. Less than two weeks later, a military veteran assassinated police officers in Baton Rouge, killing three and wounding three others.

N.J. cops go to Dallas for officers' funerals, prep for Baton Rouge

"People are saying, 'Let's get out and salute what [our local police departments] do every day,'" Peskin said of National Night Out, which is held every first Tuesday in August.

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in honor of the officers killed, his department plans to have a moment of silence before their annual gathering, which will be at Newark Schools Stadium at 450 Bloomfield Ave. 

For the get-together, some departments plan to set up bouncy houses, dunk tanks, food and entertainment, though National Night Out has not always been as engaging as it is now, Peskin said. 

In the mid-1980s, he said, the event changed from encouraging people to turn on their porch lights as a symbol of a "vote against crime in response to the rising crime rates in the early '80s," to more of a community forum.

Ambrose, a former Newark cop who has been partaking in National Night Out since its creation, said the gathering is now a way for departments to tell citizens about their programs and show off their equipment. For Newark, this year's event will also include fire personnel and those in the Office of Emergency Management.

"Usually, it is for police, but I think it's important for others to come out," Ambrose said of interacting with citizens, who he described as "our biggest partners in fighting crime."

WATCH: Trenton EMT busts a move at National Night Out

Lt. Zsakhiem James, who has been with the Camden County Police Department for 23 years, put on demostrations at National Night Out for seven years with his K-9 "Zero," who died in December. He said police once "used [K-9s] against the African-American community," so the program served as a way to turn the interaction with a police dog into something positive.  

"Every time we went out with [Zero], kids would come running up and knew him before they knew me," said James, who described this year's National Night Out as "significant."

For the 45-year-old district commander, who served as the department's first African American K-9 supervisor, the job is personal. He grew up in Camden, where his mother still lives. People know him as their neighborhood cop, referring to him as "Zsak," not "Mr." or "officer."

James said he trains his officers to build partnerships and comradery with those they patrol. Once an officer becomes a familiar face, James said he sees neighbors offer his guys and gals coffee, food and on hot days, water.

"And you can trust the water they're giving you," James said, laughing during a phone interview Friday. 

After the killings in Dallas, James said he drove to the mourning city with five other Camden cops, who received a warm welcome and had their meals picked up on the way, including notes thanking them for their service. 

"I stood where those officers were slain, and looked at the markings from the bullet holes," said James, who attended three of the slain officers' funerals. "There's a divide currently between police and the citizen we serve. But [National Night Out] is one of many opportunities where we can all come together."

When National Night Out was created 32 years ago, 400 communities consisting of 2.5 million people partook in the event. This year, Peskin said, his association is expecting 16,000 communities consisting of 37 million to join in the celebration.  

While more people have participated year over year, Essex County Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura said he has generally seen community involvement decrease. Fontoura, who has also been participating in National Night Out since its formation, said he hopes the turnout, particularly in urban areas, is up this year.

"We all need a hug -- we like to get a hug and we like to give a hug," he said. National Night Out "is a great event for people to come out and meet with the men and women who protect them."

Though it has been a tough year for those in blue, Fontoura said he remembers the tension between law enforcement and community members being so "great you could cut it with a knife" when he was patrolling the streets during the 1967 Newark riots. 

"We've come a long way but still have a long way to go," he said.

Below is a list of many cities and towns that are hosting events Aug. 2: 

Atlantic County

- Atlantic City, 4 to 8 p.m., Pop Lloyd Stadium

- Brigantine, 6 to 9 p.m. 25th Street Ball Field, West Brigantine Avenue & 25th Street South

- Galloway, 6 p.m., Galloway Township Municipal Building, 300 E Jimmie Leeds Road

- Egg Harbor Township, 5 to 8 p.m., Veterans Memorial Park, 2153 Ocean Heights Avenue

- Hamilton Township, 5 to 8 p.m., Hamilton Mall, 4403 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing

- Linwood, 6 to 9 p.m., Linwood Bike Path at Memorial Field, Monroe and Wabash avenues

- Mullica Township, 6 to 8 p.m., Recreational Fields

- Northfield, 6 to 8 p.m., Birch Grove Park

- Somers Point, 5 to 8 p.m., Somers Point Beach, New Jersey Avenue

Bergen County 

- Cliffside Park, 5 to 9 p.m., Cliffside Park Municipal Complex

- Edgewater, 7 to 10 p.m., Edgewater Marina Park & Ferry Landing

- Englewood Cliffs, 6 to 9:30 p.m., Witte Field

- Fair Lawn, 7 to 9 p.m., Schmidt Field in Memorial Park

- Fort Lee, 6 to 9 p.m., Jack Alter Fort Lee Community Center
1355 Inwood Terrace

- Garfield, 6 to 9 p.m., 20th Century Field (Elizabeth Street)

- Hillsdale, 6 p.m., Memorial Field

- Little Ferry, 7 to 9 p.m., Borough Hall

- Lodi, 6 to 10 p.m., Borough Hall Parking Lot, 1 Memorial Drive

- New Milford, 7 to 10 p.m., Behind Borough Hall (930 River Road)

- Maywood, 6 to 9 p.m., Memorial Park

- Paramus, 5 to 7 p.m., Library parking lot

- Teaneck, 5 to 9 p.m., Votee Park

Burlington County

- Bordentown Township, 6 to 9 p.m., Joseph Lawrence Park (Ward Avenue)

- Burlington Township, 6 to 9 p.m., Green Acres Park at 1001 Old York Road

- Cinnaminson, 6 to 9:15 p.m., Memorial Park, 2139 Lenola Road

- Evesham, 6 to 9 p.m., Evesham Police Department

- Florence, 6 to 9 p.m., Community Center, 69 Main St., Roebling

- Lumberton, 7:30 to 10 p.m., Lumberton Township Municipal Complex, 35 Municipal Drive

- Medford, 6 to 9 p.m., Freedom Park, 86 Union St.

- Maple Shade, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Municipal Lot on North Forklanding Road and Brubaker Lane

- Palmyra, 6 to 9 p.m., Palmyra Community Center at 30 W. Broad St.

- Pemberton, 5 to 9 p.m., Municipal Complex at 500 Pemberton Browns Mills Road

- Westampton Township, 6 to 10 p.m., Burlington County Public Safety Center at 53 Academy Dr.

Camden County

- Barrington, 6 to 8 p.m., Wish Upon a Star Park softball field, Moore and Reading Avenue

- Gloucester Township, 6 p.m., Gloucester Township Police Department, 1261 Chews Landing Road

- Berlin, 5 to 9 p.m., Berlin Borough Community Center at 250 S. Franklin Ave.

- Cherry Hill, 6 to 8 p.m., Cherry Hill Municipal Complex

- Clementon/Lindenwold, 6 to 9 p.m., Lindenwold Park

- Pennsauken, 7 to 9 p.m, local fire departments

- Pine Hill, 6 to 9 p.m., Overbrook High School

- Waterford Township, 5 to 11 p.m., Atco Dragway

- Voorhees, 6 to 9 p.m., Osage and Kresson Schools

Cape May County

- Lower Township, 5 to 7 p.m., Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal

- Sea Isle City, 6 to 8 p.m., Excursion Park, JFK Boulevard and Pleasure Avenue

- Wildwood, 5:30 to 10 p.m., Bill Henfey Park

Essex County 

- Bloomfield, 5:30 to 9 p.m., Foley Field

- Cedar Grove, 6 to 9 p.m., Cedar Grove Community Park

- East Orange, 3 to 10 p.m., Various locations

- Fairfield, 5 to 9 p.m., Hollywood Avenue, between Kennedy Drive and Annette Road

- Glen Ridge, 5 to 7 p.m., Glen Ridge Community Pool

- Livingston, 5:30 p.m., Memorial Park Oval

- Maplewood 6 to 9 p.m., Dehart Park

- Montclair, 5 to 8 p.m., South Park Street between Bloomfield and Church Street

- Newark, 2 to 7 p.m., School Stadium, 450 Bloomfield Ave.

- South Orange, 6:30 p.m., Floods Hill, Zootopia movie at 8:30 p.m. 

Gloucester County

- Deptford Township, 6 to 9 p.m., Rec Center at 52 Montague Lane

- Franklin Township, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Franklin Township Little League Complex at 546 Pennsylvania Ave. 

- Washington Township, 6 to 10 p.m., 523 Egg Harbor Road, Sewell

Hudson County

- Bayonne, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., DiDomenico-16th Street Park

- Harrison, 6 to 9 p.m., Roosevelt Park, 318 Harrison Ave. 

- Hoboken, 5 to 9 p.m., Church Square Park, Fourth Street and Willow Avenue

- Jersey City, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Audubon, Arlington, Hamilton and Pershing Field parks. 

- North Bergen, 5 to 9 p.m., Locations: Kennedy School (1210 11th St.), Applied Housing (1108 26th St.), Policeman's Park (37th Street and Union Turnpike), Meadowview Village (Meadowview Avenue from 58th to 61st Streets), Lawlor Senior Citizen Building (6121-6131 Grand Ave.), Broadway between 73rd and 76th Streets

- Kearny, 6 to 8 p.m., Belgrove Drive between Afton Street and Bergen Avenue 

- Secaucus, 5 to 9 p.m., Buchmuller Park

- Union City, 6 to 10 p.m., Bergenline Avenue between 34th to 42nd streets

- West New York, 6 to 9 p.m., Miller Stadium, 57th Madison Street.

Hunterdon County

- Frenchtown, 3 p.m. Aug. 13, fireworks at dusk, Old Frenchtown Field

Mercer County

- East Windsor, 6 to 9 p.m., East Windsor P.A.L. Complex, 30 Airport Road

- Ewing, 6 p.m., Ewing Senior Community Center

- Hightstown, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Rocky Brook Park (Bank Street)

- Lawrence Township, 5:30 to 8 p.m., Lawrence Township Municipal Grounds

- Trenton, 5 to 10 p.m., Columbus Park

- West Windsor, 6 to 10 p.m., Community Park, 193 Princeton Hightstown Road

Middlesex County 

- Edison, 6:30 p.m., Zootopia movie at 8:30 p.m., Edison Municipal Complex

- Helmetta/Spotswood, 6 to 9 p.m. Spotswood Municipal Complex

- Highland Park, 5 to 9 p.m., North Third and Raritan Avenues

- Metuchen, 6 to 8:30 p.m., walk from Myrtle Park to Metuchen Municipal Pool

- Middlesex, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Mountain View Park

- Monroe, 6 p.m., Thompson Park

- New Brunswick, 5 to 9 p.m.

- North Brunswick, 5 to 8 p.m., police department parking lot, 710 Herman Road 

- Perth Amboy, 6 to 9 p.m., Albert G. Water Stadium

- Piscataway, 6 to 10 p.m., Stelton Road by Westergard Library

- Plainsboro, 6 to 8 p.m., Morris Davison Park

- South Brunswick, 6 to 9 p.m., Rowland Park 

- South Plainfield, 6 to 9 p.m., Behind Boro hall and library

- South River, 5 to 9 p.m., 7 Acres Park (Kamm and Whitehead)

Monmouth County

- Bradley Beach, 6 to 8 p.m., Riley Park

- Brielle, 5 to 8 p.m., Green Acres Park

- Deal, 4 to 8 p.m., Casino Beach Club

- Fair Haven, 5 to 10 p.m., Police headquarters

- Freehold, 5 to 9 p.m., Freehold Township Municipal Building

- Keyport, 6 to 8 p.m., West Front Street

- Little Silver, 5 to 9 p.m., Borough Hall (Markham Place Fields)

- Marlboro Township, 6 to 10 p.m., Cambridge Square Route 9 and Union Hill Road

- Manalapan, 5 to 9 p.m., Manalapan Township Target

- Neptune City, 6 to 9 p.m., Ocean Avenue by the Avon pool

- Ocean Township, 6 to 9 p.m., municipal parking lot, 50 Railroad Ave.

- Red Bank, 6 to 9 p.m., municipal complex parking lot, 90 Monmouth St.

- Wall Township, 5 to 8 p.m., Wall Township Police Department, 2700 Allaire Road

- West Long Branch, 5 to 8 p.m., West Long Branch Community Center

Morris County

- Butler, 6 to 9 p.m., Butler Police Department, 10 High St.

- Chatham Township, 6 to 9 p.m., Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Department,
495 River Road

- Florham Park, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Borough Hall, 111 Ridgedale Ave.

- Jefferson Township, 6 p.m., Jefferson Township Municipal Complex, 1033 Weldon Road

- Morristown, 5 to 9 p.m., William G. Mennen Sports Arena, 161 East Hanover Avenue, Morris Township

- Rockaway, 5 to 9 p.m., Firemen's Field, 164 Beach St.

Ocean County

- Long Beach Township, 5 to 9 p.m., Bayview Park, Brant Beach

- Plumsted, 6 to 9 p.m., New Egypt High School, 117 Evergreen Road

- Point Pleasant, 6 to 9 p.m., Community Park

Passaic County

- Pompton Lakes, 7 to 10 p.m., Pompton Lakes High School parking lot

- Woodland Park, 6 to 9 p.m., Memorial Drive

Salem County

- Pittsgrove, 6 to 8 p.m., Green Branch Park, Upper Neck Road.

Somerset County

- Bernardsville, 6 to 10 p.m., Bernardsville Community Pool

- Bound Brook, 6 to 9 p.m., Codrington Park

- Branchburg, 5K Run at 7 p.m., White Oak Park

- Bridgewater, 5 p.m. TD Bank Ballpark, game at 7:05 p.m.

- Green Brook, 5 to 9 p.m., Green Brook Middle School

- North Plainfield, 6 to 9 p.m., Somerset Street/Municipal Lot

- Somerville, 6 to 9 p.m., Carol Pager Park (Exchange Field)

Union County

- Cranford, 6 to 9 p.m., Patrolman Robert F. Hand Plaza 

- Elizabeth, 6 to 8 p.m., 'Movie in the Park' at 8:30 p.m., Carteret Park, Elmora Avenue and Murray Street

- Fanwood, 7 p.m. to dusk, LaGrande Park

- Linden, 5 to 7 p.m., Raymond Wood Bauer Promenade, 400 N. Wood Ave.

- New Providence, 6 to 9 p.m., Centennial Park

- Roselle, 5 to 9 p.m., community center, West Second Avenue and Pine Street

- Union County, Springfield, 6 p.m., movie Zootopia at 8 p.m., Meisel Park

Warren County

- Belvidere, 6 to 8 p.m., Belvidere Good Will Fire Company #1, 689 Water St.

- Pohatcong, 6 to 9 p.m., Huntington Fire House

Luke Nozicka may be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukenozicka. Find NJ.com on Facebook.