The Moody Jazz fest and New Jersey Theater Alliance's annual gala are on tap in the coming days

A CELEBRATION OF JAZZ BEGINS

The 5th annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival kicks off a series of shows at Newark's NJPAC beginning November 1 and running through November 20. 

First up: Jazz in the Key of Ellison, Nov. 1, featuring Wynton Marsalis, Catherine Russell, Taleb Kweli and others performing a tribute to writer Ralph Ellison. Ellison's 1952 novel exploring race in America, "Invisible Man," won a National Book Award and was named one of the Best Novels of the 20th Century by Time magazine and The Modern Library. $25 - $79, 7:30 pm, Prudential Hall, NJPAC, 1 Center St., Newark, NJ. 888-GO-NJPAC.

Following the performance is a free Jazz Jam Session at NJPAC's NICO Kitchen + Bar. Seating is limited so RSVP.

Also this week: Two shows featuring The Brubeck Songbook, with The Brubeck Brothers Band, Hilary Cole and Michael Borne Nov. 6. $40 - $60, 3 pm. $40 - $60, 7 pm. The Chase Room, NJPAC, 1 Center St., Newark, NJ. 888-GO-NJPAC.

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO CAN'T

Opera soprano Giselle Bellas, who goes by first name only when performing pop songs, hosts the Alzheimer's New Jersey benefit at Jersey City's Raval Oct. 27. The singer, who had a breakout moment with a song on Louis C.K.'s "Louie" last year, will perform in honor of her grandmother, Elena Fleitas Canaveral, who died two months ago after a long fight with Alzheimer's disease. The show will include a preview of the video for Giselle's song, "Hazy Eyes," which was inspired by her grandmother. $25, 7 pm - 9 pm, Raval JC, 136 Newark Ave., Jersey City, NJ. 201-209-1099.

STAND UP FOR THE OVATION GALA

Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will perform at the NJ Theatre Alliance's 35th anniversary Ovation Gala Thursday at The Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange The once-every-five-years black tie-preferred event benefits The Alliance, a leader in developing programs that promote and strengthen professional theater in New Jersey. Stokes won a Tony in 2000 for his role in "Kiss Me Kate" and was nominated for his performances in "Man of La Mancha," "King Hedley II," and "Ragtime." He is currently starring on USA NETWORK's "Mr. Robot." Individual tickets $350 , 6pm - 10 pm, The Pleasantdale Chateau, 757 Eagle Rock Ave, West Orange, NJ, 973-731-5600.

CHART TOPPERS IN EVERY DECADE SINCE THE 1980s

Twenty years and 14 million records sales later, the Indigo Girls keep going strong, playing two shows Friday at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Tickets are still available for the second concert. The Grammy-winning folk/rock duo released their first album in 1988 -- the double platinum "Strange Fire" -- and their most recent, "One Lost Day," in 2015, attracting new fans along the way. $78-98, 10:30, SOPAC, One SOPAC Way, South Orange, 973-313-2787

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

Authorities say Wilmer Chavez-Romero served as the manager of a Bridgeton brothel and an enforcer for its owners.

NEWARK -- A grand jury has indicted an alleged member of a statewide prostitution ring on federal murder charges in connection with two slayings in Trenton more than three years ago.

Wilmer Chavez-Romero, also known as "Charmin," was a member of an unnamed criminal organization that traded in prostitution across the state, according to an eight-count indictment returned Friday and filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Newark.

A Trenton police vehicle guards an alley in the 800 block of South Clinton Avenue on Sept. 5, 2012, the day after Neemias Reyes-Gonzales was fatally shot at the location. Alex Zdan /The Times 

Prosecutors say the group ran multiple brothels throughout the state, including locations in New Brunswick, Trenton, Orange, Asbury Park, Lakewood and Bridgeton

Chavez-Romero served as the "house manager" for the Bridgeton brothel, according to a criminal complaint filed by a federal agent in September 2014, when court records show he was first arrested on a charge of importing "alien(s) for immoral purpose(s)."

Chavez-Romero allegedly was responsible for overseeing the prostitutes who worked there, as well as collecting money for two unnamed individuals who ran the brothels.

The new indictment says Chavez-Romero also served as an enforcer for the organization, and committed killings, assaults and robberies to attack rival brothel operations, punish disloyal members and silence suspected police informants.

Among those allegedly targeted by the organization were Benito Escalante, 26, and Neemias Reyes-Gonzales, 36.

Reyes-Gonzales, identified in the indictment only as "N.R.G.," was fatally shot on Sept. 4, 2012 in the 800 block of South Clinton Avenue in Trenton. Reyes-Gonzalez reportedly had been arrested in a prostitution sting that July.

The indictment says he was killed during the course of a robbery.

Escalante, identified in the indictment as "B.E.," was shot to death on Jan. 23, 2013 inside a home in the 1000 block of South Cllnton Avenue, according to news reports at the time.

A Trenton police cruiser stands guard in the rear garage of a home on the 1000 block of South Clinton Avenue where Benito Escalante was shot to death the night of Jan. 23, 2013. Alex Zdan/The Times 

The Times of Trenton reported the home had been raided in July 2012 by federal agents conducting a prostitution investigation, but that Escalante wasn't among those arrested.

The indictment doesn't specify a connection between the victims and Chavez-Romero's alleged employers.

In addition to two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, Chavez-Romero faces charges of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, two counts of the use of a firearm for violent crime and conspiracy to harbor aliens resulting in death.

Court records show Chavez-Romero has yet to be scheduled for an arraignment on the indictment.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Take a look at the top ranked cross-country runners in the state

DeRosa now faces up to life in prison when he's sentenced on Dec. 9.

JERSEY CITY -- After less than two hours of jury deliberation today, John DeRosa was found guilty of murdering Xavier Egoavil during a robbery at the man's Kearny jewelry store in 2009.

DeRosa, 58, and of Bloomfield, showed no emotion when the jury returned to the courtroom at 2:55 p.m. today and the foreman and rendered guilty verdicts for murder, felony murder, robbery, armed robbery and weapons offenses related to the murder weapon - a handgun.

DeRosa now faces up to life in prison when Hudson County Superior Court Judge Patrick Arre sentences him Dec. 9 in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

But it won't be the first time he's spent behind bars. DeRosa was in prison from Feb. 26, 1987 to May 2, 2001 for a 1987 Essex County aggravated manslaughter and a 1981 conviction for criminal mischief, according to state corrections records.

DeRosa's co-defendant Elvis Feratovic, 30, of Bloomfield, testified during the trial that he was the getaway driver on the morning of the robbery, and that he drove co-defendant Edmir Sokoli, 29, of Bloomfield, to Kearny where they picked up DeRosa near the jewelry store.

The pair said they met DeRosa where he was parked near the jewelry store and circled the block twice before Sokoli and DeRosa got out of Feratovic's BMW and entered Rachel Jewelers on Kearny Avenue. They said they were wearing fake beards and wigs and DeRosa had a gun. Sokoli and Egoavil's mother both testified that the victim was shot when he became aggressive with the gunman.

During the trial, Hudson County Prosecutor Leo Rinaldo presented copious security video evidence, as well as testimony of witnesses who saw two men running from the store after the robbery.

Another key witness during the trial was DeRosa's former girlfriend Marissa Fuzio, who said he told her on the day of the murder that he had shot a man while robbing a jewelry store. She said he came home with a bag full of jewelry.

In his closing argument yesterday, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Rinaldi noted that testimony from the victim's mother -- who witnessed the murder -- Sokoli, Feratoic and Fuzio was virtually identical. 

Rinaldi noted telephone records between Sokoli and DeRosa were closely correlated to events leading up to the robbery, on the day of the robbery and that two weeks after the robbery all calls between the pair ceased.

The prosecutor also noted that Fuzio gave a statement saying she and DeRosa had gone to New York to buy wigs and fake beards prior to the murder. The next day investigators went to the store and recovered a receipt that a store employee testified corresponded to the items she said were purchased. 

None of Egoavil's family members appeared to be the courtroom when the verdict was rendered, although his mother had attended a number of hearings during the four-week trial and provided testimony on the murder.

Newark man died days after attack, prosecutors say

Essex County authorities offered a reward in the killing of a 62-year-old man last year (File photo) 

NEWARK -- Nearly one year after a 62-year-old city man died from severe injuries he suffered in an assault, authorities said Thursday they were offering a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the killing.

Kenneth Murphy Jr. was brutally attacked Nov. 5 near Bergen Street and Renner Avenue, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. He died five days later at University Hospital.

The prosecutor's office said Murphy died from blunt force trauma, but did not release further details about the attack.

This historically violent town has reduced killings - Here's how

Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura's Crime Stoppers program has offered up to $5,000 for information that solves the homicide.

Anyone with information was asked to call the county prosecutor's office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

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

The Boca Raton, Fla. man is facing up to 10 years in prison.

NEWARK -- A Florida man is facing up to 10 years in prison after admitting his role in a $1.3 million computer hacking and identity theft scheme, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman and Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell announced in a release Thursday.

(File photo)
 

According to the announcement, Timothy Livingston, 31, pleaded guilty Thursday to two conspiracy charges and aggravated identity theft in Newark federal court. With the plea, Livingston admitted to using his company, A Whole Lot of Nothing, LLC, to hijack corporate the personal email accounts, send spam emails, and collect more than $1 million in illegal profits, authorities said.

The company, Fishman and Caldwell said, originally sent bulk emails for both legitimate clients, and illegal entities, like online pharmacies that sold drugs without prescriptions.

Livingston admitted to hiring Tomasz Chmielarz, 33, of East Rutherford, in 2012 to write computer programming that allowed his company to send spam messages that were able to both conceal where the emails came from, and bypass spam filters, officials said.

In addition to sending spam emails using that program, Livingston also admitted to hacking into corporate servers to access customer email accounts and use proxy servers to send mass amounts of spam mail without being detected. Authorities have said the scheme stole personal information from millions of people.

Roofer hid $191K income from feds

In addition to the potential prison time, Livingston also agreed to forfeiting $1,346,442, and items he purchased with the proceeds from the scheme, including a 2009 Cadillac Escalade and a 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider, officials said. His sentencing is set for Jan. 27, 2017.

Chmielarz pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme in June, and awaits sentencing, authorities said.

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

One of the suspects, Fraynned Ramirez, remains at large, authorities say.

NEWARK -- Two men suspected of killing a Rutgers-Newark student this spring have been indicted on murder charges, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced Thursday.

Fraynned Ramirez (Courtesy Essex County Prosecutor's Office)
 

Authorities say Shani Patel, 21, was fatally shot on April 10 after Marcus Feliz and Fraynned Ramirez broke into his apartment on Central Avenue. Patel's 23-year-old roommate also was shot, but survived his injuries.

In addition to murder, the nine-count indictment also charges Feliz and Ramirez with conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, conspiracy to commit murder, felony murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, according to a statement from the Prosecutor's Office.

Feliz, 25, of Newark, was arrested two days after the shooting. Ramirez, also 25 but from Hartford, Conn., remains at large. 

No date has been set for Feliz's arraignment on the charges, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

Law enforcement sources previously told NJ Advance Media the shooting was being investigated as a possible drug robbery.

Patel, an economics major from Toms River, was one of two university students to die of homicidal violence in Newark this year. Joseph Micalizzi, a student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, was killed May 2 after authorities say he interrupted a burglary in progress at a fraternity house on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Two Newark men, Nafee Cotman and Taquan Harris, were arraigned earlier this month on murder charges in Micalizzi's death.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Incumbent Leonard Lance (R-7th District) and Democratic challenger Peter Jacob debated at a forum in Clark.

CLARK -- The candidates vying for a congressional seat in New Jersey's 7th District on Thursday sparred over how to create economic growth for the region, emphasizing their bipartisanship and sometimes breaking from their parties' presidential nominees. 

In a debate at the Holiday Inn in Clark, incumbent Congressman Leonard Lance (R-7th District) and Democratic challenger Peter Jacob went head-to-head on tax rates, entitlement programs and government regulation of business.

Faced with a resolutely polarized nation, both candidates told around 100 listeners they are committed to working across the aisle, regardless of who becomes the next president. 

Jacob said his experience as a social worker prepares him to foster inter-party collaboration, while Lance cited a study that ranked him as more bipartisan than 90 percent of congresspeople. He said he would cooperate with whoever becomes president, regardless of party. 

"Under no circumstances would I ever say that I cannot work with the new president of the United States," Lance said. "The issues that confront this country are too great to continue in partisan gridlock." 

Jacob and Lance presented opposing tax plans, with Jacob supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton's proposal to raise taxes on high earners and Lance declining to endorse the tax proposal of Republican nominee Donald Trump. 

Lance called for a flatter tax system with fewer rates but said he would oppose a proposal, like Trump's, that threatens to inflate the country's nearly $19 trillion national debt. 

Jacob stood behind Clinton's call for a tax increase on the top 5 percent of earners, saying wealthy households need "to pay their fair share."

The candidates also addressed both presidential nominees' stated opposition to reforming entitlement programs and Clinton's promise to increase benefits. Jacob proposed raising the cap on taxable income for Social Security, and Lance suggested raising the retirement age by a year or two for people in their 20s and younger. 

The pair offered opposite views on regulation of the banking industry and the Dodd-Frank Act, which was meant to limit excessive risk-taking by banks after the financial crisis in 2008. Lance proposed loosening regulations on community banks, while Jacob said controls are necessary because of big banks, many of which he said are "the sinners in the system."

"The problem is not Dodd-Frank," Jacob said. "The problem is Wells Fargo." 

Libertarian Dan O'Neill and Conservative Arthur Haussmann, Jr., are also running for Congress in the 7th District, which encompasses Hunterdon County and parts of Essex, Morris, Somerset, Union and Warren counties. 

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

Investigators began surveillance on the apartment building after receiving a tip it was being used to sell and store drugs.

NEWARK -- A city man is facing federal drug charges after investigators say a search of his apartment Wednesday turned up more than 72 pounds of heroin and cocaine, along with more than $300,000 in cash.

Wilfredo Rodriguez Escobar was arrested Wednesday after DEA agents found more than 72 pounds of heroin and cocaine in his Newark apartment. (File photo)
 

Wilfredo Rodriguez Escobar, 52, made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court Thursday on charges of possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Escobar's arrest came after a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into a drug-trafficking organization with ties to Colombia, according to a criminal complaint filed with the court.

Investigators began surveillance of Escobar's apartment building after receiving a tip he was distributing drugs from the property, the complaint states. After agents contacted him inside the building Wednesday, Escobar gave them permission to search his apartment.

Inside a hidden compartment in a bed, the complaint states, agents found more than 55 pounds of heroin and more than 17 pounds of cocaine, along with a .38-caliber Kimber semi-automatic pistol and more than $300,000 in cash.

Escobar admitted to investigators that the drugs, cash and gun were all his, according to the complaint.

Escobar, who is being held without bail, faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison if convicted of the drug charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

MONTCLAIR — Kaylee is an adult hound/Staffordshire terrier mix in the care of PAWS Montclair. When rescued from a high-kill shelter, she was suffering from heartworm and severe flea infestation. Kaylee has recovered from the fleas and is being treated for heartworm, with all costs covered by PAWS. Described as a dog with "an amazingly sweet disposition," Kaylee walks...

Kaylee 

MONTCLAIR -- Kaylee is an adult hound/Staffordshire terrier mix in the care of PAWS Montclair.

When rescued from a high-kill shelter, she was suffering from heartworm and severe flea infestation. Kaylee has recovered from the fleas and is being treated for heartworm, with all costs covered by PAWS.

Described as a dog with "an amazingly sweet disposition," Kaylee walks well on a leash, gets along with other dogs and is housetrained. Her treatments will be completed soon and she will be spayed on adoption.

For more information on Kaylee, call 973-746-5212 or go to pawsmontclair.org. PAWS is a nonprofit rescue group serving the Montclair area, currently caring for more than 100 cats and 10 dogs.

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

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

 

Find some new bricks at a LEGO expo, watch as WWE superstars wrestle in Smackdown Live, and see the actions of a reviled king in a Shakespeare tale.

Build it at BrickFair, a LEGO expo on Oct. 29 and 30 at the Garden State Expo Center in Somerset. Find LEGO displays and models, LEGO games and prizes and more -- build with endless bricks in the Stay & Play area. Hours are 11 to 4:30 p.m., both days. Located at 50 Atrium Drive. Admission is $12; free for ages 3 and younger. Visit brickfair.com.

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Steve Martin and Martin Short share "An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life" on Oct. 30 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $59.50 to $249.50. Visit ticketmaster.com.

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Michael Feinstein brings the music of the Great American Songbook to the Count Basie Theatre on Oct. 30. The 7 p.m. show features the Count Basie Theatre Voices. The theatre is located at 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank. Tickets are $25 to $79. Call (732) 842-9000 or visit countbasietheatre.org.

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"Collage Effects: Art of the African Diaspora" opens Oct. 31 at William Paterson University Galleries in Wayne. Works by six artists, in the East and South Galleries, explore how techniques of collage and assemblage can be a means of rewriting history and reframing identity and representation. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and select Sundays (Nov. 6 and 20, and Dec. 4), from noon 4 to 4 p.m. Opening reception is Nov. 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. Visit wpunj.edu/coac/gallery.

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It's a match made on the mat when Smackdown Live comes to the Prudential Center on Nov. 1. See WWE world champion Dean Ambrose, plus Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, AJ Styles, intercontinental champion The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Becky Lynch, Kane, Natalya and more superstars in action, beginning at 7:15 p.m. Tickets start at $20. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com.

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The story of bad, bad "Richard III" continues its run through Nov. 6 in Madison. The historical thriller is being staged by the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave., on the campus of Drew University. Tickets are $32 to $75. Call (973) 408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org.

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What led up to that fateful morning in Dallas in 1963? "Mama's Boy" -- a production at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick through Nov. 6 -- looks at the household in which Lee Harvey Oswald lived and his relationship with his domineering, obsessive mother, Marguerite. Tickets are $43 to $66. Call (732) 246-7717 or visit GSPonline.org.

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"White Lace and Promises: A Century of Weddings" provides a look at matrimonial traditions over the decades. The ongoing exhibit at the Gloucester County Historical Museum, Woodbury, features wedding gowns and accessories from the mid-1800s to the 1970s. Visit gchsnj.org. 

MORE FROM INSIDE JERSEY MAGAZINE

The concert returns to the Prudential Center in December

Usher and T.I. have joined the lineup for Hot 97's Hot for the Holidays concert in Newark, the radio station announced Friday morning. 

Also playing the Dec. 3 show at the Prudential Center: up-and-coming artist Lil Yachty, who currently has a featured spot on the No. 5 song in the country, D.R.A.M.'s "Broccoli." His "Lil Boat" LP is due out on Black Friday. 

The three talents join the previously announced lineup of Travis Scott, Jidenna, Young Thug, Kehlani and Joey Bada$$.

Last year, Busta Rhymes, Lil' Wayne, Fetty Wap, Mariah Carey, Rah Digga, French Montana and Puff Daddy were among the acts at the Newark show. 

Visit ticketmaster.com for tickets, which range from $59.75 to $129.75. Use the code "EBRO" for a $20 discount.

A look at bold predictions for New Jersey football in Week 8.

In addition to the dangers criminalization brings, saddling sex workers with criminal records and jail time makes it that much harder to find another occupation.

By Janet Duran

The recent backlash in response to calls to decriminalize sex work after a Newark sting operation has revealed a deep need for a public conversation on approaching our community's concerns in a humanitarian way. 

The New Jersey Red Umbrella Alliance, an organization by and for sex workers, stands proudly with the ACLU-NJ in opposing Newark's unjust arrests of prostitutes.

Let's begin with some basic facts about the sex trade. 

Sexual services have been sought and offered throughout human history, and no attempt to abolish prostitution has ever come to fruition. As we've seen in Newark, outlawing sex work drives often-vulnerable people further underground.

That's one reason why organizations like the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Open Society Foundations, Lambda Legal, and the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women all advocate for the decriminalization of sex work and their clients.

New Jersey's sex workers exist in all neighborhoods and look as diverse as the communities they come from, whether they're street workers in Bergen County or employees of brothels in Cape May. Newark-based sex workers in our organization, as well as sex workers we've met through our outreach, do their work to earn money in order to live --  just as any other worker does. It's a way to survive, especially in an area where economic opportunities are limited.

As a former sex worker and Newark resident, I've grown increasingly tired of seeing the police portrayed as justly enforcing laws. On the one hand, they're targeting our most marginalized populations and waging a war on the poor. On the other, I've seen them providing security in uniform for many of Newark's brothels.

For me, I don't know where I would be if it was not for sex work. I suffered domestic violence at the hands of the father of my child, and sex work provided the funds I needed to escape and provide for my family. I find no shame in my sex work, but pride.

Mounting evidence suggests criminalization of sex work injures human rights and threatens public health. The sad truth is sex workers struggle with harassment and exploitation on a regular basis from police officers, as reported by the Urban Justice Institute's Sex Workers Project.

 "Sex workers are sometimes coerced into providing sex to police in exchange for freedom from detainment, arrest and fines," UNAIDS wrote in 2015. In New Jersey, sex workers have shared stories with us about being raped and beaten by police officers, who rely on the existing laws to shield themselves from accountability.

In a recent piece against decriminalization, Star-Ledger columnist Mark DiIonno described sex workers he spoke to as "pockmarked with lesions," "scabbed," and "skin and bone." The women described themselves to the reporter with great dignity, yet he chose to portray them as a demeaning stereotype -- diseased and optionless victims, not the mothers, daughters and sisters they are. Ironically, many of the indignities he highlighted are not from sex work itself, but from its criminalization.

In addition to the dangers criminalization brings, saddling sex workers with criminal records and jail time makes it that much harder to find another occupation. An arrest threatens access to housing, educational opportunities, and jobs. We do not need more arrests, fines and prison sentences. Instead of abusing, dehumanizing, or infantilizing sex workers, we should fix the root of our problems -- and sex work isn't it.

A change is happening in New Jersey: Sex workers like us now have a voice of our own. We don't need someone claiming to speak for us.

As a stinging reminder of how much work still must be done about our situation, after a recent New Jersey Red Umbrella Alliance meeting, a member of our organization was stopped by a Newark police officer.

"You'd better not be out here working," the officer said as she waited for the bus, clearly profiling her as a sex worker. A group of women watched until he drove away, and started talking, first about the officer and then about the stories in The Star-Ledger.

"That one gets real flirty sometimes," said one girl, after discussions came up on how we need to "take care" of officers to get out of arrests, "That's the real story they should be reporting.

Janet Duran, a Newark resident, is a co-founder and North Jersey regional director of the New Jersey Red Umbrella Alliance.  Currently on hiatus, she has been in the sex trade on and off for more than 20 years.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

A look at some of the top sophomores in the state.

Rich Greco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Rich Greco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Alternative water sources continue to be used as school officials work to tame high lead levels.

NEWARK -- More than seven months after elevated lead levels were detected in the drinking water at a number of Newark public school buildings, alternative water sources continue to be used as officials work to fix the problem, a district spokeswoman said.

The district's water issues have piqued awareness across the state about the continuing threat of lead poisoning, which affects about 535,000 children nationwide, according to the group hosting "National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week" through Saturday. 

In Newark, school officials say they are taking every precaution to avoid exposing children to lead, but the costs of remediating the problem altogether are prohibitive, city leaders have said. Officials said the water supply itself was not contaminated, and blamed the lead levels on old pipes and aging infrastructure at the school buildings. 

In March, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka estimated that replacing all of the infrastructure would cost billions of dollars. "It's a huge undertaking to just deal with the water systems in the schools," he said at the time. "The infrastructure problems that we have as a city would be huge of course. We don't have the money and the resources to do that."

So, school officials say they are taking other steps to remedy the situation.

1. Testing the water

Newark and school officials addressing lead concerns at a meeting in March. (Dan Ivers | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

Earlier this year, Newark school officials notified the Department of Environmental Protection that at least 30 of its buildings recorded elevated levels during annual testing. Some levels were found to be higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's "action level" for lead, which is a threshold requiring additional testing, monitoring and remediation, the DEP said. 

"We have kept water coolers in place in all schools that were initially taken off of water, and have kept drinking water outlets off for the beginning of the school year in those buildings," Dreena Whitfield, a spokeswoman for the district, told NJ Advance Media Tuesday. "We know that even in the buildings where we initially turned water off, that generally about 80 percent of the water available in those buildings was safe to drink."

4 ways Newark's lead levels changed

From March 19 through Sept. 21, officials gathered about 8,000 samples across all buildings and about 1,200 of those samples exceed the EPA's threshold. Even with this most recent round of testing showing heightened levels of lead, officials said, there is an "adequate" amount of water in those buildings that is safe to drink.

"We can assure that anywhere there was an elevated sample taken at a drinking water outlet that the faucet is turned off," Whitfield said.

2. Testing the kids

Parents brought their kids to several blood lead testing locations this spring. (Laura Herzog | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

When news of the elevated levels first broke, city officials and local health experts were quick to point out that it was unlikely that children would suffer permanent damage from the levels of lead recorded in the schools' drinking water alone.

Though about 17,000 Newark kids were eligible to take part in voluntary, free blood lead screenings provided by the city this year, only 496 did, school officials said. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, follow-up screenings and other measures should be taken if a child's blood test reveals at least 5 micrograms per deciliter of lead in the blood. Of the children that were tested at NPS sites, officials said, nine students had levels between 5 and 9 mg/dl, and one child's blood lead level was above 15 mg/dl.

The results showed "no widespread impact for NPS students," Whitfield said. They are actually in line with the overall blood lead levels found in all children in Newark, one of nearly a dozen cities in the state with high percentages of lead-affected kids, district officials pointed out. 

"All families and their children continue to be welcome to take advantage of blood lead level testing services offered by their health care provider or free service offered by the city."

3. Installing filtration systems

Officials have blamed old pipes and infrastructure for the lead issues. (Laura Herzog | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

Beginning in October, district officials held community meetings to engage principals in the affected schools "about the best way to communicate directly with their school communities in order to turn on those water outlets that are below the action level - without creating confusion amongst our students and families."

Still, the district is continuing to combat the perception that all of the water in the affected buildings is tainted and that extensive construction would need to be undertaken to fix the problem, Whitfield said.

"The solution is significantly more nuanced than that, and finding the appropriate solutions for each building...is the challenge we are taking on now," she added.

One of those solutions, officials said, is using lead-reducing filtration systems at all drinking sources that did not exceed federal limits. The district has been working with a vendor to install the systems, starting with the buildings where water remains on "to ensure that those faucets that tested below the federal action level remain that way."

Installation is expected to continue throughout the fall, according to Whitfield.

4. Investing in upgrades

View Lead levels found in Newark schools' water in a full screen map

The fixes, officials said, have not come cheap. Since the water tests were revealed in March, the district has spent approximately $500,000 on additional testing and $87,000 on bottled water, officials said. The money was taken from the district's central facilities budget, Whitfield said.

City officials have pushed several initiatives to raise money to address the aging infrastructure, including a 10-cent bottle deposit across the state that would help pay to rehabilitate it.

In the meantime, the district is looking for additional ways to support the expenditures.

"We are working to identify areas for reimbursement where possible for this upcoming year, and how these ongoing costs will otherwise impact our central facilities budget through the rest of the school year," Whitfield said.

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

Michael Anthony Adams may be reached at madams@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelAdams317. Find NJ.com on Facebook.    

The Green Party candidate for president will be at Montclair State University a few days before the election.

MONTCLAIR -- In the lead up to Nov. 8, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein will be making a stop in New Jersey.

Stein is holding a Pre-Election Day Rally on Nov. 4 at Montclair State University, her campaign announced.

Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein arrives for a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee | Getty Images)
 

"The Green Party is committed to furthering its momentum from this year's presidential election and advancing the causes of true progressives at all levels of government," said Richard Harris, New Jersey state coordinator for the Jill Stein for President campaign.

The rally will also include appearances by the party's yet-to-be-announced candidates for a number of local and statewide offices, including governor.

"Dr. Stein's appearance here in New Jersey highlights the party's desire to play a key role in every election cycle, from presidential to gubernatorial to municipal races," Harris said.

The event is meant to position the Green Party as a "noteworthy option for New Jersey voters," according to the announcement.

Would kids at Christie's alma mater vote Trump or Clinton?

The rally will also serve as a town hall meeting, in which Stein will answer questions from the crowd.

In a recent poll, Stein - who was also the party's nominee in the 2012 presidential election - has lagged in the polls behind major party nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson.

Still the party, which hosted another Stein Rally last month at Rutgers, says it is gaining ground in the Garden State.

"If this year's election cycle has demonstrated anything, it's that voters are fed up with the status quo and want to see a party emerge that will stand up for the people's interests, not the special interests," said Julie Saporito-Acuna, chair of the Green Party of New Jersey. 

"The Green Party of New Jersey will be the only party in next year's elections that is truly committed to social and environmental justice, fighting on behalf of workers, and holding Trenton accountable."

Doors to the Nov. 4 rally at the Montclair State University Conference Center open at 6 p.m. Attendees can RSVP here.

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

NEWARK — Newark's Penn Station is shown in this photo taken in the 1930s. Officially named Pennsylvania Station, it was dedicated in 1935; viewing the building today from the angle of the photo, much of the station and background look remarkably similar. If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please...

NEWARK -- Newark's Penn Station is shown in this photo taken in the 1930s.

Officially named Pennsylvania Station, it was dedicated in 1935; viewing the building today from the angle of the photo, much of the station and background look remarkably similar.

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

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

 

Check out some games with major postseason inmplications.

More than 3,500 volumes collected by Roth since 1950 will be on display and available to the public.

NEWARK -- Henry Myerberg says he had no idea what he was getting himself into when trustees of the Newark Public Library approached his architectural firm with a mysterious project.

Details were scarce. The trustees had an undisclosed proposal and an unnamed donor.

They simply asked: "Would (Myerberg) be interested in doing a project here?"

"I had no idea, until we got the assignment," Myerberg told NJ Advance Media Thursday night. "It was a most pleasant surprise."

The architect's charge? To design a room to house Philip Roth's entire personal library, which he bequeathed to Newark in "gratitude to the city where (he) was born."

More than 3,500 volumes collected by Roth since 1950--many with his marginalia and underlinings--will be on display and available to the public once the famed author passes, a day Rosemary Steinbaum isn't looking forward to.

"I'm in no hurry," said Steinbaum, a library trustee who worked closely with the literary icon following his decision to relocate his personal library from his home in Northwestern Connecticut to Newark. "I want Roth to live another 10 years at least. I want him to love and enjoy and live amidst his library."

Read like Philip Roth: Books coming to Newark

In the meantime, the Newark library, which officials say has gone through a difficult period of readjustment following budget cuts starting in 2008, will need to raise money to make Myerberg's design a reality.

"The library needed to diversify its income source," said Thomas Alrutz, the library's interim director. "(We) needed some kind of a rallying point to support moving in a new direction and some focal point to make something happen."

The answer? The Philip Roth Lecture series, which kicked off Thursday night with English novelist Zadie Smith delivering the inaugural address.

Hundreds of people packed into the main library's Centennial Hall to hear Smith--who was handpicked by Roth as the series' first lecturer--discuss how she came to terms with using first-person narrative in her writing, something Roth did quite often in his own novels.

Once Roth's collection arrives, Timothy Crist, president of the library's board of trustees, says he hopes it establishes the library as a literary destination.

"We're not aware of any other author, at least of his stature, who has decided to donate his books in this way and make them available to the public," Crist told NJ Advance Media. "Gosh, our dream is that there will be another writer somewhere in Newark who will be inspired."

With this dream in mind, Myerberg sought to design a space that Roth wouldn't necessarily write in, but would inspire other people to write; a place that would showcase Roth's work, but wouldn't be a museum.

"It wasn't necessarily just about, 'Oh, I want to learn about Roth,' as much as, 'I want to learn how he thought, I want to learn how he created, I want to learn what inspired him, so I can learn how to do what I want to do,'" Myerberg said.

Roth has always considered the Newark Public Library his "first other home," said Crist, and as a young man, he discovered the great American writers of his day in its shelves. In fact, the library would play a key role in his first novel, "Goodbye, Columbus," as the employer of the book's protagonist. It would eventually be the place where Roth would conduct extensive research for his "American Trilogy" series.

"My dream is that the next budding literary voice of the coming generation can get into a dialogue with his or her reading in the way that Roth did with his reading here at the Newark Public Library," Steinbaum said. "(To) really discover his or her voice as a writer through the reading that they're able to do here."

Michael Anthony Adams may be reached at madams@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelAdams317. Find NJ.com on Facebook.