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Man charged in Newark shooting, armed robbery

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Shooting left 17-year-old wounded.

AquilBaldwin.jpgAquil Baldwin, 25 (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 
NEWARK -- Police on Friday arrested a Newark man who was wanted in a shooting that injured a 17-year-old boy and a separate armed street robbery days apart in August, authorities said.

Aquil Baldwin, 25, was charged with aggravated assault, robbery and weapons offenses. Members of the city police division's Fugitive Apprehension Team arrested Baldwin without incident, according to Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

Baldwin is accused of shooting the teen Aug. 6 at the Georgia King Village apartment complex, according to authorities. The teen was treated for non life-threatening injuries at University Hospital.

Ten days later, police said Baldwin also robbed a 60-year-old man near Market Street and Springfield Avenue. The man flagged down officers on patrol and reported he was robbed by an armed man who took his cash as the victim left a bank.

City detectives determined Baldwin was a suspect in both crimes and authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, Ambrose added.

A woman who lives in the apartment where Baldwin was arrested, identified as Malikah Roberts, 35, of Newark, was also charged with hindering apprehension, police said.

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

 


Man threatened to shoot at cops, kill dog in standoff, police report says

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Man threw items at police officers before being arrested, according to police document.

WEST ORANGE -- A 46-year-old man threatened last weekend to shoot at police officers, kill his neighbors and the neighbor's dog during a standoff at his West Orange apartment, according to a police report released Friday.

Joseph Esposito was charged with terroristic threats, resisting arrest and criminal mischief after the Sunday night confrontation at the Babcock Place rooming house, according to police. Esposito remained held at the Essex County jail Friday, records show.

The standoff came after West Orange officers went to arrest Esposito for an unspecified warrant, but did not find him Sunday night, the police report said. A short time later, around 8:30 p.m., officers returned to the residence for a report of a burglary and assault.

Police found Esposito "throwing objects/contents of his apartment out the window at officers," the document stated.

Esposito allegedly said "he is going to shoot at officers if we come in, as well as kill his neighbors and the neighbors dog," according to the police report.

Officers went to secure other residents in the building and heard Esposito barricade his front door with furniture, the report said. Township police called for backup from the State Police tactical unit, called TEAMS.

"Multiple attempts to negotiate with Mr. Esposito were met with negative results by WOPD and NJSP TEAMS unit," the police report stated.

Police said troopers with TEAMS got inside the home and arrested Esposito, but it was unclear exactly how troopers reached him.

Esposito was treated for "K-9 punctures on his body" and swelling to his face, according to the township report. Police cleared seven people from other rooms in the house and two adjacent homes during the standoff.

According to the police report, officers did not find any guns in the residence.

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

 

 

Newark pays $80K to mom claiming she wasn't told of son's death

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Zdenka Simkova claims in the suit that Newark police did not allow her to file a missing persons report for her son, and told her they had seen her son alive

NEWARK -- The city paid a Garfield woman $80,000 to settle a lawsuit she filed claiming the Newark police department did not inform her of her son's death in 2007, according to court records. 

The November 2016 settlement was first reported by NJ Civil Settlements, a blog that provides a partial list of settlements paid out on behalf of government agencies in civil lawsuits. 

The lawsuit, filed by Zdenka Simkova, alleged that Newark police found the body of her son Michael Simkova in 2007, and positively identified him through fingerprints. But Simkova said she did not find out about her son's death until 2012 when he had already been buried in a grave for the unclaimed for more than four years, the court papers show. 

Zdenka Simkova said in her lawsuit that Newark police did not allow her to file a missing persons report for her son on two occasions, and both times told her they had recently seen her son alive -- even though his body had already been found.

Simkova was told by the New York Police Department, where she filed a missing persons report, of her son's death in 2012. 

Both the city and the police department said they do not comment on settlements.

The settlement is not an admission of guilt.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook

 

Judge orders 3 of 13 arrested in N.J. gang sweep be held without bail

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State Police say the men are members of the "Red Breed Gorillas," a group of Bloods who ran a drug-dealing operation on Irvine Turner Boulevard in Newark.

NEWARK -- An Essex County judge this week ordered three of 13 men arrested in a recent State Police gang sweep in the city be held without bail pending trial.

The Attorney General's office has said the men, arrested as part of a state-led gang sweep two weeks ago, are members of the "Red Breed Gorillas," a group of Bloods who ran a drug-dealing operation on Irvine Turner Boulevard in Newark.

The alleged gang members face charges of drug distribution, drug possession, gang criminality and weapons offenses, authorities said.

According to court records, Judge Martin G. Cronin granted motions for pre-trial detention of three of the men:

  • Kevin Clayton, 25
  • Bryant Hawkins, 39
  • Lyonel Finklea, 30

State Police have identified Clayton and Finklea as "five-star generals" in the gang, which authorities told NJ Advance Media was one of the most violent in Newark.

Finklea has a lengthy criminal history, including an arrest in connection with a March 2016 shooting. He's also facing federal weapons charges in the U.S. District Court in Newark in connection with a July 2016 incident in which investigators say he was caught with a pistol version of an AK-47, according to court filings.

The detention motions are a result of the recently enacted Bail Reform and Speed Trial Act, which allows a judge to order a defendant be held without bail pending trial if prosecutors can demonstrate they pose a threat to the public or are unlikely to appear for their next court date.

State asks judge to keep alleged gang members jailed

Cronin denied similar detention motions for six other defendants:

  • Tyree Oxford, 23
  • Abdul Bryant, 20
  • Yasim Smith, 19
  • Aljuquan Thomason, 24
  • Alfatah Loyal, 31
  • Yasin Hamilton, 25

Another man charged in the case, Quashyne Seburn, 24, is already in the custody of the state Department of Corrections, serving a five-year prison sentence for unlawful possession of a handgun in Essex County.

Three others -- Terrance Shells, Tyre Sorbino and Elijah A. Evans -- were released from custody the Monday following the raids, according to jail records.

Authorities said they were still searching for eight others in connection with the investigation:

  • Ramon Finklea, 29
  • Jahob Loyal, 27
  • Kevin Loyal, 28
  • Charlie Jones, 28
  • Nyreek Loyal, 21
  • Darnell Cogman, 44
  • Jahwon Christian, 21
  • Naim Stewart, 23

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

 

Georgia man convicted of murder in N.J. dancer's slaying

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Johnny Jones III was one of two men charged in connection with the slaying of Denise Ramsey, whose body was found in an empty lot in East Orange in January 2012.

JohhnyBJones.jpgJohnny Jones III. (Essex County Correctional Facility)

NEWARK -- An Essex County jury Friday found a 32-year-old man from Georgia guilty of murder in the 2011 stabbing death of an Irvington go-go dancer.

Johnny Jones III was the second man charged in connection with the slaying of Denise Ramsey, whose body was found in an empty lot in East Orange on Jan. 3, 2012.

He now faces a maximum of life in prison, according to the office of Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray.

Jones' co-conspirator, Brian Love, 43, previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Ramsey's death.

Prosecutors say Ramsey, 33, was last seen alive in the early morning hours of Dec. 3, 2011, leaving the Dollhouse go-go bar in Irvington with Jones and Love. On Jan. 3, 2012, two days after her sister reported her missing, Ramsey's body was found in an empty lot in East Orange.

BrianLove.jpgBrian Love. (Essex County Correctional Facility)
 

Authorities found she had died from multiple stab wounds, and ruled her death a homicide. Prosecutors say detectives later traveled to Georgia to take a DNA sample from Jones, which matched that found on Ramsey's body.

Jones, who fled shortly after providing the DNA sample, was later arrested in Miami, Florida and extradited to New Jersey.

In a statement Friday, Assistant Prosecutor Naazneen Khan, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Jason Alterbaum, said she was "thankful for the guilty verdict and hopes that today's verdict brings some sense of closure to the family of Denise Ramsey."

Another Georgia resident, Corey Fallen of Atlanta, previously filed a lawsuit against New Jersey State Police, the City of Newark and several individual detectives in the case in connection with what he says was his wrongful arrest in October 2012 in connection with Ramsey's death.

Fallen was jailed until April 2013, when investigators determined he wasn't in New Jersey the night of Ramsey's disappearance.

The city and state have made several attempts to have Fallen's civil case dismissed, but federal court records showed the lawsuit remained pending against both the individual detectives and the city as of Friday.

Jones is scheduled to be sentenced March 20 in front of Judge Michael L. Ravin, according to the Prosecutor's Office. A sentencing date for Love was not immediately available Friday.

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

Suspect in Newark car theft, burglaries caught

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The crimes occurred over the course of the last few months

NEWARK-- Police arrested a city man for a string of crimes reported over the last two months.

Pedro Lebron, 46, was identified as a suspect in the theft of a Honda Pilot that was taken from the 300 block of Central Avenue Nov. 28.

Screenshot (119).pngPedro Lebron (Newark police)  

After arresting Lebron for that crime Friday, police also identified him as the suspect in two home burglaries, one in the 200 block of Mt. Prospect Avenue Dec. 22 and a second in the 100 block of N. 10th Street Jan. 27.

He has been charged with theft and burglary.

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

 

6-alarm fire levels part of unfinished Avalon complex in Maplewood

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More than 120 firefighters were on scene battling the blaze at its peak early Saturday morning. Watch video

MAPLEWOOD -- A six-alarm fire on a frigid Saturday morning leveled part of an empty luxury apartment complex in town, officials said. 

"The fire was intense," Mayor Victor DeLuca said of the blaze reported just after 1:30 a.m. at the yet-to-open Avalon apartments on Boyden Avenue. 

More than 120 firefighters were on scene battling the blaze at its peak that destroyed more than two-thirds of the community, officials said.

"Due to a lot of hard work and tremendous effort by the firefighter, we were able to stop the fire before it got into the completed section," Maplewood Fire Chief Michael Dingelstedt said at a press conference Saturday morning. 

"It was a very cold night, now that the fire is over the area is full of ice," said Dingelstedt.

One firefighter was injured, who slipped on the ice while battling the blaze.

DeLuca said Avalon officials had followed higher standards in the Maplewood complex than at their previous development in Edgewater, which engulfed the apartment complex displacing more than 500 people due to an incident in a space without sprinklers.

The local apartments were just inspected last week, he said. 

The cause of the fire was not yet known. Maplewood and Essex County authorities are investigating the blaze.

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

Ex-corrections officer arrested in Newark on gun charges, cops say

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Dennis Lewis Jr. was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of hollow-point bullets and impersonating a law enforcement officer.

NEWARK -- A former state corrections officers who was fired five years ago was arrested Friday night on gun charges near West Side Park, authorities said. 

imageservlet.jpegDennis Lewis, 38, of Newark 

During a heated argument between Dennis Lewis Jr., 38, of Newark, and a 34-year-old East Orange woman, Lewis allegedly walked to his nearby 2001 Chevy Tahoe and grabbed a handgun, Sheriff Armando Fontoura said in a release.

Lewis told the Essex County sheriff's officers, who were on scene trying to calm down the two, that he was "on the job" and showed the officers an altered state corrections identification card and badge, Fontoura said. 

Lewis was fired from the state corrections in 2012 for falsifying reports, according to Fontoura.

Officers found a .40 caliber, Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun, fully loaded with hollow-point bullets on Lewis, the release said. 

He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of hollow-point bullets and impersonating a law enforcement officer.

Lewis was taken to Essex County jail where he awaits his pre-trial hearing. 

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

 

Police shut down illegal bar where Newark man was killed, official says

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Bar was "causing havoc" in the neighborhood, city public safety director said.

CarolMattis.jpgCarol G. Mattis (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 
NEWARK -- A Newark resident was charged with running an illegal basement bar at his West Ward home, where a city man was gunned down this week, authorities said Saturday.

Carol G. Mattis, 62, was arrested by members of the Newark police division's Special Investigation Bureau late Thursday night after investigators served a search warrant at the Norwood Street house in the ongoing homicide probe, according to city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

The illegal after-hours bar was "causing havoc to the Norwood Street community," Ambrose said. "I will personally work with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office to seize his property."

Man threatened to shoot at cops, kill dog in standoff, police report says

Detectives seized more than 100 bottles of alcohol from the residence, according to police. Prosecutor's office investigators and city police searched the home as part of their investigation into the shooting death of Isaac D. Brown.

Brown, 40, of Newark, was shot in the illegal bar Thursday morning, authorities said. He was declared dead at the scene around 8:40 a.m. that day and the investigation was continuing.

Ambrose said the 60 Norwood Street bar has long been a drain on police resources. Since 2012, officers have responded to the address about 45 times for a range of problems, including a suicide in the bar, three shootings, two robberies, auto theft and theft from a vehicle, he added. The location was also previously cited for maintaining a nuisance.

Mattis faces a range of charges, including maintaining an unlicensed liquor establishment and illegal sale of alcohol there, according to Ambrose. He was also given summonses for not having a certificate of occupancy and not having a dance hall license.

No charges have been filed in Brown's death, a prosecutor's office spokeswoman said late Saturday. 

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office urged anyone with information call 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

Brown was the fifth person slain in Newark this year compared to 12 murders through Jan. 29 last year, according to police records.

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

 

Made in Jersey: Flexible Flyer - the sled from south Jersey

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Samuel Leeds Allen's sled idea remains virtually unchanged to the present day.

In the late 19th century Samuel Leeds Allen took the age-old concept of the sled and improved on it, much to the delight of generations of children.

Allen was born in Philadelphia and attended the Westtown Boarding School in Moorestown. He married in 1866, and moved to Cinnaminson to learn farming with his father, who also manufactured farm equipment.

Looking for something to keep the equipment plant operating year-round instead of only during growing seasons, Allen hit on the idea of manufacturing a steerable sled.

MIJflex02.jpg 

Up to that point, a sled rider had little control beyond traveling in a straight line; with a tree or cow looming, the options were either jump off or faceplant. Toboggans were equally prone to traveling only in a straight line.

Using local children and adults as eager test pilots, Allen went through a number of prototypes before arriving at what came to be dubbed the Flexible Flyer.

MIJflex03.jpg 

The secret lay in the crosspiece attached to the sled front, which allowed riders, using their hands or feet, to bend the flexible runners and steer the sled.

Leeds was no "one-hit wonder" with his sled invention. Over the course of 40 years, he was awarded nearly 300 patents for designs of farm and maintenance equipment in addition to the Flexible Flyer, patented in 1889. And his sled idea was so simple yet functional that it remains virtually unchanged to the present day.

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

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Homicides drop 4 percent; see how many each N.J. county had

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A county-by-county look at homicide trends in New Jersey.

Homicides in New Jersey declined by roughly four percent in 2016 over the prior year, according to an NJ Advance Media survey of county prosecutor's offices.

New Jersey county prosecutors reported 361 homicides last year compared to 375 in 2015, the NJ Advance Media tally showed. 

Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino pointed to the state's focus on combating violent crime and drug addiction, but added that causes of homicides vary.

"We must always be cognizant of the fact that the contributing circumstances for increases and decreases in crime are multi-faceted, and more must be done," Porrino said in a statement. "We will continue to aggressively crack down on violent crime and the drug trafficking trade, as well as to take steps to prevent addiction before it starts."

Some of the state's most historically violent urban centers saw declines last year, including in Newark and Irvington. Killings plunged from 14 in 2015 to four homicides last year in Irvington, the lowest number of homicides the city saw in at least four decades, according to police records.

Homicides plunge in Irvington after new policing plan

Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss, who was elected in 2014, said his administration has focused on lowering crime in the Essex County township of about about 55,000 residents. Lowering violent crime also allowed the town to work to attract new businesses.

"I can't bring a developer in here to build if it's not clean and it's not safe," Vauss told NJ Advance Media in an October interview. "Once you start to tackle those two important facets, everything else will fall into place."

To achieve the reductions, officials said the town's 157-member police force focused on using intelligence to deploy officers in crime hot spots, and formed specialized teams of investigators to target known violent criminals.

Approximately a third of the state's homicides occurred in Essex County, where the prosecutor's office reported 126 killings, down from 143 in 2015.

View 2016 New Jersey Homicides, by county in a full screen map

Newark logged 94 murders in 2016, compared to 106 in 2015, according to city police. Non-fatal shootings also dropped 22 percent from 329 in 2015 to 257 last year in the state's largest city. Mayor Ras Baraka and Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose have hired more officers after massive layoffs, and the city overhauled its police force under a public safety department early last year.

Ambrose also credited a contingent of state troopers will helping city police push down the violent crime. 

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray said policing strategies driven by intelligence likely helped to prevent some killings and credited the work of the prosecutor's office Homicide Task Force. Still, Murray said there was more work to be done.

"We are pleased that [the numbers] are lower," the prosecutor said in an interview. "We are not satisfied by any stretch of the imagination with having 126 homicides in the county, but we are going to do our level best in each case to bring some measure of justice to those situations, while trying to play our part in having a greater reduction this year."

The county's Homicide Task Force, which includes prosecutor's detectives and local police, has helped secure better evidence and convictions, Murray added. Last year also saw 79 killings outside, compared to 106 outdoor homicides in 2015.

"I think that directed, intelligence-led policing may be causing our police to be in more of the correct locations outside to therefore to suppress more of those perhaps impulsive acts of gun violence that make homicides," the prosecutor said.

The declines were not uniform in jurisdictions across the state. Burlington County saw a surge in deadly shootings, pushing its homicide total to 19 for 2016, more than three times as the six slayings the county logged in 2015.

Willingboro police Lt. Christopher Vetter told NJ Advance Media the Burlington County community of about 31,000 residents saw three shooting homicides in just over a month, and all remained unsolved.

"It just seems like this generation now settles their issues with guns," Vetter said.

Residents are often reluctant to speak with authorities and fear retaliation, he added.

"We're actively working to improve our relationship with the public," Vetter said. "A lot of times we try to investigate or talk about these issues and they're extremely worried about sharing with us."

In Camden, there were 44 homicides in 2016, higher than totals in 2015, 2014 and 2013.

"Camden has some unique struggles that other cities don't have," Camden County Prosecutor's Office Capt. William Townsend said in an interview late last year. The captain cited witness intimidation among roadblocks investigators face.

Camden homicide count climbs as number of other violent crimes decline

The Camden County Police Department metro division, formed in 2013 and responsible for policing the city, also faced a staffing shortage during the period from late March to late May, when nearly half of last year's murders occurred, according to Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli.

"We know that there is an imperative to continue to get illegal guns off our streets and focus on decreasing homicides," Cappelli said in December.

Officials in Union County have echoed concerns about a lack of cooperation from witnesses in solving killings.

"We have people who were at the scene, shot at, injured, who will not talk to police," Acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park told a community forum held in response to an increase in homicides in Plainfield earlier this month. "My message to you is, if you want to help your community, you have to help police solve these serious, serious tragedies and bring justice to those victims."

The totals tallied by NJ Advance Media differ from the official State Police Uniform Crime Report, which tracks murder in line with federal guidelines. State Police reported 369 murders in 2015 and last year's statistics have not yet been verified against those guidelines, a state Attorney General's Office spokesman said.

The variation in totals stems partially with a difference between the definition of homicides and murders. Some counties include cases where police officers fatally shoot a suspect or other justifiable killings in homicide counts, which can inflate totals. Justifiable homicides, however, are not counted in the murder category under FBI crime reporting guidelines.

Greg Adomaitis, Rebecca Everett and Jessica Remo contributed reporting. 

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

 

NJPAC celebrates 20 years of presenting classical performances in 2017-18

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An eight-show series, starting in Oct. 2017, includes appearances by notables including Yo-Yo Ma, Andre Watts and Itzhak Perlman.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center will celebrate its 20th anniversary season with eight classical concerts featuring noted musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Andre Watts and Itzhak Perlman.

The "Bank of America 2017-2018 Classical Season" begins Oct. 22 and runs through May 2018. It is one component of a larger 20th anniversary celebration that will include offerings from every aspect of NJPAC's programming, with dance performances, family offerings and concerts of multiple musical genres. The full season will be announced later this Spring. 

Tickets for the will go on sale in May. Classical season ticket holders will be invited to a free event hosted by Maestro George Marriner Maull one-hour prior to each concert. The well-known conductor, star of the PBS's "Discovery Concerts," will talk about the upcoming performances and provide listening tips.

The eight concerts are:

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

featuring Andre Watts on piano

Oct. 22, 2017, 3 p.m.

Renowned pianist Watts, still a virtuoso at age 69, interprets Mozart's first great Piano Concerto No. 9, the "Jeunehomme" during this Sunday afternoon concert. He's joined by NYC's Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, which is making its NJPAC debut, for a program that includes Beethoven: Symphony No. 1.

Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerkman

Nov. 18, 2017, 7:30 p.m.

This rare joint recital features two of the greatest violinists of our age. The two Israeli masters -- both graduates of The Julliard School -- have performed together since 1977. The two differ in style and temperment but always play together beautifully. The music for this performance has not been decided.

Handel's Messiah

featuring Xian Zhang, conductor, and members of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

Dec. 17, 2017, 3 p.m.

Zhang, NJSO's first female music director, conducts this Christmas classic, considered one of the most majestic musical pieces of its time. 

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and violin

Jan. 20, 2018, 8 p.m.

Zukerman returns to NJPAC with his violin and conductor's wand, playing with and leading the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a program that includes Dvorak's Symphony No. 7 and Beethoven's Violin Concerto.

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

featuring Joshua Bell, conductor and violin 

March 18, 2018, 3 p.m.

Considered by some to be the greatest American violinist active today, Bell plays and conducts during this Sunday afternoon concert featuring Mendelssohn's Overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Beethoven's Symphony No. 6. Bell was named music director of Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, a chamber orchestra, in 2011. He replaced Sir Neville Marriner, who founded the orchestra in 1958 and died in 2016.

National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba presents "Bolero!"

featuring Enrique Perez-Mesa, conductor

March 23, 2018, 8 p.m.

The National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba makes its NJPAC debut with this Latin-flavored show. Besides Ravel's Bolero, selections include Suites 1 & @ of Da Falla's "The Three-Cornered Hat" and Roldan's La Rebambaramba. Perez-Mesa, one of Cuba's most respected conductors, leads the orchestra.

Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble

April 8, 2018, 3 p.m.

Cellist Ma and his one-of-a-kind music collective, the Silk Road Ensemble, return to NJPAC for what will undoubtedly be another sold-out performance. Ma's Silkroad project aims to use the arts to create cultural understanding. While the program has not yet been announced, it's sure to include the mix of world music the collective is known for.

London Symphony Orchestra

featuring Sir Simon Rattle, conductor

May 5, 2018, 2 p.m.

Conductor Rattle, perhaps best known for leading The Berlin Philharmonic for more than a decade, guides the London Symphony Orchestra through Mahler's Symphony No. 9, which is considered the composer's greatest work. The LSO is internationally known for its big sound, including the music from the first six "Star Wars" movies.

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

Newark event shines spotlight on education

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High school girls attend a special screening and a panel discussion.

ex0205schoolnewark.jpgScience Park High School student and Newark Public School Student Advisory Board member Laura Dawn Gould speaks at the recent STEM event.

NEWARK -- Last month, nearly 300 Newark high school aged girls got a lesson on the importance of education and the difference that women make.

The students attended a special screening of "Hidden Figures," the film about three trailblazing African-American women who supplied NASA with the math data for the agency's early space missions. The girls then listened as a panel of women made up of local community leaders and professionals from the STEM field discuss the role women in STEM and the advantages of higher education.

"The issues discussed in the film, including overcoming sexism in STEM fields and racism in the workplace, are relevant everywhere," said Laura Dawn Gould, a senior at Science Park High School and a member of the Newark Public School Student Advisory Board. "But there is no place I can think of that they'd make more of an impact than here in Newark, where our district serves an extremely diverse population of women of color."

"Newark Public Schools assembled an impressive group of women who are leaders in their fields to inspire Newark's talented young women to consider pursuing a career in STEM," said superintendent Christopher D. Cerf.

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

Pastor attacked while walking in Newark, officials say

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Police arrested an Irvington man.

NEWARK -- An Irvington man attacked a pastor Saturday night, officials said.

michael-healy-0205.jpgMichael Healy, 32, of Irvington. (Newark Department of Public Safety) 

The pastor was walking near Broad and Court streets at about 7:38 p.m. when he met Michael R. Healy, 32, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

Healy asked the pastor about religious beliefs before striking him, Ambrose said. Police arrested Healy and charged him with simple assault.

Other charges are pending, Ambrose said. Healy was taken to East Orange General Hospital for psychological evaluation.

The pastor was treated for minor injuries at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Ambrose said.

This is the second attack on members of the clergy in a week. The prior Saturday, a Newark man allegedly punched an auxiliary bishop during a Saturday Mass at Cathedra Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

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

Tenants of burned complex can move to other AvalonBay sites, company says

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AvalonBay says it will offer those who committed to live at its apartment complex destoryed in a blaze other living opportunities.

MAPLEWOOD -- AvalonBay says it will offer those who signed leases at its Maplewood apartment complex destroyed in a blaze early Saturday opportunities to live at its other nearby communities.

The apartment complex on Boyden Avenue, which was still under construction, caught fire at around 1:30 a.m.

"There was a limited number that had already been signed, and we will be contacting each of those people immediately and work with them to see if they have an interest in other AvalonBay communities nearby," said Ron Ladell, senior vice president of AvalonBay Communities.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said Sunday. More than 120 firefighters responded to the blaze, which destroyed more than two-thirds of the community, officials said in a previous report.

A firefighter was injured after slipping on ice, the report said.

Township Mayor Victor Deluca said he plans to meet with AvalonBay to discuss plans for rebuilding the project that had been set to open next month.

"My sense is that AvalonBay will be coming in to get permits to rebuild, and we're going to be sitting down and reviewing ... making sure that whatever may have happened here won't occur again," Deluca said.

Two years ago, the company's complex in Edgewater was engulfed by flames, displacing more than 500 people due to lack of sprinklers in a space in the building.

DeLuca has said that Avalon officials followed higher standards in the Maplewood complex than at the Edgewater development.

Ladell emphasized that the fires at the Maplewood complex and at the complex in Edgewater occurred under very different circumstances.

"The development was still under construction and unfortunately the additional fire safety enhancements incorporated in our design in Maplewood were not yet fully operational," he said.

Deluca said he still has faith in the company going forward.

"This a national company and they have a lot of experience," Deluca said. "But we are going to review everything on our end and sit down and talk to Avalon, and are going to be certain about their practices."

Construction at the Maplewood complex began in the spring of 2016, and according to Ladell, the project cost in excess of $50 million.

Ladell said the company will be meeting with Maplewood officials as early as tomorrow to discuss plans to remove the debris and secure the site.

Following those meetings, AvalonBay will continue discussions moving into the rebuilding of Avalon Maplewood.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.


Newark to reopen state's biggest indoor/outdoor pool Monday

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The John F. Kennedy Aquatic Center, featuring an Olympic-size swimming pool with a retractable roof, has new private changing rooms, diving boards and a paint job

JFK pool boy waving.pngOn Monday, Newark officials will reopen the John F. Kennedy Aquatic Center following a rehabilitation project. Kawon McGill, who was 7 at the time, is seen here in a 2010 Star-Ledger file photo.  

NEWARK -- City officials will reopen the state's largest indoor/outdoor pool on Monday morning, after an overhaul that includes new diving boards, dressing rooms and other improvements.

Mayor Ras Baraka and Director of Recreation, Cultural Affairs, and Senior Services Patrick O. Council announced the reopening of the John F. Kennedy Aquatic Center, whose hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Weekdays, and 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The pool is closed Sundays.

"It is the state's largest indoor-outdoor swimming and diving center, and it was imperative that we keep it maintained to the highest levels, so that it can provide all of our residents with quality recreation and water education programs," Baraka said in a statement.

The JFK pool was used for training by 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones of Irvington, and hosted the 2002 U.S. Youth Games Swimming competition.

The pool, at 211 West Kinney Street, is also open to all Newark residents.
 
The renovations included private dressing booths and tiled floors in the men's and women's dressing rooms, installation of new LED lights, and a new paint job throughout the complex, which also includes a gymnasium, weight rooms, and other facilities.

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

Man charged with burglarizing body wash and moisturizer from pharmacy

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Police say David Cardinale, 28, broke into a pharmacy on Broad Street at about 2 a.m. Sunday morning, He was arrested nearby after police reviewed security camera footage

Newark burglar David Cardinale .jpgDavid Cardinale 

NEWARK -- A Somerset County man was arrested early Sunday, after police said he broke into a Newark pharmacy to steel body wash and moisturizing lotion.

Police went to the Broad Street pharmacy just after 2 a.m., when its burglar alarm went off, Newark Public Safety Anthony Ambrose said in an announcement of the arrest.

After responding officers reviewed surveillance video at the store, a description of the man went out, and he was spotted a few blocks away, Ambrose said.

Police said the man was not found with opioids or other prescription drugs, but rather with a shopping cart full of about $70 worth of household items. The haul included Dove and Day Logic body wash, Oil of Olay moisturizing lotion, and Newport Cigarettes, said Derek Glenn, a Newark Police spokesman.

The suspect, David Cardinale, 28, of Hillsborough, was charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools.

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

Newark cops pull suicidal teen from 9th floor ledge of Robert Treat Hotel

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A distraught 19-year-old had climbed out a 9th floor window onto a ledge, where officers talked to him long enough to

NEWARK -- Newark police officers pulled a suicidal teen from a 9th-floor ledge of the Robert Treat Hotel on Sunday, police said.

Officers from the department's Third District were called to the 14-story hotel on Park Place in downtown Newark at 11:30 a.m. for a reported trespasser, police said.

What the officers found was a distraught 19-year-old who had climbed out a hotel room window onto a ledge and was threatening to jump, said Capt. Derek Glenn, a Newark Police spokesman.

Glenn said Officers Christopher Cavallo and Kevin Sommers went to the room and were able to engage the would-be jumper while inching closer to him.

"They were talking to him and they were able to lessen the distance, and then they grabbed him and pulled him through the window," Glenn said. 

He was transported to University Hospital by EMS for observation, Glenn said. No charges were filed.

Glenn said he did not know what was troubling the young man.

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement that he was proud of the officers' work.

"This kind of skillful rescue requires compassion and sensitivity that saves lives," Ambrose said.

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

N.J. pets in need: Feb. 6, 2017

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Dogs and cats await adoption at shelters and rescues throughout the state.

Protecting pets during cold weather

We were told this past week that Punxsutawney Phil observed his shadow, which is supposed to mean six more weeks of winter weather.

cold-weather-dog.jpg 

Whether that forecast is accurate or not, it's still a good idea to consider how winter affects our pets. BluePearl Veterinary Partners has some tips for protecting pets during cold weather:

* The most common-sense tip is - don't leave a pet in the cold for too long. Bring pets inside if they begin to shiver. Pets can get frostbite. In the early stages of frostbite, pets' ears, tails or paws will show signs of redness while pale, white patches of skin are signs of an advanced stage of frostbite.

* Once inside, make sure there is no ice stuck in your pet's paws.

* Find a de-icer that is pet-friendly if you use one on your driveway and sidewalks. Various toxins and even salt can cause problems for pets, as they have a tendency to lick the substances off their paws.

* Winter can make it hard for pets to find their way back home because ice and snow mask familiar scents and paths. Make sure dogs and cats that are allowed to roam have identification tags and, if possible, are microchipped.

* Dogs can't say "My arthritis is acting up in this cold." If a pet struggles when getting up and moving around the house, a trip to the vet might be in order. Also, make sure there is soft and warm bedding available in cold weather.

* A sweater or coat for short-haired dogs is a wise investment. A canine or feline fashion statement, perhaps, but the fact is that these items are functional in cold weather.

These N.J. congressmen voted to loosen gun laws, deceive workers | Editorial

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Your Republican rep just used the Congressional Review Act to wreck air quality, screw workers, give guns to the mentally ill and toss coal waste into your waterways. Your democracy. Cherish it. Watch video

Good news from Washington: Now even schizophrenics can purchase a gun. You can thank congressional Republicans for that, including the five from New Jersey.

Three of the five GOP representatives from our state also decided that dumping coal waste into our waterways - heavy metals, mostly - is a good idea.

And all five helped tear down workplace protections, clean air regulations, and corporate transparency - a total of five sloppy kisses they gave to special interests in just one week of work.

Imagine what these intrepid souls can do with other safeguards over the next four years with Donald Trump and Paul Ryan as their puppet masters.

The most baffling vote from Rodney Frelinghuysen (11th Dist.), Tom MacArthur (3rd Dist.) and Leonard Lance (7th Dist.) was to repeal the "stream protection rule," which forbids the coal companies from burying its corporate corpse in our rivers. They were part of a 228-194 majority that believed the rule was forcing coal companies out of business.

Odd, we thought coal was dying domestically because natural gas had taken over the energy market, that people were learning that burning fossil fuels threatens everything we value, and that the product was killing its own employees.

Either way, this repeal won't bring back coal jobs - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell now admits as much - and Reps. Frank LoBiondo (2nd Dist.) and Chris Smith (4th Dist.) were only two of nine House Republicans to acknowledge his earlier lie.

Two NJ Republicans broke with party on repealing environmental rules

The aforementioned gun regulation affected about 75,000 people who suffer from a disabling mental disorder. It was repealed by a 235-180 vote, and those who signed off...oh, just read this:

"This is a slap in the face for those in the disabled community," House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) told USA Today. "It assumes that simply because an individual suffers from a mental condition, that individual is unfit to exercise his or her Second Amendment rights."

In other words, the GOP is OK with the next Adam Lanza having a Bushmaster.

Then there was a 2010 regulation that mandated oil companies to disclose payments they make to foreign governments for drilling rights. It forced dictators in impoverished countries to reveal the wealth generated from these contracts, but the GOP thinks it's an unfair burden on U.S. companies to be transparent about its bids. Besides, Rex Tillerson had lobbied hard against as ExxonMobil CEO because it cost him business in Russia, so there's that.

So Big Oil's congressional pals granted them permission to hide their payments to petro-thugs - and every Jersey Republican has helped make it impossible for American taxpayers and citizens of fragile countries to follow the money.

The House GOP also repealed a Bureau of Land Management rule (221-191) that required toxic methane emissions to be captured - picture those giant flares shooting out of refinery stalks on Federal land out West, and be happy you don't live there.

Finally, our five GOP congressmen helped kill a rule that requires companies bidding on federal contracts over $500,000 to report labor law violations.

Trump's 'cancer' spreading to NJ's GOP | Editorial

"It's all ideological for Republicans, not logical," Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th) said Friday. "Many of the regulations in place now are responses to the financial crisis or decades of pollution. Again and again, we've seen deregulation cost lives and money. Republican are apparently content to deregulate, cross their fingers and hope for the best."

Most regulations were developed after years of study, with input for many stakeholders. The five representatives in our state should be forced to explain these votes, and why they favor Trump's meat-axe approach to governance.

Then, let them reap the whirlwind, starting with the lines that are forming outside the doors of their district offices - because their constituents know that this isn't the time to stop paying attention.

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If you would like to have a civil discussion with your congressman who voted to repeal these necessary regulations - or any other issue - his contact information is below. If the mailbox is full, try another number. If you don't know who your congressman is, click here.

Rodney Frelinghuysen - 973-984-0711, 202-225-5034.

Tom MacArthur - 856-267-5182, 732-569-6495, 202-225-4765.

Leonard Lance - 908-788-6900, 908-518-7733, 202-225-5361.

Chris Smith - 732-780-3035, 609-286-2571, 609-585-7878, 202-225-3765.

Frank LoBiondo - 800-471-4450, 609-625-5008, 202-225-6572.

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

 

 

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