Momodu Rogers, 38, is charged with two counts of burglary and two counts of theft, police said in a news release on Tuesday.

NJ Advance Media File Photo 

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Police have arrested an Irvington man they say employed an elaborate scheme to steal thousands of dollars of metal from a business without setting off the burglar alarm.

Momodu Rogers, 38, is charged with two counts of burglary and two counts of theft, police said in a news release on Tuesday.

The first incident was reported in November 2013 when someone stole more than $40,000 in copper bars over a month's time without being detected.

The burglar struck again on Sept. 25, again stealing metal without being detected.

Police viewed surveillance tapes and linked Rogers to the crime via an SUV he drove, according to the news release.

Investigators claim Rogers would scale up 30 feet a dust collector, then jump to the roof of the building he burglarized.

"He would fit himself through an exhaust fan and lower himself into the warehouse," police said. "In the warehouse he pushed the metal bars out a small window and exited via the roof so as not to set off the alarm."

He is being in the Middlesex County jail on $10,000 bail, police said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A drunken Caldwell man crashed his Jeep into a garbage truck early Wednesday on the Lincoln Tunnel Helix, authorities said.

A drunken Caldwell man crashed his Jeep into a garbage truck, Oct. 21, 2015, authorities said. (File Photo) 

WEEHAWKEN -- A drunken Caldwell man crashed his Jeep into a garbage truck early Wednesday on the Lincoln Tunnel Helix, authorities said.

Todd J. Gross, 48, was driving westbound at about 2 a.m. when he struck a private sanitation truck from behind, Joe Pentangelo, a spokesman for the Port Authority, said.

A Port Authority police officer who interviewed Gross noticed he staggered and his eyes were bloodshot, Pentangelo said. The officer also smelled alcohol.

Gross said he drank wine earlier in Manhattan, Pentangelo said. He failed field sobriety and chemical tests.

Police arrested Gross on charges of driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated in a school zone and reckless driving.

The front end of the Jeep was badly damaged, Pentangelo said. It was towed and impounded.

The garbage truck driver refused medical attention and drove from the scene.

Mount Hebron Middle School in Montclair is now Buzz Aldrin Middle School.

MONTCLAIR -- Forty-six years after he became the second person to walk on the moon, Buzz Aldrin has a school in his home state named after him.

The Montclair Board of Education voted 6-0 Monday night, with one abstention, to change the name of its Mt. Hebron Middle School to "Buzz Aldrin Middle School," board members confirm. Aldrin, who grew up in Montclair, attended the middle school and graduated from Montclair High School in 1947.

The renaming comes after a long-discussed movement in the township to honor the astronaut, who has cited the school as what sparked his interest in science.

In its resolution naming the middle school for Aldrin, the Montclair Board of Education references a quote he made in a Montclair Times article earlier this year calling his time in middle school a "turning point."

"That middle school would be the most revered in my retrospect of my youth," he said.

Though naming the school for the famed astronaut had been talked about in town for years, Katie Severance, founder of the Man on the Moon Committee, said it did not become a real possibility until this past February, when she and a group of residents presented a renaming proposal to the board of education.

"The support has been overwhelmingly positive in the community" to recognize Aldrin, she said. But, Severance said, there was a group who preferred "Mount Hebron," which has a long history as the name of the STEM magnet school.

As a compromise, the middle school's auditorium will be named, "Mount Hebron."

Severance called the board's vote "history in the making." 

"It was thrilling to formally connect the Montclair School District with the legacy of Buzz Aldrin, and the United States' accomplishments in exploration, and in all of the sciences."

The committee, she said, will continue to work with the school district and Aldrin's camp to host an official renaming ceremony, which the retired astronaut could attend. It also plans to help produce new signage, and develop programs at the school that are reflective of its new name, she said.

"It puts a nice focus on science and technology, I think," Board of Education President Jessica de Koninck said in a phone interview.

"For (some people)...this will have a lot of meaning."

The school marks the first in New Jersey, and the third nationwide, to be named for Aldrin, committee members said. The astronaut even tweeted his appreciation to the board Tuesday.

So honored that my home town Middle School will be named after me in Montclair, NJ. https://t.co/4KY1RMnT98 pic.twitter.com/P7Ce8N03a5

-- Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) October 20, 2015

Suspect, 24, tried to discard weapon and drugs, police say

NEWARK -- A 24-year-old man who was armed with a handgun was arrested Tuesday night, a police spokesman, Sgt. Ron Glover, said.

John O'Boyle 

Members of a multi-agency task force, the Newark Violence Reduction Initiative, were traveling on Isabella Avenue around 10:40 p.m. when they saw two men in front of a home, one of whom was holding a bag. When Tahir Duval noticed the officers, he removed a gun from his waistband and tossed it over a fence, then dropped the bag, Glover said.

Duval was arrested after police retrieved the loaded .380 caliber handgun and the bag, which contained baggies of marijuana, Glover also said. He has been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, certain persons prohibited weapons, possession of  marijuana and possession with intent to distribute.

"I commend the members assigned to Newark Violence Reduction Initiative for the job they perform on a daily basis and for their dedication to keeping Newark safe," said Police Director Eugene Venable.

Members of the city's Gang Unit as well as the State Police and the FBI assisted in the arrest.

BELLEVILLE — Children sit down for treats at a Halloween party sponsored by the Belleville Recreation Department in this photo from the early 1960s. Cowboys abound, although a Spiderman (a character that first appeared in the comics in 1962) a clown and a skeleton have found their way into the mix. Belleville Recreation continues to sponsor seasonal activities and will...

BELLEVILLE -- Children sit down for treats at a Halloween party sponsored by the Belleville Recreation Department in this photo from the early 1960s.

Cowboys abound, although a Spiderman (a character that first appeared in the comics in 1962) a clown and a skeleton have found their way into the mix.

Belleville Recreation continues to sponsor seasonal activities and will sponsor a Halloween Celebration at Belleville High School stadium on Oct. 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event, open to Belleville residents, will feature a costume contest, pumpkin patch, music, train and horse and carriage rides, inflatables and treats.

For more information, go to belleville-nj.org/events/.

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.

I imagine those Maplewood officials had nothing but the highest motives for canceling that Halloween celebration at a local school, but parents are better off not butting into kids' business

Early in life, I came to the belief that adults should not be messing around with kids' holidays.

That occurred when I was 10 years old and I encountered my first Halloween in Toms River.

We had just moved down from Elizabeth, where the holiday was handled in the traditional fashion. Trick-or-treat was on Oct. 31. The night before was Mischief Night.

That seemed fine to me. But the people who ran Toms River had what they thought was a better idea. They scheduled their big Halloween Parade for Halloween night. They moved trick-or-treat back to Oct. 30. (For more on that, read here.)

The idea was to eliminate Mischief Night. That didn't work, of course. We kids just moved the mischief back a night.

The trick-or-treating took a real hit, however. Half the time we'd show up on the doorsteps and the homeowners would ask us just what the heck we were doing begging for candy on Mischief Night.

That gave me an early appreciation for the simple art of leaving well enough alone.

That art seems to be lost on the p.c. police of Maplewood. The administration of the Seth Boyden School created a statewide uproar with their decision to cancel a Halloween celebration at the school.

As is usually the case with such moves, they couched their decision in words that dripped concern for all. Here's an excerpt from the Oct. 12 letter that was sent to parents under the signature of the principal and the two co-presidents of the PTA:

"Through each event and daily or special activities, the values of Seth Boyden shine through -- inclusion, respect and value for all."

Inclusion is a wonderful thing. Perhaps the teachers could have the kiddies try their hand at the Latino version of Halloween, "El Dia de Los Muertos."  (See note below.)

That would be nice. Other cultures have similar rituals for dealing with the prospect of the dread fate that awaits us all. Exposing the kiddies to that sort of thing would be quite a useful exercise in inclusion.

But I suspect the goal here is not inclusion so much as exclusion. I gained that insight from a conversation I had with Tom Clough, a Maplewood resident with whom I've discussed the topic of political correctness quite a bit over the years.

I first met Clough when he called me to protest what he said was the racial divisiveness in the curriculum while his son was in middle school. Courses intended to bring the kids together were instead pitting them against each other, he said.

Later Maplewood was in the news when all songs with any religious references were banned from the holiday concert.

This led a citizens' group to hold an impromptu concert during which they sang songs ranging from "Silent Night" to "I Have a Little Dreidel" to protest the ban, again getting some perhaps unwanted media coverage for the town. (Here's what Clough wrote about the controversy at the time; well worth reading.)

This episode follows in that vein, Clough said. The town has its good points and it's not so-good points, he said.

"It's got a reputation for being diverse and having decent schools, being a mini-United Nations," he said. "They work very hard to maintain that."

At the same time, he said, some people get a bit carried away with it.

"At the other end are the people who use their nominal religious beliefs as a cover for not wanting to hear about anyone else's religion," he said. "They're secular humanists and at heart they think religion is kind of silly and don't want kids exposed to it."

From reading the back-and-forth on the various comments boards, I'd say Clough offers an excellent analysis of his home town. Some of the administration's reasons for canceling the kiddies' party seem strained at best.

One was that some kids' parents couldn't attend. Huh? When I was a kid the last thing we wanted was our parents pestering us. Just hand over the candy.

Another was that some kids can't afford costumes. That's a sad situation. But the remedy is for the PTA to get the parents to spring for a few masks and outfits for those poor kids. I suspect they'd enjoy that a lot more than missing a good party.

Alas, some adults always have to play the spoilsport. They pretend to the best of motives. But at heart what we're seeing here is a holier-than-thou attitude from people who don't think anything is holy.

All I can say is, I hope they can't find a way to cancel Mischief Night in Maplewood.

When the kids don't get their treats, they're entitled to a few tricks.

MORE ON EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: In 1991, I had the great privilege to observe this ritual up close. I was on an assignment for Surfing Magazine in El Salvador and thus was in the port town of La Libertad, home of the best wave on the West Coast, for Halloween.

I was amazed at what went on. The fireworks that were set off seemed even more deadly than the mortar shells that the guerrillas has launched at the town a few months before. It was quite an impressive evening.

On the other hand, it couldn't hold a candle to the Guatemalan tradition of Maximon. Now that was really something.

Albert Sutterlin, a retired Bloomfield police officer, took the witness stand on Wednesday at the trial of Officers Sean Courter and Orlando Trinidad

NEWARK -- In the early morning hours of June 7, 2012, Albert Sutterlin assisted fellow Bloomfield Police Officers Sean Courter and Orlando Trinidad in arresting a man after a motor vehicle stop on the Garden State Parkway.

On Wednesday, Sutterlin, now retired, sat across from Courter and Trinidad in a Newark courtroom where he testified against his former colleagues at their trial on charges related to the arrest of Marcus Jeter. The two officers are accused of making false statements in police reports about the incident.

About two years after Sutterlin pleaded guilty to falsifying or tampering with records, he testified as a witness for the state that he included information in his police reports about incident details that he had not witnessed.

Sutterlin said he received those details from Courter and Trinidad, including their claims that Jeter tried to grab Courter's gun and that he struck Trinidad.

"I didn't see it, no" Sutterlin told Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Betty Rodriguez, referring at one point to the allegation Jeter tried to disarm Courter.

"Had you seen Mr. Jeter hit Officer Trinidad?" Rodriguez asked Sutterlin.

"No, ma'am," he replied.

But on cross-examination by the defense attorneys, Sutterlin said no one had told him to lie about the incident or talked to him about making up a story. Sutterlin said he included the other officers' versions of events in his reports, but that he had not seen the moments in question. At the time he wrote the reports, Sutterlin said he did not believe they were false.

During questioning by Courter's attorney, Charles Clark, Sutterlin acknowledged he does not know whether Jeter struck Trinidad and tried to disarm Courter, since he wasn't in a position to see those alleged incidents.

"So you don't know what really happened, is that right? With those two incidents?" Clark asked Sutterlin.

"Correct," Sutterlin replied.

Following the incident, Jeter was charged with eluding, attempting to disarm a police officer, resisting arrest and aggravated assault.

Courter and Trinidad claimed in police reports that Jeter had tried to grab Courter's gun while Courter was trying to remove him from the vehicle, and that Jeter had hit Trinidad. Jeter, 31, has testified he had his "hands up" the whole time and said he never tried to disarm Courter and did not strike Trinidad.

Prosecutors initially only had the police dashboard video from Courter's vehicle. After prosecutors later reviewed the video from Trinidad's vehicle, they determined that video was inconsistent with the officers' police reports. For example, prosecutors claim Courter lied about Jeter trying to disarm him, because the video shows Jeter's hands were raised the entire time.

As a result, the charges against Jeter were dropped and Courter, 35, of Englishtown, and Trinidad, 34, of Bloomfield, were charged with official misconduct, conspiracy, tampering with records, and false swearing. Trinidad also is charged with aggravated assault for striking Jeter during the incident.

Courter and Trinidad have been suspended without pay from their positions.

Bloomfield police officer, Orlando Trinidad looks over his shoulder as retired Capt. Sean Schwindt, of the Bloomfield Police Department, testifies in regard to police pursuit guidelines. Newark, NJ 10/21/15 (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Robert Sciarrino 

Sutterlin, who retired in May 2013, pleaded guilty in October 2013, and is awaiting sentencing. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors have agreed to recommend that Sutterlin receive a term of probation. As part of the deal, Sutterlin also agreed to provide truthful testimony against Courter and Trinidad.

In pleading guilty, Sutterlin admitted to making false statements in his reports by citing the incident details he had not witnessed.

During Sutterlin's testimony on Wednesday, Clark asked him whether he accepted the plea agreement, because he was facing possible jail time unless he pleaded guilty. Sutterlin said that issue was "part of it."

When questioned by Trinidad's attorney, Frank Arleo, Sutterlin acknowledged he is able to receive a pension, because he retired before pleading guilty. Public records show Sutterlin receives a monthly pension of nearly $5,456.

The case began when Courter and Sutterlin responded in separate police vehicles to a domestic-related call at Jeter's Bloomfield home. According to Sutterlin, when he arrived, Jeter yelled from a window, "come and get me." Jeter has claimed that never occurred.

Soon after the officers arrived, Jeter left the residence. Courter has claimed Jeter was drunk and fled after he had ordered to stop, but Jeter has said he was not drunk and that Courter indicated he could leave the residence.

Courter later stopped Jeter on the Parkway, and Sutterlin said he arrived there soon afterward. Courter drew his handgun and Sutterlin drew a shotgun. Sutterlin testified he used the shotgun, because it is a "psychological tool used to help motivate people to calm down."

Trinidad arrived at the scene and struck the front of Jeter's car with his patrol vehicle. After getting approval from his supervisor, Courter ultimately broke the driver's side window and removed Jeter from the vehicle.

Before preparing reports about the incident, Sutterlin said he consulted with Courter and Trinidad about what to write. Sutterlin asserted it was not unusual for officers to discuss cases in such a manner.

"I wanted to make sure...that I had the sequence of events correct," Sutterlin said.

In the first report, Sutterlin said he wrote that Jeter tried to grab Courter's gun and that he struck Trinidad. In a second report, Sutterlin also said Jeter hit Trinidad, but he revised the other claim by asserting he heard Courter say Jeter was attempting to grab his gun.

Sutterlin said he also included false information in his second report that he and Trinidad reached into the vehicle to assist Courter in removing Jeter and that he and Trinidad struggled with Jeter to remove his hands from Courter's gun.

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

Seaworthy visitors can work their way through a phragmite maze and take a hayride through haunted woods.

AHOY, MATEYS! If you've got sturdy sea legs, visit the Haunted Seaport in Tuckerton, where a fright-tastic adventure awaits. For three days, pirates and sea captains — lost at sea — will stroll the seaport's boardwalk for a night of screams.

The Haunted Seaport will be open tonight, and Oct. 23 and 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. Seaworthy visitors can work their way through a phragmite maze and take a hayride through haunted woods for a howling good time. Play a game of glow-in-the-dark mini-golf or get a picture taken while locked in the stocks — and more.

A kid-friendly Pumpkin Patch opens at 3 p.m. each day, with games, crafts and mini-hayrides. Kids can make their own trick-or-treat bag, color a pumpkin and join a Halloween Dance Party.

Admission is $8. Hayrides are $5, with paid admission, and free for Seaport members. Tuckerton Seaport is located at 120 W. Main St. Call (609) 296-8868 or visit TuckertonSeaport.org.

GREEN GROWERS

Learn how to turn garden scraps into nutrient-rich soil that feeds your plants year-round on Oct. 24 at the Composting for the Home Gardener community event in Newark.

Courtesy of Greater Newark Conservancy 

Find out what makes a successful compost pile and discover how you can start one in your own garden during an hourlong session, from 10 to 11 a.m., offered by the Greater Newark Conservancy.

Stick around afterward and, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., learn how to Build Your Own Compost Bin. Participants will learn how to create a composting container. This session includes supplies.

Cost for the composting demonstration is $5; for the bin building demonstration, it is $25, and preregistration is required.

The conservancy is located at 32 Prince St., Newark. Call (973) 642-4646 or visit citybloom.org.

AND MORE ...

• Violinist Joshua Bell, accompanied by pianist Sam Haywood, offers an intimate afternoon of chamber music Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. at Enlow Hall, on Kean University's East Campus, 215 North Ave., Hillside. Tickets are $55 to $75. Call (908) 737-7469 or visit keanstage.com.

• Birders, head to the Cape May Fall Festival Oct. 23 to 25, being held at various locations in Cape May. The three-day event includes field trips to area birding hot spots, programs and workshops, boat excursions, hawk banding demonstrations and more. A free Bird Show at Cape May Convention Hall will feature Jonathan Wood's Raptor Project, a collection of live birds of prey. Registration is $65 per day, or $175 for all three days, with additional costs for bus trips, special walks and evening programs. Call (609) 884-5611 or (609) 861-0700, ext. 33, or visit njaudubon.org.

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The RealtyTrac report found 13.8 percent of residential properties in the state were seriously underwater, a decline from a year ago.

The share of "seriously underwater" properties in New Jersey declined from a year ago, according to a new report, but more than 240,000 homes still fell into that category in the third quarter of this year.

Residents owed at least 25 percent over what what their home is worth on 13.8 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage in New Jersey, the report from Irvine, Calif.-based housing firm RealtyTrac found. That's down from 14.6 percent in the previous quarter and 15.9 percent a year ago.

But the share of seriously underwater homeowners in New Jersey remains above the national average.

The more than 6.9 million homes that were seriously underwater nationwide in the third quarter of this year represent 12.7 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage, according to the report. That share has declined from 13.3 percent in the previous quarter and 15 percent a year ago. 

Nevada, Florida and Illinois had the largest share of seriously underwater homes among the states. 

Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac, attributed the national drop in seriously underwater homeowners to a recent uptick in homes sales volume and average home sales prices.

The RealtyTrac report also analyzed the number of properties that were equity rich, meaning they had at least 50 percent equity. The share of homes in that category also fell in the third quarter of this year, which Blomquist said is evidence that more of those homeowners are "leveraging their equity through a refinance, move-up sale or by completely cashing out of the housing market."

Some 19.2 percent of properties were equity rich in the third quarter of 2015, down from 19.6 percent in the second quarter of 2015 and 20.1 percent a year ago.

In New Jersey, 20.8 percent of homeowners were equity rich, down from 21.1 percent in the previous quarter and 21.6 percent a year go.

At the local level, Atlantic County had the largest share of seriously underwater homes in New Jersey, according to the RealtyTrac data, and Cape May County had the greatest share of equity rich homes in the third quarter of 2015.

Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Halloween event doubles as an educational exercise

Blood and guts -- part and parcel of working in medicine, right?

Yet at Rutgers School of Nursing's "Hospital of Horrors," students get a choreographed dose of gore -- and creepy music -- with their education.

The Halloween-season tradition, while not open to the public, has been embraced for five years by staff and students at the Newark school. 

Nurses position dummies in beds and apply makeup and other accessories to illustrate some kind of medical situation -- whether it be an accident victim with gaping wounds, a jaundiced baby or a child with chickenpox. Students must determine the protocol for each example, identifying where the hospital has made an error. 

Debora Tracey, assistant director at the school's Center for Clinical Learning, heard about other schools putting together similar Halloween events, but wanted hers to hold some educational value for students, says Linda Curley, instructor and clinical lab learning coordinator at the center. 

"We want them to have fun and we want to stimulate critical thinking," Curley says. Staff create fake blood, blood clots and guts from props and powders. It took instructors about a week to assemble the display in between classes. 

"They were really shocked by the guy that was all bloody, the trauma patient," Curley says. 

The chickenpox baby proved especially challenging, she says, because lower-level students -- many of them who haven't encountered the virus -- have to learn that chickenpox is airborne, not spread by contact, so they have to take precautions to isolate the patient as if it were a case of measles. 

The "Hospital of Horrors" comes to the school's New Brunswick location for the first time on Oct. 27.

At around 8 p.m., Allenhurst police responded to the 300 block of Main Street after receiving a report of a suspicious person slumped against a building, police said in a news release.

Allenhurst police responded to the 300 block of Main Street after receiving a report of a suspicious person slumped against a building, police said. (File photo). 

ALLENHURST -- A Bloomfield man was arrested Monday night after he elbowed a cop in the face while trying to run away from him, police said.

At around 8 p.m., Allenhurst police responded to the 300 block of Main Street after receiving a report of a suspicious person slumped against a building, police said in a news release.

When police arrived, the man, later identified as Zechariah Hubbard, 22, of Bloomfield, gave the officer a fake name, police said. The same officer had arrested Hubbard last week, so he was familiar with him, according to police.

The officer then tried to arrest Hubbard, who took off on foot heading south on Main Street. Police said the officer eventually caught up to Hubbard, who started to wrestle with the officer, elbowing him in the face.

Hubbard was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, hindering apprehension and disorderly conduct, police said.

He was taken to the Monmouth County jail in lieu of $12,500 bail with no 10-percent option. Hubbard is also being held on a no-bail warrant out of Essex County. 

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

 

The Boys & Girls Club eye care location opened in Newark Wednesday.

NEWARK -- Believe it -- more Newark kids will be seeing clearly, thanks to a new city eye care center that will be free for low-income kids. 

Eye Care 4 Kids, a nonprofit started by a Utah optician, has partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Newark to open a new eye care facility that will be available to low-income Newark children at no cost.

The center, which is in a newly-renovated section of the Boys & Girls Club facility in the city's Central Ward, held a grand opening celebration Wednesday.

"This is beyond glasses," EC4K Founder Joseph Carbone said in a phone interview about the new office in Newark. "This is about seeing, and reading, and literacy...we want to help give every child in Newark the ability to get a good education. If you can't see the board, you can't do that."

According to Boys & Girls Club officials, this is the only free eye clinic in all of their New Jersey locations. It joins several other similar initiatives in the 33,000 square foot Newark building, including a free pediatric dental office and a free wellness center for mental health.

The pediatric eye care center is equipped, they said, with state-of-the-art technology, and will offer full exams and new glasses to underprivileged Newark kids.

"We have a philosophy of serving the whole child," Newark B&GC CEO Paul Scire said.

"We want to remove as many barriers as possible (so kids can) have a great chance to succeed in school and in life."

Carbone said he anticipates the center serving thousands of city kids in its first few years of operation. Now, the Boys & Girls Club sees about 1,000 kids in its after school programs each day. The eye care initiative will be co-funded by the two nonprofits and their partner organizations.

"That's the miracle of this, collaboration," Carbone said. "You have to find organizations that can work together to do good things."

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

Haunted seaports and a chance to stomp your own grapes are on the agenda.

SUGARLOAF CRAFT FESTIVAL

The Sugarloaf Craft Festival will come to the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, Friday through Sunday. If you've never attended a Sugarloaf before, you'll be amazed by the number of artisans and vendors that occupy the expansive Exhibit Center floor. You'll find merchants selling clothes, handcrafted furniture, jewelry, photography, leatherwork, food of all kinds, and a plethora of holiday-themed items. Some artisans will also be doing live demonstrations of their work, such as iron forging and copper spinning. If you're bringing the kids, you can avoid their bored groans by having them hang at the kid's area, which is filled with activities. $8 (advance), $10 (door). Kids under 12 are free. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset.

HAUNTED SEAPORT

The Tuckerton Seaport will transform from a sleepy historic village into a full-blown Halloween headquarters, Thursday to Saturday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The annual Haunted Seaport features specters of sea captains and pirates walking the boardwalk, a haunted hayride, a maze in the phragmites (reeds), and glow-in-the-dark mini-golf. If you've got little ones who are more easily frightened, there's also a "non-scary" pumpkin patch at 3 p.m., featuring games, crafts, and stories. $8. Thursday to Saturday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (3 p.m. for the pumpkin patch). 120 West Main Street, Tuckerton, (609) 296-8868.

HARVEST FEST

Asbury Park is the place to go this weekend to celebrate the bounty of the season. Asbury Fresh, (the city's weekly local artisan and farmers market) and Cross and Orange (the city's latest gastropub) will present Harvest Fest in Kennedy Park, Noon to 6 p.m. The outdoor market will feature the regular Asbury Fresh line-up of vendors selling delicious homemade food, homemade crafts, and fresh produce -- but with a little bit of extra flavor added to it. There will be live music from the likes of Dollys, The Sunday Blues, and Rocky Catanese & The Chapter, plus beer on tap for those looking to imbibe. There will also be games and pumpkin painting for the kids. The event will also feature a food drive for the Food Banks of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Free (non-perishable food item suggested), Saturday, Noon to 6 p.m., Kennedy Park, Cookman & Grand Avenue, Asbury Park.

Fresh produce, cold beer, and live music will be on display at Asbury Fresh's Harvest Fest this Saturday at Kennedy Park in Asbury Park.Humble Humans 

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY

New Brunswick's State Theater gets a little touch of Woody Allen this weekend. The writer/director's musical comedy "Bullets Over Broadway" comes to the State Theater Friday and Saturday. The film, about a young playwright who gets in over his head with the mob, was released in 1994 and nominated for seven Academy Awards (winning one for Best Supporting Actress for Dianne Wiest). This musical version, which is filled with jazz and pop standards, premiered in March 2014 on Broadway with Zach Braff ("Scrubs") and Vincent Pastore ("The Sopranos").  $35 to $75. Friday (8:00 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m. and 8 p.m.). 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, (732) 246-7469.

Friday, October 23 at 8:00 PM"Bullets Over Broadway"State TheatreSEE FULL EVENT DETAILSnj.com

OLDE TIME ITALIAN FESTIVAL

If you're kicking yourself that you missed the annual San Gennaro Festival this year, take the drive to Wildwood on Saturday to fill your belly and get your 'Italian up.' The Olde Time Italian Festival (sponsored by The Sons of Italy of Wildwood) will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., which certainly gives those of Italian and non-Italian descent plenty of time to enjoy all the pasta and vino they can. Beyond the food, there will be the usual fun and games for families ... and grape stomping. Yes, you can satisfy your inner desire to be Lucille Ball by hiking up your pants and stomping grapes. There will be music provided by Purple Reign, and Bobby Valli, brother of the legendary Frankie Valli (The Four Seasons). Free. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fox on Ocean Avenue between Burk and Montgomery Avenues, Wildwood.

CHILLER THEATRE TOY, MODEL AND FILM EXPO

We'll keep the set-up short. If you're a 'con' fan, then Chiller Theatre in Parsippany is going to blow your mind with the celebrity panels and guest appearances they've lined up this weekend. The stacked line-up includes: Michael Rooker ("The Walking Dead"), Ralph Macchio ("Karate Kid"), Ian Ziering ("Sharknado"), Paul Sorvino ("Goodfellas"), Ace Frehley (KISS), Linda Blair ("The Exorcist"), the 50th Anniversary "Batman" Panel with Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar, a "Lost in Space" 50th anniversary reunion panel, and reunion panels for "Petticoat Junction," "Disney's Beauty & the Beast," "American Chopper," "The Warriors," and "Madman." There will also be a number of actors, performers, bands, professional wrestlers, and artists on hand as well. $30 (Children 12 and under free per ticketed adult), Friday (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.), Saturday (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.), Sunday (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Sheraton Parsippany Hotel, 199 Smith Road, Parsippany, (888) 627-8148.

'Batman' alumni Burt Ward, Adam West and Julie Newmar at Comi-Con in 2014. The trio reunites in October at Chiller Theatre Expo in Parsippany. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
 

FREE SCREENING OF JOHN HUSTON'S 'MOULIN ROUGE'

There's something about the crisp fall air and a seeing a classic film: it just feels like a perfect combination. On Sunday, the West Orange Film Society will host a free screening of John Huston's 1952 drama, "Moulin Rouge" at the West Orange Public Library. The film (not to be confused with Baz Luhrmann's hyper-kinetic 2001 musical) stars Jose Ferrer, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Christopher Lee and follows artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the various characters of the famed Parisian nightclub, the Moulin Rouge. There will be a discussion following the screening led by NJ.com film critic Stephen Whitty. Free. Sunday, 2 p.m. 46 Mount Pleasant Ave, West Orange, (974) 736-0198.

Oktoberfest in Munich. Celebrations of the beer-filled occasion abound in New Jersey this fall like the 22nd Annual Oktoberfest at Trump Taj Mahal.Timm Schamberger/Getty Images 

22ND ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST AT TRUMP TAJ MAHAL

The question on your mind is probably, "Will Donald Trump be there, and will he be wearing lederhosen?" Sadly, we cannot answer this question (although we really want this to happen). Here's what we do know: there's going to be a lot of beer, German food, and music on Saturday and Sunday at the Trump Taj Mahal. From a musical standpoint, there will be Bavarian sounds (and dance moves) from the likes of Die Adlers, Musikverein Siershahn, Duo Herzblatt, and HSV Bavaria. There will also be authentic German plates and plenty of steins for you to hoist in the air and scream, "Prost!" $5. Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Trump Taj Mahal, 1000 Boardwalk at Virginia Avenue, Atlantic City, (609) 449-1000. 

Bill Bodkin can be reached at bodkinwrites@gmail.com. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

 

The state is one of several parties expected to make a bid for St. Michael's Medical Center at a bankruptcy auction next month

NEWARK - City officials are urging the state to drop its bid for bankrupt St. Michael's Medical Center.

The Municipal Council unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday calling for the state to stand down, with members saying they believed it placed the future of the hospital and its 1,400 employees in serious peril.

Attorneys for St. Michael's confirmed earlier this month that its largest creditor, the New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, had expressed interest in buying the Central Ward facility, which entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August. Its competitors include Barnabas Health, the state's largest hospital chain, and Prospect Medical, which recently bought East Orange General Hospital.

Supporters of the hospital are fearful that an acquisition by the state or St. Barnabas would lead to its potential closure or transition into a same-day medical and surgical facility, in light of a state-funded report that found an excessive amount of hospital beds in the Newark area.

St. Michael's is hoping to complete a $49.1 million sale to California-based Prime Healthcare, which would turn it into a for-profit facility. Prime asked the state health department and Attorney General's office to approve the deal nearly three years ago, but it has yet to be approved.

Since the application was filed, Prime has been able to acquire several other healthcare centers in Passaic, Dover, Boonton and Sussex, further frustrating St. Michael's supporters.

Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins, who has been a vocal supporter of the sale to Prime, called the state's plans to bid a "shocking display of arrogance" and questioned whether it might present ethical questions.

"The state has refused for three years to act on a strong application from Prime Healthcare, preventing Prime Healthcare or any other bidder from purchasing the hospital and investing in it," she said.

"Now, with the state filing as a potential bidder at the 11^th hour, it is charged with reviewing Prime's application. That is a clear conflict of interest."

St. Michael's owes $227 million in bond money it borrowed from the Health Care Facilities Financing Authority in 2008, when the chain Catholic Health East agreed to buy the hospital and shut down two other Newark hospitals, St. James and Columbus.

The hospital has been operating in the red for years, however, and said it was forced to file Chapter 11 to by freeze monthly payments of $1.8 million on the state-backed bonds.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Vincent F. Papalia, who is handling the hospital's case, has ruled that all bids must match or beat Prime's $49 million offer. They must also promise to keep the facility open for five years, invest at least $25 million into its operations, stay within its ethical and religious directives and maintain its current levels of charity care.

An auction is scheduled for Nov. 5, and Papalia is scheduled to name the winning bidder on Nov. 12.

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

 

WEST ORANGE — The Adler Aphasia Center recently welcomed a visitor who demonstrated a method of nonverbal communication. Cody, a therapy dog from Creature Comfort Pet Therapy in Morristown, came to the center as part of a research project being conducted by Julianne Hoatson, a Kean University student and center volunteer. Her study has to do with the effect animal-assisted...

Adler Aphasia Center member Toni Scotti pets Cody, a therapy dog from Creature Comfort Pet Therapy during a recent visit. Standing from left are Joe Logan, Stacy Steifman and Wendy Greenspan; seated from left are Taylor Steifman, Ralph Jeffers and Andrea Hall. 

WEST ORANGE -- The Adler Aphasia Center recently welcomed a visitor who demonstrated a method of nonverbal communication.

Cody, a therapy dog from Creature Comfort Pet Therapy in Morristown, came to the center as part of a research project being conducted by Julianne Hoatson, a Kean University student and center volunteer.

Her study has to do with the effect animal-assisted therapy has on adults with aphasia.

More visits are planned by the nonprofit animal group to continue the research, which is also being studied in nursing homes and veterans hospitals as well as with children with autism.

Adler Aphasia Center has locations in Maywood and West Orange. For more information on the facilities, go to adleraphasiacenter.org or call 201-368-8585.

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.

Hilary Clinton, the former secretary of state, is testifying on Capitol Hill today before the House Select Committee.

Hilary Clinton, the former secretary of state, is testifying on Capitol Hill today before the House Select Committee tasked with investigating the deadly attack in Benghazi, a hearing that is expect to last up to eight hours.

The Republican-led committee's intentions have recently come under public scrutiny after comments by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and a a New York Times investigation revealed that Republican members were trying to extend the hearing through the presidential campaign.

Most Americans believe the the committee is more concerned with bringing down the front-runner for the Democratic nomination than finding facts, according to a Monmouth University poll released Tuesday.

It is the third time Clinton has testified before Congress, but it is the first time appearing before this committee. This is the eighth committee to investigate the attack on an U.S. embassy in Libya on Sept. 11, 2012, where four Americans were killed.

Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina started the hearing with a series of questions that he said remained unanswered: Why was the U.S. in Libya? Why were security requests denied? Why was the military not ready to respond quickly on the 11th anniversary of 9/11? And why did the Obama administration change its story about the nature of the attacks in the weeks afterward?

Those questions were addressed by Clinton early in the hearing and she noted various attacks on American consulates occurred during the in the 1980s and 1990s.

As secretary of state, Clinton told lawmakers she did not personally approve or decline requests for additional security. 

An emotional Clinton, wearing a dark-blue suit, gave her opening statement talking about her work as secretary of state and expressed the importance of diplomats across the world, even in dangerous places.

"I was the one who asked Chris (Stevens) to Libya as our envoy," she said. "I was the one who recommended him to be our ambassador to the president. After the attacks, I stood next to President Obama as Marines carried his casket and those of the other three Americans off the plane at Andrews Air Force Base. I took responsibility."

Besides questions concerning security at the embassy, the committee focused on Clinton's emails, which were hosted on a private server while serving as secretary of state.

According to the Monmouth University poll, 52 percent of the public believe Clinton's use of a personal email account was a matter of convenience while 33 percent believe her behavior suggests she has something to hide.  

However, 35 percent believe Clinton has been honest in her explanation on how she handled her emails. Forty-eight percent believe she has not been honest. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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

 

A 10-year-old boy escaped a carjacking attempt on Monday in Newark, police reports said.

The boy escaped the car safely after the initial theft, police reports said (file photo).

NEWARK — A 10-year-old boy escaped a carjacking attempt on Monday in Newark, police reports said.

The boy's mother told police she arrived at a Columbia Avenue residence early Monday morning to drop a second child off at the home of a babysitting family member, the reports said.

The boy's mother later observed a man enter the still-running vehicle and drive off in it with her son, who was sleeping on the car's rear seat, the reports said.

Upon realizing the boy was still inside the vehicle, the suspect revealed a firearm and told the child, "Get out before I shoot you," the reports said.

The child grabbed his backpack and got out of the car near the intersection of West End Ave. and Plymouth St., the reports said.

The suspect drove on, and police later found the stolen car at North Munn Ave., the said. The mother's cell phone, which was inside the vehicle, was not recovered, the reports said.

A spokesman said a Newark Police Department investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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

Two Indian men were charged in federal court in Newark after a long-running undercover sting that prosecutors said targeted a smuggling group that brought in people via land, air or sea routes using false documents.

NEWARK--The "packages" came from the Far East and the cost of shipping was not cheap.

The price for delivery to Newark Liberty International Airport in one case was $35,000 for a shipment from Bangkok. And what was being moved were undocumented aliens being smuggled into the country, said the U.S. Attorney's office.

Two men were charged in federal court Thursday after a long-running undercover sting that prosecutors said targeted an operation that collected thousands in fees to illegally bring in people into the country via land, air or sea routes using false documents.

Nileshkumar Patel, 41, and Harsad Mehta, 65, both of India, are charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to bring in and harbor aliens. The two were also charged on multiple counts of smuggling foreign nationals into the United States for private financial gain.

Both were arrested Wednesday by special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security upon their arrival at Newark Liberty.

Prosecutors said the international undercover operation was launched after federal agents learned that the two men were allegedly attempting to find ways to illegally bring foreign nationals from India into the United States.

According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, an undercover agent posing as a smuggler initiated contact with Patel in June 2013, and was told that they wanted to discuss sending "packages" to the United States. At a later meeting with Patel and Mehta in Bangkok, Thailand in April 2014, captured on surveillance recordings, a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security said Mehta, who went by the name of "Harry," had a couple of 20-year-old women they wanted to get to the United States.

They settled on a price of $35,000 to bring the young women from Bangkok, with $10,000 payable up front for each individual. Their travel documents would be fake, the undercover operative told them.

The two women arrived in Newark in July 2014 and a man claiming to be their uncle picked them up. The "uncle" was not identified in the complaint.

Over time, authorities said Patel and Mehta arranged for six Indian nationals to be brought to Thailand for smuggling into the United States, all via Newark Liberty International Airport.

In one conversation, Patel claimed he had been smuggling people into the United States since 1998, according to the complaint.

If convicted, the two face up to 10 years in prison.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Authorities have arrested a Montclair State University student on second-degree sexual assault charges, authorities confirm.

Authorities say the alleged sexual assault took place shortly after midnight at a Newark transit station (NJ Advance Media File Photo)

NEWARK -- New Jersey Transit Police have arrested and charged a 20-year-old Montclair State University student for the alleged sexual assault of a fellow student, a department spokeswoman said.

Charles Jones, of Randolph, was taken into custody at the campus Tuesday, said Senior Public Information Officer Lisa Torbic on Thursday.

Jones is accused of assaulting a 19-year-old woman, whose name has not been disclosed, shortly after midnight at the Broad Street Light Rail Station in Newark on Sept. 25, Torbic said. Authorities have declined to release additional details of the incident.

Jones now stands charged with second-degree sexual assault, Torbic said.

Authorities with Montclair State University have launched a separate investigation of the alleged sexual assault, said university spokeswoman Suzane Bronski Thursday.

"The NJ Transit Police are leading an investigation into an alleged incident that occurred off-campus," Bronski said in an emailed statement. "Separate from that effort, Montclair State University has immediately launched our own investigation and process to determine if this student violated the University's Code of Conduct. If this student has violated our code, we will determine what the next step is as soon as possible."

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

 

Ernest Williams Jr., 24, of Montclair, claims Brian Schiavetti produced the handgun and was fatally shot as the two men wrestled over the weapon

NEWARK -- In the hallway of a Montclair apartment building in July 2012, Ernest Williams Jr. said he retrieved oxycodone pills from inside a sneaker and returned to the stairwell to sell the drugs to Brian Schiavetti.

But according to Williams, Schiavetti then produced a handgun. As the two men wrestled with both of their hands on the weapon, the gun went off and Schiavetti was killed, Williams said.

"I feared for my life," Williams said.

Williams, 24, of Montclair, offered that testimony on Thursday at his trial on murder, robbery and related charges in connection with the July 22, 2012 fatal shooting. Prosecutors have alleged Williams brandished the weapon that day, robbed the 21-year-old Schiavetti and shot him twice.

Answering questions from his attorney, Sterling Kinsale, Williams maintained he did not rob Schiavetti or intend to kill him. After the incident, Williams said he threw away the gun, along with a bloody T-shirt, because the weapon had his fingerprints.

"I was scared," said Williams, who ultimately surrendered to police. "I didn't want to go to jail for this."

But on cross-examination, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Naazneen Khan challenged Williams' claim that his and Schiavetti's hands were both on the gun in light of how Schiavetti was shot in the back of the head.

Khan also confronted Williams about claims he made in a statement to police soon after the incident, including that Williams said he was worried about Schiavetti going to the police.

"And so you shot Brian, right?" Khan asked Williams.

"I didn't shoot Brian," Williams replied.

Williams and Schiavetti, who had never met beforehand, were initially put in touch that day through Williams's co-defendant, James Pitts. Pitts, who is the son of Essex County Undersheriff James Pitts, pleaded guilty last year to a drug charge and is expected to be sentenced to 364 days in jail.

Pitts and Williams were neighbors in Montclair, and Pitts met Schiavetti as a fellow student at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, Khan said. After Williams contacted Pitts about selling the drugs, Pitts connected him to Schiavetti, Khan said.

At the time, Schiavetti was hanging out with Connor Gore and three other friends in his hometown of Ridgefield, Conn., according to Gore's testimony. Schiavetti and his friends then pooled together $900, and he and Gore made the roughly 90-minute ride to Montclair to meet Williams, Gore said.

After Gore and Schiavetti met Williams on the street, Williams got in the back seat of Gore's vehicle and directed them to the building at 25 Williams Street, Gore said. Williams ultimately led Schiavetti into the building, where he claimed the pills were located, Gore said.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Naazneen Khan questions defendant Ernest Williams Jr., 24, of Montclair during his murder trial. Williams is accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Brian Schiavetti on July 22, 2012 during a robbery in Montclair. The trial is being heard before Essex County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Wright in the Essex County Courthouse in Newark. Thursday, October, 22, 2015 (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

During Williams' testimony, Khan noted how Williams chose to conduct the drug transaction inside the building, rather than at various nearby public places, such as a strip mall parking lot or a park.

Williams indicated he selected the building because it was quiet and familiar to him and since the front door is always open. Williams said he was "making the deal on my terms."

Khan argued Williams possessed the handgun that day and did not have any drugs, but Williams said the gun belonged to Schiavetti and claimed he later sold the pills.

Khan also highlighted how Williams's testimony was inconsistent with his statement to the police. For example, Khan said Williams told police that Schiavetti said he didn't feel safe going inside the building, but Williams testified that wasn't true.

In regard to that claim and other parts of his statement, Williams claimed he lied to the police, because the officers were pressuring him.

But Khan asked Williams whether ""Brian told you in the car that he didn't want to go inside 25 Williams Street."

"No, he didn't," Williams said.

Khan continued, "And Brian told you in the car that he was afraid you were going to rob him, right?"

"No, he didn't," Williams said.

Williams also claimed he was being pressured by police when he told the officers that Schiavetti was shot in the back of the head when he was on the ground on the first floor. Williams testified that shot occurred while the two men were struggling over the weapon in the stairwell.

"And how does that happen?" Khan asked Williams.

"I don't know," Williams replied, adding that he and Schiavetti were "wrestling over the gun."

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