The KIPP network will file an application with the New Jersey Department of Education on Thursday asking for permission to build 5 new schools in the state's largest city

Newark Collegiate Academy, one of 8 KIPP charter schools currently operating in Newark. The organization is filing an application with the state Department of Education that would allow it to to build up to five new schools in the city. (Amanda Brown/The Star-Ledger)Dan Ivers | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

NEWARK - The KIPP charter school network is planning to open five new schools in Newark in the years to come - a decision that is likely to deepen an already sizeable divide in city education circles.

The organization announced its plans Wednesday morning at TEAM Academy, the first of its Newark schools, saying it will file an application to the state Department of Education on Thursday to renew its certification and seek permission for the expansion.

If successful, the plan would give KIPP the ability to operate up to 15 schools in Newark, and to add 5,440 new seats, nearly tripling their current enrollment of approximately 3,200.

In a statement, KIPP Executive Director Ryan Hill said the applications are the result of sustained success at the privately run schools that have consistently convinced parents to enroll their children there, and created a waiting list thousands of names deep.

"Today's filing represents an affirmation of our commitment to the families we already serve, and those who have made it clear that they want to be a part of the KIPP New Jersey family as well," he said.

The announcement is the latest sign that steady climb of charters, which now enroll nearly 40 percent of Newark children, shows no sign of letting up. New York-based Uncommon Schools recently filed an application with city planning officials to establish a 12^th North Star Academy school in the city on a former Star-Ledger property in the Central Ward.

But many education advocates argue that the growth of charters have made things anything but steady for the city's public schools. Falling enrollment in the state-controlled district has forced many of the facilities to shut down, and students in those that remain often face overcrowding or other adverse conditions.

South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James, who attended this morning's announcement along with council colleagues Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins, Anibal Ramos Jr. and Eddie Osborne, said he was uneasy about any charter expansions impact on a perception that students in public schools were being left behind.

"I've never been anti-charter, but all of the expansion without a solution for the public schools is tearing our community apart," he said. "What is the state's solution? We're not hearing the answers."

Superintendent of Schools Christopher Cerf, a longtime school reform advocate and former state education commissioner now overseeing the public school district, declined to comment, saying he had not seen KIPP's application.

KIPP spokeswoman Jessica Shearer said the network expects to receive a decision on both its renewal and proposed expansion by March. The proposed five new schools would include two elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school, which would likely be placed in the South, West and Central Wards.

The organization is currently approved to operate up to 10 schools in the city. Only eight are currently in use, though another building on Littleton Avenue in the West Ward is currently under construction.

Newark School Advisory Board member Rashon Hasan, who also attended Wednesday morning's announcement, said he felt that efforts to stem the expansion of charters were unlikely to bear fruit given the demand from families. However, he resolved to ensure that the city's educational system did not devolve into a stark contrast of haves and have-nots.

"At the end of the day, it's our job to make sure that every school in the city of Newark is a great school," he said.

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

 

County sheriff's authorities on Tuesday arrested a 58-year-old township man on multiple drug related charges.

Stanley Richardson (Courtesy of Essex County) 

IRVINGTON -- County sheriff's authorities on Tuesday arrested a 58-year-old township man on multiple drug related charges, Sheriff Armando Fontoura announced.

Stanley Richardson was charged with two counts each of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute following a sting operation conducted at his 22nd Street apartment, Fontoura said.

Detectives from the department's Bureau of Narcotics observed Richardson allegedly exchange two items for cash with a woman, Fontoura said. The woman, later identified as Carolyn Moody, 55, of Irvington, was allegedly found to be in possession of two glassine envelopes containing heroin, Fontoura said.

Upon executing a search warrant, investigators allegedly found two sneaker boxes in Richardson's bedroom filled with 170 envelopes of heroin stamped with "GAME IS ON" in black ink, Fontoura said. Investigators found an additional 69 vials containing crack cocaine," he added.

Following his arraignment, Richardson was ordered held at the county jail on $60,000 bail, Fountoura said.

Moody was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and released in her own recognizance. She will be arraigned at a later date, Fountoura said.

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

 

An art collection featuring Yankee legends will be on display at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center.

Several legendary New York Yankees are featured in an art collection and reception that will take place Oct  22 at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center at Montclair State University in Little Falls.

The Yankee art exhibit and reception is open to the public and hosted by two Newark based companies - Civic Duty Partners, Inc. and 'Art to Dream For.'

James Fiorentino, a nationally recognized watercolor artist who created the collection, said the late Berra is part of the exhibit. Over the years, Fiorentino said he painted the Yankee great more than 20 times and had his work signed by Berra.

Fiorentino will be there along with former Major League Baseball players Roy White, John Montefusco and Fred Cambria.

The 12 portraits of on display will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds from sales will support Spectrum Works, an organization in Secaucus that employs adults who have autism. The art collection event is sponsored by Curemark, LLC, which is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Rye, N.Y.

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

The fifth medical marijuana dispensary in New Jersey, and the second in Middlesex County, will open Thursday, the state Health Department announced.

TRENTON -- The fifth medical marijuana dispensary in New Jersey, and the second in Middlesex County, will open Thursday, the state Health Department announced.

Breakwater Treatment & Wellness in Cranbury will begin by seeing patients by appointment only.

"We are more than ready to hit the ground running," said Jon Fisher, an attorney and one of Breakwater's directors. "We have a ton of product in our vault."

RELATED: Dozens signed up for N.J. medical marijuana dispensary opening Monday

Breakwater intends to grow enough to serve as many as 3,000 patients, Fisher said.

There are 5,540 registered patients and 355 caregivers who are authorized to buy the cannabis for patients homebound or too sick to travel, Health Department spokeswoman Donna Leusner said. 

The 21,000-square-foot facility is located at 2 Corporate Drive, Suite E in an industrial park in the tiny borough.

Fisher said he was "relieved" that opening day is imminent 4-1/2 years after the health department awarded it one of the six exclusive contracts to produce and sell medical marijuana. 

"It's been a very long road. It's a new industry, new for us, new for the state, a lot of rules that had to be complied with," Fisher said. "We started with seed and grew our own mother plants. That process took several months" followed by "the drying and curing."

The dispensary received its permit to begin growing in November.

With the state issuing the final permit Wednesday afternoon, Breakwater Treatment & Wellness becomes second ATC to operate in the central region and the fifth to operate in the state.

The other dispensaries are Greenleaf Compassion Center of Montclair, Compassionate Care Foundation of Egg Harbor, Garden State Dispensary of Woodbridge and Compassionate Sciences of Bellmawr in Camden County, which opened last week.

The sixth and final dispensary, Foundation Harmony, planned for Secaucus, remains in the background check phase, Leusner said.

The state will notify the patients and caregivers that Breakwater is open, according to the announcement. 

Patients may schedule an appointment by calling the dispensary at (732) 703-7300 or booking an appointment online at BreakwaterATC.com, according to the health department announcement released Wednesday. 

The law, passed in 2010, requires patients select one dispensary to serve them and register that preference with the program. The change may be done online at or by calling the program's customer service unit at 609-292-0424.

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

Ernest Williams Jr., 24, of Montclair, is accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Brian Schiavetti in July 2012

NEWARK -- With an addiction to painkillers, Brian Schiavetti and a friend left their hometown of Ridgefield, Conn. in the late afternoon of July 22, 2012 and made the roughly 90-minute drive to Montclair to purchase oxycodone pills.

But the trip ended with Schiavetti dead in the hallway of a Montclair apartment building.

The drug dealer who allegedly met with Schiavetti - Ernest Williams Jr. - went on trial Wednesday on charges of fatally shooting the 21-year-old college student during a robbery. Williams, 24, of Montclair, is charged with murder, felony murder, robbery, weapons offenses and conspiracy to distribute drugs.

Williams's co-defendant, James Pitts, who allegedly helped set up the meeting between Williams and Schiavetti, pleaded guilty last year to a drug charge and is expected to be sentenced to 364 days in jail. Pitts is the son of Essex County Undersheriff James Pitts.

In opening statements on Wednesday, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Naazneen Khan said Williams led Schiavetti into the building and then robbed him. During the incident, Williams bit Schiavetti, leaving DNA on his body, and shot him twice, including the fatal wound to the back of the head, according to Khan.

By the end of the trial, Khan told jurors, "I'm going to ask you to return a verdict of guilty against the defendant, because that is what the state will have proven to you."

But Williams's attorney, Sterling Kinsale, said Williams "didn't shoot anybody, didn't rob anybody."

Kinsale argued that Schiavetti had brought a gun to the meeting and that he was killed during a struggle for the gun. Kinsale noted how Schiavetti was addicted to painkillers and made the trip to Montclair from Ridgefield to purchase the pills.

"That's the desperation that we're talking about here as he enters into this transaction," Kinsale told the jury.

The series of events leading to Schiavetti's death allegedly began when Williams called Pitts at about 3 p.m., saying "I got some pills that I need to move," Khan said. The two men were neighbors in Montclair, she said.

Pitts then got in touch with Schiavetti, who had met Pitts as a fellow student at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, Khan said. Schiavetti indicated he was interested in purchasing pills that day, and Pitts referred Williams to Schiavetti, Khan said.

At the time, Schiavetti was hanging out with Connor Gore and three other friends in the basement of a house in Ridgefield, according to Gore, who testified on Wednesday after the opening statements.

As the group's hangout since elementary school, the basement was where they would meet up during summer vacations when they were home from college, Gore said. In the basement, the friends would play video games and "get high," Gore said.

On that afternoon, "we were looking for oxycodones," Gore said.

Ernest Williams Jr., 24, of Montclair, who is accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Brian Schiavetti on July 22, 2012 in Montclair. The Williams trial is being heard by Essex County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Wright in the Essex County Courthouse inNewark. 10/14/15 (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Gore said Schiavetti ultimately received a call from Williams, who initially wanted $25 per pill. After they agreed on a price of $17 per pill, Gore said he volunteered to drive with Schiavetti to Montclair. Gore and Schiavetti had never been to Montclair before, Khan said.

Schiavetti, Gore and another friend pooled together $900 in cash to purchase the pills, according to Gore. "We pooled together as much money as we could," Gore said.

Gore and Schiavetti left Ridgefield at about 4:30 p.m. and used a GPS device to travel to Montclair, Gore said. The two friends had wanted to meet Williams in a public place, but Williams refused and instructed them to drive to an apartment building at 25 Williams Street, Gore said.

Gore said he and Schiavetti met Williams on the street and Williams entered the back seat of the vehicle behind Schiavetti, who was in the front passenger seat. Williams then directed them to the nearby apartment building, where Williams said his girlfriend lived, according to Gore.

Williams said the pills were inside the building and the two friends indicated they wanted to go inside together, but Williams insisted that only one of them accompany him inside with the money, according to Gore.

After Williams and Schiavetti went inside, Gore said he drove around the block and parked outside the building. Gore recalled seeing "little kids running around, kicking a ball."

Gore said he then heard two gun shots. After calling Schiavetti's cell phone and getting no answer, Gore said he drove off.

"I was hysterical, afraid for my life," Gore said.

Gore said he called 911 and the operator indicated police were already responding to the scene. Gore said he called Schiavetti a few more times, but there was still no answer.

Gore called his parents and they ultimately met him in a parking lot at Montclair State University near where a baseball game had been underway, he said. With so many people around, Gore said he thought he would be safe there.

As he waited for his parents, Gore said he was "crying, throwing up, calling Brian."

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

Newark's Reggie Noble stood out during the hip-hop awards show

New Jersey rapper Redman soared into the Twitter trends Tuesday night like some kind of "Sooperman Lover" when he performed during a cypher segment at the BET Hip-Hop Awards.

Tweets were filled with praise for the Newark-bred artist as he appeared alongside DJ Scratch and his fellow Def Squad rappers Keith Murray -- who endorsed Hillary Clinton for president during the cypher -- and Erick Sermon. Some called it the best cypher of the evening -- others, the saving grace of the whole show. See below for more Redman endorsements. 

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

 

 

Students at Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School got a first-hand look at the ocean depths of the Galapagos Islands using the tech company's new Expeditions technology

NEWARK - A group of city students took got a first-hand look at the ocean depths below the Galapagos Islands Wednesday morning, no scuba gear required.

The so-called "virtual field trip" came courtesy of Google's new Expeditions app, which creates synchronized virtual school trips to anywhere from the deep sea to the Great Wall of China.

Eighth graders at Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School in the city's North Ward were the lucky explorers on Wednesday, strapping the cardboard-lined goggles onto their heads to get a panoramic, 360-degree view of the ocean. Before long, they were spinning in circles and pointing at bull sharks and divers over their heads.

"There's no way we can replicate these experiences without technology," said Joshua Koen, Special Assistant for Technology for Newark schools.

The devices come as part of the tech company's recently launched program Expeditions Pioneer program, which will bring the virtual trips to thousands of schools across the U.S. and other countries around the world.

Despite an ongoing battle with a budget deficit now estimated at about $15 million, Cerf said all schools are still operating with full funding for traditional field trips. The partnership with Google, however, had something of the same effect, with the added benefit of placing cutting edge technology into the hands of students.

"It's a piece of the puzzle. Its not the entire puzzle, but it enriches," he said.

District officials said the Expeditions program was part of a wider initiative to introduce new digital learning tools into district schools. Teacher leaders have begun attending monthly workshops to learn how to incorporate technology into their classrooms, and a select group of schools such as Horton have been given access to Google Chromebooks and other equipment as part of a "Digital Transformation" pilot program.

Horton Principal Ginamarie Mignon said she believed the Expeditions devices and other tools had the power to unlock an entire new perspective for students.

"A lot of our children don't see outside the city limits. This is getting them to see that there's a whole world beyond that,' she said. "I think it broadens their horizons a little bit."

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

New statue was dedicated Wednesday in Essex County.

NEWARK -- It has been exactly 51 years since Martin Luther King Jr. received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, and a new statue in New Jersey will forever commemorate the anniversary.

Essex County officials unveiled Wednesday an eight-foot tall bronze statue of the civil rights leader. Placed on a three-foot tall granite pedestal and located in a plaza next to the county Hall of Records in Newark, it is engraved with "I have a dream," and other inspirational words. The plaza has also been named in King's honor, county officials said.

"Streets and a school are named in his honor and his bust is in Newark City Hall, but until now there has not been a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Essex County," Executive Joseph DiVincenzo said in a statement about the unveiling.

"Having his statue in front of the Hall of Records overlooking the street that bears his name will be a constant reminder of Dr. King's sacrifice and contributions, keeping his dream alive."

The statue, created by Oregon-based artist Jay Warren, joins a long line of others around the county honoring civil rights activists. Officials unveiled the nearby statue of Rosa Parks at the Essex County Courthouse last year.

"I don't know if we understand how spiritual and important this day is," Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said in a release about the statue.

"This is a time celebrate Dr. King as he lived and as how we all should live."  

A 49-year-old Newark man has been charged with sexually assaulting a 29-year-old woman in Harrison while holding a fake gun to her head on Monday.

JERSEY CITY -- A 49-year-old Newark man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Harrison while holding a fake gun to her head on Monday.

According to a criminal complaint, Ramon L. Torres threatened to shoot the 29-year-old victim "in the head if (name omitted) did not perform oral sex on the defendant, while holding a gun to her head, putting (name omitted) in imminent fear of death."

He is also charged with aggravated sexual assault, attempted aggravated sexual assault, and making terroristic threats, as well as weapons offense related to the fake handgun, the document states. 

An official said the alleged incidents occurred inside a residence. 

Torres made his first court appearance on the charges this afternoon with the help of a Spanish translator in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny.

When asked by CJP Judge Margaret Marley if Torres needed any medical attention, he responded "Yes, for my nose."

Torres' bail was to be set by a superior court judge with an attorney from the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office's Special Victims Unit present. 

 

Archbishop John J. Myers speaks out on Communion, use of church buildings and off-limits groups or individuals in opposition to church teachings

At a time when Pope Francis is seeking to soften the image of the Roman Catholic church, stressing compassion over dogma, Newark Archbishop John J. Myers is reminding priests of the archdiocese of their responsibility to maintain church doctrine.

In a letter sent to priests this week, Myers bluntly addresses Communion and other sacraments, the use of church facilities and the responsibility of Catholics to stay away from events that support groups or individuals in opposition to church teachings.

A handout portrait of Archbishop John J. Myers (File photo) 

The language is sufficiently broad that it could be construed as a warning to those who support pro-abortion political candidates or those who defend gay rights, a message that has at times proved polarizing among Catholics in previous election cycles.

Myers, less than a year away from retirement, broke no new ground in the letter. But the timing of its release, less than a month after the pope's visit to the United States, could be seen as a pushback against Francis' gauzy message of inclusion.

It also comes as the pope and hundreds of bishops gather in Rome to debate how the church should move forward on the issue of Communion for divorced or remarried couples and on whether the church should be more welcoming to Catholics in same-sex relationships.

Myers made clear his own opinion in the letter, first disclosed by Religion News Service.

"The church will continue to cherish and welcome her members and invite them to participate in her life to the degree that their personal situation permits them honestly to do so," the archbishop wrote.

He then delved into specifics, warning that married couples must be in a union "recognized as valid by the church" to receive Communion and other sacraments.

"Non-Catholics and any Catholic who publicly rejects church teachings or discipline, either by public statements or by joining or supporting organization which do so, are not to receive the sacraments," he wrote.

Addressing the use of churches and other buildings owned by parishes or the archdiocese, Myers said they are to be used only by those people or groups in line with church teaching or, at the least, "not oppose them."

The third prong of his message focused on public gatherings.

"Catholics, especially ministers and others who represent the church, should not participate in or be present at public religious events or events intended to endorse or support those who reject or ignore church teachings or canon law," he wrote.

Jim Goodness, a spokesman for Myers, said the letter contained "no news flashes," reflecting standard views of the church and of Myers, Newark's archbishop since 2001.

The timing of the message, Goodness added, had nothing to do with the gathering in Rome. Rather, he said, it was spurred by questions from priests seeking guidance about how to balance Francis' message of inclusion with church doctrine.

"The reality is very simple," Goodness said. "He's had questions from time to time from priests who ask, 'How do we help to do what Pope Francis is asking us to do? How do we recognize the fact that some people are not in the same place as others are? How do we stay solid with Catholic teachings as we do this?'

"This was simply an internal event to give priests some guidelines," he said. "We don't want to let people think church teaching is going to change."

Mark Mueller may be reached at mmueller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJMueller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Authorities working across New Jersey recovered six children and arrested two alleged pimps as part of a nationwide push against human trafficking operations.

NEWARK -- Authorities working across New Jersey recovered six child victims and arrested two alleged pimps as part of a nationwide push against human trafficking operations, said a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation Newark field office Wednesday.

In total, FBI officials recovered 149 children identified as trafficking victims and arrested 153 as part of the nationwide initiative dubbed Operation Cross Country.

Details of the New Jersey arrests were not immediately made available. But Special Agent Celeste Danzi, spokeswoman for the Newark FBI office, said via a release that local and federal authorities conducted investigations in 135 U.S. cities, including Newark and Atlantic City.

Federal, state and local law enforcement organizations, conducted both "in-call" and "out-call" sting operations in hotels, casinos, truck stops and in other areas known to be frequented by both prostitutes, sex-traffickers and their customers, Danzi said.

Officials have not disclosed the identities of six people arrested in New Jersey as part of the initiative.

"Sex trafficking of children is a heinous crime of violence," said Richard M. Frankel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Newark Field Office. "I am proud of the FBI's role along with our partners in Operation Cross Country; the  National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and New Jersey state and local agencies in shining a light on this terrible crime."

Operation Cross Country is part of the FBI's Innocence Lost national initiative, which began in 2003. Since the program's inception, more than 4,800 children have been recovered from underage prostitution and prosecutors have obtained more than 2,000 convictions, authorities said.

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

 

Suspects wanted for a range of crimes from narcotics offenses to a shooting

NEWARK -- A number of police units made nearly a dozen arrests throughout the day Wednesday, apprehending suspects for drug activity as well as others wanted on outstanding warrants issued within and outside the city, department spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said.

John O'Boyle 

The daylong sweep, carried out by the Fugitive Apprehension Team, Narcotics/Gang Enforcement Unit and the Rapid Response Intelligence Team, began with a briefing followed by  the arrest of David Hankerson, 23, at a home in the 100 block of Mount Vernon Place. Hankerson, who was wanted on drug violations, was found in a basement bedroom with a loaded 9-mm handgun and more than 330 grams of cocaine in his possession, Glover said.

A city man wanted on an East Orange warrant, David Parramore, 38, was picked up on Stratford Place. Later, police spotted a car blocking a driveway in the 700 block of S. 20th Street. When police activated their vehicle lights to alert the driver, Devin Travis, 25, he threw something to the ground, later determined to be drugs, Glover said. He was arrested and charged with a number of narcotics violations.

Another man wanted on an East Orange warrant, Al-Mone Sweat, 42, was arrested near South Orange and Munn avenues. Kevin Halton, 25, was arrested on a $1,500 warrant near Seymour and Chadwick avenues.

Ali Harris, 21, was arrested near S. 11th Street and Madison Avenue after police said he was seen counting out bags of marijuana. Harris had 27 bags of the drug in his possession, Glover said.

Carol Williams, 61, was arrested in the 700 block of Clinton Avenue on a $5,000 warrant, while a man wanted for a shooting April 4, Ahmed Freeman, was picked up at Underwood Street and Stuyvesant Avenue. He was being held on $200,000 bail. Two more people wanted on warrants, Jahrod Kennedy and Nelson Martinez, were in custody in West Virginia and were awaiting extradition on carjacking and other charges.

Anthony Closs, 21, was arrested as he tried to run from police near Clinton and Ridgewood avenues, Glover said. He had allegedly been seen with a bundle of heroin moments before and was found with 63 bags of the drug.  

Police also reported two other narcotics arrests Wednesday, although some details in those arrests could not immediately be confirmed.

"Our officers are doing everything they can to prevent crime and to capture those who insist on that life. We will use every necessary means at our disposal but within the law to make our city safer and to improve the quality of life here in Newark," said Police Director Eugene Venable.

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

 

WEST ORANGE — Frankenstein's monster is shown here as he was portrayed in a 1910 film titled "His Frankenstein" made by Thomas Edison's studio in West Orange. Costumes and props for the 16-minute film, which was loosely based on Mary Shelley's novel, were prepared in the Essex County studio. The film was believed to have been lost until, according to...

WEST ORANGE -- Frankenstein's monster is shown here as he was portrayed in a 1910 film titled "His Frankenstein" made by Thomas Edison's studio in West Orange.

Costumes and props for the 16-minute film, which was loosely based on Mary Shelley's novel, were prepared in the Essex County studio.

The film was believed to have been lost until, according to Alt Film Guide, film collector Alois Dettlaff found the only remaining 35-mm print among his grandmother's possessions in Milwaukee in the mid-1970s.

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.

One map, one dot for all of the nearly 9 million people in the Garden State

New Jersey's more than 8.9 million residents sure can paint a pretty picture, but it takes more brush strokes than any one of them could muster. 

It's no secret that New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the union, but numbers and charts often don't illustrate exactly what that means very well.  

So, over the past several weeks, NJ Advance Media developed a map that seeks to show this a little more clearly. 

Our map shows every person that calls the Garden State home -- one dot for each resident (go ahead and count).  

SEE THE MAP: Click here to view our map of every person in N.J.

The result resembles a watercolor painting, showing just how and where the state's burgeoning diversity is springing from.     

Towns like Jersey City and Union in Union County -- two of the most culturally and racially diverse towns in the state -- look like colored television static, with a near even distribution of each racial category.

The Route 1 and 9 corridor shimmers green, reflecting the the vast number of immigrants who have settled in the region from Asia. Elizabeth and Perth Amboy, meanwhile, glow purple, as each have become major enclaves for the Hispanic community in recent decades.  

But the map also shows that diversity and integration are not always one in the same in the Garden State.  

Newark remains one of the more segregated cities in the state, with its large African-American population living almost entirely separate from its Hispanic and white populations. The map turns sharply from orange to blue around Camden, where the difference between white and black communities seems almost like it has a distinct boundary.

In Lakewood, the fastest growing municipality in the state, the town's exploding and largely white Jewish population appears to have settled in an entirely different portion of town than the Hispanic and African American populations.

The map was developed using a cartographic interpretation of the 2010 decennial Census -- the most robust dataset available to analyze the changing tides of population in the United States.

The data was derived from Census race data parsed down to the Census block level, which typically span only a few municipal blocks in most areas.  We then employed a script that took those counts, created a dot for each person of each race within each Census block, and scattered them randomly throughout their representative geography. 

Once plotted on a map and colored, the result is the most detailed look at race in New Jersey possible with information available today. Users can zoom out for a wide view of the state, or zoom all the way into their own neighborhood to see the racial makeup of their own community.   

Notes about this map: The map below does not show the exact locations of every single person in New Jersey. Since the dots are randomly scattered over small areas, it may appear that some people are living in cemeteries or small lakes. To our knowledge, this is not the case.  

Every person in N.J., mapped by race

Use the zoom controls on the bottom right or double-click/tap to zoom in on the map. A key is provided on the bottom.   

Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook.

When Gov. Chris Christie inherited the medical marijuana law in 2010, he made sure his administration adopted the toughest rules in the nation.

TRENTON -- When Gov. Chris Christie inherited the medical marijuana law in 2010, he made sure his administration adopted the toughest rules in the nation.

And his rule makers took micro-managing to a new level. 

Signs could not be the color green or feature pot leaves. Advertising was forbidden. Even the names of the cannabis strains sold at the dispensaries had to be sanitized. When Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair was the first dispensary to open nearly three years ago, patients chose between GL 1, 2 or 3, rather than strains known by their distinctive names in other states.

RELATED: After long wait, N.J. medical marijuana program registration begins 

Three years later, the state has apparently lightened up. 

The Auditor has learned that when Compassionate Sciences Alternative Treatment Center in Bellmawr opened on Oct. 5, patients were offered strains such as Lavender, Blue Dream and Albert's Super Silver Sour Diesel. 

This week, Compassionate Care Foundation in Egg Harbor Township offered seven strains, including ACDC, Blueberry and Shark Shock, according to social media shared among patients. Garden State Dispensary in Woodbridge offered Death Star, Nigerian Haze, Sour Willy among others this week.

The change is not about being trendy or taking a laissez faire approach to the program, said Roseanne Scotti, director of the Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey, the nonprofit that lobbied for the medical marijuana law's passage. One strain may help someone sleep, while another may offer a burst of energy. If the patient knows the name, they know what to buy because the strain's chemical profile and how it has been used to soothe various symptoms are understood.

"It's important for patients because they have usually done a lot of research on the strains available around the country and what might work best them for them. There is a medical research behind whatever those names are," Scotti said. This incremental change means the state is "more open and sensitive to the needs of patients." 

Greenleaf CEO Julio Valentin said he is a holdout. He certainly knows the street names of the cannabis plants he grows and can converse with patients who ask for a strain by name, but he's sticking with the generic label because he thinks it reduces the stigma that many people still associate with the law.

He said even calling it marijuana "is a mistake. We should call it its scientific name, cannabis."  

Gary Moore had been practicing criminal and family law out of his private practice in Hackensack for decades before his death on Monday

Gary Moore

MONTCLAIR - A man killed after being struck by a car in Bloomfield Monday was a veteran attorney who friends and former colleagues recalled as equally dedicated to his clients as his loved ones.

Gary Moore, who was 68, practiced law in North Jersey for more than four decades, beginning with stints as a public defender in Essex and Bergen counties, representing clients charged with all manner of offenses. He left that post in 1980 for a job with the Newark-Essex Joint Law Reform Project, helping tenants conduct rent strikes as they sought to fight back against predatory landlords, according to a biography on his law office' website.

After less than a year, however, he returned to Hackensack, where he settled into his own practice on Mercer Street, taking on both criminal and family cases. Before long, he had met Nora Meeha, an employee with the state's Division of Youth and Family Services who struck up a friendship during Moore's frequent visits while representing children who had been declared wards of the state.

Though the job was often emotionally draining, Meehan said she could count on the jovial attorney to lighten her mood.

"He was a very kind and concerned, caring person. He cared about the children that he represented in court, and he had a wonderful sense of humor," she said.

A native of Atlantic City, he attended Rutgers and eventually found his way to law school at the university's Newark campus. It was there that he met Matt Catania, who would become a nearly lifelong friend.

The two reunited as co-workers in the Bergen County public defender's office, and remained close even as they their careers took them to different cities. During their frequent conversations, Moore often concentrated on his wife and two daughters, sharing their accomplishments with pride.

"He was a great friend, a good attorney, a person with a sense of history and humanity," Catania said.

Moore and his family eventually settled into a home in Montclair's First Ward, where the health-conscious attorney would often rise before the sun to take walks around his neighborhood.

Monday was no exception, as police say Moore was leaving a local bagel shop on Broad Street in Bloomfield just after 6 a.m. when he was fatally struck by a Toyota Corolla. The driver remained on scene and has not been charged, according to authorities.

Meehan said she had fallen out of touch with her longtime friend since her retirement two years ago, but was shocked to hear of his passing after turning on the news Monday evening.

She immediately recalled their many conversations over lunch at Miyoshi Japanese Restaurant in Hackensack - a favorite of Moore's next door to his office, where the two often kept up after a chance meeting.

"He loved that restaurant," she said with a laugh. "We would just sit and talk about anything."

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

 

The child was not seriously injured, authorities said.

MAPLEWOOD -- A child was struck by a car while walking to school Thursday morning, police have confirmed.

The child did not suffer any serious injuries when hit on Prospect Street between Concord Avenue and Springfield Avenue in Maplewood, Lt. Albert Sally said. No other details on the strike, the age of the child, or which school, were immediately available, police said.

The South Orange-Maplewood school district did not immediately return an email requesting comment on the incident.

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

 

An Elizabeth man with three passengers in his car intentionally struck another car to collect insurance, state authorities said.

Acting state Attorney General John Hoffman announced that an Elizabeth man and three other people were indicted for allegedly staging a car accident and then filing fake claims. (NJ Advance Media file photo)

TRENTON -- Jonathan Desir was driving his Honda Civic through Paterson on Nov. 17, 2012 when it collided with another vehicle, but authorities say it was not an accident.

Subsequently, Desir and two other men riding in the car - along with a woman who claimed to be in the vehicle - filed insurance claims for more than $48,000 for treatment of injuries, according to state authorities.

This week, Desir, now 22, of Elizabeth, and the three others were indicted on charges of insurance fraud for allegedly filing false claims, acting State Attorney General John Hoffman announced today.

A state grand jury in Trenton returned indictments against Desir; Makenson Clermont, 34, of Irvington; Jhonny Volmire, 26, of Newark; and Jana B. Philippe, 32, of Irvington, charging them with second-degree health care claims fraud, second-degree conspiracy and third-degree attempted theft by deception for their alleged parts in the scam, Hoffman said.

He said Desir and Clermont were additionally charged with second-degree insurance fraud, second-degree conspiracy and third-degree theft by deception for allegedly agreeing to share the cost of the insurance policy and stage a bogus accident to split the claim payout.

Desir, Clermont and Philippe were also charged with fourth-degree false swearing for fraudulent statements they allegedly made to investigators, authorities said.

The indictment, handed up in Superior Court, alleges that Clermont, Volmire and an unknown female were in Desir's car when he intentionally drove the car into another vehicle on Crosby Place near Ward Street. Neither the other driver, nor the occupants of Desir's car were hurt and the damage to both vehicles was minimal, according to the indictment. 

Subsequently, the three men and Philippe, who assumed the role of the unknown female passenger, each filed a claim for PIP benefits with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and received medical treatment for their alleged injuries, the court papers state.

Liberty Mutual paid Desir's $5,736 collision claim, but refused to pay the $48,550 in claims submitted by health care providers, Hoffman said. He said the insurance company referred the matter to the state Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, which investigated the case.

"These individuals not only put themselves at risk through their alleged scam, they put innocent pedestrians and other drivers at risk as well," Hoffman said.

State acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi said staged accidents and bogus claims result in increased insurance premiums paid by law-abiding drivers.

Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000.

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

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

 

Curated by teacher Robert Richardson, "Heal Me" involved the participation of all four classes of art majors at Arts High.

NEWARK -- You don't need to read Dale Russakoff's critically acclaimed new book "The Prize" to know that Newark's public schools are under increasing pressure to perform -- especially as privately run charter schools compete for the same resources.

The stress on the schools was largely responsible for the election of Ras Baraka -- a former principal and a profound critic of school reform -- as mayor last year.

Given the top-down nature of charterization, however, we rarely hear from the people most affected by the budget cuts forced on public schools: the students themselves. On Friday, Oct. 16, the art majors at Arts High School -- the oldest arts high in the United States, founded in 1931 -- will open an exhibition titled "Heal Me" devoted to student responses to all the stresses in their lives, including violence, divorce, drugs, neighborhood decay, and, yes, school reform.

RELATED: Author Dale Russakoff discusses new book on Newark School Reform

Curated by teacher Robert Richardson, "Heal Me" involved the participation of all four classes of art majors at the school, who were encouraged to draw or write on torn pieces of colored paper about some aspect of their lives that was painful to them.

Those drawings and poems were then assembled into nine-foot-tall sheets with "band-aids" -- basically, strips of gauze and tape -- and hung from the gallery ceiling to form a cylinder. The illuminated paper scraps were also collaged together on the wall of the gallery to spell out the title of the show.

On Friday, at the formal opening, students will read their poems or perform their raps from within the "cage" formed by these sheets of torn paper. The performances range from senior Kayla Muldrow's stream-of-consciousness poetry to Stanley Willis's rap about teen love and disappointment, accompanied by a beat composed on the school's Music Tech computer.

The "cage" of drawings and messages built by students for "Heal Me." Students entered the cage to create their performance pieces at the exhibition opening Oct. 16.Dan Bischoff | For The Star-Ledger 

Over 50 students participated in the school-wide show: Freshmen tore the papers; videographer Sabrina Enrriquez produced a film about making the art (her film will be in the show); and everyone made drawings or wrote messages.

The emotional reach can be penetrating, like the sketch of a tearful eye surrounded by commands, including "Just leave," "You're Nuthin'," and "Go Away."

There are plenty of teen tropes -- skulls, cartoon references, and pop culture jokes. But the overall feeling one gets from meeting these remarkably poised art students is earnest determination. (The group staged a partial rehearsal for this reviewer the weekend before opening.) 

"I think the intent is to destroy the reputation of public schools in order to make way for charterization," says senior Aricelis Checo, who has been a member of the Newark Student Union, which has held several demonstrations against the cuts, since 2013.

Asked about the perception that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's much-ballyhooed $100 million gift to Newark schools in 2010 must have been a boon to the system, Checo replies, "The schools never saw that money. Just a small part of it could have fixed the infrastructure of our school, bought new equipment, all the obvious things. But it went to well-paid advisors, not students.

In June, Arts High laid off James Manno, its popular Performing Arts Director, who had raised private funds for contemporary technology (including the computers Willis used to accompany his rap), and the school librarian. (Manno has since been appointed vice-principal at Barringer High School.) This fall, as the school year was starting, the system was required to find hundreds of thousands more in cuts with little warning.

Interim principal Ricardo Pedro did not reply to requests for comment.

Arts High has a distinguished history. The fourth floor of the main building once housed the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art, a college-level program (now defunct) whose faculty included Enid Bell, Irv Docktor, Robert Conover and Grigory Gurevitch.

The main entrance is an Art Deco extravaganza, complete with a mosaic mural in WPA style and a stained glass window. Maintenance is definitely needed, though -- teacher Robert Richardson mounted a canvas called "Bill of Rights" about sexual harassment to cover a gaping hole in the gallery wall.

Richardson, 56, who has taught at Arts High for eight years, shows frequently around Newark, often at City Without Walls and similar alternative spaces. His style is very much in the Newark found-object sculptural tradition, and he often collaborates with students. "Heal Me" includes two Richardsonian bushel basket-sized plaster eggs, both earth-cast, one decorated with Venus of Willendorf figures (part of an art history class) and the other, fitted into a shopping cart, filled with air-dried clay "babies" fashioned by sculpture students.

"I think I learn more from these kids as an artist than they do from me," Richardson says.

"Heal Me"

Where: Elita J. Caldwell Gallery, second floor, Arts High School, 550 Martin Luther King Blvd., Newark

When: Oct. 16-Nov. 30. Gallery open during school hours; arrangements can be made with the school for public visits by calling (973) 733-7391

How much: Free

Dan Bischoff may be reached at danbischoff55@gmail.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Breakwater Treatment and Wellness Center, the second medical marijuana dispensary to debut in New Jersey this month, opened Thursday with a slate of 20 patients and a mission, its operators said, to sell the least expensive and best quality cannabis.

CRANBURY -- Breakwater Treatment and Wellness Center, the second medical marijuana dispensary to debut in New Jersey this month, opened Thursday with a slate of 20 patients and a mission to sell the least expensive and best quality cannabis, its operators said.

Dispensary manager Margie Diaz said the patients will be charged $115 for a quarter-ounce and $58 for one-eighth of an ounce of marijuana including sales tax. People receiving government assistance and veterans will get a 7 percent discount, she said.

Breakwater selected its initial four strains based on the needs of patients and plant's reputation for symptom relief, Diaz said. The strain called Blueberry relieves pain and muscle spasms, she said, "which will definitely help MS patients," one of the conditions that qualifies people for the program. 

RELATED: N.J.'s 5th medical marijuana dispensary to open Thursday

"We want the patients to be able to get their medicine," said Alex Zaleski, one of Breakwater's founders.  

With five of six designated dispensaries open and 5,540 patients registered, the state's program is starting to move beyond the start-up phase, said Jay Lassiter of Cherry Hill, a registered patient who campaigned for the law's passage in 2010. The state awarded contracts to six nonprofits to be the designated growers in 2011.

"After six years of agonizingly slow, halting progress, New Jersey's program finally seems to have gathered some stream," Lassiter said. "The program really seems over-regulated and remains cost prohibitive for many patients, but progress is progress. For users of medical marijuana, the glass is a little less empty today than yesterday."

On Oct. 5, Compassionate Sciences Alternative Treatment Center opened about 40 miles south in Bellmawr. It was the first dispensary opening since Garden State Dispensary debuted in December 2013.

A Star-Ledger analysis of the medical marijuana programs in the nation found the most expensive marijuana is in New Jersey. 

Breakwater -- so named because the operators want it to be "a safe harbor" for patients -- is located in an office and industrial center off South River Road. The retail section of the 21,000-square-foot space is deep sea blue and white, with illuminated glass-enclosed display cases and stylish chalkboards on the walls listing the strain by name and a breakdown of its chemical profile.

Alex Zaleski, Andrew's father, said it took 18 months to find a community willing to host them. "Cranbury was very welcoming," he said. And the state Health Department "was professional and nice and tried to help us when they could."

Breakwater employs a team of about 35 full-time and part-time employees spread throughout the retail and growing facility, said operations manager Andrew Zaleski. In the minutes leading up to the opening, he pointed out a few of the details that makes this facility special: the marijuana is stored and sold in blue-tinted jars to keep out ultraviolet light. Every plant is hand-trimmed, and grown hydroponically, or in water, he said. 

Numerous 1,500-gallon containers in the filtration room contain "a special blend of nutrients the plants need at a particular time," Andrew Zaleski said. The development of the site "took so long because we wanted to do this on a large scale, so we can expand at an appropriate rate to meet the need."

Breakwater will be able to serve as many as 3,000 patients, Alex Zaleski said.

Medical marijuana and patient activists envisioned a much larger program when the law was passed, and most remain frustrated that the state has not expanded beyond the narrow list of qualifying conditions contained in the law. Until more conditions, such as post traumatic stress disorder are added, the program is destined to remain small, they said.

"The Department of Health was empowered to add qualifying conditions at any time by the legislation, but they have not even begun the process to do so," said Ken Wolski, a founder of the Coaltiion for Medical Marijuana of New Jersey, a patients' advocacy and educational group. "The process that they have established is so difficult to navigate that I expect no conditions to be added in the near future."

The health department is reviewing candidates to sit on an advisory committee to recommend additional medical conditions to qualify for medical marijuana, health department spokeswoman Donna Leusner said.

The other dispensaries are Greenleaf Compassion Center of Montclair, Compassionate Care Foundation of Egg Harbor, Garden State Dispensary of Woodbridge, and Compassionate Sciences, Bellmawr.

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