He showed excellence in the ring and handled himself with class out of it during the Rio Olympics.

RIO DE JANEIRO -- One after another, his family and friends tried to console Shakur Stevenson, but it was no use. Towel over his head, the 19-year-old from Newark kept sobbing and heaving.

"I didn't win!" he wailed as he fell into the arms of his mother, Malikah, outside the Olympic boxing venue. His father, Shahid Guyton, wrapped him in a bear hug and whispered words of encouragement in his ear. Then his teammate, Claressa Shields, grabbed his shoulders and gave him a pep talk. 

"I need you to be strong!" she told him. "You fought hard. You fought your heart out. You are a champion."

Stevenson wasn't listening. He had just suffered the first defeat of his international career in the Olympic gold medal fight. That it was a split decision, a narrow loss where even one or two punches could have made a difference, didn't matter. That he lost to a far more experienced boxer who entered the ring with a gold medal already on his resume didn't, either.

He had come here with one mission, and as he waited for the ceremony to get his silver medal, he was certain that he had failed. And no one could convince him otherwise. 

"I apologize to everyone back home that I let down," he said. He was reminded that that it was the best result for an American boxer since 2004, that no American male won a medal at all four years ago in London. "I don't look at it as an accomplishment. I look at it as I lost."

13 cool things about Shakur Stevenson

Time, hopefully, will heal the hurt he was feeling on Saturday afternoon because the reality is something quite different. Stevenson did not let anyone down here in Brazil. He represented his city and state with pride, both with the excellence he showed in the ring and the sportsmanship he displayed outside of it.

He proved he is a winner, even in defeat. In a sport again ravaged with judging scandals, Stevenson had lost one of the closest Olympic title bouts here. But there was no complaining about the decision, no bad mouthing his opponent or the system.

Once he gathered his emotions, Stevenson stood in front of the TV cameras and microphones, one after another, and made it clear: His Cuban opponent, Robeisy Ramirez, had beaten him. 

He pointed to the first round, when he wasn't as aggressive as he planned. He looked back on the final 30 seconds of the third round, when Ramirez had backed him into a corner and threw a flurry of punches. 

"I'm disappointed in myself," Stevenson said. "I'm crushed. But I'm going to come back stronger."

Stevenson was three years younger than Ramirez. The U.S. coach Billy Walsh said "it was a boy vs. a man today," an assessment that brought out the one angry response from the Newark boxer. With good reason, too. Stevenson pushed the best boxer in the bantamweight division to the brink.

He was no boy, not even close. The consensus opinion coming into the fight that Stevenson has a bright career ahead of him as a professional remained unchanged at the end. You'll see his face on a promotion poster soon. You'll see him headlining a card at the Prudential Center.

"Shakur Stevenson woke America up," his coach Kay Koroma said. "Shakur Stevenson made America smile -- it wasn't just Newark. People have come out of nowhere on Twitter and are talking about Shakur Stevenson. Like I told him, the smile is golden. The world loved him."

That smile, a fixture on his face even when he's throwing punches in the ring, was missing on the medal stand. Stevenson looked despondent as he was awarded his silver, and the frown remained as he held it up for the cameras that swarmed the four medalists.

Boxing's best hope is a kid from Newark

The journey, one that began in Newark when Stevenson was just 5 and started training in his grandfather's gym, didn't end here the way he wanted. Stevenson hoped that a gold medal would inspire young people in his home city, that it would help launch his professional career so he can provide for his eight younger siblings.

The way boxing icon turned promoter Floyd Mayweather gushed about him, he'll still have no problem making that a reality. "Most likely I'm going to turn pro," Stevenson said, "try to win some world titles and try to break records."

He was at a press conference when Ramirez was asked the same question about becoming a professional. Stevenson turned with interest and waited to hear the answer from the translator, and when it wasn't clear enough, he asked for clarification. He wanted a rematch. 

Ramirez turned to his rival directly and said that, someday in the near future, they would fight again. That news, finally, is what put the smile back on Shakur Stevenson's face.  

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

Police released photos of the suspects

NEWARK -- Police are seeking the public's help to identify three people wanted in a carjacking that left a woman and her 11-month-old child injured late last month in the city.

The 31-year-old woman was approached by two assailants who demanded the keys to her 2007 Nissan wagon around 6:20 p.m. July 27 in the 100 block of Dickerson Street, authorities said.

The woman and her child suffered non life-threatening injuries in a struggle, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. They were treated at an area hospital.

Detectives seize 'Mad Monkey' heroin, arrest 4, sheriff says

Police released photos of three suspects being sought in connection with the ongoing investigation.

Ambrose urged anyone with information to call the city's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). All anonymous tips are kept confidential and could lead to a reward, police added.

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

The Newark resident took home silver after a close match in the Olympic bantamweight final match.

NEWARK -- Brick City residents gathered downtown Saturday to cheer on their hometown champ Shakur Stevenson.

As part of the 24 Hours of Peace event, a viewing of Stevenson's Olympic final was held at the intersection of Market and Broad Streets. 

More than 50 people crowded around a flat screen television to root for Stevenson as he competed for gold at the Olympics.

"He's representing our city," said Malenda Hamlett. "It's all about Newark pride."

Unfortunately, Stevenson lost the match to Cuban Boxer Robeisy Ramirez, his first lost in 26 international fights. 

The fight appeared to be even at the end with Ramirez winning the first round, Stevenson the second and the third being a close match. 

"It was a good fight and I respect the judges' decision," said Jimmie White.

Other Newark residents in attendance boasted that the fight was rigged in Ramirez' favor. 

"The referee kept stopping the fight," said Donta Stokley. "That boy is swift, the Cuban boxer would of got knocked out if the fight wasn't stopped."

Jeffery White, who said Stevenson looked like Floyd Mayweather during his 1996 Olympic appearance, agreed with Stokley.

"I think it was rigged," White said. "They don't want to see a boy from the inner city, Brick City, win."

Stevenson, who is taking home a silver medal, was sullen Saturday.

"I apologize to everyone back home that I let down," he said after the fight. He was reminded that that it was the best result for an American boxer since 2004, that no American male won a medal at all four years ago in London. "I don't look at it as an accomplishment. I look at it as I lost."

Despite the loss, locals said they couldn't be happier for what's to come of the boxer. 

"He's a great inspiration for Newark," Dyke said. "I think he's going to go far in the welterweight division."

Some say Gold is inevitably for Stevenson in 2020.

Fausto Giovanny Pinto may be reached at fpinto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @FGPreporting. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Three males shot Saturday

NEWARK -- A shooting Saturday evening left three people wounded in a burst of gunfire that came shortly after Newark concluded a 24-hour event designed to promote non-violence in the city.

One person was in serious condition and two others were listed in stable condition after the shooting near Chancellor and Maple avenues, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. The victims were all identified as males.

Investigators have not determined a motive in the shooting or identified any suspects, Ambrose said shortly after the shooting occurred around 6:20 p.m.

The triple shooting came less than 24 hours after two other shootings left two dead as the city held its "24 Hours of Peace" festival downtown late Friday. For the second consecutive year, violence marred the event held from 6 p.m. Friday through 6 p.m. Saturday.

A shooting on Schuyler Avenue at 10:45 p.m. Friday claimed the life of Kevin Baker, 19, of Newark, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

2 fatal shootings mar Newark's 24 Hours of Peace effort

Shortly before midnight, police also rushed to reports of gunfire on the 100 block of Willoughby Street, where they found a man and woman wounded, the prosecutor's office said in a statement. The man, identified as Robert Harrison Jr., 24, of Irvington, died at the scene. The woman was reported in critical condition as of late Saturday morning.

The two slayings appeared to be unrelated, according to Chief Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly, of the Homicide Unit.

Last year, two men were shot to death during the "24 Hours of Peace" event. The effort started five years ago and was initially held in the city's South Ward to curb violence in the area. Organizers moved the outdoor celebration to downtown Newark.

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

This is the second year the event was held.

NEWARK -- Spider-man, Pikachu and the Joker joined a bunch of other Comic book characters, or the people dressed as them, Saturday during the city's Comic Con event.

The second annual Newark Comic Con was held at Waterfront Place and featured numerous adults dressed as their favorite cartoon and superhero characters for a day of cosplay fun. 

The event featured vendors selling comic books, toys and posters. 

It also featured a replica American Ninja course, live music and panels.

D-list celebrities were also in attendance at the event including Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, King Kong Bundy and Rocky Johnson.

Fausto Giovanny Pinto may be reached at fpinto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @FGPreporting. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Authorities identified the woman who died Friday as Jesy Garcia, a 49-year-old Newark resident. Watch video

NEWARK -- Irma Garcia said she had a "feeling in her stomach" about her 49-year-old mother, Jesy, after she woke up Friday and saw the news of a fatal NJ Transit bus crash in downtown Newark.

"I saw the accident [on the news] in the morning," the 29-year-old Garcia said. "I didn't really know what route or what bus she was taking, but I didn't really pay no mind."

"I just had a feeling in my stomach," Garcia added. "I kept thinking about my mother. I wasn't well since I woke up."

At 6 p.m. that night, about 12 hours after a NJ Transit bus T-boned another bus at Raymond Boulevard and Broad Street, her worst fears were confirmed when investigators showed up at her Elizabeth home and broke the awful news.

Her mom, Jesy Garcia, a passenger on the bus, had died at University Hospital.

The factory worker was identified by her cellphone and the Babies'R'Us membership card that she used to buy gifts for her grandchildren, Garcia said.

"I gave her one because she always buys toys for my kids," Irma Garcia said. "She had that one on her keychain."

Her mother, Jesy Garcia, had just moved out of the house in Elizabeth, where she lived with her daughter, son-in-law William Mendez and the couple's two children. She was forced to moved in with her family earlier this year after her apartment burned down. Her previous second-floor apartment was a few blocks from her job, allowing her to walk to work each day. 

"These kids meant the world to her," Mendez said. "She spoiled the hell out of them."

Like his wife, Mendez also had a gut-churning feeling that things weren't right.

"I kept looking at the bus and it didn't feel right," said Mendez, who works as a tow truck driver and had also been watching the news throughout the day. 

Bus wreck was 'total chaos' witnesses say

Jesy Garcia had moved back to her native Newark last month into an apartment on Lincoln Park. She was on her morning commute to the 6th Ward, which was only a short ride on a No. 13 bus, on her way to the factory where she was an assembly line leader.

Garcia said her mother never minded taking the bus. She'd take two to Newark when she lived in Elizabeth, one of which was a No. 13, Garcia said. Her mother always used public transportation because she never had a car, Garcia said. "She just went to work, trying to save up to just get better in life," she said.

Jesy Garcia had been saving to take her two grandchildren, an 11-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl, to Puerto Rico to visit their other grandmother. "She really wanted to do that," Garcia said. "Everything was about her family."

Mendez said his mother, Rosaura Santiago, and his mother-in-law grew close when their granddaughter was born and stayed in touch online.

"My mother's 60 years old and they were always Facetiming with each other and using SnapChat," Mendez said. "I told my brother, he had to find a way to tell her because she's going to be waiting for her call."

"We lost a lot in our family recently," Garcia said. "(Jesy Garcia's) mother four years ago, her aunt, her great aunt, like three years ago. This is just really hard, trying to stay together, the little bit of family we have."

Jesy Garcia was one of two fatalities from the bus accident.

The other was the a veteran bus driver, Joseph Barthelus, 70, of Union, whose bus was empty heading west on Raymond Boulevard. Seventeen others, who were on a No. 13 bus heading north on Broad Street at 6:05 a.m., were injured.

Nine people are still being treated at University Hospital in Newark a day after the accident, spokesman Thaddaeus Diggs told NJ Advance Media. One person is still critical and another is in serious condition, Diggs said.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Officials have said they are examining the bus and other cameras near the intersection. They have not ruled out that Barthelus had suffered a medical emergency.

Garcia and Mendez have not scheduled services yet. They said they have been in contact with a lawyer to set up a charity to help pay for the funeral expenses. Garcia said her brother Larry Alvarez, who lives in Florida with his wife, Marisa, is making arrangements to come back to New Jersey for his mother's funeral.

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook.    

Historic Ocean Grove hotel opens doors to Newark girls impacted by violence

The Central Avenue House in Ocean Grove is a rambling Victorian summer inn, with a labyrinth of narrow halls and compact rooms cooled by ocean breezes.

It rivals the Great Auditorium in age and is just short blocks from that landmark and the summer tent city of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.

In "God's Square Mile" - as the Methodists who founded the beachfront retreat 147 years ago called it - the Central Avenue House is part of the enclave's scenic and sedate Victorian charm. It's the kind of place where the bathrooms are still called water closets.

The front porch and upstairs balcony are decked with cushioned rockers and wicker loveseats, the parlor is furnished with antiques and the walls are adorned with many photos of the family that has owned the hotel since 1901.

The fact that those owners have all been women, partly explains why the genteel hotel was hosting a group of energetic 16 girls and young women, ranging in age from 10 to 20, who were thrilled to run through its halls and lounge on its airy porches.

"This is what my hotel was meant to do," said host Jennifer Sirois, marveling at the assembled guests. "This is why I reached out to A'Dorian. I wanted to make a connection with these girls."

A'Dorian Murray-Thomas, 21, began a program called "SHE Wins" in Newark last year, with a grant from Swarthmore College, now her alma mater. The idea was to take girls and young women impacted by homicide or other violence and give them "a safe space" to tell their stories and grow. In the two years of the program, Murray-Thomas has had 50 girls come through her "Leadership Institute," some as young as 8. She understood their needs. Her own father was murdered when she was 7.

"What we did was make life as normal as possible for her," said Dana Murray, A'Dorian's mom, who was in Ocean Grove helping. "It was a family project to keep A'Dorian moving forward."

This is the lesson, Murray-Thomas is passing on to her charges. Keep learning. Keep living. Keep giving.  

 My colleague at The Star-Ledger, Barry Carter, wrote a column about Murray-Thomas last summer and Sirois tracked her down.

"We started to talk and I felt like we had known each other for years," Murray-Thomas said. "The majority of our girls had never been to the beach, so I thought, 'Why not?' We were here a month later."

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

The girls returned this year, spending four days in Ocean Grove last week.

"I wanted to do something for these girls," said Sirois. "I gave them the run of the hotel. The other day, I overheard them talking as they got the beach chairs out of the shed. They were so excited just to be able to pick out these old beach chairs. Something so simple meant so much to them.

"Too many of us take our privilege for granted," she said.

That privilege includes safety. For the girls of "SHE Wins," it isn't always a guarantee.

Malayjah Williams, 12, lost her father to violence "four months before I was even born."

Nevaeh Parker, 14, knows her grandfather was murdered and lives on "an unsafe block."

Tyniquah Colbert, 20, one of the "SHE Wins" interns, had a close friend and a cousin "killed over nonsense."

Another girl said she joined the group "after I was raped." She is 14.

While Murray-Thomas began the group with the idea of focusing on girls who had been directly impacted by homicide, she quickly realized her lessons "of resilience building" were important to all girls who suffered trauma or live in frightening environments.

"The three core focuses of resilience-building are giving the girls new learning opportunities, allowing them to have positive relationships with adults and teaching them problem solving," Murray-Thomas said.

In Newark, "SHE Wins" now meets at the Center of Hope for Girls on Boyd Street, one of nine such educational and cultural centers launched by the Ras Baraka administration. While "SHE Wins" is a separate 501c3 nonprofit organization, Murray-Thomas said the city offering her a "safe space where the girls can tell their stories" has been essential.

And now, they have a summer place.

On Wednesday evening, Sirois and the young women hosted a barbecue for a group of people from Asbury Park that certainly fell under the criteria of "positive relationships with adults."

The girls served and conversed with a group of adults that included actress Lorraine Stone, known for her one-woman acts on Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks; Kay Harris, who owns the Galleria on the Asbury boardwalk and comes from a long line of black Asbury Park business owners; and Reggie Flimlin, a co-owner of Juice Basin, whose organic products are made in Asbury Park and sold at Whole Foods stores.

"These are the kind of women I wanted these girls to meet," Sirois said. She didn't say it, but she could have added "herself included." She is a retired Army intelligence officer and a respected licensed private investigator, who owns Your Peace of Mind Investigations. And she runs the hotel first bought by her great-grandmother, Cora Mae Applegate, in 1901.

Most of the guests were from a group of Asbury Park people called simply "Dialogue," formed in 2014 after a series of public meetings in Asbury Park about ways to restructure the town government.

"We went to these meetings and were engaged in all sorts of dialogue," said co-founder Conrad Neblett. "When those meetings ended, we wanted to keep going."

Another co-founder was Gil Caldwell, who marched shoulder-to-shoulder with Martin Luther King on April 23, 1965, in Boston to protest school segregation. He had pictures of that event to give to the girls after leading them in a simple Civil Right-era song in the dining room of the hotel.

"I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom," the girls sang.

"Sometimes, when we activists focus on widespread injustice, we lose sight of the individuals," Caldwell said. "Ralph Ellison wrote, 'I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.' These girls would fall through the cracks if there was no one there to catch them."

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

NCJW Essex hosts is annual Back 2 School Store.

Volunteer Ethan Stambler of West Orange helps a student with his back-to-school shopping at the NCJW/Essex Back 2 School Store.NCJW/Essex 

LIVINGSTON -- Back-to-school shopping came a little early for the nearly 700 children who shopped last month at the National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section, Back 2 School Store, and they couldn't have been happier about it.

For the last eight years the NCJW/Essex has hosted the store for economically disadvantaged students who are referred to them by area social service agencies.

This year, students were greeted at the store by one of the more than 470 volunteers who served as personal shopping assistants. The personal shoppers guided the students through the store and helped them select new clothes, school supplies and personal care items, everything they would need for a successful school year. All of items in the store were donated by individuals, foundations and corporations.

"It's a fantastic day; so many children, so many volunteers, so well planned, everyone in good moods and working hard to bring on success for these children," said Barbara Levadi, a volunteer from Livingston.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

"It's like finding a dead body in the closet," their architect said, of the house's dated wiring.

N.J. Home Makeover is a regular feature on NJ.com. To submit your renovation for consideration, email home@starledger.comwith your full name, email address, phone number and town/city. Attach "before" and "after" photos of what you renovated.

Paul and Nicole Sinclair liked the idea of being only the third family to inhabit a nearly-100-year-old house in Maplewood. They bought the house in 2012 with plans to honor its past while reconfiguring it for modern living.

When Bob, a record label executive, and Nicole, an at-home mom of their two young daughters, moved into the 1922 center-hall Colonial, it had the appeal of French doors opening to a light-filled sun porch.

"All the light was in there," Nicole Sinclair said of the room, which stretched the length of one side of the house. Lovely, but it was part of the problem. Its long wall blocked light, darkening the rest of the house.

"The original configuration of our house was like most houses built in the 1920s -- lots of small rooms that were difficult to utilize," she said. Then there was the small kitchen, and its location at the back-center of the seven-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house. The floor plan impeded access, and it was impractical for entertaining guests.

So about a year later, they began to work with Bob Barnett of CBH Architects in South Orange. They explored redesign options and selected new features in what would eventually be a full gut renovation of their home's first floor. The project would involve knocking down walls to open up the space, expanding the kitchen, and relocating the family room so the spaces would merge in a mostly open area at the back of the house.

About 25 square feet would be added to the back of the 3,200-square-foot home for an improved mudroom and powder room. And out back, the deck would be enlarged.

While the formal dining room and foyer at the front of the house would remain much the same, the new floor plan would also result in a larger, brighter living room with removal of the long sun room wall.

But gutting an old house always has its challenges.

"Once we opened it up, we did find knob and tube wiring," Barnett the architect said. "It's like finding a dead body in the closet."

The wiring, commonly used in the early 20th century is sort of like having live wire running through a house, he said. "You have to find it and replace it." It became a necessary mission that added both time and expense to a project where plumbing and air ducts also had to be relocated.

There was a happier find in the former den. What had looked like a mantel turned out to be a plaster coverup. It hid a wide brick chimney. The initial plan to remove it was cost prohibitive, so the couple decided to work around it.

"When we went back to Bob, he made it work in our layout," Nicole said. "It ended up being probably the most fascinating feature of our home."

The sizable brick expanse is now a focal point that provides a degree of separation between the new kitchen and family room. With new glass doors that lead out to the expanded deck, the area is now ideal for indoor-outdoor entertaining with a coffee service area and wet bar.

"We gained a family room when we took away all of those little rooms," Nicole said.

And when the sun room wall was removed, the kitchen could also be enlarged, and they preserved a pair of the French doors to reuse for their pantry. The other set replaced their basement door. The couple also reused most of their home's original windows.

The renovation was the couple's second, having previously updated a house in Summit. The experience was part of what helped their project go smoothly, Nicole Sinclair said.

"We learned so much from that first project and how to do things completely differently," she said.

Their architect also pushed them to make as many decisions as possible as early as possible, she said. "Plan, plan, plan. I cannot say that enough."

French doors open out to an enlarged deck and let lots of light into the updated kitchen. (Photo courtesy of CBH Architects) 

What they renovated

The entire first floor of their 1922 home

Who did the work

Bob Barnett of CBH Architects in South Orange and Martin Murphy of Murphy General Contractors in South Orange. "Bob was highly recommended to us from a friend of ours, and after meeting multiple architects we decided that his style and manner were perfect for our project," Nicole said

How long it took

The project was done in two phases. The powder room and mudroom addition and the deck extension were completed in five weeks starting July 2014. The interior renovation began in January 2015 and was completed by May.

What they spent

$215,000

Where they splurged

The kitchen. They also worked with Real Antique Wood in Irvington to custom make shelves and a countertop from recycled barn wood. And they invested in hand-crafted custom cabinets for the living room, mudroom, wet bar and family room entertainment center. "They were designed and built right before our eyes in the "cabinet workshop" - our dining room," Paul Sinclair said.

How they saved

"We saved money by reusing original doors and windows to keep the charm and integrity of our home," Paul Sinclair said. "I did a lot of looking through pictures, and I blended lots of pieces together to create our own look," Nicole Sinclair said. "It was sort of our own vision, mostly mine. I had a vision in my head of what I wanted everything to look like. I worked with our foreman to bring it about."

What they like most

"We are so pleased overall with the outcome of our project, but if we had to choose our favorite piece of the renovation, it would absolutely be the kitchen," Paul Sinclair said. "When we first met with Bob, the plan was to extend the original kitchen to the other side of the house, but he opened our minds to moving it completely, basically re-laying out the entire footprint of the first floor.  This also allowed us to put in three big sets of French doors, providing amazing light." 

What they'd have done differently

"We stayed in the house and lived through the renovation, which was great to keep it moving, as we could answer design and construction questions every day," Nicole Sinclair said. "But it was a total mess and not easy with small children."

Kimberly L. Jackson may be reached at home@starledger.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Jesy Garcia, 49, of Newark, was one of two people killed in the crash on Friday

NEWARK -- A fundraiser has been set up to help the family of the city woman killed in the Newark bus collision on Friday with expenses related to her funeral.

Jesy Garcia, 49, was on her way to work Friday morning when the No. 13 bus on which she was traveling was struck by another bus at the intersection of Raymond Boulevard and Broad Street. A GoFundMe fundraiser set up on Saturday was seeking to raise $10,000 to help with funeral expenses.

"Jesy was absolutely crazy about her family, especially her 3 grandkids, whom she frequently babysat," according to a statement on the GoFundMe page. "She leaves behind a daughter, Irma Garcia, son Larry Alvarez and 3 grandkids.  The family is devastated as this was such a horrific accident and untimely death of such an important family member."

Veteran bus driver Joseph Barthelus was also killed in the crash. His bus was empty, heading west on Raymond Boulevard. Seventeen others, who were also on the same bus as Garcia, were injured.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Orange Public Schools' summer robotics camp comes to an end.

Kyara Chuqui, a fourth-grader at Rosa Parks Community School, prepares her robot for the Search and Rescue Team challenge at the Orange Public Schools' robotics camp.Orange Public Schools 

ORANGE -- Last month the Orange Public Schools math and science department hosted a Summer Robotics Camp for students in grades 5 to 12.

During the four-week long camp, held at Orange Preparatory Academy, nearly 40 students participated in the FIRST LEGO and FIRST Robotics programs, which challenged them to use their math and science knowledge to build and program robots.

Camp wrapped up July 28 with a showcase that celebrated the students' achievement.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

A 42-year-old city man was killed Saturday night near the Upper Clinton Hill neighborhood, authorities said.

NEWARK -- A 42-year-old city man was fatally shot Saturday night, marking the third shooting death in two days.

Akbar J. Scott was shot around 9:45 p.m. on the 600 block of Irvine Turner Boulevard near the city's Upper Clinton Hill neighborhood, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced in a statement.

Police found Scott lying in a driveway of a residence, authorities said. He was taken to University Hospital in Newark where he was pronounced dead at 11:52 p.m.  

The shooting death came roughly four hours after the conclusion of the city's "24 Hours of Peace" celebration downtown and a triple shooting that left one victim in serious condition. 

The event, now in its 5th year, aims to bring awareness to urban violence. But, for the second consecutive year, violence marred the event. It kicked off at 6 p.m. Friday and concluded 6 p.m. Saturday. 

A 19-year-old city man, Kevin Baker, was shot dead on Schuyler Avenue at 10:45 p.m. Friday and a 24-year-old Irvington man, Robert Harrison Jr., was gunned down on Willoughby Street shortly before midnight Friday.

Authorities say the killings appear to be unrelated.

Saturday night's shooting is under investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office's Major Crimes Task Force. Authorities asked anyone with information to call the prosecutor's tip line at 877-847-7432.

The fatal shooting boosts the city's homicide count so far this year to 63, ahead of the count for this time last year.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

But the governor can change that. Watch video

On a sweaty morning nine days ago, a desperate 56-year-old man from Plainfield walked into a bank on Rt. 22, announced he was going to commit a crime, and then fitfully parked himself in a chair until the police arrived.

Troy Crane had done his homework. As a person with an addiction, he realized that no drug treatment center has room for someone like him - without insurance, without means, and without hope - until he becomes incarcerated.

If that sounds extreme, wait for the tragic punchline:

"The reality is if you have lousy insurance or none at all and want to get treatment, you have to get arrested," said Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), who has helped draft dozens of bills related to addiction and recovery.

It's an absurd system, one overwhelmed by the shortage of recovery facilities, at least for people who cannot afford private care and are caught in a cycle of crime and madness.

Unlike Crane, most of these people will never see the judicial system as an ally or as a means to get help, but that will change if Gov. Christie signs legislation that reached his desk the same week Crane was arrested.

Christie's real record on addiction | Editorial

The bill calls for local cops to be the portal to recovery, and it's not complicated: Police departments would allow an addict to turn in their drugs without being arrested, and refer the user to a volunteer who would help guide him through recovery.

A pilot program by the West Orange PD, known as Operation HOPE, rolls out in October. Integrity House and other groups - non-profits, clergy, government agencies - have jumped aboard, with the goal finding some care for those who ask for it.

Christie plays it loose with overdose data | Editorial

Christie will likely hesitate to sign S-2330, because it doesn't provide for the expansion of treatment capacity, and it's undetermined how many departments will participate.

True, it's hard to specify the ultimate cost. And for a governor whose record on recovery funding is weak - he spends less in real dollars than he did in 2010 - compassion is still measured in dollars and cents.

Christie offers more words and no action | Editorial

But judging by the reception in West Orange, volunteers are eager to be trained for this mission. Resources are a challenge, until someone in charge decides this is a priority for a state whose overdose rate is three times the national average.

Troy Crane will get help, the Somerset County Prosecutor said Thursday - probably after he goes through drug court. For others gripped by the same despair, there must be room at the inn.

More: Recent Star-Ledger editorials.

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

Police said 5 men stole a Honda CRV at gunpoint early Sunday morning, then crashed into 4 parked cars while being pursued by officers

Darrell Hicks (left) and DeShaun Thompson (right)Newark police 

NEWARK -- A pair of Newark youths were charged with carjacking and three others were being sought Sunday night, hours after authorities said the five of them pulled a man from his SUV at gunpoint and drove off, only to crash into parked cars while being chased by police.

A 54-year-old man told police that five youths had carjacked his silver 2004 Honda CRV at gunpoint at 1:45 a.m. on Varsity Road in Newark, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced.

Police responding to the area spotted the vehicle, then gave chase after the occupants refused to pull over, Ambrose said.

Soon afterward, the occupants of the Honda struck four cars parked on Irvine Turner Boulevard, before jumping out of the Honda and fleeing on foot, Ambrose said.  

Police caught Dontrell Hicks, 19, and DeShaun Thompson, 18, both of Newark, though the other 3 managed to get away, Ambrose said.

Hicks was arrested on carjacking, eluding, resisting arrest, conspiracy and weapons charges, and issued violations for reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to possess a driver's license, Ambrose said.

He said Thompson was arrested on carjacking, resisting arrest, conspiracy and weapons charges.

Police ask anyone with information on the other suspects to call the department's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477), or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). 

All tips are confidential and could earn a reward.

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

Homeless pets in need of adoption from northern and central New Jersey.

There's summer heat, and then there's oppressive summer heat.

Courtesy of biscuitacres.com 

We've experienced some of the latter recently, and while we do everything we can to keep ourselves cool, it's important to remember our pets as well.

"If it's hot to you it's just as hot for your dog or cat, and probably even worse," said John Gickling, a board certified veterinarian in emergency and critical care. "We're better equipped to handle the heat because we perspire."

Some tips on making sure your pets can deal with excessive heat:

* If you walk your dog, pick the coolest time of the day you can, use a shady route and bring water along with you for your pet.

* Certain pets suffer more in high heat. Overweight dogs and cats, dogs with short sboutts such as bulldogs and older pets.

* If your pet is outdoors, make sure it has a cool place to lay and that water is always available. Avoid taking your pets anywhere that has concrete or blacktop until temperatures normalize.

* Dogs may be overheating if they can't get up, aren't alert or can't stop panting. If you suspect overheating, hose your dog off but never use ice water, which worsens the situation. If this doesn't work, a visit to a veterinarian is important.

How hot is too hot for pets? Consider that if humans think it's too hot ... and aren't covered head to toe in fur ... it's almost certainly too hot for pets.

More pets in need of adoption can be viewed by clicking here and here.

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

New Jersey is one of the wealthiest states in the country. But it may surprise you how many $1M homes there are in the Garden State. We mapped every single one.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the two-bus crash that killed a driver and a passenger.

NEWARK -- Officials are still working to determine what caused the fatal commuter bus crash in Downtown Newark on Friday morning. 

"Nothing has been ruled out," Essex County Prosecutor's Office Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said Monday morning. "The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing."

Two people were killed and 17 people were injured Friday in the crash between two NJ Transit buses at the intersection of Raymond Boulevard and Broad Street. The accident claimed the lives of Joseph Barthelus, 70, the driver of one of the buses, and Jesy Garcia, 49, a passenger on the other.

Fennelly said Monday morning that some of the other passengers who were hospitalized after the crash had been released over the weekend. It was not immediately clear how many people remained hospitalized Monday, or what their conditions were.

Woman killed in crash had walked to work

Officials said at a press conference Friday that they are working to re-create the accident scene, noting that the investigation into the crash will likely be lengthy.

"It's a complicated process," Fennelly said Friday of the investigation into the crash, which he said will include interviewing witnesses and passengers, examining the vehicles involved, and reviewing any video footage in the area.

A spokesman for NJ Transit Monday morning said he had no updates into the ongoing probe.

An online fundraiser has been set up to assist with funeral expenses for Garcia.

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

The games don't count yet, but the stage is being set for the 2016 football season in scrimmages.

More than 235 colleges were evaluated for their LBGTQ policies and programs in Campus Pride's annual ranking.

Montclair State, Princeton and Rutgers universities are helping lead the nation in welcoming LGBTQ college students, according to a new national ranking.

Campus Pride, a national non-profit advocacy group, released its annual "Best of the Best" list Monday highlighting colleges with policies and programs that help LBGTQ -- short for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning - students and their families.

The three New Jersey schools each received five stars, the top ranking, on the list of 30 top colleges.

Starbucks truck debuts at Rutgers

Other nearby colleges on the "Best of the Best" list include Penn State, the University of Maryland, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University.

"Prospective students and their families today expect colleges to be LGBTQ-friendly. They want to know what LGBTQ programs, services and resources are available on the campus - and which are the 'Best of the Best,'" said Shane Windmeyer, Campus Pride's executive. "Now more than ever, there are colleges that are recruiting LGBTQ youth and they are investing in a campus that is fully supportive of LGBTQ students."

The rankings are based on a survey of more than 235 colleges and universities nationwide. The schools answer more than 50 questions, including whether they have non-discrimination policies, LBGTQ student groups, special gender-inclusive housing and training for campus police on sexual orientation issues.

Two other New Jersey colleges, Rowan University and Ramapo College, participated in the survey. Both received two stars on the five-star scale, according to the Campus Pride website.

The ranking comes as colleges are under increasing scrutiny for their policies on sexual orientation and transgender students. Rowan is among those installing all-gender restrooms and implementing new policies allowing students to use whatever name they prefer.

Some colleges, including the College of New Jersey, Kean and Montclair State,  revised their healthcare plans last year to offer counseling and possible sex reassignment surgery to students with gender identity disorder.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.

A report issued by a group created by Gov. Chris Christie and Mayor Ras Baraka outlined the district's path out from under state control.

NEWARK -- Complete local control of the Newark schools should be fully restored by the 2017-18 school year, according to a report released Monday afternoon by the Newark Education Success Board -- the 9-member panel co-created by Gov. Chris Christie and Mayor Ras Baraka last year to help guide the transition back to local control.

The group's 45-page report, "Pathway to Local Control," includes an assessment of the district's current operations, and hundreds of recommendations for continued reform efforts it should implement in the lead up to, and immediately after, the state hands over the reigns to the locally-elected school advisory board and its to-be-determined choice for a superintendent.

In the lead up to the 20th anniversary of the state's takeover of the Newark public school system, the atmosphere in the city was tense. Students, parents, and civic leaders regularly protested school leadership. Baraka often called for then-Superintendent Cami Anderson's resignation, and when asked why he was reappointing her to the top position in the state-controlled district, Christie said, "I don't care about the community criticism. We run the school district in Newark, not them."

Just about a year later, all of that has changed. Now, an end is in sight, and everyone is agreeing on it.

So long as the state's 2017 Q-SAC review of the district is favorable, and "the state evaluates that adequate programs, policies, and personnel are in place," local control should be restored according to the timeline outline in the document, the report states.

20th Anniversary: Examining state control of Newark schools

"This report is another giant step toward the day when the people of Newark regain control of our schools," Baraka said in a statement about the release of the report, which officials marked at a press conference Monday afternoon.

Gov. Christie and Mayor Baraka, shown in a 2014 file photo, appointed the group members.
 

"During the coming months, my office, (Newark Public Schools) and the Board of Education will work together to plan the transition with input from the people of Newark, our students, parents, teachers, colleges and universities, business community and philanthropies.

THE ANALYSIS

The state takeover of the 35,000-student district can be categorized into five organizational components. Newark Public Schools has already regained control of three of them - operations in 2007, fiscal management in 2014, and earlier this year, personnel. The two remaining areas under state control are governance, and instruction and programming.

As part of its report, the NESB provided a brief breakdown of current school statistics, pointing out areas that have improved over the years, and things that still need work. Despite student performance statistics below state averages, the group focused on in-district performance growth in making the recommendation.

Key findings of the analysis include:

• Student proficiency rates on the new PARCC exam are low, only 22 percent of Newark students are proficient in English, and 17.5 percent in math. But, the statistics show Newark students are actually ahead of most comparable districts in both areas. And, Newark student test scores over the past year are up, the report said.
• Though some educational rates are still low, they are improving. The district-wide graduation rate improved from 56 percent in 2011 to 70 percent in 2014, and the pass rate for the High School Proficiency Assessment is up from 31 to 43.3 percent in the same period of time.
• Chronic absenteeism among students is "far too high," the report says - about 22 percent of students at K-8 schools and 49 percent of kids in high school were absent more than 18 days during the 2014-15 school year.
• Student suspensions and incidents of vandalism and violence were down over the past three school years, though many students still say they feel unsafe at school.
• The report recognizes a persistent problem in the district not being able to fill the demand for high quality educators, particularly math, science, and bilingual teachers. However, it did commend the school's merit-based incentive program for teachers, and noted that about 95 percent of teachers who were rated "effective" or "highly effective" during their performance reviews last year stayed in the district this year.
• The district anticipates having a balanced budget for the 2016-17 school year (district officials have overcome about $150 million in budget gaps the past two school years). But, there is currently an anticipated $70 million budget shortfall for the 2017-18 school year.

CHANGING THE CULTURE

The majority of the group's recommendations - which it prioritizes into those that need to be carried out immediately, and those that need to happen within the first 18 months after local control has been restored - were aimed at creating a new culture of collaboration and progress within the entire school community.

District goals, it said, should include "increasing the morale, spirit, and pride in Newark's Public Schools," for students, staff, parents, and residents, and "challenge historical conditions of low expectations, assigning blame, absence of stakeholder trust in the school system, and lack of belief in the ability of the schools to ensure the academic and social success of every child."

"All students should be supported, encouraged, and instructed to achieve rigorous outcomes," the document reads.

The NESB made hundreds of recommendations in five main areas:

Governance: The recommendations here included having the board design a proper process to find a new superintendent (current state-appointed Superintendent Chris Cerf's term would end when state control does); clearly develop bylaws and guidelines that will inform the board of education's actions, as well as the superintendent's; and ensure that the board shows "appropriate levels of decorum at all public meetings," which have often been rowdy and contentious in the past. Cerf is a member of the NESB, and contributed to the report's creation."This report, along with recent QSAC scores and the district's strategic plan, show how much progress has been made and lay out a clear path forward," Cerf said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to work together to move in the right direction."

Curriculum, Instruction, and Programming: The list here included a complete transformation of the district's central office; enacting policies that "celebrate teaching as a profession, not only a 'job;'" and creating and adhering to rigorous curriculum expectations that challenge all students and teachers to develop 21st Century skills. The report also demands the district remain committed to properly educating all student learning styles, including the 10 percent of students in the school system who are English language learning, and the 17 percent who are in the special education program.

Talent Development: This section outlined several strategies for attracting and retaining quality educators, like developing partnerships with college teacher prep programs, creating a "grow our own" strategy to encourage Newark students to become educators who return to the district; and focusing on hiring more African American and Latino male teachers. Though it didn't mention specific numbers, the group also recommended that the board enact compensation structures that attract and keep teachers.

Family and Community Engagement: As a major component of changing the district's culture and reputation, the group recommended several initiatives around more actively engaging parents and the greater community in the school system, and being more transparent with board happenings. It also noted that although the district is already using social media to communicate its messages, parents feel that it does not use those platforms enough.

Finance: The NESB held that it will be the responsibility of both the district and the state to ensure that Newark has enough funding to operate at a higher level. It recommended the creation of an advisory transition team to facilitate the transition to local control and a full financial audit once it is returned. Many of the group's recommendations were geared at creating accurate budgets and sustaining continued management of funds.

CHARTER AND COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

The recommendations also address one of the issues that has fiercely divided the community - the struggle between traditional public and charter schools. According to the report, about 14,000 of Newark's students are enrolled in its 20 charter schools. Charter enrollment in the city has tripled over the past five years, and about 42 percent of Newark families chose a charter school as the first choice school for their children.

From the archives: State takes control of Newark schools

The document includes a slew of recommendations that it says are aimed at increasing the communication and collaboration between traditional and charter schools. "Core to achieving this vision is the ability of these sectors to acknowledge a shared responsibility to ensure equitable access to high quality education in Newark, and develop a shared commitment to work together in a productive manner to address barriers to equity," it says.

The NESB also commended the ongoing development of "community schools" in the city's South Ward, a $12 million collaboration between the school district and city that is designed to provide additional resources to some of Newark's neediest schools. The group called the plan "a powerful approach to well-rounded student support and engagement."

The document also outlines a plan for new school leadership, including a city-wide election to determine whether the district will be Type I - in which the mayor would appoint new school board members - or Type II - in which board members are voted on by residents. The district is currently Type II, holding annual elections each April to elect new board members.

The president of the current nine-member school advisory board, which has actively fought for local control throughout much of the state's 21-year rule, issued a statement in support of the report.

"On behalf of the (nine) members of the Newark Board of Education, I congratulate the Newark Education Success Board on the hard work that culminated in a document that will guide the school board, the District, the City, and all stakeholders who are interested in a return to full local control and successful self-governance," Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson said.

"At the core of the NESB report is the shared value of building a community focused school district that will utilize best practices to successfully educate its children now and into the future."

Newark school takeover timeline