Ex-coach admitted he stole about $150,000.

Michael Smart (Photo: Attorney General's Office) 

NEWARK -- The former head track and field coach at Essex County College pleaded guilty Friday to pilfering $150,000 by taking advances for various travel and event expenses, and depositing the money in his personal bank account.

Michael Smart, 62, of Roselle, admitted he stole the money between 2012 and 2015, according to the state Attorney General's Office. Under terms of the plea deal, prosecutors will recommend Smart serve three years in prison, pay full restitution and be permanently banned from public employment.

"As a college coach, Smart should have loyally guarded every dollar in the athletic budget to enhance the school's sports programs," state Attorney General Christopher Porrino said in a statement. "We have ensured that he will pay a high price for betraying these students."

As head coach, Smart was issued a debit/credit card with a college account to be used for work-related expenses, including travel, food, transportation and event entry fees, according to state officials. Coaches were supposed to return any of the unused money along with records of the expenses and receipts after events.

College scandal widens with state subpoenas, new focus on athletics

Smart withdrew about $150,000 using the college card and did not provide any accounting records or receipts, officials said. The stolen funds were largely taken using ATM machines and deposited into Smart's personal bank account.

The former coach withdrew the maximum of $700 several times per day, repeatedly inflated the cost of an event or requested money for events that the team didn't attend, according to the Attorney General's Office. In other incidents, he requested $1,000 to $1,500 for event entry fees when the hosting schools charged less than half those amounts, or had no fee at all.

"Smart used the debit card that was entrusted to him for team purposes like it was a personal debit card, racking up many thousands of dollars in withdrawals," said Elie Honig, director of the Division of Criminal Justice, which handled the investigation. "By sending this coach to prison, we will deter others who might consider embezzling funds in this fashion."

Essex County College has been working to recover from alleged mismanagement, law enforcement probes and ouster of its top leaders. In an interview Thursday, Acting College President A. Zachary Yamba said the school would address the results of the investigations.

"Internally, we are fixing what we know is broken," Yamba told NJ Advance Media after the Middle States Commission on Higher Education cautioned the approximately 18,000-student college could risk losing its accreditation.

The Newark-based college must prepare a report for the Middle States by Sept. 1, 2017 to detail that it has complied and can maintain compliance in areas of institutional resources, leadership and governance, and student admission and retention.

For his part, Smart resigned last October and previously declined to comment on allegations of financial impropriety when reached at the time. The long celebrated former coach is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 3, 2017 on a charge of theft by unlawful taking.

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

Lawmakers approved a Delaware River Basin Restoration Program and to allow a Union Beach flood control program to begin.

WASHINGTON -- Legislation to create a Delaware River Basin Restoration Program in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service won congressional approval before lawmakers adjourned for the year.

The provision is included in the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act and provides for $5 million a year in grants for projects designed to improve habitats and water quality and reduce the threat from floods in the Delaware River Basin, setting up a program similar to those for the Chesapeake Bay and Long Island Sound.

The basin pumps around $25 billion a year into the regional economy and supports around 600,000 jobs. The watershed encompasses 26 percent of New Jersey's land area and 20 percent of its population.

"Protecting and promoting the Delaware River Basin for future generations is an economic and environmental priority," said Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd Dist.). 

Congress poised to block truckers' rest rules

The legislation also addresses the problem of lead in water following reports of contaminated water in Flint, Mich. In New Jersey, lead has been found in drinking water in Newark public schools and other New Jersey districts, as well as in the water supply at Rowan University in Glassboro.

The bill includes $750 million for new programs to help communities monitor water systems for lead contamination and take steps to fix any problems.

"With this bill, we are helping communities, like Newark and Flint, address lead contamination and provide safe drinking water, including in schools," said Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-10th Dist.).

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th Dist.), the top Democrat on the House Energy and Committee, was the only New Jersey lawmaker to vote against the measure, citing an unrelated provision that would override environmental and endangered species protections to address California's drought problem.

"The decision by Republican leadership to include damaging legislation on California water in an otherwise good, bipartisan bill is deeply disappointing," Pallone said. "Members and staff had devoted months to the underlying package, including long overdue aid for the people of Flint. But I cannot support the California water poison pill."

The water bill also authorized $55 million to improve storm protection for North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and Lower Township in Cape May and Ocean counties, including dune construction; and required the Army Corps of Engineers to complete its study and then begin work to design a project to reduce the threat of flooding Rahway River Basin in Essex, Middlesex and Union counties.

"Residents and businesses," said Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th Dist.) "have waited long enough."

Before ending the legislative session, lawmakers also passed Pallone-sponsored legislation to make mapping changes in the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System.

This was needed before the Army Corps could begin a $273 million flood control project in Union Beach, which was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy.

And the House voted to provide grants for first responders, law enforcement authorities and nonprofit organizations to help them track and find those with autism who wander away.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.), would expand a current program for Alzheimer's patients. It is named for two children with autism, Kevin Curtis Wills, 9, of Jefferson, Iowa, and Avonte Oquendo, 14, of New York City, both of whom wandered away and drowned.

"Time and training are of the essence when individuals wander and Kevin and Avonte's Law can help equip local law enforcement with the training and technology to bring these children home safely," Smith said.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

It was a tumultuous year for the public institution.

NEWARK -- Essex County College should have a president in place by the start of the 2017-18 academic year.

A newly-launched search for the embattled school's next permanent president is the latest step in a long recovery stemming from several scandals this year involving alleged mismanagement at the school. The school's Board of Trustees recently voted to hire the Pennsylvania-based consulting firm RPA, Inc. to conduct a national search to find its new chief.

"This search is extremely important for our college," Trustee Chair Bibi Taylor said in a statement.

"While (our acting president) has done an outstanding job since April, we need a permanent leader to guide us well into the future."

The job that lies ahead for the new president won't be easy, as the school is facing state and federal probes into employee behavior, and has been issued a warning to revamp many of its practices, or lose its accreditation.

The search for new leadership follows a tumultuous year at ECC highlighted by the following scandals.

President suspended

Former Essex County College President Dr. Gale Gibson, shown here at the school's 2013 graduation ceremony. (Courtesy of Essex County College)
 

March 25 -- Officials suspended President Gale Gibson amid an investigation into an alleged misuse of school resources. Details of the allegations were scarce at the time, and rumored to have been politically-motivated.

March 31 -- Officials named A. Zachary Yamba, a past ECC president who had retired in 2010, acting president during Gibson's suspension. Though he was initially hired to fill the position for only 90 days, he remains at the head of the school now, and is set to stay in the position until a new permanent president is hired.

ECC 'strong but fragile,' acting prez says

April 6 -- A letter from Gibson's attorney revealed that the allegations against her revolved around accusations that she overstepped her authority by tampering with emails between staff members and board members, and attempting to block employees from complaining about her, among other alleged actions.

Gibson denied the allegations, arguing that they were part of a politically-motivated hunt for her job prompted by her questioning of financial irregularities at the school.

Gibson claimed she had attempted to gather information about a campus print shop that she believed was performing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid services. She claimed Vice President for Administration & Finance Joyce Harley -- a former county administrator who was backed by Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo for the president's job when Gibson was ultimately hired instead -- blocked her from questioning the spending. 

It was also revealed that the school's General Counsel and Vice President for Human Resources Rashidah Hasan was suspended, too, though the reasons for her suspension were unclear.

State probe into athletic spending

Michael Smart (Photo: Attorney General's Office)
 

April 7 -- College officials revealed that the school had received subpoenas from the state's Attorney General's office for documents related to a credit card spending scandal in the athletic department.

A report Hasan authored on the issue said that "while no employee charged with the duty of financial oversight was aware of any accounting irregularities, they neither reviewed, assessed, recommended nor revised any existing policies or procedures." She said employees had a "total disregard" for financial oversight and proper fiscal procedures.

Hasan and Gibson's suspensions came a week after they issued the report, which questioned the actions of Harley and members of the athletic staff. Harley called the report "smear," and an attempt to "deflect" attention from the other scandals going on at the school.

December 9 -- Former Essex County track and field coach Michael Smart admitted to stealing $150,000 from the athletic department over three years. Authorities say he will likely be sentenced to three years in prison.

A federal investigation

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman in a file photo.
 

April 19 -- The school confirmed it was also being investigated by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman's office, though it declined to say exactly what documents the federal agency requested in a subpoena.

Yamba said last week that the school has not received any notice from state or federal agencies about any progress made in either the state or federal investigation.

Sweeping terminations

Acting President A. Zachary Yamba in a file photo.
 

April 20 -- The school fired both Gibson and Hasan.

In light of the terminations, Gibson's attorney Alan Zargas said "Dr. Gibson's name has been wrongly dragged through the mud and she has been relieved from her employment by persons with a political agenda."

April 27 -- Yamba authorized the firing of 21 other school employees, ranging from cabinet members to adjunct professors. He said the upheaval was meant to restore order.

"You have to look at how resources are being deployed," Yamba said at the time. "Somebody has to be held accountable for that."

Accreditation in question

File photo of Essex County College.
 

May 12 -- In light of the controversies at the school, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which manages the accreditation of area colleges, requested the school submit to it by this date a report detailing the procedures it has in place in several areas of school governance, including leadership, administration, and integrity.

June 23 -- The Middle States commission rejected the college's report, saying that it did not contain enough specific information. It requested a more detailed report, due Sept. 1.

The school worked most of the summer to replace the more than 20 employees it fired during the spring semester. By the start of this school year, Yamba said "all of the critical position" like the empty dean and CFO positions, had been filled.

November 17 -- The Middle States commission issued a warning to the school, saying that its accreditation status could be in jeopardy because it is not in compliance with several of the organization's accreditation standards. The school was ordered to create a report, due to the agency on Sept. 1, 2017, showing that it is in compliance with the standards. The commission will also visit the school next year, before determining whether or not the warning is lifted.

December 8 -- After starting up the search for the new president, Yamba said the school is working toward addressing the commission's concerns about governance at the school.

"Things have gone awry, I'm not going to deny that. We are fixing the problems, and in the meantime the faculty is strong, and our students are doing incredible things," he said.

Organizers say the rally is meant to send a message to President-elect Donald Trump as well as to promote unity

Just one bus.

Jessi Gottlieb Empestan believed that if she could fill one bus with people from her community to attend the Women's March on Washington next month, she would be doing her part to challenge the tone and rhetoric she said she found so abhorrent during the presidential campaign.

As a Jew and as a woman, as the mother of two ethnically mixed children, as the wife of an immigrant from the Philippines, Empestan said she was appalled by many of President-elect Donald Trump's comments and policy positions on race, gender, religion and immigration.

So she texted a few of her neighbors in South Orange. She put her plan on Facebook.

She filled a bus within hours.

Then another. And another.

Jessi Gottlieb Empestan, 40, says she was moved to organize on behalf of the Women's March on Washington because of the rhetoric she heard during the presidential campaign. (Mark Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Weeks later, Empestan, working with equally motivated women in her area, says she has filled 14 buses and counting from South Orange and Maplewood. With 54 seats each, those coaches alone are expected to ferry 756 people to the Jan. 21 march in Washington D.C.

Since the election, Empestan's experience hasn't been unusual.

Viewing the march as a chance to project both unity and dissatisfaction after a year of vitriol and polarization, grassroots organizers across New Jersey and the nation are rallying women -- and in many cases men -- to descend on the capital the day after Trump's inauguration.

Some 140,000 people have said on the official Women's March on Washington Facebook page they plan to make the trip. An additional 229,000 said they were interested in attending.

If those numbers bear out or grow, it would be among the largest demonstrations in Washington in several years.

A satellite rally has been planned for the same day at the Statehouse in Trenton to accommodate those unable to travel to Washington. Other satellite rallies are planned around the country. 

Empestan, 40, a corporate attorney, said she felt compelled to act after looking to her own family.

Her son by adoption is African-American and Hispanic. Her daughter is Jewish and Filipino.

"My daughter is 5, and she asks a lot of questions about what she hears at school and on the playground," Empestan said. "And she's afraid that the president of the United States is going to hurt her." 

Empestan also considered the sweep of history, wondering about those who did not speak up for civil rights in the Jim Crow era or who stood by while Jews were killed during the Holocaust.

While not comparing the president-elect to Hitler, she said the racial animus stirred by Trump, with his references to Mexicans as rapists and his proposal to ban some Muslim immigrants, mirrored the rhetoric that gave rise to the Nazi party in Germany.

"I couldn't stand by to let history judge me about not speaking up," Empestan said. "I'm hearing from friends across the country who are also arranging a way to travel and finding a way to stand up and say in the face of this much darkness, we are going to light as many candles as possible."

New Jersey's transportation coordinator, Felicity Crew, said organizers are trying to spread the word the march is open to all, including Republicans who voted for Trump.

"It's not just a march for women," said Crew, 35, also of South Orange. "There are definitely men going. People of all gender identities are welcome. People from all sides of the political spectrum are welcome. It's about positivity, not negativity. It's very specifically not an anti-Trump rally."

By late last week, an estimated 150 buses had already sold out in New Jersey, while others were still being filled, said Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, executive director of New Jersey Citizen Action, one of the sponsoring groups.

Departure points span the state, from Bergen to Cape May counties.

Salowe-Kaye said the election has inspired a wave of activism by people not just interested in the march, but who want to get involved in health care and environmental initiatives and who want to donate to causes.

"I've been with Citizen Action for 30 years -- I'm going to turn 70 very shortly -- and I've been through a bunch of presidents," Salowe-Kaye said. "I have never seen a response like what we're getting."

The march, initially a scattershot effort that attracted followers through thousands of Facebook posts in the election's immediate aftermath, has become more organized in recent weeks with the introduction of three co-chairs, all veteran activists who have experience planning movements.

Among the challenges, the co-chairs have worked to blunt an early criticism of the rally: the appearance that it was mainly being organized by white women affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Tamika D. Mallory, national organizer for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington in 2013, is an African-American civil rights leader. Carmen Perez, who is Hispanic, has been a critic of mass incarceration and an advocate for gender equality. And Linda Sarsour, a Brooklyn-born Muslim of Palestinian descent, is a nationally known community organizer and civil rights activist.

The three join Bob Bland, a white woman and business executive from Manhattan, as the event's top planners.

The group's mission statement champions human rights and diversity, saying the aim is to "show our presence in numbers too great to ignore."

"The Women's March on Washington will send a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights," the statement reads. "We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us."

The organizer had hoped to begin the march at the Lincoln Memorial -- an iconic location that has been host to some of the nation's largest demonstrations -- before setting off for the White House.

That plan changed Thursday, when the National Park Service, acting on behalf of the Presidential Inauguration Committee, denied the group's request to gather at the memorial, citing inaugural activities that had already been planned.

The march is now expected to start in front of the Capitol building, at Independence Avenue and Third Street SW.

For those interested in finding transportation from New Jersey to Washington, organizers have created an online listing of buses and county coordinators. The document also is linked to the New Jersey Facebook page for the Women's March on Washington.

Additional information about the event can be found on the national group's Facebook page and on its website, womensmarch.com.

The satellite rally, known as the March on New Jersey, is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Statehouse. A Facebook page about the march also has been created.

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

Several people were displaced.

EAST ORANGE -- A 72-year-old woman was missing Sunday after a fire destroyed two homes.

The fire was reported at 5:25 a.m. at 60 Midland Ave., said Connie Jackson, a city spokeswoman.

Firefighters placed the blaze under control in about an hour. Seven of the eight people living in the home have been accounted for. The woman, who owns the home, is still missing.

A man and woman jumped from the third floor during the fire, Jackson said. They are being treated at University Hospital in Newark.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. It's believed to have started in the kitchen, Jackson said.

East Orange settles whistleblower suit

The fire destroyed 60 Midland Ave., and a home that was under construction next door. Seven other homes were damaged.

All East Orange fire companies responded with mutual aid from Irvington, Bloomfield and Orange.

Ronald Getsinger, who lives three doors down from the two burned houses, said he was awakened by shouting.

"I heard screams, and the screams lot louder and louder and louder," Getsinger recalled.

He rushed out to Midland Avenue and saw that the older house where the fire apparently started was completely engulfed in flames.

"It was nothing but a big ball of flames," he said. "I heard pop, pop, pop. It was probably the windows blowing out," he said.

The sky above the homes was filled with large glowing embers from the fire, he said.

People were lined up on the sidewalk watching the blaze.

Heat from the fire melted the siding on several houses, including one more than 20 yards away, on the opposite side of Midland Avenue.

Police kept the block of Midland Avenue cordoned off through out the morning as firefighters continued to go through the debris of the old home that was burned to the ground, while Getsinger looked on.

The people in that older home were always friendly and kept the property neat, he said.

"In my mind, I can still hear the screams," he said.

East Orange 3rd Alarm Rescues 67 Midland Ave heavy fire two 2.5 story frames. Both collapsed. 4 jumpers. EOPD caught 3. Great job by all. pic.twitter.com/VIhPISa68Y

-- NorthJersey FireNews (@NJFires) December 11, 2016

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

He was being treated at University Hospital

WEST ORANGE -- A truck driver injured in a fatal crash early Saturday on I-280 was still in critical condition Sunday, a spokeswoman for University Hospital said.

Victor Wright, 54, of Philadelphia, was seriously hurt in the crash early Saturday, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Jeff Flynn said.

A Honda Civic struck Wright, who had gotten out of his tractor trailer on the eastbound side of I-280, Flynn said. The Honda then crashed into the back of the truck and spun into the center lane, where it was struck by a Hyundai Sonata.

Johan Rojas, 24, of West Orange, the driver of the Honda, died at the scene, Flynn said. The driver and passenger in the Hyundai suffered minor injuries.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The body of a 72-year-old woman was recovered from one first and the body of another person was found in a second blaze.

EAST ORANGE -- Two people were killed in two separate fires in East Orange on Sunday, authorities confirmed. 

Maureen Phillips, 72, was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire in her home at 60 Midland Avenue, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said in a joint statement with East Orange Public Safety Director Sheilah Coley.

This fire, which was reported about 5 a.m., reduced the home to rubble, and injured Phillips' 38-year-old son and a 52-year-old woman, authorities said. Both were taken to local hospitals for treatment, but the woman was said to be in critical condition.

Family and neighbors told News 12 New Jersey that Maureen Phillips, a mother of four who lived in the neighborhood for 35 years, was well-known in the area. 

"Everybody around here called her mother, momma," said Phillips' son, Corey, "because she showed everybody love. She was the sweetest lady. 

The second fire occurred on North Harrison Street on Sunday afternoon. Authorities confirmed a body was found in that blaze, but more details were not immediately available.

Authorities said six other people, ranging from 36 years old to one year old, escaped from the Midland Avenue house fire without injury.

Flames spread to a neighboring house at 64 Midland Avenue that was still under construction and was extensively damaged.

The flames also melted the siding on three other homes, including one more than 20 yards away across Midland Avenue.

The fire apparently started in the kitchen and quickly spread through the house, and a man and woman jumped from the third floor to escape, a city spokeswoman said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Noah Cohen of NJ Advance Media contributed to this report

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

Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey need homes.

Courtesy of Amy Bower 

Keeping pets safe during the holidays

The most wonderful time of the year can also can pose safety concerns for dogs, cats and pets.

Corey Druskin, manager of Choice Pet at The Shoppes at the Livingston Circle in Livingston, offers the following tips for keeping pets safe, healthy and happy throughout the holiday season:

*  Secure the Christmas tree. Cats love to climb and excited animals can potentially knock over a tree;  it's also wise to hang lights, ornaments and other decorations out of a pet's reach to avoid ingestion or injury.

*  Avoid harmful plants as decorations. Many holiday plants like mistletoe, holly, amaryllis and poinsettias can be harmful or even toxic to pets.

*  Skip the leftovers. It's tempting to give in to a pet's desire for table treats, but bones and fatty trimmings can be dangerous to them. Avoid offering chocolate and foods containing artificial sweeteners as well.

*  Never leave candles where pets can get to them. The holiday season brings out decorative and traditional candles which can be knocked over by animals; menorahs and other candles should be well out of reach of pets.

*  Cover or move electrical cords. Holiday lights are a beautiful, but some pets enjoy gnawing on the wires. Make sure cords and wires are out of harm's way or covered in a way pets can't get to them.

Taking simple precautions like these can help make sure that the holidays are happy for both people and pets.

Here is a gallery of dogs and cats in New Jersey in need of adoption. More adoptable pets can be seen here and here.

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

The new Audible-backed Newark Venture Partners have given money and resources to these start-ups to help them grow the tech industry in the state's largest city.

Police officers delivered life-saving treatments after the man suffered a heart attack while working on campus.

MONTCLAIR -- Members of the Montclair State University Police Department answer medical calls everyday.

But even with about 20,000 students, plus faculty, staff, and visitors on campus, Captain Keiran Barrett says "critical life incidents are rare."

The 30-member department still prepares for the most serious cases. So, when a call came at 8:33 a.m. on Nov. 21 that a 60-year-old construction worker was suffering a heart attack, officers jumped into action.

Officer Jeff Struble, Dispatcher Sylvia Sims and Officer Andrew Burde. Officer Ron DeWitt is not pictured. (Photo courtesy Mike Peters, Montclair State University)
 

Dispatcher Sylvia Sims immediately notified officers to get to the fourth floor of Partridge Hall, an area of the campus that is under construction and currently has no elevator access.

Officers Ron DeWitt, Jeff Struble and Andrew Burde responded in less than a minute, ran to the fourth floor, and found the man unresponsive, not breathing, and with no pulse.

The officers shocked the man with a defibrillator, performed six rounds of CPR and 30 compressions to get his pulse and breathing back.

Paramedics from St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson transported the man to the hospital.

MSU taking steps to become tobacco-free

"When there is an emergency like that, every second is crucial," Barrett said. "Our officers are very well trained. It's about how you react and maintain calm. Keeping a cool head in a situation like that is not always easy."

Montclair State's 250-acre campus spans three towns - Montclair, Little Falls, and Clifton - and two counties, Essex and Passaic. The department plans to reward the officers and dispatcher with a life saver award at a ceremony in January.

"It was 100 percent a teamwork effort," Burde said. Finding out that the man survived and was recovering, "was a very humbling experience on our end."

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

It is incumbent upon our leaders to ensure that all of our citizens can and do receive the treatment they need and deserve.

By Robert N. Davison

There is much to like about Gov. Chris Christie's proposed shift in mental health and addiction funding from contract payments to a fee-for-service model.

First and foremost, payments for essential Medicaid services are being increased by $127 million, including an influx of $107 million in federal matching funds. Kudos to the Department of Human Services for increasing the federal investment in mental health and addiction care.

The proposed model effectuates fairness in funding, with providers being paid the same rate for the same service, rather than payment based on the historical inequities of negotiated state contracts. Agencies will be held more accountable. If they don't provide the service, they don't get paid.

Unfortunately, for people with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other psychotic conditions, there is much to fear.

The backbone of the public mental health system is psychiatric services, or more simply, time spent with a doctor. Major psychiatric disorders are brain diseases that need medical treatment. They are not character defects that can be washed away with hope and a service improvement plan.

The current rate for a medication-management visit with a doctor is $40.88. This is an absurdly low rate that does not even come close to covering the cost of providing treatment. While the administration is focusing on the increase in the Medicaid rates, it is not acknowledging the tens of millions of dollars in contract funding that is being eliminated in the mental health system. Industry calculations indicate that the proposed numbers do not add up, specifically with regard to outpatient and psychiatric services. The analysis reveals a collective loss of $12 million to $13 million statewide in outpatient services alone.

This loss of revenue will result in a loss of service to New Jersey's most vulnerable citizens.

What happens when individuals with serious mental illness don't get the care they need? Research and my own experience indicate that they get sicker and suffer - often ending up in already-overcrowded emergency rooms, incarcerated for nonviolent misdemeanors and/or homeless. Many good people with serious mental illness do not, as a result of their illness, realize they are sick. They are often not willing to accept help and mental health providers must invest considerable time building a relationship with the person.

The new fee-for-service system does not recognize this dynamic. If the state does not address this dilemma, the most vulnerable among us will not be served. Providers will, out of necessity, tend to those for whom they get reimbursed and, sadly, the sickest will be left out.

Christie has rightly criticized some providers for not being ready for the long-overdue shift to fee-for-service, as the state has been preparing for this for years with many fits and starts. The governor fails to recognize that an essential part of readiness is a fair rate structure and a contingency plan to continue to provide services to those that are too sick to realize they are ill. Statistics show that as many as 30 percent of community-based psychiatric appointments result in no-shows and, accordingly, would soon be ineligible for reimbursement. These are the very people who need us the most, and the new fee-for-service structure threatens to care for them the least.

The Department of Human Services is right to maximize federal funding, but it is wrong to push this through in the waning days of the administration as if it were playing a game of bureaucratic "Beat the Clock." For the sake of individuals with serious mental illness and their families, the rate of payment for psychiatric services must be increased and more consideration must be given for how to fund and distribute treatment to the most profoundly disabled.

As we enter into this new era of caring for individuals and families whose lives are impacted by severe mental illness, it is incumbent upon our leaders to ensure that all of our citizens can and do receive the treatment they need and deserve. It is equally incumbent that their service providers be adequately funded at levels that will allow people to receive the degree of treatment they require.

Robert N. Davison is executive director of the Mental Health Association of Essex County. 

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Students take part in an "Hour of Code."

Newark Tech High School student Kamari Snow works on code under the watchful eye of Lynn McMahon of Accenture.

NEWARK -- On Dec. 5, students at Newark Tech High School participated in an "Hour of Code," an hourlong introduction to computer science and computer programming, hosted by Accenture, an information and technology company, and Code.org.

The Hour of Code is a global movement to introduce students to computer programming. It was held in conjunction with Computer Science Education Week, observed December 5 to 11.

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

Officials have identified the East Orange man killed in a Sunday afternoon fire.

EAST ORANGE -- The victim of a Sunday afternoon blaze had been trying to keep warm by the stove when he apparently caught fire, authorities said Monday after a preliminary investigation.

Kouadio Loboue, 64, was sitting in his walker near the stove in his home at 25 North Harrison Street at about 2:52 p.m. Sunday, when his clothing apparently caught fire, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and East Orange Public Safety Director Sheilah Coley announced in a joint release Monday.

Loboue was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire, authorities said.

The blaze was the second fatal house fire in the city Sunday. The first, which broke out in a Midland Avenue home at about 5 a.m., claimed the life of a 72-year-old woman, Maureen Phillips. Two other people were hurt in that fire, officials said.

Authorities say both fires are still under investigation. The Midland Avenue fire appeared to start in the home's kitchen, as well, they said.

That fire also damaged other nearby homes. In the wake of the blaze, the Red Cross said it helped provide emergency lodging for seven people who were displaced.

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

A 36-year-old Irvington man has been charged with breaking into his ex-girlfriend's Union City home in a gesture aimed at rekindling their flame and then assaulting a responding police officer.

JERSEY CITY - A 36-year-old Irvington man is accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend's home in Union City to try to rekindle their flame and then assaulting a responding police officer.

Angel Ballesteros, of Tremont Terrace in Irvington, is charged with "forcibly breaking two of the apartment doors" at his girlfriend's home on Sunday "in an attempt to reestablish their dating relationship," the criminal complaint states.

He is also charged with striking a law enforcement officer multiple times in the face, according to the complaint. 

Ballesteros is charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, harassment, and burglary, the complaint says.

His bail was set at $15,000 with a 10 percent cash option when he made his first appearance on the charges Monday afternoon in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. He was also ordered to have no contact with the woman as a condition of his bail.  

His next hearing on the charges is scheduled for Jan. 30 before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale in the Hudson County Administration building in Jersey City. 

Authorities say Khalil Wheeler-Weaver strangled Sarah Butler, 20, before dumping her body at the Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange.

NEWARK -- The 20-year-old Orange man charged with murder in the death of a New Jersey City University student whose body was found at the Eagle Rock Reservation is expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday.

Khalil Wheeler-Weaver. (Essex County Prosecutor's Office) 

Khalil Wheeler-Weaver is accused of strangling Sarah Butler, 20, and dumping her body at the 400-acre park in West Orange.

Wheeler-Weaver, who authorities say was acquainted with Butler before her death, is scheduled to appear at 9 a.m. before Judge Ronald D. Wigler in Newark.

Butler, who was last seen on Nov. 22, was found Dec. 1 buried under leaves and debris at the reservation, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

In addition to murder, Wheeler-Weaver faces a charge of disturbing human remains.

Butler was the second New Jersey City University student slain recently.

Earlier in November, Syasia McBurroughs was one of three people fatally stabbed at a Newark home in an attack allegedly provoked by a Facebook post.

Sarah Butler. (Facebook) 

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

A public art project has made Newark's cherry blossom trees come alive in Branch Brook Park.

Ralph Lopreiato drove from his home in Roseland to play card games with buddies at the Cherry Blossom Center in Newark's Branch Brook Park.

On a cold, blustery afternoon, he didn't expect to see pastel-colored strips of fabric blowing in the wind from the branches of the park's signature cherry blossom trees. From the branches of other trees dangled pine cones, a series of light bulbs and a batch of CDs attached to colorful blue, orange, chartreuse green and gold cups.

"Whatever you see, it's beautiful,'' Lopreiato said. "It gives the spirit of Christmas.''

The drive through Essex County's historic park is far from drab this winter -- thanks to a public art project spearheaded by Rutgers University-Newark in celebration of Newark's 350^th anniversary.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

It's called "Cherry Blossoms in Winter," meaning you don't have to wait until spring -- when the trees are in full bloom -- to take in the park's beauty.

An art installation created by students from Arts High School in Newark. The art work is a part of a public art project titled "Cherry Blossoms in Winter'' at Branch Brook Park. Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger 

"It transforms how you see (the trees),'' said Frances Bartkowski, project director and a Rutgers professor. "It brings the trees into your sight in a way that stays with you. It gives them shape in the winter.''

Tree trunks are surrounded in creativity, aiming to tell a story, convey a thought. Splashes of primary colors are everywhere, heightening your senses, affecting your mood.

Pink and white rope, connected in web-like fashion, weaves its way around tree limbs. Ceramic figures hang at several heights and sway gently in the chilly breeze.

This collection of art was created by Newark public school students and professional artists, who spent the last year working on installations to turn the barren trees into artistic landscapes.

The wintery concept for Newark is a project that Bartkowski envisioned after seeing how "The Gates" exhibit transformed 23 miles of pathways in New York's Central Park for two weeks in 2005. The installation of 7,503 vinyl gates, with saffron-colored fabric panels, was built by Bulgarian artist Christo Yavacheff and French artist Jeanne-Claude.

"It was a magnificent piece that changed the way the park looked,'' Bartkowski said.

The Branch Brook exhibit is particularly meaningful for Newark students, who say the project has been a rewarding experience. After working on their pieces for months, they actually got a chance to see them displayed, intermingled with works by professional artists.

"It kind of makes me have more respect for the scenery, the same amount of respect I would have if I were to go to another place and be a tourist,'' said Kayla Muldrow, a 17-year-old senior at Arts High School.

"It's something about seeing human creation next to nature. I feel honored to have a piece of me sitting out there with the trees.''

It's actually one of 125 pieces.

She and her classmates, inspired by a poem Kayla had written called "Art is Home," constructed and painted 125 wooden steps that surround a large cherry blossom tree to symbolize what home means to them and to connect the energy of the school.

"Steps can lead you to a better place, to a higher level,'' said art teacher Robert Richardson, of Arts High. "It's the students' interpretation of what art is to them.''

Hanging from trees not too far from the Cherry Blossom Center are silhouettes of birds that Newark Prep Charter School students made and placed over photographs they took of themselves.

"It's supposed to symbolize their inner reflections,'' said Nicole Zanetakos, the students' visual arts teacher.

There's so much to see from the south end of the park, beginning at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Clifton Avenue. There are green bamboo sticks around trees by the lake; several shades of blue fabric make up a quilt that contain images of Native Americans protesting the North Dakota pipeline.

An art installation at Branch Brook Park in Newark. It's part of a public art project titled "Cherry Blossoms in Winter.'' Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger 

Matt Gosser, a professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology who curated the project, said the goal was to use as much of the park as possible, which included placing installations near young and mature cherry blossom trees, and highlighting sections of the park near the Second River.

When you drive past Heller Parkway, there's a tree with hanging ladder poems, which are individual pink florescent window blinds held together with fishing line, so they appear to be floating.

Dimitri Reyes, a Rutgers professor, designed this piece, writing stanzas on one side of the blinds. His students at Ridge Street School in Newark, where he is a substitute teacher, wrote their own poetic lines on the other side.

"They're floating lines to emphasize the space between time,'' Reyes said.

Steps from this installation is an explosion of color on tall wooden story poles that lay against large gnarled trees in the North end of the park.  They contain personal messages and are decorated with rainbow-colored paint or small tokens such as charms, shells and ribbons.

MORE CARTER: Newark toddler lives on in others who needed   

"People use trees across the centuries to communicate,'' said Mary Bowe, a professional artist from Doylestown, Pa. "You think of totem poles, people carving their name into trees.''

Along the road that winds through the park, students from Science Park High School dotted the landscape with 50 fans in the colors of cherry blossoms. They are at the base of 7-foot-tall kimonos that students created to emphasize the concept of the geisha, which is translated as "artist."

"I think it (the project) is about seeing bleakness in nature and actually transforming that, so it reflects our own sense of hope for the future,'' said Jahlin Fernandez, a 16-year-old senior at Science Park High School.

The artwork will remain on display throughout this month. January is not certain, so if you want to spice up your day, jump in the car and take a ride. You won't be disappointed. 

To learn more, check out the cherry blossom Facebook page at facebook.com/cherryblossomsinwinter.

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

Here are 21 high schools that have won the most awards, are the most respected among their peers.

Kevin Rooney was sworn in Monday as the newest member of the New Jersey Assembly.

TRENTON -- A former Wyckoff mayor -- and a television cooking-show champion -- was sworn in Monday as the newest member of the New Jersey Legislature.

Kevin Rooney in a photo from his LinkedIn page.Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Kevin Rooney was appointed to fill the state Assembly seat vacated when fellow Republican Scott Rumana became a state Superior Court judge in October.

Rooney, 56, will represent north Jersey's 40th District in the Assembly, the lower house of the Democratic-controlled Legislature, until Rumana's term ends in December 2017. The district includes part of Bergen, Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties. 

 "As a former mayor, I fully understand the many challenges our towns face in keeping taxes and costs down while delivering quality services," Rooney said in a statement. "I bring that experience and energy to Trenton where I will work to find common ground to deliver the results our residents want and deserve."

Democrats Robert Karabinchak and Blonnie Watson -- who were appointed to vacant spots in the Assembly last year and won special elections in November to keep their seats -- were also sworn in Monday.

Karabinchak, a former Edison councilman, beat Republican Camille Ferraro Clark to retain his seat representing Middlesex County's 18th District. 

Watson, a former Essex County freeholder, defeated Republican Ronda Morrison to retain her seat representing Essex County's 29th District. 

Rooney has spent his life in Bergen County, having grown up in Saddle River and attended Ramapo College in Mahwah.

He was elected to Wyckoff's township committee in 2009, serving as mayor in 2011, 2015, and 2016. The township has a system where mayors are not elected. Rather, committee members serve as mayor on a rotating basis. Rooney resigned as mayor last week to serve in the Assembly. 

In addition to his political career, Rooney is a partner in a real estate development and management company. He and his wire, Hayley, own Holland Hills, an equestrian  business located in the North Jersey Equestrian Center in Pequannock. 

And Rooney, a self-taught cook, won the Food Network's amateur cooking show "Chopped: Untrained, Undaunted" in 2013.

Because Rumana is a Republican, the GOP committee members of the towns in the 40th district were tasked with picking a replacement. 

The members voted 104-96 to pick Rooney over Mike Marotta of Wayne, according to a report by NorthJersey.com.

Rumana served in the Assembly from 2008 until June of this year, when Gov. Chris Christie nominated him to a Superior Court judgeship in Passaic County.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

The N.J. indoor track and field season begins on Friday, Dec. 16

With the N.J. indoor track and field season set to kick off this Friday, NJ.com has provided some previews to get you prepared for all the action. 

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEWS
• Boys Athletes to Watch
• Boys Teams to Watch
• Girls Athletes to Watch
• Girls Teams to Watch
• NJSIAA Public School Classification
• N.J. track and field schedule 
• NJSIAA championship schedule

A bowl-by-bowl, team-by-team breakdown of the N.J. players participating in 2016-17 bowl games.